"She's only ever late when somethings wrong. She's only ever missed a day when she's ordered to take one."
"Do you think something's goin' on? She's been kinda-"
"Bitchy."
" Simply stated, yeah."
"I'm late, I know. Don't ask."
"What's wrong, Liv?"
"Nothing. What part of don't ask don't you understand? Tell Cragen I've gotta follow up on something."
"Something, huh?"
"Yeah, problem?"
"hmmph no, of course not. Do what you wanna do. As usual."
"Excuse me?"
No answer. There never really is.
"Liv?" The apartment was dark. Of course it would be, it's late. Cassidy answers the door. You ignore him. You're here for her. You're not really friends, but you're here anyway. If you need to, you can blame it on Georgian hospitality. But you're hardly hospitable. Whatever.
"Liv?" You're in the bedroom. He isn't happy. He just got home, you can tell, she said he worked the graveyard. Back when she was talking. She's laying there, eyes wide open, she didn't even hear you.
"Livi," A whisper, close to her ear, "C'mon." You're not sure why you decided to come here, or why you're trying to take her to your apartment as if its safer for her. But she's been showing up late. A lot. Olivia Benson isn't late to work, if anything work is late to Olivia Benson. She laughs a little, and it throws you off. You lean in to pick her up or maybe to talk, you're not really sure what you're doing. And you smell it. All over. Her warm breathe floods over you and you close your eyes and sigh.
"Are you drunk?" You're surprised. It shows in your voice you ask. She must think its funny. She's smiling.
"Liv. Have you been drinking? Liv!"She scoffs at you and nods.
"What are you here for anyway? Hmm, Amanda?" You feel hot red running up your neck and you get nervous because you don't know.
"We aren't even friends." Her boyfriends been harassing you about your presence here since you knocked. Frustration is wrapping around you so you just pull her out of the bed and shove her towards the door. She's leaning in to your neck. You can feel her lips against your skin, your hair.
"You smell good. So good." She sighs into you, you can feel her smiling and you laugh, but you can't breathe. He's still yelling. She tells him you're taking her out, to go to sleep.
"What are you wearing? That makes you smell so good?"
"Soap. And probably a lot of sweat." You laugh.
She's so drunk.
"I love it." Drunk.
The drive home is...drunk.
You put her in the bed and call the Captain about getting both of you a day off tomorrow.
"Take two."
You make sure she's still in bed, then head towards the couch.
"Stay" She sounds almost panicked. So, you do.
She's really drunk and so she's talking. A lot. And she's curled around you with her face buried in her 'favorite spot'.
"You smell so good. I love the way you smell. It's so good. I love it.
I love you."
You freeze. She laughs. You shrink.
"I bet I know what you're thinking," she pokes at you're nose, "that i'm joking. That i'll leave. But that's you isn't it? Everyone always leaves." a pause, she sighs.
