This is our last Secret Santa fic for 2021!
We hope you've enjoyed all the wonderful stories submitted.
A very big Thank You to all the talented writers for taking part and to everyone who submitted prompts.
Author reveal will happen over on Twitter later this week.
Prompt #27 by argdarvey: Donna's apartment is under renovations and she has to move out for a few days but for some reason that takes longer than expected. She stays at Harvey's and some night something happens between them and they start dating but they decide to keep it quiet, whatever they were at the office and cute couple at Harvey's after that. Everything works like a clock until the Christmas season comes bc it's Harvey's turn to host the exclusive party (senior partners and like important people), of course his condo is flooded with tiny Donna changes and details. Will someone arrive sooner than planned, will someone notice the changes, will someone offer Donna a ride back, will they catch them, will they confess voluntarily, will someone try to hit on them and the other will be jealous. Bonus points for smut!
It's late when Donna finally arrives home, feet sore from where her heels have been pinching her all day, head a little woozy from a few too many glasses of wine, stomach still protesting that last piece of pumpkin pie.
Usually she'd be spending Thanksgiving night in Connecticut at her parents' house but this year they'd headed out to the west coast to spend the holiday with her mother's sister. So instead Donna had accepted an invite to attend 'Friends-giving' that one of her theatre friends was hosting, and while it had been a thoroughly entertaining day, she was exhausted. She was desperately looking forward to a hot shower and then climbing into the comfort of her bed.
Plans that suddenly go out the window when she enters her building lobby and is immediately informed by the doorman that a water pipe had burst earlier that day and all apartments were currently without water.
"You've got to be kidding me," she groans.
"Sorry, Ms Paulsen. We're trying to get it fixed but it's Thanksgiving, you know." Jerry shrugs. "Not a good time for needing emergency repairs."
Donna sighs as she considers her options. She debates whether to just stay at her apartment anyway, but while she may grudgingly be able to give up her shower for the night there's only so long she can go without needing other bathroom necessities. She could go to a hotel but she doesn't really like her chances of finding anywhere with availability on the night of Thanksgiving. Ordinarily she'd go to Rachel's in this sort of situation but sadly her best friend was living on the other side of the country now. Returning to her friend's house probably wasn't an option if she actually wanted to sleep tonight.
She's about to start the process of phoning hotels anyway when the perfect solution occurs to her. Harvey's apartment. He's in Boston with his family for the weekend but she has a key to his place and she's sure he won't mind her crashing there for the night while he's away.
Feeling relieved Donna heads upstairs to quickly pack a bag. Jerry promises her the water will be back on first thing tomorrow as she heads out to catch a taxi.
Five minutes after letting herself into Harvey's apartment, she's finally soaking herself under the hot spray of his shower. Harvey's shower is amazing, she discovers and she takes her time, letting her body relax after a long day, the water warm and soothing. Having forgotten to pack any body wash she decides to make use of Harvey's. The familiar scent swirls in the steamy air, and she tries to ignore the way it makes her skin tingle just a little too much.
After dressing in her pyjamas she takes advantage of his impressive scotch collection pouring herself a nightcap. She considers texting him to inform him of her impromptu visit but it's already well after midnight. She doesn't want to unintentionally wake him and she figures it can wait until morning.
Donna had planned to sleep in the guest room, but of course Harvey has no spare blankets or pillows that she can find anywhere. There's also several piles of work files stacked on the bed that she's loath to disrupt, because whilst it looks like unorganised chaos to her she knows he'll claim there was some important system to the madness that she's disrupted.
She eyes Harvey's bed through the open doors of his bedroom, large and inviting, a forbidden element of the apartment she otherwise makes herself at home in whenever she visits. Something prickles at the back of her neck at the thought of sleeping in his bed, but she tells herself it's hardly a big deal considering it's not like he's sharing it with her. There's no way she's going to endure sleeping on his uncomfortable couch and she's too tired to debate the issue any longer, making her choice.
She immediately discovers that Harvey's bed is incredibly comfortable as she sinks into the mattress. The sheets smell like him, familiar and comforting. With the addition of his soap on her skin she feels embraced by him. She knows she probably shouldn't enjoy that thought as much as she does.
Trying not to think about just how many women Harvey has bedded on this very spot, she soon drifts off to sleep.
Harvey stretches out his muscles as he unlocks his front door, neck feeling kinked and shoulders tense after the early morning drive back from Boston. He takes another sip of his much needed coffee as he drops his overnight bag down in the entryway.
The first thing he notices is the empty glass sitting on the kitchen sink, feeling certain it wasn't there when he left yesterday morning. He gets even more confused when he sees a blue coat draped over one of his barstools.
He's glancing warily around his condo searching for anything else out of place when a flash of red draws his attention. Walking towards his bedroom he realises there's someone asleep in his bed, and while the occupant isn't facing him the highly familiar red locks spread across the pillow reveals their identity instantly. He doesn't even question the fact he's able to recognise her by her hair alone.
His heart races for a different reason now, and Christmas might still be another month away but Harvey suddenly feels like Santa has already delivered his present.
He studies her sleeping form for a moment, trying to decipher why on earth Donna is asleep in his bed. Not that he's complaining as such, Donna in his bed is a secret long held fantasy of his. Though it generally involves him being present as well. But he's still confused about what she's doing here.
She shifts then, perhaps sensing his presence, rolling over, sleepy eyes blinking up at him.
"Do you make it a habit of sleeping in beds that aren't yours?" He asks, grinning at her as her eyes spring wide open in surprise when she comprehends he's standing there
"Harvey! What are you doing here?"
"Pretty sure I should be the one asking you that question," he continues to tease her.
She struggles to sit up, all sleep-tousled hair and puffy face but he can't help but think how adorable she looks.
"A pipe. At my building. Broken," she stutters, flustered in a way he rarely sees her and he just keeps grinning, enjoying himself just a little too much. Donna lets out a sigh, scrubbing her hand over her face before beginning again. "A pipe broke at my building yesterday, there's no water. They're trying to get it repaired but Thanksgiving apparently isn't an ideal time for a plumbing emergency."
A building issue. He supposes he should have expected something like that.
She frowns at him. "Why aren't you in Boston?"
"Marcus's kids came down with the stomach flu overnight. Thought it was better to get out of there while I could." Harvey shudders, and while he loves his niece and nephew he's eternally grateful his brother is the one stuck cleaning up vomit and not him.
"Good call," she agrees, wrinkling her nose.
He smirks down at her. "Always knew you wanted to sleep in my bed."
Donna rolls her eyes. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." She yawns widely, eyeing the coffee cup in his hand.
"Don't suppose you've got another one of those?"
"Sorry, I only provide for the women who let me join them in bed."
She rolls her eyes at him, but he catches the blush dusting her cheeks. Harvey has always loved when he manages to fluster her.
She slips out of bed, and he swallows at the sight of her long bare legs, her pink nightgown barely skimming the tops of her thighs. She walks right up to him, removing the cup from his hand and taking a sip. "Better make yourself another one," she says smiling sweetly as she sashays off in the direction of the bathroom, his coffee still in her hand.
He realises he's still staring despite the closed door and shakes his head at himself and goes to make more coffee for them both. He suddenly feels like the worst uncle ever for feeling grateful his niece got sick so that he could come home to experience this.
Donna reappears a short while later, nightgown sadly replaced with jeans and a sweater. He's just handed her a fresh cup of vanilla laced coffee when her cell phone buzzes.
She goes to fetch it and he can hear a series of sighs and groans coming from her end of the conversation. She returns with a pout on her face.
"That was the building manager. Apparently they can't get the part they need until Monday. Looks like you're stuck with me for the weekend."
He tries to put on a sympathetic face but the idea of spending the whole weekend with Donna sends a thrill through him.
She tilts her head at him. "What are you looking so happy about? You better go clear those files off your guest bed because I'm not sleeping in your bed again tonight."
He laughs, because she always reads him well. He is slightly disappointed though, suddenly wishing he'd never purchased that guest bed.
After Donna complains about his lack of breakfast options and food in general in his kitchen, to which he defends himself with the fact he was meant to be out of town for four days, they decide to head out to breakfast. He takes her to a diner around the corner from his building that he enjoys. She steals half of his pancakes while animatedly telling him stories about her Thanksgiving.
Afterwards they stop by her apartment so she can pick up more clothes and necessities and then Donna insists on a trip to the grocery store. He pushes the cart while she loads it with enough supplies that he asks if she's planning to stay for a month instead of just a weekend.
Despite the bags of groceries she made him purchase, they order shitty Thai takeout that night, switching cartons back and forth as they watch a movie, Donna's choice of course, some sappy chick flick. She uses her current homeless status as an excuse to get her way with every decision and he's hopeless at denying her. He gets his revenge though, introducing her to his secret love of Survivor, which she teases him endlessly about but yet also watches three episodes in a row without telling him to turn it off.
The weekend is enjoyable. He likes spending time with Donna outside of the office, getting to see the more casual, intimate, mundane side of her.
They exist well together in the same space, although Harvey supposes that shouldn't be surprising considering how in sync they are at work. She does her yoga while he goes for a run, she reads a novel while he flicks through the morning paper. They both catch up on work emails while sipping coffee seated at his kitchen counter.
She quickly makes herself at home, shoes carelessly discarded by the door, jackets and handbags hanging off chairs, her yoga mat spread across the floor. Donna, he discovers, is messy, her things scattered around his apartment despite her having brought only one bag with her.
But surprisingly Harvey finds he kind of likes it, her presence makes his apartment feel homely in a way it never usually does. It feels easy, natural having her there, sharing the space that's previously always belonged solely to him. Usually any conquest that lingered beyond breakfast time made him feel suffocated. Even Paula, despite his best attempts to convince himself otherwise, had made him feel like that.
But Donna, of course, like usual, is different.
Sunday night they find themselves on the couch, Harvey half-heartedly reviewing a brief that needs to be filed tomorrow while one of his father's records plays quietly in the background. Donna sits next to him, feet tucked up, eating ice cream and reading a paperback.
Harvey tosses down the papers, appearing to have given up on work. He snatches the carton of ice cream from her, devouring a large spoonful before handing it back.
"I like having you here," he says out of nowhere, but in a tone that makes her think he's been ruminating on the thought for some time.
"You like that I stock your freezer with ice cream," she retorts, slipping into humour as is often her defence mechanism whenever things get blurry with Harvey.
He laughs lightly, but shakes his head. "That's not what I meant." He's staring at her with an odd look of intrigue, like he's been studying a puzzle and finally found a solution.
In truth she's enjoyed this weekend far more than she expected to after discovering she was homeless until Monday. The easy comfort she and Harvey share, their familiarity with each other, the way he makes her laugh, she has felt happy and relaxed and most of all entirely at home the whole time.
"I like being here as well," she replies softly. "Thanks for having me."
"Always."
There's a moment then. A clear, palpable moment where she feels her heart beat in her throat and thinks maybe as they stare at each other, almost daring the other to do something. But then it dissipates into thin air and she thinks that's all that will come of it. That is until they brush past each other in the kitchen five minutes later, Harvey in the process of refilling their wine glasses, Donna returning the Chunky Monkey ice cream to the freezer and she doesn't know who moved first or how it started but then his lips are on hers and her hands are in his hair and it feels like fire is burning through her veins.
Harvey kisses her deep and slow, slipping his tongue into her mouth, his hands roving over her body, touching everywhere and nowhere at the same time like he can't make up his mind. She buries her fingers in his hair, clutching tight, winding herself around his body, lost and drowning in the kiss.
Until Harvey's arm brushes against the wine glass and it shatters to the floor, making them both jolt apart.
Donna can feel her lips are swollen, both of them panting as they stare at each other and she thinks it should be awkward or confusing but instead it's not. It's just right and natural, like everything always is between them.
"Are we really doing this?" Harvey asks, running his fingers slowly up her arm.
"Yeah, I think we are."
He smiles at her, all boyish charm and sexual promise, his eyes sparkling.
"It's probably about time."
"It really is," she agrees with a responding grin and Donna always thought if this moment ever happened it would be big and complex, filled with questions and hesitations, triggered by some huge earth-shattering moment. But this simple, ordinary moment and those few simple words tell her everything she needs to know that this is it. This is the moment they become more.
They rush back into another kiss, even more urgent and passionate than before. Harvey's thigh pushes in between her legs as he presses her back against the counter top, his hands skimming up her sides. She moans into his mouth as he brushes a thumb over her nipple.
"Bed, now," she demands with a gasp.
"Counter is pretty good," he murmurs, devouring her neck, hands working even more determinedly over her body and she's about three seconds away from agreeing with him, but the kitchen counter isn't really where she wants this to happen again after so many years.
"Harvey," she groans and she feels him grin against her skin. Suddenly he hoists her over his shoulder, carrying her into the bedroom as she lets out a surprised squeal.
He sits them down on the edge of the mattress, Donna's knees landing on either side of his hips."You're right. Bed is so much better," Harvey says, as he strips her of her sweater and buries his face between her breasts. She's almost embarrassed by the sounds he manages to elicit from her with just his tongue on her nipples but every touch feels like magic.
The rest of their clothes are quickly discarded, scattered in a heap on the floor, and even though she wants to touch and taste and do everything, she's too impatient, too desperate to just have him inside her and she can tell Harvey is craving the same thing. There will be plenty of time for all of that later, she is certain.
Harvey licks his fingers and slides them between their bodies, rubbing soft teasing circles over her clit and she whines at the touch, panting his name into his mouth. Then he shifts, guiding himself to her entrance and thrusts once, hard and fast, filling her entirely. Her mouth drops open and her head falls back as she absorbs the stretch, feeling her walls flutter violently around him.
"Oh fuck, baby," Harvey groans, the words raw across his vocal chords as he tugs her face back to him, kissing her slow and deep and messy and she's heard Harvey speak a million words over the years, but those words, they're brand new and different and they make her whole body tingle and she knows in that moment that everything has truly changed forever.
She lifts her hips up a little and then pushes back down, making Harvey groan and the sound is delicious. She increases the speed, bouncing on his lap while he licks and kisses and sucks a path from her lips to her nipples and then he's twisting them, tilting her over onto the bed, his arms cradling her body as he starts to really move inside her.
"God, I forgot how good this feels," she can't help but gasp as he hits deep inside her.
"I never did," he whispers into her ear, kissing down her neck. Words that seem to refer to something far deeper than just the memory of one night of incredible sex a decade earlier.
They both soon lose the ability to form any more coherent words, each thrust pushing them both closer to the edge, her whimpers and moans filling the air. They move together so instinctively, reading each other's bodies so well that it almost feels like they've been doing this forever.
Harvey slides his palms up her body as he kisses her deeply, pinning her hands above her head. He stills his thrusts for a moment, slowing them down, letting them savour the sensation of being together again in this way once more. He keeps kissing her, rocking his hips a little against hers until she's groaning with the need for more.
"Harvey," she pleads, nipping at his bottom lip. She feels his smirk as he kisses her once more before leaning up on one elbow. He pushes up one of her knees and sinks back inside her, thumb finding her clit and it only takes seconds for her to explode.
Harvey rides her through her release, thrusting wildly, face buried in the curve of her neck until he also lets go, and her name on his lips sounds a lot like a love confession.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Harvey exhales, adjusting his tie in vain as it sits helplessly crooked around his neck.
"I didn't talk you into anything," Donna replies, applying the final touches to her makeup before turning to him and tugging on his tie to centre the knot, "We agreed that it was a good way to welcome our new partners into the firm and start things off on the right foot. Besides, you were excited about having Mike and Rachel come here again."
She's right, as usual, but instead of acknowledging that he just humphs and makes his way sullenly to the kitchen to finish arranging everything while Donna continues to get ready in the bedroom.
They've been together for a few weeks now and every moment has been pure bliss. He had other relationships before but none were as easy and natural as this. They just fit together, seamlessly, and he didn't know how much he craved this kind of fit until it happened. And now that it has, he can no longer picture himself without Donna, not just at work but in his personal life as well, as the person he wants to spend the rest of his days with. It may be early to entertain such a notion but he knows it in his bones.
They've been happy, so much so that they haven't felt the need yet to tell other people. It's not that they're keeping their relationship a secret, exactly, but it just took them so long to get here and it happened so suddenly and organically that they're still processing it, and they want to process it in their own time and pace, without external opinions.
So they've been going to work and acting normally - which, to be fair, is already much closer and flirtier than most other coworkers, but that's always been them so no one finds any of it strange -, and then they come home and fall into each other's arms, making up for time lost in every way they've always dreamt of doing. They've agreed that if anyone asks, they won't lie, but no one has asked; Robert, Alex and Samantha don't know their dynamic well enough to notice any changes, Louis has been occupied with Sheila and baby efforts and their recent merger, and the two people who might have stood a better chance of noticing anything haven't been living in this city for months. And so they haven't told anyone.
Which makes tonight even harder to handle, because Harvey is hosting the firm's Christmas party this year and it'll be the first time they'll be with all their friends since they've gotten together. It's just partners and other valuable members of the firm such as Gretchen and Benjamin, with a special appearance by Mike and Rachel who arrived today in New York to celebrate Christmas with Rachel's family, but it's still new and he has no clue how it'll go. They've agreed to stick to their usual strategy and not announce their new status, but with so many variables, there's no telling how the night will go.
People start arriving and, while it's not surprising to anyone that Donna was already there and is helping him host the party, there's a thrill in her actually hosting it with him, as if this were also her home - which, he supposes, it kind of is. She already knew where everything was before they got together, but now he watches her get more glasses or napkins and he feels a sense of pride at seeing her take actual ownership of everything, even if just in secret. It's all hers anyway, everything he has is.
They keep exchanging furtive looks and smiles and yeah, they're not actively trying to hide it from everyone but the secrecy is exciting. He's curious to see how long they can go without anyone noticing.
Turns out it's not long at all.
Mike and Rachel arrive early on and everyone is happy to see them. They've often called everyone and Donna and Harvey have FaceTimed them a few times, but nothing beats actually being in the same room with them. They bring champagne and a dessert and it does wonders for Harvey's attitude towards the whole party. He missed Mike, and it's great to have his best friend here again.
They embrace and chat a bit before the couple leaves Donna and Harvey to say hello to everyone else, and Harvey occupies himself with other things. It takes about ten minutes before Mike hurries back, takes the tray Harvey is holding and sets it down and claps him on the back.
"Congratulations, man," the kid says and Harvey frowns.
"For what?"
"For finally seeing what was right in front of your face and making things right with Donna," Mike smirks and Harvey tries hard to suppress the blush he feels creeping up his neck.
"She told you?" the older man asks, looking over his shoulder to try to find Donna.
"She didn't have to," Mike replies fondly.
"Then how?" his frown deepens as he faces Mike again.
"The new throw on your couch," the kid nods towards it, "The magazines on the coffee table. The weird mugs I saw when you opened the kitchen cabinet. And if I'm not mistaken there's a pair of heels on the floor of your bedroom."
Harvey spins, quickly checking everything Mike mentioned and noticing he's right about everything, even the heels.
"You've been here for ten minutes," he grumbles in lieu of an answer.
"That was all it took. You two are pretty obvious," the boy smirks proudly.
"No, we're not. These things could belong to anyone," Harvey rolls his eyes.
"There's no way in hell you'd ever let anyone else redecorate your apartment," Mike points out and Harvey refrains from confirming that assumption. "Plus, I know Donna's things," he adds.
Harvey feels a certain nervousness at being caught, but he decides to shake it off. This is Mike, their best friend, and they're happy, there's no reason to hide that.
"Alright, fine," the older man concedes, "You got me."
"Rachel and I are happy for you two," Mike smiles earnestly at him and he can't help but smile back.
"Thanks. We're pretty happy as well," Harvey replies and looks almost unconsciously to Donna, who's laughing at something Katrina said.
"When did it happen?"
"A few weeks ago. Donna's apartment had a burst pipe and she ended up staying here for a few days and… it happened."
"I'm glad, man. It was high time," Mike claps him in the back again and he nods with a smile.
"It really was."
Mike leaves him to join Rachel by Robert's side. The girl smiles at Harvey from afar, silently conveying congratulations of her own, and he nods once at her. Donna's still talking to Katrina and a partner from Family calls him over to chat and he doesn't have a chance to tell Donna that Mike and Rachel know for the next half hour.
The nervousness of before makes way to a welcome sense of peace. Mike and Rachel are the first people to know about them besides their families, and it doesn't feel weird at all. It makes him want to tell their other friends.
When things quiet down a little and everyone is otherwise entertained, Harvey pulls Donna aside, discreetly leading her to the guest bedroom.
"Mike and Rachel know," he tells her as she looks at him expectantly.
"I knew you wouldn't last all night without telling him," she rolls her eyes and shakes her head, though he detects fondness on her tone.
"Well, I'll have you know the kid figured it out all on his own," he glares playfully at her.
"And how'd he do that?"
"Apparently we left signs," Harvey purses his lips, amused by their obviousness.
Donna sighs, "Figures."
"I was thinking… Maybe it's time we tell people," Harvey says nervously. It's not that he thinks she won't like the idea, but it's still a big step. Though it helps that this time he doesn't have to tell Donna, she was always the hardest person to tell about his relationships.
"You think so?" she tips her head, taking a step closer to him.
"I mean, we don't have to go out there right now and announce it," he jokes and she chuckles, "But there's no reason for us to hide this anymore."
Donna reflects on it for a moment before cracking a smirk. "You saying you wanna make me official?"
"I'm pretty sure we've been official from the moment we met," he retorts, reaching out for her waist. She goes willingly and he gazes into her eyes. "So, what do you say?"
Donna smiles and nods. "Okay."
He grins back at her and kisses her, feeling a renewed sense of purpose now that they've agreed to make their relationship public.
Right that second the door of the guest bedroom swings open and they part with a start, finding Samantha standing by the door with a shocked look on her face.
"Sorry, I thought this was the bathroom," she half-mumbles, and it's amusing to see her out of her element like this, especially since that's so rare.
Harvey clears his throat and steps away from Donna, who takes charge of the situation. "It is, it's that door over there," she points to a door behind them and smiles at Samantha, silently conveying that the woman didn't witness anything illicit.
The lawyer nods and visibly relaxes, making for the bathroom. Then she stops and turns around. "I'm happy for you guys. We may not know each other very well but I've heard the stories."
Ever though there's no bite to her words, there was a time when they would have annoyed Harvey. But not anymore. The stories were all true anyway, and they're finally in a place to be able to acknowledge that.
"Thank you, Samantha," Donna smiles at her, and Harvey follows suit, nodding his thanks. The woman disappears into the bathroom and they share a look and a smile before going back out to the party.
Their attitude is different now; there is still no PDA or anything too explicit, but they don't hide the touches and looks anymore. It's very liberating, being able to take a first step towards acting how they have both secretly been wanting to act for a decade. It's still subtle, though, and no one seems to pay it any mind besides Mike and Rachel, who occasionally can be seen whispering to each other excitedly or staring at Donna and Harvey unashamedly.
The party goes on and it's surprisingly okay, much better than expected despite all the colleagues milling about his apartment that he would never otherwise host.
He's out on the balcony replying to an urgent e-mail when Alex joins him.
"Great party, man, thanks for having us," the man says, offering his whiskey glass for Harvey to clink with his.
"Glad to have you here," Harvey replies, clinking their glasses accordingly.
"Come on, we both know there was some sort of bribery involved in getting you to throw this party," Alex chuckles and Harvey just smirks, not embarrassed in the least by Alex's assumption.
"Well, you can thank Donna then," Harvey concedes.
"Of course," Alex smirks knowingly, "I'm guessing I can thank her for the food and the drinks as well."
"Hey, I could have been the one to thank for the food and the drinks," Harvey frowns playfully.
"Yeah, but if it had been you it wouldn't be half as good," Alex ribs him and it's so true he doesn't bother denying it, instead turning almost unwittingly to look for Donna in the living room, just to see her face.
"Yeah, that's true…," he trails off, his lips curling into a shy smile as he watches her talk animatedly with a partner from Bankruptcy. None of tonight would have happened without her, in more ways than one, and he feels a surge of pride well up inside of him at the fact that he gets to have this wonderful woman next to him, now in more than one capacity.
"Hm, I see," Alex suddenly says and Harvey turns back to him.
"What?"
"You and Donna. I see it's finally like that between the two of you?" the man says meaningfully.
"What gave it away?" Harvey asks sheepishly.
"The way you looked at her just now. I've been told that's how I look at Rosalie."
It should have been cheesy or cliché but Harvey actually enjoys the notion that Donna is now finally the person he openly thinks about or turns to whenever Alex or Robert mention their wives. She was always the first one to spring to mind anyway, but it used to feel wrong and forbidden. And now it doesn't anymore.
"Well…," Harvey purses his lips around a smile
Alex laughs and shakes his head, going back inside with a knowing smile. There's almost no one close to them who doesn't know about them, so Harvey allows himself to be more liberal with his touches, keeping them chaste and respectful but more obvious. It attracts a few looks from other partners and guests, but Harvey finds he doesn't mind that, and apparently neither does Donna, because her smile grows each time he caresses her back or tucks her hair behind her ear.
Harvey has never been one for sentimentality, but as the night progresses he finds himself wanting more moments like this, hosting parties, helping each other set up dinners and lunches, visiting people together, being a unit. He hasn't thought of himself as being separate from Donna in a long time, but now it's different. They're not just a package deal at work anymore, they're a couple, a combination of two souls and two lives.
With that in mind, he approaches Donna in the kitchen. "I think we should tell Louis," he says.
"Really? You proposing that?" she smirks at him.
"I mean, everyone else knows," he shrugs.
Donna makes a show of looking around. "Harvey, there are about thirty people here, I'm sure not everyone knows."
"I mean everyone who matters," he rolls his eyes and she grins.
"Alright, let's tell Louis."
As if on cue, the man walks past Donna and she beckons him over.
"Louis, there's something we'd like to tell you," she begins, looking at Harvey and taking a steeling breath before continuing. "Harvey and I are together."
"Yes, I know, you're standing right here," Louis replies, motioning between them.
"I mean we're seeing each other," she tries again.
"I'm seeing you too, so what?" the man frowns, confused.
"Jesus," Harvey mutters and shakes his head.
"No, Louis," Donna pinches the bridge of her nose and tries one last time, "We're dating."
"Each other?" he asks, eyes growing wide as saucers.
"Yes, Louis, we're dating each other," she grins, taking Harvey's hand.
"Oh, my God," the man leans against the island, staring off into space. "This is so unexpected."
"Everyone else here seems to disagree," Harvey jokes, more to Donna's benefit, but Louis hears it anyway.
"Well, you two always said there was nothing more going on between you, forgive me for taking my friends' words at face value," he complains and Harvey relents, lifting his hands in surrender.
"Alright, Louis, fair enough."
After a moment he looks at them again. "I'm happy for you guys."
"Thank you, Louis," Donna says, smiling fondly at him.
"If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll bash your teeth in," he points a menacing finger at Harvey and, while Louis couldn't win a fistfight with him if he had a gun, Harvey refrains from disputing his statement, because if he ever hurts Donna he'd gladly let Louis do much more damage to him than that.
"He won't," Donna smiles at him before he can answer, and leans in for a peck on the lips. Harvey's heart soars at being able to do that in public now, and he's happy for Louis' reaction and everyone else's as well.
The rest of the night goes equally well, with everyone wishing each other happy holidays and a peaceful atmosphere in the air after an initially turbulent merger. Unsurprisingly, the party turned out to be a success and a great idea, and everyone leaves with spirits renewed for the year ahead.
Once the last guest leaves, Donna and Harvey finish cleaning everything up, trading comments about the night and their colleagues and friends. He once again allows himself to take stock of where they've ended up, of the fact that they get to do this now, and he vows to himself to never take any of this for granted anymore, because it took them a long time and a little push from fate to get here.
In the end, the party was nice, but to Harvey the best part of the night is being able to brush his teeth and climb into bed next to Donna, curling his body around hers and drifting off to sleep with the certainty that he'll wake up next to her tomorrow and every other day of their lives.