#We get BOTH Casey Novak and Alex Cabot on rotation

[bumblebear30]

Cookie Jar

uuuh so @storiesofsvu answered an ask the other day about would you rather have your hands stuck in jars or your head stuck in a bucket and it immediately spawned this whole idea so now you get a daft wee story. Just a bit of chaotic fun so I hope you enjoy.

Once again Olivia found herself sat in the DA’s office long after her shift finished. Of course it wasn’t just any old office that she found herself sat in, again, but rather she’d made a home for herself in the seat opposite Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot’s desk. Of late she’d found herself spending more time sat there than at her own desk in the precinct, but she wasn’t exactly complaining.

Tonight it was a thinly veiled excuse of working through a case that was coming up for trial with Alex. A case she knew the blonde could win blindfolded but she was just so pleased to have Alex back in her life now after witsec, that she was more than happy to use work as an excuse whilst supporting Alex. Olivia shifted in the seat slightly as she ignored the fact that increasingly she was finding the work excuse wasn’t cutting it, it was like she couldn’t get enough of Alex and she’d found herself getting increasingly anxious every time she had to leave. Not that she'd admit that feeling or any others, or to Alex.

The blonde in question tried to stifle yet another in a series of yawns, drawing Olivia’s attention to just quite how late it had gotten,

“Hey, do you want to finish up?”

The blonde tipped her head from side to side to stretch it out before smiling tiredly at Olivia,

“No, no we've just got to get through this tonight so that it is done.”

“Well how about a coffee?” At the offer Alex pulls an adorable disgruntled face that makes Liv chuckle, “Okay, tea it is then, it okay to use the kitchenette or do I have to go out for it?

Grateful for the break Alex continues to stretch like a cat, popping her back and neck from having hunched over for slightly too long - Olivia is ever so thankful Alex keeps her eyes closed  during the whole process as she knows she had no chance of suppressing a blush from colouring her cheeks at the sight. Finally stretched out Alex smiled gently and waved at Olivia who was already standing,

“The breakroom kitchen should be fine, there's some good tea on the top shelf.” She winked at Liv conspiratorially, “It's where we hide all the good stuff. Help yourself - just don't use the two milks in the front door, they've been there for months.”

“Gross, but thanks for the heads up,”

“Oh and Liv?”

Olivia spun on her heel to face Alex,

“Yeah?”

Olivia's heart squeezed extra hard at the soft look Alex seemed to be giving her as she tilted her head, 

“Thank you.”

***

Alex sifted through the papers and statements spread out in front of her - truth be told she should have been finished up by now but she'd been too caught up in enjoying having Olivia in the same room, going through everything in the case together with a fine tooth-comb that made her relaxed and far happier than she'd care to admit... Publicly at least. And even if she could have gone through everything by herself quicker, Olivia's input and presence definitely meant she did as thorough a job as she was capable of - for the case, not to impress her detective, of course. 

‘Speaking of detective’, Alex mused to herself trying ever so hard to ignore the possessive term she'd accidently just used, where on earth had she gotten to? 

Giving Olivia another 5 minutes Alex eventually gave in to her growing concern and went searching, a bubbling fear of Olivia falling whilst trying to reach the top shelf suddenly becoming more acute with each passing moment. 

“Liv? Is everything okay? Do you need a hand?”

Alex quickly rounded into the small break room kitchenette and was immediately relieved to not find Olivia sprawled unconscious on the floor. But the way the brunette had instantly startled and turned to face Alex with her hands clutched behind her back, looking slightly red faced and harried (even if the flushed colour did look so damn good on her Alex thought), immediately clued the lawyer in that something was amiss. 

She quickly reached back and closed the door behind her and looked the scene over more thoroughly. The cabinet door was still open, her box of tea down on the counter next to two gently steaming mugs. Everything there seemed quite normal. Olivia's ongoing nervous silence however, was not. She'd still made no move to show whatever it was she was hiding behind her back and was nervously shifting her weight where she stood. Alex crossed her arms and tried to pin her with a look, 

"Olivia Benson what did you do?" 

"Do? Me?! Nothing! Why would you think I'd done anything, everything is fine."

Without breaking eye contact Alex stepped towards her and her suspicions were only confirmed and heightened when the detective matched her with a step away, still keeping her back to the wall and away from Alex. 

"If you haven't done anything then what are you hiding?" 

Alex's slow smirk was matched by Olivia's shoulders slumping momentarily as she realised her on the spot acting had not been up to par, 

"I'm not hiding anything, I'm fine,” her gaze shifted guiltily thought as she gulped, “or I will be in a little bit…”

A sudden horrible thought occurred to Alex that had her stepping forward unconsciously, 

"Oh god did you get hurt? You didn’t’ scald yourself on the kettle did you? It's an awful old thing." 

It would be so typical of her detective to be injured and not think to make a fuss of it or tell Alex, but before the blonde could reach her to tug her arms up to inspect for injuries Olivia shifted again, still keeping Alex at bay. 

"No Alex, please don't, I'm not hurt… although maybe my ego is...” 

Alex stopped and pursed her lips whilst fixing the brunette with a hard stare, it was an automatic motion really but it seemed to make something click for the detective. 

"Did you mean it before?”

"Mean what?" 

Olivia finally, sheepishly brought her hands up in front of her, well one of them at least - the other seemed to be firmly stuck in a ceramic cookie jar, 

"That you'd give me a hand?"  

***

After Alex had finally stopped laughing - she'd literally had to take her glasses off and wipe away a few tears - Olivia was secretly bowled over with how gorgeous she looked with such a wide grin and mischievous sparkle in her eyes. It was enough to take away the sting of mortification of being caught, quite literally, with her hand in the cookie jar. 

She had to remind herself to breathe when the willowy blonde stepped in her space and picked up her jar/hand, turning it over carefully as she took stock of the hapless detective’s predicament, 

"How on earth did you manage to do this?" 

The way their eyes met whilst their faces were so close made Olivia's faltering attempts to breathe stutter even more. Every inhalation brought with it traces of Alex's perfume - definitely something with bergamot her brain not so helpfully supplied - and it was turning Olivia's already overwrought senses spinning. Swallowing thickly and looking down at the jar so she didn't get lost in the depths of Alex's blue eyes even more she tried to shrug, 

"I spotted the jar at the back of the shelf with your tea and was curious,” her eyes flicked back to Alex's warm gaze for a second before glancing back down, "I thought you deserved a small treat for working through dinner.” She quickly tried to reassure Alex, “I would’ve replaced the cookies tomorrow you know, I wasn't just going to steal them.”

"As a decorated detective first class of the NYPD I would have hated to ruin your sterling reputation by reporting you for cookie theft." Alex teased her as she gently rotated the jar trying to get a sense of how it could be pried off. 

Olivia laughed, 

"As an officer of the courts I would understand that any involvement in such a crime would put you in an awkward spot, but to sell me out so quickly?!" she clutched her free hand to her chest dramatically, "Alexandra I'm hurt that our years together have meant so little to you." 

‘And if only you knew how much they meant to me’ Olivia mentally finished to herself.

Her counter teasing at least earned an eye roll and good-natured huff from Alex who dragged her over to the sink by the en-jarred hand, before rummaging through the cupboard and emerging victorious with a small bottle of olive oil, 

"Well it’s a tough spot you've put me in you know," Olivia simply watched quietly amused as Alex drizzled a little of the oil over her wrist and gently rotated the jar to spread it, "I'm now a material witness at least." 

"Witness? Wouldn't this currently could as aiding and abetting?" Olivia wiggled her still trapped hand whilst arching her eyebrow at Alex, earning a slightly petulant huff,

"Remind me, who is the lawyer here? I'm a witness." 

"Anything you say counsellor." 

"Exactly. Now just let me think how to get us both out of this mess."

 ***

Alex tried to keep herself on the task at hand - ha! at hand, she really was hilarious at times, far more than Novak ever gave her credit for- and ignored how being in such close proximity and getting to touch Olivia this freely was entirely too enjoyable. She continued to try twist the jar off, seemingly having some success with the oil lubricating the way but she stopped as soon as she noticed a tightening of Olivia's eyes, 

"If I'm hurting you, you need to say." 

"No, its not sore it just felt... Weird." 

"Can't you like curl your fingers together? We could get a better angle then."

“Like this?”

“No, try like this.”

“It's just such a tight space.”

“Well you got in there just fine. Stop wriggling, oh no wait keep moving your fingers like that.” 

“I should've known you would be bossy –“ 

"I am not bos-“

"Oh thank fuck you guys are clothed!" 

Both of them of them jumped together before twisting their heads, guilty wide-eyed looks plastered over their faces as an immensely relieved looking Casey Novak was leaning against the door for support. 

"Novak!? What are you doing here," Alex was the first to recover even as Olivia quickly blurted a not so subtle follow up, 

"It’s not what it looks like!" It earned her a particular glare from Alex.

"Well I'm just damn relieved it's not what it sounded like either." Casey could barely keep from laughing.

"Wait what?" Olivia seemed even more confused than Alex felt, although she was quite pleased at how Olivia's free hand had come to rest along her back protectively.

"From out there" - Casey waved behind her to the empty corridor, "I thought you two had finally stopped dancing round each other you know?" 

"What??" Alex internally winced at how high pitched her usually reliable voice came out. She refused to look at Olivia in case the detective could read her but as they were still pressed together - somehow instinctually having both decided to hide the cookie jar from whoever the intruder was - she couldn't unsee how rigid Olivia's posture had become. 

Casey looked at the two of them shifting nervously for a moment or two before grinning, 

"You know what, never mind, I'll make a coffee later," some part of Alex really didn't like the knowing smirk Casey was sending them both as she motioned towards them, "I'll leave you two to get back to whatever it was you were doing. Just don't break the coffee machine is all I ask. Defile whatever ever else you want." 

With a parting chuckle the redhead disappeared and Alex had never felt such a mix of confusion, relief and apprehension. She turned to Liv slowly, seeing a similarly bemused and befuddled look gracing her unfairly gorgeous face, 

"I don't quite know what just happened." Alex chuckled to try dispel the tension that was rising at being so still and so close to Liv. In an attempt to deflect away from her own jumping pulse rate she motioned for Olivia to give her her trapped hand again, 

"Come on let's get you free." 

After several more minutes of pulling, rotating, wriggling and cursing the jar was still stuck and Alex could feel her frustration rising as her cheeks got flushed and hair got messed up the more she ran her hands through it. 

"Maybe we should've asked Casey to help?" 

Olivia's suggestion sent a flash of irrational jealousy through Alex, 

"And bring in another lawyer to witness your crime Liv? I wouldn't be able to protect you then you know." With a huff of renewed vigour Alex braced her hands around the jar and motioned for Olivia to pull, 

"Oh yeah?" Olivia let out a small grunt as she pulled, her voice a little breathless from the exertion which sent Alex pulse and brain spinning unhelpfully. That noise was going to haunt her sleepless nights for weeks she just knew it. She only refocused when Olivia continued to huff as she rotated and pulled again, "so how were you going to protect me and not incriminate yourself exactly?" 

Alex readjusted her grip, as usual her lawyer ability to work through a legal argument in the background of her subconscious kicked in, not even really realising what she was saying as her brain tried to cope with operating on so many levels, 

"Spousal privilege." 

"What?" Olivia's shock meant she didn't counterbrace for Alex's next pull and the blonde suddenly had an armful of slightly ruffled hot detective, those big brown eyes boring into her blue ones as they stumbled back a step or two.

"What did you just say Alex?" Olivia's voice was low, almost just louder than a whisper and it pulled Alex's focus to the soft roundness of Olivia's lips which were now oh so close to her own. Her blood raced in her ears as she finally worked out what Olivia was asking and her earlier response. Her tongue peeked out momentarily as she wetted her bottom lip, and Alex could see how Olivia's gaze zeroed in on the motion. Everything was happening so fast, 

"Spousal privilege," Olivia's eyebrow arched as she looked at Alex, the small movement making the normally composed blonde stutter and panic, "I wouldn't be able to testify as a witness against you then." 

Olivia's head dipped forward just fractionally, and Alex's heart stopped as she thought the detective might be going in for a kiss but she pulled up short. Her eyes closed and giving a small quiet sigh so Alex set about convincing herself she must've just read it wrong, again. Olivia righted herself from Alex's arms, it was a small step away but Alex felt the loss and distance keenly, 

"Oh I see," there was a heaviness to the detectives voice and she was looking at her feet as if they contained the answer for the world's problems. Alex decided to be just a little bit braver, it was now or never really, 

"Of course," her voice and small half step towards Olivia drew the brunettes gaze back to her own, "You'd have to actually ask me out first you know."

She aimed for nonchalant, on that edge of acceptable fun flirting with a friend that could be laughed off, a place she knew all too well when it came to how she had protected herself around Olivia for so long. Alex could see Olivia's throat bob as she swallowed, her brown eyes casting quickly over Alex's face as if she were looking for something, 

“And would you?" 

The question back was not what Alex was expecting, 

"What?" 

Olivia took a half a step back towards her, the two of them stood so close once again Alex could smell the other woman's perfume, 

"Would you go out with me if I asked?" 

Holding Olivia's gaze her response was so immediate, so quietly confident that she just hoped it would be obvious to the detective how truly she meant it. With her detective stood so close to her it took Alex no effort to briefly brush her fingers across Olivia's strong jaw to tuck some of the wavy brown locks that had come loose behind her ear, 

"In a heartbeat Liv." 

Neither of them moved, the moment so heavy with tension and hope that everything that surrounded them was a blur. She could see the exact moment Olivia's cheek splitting grin started, a brightness to her eyes and lightness to the set of her shoulders that Alex hadn't realised she'd been missing for so long.

 "Really?" 

Almost tentatively Olivia reached out to place a hand on Alex's hip and heat of the gentle touch caused her to breathe in sharply. She looked up to meet Olivia's eyes with a coy smile of her own, biting down on her bottom lip momentarily,

 "Really really." 

And suddenly Alex's arms were filled with her detective once more but this time Olivia's lips were pressing gently but purposefully against hers and Alex's own hands were skating up strong arms and shoulders and burying themselves in those temptingly soft chocolate brown locks that had tormented her for years.

Olivia broke the kiss after a second or two, leaning back just enough to check in with Alex and the blonde's heart burst with sheer adoration for the woman in front of her. She surged forward and a small moan escaped her when Olivia's lips met her own with heated ease. The sound seemed to spark something in the detective and Alex felt herself be pressed back several steps as the fieriness of the kiss increased, years of pent up emotion being poured between them.

Alex's back thumped into the wall and whilst not winded or sore, the impact was enough to make her gasp slightly and Olivia, her free hand still wrapped around Alex waist, pulled her closer against her body as she swiped her tongue across Alex's pouty bottom lip. The tall lawyer didn't stand a chance of suppressing the noise of guttural want that escaped her, her hips pressing up against Liv's as she arched into her.

Only the sound of breaking ceramic hitting the floor interrupted them, and they both paused, breaths heavy, chests heaving as they blinked at each other for a second or two before glancing down to the side where Liv's now free hand was flexing and the cookie jar laid in several pieces on the floor below.

Glancing back up Alex caught Olivia's gaze and couldn't help but giggle, a sound she tried to hastily to cover up with her own hands across her face but when Olivia matched her, a soft laugh that was then muffled as the detective placed her forehead against Alex's shoulder as they tried to compose themselves. Eventually she pulled away, an all too pleased if not still coy smile gracing her face as she pushed away from the wall and gave Alex enough room to right herself and brush the front of her shirt back down,

"Sorry, uh, the wall, I forgot, and, uh, guess I'm free now?" 

She flexed her wrist around and wriggled her fingers to check them. Alex stepped forward and carefully took Olivia's hand in her own, her pulse stuttering and soaring as she also inspected for any damage,

"You do know there are easier ways to get a girls attention detective."

The teasing glance over the top of her glasses was enough to have Olivia fingers curling round her own and Alex couldn't suppress the happy shiver or blinding smile such an innocuous and relatively innocent motion elicited in her,

"Yeah, well, it seems to have worked for the only one whose attention I wanted," she bumped her shoulder against Alex which made the lawyer blush happily. 

She gave Olivia's hand an extra squeeze before dropping it gently. Turning she quickly knelt and carefully scooped up the broken pieces of jar.

She rose to find Olivia watching her, an odd mix of what looked like hunger and fondness shining through,

"Come on you, I think we've got some talking to do..."

Glancing over her shoulder Alex was pleased to see Olivia was eagerly following her,

“Just talking?”

The flirtatious and hopeful question makes Alex smile, she turns and walks backwards the last few steps to her office, reaching out to tug Olivia to her as she arches her eyebrow enticingly,

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?”

***

It was a few days later when Olivia next found herself, once again, heading towards Alex’s office, although this time with a particularly noticeable spring in her step and glow about her that even Elliot and Cragen had commented on. Her pace quickened as she neared it, although had to pull up sharply as the door was opened by Casey, still facing into the office where she was obviously still talking to Alex,

“- Sure Al, whatever you need to tell yourself.”

Olivia could hear her Alex’s voice – normally so composed and forthright – was whiny, almost bordering on panicked,

“No, Casey! She literally had her hand in the cookie jar!”

Casey laughed once more and finally spotted Olivia loitering at the door a little sheepishly. The boisterous redhead winked at her before replying to Alex,

“Oh I bet she did Alex, I bet she did.” 

#Alex Cabot #Olivia Benson #Cabenson #one shot #ooops #why is my brain like this