Undercover

Chapter 45

Elliot begins to stir and almost rolls over onto his side but feels the laptop on his chest and remembers his video call with Liv. He quickly opens his eyes, anxious and feeling guilty that he had fallen asleep on her. He was just so exhausted from his flight. When he opens his eyes he finds Olivia peacefully sleeping. At some point she had rolled over onto her side and covered up.

He can't help but notice his shirt draped across Liv's pillow tucked under her head and he wonders when she got it. Maybe while she was waiting on his Skype call, maybe when she woke up and covered up? Who cares he's just glad she's getting some use out of it. He thinks it's incredibly sweet that she's laying there on his shirt one arm draped across the laptop as if the laptop is a placeholder for his body. Maybe she found comfort in hearing his breathing or his snoring, maybe she had woken up at some point and had gripped it subconsciously as she was falling back asleep. Whatever the reason, he found it adorable and wished he was there.

Being away from her was almost physically painful to him, the only good thing was that it seemed to heighten his desire to be with her. When he was staying with Liv, he enjoyed every second that he spent with her and Noah, but right now looking at her peacefully sleeping and desperately wishing he could reach out to touch her, makes him feel like he may have taken it for granted.

He watches her for a few minutes. It feels slightly odd that he's watching her on a camera from a different country but he can't help but admire her beauty while she lays there so peacefully. He thinks of how he'd do anything for the woman on the screen that seems to be clinging to any part of him. "Sweet dreams beautiful." He whispers quietly before rolling onto his side and placing the laptop in line with his head. He closes his eyes and finds comfort in the sound of her breathing. It lulls him to sleep like a soft loving lullaby.

When Olivia wakes she sees Elliot getting dressed on the other side of the bed. He's wearing dark navy blue dress pants, a black unbuttoned dress shirt thrown over the top of a white tank top undershirt, and a dark blue tie draped across the top of his shoulders.  He's standing in front of a mirror attempting to clasp a silver wristwatch around his wrist. He hasn't yet noticed that she's awake and she's just admiring the view. The sun is beaming in from outside and shining onto the exposed skin peaking out of the top of his tank top. His tan-toned complexion has always been something she found incredibly attractive for some unknown reason.

She watches as he begins buttoning his shirt and she looks down at the one draped across her pillow. She lowers her nose to it, closes her eyes and takes a deep inhale. She imagines standing in front of him in Italy and helping him adjust the tie around his neck so that it's in line with the buttons of his shirt. She opens her eyes to admire him just as he nears the top few buttons, when he's finished buttoning his shirt he draws his tie around the collar of it, crossing, looping, and pulling the tie until it tightens around his neck.

He steps closer to the mirror and adjusts the tie for a second before straightening his inseam, he turns away from her towards a small counter to his right and she's unable to tell exactly what he's doing. All she can make out is that he appears to be looking down and his hand appears to be resting on top of the counter. He pivots and grabs his blazer off the back of a chair before making a beeline towards the laptop.

He quietly approaches it unaware that she's already awake and when he sees that she is his face instantly lights up. He lifts the laptop from the bed, takes a seat in the chair and sets the laptop on the counter. "Hey." She says softly, he's smirking from ear to ear and if someone saw him they would surely doubt that he has a funeral to attend shortly.

"Hey beautiful I was just writing you a note I didn't want to wake you."  She blushes at the compliment, Elliot complimenting her will probably never fail to make her blush. She squints to look at the note he's holding up "I hope last night was good for you, I know it wasn't the same as me being there but I'll take what I can get. Sorry I can't be here when you wake up. I'll message you after the funeral. I miss you. Love always, Elliot." She smiles as he lowers it and sets it on the counter.