AN: This story is like… canon divergent/AU? Nothing is canon in it except the fact that Harvey becomes a lawyer and Donna becomes his secretary, so I'm not sure what we'd classify that as haha… either way, enjoy! :)

Day 7

Mistletoe Mishaps

by Sbstevenson2

.-*°✧°*-.

Christmas Eve - 2001

Donna Paulsen sighs, eyes rolling to the ceiling like only a typical sixteen year old can do. She huffs, arms crossing over her chest as she leans against the living room doorway of her family's home.

It's Christmas Eve, and the Paulsens throw a Christmas Extravaganza each year, this one being no less extravagant than the last. Their neighbors, the Specters, co-host, seeing as they're all best friends (including their kids, their eldest son, Harvey, just happens to be her best friend as well).

She looks around, watching as men and women, dressed in their Christmas attire, mill around, drinks in hand and laughter flowing. There's music wafting across the foyer, filtering from room to room as people talk, eat, drink and all around be merry. It's very festive of them.

Her mom and Mrs. Specter had gone all out this year with the decorations, white lights twining amongst the stair railing, garland and mistletoe hanging around and down from doorways, oversized Christmas trees in every corner. She loved it, she honestly did. Christmas was her second favorite holiday (Halloween being the first, obviously. What better way to have a whole night where she gets to stay in character? It was the actress in her.)

Donna was just… bored. These parties were fun when she and Harvey were young, but now that they're older, they're expected to mingle and interact with the adults more.

"This party blows," Harvey groans, coming to stand beside her.

She smirks, nodding in agreement. She turns to meet her best friend's eyes, jutting her head in the direction of her dad's office. "Wanna hide out in there?"

Harvey responds with an immediate God, yes, while grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall. They laugh, closing the door. Donna settles onto the brown leather sofa, arm resting on the back of it as she looks out the large window, watching the snow that still falls. She takes a deep breath, eyes closing momentarily as Harvey turns on one of his dad's records. Gordon's music fills the air, softly playing. "I love your dad's Christmas album," she states with a content smile, "I always get so excited when my dad pulls it out each year."

He grins, saying it's a good one. "We gotta start bringing stuff to do at these parties," he declares, and she chuckles, knowing he's more bored than she is.

"Well we have the Nintendo," she shrugs, "but Marcus was still using it last time I went in there."

Harvey rolls his eyes at his little brother, walking around her dad's study. His hand trails over the liquor cabinet, and his eyes light up. "You wanna?"

She clicks her tongue in disapproval, saying, "Yeah, right. You know my dad would realize in a heartbeat if a single drop was missing."

Shrugging, Harvey agrees, making a comment about sneaking his own in next year. She just rolls her eyes, knowing he talks a big game. They're only sixteen, and she knows for a fact he's only consumed alcohol one time. It was at their first big high school party, and he'd wanted to fit in with the other baseball players that he was trying to impress. He'd had one drink, only started the second before he felt drunk and she had to help him walk home. They'd spent the night in their tree house that night (it resides in her backyard, but they'd always considered it theirs), for Donna knew if Gordon or Lily caught him coming home drunk at fifteen years old, he wouldn't live to see sixteen.

Harvey flops down onto the couch beside her with an exaggerated huff, head falling to the back of the couch.

"Hey," she says, poking his cheek. "You remember that year you got the Talkboy and we went around the party recording everyone?"

Chortling, Harvey sits up, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, man," he laughs, "and then we came in here and played it back, slowing everyone's voices down like Kevin does in Home Alone."

They laugh at the memory, Donna standing to rummage through a random cabinet in the office. She pulls out her pink version of the toy with an ah-ha! "I knew it was still in here."

She goes back to the couch with a chuckle, both listening to the old recordings she made as a kid–ones where she was telling Harvey and Marcus what to do, others where she was practicing lines for a play, some with her mom giving baking instructions, it was all still there. "That's awesome," Harvey snorts, shaking his head in amusement. "I also remember that was the Christmas you got that stupid lifesize Barbie and made me change her outfit like a million times."

Snickering, Donna simply shrugs. "You were a good sport."

He taps her knee, saying, "That's what best friends are for," and giving her a wink.

Smiling, she agrees. Her head tilts toward the closed door, listening for the party goers. "Sounds like things are dying down out there finally." She looks out the window, Harvey's head turning as well, as they watch several couples getting in their cars. The Smiths clamber into their SUV, scarves and jackets being pulled closer as the chilly winter air hits them. Their son, Joey, is Marcus' age, so she's sure Harvey's little brother is now roaming the house looking for them. "Ready to go back out there?"

"I guess," he replies dispassionately, standing from the couch.

She rises as well, making their way from the office.

When they open the door, they're greeted by the sight of Gordon Specter. He raises his glass in the air toward his son with a, "Hey, there you guys are!"

Donna smirks, knowing Mr. Specter always gets the tiniest bit tipsy at the Christmas parties, easy to do when you don't have to drive home, just walk right next door. "Here we are," she mocks playfully, raising her hands up and wiggling her fingers as if he'd just found the prize.

Gordon smiles, that warm one that always makes her feel like a little girl sitting with him on early Saturday mornings, telling him about all her favorite cartoon characters. The older man's eyes trail up above their heads, a goofy grin plastering itself on his face. "Looka' there," he points up, the teenager's eyes following.

Donna swallows thickly, spying the mistletoe that hangs above the doorway. She knows the holiday tradition, knows what's expected of them now, and her heart hammers in her chest. She can feel her heartbeat all the way in her throat, thrumming loudly in her eardrums. She's never kissed a boy before–none except at drama camp when she had to kiss Bobby Maguire for the summer production. But this... this is different.

"Gordon," Clara Paulsen calls as she steps closer to the trio, smiling brightly as she brushes by a colleague that's still at the party, "leave the kids alone."

"Ah," he mumbles, waving a hand to wave her off, "it's just fun and games."

Gordon turns to Clara, both smirking as they agree it is tradition.

Rolling her eyes, Donna looks up at Harvey. He's got this weird look on his face, and she's not sure why. His brown eyes meet hers, and she gives her an apprehensive shrug. "Let's just get this over with," he whispers, leaning closer to her. "You know my dad is a goofball and will never let this go."

Grinning, she nods. She knows he's right. Gordon is always the parent stirring up the fun (and trouble, according to her dad), and he'll stand here all night if it means getting to make fun of the two of them for the next year.

Taking a deep breath, Donna turns toward Harvey. She licks her lips nervously, eyes glancing down to his lips, then back up to his eyes.

He smiles small, licking his own lips in the process. Harvey leans in slowly, hesitantly, pressing his lips to hers. They're soft, and, hmm, well, that feels nice. She presses her lips back to his, and it feels like an eternity that they stay like that, lips pressed to one another's, but in reality she knows it's the briefest of smooches. Harvey pulls away before she can let her mind wander to possibilities of worlds where she gets to kiss him like that, or longer, any time she wants.

She shakes herself from those thoughts, knowing that kiss meant nothing to him, and she only felt like this because it was her first real one.

"Atta boy!" Gordon cackles, walking over the clap both of them on the shoulders.

She feels as if her face is the color of her hair, but she laughs it off, awkwardly, she's sure, but she pretends it didn't affect her. Donna looks up, making sure no one was watching. Her mom is walking away with a smirk on her face, shaking her head, and there's one or two of her dad's friends standing around, laughing. She's not sure if they saw, or even cared, so she thinks she won't die of mortification tonight after all.

Harvey rolls his eyes, shrugging his dad's hand off his shoulder. "Alright, Pops," he laughs, "I think you've had enough of these." He taps the rim of his dad's glass, and Gordon just laughs, adding a, "This is only my third, son. I'm not a lightweight like you."

Harvey's eyes widen, turning to Donna with an obvious accusation on his tongue. He brings up a finger, and she cuts him off with a harshly whispered, "I didn't say anything! That was a year ago!"

"She didn't have to tell us," Gordon guffaws, waving his drink in the air, "You were in the tree house at two in the morning singing Vogue. The whole street knew you were drunk." And with a shake of his head, in obvious amusement, Gordon turns to walk away after giving Donna a wink.

Harvey's cheeks redden, and Donna just giggles, thankful that Gordon had gotten the attention off of their kiss. "So much for taking that secret to our graves," she says, laughing harder when Harvey rolls his eyes. "Come on Madonna," she relents, looping her arm through his, "let's go play Nintendo with Marcus."

Giving his arm a squeeze, she drags him into the living room, excited to spend another Christmas with her best friend.

{********************************}

Christmas Eve - 2005

"Thanks for helping me clean up," Harvey says softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet in the house. It's nearing midnight now, and his parents have gone to sleep already.

"You're welcome," she smiles, moving to stand next to him as they rinse off the dishes. "It's the least I could do after another amazing Paulsen-Specter Christmas Extravaganza!" she twirls the party title around on her tongue with a flair, mocking all the times their parents have called it that.

He smirks, correcting her with a You mean Specter-Paulsen, to which she shakes her head, telling him he's wrong. Rolling his eyes with a grin, he gives in, saying Paulsen-Specter sounds better anyway. He doesn't play into the thoughts that it sounds like a good forever last name for her, too, absolutely not. He shoves those deep seeded thoughts down into the depths of his soul, along with the ones that still think about that kiss from four years ago when they were still teenagers living at home.

They're in college now, him at Harvard and her off away at Yale for their theatre department. Being home for the holidays is nice, he loves being able to see Donna. He finds he misses being able to just walk across the little patch of grass separating their houses and walk in like he's family, running upstairs to jump on her bed and mess up her perfectly made covers. He smirks at the memory, bumping his hip against hers as they finish rinsing the plates and setting them in the dishwasher.

"And besides," she adds, bringing his thoughts back to reality, "our moms were exhausted from setting up the party and hosting all night."

He nods as she jests, "And, yeah right, like our dad's would ever be caught dead washing the dishes."

Snorting, he agrees. "Pretty sure your dad passed out in the recliner hours before the party ended," he laughs, saying Clara had to practically drag him across to their house an hour ago.

She smiles to herself, and he finds he can't take his eyes off of her for some reason. Nothing has changed, they've been cleaning up from the parties for years, they've been doing this whole let's-spend-the-entire-night-together routine on every visit they make home from their respective colleges. But for some reason, tonight, he doesn't want the night to end at all.

"And hey," he adds, swatting the dish towel at her shoulder as he steps away from the sink, "we made it through a whole party without a drop of alcohol. That's gotta be a new record since we went off to school."

"Speak for yourself," she giggles, pulling a miniature flask from her pocket and waving it in his direction with a wink.

Harvey's eyes go wide, reaching for the silver container. "No fair!" he laughs, twisting the cap off and taking a swig.

Donna laughs, walking over to the kitchen island and planting herself on a bar stool. She shrugs, saying it made this year's soiree more fun than the last one. With a chuckle, he grabs his dad's bottle of Macallan and two glasses, joining her at the island. Her eyes widen, repeating what she says every time Harvey sneaks some of Gordon's good stuff. "You can't. He'll notice."

"Relax," he snickers. "We're almost twenty-one, he won't care."

With a roll of her eyes, she wraps her hand around one of the glasses, signaling with her chin for him to pour the drinks.

They sit together, talking about school and catching up on all the things they've missed out on since they saw each other over Thanksgiving break. Their glasses empty, Harvey refilling them as they sip them more slowly, savoring the flavor and wasting the hour away together.

"I'm sorry you and Scottie broke up," she relents suddenly, taking another sip of the amber liquid.

He shrugs, not all too bothered by the break up. "Eh," he says nonchalantly, "it was a few weeks ago. One less Christmas present to buy."

She rolls her eyes, taking a deep inhale before slowly releasing it. The room goes quiet, Harvey trying to muster enough acting ability he's learned from her over the years to repeat the sentiment. "And, uh," he stammers, taking a sip of his drink. "I'm sorry about Thomas."

She nods, lips twisting, and fuck, he knew she was still upset over their breakup; he shouldn't have brought it up. Donna shrugs, trying to seem nonplussed about it. "He, um," her hands fiddle around the rim of her glass, "you know, he graduated back in May, so he's been trying to get his business started. He was just too busy for a relationship right now."

Harvey nods, recalling a conversation he had with the guy over Thanksgiving break about his furniture and how he had dreams of expanding it to be nationwide one day.

"And besides," she sighs, sweeping a strand of her red hair behind her ear. He has the sudden urge to do it for her, but again, he pushes that feeling away. "He, uh, he couldn't quite understand…" she trails off, taking another sip and glancing toward the microwave. Her hazel eyes flutter back to meet his brown ones, a look of uncertainty crossing her features. "He didn't really like our relationship, yours and mine that is, when he was here on Thanksgiving. Said we were too… I don't know." She shrugs again, shaking her head in annoyance.

His head tilts, curious as to what her former boyfriend thought. He encourages her to go on, listening as she says, "I tried to explain that we've been neighbors and best friends since we were two, but he didn't understand." Her eyes mist over, but she blinks it away before he can call attention to it. "Practically wanted me to like… choose between you and him or something," she scoffs, as if making that choice was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

He feels his chest puff up, but tries to contain it, when he realizes she's implying she would choose him over a boyfriend. And good, that's what... best friends… are for. The air grows thick between them, and he leans a little closer, reaching for the bottle of scotch again, and he watches as her eyes widen slightly, inhaling a deep breath as her lips part almost noticeably. His breathing practically matches hers, exhaling slowly while he tops off their glasses once more.

"Anyway," she states, clearing her throat and popping the bubble around them, a tipsy little giggle leaving her mouth. She pulls her hair to one side, twirling it around her fingers as she smiles demurely to herself, giving him a nice view of her tantalizing neck. And no… not tantalizing, just… a neck. Donna's neck. "We should bake cookies!" she squeals all of a sudden.

He laughs, reminding her it's almost one in the morning.

"So?! We can surprise your mom with them tomorrow."

Chuckling, he agrees, and the madness ensues. She gets the flour, loudly shushing him when he bends down to reach for the cookie sheets, pans clattering together. "You're gonna wake up your parents!" she admonishes in a loud whisper.

He shakes his head, thinking to himself that she's a little past tipsy now, but honestly, he's feeling just as loose limbed as she is.

She directs him, telling him to bring the butter and milk over to her at the island while she grabs the sugar. They combine the ingredients, Donna peering down precariously close to the bowl as she mixes the items, making sure all the clumps are out. She adds a pinch of salt, slurring an explanation that it brings out the sweetness. He simply shrugs, not one to question the great Donna Paulsen's judgement.

While watching her, he notices she has flour smeared on her cheek, and he laughs, swiping it off with his finger. She looks up then down at his finger and giggles. Reaching into the bowl, she runs her finger across the top of it where only the residual flour remains, getting enough on her finger tip to bop his nose, leaving behind the white substance.

His mouth falls open as she laughs, then shushes them, stifling another bout of laughter behind her hand. Harvey dips a finger into the bowl, bringing out a dough covered finger tip. "Don't you dare!" she squeals, taking a step back from him. He chases her as she runs around the island, playing a drunken version of tag. He finally captures her, arm winding around her waist and pulling her back against him. She gasps, then settles into his embrace, both laughing as he swipes the dough onto her cheek. "Harvey!" she yelps, giggling as she steps away. She clears her throat, trying to be serious. "You're going to wake your mother up, and then we're going to be in big trouble, Mister."

He smirks, telling her she's right.

Once all the dough is finally ready, they roll it out onto parchment paper, and Harvey stumbles over to a cabinet, reaching up to the top shelf to grab a gallon sized Ziploc bag that his mom has stored the cutters in his whole life. "Cookie cutters!" he exclaims, earning a loud Shhhhhhh from his partner in crime.

She chortles, though, reaching for the bag. "Oh my gosh!" she yells, clamping a hand over her mouth and eyes widening as she looks around dramatically, making sure she didn't wake anyone up. "They're Christmas shapes!"

He chuckles, nodding as he pulls out the mistletoe, reindeer, and Christmas tree cutters, placing them on the counter beside her. "These were my favorite ones growing up."

Donna aww's at that, batting her eyelashes in his direction. He shakes his head, puffing out a laugh at how silly she's being. He's only seen her drunk a handful of times, and he makes a mental note to visit her more often at school because he has a feeling this isn't the first time she's felt this good, especially since she owns a flask and thought to bring it to the party. "Just how often do you guys drink up there at Yale?" he quips, eyebrow raising in mock-suspicion.

Scoffing, she looks at him with a pointed look. "We're theatre majors, Harvey, not nuns." He laughs, nodding as she adds, "And probably not as much as all you law majors."

He agrees with a snort, knowing his fellow future lawyers party harder than anyone he's ever seen, especially after exams. He tells her so, informing Donna he'll take her to his favorite bar the next time she comes to visit.

With a nod, she agrees, saying, "And I'll show you our favorite pub when you come visit me."

Shaking his head with a grin, he cuts some more cookies out of the dough, laying them on the baking sheet.

While the cookies bake, Donna whips up a batch of icing, Harvey watching in fascination. He's poured them each a glass of water, knowing they need to sober up some if they don't want to be dead tomorrow on Christmas day with their families. Marcus will be home from school in the morning, and he knows his little brother will be excited to see both of them, so they need to be ready.

She hums a little diddy to herself, one that sounds a bit like a mixture between Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Up on the Housetop. He smiles, eyes hooded with exhaustion or just contentment, he isn't quite sure, as he listens and watches her work.

"I'm glad we still get to see each other," he finds himself saying sincerely, head propped against his palm as his elbow rests on the counter top.

Donna smiles over at him, and his stomach does a weird little flip flop that he's not used to feeling around her. "Me, too," she admits softly, smiling again before focusing on coloring the two bowls of icing–one red, one green.

Harvey leans in, dipping a finger into one of the bowls. She smacks the back of his hand, reprimanding him and telling him he's not allowed to stick that finger back in the bowl. Harvey pops the finger into his mouth, eyebrows twitching up as he sucks the icing off of his finger. Donna rolls her eyes, but he notices that as she looks back toward the cookies, there's a slight pink tinge to her cheeks and she bites down on her bottom lip. Huh. Maybe it's the alcohol they've been drinking for the past few hours, but he also doesn't think he imagined that look.

The cookies finish, and they spend the next ten minutes covering them in the desired amount of icing before breaking them in half, clinking them together like champagne glasses and scarfing them down. Donna grabs the milk back out from the fridge, stuffing another piece of cookie in her mouth. "Why haven't we made cookies at one in the morning before now?" she asks incredulously, bringing the half-gallon jug to the island. "They taste so much better like this!"

Chortling, Harvey tells her he thinks the alcohol has something to do with that. They've sobered up somewhat, but are still slowly sipping on a fourth drink each as they munch on the dessert. She giggles, picking up another cookie. "Look!" she exclaims, holding the cookie above her head. "It's mistletoe!" She giggles, giving it a little shake and making what seems to be a jingle of a bell sound with her mouth.

With his mind half fogged, but never feeling clearer, Harvey leans in suddenly, pecking his lips to hers while she holds the mistletoe cookie above her head still. Her lips melt into his, her body falling closer to his momentarily. Pulling back in an instant, he hears a light gasp falling from her lips. "Harvey," she says, almost sounding shocked, surprised, confused... he isn't sure what she's feeling.

"It was mistletoe!" he defends his actions with a laugh, and thank god, she smiles, giggling along with him.

"Kind of like when we were sixteen," she adds, rolling her eyes and taking another bite of cookie.

Harvey laughs an Oh yeah! before saying, "God, my dad was so drunk that year."

They laugh at the memory, Donna's face growing serious as she sips her milk, clearly giving up on the alcohol for tonight. "You know, that was actually my first kiss."

His head bobs to the side, eyebrows furrowing. "But what about–"

"–Bobby Maguire at sixth grade drama camp doesn't count," she deadpans with a wry smile. "And besides, I'm pretty sure his lips never even touched mine," she laughs, "he was too nervous to be that close to a girl."

Guffawing, Harvey holds a hand to his stomach, leaning back on the bar stool as he laughs at the image. He'd gone to that play, making his parents ride with the Paulsens a good two hours away to her camp just to see her very first production. He'd cringed back then at the "kiss", still thinking it was kind of gross to kiss girls. "Wonder if he ever got over that fear?" he muses.

"Pretty sure he's gay now," she announces, both chuckling as their eyes connect. "No, but seriously," Donna says, growing somber again. "Having my best friend as my first kiss was… nice. Special."

He smiles softly, sliding his chair an inch closer to hers. The air thickens around them like earlier, there's a charged energy he's never felt before, and he wonders if she wants to kiss him as desperately as he wants to press his lips to hers, reliving that first kiss of hers all over again.

Donna leans in, eyes growing heavy with the exhaustion she must be feeling after all the work, mingling with people tonight, and alcohol. She giggles as her head gets closer, lips parting.

His eyes flicker closed, and just as suddenly, the lights flick on, making them both jump apart. Donna snickers drunkenly, bringing a broken piece of cookie up to her lips, stuffing it in and glancing over toward the doorway. "You know, you might would've been quieter if you hadn't drank half your dad's scotch."

He at least has the sense in him still to look sheepish, but starts smirking when he hears Donna's tipsy laughter.

"Sorry, Lily," she says half-heartedly around a bite of sugar cookie.

She giggles again, but her eyes grow wide, looking to Harvey for help as his mom stands in the doorway wrapped in her Christmas robe and rollers in her hair, arms crossed over her chest. He smirks, shrugging his apology in his mom's direction as he stands from the stool. Reaching out, he takes Donna's hand, helping her stand.

She brushes off the crumbs from her lap, giggling as she stacks two more cookies in her hand, apologizing again. "I'll just… get going," she laughs, jutting her head toward the backdoor of his kitchen and stumbling in his direction, placing a kiss to his cheek.

Pulling back, their eyes meet, an unspoken something going on between them before she waves a sloppy goodbye to the older woman. Donna throws her jacket on, messily wrapping the scarf around her neck while trying to balance the two cookies in her hand. She softly laughs at herself, seemingly in her own world as Harvey stands there, looking at his mom and feeling like a teenager caught with his pants pulled down surrounded by the dirty bowls, flour dusted across the counter top and their faces (and shirts), and a pile of cookies half decorated or bitten into.

"Goodnight, Donna," Lily finally drawls, giving her a soft smile before hard eyes fall back to him. Donna giggles again, picking up her purse and waving a silent goodnight as she opens the door and stumbles her way across the driveway to her own. He and Lily both watch as she unlocks her own front door, and he's glad to know she made it home safely.

"You know," his mom says, stepping further into the kitchen. She runs her hand along the counter, a trail of flour meeting her finger. She gives him a look that says You'll be cleaning this up, Young Man, and he nods, knowing he already intended on cleaning up their mess, "You could always just tell her instead of getting her drunk on scotch and cookies while you try to kiss her."

"Mom," he groans in embarrassment, hand flying up to cover his face. He looks between his fingers, rolling his eyes when he sees a smug smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

His hand falls, huffing as he ignores her comment, not in the right mindset to talk about this. He knows he feels something but can't quite put a name to it. He's never liked any of Donna's boyfriends–Mark was too sleazy their senior year of high school; Harvey always felt like he was just trying to get into her pants but didn't actually care for her. There was Stephen their freshman year of college, but thankfully that didn't last long. She'd briefly dated his friend Tanner the summer before their sophomore year of college, and he'd been bothered by that, felt like she was spending all her free time with him instead of enjoying the summer with Harvey like they always did. Was it all just jealousy? He isn't sure; they bugged him, sure, but that's just because they took Donna's attention away from him, and he wanted his best friend all to himself. Yeah, that had to be what it was.

"I'll get this all cleaned up before I go to bed," he announces, not acknowledging his mom's comment.

She hums with a knowing glance and a smile, letting him get away with it this time. "You better. I don't want a spot of flour or icing on a single counter by time I wake up in a few hours."

He exhales, a short chuckle coming through his nose, as he scoops the remaining cookies into a Tupperware container and washes off the baking sheet. "Goodnight, Mom," he moans, rolling his eyes for good measure.

She makes her way out of the kitchen with a chuckle that reverberates in his eardrums. He knows there's more to Lily's laughter than simply being amused at the cookies, but he can't think about that right now. He's annoyed, and frustrated, and just needs time to think. Needs to figure out what all these new feelings inside of him could mean.

Harvey climbs into bed half an hour later, unable to sleep as he contemplates everything that's happened tonight. He's confused, but one thing is clear: the brief kiss he shared with Donna was better than anything he's ever had with any other girl.

{********************************}

Christmas Eve - 2012

Another Christmas Eve, and this time Donna is not spending it back home at the annual Paulsen-Specter Christmas Extravaganza. It's their first year not attending, and the fact that Harvey is spending Christmas Eve with her (and all of their co-workers) makes her feel better.

"Merry Christmas," he mumbles into her ear, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

She bites her lip, chin tucking down as she pushes her hair behind her ear. She can feel her cheeks heat, but she responds anyway, "Merry Christmas, Harvey."

He places a kiss to her cheek, handing her the drink he'd just gone to retrieve for her. He gives his hips a little jiggle, bumping them against hers as the band plays Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

Laughing, she dances with him for a moment, then slows to take a sip of her drink. She looks around, admiring the firm's decorations.

Harvey had moved to New York after graduating from Harvard three years ago, working his way from the lowest level entry job possible at Gordon Schmidt and Van Dyke. Donna had joined him five months later after trying her luck in Los Angeles post-graduation a few years back, moving into an apartment six blocks from his. She was struggling to find acting gigs, but her best friend had luckily been in need of a secretary. He fully understood, however, that she would step out on him for auditions whenever she could. It was a great arrangement, and three years in, she couldn't have asked for a better job. She's the best damn secretary for the best damn closer this city has ever seen. They're an unstoppable duo, and everyone in the firm was jealous of him simply for having her as his Girl Friday.

It was exciting, both being in the big city together like real adults, out on their own in the world. He'd helped her navigate around town when she first got there, both of them finding new restaurants and even a secret little park where they could get away from time to time. They'd spend Saturdays there having picnics and avoiding work most weekends. It was great, life was good in The Big Apple.

They'd both traveled home together the last four years, wanting to spend the holiday with their families, but now that Harvey was making a name for himself in the firm, he'd been invited to the Christmas party the partners held each season. He'd asked Donna to come along as his date before they'd catch the train tomorrow morning to go home for Christmas, spending the next few days tucked away in their parents' homes drinking hot cocoa by the fire and opening gifts all together.

"Hey," he says, interrupting her thoughts. "You okay?"

Donna smiles, giving him a nod. "Yeah," she chuckles, "totally weird not being at the Christmas Extravaganza, though, right?"

Smirking, Harvey agrees. They'd stayed up late last night, one of their conversations leading to confessions on both of their parts that they'd miss the party more than they were willing to admit. "This one isn't so bad, though, is it?"

She looks around again, watching as Louis Litt tries to weasel his way into conversations being held by the higher ups, laughing at all the correct moments, but all around weirding everyone out. She rolls her eyes, elbowing Harvey in the ribs as she tilts her chin in the other lawyer's direction.

Harvey scoffs, a roll of his eyes matching hers. She trails her eyes across to the giant Christmas tree adorned in white lights and multi-colored ornaments, admiring Jessica Pearson's gorgeous red dress as she stands beside the giant Fir. Jessica has been a big asset to Harvey over the last few years, and as the woman catches Donna's gaze, she lifts her champagne glass in her direction, sending her a silent greeting.

Donna smiles over at the older woman, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly as she settles into the party's atmosphere. It's not so bad. "It's not the Paulsen-Specter Christmas Extravaganza," she jests with a smile, looking back to Harvey. "But it's not terrible."

She takes another sip, hiding her smirk as Harvey corrects, like always, "The Specter-Paulsen Christmas Extravaganza, yes."

Waving him off, her eyes flicker back to Jessica. She's speaking with Robert Zane, another lawyer in the firm. "I hear he's going to make partner before Jessica one day soon," Harvey spills, leaning closer to her ear so no one else can hear.

Donna's head tilts to the side, examining the pair from across the room. "Nah," she breathes, looking over her shoulder at him. "Robert's going to go to another law firm before that happens."

She turns in time to see Harvey taking a step back, eyes wide and confused as he says, "And how do you know that?"

Looking at him like he's an idiot for even questioning her, she declares matter-of-factly, "I'm Donna."

Harvey shakes his head with a smirk, and takes her hand, signaling for her to place her drink down next to his as he leads her onto the dance floor. I'll Be Home for Christmas starts to play as she wraps her hand in his, the other arm resting around his neck. They sway to the music, her eyes meeting his.

There's this unspoken… something… that's been between them ever since that Christmas he kissed her under the cookie mistletoe. Sure, they'd been drunk, but the energy between them has been more flirtatious, more… weighted ever since then. She'd dated several guys over the last seven years since that night, none of which Harvey liked (and he even admitted that they bothered him), but she can't read too much into that. He'd dated countless amounts of women, and Donna had never been a fan of any of them either.

She'd made a rule when they first started working together, though, to not date people she worked with. She made it more to avoid the advances of people like Nicholas Burton and Franklin Carter but when she'd told Harvey her rule, he'd seemed disappointed. But, again, she won't read too much into that.

She has come to realize over time that she's in love with him, yearns to be with him in every way possible, not just as his best friend. But, her rule. Her stupid, stupid rule. She was never one to go back on her word, but the more time that passes, the more she thinks just this once, a rule was meant to be broken. If only he felt the same way...

Laying her head against his chest, she listens as his heart beats in sync with hers. He spins them around, and she's impressed. He's a great dancer, whether he wants to admit it or not. "Those dance classes Lily dragged you to summer after second grade seem to have paid off even after all this time."

"Shut up," he chuckles, stepping back to twirl her around.

Her emerald green dress billows out around her, garnering the attention of people around them. She smiles as she tucks herself back into his chest, always loving being the center of attention, even if just for a moment.

The song comes to a close, and Harvey takes her hand, leading her off the dance floor as they discuss what they got their parents for Christmas. "Shit," she snaps her fingers, looking up to him. "That reminds me, I need to wrap my dad's gift tonight when I get home."

Harvey looks at her as if she's grown a second head, leading her over to a more secluded section of the party. "You haven't finished wrapping yet?" he asks, eyes dramatically wide. "I thought you normally finish that before Thanksgiving."

"Ha, ha," she replies dryly, shaking her head at him. "I bought it last minute. I was out last weekend, I thought I told you this, and I saw the steak knives he's been searching for. He's gonna die!"

Harvey nods, saying that he remembers now. He props his shoulder against a doorway, and she leans against the other side of it, hips centimeters apart as they both watch party goers pass by, Donna smiling at her fellow secretaries that she sees.

"You alright?" she asks after a moment. He's seemed a bit off today, and now standing here, him not saying anything, he looks nervous.

Harvey nods, murmuring Mmhmm before looking up. She watches as he rubs his lips together nervously, then follows his gaze up to the mistletoe hanging above the doorway he'd stood them in.

Her stomach drops, wanting nothing more than to kiss him. It's been so long since she had, but Donna, being Donna, just rolls her eyes, memories of being sixteen and a drunk Gordon egging them on run through her mind, so she chuckles, bringing it up again.

Harvey grins, shaking his head as his brown eyes meet hers in a serious gaze. "This isn't my dad making us," he says, tone deeper than she remembers it ever being. "And we aren't sixteen anymore."

No, they're over a decade older than that now, yet her stomach still flips over itself at his honeyed tone. He's speaking softly, almost as if he only wants her to hear his words. Harvey turns to look at her, Donna giving him a questioning look.

He reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. "This also isn't a mistletoe cookie drunkenly baked at one AM." She smirks, shaking her head at the memory.

Harvey shrugs a shoulder up, glancing back up to the mistletoe with a Cheshire cat smile tugging at his lips. "I figured this," his eyes bounce up to the sprig again, "would be the perfect way to tell you."

"Tell me what?" she asks breathlessly, brows furrowing. Without thought, she steps closer, his hand still warm against her cheek.

Harvey's eyes go soft, closing as he leans in and presses his lips against hers. She sighs into their kiss, eyes drifting shut and body leaning even closer to his as a tiny moan escapes from the back of her throat. The world around them disappears as her hands wind around his neck, one slowly landing at the back of his neck, and her fingers weave into his hair, pulling him closer.

His lips feel amazing on hers, better than when they were sixteen, or twenty, or any other time she may have felt his lips against her skin (usually, more than anything else, just pressed against her cheek, except that one time when they were eighteen...). This, though, this is… everything. She feels as if he's pouring his whole self into her, and she never wants this moment to end.

Donna deepens the kiss, angling her head to the side as she runs her tongue along the seam of his lips. He parts, granting her entrance for just a moment, groaning at the contact, before he pulls back, smiling brighter than she's ever seen. "To tell you I love you."

"Wh-what?" she stammers, eyes still half closed, dazed from that amazing kiss. She reaches up, running a finger along her lips, not wanting the feel of him to ever leave her again. They've been nothing but a pair of idiots for the last few years, and she feels dizzy with this new revelation.

"I love you, Donna Roberta Paulsen." She rolls her eyes at the use of her full name, but a warm smile grows as she realizes what he's (finally) admitting to her. "I love you." He chuckles, eyes growing the tiniest bit wet, "You're my best friend, and I think I've always known how I felt, I just couldn't access it."

She snickers around a lump in her throat, making a joke about his multitude of girlfriends probably getting in the way of that. He gives her a deadpan look, one that clearly reads Shut up and let me say these sweet things, so she relents, face melting back into a loving smile as she lets his words wrap her up like a warm blanket.

"I love the way you call me on all my bullshit, I love how you get me. You've always understood me more than anyone else, and better than anyone else. You are… amazing," he claims, thumb caressing her cheekbone. "And I don't think I've told you that enough over our lifetime."

She shakes her head, lifting a shoulder, then letting it fall as she says around a smirk, "One can never hear it too many times."

He grins, leaning in to kiss her again, this one shorter than the first, and not as passionate, but no less loving. He's a great kisser, she decides, pulling him in for another when he goes to step away.

Stepping back, Donna's eyes flush with tears. Harvey's thumb comes up, wiping one away as he asks her what's wrong. "Nothing," she sniffles, hand landing on the pocket square of his tux. She taps her fingers over his heart, hazel eyes roaming up to meet his. He's looking at her as if she's the most important thing in the world, and maybe he always looked at her that way, she isn't sure, but now she's aware of it. And now she never wants him to look at her any other way. "I just…" she sighs, smiling wetly at him. "I love you, too, Harvey Reginald Specter."

Harvey beams, his eyes flushing with tears and those lines around his eyes crinkling in the way she loves so much as he places another soft kiss to her lips underneath that office mistletoe.

All I Want for Christmas is You begins to play as they break apart, and Donna looks around, seeing that no one had, thankfully, noticed their moment. Or if they had, they had the good sense not to interrupt.

"What do you say we get out of here, hm?" he asks, taking her hand in his. Her fingers link with his, and she smiles, realizing they fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle.

It's a gesture no different from every other time they've held hands over the last two decades, but this, tonight, feels right. Nodding, she squeezes his hand, bringing it closer to her body as he leads them to the elevators. They wave goodbye to Jessica, who has an all too knowing smirk plastered on her face, and they're off into the night.

Off to start this new phase of life together… because it's not starting a life when you're with the same person that's been by your side your entire existence, cheering you on through tough times, celebrating with you in the best of times, and everything in between. They may have missed their family's annual Christmas Extravaganza at home, but Donna thinks this may just be the best Christmas yet.

.-*°✧°*-.

AN: I hope y'all enjoyed this one! I had a lot of fun writing it. If you know me, you know I am a sucker for lifelong friends to lovers… it's one of my favorite tropes lol. Please leave a review and have a merry Christmas!