Not much later, Donna and Harvey are cuddled up on the couch. He offered to let her pick a movie, but she just shrugged and allowed him to put on Survivor. Then she snuggled closely against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wasn't sure whether she really didn't mind what he put on, but the way she relaxes into him reassures him. It tells him that she is tired and unfocused and it doesn't matter what they watch, as long as she can curl into him.
Donna's eyelids are heavy. She's exhausted after battling her conflicting emotions and the sleepless night that passed. She turns a little to fully lean into Harvey. She is pressed comfortably against his side, with her head on his shoulder. Her left leg is curled under her and she lets her right leg rest over his legs. He wraps his arm around her, making space for her to cuddle into him even more. His fingers trace soft patterns over her bare shoulder and she relaxes, letting her eyes close.
Barely half an episode has passed when Harvey notices Donna's breathing evening out. "Hey," he whispers, running his hand up and down her back, "why don't we move to the bedroom?" He suggests. "No," she responds, but her voice is a little sluggish and not at all convincing, "you just finish this," she adds. He chuckles softly and presses a kiss in her hair, "let's go, before you fall asleep and wake up with a stiff neck and blame me." He softly tells her.
"Mh," Donna groans, burying her face into Harveys shoulder, "I'm fine here," she mumbles against his shirt. He grins, before softly squeezing her shoulder and straightening, making her sit up with him. "Come on," he smiles at her, standing up and taking both her hands. She lets him pull her up and leans against his chest, tilting her head to look at him. He thumbs a stray strand of her hair out of her face. Her eyelids flutter when his hand brushes over his cheek, and it reminds her of the mascara that's still on her lashes, "I'll clean my face. And then we'll sleep." She decides.
Harvey quickly brushes his teeth and then he leaves Donna to her beauty routine – after planting a quick kiss on her cheek. He switches off most lights in their apartment, with the exception of the lamp on the bedside table. Then he settles under the covers and switches on the television on the wall opposite the bed. He pulls his pillow up against the headboard and leans back, flicking through the channels while waiting for his wife.
"Donna?" Harvey calls out when twenty minutes pass and he is still in bed alone. He doesn't get a response, which makes him worried. He pushes the covers back and swings his legs over the edge, getting out of their bed again. "Donna?" He tries again, approaching the half-open bathroom door. It's still quiet, and he steps in, finding Donna in front of the large mirror above the sink. She doesn't say a word, it seems like she hasn't even noticed him. Her gaze is trained on her right arm; her injured arm that isn't covered by Rachel's bandages anymore.
Harvey swallows drily. Last night he had seen the blood and he had seen the broken mirror. Later, he had seen the hurt on her face and the tears in her eyes. But he hadn't seen her arm yet. He had not seen the extent of the injuries he caused. Part of him wishes he could unsee it now that he has. He wants to forget that he is to blame for the angry red cuts on her pale skin.
"I-I'm… I'm so sorry," Harvey chokes out. Donna's head snaps up and she spins around, facing him. Her heart aches when she sees the broken expression on his face. She wants to reassure him, tell him it's okay, but she can't get the words out. It is not okay. She bites down on her bottom lip and squeezes her eyes shut, but tears still slip out and trail down her cheeks.
Never before has Harvey seen Donna like this. Hurt and unsure of herself, crumbling to pieces right in front of him. He closes the distance between them and wraps his arms around her. With her eyes closed she didn't see him coming and as he embraces her, her body stiffens. He hesitates, wondering whether he should let her go, but then she relaxes into him.
"I'm sorry, Donna," Harvey repeats. He has said the words more in the last 24 hours than in the 24 years before that, but he means them every single time. He needs her to hear them. He softly kisses her hair. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds on tightly. The tears that trickled down her cheeks slowly progress into quiet sobs.
Harvey had expected the sobs at any point last night or today, but right now they catch him by surprise. And they break his heart at the same time. She's shaking. He carefully tightens his grip around her. She's gasping for air, her chest rapidly expanding every time she sucks in a breath. Her tears drip down on his shoulder, making a wet patch on his shirt. He can feel how she buries her face against the side of his neck. He tilts his face down, pressing soft kisses into her hair, "it's okay, Donna," he whispers, "just let it out… Let it all out."
Donna cries until she feel empty. Even then, she doesn't pull back from Harvey's arms. He is warm and strong and steady and right now she needs that. He doesn't pull back either, just holding her close to his chest. His embrace has relaxed a little, he still has one arm wrapped tightly around her waist but fingers of his other hand are gently running through her hair. "Donna," he eventually murmurs, "I thought we were okay."
The uncertainty and vulnerability in Harveys voice strike a chord with Donna. She reluctantly leans back, not leaving his arms but creating enough distance so she can look at his face. She had expected him to be looking anywhere but at her, but to her surprise his eyes meet hers immediately, his face open. She swallows, bringing her left hand up to his face. "We are," she softly reassures him, "I'm not mad at you anymore."
"But?" Harvey is so trained to look out for the things that aren't said that he doesn't miss the slight waver in her voice. She looks at him, exhaling softly, "but that doesn't mean…" She sighs, "forgiving you doesn't mean forgetting it happened, Harvey." She's afraid her words hurt him, push him away, but he just squeezes her waist, quietly waiting for her to continue, because he can see in her eyes that there's more. "I… I just need some time," she whispers, "to wrap my head around what happened. I… I love you, and that's not changing. But I'm hurt and confused and I just need some time." She looks away from him, she doesn't even know what she really means or wants, so she doesn't expect him to understand it either.
"Hey, Donna?" Harvey puts his finger under her chin and carefully forces her to look up again. "It's okay," he reassuringly smiles at her, "whatever you need. Whatever you want." Her shoulders drop, the tension slowly leaving her body. He notices immediately. He leans forward, tentatively kissing her. She smiles into the kiss, which makes him smile too. He runs his fingers through her hair and then pulls back from her, "do you want me to bandage it up again?" He softly offers.
Donna's eyes trail over her right arm. The cuts are not bleeding anymore, but the skin around them looks red and raw and so fragile. She swallows and looks back at Harvey, nodding at him. He eases her down on the edge of the bathtub and presses a kiss to her forehead before grabbing their first aid kit and setting it down next to her. He takes her arm and slowly runs his fingers over the delicate skin. "I'm sorry," he breathes again. Then he bandages the cuts up again. His hands tremble a little and it's nowhere near as neat as when Rachel did it last night, but he is so gentle with her that she doesn't care about the way it looks.
Harvey notices Donna slowly relaxing. Her shoulders slump and her head tips forward just the slightest. He finishes bandaging her arm and then lifts her hand to his face, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles. "All done," he tells her, putting the first aid kit back in place while holding onto her hand. He pulls her up, "let's go to bed," he murmurs, "you look exhausted." She meets his eyes and smiles softly, too tired for the retort he was expecting.
Donna allows Harvey to lead her to their bedroom. His hand rests on the small of her back, his warmth seeping through the fabric of her pajama top. She sinks down on the soft mattress, pulling the covers over herself and curling up on her side, facing Harvey. She looks at him when he gets under the covers too. He keeps the bedside lamp on for a little while, reaching for her. She takes his hand and smiles faintly when he tugs at her while rolling on his back.
Harvey is glad when Donna scoots over to him and snuggles up against him. Her head rests on his right shoulder, his right arm wrapped around her and holding her close. Her right arm is draped over his chest. He presses a kiss on top of her head, "are you comfortable?" He quietly asks. She nods and murmurs something he can't make out. He reaches over to the bedside table to turn off the light and then he pulls her even closer.
Exhaustion pulls at Donna, but something else is pulling at her too, keeping her awake. Harvey notices, and he lets his hand fall to her waist, fingers running over the silky fabric of her top. She exhales softly, relaxing a little more into him. He presses a kiss into her hair. She takes another long breath, "I'm sorry," she whispers, "about tonight… about my emotions being all over the place."
Donna's voice trembles, and by the way she pauses, Harvey knows that she's fighting to keep her tears at bay. It gives him a chance to get a few words in before she rambles on. "Don't be sorry," he kisses the top of her head again, "this whole situation is a mess," he softly continues, "so it's only normal that your emotions are messy too. We'll figure this out," he pulls her a little closer against his chest, "as long as we're together, we always figure everything out." Harvey buries his face into Donna's hair, "now relax, Donna… it's okay. Get some sleep," he mutters, "tomorrow will be better."