A/N: Last night I was with one of my best friends, talking about relationships we'd had at uni, and this idea came to life today. As with all my stories, it consequently took on a life of its own and became something else entirely to what I'd intended. I really hope you enjoy it.

Thank you, as always, for reading and reviewing my work. I appreciate it more than you know!

Sneaking Around

They met on a Thursday afternoon, the week before the new academic year began.

Olivia remembers it for her first cigarette, and her worst hangover. And for the lust.

He was one of her new roommates, sitting at the kitchen table in the house she'd just moved into, long legs in blue shorts stretched out onto another chair, weather-worn, gray UCLA t-shirt sticking to every single muscle of his perfectly-formed torso. There was a bottle of beer beside him, dripping a circle of condensation onto the sanded-down pine, and a tin of tobacco which he was rolling into cigarettes between long, well-practiced fingers. He already had a small pile of about five, stacked haphazardly on top of one another.

Olivia remembers the urge to rearrange them into a straight line; to get him a coaster for his beer, to admonish him for having his feet on the chair. But she also remembers the sunlight pouring in through the bank of windows which overlooked the backyard; remembers the smell of freshly-baked bread and his summer tan and how, sitting right in the center of that room, he glowed.

And then he looked up and smiled at her - and she fell for him in an instant.

Their chemistry was as natural as breathing. He introduced himself as Fitz, a poli-sci major with a rich father and generations' worth of expectation on his shoulders. She wasn't at all surprised when he told her he'd spent the summer traveling: surfing in Indonesia, tubing in Laos, trekking through the Borneo jungle. He still had that relaxed, carefree vibe about him, as if nothing really mattered. Tomorrow might be a wild adventure or maybe he'd just sleep through it because someone would invite him to an amazing party later and he'd be raving until six AM. Who cares? Life is for living.

Olivia loved his attitude, his rebellious side; wished she had one of her own. When he asked if she wanted a beer, she demonstrated her deficiency by automatically glancing at her watch.

"It's only three o'clock."

The look he gave her was patient, amused. He was daring her to come with him, to let go. As much as she already understood him, he understood her too. She felt like he knew exactly what was going through her mind: I need to finish unpacking my room and call my parents, and then I'd like to check out the campus and maybe get ahead on some pre-reading…

And it wasn't that she wanted to impress him - even though she did and hated herself a little for it - it was that she knew she needed to relax. She'd raced through her undergrad at Columbia; spent the last few months interning for free at a New York law firm and working two paid jobs to add to her considerable savings account. But on her early morning runs, or late at night in her childhood bedroom with her parents asleep next door, she often wondered if she was missing something. Her world was small: born and raised in NYC with the same friends she'd had since junior school; she'd had a couple of boyfriends who never seemed to make her feel like she thought they should. Her mom and dad used to take her on vacation to Europe, mainly France, which she loved - but that was it. Moving to California was the biggest thing she'd ever done and she'd promised herself she would embrace it: find new challenges and throw herself into them.

And drinking alcohol before six o'clock on a weekday, with a ridiculously handsome new roommate who she was already falling for when she shouldn't be, seemed like the first step in the right direction.

"Screw it. I'd love a beer. Thank you."

Fitz's mischievous smile marked the beginning of her miseducation - and he would turn out to be a phenomenal teacher.

She was drunk by seven PM. They sat on the back porch while the sun began to fall down the sky and Fitz smoked. At first she refused when he offered her one, but he kept saying how good it was with a beer and how it reminded him of being on the beach in Thailand and eventually she threw caution to the wind and took another step with him.

"I've never smoked before."

"Never?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. His gaze fell to her mouth and he seemed to stop breathing suddenly, and that was the first time she knew with certainty that he wanted her too.

He blinked, swept a hand through his hair. Then, in a move she didn't expect, he shuffled closer on the outdoor couch until she could feel the warmth of his skin radiating to hers. When he smiled at her, Olivia wanted to kiss him for so many reasons: because he was gorgeous; because she suspected he'd be very good at it; and, perhaps most of all, because she was so impressed that he was allowing himself to go with it, that he wasn't running away - because she wanted to. He was only a year older than her but a hundred times more mature. And so at ease in his own skin. He already knew who he was and she felt so envious, because she was clueless about herself.

She didn't hate the cigarette as much as she thought she would. Fitz watched her the whole time she smoked it, absorbing every detail. He did it without shame and she admired how brave that was. They were strangers and yet he was baring himself to her completely. When she asked him if he was always like this, the alcohol making her bold enough to speak up, he held her gaze and said no.

She had never felt so desired by anyone.

Then he changed the subject. "Let's go out tonight."

And she didn't want to, but she also didn't want to be anywhere he wasn't.

"Okay."

Fitz had been at UCLA two years already; knew all the right people, the coolest parties. It was God-knows what time in the morning and she was sitting on his lap in someone else's kitchen, surrounded by drunk undergrads and couples making out and even a guy asleep on the counter. Olivia had lost track of the number of beers she'd had, but knew she was the most intoxicated she'd ever been. Maybe that's why she thought sleeping with her new roommate was a good idea.

Fortunately, Fitz was a little more sober.

"We can't," he said to her for the hundredth time, but it was so incongruous with the way he was lovingly brushing her hair back from her face, with the amazing time they'd had together that evening. They hadn't stopped talking, flirting, touching. They couldn't. It was like they were enchanted; under one another's spell. It was nothing short of magical.

"Why not?" she asked again, her arms curled around his neck. He was so sexy it was unbearable. Her body, her entire being, just ached for him.

"You've just moved in to my house, and I know you haven't met the others yet but we made the rules for a reason. No hook ups between roommates."

"Ugh. They sound like losers."

He laughed. "They can be a little weird at times, sure, but they're awesome. You'll meet Abby tomorrow, and Dan and Luke will be back at the weekend."

"I hate them already."

"And I hate to say this, but I think we need to get you home."

He practically had to carry her there.

"Fitz," she whispered later, after he'd made her brush her teeth and drink two glasses of water before she fell into bed fully clothed. He paused by the door on his way out.

"Yeah?"

Looking back, she doesn't remember saying this because she was almost asleep - but he does. He recalls it perfectly.

"Can't we just sneak around?"

The morning after their first night out together, the only thing that felt worse than Olivia's hangover was her embarrassment. She'd thrown herself at Fitz all evening and he'd rejected her - over and over again. But then he knocked on her door around midday and even though she wanted to pretend she was still asleep, something made her answer. She'd lost big patches of the night but she still remembered the spark between them. That was as real as she was.

He came inside with a cup of tea and a plate of toast, and she'd never been more grateful for anyone or anything.

"I thought I should check if you were still alive. How are you feeling?"

There wasn't a trace of regret or disappointment in his smile, in his fearless blue eyes. In fact, she felt adored.

"Fitz… I'm sorry, about last night."

He sat down beside her on the bed, right inside her personal space, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

She fell into his gaze. Time slowed down, stopped. He took her hand.

"Olivia." He sighed; looked away for a moment and then back again. "I don't know why I feel like this. Do you feel it too?"

Even though it hurt her head, she nodded.

"Fuck," he groaned. "I should have kissed you last night."

Her heart exploded inside her ribs. "You- you wanted to kiss me?"

"From the moment I saw you."

"Wow. Fitz."

"I know." He looked stunned by his own admission - and trapped beneath the weight of it. And because she already had such deep feelings for him, Olivia knew she had no choice but to offer him an out.

"You have house rules for a reason. If we get together and it doesn't work out, everything will be awkward. I don't want to upset everyone before I've even met them."

She turned to pick up the mug of tea from her bedside table to avoid the deliberation on his face, to delay the inevitable. She was very aware of him watching her every move; tried to pretend like she didn't notice, but knew she wasn't fooling him.

"What if…" he said slowly, "We did what you suggested last night?"

She tried to remember the suggestions she made. Most of them seemed to be about ripping off each other's clothes.

When Fitz saw her confused frown, he smiled again. "You don't know, do you? God, you're so cute."

"Stop it."

"Why?" His smile became a grin. He was flirting with her again - he just couldn't help it. "You said - or rather, slurred - 'we could sneak around'."

"Did I?"

"Mmhmm. How do you feel about the idea now?"

Twenty-four hours ago, the Olivia Pope she was would probably have said no. It seemed like too much to risk: day one of her brand-new life in California and she might piss off the people she had to live with for the next year; the people she was hoping would become her friends.

But overnight, she had fundamentally changed - and the reason for that was sitting right beside her.

"I feel… like it was a brilliant idea. I think the girl who came up with it was a genius. And if I can make it into the shower and brush my teeth, I would like to take you up on that kiss you mentioned."

When she reappeared in her towel fifteen minutes later, he held her face in his hands and kissed her so sweetly her toes curled into the carpet.

To be honest, she was amazed her roommates didn't realize what was going on sooner.

She immediately became close to Abby, who loved baking and going to the gym every day, mainly so she could pick up hot guys. Dan and Luke were cool too: they knew Fitz from lacrosse and were very chilled, always keen to go out for a drink in the evening or cook up something experimental in the kitchen. As it was Olivia's first time living away from home, she didn't think she could have been luckier in finding such a great group of people.

And then there was Fitz.

She fell in love with him quickly. It wasn't difficult: he was attentive, kind and caring. They had lengthy, deep conversations about politics and philosophy; shared interests in reading, being outdoors, eating good food. Beneath his laid-back persona he was incredibly smart - one of those frustrating people who never had to study for exams, who just knew all the answers instinctively.

And the fact that they had to keep their blossoming relationship hidden was absolutely thrilling. He'd deliberately brush past her when they were making breakfast; kiss her in the laundry room with Abby just next door. Sometimes he would text her the naughtiest messages while they were having coffee in the kitchen and she'd try so hard not to get flustered but it never worked - he could always tell. She'd look around the table fearfully, hoping the others hadn't noticed, but they seemed oblivious. When they had movie nights, Fitz would make sure they sat on the smaller sofa together so they could let their hands wander beneath the blanket when the lights were turned out. Once, on a Saturday afternoon when they were both horny, he left via the front door to 'go for a run' and climbed up the back of the house to her bedroom window; then reversed the whole process again afterwards.

Olivia met him in the hallway, knowing full well Luke and Abby were within earshot. "Wow, you're sweaty," she said innocently, looking him up and down. "Was it good?"

He bit back a growl.

She greeted him in the shower five minutes later for round two.

A few months in, Abby cornered her one Sunday morning in her room.

"Olivia Pope. Who are you screwing?"

She tried her best to look innocent, but her heart was pounding. "What?"

"Don't pretend. I heard you last night. You were screaming the fucking house down."

Shit. Everyone was supposed to be out. She and Fitz had cooked together, eaten a romantic meal by candlelight and then retired to her bedroom. They spent hours playing with each other, relishing the chance to take it slow, to make as much noise as they liked with their roommates all away for the weekend.

Obviously not all of them.

"What are you doing here Abs? I thought you and Jess were staying with her parents for the weekend."

"We were, but she and her mom fell out so we had to come back early. You know what she's like. Anyway, that doesn't matter. Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"

"Oh. Well, I'm not really." Olivia busied herself tidying her desk, hiding her face. "It was just a random hook up."

She could tell without looking that Abby had raised her eyebrows. "Really? A random guy made you moan like that?"

"Yeah. I guess he was pretty good."

"Wow. Wasn't Fitz here last night? You must have woken him up."

Olivia shrugged. "I haven't seen him yet today."

Such a liar. She'd gazed at him as he lay between her legs and licked her out less than an hour ago. Thank God they hadn't paused the show they'd been watching on Netflix, so the noise could disguise her cries.

Later, when Abby told the story to Fitz over lunch, he pretended he'd been fast asleep. "He sounds very talented, this stranger," he said with barely-disguised amusement in his eyes, leaning back in his chair and deliberately showing off his body to Olivia. "Would you describe him as a sex god?"

"No. He was pretty arrogant, really."

"Maybe he had good reason to be."

Over Abby's head, she gave him the filthiest look she could manage - and he just laughed.

Afterwards they sat on the back porch together, sharing a cigarette, and she checked Abby wasn't still in the kitchen before she grabbed his face and kissed him.

"I hate you sometimes," she said breathlessly, because he'd stolen all her air.

"You don't."

She took the cigarette from him and stamped it out. "You're smoking too much. You should quit."

"You always smoke with me."

She looked at him for a long moment and, for the first time, she wanted to tell Abby the truth. "I only smoke when I can't have you instead."

He tilted his head to one side; brushed his thumb lovingly across her cheekbone. "Why do you think I keep doing it, baby?"

They threw a house party just before Christmas, and it was huge. Far more people had come than they'd invited: there was barely space to move inside, every room packed, music blaring. It was Olivia's last night before flying back to New York for the holidays and, although Fitz had booked a trip to visit her over New Year, she'd been dreading leaving him. They saw each other every single day. She didn't know how to be alone anymore.

She found him in the kitchen sometime near midnight. Someone had turned out the main light, no doubt by accident, so only the spotlights under the cabinets were providing any relief from the darkness. The circumstances were perfect for her to press herself up against him in the middle of the crowded room. In fact, after several glasses of wine, she even stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He froze initially; then, when she wouldn't let him go, he finally relaxed and kissed her back.

"What are you doing?" he asked afterwards. He didn't sound annoyed, even though he had to shout near her ear to make himself heard. She felt his hand slip beneath the white fluffy hem of the tiny, bright red baby-doll she was wearing, to cup her ass hard, to squeeze her against him. She loved when he was rough. She loved him all the time.

She loved him, period.

"It's Christmas," she shouted back, pressing intermittent kisses to his neck. "I don't care anymore. I love you."

"What?"

She didn't know if he couldn't hear because of the music or because she got choked up right at the end. She took his hand and pulled him through the throng of people, upstairs and into her bedroom. With the light on and the noise damped, she suddenly felt completely exposed.

"Everything okay Livvie?"

She wanted to cry. "Yeah... No."

He tried to take her in his arms but she made him stay back, knowing she'd fall apart if he held her. "What's going on?"

She took a deep breath. Pretty much their entire relationship had been contained within this room, this house. It seemed like the right place to tell him; to confess.

"I love you, Fitz. I'm in love with you. And I want the whole world to know. I can't wait any longer."

She'll always remember his smile; the way his whole body seemed to exhale in relief. "Oh baby. I love you too."

"Do you?"

"Yes!"

They laughed, hugged; kissed each other senseless.

"I fucking love you, Olivia Pope," he said eventually, gazing deep into her eyes. "I fell in love with you the day we met."

"Fitz."

His hands slid up her thighs, beneath her skirt, but she stopped him.

"I want them to know. Abby, Dan and Luke. I hate lying to them."

He sighed; took a small step back. "We talked about this. We decided to wait until after the holidays."

"Why?"

"You know why. Living with a couple is difficult. All three of them have gone through it before and hated it. So have I. That's why we made the house rules."

"But they've been living with a couple for months now anyway! Fitz, I love you. I want to love you in the open. I hate hiding like this. What's the point?"

It was the first time either of them had ever even hinted at a breakup, and she could see the exact moment it punched him in the gut. She instantly regretted it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." She closed the gap between them, taking his face in her hands, making him look at her. "I know you don't want to hurt them, but I think continuing to lie to them when we know this is serious is going to hurt them even more. Don't you agree?"

"Yes," he admitted reluctantly. "I do."

"So, can we tell them?"

"Right now? I doubt we'll even be able to find them."

But Olivia did find them, dragging them all up to her room. "What's going on?" Abby asked as soon as the door closed behind her.

Luke was looking between Olivia and Fitz, smirking to himself. "I think these two are about to tell us that they're fucking."

Dan rolled his eyes. "About time too."

Olivia gaped at them both. "You knew?" She turned to Abby. "Did you know as well?"

"Yeah…"

"For how long?"

"I only guessed last month," Abby confessed. "These two were already pretty sure when I mentioned it to them."

Fitz turned to Dan. "When did you-?"

"Aw man, months ago. When Liv first moved in. It was so obvious you were into each other."

"But the house rules… Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged. "Who cares? I respect that we have them, but we weren't gonna stop you two getting together. And we love living with you both. You never make us feel awkward. Not like my last roommates."

"Apart from that time I heard you screaming," Abby added, grinning. "It was only about a week later that I figured out it was Fitz."

"How?"

"I heard your door open in the morning and caught him sneaking into the bathroom. Cute butt, by the way."

Fitz frowned. "Thanks." Then he looked around at all three of his friends. "You're seriously okay with this? You don't want us to move out?"

Luke shook his head. "As long as you keep it subtle, like you are now, it's no problem at all."

"Now can we go back to the party?" Dan asked, raising his empty cup in the air. "Who's drinking with me?"

"Me!"

"Yes please!"

Abby gave Olivia and Fitz a quick hug each, and a knowing smile, before following the two boys downstairs.

"I can't believe this," Fitz sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Neither can I. Usually I'm the stickler for the rules, and this time it was you and no one even cared!" She straddled his lap, gazing down at him with so much love. "You know, I will actually miss some of the sneaking around. Making out in empty rooms, listening for footsteps nearby; your cheeky boob and ass grabs whenever you thought you could get away with it."

"What about going out to dinner and having to arrive home at separate times?"

She laughed. "Definitely not that part."

"At least you were never the one who had to wait outside in the cold."

"True. I'm sorry, baby."

"Don't be." He kissed her slowly, his palms caressing her bare legs, giving her goosebumps. "We can still sneak around," he murmured, ghosting his lips over her throat. "I'll never not want to lift you onto the washing machine and ravage you."

Her giggle melted into a moan as his teeth grazed over her skin. "Fitz…"

"Yes?"

"I wanna go downstairs and dance with you in front of all those people. I want them to know that you're mine."

"No." His fingertips were already imprinted in her waist, her left breast. She knew there was no way he was letting her go. "Not yet. I am yours… and I need to prove it to you."

The hickeys he gave her lasted almost two weeks. She had to go out and buy some high-necked sweaters because her mom was getting suspicious as to why she kept wearing scarves indoors. Besides that though, her parents couldn't believe the change in her.

She could barely believe it herself.

"I haven't seen you this relaxed since you were about seven years old," her mom told her one morning over breakfast. "Nor this happy."

Olivia had beamed at her. "I'm so happy, Mom." She couldn't even remember the last time she'd said that.

When December twenty-eighth finally arrived and she brought Fitz home from the airport, she could see that it all suddenly made sense to her parents - just like meeting him had made the world make sense to her too. They loved him instantly. He fitted into their family perfectly. And the way he spoke about her, with such reverence and obvious adoration, warmed her right down to her core.

On the first evening, Olivia showed him to his room which was down the hall from hers. "My parents are traditional," she said apologetically. Fitz quietly closed the door and held her tight.

"I don't care. Just being here with you is the best thing. I missed you so much."

Then he kissed her fiercely, like he'd done at the airport. Afterwards, she felt dizzy. She buried her face in his t-shirt and breathed him in.

"Have you been smoking again?"

He grinned at her, unashamed. "You weren't there. I had to fix my craving somehow."

"So I have to stay with you forever to stop you from killing yourself?"

"I've never thought about it like that before - but yes. Stay with me forever, Livvie. Please. I need you. I'll always need you."

And somewhere in the middle of his words, they stopped being a joke and became a declaration. When he kissed her again and began to take off her clothes, she let him.

They spent the rest of the week eating far too much food, and staying in love, and doing what they did best of all: sneaking around.

Fin.