Prompt#24 by tvseriesislife: "Pre-canon Darvey. Donna spent the Christmas holiday with Harvey and Marcus' family. They went to a Winter Wonderland Theme Park. Marcus' youngest daughter left her favorite toy and can't sleep without it. They only noticed it was gone when they were all at home. Darvey volunteered to go back to the WWLAND theme park to look for it. As they were searching, they're accidentally trapped inside the cold WWLAND cave. The rest is up to the writer."
The bright colorful lights and the chorus of a cheerful holiday song welcome Harvey and Donna's return to the winter wonderland transformed theme park. They came back with the high hopes of locating a lost stuffed toy left by Charlie, Marcus' youngest daughter during their first visit. Marcus brought his kids to the amusement park and Harvey and Donna tagged along to chaperone. The missing stuffed toy is a hand-knit bunny made by Katie, Charlie's mom. Harvey understands the value and sentimentality of the stuffed toy to his niece. He also gives the same importance to material things from the special people in his life — the cactus given by Donna and Gordon's records to name a few. And of course, the painting made by Lily which he lost to Elliot Stemple. He still hopes that one day the painting will make its way back to the wall of his office.
They stroll past the entrance gate quickly enveloped by the festive decorations putting them into the spirit of the season. They pause in front of a bench thinking about how they're going to start the search. The chances of finding the stuffed toy in a huge amusement park are slim to none but he decides they should give it a try. Donna tags along to have a higher chance of finding the lost stuffed toy, while Marcus stays back home with the kids. With the park closing in one hour, it's now less crowded than earlier. But that also means they don't really have enough time to look for the stuffed toy given how enormous the amusement park is.
"How about we split up? I'll go to the lost and found station, and you go look near the Ferris wheel?" Donna suggests since the ride was the last thing they all went on before going home.
"Alright, just call me if you find it," he replies with a nod and makes his way towards the Ferris wheel.
Not even half an hour after they split up, he found the stuffed toy. Luckily, the Ferris wheel attendant found and stored it for anyone who might eventually make a claim for it.
Donna waits for him by the carousel ride located near the entrance of the park. While waiting, she keeps herself entertained by watching the people passing by. She's smiling at the sight of a dad carrying a kid who's fast asleep when she hears her name making her turn around immediately. The corner of her lips tugs upward at the sight of Harvey. She's been with him the whole day but she can't stop swooning over his look. He's in a black wool coat, with a navy cashmere scarf loosely wrapped around the neck. He's grinning like a Cheshire cat while waving the missing stuffed toy up in the air. A view that can compete with Harvey in the teacup ride with Marcus' kids earlier today.
"Mission accomplished!"
"Well, that was faster than I thought," she tells him amused, the smile not leaving her face. She gently takes the stuffed toy from him, securing it inside her purse. "Let's go?" She asks.
"Ah yeah, let's go home," he replies. They walk side by side in silence, the skin-tingling cold winter breeze blowing on their faces. Their outfits were really put to good use.
They're near the exit gate when the cave caught his eye. "Hey, it's the Winter Wonderland cave!" He steers Donna's attention to the huge dome. They'd been at the cave earlier but with the crowd, it was hard to see all the festive decorations inside.
She's already reading his mind and knows that he wants to revisit the cave. "Harvey, your niece is probably looking for her stuffed toy already. Plus, it's getting late, so we should just go home."
"Oh, c'mon we have time." He tries to entice her, bumping her arm with his elbow lightly.
She sighs. It's not that she's against going back to the cave, and in all honesty, she's not even worried that Charlie is still looking for her stuffed toy. The kids were exhausted once they got home. She guesses they're both passed out by now.
She's already sensed that he didn't want to go home after finding the stuffed toy. But the thought of spending time alone with Harvey bothers her. Their flirting has been too much recently and it started with the mention of strawberries and whipped cream after she purposely listened to Harvey and Louis' conversation about the tomatoes. She's had no problem spending the last two days with him at Marcus' home because they were never alone. Marcus and the kids were a welcome distraction with whatever's going on between them.
When Harvey came back from Boston after helping Marcus, he had been reaching out more. Aside from the flirting, there were many invitations for drinks, dinner, or both. He also picked her up from home more often than before. There have also been times where she would go back to her office with a cup of coffee waiting on her desk, sometimes accompanied by a smiley face drawn on a post-it note.
That's about it. They haven't talked about what's behind any of his actions recently nor does she have the guts to dare ask. After more than a decade, she knows not to get her hopes up and give meaning to any of them. Her mind already knows he doesn't want more, but it's the heart that she can't shut down. The feelings for him are just always there bubbling on the surface.
She's been trying to cut him out of her life a little, even when just the thought of doing that is killing her already. Declining some invitations of his from time to time. So when Harvey asked her to go to Boston with him for the holidays she couldn't answer right away. But knowing his history with Lily, she knows Marcus' divorce has been hard for Harvey too — the reason why she didn't have it in her to decline his holiday invitation. She also knows how hard it's been for the kids having to go back and forth between the split parents. Marcus got the kids for Christmas and Katie will have them on New Year's. The least she could do is help with the kids and be there for them.
And as much as spending the time alone with Harvey bothers her, she can't deny the fact that she always had a good time with him, especially outside the four corners of the firm.
Harvey's voice brings her back from her current thoughts. "C'mon we didn't get to explore the cave as much earlier," he chastises with a puppy look on his face.
"Alright fine" She gives in. The corner of her lips grows into a full smile.
She loves the illuminated cave filled with colorful holiday decorations and fake snow swirling around. It feels like being inside a Christmas snow globe. Her adoration of the cave from their first visit was so obvious in her gleaming eyes that Harvey offered right away to take pictures of her. She doesn't get why Harvey still wants to come back to the cave. As far as she knows, Harvey is not into that stuff. He wouldn't even be at the amusement park earlier if it weren't for the kids. She refuses to overthink and acknowledge the reason why he's doing this and just agrees with him.
The instrumental jazz music fills the cave, shutting out the loud holiday music blasting outside. The cave is empty except for the couple who went inside the same time they did but only stayed briefly. Having the place to themselves allows her to admire the festive displays. She walks around while Harvey trails behind her. His hands are in his pocket, looking at her more than the decorations. She catches him looking multiple times and gives a tight-lipped smile in return, not wanting to read into his expression and how he's been acting.
"Hey, I don't remember going to that section," she tilts her head towards a small room on her left. There were so many people crowding the small room that they decided to avoid the room with the ice sculptures during their first visit to the cave. She's giddy, like a kid in a candy store, quickly strutting inside the almost freezer-like-cold room of the cave.
She's in the midst of admiring a unicorn ice sculpture in the middle of the room when she hears him clear his throat.
"Donna." He calls her name shifting his weight on one foot, scratching the side of his temple. "Yeah?" She innocently asks, meeting his brown eyes. He looks down, brushing an index finger at the side of his nose. He gulps and meets her eyes again. "About the..uhh."
"About what?" Time stands still as she waits for whatever it is that he wants to say.
He inhales sharply still not knowing how to compose the words into sentences that have been stuck at the tip of his tongue. Until suddenly, the place becomes dark, pitch black, and quiet. They both jump a little and instinctively take a step closer to each other.
"Shit!" They mumble in unison as they both scramble for their respective cell phones to utilize their flashlights. Noticing the time, he realizes what happened. The amusement park has closed down for the day, the reason why the music has stopped and the lights were cut off. "They probably have shut down." He tells her.
"Guess it's time to go," She shrugs with her remark.
He places his hand at the small of her back as they walk towards the entrance of the room. Once they reach the door, she twists the knob but it wouldn't turn all the way. "Harvey, it's stuck!"
"You're fucking kidding me!" He grits his teeth as he tries to turn the knob as well but to no success. He pounds on the door as he voices out for help, hoping someone will hear him.
The freezer-cold-like temperature is starting to bite from the skin to the bones. He notices Donna trying to stay warm by rubbing her arms and blowing out a hot breath, so he thinks of another way out.
"Okay, maybe there's another way out that way." He motions a hand pointing further inside the room.
"Harvey, I don't think so. This is the only door."
"Wouldn't hurt to try," He coughs mid-sentence. "And look for another way out. You're getting cold, Donna!" And he is too. The temperature inside is lower than the outside, to keep the ice sculptures from melting. The thick and layered clothes they're wearing are not even enough to keep them warm.
"Stay here." He instructs her before walking further inside the room.
"Well?" She asks him as soon as he comes back.
"Negative," he shakes his head. "Did you try and call —"
She cuts him off as she holds her cellphone up. "There's no signal."
He sighs. "Look, I'm pretty sure the security will do their rounds. They'll eventually find us," he reassures her to try and keep her calm. And to try and control the panic rising within him, in the event that they're really stuck.
"Oh yeah? When is that? When we're on the floor freezing to death?" Her lips quiver as she paces back and forth. The cold, exhaustion, and panic start to sink in. "I told you we should've gone home earlier already" She closes her eyes, regretting the words as soon as they're out of her mouth. She turns around to face him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," she apologizes instantly.
"It's okay," he replies. His hands are on his waist as he impatiently waits for the security to find them. Several minutes have passed and they're still stuck inside. It was only then that he noticed that she's shaking heavily. "Jesus Donna you're shaking!" He removes his coat instantly and places it over her back. "Harvey you're gonna get sick!" He ignores her words. He doesn't think about what it'll do to him. All he cares about is her. She was somehow right, it was his fault why they got stuck but it was his promise that he wouldn't let anything happen to her that made him do it. It's a primal instinct to protect her, no matter the cost. It doesn't matter to him if he gets sick in the process.
He helps her to sit down and rubs her hands with his, blowing hot breaths on them. He uses the back of his palm to check her temperature. She's getting warmer than usual, a fever starting to break. This time, he panics. He wastes no time and starts unbuttoning his shirt.
"What the hell are you doing?" she asks in a weak voice, completely puzzled by his action. "You know you could've just asked," she adds, wiggling her brows, teasing him even with her state.
"Mind off the gutter, Donna. Body heat, we have to press our bodies together. It's survival 101," he tells her as his fingers work from one button to another. Eyes wide and mouth agape, she laughs at his proposition. "Seriously?! Body heat? That's the best you've got?"
"Do you have another idea in mind?" he asks with a raised brow.
"I- uhhh" she's speechless, the numbing cold makes it impossible for her to think of a different solution.
"Exactly. Now your turn," he tells her after undoing the last button of his shirt.
"You're crazy!"
"Donna, just like you said we're going to freeze here to death. We have to do something and it has to be the both of us naked in order for the body heat to work."
It was only then that she processes he is being serious about his idea. It sounds crazy to her tired and warped mind but desperate times require desperate measures.
"Trust me," he adds.
"What? You've done this 'body heat' thing before?" She snorts, shivering.
This time it's his turn to tease her, "I'm pretty sure I've warmed you up before." A smirk forms on his face.
"Shut up!" She scowls but she follows anyways, desperate to get warm. Thankfully, the place is dark and he asks him to turn off the flashlight before taking her top off.
The moment she's done, Harvey immediately pulls her onto his chest and instantly covers her back with a coat again. Everything happened in a snap of a finger. Several seconds pass and she realizes their positions. She's sitting on his lap, facing him with nothing covering her waist up except for the black-laced bra. His arms are circled around her waist. She clears her throat suddenly conscious of their position, placing both hands on his chest to keep a small barrier between them. But the warmth radiating off his body is very welcoming. She feels much better against the feel of his warm bare skin. She feels him shiver at the cold touch of her fingertips.
"I'm sorry. I didn't —" She was about to pull away but he cuts her off. "It's okay. Keep them there," he instructs her.
She rests one side of her head against his shoulder, trying to keep her heavy eyelids open and fight off the drowsiness. It's harder than she thought. Until she's felt something underneath her making her wide awake. With laboured breaths, she refuses to make any movements, knowing what it is.
"Fuck" he groans, closing his eyes as he tilts his head back.
They both get distracted not knowing what to do. Trying to avoid 'it' she subtly shifts her weight but his grip on her waist steadies her. Gritting his teeth, he warns her. "Donna, don't move!" The heavy rise and fall of their chest are in sync with each other. Fully aware of his bulge pressing underneath her.
"We need a distraction," he suggests. "Okay… uhm…okay say something, anything," she asks him because she can't think of anything to say. Especially when her thoughts are focused on the growing erection pressing on her— remembering full well how good it was inside her. Then her thoughts are halted by his voice.
"Okay. Remember, about that time you once told me— "
This time, it's her turn to cut him off. "Seriously that's what you're going with?" With their minds almost always in sync, she already knows what he's talking about.
"Well, how could I forget? That's the time you told me you were a little in love with me." His breath is hot on her ears still making her knees tremble even when she's already sitting down. She clears her throat, trying to act as if he doesn't have any effect on her.
No matter the circumstances they're in, they flirtatiously toe the line. Even when their chance of survival is going down as time passes.
"If I remember correctly, I had a bit too much to drink." She pauses before continuing, "And by now, I wouldn't use the word 'little' to describe what I feel for you Harvey. I think you know that already." Thankfully, he can't see her face. She doesn't know if it's the physical exhaustion that made her unleash her feelings or it's the emotional toll where she's tired of the same circle they've been going at ever since.
''You know I love you, Donna." He doesn't hold back, this time. Hopeful that she catches the sincerity in his tone. "Yeah, you just don't know 'how'," she replies emphasizing the last word. She doesn't see the muscles of his jaw hardening but she feels the quick rise and fall of his chest as he exhales a deep breath.
The topic of their conversation surely became a great distraction but it ended up being a not-so-great discussion because he didn't say anything more after that. The freezing atmosphere was accompanied by complete silence.
He knows how he loves her. He just doesn't know how to say it. The past few weeks he tried to show her through the little things. He's been meaning to ask her out properly but there's still that fear of losing her in case their relationship doesn't work out. There were days that he had planned to tell her but then something always comes up. He wants the moment when he asks her to be perfect because it's Donna, the most important person in his life.
Until he figures, he'll be wasting more time waiting for that perfect timing. He breaks the silence and calls her name just above a whisper. "Donna" He needs to tell her. He can't sleep another night without her knowing the truth.
"Hmmm," she hums in response.
"I need to ask you something" It's now or never. Fuck the circumstances.
"These past few weeks. The uhm.." he pauses, nervous like a schoolboy confessing to his crush. "Look, I don't know how to really say it so I'm just gonna say it."
He inhales sharply before continuing. "Break your rule for me. Truth is I've been meaning to ask you but I just couldn't find the perfect time to say it." He waits for her to say anything but she doesn't so he continues. "Thought I'd ask you here in the cave, I saw how much you loved it here earlier the first time we were here with Marcus and the kids. That's why I didn't want to leave yet after finding the stuffed toy. I just didn't think we were going to get stuck here.
"What do you say?" he asks. "Hey," he calls again when she doesn't answer. The silence is too painfully long. That's when it hits him. Maybe silence doesn't always mean yes, maybe sometimes it's a no. He never thought of it before but the pain of rejection starts hitting like a brick, especially when it's from someone that means the world to him. He's been rejected by women before. All it did was bruise his ego a little because he didn't want anything more from them aside from a temporary source of pleasure. But now he wants more with Donna.
He's about to say something again when he hears her light snore. He chuckles, relieved that her silence was not a 'no' necessarily. "Donna, I'm here asking you something serious and you're sleeping on me." He talks to her sleeping form pressed against his chest. "I love you," he whispers and kisses the top of her head hoping it will wake her up. "And now I know how. I've known for a good while" He smiles, pulling her closer all the more as if their skin-to-skin contact isn't enough. It made him feel good saying it out loud, like a weight was taken off his chest.
"Hey Donna, wake up." he gives her a little shake worried that she's sleeping too long.
Right in time, he hears the creak of the door and the heavy footsteps getting closer. Security finally found them blinding him with the bright yellow flashlight. He eagerly wakes and helps Donna get up, forgetting they're naked from the waist above. Cheeks red from the cold and embarrassment, they quickly put back their clothes on while under the scrutinizing gaze from the security.
They walked out of the cave as fast as they can. Not bothering to explain how they were just trapped inside and were naked just for warmth and nothing more. As if the security will actually believe the explanation.
It doesn't take time to spot their car as the huge parking lot had been deserted as well. He turns on the ignition as soon as they get in to get the heater started. He doesn't drive right away and just stays in the parking lot, indulging in the hot air blasting from the heater and the warmth radiating from the heated seats. A treat better than a cup of hot chocolate after getting stuck inside the freezing room of the cave.
"This is nice," she mutters with her eyes shut, letting out a little moan.
"It is," he replies as he turns to her. The back of his hand meets her forehead once again checking her temperature. "I'm fine," she tells him with a weak smile, his simple touch already sending thousands of butterflies in her stomach. "Just wanna make sure." He mumbles, returning a smile.
Once she's warm and toasty enough, she turns her head and calls his name in a soft voice. "Harvey."
"Yeah?" He shifts on the seat, now facing her, holding the gaze from her pair of hazel eyes. The white beaming streetlights surrounding the parking lot are enough to see her face in the dark night.
"Did you say something earlier inside the cave when I was sleeping? I- I wasn't sure if I was dreaming," she asks boldly. The cold and exhaustion made her mind dizzy and disoriented unsure if she was really hearing Harvey talk.
He slides a palm at the back of his neck, tapping his foot incessantly. He's unsure how to tell her again.
When the silence is too long, she looks away and plays with her fingers resting on her lap. "You know what, never mind. I was probably dreaming." She shakes her head disappointed in reality.
The words out of her lips make him jerk his head in her direction. "No!" He leans forward and cups her chin in one hand. His face is just an inch from hers. "No, Donna. You weren't dreaming." And with his heart pounding against his chest, he finally kisses her. He feels the softness of her lips, tasting the peach-flavored balm as he slides the tip of his tongue out. As much as he wants to continue, he needs to say the words out. "Donna," he whispers, touching her forehead with his.
Their gaze locks, her hand sliding up his cheek. "I know."
He picks the fallen strands on her face and places them behind her ear. He's about to say something else when there's a loud disturbing knock on his side of the window. It's the same security who saw them in the cold room inside the cave.
She fixes herself up and clears her throat while he rolls the window down.
"Are you guys not done yet? This place isn't a motel!" The frustrated security questions them with a brow raised, blinding them once again with the flashlight.
"We're sorry!" He retreats when in fact he should be the one angry for getting trapped inside the freezer-cold-like room in the cave. If this was another time, he'll be suing the shit out of the amusement park. All he does is try to contain his laughter from bursting out.
"Leave!" The security orders. He drives out of the parking lot as fast as he can. The contained laughter finally bursting out because of what just happened. He doesn't let go of her hand as he drives through the midnight sky, stealing glances from time to time until they get home.
It isn't only the stuffed toy that they found on their return. But they've finally found where they're supposed to be.