#barson

[thetrashqueeeen]

i’m getting late stage barson brain rot in the year of out lord 2026 and i don’t know what to do with that

[littletayyswriting]

Title: thirsty for a sip (1/1)

Author: LittleTayy

Ratings: Explicit

Fandom: Law & Order: SVU

Characters: Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba

Summary: Rafael Barba went on a date. Olivia Benson's not so happy about it.

Set between Season 18 and 19.

Read On: AO3

[userbarson]

“Rafa?”

“What?”

“I miss you, too.”

😭💔😩

[deeneedsaname]

The barba and benson dynamic is so crazy to me because like. You’re barba, and you are in love with your best friend, Olivia benson. That’s not that strange though because half of the men she meets fall in love with her. But the two men she has a long term relationship with while you know her, by all measures, shouldn’t be contenders — one that got upset and childish when she only wanted a sexual relationship, and the other who professionally tormented her and her friends for years. But you and she could be good together. Where will you be at 85? Squabbling with you, wouldn’t that be nice. You know it, she knows it, and it’s always right there, simmering just below the surface, the tension of but what if we did. You ask her out (never explicitly as friends but never not) and she’s busy, because she won’t take the leap, and you think you know why.

You’re Olivia, and you fell in love with Elliot Stabler a long time ago. But he’s a good man, dedicated not just to his wife but his faith, his soul, and you would never do it to him or his wife so you both just feel the devotion burn in your soul until it nearly destroys you both. And he leaves, and you could have understood it, but not the way he did it. But it’s not just the love, or even the betrayal — those twelve years seared him into your bone marrow and there’s no way to undo that. Even after the healing, the moving on, there will always be that scar tissue and beneath it a part of you that has Elliot’s name stamped on it like you breathe. So you date men who are nice, who are safe, who would never leave you, because they all fall just a little short. But you can never take the plunge with any of them. And Barba is too good, too close to it would be really good, because there’s that part of you that’s still got Elliot written on it. And you could fall in love with Barba in a way you didn’t with anyone else, but the potential of Elliot Stabler is still there, always there.

Because Elliot was there first. Elliot knew Olivia first and they irrevocably changed each other’s lives — what happens when you meet your soulmate, and you’re already married, and it’s not your wife. What then?

Olivia couldn’t date Barba, because he might have been good. He might have been real in a way Brian and Tucker wouldn’t have been, and she couldn’t let someone get that close, let that happen, because Elliot.

So when Olivia says ‘this isn’t about him’ and Barba keeps bringing it back to Elliot, they’re both right. This isn’t about Elliot now — but it is about Elliot, about the fact that Benson And Stabler is a force bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s about the fact that Lindstrom was right on the money when he said Olivia had an idealized, possible relationship in her head, and she had to preserve that, all those years, because she loved him (and he loved her, that was the whole problem) and Barba was the only real threat to that.

But maybe in a parallel universe. Not this one, not the one after it, but maybe the next.

[little-tayy]

Hihihihi what's your fave trope to read and what are your Barson recs?

Ohhhhh. It's actually a little tough to think of specific tropes? I read pretty much anything, so I never really focus on tropes in particular.

I love a good Rivals to Lovers or Enemies to Lovers. I like tension and angst and pining. A Jealous! character too, though I don't know if that's an actual trope. I do love a Fake Relationship trope too, those are always fun!

But mostly any trope can work for me as long as it's well written and the characterisations feel true to character.

Barson recs under the cut! All on AO3. I'm so sorry if I'm reccing any fics you've already read but these are some of my faves. The list also got longer than I intended, whoops! Also, I'd encourage you to check out the writers other fics too if they have them. There's a lot of good stuff around, this is just a list of some of my favourites.

Okay, I'm so sorry but I'm starting y'all off with a heartbreaking one. That I may have inspired and absolutely loved. It does involve Major Character Death.

at your best, you were love by twentyfive_acts

By the same writer, it's a bit of a slow burn and it's only 4 chapters right now but still a great read! Honestly, any fic by twentyfive_acts I recommend. Warning: the first chapter does involve some 🤢Benson/Stabler🤮

Unlove You by twentyfive_acts

The next one is a fun, light-hearted AU of season 22 involving a Fake Relationship between Olivia and Barba. It's a nice contrast to most of the angst that comes out of the Barson fandom. Also just really enjoy most of what praxidikai has written for Barson.

Wicked Game by praxidikai

A complete AU and more pre-Barson than Barson but absolutely devastatingly emotional and poignant. Also wonderfully well-written. Check the tags and warnings before reading though!

Echoes of the Act by KelpieLurks & MargoBlack

A fun and sexy Five Times fic in essence! There's only 3 chapters of 7 so far but it's so, so funny and it's another by MargoBlack who is a fantastic writer! I'd recommend checking out any of their other Barson fics too.

All the Good Things by MargoBlack

The next is a plane crash and survival fic with lots of mutual pining and undertones of love. Barson aren't exactly together but it's still very Barson.

Sky Above, Ground Below by iridiumflower

Anything by adrianna_m_scovill is Barson gold in my opinion. Set during the show and is essentially a baby!fic. I love a surprise baby/child in fics and this one is a brilliant one.

Making a Family by adrianna_m_scovill

This one may not be to your liking since it's a crossover with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. It's very fun and slightly angsty Barson fic. But seriously, read pretty much anything by adrianna_m_scovill.

About Time by adrianna_m_scovill

One of the very first fics I ever read of Barson and it was so good and so beautifully well-written. It's a Barson slow-burn and one of the best in my opinion. I would suggest checking the tags and warnings though.

A Hand On Your Face In The Dark by rosehips

Another by rosehips. It's an Established angsty Barson fic but is unfortunately unfinished and will remain so. But it's still very, very much worth the read! Once again, check the tags and warnings.

Reasonable Doubt by rosehips

Long and hilarious Marriage of Convenience fic with kids! Pining galore! I think about this one so often and reread it cause it makes me giggle. Great appearances by Rita Calhoun too if you're a fan.

light becomes what it touches by awkwardspiritanimals

Another by awkwardspiritanimals. Long oneshot about a truth spell that wreaks havoc on Barba and Benson. It's delightful but also a little sad in my opinion. Very, very good read though and I kind of love the characterisations in this one.

and we found our song and we found our truth by awkwardspiritanimals

A very fun AU where Barson meet when they're much, much younger. If you like alternate versions of their story, this is definitely a good fic for you. Lewd_Intentions is a very good writer with some really interesting characterisations with a ton of Barson fics.

Wear the Same Crown by Lewd_Intentions

One of my favourite Barson fics I've ever read! A Witness Protection AU set in the timeline of the show complete with angst, mutual pining, slow burn and sex. Just a great all round read!

Broken Compasses by immen_sity

Another by immen_sity! This one is an angsty slow burn Barson cheating fic with a smidge of Tuckson. I honestly love it though and go back to reread it quite often.

Leave No Trace Behind by immen_sity

Another Barba with a child fic (which is like, probably my favourite situation to see him in apparently!) but this one is full of angst and a slow burn. One of the first Barson fics I read. Not complete but one off of finished, so still definitely worth reading. It does deal with Abuse pretty heavily so definitely check the tags and warnings before reading.

you can run (but only so far) by bcofl0ve

An immediate follow-up to 19x13 The Undiscovered Country where Barba doesn't just disappear into the ether without a word. A really, really lovely story about healing and becoming a family. One of my favourites.

The Rediscovered Country by theoofoof

This one is long but very worth it. An AU where Barson meet during 1.0 time and fall in love. It's really, really good. Very human and a little heartbreaking at times but still worth the read.

Inevitable by scintillatingtart

The last is a sort of funny one set during the 1.0 era where Olivia and Barba are married long before Olivia joins SVU and Stabler is an idiot. Very funny if not exactly in character. Not completely finished but still definitely worth the read.

HIM?! Really? by AnneOwl2803

Would it be incredibly self-serving to rec one of my own fics? I'm going to anyway because even though this one isn't tagged Barson, it is absolutely a Barson fic in my soul! Set post season 23 and just complete angst but deals with the unresolved feelings between Olivia and Rafael, in a fashion.

Too Close To The Sun by me! LittleTayy

EDITED ADDITION:

Apparently the underlying theme here is Barba with a Baby which really shouldn't be a surprise for anyone that knows me. Haha. I apparently enjoy that trope so much I've contributed to it. I'm surprised this list isn't all just Barba with a Baby fics tbh.

This one is another fun one that features baby daddy Barba, jealous Olivia and a history with Rita Calhoun. Not finished but still very worth the read in my opinion!

Gyre by K91

[little-tayy]

Seeing Olivia Benson wholeheartedly believe in Rafael Barba and back him up so vehemently, knowing that now they don’t even speak?

It’s wild. I’m so sad. Like she was really going to bat for her man and now they’re just nothing to each other. It’s been 4 years, they’re never going to be friends again😭😭

[margoblack]

WIP game! Oh please tell me what ‘stupid cupid’ is about??

And @tyl3rthorn

I started trying to write this for valentine's day and didn't make it in time. It's... It's really stupid.

Sorry.

(I corrected nothing!)

Shit.

He was late.  

Massively, catastrophically, apocalyptically fucking late.

His alarm hadn’t gone off. Or maybe it had and he’d slept through three continents’ worth of noise. Either way, he launched out of bed like it was on fire, skipped the shower entirely, raked a hand through his disaster of hair, yanked on his adult diaper, standard issue, high-absorbency, with reinforced wings for high-velocity cloud chases, and thundered down the stairs.

“Start, you piece of shit!” he snarled, slamming his palm on the glowing dashboard of his cloud. The engine finally coughed to life with a sound like a wet fart in a cathedral. He blasted straight through the troposphere, Earth blurring beneath him until Manhattan glittered into view like a middle finger made of skyscrapers.

He considered parking in the handicapped bay, his sciatica was acting up, but decided against it. Four blocks of circling later, he finally wedged the cloud between a food truck and a very angry taxi. Then he sprinted back, realised the elevator was broken, cursed the universe, and started climbing. By the fifth landing he remembered he could fucking fly, so he rocketed up the rest of the way.

He burst onto the rooftop, yanked open his case, and pulled out the sniper rifle just as--

“Uh, excuse me? What the hell are you doing?”

Another chubby curly haired diaper fucker was already at the window.is rifle was set up, scope adjusted, thermos of what smelled like oat-milk latte resting on the ledge.

“I’m the Cupid assigned here. They didn't need to send a replacement. There was just, like, loads of birds in traffuc. I’m here for Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.”

The other one raised an eyebrow. “No. I’m Cupid, assigned to Olivia Benson. And it’s her and Rafael Barba now.”

“Who the fuck is Rafael Barba?” Cupid demanded. “It’s Stabler. I’ve been working on that slow-burn for years.”

The other Cupid gave him a pitying look. “Dude. That ship’s not slow-burn. It’s dead in the water. He left the show-- sorry, life, I call life a show, um, I'm kooky like that, ages ago. Look.”

Cupid stepped up and peered through the spare scope.

Down in the office, Olivia, Elliot, and this new character Rafael stood arguing. Both Elliot and Olivia looked… older. Much older. Like several several several seasons and a revival and a spin off had passed while he was busy drooling on his pillow.

Fuck. How much had hevoverslept.

“Listen. Two.”

“Two?”

“I can’t keep calling you Cupid. It’s confusing.”

“There’s only two of us here. Why would you confuse me for you?”

Cupid stared into the middle distance, as if addressing an invisible audience. “It just is.”

“Fine,” Two muttered. “But you can step down. We’re all about Barba now. Look at that beard.”

Cupi squinted. “Uh… sorry, but have you seen my guy’s ass? You could bounce a quarter off that thing and still get change.”

Two looked. A long, appreciative beat passed.

“Jesus.”

“Right?” Cupid said, proud.

Two shook his head, snapping out of it. “Yes, yes, but we’ve moved on. We’re about understanding now. Calm voices. Unconditional love. Growth. Offering coffee during tge most traumatic moment of someone's life for some reason. That sort of thing.”

Cupid made a gagging noise. “God, that’s boring. We’re about passion. Ripping off breeches. Ride-or-die. Forbidden Catholic defying love. Punching suspects in the face whether they are guilty or not. Shouting. Like super loud. The occasional slur.”

Two winced. “Yeah… we can’t really do that anymore. That’s, you know… not good. Right?”

Stuff stuff stuff 

Cupids fight 

Both Cupids froze. They scrambled to the edge and peered down.

Elliot, Olivia, and Rafael all looked up at the same time, confused, as a single glowing arrow spiralled lazily through the open window and embedded itsel right in the middle of 

[little-tayy]

What is “Slut that man out - Barson oneshot - SVU”? Sounds amazing.

WIP Game

Hahahaha. I knew someone was going to pick this one.

It's basically a smutty sequel oneshot of another Barson (Barba/Benson from SVU) fic that I wrote thirsty for a sip. I plan for them to be a sort of collection of smutty oneshots where Olivia Benson is just horny af for Barba. Haha.

But what she enjoyed more was the way Rafael looked so present and relaxed. The way his shirt was unbuttoned low enough that she could see the sprinkle of hair on his chest and the golden glint of the cross necklace he wore. That had been a surprise and yet not when she’d first seen it.