Chapter 25:  Starved

On New Year’s Eve, Elliot, Olivia, Munch, and Fin were all sitting at a table with a pitcher of beer when Olivia’s cell phone started ringing.  She reached into her coat and retrieved it.  “Hello?”

 

“Hey, Liv.  It’s me,” Alex said.  “Are you busy?”

 

“Just hanging out with the guys,” Olivia answered.  “We’re at Mulligan’s.  Wanna join us?”

 

Smiling, Alex replied, “Sure.  I’m just finishing up at the office.  I was actually calling to see if you’d made any plans for the evening.”

 

“Does drinking this year away count?” Olivia teased.

 

Alex laughed and turned out the lights to her office.  “If you say so.  I’ll be there in 15 minutes, tops.”

 

Like clockwork the authoritative sound of heels was heard clicking against the floor 15 minutes later.  Any of the SVU detectives would know that sound from a million miles away.  Lots of women wore heels but only Alex Cabot commanded the floor in such a shattering rhythm that absolutely demanded respect and served to turn the heads of everyone in the room.

 

After greeting them all, Alex took a seat beside Olivia and set her briefcase down on the floor.  Olivia poured her a glass of beer and asked, “How was your day?”

 

Alex took a satisfying sip before answering, “Exhausting.”

 

“How are the lab rats?” Munch asked.

 

Alex smirked.  “They’re fine.”

 

“Ya know, Alex, we don’t see ya around here anymore,” Fin said.  “Almost thought ya forgot all about us.”

 

Alex smiled at him.  “Nah.  I just barely get a spare minute at my new bureau.”

 

“We all still miss you,” Elliot said, giving her a warm smile.  “It’s just not the same without you.”

 

“Hear, hear,” Munch said, tipping his glass to her.

 

Alex’s smile widened.  “Thanks, guys.  It really means a lot to me.”

 

Olivia put her arm around her shoulders, which sent a warm rush through Alex.  “She’s a champion.”

 

Alex turned to her.  “I learn from the best.”

 

Although the gesture was innocent enough, Elliot noticed that the look in their eyes was anything but.  Damn, those two have got it bad, he thought, chuckling softly to himself.

 

Olivia turned to him.  “What’s got you grinning like a Cheshire cat?”

 

Fin studied him.  “I think Elliot’s had one too many drinks.”

 

“Nope, just thought of somethin’ funny,” Elliot explained.

 

“Oh, Elliot, won’t you please share with us?” Munch teased. 

 

“Yeah, ole Grinch here could use some humor in his life,” Fin said dryly.

 

“Trust me, I’m full of shits and giggles,” Munch remarked.

 

“Yeah, full of shit sounds about right,” Fin replied, downing the rest of his beer.

 

Alex laughed.  “This is what I’ve been missing.”

 

Olivia snorted.  “Trust me.  You haven’t missed much.”

 

“She missed Munch being shot in the ass,” Fin said.

 

“Yeah, my ass and Elliot’s arm seemed to be kindred spirits that day,” Munch replied.  He put his hand on Fin’s back.  “Although the highlight was hearing my seasoned partner call me ‘bro.’”

 

Fin pulled back.  “Hey, hey.  You know I don’t like people touchin’ me.”

 

All the blood drained from Alex’s face.  “I remember hearing about that.  I’m sorry.”

 

“Did Liv tell you?” Munch asked.

 

Alex looked at Olivia, who had suddenly become very interested in examining the contents of her glass.  “No, she didn’t.” 

 

Elliot smiled reassuringly at Alex.  “Don’t worry.  We’re both fine now.”

 

After taking a long swig of her beer, Alex pushed back her chair.  “Excuse me for a moment.”

 

Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances.  She got up and quickly followed Alex to the bathroom.  “You ok?”

 

Anger flashed in her blue eyes.  “How could you not tell me?”

 

“We weren’t talking then,” Olivia explained.  “And I knew you’d hear it anyway.  News travels fast through the courthouse grapevine.”

 

“That’s no excuse, Olivia!” Alex accused, her voice rising.  “Don’t you think that the shooting of two friends requires a personal informant?”

 

“Alex, Elliot wouldn’t even let me call Kathy because they were separated.  In fact, she had started divorce proceedings a couple weeks prior.”

 

“That’s different,” Alex snapped.

 

“Not by much!” Olivia retorted.  “And forgive me if my primary concern was getting to Bellevue to make sure my partner was all right and not calling an ex!”

 

“Lower your voice, Olivia,” Alex demanded.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I forgot!” Olivia snapped.  In a harsh whisper, she continued, “Someone might have the room wired to get incriminating evidence on closeted ADAs.”

 

Alex turned red.  “This is not a joking matter!  You let petty anger get in the way—”

 

“Petty?  Hardly,” Olivia interrupted.

 

Alex threw up her hands.  “How much longer are you gonna stew in self-righteous anger?”

 

Olivia gritted her teeth.  “Better to stew in self-righteous anger than self-righteous cowardice.  Don’t you have a boyfriend to celebrate New Year’s Eve with?”

 

Alex pointed her finger right at her nose.  “Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me.”

 

Olivia pointed her finger right back at hers.  “If it wasn’t for your own actions, I would’ve called!”

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “I’m so tired of you playing the blame game!”

 

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?  I wasn’t gonna let you use Munch and Elliot’s injuries as a way to get close to me again.”

 

“You think I’d be that manipulative?” Alex asked, hurt.

 

Olivia groaned.  “Alex, this happened in October, can we please just let it go?”

 

Alex was disappointed that Olivia refused to answer the question.  However, she didn’t want to argue with her anymore and ruin their night.  She let out a long sigh.  “Fine.”

 

Olivia stared at her for a minute before turning around and saying, “I need some air.”

 

“Wait, Liv.  Don’t go,” Alex pleaded, grasping her arm gently.

 

She slowly turned back around.  “Why should I stay if you’re gonna pick fights?”

 

Alex moved closer to her and brushed a wisp of hair back from her face.  Olivia grew warm at her touch despite the tension in the air.  Alex stared into her eyes and promised, “You don’t have to worry about that.  Let’s just focus on bringing in the new year on a good note, ok?”

 

Olivia sighed.  “Ok.”

 

“Everything all right?” Elliot asked when they sat back down at the table.

 

Olivia flashed a smile.  “Yeah.”

 

Elliot studied the two women.  He guessed that whatever had transpired between them had something to do with the courtroom shootings.  I hope they worked it out, he thought.

 

Forty-five minutes later, Olivia looked down at her watch.  It was almost 11:00.  Looking up at Alex, she asked softly, “You ready to go?”

 

Alex nodded.  “Ready when you are.”

 

Olivia grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and stood up.  “Well, guys, I guess I’ll get going.”

 

“I should get going, too,” Alex said, following her lead.  “It was really nice seeing all of you again.  Tell Cragen I said hello.”

 

Once they were outside, Olivia asked, “Wanna share a cab?”

 

Alex smiled.  “I’d like nothing more.”

 

“My place or yours?”

 

“Yours,” Alex responded.

 

They climbed into the backseat of a taxi and Olivia told the driver her address.  The ride was spent laughing about the antics of Munch and Fin and recounting other details at Mulligan’s.  With all the traffic that night, it took longer than expected to reach her apartment building.  Olivia paid the driver and they rushed out.

 

“It seemed like all of New York City was out tonight,” Alex remarked.

 

Olivia opened up the door to her apartment and hung up her coat.  Taking Alex’s coat and doing the same, she responded, “Yep.  That’s about right.”

 

“I guess we’ll just have to watch the ball drop on TV this year,” Alex said, sitting down on the sofa.

 

Olivia went into her bedroom to take off her belt and piece.  “We can have our own countdown,” she said when she returned.  She went to get some things off a shelf and sat down beside Alex.  “Complete with confetti and party horns,” she added with a grin.

 

“I always loved these things as a kid,” Alex said, taking one of the party horn blowers out of her hand.  She blew it out and the tip tapped Olivia on the nose. 

 

“I can tell,” Olivia laughed.  She set the champagne confetti popper on the coffee table and grabbed the remote.  She turned to the coverage of the New Year’s Eve festivities in Times Square. 

 

“Such a mass declaration of love and celebration.  It kinda makes you wanna catch a cab there to be a part of it.  Serena told me earlier that she and Kay were going.”

 

“So those two are still going strong?” Olivia asked.

 

“It’s been about a month,” Alex answered.  “Kay makes her happy.”

 

“Good.  You think she’s gotten over Abbie?”

 

Alex paused for a few seconds.  “I dunno.  She doesn’t mention her anymore, but I doubt her heart has forgotten her.”

 

Olivia nodded.  “Has to be rough.  I’m glad it’s gotten a little easier.”

 

“Me, too.  Serena deserves to be happy.”

 

Five minutes before twelve, Olivia stood up and walked over to her window.  There were people celebrating on her street.  Alex walked over beside her and asked, “Think we should go down there?”

 

Right when she said it, a beer bottle crashed against the sidewalk.  Olivia turned to her and smirked.  “I think we’ll have enough fun up here.” 

 

Alex let out a soft laugh.  “I think you may be right.”

 

The long hand of the clock inched closer to its destination.  “So…it’s almost New Year’s.  How about we bend the rules just for tonight?” Olivia suggested.

 

Alex’s eyebrows slowly lifted as she realized just what that meant.  “Really?  You wanna kiss me?”

 

Olivia smiled softly.  “One kiss on a special occasion can’t hurt, can it?”  Besides, she didn’t like the idea of Robert being Alex’s first kiss of the year.

 

Alex licked her lips as a flush of excitement ran through her whole body.  “I guess not.”

 

Olivia noticed and teased, “You look like you’re about to come.  I haven’t even touched you yet.”

 

Alex’s mouth dropped open at her bluntness.  Olivia just laughed and went to get the bottle of confetti.    

 

In a couple minutes, the countdown began.  Turning back toward the TV, they both decided to join the partygoers in Times Square as the ball started its descent.  “8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!  Happy New Year!”

 

Olivia popped open the champagne bottle and confetti spewed out into the air.  As it rained down on them, she pulled Alex to her and kissed her. 

 

Alex caressed the back of her neck as she softly captured her lips.  She took her time exploring their lush texture.  The kiss was sweet and tender but brimming with barely contained desire.  Not wanting to make Olivia uncomfortable, she pulled back before the kiss got too heated.

 

Olivia looked at her strangely.  “Come on, Alex.  Make it worth my while.”

 

“I-I didn’t wanna overstep my—” Alex started.

 

Olivia cut her off by enveloping her mouth in a blazing kiss.  As their tongues battled, Alex pinned her body to the window.  She ran her hands over her arms and the front of her shirt.  She was starved for her breath, her ardor, her love.  Like a tornado, the fervent hunger whipped and whirled inside her, becoming so large that it deracinated all her perceived safeguards.  She didn’t care about oxygen, Robert, or anything but getting lost in the taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound of this woman.

 

She tilted her head so she had deeper access.  Olivia tasted divine and their kisses always made her feel so at ease that she never wanted to leave the sanctuary of her mouth.  Threading her hands through her hair, she sucked her tongue hard and then flicked it over her smooth lips. 

 

Olivia moaned when she felt Alex’s hands dip under her shirt and caress her bra-clad breasts.  Never had a piece of clothing felt so restrictive to her.  Boundaries between them didn’t concern her at the moment; all she wanted was for Alex to make her body and soul feel things that would satisfy her endless craving for her.  That craving had always been there, but like molten lava, it was hidden inside her volcano of defenses and was just waiting to erupt.  Alex’s fingers pulled painfully at her taut nipples in her desperation to release them from their cotton prison. 

 

Olivia’s own fingers worked diligently to remove Alex’s suit jacket.  Once it was off, only her silk blouse remained.  She just wanted to rip it off and expose those supple breasts, their peaks straining so hard against the fabric that it almost seemed as if she wasn’t wearing a bra at all. 

 

Alex arched her back to press her breasts against Olivia’s.  At the contact, fire shot down from their nipples to their aching sexes.  Olivia brushed Alex’s long hair over her shoulder to expose more of her neck.  As soon as her lips touched the hollow of her throat, Alex wrapped a leg tightly around her waist.  The front of her panties was completely soaked and her wetness eased down the inside of her thighs.  She didn’t have to tell Olivia exactly what she needed because she knew—she had always known.

 

Olivia could feel Alex’s heat penetrating the leg of her jeans.  Pushing her skirt up all the way over her hips, she squeezed her ass tightly, eliciting a loud moan from Alex.  Before another moan could escape, she captured her swollen mouth with renewed fervor, taking her breath and making it her own.

 

As she kneaded her ass, the crotch of Alex’s panties rubbed against her stiff clit, causing her to bite her lip so hard that she almost drew blood.  She felt her muscles opening wider for her.  She needed Olivia inside her, on top of her, under her, around her, in every part of her existence.  Before she knew it, strong hands had picked her up, turned her around, and sat her on the windowsill.  She spread her legs wide, hoping Olivia would soon end her torture.

 

Quickly undoing the buttons to her blouse, Olivia thrust it open and broke away from her mouth to let her lips travel down her neck and over the swell of her breasts.  Not being able to deny herself the sight of those beautiful creamy breasts any longer, she unlatched her bra in back.  Pulling it down her arms, she threw the garment on the floor and pushed the blouse halfway off her shoulders.  Alex’s nipples hardened even more as the cold air nipped them.  Grunting softly, Olivia greedily took one into her mouth and rubbed the fabric of the blouse over the other as she yanked her panties aside and plunged three fingers inside her.

 

“Yes, fuck yes!” Alex screamed into the night.  It had been so long since Olivia had been inside her that she almost came right then.  But she had to hold out for just a little while longer.  She threw her head back against the window and twisted a handful of Olivia’s hair as she deepened her thrusts. 

 

But she wasn’t going to just enjoy herself without returning the favor.  After pulling Olivia’s shirt and bra up over her breasts, she unzipped her jeans and shoved a hand inside her panties.  Olivia let out a long shaky moan.  Shivering at the sound, Alex slipped her fingers through her wetness and deep into her tunnel.  She picked up the rhythm of her thrusts to match Olivia’s as they brought each other closer and closer to release.

 

“Ah!  Ah…fuck!”  Alex was so lost in passion that she didn’t know whether those words came from her mouth or Olivia’s.  She rolled one of her nipples between her fingers, causing Olivia to gasp loudly and thrust harder. 

   

Within minutes, Alex’s orgasm tore threw her and robbed her of breath.  As she bucked against the window, her thumb rubbed hard against Olivia’s clit, which caused her to scream and jerk along with Alex.

 

Alex fell forward and crashed on top of her, their bodies and lips merging simultaneously.  When their lips parted and they could both breathe once again, Olivia spread her arms above her head on the carpet and quipped, “Now that’s what I call bringing in the new year with a bang.” 

 

After flicking a piece of confetti out of Olivia’s hair, Alex traced a finger over her collarbone and cradled her cheek in the nook of her neck.  “I’ll say.”  Gazing up into her eyes, she continued, “I love you.”

 

Olivia could feel her eyelashes gently sweeping her neck.  She smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.  “And I love you.”