Darvey AU / What if Harvey hadn't broken up with Paula and Donna had actually left him completely. This is set several years later. Harvey is married and Donna is too. They live separate lives but what happens when they run into each other one day?
This will involve flashbacks about how they separated which is also AU.
I started writing this because I was super frustrated with season 7B so please let me know what you think!
English isn't my first language but I hope I won't make too many mistakes. I'm open for criticism though.
It was raining on this Tuesday afternoon. No not raining, it was like the world was about to end.
Donna was cursing herself for going out without an umbrella today but she just wanted to pick up some food on her way home. It was nice and sunny when she left her office and now here she was waiting to cross the streets while she was trying to protect her hair with the bag of food.
She looked to her right and then to her left. It seemed like this was a good time to quickly run across the street, so she ran.
Shortly before she reached the other side a car suddenly came to a stop right in front of her. She must have missed it when she made sure the way was clear.
The car honked angrily and one of the backdoors opened.
"Are you out of your mind, lady?! My driver almost hit you! Watch your- Donna?!", the man who just got out of the car shouted at her. She was unable to move because of the shock but she knew that voice.
The man got closer to her, now standing next to her in the pouring rain and she was able to see his face.
"Harvey?!"
They both just stood there and stared at each other. It was over five years since they had last seen each other and it didn't exactly end on good terms.
Another honking sound brought them both back to reality. This time it was from one of the cars behind Harvey's. They all had to stop due to the two people standing in the middle of the street.
"Donna you're going to get sick or get yourself killed, please let Ray drive you home.", Harvey offered without thinking twice.
It didn't matter that they hadn't seen each other for a long time. He never stopped caring about her.
Since Donna was still in shock she just nodded and got in the car next to Harvey.
"Do you still live in your old apartment?", Harvey asked and Donna shook her head and told Ray her new address.
Harvey knew from the area that the address belonged to that it had to be a small house that wasn't cheap and he wondered why she lived there now. But he didn't ask.
They sat next to each other in silence for a while. But it became to much and Donna finally said something.
"You didn't have to do that, Harvey. I was going to call a cab anyways."
"It was the least I could do after almost killing you.", he said with a small smile and Donna mirrored his smile.
It was like they had just seen each other yesterday, not five years ago.
"How have you been?", Harvey asked. He seemed to be genuinely interested in how her life had developed.
"Well actually I've been good. I'm working again and as you already know I moved." Far away from you because I couldn't bear being near you, she thought but she didn't say anything.
He wondered why she said that she was working again. Had she stopped working after she left him and the firm? He didn't want to cross a line by getting to personal so he stayed quiet.
"How about you?", Donna felt the need to fill the silence by asking him the same question.
"Well I moved too actually.. And I'm still working at the firm. Louis is still annoying so there's not much that has changed."
Donna nodded. She didn't know what to say next but she knew it would take them about ten more minutes to get to her house.
"I now live near Central Park. In the south.", he said because he also felt the need to somehow keep the conversation alive.
"What made you give up your condo? I thought you'd die in that thing."
"I thought so too."
"Then what changed?", Donna was now getting more interested in the conversation but she didn't want to push Harvey.
"I got married."
Flashback - five years and six months ago
He ripped her cancelation right in front of her.
"So, are you coming back?", he asked full of hope.
"What about Paula? Did you.. I mean are you still..?"
"We are still together Donna. But I can't lose you, don't you understand that?", his voice broke and her heart broke too.
Why did he come here? What had changed?
"Harvey, nothing has changed when you're still with her. We can't work together anymore I thought that was clear. Look, I was trying to make this easier for you.", she explained looking at the ripped paper in his hands.
She noticed that they were shaking but she didn't know why.
"Donna please, we can work this out."
"No we can't, Harvey! We've been trying for 12 years and see where we are now!", she raised her voice, becoming more and more frustrated with the situation, frustrated with him.
"So, this is it then?", he asked and she saw tears in his eyes but she tried to ignore them. This was already hard enough.
"I guess so."
"Good night Donna."
"Goodbye Harvey."
End of flashback
"Oh.", she couldn't quite understand the feelings that she was suddenly overwhelmed by. What did she expect? Of course he had to move on with his life. She had too.
"Well I'm happy for you and I'm sure she is great although I probably can't be the judge of that, cause I've obviously never met her.", Donna rambled because she suddenly felt very insecure sitting in the car with her old friend.
"Actually, you have. It's Paula."
"Oh.", she said again.
"We got married two years ago.", he was trying to make this situation less uncomfortable.
"Harvey, you don't have to explain yourself. I'm truly happy for you.", both knew that she was lying and that this conversation was strange. "Thank you.", he said anyways.
After that they both seemed to have decided that silence was way better than continuing the conversation. Especially because she didn't want to talk to him about her life at all.
So they looked out of their window and waited for Ray to tell them that they finally had arrived at Donna's house.
"I guess I'll see you around then.", not knowing what to say Harvey decided that this was better than nothing.
Donna just gave him a small smile and got out of the car.
She inhaled deeply and noticed that it wasn't raining anymore. As she climbed the stars to her door she heard the car disappear behind her. She didn't look back.
After finally finding the keys in her handbag she opened the door and got into the house.
"Honey, is that you?", a male voice called out from what was probably the kitchen. "Of course it's me, who else would it be?"
"Oh I don't know maybe the person that fancy car belonged to?", he said laughing while the voice got closer.
"I just ran into an old friend and he gave me a ride because it was raining so much."
He was now standing in front of her, smiling. "Oh that's nice. Come inside I made us dinner." He gave her a quick kiss and again disappeared in their kitchen.
She went into the living room and found the dining table decorated with roses and candles.
"What is all this about?", she asked confused, trying to remember if she had missed some sort of anniversary.
"I just wanted to us to have a good time tonight. Since, you know.. she is at a friends house over night."
He put the food he held in is hands on the table and hugged her from behind. His hands caressing her waist.
"And with she I believe you mean our daughter, right?"
"Exactly. I brought her over to her friend's house an hour ago and since Anna explicitly told me that she didn't want any interruptions from us old people this evening I thought she wouldn't interrupt us either."
He placed a small kiss on the side of her neck and then let go of her. He held her chair back and waited patiently for her to sit down. "Did you tell her that she's getting old too? I can't believe she's almost five now."
"Yeah me neither.."
In that moment of silence Donna realized that she had forgotten the bag of food in Harvey's car. She wanted to say something but decided against it. They had something to eat here, she didn't want to bring up Harvey so she decided to just enjoy this evening with her husband.
"This is really nice. Thank you Mark."
Flashback - five years and six months ago
She was woken up in the middle of the night by a forceful knocking on her door.
"Donna?! Donna open the door I know you're there."
She knew that it was Harvey, the man she had send away only a five hours ago. She also knew that he was drunk. She could tell by the way he slurred the words.
Donna didn't want to open him. She was done and she made that very clear.
But she also knew that he had probably sent Ray away and since he seemed to be really dunk she didn't want him to go out in that state either so she got up, quickly changed into something more appropriate than her panties and an oversized shirt and opened the door.
"Harvey what are you doing here?! I thought we said everything. Go home!", she wanted to say more but he pressed her against the wall. Their noses were almost touching and he could smell the weak still remaining scent of her perfume she wore to work today.
" I can't stop thinking about you Donna. Please don't leave me. ", he said trying to talk as clear as possible but he failed.
She tried to form an answer but her senses were overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by him. His scent, his breath on her face and his body that was fully pressed against her. His eyes were dark but his expressions soft.
"Harvey.. We- we have talked about this.", she finally managed to say.
"But I don't want to lose you.. There has to be another way.", he paused, his eyes never leaving hers. "I can't stop thinking about the kiss and I know it's wrong but.." Donna interrupted him before this could get even more inappropriate. She also tried to push him away and succeeded after a few seconds.
"But what, Harvey? I told you I didn't feel anything when I kissed you and I know that you don't want to cheat on Paula. So please tell me how this will make the situation any better!", she almost yelled at him at the end of her sentence.
Harvey stared down to his feet, then he looked up and met her gaze, his eyes even darker than before. "Damnit Donna that's bullshit and you know it. You felt something but you're too afraid to admit it!"
"That wouldn't change anything, Harvey! You're still with her and I'm not listening to you acusing me of lying about something you have been lying about for the last 12 years! I want you to leave now!" she was pointing at the door that was still open. She didn't want the whole floor to hear their argument.
He walked to the door but instead of walking through it he closed it and stayed inside.
Then he slowly turned around. "What if I wasn't with Paula?"
She couldn't believe what he just said. He was against any form of cheating.
"I probably wouldn't have kissed you then."
"Why?", he started getting closer to her again.
"Because I thought it was my last chance. You and her had the potential that I didn't see in your other relationships. It was now or never, Harvey. And I have apologized for it and that's why I know that this isn't what you really want. This isn't you."
It took him a while to process what she had just said in his drunken state. He knew she was right. But it still felt different with her.
He sat down on her couch. The room was spinning around him and when he looked up he realized that she was sitting next to him.
"With you it doesn't feel like cheating and that scares me. It feels..right.
"Does it feel wrong when you're with Paula?"
"No it doesn't."
She didn't know why but she felt disappointed. Maybe some part of her had hoped that he would say yes and that they could explore whatever this was.
"Then go back to her. This is not how we should happen.", she considered this her last words and expected him to leave now but apparently his drunk mind didn't think like his normal one would.
He placed his right hand on her thigh and with his left hand he caressed her cheek. His face was only inches away from hers. The air grew thick between them and she could again feel his breath this time on her lips.
"I slept with Mark.", Donna lied as her last attempt to resist him. "And he's married.", she quickly added, knowing this would probably do the trick.
He moved away almost instantly.
"What? Why?", he asked, calmer than she had expected him to be.
"Because I felt lonely and unwanted and he made me feel wanted."
"But he's married."
"And you are with Paula."
Now he moved away from her.
"Can I sleep on the couch tonight? I can't call Ray again it's almost 3 am and Paula is home I don't want to go there right now.", Harvey asked.
"What will you tell her when you're not home the entire night?"
"I don't know. I can't think."
"Okay. Wait here and I'll just get a blanket for you." She knew that he wouldn't leave now no matter what he said and if he slept on the couch and she stayed in her bed nothing would happen.
When Donna came back with the blanket she already found Harvey asleep on the couch. She smiled to herself at the sight and carefully put the blanket over his body.
Then she went into her bedroom and sat down on the bed. What a wild night, she thought and while she was getting ready for bed she heard Harvey moving around on the couch.
She fell asleep quickly.
When she woke up she immediately noticed that something was different. She wasn't alone in her bed. An arm was wrapped around her waist and it felt so normal, so right.
Harvey's entire body was pressed against her and she noticed that he must have undressed himself because he could feel his bare chest and legs. Although he hadn't undressed completely there was no space left between their bodies and she could feel his morning wood against her backside.
She didn't have the strength to push him away. It just felt so right. She wanted this and apparently he wanted it too.
Donna felt him moving behind her and she turned around. Tears ran down her cheeks when she saw that he was awake too. She was overwhelmed by how good this felt and sad because she knew that this was going to be the end.
Harvey wiped away her tears and caressed her cheek.
He had decided that if this was going to be their ending it he would make the most out of it.
As he leaned in to kiss her she didn't try to stop him.
His lips met hers and he tasted her salty tears on them. The kiss was full of frustration that they hadn't done this sooner and full of love they didn't want to admit.
As he rolled on top of her the kiss became more passionate and they both knew that he wouldn't make it to work on time.
End of flashback
Donna knew that it wasn't fair that thoughts of their last time together came back to her while she looked at the man above her.
Mark was panting and if she wouldn't have been so distracted by earlier events she could have actually enjoyed this with him. But instead his noises reminded her of the way Harvey had breathed into her neck. His now uncontrolled movements made her think of how Harvey lost it in the end.
And when she closed her eyes it was like a different man was doing these things to her.
She came with a breathy "Mark!" on her lips but with Harvey on her mind.
Okay so that's it for now. Again, I would love to hear what you think about this and whether I should continue or not.
Thanks for reading!