L&O: SVU fic: Hippos, Wagons, and Other Christmas Ghosts 3
the conclusion...
Chapter Six
December 25th
12:48 AM
Elliot switched off the light and plugged in the tree, illuminating the room with the twinkling lights. Olivia pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and stretched it over Simon and Lucy.
He looked over the room and smiled. “I think Santa did a good job.”
“Hats off to Santa.” Playfully, she nudged him with her shoulder. “And Detective Stabler did his share too.”
“No way, Detective Stabler wasn’t here tonight.” He shook his head, holding her eyes in the low light. “This looks like the work of Uncle Elliot.”
She stretched up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. “Have I mentioned that I love Uncle Elliot?”
He tried to smile at her, but his lips turned down and she could see the emotion in his eyes. “I honestly wasn’t sure what I’d get when I came here tonight.” His arms reached out for her, cradling her body against his. “That’s the best Christmas present ever.”
“Speaking of Christmas presents, can I open mine?” Her eyes locked on the big box, knowing that it broke Elliot’s rule of not taunting kids with things that weren’t theirs.
“You’re staying here tonight, right?”
She nodded emphatically. “And you are too, right?” Her heart ached at the thought of him going to the precinct to crash in the cold, uncomfortable crib.
“I might have been hoping for an invitation.” He picked up the box. “Where are you sleeping?”
“I’ll have you know that I have every intention of sleeping exactly where that box is currently located.”
Elliot paused mid-step, looking between her, the box, and the couch where the box had located while Santa had been working.
She could see the wheels turning in his head and she laughed. “It’s getting late, El, and you’re getting slow. I said where the box is, not where it used to be.” Then she snagged his hand and tugged him toward the stairs. “We have the guest room.”
December 25th
12:52 AM
She’d brought some old, baggy pj pants to wear, which had formerly belonged to a boyfriend whose name she couldn’t even remember, but considering Elliot was homeless and only had one pair of pants to his name, she gave him the flannel pants, without mentioning that they hadn’t started out as hers of course, and opted to sleep in her t-shirt instead. It was fairly long, enough to be decent should she bump into someone in the hallway. And she was sleeping next to someone who’d seen her in various stages of undress, mostly accidentally, over the years. Besides, she figured he looked a hell of a lot better in those old pants than either she or the previous owner had.
She sat on the edge of the bed while she waited for Elliot to brush his teeth with her toothbrush. As soon as he stepped back into the room, she tried her sexiest smile on him. “Can I open my present now?”
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes slowly taking in her attire, especially noting how the shirt covered nearly none of her legs, not when they were crossed like they were at the knee. He stared at her smile, his eyes turning dark. “You better not look at me like that unless you want to wake the whole house.”
She shivered, realizing there was a very good chance his threat was real with the hungry way he was looking at her. She wouldn’t have minded in the least if they consummated their relationship right then and there. Hell, she’d been willing earlier on the couch. “That’s probably not going to earn us a return invitation next year, huh?”
He shrugged. “There’s always the car.”
She could have sworn her heart stopped. She honestly couldn’t tell if he was serious.
Until he started to smile. “See? No one likes to be teased.” He walked around the bed and pulled back the covers. “Go to bed and behave, or we’re going to get thrown out of here at an inopportune moment.”
As much as she wanted to take things to the next level, she really wouldn’t enjoy being interrupted. She started to climb into the bed, but a nagging thought stopped her. “You never said if I could open my present.” The box was calling to her, begging her to rip off the shiny paper.
He shook his head, offering his arms for her to snuggle into. “You can open it in the morning.”
“Fine.” Pouting, she climbed into the bed, leaving a mile between them.
“Be that way.” Elliot pulled his arms back and rolled over to face the other direction.
December 25th
12:54 AM
She tapped his shoulder. “El?”
“I’m trying to sleep.” He sounded tired. Or annoyed. Or angry. Or like he was kidding.
She decided he was kidding. “I can’t sleep.”
“Why don’t you try?” On second thought, he did kind of sound annoyed.
She slid closer and put her chin on his shoulder. “I’m too excited. Can I please open my present?”
“No.”
“You suck.” She turned over and moved back to her side of the bed.
December 25th
12:56 AM
“El?”
He sighed loudly, indicating both that he was awake and not answering.
“Please?”
“You can open it in the morning.” He turned over and smiled at her, his regular smile tauntingly sexy when pressed against a pillow beside her.
Hoping the pillow would have the same effect on her smile, she mirrored his position. “It’s after midnight.”
“So?” His pupils were large and his eyes seemed almost glazed over; she decided it was working.
“So it’s Christmas morning.”
“And?”
“And people open their presents on Christmas morning.”
“Not you. You can open your present when the sun comes up.”
She kicked him in the shin and turned away.
December 25th
12:58 AM
“El?”
“No way. Not after you kicked me.”
“Please?”
“Ask me again and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She turned back around to glare at him and borrowed a page from Lucy’s playbook. “And I bet that’ll hurt you as much as it hurts me.”
He smiled back. “Not really, since all I’m getting here is shit for buying you a gift in the first place.”
She tried batting her eyelashes again; it had worked before. “Please?”
He shook his head and closed his eyes.
“Pretty please?”
He snickered, but shook his head again.
She shifted closer, letting her lips brush over his. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to earn my present a bit early?”
His eyes opened immediately and before she knew it, he’d rolled them over, pinned her to the bed and let his body indicate that he wasn’t kidding. “There certainly is. Here or the car?”
She tried to scowl at him, but she enjoyed the feeling of his body against hers, his weight pressing her into the bed. And then an evil idea struck her. She smirked as she moved her legs, separating them just enough to shift her hips against his. As soon as he hissed, she laughed. “You can’t have your present until after I have mine.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I can wait.” Without another word, he rolled off her and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
Irritated, she glared at his back. “And you’d better keep your hands where I can see them.”
December 25th
1:00 AM
“El?”
“Fuck off.”
She laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Please?”
“I said fuck off.”
She leaned over him, not at all deterred by his words since his voice was revealing a smile. “Please?”
“No. The more you ask, the longer I’m going to make you wait.”
“Tease.”
He snickered at her. “It takes one to know one.”
December 25th
1:08 AM
“El?”
He sat up. “That’s it. I’m going downstairs.”
Deflated, her shoulders fell. “You’re really not going to let me open it?”
“At this point, I’m ready to take it back and not tell you what it was.” His arms folded over his chest as he challenged her.
“You’d do that? You’d really not tell me what it was?”
“You’ll never find out what was in that box.”
“Never?” She couldn’t believe he’d be so hard on her.
“Never, ever.”
“But it’s the first real Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.” She was trying to be whiny and annoying, but she realized her words broke him.
He reached out and traced his fingers over her cheek. “You can open it if you want to.”
“Really?” She was ready to jump up and down.
He nodded. “Yeah, go ahead.”
She looked at the box, intensely curious as to what it housed. And there was another present downstairs with her name on it from her brother. But Simon didn’t know her as well as Elliot did and as much as his gift would mean, it wouldn’t be the same. She shook her head. “I want to wait.”
He groaned as he fell back against the pillow. “Are you trying to drive me insane?” He smiled at her. “I mean, more insane than you’ve already driven me?”
She snuggled into his chest, savoring the feeling of his arms folding around her, keeping her safe and close. “I’m sorry.”
She felt him nod. “I know.”
“Good night, El.”
“Merry Christmas, Liv.”
December 25th
3:32 AM
“El?” She shook him until both of his eyes opened.
“Huh?” He looked around the dark room. “Is Kyle up?”
“No.”
“What is it?” His arms readjusted around her and his eyes closed again.
“I changed my mind. I can’t wait anymore.”
His eyes opened and immediately narrowed into thin slits. “Are you kidding me? You woke me up to tell me that?”
Her own eyes widened, not having expected him to be angry. “I’m sorry.” She recoiled back into herself, pulling away the parts of her body that had sought out warmth against his. “I didn’t mean-“
His hand closed around hers. “I’m not mad. I just meant that you could have opened it.”
“Don’t you want to see?”
He chuckled. “I already know what it is.”
She shook her head, confused for a moment that he had missed her point until she realized he was only kidding. “So can I open it?”
He nodded, standing up to move the box onto the bed. “Knock yourself out.”
Utter stillness fell over the room. Elliot stood by the foot of the bed. Olivia was kneeling; she had to since the box was so big. She took a deep breath and let herself enjoy it.
She grinned at Elliot. “Give me a hint?”
His mouth fell open as he looked at her. “A hint? You want a hint?” Shaking his head, he sat down behind her on the bed. “Here’s your hint. Open the box.”
She rolled her eyes and reached for the bow, pulling at the ribbon slowly. As much as she wanted to tear it open, she wanted to drag out the process even more. She took her time taking the ribbon and bow completely off the package first. Elliot’s laugh drew her attention and she stopped to look at him.
“What?” Even showing up at Simon’s and saying he loved her and bringing her a gift didn’t make it ok for him to laugh at her. In fact, she was fairly sure it made it worse.
“I thought you couldn’t wait anymore. Move any slower and you won’t be moving at all.” He shook his head, but he was smiling.
“Don’t laugh at me.” When she was sure he’d be quiet, she turned back to the box.
With the ribbon off, she started on one of the sides, picking carefully at the tape that held the folded paper together.
“Oh, for the love of god!” Elliot leaned against her back, reaching around her and laying his hands on hers. Then he moved their hands together, guiding her to tear one of the seams completely open.
“Hey!” She smacked at him. She didn’t actually want him to move because she was reveling in the feeling of his chest solid against her back, his arms around her, his hands on hers, his presence, his scent, surrounding her.
“Hurry up!” He withdrew his hands, settling them around her waist instead.
She craned her neck to look at him. “It’s my present. Let me do it.”
“You sound like a two-year-old. ‘I can do it myself!’” His laughter rumbled through his chest, reverberating into hers.
She jabbed her elbow back at him, but quickly settled her weight back into him so he would know she didn’t want him to move. “I’d throw you out for making fun of me, but you’re so mean you’d probably take my gift with you.”
His face turned into her neck and he kissed her. “I’d never take it away from you. I’ve never seen you so happy and you haven’t even opened the damn thing.”
“You said you would earlier. You said you’d take it away and never tell me what was in it.”
“I think I was trying to sleep at the time.” He moved his arm to tuck her hair back, pressing his cheek to hers. “Besides, you were being rather annoying.”
“And you were being mean.”
She was about to return to opening the box, but Elliot’s face moved, nuzzling her neck. “Can I make it up to you?”
She laughed out loud, hoping it hadn’t been so loud as to wake anyone. “Now who’s being the tease?”
He sat back with a sigh. “Ok, ok. Open the box so we can go back to sleep.”
December 25th
3:36 AM
“Liv?”
She didn’t answer him. She didn’t even hear him.
“Olivia?”
She didn’t feel anything when he loosened his hold on her. He leaned to the side to see her face since he couldn’t get a response from her. Her face was wet with tears that poured out of her eyes with no sign of stopping.
His hand moved to her back, rubbing slowly in an attempt to sooth her. “Breathe, Liv.”
The hand covering her mouth, that had moved up in pure shock, dropped back to her side. Her lungs demanded air and she finally drew in a breath, unaware that she’d even stopped breathing. She turned to him and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes so that she could see him. She didn’t even recognize her own voice when she spoke.
“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me.”
He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her tears. He’d thought maybe he’d crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed, dug up a memory that was better left buried. “I thought thirty years was long enough to wait.”
An involuntary laugh forced its way out of her mouth. “You think I’m thirty-four? That’s sweet. Sad, but sweet.” She sniffled, finally able to see past the drying tears. “Thank you.”
“I saw it and I couldn’t not get it for you.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but -“ He shrugged again. “Those are good tears, right?”
She nodded, twisting around to hug him. “I mean it. Thank you.”
“It’s just a stuffed animal.”
Reaching back, she pulled the enormous stuffed hippo into the hug with her. “Right, and we’re just friends.”
He hugged her, and the hippo, back. “Yeah, but we’re working on that.”
December 25th
3:39 AM
Cuddled back in bed with Elliot and her hippo, Olivia smiled. “I think you’ve single-handedly rekindled my hope in the world.”
His arms squeezed her tighter. “Let’s not go overboard.”
“And I believe in Santa now too.”
“Why? Because I got you a hippo?”
She turned and pressed her ear against his chest so she could hear his heart beat. “Because I have everything I want tonight. I have a brother and a sister-in-law and a nephew.” She moved her hand over his chest, loving that she could feel the heat of his body. “Because I have you and you brought me a hippo.”
“Just so you know, I don’t still want a train set.”
She giggled. “Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I don’t have any money to buy you one.” She hadn’t actually thought of it before, but she was tempted. And there was no telling what she would do when she recovered financially from having splurged on Kyle.
“Damn.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:44 AM
“I do still need a car and a phone and a place to live.” His voice was tense when it cut through the silence, as though recalling the bad events threatened to ruin the mood.
“Maybe you should talk to Santa about that.” They’d only been together for a few hours; she didn’t think it was appropriate to suggest a resolution to the apartment issue. “Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:47 AM
“Maybe I’ll just move in with you. Then I won’t need a car or a phone or an apartment.”
She grinned into his chest. “My place is pretty small, especially since I’m going to have a hippo in there now.”
Laughing, he kissed the top of her head. “The hippo can take the couch.”
“Maybe we should look for a two bedroom place.” She waited for the response she knew she’d get.
“Why?” His voice sounded nearly panicked.
Encouraged by his words and happier than she’d ever been, she said something she’d never imagined that she would ever say. “Because of the baby, stupid.”
“Oh, right.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:49 AM
“As great as this Christmas has been, I think-“
She pulled back. “It’s three in the morning, El, Christmas isn’t exactly over.”
He rolled his eyes and pulled her against him again. “As great as this Christmas has been so far-“
“Thank you.”
He laughed. “Will you let me get the damn sentence out?” When she nodded, he continued. “Like I was saying, as great as this Christmas has been so far, I think next year’s going to be even better.”
“Why is that?” Honestly, Olivia couldn’t think of a single way to improve on her holiday. It was the kind dreams were made of. It had been perfect.
“Because of the baby, stupid.”
She’d never been so happy to have her words thrown back in her face.
She’d never been so happy. Period.
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:54 AM
“Liv?”
“I’m trying to sleep here.”
“Sorry.”
”S’ok. Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:55 AM
“El?”
“I thought you were trying to sleep.”
“I think Kyle’s awake.”
“Nah, kids are much, much louder when they wake up on Christmas morning.”
December 25th
3:56 AM
“El, did you hear that?”
“No.”
“It sounds like someone’s on the stairs.”
“It’s probably just Kyle peeking, Liv.”
“I thought kids made a lot more noise when they woke up on Christmas morning.”
Elliot groaned. “So I was wrong.”
“You don't happen to have a tape recorder handy, do you?”
“Go to sleep.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:57 AM
“Are you sure that’s Kyle?”
“Do you want me to go out there and check?”
Tightening her grip, she shook her head. “No. What if it’s a murderer? I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
He laughed. “Night, Liv.”
“Good night, El, even if we are about to be murdered.”
December 25th
3:58 AM
“Santa came! Santa came! Santa came! Santa came!”
Kyle pounded up the stairs and threw open the door. “Get up, everybody, Santa came!”
Olivia blinked sleepily at Elliot. “Apparently, you were right after all.”
“Wait, can I get that on tape?”
She smacked him and moved to sit up. “I guess it’s better than being murdered.”
Elliot nodded. “This is the fun part.”
With a wide grin, he took her hand and together they followed Kyle to the living room to find out what else Christmas had in store for them.
Chapter Six
December 25th
12:48 AM
Elliot switched off the light and plugged in the tree, illuminating the room with the twinkling lights. Olivia pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and stretched it over Simon and Lucy.
He looked over the room and smiled. “I think Santa did a good job.”
“Hats off to Santa.” Playfully, she nudged him with her shoulder. “And Detective Stabler did his share too.”
“No way, Detective Stabler wasn’t here tonight.” He shook his head, holding her eyes in the low light. “This looks like the work of Uncle Elliot.”
She stretched up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. “Have I mentioned that I love Uncle Elliot?”
He tried to smile at her, but his lips turned down and she could see the emotion in his eyes. “I honestly wasn’t sure what I’d get when I came here tonight.” His arms reached out for her, cradling her body against his. “That’s the best Christmas present ever.”
“Speaking of Christmas presents, can I open mine?” Her eyes locked on the big box, knowing that it broke Elliot’s rule of not taunting kids with things that weren’t theirs.
“You’re staying here tonight, right?”
She nodded emphatically. “And you are too, right?” Her heart ached at the thought of him going to the precinct to crash in the cold, uncomfortable crib.
“I might have been hoping for an invitation.” He picked up the box. “Where are you sleeping?”
“I’ll have you know that I have every intention of sleeping exactly where that box is currently located.”
Elliot paused mid-step, looking between her, the box, and the couch where the box had located while Santa had been working.
She could see the wheels turning in his head and she laughed. “It’s getting late, El, and you’re getting slow. I said where the box is, not where it used to be.” Then she snagged his hand and tugged him toward the stairs. “We have the guest room.”
December 25th
12:52 AM
She’d brought some old, baggy pj pants to wear, which had formerly belonged to a boyfriend whose name she couldn’t even remember, but considering Elliot was homeless and only had one pair of pants to his name, she gave him the flannel pants, without mentioning that they hadn’t started out as hers of course, and opted to sleep in her t-shirt instead. It was fairly long, enough to be decent should she bump into someone in the hallway. And she was sleeping next to someone who’d seen her in various stages of undress, mostly accidentally, over the years. Besides, she figured he looked a hell of a lot better in those old pants than either she or the previous owner had.
She sat on the edge of the bed while she waited for Elliot to brush his teeth with her toothbrush. As soon as he stepped back into the room, she tried her sexiest smile on him. “Can I open my present now?”
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes slowly taking in her attire, especially noting how the shirt covered nearly none of her legs, not when they were crossed like they were at the knee. He stared at her smile, his eyes turning dark. “You better not look at me like that unless you want to wake the whole house.”
She shivered, realizing there was a very good chance his threat was real with the hungry way he was looking at her. She wouldn’t have minded in the least if they consummated their relationship right then and there. Hell, she’d been willing earlier on the couch. “That’s probably not going to earn us a return invitation next year, huh?”
He shrugged. “There’s always the car.”
She could have sworn her heart stopped. She honestly couldn’t tell if he was serious.
Until he started to smile. “See? No one likes to be teased.” He walked around the bed and pulled back the covers. “Go to bed and behave, or we’re going to get thrown out of here at an inopportune moment.”
As much as she wanted to take things to the next level, she really wouldn’t enjoy being interrupted. She started to climb into the bed, but a nagging thought stopped her. “You never said if I could open my present.” The box was calling to her, begging her to rip off the shiny paper.
He shook his head, offering his arms for her to snuggle into. “You can open it in the morning.”
“Fine.” Pouting, she climbed into the bed, leaving a mile between them.
“Be that way.” Elliot pulled his arms back and rolled over to face the other direction.
December 25th
12:54 AM
She tapped his shoulder. “El?”
“I’m trying to sleep.” He sounded tired. Or annoyed. Or angry. Or like he was kidding.
She decided he was kidding. “I can’t sleep.”
“Why don’t you try?” On second thought, he did kind of sound annoyed.
She slid closer and put her chin on his shoulder. “I’m too excited. Can I please open my present?”
“No.”
“You suck.” She turned over and moved back to her side of the bed.
December 25th
12:56 AM
“El?”
He sighed loudly, indicating both that he was awake and not answering.
“Please?”
“You can open it in the morning.” He turned over and smiled at her, his regular smile tauntingly sexy when pressed against a pillow beside her.
Hoping the pillow would have the same effect on her smile, she mirrored his position. “It’s after midnight.”
“So?” His pupils were large and his eyes seemed almost glazed over; she decided it was working.
“So it’s Christmas morning.”
“And?”
“And people open their presents on Christmas morning.”
“Not you. You can open your present when the sun comes up.”
She kicked him in the shin and turned away.
December 25th
12:58 AM
“El?”
“No way. Not after you kicked me.”
“Please?”
“Ask me again and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She turned back around to glare at him and borrowed a page from Lucy’s playbook. “And I bet that’ll hurt you as much as it hurts me.”
He smiled back. “Not really, since all I’m getting here is shit for buying you a gift in the first place.”
She tried batting her eyelashes again; it had worked before. “Please?”
He shook his head and closed his eyes.
“Pretty please?”
He snickered, but shook his head again.
She shifted closer, letting her lips brush over his. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to earn my present a bit early?”
His eyes opened immediately and before she knew it, he’d rolled them over, pinned her to the bed and let his body indicate that he wasn’t kidding. “There certainly is. Here or the car?”
She tried to scowl at him, but she enjoyed the feeling of his body against hers, his weight pressing her into the bed. And then an evil idea struck her. She smirked as she moved her legs, separating them just enough to shift her hips against his. As soon as he hissed, she laughed. “You can’t have your present until after I have mine.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I can wait.” Without another word, he rolled off her and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
Irritated, she glared at his back. “And you’d better keep your hands where I can see them.”
December 25th
1:00 AM
“El?”
“Fuck off.”
She laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Please?”
“I said fuck off.”
She leaned over him, not at all deterred by his words since his voice was revealing a smile. “Please?”
“No. The more you ask, the longer I’m going to make you wait.”
“Tease.”
He snickered at her. “It takes one to know one.”
December 25th
1:08 AM
“El?”
He sat up. “That’s it. I’m going downstairs.”
Deflated, her shoulders fell. “You’re really not going to let me open it?”
“At this point, I’m ready to take it back and not tell you what it was.” His arms folded over his chest as he challenged her.
“You’d do that? You’d really not tell me what it was?”
“You’ll never find out what was in that box.”
“Never?” She couldn’t believe he’d be so hard on her.
“Never, ever.”
“But it’s the first real Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.” She was trying to be whiny and annoying, but she realized her words broke him.
He reached out and traced his fingers over her cheek. “You can open it if you want to.”
“Really?” She was ready to jump up and down.
He nodded. “Yeah, go ahead.”
She looked at the box, intensely curious as to what it housed. And there was another present downstairs with her name on it from her brother. But Simon didn’t know her as well as Elliot did and as much as his gift would mean, it wouldn’t be the same. She shook her head. “I want to wait.”
He groaned as he fell back against the pillow. “Are you trying to drive me insane?” He smiled at her. “I mean, more insane than you’ve already driven me?”
She snuggled into his chest, savoring the feeling of his arms folding around her, keeping her safe and close. “I’m sorry.”
She felt him nod. “I know.”
“Good night, El.”
“Merry Christmas, Liv.”
December 25th
3:32 AM
“El?” She shook him until both of his eyes opened.
“Huh?” He looked around the dark room. “Is Kyle up?”
“No.”
“What is it?” His arms readjusted around her and his eyes closed again.
“I changed my mind. I can’t wait anymore.”
His eyes opened and immediately narrowed into thin slits. “Are you kidding me? You woke me up to tell me that?”
Her own eyes widened, not having expected him to be angry. “I’m sorry.” She recoiled back into herself, pulling away the parts of her body that had sought out warmth against his. “I didn’t mean-“
His hand closed around hers. “I’m not mad. I just meant that you could have opened it.”
“Don’t you want to see?”
He chuckled. “I already know what it is.”
She shook her head, confused for a moment that he had missed her point until she realized he was only kidding. “So can I open it?”
He nodded, standing up to move the box onto the bed. “Knock yourself out.”
Utter stillness fell over the room. Elliot stood by the foot of the bed. Olivia was kneeling; she had to since the box was so big. She took a deep breath and let herself enjoy it.
She grinned at Elliot. “Give me a hint?”
His mouth fell open as he looked at her. “A hint? You want a hint?” Shaking his head, he sat down behind her on the bed. “Here’s your hint. Open the box.”
She rolled her eyes and reached for the bow, pulling at the ribbon slowly. As much as she wanted to tear it open, she wanted to drag out the process even more. She took her time taking the ribbon and bow completely off the package first. Elliot’s laugh drew her attention and she stopped to look at him.
“What?” Even showing up at Simon’s and saying he loved her and bringing her a gift didn’t make it ok for him to laugh at her. In fact, she was fairly sure it made it worse.
“I thought you couldn’t wait anymore. Move any slower and you won’t be moving at all.” He shook his head, but he was smiling.
“Don’t laugh at me.” When she was sure he’d be quiet, she turned back to the box.
With the ribbon off, she started on one of the sides, picking carefully at the tape that held the folded paper together.
“Oh, for the love of god!” Elliot leaned against her back, reaching around her and laying his hands on hers. Then he moved their hands together, guiding her to tear one of the seams completely open.
“Hey!” She smacked at him. She didn’t actually want him to move because she was reveling in the feeling of his chest solid against her back, his arms around her, his hands on hers, his presence, his scent, surrounding her.
“Hurry up!” He withdrew his hands, settling them around her waist instead.
She craned her neck to look at him. “It’s my present. Let me do it.”
“You sound like a two-year-old. ‘I can do it myself!’” His laughter rumbled through his chest, reverberating into hers.
She jabbed her elbow back at him, but quickly settled her weight back into him so he would know she didn’t want him to move. “I’d throw you out for making fun of me, but you’re so mean you’d probably take my gift with you.”
His face turned into her neck and he kissed her. “I’d never take it away from you. I’ve never seen you so happy and you haven’t even opened the damn thing.”
“You said you would earlier. You said you’d take it away and never tell me what was in it.”
“I think I was trying to sleep at the time.” He moved his arm to tuck her hair back, pressing his cheek to hers. “Besides, you were being rather annoying.”
“And you were being mean.”
She was about to return to opening the box, but Elliot’s face moved, nuzzling her neck. “Can I make it up to you?”
She laughed out loud, hoping it hadn’t been so loud as to wake anyone. “Now who’s being the tease?”
He sat back with a sigh. “Ok, ok. Open the box so we can go back to sleep.”
December 25th
3:36 AM
“Liv?”
She didn’t answer him. She didn’t even hear him.
“Olivia?”
She didn’t feel anything when he loosened his hold on her. He leaned to the side to see her face since he couldn’t get a response from her. Her face was wet with tears that poured out of her eyes with no sign of stopping.
His hand moved to her back, rubbing slowly in an attempt to sooth her. “Breathe, Liv.”
The hand covering her mouth, that had moved up in pure shock, dropped back to her side. Her lungs demanded air and she finally drew in a breath, unaware that she’d even stopped breathing. She turned to him and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes so that she could see him. She didn’t even recognize her own voice when she spoke.
“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me.”
He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her tears. He’d thought maybe he’d crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed, dug up a memory that was better left buried. “I thought thirty years was long enough to wait.”
An involuntary laugh forced its way out of her mouth. “You think I’m thirty-four? That’s sweet. Sad, but sweet.” She sniffled, finally able to see past the drying tears. “Thank you.”
“I saw it and I couldn’t not get it for you.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but -“ He shrugged again. “Those are good tears, right?”
She nodded, twisting around to hug him. “I mean it. Thank you.”
“It’s just a stuffed animal.”
Reaching back, she pulled the enormous stuffed hippo into the hug with her. “Right, and we’re just friends.”
He hugged her, and the hippo, back. “Yeah, but we’re working on that.”
December 25th
3:39 AM
Cuddled back in bed with Elliot and her hippo, Olivia smiled. “I think you’ve single-handedly rekindled my hope in the world.”
His arms squeezed her tighter. “Let’s not go overboard.”
“And I believe in Santa now too.”
“Why? Because I got you a hippo?”
She turned and pressed her ear against his chest so she could hear his heart beat. “Because I have everything I want tonight. I have a brother and a sister-in-law and a nephew.” She moved her hand over his chest, loving that she could feel the heat of his body. “Because I have you and you brought me a hippo.”
“Just so you know, I don’t still want a train set.”
She giggled. “Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I don’t have any money to buy you one.” She hadn’t actually thought of it before, but she was tempted. And there was no telling what she would do when she recovered financially from having splurged on Kyle.
“Damn.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:44 AM
“I do still need a car and a phone and a place to live.” His voice was tense when it cut through the silence, as though recalling the bad events threatened to ruin the mood.
“Maybe you should talk to Santa about that.” They’d only been together for a few hours; she didn’t think it was appropriate to suggest a resolution to the apartment issue. “Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:47 AM
“Maybe I’ll just move in with you. Then I won’t need a car or a phone or an apartment.”
She grinned into his chest. “My place is pretty small, especially since I’m going to have a hippo in there now.”
Laughing, he kissed the top of her head. “The hippo can take the couch.”
“Maybe we should look for a two bedroom place.” She waited for the response she knew she’d get.
“Why?” His voice sounded nearly panicked.
Encouraged by his words and happier than she’d ever been, she said something she’d never imagined that she would ever say. “Because of the baby, stupid.”
“Oh, right.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:49 AM
“As great as this Christmas has been, I think-“
She pulled back. “It’s three in the morning, El, Christmas isn’t exactly over.”
He rolled his eyes and pulled her against him again. “As great as this Christmas has been so far-“
“Thank you.”
He laughed. “Will you let me get the damn sentence out?” When she nodded, he continued. “Like I was saying, as great as this Christmas has been so far, I think next year’s going to be even better.”
“Why is that?” Honestly, Olivia couldn’t think of a single way to improve on her holiday. It was the kind dreams were made of. It had been perfect.
“Because of the baby, stupid.”
She’d never been so happy to have her words thrown back in her face.
She’d never been so happy. Period.
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:54 AM
“Liv?”
“I’m trying to sleep here.”
“Sorry.”
”S’ok. Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:55 AM
“El?”
“I thought you were trying to sleep.”
“I think Kyle’s awake.”
“Nah, kids are much, much louder when they wake up on Christmas morning.”
December 25th
3:56 AM
“El, did you hear that?”
“No.”
“It sounds like someone’s on the stairs.”
“It’s probably just Kyle peeking, Liv.”
“I thought kids made a lot more noise when they woke up on Christmas morning.”
Elliot groaned. “So I was wrong.”
“You don't happen to have a tape recorder handy, do you?”
“Go to sleep.”
“Good night, El.”
“Night, Liv.”
December 25th
3:57 AM
“Are you sure that’s Kyle?”
“Do you want me to go out there and check?”
Tightening her grip, she shook her head. “No. What if it’s a murderer? I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
He laughed. “Night, Liv.”
“Good night, El, even if we are about to be murdered.”
December 25th
3:58 AM
“Santa came! Santa came! Santa came! Santa came!”
Kyle pounded up the stairs and threw open the door. “Get up, everybody, Santa came!”
Olivia blinked sleepily at Elliot. “Apparently, you were right after all.”
“Wait, can I get that on tape?”
She smacked him and moved to sit up. “I guess it’s better than being murdered.”
Elliot nodded. “This is the fun part.”
With a wide grin, he took her hand and together they followed Kyle to the living room to find out what else Christmas had in store for them.