Louis came walking down the hall, his head held high. He smiled at two lawyers passing him and he went over to lean on Donna's cubical wall. "Is someone ready for tonight?" he asked, his tone kidding. Donna looked up to see him nod excitedly. "Of course I am," she said with an even bigger smile. "You know," she began. "If Harvey ever found of that we go out every month to see a Shakespearean play, we'd be dead meat." They both laughed.
"If Harvey ever found what out?" came the voice of Mike Ross. They both turned to him in a rather guilty looking manner. "Don't worry about it," they said simultaneously. He tugged the strap on his bag a little and shook his head. "Um, okay. I'm gonna go now and pretend this conversation never happened. I don't even wanna know what you guys are up to…"
Mike walked off as he straightened his tie. He pushed open the door Harvey's office and walked in, making a funny face. Donna could only imagine the look on his boss' face at his choice of quote for greeting. She heard him say, "You know, I woke this morning and I didn't feel like P. Diddy. Awful, huh?" Donna shook her head and looked up at Louis. "I'm almost ashamed of him… Hannah Montana? That's so beneath him." Louis chuckled a little and looked around. "I wonder about that sometimes… Oh, almost forgot, I'm leaving early tonight, okay? Got a doctor's appointment before we head off to the Lincoln Centre." She nodded and looked over at Harvey's door. He was talking to Mike, a handsome smile on his face. "I wonder if he'll let me get out of here early," she thought out loud. "Doubt it," Louis said over his shoulder as he walked away. She could practically hear the sarcasm ooze from his tone. With a sigh, she got up and went to go get her coffee. "It's gonna be a long day…"
And so she was right… The day seemed to drag on forever. Harvey was in an ornery mood, he was pissed about something. She assumed it had to do with his brother, he was the only one who made him act like that when they argued. The she made the mistake of mentioning her own brother at lunch. He just scowled and didn't say anything for the rest of their meal. It was just a regular Wednesday. They always went out to lunch at 'The Place.' It was a little Italian joint down the block from the firm that had great sandwiches and good wine. Over the years, they'd made a habit of always going there in the middle of the week.
As much as Harvey Specter would like to think today was just an ordinary day, he knew it wasn't. Donna was too bouncy and excited about something. He looked across the table at her, his wineglass in hand. "Alright," he began. "Spill it. What's going on tonight? I know being out to lunch with me is not what's making you so excited." His eyes had a teasing glint to them as she looked up at him. "I enjoy lunch with you," she shot back, a smile in her voice. He gave her the look and she let out sigh. "Yeah, but it's not the same, you're too, I don't know, happy… I'm in a foul mood today, so that's not going to make this any better. So, what's up?" She honestly laughed, putting her wineglass down onto the old table as he met his eyes. "So, he does admit when he's in a bad mood. Wow, in all the years I've known you I've never heard you admit such a thing." He just rolled his eyes at her.
A beat or two passed before she smiled, again. "Nothing's up for tonight, I'm just in a good mood. Can't I just be in a good mood?" If she told him she was going to a play with Louis, she'd never hear the end of it. They've been going out, as friends, every month for the past two years to see a damn play at the Lincoln Centre. It was their thing, they loved getting out of the house once in a while to see the arts. How come Harvey didn't know this yet? He knows everything. She nearly rolled her eyes at the thought.
Harvey studied her for a long while, and for a brief and slightly horrifying moment, she thought he knew what she was thinking. He was always good with that. He could just read her mind at times and quite frankly, it scared the hell out of her. He leaned in a little closer to her, a smile tugging at his handsome lips. "You're full of shit, I can tell. That means you're going on a date, if I know you." Her mouth fell open. Oh lord, if only he knew how wrong he was. She laughed, be-it a bit hysterically. "Not really," she started but she was cut short by a finger to her lips. She froze and raised her eyebrows. "Nope, don't even try." His voice was so deep it almost sent shivers down her spine. 'Does he know how sexy he is?' she thought and a little laugh bubbled up from within her. 'Of course he does,' she told herself. She could smell his hair gel and his cologne. It almost knocked her out; in a good way, of course.
He hesitated before he let his hand fall. It was only a moment's pause but she saw the flicker in his eyes. It nearly gave her the courage to lean forward and press her lips to his. She knew he wanted her to, he always had. She could see it by the look on his face. It wasn't a lustful or crazy-eyed look, it was one of longing, one that made her heart ache. Their relationship may have looked so simple but in reality, it was anything but. Complicated was the name of the game for these two. They went way back, they knew each other so well. She could tell you the kind of music he liked on a Sunday night or the way he liked his White Russians and Chianti's. It was just that way, it always had been. And he knew her like the back of his hand… So, maybe that was why she did it, out of mutual love and understanding.
She took his hand in hers and watched as a surprised expression passed over his face. "I'm not going on a date tonight, Harv." He didn't say anything and he just watched her, his features relaxing, his eyes a mellow brown. "Trust me on that," she said. "Just going out with a friend after work."
He nodded a little and she let his hand go, immediately regretting it. His warmth was amazing and yet so subtle, and she would give anything to feel it again. His eyebrows were drawn together, knitted, and he reached into his pocket to grab his wallet. "No, Harvey, you paid last week. It's my turn to pay." She saw a hint of a smile touch his lips and though she usually found it infuriating when he did that, today it was sweet. "No," he began. "Let me pay. You're gonna need some pocket change if you're going out tonight." He didn't look up at her but if he had, he would have seen her gaping at him. "Thanks," she managed to say and a little laugh escaped her. "That was nice of you."
The two left the restaurant together and began walking down the street. Hundreds of people passed them but the only ones who seemed to matter, were each other. No words were needed and it was just a comfortable walk back to the office.
Back at work, they parted ways at her desk. "I'll go copy these for you," she said to his back, holding up a manila folder with subpoena papers stuffed into it. "Thanks," he told her as he turned to look at her. A beat or two passed where they just looked at each other. Her breath caught and she had to look away. "Right," she began and nodded her head. She pursed her lips and turned to walk away, hands fidgeting with the folder. Harvey just smiled and walked back into his office.
She spent nearly an hour trying to fix the copier and Harvey actually went looking for her. When he went downstairs, what he saw almost made him laugh.
"You stupid piece of junk," she nearly growled. Her face was stuck hallway in the contraption as he tried to pry out a piece of paper that had gotten stuck. He had to admit, he had a good view of her backside from where to stood. "This is ridiculous, I should have gotten rid of you years ago!" He had to put a finger to his lips as he held in a laugh. "God, fuck, where is Louis when you need him!" Harvey came up from behind and put a hand on the small of her back. "Well, I may not be as good looking as Louis, but I'm here if you need help." She jumped and her heart did a flip. "Jesus Christ," she said as she tried to catch her breath. She gave his arm a good whack. "Don't do that, Harvey. You almost gave me a heart attack."
He shrugged a shoulder and slipped his hands into his pockets. He had since taken off his jacket and through his shit, she could see his muscles. His blue vest was unbuttoned a little and he looked really comfortable. "Sorry, didn't mean to almost kill you. I came down to see if the machine ate you… You've been gone for the good part of an hour, maybe longer." Her eyebrows drew together as if to say, 'I've been messing with this piece of shit for an hour?' He just laughed and patted her arm. Mike was on his way over, a stack of reports and cases in hand. He bit his lip and dropped them down onto a table. "Hey guys," he said and went on about doing his own thing. He disappeared behind a shelf as he went to put some things away.
Donna looked up at Harvey for a moment. "Can you help me with this stupid thing?" she asked, nodding her head toward the machine. He didn't say anything at first, he just watched her, his eyes gliding across her face as he took in her features. "Sure," he finally said. Neither of them moved, though, at least not until Mike came back in. He didn't notice what was happening between the two as he scooped up more files and headed back behind the shelves he'd come out from behind.
Donna raised her eyebrows a little, as if to ask him what he was thinking. He just looked past her and then back down at her. "Nothing." Their eyes met and it was if sparks flew. Harvey didn't move away as she took a little step closer, but he raised an eyebrow, biting his lip. She closed the distance between them and suddenly his breath stopped coming. He raised an eyebrow as she moved to fix his tie. "Easy tiger," she told him and he could hear the amusement in her tone. "You've got a wrinkle here and it's bothering me bigtime." As she smoothed out his tie, he thought about calling her on her bullshit. He decided it best to keep his big fat New Yorker mouth closed, though. She probably would have moved away and whacked him good.
He turned to see if Mike had come back and just the idea that he was looking for some privacy made Donna's heart skip a beat. What was he going to do? When he turned back to her, he brushed a hand against her cheek and suddenly his lips were crashing against hers. It was a long kiss and somehow, completely and totally perfect. It didn't feel new at all. It felt good, it felt right. Donna laid a hand on his chest as she parted her lips for his. His tongue was soft against hers, but completely dominating. 'There's the Harvey I know,' she couldn't help but think to herself. She liked it that way, though. Beneath her palm, she could feel his erratic heartbeat. Her stomach made a flip just to know he was nervous and yet totally okay with what was happening right now. His heartbeat was strong under her fingers, so sure and steady. He cupped her cheek and pulled her closer, his tongue sliding across her bottom lip. She couldn't help the little moan that escaped her lips.
And just like that, the kiss was over. They pulled away for breath and just watched each other for what felt like an eternity. They could hear Mike muttering something about having too much work to do and some books fell. Without a word, he walked past her to fix the copy machine. "Th-thanks," she managed to get out, pointing to the contraption. He just nodded and began tugging the sheet of crumpled paper out. He pressed a few buttons and the machine croaked some noises at him. "Piece of shit," he mumbled and finally, as if it was offended, it started to print again.
When Mike came back, the machine was working again and things seemed totally normal. Just another day at the firm… However, that wasn't the case. Harvey was trying his best to keep calm and make it look good, while Donna leaned back against the desk behind her. Her mind was in utter turmoil but to be honest, she wouldn't have it any other way. All she could smell was his cologne and his hair gel because he was close to her. All she could taste was him on her lips. All she could see was his back as he fretted over the copies coming out. The whole thing was disastrous and at the sametime, so absolutely beautiful. Such a small thing like being in the copy room could turn into a moment in time she'd never forget. A little smile touched her slightly-swollen lips as she looked down at the linoleum floor. He noticed but didn't say anything, his own heart trying to resume a somewhat normal pace. He knew what she was thinking, and it was the very same thing that was running through his mind. That was way better than their first kiss, all those many years ago.
Mike took a seat and went to work at some files because they were in desperate need of a good edit. He looked up at his friends for a moment and then something occurred to him; it was far too quiet. The two always bickered and flirted. "You guys alright?" he asked, eyebrows knitted.
They both shrugged and gave versions of 'everything's alright' and 'I'm fine.' Suddenly, he didn't want to know. He just shook his head and went back to his things. "Alright," he said quietly. "Sorry I asked."
Harvey cleared his throat a little and looked over at the door. "Alright, well, I'll be around if either of you need me. I have to go see Jessica about some things…" Without another word, he walked off. However, he did spare a glance Donna's way and his expression made her heart flutter.
When Donna got out of work later that day, she took a nice cold shower and changed into something comfortable. She threw on an old pair of Abercrombie jeans and a tee. She looked nice, as always, but she felt comfortable. A knock came at her door around eight o'clock and she smiled. "Louis," she said aloud and went to her let her friend in. He was dressed casually, in a pair of worn in jeans and plaid flannel. He still wore his dress shoes, though. He never wore sneakers, it was just one of his things.
"Hey, Donna," he said as she let him in. She smiled as she slipped on an old hoodie. "Hey. How'd things at the doctor's go?" He went over to her couch and took a seat, letting out a little sigh. "Could have been worse." Something about the way he said that had Donna worried. As she was putting her hair up into a ponytail, she walked over to sit next to him. "What's that mean? Doesn't sound like things went well." Louis touched a hand to his knee, a little frown forming at the curve of his lips. "No, I mean, I'm fine. It's okay."
Donna sat back into the cushion of her couch, her eyes studying him for a long moment. "What is it?" she said in a tone that left no room for argument. Louis sighed and met her eyes. "They called me in today, said they had something to talk about. They found a tumor in my right arm…" Donna's face fell and she just watched him, not knowing what to say. He just chuckled a little, be-it sadly. "I didn't even know you can get tumors in your arms, I didn't even know to say. There is good news. It's not cancerous or anything, but I'm going to need surgery to get it removed." Donna managed a nod and she reached out to rub Louis' arm a little. "When's the surgery? Are you going to be missing a lot of work?" Louis rubbed his face as he thought. "Three weeks. It'll be in November," he told her. "I don't know how much work I'll be missing, though. This did not help my day, I'll tell ya." She didn't say anything after that, she just continued to rub his arm, hoping it would help him feel a little better.
Donna got up to get her phone and close the windows. When she came back, she also had two bottles of Coke. He just smiled as she handed him one. "Thank you," he told her and uncapped it to take a sip. She offered him a hand to help him up off her couch, and he took it. "You're welcome," she said with one of her genuine smiles. "Now, let's get out of here and enjoy our night. Don't let all that's happened today bother us… Right?" He nodded and opened her front door, letting her out first. She tossed her pocket book under her arm and took her Coke, leaving with him. "Thanks," she said and smiled.
"So, how was your day bad? Or was it so bad?" He looked down at her as they walked to his car. He was parked at the curb and he tapped the 'unlock' button so they could get in. "You don't even wanna know…" Her voice was filled with confusion, amusement, and maybe even love. Louis laughed a little and got to his old car. "Who's the guy?" She chuckled a little. There had been a time when something like that would have pissed him off, when he had felt things for her. All that was passed, though. They were just really good friends these days, and that's how they both wanted things to be. For Donna, it had always been Harvey. Always.
She sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get out of this one. He'd always been able to see right through her lies. She also knew that if she told him, he would call her on how she really felt. It had been a year or so since the Tanner trial and it still hurt to think of things he said to her, how he badgered her at the mock trial. Now that she thought about it, she knew the words he'd said needed to come out. Louis hated saying those things to her just as much as she hated hearing them. Things had finally started to settle down at the firm now, and Harvey and Mike were doing good. If anything, they were closer.
"Harvey kissed me," Donna told Louis. She received a wide-eyed gape and a strangled, "What?" She just nodded her head, trying her damndest not to think about how his lips felt against hers, so soft, so sweet. He tasted like coffee and mint mouthwash. He smelled of expensive cologne and good soap. The way he'd kissed her… The way he'd looked earlier when she'd taken his hand in hers… Today she'd learned something. These things she felt for him, they were reciprocated. Whether he'd meant to show her that or not, was beyond her. She could only guess when it came to him.
Louis pulled her from her thoughts when he closed his door. "He finally did it, then?" He smiled a little. "Thank god… I'm so sick and tired of seeing you guys dance around it." Donna couldn't do anything. She just stared at Louis, her mouth hanging open just as his had a few minutes earlier. "Really, Donna, you both needed to do it. I'm glad it happened. So," he said, turning to her. "Was it good?" He waggled his eyebrows a little for effect, earning a little laugh from Donna. "Of course it was," she told him and nudged him with her arm. She was happy at the sudden lightheartedness. It felt good. She was worried that their night would have been crashed by his bad news. She just wanted him to enjoy the night.
The ride to the Lincoln Centre wasn't that long and surprisingly, traffic wasn't backed up all the way to Yonkers. They parked in a garage next door and got out together. "Excited?" he asked as he tossed his keys into his pockets. "Oh, I really am. I've never seen Midsummer Night's Dream live before… This is gonna be great." The two walked with their hands stuffed into their pockets due the cool weather. New York in the fall was always bitter, especially more towards the end of October. Halloween was steadily approaching and all the leaves were in the midst of falling.
"It's gonna be a good night," Donna said with a smile. Louis nodded and tried to keep with her as she walked. "I really think so, too." When they looked at each other, they shared a smile. "Good," Donna exclaimed and pulled her hoodie closer. She could see her breath and she shivered a little. The line out of the Lincoln Centre was atrocious but besides the cold weather, they had no problem waiting. It would be worth it.
(Author's note: Always wanted to do a fanfic for Donna and Louis, they just seem like good friends. As if that little Suits Recruits thing called The Spot didn't show it enough! LOL! I couldn't even keep a straight face, I was laughing so hard. I wrote a sequel for this, by the way, guys. It's called Jack-O-Lanterns and Stolen Kisses. Reviews keep my heart beating. Just saying.)