CHAPTER 7

Harvey wakes with an intense dryness in his throat and a sharp pain in his head as his eyes take in the light of the room. He sits still for a moment, confused and disorientated as he takes in his surroundings.

"Shit" he mumbles to himself as he realises, he'd fallen asleep, in the chair, in her room. He quickly glances to her bed, only to see it was empty. Was she already awake? Did she even sleep in here? Wait.. What time is it? He sees the water on the table beside him and finishes the entire glass, wondering why Donna still thinks to care for him when he hurts her so bad.

"Shit" he mumbles to himself, again, as he recalls the events of last night. Harvey knows that he doesn't have the best track record when it comes to remembering details of 'the night before', but as he remains seated in Donna's room, he's almost certain he can remember every single detail. Every. Single. Thing.

Having pondered over the thoughts of last night for a few minutes, Harvey decides he should leave, desperate to try and wash away some of his guilt with a hot shower. He notices Donna's phone at the side of the bed and crosses the room to check the time.

7:11am.

He leaves her room swiftly and enters his own, a mere stride across the hall. He leans his back against the door as it closes and he shuts his eyes. If he were being honest, Harvey couldn't decide whether he was hungover, or still intoxicated, or both at the same time, if that is possible, but as he clenches his eyes shut tighter in a plea to rid himself of the feelings of unease, he hears her clear her throat.

She's here. In his room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Donna had woken up the second she heard him enter the room and instinctively stilled in his bed. She opened her eyes and glanced at the door, immediately wishing for the world to swallow her up. She had maybe been asleep for 2 hours; and so, she was definitely not ready to face him yet. She watched as he slumped against the door. She thinks about how tired he looks as he closes his eyes, and as he remains there for a minute, she recognises that he has no idea of her presence here. Shit.

She clears her throat; an attempt to make herself known without startling him, and is successful. Harvey opens his eyes and immediately they find hers. His brown eyes are staring into her hazel ones and Donna finds herself drowning in them. He looks vulnerable and confused, and she almost wants to tell him everything is going to be okay.

Almost.

Except she can't, because the feelings of anger and hurt are still fuelling her body. She doesn't hate that it happened, a part of her is actually glad they'd fought about something that mattered, something that wasn't firm related, although she'll never tell Harvey that. She's pissed at him for only having the courage to speak to her when he was drunk out of his mind, but she respects that he tried and she's grateful that he gave her some insight into his mind. Donna doesn't know how much of last night Harvey can remember, but one thing is for sure, even if he can remember it, he definitely won't be addressing it anytime soon. If she were being honest, she was still piecing the events of the night together herself and had no real intention of speaking about it either. They're still staring at each other a moment later and she decides to break the silence.

"I stayed here because you fell asleep in my room" she admits, awkwardly thumbing at the duvet cover as she sits up in his bed, looking around the room to avoid the tension in their eye contact.

"You could have woken me up" Harvey replies, a little shyly. His voice is deeper than usual, a natural consequence of the alcohol and sleep deprivation.

He's right. She could have. She almost did.

"It was 4am, and I didn't want to fight with you anymore, Harvey" she says apprehensively. Although it was the truth, and she hadn't wanted to have this conversation now, Donna had only chosen to mention this to gauge Harvey's reaction. She wanted to see if he could remember what had happened. And if he could, what he would choose to say. He lowered his head a little, looking down to his feet and she waited, half expecting him to avoid the conversation completely. Instead, he sighs, looking back up to her.

"Was it really that late? Shit, I'm sorry" He puts his hands through his hair and then over his unshaven face. Donna watches his movements. She knows instantly that he remembers they fought, she knows she should be worrying about what they'll talk about next, but instead, all she can focus on is how much she appreciates a dishevelled Harvey. His hair is unusually out of place, the beginning of a beard is forming over his usually clean-shaven face, his eyes are darker and notably tired, and his voice is deeper, and it's sexy, and she's craving him. More than ever. But she can't have him. Donna shakes her head, regains some composure, and when she looks into his eyes, see's he's been watching her the entire time.

"Look, Harvey. We have a lot to discuss, I know, but for the sake of Rachel and Mike, let's not do it now. We have today and tomorrow to get through and then when we get home, we can talk if you still want to" she says, forcing herself to sound confident.

"What does that mean for us? For the rest of the weekend?" He sounds worried when he speaks and it breaks her heart that they ever allowed themselves to be like this.

"It means we carry on like everything is okay". She's trying to reassure him, but he knows it.

"I don't want you to pretend to like me, Donna" he emphasises his response, and he notices her flinch.

"Harvey. I'm not sure if you're aware of this" she starts a little patronisingly, "but you mean a great deal to me, and I'm not pretending to care about you. I'm just saying, we should put all of this" she motions between the pair of them, and he knows she's referring to their issues "to one side for now". She stands then, instantly feeling exposed in her nightwear. She reaches for a jumper at the side of her, which she knows belongs to him, obviously, considering it smells just like him and has 'HARVARD' printed boldly across the front of it. She puts it on without a second thought, instantly drowning in his scent once again. He's watching every move she makes and he's mesmerised by her in his clothes. He never wants her to take it off. She walks towards him tentatively, stopping just before she reaches him. He was aware she cared for him. She had tolerated his bullshit for over a decade, and someone like Donna, would not do that for someone they didn't care about. But hearing her say the words to him, meant a whole lot more to him than he could ever explain. He smiled a little. A half smile where his lips curled ever so slightly, a smile that would probably go unnoticed by everyone. Except her. She noticed. And her heart warms at this secretly self-conscious mess in front of her. A man she knew would appreciate such small words of reassurance.

"You're right. Let's enjoy the rest of the weekend. Wait, we can still enjoy this weekend, right? I haven't totally fucked it up, have I?" he asks nervously.

She chuckled lightly. "I'm glad you can admit you've fucked up" she jokes.

He widens his eyes, feigning hurt and she continues.

"Of course we can enjoy the rest of the weekend, Harvey", she says as she watches him let out a breath that she hadn't noticed he was holding. "Come here" she says and she embraces him in a hug. It takes him by surprise but he needs it. He needs to know that he hasn't lost her forever, that he can still fix things with her. She feels his grip tighten behind her back as she tentatively runs her hands over his back.

"For what it's worth, you mean a great deal to me too" he says quietly into her hair.

"I know" she whispers.

She breaks the hug, scared that if she doesn't do it now, she'll never want to let go. She pulls away gently and he follows her actions, missing the warmth of her body and the scent of her hair instantly. It's the moments like these that Harvey finds most difficult. The times where he knows within himself how he feels, how she makes him feel, yet he can't access it enough to risk telling her. To risk losing her. Donna can see that he's thinking about something and decides it would be best to not ask. Not yet. She gives him a nod and steps behind him to exit his bedroom. As she pulls open the door, he turns to watch her leave.

"I'll give you this back later" she says with a glance over her shoulder, her hand pulling at the hem of his jumper.

Harvey looks up and down at her frame, his eyes resting on the part of her thighs where the jumper reached. It buried her. But she looked cute. He chuckles softly.

"Keep it" he says without hesitation. "It looks better on you anyway".

And with a quick smirk, she turned away and left, hoping he had not seen the heat spreading across her cheeks, and thankful it was impossible to see the heat spreading within her body. They'd always flirted like this, in fact, they'd toyed the flirting line so much they had admittedly overstepped it sometimes. It was who they were. But Donna had to admit that since that kiss and the realisation of her consuming feelings for Harvey, every look, every touch and every word meant so much more to her and she was in trouble. This weekend really is testing her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mike had stumbled into the kitchen with a killer of headache, desperate for some water and painkillers. The world around him seemed quiet, his fiancée and friends evidently still sleeping, blissfully unaware of their likely impeding hangovers. He takes a seat at the table, resting his elbows there, and puts his head in his hands when he notices it's only 7:30am. And it's a Saturday. He finishes off his glass of water with one giant gulp, and places it in the sink and that's when he hears a bedroom door click shut. Mike turns slowly, moving gently and remaining quiet, not wanting to fuel his headache, and stares directly down the corridor of Harvey's and Donna's rooms.

Holy shit.

Mike stares wide eyed and in shock as he watches Donna tiptoe out of Harvey's room and into her own wearing a jumper, he knows is Harvey's. One, it's a Harvard jumper, there's only one person here that actually went to Harvard Law, and two, he knows it's Harvey's because he's seen him wearing it.

"Really, Harvey?" Mike asked as soon as his best friend opened the door to his condo.

"What?" Harvey was confused.

It was a Sunday evening and Mike had headed over to Harvey's to ask about a case they were supposed to be tackling first thing in morning.

"I had Louis pegged as the type to wear the Harvard jumper, but you? Never saw it coming" he smirked as he walked past the man holding open the door.

Harvey chuckled, closing the door. "See that's funny" he started, following his younger friend into the kitchen, "you sound a little jealous because you never really went to Harvard, and never got the chance to own one. Plus, only the best graduates got one of these, so we both know Louis doesn't have one"

"Ouch" Mike responded; feigning hurt. "Why don't you give me yours then? At least let me relish in the idea of being a Harvard graduate"

"Absolutely not, there's no way anyone gets their hands on this. Now, why don't you tell me why you've disrupted my Sunday evening?"

Mike shakes his head as he recalls the memory, excitement bubbling at the prospect of their best friends finally getting their shit together. He's grateful Donna had been too focused on entering her own room as quickly as possible and had therefore failed to realise he was standing there. It means he could have some fun with the situation. He smirks, heading back to his room as quickly as possible, desperate for Rachel to wake up so he can tell her everything he saw.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Both Donna and Harvey had spent the next hour and a half showering and getting ready to face another day, both unaware of where they day will take them. After a quick glance outside of her bedroom window and seeing the sun already beaming down, Donna opted for a mini black dress, t-shirt styled in the sleeves and floaty at the bottom. She dried her hair, allowing it to fall over her shoulders freely in some natural curls, and applied the most minimal make-up. Donna never really went overboard with her make-up unless it was for a major event or if she were going out somewhere of a high standard, and so today would be no exception, especially since she had been dreaming of that hot-tub since she got out of the shower this morning. With a pop of her lips after applying some natural gloss, she took a deep breath and headed out to join Mike and Rachel in the kitchen. She had heard them enter the kitchen around 10 minutes ago, their conversation regarding Mike's drunken antics loud enough for her to hear, and clear enough for her to laugh at. Despite what was going on with Harvey, she was excited to spend another day with her friends, laughing and drinking and making more memories that they can cherish forever. As she closed her bedroom door behind her, Donna glanced at Harvey's closed door and silently wished for him to still be inside there. Relief washed through her as she greeted her friends, with Harvey nowhere to be seen yet. Rachel had obviously been the one to make breakfast, a selection of pastries and fruit already plated up on the table Mike was sitting at, and she was just pouring herself and Mike a coffee when she saw Donna, and poured an extra cup.

"Thank god, someone else is awake to tell Mike that he absolutely cannot handle his alcohol" Rachel called out to her best friend, rounding the kitchen counter and approaching Donna with a cup of coffee.

Donna mouthed a thank you in Rachel's direction, and glanced over to a very pale looking Mike with a mock raise of her eyebrows. Rachel was right. The puppy can't drink. Donna opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by the sound someone behind her. Harvey. She hadn't heard his bedroom door close and she froze at the unexpected sound of his voice.

"Oh, I'll back you up there. The kid drinks like a pussy" Harvey calls out as he approaches his three friends.

Rachel laughs, looking in the direction of Mike, who clearly wasn't in the mood for any of this. He had been sat at the kitchen table since they woke up, or in Mike's case, re-woke up, and he had told her six times already that he was going to throw up, yet still hadn't. Harvey rolls his eyes as he takes in the sight of his friend, hunched over the table, full cup of coffee at the side of him that Mike evidently showed no sign of drinking.

"You look like shit" Harvey joked as he joined his friend at the table.

Mike looked up. "At least I've bothered to shave this morning, jackass" he retorts.

Harvey hadn't bothered to shave this morning, his mind well and truly occupied with Donna and their current situation, and before he had realised, he had spent over an hour in the shower already. The facial hair was growing on him. It was rare he could let it grow out, with work and everything, and he was slightly fascinated at how quickly it could grow. Once Harvey had finished freshening up, opting for some loungewear to wear to breakfast, he sat on his bed waiting to hear her door shut. And when it did, he had followed her out a moment later.

Donna and Rachel join the men at the table, Rachel placing a cup of coffee beside Harvey, who nodded his appreciation, before sitting beside her very hungover fiancée, leaving Donna with no choice but to sit next to Harvey. She was grateful his eyes were trained on Mike as they continued their back and forth banter, taking the time to sip on her coffee and ensure she has her full composure before she enters the conversation.

"I think it's starting to look pretty good" Rachel shrugs, interrupting their continuous banter about whether or not the beard is a good choice for Harvey.

"See?" Harvey says to Mike as he points at Rachel, "girls love this, it's a shame you can't grow one yourself" he mocks as he strokes his chin.

Mike responds with an eye roll and a small chuckle at the sound of Rachel humming in agreement, and he thinks about asking Donna for her opinion. He decides against it, only because he wants to challenge Harvey first, and so he lets him have this one. Mike knew he was about to open up a whole new can of worms soon, and it wasn't going to be him squirming, it would be Harvey. The group of friends fall into a comfortable conversation over breakfast, talking about their plans for the day. Rachel and Donna mutually decided that it was way too hot outside to walk anywhere, and easily decided that they would spend the afternoon soaking up the sun on the loungers outside. Harvey had convinced Mike to go for a walk into the nearest town, claiming it would do him good to have some fresh air, which in the end, Mike fully agreed with. If there was to be any chance of him challenging Harvey about Donna in private, this would be the best opportunity. Donna was secretly grateful for their decision. She was desperate to talk to someone, other than Harvey, about the situation, and this would be her chance to ask Rachel for some advice. The conversation continued to flow, with Mike shouting over his input from the kitchen as he loaded the dishwasher.

"Hey, did Robert ever message you back?" Harvey shouts over to Mike.

Everyone burst out laughing, except Mike, who is stood still in the kitchen, looking like he had just seen a ghost. He looked around for his phone realising he hadn't even seen it since last night, never mind checked it. Mike looked frantically through draws in the kitchen, lifting up cushions in the lounge, shouting over to his friends to help him look. They were all looking now, all eager to see if there was a response.

"Here" Donna shouts, lifting the phone up from the floor in front of the outside doors.

Everyone stands still, anticipation on everyone's faces. She turns the phone on, waiting for it to light up and then it buzzes in her hand. She can't hide the smirk on her face as she turns it back around to show everyone the screen.

"Your father in law has text you" she teases, and before she can even try to unlock it, Mike is snatching it from her hand.

"Shit. I don't even want to read it" he says as he stares at the name 'Robert Zane' on his screen.

"OPEN IT" Rachel shouts

"Yeah, Mike. Open it" Harvey repeats, a shit-eating grin covering his face.

They're all stood in place, a few metres apart thanks to the cosiness of the cabin, waiting for the response. Donna and Mike beside the door, Rachel in the kitchen and Harvey stood back behind his seat at the dining table, and all eyes are on Mike as he slides to unlock his phone. It feels like it takes him forever to read it, well it does for Donna, Harvey and Rachel, who are waiting in suspense.

Mike shakes his head and he laughs, relief washing through him at the response he received. He reads aloud the text he received from his future wife's father, "No, you sent it to the right Zane. I do look totally hot in a bikini"

They all laugh, with Donna peering over Mike's shoulder to read the text message for herself.

"I told you he wouldn't take it seriously" Rachel comments, a smile still spread across her face.

"Not the point, Rachel" he says with an eye roll, "the last person I wanna talk to about ripping off your clothing is your dad", he looks towards Harvey then, "I will get you back" he says firmly, but he's laughing, because even though he had totally shit himself when Harvey sent it, he had to admit it was a genius thing to do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You ready to go?" Miked called over to his friend who was still scrolling through his phone, appearing engrossed in something he was reading.

The group had finished tidying away after breakfast and had spent the last hours of the morning checking their emails and phones. Mike had even managed to have a nap and had surprisingly felt much better afterwards. Harvey had changed out of his loungewear and into something for suitable for the weather, a pair of grey shorts and a navy t-shirt, which until today, he hadn't realised was a little tight on the arms. He wore it anyway, deciding the walk with Mike in this heat would cause him to sweat and he'd only be changing it in a few hours anyway. Donna had noticed, obviously, that the t-shirt accentuated his toned arms, and she yet again found herself swooning over him. Almost every two minutes, as if like clockwork, her eyes would dart from her phone screen to him, taking in his casual persona. It was rare that Donna got to see Harvey like this, and a part of her just wanted to appreciate it. Sure, they had spent over a decade together, mostly 15 hours days, but she rarely saw him out of a suit, let alone in clothes revealing parts of his skin she had only ever seen the other time.

He locked his phone screen, placing the device into his pocket. "Sure" Harvey replied, standing from his chair and walking towards the door.

"We'll be back in a couple hours. Do you need us to pick anything up?" Mike asks, the question seemingly aimed at Rachel.

Rachel turned to Donna, both of them staring for a second at each other, before they both faced Mike. "Wine", they said in unison, smirks spread across their faces. Mike nodded in understanding like he had been given an order.

"How do they do that?" Harvey asked Mike as turned to walk out of the cabin.

"I have no idea" Mike answers, a small chuckle escaping him as he closes the door behind them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harvey and Mike had been walking for almost an hour, mostly in silence as they take in their beautiful surroundings. They were following one long stretch of road, surrounded by open fields, filled with either flowers or crops, and it was breath-taking. Harvey couldn't help but think about how much Donna would like this, having always appreciated life outside of the city.

"Soak up the weather, Mike. You won't get much of this in Seattle" Harvey joked, breaking their silence.

"Wow yeah that's funny, another rain in Seattle joke" Mike mocked in response.

"Just a reminder" Harvey replied nonchalantly, but with a smirk on his face.

Harvey had never really had this before. A friend he could always have back and forth banter with, as well as trust entirely and feel close enough to call them family. He felt lucky to have this in his life and although hiring Mike came with its ups and its downs, he still knows now that he would make the same decision over and over. He gained a best friend. He gained a brother, and he was really going to miss this.

"Seriously though Mike, I'll miss this" Harvey said, a little more serious now, his right-hand patting Mike on his upper back.

"Me too, old man" Mike hummed his response.

They fell back into a comfortable silence, Harvey's mind occupied by his surroundings, and Mike's mind occupied trying to find the most amusing way to challenge Harvey about Donna.

"Hey, you could always give me something to take as a reminder if you want to be all mushy with me" Mike joked.

Harvey seemed a little confused at the unexpected sudden conversation, but smirked, completely getting the wrong end of the stick about Mike's proposal.

"I get it. You want something of mine. Is it one of my cars? A watch? Some scotch?" Harvey asked casually.

"No" Mike hummed. "I was thinking something a little more Harvey", he continued.

"What could be more Harvey than expensive things" Harvey challenged, arrogantly, completely unaware of where this conversation would lead.

"What about that Harvard jumper you have? I think that would be pretty ironic and symbolic of everything we've been through" Mike replied. Everything he said there made sense, and he was secretly proud of how he was able to bring this up without sounding obvious. He had chanced a glance in Harvey's direction as soon as he said it, but Harvey had remained completely oblivious, much to Mike's satisfaction.

"I knew you were desperate to get your hands on it as soon as you saw it" Harvey joked, and was met with a laugh from Mike. "But, I told you once before and I'll tell you again, nobody but me gets their hands on that" Harvey continued feigning seriousness.

Bingo.

Mike couldn't have dreamed for a better response. He had geared Harvey up for this, and Harvey had unknowingly set himself up perfectly.

"See that's funny" Mike started, his left hand pointing casually at Harvey, who was now looking at him with genuine intrigue. "Because I remember you saying that, but I also remember seeing Donna sneak out of your room early this morning wearing that exact same jumper" he finished, pretending to be confused.

Harvey's eyes shot open. Mike had completely judged the whole situation wrongly, and if Harvey was going to have to admit to anything, he had to be the truth. He shook his head and Mike watched his best friend closely. He didn't look embarrassed, or defensive, or like he had been caught out. He didn't look happy, or smug or like he was about to make a joke. Harvey looked hurt, a little worn-out, and like he was about to say something. Mike continued to watch him in silence, giving him the time and space to open-up.

"It's not what you think, Mike" Harvey said, eyebrows raised in an attempt to make light of the situation, but his facial expressions were betraying him and it was obvious.

"Harvey, what's going on?" Mike had clearly assumed wrong and now he was concerned.

Harvey sighed and looked straight ahead, not wanting to make any more eye contact. "I need some advice Mike" he said.

Mike wasn't expecting that. Harvey rarely, if ever, came to him for advice, especially when Donna was around to give it, so he held back the jokes. His friend needed him, and this was evidently far more than what he had initially thought.

"Tell me everything" the younger man said.

* Hope you enjoyed this! I've cut it a little shorter than I had initially planned to because I wanted to upload sooner, but the next chapter will have some more group fun and some meaningful conversation! Let me know your thoughts!