A Special Wake-Up Call

*°~.~°*

He is still in that state between dreamland and reality, where the first thoughts of the day already peek around the corner but feelings dominate the mind. Harvey feels good; well rested, relaxed, warm − but he's also missing something, and upon opening his eyes, he finds Donna's side of the bed empty.

It's only when he breathes a sigh of slight disappointment, as he loves nothing more than to see her the moment he wakes up, that he hears the mellow sounds of a piano. Her piano. Listening to the soft and melodious music consciously for a second, he immediately recognizes it, and he can also immediately tell who's playing it. Even though he knows that nobody else would be playing Donna's piano in their home in the morning − god forbid − he would always recognize her unique style. The way she turns every piece of music into her own, just like the way she goes through life, and her ability to fill the music with an essence that is so her it always takes his breath away.

Propping himself up against the headboard, he's closing his eyes once more to concentrate on the musical creation surrounding him, absorbing it and letting it reach his soul. It's a new tune Donna is playing and he finds it is welcoming the new day perfectly; joyful but slow with a hint of yearning and excitement palpable in the composition.

When the music is getting quieter and slowly fades away, Harvey finally decides to slip out of bed to persuade her to play some more, which would also allow him to watch her play, which is a sight worth seeing itself.

He's just putting on his robe when the unmistakable first notes of probably the most sung song on this planet reach his ears. She must know that I'm up, Harvey figures, a smile now playing on his lips. His love for her and the need to see her suddenly overwhelm him and get him moving, following the familiar melody of Happy Birthday To You out of their bedroom.

Arriving at the opening to their spacious living room, he admires her for a second and feels a wave of gratitude for being able to experience this very moment flood his entire body. Naturally moving with the music, Donna is sitting with her back to him at the piano that's situated in front of the big window overviewing the back porch and their picturesque backyard.

The day they had been looking at this house in search of a new home, Donna had fallen in love with it in an instant. Pointing at the spot in the corner of the room, her eyes had lit up the entire neighborhood when she'd told him it would be perfect for a piano. Her excitement had been infectious and Harvey had ordered the instrument as soon as they had signed the contract of sale for the house.

Being careful not to startle her, Harvey slowly approaches Donna from the side. He sees the corners of her lips turning up into a smile the moment she notices him, followed by a turn of her head to get a better look at him. Donna doesn't stop playing, nor does she break eye contact, as she's continuing with a new, probably improvised interpretation of the birthday song.

Reaching her, Harvey places his hands on either side of her face and softly kisses her forehead before his lips find hers. One kiss, two; and Donna's fingers that were just effortlessly moving over the keys begin to stumble, the melody blurring into a random sequence of notes. Giggles leave both of their mouths that are quickly silenced when Harvey deepens the kiss, her hands now finding better purpose elsewhere, abandoning the piano and holding onto Harvey's head and shoulder. Without the music from the piano, now moans and sighs fill the room, a symphony of passion.

Gently nudging Donna to make space for him, Harvey joins her on the piano stool, hoping to show her the extent of his gratitude for her special wake-up call with his hands and tongue and teeth.

"Harvey−"

"Hmmm."

"Stop−"

"Why?" he groans, finally pulling back.

Donna exhales audibly, raising her left eyebrow, as she often does when she's determined to make a point. "Because I haven't really wished you a happy birthday yet."

She's met by a disbelieving stare she finds all too adorable.

"Happy birthday, Harvey."

Her eyes are full of sincerity and love, and he feels his own eyes getting teary when she cups his face and leans in to tell him again with a touch of her lips against his, her left hand disappearing under his robe, emphasizing her point.

They break apart much too soon and almost too late when Donna supports herself against the keyboard, and in doing so causes a loud and unpleasant sound that makes them jump before their bodies shake from laughter.

"Happy birthday, indeed." Still a little breathless from receiving Donna's birthday wishes, Harvey pulls her close, breathing a kiss against the side of her head, "Thank you, Donna."

"I love you, Harvey."

"Thank you for that, too," he grins, enjoying the easiness of being with Donna, after all the years of arduousness that had used to accompany them. Now a thing of the past, that time seems to be so far away and yet sometimes still too close.

"You're an idiot." She chuckles, giving him a light slap on the chest before she lets her palm rest right on top of his heart.

"I know. You hungry? I guess it's time for breakfast."

"I actually am. There are strawberries and whipped cream in the fridge, and I can make pancakes. Your choice."

The mischievous glint in Donna's eyes makes him forget for a second that she's waiting for his response.

"Umm, sounds good," he says, averting his eyes for a moment to clear his head and at the very least to pretend he has to think about it. His gaze wandering back to her, he adds with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "Well, we don't want the strawberries to go to waste, do we?"

"Absolutely not." Donna laughs, slightly shaking her head and taking his hand to lead him properly into this new year of his life.

*°~.~°*

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A/N: I wrote this little story several months ago for Jules (raffertypaulsen on here, you definitely need to read all her fics if you haven't already! Need!) but never posted it - until now! I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to know what you think! :)