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Title of Fic: "Thin Frames"
Author: DAxilla (rest in peace <3 Your works of (fan)fiction have touched so many hearts and continue to do so!)
Fandom/Pairing: "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit", Olivia Benson/Alexandra Cabot
Synopsis: Not an alternative universe here - in this story, Olivia is working as the dedicated detective she is while Alex is exactly the passionate and ambitious ADA we've all come to love on the show! However, DAxilla gives us just what our hearts need: a beautiful, very well written, emotional love story between these two beauties. She manages to convey their thoughts and feelings with depth and never strays Out of Character, but at the same time, the fic is not your typical slow burn - however, there are still some major bump in the road to domestic bliss and hapiness because Alex is scared of letting Olivia in while Olivia has a hard time figuring the younger woman out. All of this is settled into the crime plot of the fic that really would make a great SVU episode! While the Cabenson moments in this fic are priceless (and the main reason we've all read it, c'mon!), the storyline based around the brutal mutilation and murder of upper-class business woman Samantha Wainscott, who also happens to be the daughter of Judge Wainscott, is such a creative one and composed with so much care, knowledge and detail that it left me awestruck more than once!
It's not as slow-paced as your typical slow-burn but at 31 chapters long, I can guarantee you that it makes for an compelling story that will have you go through aaaalll kinds of emotions.
I can't even express my gratitude that such brilliant pieces of FanFiction exist - and this fic is also the one that truly makes me yearn for a show that openly portrays the relationship between a strong, caring, badass detective and her beautiful, intelligent, sophisticated, no-nonsense blonde ADA girlfriend!
Rating: M
do not ask me the color of anything.
“more!” the crowd shouts.
summary: In which Casey struggles with insecurities about her appearance due to a new neighbor's attention on her girlfriend Alex.
It started with the new neighbor.
She moved into the building a few weeks ago—someone young, effortlessly gorgeous, and very comfortable with attention. Casey had noticed her immediately, but more importantly, she had noticed how the woman noticed Alex.
Tall, blonde, striking in the kind of way that made heads turn, Alex had always stood out. It was something Casey had accepted, even loved. Alex commanded a room without even trying. She was poised, elegant, untouchable.
And now, she had an admirer.
The woman—Jessica? Jenna?—was anything but subtle.
She seemed to appear whenever Alex was around, all lingering glances and flirtatious smiles.
And the worst part?
Alex hadn’t noticed at all.
She was oblivious to the way the neighbor leaned just a little too close in the elevator, how she touched Alex’s arm when they passed in the hallway, how she laughed a little too loudly at things Alex said.
But Casey?
She noticed everything.
And with every encounter, an unsettling feeling curled in Casey’s chest—a quiet, creeping insecurity she hadn’t felt in a long time.
It started small, though.
A glance in the mirror.
A fleeting thought.
Then another.
And another.
She had gained weight. Not much, just enough to notice. Enough that her jeans fit a little tighter, enough that her usual blouses didn’t fall quite the same way.
It wasn’t that she thought she was unattractive—or at least, she hadn’t before.
But then there was her.
The neighbor.
Slim. Beautiful. Confident.
The kind of woman who probably never worried about things like this.
And suddenly, Casey found herself comparing.
Did Alex notice?
Had she noticed and just not said anything?
The thought made something in her chest ache.
So she did what she always did when she felt something too deeply.
She distanced herself.
At first, Alex didn’t think much of it.
Casey had been busy, that was all.
Late nights at the office. Skipping their usual morning coffee together. A quick kiss on the cheek instead of their normal, lingering ones before bed.
But by the end of the week, Alex knew something was wrong.
She walked into the kitchen one morning to find Casey standing by the counter, staring at her untouched coffee.
"You're up early," Alex said, pouring herself a cup.
Casey barely looked up. "Yeah."
Alex frowned. Something was off.
She leaned against the counter, studying Casey closely. "Everything okay?"
Casey nodded—too quickly.
"Just tired," she added, offering a small smile.
It wasn’t a lie exactly.
But it wasn’t the truth, either.
And Alex knew Casey too well to miss that.
That night, Alex walked into the bedroom to find Casey standing in front of the mirror.
She was wearing just a pair of shorts and a tank top, fingers tracing the soft curve of her stomach, her brows furrowed.
She looked sad.
And that—more than anything—made Alex’s heart clench.
"Case?"
Casey jumped, eyes flicking to Alex through the mirror.
Alex tilted her head, stepping closer. "What’s going on?"
"Nothing," Casey said too quickly, grabbing a sweater from the bed and pulling it over her head.
Alex’s stomach dropped.
She had seen Casey bare, vulnerable, unguarded in every way possible. They had spent years learning every inch of each other, every scar, every freckle.
And now?
Now Casey was hiding from her.
Alex’s voice softened. "Casey, talk to me."
Casey sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. "It's stupid."
Alex didn’t budge. "Try me."
A long pause.
Then, finally, in a small, broken voice—
"I just… I don’t look the same."
Alex stilled.
Casey let out a weak laugh, but there was no humor in it. "I've gained weight, Alex. And I know it’s not a big deal, but—”
"But what?" Alex stepped closer. "What made you think I’d care about that?"
Casey hesitated. Then, quietly—
“The new neighbor.”
Alex blinked. "What about her?"
Casey exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "She’s beautiful, Alex. And she flirts with you constantly. And you—”
Alex’s heart broke.
She reached for Casey, hands sliding gently up her arms. "Sweetheart."
Casey didn’t move away, but she wouldn’t meet Alex’s eyes either.
"You really think I’d want her?" Alex’s voice was softer now, full of something raw. "That I’d look at anyone else when I have you?"
Casey swallowed. "I just... I don’t look the way I used to."
Alex let out a breath, then—without hesitation—dropped to her knees.
Casey’s eyes widened. "Alex, what are you—?"
Alex pressed a slow, lingering kiss to Casey’s stomach.
Then another.
Then another.
Every soft curve, every place Casey had doubted, Alex kissed.
"You think I don't want you?" Alex murmured against her skin. "Baby, I have never wanted anything more in my life."
Casey’s breath hitched.
Alex’s hands skimmed lower, fingers pressing lightly into Casey’s hips.
"Every inch of you is mine," Alex whispered, reverent. "Every single inch, Casey."
Casey shivered, hands instinctively tangling in Alex’s hair.
"You don’t need to change," Alex said, pressing another kiss to her hip. "Not for me. Not for anyone."
Casey let out a shaky exhale.
"Alex..."
Alex looked up, eyes fierce. "You are perfect, Casey. You always have been. Let me show you, my love. Let me show you how much I love you"
And finally, finally, Casey let herself believe it.
Later, as they lay tangled in bed, Alex traced lazy patterns on Casey’s back.
"Just to be clear," Alex murmured, voice heavy with love, "the neighbor could throw herself at me naked, and I still wouldn’t look twice."
Casey laughed softly, nestling closer. "Promise?"
Alex tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze.
She kissed her slowly, deeply, like a vow.
"Promise."
And with that, Casey finally let go of every doubt she had ever held.
Because in Alex’s arms, she was home.