Chapter Six

Harvey awoke to find Donna out of bed already. He heard the shower going on in her bathroom and calmed. He doesn't know why he panicked since she wouldn't leave plus they were also at her place. He looked around for his clothes and found them neatly folded on top of her dresser. He debated with himself whether he should follow her in the shower but realized they both had work this morning and that they still needed to talk about what happened. He dressed quickly and walked out of her room, choosing to start making some sort of a breakfast.

He had just finished making the coffee when she came out of her room, all dressed for work. He smiled at her, "I'll buy you some more bread later, I may have burned them all trying to make toast."

"I'm seeing someone!" she blurted out. Harvey just stared at her.

Donna doesn't know why she would say that, seeing as she wasn't seeing anyone. But Zoe called his cellphone at six in the morning. She had erased the call immediately after hitting the 'Ignore' button, a decision she immediately regretted since that wasn't her place but it was just all so…wrong. It would've been understandable had they been working on a case or consulting together, but Donna knew for a fact that that wasn't the case. Hence, the only reason she was calling was for a personal one. So, she's telling a fib, just a small little white lie. How bad can it possibly get?

..::..

They had been sitting on her couch for an hour now. Luckily, Harvey doesn't usually get into work until nine and Donna's absence could be chalked up to her being ordered to use her secretary prowess elsewhere that morning. They had been talking endlessly and have basically come to some semblance of a conclusion: It was a mistake.

They had both agreed that they would remain normal at work. In fact, everything would be just as it was before. There were to be no discussions of events, whatsoever. Donna is now dating a man named George O'Keefe, an architect she met at one of her yoga classes; they've only been out on two coffee dates so it wasn't anything serious and wasn't a cause for alarm in the faithfulness department but she really liked him and that's why she told Harvey about him (the little white lie did grow a bit). And Harvey would continue on as planned, you know!

They got in to work that morning, separately of course, and it was normal. Nothing was weird, no close calls and Donna felt that this could actually work. After barely a day.

..::..

Two weeks later and it was actually still going great. In fact, one can say that things have become quite mundane. They had their usual chatter; witty banter seems to be ingrained into their systems. No one was the wiser. Donna did her job efficiently while Harvey was still the best damn closer in the city. Maybe Donna was wrong; maybe you can go back.

..::..

It was a Friday evening, about a month later, when she came into his office and saw him all dressed up.

"Where you off to?" she asked. "Fancy tux wasn't on your calendar for tonight."

"Jessica has me smooching up to a potential client tonight. Just assigned," he answered with a sigh. "What are your plans? George?"

Donna was about to ask him who the hell George was when she remembered that he was her fake but loving and handsome boyfriend. So she said, "No, I have plans with Rachel."

"Ah," Harvey said, "the adventure saga of Michelle Ross and Harriet Specter continues. Will you need my card then, dear?"

Donna smiled, "Yes, please, my handsome devil of a sugar daddy!" Harvey laughed and put it on the table.

He made his way to the mirror in his office to do his bow-tie. Finally giving up, he said, "Could you help me with this?"

Donna had been arranging some files on his desk and was not aware he had moved from his spot by the mirror and was now directly behind her that when she turned, she realized just how close they were. She physically tried to take a step back but she was pinned between Harvey and his desk right behind her. Her eyes grew wide…

Harvey grimaced and he stepped back, "See, it's weird? You're being weird. It's been a month and I feel you pulling away. Like, right now. You can't even be close to me."

Donna put her hand on her hips, "What are you doing? What are you talking about?"

"Dumb does not suit you well, Donna." He bellowed, "I'm talking about us sleeping together and then deciding to just erase it from existence and be normal. Well, guess what, Donna? It's not normal. People who've seen each other naked always find it weird to be around one another. I mean, you've seen me naked and well, frankly, you come to work naked every day for me!"

Donna flamed, "You should not be picturing me naked! That is perverted and gross, Harvey! And didn't we agree to never speak of it again?"

"Well, I can't help that, Donna," he answered. "What if you're doing the same, what's to stop you from picturing me naked all the time? And, it? You can't even say out loud that made—slept together!"

Donna looked at him quizzically, then realizing he was going to be of no help, she looked around the room hopelessly, "No one should be picturing anybody naked, Harvey! We both agreed that it was a mistake. It was a mistake that we slept together!"

"You said it was a mistake," he whispered so softly that Donna almost didn't catch it.

He was just staring at her again but it wasn't going to work this time because, "And you never disagreed. You never disagreed because you want to have little Harvey's running around with Zoe, your plans are for Zoe to become your, you know!"

Harvey frowned at her but nodded his head, "And you have good 'ol George, right? I mean, it's been like a month now? And he's perfect? You're not going to tell him, are you? What happens if he finds out?"

Donna's eyes squinted angrily at him but before she could answer, "If who finds out what?" Jessica's voice rang clear as she entered Harvey's office. They had both been yelling at each at this point and they both needed to calm themselves quickly.

"If Louis finds out that…" Harvey answered hastily but faltered.

So Donna continued, facing Jessica, "Norma has been harbouring a crush on him for a while and has a shrine of him stashed in her bedroom closet."

Harvey looked at Donna while Jessica's face became an unreadable mix of both horror and amusement.

"Wow," she said, then looked at Harvey and his untied tie. "Could you hurry, please? We have to go. I'll see you downstairs in five." And she walked out briskly after nodding to Donna.

Donna turned back towards Harvey whose expression was currently unreadable. She took a deep breath and stepped towards him, tying the bow tie perfectly and admiring her work.

She finally looked up into his eyes, his expression has changed. She'd seen that look before, back on the sidewalk where he told her that he needed her, yes, need. His eyes pleaded with her now, Donna could see his desperation—despite the contrast in his actual demeanour. He was silently asking her what will become of the two of them. Quietly begging for what he wanted to hear.

So, because she was always out to protect him—because that's what she's been telling herself that she's been doing; protecting him from everything she wanted to say, to admit to him, because she's worried of how it'll affect him. Of how it could affect them, and them was very important to her, too.

She nodded her head at him, willing him to understand the meaning behind her words, for him to see that she's answering his plea, "We're going to be fine, Harvey," she said. "We're okay."

A ghost of a smile graced his lips and he nodded at her. Understood.

Donna felt her hand grow suddenly cold, unaware that he'd been holding on to it the entire time, like some sort of life line, and watched as he made his way to the elevators to meet Jessica. But not before giving her one last look.

They were going to be okay, they were going to be alright. Because even if she won't admit it, even if Donna is unwilling, and will not, repeat his words back to him; she needs him, too.