Here is the sequel to Aftermath. If you haven't read that, you can. But you don't necessarily have to. It isn't detrimental to the story. But this will make some references to some things that happened in Aftermath. I know when this takes place, but I'm not yet revealing it because it will be revealed in the text with more certainty. Anyway, enjoy and please leave a comment.
Donna Paulsen, soon to be Specter at an undecided date thus far, cannot decide which dress to wear. And the engagement party is in less than an hour. She has the white dress hanging on the left closet door, and the maroon dress hangs on the right closet door. The white dress does have a pop of color at the edges, but the statement isn't as loud as the maroon one. She's had a few hours to decide and yet, here she is, still struggling with a decision.
She hears her fiancé clamber against something in the living room and his grumbling promptly proceeds. She hears him shuffle down the hallway, entering the bedroom a few moments later. His hair is a little longer than normal, the ends beginning to fade into a dark brown with the close of summer. His suit is gray, tie black, and he's ready for the occasion.
When he enters the room, he stops dead in his tracks with his eyes fixated on her. He sighs, gaze trailing over her frame from her head to her toes and back up again. She watches his Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallows.
He says, "You're still not ready."
"I can't decide between the white Burbury or the maroon Wu," she hums.
He picks his jaw up off of the floor and shifts his gaze to the options hanging on the door. She watches his feet as he slides them across the wood floor, angling them towards the closet, and steps back until he drops onto the bed beside her. She feels his hands on her, pads of his fingers etching into her back as one of his fingers scratches up her spine and his other hand trails around to her stomach. He moves her hair to her shoulder furthest away from him and she feels his warm breath inch closer to her bare shoulder. She should have put something more than her under garments on before he made it to the bedroom. Now they're really going to be late.
His soft lips press into her skin just beside her bra strap. She sighs deeply. The attention feels good, especially since they've had a fairly difficult work week. He mumbles, "The white one."
"We're going to be late," she replies.
He lifts his head, the places his mouth has been now cold without his warmth. His right hand moves back down her spine. A shiver skates through her. He says, "No one will notice."
He resumes his lips to her neck, teeth lightly nipping at the skin. She chuckles softly. She covers the hand on her stomach with her right hand and pushes it up his arm. She says, "We're the guests of honor. Everyone will notice."
She gives in despite herself, turning her body to face him. She throws her leg over him, her knees pressing against either side of his thighs. She feels his hands cup her ass as she lowers herself onto his lap, leaning forward to press a kiss against his mouth. She feels his erection stiffen against her thigh and a groan falls out of his mouth.
"I changed my mind," he says, "You should wear something unattractive."
"Why do you do this to me?" She baits. She pushes her long fingers against his jaw, her manicured nails absently scratching at the skin just below his ears. "You should have stopped wanting to fuck me by now."
"I'll never stop wanting to fuck you," he says. He grins there. She feels his index finger slip beneath the connectors of her bra. She lightly shakes her head. He adds, "We'll only be five, maybe ten minutes late."
"Ray is already downstairs," she reminds him. His fingers etch between her shoulder blades. She swallows a massive gulp, grinding her hips down. She says, "We have to get a move on."
"You're the one who isn't ready yet," he replies with a certain cheekiness to him. She feels his hands fall down her back like rain. His fingers hook beneath the hem of her panties and he tugs them downward. "We can make them wait."
"Harvey," she hums.
She pushes her tongue into her lip, really considering what he's suggesting. But she knows that if they wait, they'll both enjoy it more. Especially after all of the excitement and celebration in their honor. She pushes her hands along the contours of his face, tips of her nails scratching in the hair at the back of his head.
"You're already undressed," he argues. She feels his fingers dig into the small of her back. The world as she sees it rapidly changes, his weight shifting on top of her as he digs his hips into her thighs. She instinctively wraps her legs around his waist. He gives her a smug grin and says, "And I want you."
"Okay, five minutes," she says, "We are leaving in five minutes."
She takes his proffered hand to help her out of Ray's Lexus. His hand is warm, but the air outside is colder than she had expected. They are late - later than the 5 minutes she had aforementioned. After they'd had sex, it took 10 more minutes to get ready (again), and they got stuck in traffic for 10 minutes. Harvey spent their car ride profusely apologizing for making them so late. She had reassured him with a kiss that it was fine.
When she steps out of the vehicle, she shivers. The October air is cold. She should have brought a jacket. Harvey quirks an eyebrow as he looks at her. He pulls her into him as she steps forward, him stepping back, and closes the car door. His body is warm. She already knows she's going home wearing his jacket.
She steps towards the building housing The Skylark, a magnificent venue that practically jumped at the chance to host the engagement party. Their upcoming union is going viral across the city and completely changing their lives. She has meetings and interviews all in preparation of their wedding. Which hasn't even been definitively decided despite the pressure being put on her to make one from nearly everyone. Even Harvey.
Entering the building gives her a smidgen of warmth, but it doesn't really stick until Harvey catches up to her. He's only been a step behind her, clasping her hand. He presses the button for the elevator. She feels him tug her into his side, and he guides her hand around his back. He lets go of her hand and moves his palm across her shoulders.
"I bet my mother is drunk," she says.
"We're not that late," he says. His reassurance falls on deaf ears, but she appreciates the effort. They are too late for an event that is all about them. "We're just five or ten minutes late."
She laughs just as the elevator dings and the doors slide open. She steps out of his embrace, her fingers trickling along the hem of his suit jacket. She hears him step into the elevator behind her as she presses the button for the 30th floor.
"When we get in there," she starts, the car moving upwards, "Can you not look like you just had sex?"
He smirks. He says, "I don't have that look."
"You're making that look right now," she replies. She can't help the smile that spreads across her face to match his. She reaches for his hand and threads their fingers together. She leans towards him and lightly presses a kiss against his cheek. "You're lucky I love you."
"Hm," he hums in response, like he's thinking about it, "That's true."
The elevator pulls to a stop. The doors open at a glacial pace, slowly revealing the venue and the abundance amount of people gathered on their behalf. Including all 4 of her siblings who have barely warmed up to her fiancé even though he's been nothing but loving and supportive over the past few months.
"Don't forget to smile," she reminds him.
She knows that he has been dreading this event all week. Their engagement party turned into a production as the news of their engagement began to gain traction over the last few months. The spectacle became a massive pr scheme for the firm and a little bit for her.
She's been scheduled to do interviews regarding their upcoming nuptials, as well as using this to impress potential clients. It's a win-win, she thinks. She just wants to be married to him anyway.
"Of course," he replies with a smirk.
She shakes her head in response as she advances out of the elevator. She feels his hand at the small of her back, encouraging her to lead him into the room of their family, friends, and clients. She spots Mike and Rachel first, tanned and freshly arrived from their honeymoon in Hawaii. Courtesy of her future husband.
Mike and Rachel both smile brightly and widely open their arms to throw around them. The whole room seems to follow, breaking out into a celebration of sorts for their arrival. She is whisked away into the crowd of people and loses him completely. Even when she glances behind her, he isn't a familiar face that she sees.
The flow of people eventually makes their way to the bar for a drink. She feels like she hasn't seen her partner in crime for a good while. Just as she's thinking this, he turns up with two drinks in hand. He offers her the pretty one. Her hands circle the glass carefully, and she feels his chest touch her shoulder as his lips touch her cheek.
"Thank you, honey," she murmurs.
"You're welcome," he whispers in her ear. She takes a sip from her colorful drink and is pleasantly surprised in his choice. She feels his hand slide around her back and his fingers dig into her hip. He leans towards her and says, "Don't leave me again. We're in this together, remember?"
"I'm not going anywhere," she reassures him.
In just a few short minutes, the staff informs the room that they will begin serving the meal soon. The group of people departs and heads to their assigned seats. She feels a pang of sadness to have her friends so far away. Her mother is directly beside her, on the opposite side of Harvey, and the rest of her family trickles down from there. Mike, Rachel and Louis are on the other side of Harvey's mother, Bobby, Marcus and Kim. She gives Rachel a pout when they lock eyes across the table.
As everyone gets settled into their seats, she feels the atmosphere of the room shift. Harvey's hand covers her left hand, fingers now a well-trained spread around her beautiful engagement ring. She looks over at him just in time to see him perch the stem of his champagne glass between his fingers. She watches him stand, warm fingers leaving the back of her hand to hold his tie to his chest. He looks at her, offers her a small smile, and quickly scans the room.
"Excuse me," he says loudly, interrupting the quiet conversations around the room, "Can I have everyone's attention, please?"
She looks at him with a sharpened gaze, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He waits for the room to die down, the attention shifting to him. She quickly looks around at all of the faces closest to them, wondering if anyone else knows what's going on.
"I know it's usually customary for the father of the bride to give the toast at these occasions," he starts. She feels his fingers on her shoulder, tap against her skin as he steps a little closer to her. His fingers push into her hair, but only a little, and he holds his glass at chest level. "But I really just wanted to thank everyone for joining us for this long awaited evening. Most of you know that this has been a long time coming. In fact, almost everyone knew this was going to happen, except for us. So, tonight, I wanted this to be about the beautiful woman who has been beside me for as long as I can remember, the woman who agreed to spend the rest of her life doing just that. Join me in a toast to my fiancée, who truly deserves way better than me."
She watches him with tears pricking at the corners of her eyes at his words. The air catches in her throat as he lifts his glass in the toasting motion. She shakes her head, ignoring the glass in front of her, and pushes the chair back. She stands, fingers wrapping around his tie, and pulls him to her. He grins widely, her lips coming into contact with his teeth before he closes his mouth around hers.
"Thank you," she whispers. She kisses the corner of his mouth again. She feels his hand circle around her waist, fingers digging into her waistline.
"I love you," he replies. She slides her left hand around to his back and reaches for her own glass with her right. She angles her body towards his and lifts her glass. He clinks them together and they both immediately take swigs of the off white colored liquid. Once he's swallowed the champagne, he says, "Now, let's celebrate you."
"I like the sound of that," she mutters in response. They stand like that for just a few moments longer, almost entirely forgetting that all eyes in the room are looking at them.
She watches the room interact. She knows this is going to be the beginning of a long couple of months, that this is maybe the only time they can actually get a moment to breathe without talking about the wedding. She wants to be married to him more than anything, but the entire event is becoming more than she had expected.
Of course she wants a big wedding. She's only been imagining the big day for 39 years now. But, compared to the marriage, they've hardly discussed the wedding. Especially since the moment they got back from the Bahamas after he proposed he was pushed into the role of managing partner. Up until the last few weeks, when they were expecting Jessica's return to the firm, they have barely thought about anything other than the office.
Hell, he's barely moved in. His boxes are still mostly packed and scattered throughout her apartment. They haven't looked at a single place for them to move into, let alone have they discussed what they're really looking for.
Just as she feels a panic rise within her while thinking of the upcoming months, she feels a light amount of pressure against her back. She nearly jumps out of her skin, the unexpected touch startling her. She turns her head and looks at the culprit, relieved to see her tipsy yet ravishing fiancé. He grins and sets his glass down on the table nearest to them. She instantly feels relieved, forgetting about the overwhelming nature of the intense wedding planning.
"I didn't think I would say this," he whispers into her ear, "But your family is more fucked up than mine."
She gives him a pointed look. He easily slips his hands onto her hips and pulls her into his chest. Her arms go up around his neck as if on autopilot. She says, "Your family too."
"Not yet," he says with a smirk, "But I suppose you're worth it."
"You can't break up with me at our engagement party," she says, eyebrows popped up on her forehead. She watches his fast contort, his mouth twitching. He grunts in the back of his throat and pushes his hands more fully around her. "What? I told you, they run people off."
She pushes herself onto the tips of her Jimmy Choos, closing the space between them. His grin slowly fades, completely stilling her movements. He groans, "Oh god."
"What?" She mutters. She hears a very annoyed tone fall from her mouth. He seemingly cowers, hiding behind her.
"Did you invite Scottie?" He whispers, accusatory.
"She's your friend," she replies. He huffs, audibly. She pulls her hands to his face and cups it. She encourages his gaze to shift back to her. He finally looks at her, his demeanor softening. She repeats, "She's your friend."
"I just wanted tonight to be about you," he admits, "I didn't want anything to ruin it."
"Oh, Scottie isn't ruining my night," she says with a wink, "I'm going home with the guy."
"That you are," he says, "Marry me?"
"Hm," she hums. She doesn't directly answer him.
"You two are disgustingly cute," says a very familiar voice.
She turns her gaze towards the voice and Harvey nearly drops her the moment she sees her it is. Jessica is back from Paris despite the fact she'd told them her flight was delayed a few days. She feels her fiancé's hands leave her body and she sees him scoop Jessica into a hug.
"Jessica," he says, excited, "I thought you weren't going to make it."
Harvey releases his mentor and returns a hand to the small of Donna's back. He ushers her forward to give Jessica a warm hug. She slips her arms around the older woman's neck and gives her a quick hug.
"I wanted the element of surprise," she replies cheekily. Jessica pulls back and offers Donna the present in her hands. Harvey reaches out and gently touches Jessica's elbow, a movement that takes her by surprise. He's softened since she left. "I wouldn't miss this for anything. My boy is all grown up."
"Thank you so much, Jessica," she says.
"Yes," he agrees, "That really means a lot. Can I get you anything? A drink, perhaps?"
"Just direct me to the bar," she replies, "You two mingle with your guests."
She watches Harvey lift his hand and point in the direction of the bar. He quickly shifts his attention back to her. He falters before saying, "Quick. Kiss me."
"What?" She asks, taken aback by his spontaneous request.
"Scottie's looking over here with those demon eyes," he replies.
"It's our engagement party," she says evenly, "I think she knows you're taken."
"Maybe I just want you to kiss me," he says. She watches him drop his hands into his pockets and stares at her challengingly. She sighs and shakes her head.
"She's your friend," she reminds him. She lifts her hands and presses them against his chest. She pushes herself on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. She says, "Just relax and have a good time. I love you."
She feels him shift beneath her touch. When she lowers herself back to the ground he is standing with his shoulders thrown back, chest pushed out triumphantly. It will never be lost on her how proud he is that she is in love with him. And she would do anything for him.