Downfall

Nothing More, Nothing Less

"This is awkward," Fitz commented, glancing at Chloe out of the corner of his eye.

"We can go in here and talk," Olivia offered, gesturing toward her bedroom, "but she would only end up eavesdropping."

"She's my best friend - and I will not let her screw anything up here."

"At least pretend you aren't eavesdropping?" Fitz suggested, watching as Chloe huffed and turned around to stare blankly at the television screen, her head cocked so that she had one ear aimed in their direction.

"Better?"

"Slightly."

"I don't really know what to say," Fitz began, rubbing the back of his head before stopping to stare at his hands, his brow furrowing with concentration.

"Neither do I," Olivia admitted, bringing a manicured nail to her mouth and nervously chewing at the edges.

"I thought you wanted an apology," Fitz began, holding up a hand to stop Olivia when she opened her mouth to speak. "That is why I apologized in the first place. It wasn't because I regretted what I had done or who I had done it with, but because I thought you wanted to hear it."

"I honestly don't know how I feel about any of this, Fitz. I love our time together -"

"Then don't let this ruin that."

"- but that, this, can't happen. You're married."

"It always comes back to that, doesn't it?"

"I'm not that person, Fitz. I won't be that person. The things that would be said...no."

"Is this about you or about my bid for the governorship?" Fitz raised a brow, leaning against the countertop as he waited for Olivia's response.

"Both? I don't want to see you lose, Fitz, so yes that is part of my reasoning, but I myself do not want to hear the things that would be said about me. I have a reputation to uphold - I haven't even graduated and started my career, yet you are already asking me to sabotage it." Olivia crossed her arms, glowering at the man before her with watery eyes.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, Olivia," Fitz groaned in frustration, raking a hand through his already tousled hair and making to pace around the small kitchen, "I would be lying if I said I don't care for you. God help me. I fell for you without meaning to - I fell for you before I had even realized what was happening. I would never ask you to be my mistress. Think of it as me asking you for a promise."

"A promise?" Olivia sounded skeptical, narrowing her eyes at the distraught man before her.

"I want to be with you. I promise that I will be with you...after my divorce."

"Divorce?" The shriek in Olivia's voice had Chloe wheeling around on the sofa to stare at her best friend.

"I'm going to file in the morning. Take Mellie by surprise. She'll be too shocked to mount a good defense."

"No," Olivia's firm voice shocked Fitz, "This would ruin your campaign."

"Olivia, I don't care about the damn campaign. This isn't what I want; this has never been what I want."

"You have a chance to make a difference and you're willing to just give it up?"

"For you? Yes."

"No. I'm not going to be the reason you lose this election and I refuse to have a lost election on my resume."

"If I play nice until the election is over?"

"If you play nice until you've won, then yes. Do whatever you want and I'll wait," Olivia felt a grin spreading across her face at the excitement that quickly filled Fitz's, though she was quick to add her other stipulations, "But, no kissing, no holding hands, nothing until this election is over and you've filed for divorce."