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Olivia could still feel his hands on hers, she had blinked the tears away and that had given him enough time to slip away, so that now she watched Peter walk away. From the Court, from the SVU, from his friends...from her. All the things he said, why hadn't he told her earlier? Why had he done this? Why was he doing this now? Telling her, without really telling her, he was feeling more for her than friendship.
They had been off to a rocky start, which was completely understandable under the circumstances, but they had come over that faster than Olivia had ever thought they would. Peter had not once held any of it against her and she had been thankful for that. They had worked well together, he had to get used to their cases but looking back which ADA hadn't? And Peter had done better than most Olivia wasn't ashamed to admit that, it had taken her way longer to get used to Casey or Alex and now the former was her best friend.
She had told him he couldn't charm his way into their hearts, in her heart specifically, but damn it he had. Peter didn't even have to charm his way in her heart, it had happened without him even trying, or so it had seemed to her. They fought a lot at work, but it was their job and she hated to admit it, he had done the right thing in reminding them more often he needed solid facts to get justice for their victims. They learned form each other, helped each other become even better at their jobs.
And then she couldn't think of Peter not being there anymore. He had invaded her mind, had made her think of him even off the job. She had always found him attractive, which hadn't changed the slightest once she got to know him really. The real Peter, who was also funny and caring, didn't have it easy as a kid either, just in another way than her.
While Ben Stone had been a good man, a great Attorney whos reputation was known across State lines, it had come at the price of his children's relationship with him. He had been driven by his job, had dedicated his life to but criminals away and had neglected his children, had taken them for granted until it was too late.
In a way only Peter understood her, she had been alone before Noah, her whole family was dead, even if her relationships with them had been complicated or none existent, it still hurt. Her only family were her friends. It was the same with Peter, he had no family left, his mother had died when he was a child, his father had died before they could reconcile and his sister had been killed in front of his eyes because he did his job and tried to get justice for their victim.
All of this had brought them closer, in someways even closer than anyone ever before, even Barba. Their feelings always had been one of friendship, a deep and meaningful one, but still only friendship. During the time Olivia and Peter spent together, the days and nights on the job, somewhere along the way she had started to feel more for him, had fallen in love with him. He had even become a father figure for Noah, he had helped him train baseball, had spend time with him, had been honestly interested and cared about her son. Peter had made Noah happy in simply being him and being there for him.
More than once she had thought about asking him out, but couldn't. It wasn't the age difference, she didn't care, he wasn't that much younger and certainly old enough to not make it look weird. It was because Olivia was scared, scared of what was happening right now, that another person she cared deeply about simply walked out of her life. Only that this time it hurt as much as all the other times together.
Suddenly thinking about all of that, of all the people who had made her world shine a little brighter only to leave it darkness again, there was anger rising in her. Olivia had let them all go, even if it hurt, and it had always hurt. She helped them find their luck without her, would have done anything in her power to help them if they needed her and had ended up left behind.
This was enough, it pushed her over the edge, she didn't want to be left here alone in front of that damn building again, Olivia wouldn't keep quiet this time. Because this time was different, this time it was the man she was in love with, who had charmed his way inside her heart in a way no one had ever done before.
"Wait! Peter wait!" she shouted and ran after him, against her expectations Peter did pause and turned around to face her.
"Olivia-"
"Shut up! Do you really think this was fair? To say all that to me and then leave me standing there like a- like an unwanted puppy? I'm sick and tired of it Peter, I'm tired of people walking in and out of my life like they please, because I don't fucking deserve that. I'm tired of losing people I care about, of them forgetting about me!" Olivia didn't even give him a chance to say anything, because he was going to listen to what she had to say.
"My partner and best friend of 13 years simply left without as much as a goodbye, I had to pack his things and waited the whole night in front of his house to give it to him, to talk, to even say goodbye if that's what he wanted. He and half his family were inside and nobody came, nobody talked to me, no one answered my calls, I stood there for hours!
My next partner and friend also left, at least he had the decency to say goodbye and call once a year but that's also it. And then Barba, he also left right here in front of that damn courthouse, telling me how much I changed him and his view on the world and how he also had to move on now. Like I would turn it for the worse if he stayed longer." she moved closer to him now, looking up into his green eyes, ignoring the angry tears that ran down her face.
"But you know what? You are even worse than them, because you were making me feel something for you, because you confess to feel something for me while walking away! How could you? I thought you weren't like that Peter, I thought- I thought I meant more to you than that. What do you want me to tell Noah, Peter? You came into our lives and you told me yourself you wouldn't do something like this! Yet here I am again...why-"
Before Olivia could continue Peter pulled her into a tight embrace, for a second she was too surprised by his actions to do anything about it, then she tried to wiggle out of his embrace. No! No he wouldn't get her this way she was angry at him, he had tried to leave her like almost everyone else before him.
She actually tried to push him away but he simply wouldn't let go, no matter what she did and her resistance began to melt away. Then her body reacted on it's own and she hugged him back, their bodies pressed tightly together and Olivia did something she had never done in public. She buried her face in the soft material of his coat on his shoulder and cried, her body shaking with suppressed sobs.
"I thought it was beyond hopeless to even think you could feel something for me. I'm not good at this Liv, I'm- I'm scared I'm gonna fuck this up and I didn't want to hurt you like I tend to do. You mean the world to me. I'd rather walk away with you hating me than staying here, being so close to you while not being with you. I couldn't keep it up anymore, I care so much about you Olivia and about Noah. It also scared me what the fear of losing you and Noah made me do without thinking twice, without regret." Peter said quietly into her ear while he stroked her back, slowly calming her down.
"I'm sorry, I thought I was doing what was best for us...but I only did the opposite. Please forgive me."
"You're an idiot Peter...but please don't leave, we can work on it, if you don't want to work with us anymore okay, I understand, even though no one will know, but please don't walk away."
"I have to think about the work, but I won't walk away again...hell if I had known there was only a one percent chance you felt something for me I would have asked you out months ago Liv." she gave a huffed laugh at that and then simply pulled him in for a kiss.
A simple kiss that unlocked a million wonderful feelings and she was sure that he could feel her heart beating in her chest. Peter immediately returned the kiss, their lips moved in sync as did their hands who came to hold each other close. Olivia couldn't and didn't want to remember if she had ever kissed someone like this, with such true and honest feelings, without lust or hunger. The one thing she was sure of was that it had never felt this right in her past, or that good. It was like breathing fresh air after being locked inside for a long time.
As they slowly parted the two looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
"You want to try this...us?" Peter asked with hope in his voice and Olivia nodded.
"Yes, absolutely." Peter's left stroked her hair behind her right ear, before he kissed her lips once more. Both of them had forgotten where they were though.
"Hey, what happened to 'I don't date Attorneys'!?" they quickly broke apart and Olivia turned around only to come face to face with Fin, Amanda and Sonny, all of whom wore a big smile on their faces. For a short moment Olivia thought she should step away from Peter, like that would make any difference now, but as soon as she turned his arm came to lay around her waist and held her close.
"She broke that rule a long time ago, but right now you two better pay up to the Sargent." Fin said grinning wider than the other two, who gave him forty dollars each.
"But you did gave us quite the heart attack, we almost thought this was it." Carisi said as he put away his wallet and Olivia shook her head.
"I should suspend all of you for betting on my private life." she did try to sound serious, but it seemed to be impossible, because she was just so happy.
"When did you start this?" Peter asked now, his arm still around her and his hand stroked lazily over her side.
"Around three months ago, when watching the two of you dance around each other almost became torture. We are happy for you, both of you." Fin told them and Olivia could feel herself blush a bit. They had all known or suspected that there was something going on between Peter and her?
"Alright you know what? Let's celebrate a little, Liv and Stone finally admitted their feelings for each other and one of the biggest bastards on the earth is going to rot behind bars for the rest of his life." Amanda suggested and the others agreed with her.
"I can't believe this is really happening." Olivia mumbled as they walked to her car, hand in hand, just a few feet behind the others.
"Yeah me neither, but I've never felt happier in a long time." just then Fin let himself fall back so he was walking beside them.
"Just a little reminder Stone. You remember when I told you about Byron Marks?" Peter thought about his friends words for a moment.
"Wasn't that the guy you arrested in Cuba?"
"Exactly, so if you hurt Liv, you know there is nothing in the world that could make me stop from hurting you an even greater deal in return, understood?"
"Crystal clear."
"Fin that's-" she wanted to say that this was a little over the top, but he interrupted her.
"We're family Liv, that's what I'm here for." he then pressed a short kiss to her forehead before he turned to Peter once more. "Now lets hurry a little, so your fancy new boyfriend can buy us a round." raising his voice for the last sentence so Amanda and Carisi heard, the two cheered in response and Fin hurried to catch up with them while Peter chuckled and shook his head.
"At least I'll end up poor because of my friends."
Eight Months Later
When Olivia walked towards the squad room she couldn't get rid of the smile on her face even if she tried, nothing probably would, not for a long time. She was practically floating with happiness and even though she knew the others would notice, she was perfectly fine with that for once.
"Good Morning." Olivia said as she walked inside the room, Kat sat on Amanda's desk chatting with the blonde and Fin wasn't there yet.
"Oh someone's in a good mood today." Kat said and Olivia opened her mouth to answer but before she could do that Amanda spat out her sip of coffee.
"He fucking didn't!" she nearly shouted and jumped up, while Kat nearly fell off the desk because of the sudden outburst, Olivia didn't have to ask what that was about. She simply nodded and as Amanda hurried towards her she lifted her left so she could see the engagement ring better.
"Oh my god, congratulations Liv! That's a beautiful ring, when did Peter ask you?" they shared a hug before Amanda took her hand to take a closer look.
"Thank you, he asked me yesterday. He had it planned out with Noah, whom he actually asked for permission. Peter cooked us some dinner, we ate and then Noah went to get the dessert from the kitchen. But instead of apple pie and ice he brought me the ring box on a plate and Peter asked me." Olivia told them with the brightest smile on her face both had ever seen.
"Wow that sounds so romantic and congratulations too Cap." Kat said and they also shared a brief hug, even though she wasn't with them long she fit in well with them and Olivia knew she had made the right choice with her. Just then Fin walked inside the room.
"Morning ladies, what's with the hugging? Did I miss something?" he asked and looked at the three women.
"No, but I have to ask you if you're ready to be my man of honor?" Olivia said and showed him the elegant ring. For a second Fin looked too surprised to say anything he just stared at her hand with his mouth open. Then he simply hugged her without saying anything, just holding her close and it brought tears to her eyes, because that hug said more than anything how happy he was.
"Nothing in the world would make me happier Liv." Fin said to her as they parted and Olivia smiled at her oldest friend.
"Well I just hope we can all find matching dresses Fin, you tend to get adventurous with colors." Amanda spoke up and Fin glared at her.
"You know I look fabulous in every color."
Hello dear readers!
This is my first story in a quite while and then outside of my Criminal Minds territory, I still hope you like it though! I'm actually planning to post a few smaller and bigger stories soon and keep my fingers crossed that you will like them.
I know Stone isn't that popular in the fandom, but I actually like him and was really sad to see him go. And since I'm what I like to call underdog shipper, I immediately fell in love with Benstone, which didn't make his departure any easier. So here I am and I hope you enjoyed my first little One Shot of the two of them. Let me know in a review :)
To my Criminal Minds readers, I am slowly returning to writing, I'm soon going to post new chapters there too, just hang in there a little bit longer!