Camo and Navy Blue [A Bensler Fan Fic]

Fourteen

Elliot's eyes went wide as he looked at Olivia. He had expected something completely different to come out of Olivia's mouth.

"See, my confession doesn't make you happy. So I am going to go home." Olivia frowned. She slipped Elliot's hand from her waist before snatching her jacket.

Olivia was already backing out of the driveway when Elliot finally snapped out of it. He was shocked still, but he didn't want Olivia to drive away without hearing what he had to say or what he was thinking.

"Liv!" Elliot yelled, as he went running from the house. Olivia was barely paying attention, but stopped when Elliot came running down the driveway, his hands waving widely around him.

"What?" Olivia mused, as she rolled down her window and looked at Elliot. He was breathing a little heavy, but still managed to speak.

"Don't go. Please. I want to talk about what you just told me." Elliot panted.

"We don't need to." Olivia sighed.

"No, we do. You just told me that you have a crush on me... that you have feelings for me. We need to talk about that, especially since our relationship may get mighty complicated." Elliot spoke, as he held on tightly to Olivia's car.

"How about we do coffee tomorrow? We can both get some sleep and think this through, then discuss it tomorrow... Night, El."

///

Elliot couldn't sleep at all that night, and by the time his mother showed up, he was a zombie. He had barely managed to get his girls dressed and fed, let alone do more than pushing their blonde locks into a lumpy ponytail.

"You look like shit, my love." Bernie spoke bluntly, as joined her son and grandbabies in the kitchen.

"Thanks, Ma. You are the best." Elliot grumbled.

"Daddy didn't sleep." Maureen spoke, as she stirred her oatmeal.

"Why not, El?" Bernie mused.

"Uh, Mo are you done?" Elliot asked. He didn't want to talk about what Olivia had said until his daughters were occupied and thinking about something else.

"Not yet, but you wanna talk to Nana so I'll be done." Maureen grinned. Elliot rolled his eyes before walking over and lifting Kathleen from her chair as Maureen climbed down from hers.

"Please watch your sister. I need to talk to Nana for a few minutes... that's it." Elliot spoke, and Maureen nodded as she grabbed her sister's hand.

"Yes, Daddy. I'll try to keep her alive."

Once Maureen and Kathleen were out of the kitchen, Elliot started to clear the table. He didn't want to talk to his mother about this, especially since she and Kathy were so close.

"El, it's time to talk to me. Tell me what is happening, because if you are depressed-"

"Ma, I'm not depressed. I'm just having a hard time right now."

"What is the main problem? I'm your mother, which makes me an honorary therapist." Bernie smiled, as she tugged her son down onto one of the stools.

Elliot groaned deeply, before turning forward so he'd have a place to rest his head.

"El-"

"Ma, Liv and I have been having some problems in our relationship."

"Relationship? I thought that you two were friends!" Bernie exclaimed, and Elliot nodded slowly as he sat up.

"We are just friends, Ma. Or at least I think we are still friends. It's just confusing because Olivia told me that she has a crush on me."

"You just lost your wife." Bernie breathed, and Elliot nodded.

"I know, and that hits me on the daily. I keep waking up and see my wedding band, but Kathy isn't laying beside me. But Ma, Liv is my best friend. We had a heart-to-heart weeks ago, and I guess I was too sweet and understanding, because now she likes me the way she liked her ex."

Bernie sat in thought for many moments, and Elliot got worried that she had fallen asleep or something. He got up and finished cleaning up the kitchen, before his mother was even ready to let all her wisdom out.

"El, you need to let her go." Bernie spoke plainly.

"Huh?" Elliot replied.

"She's ready for something, but you aren't. You may never be. So let her down easy, and find a new partner. One who won't shoot you in the back because she's too love sick." Bernie replied.

Elliot looked at his mother, before shaking his head.

"Ma, it isn't like that. She may have a crush on me, but I think our friendship is more important than her loving me." Elliot laughed.

"Didn't you say that she has been distant? When we talked last night, you told me that Olivia was distant and today you could talk to her about it more."

"Yes, I said that-"

"You may think your friendship is more important, but clearly her feelings are more important to her."

///

Elliot sat across from Olivia as they both sipped coffee. Olivia was waiting for Elliot to start, and Elliot was waiting for Olivia to start. Nothing was going to be said, unless one of them could take the plunge.

"Elliot, did you get a chance to think about what I said?" Olivia breathed, since she was getting anxious just sitting there.

"I was up all night thinking about it." Elliot frowned.

"I'm assuming that you hate me for throwing that out there, especially since Kathy hasn't been gone for long. But you wanted to know, and I'm tired of hiding things from you."

"Olivia, my mother thinks that if I turn you down... that you will abandon me completely. That your feelings towards me are more important than our friendship." Elliot sighed softly. For some reason, he believed his mother, but he regretted that when he saw Olivia's reaction.

"Do you honestly believe that? Because if you do, that really hurts. You are my best friend and I never expected for anything to happen from the feelings I have... you will always be my friend first and anything else is an afterthought." Olivia whispered, as tears started to burn her eyes.

"Olivia, I didn't mean to upset you. I just almost wish you'd kept it to yourself, that's all!" Elliot exclaimed, but that just made things worse.

Olivia quickly brushed tears from her cheeks before forcing a smile.

"Don't worry, El. You won't be hearing anything else from me."