"Donna, come on," Harvey heaves out a breath as he chases his relentless girlfriend out of the elevator.
He stops short when she halts her steps, both of them standing in the middle of the annual- now Specter Litt- holiday party.
"You're seriously going to continue giving me the cold shoulder?" Harvey huffs beside her, and if she wasn't so pissed at him she would've laughed at the adorable pout he gives her.
"I think you're forgetting why I'm so upset with you," Donna retorts, crossing her arms over the black Prada dress she donned- flowing down her body instead of her usual skin tight dress look, complete with a pair of red hot pumps.
Harvey sighs beside her, "Trust me, I'm not," he mumbles, absentmindedly giving a few fake smiles to some of the firm's employees that pass by. The party was in full swing now, taking place just off to the side of the library. Holiday music was playing in the background, a tall Christmas tree sat in the center of the room, honing in most of the attention to the surrounding area, strategically placed next to the open bar.
He takes her arm then, gently guiding her until they're in a semi-secluded corner of the room.
"You know I didn't mean to-"
"It wasn't just that, and you know it," she hisses, her eyes sending daggers his way.
His lips turn thin at her words, trying his best to reign in some self control and not smile at how cute she looked. He was still feeling the backlash from when he had called her that earlier.
"Donna," Harvey starts in that low tone of voice he only reserved for her, "I'm sorry, and for the way I acted afterward," he repeats her earlier words right back.
"Are you?" She raises an eyebrow at him, firmly standing her ground and he tilts his head at her, trying his best to not let his irritation come to fruition.
"You know I am," he tells her softly.
"Oh, so now you're telling me what I know?" She shoots back with raised eyebrows. He gapes at her then, trying to formulate a sentence that won't keep sending him to the dog house.
"I-"
"Hey guys!" Mike's all-too cheery voice interrupts their moment, appearing with a half filled champagne flute and his signature 100-watt smile. "Uh, why do I have a feeling I just walked into a couple's quarrel?" He questions, blue eyes glancing from one friend to another.
"Oh, look, your puppy showed up," Donna rolls her eyes.
"Whoa- she's pissed," Mike's eyes widen comically before looking back to Harvey, "Dude, what the hell did you do?"
Harvey's mouth opens at the same time Donna lets out a half-amused laugh, "Why the hell do you automatically assume it was something I did?"
"Because it's you," his former associate retorts without hesitation.
"He's not wrong," Donna mumbles beside him.
"It's- nothing, Mike." Harvey shoots him a look in warning, trying his best to ward off his friend so he could continue talking to his girlfriend.
"Nothing?"
"Oh, boy," Mike mutters, fearfully looking between the couple now.
"Donna, I didn't mean-"
"The hell it was nothing," she swivels around to face him, standing a mere inch away from him now, hazel eyes glaring at him.
"And… that's my cue to leave, see you guys," Neither notice Mike scurrying off to the side of the room, automatically finding Rachel in the sea of Specter Litt employees.
"Donna, I just meant it was nothing concerning him," Harvey sighs, willing his girlfriend to understand. His eyes subconsciously survey the area around them, trying to find the answers to his current predicament elsewhere.
"You know, you're being a real pain in the ass- mmph!" His lips land on hers in the next second, catching her off guard. She stays still for a moment, letting their kiss linger in half surprise and half reflex before she's pulling back, "What the hell are you doing?" She seethes in a whisper.
Harvey gives her a sheepish smile and points up with his index finger. Donna's eyes follow him and she purses her lips when she sees the small twig hanging above them.
"Seriously?"
"It's tradition," he shrugs, giving her his signature charm smile, hoping it would set her at ease then.
Donna shakes her head instead, annoyance seeping into her, "I need a drink," she mumbles under her breath before turning around.
"Donna," her name is a warning and a question all in one.
Her loose copper waves bounce when she turns around to face him again, rolling her eyes at him, "It's a saying, Harvey, you can calm down."
Before he could stop her again, she's walking off to meet Rachel, standing by one of the array of decorative tables. Harvey sees his girlfriend's best friend handing her what appeared to be apple cider as the two shared a laugh. He shakes his head then, turning around to grab a drink from the open bar. He didn't notice when his own best friend left his wife's side to come meet him.
…
"So," Rachel starts tentatively after a couple of minutes of laughter, "How long are you going to make him squirm?" She tilts her head in the direction of the bar, Donna turning around to see Mike clasping a hand on Harvey's shoulder as the two began a conversation.
Donna chuckles, "I don't know, I am still pretty pissed at him, but, it's been fun watching him squirm and grovel for the past couple of hours."
Her friend shakes her head, "You're pretty evil, you know that?"
Donna shrugs, taking a sip of her apple cider, "Yeah, well, I'll forgive him before Christmas. And hey, you're one to talk," she quirks an eyebrow in return.
Rachel lets out a laugh, "I don't think I ever tortured Mike that long, though."
"Hmm, true, poor guy's gotta deal with double the trouble soon," she places her hands on Rachel's growing stomach, "how are thing one and thing two, anyway?"
Rachel smirks, still amused by her friend's nicknames, "They're fine. Pretty sure they'll both make the soccer team, but I hear that's normal."
"Have you picked any names yet?" Donna smiles, feeling the babies kicking under her touch.
"We're waiting to find out the sexes first, but if one of them is a boy, Mike really wants to name him after Harvey, at least for a middle name."
Donna's features soften, her eyes filling with tears and she curses herself for her current uncontrollable emotions, "He would love that."
Rachel nods with a smile in return.
"And well, if it's a girl, you really can't go wrong with 'Donna'," the redhead flips her hair in a dramatic gesture, giving her friend her signature overconfident look.
Rachel lets out a bubbly laugh, "No, you really can't."
…
"So… you going to stay here all night drowning yourself in self pity for wherever it was that you did to piss off Donna so much?"
Harvey swirls the amber liquid in his hand before placing it down, turning to glare at his friend, "Is that why you came here? To lecture me?"
Mike puts his hands up in defense, "Hey, I just want to know why mom and dad are fighting, is all."
Harvey's lips quirk up at his words, taking a sip of his scotch before turning to face his friend again, "I may have… done something I shouldn't have."
"Well, no shit, Sherlock. Question is, how bad was it and what the hell are you going to do to make up for it?"
Harvey sighs, playing with the glass holding Macallan as he glances up at an awaiting Mike.
"Okay, before I tell you, you have to understand… this is… a big deal, for her, I don't- really understand myself, but…"
Mike gives him an expectant look, "I'm literally so lost already so can you just spit it out already or…?"
"I may have…" Harvey looks away from his friend for a moment, eyes finding his favorite redhead before landing back on Mike, "eaten the last of the gingerbread cookies we had," he finishes in a low mumble, turning away from Mike's gaze.
"You-"
Harvey puts his hand up before he could continue, "Don't try to analyze it, it is what it is."
Mike stays quiet for a moment before nodding, "First trimester cravings."
Harvey swivels his head around to his friend, "You know?"
Mike scoffs, "Of course I know."
"How the hell do you-"
"Because," Mike points to the corner, smiling when he sees his pregnant wife talking to Donna, "My wife and your girlfriend are best friends, they talk."
"Why the hell didn't you say anything?" Harvey prods, not knowing whether or not to be annoyed or amused.
Mike shrugs, "Rachel told me and I figured you two would tell me when you wanted to. Though, I am a little offended that your girlfriend told my wife and you didn't say anything," he playfully pokes him.
"Hey, we," he points toward Donna, "had agreed not to tell anyone. I didn't even know Rachel knew," he mumbles before taking another sip.
Mike claps his hand over his back in assurance, "Rachel told me Donna had accidentally let the news slip, she'd been 'adorably excited' apparently."
Harvey's lips curl at his friend's words, an all-too familiar fluttering settling in his stomach then- one he had been getting ever since Donna had dropped the news that she was pregnant weeks before, "She said that?"
Mike nods, mirroring his friend's smile, "Yeah, and speaking of, congratulations, dad."
Harvey's lips stretch into a full grin at the word, still not used to the notion that he was going to become a father- the father of his best friend's child, to be exact. He breathes out a quiet "thanks" to his friend, clinking his own glass against his when Mike extends his champagne glass to him.
"By the way," Mike begins after taking a sip of his drink, "you should know I won the pool."
Harvey's brow furrows, "The pool?"
Mike nods, "Yeah, there was a pool going around to see when you two would finally settle down, have a family. I bet you would get her knocked up within the first year of you two dating," he smirked.
Harvey gapes at him, trying to render in all of his annoyance. He watches Mike taking another sip of champagne, and he reaches out a hand, pursing his lips as he tilts the flute upward, causing the younger lawyer to choke on his champagne, the liquid spilling out in front of him.
"Dude!"
Harvey lets his lips twitch, automatically feeling better. He stands up in the next second, downing the last of his drink before clasping his hand on Mike's shoulder, "And on that note, I'm gonna go. I have some making up to do."
…
"Hey," his voice is a low whisper behind her ear, and she supresses the urge to turn around and kiss him, mentally cursing the way her hormones were playing with her.
Rachel gives her a knowing smile, waving hello to Harvey at the same time. She watches in amusement as her friend puts on her best acting skills and hides her smile before turning to face Harvey.
"Can I help you?"
Harvey sighs at his girlfriend's stand-offish attitude, turning to face her friend, "Rachel, can I steal her away for a second?"
"Uh yeah, sure, I'm just gonna go see what Mike's up to," she leaves with a smile that turns into a confused frown when she notices her husband dabbing a napkin on his tie.
Donna lets out a dramatic sigh once they're left alone again, or as close to it as possible with a mired of people surrounding them, "You wanted to talk?"
"Donna, you really have to help me out here, how long are you going to freeze me out?" She feels a twinge of guilt then, noticing the way his brown eyes bore into her own, a mask of of his own guilt written all over his face.
She had partly been annoyed with him- knowing that her hormones were in no way normal at the moment, but the other part of her had been having fun with him, enjoying the way he squirmed every time she had an outburst.
"I haven't decided yet," she frowns instead, folding her hands over herself. Okay, so maybe Rachel was right and she was being a little evil with him.
"I told you I'd buy you more cookies," Harvey gently reminds her, taking hold of her hands in his. He was trying his best not to laugh at the matter- at how ridiculous this whole situation was because he had eaten the last of her gingerbread cookies.
"And I told you it wasn't just about the cookies, Harvey," real annoyance settles in her again and she moves away from him to walk to the corner of the room, with her boyfriend in tow.
"I told you I was sorry about what I said too," he sighs again, trying his best not to lose his cool with his very emotional and pregnant girlfriend.
"Okay, A- you never actually said you were sorry about what you told me, and B-"
Her words are cut off again when his lips land on hers for the second time that night. She closes her eyes on reflex, internally groaning when he pulls back too soon, yet tries her best not to show her disappointment. When she sends him a confused glare he just points up again, and she rolls her eyes at the familiar twig.
"You're shitting me, right? Who the hell decorated this place with mistletoes?" She berates then, glancing around the room to finally take note in the dozen or so mistletoes that decorated the area.
"I thought you were in charge," Harvey remarks, a slight amused tilt to his voice.
Donna rolls her eyes, "I've also been dealing with morning sickness at all odd hours of the day, so no, I gave the job to- Louis," she sighs when she notices the other name partner in the room, a shit eating grin on his face as he kissed Sheila under one of the mistletoes in the room. "Well, that explains it," she mutters.
Harvey turns his attention back to his girlfriend, "Donna,"
"What?" She crosses her arms over her chest again.
"You're right, I didn't apologize for what I said, but only because I meant it."
She gapes at him, "You can't be serious."
"What's so wrong about what I said?" Harvey throws his hands up, confusion taking over him.
"You called me cute, Harvey," Donna reminds him.
"I-"
"While we were in the middle of an argument, because you-" she pokes his chest, "just had to eat the last batch of gingerbread cookies."
She gives him a pout and he nearly loses it when her bottom lip begins to quiver and she turns to walk away again, this time to the far side of the room where there were less people present.
Harvey internally groans when she walks away from him for what felt like the dozenth time that night. He catches up to her in seconds, reminding himself not to tell her how ridiculous this whole thing was, knowing that that would only get him sent to sleep on the balcony that night.
"Donna," he begins softly, "I'm sorry."
"For?" She sniffles, hugging her arms over herself.
"For being an ass," he begins gently, taking a tentative step toward her, "for- making light of a situation I know must have- is- frustrating for you," when she doesn't back away, he grabs hold of her hands again, "I know this must be a really difficult time for you," he rubs circles on her hand, and she sighs in response.
"It hasn't been all bad," she mumbles, staring up at his eyes.
His lip quirk slightly before sobering up again, "I'm kind of learning this as I go too, you know? And you did look cute. I mean, you always do, but, in case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty infatuated with my pregnant girlfriend, I can't help it if everything you do now is…cute." He risks sending her a sheepish smile, and he fights back sighing in relief when she finally lets herself crack under his gaze.
She rolls her eyes at his words, but her annoyance is diluted by the smile she sends him, "You're pretty relentless, you know that?"
Harvey lets a full grin grace his features when she steps into his arms, "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
"For eating my cookies when that's what your unborn kid wanted to eat?" She raises an eyebrow at him.
He swallows back, "Seriously?"
"You and I both know I'm very serious when it comes to my cravings lately, mister," she mumbles against him, winding her arms around him.
Harvey sighs, "I promise to buy you a whole pack. And then some."
She hums against him, her lips hovering over his now, "I guess I can…" she toys with his tie, sending him a coy look, "forgive you."
He lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "I promise to make it up to you, to both of you," his hand rubs her stomach above the fabric of her dress, watching her face softening further beneath his caresses.
"We thank you," she sends him a grin before closing the gap between them and slanting her lips over his, letting their kiss linger for a minute before pulling back. Harvey's eyes glance above them, and his smile turns into a frown.
"We're not under a mistletoe," he observes, glancing back down to Donna.
She purses her lips at his words, "You want me to stand under a little Christmas twig just so you could kiss me?
Harvey shrugs, "It's the only tradition I actually like."
Donna rolls her eyes at him, "Fine, you want me to go and stand over there instead?"
When she moves to step away from him, he reels her back in, her chest flush against his now, "Don't you dare," he growls, pulling her in for another kiss. He lets his tongue boldly snake into her mouth, tasting the remnants of apple cider and something else he couldn't quite get a read on at first.
He pulls away from their kiss then, and she sends him a confused look when she finds him frowning, "What?"
"You had gingerbread cookies tonight, didn't you?"
She bites her lip at his inquiry, giving him a shrug after a beat, "I may have… a secret stash in my office and went to eat some when you weren't looking."
He shakes his head at her, disbelief and amusement in his features, "So I didn't eat your last stash. You had some here the entire time."
"You ate the last ones we had at home," she tries to defend.
"You know, I'd be more annoyed with you, but I can't help but find all of this… cute."
She gawks at him then, narrowing her eyes at his smirk, "Shut up."
And with her mouth slanting over his smile, she makes sure he does just that.
