Hi guys. I am back again after months of being away from writing. I am sorry for this chapter taking as long as it did, but I needed the time to myself. I'm extremely proud of myself for getting this done and coming back to it. I hope it's worth the wait. With that being said, enjoy!
A morning person was the last thing he would consider himself. But for the first time in his life, Harvey Specter was excited to wake up. He wasn't dreading making his coffee or getting ready for work because he knew that when he woke up that morning, she would be lying next to him. Even better, he realized she was wrapped tightly in his arms when his eyes carefully opened.
His senses were overwhelmed by her lavender scent and the warmth of her skin on his. He didn't think it was possible for her to get any more beautiful, yet there she laid, skin glowing and hair glistening from the sunlight peeking through her curtains. Van Gogh couldn't paint a more beautiful picture than the one before him that morning.
It was strange to him how right it all felt, waking up next to her. For years they pretended that where they were in that moment wasn't where they were meant to be, but how wrong they clearly were. They were both finally where they were supposed to be… together.
He was careful not to make any sudden movements that might disrupt her slumber, but of course she was Donna and even in her sleep she sensed that he was awake.
She let out a quiet yawn as she opened her eyes. When she noticed his arms around her, she pulled him even closer. "I never want to leave this spot," she mumbled, nuzzling her face in his arm.
Hearing her words reassured him of everything. "I definitely would not complain," he whispered as he placed a kiss on her head. "How did you sleep?"
Donna turned over in his arms to face him. "Much better with you here." Her hands found their place on his cheeks as she pulled him in for an overdue kiss. His taste consumed her, never wanting her lips to leave his again. She could get lost in his embrace, his fingers intertwined with her hair, but she couldn't. Reluctantly, she drifted away from him, letting her forehead rest on his.
He could sense her disappointment with their situation. They both wanted this for such a long time and now they could finally have it. Except they couldn't have it all. He craved every inch of her, but he knew she needed time to heal. "How about you stay here while I go make us some breakfast? We can eat in bed and watch a movie."
"I say that sounds like a great idea as long as the movie is Mamma Mia!"
Harvey grunted hearing the title, causing Donna's mouth to fall open in shock. "You did not just whine over Meryl Streep. I don't think we can do this anymore," she joked.
"It's not her, but Pierce Brosnan singing will give me a headache for the rest of the day."
"Well, I'll get you some aspirin then," she announced, placing a kiss on his lips.
At that moment, he thought of other things that would make him feel better, aspirin not being one of them. He wasn't sure why it was suddenly so hard for him to not want her. For years he was able to control himself around her, but suddenly she was his kryptonite.
"Fine. I'll go start making the pancakes," he mumbled, quickly hurrying out of bed to avoid getting lost in her embrace.
Turning over in bed, Donna mindlessly yelled out, "Don't forget the strawberries!"
Donna and strawberries… he was doomed.
Luckily, he still remembered where she kept everything in her kitchen. He was almost done making the mixture, except he realized the sugar wasn't where it used to be. To avoid bothering her, he searched throughout the kitchen for it, opening and closing cabinets left and right.
"Looking for something?" she questioned.
As he looked up from the bottom cabinet, he couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked. She donned his white dress shirt and nothing else. Harvey swallowed heavily, trying to suppress the feeling that was emerging. "Sugar," he whispered as he stood up.
Shaking her head, she walked over and slid directly in front of him, her backside grazing him. As she reached up towards the cabinet, the shirt rose up with her, revealing her red lace that drove him mad. His eyes became glued to her. All the feelings he had been trying to suppress came crashing down on him all at once.
Once she retrieved the sugar, she immediately felt his excitement with him standing only inches behind her. She bit her lip on instinct, now starting to feel everything he was. Her breath hitched as she could feel his warmth behind her. Their want for each other consumed the apartment, making it harder to breathe.
Trying to come back to reality, she quickly turned around and passed him the sugar. "See? It was right in front of your face this whole time," she breathlessly joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Now standing face to face with him, her eyes locked with his. They didn't need words to communicate what they wanted, but they also both knew they couldn't.
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Harvey explained, breaking the silence without moving from his spot.
"Right," she mumbled, her finger brushing against his stomach. "I should go." Within seconds, she turned on her heels and headed straight for the bedroom.
As if nothing had just happened, Harvey continued making the pancakes. Placing the last pancake on the plate, his phone began to ring. When he looked at the screen, he noticed the text from Mike.
MIKE: Need you back at the office. ASAP.
HARVEY: I can't. I'm at Donna's.
MIKE: I'll tell Rachel to go over. I need your help.
HARVEY: Alright.
Frustration set in as he realized he wouldn't be able to have his day with Donna. Maybe it would be good for him to get some air, though. He swiftly grabbed the tray and headed back to the bedroom.
Donna noticed his face and instantly knew something was wrong. "You have to go back into work, don't you?"
"Have I ever told you that I love it when you do that?" he asked, placing the tray down in front of her. "Mike needs help with something otherwise I would stay here with you. But I will come right back."
She sighed, looking down at the tray. "Fine. Don't think that this gets you out of watching Mamma Mia though because the second you come back, I'm putting it right on," she giggled.
His hand brushed against her cheek as he smiled down at her. "You have yourself a deal, Paulsen. I'm gonna go hop in the shower."
"Better make it a cold one," she teased as she took a bite of a strawberry.
The smirk grew bigger on his face as he shook his head. "Oh, it will be."
…
The cold shower was exactly what he needed to clear his head. It was so unlike him to be this out of control, but he was seemingly defenseless to Donna's charm. As the water trickled down his chiseled body, he couldn't help but think of all the times over the years that he had wanted to be with Donna–when he watched her hit the copier when it would get jammed, the way she always knew exactly what to say to everyone without even knowing what was going on, the shitty Thai food they would share when they worked overtime.
Those late nights when she would stay just to help him sort through paperwork were his favorite. She would throw her hair up into a messy bun and take off her heels, all her armor suddenly vanished. Yet, in those moments when the city lights would brighten her whole being, that was when he found her most beautiful. He especially loved the vulnerability she had when she was no longer COO Donna and just his Donna. It was those tiny moments that told him she was his person.
The sound of shattering glass interrupted his thoughts as he jumped out of the shower and ran toward the door. Dripping everywhere and barely holding the towel to himself, he took in the sight before him.
Donna was hiding under her comforter, which was shaking with her fear. The glass that was once filled with orange juice, was smashed all over the ground. Carefully making his way around the broken pieces, he found his place on the bed. "Donna?"
Her breathing became loud and irregular, causing Harvey to panic as well. He attempted to pull the covers off of her, but she wouldn't budge. He tightened the towel around his waist as he made his way under the blanket. He couldn't tell if the sheets had been dampened from him or her tears. While her eyes were tightened shut, he could see the tears still escaping. "Donna. I'm right here," he whispered, wiping the tears from her cheek. His hand hovered there for a moment, waiting to see her response. She was still shaking, but her movement began to slow as his voice continued to soothe her. "You are here with me. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt you ever again."
Inching closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her from behind. She caved into him and succumbing to the pain let out her cries. "I got you," he explained, brushing her hair out of her face while placing a kiss on her head. They stayed there until she realized where she was. There was no Gallo, no pain, no hurt… only love exuding from him.
She allowed her head to rest on his bare chest, steadying herself with his heartbeat and warmth. "Thank you," she mumbled, still recovering.
"Donna, I think you should talk to someone," he stated, knowing how sensitive the topic was. Proceeding with caution, he began, "I will always be here for you, you know that, but this isn't healthy. More importantly, this isn't you."
"You're right."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear that coming from you," he chuckled. "Sorry, I had to. It was right there," he apologized, realizing that maybe it wasn't the right time for jokes. "I know a great therapist though."
"You also know a terrible one too," she sassed back. That was the Donna he knew and loved. "Sorry, it was right there," she repeated, laughing after all was said and done.
"Doctor Lipschitz. He really is great. I'll give him a call." He began to remove the comforter, finally allowing them to get some air. They remained there for a moment before he saw his lack of clothes. "Maybe I should get dressed first."
She hadn't even noticed that he had only been wearing a towel the whole time. She started biting her lip, thinking about the fact that he was naked under that cloth. "Yeah, you should," she agreed, attempting to come back to reality.
Mentally, she realized that she really did need to go talk to someone. She had just gone from a Gallo nightmare to sexual fantasies about Harvey in the matter of a minute. Trying to shake it all off, she proclaimed, "I'm gonna clean that mess up and then take a shower."
He noticed her staring and responded, "Better make it a cold one." His smirk was apparent as she crawled out of the bed.
"You're an idiot."
…
The car ride to the doctor's office was filled with silence. This was the first time Harvey had seen her nervous for anything.
Donna was always confident in herself and everything she did, but today she didn't know what to expect when she walked in the door. She was always helping people with their problems, yet she never needed help with her own. There was a sense of pride in that, but now it was a feeling of helplessness that filled her instead.
When they arrived, Harvey quickly got out of the car to open her door. As they stood face-to-face, worry consumed him. "I'll be back to pick you up as soon as you're done. You call me if you need me, okay?"
She nodded and swiftly stole a kiss. "Thank you. Not just for this, but for everything."
"You are everything. Now, go talk to Stan," he pleaded, his eyes begging her to come back to him.
As she walked up the stairs to the office, she turned to steal one last glimpse of him before going in. That look gave her all the strength she needed to open the door and walk inside.
…
Walking through the halls of the firm felt different. The place had become foreign to him because... she wasn't there. From where he stood, Donna was the firm and without her, it was empty. This was the last place he wanted to be at the moment, but Mike needed his help and he couldn't say no.
As he turned into his office, he announced, "Mike, this better be good."
"The Webster case is proceeding tomorrow, which means you need to get ready for court," Mike interrupted.
"What? What the hell happened to our motion to delay?" he questioned angrily.
Mike sighed and continued. "The motion was until you and Donna were out of the hospital. Once the other side found out you were both out, they rescheduled it hoping to throw you off."
"Shit," Harvey mumbled under his breath. "Do you know the case?"
Confusion set in after hearing Harvey's question. "Yes, but why does that matter? It's your case."
"It's not anymore. It's yours," he stated.
"What? Harvey-"
"Donna needs me right now, Mike," he snapped. "I was planning on telling Louis that I'd be taking a leave of absence for the next two weeks before you texted me. I can't be here and give her what she needs, so I'm choosing her."
What was confusion quickly changed to a smile of relief on Mike's face. "You told her."
"I did." The words caused Harvey's smile to grow wide as well.
Mike stood up from his desk and walked around. "I'll see you in three weeks," he said, reaching out his hand.
"I'll see you in three weeks," Harvey replied, turning their handshake into a hug.
…
Three weeks flew by. They had fallen into a routine with each other. First, breakfast in bed along with a movie of Donna's choice. That would be followed by driving to her appointment with Stan, during which Harvey waited right outside until she was done. Each day after her session, Harvey would get takeout from a new lunch place to see which restaurant they should go to once she was healed. The list became longer and longer as the days went on.
It wasn't always smooth sailing with them. There were days where Donna thought she couldn't get through it, but he was always there to tell her she could. The most important part of her recovery was having him right by her side through it all.
She proved to be a fighter, making progress with every passing day. The only thing that mattered was that she got better, and she was doing just that. The night terrors occurred less over time along with the panic attacks. The sound of a car alarm or a dog barking no longer had a panicking effect. Everything she thought Gallo had taken from her was finally back. Donna was finally Donna again.
However, the most difficult part of being with each other over those three weeks, was not being with each other. All of those days together just added gasoline to the fire that had already been burning for twelve years. Every second of every day, they craved each other. From the stolen looks to the touch of the others skin on theirs, they wanted to be with each other.
The most important thing about the three weeks, however, was the fact that it proved it wasn't just about sex for either of them. The conversations between them never ended, even being with each other 24/7. They made each other laugh and cry, but most importantly, they were happy. While they may have fallen into a routine, every day felt like a new adventure for them.
It's hard to find that in a person, but they both noticed it, especially Harvey. After the first day of being home together, he knew that he was finally done. All the girls and one-night stands were finally behind him because he was finished. Donna was it for him and that made all the years of pain and longing worth it.
The last day had started like every other, except today Donna's appointment wasn't with Stan but with Doctor Barns. She was finally going to know if she was fully healed. She wanted nothing more than to move past this all and this was the final step in the process.
She had been counting the days until she could finally be herself again. If she got cleared, she could finally get out of her apartment to do actual things like shopping and work. This was the final step in being normal again which she finally realized was possible with the help of Lipschitz.
As she patiently sat in the waiting room, the door finally swung open along with her name being called. She gave Harvey's hand a quick squeeze followed by a look of courage before getting up to enter.
It felt like she had been in there for hours when she had only left him just a few moments ago. He hated being apart from her now. Especially today, he wanted to be there with her, holding her hand through it all. It wasn't the end of the world if she didn't get cleared, just another bump in the road that they would overcome… together.
He anxiously flipped through some gossip magazine that he was hardly paying attention to. His mind was racing a thousand miles a minute thinking about what could be going on within that room. He wouldn't be himself if he hadn't worried about every worst-case scenario possible while he waited. Being consumed by his mind, he hadn't even noticed her come out of the room.
He stood up immediately, waiting to hear how it went.
"Let's go home," she whispered in his ear.
Confused, he asked, "What did he say?"
A tear began to stream down her face and he instantly felt her pain. "Donna, I'm-"
"He cleared me. I'm completely healed," she chimed in. "These aren't sad tears, Harvey. They're happy ones."
He let out a loud sigh of relief as he pulled her in for a kiss filled with love and passion. The saltiness of their tears mixed in with the others' taste as she deepened their kiss. They had forgotten they were still in the waiting room as the world slowly drifted away.
Coming up for air, she reluctantly pulled apart. "Take me home," she exclaimed.
"That can wait," he explained. "First, I want to take my girlfriend out on a proper date."
Their smiles grew wider as they headed toward the door hand-in-hand.
In that moment, they finally realized that they were about to have everything they had ever wanted.
Thank you so much for reading. Special shout out to my wonderful beta, Brittany (sbstevenson2). You are a treasure. As always, don't forget to leave your reviews and feedback. I love hearing from you guys and I appreciate you guys taking the time to do so. So much love to you all -elle