Chapter Text
Adam couldn’t breathe, his universe collapsed and simultaneously built itself back together atom by atom molecule by molecule.
Had he heard right?
Hope spurred through his chest as tears streamed down Olive’s face. Could he actually have everything he’s wanted for the past weeks, months, hell years. Would Olive let him take care of her, love her, be with him? Could she mean those words, he’d wanted them to be real when she’d uttered them terribly in the hotel telling him about her very limited dutch.
“Say it again.” He said in a low tone. Her responding wet laugh was the best sound that had ever graced his ears.
“I love you Adam,” She spoke those beautiful, phenomenal, life altering words in English this time. Yet a ping of concern penetrated the warm feelings. In the heat of the moment in the restaurant with Tom pinned up against the wall he’d admitted that she was the woman he loved. What if she felt like she had to reciprocate in order to make the two of them work.
“Olive I know I admitted those words in the restaurant and I meant them, but I don’t want you to feel like you-”
She rudely cut him off. “I. Love. You. Adam Carlson.” She paused for dramatic effect between each word. "I am in love with you, when you walked in on my conversation with Malcolm in Starbucks that day I was talking about you but I was terrified you couldn’t possibly reciprocate my feelings, and then I was convinced that you were in love with someone else in the department.”
He felt the corners of his lips curve upwards as she elicited a smile from him as she always seemed to do. He felt himself reframing that day, remembering those words he’d thought were about Jeremy. He looked into Olive’s beautiful eyes, seeing a future together; one where they would continue to make fun of one another, share hard memories, more fake dating Wednesdays (he suspected that name would never be retired) and go on real dates but also so much more he wanted to take her hiking, cook her dinner, run a marathon together, watch movies where horses don’t die snuggled up on his couch. He saw a dream he’d never allowed himself to believe would come true reflected back at him in her irises.
“I have reciprocated those feelings before you even knew they existed Olive.” He could no longer take the distance between them, so he dropped her duffle before sweeping her up into his arms.
“I love you Olive, so goddamn much.” He whispered against the shell of her ear.
“You’re not mad?” She asked, her voice a tiny bit timid. “That I lied.”
“No sweetheart, I’m not mad.” Something she’d just said nagged at him though. “What do you mean you were convinced I was in love with someone else in the department?”
As the words crossed his lips he immediately knew the answer and could practically see what happened without being present for the conversation that led to the misunderstanding.
“Something Holden said.” Olive confirmed his suspicion. He finally let her go from the tight hold he’d had on her so he could look at her face. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks but she was smiling brightly at him and he reveled in the feelings he saw. He bent down to kiss her and she met him halfway. Their other kisses had been incredible but this one was soft, slow, and was wrapped in the implications that this would be just one of many more. He felt her smile into the kiss and then she was laughing as she pulled away and he’d be a bit undignified if he wasn’t so damn happy.
“I’m surprised you’re willing to kiss me when I undoubtedly taste like pumpkin spice milk tea.” She was grinning so big he’s pretty sure it’d be etched into his brain that when he was old and dying this would be the last thing he remembered.
“You smartass.” He cradled her head with his hands on either side of her jaw to pull her back to his lips because Adam would be damned if he didn’t spend the rest of the day kissing her, worshipping her body, holding her, and just generally being close to her. She gasped against his lips as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth.
“Let’s go up to my apartment,” Olive muttered after several moments when someone driving by catcalled them. Adam nodded, releasing her to pick up her duffle bag. She laced her fingers through his and led the way.
~~~~
If Adam is completely honest he’s not sure who had initiated it. He’d definitely kissed her once she’d given him the world's fastest tour. But she was the one who’d bitten his lower lip. He remembers pushing her up against the wall holding her hands above her head as he lavished the spot on her neck that made her gasp. Yet he distinctly recalls her being the one to break his hold and wrap her hand around his hard length. He’s certainly the one who dropped to his knees to eat her out, something he’s certain he’ll never get enough of. All he knew or sure was Olive and Adam spent the next hour tangled in each other. He’s pretty sure he reached ascension or Nirvana as she rode his cock in a sensually slow pace. This position had been a much quicker success then their first time and God it felt incredible as she circled her hips so she was hitting that spot inside her every time. He watched the pleasure overtake her features as his thumb traced equally unhurried circles around her clit. She was so fucking wet, tight, and everything he could ever want.
He’d managed to explain to her before they’d gotten fully undressed that he too had not felt sexual attraction in a long time and that Olive was the exception to the rule. They’d agreed in breathless voices both aware the expectations needed to be set before they allowed their sexual chemistry to fully inundate both their minds with thoughtless animalistic bliss; they agreed communication was the number one priority in their relationship since so much misunderstanding and half truths had been strung between them in the last month.
“Fuck sweetheart you feel like heaven.” Adam rasped. He was close but he would hang on until she came again.
“Mmmm.” was all she could manage.
In the end what sent them both into mind melting pleasure was when he sucked a hickey into her breast. She’d contracted around him and he couldn’t hold back any longer thrusting into her as she fell over the edge, losing her rhythm and dragging him into an orgasm with her.
~~~~
A while after they lay snuggled in her bed looking at the glow in the dark stars that were falling off her ceiling. He’d put his T-shirt on her a little to pleased with the possessiveness it stirred inside him, and he was in only his boxer briefs. They’d been quiet for a long time. Olive was tracing slow paths around the valley and slopes his muscles created, and he almost couldn’t believe this was real life.
“When will we say we started dating?” Olive asks quietly the inflictions in her tone comforted Adam that it was simply curiosity. He ponders this question and resolution fills his chest.
“The night you kissed me.”
“How come?” She responds by pausing her fingers to push up on her elbow so she could look him in the face.
His answer comes without hesitation “Because I refuse to accept that the last month didn’t mean everything that it did.”
“You, Dr. Carlson, are much more sentimental than anyone gives you credit for.” She says with a boop to the nose.
“You better not tell a soul, my grads might think I’m approachable.”
“I’m going to tell everyone in the department, in Stanford, hell in the entire biology community.”
“Don’t you dare.” He says leveling her with his best threatening stare.
“You don’t scare me, you big sentimental adorable teddy bear.” She follows her words by sticking out her tongue at him and that’s it.
He tickles her in retaliation, rolling on top of her, pinning her down as she squirms and laughs trying to get away from him. He’s ruthless, refusing to stop until she’s begging for mercy, swearing on her life she won’t spill his secrets. Tears leaking from the corner of her eyes from laughing so hard, she can barely breathe, and Adam's own smile has grown on his lips. He can’t remember a time in his adult life that he felt this much unabashed joy.