Happy weekend everyone! This is a far longer chapter than the others, but seeing as I'd written it all, I didn't see the point in splitting it up. Well, 7.06 seemed to give us all a renewed hope for a narrative that makes sense and maybe even a path towards Darvey. Time will tell I suppose! Thanks again for all the reviews! :)
...
Chapter Eleven
The sun was peeking through her still-drawn curtains when Donna awoke the following morning. She still felt a little tired, but more relaxed than she had during her time in hospital. She stretched in bed and slowly rolled on to her good side, a twinge reminding her it was time for her tablets.
As her brain started to fully wake up, the events of the previous night came back to her, of Harvey's arms around her after her nightmare and of falling asleep against him. Her face flushed a little at the memories, of how good it felt to be so close to him, physically and emotionally. She could sense their relationship had shifted and yet she was still unsure what it meant. Is this because I've been hurt? Will things just start to go back to how they were before?
She glanced across her bed, the other side empty, the identation in the pillows and the slightly out of place sheets, the only proof that Harvey had been there. She felt sad that he was no longer next to her. Did he want to avoid any awkwardness? As she pushed herself in to a sitting position, she saw the time on the bedside alarm – 6:58 a.m. Any normal day her alarm would be going off in two minutes to start the working day, but work wasn't on her agenda for a while.
As she was deciding whether to get up or not, she swore she heard music coming from within the apartment; faint, but she was sure it was there. She threw the covers off and padded across the room, opening the door and wandering in to the main room of her apartment. As she made her way through the living room, the music was clear – jazz. She smiled. Harvey.
He had his back to her as she stood in the entrance to her kitchen, leaning against the wall to observe him. He was already dressed for work, his hair still slightly wet from his earlier shower, as he stirred a pan on her hobs with one hand, while grabbing toast out of the toaster with the other. The soothing sounds of jazz were coming through Harvey's phone on speaker. Domestic Harvey made her smile. He just needs an apron, she mused. She could have watched him all day.
"Making yourself at home, I see."
He glanced back at her over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. "Well, seeing as the bed and breakfast service at this establishment was below par, I had no option but to help myself."
The kettle boiled and he reached for the two mugs already out on the side, pouring water in to both, resulting in the rich aroma of coffee filling the air. He turned around fully and handed her one of the mugs. "Go and sit down. I'm almost done here."
She did as she was told and took a seat at her dining table, sipping the coffee. He joined her a few minutes later, together with two plates of scrambled eggs on toast. "Breakfast is served."
Donna marvelled at this simple gesture. He had got up early to make her breakfast before going to work. She chuckled. "If you're not careful, I could get used to this."
He smiled. "Then maybe I'll try not to be careful." The words took her by surprise, her brain scrambling to acknowledge the implications of his statement. He looked a little sheepish and simply continued to eat his food, his own thoughts all over the place. Did I really just say that?!
…..
He picked up his jacket as he was preparing to leave 30 minutes later, as Donna moved the empty plates to the kitchen. "I better get going," he called. She reappeared in the living room, as he walked towards the door. "You're parents are coming by this morning, right?" She nodded and he opened the door. "If you need me, just call me okay?"
His concern was sweet, but she assured him she would be fine. He hovered on the threshold of her apartment, hesitant as to what to do or say. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but yet again, it just didn't seem to be the right time. He bit his bottom lip out of frustration, but gave her a warm smile. "I'll come by after work, if that's alright?"
"Of course it is Harvey," she whispered, her heart aching to reach out to him and feel him hold her again. "Have a good day." With a quick nod, he was gone and she hated the fact that she already missed him.
…..
The fresh air of Central Park was a welcome relief to Donna later that morning after two weeks cooped up in the hospital. The park remained one of her favourite places in the city and she was enjoying the stroll with her parents, who seemed surprisingly comfortable in each other's company again too. She was grateful they were back on better terms. That certainly hadn't been the case in the early years after they'd separated.
As they reached the boating lake, they stopped to eat the sandwiches they'd picked up, perching on the edge of the Bethesda Fountain. Donna loved The Angel of the Waters sculpture and its four small cherubim representing health, purity, temperance, and peace. She often stopped by it, if walking through the park.
Her father squeezed her hand and smiled. "It's lovely to see you feeling better honey. We thought some fresh air would do you good."
"It is. Thank you daddy." She sipped at her bottle of water, as families and tourists came and went, stopping for a photo by the famous statue. It felt a little strange to be out in the city like this in the middle of the working day. Her mother interrupted her thoughts. "Will Harvey be joining us for dinner tonight sweetheart? I want to make sure I cook enough food."
She'd had a look at his calendar that morning, to make sure his temp secretary was keeping it in order, so she knew it was a long day for him. "No, Mom. He's working quite late tonight." She saw the look of disappointment on her mother's face at this news. It still amused Donna how much her mother liked Harvey, while her father had seemed less of a fan. Mind you, even they seem to be getting along better now, she thought to herself, which again made her wonder just what they'd talked about when at her bedside.
From the conversations she'd had since the week she was in a coma, she'd come to realise the truth of her mother's words about Harvey. Rachel had made it very clear to her how he'd effectively lived at the hospital that week, leaving only a handful of times and never going far or for very long. She'd found herself trying to remember anything else from that week, but it was all distorted, as if she was trying to recall voices and words through a waterfall, everything drowned out somehow. She remembered hearing his voice somewhere in the distance, but she couldn't quite make out his words. The doctors had said it was possible snatches would come back to her eventually.
"That's a shame. He should make time to eat a proper meal. His mother agreed with me that these hours you all work cannot be healthy."
Donna turned her head to look at her mother, a curious expression on her face. "His mother? You've met Harvey's mother?"
"Only very briefly, when she came by the hospital. She was the one person who managed to get him to go home for a few hours. She seemed very nice. I think she said she was an artist."
Donna wasn't sure what surprised her more; that Harvey's mother had come to the hospital or that her and Harvey were clearly on such good terms now. It made her smile. He deserves to have a good relationship with his mother after all these years.
They continued their walk, passing Cherry Hill and skirting the edges of the bustling Strawberry Fields, before making their way south towards the edge of the park and the busy city streets. It was one of the most pleasant days she's had with her parents in a long time and yet, every so often, her mind couldn't help wandering to thinking about Harvey.
…..
It had been a long day and Harvey was exhausted. He hadn't worked a full day since Donna's attack and he hated to admit it but he was a little out of practice. Do I really normally do this all the time? He turned in his chair to stare out at the skyline, the lights dancing off the buildings as Manhattan seamlessly moved from day to night. He couldn't believe how much could change in just a few weeks. I could have lost her…He closed his eyes at the thought, not wanting to imagine his life without her.
"You okay Harvey?"
He turned round in his chair and smiled at his fellow named partner. "I'm good Louis. Just getting back in to the swing of things. You want a drink?"
Louis nodded and moved to sit on the couch in Harvey's office, as Harvey moved to the decanter and poured two glasses of scotch, before joining him. He took a sip, enjoying the familiar tang, before turning to his friend. "Thank you Louis."
"For what?"
"For keeping things going these last few weeks. Today has reminded me how crazy this job can be and I want you to know I appreciate it, especially when it's not been an easy time for you either recently. So, thank you."
Louis nodded, Harvey's words meaning a great deal to him. Theirs wasn't the smoothest of friendships, but it was important to him and he felt incredibly moved at the simple gesture of a thank you. "It certainly hasn't been a month I will look back on fondly," he murmured. "But everything will be fine now. A few more weeks and the real boss will be back to keep us both in line!"
They both laughed at that. The place really would fall down without Donna and they both knew it, especially now Jessica was no longer there. "Have you spoken to Tara?" The question seemed to take both of them by surprise, Harvey rarely one for a personal conversation of this nature.
Louis sighed, putting his glass on the table in front of them. "No, no I haven't." Harvey felt for his friend. "Maybe you should. It may not change things, but you deserve some closure Louis."
They sat together in silence for a few minutes, as Louis digested Harvey's words. He smiled, a little taken aback by such an emotionally open Harvey. He really has changed recently hasn't he?
"I lashed out at her, just as I always do. I didn't mean to. Maybe it was all too much, too soon. Maybe she'd have gone back to the Adonis in the end anyway. This is probably easier in the long run."
Harvey sipped his drink and nodded. "Don't be too hard on yourself Louis. If she wasn't the one for you, it just means someone else is."
Taking another gulp of the scotch, Louis looked across at Harvey and smiled. "I have to say, this is not a conversation I ever expected the two of us to have Harvey, but thanks." He paused, wondering if he should say what was in his thoughts. What the hell?! "What about you Harvey?" His friend met his gaze and frowned, unclear of his meaning.
"You told her yet? Donna I mean. Have you told her that you love her?"
Harvey raised his eyebrows, an embarrassed expression crossing his face, as he ran a hand through his hair. "Does everyone know already?" Louis laughed. "Honestly, we've all been pretty confident about it for years. You two are definitely the last two to wake up."
He stood up. "I'm going to head home. You should get out of here too. I'm sure you have somewhere else you'd rather be."
Harvey smiled as he watched Louis disappear. He had planned to complete an initial draft of the joint venture agreement on his desk, but he had a couple of days before the client deadline and Louis was right. There was somewhere else he'd rather be.
…..
Donna had considered going to bed, but she knew she'd struggle to sleep, her mind was too awake right now, so she'd made herself a cup of chai tea and settled on the sofa with one of her guilty pleasure movies. It had only just started when her phone buzzed with a text message. Pausing the film, she picked up her phone and smiled to see Harvey's name.
"Hey, are you still awake? – H."
She wanted nothing more than him to be there with her, but glancing at the clock she knew it was already late.
"Yes, but it's late. You really don't have to come all the way here."
His place was closer to the office and she knew he must be exhausted. She'd see him tomorrow.
The text had barely left her phone, when a few seconds later there was a familiar knock at the door. She shook her head. I really should have seen that coming. Rising from the sofa, she opened the door to see Harvey with a smirk on his face, his phone still in his hand. "If you hadn't answered, I'd have just gone home. But I'm here, so…."
She opened the door fully and gestured for him to come in. He took off his coat as she settled herself back on the sofa. "You want some tea?"
He smiled and sat down next to her, letting out a deep breath. She frowned. "Tough day?" He leaned back on the couch and stretched his right arm along the back of it. "It was fine, just long." His gaze wandered to the television screen, the film still on pause. "So, what are we watching?"
She blushed a little and he quirked his eyebrows. "Have I caught the ever cool Donna Paulsen watching a cheesy movie?" She swatted his arm playfully with her hand. "It's not that cheesy, but I admit, it is a guilty pleasure of mine. But, it was only just starting, so we don't need to keep it on."
He caught the title on the box as he stood up and made his way to the kitchen to fetch some tea, it being too late for coffee. "So, come on, Serendipity. What's it about?" he called from the kitchen. She sighed, knowing he'd only continue to pester her if she didn't answer. "It's about love and fate and I'm quite partial to Jon Cusack."
Harvey returned with his tea and took his place back on the couch. "Love and fate?...Works for me." She hesitated and he laughed. "Go for it. Plus, I see it has Kate Beckinsale in it, so you'll have no complaints from me. I'll probably fall asleep anyway."
They watched the film in a comfortable silence, every once in a while passing a comment to each other. Donna relaxed back in to the couch and let the simple comfort of having him next to her wash over her. Much to her surprise, they were both still awake as the film ended. Harvey had to admit, it wasn't a bad movie, far better than what he had expected, but he was now thoroughly exhausted. "I guess love and fate worked out pretty well for them didn't it?" he murmured, as a yawn escaped him. He chuckled. "Sorry."
Donna smiled at him. "We should get some sleep."
Harvey moved to retrieve the covers from the night before that had been neatly folded at the end of the couch as Donna took their mugs to the kitchen. He was starting to position the pillows when she returned. "Harvey, just come and sleep in the bed. You've had a long day, you'll have another tomorrow and you can't sleep properly there. And I know you'll never let me take the couch so...just come to bed…"
She swallowed, the boldness of her suggestion not lost on her. She wasn't certain where they were heading, but if the last few weeks had taught her anything, it was that every so often she should take a risk. Not knowing what else to say and being already dressed for bed, she disappeared in to her bedroom.
Harvey stood there, rooted to the spot for a minute, his mind trying to take in what she had just said. Did she just instruct me to go to bed with her?! He laughed at himself, as he headed to the bedroom. The great Harvey Specter was scared to death.
He noticed she'd left the bedside light on when he entered the room ten minutes later. She was lying on her side facing him, one hand under her pillow; already fast asleep. He took in the sight before him. God, I love her. Crossing the room quietly so as not to wake her, he pulled back the covers and slipped in to bed next to her, turning on to his side to face her and closing his eyes. As tired as he was, it took him some time to drift off, as his mind continued to race.
…..
The beeping of the alarm woke Harvey the following morning. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the morning light of Donna's room. His hand instinctively reached out across the bed for her, but she wasn't there. He frowned and then smirked at the irony that this morning she'd left him to wake up alone. If he had his way, there would be no more of that.
She was in the process of setting a large plate of pancakes on the table, still in her pyjama bottoms and the strappy top she had slept in, when he entered the living room. "Hey. I saw you didn't have any early meetings this morning, so I set the alarm a little later. I thought you could do with the extra sleep." She smiled, as she took in the sight of him; bare feet, the same sleepwear as the night before and yawning as he shook his head to try and wake up. "Those smell amazing!"
She moved back in to the kitchen to fetch the coffee and he followed her, watching her silently, not even listening to what she was saying to him. He'd been trying to find the right words for weeks and it struck him in that moment, that maybe he didn't need that many words at all.
She turned around with the coffees in her hands and almost collided with him. He was so close to her. She tilted her head to the side; a silent question, but he said nothing, his rich brown eyes continuing to stare at her.
She swallowed, wetting her lips, as her nerves took over. The air around them seemed charged with an unspoken tension that had never felt this strong before. She looked up at him again, her bare feet making her shorter than she was used to being when so close to him. "Harvey…?"
He moved forward wordlessly, taking the cups from her hands and placing them on the counter, before closing the gap between them. She was unable to move, instead she just stood there as his eyes met hers again; the intensity she saw shining out of them making her speechless. He hesitated, for just a second, before he leaned down; his hands moving to cup her face, as his lips brushed hers.
Her hands instinctively moved to his waist to steady herself. It was a soft kiss, followed by two gentle brushes of his lips against hers. She murmured against him and he smiled, as he broke the kiss, his forehead against hers. They stood there for a few seconds, letting the momentous reality of what had just happened sink in.
She moved first, raising her eyes to meet his again, a large smile on her face. Her mind raced for what to say, but in the end she decided Harvey had had the right strategy and she leaned back in for another kiss.
He moved one hand to her waist and titled his head to deepen the kiss, as she ran her hands up his chest, her left moving to the back of his neck, as her right settled against his jawline. His heart was racing. Nothing had ever felt this good. She broke the kiss this time, her thumb gently stroking the skin of his jawline. He ran one hand through her hair, his face still so close to hers. As he spoke, his voice came out quiet and breathless. "I love you."
She hadn't fully realised how long she'd wanted to hear that and know he meant it, until he said the words. "I almost lost you Donna and I have never been so terrified in my whole life." She heard his voice crack, as her eyes filled with tears. "I never want to lose you."
She gave him a soft kiss. "You won't lose me Harvey." As his eyes met hers again she smiled widely; a single tear, slipping down her cheek. He brushed it away, as his eyes glistened. It was all so clear to him in that moment and he smiled. "I want everything Donna," he whispered, leaning in again, his lips so close, the tip of his nose brushing against hers. "Starting. Right. Now."
The kiss was slow and passionate and sent sparks through her whole body and a quiet moan escaped her mouth. They were so caught up in each other that neither heard the unlocking of the front door, meaning the voice calling from the hallway felt like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown over them.
"Hi sweetheart! I thought you might like to go out for breakfast."
Harvey broke the kiss, dropping his head to her shoulder, shaking it from side to side. "You have got to be kidding me?!" Donna couldn't help but giggle, leaning her head in to his shoulder, her hand caressing the back of his neck. He started to chuckle too. "I thought my days of being caught by someone's parents were well behind me!" He lifted his head to meet her smile. "It seems not Mister."
"Donna, I brought some groceries with me too. We picked them up for you yesterday."
Donna sighed and gave him a gentle push, indicating they should move. He gave her a pout and she laughed quietly. "I'm coming Mom. Harvey will help with the grocery bags."
"Oh, is Harvey still here?" He rolled his eyes. As Donna moved to pull away, he caught her by the waist. "We're continuing this later," he whispered against her ear. She tilted her head up and nodded, standing on tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips, before whispering in to his ear. "And for the record, I love you too." His eyes sparkled, as she pulled away and disappeared in to the living room to speak to her mother. Harvey stood there for a few minutes and took a long breath out. That really wasn't that hard, he thought to himself.
After the pancakes had been reheated and eaten, Harvey disappeared for a shower, leaving Donna eating with her mother. "He seems in a good mood today," her mother murmured, her eyes twinkling with humour. Donna arched her eyebrow and shook her head. She'd forgotten whom she'd inherited her eerie intuition from. "Well, that's because today is a very good day," she replied, not even trying to conceal the grin on her face.
…..
Well, hopefully you enjoyed some Darvey, albeit even only in story form and not on screen yet! Please do let me know your thoughts. I'll be turning to Love & War over the weekend, but won't leave it too long before updating this story too. :)