#pre-barisi

A little drabble requested by @power-bottom-barba-is-sad, because we never get enough Lucia Barba in this fandom.  Set after SVU was unexpectedly canceled in season 17, so we’ll never know what happened with all those death threats.  - xoxo, ahf. 

“Ma’am, may I see some ID?”

Lucia stopped in place, head slowly turning to the side.

The police officer was painfully young, Hispanic.  Still in uniform and closer to his school years than she would have preferred if his restless shifting was any indication.  Kids could smell principals a mile away, there was a chance she looked like this boy’s mother, and she would have been shocked if this boy was older than twenty-five so she still had the upper hand when she puffed a lock of dark hair out of her eyes and got a better grip on the twin bags of groceries in her arms.

“I’ve done this already,” she told him sternly.  “One of your officers cleared me two weeks ago.”

“I didn’t-, I mean I wasn’t there.  For that.  No one told me about that.”  The boy cleared his throat.  “Ma’am.”

“My name is Lucia Barba.  I’m here to see my son.”

“I understand that, ma’am, but I need to confirm your identity.”

“You have.  Multiple times,” she replied.  “Usually without requiring me to put my groceries on the godforsaken Manhattan sidewalk.”

“Ma’am-”

“Mrs. Barba!”

Lips pursed, Lucia turned to see an older brunette approaching.  

Olivia, badge and gun on her hip where the gunslingers in her mother’s telenovelas used to wear them.  She didn’t think Olivia Benson to be the gunslinger type but the look suited her all the same.

“Lieutenant,” she greeted.  “I’m being kept from my son.”

“What?  Why?”

“Ma’am, Detective Carisi told us-”

“Who?” Lucia interrupted.  “Who told you not to let me see my son?”

Title: Saturday Night Wonder

Author: wormghoul

Rating: General

Word Count: 3133

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. Rafael Barba Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. Drag Shows likely inaccurate Crack Treated Seriously whoops I gave it feelings y'all are getting hot pants barba AND hot pants carisi

Summary: Carisi was used to celebrating without the squad, and usually he could convince himself that it was alright. Tonight was one of those nights where it was okay that he was alone, because after all, who would have wanted to go with him to a drag show?

Comment: A cute and different fic. It’s lovely to see something new. Dazzling descriptions and moments of tension make this an entertaining read.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Law & Order: SVU Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. Characters: Rafael Barba, Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Drama, First Kiss, Prompt Fic, Pre-Barisi Summary:

Title: Ambiguity and Precipice 

Author: keraunoscopia

Rating: General

Word Count: 2,160

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Rafael Barba/Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr., Rafael Barba, Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr., Pre-Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Reflection, Self-Reflection, almost gen, Musing, Really there’s no plot

Summary: But here is different. Here in front of cycling laundry, listening to dated elevator music cut in and out on an old radio, and the uncanny hymn of their only company, things are inexplicably different.

Comments: A beautifully-written, introspective look at Sonny as he and Rafael meet, once again, at a 24-hour laundromat. With poetic prose and a truly gorgeous atmosphere, no comment can do it justice. 

It's not that they planned this, there was no preconceived notion that they’d arrive at the same place, the same witching hour. Sonny’s not so presumptuous to assume the man wants to see him.

In law school students have to participate in mock trials, where they separate into groups like defense/prosecution/jury, etc. Which means that at some point Sonny Carisi would have to wear the appropriate clothing, prep for the case chosen as an example, and realistically and effectively BE a prosecutor. And he’s not nervous about it per se, but it will be the first time he puts his theoretical skills into practice so he talks it over with Rollins in the squad room, even going to far as to mention that it’s this coming Tuesday night. Probably in the hopes that she would remember and wish him good luck.

It’s not his fault that Rafael overhears, but he does.

It’s also not his fault that Rafael’s curiosity is well and thoroughly piqued at the prospect of seeing the lawyer in Carisi rather than just the detective. He has his suspicions based on knowing the man professionally but those suspicions meant nothing in the long run so he keeps them to himself.

He tries to forget, he really does.

He’s already very busy, he has four arraignments the next day and the opening arguments for a separate case the morning after that, and still Rafael finds himself calling an old colleague from Fordham to inquire on the time and place of the mock court session taking place later that day. The professor suspects nothing, gives the information out with hardly a second thought as to why a infamous prominent Manhattan ADA wants to attend mock court for a program other than his alma mater.  It likely hasn’t occurred to him that Rafael works with one of his students.  

Which is how he ends up at Fordham late on a Tuesday night, footsteps echoing in an empty hallway as he looks for a particular room number.  

He slips in the back so no one sees him other than the professor, who gives him a subtle nod.  Rafael is considerate enough to know that seeing him would throw Carisi off his game so he sits in the far back of the gallery and keeps his mouth shut.  Even when he wants to tell a student juror to quit texting and wants to tell the defense to consider acting lessons to get rid of his stage fright.  He watches Carisi gives opening statements as lead for the prosecution and he can’t help the swell of pride in his chest.  The man is confident, affable.  Leaning on the jury box with all the likable ease that Carisi seems to inhabit naturally.  He sounds intelligent, looks professional.  Is clearly prepared and obviously mentally engaged with the proceedings.  The jury is comfortable with him, are receptive to what he was saying.  

None of this is news to Rafael, who expected no less of a detective skilled at deciphering human behavior and adopting the likenesses of characters used for undercover operations.  

It’s not until the first instance of a cross that Rafael is taken by surprise.

It wasn’t hard to tell the smug asshole in the room, from the moment he was led in.  He took the stand reproachfully, as though this wasn’t the part of the assignment he had his eye on.  Since his glare was very obviously at Carisi it wasn’t hard to tell the position he’d wanted.  It didn’t bother the detective at all, treating the other student with passive disinterest to start.  Standard questions, nothing spectacular.  At least until the first objection, which Sonny backs up with a case tried fifteen years before - in Brooklyn, of all places.

One of Rafael’s cases, a homicide.

He wins the motion.

Which the witness didn’t seem to care for at all because then he started acting up, giving petulant non-answers to throw Carisi off.  To affect his performance.  It doesn’t work. Instead, when he refuses to answer for the third time, Carisi turns to the professor and asks permission to treat him as a hostile witness - at which time Carisi turns on a dime and decimates him.    

With logic, with the kid’s own words.  For the first time since the mock trial started Rafael is reminded of the capable detective, strong enough to compel confessions out of suspects far more intimidating than a petulant jerk in a mock trial.  By the time he’s done the kid is blinking and dazed and Rafael doesn’t think his chest feels tight out of pride.  When he watches Carisi smooth his tie and dismiss the witness his mouth is dry and he can feel his heartbeat significantly lower than his actual heart.  

It’s then that the professor chooses to conclude the trial for today and everyone stands up to start collecting their things, chatter starting up again while they make plans to grab drinks.  Carisi is the only one who declines, stating he has an early shift in the morning.  Slowly everyone filters out and Carisi has stayed behind, exchanging words and a smile with the professor.  Finally the professor says something significant and Carisi jolts, turning slowly and searching the chairs in the gallery before finding Rafael.

He swallows hard, bracing.

Probably to be mocked because he doesn’t realize that he’s done nothing worthy of being mocked.

The professor claps him on the back once and leaves the room while Rafael finally stands, descending the steps until he reaches the courtroom floor.  Hands in his pockets, expression neutral.

“Counselor,” Carisi starts amiably.  “Didn’t expect to see you setting foot here willingly.  Who blackmailed you?”

Rafael chuckles.

“No blackmail necessary.  I overheard you telling Detective Rollins,” he says, approaching the table.  “I hope it doesn’t bother you.”

Carisi grins.  “Not at all, counselor.  Now I get to look forward to a whole new category of jokes at my expense.”

“Jokes about what, detective?” he asks seriously, still feeling the secondary thrill from discovering that Carisi’s legal prowess was unbearably attractive to him.  “That you’re more than capable?  That you’re talented, even?  Quick on your feet, intuitive?  Every one of those is a terrible punchline.”

Carisi looks at him like he sprouted a second head.

“You used one of my cases,” he points out as well, just because it needs to be said.  “Creatively, I might add.  I wouldn’t have thought to apply it here.”

The detective chuckled but Rafael didn’t miss the color creeping up his neck.  

“Impressed, counselor?”

“Very.”

Carisi’s eyes jerk up to meet his, to judge his seriousness, and seems to trust what he finds because his shoulders finally relax and his smile is suddenly genuine.  A beaming, bright thing that makes Rafael wonder why he’d wasted so much time making him roll his eyes when this was a much better alternative.

A thought for another time, and Rafael still has more to say.

“You might let your classmate, the defense, know that he needs some extra attention in public speaking.  Acting classes help, I’m told,” he adds, just because the thought sticks with him and he doesn’t want to see a talented lawyer go to waste because he doesn’t know how to perform for a jury.  Judging from the way Carisi grins at him it was a bad move because now he’s looking at Rafael with unobstructed interest, a hint of heat low in his gaze.

“You thinking about teaching, Barba?”

He scoffs.

“Oh, you don’t want that Carisi,” he replies with a hint of a smile.  “Besides, would you willingly subject any of your classmates to being at my mercy?”

“Nah,” Carisi denies, closing his briefcase and sneaking a glance at Rafael.  A glance that lingers long after it should have ended had this been a professional discussion between colleagues.  “I might get jealous.”

Rafael pauses, calculating.

Carisi doesn’t back down.

Interesting.

“Do you have somewhere to be right now, Carisi?” he asks before the question has fully formed in his head but he doesn’t back down either.

“Nope.  I took the whole night off because we’re never sure how long these things will last,” he replies as they start toward the door.  “You?”

“Only if you want to get a drink with me,” Rafael offers mildly and doesn’t miss the flicker of surprise on Carisi’s face.  

“Yeah,” he says slowly, getting accustomed to the idea.  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

They reach the door and Carisi steps forward first, opening it for him.  Something Carisi has always done for him but this time Rafael takes advantage, moving just a little closer than necessary as he passes through it.

“Thank you, counselor,” Rafael says kindly and Carisi’s jaw falls open for real this time, heat flashing high on his cheeks.  He makes it several feet down the hall before he realizes that Carisi is frozen in place, looking at him with open awe on his face.  

“You coming, Carisi?” 

The words snap him out of it and he lets the door close, walking quickly to catch up to him, and Rafael allows himself to smirk. 

Rafael still has the upper hand.

Title: Apparently, Coffee Is Not A Food Group

Author: ChameleonCircuit

Rating: General  

Word Count: 2,152

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Rafael Barba/Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr., Rafael Barba, Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr., Olivia Benson, Rita Calhoun, Barisi - Freeform, barba/carisi - Freeform, look it’s not full on barisi it’s just... pre-barisi I guess, h/c, Hurt/Comfort, Whump

Summary: Barba's a big idiot and doesn't find time to eat.

Comments: An amazing fic with spot-on characterization. Fluffy with a great plot, this fic will leave you wanting more. All this in 2000 words makes for a fantastic read.  

Title: Errors In Flirting

Author: mrbarbacarisi

Rating: General

Word Count: 1,641

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Rafael Barba, Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Pre-Relationship, Awkward Flirting, Flirting, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, pseudo-crack fic

Summary: It started out as a very dumb joke. Now, Sonny's neighbor wanted to kick his ass.

Comments: A funny and cute Neighbor AU inspired by this post! Featuring nerdy Barisi! A very lovely Pre-Barisi one-shot.

The man turned toward the elevators, but then drew up short. He had noticed the sign. He looked at it and sighed deeply. He crumpled it the same way he did before. Sonny had never been turned on by a just pair of hands before. Looked like there really was a first time for everything.