After stuffing some clothes, toiletries, and other items into an overnight bag, Alex ran over and grabbed Tweety.  “Ok, now I’m ready to go,” she said, grinning widely.

 

Olivia shook her head.  “No.  Oh, no.”

 

Alex’s mouth dropped open in shock.  “What, Liv?”

 

“You’re not bringing him.”

 

“And why not?” Alex asked, putting her hands on her hips.

 

“He’s…he’s distracting!” Olivia replied, gesturing at the large stuffed animal.

 

“How the hell is he distracting?” Alex demanded.

 

“Alex….I want private cuddle time.  How am I gonna get that with him staring at us the whole time?” Olivia whined.

 

“Liv, come on.  You promised that he could sleep with us as long as he wasn’t between us.”

 

Olivia furrowed her brow.  “Was I sober?”

 

Alex shoved her shoulder.  “Yes, you were.”

 

Olivia sighed.  “Fine, baby.”

 

Alex smiled and threw her arms around Olivia’s neck.  “Thanks, sweetie.  I love you.”

 

Olivia smiled and shook her head.  “I love you, too.  But we really need to get you a puppy.”

 

**************

 

When they got to Olivia’s house, Olivia dragged Alex to her bedroom, picked her up in her arms, and then dropped her down on the bed.  “Hey!” Alex protested.  “If that’s the way you’re planning to handle me on our wedding night, don’t even bother!”

 

Olivia giggled and climbed in bed beside her.  “I’m just excited, is all.”

 

Alex smirked.  “Why?”

 

Olivia cuddled up to her and began stroking her face.  “Well…because I get to spend the night with the sexiest angel that ever walked this planet.”

 

Alex laughed.  “Liv, it’s not like it’s the first time.  We spent the night together at my place just last night.”

 

“I know.  But I’d never felt like my own house was a home until you came along,” Olivia replied, pouting slightly.

 

Alex felt her heart melting.  “You really mean that, Liv?”

 

“Yes, sweetie.  I never wanted to spend much time here at home before, but with you I actually enjoy it.”

 

“Aww, Liv,” Alex whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and embracing her tightly.  They held each other for several minutes in comfortable silence until Alex’s stomach started growling.

 

Olivia pulled back and smirked.  “Way to ruin the sentimental moment, Al.”

 

Alex giggled.  “Hey, I can’t help it.  You promised me a pizza!”

 

Olivia rolled her eyes playfully.  “I know, I know.  I must feed you.”  She reached for her cordless phone and dialed Pizza Hut.  After ordering, she turned back to Alex and said, “It should be here in around 30 minutes.  Think that little tummy of yours can hold out that long?”

 

Alex groaned.  “I guess.  But I’m gonna need something to hold me over.”  She got out of bed, walked over to her bag, and pulled out a package of Twizzlers.  Returning to her position beside Olivia, she held out the package and offered, “Want some?”

 

Olivia grinned and pulled one of the Twizzlers out of the package.  “Maybe just one.”

 

After Alex had eaten three, Olivia took the bag from her and set it on her nightstand.  Alex frowned and complained, “Liv!”

 

“No more or you’ll spoil your appetite.  Besides, you just ate not too long ago!”

 

“Let’s just say I have a fast metabolism.  What are we gonna do in the meantime?” Alex asked.

 

Olivia waggled her eyebrows and grinned.  Alex shook her head and replied, “You’re incorrigible.”  She picked up her copy of Anna Karenina and began reading again.

 

About a half hour later, there was a soft knock on Olivia’s door.  “Yeah?” Olivia answered.

 

“It’s me, Olivia,” her mother replied.  “Are you girls all right?”

 

“Yeah, Mom.  We’re great!” Olivia shouted from her bed.

 

“You could at least open up this door,” her mother replied, annoyance in her voice.

 

Olivia groaned loudly and got out of bed.  She opened her bedroom door and asked impatiently, “What, Mom?”

 

Serena looked in to find Alex still reading.  Alex smiled and waved to her.  Serena gave a slight smile and waved back.  “Have you girls finished your homework?” she asked.

 

Olivia rolled her eyes.  “We’re taking a break.  We ordered pizza so we were gonna finish after eating.”

 

Serena nodded.  “I see.  Well, I will check in on you two a little later.  Try to stay out of trouble,” she said, turning to walk back down the hall.

 

Olivia closed the door and walked back over to her bed.  “What the hell did she mean by that?” Alex asked.

 

Olivia shrugged.  “I dunno.  My mom can be weird sometimes.”

 

“Maybe she’s been hanging around my mom too long,” Alex joked.

 

“Haha, maybe,” Olivia replied.

 

Alex pinched her arm.  “Hey, you’re not supposed to agree with me!”

 

Olivia took Alex’s glasses off her face and put them on.  “Come on, Liv.  Stop playing,” Alex protested, reaching for her glasses.

 

Olivia pulled them off and hid them in her shirt.  “Let’s play fetch the glasses.”

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “Liv, seriously.”

 

“You have to reach into the cookie jar,” Olivia said with a teasing grin.

 

“You just want me to touch your boobs,” Alex said, smirking.

 

“Don’t you want your glasses back?” Olivia asked.

 

Sighing, Alex reached into Olivia’s shirt and pulled her glasses out of her bra.  Putting them back on, she said, “No more playing for you tonight.”

 

“Aw, why not?” Olivia asked, cuddling closer to Alex and running one hand over her stomach and another over her thighs.

 

Alex rolled her eyes again.  “Come on, Liv.”

 

“I promise I’m much more interesting than Anna Karenina,” Olivia whispered in her ear.  She dragged her lips down Alex’s jaw and then her neck while continuing to caress her.

 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.  Alex fought Olivia’s wandering hands off and said giggling, “Go get the pizza!”

 

Olivia stole a kiss from Alex, grabbed the money off the nightstand, and headed for the door.

 

Olivia came back and opened up the box of pizza on the bed.  “Oh my god, I’m so hungry!” Alex exclaimed, grabbing her first slice of pizza and taking a huge bite.

 

Olivia watched her wolf down that slice and then reach for another.  “You know, Alex, chewing actually helps the digestive system,” she teased.

 

Alex shoved her shoulder.  “Hey!” she said, stealing a piece of pepperoni off Olivia’s slice and popping it into her mouth.

 

Olivia laughed.  “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

 

“I know,” Alex replied, smiling sweetly.

 

Olivia gave her a big kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you.”

 

Alex wiped the pizza sauce off her face and said, “I love you, too.  Even if you leave big globs of pizza sauce on my face.”

 

Olivia chuckled.  “It’s just one of my many tokens of love for you.”

 

Alex smiled and replied, “How endearing.”

 

After several minutes, they had both eaten all they could.  Alex teasingly threw a dirty napkin at Olivia and picked up her book again.  Suddenly getting a wicked idea in her head, Olivia jumped out of bed and ran over to where Tweety was sitting on her floor. 

 

Alex looked horrified.  “Um, Liv.  What are you doing?”

 

“Put ’em up!” Olivia teased, holding up her fists and pretending to swing at Tweety.

 

“Oh my god!  Liv, stop!  Stop right now!” Alex demanded, throwing her book down.  She jumped out of bed and ran over to them.

 

“You know, who needs punching bags when they have Tweety right in front of ’em!” Olivia said, laughing.

 

“Liv, I swear if you hit Tweety I will never speak to you again!”

 

Olivia smirked.  “Yeah, right.”  And with that, she landed a quick sucker punch right to Tweety’s stomach.

 

Alex screamed.  She pushed Olivia away from Tweety and cradled him in her arms.  “Yeah, it’s ok.  Don’t cry.  Olivia’s a big meanie.  I’ll protect you.”  She glared intensely at Olivia.

 

Olivia doubled over in laughter.  Gasping for breath, she said, “You should’ve seen your face…oh my god.  I don’t know who was more shocked—you or Tweety.”  She laughed some more as Alex turned her around toward her door and began pushing her out the room.

 

“Alex, you can’t kick me out of my own room!”

 

“Oh, really now?  Watch me,” Alex said, shoving her out the door.  Olivia grabbed the doorknob just in time before Alex could lock it.

 

“Come on, Alex!  Stop messing around!” she ordered, trying to force it open.

 

Alex continued to hold all her weight against the door.  “Nuh uh!”

 

“Alex, don’t make me have to tear this door down.”

 

“Yeah, right, Liv.  Your mom’s here, remember?”

 

“Like that’s gonna stop me,” Olivia replied, forcing her weight into the door.

 

Alex just laughed.  “Wouldn’t you like to get in, Liv?” she teased.  “You know, as soon as I lock this door, I’m gonna have lots of fun going through your secret drawer.”

 

“Oh, hell no!  No one is allowed there without my permission!”  Grunting, Olivia gave one final shove and forced open the door.  Giggling, Alex ran straight for her nightstand drawer and pulled it open.

 

“Well, well, what do we have here?” she asked, pulling out some scented black light body paints and dangling the box in Olivia’s face.

 

Olivia reached for it but kept missing.  “Come on, Al!  Give it back unless you plan on using it!”

 

Alex giggled and made a dash past Olivia.  “You’ll have to catch me first!”

 

Olivia began chasing Alex around the room.  Alex screamed loudly as she continued to dodge her.  After a few more tries, Olivia successfully reclaimed her paints and shoved them in her drawer before chasing Alex again.  Serena appeared in the doorway just as Olivia was tackling Alex to the floor.  “Olivia Benson!  Get off her right now!” her mother ordered.

 

“We were just playing, Mom,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes and getting off Alex.

 

“Playing?  Usually screams are a cry for help,” Serena replied. 

 

“Well, they weren’t in this case, Mom,” Olivia said with annoyance.

 

“Are you hurt, sweetie?” Serena asked, walking over to them and reaching down to offer Alex a hand.

 

“No, I’m fine,” Alex assured her, letting Serena help her up.

 

“If you would like for me to take you home, dear, I’d be glad to,” Serena continued.

 

Olivia’s mouth dropped open.  “Wait a minute, Mom!  You can’t just offer to take my company home!”

 

Her mother glared at her.  “I can if you insist on manhandling them.  I thought you were supposed to be doing your homework.”

 

“We haven’t forgotten about it.  Besides, Alex and I play around like this all the time.”

 

Serena pursed her lips and replied, “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

 

Olivia rolled her eyes again.  “Will you just leave us alone?”

 

“Fine.  But keep it down.  You’re giving me a headache with all this noise,” Serena conceded, making her exit.

 

After she was sure Olivia’s mother was out of earshot, Alex yelled, “Liv, I’m sleeping on the floor!” She grabbed Tweety and stretched out on the floor next to Olivia’s bed.

 

Olivia lay down beside her and tried wrapping her arms around her.  “Come on, Alex.  Don’t be stubborn.”

 

Alex pushed her hands away.  “You hurt Tweety.  I’m not even supposed to be talking to you again.”

 

Olivia looked at Tweety and said, “Tweety, I am very sorry that I punched you.  Please forgive me and tell my girlfriend to stop being mad at me.”  She reached for Tweety but stopped when Alex gave her a look of death.  “Oh come on, babe.  I’m not gonna hurt him.  I wanna kiss and make up,” Olivia insisted.

 

“I still can’t believe you did that,” Alex said, shaking her head.

 

“Baby, I just don’t want Tweety getting more of your attention than I do,” Olivia said with a pout.  “Besides, I was only playing.”  She kissed the stuffed animal on the beak and then placed him back on the floor.

 

Alex turned around in her arms to face her and said with an amused smile, “You’re not actually jealous of a stuffed animal, are you?”

 

Olivia blushed furiously.  “Well…”

 

Alex took Olivia’s chin in her hand and lightly brushed her lips across hers.  “Baby, you are my first priority and my first love.  Tweety will never get more attention than you.  I was just teasing you.”

 

Olivia grinned.  “Really?”

 

“Yes, really,” Alex answered, giving her a warm hug.  Olivia looked at Tweety over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out.

 

“And Liv, stop sticking your tongue out at Tweety,” Alex ordered.

 

Olivia pulled out of Alex’s embrace and grinned at her.  “How’d you know?”

 

“I just know you too well,” Alex replied, smiling and kissing her on the cheek.

 

“I didn’t hurt you when I tackled you like that did I?” Olivia asked with a look of concern on her face, gently rubbing Alex’s side.

 

Alex smiled.  “No, I’m ok.”

 

“Good, cuz I tried to wrap my arms around you to brace your fall.”

 

“I noticed.”

 

Olivia helped Alex off the floor and then scooped Tweety up.  Alex gave her a warning look.  Olivia laughed and said, “What?  I’m not gonna hurt him.”  She climbed onto the bed and placed Tweety at the foot as Alex climbed in beside her.  “See?  He’s safe and sound.”

 

“He better be,” Alex responded.

 

“Can we cuddle?” Olivia asked, wrapping her arms around Alex’s waist.

 

Alex snorted.  “Not like I have much of a choice.”

 

Olivia tried to give Alex her most innocent look.  Alex laughed.  “I know you are not trying to look innocent.”

 

“But I am innocent,” Olivia insisted.

 

“Liv, you are definitely not innocent…especially after seeing the paints and other things that shall remain nameless.”

 

“Hey, those are for a good cause—the Alex and Olivia horizontal tango club!” Olivia teased.  “And the pokies thought I should get them for us.”

 

Alex laughed.  “Do you always consult with the pokies before doing stuff?”

 

“Sometimes,” Olivia said with a grin.

 

“So when did you get the paints?” Alex asked.

 

Olivia shrugged.  “Oh, a few weeks ago.”

 

Alex ran a finger up and down Olivia’s stomach and said, “You’re sneaky.  Why didn’t you invite me?”

 

“Well…I didn’t think you’d be interested,” Olivia responded matter-of-factly.

 

“Well…the paints sound like fun.  It’s some of the other stuff that makes me nervous.”

 

Olivia pulled Alex closer to her and whispered, “You know I’d always be gentle with you, right?”

 

Alex suddenly became shy.  She looked down and lightly blushed.  “Yeah,” she said softly.  She looked back up at Olivia.  “But let’s not think about that now.  I feel weird with your mom popping in and out like clockwork.”

 

Olivia laughed.  “Yeah, I hope she doesn’t come back.”

 

However, her hope was in vain.  In a few minutes of cuddling with each other, there was another knock at Olivia’s door.

 

Olivia groaned loudly.  “Be right back, sweetie.”  She walked over to open up her door and asked, “What now?”

 

“Olivia, may I see you for a moment?” Serena asked pointedly.

 

Olivia looked at Alex apologetically and then answered, “Fine, Mom.”

 

Serena and Olivia walked to the kitchen.  “Olivia…you and Alex seem very close.”

 

Olivia stared at her mother blankly.  “Yeah, so?”

 

“Well…it’s just that you two seem very different from each other but you get along so well.  I’ve never seen you get along with another girl in the way you do Alex.”

 

Olivia sighed.  “We have more in common than it seems like.  Our differences complement each other very well.  Alex is different from other girls.”

 

“I’m just concerned.  Other people may misinterpret your…closeness.  They may think that you are…um…”  Serena looked off to the side to try to formulate her thoughts in a less conflicting manner.

 

“Mom, there’s nothing unnatural or perverted between us, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Olivia said.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my company.”  And with that, she walked out.

 

“What did she wanna talk to you about?” Alex asked when Olivia returned to her position beside her.

 

“She basically wanted to know if we were lesbians.”

 

Alex gasped.  She felt her heart rate increase dramatically.  “Are you serious?  She asked you that?”

 

“Well…I didn’t give her a chance to.  She said we seem very close and I told her that I just have a lot more in common with you than other girls.  She didn’t get how we get along so well because we’re different and I told her that those differences complement each other.  Then she said she was concerned that other people might ‘misinterpret’ our behavior.  I interrupted her before she could actually ask if we were lesbians and told her there was nothing unnatural or perverse about our relationship.  And that’s true.”

 

“Yeah.  There’s nothing wrong with our love,” Alex agreed.  “Do you think she’d be angry if she knew the truth?”

 

Olivia sighed.  “I dunno, babe.  She might.  But let’s not focus on the ‘what ifs.’  Nothing can keep us apart unless we let it.”

 

Alex smiled, pleased at Olivia’s confidence.  “You’re right.  But God, I don’t wanna ever lose you because someone else just doesn’t get it.”

 

“You’ll never lose me,” Olivia promised, pulling Alex close and softly capturing her lips.

 

“You promise?” Alex asked with a pout.

 

Olivia smiled and took Alex’s hands into her own.  “I do.  And I’ll prove it to you.”

 

“How?” Alex asked, a curious smile creeping across her face.

 

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Olivia replied, pulling Alex close again for another kiss.