The Affair

Three

Liv swallowed a lump in her throat as Elliot got closer to her. She threw back the rest of her wine, her throat dryer than the Sahara Desert. His blue eyes bore into her like fire. He leaned closer to her, inches from her lips with his. Liv closed her eyes, not daring to look if he pulled back. She felt a brush of skin against her lips and she reacted, searching for it. 

Ring Ring Ring

Groaning loudly in annoyance, Elliot answered his phone. "Stabler." He pursed his lips in anger as the other person answered. "Kathy, I'm not staying there if you and my children accuse me of cheating."

More silence then, "DICKIE DID WHAT?"

Liv looked at Elliot start to pace worriedly. "Okay Kathy I'll call Cragen." He hung up then immediately dialed Cragen. "Dickie ran away." Liv got up and grabbed her phone. She had some friends in Queens Precinct that could do a talk with Kathy. 

"Cap, hey. look Dickie ran away. If anyone calls -- " he trailed off.  "Thanks."

 Elliot paced back and forth thinking what to do. Where could his son go? His best friend had died. A few moments after Elliot had decided to go looking at Sean's grave his phone rang. It was Cragen. "Yeah Stabler." Liv looked over at Elliot who had stopped pacing. He had an undershirt on and was about to head out. He looked relieved. "Thanks. I'll call Kathy. What? He did? Okay."

He hung up again. This time more angrily than before. "He turned up at Cragen's accusing us of sleeping together. Wants him to separate  us." Liv looked at Elliot shocked. He stared back at her. "Cragen wants us to report to his office tomorrow morning. Before everyone else." 

"For what? We haven't done anything." Yet. He shrugged dialing Kathy. 

"Yeah, Dickie turned up at Cragen's. Want me to grab him?" He looked dejected at first then agreed and hung up. "I give up." He threw his phone on the table and grabbed the wine. He took a long swig before taking off his undershirt again. He looked at Liv fooling with her phone. "You okay?"

She smiled and chuckled. "I should be asking you that."

He grunted swirling the wine in the bottle. Liv grabbed the bottle and took a drink again. "I'll be okay when all this chaos settles. I hate chaos." 

"Dickie's a teenager. His mom might be helping fill his head with certain things that aren't true. Talk to a therapist with Kathy." Divorce her and be with me, Liv thought desperately. 

Elliot shook his head. "We're way past therapy. He took a long drink of wine again and set it on the table. "So about that deal." He leaned back, looking at Liv. She gave a half grin. 

"Don't bother, I can guess what went on. Anyway, I'm tired. Want to head to bed?" Elliot nodded. 

"Uh, so I normally sleep in my underwear." he stated walking into the bedroom. 

Really. Yay.  "That's fine. El, were adults and friends. It will be okay." I so want to kiss you. 

He nodded, taking off his pants and crawling into bed. He watched as Liv went to her dresser to grab an NYPD shirt. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes sir?" She asked as she walked to the bathroom. He didn't answer just watched her walk away. He so wanted to kiss her all over. They were so close to kissing when Kathy called. He could still feel the slight touch of her lips on his. 

She came out of the bathroom in her overly large shirt and crawled into bed next to him. "Night El." She dreamed of saying that to him. 

"Night LIv."

Liv woke the next morning first. An arm was over her waist and she could feel breath on her neck. Elliot must have cuddled her in his sleep. She tried to stop herself from smiling and feeling her heart skip a beat. She tried to move away from him but his arm pulled her closer to him and he buried his head into her back, moaning sleepily. 

They had to get to the Precinct before everyone else.  "El," she said softly. 

He moaned in response. "El, we have to get up." He grunted once like a four year old. Liv tried to hold back her laughter. She wiggled around trying once again to move away from him. He held her closer and chuckled in her ear. 

"I'm not ready to get up or give up my heater."  His heater?  Liv's heart skipped a beat. It skipped once more when she felt something against her ass. She knew all too well what it was. He was starting to wake up now and cleared his throat. He released her and rolled over. "I'll take a quick shower and meet you in the kitchen for breakfast." Liv nodded in agreement. 

They got ready in silence and headed over to the Precinct. Cragen was already there waiting in his office. Liv and Elliot glanced at each other and sighed. "Cap thanks for last night."

"No problem. I'm glad he got to my place safe and sound." Cragen stated leaning back in his chair. "Although I was surprised when he said you two were seeing each other."

Elliot balled his fists. "Cap, we aren't. I dont know where he is getting that from. Maybe Kathy, but there's nothing going on with Liv and I."

Cragen didn't look convinced. "So you aren't staying at her one bedroom apartment with her?"

Liv looked down at her hands. Cragen saw that and continued, "You aren't wearing your ring, Elliot." 

"I'm not sure if Kathy and I can get past this," Elliot responded honestly. 

"Get past what, Elliot?" Cragen asked. 

Elliot didnt know how to phrase it. "Kathy and I aren't doing good. Dickie and her are accusing me of having an affair. And frankly, if they want one then its easier to prove them right than wrong." 

Not knowing if she should say anything to that, she decided to stay quiet. Or so she thought. "You're quiet Benson."

Liv shrugged, "Nothing to say, Cap."

"Do you deny sleeping in the same bed with your partner?" Cragen asked knowingly. Liv hated him at that moment. Elliot and Liv stared at Cragen, not even daring to look at each other. They knew what they wanted to say, but knew what they had to say. 

"No, we don't." Liv placed her hands on her hips while Elliot crossed his arms. 

Cragen nodded, standing up and looking at the floor as he paced for a moment. "Look, I know how you two feel about each other. Don't give me any bullshit looks. I'm old not blind," Cragen added. "I'll let whatever is going on slide as long as you two keep it as professional as you've kept it up until now."

"With all due respect Cap, even if we were doing something. Is it even the business of the station house?" Liv asked boldly. 

"IAB would have a field day, Liv."