A/N: Just trying to get something out here so I can get my creative juices flowing to write more for There You'll Be and Six Years Ago Today (check those out if you haven't already ;D). I had a lot of fun writing this, but I don't think it's my best writing. Try to keep the flames at a minimum, eh?
Summary: Elliot and Olivia. A high school dance. A cheesy '90s pop song. What could go wrong? Oneshot. EO.
Disclaimer: 43 days until the Season 10 premiere! :D If I owned SVU, the new episodes would start tomorrow and all of them would feature Elliot shirtless. ;)
"I can't believe he got you to do this." Casey laughed through the phone.
"He asked. What was I supposed to say?" Olivia responded as she balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear and applied her eyeliner.
"You could've told him you had better things to do than chaperone his daughter's dance. We could be sitting on your couch watching Ocean's 11 right now. You're giving up a night filled with a plethora of hot guys and your favorite ADA for a night with a bunch of pimply-faced teenagers?"
"First of all, who said you were my favorite ADA?"
"That's cold, Liv. I'm hurt, I truly am."
Olivia rolled her eyes through the phone. "And second of all, last time I checked Elliot wasn't a pimply-faced teenager."
"Ah, yes, of course. I almost forgot your motive for going."
"My motive?"
"Yes, your motive. You're trying to get your mack on at a high school dance with your partner of over eight years." Casey grinned shoving a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
"Case, I'm doing a favor for Elliot, that's all." Olivia was unsure whether she was trying to convince Casey or herself.
"Aw, so there's not going to be a Benson-Stabler mackfest tonight?" Casey mocked disappointment, grinning.
Olivia rolled her eyes once again. "No, Case, there's not going to be any 'mackfest'- whatever the hell that is- tonight, and especially not a Benson-Stabler one."
Casey chuckled. "Sure, Liv. But I want all the details on Monday, got it?"
"There's going to be no details to give."
"Uh-huh. Sure, Liv. I've got to go, the pizza guy's here. It's pretty sad that he getting here is going to be the most exciting event of my night."
Olivia smiled through the phone. "How 'bout you start a 'mackfest' with him? We need something to talk about over lunch on Monday."
"Shut up, Liv."
"Bye, Case."
And with that, the two women hung up their phones. Just as Olivia finished her makeup, the buzzer rang. She walked over to the speaker. "Yeah?" she questioned, although she had a pretty good idea of who it was.
"Liv, it's me. It's freezing out here. Let me up." She heard Elliot's voice call through the speaker and almost laughed at the mental image of Elliot shivering in the cold.
The light buzzing sound let Elliot know he could now open the door. He quickly entered the building and walked over to the elevator. In a few minutes, Elliot was at Olivia's door, gently knocking.
"It's open." He heard her call.
"You know, it's not safe to leave your doors unlocked, Liv-especially not in this city," he told her seriously as he shut the door behind him.
"Thanks, Dad, but I'm a big girl now. I can handle myself," she called from the bathroom.
Elliot nodded, ignoring the fact that she was in a different room and couldn't see him. He sat down on her couch, turned on the television and began flipping through channels.
"Okay, I'm ready." He stood from the couch and turned to face her.
"It's about damn ti-"
His breath got caught in his throat as he gazed at Olivia. His jaw was slightly open and he was amazed at how incredible she looked. Sure, Olivia was beautiful, but he rarely got to see her all dressed up. She was wearing a silver halter dress that ended about an inch above her knee and which dipped low enough on the chest to show just the right amount of cleavage.
Elliot was staring at her up and down and Olivia couldn't help but blush. She bit her lip and glanced at him. Other than undercover cases, she had never seen Elliot truly dressed up. His suit was tight enough to show that he had muscle, but loose enough to still be comfortable. They stood like this for a while, in awe of the other's appearance.
"Um, El, I think we, um...we have to go," Olivia finally said.
"Huh? Right. Let's, uh, let's go," he told her, embarrassed at being caught staring at her.
Olivia grabbed her coat and handbag and the two walked downstairs to Elliot's car. Elliot followed Olivia to the passenger side and they both reached for the handle.
Olivia raised one eyebrow in curiosity. "What are you doing?"
He shrugged. "I owe you for helping me with this. I just thought I'd start repaying you now."
Olivia smiled a bit and allowed Elliot to open the door for her. She muttered a short thank you just as he was closing the door for her. He made his way into the driver's seat and started the car, taking another glance over at Olivia. She looked over at him.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing." Elliot smiled to himself and began driving toward Kathleen's school. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a bit when the beeping of Olivia's phone indicated that she had received a text message. Olivia flipped open her phone and read the message.
NO GLOVE NO LOVE LIV ;-) -UR FAVE ADA
She chuckled and shut her phone.
"You got a secret lover sending you secret texts, Liv?" Elliot asked with a forced smile.
"Unless Casey counts as my secret lover, then no."
"Wow, Liv. You and Casey? That's pretty hot," he joked with a playful smile.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Not even in your dreams, Stabler."
"You guys could star in Law Enforcement Gone Wild. I'm sure a lot of guys on the force would love to see that," he said, half-laughing.
"You're such a man, you know that?" she told him, shaking her head with a smile.
"Alright, alright, if you and Casey aren't willing to make a film, how 'bout just a private show? Hell, I'd pay good money to just see you nu-" Elliot embarrassedly stopped himself from finishing his sentence.
Olivia looked over at Elliot, not failing to notice his reddening ears and his sudden intense concentration on parking. She bit her lip, grinning, and stared out her window.
"Um, we're here," Elliot told her. She nodded, still grinning.
Elliot got out of the car and jogged around the front of the car, opening Olivia's door for her. As she stepped out of the car, her dress rose up her thigh a bit and Elliot couldn't draw his eyes away.
Stop staring, Stabler, he chastised mentally.
"Thanks," she whispered.
He found that his breath was caught in his throat so he simply nodded.
They walked side by side into the high school gymnasium, Elliot's hand resting comfortably on the small of Olivia's back.
"You know all the chivalry stuff isn't going to be enough to repay me," she said with a wink.
"It's not?" Olivia shook her head. "Damn. That's what I was counting on."
Olivia smiled. "You're doing my paperwork for two weeks, Stabler."
Elliot groaned loudly as he opened the gymnasium door for Olivia. "You've got to be kidding. Two weeks of paperwork just because I asked you to chaperone a high school dance."
"Yep. Right now I could be with Casey."
Elliot grinned and opened his mouth to respond when Olivia cut him off.
"Don't even say it."
Their eyes locked and they both laughed.
They walked into the gymnasium clad in nicely-dressed teenagers and chaperones, streamers, balloons, and the glow of a disco ball revolving around the room.
"Man, this brings back some bad high school memories. Braces, teenage awkwardness, puberty. I remember the first high school dance I went to I spilled punch all over my suit," Elliot stated, cringing slightly as he glanced around the room.
Olivia laughed.
"Shut up, Liv. You can't tell me you've never had something embarrassing happen to you at a high school dance."
"Actually I can, seeing as I never went to one," Olivia stated casually.
"You've never been to a high school dance?" Elliot asked incredulously.
She shook her head. "Nope. I never really saw the point. I would have to get dressed up for one night where I would go to a poorly decorated gym and do what? Sit on the bleachers all night?"
"Wow, you're a real Grinch, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess," she said with a small smile and a shrug.
"So how come you agreed to come here with me tonight?"
Olivia blushed. Shit. Casey was right. "Um, I just-"
"Daddy! Liv!" Kathleen walked up and stood up to kiss her father's cheek. Olivia, meanwhile, was grateful for the interruption.
"Wow, baby, you look beautiful," Elliot said, smiling at his daughter.
"Thanks. You guys look great, too. Especially you, Liv. I'll have to keep an eye on Daddy tonight for your sake," Kathleen said with a wink in Olivia's direction.
Elliot cleared his throat in attempt to cover up the fact that he was now blushing profusely at his daughter's comment.
Olivia smirked at Elliot then turned back to Kathleen. "Well I'm sure there's some lucky guy here we'll have to keep an eye on for you."
Kathleen's cheeks reddened, which didn't go unnoticed by Elliot. He straightened up and scanned his eyes over the crowd, looking for any sign of a boy staring at his daughter. Olivia chuckled and placed a hand on Elliot's shoulder.
"Relax, El."
Elliot felt his skin burning under her touch and he relaxed slightly. He looked over at Olivia and smiled, who returned the gesture.
Kathleen watched their interaction with a curious smile on her face. "Alright, I'm going to take that as my cue to leave," she paused, shooting her gaze from her father to his partner. "I'll see you guys later." With a wave, Kathleen walked off into the crowd.
Olivia pulled her hand away from Elliot's shoulder and turned away, feeling the blush run into her cheeks at the way Elliot was looking at her.
"Um," she said, trying to direct her attention on something else. "I'm going to get some water. You want anything?"
Elliot chuckled. "You really never have been to a high school dance before, have you?"
She shook her head and looked at him curiously. Elliot signaled for her to follow him as they made their way to a table at the back of the gym.
"Everyone knows that the only drink served at a dance," he motioned behind him, "is punch."
Olivia laughed. "I thought that only happened in movies."
"Nope," Elliot smiled and shook his head. "It's pretty crappy tasting, too, unless it's spiked, but you don't even realize the shitty taste when you're drinking it after dancing the whole night."
"Elliot Stabler? Dancing? I don't believe it," Olivia said with a disbelieving smirk.
The few times they had been to an event where dancing was involved- a Christmas party, birthday party, undercover assignment- Elliot had stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall.
Elliot chuckled. "Laugh it up, Liv, but back in my day I was a lean, mean dancing machine."
"Wow, that was probably the lamest thing I've ever heard you say."
The two of them stood side by side in silence for several moments listening as the music transitioned to a slower song before Elliot turned to face her.
"Dance with me."
Olivia looked over at him, surprised, and shot him an incredulous look. "What?"
"You heard me," he smiled. "Dance with me."
She bit down on her lower lip shyly and nodded. "Okay."
Grasping his outstretched hand, Olivia followed Elliot out to the dance floor, trying to contain her smile. Elliot stopped, turning to face her, and placed a hand on her waist gently. He smiled softly when he felt her hand slide up his chest and grip his shoulder.
Olivia's eyes met Elliot's and they both exchanged a soft smile as they began swaying slowly to the music.
I don't know how
I don't know why
But girl it seems
You've touched my life
You're in my dreams
You're in my heart
I'm not myself
When we're apart
Elliot looked down at Olivia who was trying to hide her shy grin. He smiled as he thought about the truth of the lyrics he'd just heard. Somehow, Olivia had found her way into his dreams almost every night now.
Whether he was reliving a night where they'd gone out to a bar and laughed all night or a tough case where his anger had gotten the best of him and he'd been close to making her cry, she was there. Every single night. And Lord knows he'd had many fantasies involving him, Olivia, and an interrogation room.
Elliot licked his lips and shook his head slightly, trying to rid his mind of the image of Olivia straddling him on top of the hard, metal table in the interview room.
Olivia glanced up at Elliot and a curious smile grew on her lips. "What are you thinking about, Stabler?"
His eyes widened slightly. "What? I'm not," he paused, clearing his throat, "I'm not thinking about anything."
"Yeah, sure," Olivia responded, unconvinced. She smiled at his uncomfortable demeanor and took the opportunity to gently slide her left hand out of Elliot's and place it behind his neck, where she locked it with her right hand.
Elliot was slightly shocked at her actions, but shook it off immediately and placed his free hand on her waist, gently pulling her closer to him.
Something strange has come over me
A raging wind across my seas
And girl you know that your eyes are to blame
Elliot looked down into his partner's eyes and felt a smile grow on his face. He didn't know what it was, but something about Olivia's eyes just made him weak in the knees. He knew it sounded cheesy, but he could stare into her eyes forever.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to stare?"
Brought of his reverie, Elliot chuckled. "I thought you'd be used to guys staring at you."
"Yeah, well," Olivia began softly, "you're not just any guy."
What am I supposed to do
If I can't get over you
And come to find that you don't feel the same?
Elliot felt his breath hitch in his throat at her statement and he grinned widely. He opened his mouth to respond sweetly, but immediately closed it as a thought suddenly smacked him in the face. Hard.
What if this is one-sided?
Elliot visibly tensed as his mind started processing all the possible meanings of her words. Maybe she means I'm just a close friend...or maybe like a brother...
Olivia looked up at him, suddenly regretting her statement. She briefly closed her eyes and turned her head away, hoping he would choose to simply forget what she'd said and ignore the embarrassed reddening in her cheeks.
Realizing that she'd turned away, Elliot looked down at Olivia. She turned her head to face him once more, their eyes locking.
And he knew. This was definitely not one-sided.
'cause I'm falling, falling
Girl, I'm falling for you
And I pray you're falling, too
I've been falling, falling
Ever since the moment
I laid eyes on you
Elliot smiled widely at her as he thought about the first time he set eyes on Olivia Benson.
Leaning back in his chair, Elliot closed his eyes and wiped his sweat-ridden forehead with the back of his hand. It was too damn hot to be September.
He groaned softly as he felt his right hand literally throbbing from all the paperwork he'd done that day. Two weeks ago, his partner had been shot and killed and since then, he'd been on desk duty, filling out every single piece of tedious paperwork that had been handed to him. And today, the pile that had once intimidated him as it towered menacingly in the in-box was now stacked in the out-box, messy handwriting clear on each sheet.
"Elliot, get in here."
Opening his eyes, Elliot noticed his captain standing at the door to his office. With a sigh, Elliot stood and slowly traipsed over to the older man's office.
"What's up?" he asked after entering.
"This," Cragen said, motioning to the brunette sitting in the chair that divided him and Elliot, "is Olivia Benson. Your new partner."
Nodding slightly, Elliot took a step forward and offered his hand out to the woman who had stood and turned to face him after Cragen's introduction.
"Hi, I'm..." Elliot's voice quickly trailed off as he took in Olivia's appearance.
He blinked a few times as he stared at her dark brown hair, which was gently framing her face. Her skin had an olive tone to it that made her practically glow. Elliot swept his eyes over her firm body, clad in a tight-fitting, long-sleeved shirt and pants that accentuated the delicate curves of her hips. He quickly dragged his eyes back up to her face when they lingered over her breasts for a second too long.
"Elliot?"
He looked up abruptly. "Huh?"
"You're Elliot Stabler, right?" Olivia asked with a small smirk as she reached forward and took his outstretched hand.
Elliot nodded and returned the smile. "Nice to meet you, Benson."
"Likewise, Stabler."
"What the hell did they put in that punch? You're all dazed."
The sound of Olivia's voice threw Elliot out of his reverie. He looked down at her and saw her smiling up at him.
"What do you mean?" he asked, thankful that his mind had actually processed what she'd said.
Olivia chuckled softly. "You're daydreaming, Stabler."
"I am not," Elliot denied with a smile.
"You are too," she childishly responded, her smile just as big as his.
I lose my step
I lose my ground
I lose myself when you're around
I'm holding on for my life
To keep from drowning in your eyes
Elliot's blue eyes met Olivia's brown ones and she felt her body begin to heat up under his gaze. Before meeting Elliot, she never knew a single pair of eyes could make her feel so many different emotions at the same time.
Olivia's knees weakened for a split second and Elliot's grip on her waist tightened as stumbled slightly, breaking the smooth rhythm they'd been swaying to.
"You okay?"
Not being able to answer vocally because of her tightening throat, Olivia nodded and regained her balance, slowly falling back into step with Elliot.
Girl, what have you done to me
To make me fall so desperately?
To think that I don't even know your name
And I how am I supposed to live
If I can't get over this
And you decide that you don't feel the same?
Elliot grinned at her, knowing full well the reason why Olivia had just stumbled.
In their ten years of partnership, Elliot had seen Olivia stumble slightly only a handful of times, but each and every time it was for the same reason.
He was amazed at the fact that he and Olivia could hold an entire conversation without using any words. All they had to do was lock eyes and he knew everything he needed to know.
Anyone that really knew Olivia knew that she wasn't the kind of person that let her emotions show, but when she looked into his eyes, more often than not, he could tell exactly how she was feeling at that moment and exactly why she was feeling it.
He smiled inwardly, glad that Olivia had let him in and allowed him to be one of the few people who she showed emotion around. Olivia returned the smile, not exactly sure why Elliot was smiling, but she couldn't help herself. That damn grin was infectious.
Cause I'm falling, falling
Girl, I'm falling for you
And I pray you're falling, too
I've been falling, falling
Falling
Olivia bit her lip nervously, hoping that Elliot's reaction to what she was about to do wouldn't be too bad. Taking a small step towards him, she pressed her body lightly against his toned chest and rested her chin on his shoulder.
A smile grew on her lips as she felt his rough hands softly tighten around her body and slide to the small of her back. The smile on her face grew even wider when she felt his head tilt to the side and lean atop her head.
Elliot felt his heart pounding roughly against his ribcage and he was pretty sure Olivia could feel it against her chest. Never had he and Olivia been this close physically, excluding the one time they'd hugged right after Eli was born.
Elliot sighed in content, reveling in the feeling of his partner's warm body in his arms. This was a feeling unlike any other, much different to the times he hugged Kathy- even at the beginning of their relationship.
He could get used to this. Oh, he could definitely get used to this.
Will you stay or will you go?
Heaven knows what my future holds
Questions linger on my mind
From daybreak to dark of night
I don't know what's come over me
Elliot pulled back so that he could face Olivia. He smiled when he saw that she was shyly grinning at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after realizing that he was speechless. Nothing needed to be said at that moment and it was clear to both of them.
Olivia watched as his eyes darted down to her lips, which she was nervously chewing on, and felt her heart stop for that moment. Was he going to kiss her? Was Elliot Stabler going to kiss her? Noticing that he was still staring at her lips, she licked them anxiously, hoping that she wasn't imagining this. She felt Elliot's breathing become erratic against her face and she smirked knowingly.
She was not imagining this. Elliot Stabler wanted to kiss her and honestly, she had absolutely no problem with that.
Can't you see that
I'm falling, falling
Girl, I'm falling for you
And I pray you're falling, too
Elliot slowly, tentatively leaned his down towards Olivia, slightly closing the gap between them. Olivia closed her eyes and felt her throat tightening as Elliot's warm breath tickled her face. Softly, Elliot brought his forehead down and rested it on hers.
She exhaled a ragged breath and Elliot responded with several short, quick breaths of his own. She felt his eyelashes flutter, signaling that his eyes were now closed, and she smiled.
Never in a million years did she imagine this would actually be happening. Sure, she had pictured this moment in her mind an innumerable amount of times, but she never thought it would actually happen...
Falling, falling
Nervously, Olivia pushed her head forward slightly and smirked to herself when she felt Elliot's nose brush up against hers.
The closer their lips got, the more erratic Elliot's breathing grew. He could almost taste Olivia's lips on his, but he didn't move, deciding to simply enjoy the close proximity of their bodies.
After a moment, they both leaned forward in unison, their lips mere centimeters away from touching...
Ever since the moment
I laid eyes on you
Olivia's heart almost imploded as she felt Elliot's lips brush against hers.
Just as they were about to kiss properly, they heard a familiar voice shout from behind them.
"Daddy! Liv!"
They both immediately pulled away from each other, their hands dropping to their sides, breaking the contact between them dramatically.
The father in Elliot suddenly kicked in as he saw the tears streaming down his daughter's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Kathleen ran to her father and his partner. "I-I don't want to talk about it. Can we go please?"
"Come on, let's go," Olivia said without hesitation. She wrapped an arm around Kathleen's shoulder comfortingly and used her other hand to drag Elliot by the arm, since he had been scanning the crowd for any signs of his daughter's date.
Olivia turned to face him. "El, drop it. Come on."
Knowing she was right, he stalked after his partner, who was now comforting his daughter in hushed whispers.
He watched as Kathleen nodded every now and then and smiled at something Olivia had said. Exhaling, he pressed his fingers to his lips, still amazed that such a small brushing of lips could make his lips burn and make him long for more. But then again, he hadn't just kissed anyone.
He'd kissed Olivia Benson.
"She found her date kissing another girl," Olivia said with a sigh, leaning back in her seat.
Elliot nodded, now understanding why Kathleen had been crying. They had just dropped off his daughter at the Stabler home and they were now sitting in Elliot's parked car outside of Olivia's apartment building.
"Don't tell her I told you," Olivia added quickly.
"She'll figure it out after I rip that guy's lips off of his face," he muttered bitterly. Seeing the pointed look Olivia was shooting at him, he exhaled in frustration. "Fine, I won't say anything."
Olivia grinned, content with her victory, and turned her head to face forward once more. Elliot smiled as he watched her yawn.
"I'd better go."
Elliot nodded. "Yeah...So I'll see you Monday?"
"Bright and early," she replied with a smile.
He returned the smile and watched as she turned and unlocked the passenger door. She stepped out of the car and face him once more. "Goodnight."
"'night, Liv."
Elliot stared at her retreating form for a moment before honking his horn to get her attention. She stopped and turned to face him, a curious smile on her face. Taking a few steps back towards the car, she ducked her head down to face him through the open window.
"Thanks for tonight, Liv."
Olivia grinned. "No problem. I had fun."
"Yeah," he said, smirking, "me too."
They stayed silent for a few moments before Olivia opened the passenger door, plopping herself down in the seat. Elliot, who was watching her in confusion, stayed where he was.
Olivia leaned over and placed a quick peck on his cheek. "Hm...you were right."
Elliot's confused expression prompted her to clarify.
"You are a lean, mean dancing machine."
And with a smirk and wink, Olivia stepped out of Elliot's car and walked into her apartment building.
Elliot, who was still grinning, watched as Olivia disappeared into the building. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he sighed blissfully. He was brought back to earlier that night at the dance when he and Olivia had been dancing. He was definitely not falling for her.
He had fallen a long time ago.