Better Together

One Step Forward...

"Liv. Liv, wake up. We gotta go."

She squeezed the pillow around her head. "No."

Fin chuckled. "Not a morning person are you?"

"Get out."

"C'mon, babygirl. I know you don't wanna be late for work."

"We could just stay in bed."

"I like the sound of that."

Olivia threw the pillow aside, rolling over.

"Cause I've got a few ideas of my own," he added.

"What do you mean?" she asked even as he leaned in closer.

"Liv. Liv, wake up. We gotta go," Fin said, shaking her shoulder gently.

"No," Olivia whined sleepily, wrapping the pillow tight around her ears.

He chuckled. "Not a morning person, are you?"

Holy shit. "Get out," she said, willing herself not to stutter. No way. There's no way.

"C'mon, babygirl. I know you don't wanna be late for work."

"We could just stay in bed."

"Not today."

Aww, so close. "I was dreaming, you know? Could've given me like five more minutes."

"What kind of dream?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." She rolled over, pulling one of his pillows into her arms and staying there.

"Liv, come on. We're gonna be late for work."

Olivia yawned. "Jerk," she said half heartedly, pushing herself up and swinging the pillow over to hit him.

He snagged the pillow, pulling it from her hands and hitting her with it.

She reached out to block it. "Fin, cut it out!"

"You started it."

Olivia grabbed the other pillow, and a full on pillow fight ensued. Still seated on the bed, she was at a bit of a disadvantage.

"Okay, okay! I surrender! Fin, stop!" She grabbed his arm and pulled.

Surprised, Fin slipped forward. Olivia squealed most uncharacteristically as he landed on top of her.

"Geesum, sorry," he said, planting his hands on either side of her to push himself up and off of her, trying not to think about their proximity.

All of a sudden, she grabbed his shirt collar.

He had started to move, glancing up. "What's going on? You okay?"

"Fin, wait." All he could think about was how precariously close her mouth was to his. "Do you, am I just-"

"Don't." He cut her off abruptly.

"What?"

"I care about you, I do, but we're friends, Liv. We work together, and I don't wanna mess that up."

"Oh," Olivia whispered, gaze falling away from his. "I'm sorry."

It was an awkward way to have the conversation, both of them still lying on the bed.

"It's not that I don't want to. You gotta know that, but giving in...our friendship would never bounce back. You'd wanna pretend it never happened, and I'd be hoping for happily ever after."

"That's what you think of me?" She blinked back tears before shoving him off of her.

Fin rolled off the bed and stood. "I'm not trying to hurt you. We'd just want different things, and-"

"Stop. Stop talking."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine. Let's just forget it. We've got to go to work."

"Liv, please."

"I'll meet you outside."

...

"Wait, can we talk?" Fin asked, reaching for her arm as they pulled up to the precinct.

It had been a painfully silent car ride, and he hated it.

Olivia got out of the car. "I think we said everything that needed to be said."

"I wasn't done."

"Oh, you wanted to say something else cruel and untrue? Because I'd love to hear that right now."

"Liv, you gotta understand that I care about you. I didn't use the right words back there, but I do. I care too much to let one fumble mess up our friendship."

"One fumble, huh? You didn't even ask what I wanted. You just assumed. You're my best friend, one of the very few people on this planet who care about me. Why would I risk everything if I didn't mean it? I've been wrestling with this for weeks, no, years. Guess you cleared everything up for me."

"Olivia."

"Don't. We have a case to work. The last thing I wanna do is distract you."

She did not allow him another word on the matter, marching into the precinct and staring obstinately at the door to the elevator as they waited.

"Ah, they've arrived," John said, smiling at the pair of detectives walking into the squad room together.

Unfortunately, they were not wearing the sheepish grins he had presumed would follow them finally giving into each other. There was a scathing look tossed in his direction from Olivia and a forlorn one from Fin.

What on Earth happened? John watched them carefully, seeing the way Olivia pulled away from Fin when he touched her arm and pointed at the Captain's office.

"You go ahead," she muttered, and Fin sighed, doing as she asked.

"Everything okay?" John asked Olivia, and her eyes softened a little.

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, John."

She sat down at her desk, tugging the case file off the stack and flipped it open.

"We got a lead. Wanna ride out?" Fin said, emerging from Cragen's office.

"Why don't you take Rollins?" Olivia suggested.

"I thought we were working this together."

"I wanna go over the statement again. Check security footage."

He sighed. "Alright. Rollins?"

She shrugged. "Let's go."

The blonde cast Olivia a sideways glance as she followed Fin out the door. For as long as Amanda had been there, Olivia had never cast aside a chance to partner up with him, particularly if herself or Nick were the other option.

"Liv, you feeling okay?" John asked again an hour later when Olivia had yet to move from her desk, angrily scrolling through something on her computer.

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because you have a tendency to shut down when something has upset you. You're doing it now."

"Thanks. Needed that this morning," Olivia said sarcastically.

"Did something happen with him?"

Her eyes snapped up to his. "What? No."

John shrugged. "You two seemed pretty chummy lately. If he did something to upset you, I'll beat him up for you."

She finally cracked a smile at this. "It's okay. That won't be necessary, but what I wouldn't pay to see you pick a fight with Fin-"

"Hey, you saying I wouldn't win, Benson?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

John laughed for a moment before sobering. "Whatever he said, I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Olivia shrugged. "But he did, and maybe that's for the best."