Executive Orders

CH 65 | Episode 17: A Few Necessary Conversations

Something in the smile that Fitz and Olivia shared gave both Harrison and Jocelyn reason to excuse themselves after giving the couple knowing smiles of their own.

Fitz and Olivia watched as Harrison and Jocelyn walked away, joining the growing number of people gathering in the back yard before they turned away from everyone and instead started on a slow walk around the veranda.

They made one full circuit in this intimate silence, coming back to almost the exact same spot where they had started before Fitz stopped, moving to lean against one of porch columns.

His eyes softened as Fitz watched Olivia taking her cue from him, moving to settle herself so that she was standing at the railing, almost within arms' reach.

Deliberately almost, her smile said.

Fitz noticed. "Really?" he said, his eyes acknowledging the measured space between them.

"Really." Olivia flashed him a grin. "Don't make me say it, Fitz..."

"Oh, I'm saying it."

"Fitzgerald..."

"You and your damned plan." Fitz said.

"Our plan." She corrected him.

"No, your plan. The one I'm not likely to forget it because you won't let me." He sent a mock growl and a quick grin her way, letting her know clearly what he thought of the idea in the moment. The look in his eyes his eyes only underscored a deeper meaning behind his words - speaking clearly without words how much he wanted her, needed her... loved her...

"Somebody has to keep things in perspective, Fitz." Olivia was trying to be stern, but the molten warmth and heat of his gaze weakened the mock seriousness in her words to little more than a whisper and she couldn't help the smile that played at the edges of her lips.

"Perspective? I've got plenty of perspective, trust me." Fitz said. His eyes dropped to her mouth, to the smile that lingered there and found himself unable and unwilling to tear his gaze away. "From where I'm standing, I see everything I need to see - and then some."

"Fitz..." When he looked at her with the smile that came to his face, there was something about the way he focused on her mouth that set something inside her swirling and dancing and in its wake made it nearly impossible to hold back all the love welling up inside her. Her expression was suddenly, softly, glowing with emotion.

Fitz felt himself react. "Livvie..."

"I see everything I need to - want to too." Her voice went low and husky and half seductive without her even realizing it. Olivia returned his smile. "Remind me to remind you about this conversation later."

"Not a problem - I'll be more than happy to do exactly that." Fitz grinned at her, feeling his own heart melt as usual at the sight of her happiness. "And speaking of conversations, are we ready to talk about what your Harrison had to say?"

"You did ask for his opinion." Olivia pointed out. Deliberately she fell silent.

"That I did." Fitz found himself smiling again, as he recognized her unspoken challenge.

Iron sharpening iron, the thought comes to him. It was one of the best things about them, when their thoughts were in sync like this, two halves of one whole, her mind pushing his to see matters from a viewpoint he needed to consider but might not have thought of otherwise - and his thoughts doing the same for her.

It was a unique experience - it had been from the very start of them and Fitz knew now that he wouldn't have had it any other way. "I heard him loud and clear - now tell me, are you ready to tell me what you think about it?"