Notes: Just a Future-Fic one shot to wet the Post 6.12 tastebuds!

Red

By Atheniandream

Her hand has been twitching sporadically in his for what feels like the entire drive over.

Hours worth of fidgeting enough to tell him that something was up.

That this was a bigger deal than she had let on,

That it had actually rattled her when he'd first suggested it.

And,

Now that they are at the door in question,

Clearly it still does.

"You don't have to be...you know." He offers softly.

"Be what?" She replies, looking to him with that deer in headlights look that passes across her face with the practised ease of a woman with her rare talents.

His smile wears in at that. He used to be so fooled and confused by her tactics before now, taking her attempts at hiding her feelings with every intention she laid down for him. He's learnt to read her more accurately, now. More so lately, the more she seems to stick willingly to his side...

Just

The

Way

He

Likes it.

"Nervous?" He points out, his face bending with warmth at her obvious play.

"I'm not….nervous." She counters, straightening against him with the gussy about her.

"They're going to love you," He assures her. "Just like everybody else."

They've exchanged their feelings of late. And in turn he feels a stilling breath each time he recites the words to her. To himself. To those around them. At first she'd all but laughed in his face at the repetition, until he'd given her the kind of look that had explained the deep seated reasoning behind his pertinent urge. How it was a...rite of passage, of sorts.

A month in and they're finally adjusting to this intangible concept that has existed strong and silently between them for well over a decade.

"Don't even think about saying it, again, outside your Mother's house," She warns, the frisson of the unknown etching at her gut as she gives him her game face. "Just...don't." She all but points in his direction.

"Why not?" His face dents, his brow furrowing as he leans into her, a list of objections distracting him.

"Because...I'm nervous," She finally admits, giving him a look that not only disarms him, but also betrays the real her that he's come to know in these past few bliss filled months.

He smirks at her admission, squeezing her hand, before looking to towards the oak framed door in front of them.

He wonders if they're going to notice the two of them, stood out on the front porch like a bunch of girl scouts at the neighbourhood boogieman's house...too afraid to enter and yet not bold enough to run.

"It's my Mother, Donna. Not the Spanish inquisition." He reminds not only himself, but her also, swallowing thickly as the moment settles in his bones.

"Then why do you also seem a little...nervous?" She offers, the accusation presenting itself with one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

He gives her a look that matches, before the truth of his words leave his face. "Because in my entire life, she's never once met a girlfriend of mine. And now…" He pauses, sighing as he once again regards the door in front of them.

He realises he's said too much, even in the silent space between words, when her face takes on a flicker of interest that borders on amusement. One that could possibly lead to her having too much leverage over him in the future.

Leverage means dinners with her Father and going to plays and all the other things that don't involve her naked in his bed...

"'Now' what?" She offers, the slightest push of devilish intent masked by a coy angelic expression.

The old him would have run for the hills at her pushing for him to finish his words.

But she's not fooling anyone now. No matter how much he loves her...

So, he goes for the play. No defence. All attack and clarity in his words, like a true sportsman.

He looks her in the eye, readying himself like a brave young fighter taking on a gauntlet.

"Now, it actually matters." He tells her, watching as she swallows the words.

"What she thinks of us, you mean?" She frowns in question, looking for her own moment towards the momentous seeming door, that towers like another mile stone in their relationship..

"No." He fires the answer, before his thoughts catch up. "I mean...maybe...I...guess…" He backtracks, her suggestion turning over in his brain. "I just...want to get it over with, that's all." He shrugs irritably, moving to take a step forward and towards the door with her in tow. "Come on."

When he feels the resistance of her weight pulling him backwards, he knows he's screwed up some...

"Oh. Good." She huffs. "Don't let me meeting your family get in the way of your busy day," She remarks heavily, her hand sliding from his for a moment as her arms fold across herself, promoting a frown to form with automatic fixture on his face.

"Donna," He protests under his breath, his head tilting at her sudden mood.

They've changed a lot lately. She's no longer the constant hammer to his stubborn nail, and he's not always the one that needs to be read the riot act. Their friendship at work now bleeds into their relationship outside of that, now far exceeding that of two people merely just 'dating'. Now, they are multi layers of two people solid in the knowledge of knowing one another implicitly.

And with that, sometimes, he has to placate her. Temper her in those rarely occurring moments.

He takes her right hand out from under her left one, encouraging it back again his side as his warm fingers slides against her dainty ones, waiting for her gaze to follow.

"Donna," He starts. "You're the most important person in the world to me. You're my family. And they're…my family. And for the first time in my life, I just want us all to be..."

"The Osmonds?" She offers.

He chuckles at her trying to reroute his sentiment, before tugging on her hand in a way that makes her curves bend into his side with a naturalness. Before long the warmth that he radiates has her eyes unfocusing, as he moves his face closer to hers.

"Harvey," She breathes, her hazel eyes growing darker as they mirror flecks of the colours of his own. "We're on your Mother's porch," She reminds him under her breath, her eyes wide and fluttering slightly at his face so close to hers.

He hums in a half agreement but ignores her reservation, a smile pulling at his eager lips as he nearly closes the distance.

"Relax. We haven't rung the bell yet," He assures her with a liquid depth about his voice, as his face tilting and his bottom lip grazing against her top one before his tongue sweeps against hers.

He knows it was the wrong move to play, as a need stirs up in his groin and he lets go of her hand only to let his index finger curl around a piece of her auburn hair that rests gently against her face. He smiles into her lips as he feels her suppress a welcome hum of a moan at his smooth assault.

"Harvey," She manages to mumble, moments in, the weak protest of reason forcing itself out between his kisses as he does his best to ignore her over his rather vibrant whim as the edge of danger in their surroundings glares with a prominence.

"Harvey?" He hears, a throat clearing soon after.

He freezes, the only recently familiar tone lashing at his senses like a bucket of cold water as he feels Donna pull away immediately. His eyes snap open in a flash, dread forming all around him.

He takes a moment, the view of Donna's neck his only solace as she straightens with unease towards the humour-laden voice of the person observing them in rather embarrassing detail..

Now,

He has two choices.

Both include him being… rather bold for a first meeting, and nothing at all like he had planned in his head.

He draws a breath, retakes Donna's hand, and meets his literal maker in the eye...

"Hey Mom….this is Donna." He states, bypassing her amused form to notice his Brother, briefly chuckling at the sight of his predicament, no less than a foot behind her. "My….Better half." He sighs, before he squeezes Donna's hand, his eyes planting on hers before regarding his Mother and ignoring his asshole of a Brother.

"I can...see that." His Mother replies evenly, a smirk bending her own lips at the corners.

He feels the pit of his stomach finally drop at the realisation, as his Brother gives him a look, and he regards the beautiful woman beside him,

He's never ever going to live this down.

A middle aged man,

Making out on his Mother's porch,

with the Woman - literally - of his dreams,

And her, the 'Donna' in question,

A mixture of vibrant reds

From head

To toe.

Hope you like! As always feed the kitty! A xox