Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns everything.

Alex woke up for the first time snuggled against Olivia's side with one of the detective's arms draped possessively over her, and she couldn't help the almost unconscious grin that spread across her face at the feel of Olivia's warm arms around her. Olivia was still here, in bed with her. Alex had been terrified that she would wake up alone, and either find that the night before had just been a wonderful fantasy or that Olivia would have left sometime in the early hours of the morning, slipping away quietly after realizing this had all been a mistake, and Alex wasn't truly the one she wanted to be with.

Alex looked at the still sleeping brunette and felt something in her heart twitch as Olivia emitted a light snore. The sound was surprisingly endearing, and Alex could hardly help but press a gentle kiss to Olivia's cheek, smiling again at Olivia's soft, contented whimper.

She loved the feeling of waking up with Olivia, and hoped she would get to experience it many more times. For the rest of her life. Alex almost gasped at the thought. They had spent one night together, and already she wanted forever. She knew without a doubt that this was what love felt like. She had never experienced it before, not really, but she knew in this moment that there was no place she felt safer and no place she'd rather be than in Olivia's arms, where she knew she was loved even if Olivia had never said the words.

She wanted a million more nights like last night, when after dinner, she and Olivia had just sat on the couch together, not talking, just holding hands and sharing smiles every few minutes. Olivia's hand in hers was like an electrical current, filling Alex with warmth and joy and a strength she never thought she'd possessed, so much so that she had leaned forward after several moments and given Olivia a kiss, the first time in the months that they had been dating that Alex had been the one to initiate contact.

And when they'd made love that night for the first time, Olivia had been so gentle with her, so tender, so caring and loving and careful, knowing that Alex wasn't nearly as experienced as she was and not wanting to do anything to hurt her or scare her. Olivia had treated her with a reverence that made Alex's eyes well with moisture, because no one had ever treated her with such love, and no one had ever been able to express so much with just one fleeting touch, or just one fleeting look. When Alex met Olivia's deep brown eyes, she knew without a doubt that this was where she was meant to be. She knew Olivia loved her even if Olivia had never said so. She knew Olivia would protect her above else and would never hurt her. She knew that Olivia wanted the same things she wanted, and that thought made her heart soar.

And as Alex yawned and rested her head on Olivia's shoulder again, closing her eyes and abandoning herself to sleep once again beside her enigmatic detective, she knew that she was finally home.

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