The Station House

Chapter 1

Liv looks up from her desk to see the stack of papers she's been dreading and avoiding for weeks. Apart from the obvious it's one of her least favorites part of the job, all the reports and filing that feels like a never ending black hole.

She takes notice of how empty the office is and how late it's gotten. She grabs the back of her neck, lays her head back to look at the ceiling, and sighs as the days tension builds up in her neck and shoulders.

Across from her a concerned Elliot asks if she's okay- "Everything alright Liv?" She pauses for a moment. His gentle voice echoing in her mind. She wants to be honest with him. She wants to be transparent and vulnerable with the only man she's ever been able to trust. She wants to tell him how some days the things that they see is enough not only to haunt her in her dreams, but rather when she's wide awake too.

She leans forward and gazes into his eyes briefly before muttering- "Yeah just.. this job..."
"I know" he interupts, "Some days it feels like the entire world is on fire and we're the only ones trying to fix it." "Yeah." She tears up at his words as she thinks of the units latest victim.

Elliot tilts his head "..Liv. It's a cruel world, but we do what we can. We can't save everyone"
Liv quicky wipes away a tear from her eye, stands and walks towards the center of the room with her back towards him

"Liv it's okay. It's okay to have emotions. It's okay that you're not okay."
She shifts her weight from one foot to the other but remains silent. Elliot stands and walks over to her. Her sniffles filling the silence in the room. "Liv.. -he moves even closer- please look at me"

She remains still, overwhelmed with all the emotions she's held in all day. Elliot reaches up and places a hand on the outside of her upper arm and rubs it gently in an attempt to comfort her. Her body jolts in surprise. After a brief moment, Elliot begins to remove his hand but Liv takes it into her own, squeezes it and brings her face down to rest against it momentarily in an effort to show her appreciation.

She exhales gloomily as she lifts her head and lets his hand slip out of her fingers. Shes immediately surprised when it lands back on her shoulder near where her shoulder meets her neck. His large calloused hand resting on her skin briefly then slowly moving it's way up, where he gently caressed her neck with his thumb.

"I'm always here for you Liv" he whispers softly as he continues to caress her neck.
She takes a deep breath the feeling of his hand on her exhilarating
She groans quietly "El..."

She slowly turns around to face him and his hand glides gently down over her shoulder and down the back of her arm until it falls away. Unaware of how close his body is to her own, her body grazes his as she turns. Her eyes still focused on the ground, she nervously pauses for a moment before looking up at him.

When her eyes meet his she's reminded of how much she's always longed for him, their body's being so close together is causing her mind to race but she does her best to appear unphased.

Suddenly every word he intended to say to her slips his mind and all he can focus on is her lips-the way they curve. Her beauty completely mesmerizing in a way she's innocently oblivious to. He knows it's wrong. He shouldn't get involved with a coworker. He's still married. And their job is too dangerous for distractions. But the thoughts are taking on a life of their own.

He thinks of what it would be like to kiss her. To feel her body against his. To grab her and push her against a wall and touch her in ways he's so desperately wanted to for years. He feels his excitement in his jeans. In order to advert her gaze he pulls her in for a hug. Making sure to keep just enough distance between their waists.

All he can think to himself is how the hug was a failed attempt at a distraction so she didn't notice but holy fuck it's making it worse. The aroma of her perfume creeping into his nose in an excruciatingly arousing way.