I feel as if I've waited 84 years for that kiss so I had to write Harvey's thoughts.
The Line
With Jessica's words still weighing heavily at the forefront of his mind, Harvey slid into the back seat of the car where he made a quick call to Paula to cancel their dinner that night, claiming something urgent in the office.
She had been very patient with him, even when he sporadically dropped out of life for a few days, sometimes a week to deal with something important at work.
The drive was smooth, the road a little clearer at this time with rush hour well behind them. Donna and Louis would still be in office. He was certain of it.
They were all working so hard these days, long hours and late nights, even more so than usual. Peason, Specter and Litt needed to get back on top of their game and there was really no room to slack. They had been doing well too for the last couple of weeks. Just when he thought things had stabilised and they could make the steady climb back to where they were, life threw them another curve ball with Jessica about to be disbarred in New York.
"We're here, sir," his driver broke into his thoughts.
Harvey nodded distractedly at him, muttered his thanks as he let himself out.
He glanced up, looking at the building that he had spent a majority of his adulthood. He liked the building best at night. It was quiet and peaceful, and it was also at night with most of the employee home that the best strategic planning took place. They had fought their way out of tight corners, took down opponents and stood firm in the face of various adversities at night with people that was his family.
Now, he was about to buy a family out to save the others.
Sometimes, one would have to cut off a limb to save the body, and that was what Jessica had wanted him to do.
He wasn't prepared for this, not in the least. In the considerable future, he figured he would eventually have to get around to taking her name off but this was too soon.
Harvey emerged from the elevator, sparing a glance at the three names there. He walked briskly towards Donna's office, passing Louis' empty's office on his way. Louis had told him earlier that he needed to make it right with Donna so Harvey assumed that was where he'd be.
"Good, you're still here. Where's Louis?" he asked when he only spotted her.
Unless… Louis changed his mind about talking to Donna…
"Cause I have some news," he went on, knowing that Donna would definitely give Louis a call for him to return to the office should he already left, "and I think you should both – "
Harvey couldn't remember what he wanted to say in the first place, not when her soft lips were on his and her gentle hand was cradling the back of his head as tenderly as he had imagined it would be.
His eyes fluttered shut and he stood there, unable to think or react. The sweet smell of her perfume engulfed him and he was sure he was lost in her embrace. A thrill went through his spine and he was sure she could feel his heart beating wildly now that they were standing so close to each other. He wondered if hers was too.
All throughout his life, Harvey had run through ever scenario possible, anticipating moves and plotting countermoves where his cases were concern and learning to counteract with people but this was not something he had thought about.
Not with Donna.
Not when she had insisted that she would never date anyone from work. It was a line she had drawn and one he had agreed to.
It wasn't to say that he had not dreamt of it. He had, and he had tried to remember what it was like to kiss her and run his hand through her body. It had happened once and the memory of her skin on his was starting to fade, something he thought was for the better because they had made it clear that it wasn't what they wanted. They were both firm about keeping their desires separate. They had been doing that for years.
There was a line and she had just crossed it.
Donna pulled back slightly. She was looking at him and he was staring at her, his brows creasing in confusion and surprised.
What just happened?
He wanted to ask but the words were lodged in his throat and he was never one to be rendered speechless.
"I'm sorry, Harvey," she said.
He was aware of one hand on his shoulder and acutely attuned to the feels of her fingers brushing lightly against his neck.
She was looking at him so tenderly. He searched her face, looking for something, anything and all he found was that she did not seem regretful. She had intended to do this. Something had made her ignored the line and kissed him.
"I just had to know."
What was that supposed to mean?
What was he supposed to say to that?
She was gone and he was left standing in her office, reeling from the kiss.
There would be time later for him to try and understand her motivations and the implications of it but right now, where her lips had touched his, it tingles.