An: hey guys! Here's a quick little idea I came up with that I just had to write down! Sorry in advance for any mistakes, this story is brought to you by beachside pina coloadas from an island in the sun, enjoy! Xx
He lifted his hand and knocked three times next to the brass 206. After a few moments he shifts his weight nervously, he doubts she's home. After their falling out at the office he wouldn't be surprised if she was home and avoiding him.
He's about to give up and head home to drown his sorrows in a bottle when he hears the door latch click.
She opens the door, puffy eyed, cardagin wrapped tightly around her body, as if it was keeping her safe.
"Going somewhere?" She questions,
"Can I come in?" He breathes
She gestures between her and the open doorway and steps aside and he brushes past her and stands behind her couch.
Her apartment has changed since he's last been here and it makes him uneasy, like shed remodelled in an effort to cleanse herself from him; and in a way that's exactly what shed down.
She watches as his eyes roam the room, taking in the vibrate paintings she had lined the walls with in attempt to fill her apartment with life and settling on the couch, the only piece of furniture she hadn't changed since he'd last been in her apartment. He once told her her loved her on that couch. Years ago, before things had become so, complicated - for lack of a better word.
She takes in the man before her, leaning against her couch in a semi- exhausted state, wrinkles creasing along his forehead and permanent bags under his eyes. The past week had been anything but kind to him. Hardman really had them this time, and for the first time since she'd come to work for Harvey 15 years prior she watched as he came undone. She helpless stood on the sidelines as she watched the man who once told Mike what to do when someone holds a gun to your head, take bullet after bullet, for something she indirectly caused.
She couldn't look at him without the guilt overwhelming her and she knew their feuding this past week wasn't helping with his case.
"Why are you here Harvey, it's late and we have court in the morning" she says coldly.
She doesn't mean to keep him at an arms length, with all he's going through she just wants to hold him and tell him everything will work itself out, but she's still hurting too. This tangled web they've woven themselves has complicated her life more than she wished it would, and as much as she wants to help, she's just as hurt and tired as the man in front of her.
"Donna" he breathes, turning to face her
" I need you to know that I'm sorry. That no matter what happens tomorrow, this wasn't your fault"
"Harvey" she tries to interrupt, but he continues, keeping his eyes glued to a spot on the back of her couch
"I never should have told you about Thomas' deal. I shouldn't have put you in that position and I'm sorry that I did."
"Thank you Harvery, I appreciate that"
"I'm sorry you two broke up" he adds, still staring at the spot in her sofa
"Well, the firm is family, I couldn't abandon my family the way he wanted me too. Besides, you're the one person I could never lose faith in, and I'm sorry that I let myself forget that" she says, willing him to look up, and locking her eyes on his
"I told up you this once before and I meant it, I would take a bullet for you" she smiles
"Does this mean were?" He asks
"Ya, we are" she replies, doing her Donna thing and knowing he meant good, they'd been fighting long enough and his apology went a long way with her.
She believed him when he said he was sorry for putting her in that position, and truth be told she never expected him to apologize, since the mess they were in was due to her momentary lapse in judgement.
Tomorrow was going to be a hard day, for all of them and he needed her full support to pull of the miracle they knew they needed. He never thought he'd see the day when people associated the name Harvey Specter with disbarred, rather than best closer in the city.
He walks past her towards the door, seeming to have said all he had come for when he pauses, "Donna?"
"Ya?" She turns to face him
"Whatever happens tomorrow, whether this is the end for me or we pull through this thing, I need you to know, what I'm really sorry for is not putting you in that position with Thomas, it's that there was a Thomas in the first place"
She's taken back by his words and slightly confused, her expression must have played at her confusion because he continues,
"I'm sorry I never told you what you meant to me, that I even made you think you needed someone like Thomas when you've always had me." He says, stepping towards her so he's a mere step away.
"Harvey" she breathes, head wishing he would stop talking, heart willing him to go on
"No Donna I need to say this, I love you, I'm in love with you and I'm sorry that it took me so long to tell you but I needed you to know"
"You're only saying that because you're afraid you'll lose me" she protests, stepping back from him, tears daring to form at the corners of her eyes.
"I am afraid to lose you, but that's not why I'm telling you. I'm telling you because it killed me to see you with him. To imagine you going home with him. The thought of him making you laugh makes me sick, because that should be me making you laugh, and taking you home. I may have been afraid to say it in the past but I've grown Donna. I'm not the same man I was 5 years ago. I wasn't ready then, I was blind to what we had. But god damn it, I'm ready now more than ever."
He finishes and notices the tears now steaming down her face match the tears soaking his. He really had grown. The Harvey from 5 years ago never would have let himself cry in front of her, let alone confront the kind of emotions that made him cry over something like feelings.
"You love me? " she whispers
"Completely" he says before closing the gap between them, placing his hands on her hips as she looks up at him
"How do I know that you won't wake up and change your mind tomorrow?"
"Because no matter what happens tomorrow, I'll be okay as long as I have you" he smiles
"I love you too" she smiles up at him, before his hand grazes the back if her neck and tilts her head up towards his
He kisses her slowly at first, lips taking their time to re-familiarize themselves with hers before becoming deeper, hungrier as his hands roam her body.
She breaks the kiss momentarily, looking up at him, "Wait, shouldn't you be preparing for court?"
"This is more important" he grins, pulling her back in for another kiss
His hands roam her body greedily, only pausing to rest once the reach her butt, scooping her up and walking them back towards her hall table where he places her to rest, standing between her legs all while his lips never leave hers.
She pulls him closer as she wraps her legs around him, winding her fingers through his hair as he places a trail of kisses down her neck. He kisses across her collarbone and towards where her shirt teases at her cleavage. He pushes her sweater to the floor and lifts her hands above her head,removing her shirt, desperate to remove every layer of clothing between them.
She fumbles with the buttons on his shirt, leaving it undone and proceeds to remove his belt, freeing him from his pants.
He keeps her arms above her head, fingers interlocked and he nibbles on her ear
"Harvey, bedroom" she mutters and he's instantly carrying her in the direction of her room, eager to resume what they started a decade prior.
He wakes up to an empty bed and panics,
immediately straining his eyes searching the room for her.
As if on cue she opens the door wearing only his shirt carrying two coffees, the scent of vanilla wafting into the room as she places them beside the bed.
"Good morning" she smiles into a kiss as he pulls her into his side
"I thought we could use some coffee to start our day" she adds between the soft kisses be peppers her lips with.
She pulls back grinning as he lets his fingers trace patterns along her side, the sight of her in his shirt almost too much for him to handle.
"Last night was..." she begins
"Long overdue" he finishes, adding "and incredible"
He watches as her eyes roam over his bare torso, they're saying something her mouth doesn't seem to be able to. Lifting her chin so her eyes meet his he says,
"I meant what I said last night Donna. No matter what happens today, I'll be alright as long as I get to leave knowing I'm coming home to you"
Her smile spreads, growing upwards towards her ears at the rawness of his words.
"Well then I'll be there the whole time, and when it's all over I can't wait to be the one you come home too"
He pulls her in by the waist for a kiss as her alarm begins to blare, indicating he has to start getting ready for his trial. He sighs and reluctantly gets up, grabbing the coffee cup she brought for him and making his way to the shower.
"Harvey, before we go to trial today, if it should come up..." she stutters, not knowing how to say what she wants to without frightening him
"What are we?" she concludes
"We, "
He begins walking back to where she is seated on the bed
"Are together. And if asked under oath I'll just tell the truth, I am madly in love with you Donna"
"Okay good. Because I feel the same way about you mister"
"Care to join me?" He gestures towards the shower
Before she can answer there's a knock at the door
"Let me see who that is and I'll come join you" she says, grabbing a robe to throw over Harvey's shirt and making her way to the door.
After a second set of knocks she swings the door open with an annoyed 'what' to reveal Mike and Rachel standing on the other side
"Well good morning to you too" Rachel replies cheerily
"Sorry Rach I wasn't expecting any visitors today. What are you guys doing here?!" She exclaims, pulling them both in for a hug
"We thought you could use some support, we heard about what happened with Thomas and we wanted to be there for you, and Harvey today" she smiles
"I was actually just dropping in to see how you were doing" Mike adds
"I was going to head over to Harvey's so he wouldn't have to be alone before the trial"
"Donna what's taking so long I thought you were going to join me?" Harvey calls, wandering out of her bedroom in only a towel
He stops dead in his tracks when he sees who's at the door, watching as Donna does her best to suppress her giggles.
"I guess he wasn't alone after all" Mike snickers, earning him a smack and a warning 'Mike' from Rachel
"What are you too doing here?" Harvey asks, making his way to the door and standing next to Donna
"We could ask you the same thing" Mike teases
"We thought you guys could use some friends today" Rachel interjects
"But if you're... busy... we can just catch up in court" Rachel adds, sending Donna a look which told her she wanted all the details later
"No no why don't you come in for coffee"
Donna suggests
"Are you sure we aren't intruding?" Rachel asks
"Well..."Harvey begins before Donna sends him a warning look
"I guess I'm going to go shower" Harvey says, heading back towards the shower
"If you want to join him we can make ourselves at home" Mike teases
"Next time I'll leave him at home" Rachel teases as the three of them take a seat on the couch
"So you two are together now?" Rachel beams, half expecting an excuse of an answer
"Yes" Donna smiles
"Ah! I'm so happy for you guys! When did this happen ?"
"It's still new but I'm really happy Rach"
Harvey joins them dressed and ready for trial as they finish their coffees. Donna excuses herself to get ready and Harvey spends the rest of the morning briefing Mike on the details of his trial and much to his dismay the story of, in Mikes words, when he grew the balls to man up and tell her he loved her.
At 9, the group leaves for court. Mike and Rachel leave slightly before Donna and Harvey to give Harvey a moment to collect himself. The car ride is quiet, but he's never been more grateful to have her hand to hold. Before they get out of the car he pauses and looks at her, studying all her beauty, a perfect combination of freckles and red.
"I love you" he says before Ray opens the door
"I love you too" she says, leaning in to kiss him
As she pulls back Ray opens her door and he meets her on her side of the car. He links his fingers between hers as they climb the courthouse stairs where Louis is waiting at the top.
"Ready?" He asks Harvey
"As ill ever be" he says, squeezing her palm as they make their way inside.
He's not sure what today will bring. Harvey Specter, New York City's best closer was about to face his fate. In an hour from now he could just be, Harvey Specter. And as much as it would kill him to lose that part of him, something he let define him for decades, he knew that no matter what happened he was going to make it. Because he had the only thing that mattered, and with her by his side he knew he could survive just about anything.
The judge bangs the gavel, indicating court is in session. He releases her hand and follows Louis to the table opposite Daniel Hardman.
"Well well we'll do my eyes deceive me or has someone finally made a play for their secretary" Hardman chuckles
As opening statements wrap up Daniel peers from Harvey to Donna, devilish grin washing over his face.
"My job just got a whole lot easier" he directs at Harvey before turning to the judge
"Your honour, we would like to call Donna Paulsen to the stand"