Hello and welcome to the 2021 Secret Santa Suits fanfiction exchange! We're excited to be able to keep the tradition going this year.
For those who don't follow us on Twitter ( suitsxmasfics) and don't know how the Secret Santa works, we collected several Suits prompts and kept the prompters secret; then, the fandom writers who wished to take part claimed whatever prompt(s) interested them, also in secret. We have received the finished fics and will post them on here one at a time, revealing the prompter (but not the writer). All writers will be announced on Twitter after all the fics have been posted, and until then readers can try to guess which writer wrote each fic.
We would like to thank everyone who sent prompts and all the writers who wrote fics. Now it's your turn, readers! Don't forget to review, favorite and bookmark the fics you like, the writers will be watching! And if you're on Twitter, come join us at suitsxmasfics to try to guess the writer of each fic :)
xx, Santa
baby, kiss it better
Prompt #16 by lifeofdarvey: "Five times Darvey kissed during the holidays (pre canon with the last time being post canon)."
i. and there was one prize i'd cheat to win
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"I'm here," Donna bursts into the DA's office three days before Christmas.
"What's so important that you needed me to come over?"
"I didn't mean to drag you all the way here tonight but I could really use some help," Harvey says absentmindedly, clearly distracted by whatever is on his desk at that moment. So much, that he doesn't even lift his gaze to look at her when she leans against the doorframe.
Donna folds her arms across her chest and arches a brow, waiting for him to either provide further information on this newfound crisis or to at least dignify her presence with a look.
He finally does, after she stays silent for too long, to the point where it becomes concerning.
He looks up to find her staring right back at him expectantly.
That's the first thing he notices. The second is how goddamn adorable she looks, his heart involuntary swelling a little as he eyes her from top to bottom. She has a silly Christmas sweater on, one that has those cliche designs covering the front, her bright red hair falling over her shoulders and complimenting the blush on her cheeks and nose, face still flushed from the cold outside. He thinks he might've let his eyes travel all over her for too long when she takes a step to let herself in the room.
" Palmer case?" She asks, walking over to him and dropping a small box on his desk.
"Yeah… What is that?" He asks, drawing out the words as though it'll make him any less confused.
"Christmas cookies," Donna tilts her head, lips quirking up at the sides.
"If we're gonna be here long, I thought some treats wouldn't harm."
She knows Christmas isn't Harvey's favorite holiday, he's pointed that out before. But it's hers, so she wanted to share, and after all, they're spending the night secluded in this office all the while the city is beaming in lights and festivities, so bringing some of this spirit inside didn't seem like such a bad idea when he called her at nine in the evening on her day off, asking her to step in.
He seems to recognize that because his eyes soften around the corners as he bites back a grin.
They spend two hours reviewing all the files, double checking everything to make sure the case is airtight in case Harvey's bluff doesn't work.
They go through the box of cookies and exchange jokes in between work-focused time intervals and despite not having worked together for long, they still get a sense of completion from this setting and their shared dynamic.
They're both concentrated on their respective tasks, so they jolt up when the phone rings, exchanging curious looks between them. Donna stands up and approaches the desk cautiously to pick up, Harvey's gaze not wavering from her for a second.
"Harvey Specter's office," she greets the other line and immediately signals Harvey to the phone.
He comes closer, leaning against the desk and trying to understand what's being discussed but Donna just hums in the receiver and nods understandingly, not giving away any clues.
She can see him practically bouncing on the balls of his feet out of the corner of her eye in anticipation and glances up at his face, a sobering look coloring hers.
Finally she hangs up, the seriousness in her expression dissolving into a wide grin and something about the way her eyes sparkle tells him she's about to say exactly what he wants to hear.
"It worked," she announces, looking up at him.
His eyes widen a little in disbelief and she notices the way his shoulders relax at the news, like he can suddenly breathe again.
"It did?"
Harvey might've been confident in his abilities, in everything he did, really, but Donna could tell this particular case had made him nervous in a way she hadn't witnessed before, this win breathing a sense of relief into him. And in return, into her, when she saw the weight being lifted off his chest.
"We won," she repeats, this time the words a little choked into a small giggle.
Before she can process any of the news herself she feels his hand cupping her face and pulling her in for a kiss.
It's just a small chaste kiss on her lips, but it's enough for his scent to envelop her, the feeling of his lips pressed against hers making her slightly dizzy.
Then he pulls away and leaves her dazed and confused.
"Sorry," Harvey says quickly.
"It's okay," she mumbles right back, can feel herself blushing as she tries to appear calm and unaffected.
He averts his gaze a little shyly, clearly embarrassed from having given into the impulse of the moment but when he turns back to Donna she really doesn't look annoyed or angry. Just a bit flustered, which is cute.
So he clears his throat and acts like what happened was completely natural. "Drinks to celebrate?"
"Can't say no to that," she replies, following his lead and grinning at him teasingly. "You did drag me here for nothing after all."
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ii. i'd kiss you as the lights went out
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The annual Christmas party is big, fancy in the way the firm makes every event to be. With Louis being in charge of the decoration, it doesn't fail to shine bright, with Christmas lights and all sorts of garlands covering every available inch of space on the walls.
They've huddled in some corner away from prying eyes after Donna swang by one of the trays to grab another tall glass of champagne, because in reality, they'd rather spend time together, just the two of them. This is how these things usually end, with them seeking refuge in Harvey's office or any other empty room they can find when the chatter with colleagues and clients gets old. If they'd be to be honest, that's their favorite part of every party.
Now he's eyeing her carefully, her white and golden dress perfectly hugging her figure, her red hair gently falling over her shoulders and the big hazel eyes he knows so well looking right through him. His gaze falls on the already half-empty drink she's holding and he smirks.
"Are you sure you want to drink that?"
"Why not?" She looks dumbfounded and he thinks it's adorable.
"You're drunk," Harvey says and it comes across a little bit too soft, like he's genuinely concerned about her state. Which he kind of is.
Offended, Donna crosses her arms over her chest and widens her eyes at him, huffing annoyedly.
"M'not drunk," she insists.
Except they both are. Pretty drunk, really. Drunker than they've been in a while and especially around each other. It has made them let their guards down a bit, like it's created some allowance to touch more freely, joke more openly.
It's only fair though, considering they've had to sit through this party on Christmas Eve and deal with god knows who. So they didn't pay mind to the one drink turning into two and then five, and now they've ended up really drunk.
"Yes you are," he grins at her. And it's hard not to, when she's looking so soft and her eyes are so warm and affectionate on him.
Donna smiles bashfully, the annoyance in her facial expression melting around the corners. She gives him a light push on the shoulder.
"Then so are you."
He can't object to that so he just chuckles and notices the blush rising to her cheeks, guessing that it's attributed to the amount of alcohol she has consumed tonight and the temperature around them, but hoping that it might have something to do with him as well.
They both still when they hear a loud sharp sound and their eyes dart around them to locate the source. Suddenly they find themselves in complete darkness, all lights having gone out. There are a few panicked gasps from the other side of the corridor before a murmur spreads across the room as guests speculate on what happened in worry and stumble over each other.
Instinctively Donna reaches for Harvey's hand, clutching it tightly in her palm for reassurance that he's still next to her. His free hand comes to rest on her bicep, essentially trapping her body close to his, thumb only gently pressing into her bare arm.
He knows for a fact she's not afraid of the dark but the slight chaos around them and her lack of soberness is aggravating the situation. It's obvious from the way she's helplessly fumbling with their fingers, trying to make them intertwine further, her fingertips rubbing circles over his knuckles until the heat of his skin seeps down into her flesh and she instantly feels safe, secure in his touch.
"Damn Louis and his Christmas lights," Harvey murmurs under his breath.
Donna only hums low in response, lifting her head to look up at him despite being unable to see anything at all in the pitch black. They're finding themselves too close, faces just inches apart, and there's an energy pulling them even closer.
He feels her soft breath on his skin and his own hitches in his throat, his heart suddenly pounding furiously in his chest, his mouth dry and cheeks hot and for a moment there he's glad she can't see him.
He thinks he could try to analyze what any of this means. Instead, he doesn't think and he leans in a little, just the small bit needed to close the space between them. Capturing her lips in his, he feels her momentarily loosen the hold on his hand before tightening it again, harder this time, as she kisses him back.
This feels oddly right, and if not right, then surely inevitable. They'd spent the entirety of the evening practically sharing a spot, being that tad bit more comfortable with each other that they usually try to restrain themselves from. And when the lights went out, it felt like no one would ever know, so they gave into this spark between them, the one they've always felt glimmers of but that's made itself more prominent tonight.
And now he's kissing her, his lips moving against hers, his tongue running along her lower lip, his right hand moving to her hair while the other still holds hers and all of it feels so soft, and sweet that it's surprising.
Because he hadn't thought about kissing her during the entire evening, or maybe he had, and he's not even sure anymore but he knows he wants to be kissing her now.
He sucks lightly on her bottom lip, pulls away a little just to recapture her top one and she just lets him.
When they both break away from the kiss Donna smiles, a shy little smile accompanied by blush spreading across her cheeks and he can feel it without having to witness the sight with his eyes.
Harvey goes to clear his throat but the lights around them are quicker, flickering until they settle into their bright state. They face each other then, for the first time since before any of this happened and it sort of feels like nothing ever did.
He still has the sweet taste of her in his mouth, the feeling of her soft lips on his and he knows she does too. But in the darkness it's easier to pretend like some things didn't happen. In the darkness, it doesn't count.
So they stare at each other's flushed faces and gentle gazes and silently agree that this can be their small window in time. It's Christmas after all.
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iii) and right there where we stood was holy ground
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"Now you have to kiss," Mike announces, all cheerful, a shit eating grin painted on his face.
"Yeah, right," Harvey shrugs it off and instantly his gaze falls on Donna next to him to register her reaction. She smiles politely and rolls her eyes.
"You're under the mistletoe, you have to," Mike insists, making Rachel who's standing next to him, silently giggle at the exchange.
"Because you backed us into this corner," Donna says in a jokingly exasperated way, arches a brow at the kid.
She knows he's just having his fun and will soon get bored and drop it. He's teased them before, started doing so ever since he felt more comfortable around them actually, making this current thing nothing new.
So it's hard to explain to herself why right now there's a flicker of hope twitching inside her that maybe this isn't a joke after all, why her brain is turning all the possibilities inside out until it settles on a scenario where all four of them agree this is for real.
Why she can imagine Harvey leaning in and giving her a kiss so damn clearly.
She's quick to blame the glass of wine she's already had and tries hard to suppress the rise of blush coloring her pale skin. She wonders if he notices and there's a brief moment where she tries to imagine him having that same thought.
There's no sign of what Harvey might or might not be thinking in that moment no matter how hard she tries to read his face.
Mike continues and snaps her out of it. "Well you're here now, so..."
Harvey chuckles. "Mike, come on," he tries to put this topic of conversation to bed but there's a slight weakness to his voice, like he's actually hoping Mike will get his way. Donna doesn't notice that. Instead she feels like this might be actually annoying him and something sinks a little in her chest.
"It's just a kiss," Mike smirks.
When their friends invited them to a Christmas dinner, this isn't what Harvey had in mind. The thing is, the idea isn't entirely unappealing. In fact, it really does feel harmless the more he thinks about it.
Rachel who has been so far silently witnessing the scene suddenly shrieks. "Shit!" She whisper-yells running off to the kitchen, obviously having forgotten about something there.
There's a brief moment that finds the rest of them stunned before Mike forgets all about his teasing and follows his girlfriend to the other room, equal measures curious and concerned.
Harvey finds his chance then, gently pulling Donna's elbow to turn her towards him and once their eyes meet he places a small chaste kiss on her lips.
And then he straightens and looks at her softly, making her return a bashful smile. The heat has now fully covered her cheeks, coloring them pink. They just stand there, looking at each other until they hear their friends return and force their gazes away.
Donna checks her dress and hair for no real reason apart from the fact that she's flustered and Harvey holds his eyes on her fondly for a little longer.
"You guys are boring," Mike jokes once he's back, very much oblivious to what happened during his absence.
"Yeah, maybe we are," Harvey laughs a little and shoots Donna a knowing look.
"Leave them alone, Mike. Dinner's ready," Rachel draws out the words and smirks.
"Hope you didn't burn anything," Donna tells her and Rachel says something in response and they all laugh and move to sit at the table, and it's all jokes and warm laughs from then on. But Harvey still looks at Donna at times, lets their eyes silently lock until she shyly averts her gaze first or he clears his throat and makes a contribution to the conversation,
It was just a moment, and it was just theirs.
"Why did you do it when Mike and Rachel left?" Donna asks him afterwards, when they walk down the street side by side, the blistering cold making her inch closer to him with every step.
"I didn't want to do it because Mike told me to," he huffs in response, eyes still focused forward.
"Then why did you do it?" She asks softly, stopping mid-step and looking up at him. He turns around to meet her gaze and smirks.
"Because I wanted to."
The words make her heart swell in her chest and for some reason, at the time, that answer seems like it's enough.
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iv) i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day
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It's New Year's Eve.
It's New Year's Eve and Donna has made Harvey host a party at his apartment. It was a good call after all, he thinks, considering that all he'd have left to do otherwise would be having shitty drinks in some bar or at an event he wouldn't really want to be at, or, even worse, alone in his living room.
The night has slowly turned into one of the best New Year's Eves he's had, and once again he'd have to thank Donna for it. He makes a mental note of that, because after giving her such a hard time (even though she ended up convincing him anyway, like she always does) he thinks she deserves to hear it straight up from him.
"There you are," Donna comes up from behind him. "Five minutes to the new year." She smiles radiantly, glimmering eyes fixed on his face.
"Yeah." He returns the smile but his is somewhat softer, making her momentarily blush.
"This place is a mess," he huffs, looking around them, and follows it up with a smirk so Donna knows he's kidding.
He said he'd thank her, that doesn't mean he's done teasing.
"I'll help you clean up," she nods reassuringly, lips curled around the corners and eyes warm on him.
Harvey's gaze wavers from hers, scanning the room around them before ducking his head and then returning to her face.
"What?" Donna asks, a little concern coating her voice.
Harvey shrugs. "This…," he gestures around them, where people stand and chat pleasantly and she instantly knows what he means. "It's nice, that's all."
She confirms it with her own eyes.
Mike and Rachel are tucked in a corner, as she's fixing his tie and he beams at her, eyes meeting and radiating pure love and joy. Louis has found new people to enthusiastically talk to, reciting some story. Everyone seems to be having a pleasant time and it's a heartwarming sight.
"That's what you get for listening to me," she lifts her brow at him, her tone turning serious with a hint of playfulness. The way his gaze has settled on her sends a tingle down her spine in a way that shouldn't feel this familiar, but it does.
"Don't I always?" He asks and watches the smugness in her expression dissolve. "Thanks for this."
Donna smiles at him fondly, freckled cheeks meeting her eyes. She takes the glass of champagne from his hand and looks around for something to clink it against to bring everyone's attention to the center of the room.
"One minute everyone!"
The room turns to look at them, standing side by side and announcing the nearing of this year's end and they look so good. Harvey in his light grey suit and Donna in her dark green dress both contrasting and completing each other perfectly and it surely wasn't their intention to look like a couple throwing a fancy party, but with his front brushing against her shoulder so familiarly and the way she's leaning slightly into him, it's hard not to give a wrong impression.
Everyone starts counting down the seconds until this year becomes a memory.
It's three.
Two.
One.
"Happy new year!" It's cheers and glasses clinking and a warmth that comes from being around people you love.
Harvey's eyes scan the room, catching a glimpse of Mike kissing Rachel and smiling through the kiss, just like other couples around them do. His gaze at last lands on Donna next to him, and he takes a second to admire her happiness, looking at people enjoying the lightness that comes with new beginnings.
The energy of the room surges through him and something softens inside his chest. He thinks there's no one else he'd rather have by his side right at that moment, other than Donna.
He leans a little forward, pressing a tender kiss on her cheek. "Happy new year, Donna."
She turns to face him, smiling bashfully. "Happy new year, Harvey."
He chuckles softly, his gaze dissolving in the ceiling-high windows in front of them.
"What?" Donna asks.
"The only thing that's changing is numbers."
"Yeah," she agrees, and looks up at him. She thinks, what surely doesn't change, is us.
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v. we could leave the christmas lights up 'til january
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On their first Christmas Eve together Donna makes him watch a movie. One of those extremely cheesy festive ones, and he agrees because he can't deny her a thing. He never could anyway, but especially since that night he knocked on her door it's been more prominent. The way he just doesn't care about saying no to set any kind of boundaries in place, and how he enjoys saying yes just to make her happy.
Harvey does that a lot these days. Making her happy. Like right now that she's curled up on his side, legs tucked underneath her on the couch and a blanket thrown over them both, and Donna might've been the one who chose the movie that's still playing but she isn't noticing a thing that appears on the screen.
She's too concentrated on him. On how her head fits so good on his chest, and how strong and sturdy he is under her touch, even on his small breaths that she can feel from being this close to him. She loves it all, loves feeling all those small things that count as proof that what they finally have is real.
"I don't remember ever having this," he confesses as if reading her thoughts, mumbling it barely over a whisper.
"This?" she ponders, without moving from her current position. She feels him run his hand up and down her arm tenderly, lowering his head to bury his face in her hair, as if preparing for what he's about to say next.
"Spending this time of year with someone you love."
They can openly say they love each other - they do that now. But Donna still has to close her eyes to help the words sink in because they always feel too big. She contemplates the depth of what he's saying, recalling all the years he had to spend Christmas alone or with people he didn't feel strongly about, because Harvey generally didn't often feel strongly. He always did for her, but she wasn't always in the city, so sometimes, he really was on his own.
She thinks about his family history, how hard it must've been to be estranged from his mother for all those years and what he must've felt after Gordon. She was there, and even if he didn't let her in on everything he was going through, she was there and she could tell all of it.
And now she's here, making sure he never has to feel alone again.
Her hand trails up his chest, inching further and further up as she seeks more skin on skin contact. She gently brushes over the side of his neck with the back of her fingers before letting her palm rest warm on the spot, as she pulls away from his embrace just enough to be able to look at him. Hand cupping his face, thumb stroking his flushed cheek, she feels him melt into her and realizes that's all she's ever wanted. To express her love for him so openly and have him take it.
And oh, she waited so long for it.
Now he takes it all, and he gives back. Like when his hand moves in her hair, fingers tangling in the auburn locks and tipping her head back the slightest bit so he can find her gaze. Then, he brings his face closer to hers.
They don't talk during any of it but there's a mutual understanding that this is one of those moments when their love feels like it's a little too much for their hearts to hold.
She lets their noses brush and puts her lips close to his, her soft breath ghosting a place on his skin.
When she finally lets their lips meet his breath hitches in his throat for a fraction of a moment. She does it with a gentle movement of bringing his face this small bit closer until there's no space left between them and she captures his lips in hers.
She kisses him slowly, relishing his taste and the feeling of their tongues sliding together, how his breath comes out a little wet and shaky and how he's taking a degree of initiative in this but prefers to mostly follow her lead.
The warmth of his body against hers and the comfort provided by his arms around her create a fluttering in her stomach that sometimes feels like it hasn't died down since they got together. She whimpers quietly in his mouth and he pulls her closer.
Harvey only breaks away when they're both out of breath, but not enough to stop their faces from touching. Donna's eyes are still closed and she smiles into him, that soft little smile that he always finds so endearing. He catches a glimpse of it framing her face as she wraps her arms around his neck, and it makes his heart beat even faster than the kiss itself did.
She nuzzles in his cheek, letting her head rest against his, and lets out a slow warm breath.
"You know you'll always have this now," Donna says in a small voice.
He knows, but he's too overwhelmed by his feelings for her to respond immediately. Instead he turns his head to his left where Donna is ever so close and shifts until she softens back into him, wrapping her in his embrace.
"I know," he says softly, tenderly, leaving a kiss on her forehead and tightening his hold on her.
This was never Harvey's favourite time of the year, but it was always Donna's.
And loving her, he finds, has made him love it too.
