A/N: So who needs major fluff after that second episode of season 5? This is for you, brokenhearted Darvey fans! I hope all the angst on the show will be worth it...I think something needs to happen and WILL happen soon between those two (you'll see what I'm thinking about when you read this fic)

Big thanks to my wonderful JessicaLPearson for the "morning after" idea, you are a genius and ILY dearly my friend, for so many more reasons than good prompts!

Being a sad and heartbroken Darvey fan myself, I think it would be only fair to leave me a little comment/review so I know you appreciate this story!

Enjoy!

The Morning After

He didn't close the blinds the night before and the sun rays are invading his bedroom, so he slowly extends his right arm to get another pillow to hide his face. His hand brushes someone's hair. His heart starts racing… Did she finally stayed? He cracks one eye open and sees red hair all over the pillow. He can't help but smile.

He secretly wished for her to stay ever since they started having sex, even before they were in a romantic relationship. It happened in that order. Anyway, it isn't like they ever did things in the traditional way. They aren't just like that. Of course, they had sex when they both left the D.A.'s office, whipped cream, crazy-good sex. But still, it is like that time doesn't even count for "sex". Or maybe it does? It's from another era. It's what made them everything they were to each other afterwards. It's what threaded their complicated story, more than twelve years in the making.

The first time they had sex after "the other time", they were on very bad terms. He even thought their relationship was clinically dead.

It was a few months after she had resigned. She was working for Louis. She showed up at his door around 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night, screaming at him things he couldn't even understand. Next thing he knew, they had their clothes scattered all over the floor and they were both screaming for a totally different matter.

Then, it became a habit. Showing up at each other's door like that without warning. Each time with less yelling and less accusations, until it ended up with them literally just waiting for the other to show up, kissing and getting undressed as soon as the door was closed behind them. After a few weeks, he and she just started showing up early enough to eat together. At first, they ordered takeout, as it was more practical and give them more time to have all the sex they wanted. But then, they started cooking. Together. Listening to music. Watching television.

They both came to the conclusion that there was no need in denying it anymore. They were in a romantic relationship.

'

'

The only constant in this series of events was that Donna never wanted to spend the night. If she was at his place she always left in the middle of the night, calling a cab. If Harvey was at her place, she woke him up while he was dozing off saying it was time for him to go and "I called a cab" or "I called Ray".

He did told her more than once, that he'd like to spend the night with her, sleeping with her, but she had always made out some bullshit excuses as : yoga, feeding the neighbor's cat at 6:30 am sharp, left pills at the apartment, etc. He never liked pushing her into doing something she doesn't want. Proof is that even when she left him to work for Louis he became sick and miserable and yet, he didn't accept Jessica's offer to send Donna back working for him. What she wanted was always more important to him than his own happiness or even his own sanity, so again he was letting her decide when the moment would be right for them to wake up together one morning.

So as he opens his eyes on this sunny Saturday morning and sees her peacefully sleeping in his bed, he feels like he just won the lottery. He's sure his heart skips a beat. He turns towards her, his mouth is in her hair and she smells like candy or vanilla, or cherry. He doesn't know, but it smells like Donna and it is something he feels content and happy just closing his eyes and breathing in. He remembers that he spotted her bottle of Wella shampoo the other week when he showered at her place after a hot evening and that he resisted the envy of stealing it and bringing it back home for him to smell when he misses her. At the time he stopped himself and couldn't quite figured out how or when he became such a pussy, smelling a woman's shampoo.

But now that he is next to her breathing her in, his hand gently caressing up her belly, waking up beside her with a feeling that surpassed any legal victory he's ever had in his career, he is realizing one thing. He's sure his heart skips a beat.

He is in love with Donna Paulsen and waking up next to her is something he'd like an encore presentation of for the rest of his life.

When Scottie or even some random girl he picked up were in his life, they did wake up at his place more often that he wanted. Sometimes it was okay, because it meant another sex session in the morning. So most of the time it was a matter of convenience, and as soon as he got what he wanted, he was annoyed to share his bed and his morning routine with someone else. He wanted the whole thing over with as quickly as possible, meaning, he woke the girl up.

This time it was totally different.

He really doesn't want to wake her up. He makes everything in his power to not wake her up. He's touching her softly and he is trying his best not to make the mattress bend or squeak.

Usually, when he is waking up next to a woman he is immediately scheming how to fuck her, on top or not. But there he is, smelling Donna Paulsen's hair and…scheming how he could make her stay. Forever. What the hell is happening to him?

He rolls on his back. He has to do something. He's been far too miserable without her.

He doesn't even sit in the bed, afraid it might make the mattress squeak, he just rolls off, glides off the bed. He finds his boxer briefs, pants, a sweatshirt, and without making any noise he closes the blinds so the room is darker. He's feeling like a teenager who just fucked his girlfriend in his parent's house and doesn't want to wake anybody. He slowly walks out of the room and takes one last peek at his girlfriend, who is now sprawled like a starfish across the bed smiling in her sleep, before he closes the door.

He sits on his couch and tries to think. He can't believe he's spent almost all of his life closing deals for millionaires clients and now he's sitting in his living room, at the crack of dawn, wearing sweats and panicking over how to make a woman stay-and more than that-make her want to stay again and again, over and over, until she doesn't want to leave. The problem is, when he lets emotions takes over, Harvey is a poor thinker. He shakes his head, maybe he should just go over his usual morning routine and see how she could adapt to it?

Ok. Food. Usually in the morning he grabs a coffee and drinks it standing up at the counter, sometimes he eats half a toast and then he leaves. That won't work to woo her.

He has to act fast. He is not sure he has too much time before she wakes up. There is a high possibility that she wakes up and freaks out realizing she fell asleep at his place, and him coming back to an empty room with a post-it on his pillow. His heart sinks just thinking about it. He decides he'll wear his running shoes, he's going to run his errands, literally.

'

'

He quietly makes his way out of his condo and runs to the elevator. He decides against calling Ray on a Saturday morning before 7 A.M., and he hails a cab from the sidewalk. He looks at his watch, it is 6:50. Maison Kayser opens at 7:00 and he remembers Donna and Rachel raving about their delectable pastries.

"Corner of 3rd avenue and 74th please!"

When the cab stops it isn't even 7 A.M. so he waits for the door to opens. He is trying to relax but he keeps thinking that maybe he is doing all of this for nothing… He pushes the door as soon as he sees an employee unlocking it. The smell of freshly baked breads and sweet pastries invades him and he smiles at the lady at the counter.

"Good morning! I'll take…huh…" there are too many choices. He's lost.

The lady must feel it because she has a small laugh. "Is it to share with your wife or girlfriend, maybe?"

He smiles. "Actually, it's for my girlfriend." He still feels giddy when he gets to call her his girlfriend. "So I'm buying breakfast and…huh… "

No. He isn't about to tell this stranger that she is still in his bed and he wants to impress her. He bites his lower lip and feels so dumb. "I heard her talk about this place…"

The lady at the counter seems unfazed. He's probably not the first idiot in love to stand at her counter. She is still smiling. "I see… Then she probably heard about our butter croissants and our almond chocolate croissants. You can also buy a bag of madeleines they are really good with coffee…"

"I'll take six of each, thanks!" Says Harvey.

Bag in hand he looks at his watch and fidgets on the sidewalk. What now? Flowers! Donna always loved getting flowers. He remembers how happy she was when he gave her that bouquet on the night she was doing her play. He runs to the nearest convenience store and he takes 5 bouquets: daisies, gerberas, roses, sunflowers and a bouquet of purple iris. He barely sees anything with all those flowers in his hands as he walks to the counter. He puts everything there and while he's taking out his wallet to pay he spots the fridge with…chunky monkey! It is Donna's favorite. A thought crosses his mind: what if she stays long enough that…they get to eat ice cream on the couch while watching a movie in the middle of the afternoon? He decides it is totally worth the shot and he buys a pint. He also takes one of those little cards that comes free with the flowers and quickly scribbles something.

'

'

He's in the elevator with all his bags and he takes one last peek at his watch. 7:35.

He takes a deep breath and he steps out of the elevator. He opens the door to his condo.

Her shoes are still there, beside his. He has the exact same feeling he had as a kid when he woke up on Christmas morning. Happiness bubbling up inside of him. He arranges all the treats on a platter that he places on his dining table, with all the flowers in the middle. The flowers are not leaving an inch to put anything else on the table. He hums a love song he doesn't know the words to and makes his way to his bedroom. He opens the door.

She is still there, lying in his bed, wearing only her underwear. He removes his pants and sweatshirt, keeping only his boxer and t-shirt. He slides under the cover beside her. She turns to face him. Her makeup is smudged around her eyes and her lips naked. He realizes that he probably went to the bakery and store with her lipstick stains on his neck. That's probably why the lady at the bakery asked about his girlfriend. He doesn't care. In fact, he likes it that she left marks on him.

His hand touches her arm.

"Hey sleeping beauty…I heard you spent the night at your boyfriend's. Finally." He teases her, leaving a kiss on her arm.

"Yeah, I did. And then I woke up at my old boss's condo. I don't know what the hell happened," she replies smiling, eyes half-closed.

He slowly presses his lips against hers while she puts one of her leg over his, her hand tracing lines in his back, under his shirt. His hands are sliding in her back and he firmly grabs her ass pulling her closer to him, his kissing and need becoming more urgent.

She puts her hand on his chest and lightly pushes him away, detaching herself from him.

"Harvey…stop," she says seriously.

"Donna," he says kissing her behind her ear. "Why?"

"If you don't stop now I can see ourselves eating something that ISN'T the fresh pastries you picked-up for me."

He comes up on one elbow, a confusing look on his face. "Huh what?"

She sits in the bed and looks at him. "Harvey, you woke up before me this morning and you ran to a bakery."

He is stunned. "You heard me? Donna…You were awake"

She gets up and grabs a t-shirt from his drawer like she's been living there all her life. "No Harvey. I slept like a baby. I just…KNOW."

He laughs and nods.

"You always knew. Because you're Donna. You know everything." He gets up and takes her in his arm, hugging her.

She kisses his neck and tells him in a low voice: "Harvey…I know you've been wanting us to spend the night for the last few weeks but…I know you would get into all this trouble and I needed to make sure I was…" She takes a deep breath and kisses his cheek, and whispers close to his ear. "Ready."

He takes her hand and leads her to the table. She stops when she sees the flowers. She puts a hand over her mouth.

He tilts his head and smirks. "Donna. You weren't expecting this? I thought you knew everything."

She sits at the table. He can see tears in her eyes and she's biting her lips. She can't talk.

"Wow. You are speechless. I can't believe this!" He sits on the seat to her left. She is still looking at the flowers and the pastries and she's crying.

"Harvey…I was expecting a rose, maybe a bouquet, a croissant. Not all this." She takes the card and reads it.

"If you're reading this, it means you're still there when I come back. Pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming. I'm in love with you, Harvey."