Prompt #25 by wellymeen: "Set in between 7.10-7.13, maybe right after Darvey had that messy interview… they accidentally got stuck in a broken elevator (or something else). Argument, yelling, silent treatment, tears, claustrophobia, or anything, all up to the author. But when the elevator started to shake and fall a bit, that their lives were seriously in danger, Harvey realized that the woman standing in front of him was the love of his life."
Donna shivers as she stands in the dark and cramped bullpen, shouldering herself into a corner as Louis, donning a high-visibility vest and hard-hat, ushers more people inside. Waking up this morning to teeming rain and howling winds, her instincts had been to stay home. Not only was she exhausted, and in ire of Mother Nature, another day facing Harvey's snippy anger discouraged any desire to pull herself out of bed. But she ignored the internal warning, and was subsequently in her office, flinching at the shuddering windows, when the power went out. Now, of course, she's stuck in the building with everyone else, where Harvey's frustration either marks her with fleeting glares or he ignores her completely.
After their fight yesterday, at the very least, she hoped he would stop treating her indiscretion as a threat. There was no malicious intent behind her kissing him, no plan to stir his issues with infidelity, and she certainly hadn't prepared for his emotions to come crashing down like an avalanche, freezing her out of his thoughts. Stood before him, her heart had thumped wildly as she'd tried to reason it was just a kiss. But as usual, instead of talking as adults, his coolness tore strips off her, leaving her hurt and deflated.
His engagement hasn't been any more forgiving today, and she deliberately avoids looking in his direction when Louis marches into the center of the room.
"Alright! Everybody, listen up!" He slaps the clipboard in his hand. "Official advice is to stay bunkered down. The power's out, which means the elevators aren't operational, and cell phone signals are jammed, so we will be enacting a buddy system. If you need to make a call, take your buddy. If you need to go to the bathroom—Kyle, what do you do?" He points his pen, putting the associate on the spot.
Kyle shrugs. "Take a buddy?"
"And use this sign-in sheet." Louis waves the clipboard. "We have torches, candles, and I'll be making an inventory of rations. Kyle, the leftover brisket your mother made with that spectacular honey glaze is no longer a delicious lunch, it's now a means for survival. Anyone who does not take this seriously will stand the chance of perishing to Mother Nature. Rachel, you're with me." He orders the lawyer to his side. "Mike, you're in charge of people's movements. No one leaves—"
"Unless they sign out," Mike answers with a lack of enthusiasm, taking the pen and paper. "Got it, Louis."
Harvey rolls his eyes at the ridiculous exchange. But he and Louis are the only managing partners, and he'd rather give the man control than have to engage with anyone himself. Waiting until Louis' back is turned, he swipes a torch from the table, striding toward the exit.
Mike's gaze flicks up hesitantly, following Harvey's movement. He didn't actually expect the lawyer to play by Louis' rules, but he has noticed Harvey's behavior being more short and impatient than usual lately. Despite Louis' speech of impending doom, he hardly thinks Harvey's in any danger storming off, but he is worried something's wrong, and he instinctively searches for Donna, who meets his curious look with a quick head shake, signaling she'll go and he should stay put. He nods back a clear 'noted', conveying with a glance toward Louis he'll cover if the man asks any questions.
Donna forces a smile, needing to escape the room herself, and while she's tempted to find her own sanctuary to hole up in, a sense of obligation propels her to follow Harvey when he doesn't turn into his office. She doesn't want to fight, but she can't stand idly by if he's thinking of doing something rash like leaving the building, and she races to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"
Lightning flashes, illuminating the floor, and he snaps over his shoulder. "Where do you think? To get the power back on." If he has to live with being stuck at the firm for hours, he's sure as hell not going to sit around in the dark when he could be working.
She almost stops in her tracks, assuming he's joking, but the way he's been acting lately she knows better than to second guess his arrogance, and she widens her steps. "So you're an electrician as well as a lawyer now?"
He doesn't let her sarcasm derail his momentum. This is her problem. Just because she can read people doesn't mean the information behind her actions is always right. The summer of '94, he helped rewire his father's music studio after the apartment above the room flooded. He can find his way around a fuse box, and the last thing he needs is her condescending attitude holding him back. "Here's a fact for you, Donna: You don't know everything."
He storms into the kitchen, and she inwardly recoils, not sure if she should follow, but the last time she checked, there wasn't a maintenance panel hiding behind the fridge. Yet, he's clearly determined to prove something, and she reluctantly enters behind him, annoyed when the beam of his torch spills across faded emergency evacuation plans stuck to the wall. They reveal a bird's-eye view of all the exits and maintenance spots, a picture she's probably glanced at a thousand times without paying it any attention.
Harvey commits the location of the server room to memory. It's three levels above them, just below access to the roof, and he wields the torch at the exit, leaving with or without her.
She contemplates letting him go and sending Mike after him instead. But finding Mike would take time, and if Harvey knows enough to get himself to the server room, he won't hesitate to go inside. As hurt as she is, she would never forgive herself if he got injured because he was acting rashly based on something she did, and she chases him to the stairwell, catching the heavy door before it falls closed in the wake of Harvey's fast strides.
By the time she's almost caught up with him, he's three steps away from the server room, and the small part of her that hopes the door is locked vanishes as he swings it open with no effort. Not surprisingly, he doesn't hold the weight for her, and she squeezes herself inside, letting the door close behind her as she takes in the small space. Half the room is jammed with beeping machinery that must be running on auxiliary power, because there's enough light to see Harvey carelessly stepping through several puddles of water on the laminate floor. The rain probably sprung a leak somewhere, and she stays close to the door, unease twisting in her stomach. "We shouldn't be in here."
He ignores her concern, not worried about the dampness. All the equipment surrounding them is being stored on racks several inches off the ground, and the room would literally have to flood before they were in any danger.
"Harvey, I mean it," she tries to warn him, again. "This isn't safe."
"Go if you want." He jiggles the plastic cover protecting the fuses, prising open the box. "I'm not stopping you."
Frustrated and annoyed, she's ready to call his bluff, but her anger turns to panic when the door handle doesn't budge. It rattles uselessly beneath her fingers, the sound echoing between them.
Harvey shakes his head at the attempt to rile him, keeping his focus on the tripped circuits breakers. They're all down, which means he has to find out if water leaked into the box, but when he shines his torch around, catching Donna's fiery glare, he realizes she isn't kidding about the door.
"You didn't think to check it?" he snaps.
She shoves her arms across her chest, trying to deflect from the fear coiling inside her body. "Why would I? You stormed in here knowing exactly what you were doing."
"Unbelievable," he huffs, refusing to take the blame for yet another thing she didn't see coming. If she'd just let him come here alone, he would have taken the time to check the damn door, and he has no issue blatantly laying the facts out for her. "Actions have consequences, Donna. I didn't ask you to follow me up here."
"No, but you didn't stop me." For all his claims he isn't showboating, he didn't sneak out of the bullpen, either. He left with the intent goal of making his anger known, and she gets it; he's pissed. But she can't keep doing this song and dance with him. "I made a mistake. How long are you going to keep punishing me for it?"
He shines the light of his torch in her face, refusing to let her play the victim. "A mistake is poor judgment, Donna. You messed with my relationship, and that's not an oversight. It's being goddamn selfish."
"I'm being selfish?" She shouldn't be surprised he isn't willing to take an ounce of responsibility for the situation they're in and is frustrated by the growing moisture stinging her gaze. With a fast swipe, she tries to brush away, her voice croaking at him. "You've been slamming doors in my face, snapping or scowling anytime I walk into a room. I know I screwed up, Harvey. But the difference between us is I would never go out of my way to hurt you."
Any comeback he may have had stalls in his throat as he watches her try to compose herself, guilt mixing with his confusion. He might have thrown open a couple of doors and been terse with her, but he was upset. He wasn't being intentionally cruel, and he fumbles over an explanation to defend himself. "That's not… I wasn't—"
"Don't." She's not interested in his excuses, palming more tears and embarrassed to be crying. But it's not just his recent behavior she's reacting to. Whenever they fight, he lashes out, and if he really cared about her, he wouldn't always be so quick to start treating her like a stranger. "I don't understand how it's so easy for you to hate me." She swallows a hitch, clamping her eyes shut so doesn't have to face his answer. If she could, she'd turn and run, the air growing too thin in the small room. But she can't escape, and she lifts her hands in a feeble attempt to compose herself.
He watches her, and each breath he takes feels like pins and needles are stabbing chest. Anyone else and he'd accuse them of playing a victim, but the anguish she's fighting to hide is real, and he's forced to reexamine his anger. He was mad, but not just because she complicated his relationship with Paula. Donna put their friendship in jeopardy, and his biggest fear has always been losing her. Sometimes he pushes her away to protect them both, but seeing her translate his intention as hatred leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. "Donna." He slants his gaze with a broken sigh, resisting the urge to step closer. He wants to make things right but is also wary of how badly he wants to take her in his arms and comfort her. Treading that path is dangerous, but as he hesitates, a loud groan creaks in the ceiling above them.
Without further warning, several panels collapse and water sprays through debris as they crash down onto the server rack, one of the units buckling with an eruption of sparks. He jumps back, shielding his face, but Donna's sharp cry draws his torch to where she's trapped, the light illuminating a blue hue crackling over the water spilling between them.
"Don't move," he barks, warning her not to touch the charged puddle, but she's already wedged against the door. Her safest option is to step across, and he gets as close as he can, thrusting his arm out. "Take my hand."
She blinks through the mist raining down on them, adamantly shaking her head, and flinching as more sparks fly between them. She screws her eyes shut, her voice trembling."I—I can't."
"Yes, you can." His heart hammers above the popping and sizzling of wet equipment, but he'll be damned if he moves without her. "Donna, look at me."
She manages to flutter her gaze open, terrified as she continues to hesitate.
"I'm right here," he promises, begging her to trust him. "I've got you, okay?"
She nods weakly, the danger he's also in starting to register. They might only have seconds, and she forces her shaking fingers into his grasp. He squeezes her hand, and she propels herself forward with a petrified whimper.
He catches her, tearing them both back from the water, then spinning her around to protect her from the sparks.
Suddenly, a loud bang plunges the room into the darkness, the servers shorting out, and the only audible sound is his heavy breathing over running water. Without electricity, the puddles are harmless, but instead of feeling relief, his body shudders as he cradles Donna tighter, burying his head in the crook of her neck. She warned him about being in danger, and he should have goddamn listened, but the contact calms the panic racing through his veins. She could have been electrocuted, but she wasn't. The passive argument they've been having for days, the fear of eroding their friendship pales in comparison to the fear of actually losing her. Wish is stupid, because he's been aching to hold her like this since she kissed him, and he can't keep denying that means something. "I've got you," he murmurs, letting out a ragged breath.
She shivers as he blows across her wet skin, absorbing the fact he risked his life without a second thought. His hands pressing into her back are safe and secure, comfort she's craving after the traumatic incident, but they're both hyped on adrenaline, and the security isn't real. It's just another moment to complicate his relationship, and she digs her fingers into his chest, prising him off her. He looks confused, and she hugs herself, her tone quiet and non-hostile. "We're okay."
He shakes his head. They might have escaped injury, but he watched her hesitate when he reached out his hand. She was scared. He understands that. But he can't handle the possibility she froze because she doesn't trust him anymore. "I don't want to just be okay, Donna."
Water leeches at her heels as she takes another step back, and she stops, assuming he means he doesn't want their friendship to suffer more than it has. For days she's been trying to tell him the same thing, but he wouldn't listen. He put his own needs above hers, and a few thousand volts of electricity doesn't change anything. "Then what do you want?" she asks, absolutely certain he's reacting on impulse and doesn't know the answer himself. "Before we stepped in here, you made it perfectly clear your relationship with Paula comes first."
"Not if the cost is—"
Us.
He stops, not because he's afraid to admit the truth, but because he was so angry at her for forcing his hand, he's only now realizing that kissing her back is why he felt like a lesser man. When she told him she didn't feel anything, he took the out, trying to convince himself cheating is black and white, a level he would never stoop to. But in his mind, his relationship with Paula has slowly been crumbling ever since he chose to keep the kiss from her. Paula isn't the one. He can't bring himself to betray her, no more than he already has, but he doesn't want an easy out this time. He deserves the pain of either screwing everything up or leaning into his mistakes, and he swipes the water from his face so he can see Donna clearly. "Was it really a mistake?"
She assumes he's referring to their kiss, asking if she lied, but admitting it was a mistake or telling him it wasn't, both answers only lead to more heartache. And if he really wanted the truth, he wouldn't need to look that hard to see it. "You shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answer to, Harvey."
He stiffens at the evasive response, gearing up to tell her she's wrong, when the door rattles and suddenly opens and a confused and angry face scowls behind a beam of light spilling into the room.
"What the hell are you two doing in here!?"
"Donna?" Benjamin squeaks over the repair man's shoulder. "Are you okay? W-what happened?"
"A pipe burst." Harvey answers gruffly, conflicted by the interruption when the first thing Donna does is scurry to leave. Obviously, he'd rather not be locked in, but it doesn't feel right carrying on their conversation out in the open. If someone overhead, it wouldn't be fair to Paula, and he deflects his anger at the burley repair man. "Do your goddamn job and get it fixed."
Donna ignores the snippy comment, summoning her confidence as she forces a smile at their head of IT. "We're fine, Benjamin. Just a little wet."
"Do you need to change? I've got some clothes here. I was going to go to the gym after work, but that's probably not happening. You know, storm, servers..."
She hears Harvey scoff at the rambled explanation, but she's cold and not going to pass up the chance to get dry. "Thanks, I appreciate that."
"O-okay. Just let me check the damage." He motions into the server room, disappearing inside.
"Donna."
Harvey's voice sounds behind her, and she shakes her head. "Just go."
She's half expecting him to argue, but the sound of his heavy steps leaving is a relief. When his adrenaline wears off, and it will, she'd like there to be some part of their friendship that's still salvageable.
The risk she took when she acted on her feelings was unintentional, but she can't fathom the thought of completely burning their bridges because of second, stupid, slip. They need to come back from this. They have to. Otherwise, she has no idea what they've been doing all these years.
…
"Donna, there you are, I was—" Rachel stops in the doorway to Harvey's office, her eyes growing wide as they wash over her friend's drenched hair and baggy sweats. Mike said he saw Donna leave to follow Harvey, and she assumed they were both in the building somewhere. But that doesn't explain why her friend is wet, and she rushes into the room, her voice filled with panic. "Donna… What happened? Are you okay?"
Donna swipes at her frustrated tears, nodding her head, even though she's far from fine. After getting changed, she came upstairs to find a note on Harvey's desk saying he was gone. The goddamn idiot left in the middle of Manhattan's worst storm in twenty years, he isn't answering his phone, and she doesn't know whether to be furious or completely defeated. But Rachel is waiting for an answer, and she holds out the crumpled post-it. "Harvey and I were trapped in the server room. We were fighting, a pipe burst, then I… I borrowed some clothes from Benjamin, came here, and found this," she rambles, watching Rachel read the chicken scratch handwriting scrawled on the note.
Something came up — H
Rachel glances up, still confused, but the worry in Donna's gaze tells her Harvey left, and she gives her friend's arm a gentle squeeze. "Come on." She shuffles Donna to the couch and sits her down, retrieving Harvey's decanter. While not advocating they get drunk, she's worried Donna may be in shock. Not only is she shaky and pale, but the details of her explanation don't make sense, and Rachel pours them both two small fingers. "Start at the beginning. What happened in the server room?"
"We were nearly electrocuted." Donna takes the glass, downing its contents, steel reeling from the moment the ceiling collapsed. She isn't angry with Harvey, at least not over the accident. Even though she warned him the water was dangerous, he couldn't have predicted the place would flood. Setting the tumbler down, she takes a deep breath, going slower so Rachel can follow. "Harvey went to check the fuses, and the door locked behind us. One minute we were arguing, then a pipe burst in the ceiling and all the equipment started shorting. I froze, I thought..."
She trails off and Rachel covers her mouth. "Oh my god," she utters. Sometimes Donna embellishes stories, but when Donna swipes away another stray tear, Rachel can tell the ordeal must have been genuinely terrifying.
Donna crouches forward, sinking her head in her hands. The part she needs to get off her chest is so much worse, but there's no way for Rachel to fully understand what happened without the whole truth. "I kissed Harvey."
Rachel drops her hand, shocked, but, as she absorbs the information, she's not surprised Donna is so upset or that Harvey reacted by leaving. But given the situation, he can hardly blame Donna for acting impulsively. "You were scared. Harvey's going to understand—"
"It wasn't today," she admits, fearing Rachel's judgment, but pushing herself to be completely honest. "Louis was in my office upset about Sheila, asking why she couldn't see they were meant to be together. When he left, Harvey walked in. I didn't plan it. I just had to know if something was still there."
"Was it?" Rachel prompts gently, her heart aching as silence stretches between them. She's known Donna to pause for thought when it comes to Harvey, but she's never seen so much anguish in a person's expression when Donna finally glances up. The reaction tells her everything. Harvey obviously didn't respond well to the kiss, which must be the reason they were fighting, and why he's not here now.
"I'm so sorry, Donna." She expresses her sympathy with a lengthy sigh. She has nothing against Paula, but anyone who knows Harvey can see how deeply he cares about Donna. Everyone except the man himself, apparently. And while she can't defend Donna's poor timing, she can understand why Donna kissed him. She just wishes the incident had sparked a better outcome. "Is there anything I can do?" she urges softly,
The kind offer overwhelms Donna, the response vastly different to Harvey's, and she swallows the gut wrenching jolt that he's never going to be the person that asks if she's okay when he's not. In the heat of the moment, he showed his life was worth risking for hers, but then he also gave no thought to his safety as he raced out to do God knows what. Escape her? Make things right with Paula? She doesn't know why he left or if he's okay, but having Rachel's support is the bridge she needs to pull herself together. Nothing can be done to fix the situation, but there is one thing that can temporarily make it easier. "Stay for another drink?"
Rachel responds to the request with a soft smile. "Of course." She refills Donna's glass, taking a sip of her own as her gaze drifts to the storm outside. Harvey can be stubborn, obtuse and, more often than not, senseless when it comes to Donna. But wherever he is, she hopes he's safe and coming to terms with everything Donna told her. Because if he can't, she doesn't know what that will mean for Donna or the firm, and she really doesn't want to find out.
…
Weary and exhausted, Harvey steps out of the elevator, grateful for the simple convenience. The power is back on in the building, but the floor is void of movement. Mike told him most people went home due to the servers being down, and he didn't expect to be back here himself. But apparently 'most people' doesn't include Donna. Mike was cagey about why she stayed but mentioned there was whiskey involved, and when he meets Rachel at the door to his office, he stiffens at her disapproving scowl.
"What are you doing here?" She folds her arms, keeping her feet planted in his way.
"It's my office," he grumbles. "Where's Donna?"
Rachel stares at him, not able to believe that's all he has to say for himself. "Sleeping," she answers tersely. "Some jerk really put her through the wringer today." His eyes narrow, and she would probably reconsider the brash comment if it weren't for the alcohol swimming in her veins. But to her surprise, instead of snapping back, he looks away, huffing air into his cheek.
"Is she okay?" he asks quietly, feeling a pang of regret over leaving the way he did. But Donna wouldn't have let him go otherwise, and he forces himself to make eye-contact with Rachel.
"She's fine." Her resolve breaks slightly, but she still doesn't think letting Harvey in to see Donna is a good idea. "Like I said, she's sleeping it off."
"Rachel…" He sighs. He's never been one to openly air his feelings, and while he appreciates Rachel looking out for Donna, he isn't comfortable discussing why he left. "I just want to talk to her."
She hesitates, weighing up the distance he's keeping. He looks like he would actually leave if she told him to, and his submissive stance makes her reconsider letting him in. "Why?"
He doesn't say anything, but his expression crumples with the same torment she saw Donna respond with when earlier. Harvey might not be able to tell her with words why he's here, but now Rachel has a stronger inkling of where he was. She isn't stupid. As selfish as Harvey can be, he's also loyal to a fault. And looking as unsure as he does, he wouldn't be chasing down Donna unless he finally came to some hard conclusions. Stepping aside, he doesn't thank her as he moves past, and she rolls her eyes, but it's not her feelings she's worried about. The last thing she wants is to see Donna get hurt again, and she hopes she isn't making a mistake when the door swings closed behind Harvey.
He steps inside into his office, forgetting about Rachel as his gaze falls on Donna's sleeping form, and his muscles relax instantly. She isn't the only one who's been through hell and back today, but her soft snoring eases his anxiety as he approaches her, crouching down beside the couch. Her hair is a tangled mess of curls, and he can smell the alcohol on her breath. No doubt she'll be tired and cranky if he wakes her, but he's here now, and he's not leaving without at least making sure she's okay. "Donna." He nudges her shoulder. "Hey, wake up."
"Mph," she grumbles, swatting his hand away. "Head hurts."
"I'm not surprised." He glances at the empty bottle of whiskey on the table. He's sure Rachel had a few, but he's shared enough office drinks with Donna to know how much she can put away, and he sinks back on his heels with a sigh. "You should at least have some water."
With her eyes still closed, it takes her a moment to place the sound beside her, but when she recognizes the voice belongs to Harvey, her gaze blinks in his weak smile. Confusion mixes with relief and then gets pounded with frustration as she pushes herself up, the room spinning around her. "Where's Rachel?"
He checks behind him and, seeing no sign of the brunette at the door, he shrugs. "She left."
Donna winces. Rachel wouldn't just leave, not unless Harvey told her to go, and she palms the side of her face, massaging the dull throb between her temples. He's wearing a different suit, which means he went home to change, but she stopped caring why he fled several drinks ago. "Well," she huffs. "I'm glad you're okay."
She moves, presumably to leave, and he places a gentle hand on her knee. "Wait." She doesn't look happy, but she remains seated, and he lifts himself up to sit beside her. "The thing is, I'm not okay. "
She shifts to focus on him more clearly, but he's dry and uninjured. The only thing wrong is his pinched brow.
"I put you in danger," he explains, his voice thick with regret. "I was angry, and I didn't listen to you when I should have. But if you really think I could hate you, then there's a lot I've been doing wrong, because the thing that scares me, Donna, is the thought of losing you."
Her mouth gapes, unsure how to respond to the open confession. It's not quite an apology, but it holds a significant amount of weight, and she swallows nervously. "It was an accident, Harvey."
"I know." He would never put her in harm's way on purpose, and he's glad she knows that, too. But she could have been hurt, and at fault or not, the combination of events led him to realize he hasn't been honest with himself, Donna or Paula. "You told me not to ask questions I don't want the answer to." He claps his hands together, tilting his gaze down at them, before looking back up at her. "Was the kiss really a mistake?"
His eyes soften curiously but without hesitation, and she quickly realizes he didn't just go home and change. She can excuse the question once, but he wouldn't be asking a second time with a clear head if he was still with Paula. He's not that kind of man, and her heart flutters. Her voice is a quiet whisper when she asks, "What happened?"
He rolls his shoulders with a loose shrug. He didn't end things with Paula just to start something with Donna. The reason he risked going over there during the storm was so he could tell Paula the truth, that he can't give her what needs. "I realized she isn't the one," he says simply, still holding Donna's gaze and patiently waiting for her answer.
She feels a flurry of nerves trying to wrap her head around his explanation. He's not saying she's the reason he broke up with Paula, but he is asking her to be honest, and she takes a deep breath. "I put you in an impossible situation, and I didn't want to make things worse," she admits, half expecting his face to tense, but his expression doesn't change, and she keeps going. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt, so I lied."
He nods, smiling softly. "Good." He's relieved but doesn't give in to the urge to say more. Out of respect for his former relationship, for Donna, and after the day they've had, he doesn't want to add any more pressure to the conversation. Proving he's not just acting impulsively is an important step he needs to show her he can take, and he dusts off his trousers, pushing himself up. "Ray's downstairs. Why don't I drop you off at home?"
She feels a pang of fear at the abrupt switch, like she's being left out on a ledge, but he doesn't seem worried or unnerved. If anything, he appears more relaxed, and she stands, feeling a jolt as his palm meets the small of her back to guide them out.
Only time will tell if he's really ready for things to change between them.
…
Three weeks after riding out the turbulent storm, Donna stands at the bar in Crew on a much calmer night, a sense of nostalgia washing over her. Nothing has changed since she frequented the place during her DA days, and even though it's been a while, she still feels at home beneath the cedar wood.
"Excuse me?"
A man clears his throat behind her, and she smiles to herself as Harvey sidles up beside her. When Rachel asked to meet her here, she had a feeling she was being set up, but she plays along. "Yes?"
"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asks with a wink. "That pretty face looks familiar."
She snorts softly, teasing him back. "I'm not someone people tend to forget."
"You most certainly aren't." He studies her closely, intrigued by the light blush creeping over her cheeks. But she doesn't look surprised to see him. "You knew," he determines, not fazed she guessed he'd be here in Rachel's place.
"Choosing the place we met was a big clue." She leans back, revealing the two tumblers of Scotch she ordered, confirming she knew about the switch. "What I don't know is why the secrecy?" He's been unusually coy since the conversation they had in his office after the storm. Initially, she was disappointed he chose not to pursue the subject, but she didn't push, either, for fear of hurtling their friendship in the wrong direction. But things between them have been good, and he didn't need a ruse to invite her out for a drink.
"You're wrong." He ignores her question, reaching over her with a smug grin and taking his Macallan. "We didn't meet here. This is just where you introduced yourself."
She opens her mouth to protest when a flash of the afternoon he's referring to enters her memory. It was only a few days prior to their first official exchange. She'd been running late for an audition, and he was outside the DA's office hailing a cab. Presumably he saw how flustered she was and that's why he'd offered her the car, but the generous act was one of the reasons she decided she wanted to work for him. She recalls the moment clearly now, but he's never mentioned it before, and she narrows her eyes suspiciously. "So you did know who I was?"
He shrugs, not committing to an answer. He hadn't seen her leave the building, and had no idea she worked at the DA's office, but he was playing things cool when he pretended not to recognize her. "Like you said, you're not so easy to forget."
"Oh my god." She chuckles, shaking her head and picking up her glass. "You're unbelievable."
"Or I really am more sentimental than you think." He grins, nodding toward the booth where they shared their first drink.
She's beyond curious now but takes the hint, leading them over to the table where there's a hand-written reserved sign scribbled on a piece of paper.
"I didn't want to take any chances," he says casually, motioning for her to scoot into 'their' corner.
Again, she follows his direction, butterflies dancing in her stomach as they get comfortable. She's never known him to go out of his way to surprise her, but if that was the plan, he's achieved the goal. "Harvey, what's going on?" she asks tentatively, stealing a large sip of her drink to calm her nerves.
When she's finished, he takes the tumbler out of her grasp and sets it down next to his with a warm grin. "I want something."
Heat tingles down the back of her neck as he shifts closer, intentionally bumping their thighs, and there's no misreading the desire in his gaze, leaving her flustered and confused. After admitting she lied about feeling something when they kissed, she's been secretly hoping he might show some interest beyond their usual flirting. But weeks have gone by without any sign he wants more, and she palms his chest, stopping him from leaning in. "Why now?"
She doesn't push him away, which he takes as an invitation to take her hand and lower it down between them, keeping their fingers clasped together. "Because you needed to know I was ready."
She tilts her head at the insightful response, and doesn't understand how she missed what was really going on. He's right. Had he acted sooner, there would have been a small voice in the back of her head wondering if he was reacting to the events of the storm or his break-up. He waited to squash those doubts, and she's never felt more safe or protected as he caresses her hand with a hopeful expression. Luckily for him, he's not the only one tired of waiting, and she untangles from his grasp with a smirk. "You want something." She repeats his declaration, landing her hands on his lapels "And I think I might be ready to give it to you."
His eyes light up with her smile as he sinks his arm around her waist. "Wow. You're going to be that forward about it?"
"Harvey," she warns him with a grin. "Stop talking."
He doesn't need to be told twice, and he captures her lips under his mouth, his smile falling victim to a deep feeling of contentment that spreads desire through his entire being. He wishes he'd come to his senses sooner, but the thrum of forever burning beneath her touch is enough to douse his regret.
They're together now, and forever was worth the wait.