[LOSVU] Know You Better Now || 1-3
Author: untapdtreasure
Rating: T
Summary: He rubbed the boy’s back and continued to play with him all the while thinking two and three steps ahead to what it was that Noah would need from him next.
A/N: I couldn’t get the idea of a sick Olivia trying to take care of Noah out of my mind. And then Barba just had to show up and play hero.
Chapter 1: And Open Up the Door for You
A.D.A. Rafael Barba moved down the hall of Sergeant Olivia Benson's apartment complex. He had taken the stairs instead of the elevator to give him a little more time to clear his head. He realized he would need her on the stand sooner than he had first expected as he had read over the list of witnesses the defense had to call. He'd need to come out of the gate strong.
He had been to her apartment several times, but things had been slowly shifting for the two of them. They were dancing a fine line between more than friends, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle that. He looked up, seeing her door. He didn't give himself time to change his mind as his hand raised and his knuckles came down against the door in three quick successions.
When the door opened, he was met with a ragged Olivia holding Noah in her arms when she herself looked about ready to fall over. He immediately forgot about work and reached for the toddler in her arms just as she leaned against the door as if her energy had totally depleted. He gently slipped an arm around her back and guided her back inside toward the couch. "Olivia, you look terrible. Where's Lucy?"
"Virginia Beach with her family." Olivia collapsed on the couch, drawing her knees up to her chest. "Won't be back until Saturday." She closed her eyes, starting to shiver as a chill came over her body.
Rafael rubbed Noah's back gently as he tried to keep him satisfied. He realized that she needed to be in bed. He sat the boy in the middle of the toys that were strewn about the floor and made sure he was okay before he turned to her. "Come on, Liv. Let's get you in bed, okay?" He had his hands on her upper arms, trying to ease her up so that he could help her stand. Finally, he had her up and managed to slip his arm around her back to guide her toward her bedroom.
She could do little more than lay her head on his shoulder. "I can't. I don't have a sitter for Noah. Barba, really. I'm going to be fine." The pounding in her head was only becoming more unbearable.
He insisted, "I have Noah taken care of. Just trust me, alright?" He pushed her bedroom door open and guided her through it and toward the unmade bed. He pulled back the blankets, encouraging her to crawl under them. "I'll get you something to drink and some Tylenol to help with the pain and fever. You probably just need to sleep it off."
A bug had swept through the D.A.'s office earlier that week. She'd spent a good amount of time there preparing for a case. It was no surprise that she'd fallen sick.
Olivia didn't have the energy to argue with him. She crawled obediently beneath the blankets and curled herself around her pillow. She let out a soft moan as the pain intensified as he tucked the blankets up around her shivering body to help get her warm. "My hero."
"Yeah. Yeah. Just rest." He smoothed back her hair from her face before he righted himself and exited the bedroom and went straight for her medicine cabinet. Finding the bottle of Tylenol, he popped the cap and shook out two tablets into his open palm. He then moved to the kitchen and grabbed a glass before rooting around in her fridge for some orange juice and poured her a glass.
He moved back toward the living room, peeking in at Noah who was playing happily where he had left him so he hurried to the bedroom to get the Tylenol and juice to Olivia. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Come on, Liv. I need you to sit up and take these..."
He gently eased his hand under her upper back and helped her to sit up. He placed the tablets into her hand and instructed softly, "Come on." He watched as she slowly put them into her mouth and reached for the orange juice. He helped her get the glass to her mouth and managed to keep her from spilling it. "That's it. Just a little bit more, Liv."
She turned her head away, curling away from him into the pillows. She just wanted to sleep. Her head pounded, making it almost impossible to think. "Noah," she breathed. Her knees drew up to chest in the fetal position.
He covered her up once again, letting out a soft sigh. "Noah's in good hands. I promise, Liv. You just get some rest and feel better." He turned off the lamp at her bedside, drowning the room in darkness. The only light came from the hallway to which he headed and moved back to living room where he'd left the younger Benson.
"Well, little man. Looks like I'm all you got until your Mommy feels better. Here's hoping I don't screw this up." He sat down on the floor with Noah, giving the toddler a bright smile. "So what should we do first?" He picked up a toy stuffed frog and made jumping motions with it along the rug toward him.
Noah giggled and reached with both hands for the frog. He managed to get both hands on the toy and pulled it immediately to his mouth. He smiled widely as he did so.
Rafael chuckled softly. "You like that, do you?" He rubbed the boy's back and continued to play with him all the while thinking two and three steps ahead to what it was that Noah would need from him next.
- -
Rafael had Noah in one arm, facing the boy outward as he opened the refrigerator. He bent slightly, taking stock of the contents. He glanced at the boy. "Anything look good to you, Noah?" He thought about it for a minute then closed the door and moved to place the child in the high chair that he'd seen Olivia feed him in at the occasional dinner party he'd attended.
He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and speed dialed his mother. "Hola, Mami." If anyone would be able to help him figure out what the baby could eat, it would be his own mother. He trusted her above anyone else. Anyone aside from Olivia herself.
Chapter 2: A New Found Grace
Lucia Barba smiled widely. "Rafi, hola. How is my boy today? Good, I hope. You still owe me dinner. You can't weasel out of it," she chided playfully as she walked along the sidewalk to the corner bodega for coffee.
"Dinner soon. I promise, Mami." He rolled his eyes and made a face at Noah. "I just need to know something. What did I eat back when I was say about twenty months old?"
It wasn't long before he explained exactly what sort of predicament he had gotten himself into. He could hear the amusement in her voice as she rattled off what she had fed him around that age. He somehow managed to hold the phone between his shoulder and ear as he set about searching cupboards for anything she mentioned. To his amusement, he found a stock of wholesome snack foods. He dumped a few of the veggie sticks onto Noah's tray, hoping he'd at least eat some of it while he found something more meal-like for the child to eat.
Opening the next cabinet, he found canned vegetables and held one up. "Sweet peas?" he questioned his mother. "And I have found some packets of pasta sides. That'll work?"
"Yes, mijo. Chances are he loves the stuff. Are you sure you don't need me to drop by? I can. It's not a problem..." Truth was she wanted to know more about his relationship with the police sergeant. She'd heard enough about her; had even met her that once. "Rafi..."
"No, Mami. Liv's sick. Last thing she needs is more people in her home. Por favor?" He searched for the proper pots and pans while keeping an eye on Noah.
"Okay. Okay. I know when I'm not wanted," she teased with a mock sigh. "Call me soon for dinner, mijo. I mean it. Yeah?"
"Yes, Mami. Te amo." With that, he hung up and set the phone aside. "Mothers, huh?"
Noah smiled at him and waved his fist of veggie sticks in his direction. He made a few indistinguishable noises and laughed softly while doing so.
"Exactly," Rafael said in reply.
- -
Rafael looked at the baby as he finished attempting to spoon some of the mashed up peas into his mouth. He chuckled softly as he shook his head. "I wonder if we got more into your little tummy than we got on me." He wrinkled his nose as Noah turned his head away, seeming to signal that he wanted no more of the food that he had to offer. "Alright. Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"
Noah babbled and chattered about this and that and nothing in particular as Barba went about cleaning up the mess he’d made in the kitchen. He answered the toddler as best as he could, keeping up a running stream of chatter as he managed to load the dishwasher and turn it on. The kitchen was now in better shape than when he’d arrived.
He then turned to the child once more. “Alright. Now what do I do with you?” He glanced around the kitchen. He couldn’t put the baby in the dishwasher, but he’d need a bath as they’d gotten food in Noah’s hair. So he pulled off the still dirty tray and scooped up the boy. “I guess its bath time. Keep in mind, Niño, that I’ve never done this before so no judgment.” His own clothes were rumpled. His tie had been discarded hours earlier with the top three buttons of his shirt undone, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
He managed to strip the baby down to nothing but his diaper before he started the bath water. Noah must have known what was about to happen as he stood at the edge of the bathtub and talked excitedly. His little hands reached into the tub for the few toys that were starting to float along the bottom of the tub as it started to fill. He stripped off the baby’s diaper and eased him into the tub in a seated position.
Half an hour later, Rafael was half drenched, but he’d managed to wash the child from head to toe and now had him wrapped in a fluffy blue towel. He dried him quickly before placing him on his back in his crib so that he could then diaper him and put on a pair of clean pajamas.
He wrinkled his nose at the boy before he tickled his belly by blowing on it. “Alright. Now what, Noah? Hmm? TV?” He shook his head. Olivia would probably have his head if he allowed him to watch television; especially whatever would be on at this hour. Nothing educational would be on this late, so he quickly forgot that idea. He looked around, seeing a bookshelf filled with children’s books. “Even better. We read.” He scooped up the baby, throwing the towel over his shoulder as he grabbed a couple books from the shelf and moved them back toward the living room.
After discarding the towel in the bathroom, they moved to get comfortable on the couch. He slipped off his own shoes as Noah lay against his chest. His little eyes were already heavy from sleep. He realized then that Noah had probably needed a nap that afternoon at some point, but he hadn’t gotten one. He hoped that wouldn’t mess up his sleep schedule. He stroked the boy’s back gently as he managed to hold the book with one hand as well as turn the pages.
They ended up reading three books before Noah’s eyes fell closed and stayed that way. He slipped the last book onto the coffee table with the others and shifted slightly. It didn’t take long before he was snoring softly along with the baby. He kept a protective arm around his back as he held him to his chest. He fell into a deep sleep; both of them slept soundly through the night.
- -
Olivia woke the early the next morning. Everything was a blur except for the memory of Rafael Barba showing up at her door. She groaned as she pushed herself out of bed. Her body was sore, but the fever seemed to have broken in the night. Her head no longer pounded. She moved toward the hall and instinctively turned toward Noah’s room.
Stepping up to his crib, she felt her heart start to pound in her chest. She moved from his room in search of her son. She started to call out for Barba when she stepped up to the couch and spotted them both sound asleep curled up with one another. She noted his hand was protectively on Noah’s back as he held him to his chest. He shifted slightly, and she held her breath. She didn’t want to wake them.
Chapter 3: Making Up for Lost Time
She reached for her phone, pulling up her camera and snapping a picture of the adorable sight before her very eyes. She then grabbed a blanket and tucked it up around the both of them. Her fingers moved gently through Noah’s hair before she moved on to do the same thing to Rafael’s hair. She resisted the urge to press a kiss to her son’s forehead for fear that doing so would disturb them both.
She left the two of them asleep on the couch as she made her way to take a shower to wash off the sweat and hopefully rid her body of whatever germs and toxins were left from whatever bug she’d contracted. Hopefully Noah wouldn’t catch it. Her body welcomed the hot water as it rained down onto her. It seemed to break loose everything and melt it away. Her head was definitely clearer.
- -
She emerged from the bathroom, steam billowing out behind her. She had her silken robe wrapped around her body, cinched tight at the waist. She could hear happy sounds of Noah babbling. She followed the sounds and the smell of freshly brewing coffee to the kitchen where she found Noah in his high chair. Rafael Barba sliced up a banana, placing it on the tray as her son munched happily on the banana slices and cheerios. She was impressed.
He turned his head toward her as she stepped into the room. He smiled at her before turning his head to address the boy. “See, Niño, I told you that Mommy would be all better, didn’t I?” He watched as Noah waved his arm in the air as he clutched a banana slice in his fist. “How are you feeling, Liv? Better?” He moved to grab her a mug and poured her a cup of coffee, preparing it just as she preferred it.
She moved to the highchair, dropping a kiss onto Noah’s head and took the offered Cheerio he pushed toward her mouth with his other hand. She munched on it and then nodded. “I no longer feel like I’m going to die. Tired and sore, but otherwise, I’m okay.” She glanced at him then back at Noah. “I just hope that I don’t give whatever it is that I had to him.” He’d been sick enough in his short twenty months on the planet as it was.
He handed her the mug off coffee, letting their fingers brush together briefly. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He’d already decided to put off her testimony until the following week. The case was grueling enough without her having to battle the lingering fatigue of whatever virus had ravaged her body. "You're not going into work today, correct?"
She met his eyes, smiling slightly. "Worried about me, Counselor?" She leaned against the counter's edge, bringing the cup to her lips to smell the delicious aroma. One smell and she would know if it were safe to take a sip without fear of her stomach revolting. All seemed well.
"You looked half dead when I showed up, Liv," he reminded her. "I'm glad I decided to stop by and not just call." He watched her carefully. "You need to rest..."
She frowned. "Barba, I'm..."
"Stubborn," he supplied with a smirk. "Come on. Liv, you're entitled to a break."
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. I'll call in sick. I just need to let Mrs. Amaro know." She moved to search her bag for her phone.
He relaxed almost immediately. "Good. But I could drop him by her place on my way home to change. Momma needs to stay home and rest still."
She turned, glaring at him. "Excuse me?"
"This way you can rest without worry..." he tried to explain.
"I thank you for looking after him last night. It's appreciated so much more than you know, but I'm fine. I can keep him home with me today." And that's just all there was to it as far as she was concerned. She looked at the clock. "You don't want to be late."
He frowned, stepping toward her. "You could still be contagious, Liv. Think about Noah."
She placed the coffee mug on the counter and stood toe to toe with him. "He's been trapped in this apartment with me the entire time I've been sick. If he's going to get it, he's been exposed already. I know my body, and I know I can take care of my son."
He gave a soft sigh. "Fine." He stepped around her, moving toward the chair in the living room where he had left his jacket and tie.
She didn't have the energy to follow him. She felt bad for how she had spoken to him because he had taken care of her and Noah while she had been too sick to do so herself.
But he couldn't come in and proceed to tell her how she felt and what she was capable of. She knew her mind and body, and she was more than capable of taking care of her son. She was grateful for his help and planned to tell him so the next chance she got, but there would be no apology.
- -
Rafael stood outside her building looking up at her floor as he warred with himself about whether to go back up and apologize or just let it go for now. He had no intentions of making her feel incompetent, and he had done exactly that.
With a sigh, he turned and headed toward the curb to wait on his taxi that he had called on the way down the stairs. He would talk to her later and give them both the time and space to be in a more civil mood.