A/N: This is my take on what could happen in 8x16 if Darvey and the wristers stop being stupid. This one is for and thanks to Kinga and Kris who planted that seed in my head. I hope you enjoy ;) Just as I hope all you other wonderful and amazing Darvey shippers will enjoy 'the ride'. And yes, that is a double entendre ;-) This fic is rated M for a reason, so if that's not your thing, please don't continue reading.

*** Losing You is Losing Me ***

Harvey is standing in the darkness of his office, looking around it absentmindedly and acutely aware of his surroundings all the same. Where there should be relief coursing through him, there is only a bone aching sadness that he can't seem to shake. He knows he should be out celebrating, even more so considering the fact that every single one of his colleagues is doing exactly that, because of him. And while the thought of drowning that feeling of sorrow with a bottle of Macallan does seem appealing for a moment or two it is still not nearly enough to actually make his feet carry him outside of the safety of his second home. Or is it his first home? Either way, he had been this close to loosing it all in the blink of an eye that very day. He turns around slightly, his eyes drifting over his desk, the balls by the windows, over his leather couch and the picture above it on the wall, her empty cubicle on the other side of the glass wall that he still considers as hers even though it hadn't been for a very long time now and finally coming to rest on the shelf with his record collection and his mother's painting that is throning over his little kingdom. A kingdom that feels anything but that.

With a heavy heart, Harvey drags himself to his desk at last, letting himself sink into his chair with a deep sigh. Why isn't the fact that he was allowed to keep his license, that he won against Hardman again more gratifying than it actually is? Closing his eyes, Harvey leans back, the chair squeaking with the movement, disrupting the otherwise absolute silence of the fiftieth floor.

Pictures come rushing back to the forefront of his mind, his insides caught in a vise all over again.

"Harvey, can we talk for a moment?" Donna asks carefully, her fingers in a loose tangle in front of her body.

Harvey looks up at her from the bench he is sitting on, an uneasy feeling bubbling in his stomach. All of a sudden it is no longer the thought of the bar deciding about his fate behind closed doors this very second or the prospect of losing his license after all that scares him, but the gravity in her voice and the look in her eyes. He knows that what is about to come would be ten times worse than anything Hardman or Malik or anyone else could ever do to him.

"Sure, Donna, what's up?" Harvey says, once he is sure his voice won't betray him, before getting up from his seating position. He stretches his back and limbs in a silent groan, after having sat on that uncomfortable bench for almost an hour now.

Donna moves them a few feet away from the group of people that is waiting with them in physical and moral support of Harvey. "I wanted to tell you something… before you heard it from someone else."

The uneasy feeling turns into dread in one fluid transition. "Okay," is all Harvey replies, looking at the woman in front of him expectantly while at the same time bracing himself for her next words, knowing that he would not succeed in doing so.

"It's about Thomas… he's told me today that he will be moving back to Los Angeles," Donna begins, taking in a deep breath and Harvey can't shake the feeling that she has to brace herself for what is about to come just as much.

"Okay," Harvey nods, when she doesn't seem to want to continue. He shoves his hands into his pant pockets, hiding the fists they had turned into.

"His mother has cancer, stage four. It's terminal," Donna explains further, with sadness in her expression and posture.

"Ok-," Harvey stops himself from saying 'okay' a third time in a row. "I'm sorry to hear that. He must be devastated," he opts for instead, naturally feeling empathy for the man in question. It isn't a secret that he had never been his biggest fan and it is an open secret that it had nothing to do with him but everything to do with Donna.

"He is, yeah. But he doesn't let anything on. He just wants to spend as much time with her as possible," Donna says, looking down at her hands just then.

"That's understandable and definitely speaks for the kind of guy that he is. But that's not all, isn't it?" Harvey probes and if they were anyone else but Harvey and Donna, he would take a step towards her to take her hands in his to keep her from fumbling with her fingers nervously. But they don't touch. Even less so since she started dating that Kessler guy. It had always been too dangerous, blurry lines being evaporated altogether when they did. Skins burning like fire even hours after they parted. Lips tingling just by the thought of it.

"No, it isn't," Donna agrees with a slight nod of her head. Another deep breath. Both of them. Simultaneously. His stuck in his throat when Donna lets out the next words. "And he asked me to come with him."

"He what?" Harvey asks shocked, his world tumbling before his eyes quicker than he is able to keep it from doing so. The fists in his pockets clench harder, as an agitated shiver runs through his veins, setting his whole nervous system on alert. His heartrate speeds up and blood rushes loudly in his ears, while he has to fight the urge to loosen the tie around his neck, ripping open the top buttons of his shirt to enable him to breath more freely. He knows what's happening, had thought that he was past it happening to him, and yet he finds himself looking for that calming place inside of him that would save him from breaking down in the middle of the hall. Only that that calming place is standing right in front of him, keeping him anchored and throwing him into a tailspin all at once.

"He asked me to come with him for a while," Donna repeats, even though they both know he had heard her perfectly the first time around.

Harvey is afraid to speak, fully aware that his voice would betray him, no matter what he would be saying. So he remains silent. He looks at her and she at him and something they hadn't allowed themselves doing in a very long time happens so easily that they both can't comprehend in that moment why they keep fighting it in the first place: they get lost in each other. The moment lasts forever and not nearly long enough, until it all becomes too much, Harvey's need for clarity for once stronger than the fear of making a mistake.

"For…" Harvey stops immediately upon hearing his strained voice, clears his throat and begins again, trying to sound more confident. "For how long?"

"I don't know. We haven't really talked about the specifics," Donna explains solemnly.

"But I…" – "Are you…" they both start and stop at the same time.

Donna chuckles nervously, before her lips close in a serious expression again.

"Please, go ahead," Harvey says, signaling with his hand to continue her sentence.

"No, please. You wanted to say something," Donna replies, nodding encouragingly at him.

He ponders his next words, knows what he had wanted to ask in the first place but is now too afraid to ask the question after all, that all too familiar terror gripping his chest. The prospect of losing his license is all but a distant blur in the face of the prospect of losing her. For good. And it was all his own fault because it took him too long to realize what was really important. All the work he had put into himself, to heal old wounds and to become the kind of man that she deserved, all in vain. It would be so easy to just give in now, to kick his progress into the curb and be done with it all. Leave it all behind. His job. Her. Everything.

But then Harvey looks into her eyes and something stirs within him. He is stronger now than this. And he no longer wants fear to rule his actions, like he had allowed it to too many times before. So he asks his question, even though knowing he might not like the answer.

"Are you considering going with him?" Harvey finally lets out, no longer caring that his voice sounds off even to his own ears.

Donna gazes at him surprised. He doesn't know if it's the question itself or the tone in his voice or their situation altogether but the look in her eyes changes. Harvey holds his breath, waiting patiently for her to unban him or to destroy him.

Just when she is about to open her mouth, he can hear the opening of a door in the distance. His gaze still rests on her, praying that she would just say 'no' or 'yes' but it's another voice that's pulling him out of the moment.

"Mr. Specter? We're ready for you now."

Afterwards, Harvey had been surrounded by friends and colleagues and joy and relief, the group wanting to drag him to a nearby pub for a little get together and to celebrate his win. He had excused himself, told them to go ahead and that he would join them in a little while. But in truth, he just had been in no mood whatsoever to celebrate just then, needing a moment to come to terms with the new reality. In the heat and chaos of the moment, Donna and Harvey were headed into different directions, leaving them no chance to finish their earlier conversation.

That had been two hours ago and Harvey is still alone, too tired and worn out to move or to come up with a plan of what to do next. Those past few months had been exhausting and only now, with the stress of losing his career giving way, does he realize just how tired he really is. He is this close to just drift off in his chair, when her voice grounds him back to reality. His eyes open on reflex, finding Donna standing in the entrance to his office. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

He stares at her, allowing himself for just a moment to let his eyes wander of her body. The dark green dress his hugging her curves, sleeves only covering her shoulders and a slight v neckline revealing her freckled skin. It's not like he is seeing her for the first time that day but it feels just like it all the same.

"There aren't that many places where I'd actually be, are there?" Harvey replies with a soft smile, sitting up straight in his chair.

"Yeah, I guess there aren't," Donna laughs quietly, entering his office and sitting down on the other side of his desk. "There'd been a fifty-fifty chance. Still picked the wrong one at first or I'd have been here earlier."

Harvey musters her for a moment, the exhaustion in his bones dulling his usual deliberateness and restraint. "Why are you even here at all, Donna?"

This time it's Donna's turn to look at him in surprise, questions in her eyes, as she raises and eyebrow. "It felt like some things were still left unsaid earlier today. I thought you might want to know the answer to your question?"

Having had some time to digest the possibility of her going to LA with Kessler while he had been sulking in his office, his insides only churn half as much as they had earlier that day and the emerging panic attack is now all but a dull hum in a far corner of his soul. He leans forward, resting his forearms on his desk while entwining his fingers.

He awaits her answer, the Sword of Damocles hopefully finally being lifted, after having hanged heavily over his head for the past two hours. Instead of a reply, she counters with a question of her own however. "Why are you sitting here in the dark, Harvey, instead of being out celebrating with the others?"

Donna catches him offguard and for a moment he is too surprised to find a proper reply. He definitely isn't up to his game but maybe for once that wouldn't be such a bad thing after at all. "Does it matter?"

"Doesn't it?" Donna counters, crossing her arms in front of her body and looking at him expectantly.

She knows you too fucking well, Harvey thinks and decides, out of utter tiredness both physically and mentally, that maybe it was finally time to stop fighting it. "There is a huge chance that you're going to leave me, Donna. I'm not really in a celebratory mood right now."

There it is. He had said it. It's only the tip of the ice berg and they both know it but it's a truth, something they hadn't shared quite often enough when it came to their personal relationship.

"Leave you? It's not like I'm dying, Harvey. There are cell phones and planes and ways to keep in touch, you know," Donna replies, pointing at the little black device on his desk.

"You know that I don't mean it like that," Harvey shoots back without a second of hesitation and for the first time it dawns on him that they might actually be going to talk about everything.

"There were a lot of things that I thought I knew but they all came back to slap me in the face not too long ago. So no, Harvey, you'll have to be a bit more explanatory this time."

"Then let me rephrase it for you. There is a huge chance that you're going to leave me for good. With him." Harvey explains, with a desperation in his tone that he can't hide. Doesn't want to hide. It is going to be no or never and they both know it.

"So it does bother you?"

"Of course, it bothers me, Donna. I've always told you as much," Harvey replies, exasperatedly raising his arms and letting them drop back onto this desk with a muffled flop.

"Yeah. But it never meant anything, remember?"

"I think we can both agree that that has always been a huge load of bullshit," Harvey assesses and there is not an ounce of uncertainty in his statement.

"Was it?"

"Wasn't it?" Harvey challenges her this time around.

They stare at each other in silence, both waiting for the other to give in. That cat-and-mouse-game of theirs finally wearing thin, Donna gets up from her chair, moving around the table that had created a barrier between them one too many times in the past. Harvey automatically rolls back with his chair slightly, watching her carefully as she leans against the table to his side. She is too close now, her body emanating an intoxicating amount of warmth, the smell of perfume and vanilla and her clouding his senses. It had gotten harder lately to stay away from her like that when all he wanted to do was be close to her, touch her, feel her. He has no idea in this moment if he had the strength to stay away from her tonight. There is a tingling in his fingertips, yearning for contact.

"I told Thomas I wouldn't be going to LA with him," Donna finally answers his question and just like that, in the blink of an eye, the tight grip around Harvey's heart is gone. He can't hold back the relieved sigh that escapes his parted lips quietly, eliciting a soft smile from Donna.

"Why not?" Harvey pushes, needing to know the whole truth, himself as ready as he would ever be to let it all out as well.

"Because the thought of leaving you hurt me more than the thought of leaving him. And I never even would have admitted that to you if I hadn't seen that look of panic on your face earlier this evening. I know I promised to never push the topic with you again… But I'm tired, Harvey. Tired of lying and fighting and holding back. I'm tired of the constant ambiguity between us. So here I am now. Praying that I'm not making a total fool out of myself by tell-"

And then Harvey is out of his chair and in front of her, one hand cupping her cheek, the other reaching for her waist. Words, just like the air between them, vaporize, as his lips find hers in a searing kiss that leaves them both mindless and breathless in less than a heartbeat. His hand slips through her hair to the back of her head, holding her to him as he deepens the kiss. Their tongues meet in a sensual dance and they skip the part where they'd have to reacquaint themselves with each other in that way right to the part where it all feels natural and normal and like they had never been doing anything else than being with each other.

Harvey steps closer, pressing his body against hers. Her arms wrap around his torso, pulling him in even tighter until there is no room left between them. A moan escapes his chest, caught against Donna's lips, as her hands travel up his back, over his shoulder blades and back down again, stopping at the waistband of his pants, only to repeat the movement all over again. It's at the end of the fourth or fifth downward movement – Harvey is too far gone already to keep track, not that it really mattered – that her hands don't stop at the small of his back, but glide over his butt instead, making his hips surge forward on its own accord. He is pressed against her body in all the right places, the resistance of her stomach and his pants creating a friction that lets blood rush south. He can feel himself harden and the way Donna keeps rolling her waist against him, he knows she can feel it, too.

The reality of where they are and what they are doing slips to the back of their minds, even more so when Harvey places both of his hands on her waist to hoist her up on his desk, her legs immediately wrapping around him, heels digging into the back of his thighs preventing him from going anywhere, even when it's the last thing he wants to do anyway. His hands move from her waist to her thighs and further to her knees that are now bare thanks to her dress having slipped upwards slightly. The touch of skin against skin makes them moan simultaneously and finally break apart for the first time since her confession.

Donna is looking at him with hooded eyes, while Harvey tries to catch his breath, the fog in his head only slowly clearing. The more seconds that pass, the more he thinks he should probably be saying something. But her hand lands on his and she's moving them along her thigh, pushing the fabric of her dress further up.

"We're in my office," Harvey creaks hoarsely, the fire in Donna's eyes almost making him forget what he was getting at in the first place.

"I know," Donna whispers her reply, her other hand stroking up his chest, only stopping when she finds his tie. With a swift motion, she loosens the knot, pulling it out and off of his neck. The soft material glides through her fingers before she lets it drop to the ground.

"What if someone catches us?" Harvey replies quietly, inwardly cursing himself for being so reasonable in a situation like this one. He wants her. She wants him. It's as simple is that. And by God, he had dreamt about it more than once, to have her like this, on his desk, moaning his name in extasy.

"It's Friday night, Harvey. No one will come in here," Donna replies, kissing his cheek and then his earlobe, while her hand strokes down his chest. "Except-" and further down, over the hardness that is now pressing against her palm "-you."

Harvey hisses sharply, his head falling against her shoulder, as she gently but surely rubs him through his pants that become painfully too tight all of a sudden. For a moment he contemplates freeing them from their clothes and burying himself inside of her without another second of hesitation, the need to have her around him almost too overpowering to hold himself back any longer. He's pushed way too close to the edge already and if he doesn't find some kind of control this whole thing would be over before it even began. That fear stills their movements for a heartbeat or two, his hand wrapping around her wrist in a gentle touch. He pulls himself back, looking at her once more.

There is one more thing he needs to get out before he looses himself entirely and after taking a deep breath, he opens the last door to let her in for good. "I love you, Donna. In all the ways you can imagine. I just wanted you to know that."

"I love you, too, Harvey," Donna replies, a content smile lightening up her whole face. Has any person ever felt as happy as Harvey is feeling right in this very second? He doubts it. Nor does he care. Because after all the heartache they had been through in the past, it is finally their time to find happiness.

"And now lets stop talking. I need you," Donna whispers breathlessly, her hand travelling up his chest and around his neck in both a gentle and demanding touch.

And that is all the encouragement Harvey needs. His lips find hers in another breathtaking kiss and it's only a matter of moments before he can feel her fingers starting to unbutton his shirt, before moving on to unbuckle his belt and to work on opening his pants. Whenever she brushes against him, more blood rushes to his dick and just when he thinks he can't get any harder, her hand slips into his boxers, proving him wrong. Hot soft skin against hot hard skin and it's too much and not enough and a moan makes him break away from her lips.

"Shit, Donna," he pants and a shutter moves through him, his hips moving in a rhythm with her hand. He is watching her, her eyes first resting on the spot where her hand has disappeared before looking back up at him. The moment is intimate and intense, both no longer holding anything back. They are saying more with their eyes than words ever could and as she gives him pleasure, their gazes are firmly locked onto each other. Not for a second does either of them feel the need to break the contact, to hide behind walls that had always appeared to be too high to climb that now that they ar standing on top of them that thought seemed crazy and irrelevant to begin with. Being so caught up in her eyes and her touch, he almost misses the point of no return. Only then does his hand wrap around her wrist to stop her. She understands him wordlessly, as she so often does, pulling back her hand. The loss of the contact makes him ache but he knows that he will be inside of her soon and that makes him ache a little less and twice as much all the same.

Harvey's hands travel from her waist to her shoulders, carefully pushing the straps of her dress off. The material is firm but with two or three hand movements, he frees her upper body from the fabric, leaving her in a black, lacy bra. Harvey's eyes rake over her body, before he gently pushes her backwards until she comes to rest on her elbows. His hands glide all over her body, touching every inch of skin that he can reach before he lets his lips follow the trail. Soft moans fill the air, turning him on and pushing him to continue. His hands find her thighs again, gently spreading her and pushing her dress up in the process. Without hesitating, he reaches for her black panties, pulling them down her legs and letting it drop to the ground next to his tie. Even in the darkness of the room, the illumination of the surrounding buildings the only source of light, Harvey can see and smell how ready she already is for him. The pair locks eyes again, as he touches her this time. His hands inch closer and closer, caressing first the sensitive skin on the insides of her thighs before moving further up until at last he reaches her center. One finger glides through her wetness and her head falls back in extasy as he finds her clit, the picture before him pushing him right to the edge again. His whole body is tense as he shows her first with his hands and then with his lips, how much she means to him. His tongue replaces his finger, drawing small but firm circles around her clit. She tastes as fucking amazing as he always remembered her to and he is sure that he will never forget this moment for the rest of his life. When her breath speeds up, one hand finding his head in a silent plea, Harvey lets a finger glide into her body, the tightness driving him nearly out of his mind. He adds another finger, before finding a rhythm with his mouth that has her on the brink in no time at all. Alternating between licking to sucking, gently grazing her clit with his teeth before drawing another round of circles with the tip of his tongue is what finally pushes her over the edge, his name falling from her lips like a prayer as she convulses around him. With slow movements he lets her ride out the waves of her orgasm. And only when she stills beneath him does he stand up again, not yet withdrawing from her body however.

It takes her a moment or two until her mind has caught up with her body, while Harvey's free hand gently strokes over her thigh, waist and upper body in a calming motion. Slowly but gradually, her heart rate returns to normal and she comes up in a sitting position, making Harvey pull out his fingers at last. Not wanting to waste another second or minute, she pushes his pants and boxers down in one swift motion, before slowly slipping down from the desk. She moves him backwards until his legs are hitting the edge of his seat and with another forward movement of Donna, Harvey lands backwards in his chair. His eyes are dark pools of lust, his hands reaching for her waist, as she steps even closer. Donna pushes her dress up, coming to stand above him. He watches her, heavy breaths leaving his parted lips.

They both have waited so long for this moment that now that it is finally here, the gravity of it all hits them square in the chest. There is no turning back now. No more ambiguity or loopholes to get out of. No more rules and lies and no more anger and pain and resentment. They could finally be them. The them that they should have been from the moment they've met.

Reaching between them, Donna strokes his cock two or three more times, smearing the precum that had already gathered from the pleasure they'd been giving each other moments before. Growling, he closes his eyes, enjoying the touch and trying to prepare himself from the ultimate connection that would now not only bind their bodies but so much more as well. For just a second he wishes they were anywhere else, not feeling so exposed in this open area for this private and intimate moment but at the same time it feels as natural as it can be that it would be happening here, where they had spent the better parts of their lives together, day in and day out. And then all of this thoughts are gone altogether as she sinks down on him, taking in the entire length of him. The grip on her waist tightens, holding her still while they both adjust to the intense feeling of finally being joined. His lips land on her shoulder, moaning against her skin as her inner muscles clench around him.

How long they sit like this, sighs mixing with moans, heavy breaths against heated skin, hands holding on for dear life, neither can tell. But her muscles keep clenching and his cock is aching and starting to move is all they can do to not lose their minds for good. Harvey lets himself fall back against the chair, finding Donna's eyes as she begins with slow rotations of her hips. She so fucking hot and tight and soft and warm that that feeling alone would be enough to take him over the edge. But he needs to hold on, doesn't want this experience to end so soon, so he is actually grateful that she has all the power in her hands, setting a slow and even rhythm.

Donna leans forward, kissing him passionately as Harvey uses the new angle to reach for the clasp of her bra. With one flick of his fingers, the garment loosens and the sensation makes Donna gasp, pulling away again. He quickly helps her get rid of the lingerie, his new view now even more erotic than just moments ago. Harvey watches her for a moment, her breasts swaying sinfully with the movement of her lower body. Her dark nipples are in stark contrast to her otherwise pale skin and under his heated gaze, they harden even more, screaming for his touch.

He reaches for her, touching her left breast with his hand, the other one with his mouth, lips covering her nipple in a gentle kiss. With similar movements of his tongue and teeth around her oversensitized skin, he helps build the pleasure inside of her body that she answers with her own movements speeding up. Rotating hips give way to intense up- and downwards movements, their bodily sounds mixing with moans that echo through his glass walls. Her thrusts are still controlled but her walls are already beginning to flutter around him, announcing a second climax if only he could hold out long enough, which becomes even harder when with every downward movement, her muscles close up around him for real.

Harvey releases her nipple, instead pulling Donna down for another kiss. She's rotating her hips again now, sliding over his lap back and forth and back and forth. With every forward thrust, Harvey lifts his hips slightly, slipping in even deeper and hitting that spot inside of her that makes her shudder in his arms. Picking up speed the alternations between rotating and moving up and down become quicker and sloppier, Harvey helping her along by thrusting into her as best as he can.

It's not long now, the coiling in the pit of his stomach heralding his approaching climax. Set on taking Donna with him, he reaches between them, finding her bundle of nerves once more. She's close in a matter of moments, her legs starting to shake around him, her inner walls contracting and clenching him like a fist. Donna jumps off their wall first, riding out the waves of her orgasm on his lap and experiencing her throes of extasy is enough to push him over the edge as well, spilling inside of her with a deep and guttural groan.

His arms wrap around her torso in a protective embrace, catching her as she sinks against him. Her hot breath his caressing his neck, while his lips find her shoulder, kissing her gently as she comes down from her high. Her walls are still pulsating around him and twenty years ago it would have been enough to make him go a second round right then and there. Instead he relishes the feeling of being as close to her as humanly possible, the intimacy of the moment making his heart soar.

They calm down together, their breaths and heartbeats adjusting to each other's rhythm. It takes them a while but there is no need to rush anywhere anyway, so they stay exactly like that for as long as they can.

"I will need to get a new chair," Harvey mumbles against her neck once he doesn't feel as breathless anymore, minutes or hours later.

"Wh… what?" Donna replies, pulling back to look at him with surprise in her eyes.

"I need a new chair. With those new memories etched into my brain now, I'll never be able to get any work done in this one."

"We really need to work on your post-sex speeches, Specter," Donna laughs, bracing her hands against his chest, while mentally preparing herself to break their physical connection.

"Hey, this is me trying to be romantic! I just told you that the thought of having made love to you in this very place is etched into my mind for all eternity and that that thought will forever be more important to me than any file that will ever land on my desk again."

"That sounds better. 'Made love' though? Really, Harvey?"

"Isn't that what we did?" Harvey shoots back with a raised eyebrow.

"It is. I just never thought I'd hear those words out of your mouth."

"Hey! I can be romantic if I want to," Harvey explains himself, raising his hands to underline his words.

"What, you're going soft on me now?" Donna replies, winking at him. "I guess you are," she says immediately afterwards, wiggling her hips and tightening her inner walls as if to state a point. Harvey hisses, in pleasure or frustration he doesn't know. He might not be ready for a second round just then but he sure as hell would be as soon as they made it to either his or her place.

"Give me another half an hour and I'll show you exactly how not soft I will be."

"Promises, promises," Donna sings, finally getting up from his lap. At the loss of him, she sighs regretfully but the knowledge that this was only the first of many times to come fills her with a kind of happiness that she didn't knew existed.

Harvey helps her get cleaned up, before reaching down for Donna's panties and bra, handing her the garments with new lust filling his eyes. In return, she helps him adjust his tie, skillfully knotting the silky material, while Harvey hits speed dial to call Ray to come pick them up and taking them home. At last.

It is hours later, after they had made out in the back of Ray's car and some more in the elevator ride up to his apartment, after they had made love sensually and passionately, finally taking their time in finding out what they both liked and didn't like, some of these things having changed in the past, some of them having stayed exactly the same, that they finally find peace in each other's arms.

"So," Donna breathes after a moment of silence, her heart still beating its way out of her chest.

"So," Harvey whispers in response, squeezing her shoulder lovingly.

"We really gonna do this?" Donna wants to know and while it's meant as a rhetorical question the need for reassurance is stilling ringing through.

Harvey smiles into the darkness of his bedroom, giving her shoulder another gentle squeeze, his embrace safe and reassuring. "I'm in this, Donna. I meant what I said. I love you. In every way. And I want everything with you. House, kids, cats, dogs. One of those, all of them or none at all. We can just stay the way we are and I'll be happy. As long as you are by my side. Okay?"

"Okay," Donna replies, sniffling back a tear that is threatening to spill.

"I know I've been a coward for too long but now that I got a glimpse of what we can be, I'll never be able to let you go. I'm in this."

"So am I, Harvey," Donna replies quietly, letting her hand come up to rest on his chest, right above his heart. "And I love you, too."

And for the first time, in a long time, wrapped up in each other, happiness pulls them into a peaceful sleep.

*** The End ***

A/N 2: I'd be forever happy and grateful if you'd let me know what you think about this little story :) Thank you!