I meant to post this a couple days ago, but I figure as long as I post it before midnight, it's fine.
Here is some Christmas fluff without much plot lol. After suffering through that heart wrenching promo, I think we all needed some Christmas fluff.
So, here it is…..
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He's not exactly proud of how he's feeling.
Harvey has never been one of those guys that thinks women should just be stay at home moms – that they should live in the kitchen and be responsible for the laundry and child rearing while the men are the breadwinners.
No, he's never felt that way.
And even if he had been one of those guys, the years he spent working alongside Jessica and Donna would have quickly disillusioned him of that idea.
He knows that women can run billion dollar companies; they can be police officers or surgeons or scientists; they can be the breadwinners of the family.
He knows all of this. And he truly believes it. Truly.
That's why he's not proud of the thoughts swirling around in his head right now.
It's just… the sight of Donna in their kitchen, wearing an apron over her dress and making Christmas dinner for his family… it's doing things to him – things he couldn't even begin to explain.
He just… he can't help it.
He really likes seeing her like this.
He's barely been able to tear his eyes off her since he sat down on the couch with his family. Marcus is telling some story about Kayla's 1st grade play and he should be listening, but he's not. No, instead, he's staring at his beautiful girlfriend flitting around their kitchen like she does this every single night of the week.
It's silly, but she's just drawing him in and all he wants to do is go to her.
So, he chugs the last third of his drink, deciding it's just the excuse he needs.
"Anyone want a refill?" He asks, before glancing around at everyone while lifting his glass in the air. But, nobody else has come even close to finishing their drink, so they all decline his offer. Letting out a shrug, he gets up off the couch and heads towards the kitchen, practically itching to touch her.
"Hey," he says as he places his empty glass on the counter and saddles up beside her, running a hand down her back.
"Hey," she says with a smile as she quickly glances over her shoulder at him.
"You need any help?" He asks as he watches her brush some olive oil on the rolls she's about to put in the oven.
She immediately lets out a laugh and throws him an incredulous look. "Really?" She asks, turning slightly towards him.
"What?" He questions, trying to hide the smirk on his lips.
"They've been here for ten minutes and you're already sneaking off to the kitchen," she playfully accuses.
"Well…" he says as he steps closer, leaning on the counter beside her. "I seemed to have lost my usual buffer," he remarks, in that low voice he only saves for her.
"I'm sure you can make it twenty minutes without me," she responds, raising her eyebrow in a slight challenge.
"You know me better than that," he retorts.
Donna responds with a dramatic eye roll before turning away from him to focus on stirring the butternut squash risotto, all while trying to hide the smile on her lips.
"Plus, you're making it really hard to focus… you look incredibly sexy in this," he teases as he leans in closer, keeping his voice low, while he gently pulls at the ties of her apron.
Once again, she's rolling her eyes while her mouth turns into a smirk.
Harvey lets out a chuckle, but his expression turns serious only seconds later. "Hey," he says as he lifts her chin with his finger and turns her head towards him. "Thank you for doing all of this," he tells her.
"You're welcome," she smiles before leaning in for a quick kiss. When she pulls away, she quickly glances over towards the couch, before meeting Harvey's eyes. "How's Marcus holding up?" She wonders, looking genuinely concerned. "I can't imagine how hard this is for him, not seeing the kids today," she mentions.
"He seems okay," Harvey assures her. "Inviting everybody to the city was a good idea – I think it's a nice distraction for him," he adds.
"Yeah," she agrees with a nod of her head. "Well, I'm glad we could get everybody together," she remarks, a warm smile stretching across her face.
"Maybe next year, we can get your family up here, too," he offers, as he twirls a lock of hair around his finger. He knows she's been missing her family today – normally, she goes down to Connecticut to her parent's house, but this year, her mom and dad decided to spend the holidays in Florida. When they let her know, a couple months back, she was not too pleased by the decision. They invited her to come along and Harvey told her that they could take a long weekend and go down there, but she dismissed the idea, deciding that she'd much rather stay in New York.
"Oh yeah? You sure you're ready for that?" She quips, her face lighting up with amusement.
"Well… I'm sure it'd be… entertaining," he offers, a smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah, that's one word for it," she scoffs, causing him to respond with a chuckle.
"Still, I think it'd be nice to get everyone together – we'll have to introduce them at some point, right?" He reminds her.
"Yeah," she agrees with a nod of her head. "But let's worry about that next year," she decides. "Right now, I've got to add the dressing to the pomegranate brussels sprout salad, get the maple roasted carrots and blistered green beans out of the oven, and check the temperature of the chicken to see if it's done," she explains.
"So, I'm guessing Rachel must've planned out the menu, huh?" He assumes, an amused smile shaping his mouth.
"Well… I did want it to be edible," Donna playfully retorts.
"Seriously, you're amazing," he tells her, his expression turning to one of awe as he pulls her flush against his chest. "How did I get so lucky?" He muses.
"Well… I have heard you're the best closer in the city," she mentions, captivating him with her smile, while fixing the collar of his shirt even though he's almost certain that it's perfectly fine.
Except, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love you," he tells her, as waves of affection roll off of him.
Mirroring his blissful expression, she leans in closer, "I love you, too."
With a widening smile, as he quickly pulls her in for a kiss, letting it last a little bit longer than he normally would when they have company.
"Harvey, stop distracting the poor girl," Lily playfully accuses as she steps into the kitchen, surprising both Harvey and Donna and causing them to quickly pull apart.
"Just seeing if Donna needed any help," Harvey reasons with a shrug of his shoulders as he desperately tries not to feel like he's fifteen again, his mother walking in on him making out with Anna Kokavich.
"Yeah, I saw exactly how you were helping," Lily teases, causing Harvey to roll his eyes while a blush spreads across Donna's cheeks. "Bobby went out for a smoke, so why don't you go keep your brother company? I'll help Donna," she decides. "It'll be nice for us to catch up."
With a glance back at Donna to confirm, Harvey refocuses on his mother and nods his head in agreement. After quickly squeezing Donna's hand, he leaves the kitchen to go find to Marcus.
"He is seriously smitten," Lily declares with an amused smile as she accepts a spare apron from Donna and ties it around her waist before going to wash her hands in the sink.
"Well, the feeling is mutual," Donna happily replies as she grabs some oven mitts and takes the carrots and green beans out of the oven.
Lily glances over at Donna and responds with a smile before focusing her attention on dressing the salad. "I'm still not used to it… seeing him so happy and carefree… it's like he's lighter somehow," she muses. "And I have to say, I really like it," she adds with a smile. "I just… I hope you know how much you mean to him… how happy you make him," she adds, catching Donna's eye.
"I do," Donna assures her with a warm smile. "And like I said, the feeling is mutual," she insists. "Harvey… he means everything to me," she adds.
For a moment, Lily just stares at her son's girlfriend, obviously trying to hold back the emotions that are threatening to spill over. For years, she often worried about Harvey and the consequences her actions had on him and his love life. She truly couldn't put into words how relieved she is that he seems to have finally found someone he loves and trusts with his heart.
"I'm just so glad you two found each other," she tells her with a heartfelt smile, when she's finally able to get it together.
"Me too," Donna agrees with a smile of her own.
Truthfully, she can't imagine anything else.
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As he pours Marcus a drink, he can't help but feel as if he's being watched – or more like studied. He's not sure what it's about, but his little brother is not being discrete.
"What?" Harvey finally asks, chancing a look at Marcus.
"Nothing," Marcus says with a shake of his head and a smile on his lips. "It's just… you seem… happy," he declares. "Really happy," he amends. "It's nice," he remarks as he reaches for the glass of scotch and takes a sip.
"I am happy," Harvey confirms, no longer feeling the need to deny his feelings for Donna.
"She seems happy, too," Marcus mentions before taking another sip of his drink.
"Yeah? You think so?" Harvey asks as he glances across the room at her, wondering if his brother is right.
"Yeah, I mean… look at her," Marcus comments as his eyes find her as well. "I've never seen her… glow like that," he says, before a thought suddenly stops him in his tracks. "Wait, she's not pregnant, is she?" He asks as his wide eyes turn back towards Harvey.
"What?! No," Harvey assures him.
"Okay… then, yeah… she definitely looks happy," Marcus reaffirms before taking a moment to watch his brother. "So, when are you gonna make it official?" He wonders several seconds later.
"What?" Harvey asks, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks back at his brother.
"You guys moved in together… you must know what comes next," Marcus hints, lowering his voice so no one else can overhear.
"Oh," Harvey replies, finally understanding what he's getting at. "Yeah, I've uh… I've thought about it," he admits. The truth is, lately, he hasn't thought of much else.
"But…?" Marcus says, assuming that's what's coming next.
"But… well, how do you know?" Harvey questions.
"That she's the one?" Marcus guesses. "C'mon Harvey, do you seriously not know?" he asks, incredulously.
"No, I mean… how do you know if she'll say yes?" He clarifies.
"Harvey," he says with a roll of his eyes. "She's crazy about you… everyone can see it," Marcus assures him. "She's put up with your nonsense for well over a decade, you've been together for what – eighteen months? And she agreed to move in with you… you really think she's gonna say no?" He asks, slightly incredulous.
"Okay, but… do you have any idea how many proposals she's turned down?" Harvey mentions as he nervously picks at a piece of lint on his pants.
"Have you ever proposed to her before?" Marcus inquires.
"Obviously not," Harvey replies with a roll of his eyes.
"So then, I wouldn't worry about what she said to everyone else," Marcus assures him. "You two obviously have something – maybe that's why she said no to everyone else? She was just waiting for you to get your shit together," he decides.
And as much as Harvey would love to believe that, he's just not so sure.
"I don't know…. She could just be afraid of commitment," Harvey muses as he swirls his drink in his hand.
"She didn't want to commit to the wrong person, that doesn't mean she's afraid of commitment," Marcus corrects. "I mean… she's been committed to you for most of her adult life," Marcus exclaims, shooting his brother an incredulous look. "And you're living together," he reminds him. "I wouldn't worry about it," he reasons.
"Maybe," Harvey concedes, although he's still not entirely convinced. They may be living together, but convincing Donna to actually take the plunge and do it… it wasn't exactly easy. It certainly took some convincing on his part. And the last thing he wants to do is have to convince her to marry him. Still, he has been thinking about it more and more. "I… I do have a ring," he admits, careful to whisper the words so no one else can hear his secret.
"No shit. Really?" Marcus asks, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Yeah," Harvey nods before almost finishing off his drink in an effort to quell the anxiety that's suddenly appeared during this conversation.
"So when are you gonna ask her?" Marcus probes.
"I don't know," Harvey shrugs. "Just trying to work up the nerve, I guess," he explains.
"Yeah, I remember how stressful that is – I get it," Marcus assures him. "But, for what it's worth, I think she'll say yes," he advises.
"Thanks," Harvey says, directing an appreciative smile at his brother.
"To you and Donna," Marcus says, lifting his glass and clinking it against Harvey's before they both take a drink. "Man… I can't even imagine what dad would say if he were here," he remarks, rather entertained by the thought.
Harvey immediately smiles at the comment as he pours himself another drink. His father always adored Donna and was constantly telling him to get his head out of his ass and lock things down with her. If he was here today, he'd be saying the same thing right now.
"He'd probably tell me to man up and do it before he beat me to it," Harvey laughs.
"He'd be over the moon about you guys," Marcus expresses, a genuine smile touching his lips. "He always loved her."
"I know," Harvey agrees, nodding his head as he tries to swallow back all the emotions swirling around inside him.
"I'm just – I'm really happy for you, Harvey," Marcus expresses. "I'm glad you two finally figured it out," he adds.
"Me too," Harvey concurs as his eyes find her in the kitchen, chuckling in response to something his mother is saying.
He truly can't imagine loving anyone more.
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"So, I'd say dinner was a resounding success," Donna declares that night after Lily, Bobby and Marcus head back to their hotel and the two of them are changing out of their clothes.
"Yes, I'd say it was a huge step up from the last dinner party you threw," Harvey teases as he unbuttons his shirt.
"Hey!" She exclaims, throwing him a mock glare as she removes her jewelry. "You know that wasn't my fault," she defends.
"I know," he concedes as he takes off his belt. "But I think the moral of the story here is that we should only have dinner parties with my family," he jokes while unzipping his pants and kicking them off so he's clad in only his boxers. "And, if we do invite your family, make sure to lock up the Chardonay," he quips.
"Ha ha," she says with a roll of her eyes.
With a silly grin on his face, he closes the distance between them and presses his lips to hers for a quick kiss. "Seriously… thank you for tonight," he tells her as his hands land on her waist.
"You're welcome, Harvey," she smiles before giving him another kiss. "Now… unzip me," she demands with a playful smirk.
Letting out a chuckle, Harvey waits for Donna to turn around so he can unzip her dress. Letting it fall to the floor, his eyes immediately travel down her body before she turns to face him again. She's wearing a lacey bra and panty set that he's seen on several occasions, but nevertheless takes his breath away. The beautiful icy blue color looks so striking on her that he almost doesn't want to take it off.
It's nearing one o'clock in the morning and they both have to be at work tomorrow, but he truly has no desire to go to sleep.
His fingers quickly find her waist again before he walks backwards towards their bed, pulling her along with him. When the back of his knees hit the mattress, he sits on the edge, letting his hands trail over her ass and inch down her thighs. Lifting his chin, he looks up at her while her fingers run through his hair.
Not wanting to wait another second, he encourages her into his lap and quickly wraps her up in his arms. He immediately presses a kiss to each breast, which are right at his eye level, before he pulls back and tilts his head so he can meet her eyes. Smiling softly, he stretches his neck while she meets him in the middle to plant a kiss on his mouth.
"I love you," he says softly, almost whispering the words.
"I love you, too," she smiles.
As he watches her, smiling back at him, his affection for her overwhelms him. The way he loves her – it's all consuming. It's something he's never felt before and he's certain he could never feel it again, not for anyone else.
She is it for him. No one else could ever come close.
She is the one person he cannot live without. She is all that matters, all he wants, all he needs. She could make him happy for the rest of his life and she could also completely destroy him. She's his greatest weakness, but at the same time gives him so much strength. She's the one person who can make him truly lose his shit and she's the only one who can put him back together when he does.
She's absolutely everything.
And while this is certainly not a new realization, he's completely overcome by the emotion of it all.
Seemingly sensing the change in him, her eyebrows furrow as she studies his features, trying to figure out what's on his mind. "You okay?" She inquires while gently scratching at the nape of his neck, something that always seems to make the tension melt away.
"I'm great," he promises with a genuine smile on his lips as he pulls her closer for a kiss.
God, he is so in love with her.
As she hums into his mouth and continues to massage the back of his neck, he's struck by this overpowering urge to just do it – suddenly, he can't wait even one more second.
"Donna?" he murmurs as he plants a few kisses on her neck.
"Hm?" She happily sighs.
Pulling back, just slightly, he meets her eyes while tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Will you marry me?" He asks, his voice low and soft and much more vulnerable than he ever likes to be.
"What?" She asks, her eyes wider than he's ever seen as she openly gapes at him. This is certainly not what she was expecting him to say.
A small smile touches his lips as his fingers get tangled in her hair and he watches the stunned expression form on her face. "Marry me," he urges, saying the words just a touch slower and louder so there's no misunderstanding.
"What?" She repeats, halfway between a whisper and a gasp.
"Donna… you and me… it's all I could ever want," he declares as he caresses her jaw with his thumb. "I know I could never love someone else the way I love you. I know no one could ever mean as much to me as you do. You're… you're the love of my life," he proclaims, trying to steady his trembling hands.
"I've just – I've been a fool for so long, suppressing how I felt because admitting it was such a risk, but… finally telling you, it was the best thing I ever did," he continues, completely beaming at her. "I just wish I had done it years ago," he remarks, briefly pausing to take a breath. "But I'm done wasting time. I don't want to waste another second… I want everything with you… and I want to have it for as long as I possibly can," he proclaims as his eyes start to glass. "So… will you marry me?" He asks, full of hope as his lips twitch into a smile.
The shock is still radiating from every inch of her as she tries to swallow back the emotion she's feeling before inhaling and then slowly exhaling. But as he's holding his breath, waiting for an answer, his heart practically leaps out of his chest when he sees her nod her head.
"Yes," she confirms, whispering the words as if she can't even believe that this is happening.
"Yes?" He verifies, unable to trust his own ears.
"Yes," she emphasizes, a little louder this time, as her eyes begin to tear up and she frames his face with her hands.
They're both practically shaking in each other's arms, completely speechless and overwhelmed with emotion, but also unbelievably happy.
"Yes?" He asks again, practically choking out the words. He's just really having trouble believing it – that she actually just agreed to marry him, that she wants him for the rest of her life, that she's gonna be his for the rest of his. He really wasn't sure what her answer would be and the fact that she's saying yes – it's so surreal.
She lets out a laugh at his words before nodding her head again. "Yes, Harvey," she assures him.
He immediately tightens his grip on her and then flips them so she's lying on the bed and he's on top of her. Not expecting the action, she lets out a gasp as her back hits the mattress. But, he quickly swallows the noise as he captures her lips with his.
Within seconds, he's kissing her so passionately that they both lose their breath. But then, suddenly, he's pulling away, leaving her completely winded.
"Wait," he says as he puts some space between them.
"What?" She frowns, lifting her head and propping herself up on her elbows to watch him.
"I… I have a ring," he informs her, still trying to get his bearings.
"You… do?" She asks, her eyes widening in surprise. She thought this proposal was just spontaneous and spur of the moment, but the fact that he bought a ring, that he had at least planned to ask her at some point, it puts a smile to her face.
"Hold on," he says before planting a quick kiss on her and then getting up off the bed.
Sitting up, she watches curiously as he walks over to their closet, stands on his toes and then reaches for the highest shelf – one she can't even get to in her highest heels. He's fishing around for something and it takes several seconds before he finally finds what he's looking for and comes away with a navy ring box in his hand. She recognizes the box instantly as being from Harry Winston and she can't wait to see what's inside.
She's holding her breath as he walks back towards her, a big smile on his face that's certainly contagious.
"I can't believe we're doing this in our underwear," she giggles as he gets closer.
"Well… I can hold off until you change into something else?" He teases, taking one last step towards her.
"No, I'm good," she grins, eagerly waiting to see her ring. She still feels like this whole thing is a dream – that she'll wake up any minute and none of it will've been real. It's all just too good to be true.
Letting out a laugh, he takes her hand and kneels in front of her as a smile sweeps across his face. "Donna Roberta Paulsen, will you marry me?" He asks for what feels like the tenth time that night. Although, he'll ask it a hundred more times as long as her answer remains the same.
"Yes," she says simply, unable to bite back a smile.
With a huge grin sweeping across his face, he opens the navy box and a gasp leaves her lips as he reveals the most beautiful ring she's ever seen.
"Holy shit," she says as she studies the large oval-shaped diamond surrounded by a ring of smaller diamonds and set on a micropavé band.
"You like it?" He asks, searching her face for clues as soon as he slides the ring on her finger. "When I saw it, I just… I thought it was you," he explains with a warm smile. "But it's your ring and I want you to love it – I don't ever want you to take it off, so if you'd rather exchange it for something else, we can go first thing in the morning and you can pick out anything you want," he promises.
"Harvey, it's perfect," she assures him as she admires it. "It's never leaving my finger," she declares.
"Good," he smiles before he stands up and pulls her with him. "I love you so much," he tells her as he rests his forehead against hers.
"Love you, too," she promises before standing on her toes to kiss him. Within seconds, he's gathering her in his arms, gently placing her on the bed and crawling on top of her.
Instead of kissing her like she expects him to, he just stares at her with an adoring smile on his face.
"What?" She asks, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Nothing," he responds with a light shake of his head. "I'm just… I'm really happy," he explains.
"Me too," she concurs, unable to wipe the grin off her face.
His expression quickly mirrors hers, as he continues to just take in the sight underneath him – his gorgeous fiancée, in her underwear, and completely beaming at him. It's something he wants to remember for the rest of his life.
"Harvey?" She says, after several seconds go by.
"Hm?"
"I think you should probably kiss me now," she tells him.
As a chuckle falls from his lips, he leans in so her mouth is within reach. "Okay," he says before closing the distance between them.
The next morning, they are three hours late for work – and couldn't care less.
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I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, if anyone has any ideas for some Darvey one shots, I'm all ears!
Merry Christmas everyone!