Set on The Other Time

Donna is lying on her stomach, hugging a pillow, with the sheet covering her body up to her hips. Harvey is lying next to her, his body resting on the backrest of the bed, the sheets also cover it up to his hips.

They've been silent for a while. Neither of them knows exactly what to say, they don't want the end of tonight to come.

"Can I ask you something?" Harvey dares whisper, looking at her.

"Mhm… What?" She murmurs, looking for his gaze.

Harvey turns his body and caresses between her shoulder blades with the tips of his fingers. Even after the hot, sticky night they shared, that touch makes her shake. Her skin reacts to him and the sensation spreads on her body.

"It's okay if you don't want to answer."

"Ask me first." She chuckles.

"Ok." He pauses. "What are those marks you have here and on your legs?" He asks, moving the tips of his fingers slowly through a mark on her waist.

Donna sighs and lifts her torso, leaning on her elbows. "It's a long story."

"It's ok if you don't want to tell me."

She smirks. "It's not that, I trust in you."

"Do you?"

"Yes, Harvey. I think you already know it."

He shrugs. "I know, but we have a weird relationship."

"Why are you saying it my dear friend? Why did we just have sex and we're naked and sticky in my bed?" She raises her eyebrow looking at him.

"Well… Maybe." He responds.

"Can I?" Donna asks, taking his shirt, and Harvey nods.

Donna grabs his shirt and dresses up with it. Then she sits in bed against the backrest, next to him.

"When I was 14 years old, we were going on a vacation trip with my parents and my sister. We had been on the road for a few hours, I remember I was reading a book and my sister was singing the radio's songs." She pauses and looks down. "I remember a very strong crash and nothing else after that. According to what my parents later told me, someone hit us from behind and our car took a few turns until we got off the road and overturned."

"Oh… Donna. I'm so sorry." He whispers and takes her hand. Both are surprised at the gesture, it is too warm and what just happened between them was not exactly making love. (Or this is what they want to believe.)

"They took us all to the hospital, we were all hurt... Fortunately, we all survived." She sighs. "But, it was really hard. I spent a few months without being able to walk very well. In fact, I used crutches for some time."

Harvey moves his thumb on her knuckles and she wants to kiss him, but she doesn't do it.

This feels so intimate. She never talks about this, and she certainly doesn't talk about this after having sex, no one had ever asked her either… And the way he is looking at her it's just so overwhelming.
So, she decides to continue her story before her thoughts consume her.

"My legs were trapped between one of the seats and some car pipes. Those are my scars. And on my back, it was some car veneer that wound me." She bites her cheek and stays silent for a few seconds. "Remember when I started working for you, you always told me to use some of the money to buy something I like? You told me to buy me dresses or go to the theater." He nods. "For the first few months, I used the money I earned to disguise my scars a little bit. I did an aesthetic treatment. I know they're still seeing, but they were much uglier. I've never made enough money to do it. You know my father's relationship with money isn't good, and you were the first person to pay me a good salary."

"I'm glad I helped you with that." He says smiling shyly.

She smiles back. "After this, I started to buy dresses and shoes." She says, trying to sound fun.

"Thank you for sharing this with me."

Donna feels like he tenderly squeezes her hand and really needs this situation to finish soon. She doesn't have too much determination or self-control at this point. They're naked on her bed and she is wearing his shirt. It's a lot and it's going to end, she knows that.

"We just shared a little more than that."

"Well… You're right."

"Always, I'm Donna." She says, trying to sound like friends again and they share a smile.

"Does anyone in your family have any sequels?"

"No. I had a long recovery in my legs and my sister in one of her arms. But… Not now."

"That 's good."

"Yes, it is." Donna yawns.

Harvey smiles, raising one of his eyebrows. "Did I tire you so much?"

"Shut up, idiot!" She says hitting him with one of her pillows.

"I'm a lawyer, I'm used to using facts to my advantage."

"I think you have more resistance in court." Harvey's eyes open suddenly and Donna starts laughing. "Don't worry, you were really good." She tells him, squeezing his cheek with her fingers.

"What are you doing?"

"Your face, you looked like a kid who had just had his favorite candy taken away."

Harvey snorts. "I mean… I know that I'm good."

"Yes, I know you have an ego that doesn't come into the DA office."

"Am I right to have him?" Donna shrugs. "And… It's not just my ego." He says in a hoarse voice.

"Stop right there!" She says raising her index finger. "If this isn't going to happen again, we're not going to talk about any big part you have down there." She looks at his crotch.

"I win with this answer." He smiles proudly. "Then... Never again joke about my balls?"

"Excuse me, sir, I've always talked about your orange balls."

"Yes, sure!" He laughs.

"Are you going to distrust me?"

"Never."

"Well." She pauses. "Hardly anyone knows about my accident, it took me a long time to get over it." She says, getting serious again.

"Your secret is safe with me."

"I know. Thank you, Harvey." Donna drops on the mattress and closes her eyes. She feels Harvey's fingers removing the hair on her face and she smiles shyly. "And you're really good." She says, still with her eyes closed, but she hears his satisfied smile.

Donna falls asleep within minutes and Harvey spends more than an hour watching her sleep. He's pretty sure he's never stayed in a woman's bed that long after having sex, and he doesn't want to leave and doesn't want to have to take off his shirt so he can leave, but he knows he has to. He's not willing to hurt her, so he'd rather do this now.

Careful not to wake her, Harvey recovers his shirt, and after admiring her naked body one more time, he covers her with blankets. He dresses up, sits on the edge of the bed, and caresses her hair. "I'm afraid to stay and hurt you, I have to go." He whispers and kisses her head. "I'm never going to be able to forget this night, Donna."

Harvey stands up and leaves the room. Donna stays still until she hears him close his apartment door.

"I won't be able to forget it either, Harvey." She whispers to herself.

This will become another scar, not in her body. In her heart.

Donna takes a deep breath, never wanting to forget the sensation of his lips against hers, nor how good his body felt on hers. His hands and lips running through her skin. The sensation of his muscles under her hands, her lips, her tongue.

She whispers "Harvey" on the verge of tears and looks at the whipped cream still on the ground and closes her eyes tightly. She doesn't want to think this won't happen again.

On the other side of the door, Harvey closes his eyes, with his forehead against the "206" and all he can see is her freckled skin and her fiery hair spread over the white sheets.

Every curve of her body and every sound she made when he touched her.

The feeling of kissing a woman has never been so overwhelming for him, he had never felt a real connection with anyone, and even if he denied it, he knew that had happened with her.

Strawberries and whipped cream will never mean the same to either of them.

I've had this idea for months on my mind and here it is! If you've read it, I'd love to know what you think :)