A/N: …so I watched the season 5 Premiere last night and I'm a total mess. It was so great but sooooo PAINFUL to see Harvey and Donna going through so much pain. I feel like we all need something EXTREMELY fluffy to recover! So here's a little one shot I wrote a week ago. But you've been warned. It is really fluffy.
Also, the title is totally directed to us. I think after this season premiere we might all need Zootherapy.
As always, please leave a review! I heard it increases your odds of winning the lottery (it might be a false rumor but you never know…And I do enjoy reading your reviews!)
ZOOTHERAPY
"You look angry…"
Donna lifts her eyes from the computer and sees Harvey, hands on her desk, examining her with furrowed eyebrows. She forces a smile.
"No, I'm not. I guess I'm just in a bad mood today Harvey. Louis has given me this article on financial law he wrote for the Harvard Law Review and it is far from being exciting. I've been doing this all day."
He comes around her desk and puts his hands on her shoulders, slowly working on the knots. "Admit it Donna…you miss working with me."
She giggles. "We talked about this Harvey…We'll see later if I can stand working with you and being with you. We can't be together all the time. Right now I'd rather have you massaging my shoulders than giving me files."
One of his hand massaging her shoulder comes down her décolleté and she can feel his breath in her neck. "Oh I could give you so much more than files…"
She stops his hand from going lower with a small slap. "Harvey. Stop." She says taking a more serious tone. "I have work to do. You'll see me later. Just come by. Like we planned. If I don't finish this by the time Louis's back…"
Harvey gives a little push on her chair so she's now sitting facing him. He lowers his head and gives her a kiss on her forehead. "Just…wait. Okay? You are way too stressed. Give me a minute."
He takes his phone and she can see him texting. A few seconds later she hears the blip of an incoming message and he reads and chuckles while he texts his reply. He puts the phone back in his pocket. Like on cue, Donna's phone is ringing and she answers. She listens and says, "Okay. No problem, have fun Louis." She hangs up and looks at Harvey. "Did you just bribed Mike into going out for drinks with Louis?"
He smiles proudly. "Yes I did. Tickets to a Yankees game, limousine and champagne with imported Macaroons from France for his fiancée! I think I got a pretty good deal. Now we're free, let's go."
"Where are you taking me?" She asks while taking her handbag and putting on her coat. "It's a surprise, you'll see."
Ray makes a stop and turns around telling them to call him back when they'll need him. They are in Central Park. The October air is crisp and Donna takes Harvey's hand. They walk around lazily not talking, just enjoying each other's company, far from the stress of the firm. After a while, they cross the zoo entrance and Donna stops him.
"Oh Harvey… I haven't been to the zoo in such a long time!"
"Donna, the firm is practically A ZOO!"
She squeezes his hand and pouts, "…that would make me so happy Harvey, and I love seeing the animals."
He rolls his eyes and smiles. His girlfriend is too adorable when she gets excited about something. He pays and they cross the gate. Anyway, it is like they are continuing their stroll but with animals around them. There aren't too many people and it is rather calm.
They spot the exotic birds in the tropical zone and Harvey can see Donna is totally relaxing now, and has that permanent smile on her lips. He's glad he managed to get her out of the office and spend time with her. With them working all the time, and not as closely as they used to, the most time they are spending together is on a couch or in a bed. Not that he would complain. After the horrible few months he had to spend not having her in his life in any ways, he's happy just sleeping in the same bed or eating breakfast with her. Still, it makes him really happy seeing Donna so happy and he takes a deep breath because he remembers how miserable and unhappy he was when she wasn't in his life anymore.
She turns around and looks at him curiously. "If you would be a bird…you would probably be a toucan."
He starts laughing. "A toucan? What makes you say that?"
She points at the toucan. "Look how classy he is with his suit."
Harvey is intrigued. "But penguins have "suits" too! And mine aren't that colorful."
"Yeah but look at this bird. He knows he's handsome. And he's loud too."
Harvey looks at the bird. "It's true he's a handsome fella…"
She lightly touches his harm. "Harvey, find the bird here who's a Donna."
They start walking hand in hand. "Ha! I found a Donna." He points at a red bird walking on the ground. "Not only it is a redhead, but look at that long beautiful neck."
"It is an Ibis," she says reading the sign.
"I don't really care about the bird", he says kissing her neck.
They continue their walk through the park, now walking outside. They see the cute red pandas and Donna makes baby-talk with them for a few minutes making Harvey cracks into laughter. Then, they arrive in front of the Grizzly bears.
"I'm pretty sure they used to have this big polar bear…did he die?"
Harvey stares at the Grizzly bears. "Yeah…Gus. He died. His secretary left him and he was already in a fragile state…he was severely depressed and taking Prozac."
Donna squeezes his hand. "Harvey…are you…kidding or…?"
He takes a deep breath. "That bear, I read his story in the newspaper. I'm not kidding, his partner died in 2011 and he became really depressed even if he was taking Prozac. They decided to placed him under anesthesia to take a better look at him and they found out he had a tumor, he was put to sleep. Sad story."
Donna is speechless.
"Looking back, I'm glad you left, Donna," he said in a low voice. "You had to. And even if it was hard look where we are now…" He gives her a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's go see the sea lions!"
They walk to the central courtyard where the sea lions basin is and they sit in the granite steps, Donna sitting between Harvey's knees. The sea lions are giving quite a show, chasing one another around the pool, jumping out of the water and clapping. Donna cannot stop laughing and talking. "Look Harvey, look! The sea lion just jumped! Look, Look!" Harvey is now laughing too because Donna's laugh is contagious.
A few months ago his life was a complicated mess, and now he's standing there in a zoo being happy just because SHE is happy. He bends and puts a finger under her chin to lift her head and his lips crashes on hers. He can feel her surprise and hesitation at first but she gives in and opens her mouth, her hands gripping his knees. She slowly detaches herself from him, opening her eyes. "What was this for?" she asks.
He smiles at her. "I'm just happy we're together now."
A kid they didn't notice giggles beside them. They smile at the little girl, who's probably 5, with blonde hair and freckles. Her mom is busy nursing a small baby on her knees.
"You wife is pretty," the little girl says to Harvey, "she looks like Ariel the mermaid that's why she likes sea lions!"
Harvey and Donna both laugh. "Thank you," he says, "but you see, she is even better than Ariel, I think she might be a superhero."
The little girl's eyes are sparkling. "For real?"
"Yes…she has superpowers, I don't know how she does it, but she makes everything in my life better and easier and funnier!"
"Whoah! She really is super…but being a mermaid is cool also, I think…"
The mom takes her kid's hand. "I'm sorry, as she's been bothering you? Anna can be quite a little chatterbox!"
Donna replies "Oh no, she's quite adorable…" The little girl winks at them while her mom takes her away, her baby in a sling.
"Harvey", Donna says reaching for his face with her hand, "that was so sweet…"
"Well Donna, I didn't want to crush that poor little kid's dreams, it's pretty obvious you're not a mermaid. But I do know you're special."
She caress his cheek. "Of course I am, I'm Donna…" She can't even finish her sentence because her eyes are lost in his and he's looking at her with an intensity she has never seen before. She feels…loved. They hear the crowd cheering and clapping and this is snapping them out of their little love bubble.
He tilts his head. "They are cheering for us!"
She throws her head back and laughs. "Yes, sure, they aren't cheering for those sea lions who are doing tricks while their trainers are feeding them. Harvey, let's watch the rest of the show and then…" She whispers in his ear. He raises his eyebrows.
"You're sure you want to see the feeding? Those sea lions seem thoroughly fed, I don't think they are hungry anymore," he says with a mischievous grin. "But me, on the other hand…I am."
"Are you telling me you want to stop for a bagel on your way home," she replies with a daring stare.
He smirks and looks her straight in the eyes. "I'm telling you I'm craving eating something with whipped cream. I haven't had any whipped cream in such a long time..."
She takes his hand and kisses the knuckles. "Okay I think the sea lions have had enough fish, let's get whipped cream, and go home water the cactus. He certainly needs watering."
He opens his mouth and shakes his head. "You win. I'm totally lost. I don't get this metaphor."
She gets up and looks at him, smiling. "There is no metaphor Harvey. But we do need to take a shower after visiting a zoo." They start walking toward the exit, holding hands.
"I guess if you'd be a plant, maybe you would be a cactus." He stops dead in his track and looks at her, a surprising look on his face.
"A cactus!? Donna…that seems…strange. Why?"
"Well Harvey, in order to protect yourself you may have been…harsh. You put up your defenses in order to keep people away. But under your thorns, once you let your guards down, you are…delicious."
"Okay Donna. That's…" He shrugs and chuckles. "I don't know if that is dirty or sweet."
Still holding his hand, she rubs her thumb against his palm. "Harvey. You know a cactus is edible, right?"
He clasps her hand and pulls her closer as he starts walking again. "Okay. We'll go visit the Botanical Garden in Bronx next week, for now let's go to my condo."
