"There has to be something you can do," Donna expels a breath, her eyes pleading as she looks at the slightly younger man across from her.

"Miss, Paulsen I do apologize for the inconvenience, but as I've already mentioned… all current flights out of Connecticut have been delayed due to the storm. There's nothing I can do."

Donna rakes a hand through her golden locks, heaving out another sigh as she looks at the man- or more like man child- in front of her. She knew it wasn't his fault she missed her earlier flight, and thus, now found herself in a current rut, with no way out of the city on New Year's Eve.

…

Harvey Specter loosened the tie around his neck, glancing down to check his watch before he watched the flight board before him lighting up like a Christmas tree- highlighting all the flights with a red "delayed" sign. Playing with his suit case handle, he let his eyes wander, watching a mired of families and lone business travelers huddled at all corners of the airport- some sleeping, others making the best of a bad situation, and the rest looking as bored and annoyed as he was.

As he started to make his way over to a seating section, his eyes caught sight of fiery red hair- the vibrant waves catching his attention and nearly making him fall flat on his face in the middle of the airport.

"There has to be something you can do."

He couldn't see her face, but the desperation in the mystery woman's voice made his heart ache for reason's unknown. She turned around slightly then, her hand making its way through her loose curls as she looked around with a somber expression, her lower lip caught between her teeth.

Harvey felt his heart racing when the mystery woman turned her head, the gorgeous mystery woman. She was dressed in all black, from boots to coat to scarf- a perfect contrast to her vibrant locks that he couldn't quite get over. The woman held herself high, exuding a confidence that drew him in despite the solemn expression she wore. She pursed her lips, facing the young airport employee again with a genuine smile that made his heart leap, and suddenly, Harvey Specter couldn't move.

…

"It's okay, I- I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault… Larry," Donna gives the younger man a smile, trying her best to render in all of her people skills at the moment, letting go of any residual annoyance and anger she had been feeling for the past half an hour.

Larry gave her a tight lipped smile, "No worries, Miss, I wish there was more I could do, but…"

"Yeah, no, it's fine, I'll just- I'll adjust," Donna exhaled, trying her best to keep a positive appearance for the younger man's sake. With a finally goodbye and a wish for a happy new year, she waved to Larry and set off to find a seat in one of the airport's uncomfortable plastic chairs, not noticing the equally exhausted lawyer following her every move.

…

Harvey shuffles his feet, his eyes trained on the redhead as she walks over to the large seating area in front of the reception desk. The area was surprisingly scarce, most of the airports patrons huddled elsewhere, a large percentage of which were gathered on the floor near the far side of the wall, trying to sleep off their jet lag or boredom.

He hesitates for a moment then, contemplating going over to the mystery woman he hasn't been able to stop looking at- some part of him suddenly feeling like a creep for doing so. But she was beautiful, and there was something else about her he couldn't quite fathom. Harvey watches as she leans back against a chair, her face contorted with something he can only guess to be disappointment riddled with annoyance. Heaving out a breath to brace himself, he makes the executive decision to walk over, knowing full well he was bound to cave- her mere presence pulling him in like a siren.

Trying his best to appear nonchalant and like he hasn't spent the better part of the last ten minutes gawking at her like some poor teen boy, he takes measured steps to her surrounding area, pausing in front of her to look down at his watch, feigning a dramatic sigh as he walks over to sit two seats away from her. He digs through his dark slacks then, pulling out his phone to see he's missed a couple of messages, mostly from Jessica and a few from Louis. He'll check those later. With another sigh, he places his phone back into his pocket before he lets his eyes wander, looking over to his right to notice the redhead fiddling with her nails.

He opens his mouth to speak, a pickup line on the tip of his tongue, but then she looks up at him. Bright hazel eyes bore into his own, her forehead creasing with each second he stayed gaping at her. She tilts her head at him when he still doesn't speak, her bangs falling to the side just slightly, an amused expression on her slightly pale face.

"Are you okay?"

Harvey always prided himself for being good with women- a natural charmer, a playboy, suave and cool and collected. But in comes this mystery woman, hair a shade so bright and vibrant and suddenly he can't form words, his throat clogged up, preventing anything but a soundless noise to escape.

When the redhead in question raises her eyebrows at him, Harvey shakes his head, hoping to also rid his mind of any remnants of nerves. He clears his throat then, giving the woman next to him what he hoped was a friendly smile, and not one that was as creepy as how he was starting to feel.

"I uh, I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

Her lips curl slightly at his words, still amused at this strange man's flustered demeanor. She was used to men hitting on her, giving her lame lines, suggestive looks, and she was even accustomed to some blubbering over her mere presence, but she knew off the bat there was something different about this particular man.

"And why would you say that?" Donna sits up straighter, her legs crossed in front of her, now moving her body to face him more.

Harvey shrugs, willing his gaze not to falter under her own intense one, "You just looked… sad."

Her features soften for a fraction of a second, and he briefly wonders if he did in fact see her smile fading when she recovers just as quickly. Her eyes narrow at him, a playful tilt to her voice when she speaks, "What? You gathered that from the ten minutes you've been staring at me?"

"What? No! I wasn't- okay, maybe I was," he finishes lamely, no shame in admitting he broke under her sole gaze.

Donna lets out a laugh, the sound alone making his heart flutter, and he wonders what the hell it was about this woman that was rendering him to a full blown mess. "God, you really thought I hadn't noticed?"

"How the hell could you possibly know that?" He couldn't help the way his lips curled, despite being so taken aback by this woman.

She shrugs in turn, her lips quirking with a coy smile, "I'm Donna, I know."

"Donna, huh?" He lets her name roll off his tongue with ease, his voice dripping with honey as he does so. It was fitting he thought, Donna. It suit her.

Donna raises her eyebrows expectedly, "This is the part where you tell me yours."

"It's Harvey," he smirks, "Harvey Specter."

Donna grins, extending out a manicured hand to him, "Well, Harvey Specter, it's nice to meet you."

He shakes her hand without a second's hesitation, his thumb automatically rubbing small circles on her smaller softer hand. He thinks he can hear her saying his name for the rest of her life.

"So," Donna starts when their hands part, "You often spend your time gawking at women at the airport?"

Harvey shakes his head, "Only the ones worth catching my attention."

"Smooth."

"Thank you," Harvey matches her grin for a second, looking away the next as he feels himself growing hotter at the way she looked at him, "Uh, actually, while I was- err-"

"Gawking at me?"

Harvey tilts his head at her, watching her pink tongue peeking out of her teeth in a cheeky grin, "I'll admit, you caught my eye."

"As I should have," she flips her hair then, sending him a knowing look.

"You're not like most women, are you?" His voice is all awe and amusement as he stares at her, transfixed on the way her gaze never falters from his own.

"I'm really not. But, come on, Casanova, what was it that you were going to tell me?" She extends her long leg, playfully bumping her boot clad foot with his own.

Harvey chuckles, shaking his head at her antics, "I uh, I just noticed that you looked- upset."

Her smile fades slightly, looking away for a moment before meeting his eyes again, "Yeah, well, I'm guessing you weren't too keen on having your flight delayed either."

There was a slight edge to her voice, just over the borderline of teasing and his heart starts to ache for her, knowing there was a reason that extended beyond her delayed flight that made her look so sad, "I wasn't," he agrees softly. He didn't want to prod too much, not feeling comfortable in interrogating this woman he just met, especially now noticing how uncomfortable she seemed. But still, for reasons he wasn't sure of, he couldn't get that gnawing feeling out of him, and he had to know.

"Did you have any special plans for tonight? Had someone to kiss at midnight?" He tries to go for a teasing question, and he briefly wonders if it was mistake due to the way her eyes cloud over ever so slightly at his words.

She plays it off quickly, however, giving him a roll of the eyes and a scoff, "Not exactly," she mutters.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's fine," she gives him a reassuring smile, noting the way his face was riddled with a sudden shade of guilt, "I uh, I had a play tonight."

"To watch?"

"To act."

Harvey's eyebrows shoot up, he wasn't expecting that, "You're an actress?"

He doesn't miss the way her eyes light up, her cheeks growing a slight pink shade as joy bubbles through her, "I am, and a damn good one at that."

"I'm sure you are," his voice is filled with awe, impressed at the confidence she exuded, and while he's clearly never seen her act, the way her face lit up and her voice grew steady, he couldn't help but believe her.

"Yeah," her voice dropped an octave lower, her eyes drifting off into the distance in thought, "but, uh, tonight was my closing performance, and I'm not sure when my next one will be."

Harvey frowns, watching the woman that's thus far carried herself with nothing but confidence letting out a sigh of defeat. "Why would you say that?"

Donna snorts, "I'm an actress, Harvey, it's not exactly the easiest 'career' to come by. Yes, I love it, but," she shrugs, "I also don't want to spend my life wandering from gig to gig, waiting for the next big thing."

"I'm sure you'll get it- your big break."

She smiles at the optimism in his voice, and as much as she knows how good she is, she hasn't felt that confident about actually landing the role of a lifetime in years, "Yeah, well… we'll see."

"What were you doing in Connecticut, anyway? If your play is tonight?" Harvey wonders then, genuine curiosity filling him.

"I came to visit my parents for a bit, I wasn't able to go see them during Christmas, and I also didn't want to drive in this weather so… here we are," she gives him a short humorless laugh, watching him give her a pitiful smile. "How about you? Business or pleasure?"

"Business," he smirks at her, frowning the next second when she only nods, "What? You're not going to ask me what I do?" He feigns hurt, and she chuckles in response.

"I already know what you do. You're a lawyer," she shrugs nonchalantly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How can you possibly-"

"Since you sat down, you've only checked your phone once, which tells me you're definitely not a sales guy, second, you're still wearing your suit, and there's only one type of person that would do that, plus, you've got that lawyer hair."

"Lawyer hair?"

Donna nods, grinning in amusement at his perplexed expression, "Semi sleeked back and to the side, not one strand out of place… lawyer hair."

Harvey shakes his head, "You really are something, aren't you?"

"Haven't you realized that by now?" She raises her eyebrows at him, a slight flirtatious tone to her voice.

"Oh believe me, I have." They stare at each other for a good long moment, twin sly grins on their faces, eyes studying each other in the middle of a sea of patrons. Suddenly, a loud squeal breaks free from the room, and their gazes shift to the corner, watching a young woman, no older than thirty, jumping up and down, a man about the same age kneeling with a ring.

Donna rolls her eyes, "God, I hate this holiday."

Harvey swivels his head back to her, surprise written all over his face, "You do?"

"You don't?"

Harvey purses his lips, still taken aback by her uncanny way of reading him, "Well, yeah, but I just didn't expect you to."

Donna give him a wry smile, "Just because I had plans to be in a play today, doesn't mean I enjoy the actual holiday."

Harvey nods, still somewhat confused as to why she would dislike it so much, but he agrees nonetheless, "It is a little-"

"Overrated?"

He chuckles, "Yeah, for starters. Then there's the whole pressure of who you're going to kiss at midnight…"

Donna snorts, "As if you would have a problem in that department."

Harvey frowns, "Not normally, no," he starts tentatively, shifting in his seat, "but it's not like I've been in love with every woman I've ever kissed on this day."

"Really? Not one lawyer-loving blonde that would want to ring in the new year with… a bang?"

"Funny."

Donna smirks, "I thought so."

Harvey shakes his head, a boyish grin on his face, "To answer your question… not exactly. They've always been-" he gestures with his hands, trying to form words, "enthusiastic, but, nothing special."

"Still looking for that special someone?" She teases.

"Aren't we all?"

Donna raises her eyebrows, a snort falling from her lips as she looks away for a moment, "Yeah, I thought I had found mine, but then…"

Harvey patiently waits for her answer, not wanting to push her if she didn't want to share. Finally, she heaves out a sigh and gives him a weak smile, "He realized he liked sleeping with his neighbor more."

"Shit."

"Yup," Donna nods, popping the 'p' for emphasis.

Harvey felt his fists clenching then, a wave of protectiveness washing over him unexpectedly. He suddenly felt the need to learn this guy's name and address, go over and clock him one for hurting the woman that sat across from him.

"I'm- shit, Donna, I'm so sorry."

Donna shrugs, trying to wane out a reassuring smile, "It- is what it is. I'm better off without the asshole."

"You sure as hell are," Harvey agrees with a firm nod. Silence fills them then, and Harvey can't control the next string of words that falls from his lips, "My mom cheated on my dad when I was younger." He has no idea why he tells her, he's never told anyone. Outside of his one previous serious college girlfriend, he's never gotten to a point in a relationship where he felt the need to share that particular- memory from his life. But Donna… she still hadn't even told him her last name, and he already knew he was ruined.

"I- oh, God, I'm-"

Harvey nods, "It's okay, I mean, it's not, but, it happened a long time ago."

"Did uh, did you ever-?" Her voice trails off, but his head shakes before she could finish her sentence, knowing what she was going to ask.

"I haven't talked to her in years."

Donna nods, an apology on the tip of her tongue, but she doesn't let the words fall out, knowing it would do nothing to dilute the pain she saw in his eyes. "Why did you tell me?" She inquires after a beat.

Harvey furrows his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's not exactly shop talk, or something you tell a stranger, someone you just met in the middle of an airport."

"We're not strangers, not anymore," he gives her a small smile.

Donna rolls her eyes, "You don't even know my last night."

"Because you never told me," he shoots back playfully.

"Harvey," she sends him a look and he swallows in response, intimidated and amazed all at once by her uncanny ability to make him break with just one stare.

He sighs, raking a hand through the short strands of his hair, "You just- you shared something with me, something- big, and, I shared something too."

She smiles at his nonchalant shrug, as if his admission was no big deal, "Well, thank you for sharing that," she whispers.

He only mirrors her smile then, words failing him as she continued to look at him with the softest of expressions. Moments later, he clears his throat, "And- I'm sorry you had to miss your play tonight."

Donna sighs, "It's- fine. I guess fate had other plans for me tonight."

He tenses at the low timbre in her voice, now completely sure she was flirting with him. "Oh yeah? You think fate brought us together tonight?"

She tilts her head at him then, almost as if she were contemplating his question, "I'm not sure… I'll let you know after you buy me dinner."

His eyes shoot up at her bluntness, his cheeks stretching into a grin, "You don't waste any time, do you?"

"My time is too precious to waste," she exclaims in a breathy voice, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Well okay, how about we don't waste our time right now and I'll buy you some dinner over there?" He points behind him, and she follows his gaze where she saw a small restaurant at the far end of the long hall.

"Romantic," she quips, standing up to take hold of her suitcase. He follows her moments then, standing up to full height in front of her for the first time that night, and he grips the handles of his own suitcase so as not to fall over. Get it together, man.

"Hey, it's either that or that little taco kiosk over there," Harvey shoots back when he regains control.

Donna chuckles, "Oh, you'd be lucky to have me either way."

Harvey shakes his head, that shit-eating grin still on his face as they begin their walk over to the restaurant. They fall into a comfortable silence, sneaking glances every couple of steps like a pair of high school lovers, and he tries to tamper down that ever-growing flutter in his stomach.

Suddenly, she stops, and he looks up in surprise, noting they were half way to the restaurant.

"By the way, it's Paulsen. Donna Paulsen," she tells him her full name with a dramatic flare, in a voice too reminiscent of that of James' Bond signature introduction. With a final quirk of her lips, her eyes all-too knowing and mischievous, she sets off in front of him, giving her hip an extra sway.

Harvey gulps, watching her form sauntering off, and it only takes him a second before he's hauling after her- words caught in his throat, and heart beating against his chest.

Yeah, he might be a little in love.

…

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I wish I wasn't," Harvey chuckles. He takes a drink of his wine, eyes transfixed on the way she doubles back with laughter.

"God," Donna exhales, trying to take control of her breathing, "Louis sounds-"

"You can't think of a word, can you?" Harvey teases.

"I don't think it exists yet," Donna laughs, taking a sip from her own white wine.

Harvey expels another chuckle, shaking his head, "I think you'd like him, though."

Donna narrows her eyes at him, "I'm not sure if I should be offended by that."

"He's a big Shakespeare fan, loves quoting plays, all that stuff."

"All that stuff?" Donna playfully mimics, her eyebrows raised.

"I'm just saying, you two would hit it off talking about theatre," he shrugs.

"What? You trying to set me up with him now?"

Donna lets out a full laugh when she watches him choking on his drink, "God no," he takes a moment to dab a napkin on himself, catching the few droplets that had fallen on his lap, "Geez, woman, are you trying to kill me?"

"I'm not trying anything, you seem to be doing fine on your own," she quips, taking another sip of wine.

Harvey shakes his head, "He's not exactly your type."

"And you know my type?" She challenges him.

"Tall, for starters," Harvey smirks, "Handsome, charming, not obsessed with cats, Harvard graduate, lawyer…"

"I thought Louis was also a Harvard Law graduate?" She retorts with a quirk of an eyebrow, her lips curled in a teasing manner.

Harvey purses his lips, "Not who I meant."

They share matching smiles then, their gazes only on each other in the slightly dimly lit restaurant. They had been talking non-stop for almost an hour now, getting to know each other, sharing amusing anecdotes and childhood memories. They were pleased to find out that they were both from New York, and only lived a couple of blocks from one another, the fact amusing them, causing Harvey in particular to joke that "maybe it was, indeed, fate."

Donna lets out a small chuckle after a moment, her gaze breaking from his to play with the napkin in front of her, their now empty plates long since pushed to the side.

"What?" Harvey muses.

"Nothing, I just… it's been a while since I laughed this much, and… I almost started to forget about the crappy day I was having."

Harvey gives her a warm smile, "Do you know what you're going to do when you get back to the city? Are you going to try and audition for another play, I mean?"

Donna sighs, unfolding the napkin in her hand, "I'm not sure. Probably, but… I have to start thinking about what else I could do."

His heart nearly cracks at the sad smile she gives him, and he wishes he could do something to bring back that light in her eyes. Suddenly, his face perks up, an idea forming in his mind.

"Wait… what if I told you you were guaranteed a job by the time you got back to the city?"

Donna tilts her head, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, "What are you getting at, Specter?"

"What if… you come work for me?"

Donna gapes at him, "I- am not a lawyer," she reminds him with a dubious laugh.

Harvey shakes his head, "No, I know, but you wouldn't need to be a lawyer for this."

"What, like your secretary?" Donna snorts.

"Exactly, like my secretary."

"You- you can't be serious."

Harvey shrugs, "Why not?"

"Because I- I'm an actress, and we literally just met not two hours ago, and now you want me to go work for you?" Donna shakes her head, becoming dizzier by the second. She was willing to admit, the idea was tempting, but she just met the man. Granted, she really liked him already, could already tell he was someone she'd be willing to fall for, but- work for him?

"You need a job, and I have an opening, what's the big deal?"

Donna lets her mouth hang open, trying to formulate the words to explain to him just how insane the idea was. "Don't you need to run this by your boss first? You know, before you select a random woman to come and play your secretary?"

Harvey waves his hand off, "Jessica's been nagging at me to get some help for some time, and I did have a secretary for a while, but she…" Harvey nearly shuddered, "she wasn't you."

Donna wills the fluttering in her stomach to ease, watching his eyes soften in a genuine and serious expression, "But, I'm not-"

"I know you're not a lawyer," Harvey interrupts, "but Donna," he places his hands on top of the table, inching his way until he takes a hold of her own, "You're like no one I've ever met," he pauses to gauge her reaction, watching her eyes studying his, "Yeah, you're an actress, but you're not just an actress, you're- Donna," she bites her lip at the way he says her name, like it was an answer to his prayers.

"I still don't-"

"In the last hour, I've learned more about you than I ever have about- well, anyone ever because frankly, I don't give a shit about most people, but you're different. You're smart as hell, and I actually like you."

Donna pauses for a moment, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she contemplates his offer. After a moment, she lets out a sigh, "I have a rule…"

Harvey furrows his brow, "A rule?"

Donna nods, "Yeah, I uh, I don't get involved with men I work with."

"Oh."

She gives him a sad smile as realization dawns on him, "Yeah."

"You don't think I'm worth breaking that rule for?" He asks boldly after a beat, his thumb now caressing her hand.

Donna chuckles, "You're persistent, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm," he shrugs.

She lets out a sigh again, "Harvey…"

"Please, Donna," he holds onto her hand tighter, "I don't- I don't want to force anything on you, and ultimately it's your decision, of course, but," he sighs, "I don't want to lose you."

"I don't usually mix business with pleasure, Harvey," she murmurs.

"We'll keep things professional at work," he promises, leaning forward an inch closer, "And when we're not at work…"

Her lips curl upward, a laugh escaping her when he wiggles his eyebrows playfully at her, "You're ridiculous."

"I'm a desperate man."

"Desperate, huh?"

Harvey nods, "I need you."

Donna snorts, "Need?"

"Need."

She studies him for a moment, chocolate brown eyes glued to hers, his hand holding onto hers with a visceral grip. It was crazy, she thought, already knowing what her answer was going to be. Never in her wildest day dreams did she ever think she would accept a job offer in the middle of an airport with a man she just met and liked.

Finally she shakes her head, "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

Harvey's eyes light up, "So, you'll do it?"

"So help me, God, but," she heaves out a sigh, "Yeah, I'll go work for you."

"And…?" Harvey insists, waiting for her answer on baited breath.

"And what?" She teases him.

"Donna," he chides with a low tone in his voice.

"Harvey," she retorts.

"What about- your rule?" He swallows back, nerves starting to eat at him.

Her lips quirk up at the way he waits for her answer, eyes bright and hopeful, yet filled with an ounce of fear and worry. She still hasn't been able to figure out what the hell it was about this man that made her insides melt and her hair stand on end, but damn if she wasn't already ruined by him.

"I guess… you may just be worth breaking my rule for," she shrugs, sliding her hand out of his, but not without giving him one last squeeze. She reaches for her wine glass then, smirking when he gives her a Cheshire Cat grin. She raises her glass to him, watching as he follows suit.

"To- new beginnings."

Harvey clinks his glass with hers, "To new beginnings," he echoes softly.

Their eyes stayed rooted to one another as they take a sip of their drinks, eyes crinkling with light mirth as they do so. A comfortable silence fills them then, and if his eyes hadn't been trained on hers, he would've missed the way her lips turn slightly downward.

"Hey, you okay? You still seem a little… off," Harvey notes softly after a beat.

She gives him a reassuring smile, "Yeah, just," she sighs, glancing to the clock on the wall, reading nine fifteen, "I would've been performing right now."

Harvey gives her a solemn nod in understanding, "I'm sorry."

Donna waves him off, "I'll get over it, maybe I'll perform Hamlet some other time."

Harvey lets his mind wander for a moment, watching the beautiful redhead before him trying her best to render in as much positivity as possible. After a moment, he perks up, "Hey, what if you performed it for me?"

Donna chuckles, "What?"

He nods, now more enthusiastically, "Yeah, just to help you get it out of your system. You obviously only have to do your parts, but, we can go somewhere kind of secluded and you can show off your best acting skills."

"You're- serious?" She gapes at him, watching in disbelief as she tries to gauge a joke on his face, but comes up empty.

"Why not?" He shrugs, "I'd love to see the talented Donna Paulsen in all her acting glory," he grins.

"I didn't know you were a Shakespeare fan."

Harvey smirks, "I'm not, but I've already realized I am a Donna fan."

She shakes her head at him, the idea sounding no less crazy then when he had asked her to come work for him as his secretary moments before, "Okay… one woman show, coming right up… after dessert."

Harvey grins, watching as she waves over the waiter, his eyes still trained on hers as she settles on a sugary treat. He merely nods when she asks him if her choice was okay, apparently they're going to share. And as they continue talking, the next hours ticking by without either noticing, he starts believing in the notion of love at first sight.

…

It's well after eleven by the time they managed to leave the restaurant, trying to pack in decades worth of stories and memories, throwing in a few flirtatious quips and touches in between. They quickly found a semi-secluded corner, a miracle feat in the middle of a nearly packed airport. Harvey had watched, bemused and amazed as she quickly got into character, reciting line by line without flaw, her emotions and facial expressions in check. He was mostly impressed by the way she never faltered, not when a few patrons walking by or sitting in the surrounded area looked at them with perplexed expressions. Donna didn't let on to their presence, bringing out her inner Ophelia and giving her best performance, exaggerating when need be, and reeling in her emotions the next. By the time she finished, tears welling in her eyes, still deep in character until the moment she whispered a proud "scene", Harvey was gaping at her, eyes wide and bright, completely entranced and captivated by her every move.

When she gave him a dramatic curtsy, he brought his hands together for a clap, his head shaking at her in awe. "Amazing," he exclaimed proudly.

Donna gives another bow, chuckling at his dumbstruck look, "Flattery might, just get you everywhere, my friend."

"I'm serious, that was- incredible. You are incredible," he awes.

She feels a warmth filling her cheeks then, and she ducks her head in an uncharacteristic manner, "You really think so?"

Harvey nods, "I mean I know you told me you were good, but… and listen, I'm not just saying this to be polite or whatever kind of crap, because I normally don't give a rat's ass for Shakespeare, but… you really are amazing."

Donna mentally curses herself, realizing that her cheeks were probably now stained with a crimson shade. She never got this affected by anyone, and she had a witty retort on the tip of her tongue, watching in half amusement as he still looked at her with an admiration she doesn't think she's ever seen on anyone, but she somehow couldn't let the words out.

"Thank you," she tells him instead, voice foreignly shy.

"Would it be cheesy if I said that that theater's loss was my gain tonight?"

The joy bubbling up in her chest leaks out, her chest shaking with amusement, "Yeah, it would be. But that's also sweet."

Harvey shrugs, "I am a pretty sweet guy."

Donna shakes her head, "Ooh, and modest."

They share another laugh, their gazes locked on one another. In the distance, they hear a crowd counting down, huddled near a television in the corner of the room where they were displaying the ball drop.

Donna looks down at her watch then, "Oh, shit, I guess it's almost midnight," she chuckles.

They watch on as the crowd continues their countdown, Harvey peeking a glance at the redhead near him, his hands itching to reach out to her. Before he knows it, the countdown reaches its peak and what seems like the entire airport erupts into cheers, people hugging and kissing each other following.

He turns to his companion then, giving her a small grin as she turns to meet his gaze too. "Happy New Year, Donna."

Without a word, the redhead in question is stepping into him, smirking when she notices his eyes comically widen.

"Donna, what-" Her peach tinted lips are on his in a flash, her arms winding around him on reflex. It takes him a moment to register what's happening, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise and calming in a second when he feels her arms around him. He follows suit a moment later, setting his hands tentatively on her waist, and he moves his lips against hers like they've been doing it for years. Before he can lean further into her, she's pulling back. He nearly groans at the way her lips appear slightly swollen, hazel eyes dilated and being this close to her now, he can count the freckles on her skin.

"That's the only good part about this holiday," she murmurs against him, wiping the light shade of lipstick from his lips with her thumb, smirking when he continues to gaze at her with an awestruck expression.

He clears his throat after a moment, their arms still around each other, "I'll second that."

She gives him a vibrant giggle, showing off her full set of teeth before she's pulling herself up again, kissing his parted lips, "Happy New Year, Harvey."

…

"Donna," Harvey whispers, burying his head deeper into the crook of her neck. "Donna, babe, wake up."

"Go away," she groans in return, bringing her hand behind her in a weak attempt to swat him away.

Harvey chuckles, nuzzling deeper into her side, leaving a trail of kisses from her cheek to her neck and up again, "Come on, it's time to wake up."

Instead of abiding by him, she grabs her pillow and lifts it up until she's buried under the soft plush, "Do you have a death wish, Specter?"

Harvey shakes his head, having already anticipated this response, "Donna," he gently nudges her, using his fingers to make teasing trails from her bare waist to her back, blindly tracing every cress and freckle he knew painted her skin.

"What time is it?" She demands next, her voice muffled by the pillow covering her, strands of copper hair sneaking out.

Harvey holds his breath, "It's… a quarter to seven."

The pillow lifts from her head then, her hand flinging the object over the bed, "What in God's name are you doing up this early? And waking me up with you?" She presses with a firm poke against his bare chest with every word.

If it weren't for the daggers her tired eyes were shooting at him, he would've laughed at how adorable she looked, "It's New Years day," he explains simply.

Donna purses her lips, "Yeah, that explains the sledgehammer in my head. And why are you not as hungover as me?"

"I didn't drink as much as you did," Harvey smirks, knowing he was toeing the line with her when she narrows her eyes at him.

"Harvey,"

"It's our anniversary," he explains softly, his hand resuming a light caress on her skin.

Donna chuckles, "I thought that was yesterday," she shakes her head, leaning up to press a kiss to his stubbly cheek.

"Since we met yeah, but our first kiss was at midnight, so technically…" he emphasizes with a bold hand inching down to her abdomen, leaving his warm palm over the flat area.

"Then technically, it was still last night, mister. Now, let me go back to sleep," she rolls over again curling into herself as she closes her eyes.

"Donna," he growls against her, his chest flush against her back.

"What?" She inquires, her eyes still closed and forcing herself not to smile at the pout she can hear in his voice.

"We have to celebrate."

"I thought we already did, twice, last night, mind you," her lips curl at the memory, then, remembering how they had left the Pearson Hardman New Years Eve party early, half drunk on Champagne and each other. They had stumbled into a cab, hands all over each other, making out like a pair of teenagers in the backseat until they had reached his condo, where he had proceeded to have his way with her on the couch, both too lazy and aroused to make it to the bedroom for their first round.

"Oh, I remember," Harvey notes, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck, letting his tongue sneak out, grinning against her skin when she mewls under his ministrations.

"So, you're point?" She breathes out, cursing herself for how affected she already sounded.

"My point," Harvey murmurs, suckling on the tender skin of her exposed neck, "is that we got a little too carried away last night, and as fun as it was making love to my… fiancée," he breathes out the word into her ear, grinning when she shivers at the word alone, still not used to the term even after a mere week since his proposal on Christmas, "I really want to properly celebrate our anniversary- sober."

Donna turns around in his arms then, a coy grin on her lips, "You're pretty persistent, you know that?" She echoes the words she had told him a year before.

Harvey grins, "So, I've been told."

Donna rolls her eyes, wrapping her legs around his waist and flipping him until she was straddled over his form. She smirks at his wide eyes, the expression mirroring that from when she had kissed him at midnight twelve months before, "It's a good thing I love you, Specter."

His cheeks widen when she lets out a dramatic sigh, gently bringing her down for a kiss, their teeth clashing in the process, "Right back at you, Paulsen."

…

kismet:

kis·met/ˈkizmit,-ˌmet/

noun, destiny; fate.