Hi everyone,

by popular demand, here it is the fifth chapter of this little fic.

Enjoy 3

TEEN IN LOVE

After leaving Harvey with the usual kiss on the cheek, Donna walked home. She was so relieved that she has told someone the truth and that Harvey has been so understanding and kind. Wow, she has never told anyone about his father's death and her mother's sickness. And it felt good to finally talk about it.

When Donna entered her house she went to the kitchen and said hi to her mother before going up to her room to do some homework after Beth told her she didn't need help to make dinner.

When the redhead directed back downstairs again she was met by a familiar smell and following it she ended up in the dining room where her mother was about to put on the table a plate of grilled meat.

"Smells so good mom" Donna said as she sat at the table.

"I know" her mother fired back instantly.

Donna inherited her mother's power to analyze people and understand them, as well as the ability to empathize with people and her characteristic 'I know'.

The two women started to eat and when they finished, they sat on the couch and started to watch a movie.

"So, he was the guy from the drawings" Beth eventually says. She has been curious all day and couldn't stop her mind from wondering who this mysterious guy was.

Donna lifts her head from the cushions of the couch and looks at her mother, "yeah, Harvey" she says cautiously.

"Harvey? And who exactly is Harvey?" her mother investigates.

"Harvey is Harvey" the little redhead tries to play it safe and tries to hide the smile that always appears on her face when she says his name.

"No, I meant to me. Is he some kind of soon to be son in law or-"

Donna sits upright and looks at her mother, stopping her immediately, "He is my friend. We have been paired for the assignment of the economy class and we just grew close and developed a good friendship" Donna shrugs.

"So he is the mysterious partner" Beth's face lights up, finally understanding her daughter's change of spirit in the last days. But her expression is soon switched to one of concern and panic, "And is still good? I mean… this morning-"

"I apologized and we talked"

"Oh, talked?"

"Yeah, he asked questions and pressed me for answers I didn't want to give him and I kinda had a breakdown again" Donna looked into her mother's eyes and saw her sadness so proceed to continue her story, "but he comforted me and made a joke about graphics"

Donna laughed, playing again the scene in her head of them in front of the library as her mother looked at her strangely, not understanding why it was so funny for her daughter.

"Anyway after we finished we took a walk around the park and I told him everything without leaving anything out. I told him about dad and you and the school… everything"

Beth was in shock, her daughter had never told anyone about all of this, she tried to tell her to go to a therapist and she always, always refused. So Donna ended up closing herself to others, never let anyone in fully.

"That's so great honey" Bethany commented, seeing concern appearing on Donna's face due to her silence of some seconds.

Donna breathed out in relief and smiled, "Yeah, you were right telling me I needed to talk to someone. I feel so lighter and God, I feel so much better now"

"You seem to like him"

"I don't, not like that. He is a really good friend"

"Ah ah" her mother nodded, but not believing for a single moment what her daughter just said.

"Watch the movie" Donna silenced her mother.

Beth turned her head to look at the images on her tv's screen, when some minutes passed, she looked next to her and saw Donna focused on the movie and couldn't help it.

"He looks hot though. You sure are my daughter" she teased and watched Donna's mouth drop open and her cheeks blushing.

"Mom!" Donna hit her mother softly on the arm and Beth burst out laughing when her little redhead hid herself under a warm blanket, probably to cover her embarrassment.

It was a week later when Donna and Harvey stood in front of the university's library, mouth opened and both thinking about what they could do.

"What do we do now?" he turned around to ask her as she was still staring at the insign hanging outside the doors' of their study-place telling them it was 'closed'.

"This doesn't make any sense" Donna says turning to face him, "it's a library, library are supposed to be always open for stupid students who want to study"

"Like us?" he laughed.

"Well, yeah" Donna confirmed and laughed too.

When their laugh fainted they stood still, staring at each other.

"We could meet another time" Donna suggested, shrugging her shoulders with a small smile.

"We could" he set his hands into his pocket but neither of them moved to go away.

The truth is neither of them wanted to go away. They were both looking forward to this day. Donna had to cancel their last meeting because she had to bring her mother to her chemotherapy and her grandparents couldn't. She felt so bad for cancelling on him and also sad, but a part of her was happy she didn't have to make up a shitty excuse for ditching him.

"Or" she started and his eyes snapped up to meet hers again, "or you could come to my house and we could work there?" she half stated the idea and half questioned it.

"I could?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well, I guess. You already know about my mother so… I guess we could go there"

"If that's okay to you, then sure"

Donna and Harvey walked together towards Donna's house while talking and joking with each other.

"I mean you're the one who claims to know everything. How could you not know that the library would be closed?" he teases her and she laughs.

"I can't predict future Harvey"

When they arrived at the entrance, Donna took her keys from her bag and opened the door. She stepped in and turned around, giving Harvey an encouraging smile that tells him to enter and feel at home.

"Donna, you're ear-" Donna's mother appeared in front of them and stopped what she was saying when she saw him there.

"Mom, Harvey. Harvey, Bethany" Donna introduced them to ease some of the tension built around them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again Mrs Paulsen" Harvey politely extended his hand towards Donna's mother.

"Please call me Beth, Harvey" she said and shook the boy's hand.

"Can we work here? The library is closed and we were hoping to finish the graphics we started" Donna asked fidgeting with her fingers and Harvey knows she is nervous. She always does it when something is bothering her.

"Of course Donna"

"Perfect, we go upstairs then" Donna says and practically runs upstairs.

Harvey smiles at Beth and follows Donna into her room and the redhead girl closes the door behind him.

An hour later Donna walked down the stairs to the kitchen and got a drink for her and Harvey. She was taking the glasses out of the cabinet when her mother surprised her by coming up behind her. Donna jumped a little and put her hand on her chest.

"Jeez mom!" Donna exclaimed and then turned around to pour orange juice in the two glasses she left on the kitchen counter.

"Bringing pretty boys home, aren't we?" Beth smirked.

Donna shook her head and grabbed the drinks she just fitched, "Mom, behave".

"You behave, let the door open"

"Please stop"

An hour and a half later Bethany goes upstairs and stops in front of her daughter's bedroom. Donna was on her stomach on her bed with her pc while Harvey was sitting at her desk with his laptop open in front of him too but he was writing in his notebook.

"Oh we are so gonna win this" Donna says and sits upright on her bed, shutting down her computer.

"Of course we are" he smiles and puts all his things into his rucksack, "I mean there is no chance the others won't fall for our charm as we're exposing the topic"

"Well I'm sorry for you Specter because they'll look at the most beautiful, and that's me." Donna teased, shrugging softly maintaining a neutral expression but her eyes were all a flirt.

"That's debatable"

Beth sees her daughter look at the young boy and him almost melting under her gaze.

"Ok, ok, between us you win" he breaks at the small smirk forming on her lips, "but that doesn't make me any less handsome, it just makes you gorgeous"

Donna breaks their gaze and looks at her intertwined fingers, playing with them as she does when she is nervous. Bethany doesn't fail to notice the way he is smiling at her and the way Donna is blushing.

That's when she steps into her daughter's room and Donna realizes her mother has seen the scene and blushes even harder.

"Dinner's ready"

"Yeah, I'm coming" Donna says and looks at Harvey to check if they were really done with their work.

"I was just about to go anyway" Harvey says and sends a warm smile at Donna's mother.

All three go down the stairs and just as Harvey was putting on his jacket Bethany spoke again.

"You want to stay for dinner Harvey?"

Both Donna's and Harvey's eyes scoot to the older woman in the room. Donna was in shock, not really expecting this invite and Harvey was too.

"You sure? I wouldn't want to intrude" Harvey politely answers and looks at Donna for a nod.

The little redhead was still a bit taken back so her mother once again spoke before her.

"You're not"

"Then I'd like it, thanks" Harvey accepts and leaves his rucksack in the hall next to Donna's.

Donna's eyes meet his and he asks without words if that's okay to her if he stays.

"Of course Harvey" Donna whispers when Beth disappears to go to the kitchen.

Bethany sits at the head of the table and Donna and Harvey are both on either side.

For dinner they eat the food Beth prepared, very good as Harvey said.

Dinner is full of laughters and small conversations. Beth soon realised that this was the first time she and Donna had dinner with someone who was not a direct family member. And halfway through the meal, Donna realised it too.

And there was something special in looking at Harvey and her mother laughing for a stupid joke he made.

"Want to stay and watch a movie with us Harvey?"

This time the one questioning is Donna and Harvey can't help his Cheshire smile appearing on his face.

He accepts and the three of them go to the living room where Beth sits on an armchair and Donna and Harvey sit on the couch with a blanket.

Halfway through the film Donna is giggling at Harvey's intent to cover himself with the blanket. The blanket was too small to cover two people who wanted to stay at a normal distance.

Harvey pulls the cloth back at him but Donna keeps it all to herself and laughs.

"Please Donna, let's share" he whispers, trying not to wake up Beth who fell asleep on her seat.

"And what do I get if I decide to share?" Donna asks, moving her face closer to his. The film soon forgotten for her.

"Beside being closer to me?" he flirts, "what do you want more?"

"Here the one who wants to be close to someone is you"

"I just want to warm up, Paulsen. Don't let it go to your head"

She watches him for some seconds, contemplating which choice she likes more: keep teasing him and just lightly flirt with him but maintaining some distance or share the blanket with him and stay dangerously close to his warm and good-built body.

She'd usually choose the first one, to save their friendship and not wanting to get too much involved with him because he is her classmate and things would be weird if something happens between them and doesn't go as planned.

She was about to reply with a witty comment but when her eyes meet his and he is looking at her like a lost puppy she melts into his chocolate brown pools.

"Okay, just because I don't want my partner to freeze"

"Oh, you care about me. Cute" Harvey jokes as he scoots closer to her and covers himself with the blanket.

Donna and Harvey got closer and closer until she fell asleep on his shoulder and he did the same on her head.

When he woke up, it was midnight and he decided it was better to go home but he had to wake Donna up because her body was impeding him to move. He put one of the locks of hair that has fallen on her face behind her ear and stroked her cheek sweetly.

She opened one eye at a time until her sleeping hazel pools were totally opened.

"Hey" he whispers.

"Hey yourself"

"I'm going to go"

"You sure? It's dark outside, you could stay here"

"Don't worry" he said and then realised he was still massaging her cheek but he didn't stop the movement and continued talking, "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Hum hum" she murmurs and closes her eyes again.

He moved his body from under hers and let her lie on the sofa. He resisted the urge to kiss her forehead and went away.

She fell asleep thinking about him.

Today is just the beginning of an exhausting week at school : (

The good news is that I've already started writing the next chapter and it's gonna be a little bit longer than usual.

Please drop a REVIEW and remember to FAVOURITE or FOLLOW the story. It gives me motivation to keep writing.

?- Did you like this chapter?

?- I so much like Bethany and Harvey interacting with each other as they are important people to Donna. Wanna see more of them?

!- ...please tell me if you're liking this...