Work Text:
"Ya know, Barba, I don't think you could have hurt Liv more if you tried. Did you write that speech like you write a closing argument? You tried to tear Carisi down in the courtroom, then you went for Liv in the bar. Didn't realize you had that many friends you could afford to lose any."
The rough voice on the other end wasn't a surprise, since he knew Sergeant Fin Tutuola was nothing if not fiercely loyal to his captain. "I wasn't... You know..." Rafael hated to be caught out, especially not when he knew he had gone too far. He looked up to make sure his office door was closed before he tuned back into the conversation.
"I don't much care, counselor. You hurt Liv because you want to be Stabler so bad you can taste it. But you still don't get it. I'm not the one to explain it to you, but maybe she'll talk to you. Eventually. She's forgiving like that."
Of course, that didn't mean Fin was wrong. Olivia Benson was forgiving. The implication that forgiveness would be in short supply around the 1-6 didn't need to be spelled out, either.
"I'm sorry, Sergeant Tutuola. I find I haven't got enough time in my schedule to listen to what someone else thinks of a private conversation I didn't hold with them." Maybe he should be glad that this conversation was via phone instead of in person.
A huff came across the line. "I don't need more time. I heard my captain, my friend, scheduling an urgent appointment with her therapist, after coming in looking like hell. When I heard why, I thought I'd make sure you knew someone else knew how you treated Liv." A quick pause. "I never thought I'd see the day I defended Elliot Stabler but here we are. The jarheaded idiot fucked up six ways from Sunday, but he didn't set out to tear out her heart and leave it on the bar on his way out the door. Good going, counselor."
His message delivered, the call ended as abruptly as it began, leaving Rafael to stare at his phone.