A/N:

Hello everyone again! One day I was taking a walk, and I saw too many cats in too few minutes and this came to my mind, so I had to write it down. I hope it at least makes you smile :)

It's a common and ordinary Tuesday, and like all common and ordinary Tuesdays, they're dining pasta, Avery's favorite dish. And if any Tuesday the menu changes, she cries, yells, and kicks. Not that Donna and Harvey can blame her, because they were who have done this tiny family tradition.

The 8-year-old is trying to roll the spaghetti on her fork, with a lot of concentration, and Donna and Harvey are just watching her as they chew their bites.

"I get nervous if you look at me! And I don't want anymore you to cut them off before I eat! I'm a big kid now!" the girl complains.

"Sorry, sorry." Her parents respond at the same time and cover their faces with their hands, which makes Avery laugh.

"You deconcentrate me like this!" she laughs and her parents uncover their faces, also giggling. Harvey moves to be behind her. "No, I don't want your help! Get out of here, Dad!"

"Ok, ok," Harvey says, getting away from there. "I just wanted to show you that if you turn your fork upside down, maybe it's easier."

"I can turn the fork by myself!"

Donna has to endure a laugh. It's so funny that she's as stubborn as the two of them. "He was just trying to help you, you don't have to get angry about it," she remembers her, getting serious and remembering her role as a mother.

"But I'm already a big girl!" Avery sighs in frustration.

"You are, but even us, the grownups sometimes, need help. There's nothing wrong with asking for it." Harvey says and Donna affectionately squeezes his hand, which was resting on the table. She knows he strives a lot because Avery doesn't grow up believing that asking for help is for weak people because no one else knows better than him, that can hurt you a lot.

Avery doesn't respond and for a few more seconds she tries to thread the noodles into her fork, but she fails, so she releases them with some anger and crosses her arms. Donna and Harvey wait quietly for the girl to be able to process her emotions and speak to them.

"Ok, please help me," Avery murmurs, with a little embarrassment.

"Ok," Harvey responds and stands up to get behind her once again and tells her how to place the cutlery, guiding her small hands, but letting her try alone, too. After several attempts, the girl begins to improve, and he lets her continue alone.

"How have you done in school today?" Donna asks her after drinking a sip of wine.

"Fine, although we've done a lot of math, and that bores me." She snorts. "And Amy now has a cat, and I want one too!" Avery says and immediately puts another mouthful of food in her mouth.

"A cat?" Harvey frowns.

"Yes, a cat! She says it's black and white, and it's super cute!" she says and her eyes shine.

"And why would you want a cat?"

"To play!"

"I had had a cat when I was young," Donna says and Harvey opens his eyes at her, saying: You're not helping here with this gaze. He snorts and kicks her delicately under the table and she has to, once, stand the laugh, just returns a stronger kick.

"And what was your cat's name, mom?"

"Katy," Donna replies. "It always slept in my bed."

Avery has a huge smile on her face, and her eyes are filled with illusion. "I also want to sleep with a cat."

Donna can't help but smile when she sees her daughter's face, but Harvey is as serious as he can. The idea of having pets is simply not for him. It seems too annoying, unhygienic and even if he has more than enough, a waste of money, so just expects his daughter to forget this within the next few minutes.

Except that doesn't happen.

An hour later, Donna and Harvey are sitting on the couch, doing nothing in particular, and Avery approaches them, already wearing her unicorn pajamas, which are white full-body pajamas with little rainbows, a hood with ears, and a multicolored horn. Her bedtime approaches. She sits at the coffee table in front of them, rests her elbows on her knees and then her face on her hands, her finger on her cheeks, alternating the gaze between her mother and her father. They look at her expectantly.

"So... Can we adopt a cat?" she asks, her fingers tapping her cheeks, her eyes shiny looking at them, and a slight pout is drawn on her mouth.

Harvey first thinks that no, he doesn't want a cat.

But the second thing he thinks it's that she has definitely inherited his negotiating skills. He doesn't know if that face will work with everyone. It definitely wouldn't do her pajamas, but this combination definitely works with her parents. The girl knows exactly what she is doing there.

"It's not a decision we can make so quickly, honey," Donna tells her sweetly, already thinking about what to do to convince her husband.

"Cats also bring some bad things, Avery," Harvey says.

"Which ones?" she frowns her face, even in the same position.

"Hair, many hairs everywhere."

"Hair can be cleaned, Dad!" she shrugs.

"And their droppings?"

"Cats use a box!"

"And who will clean the box?"

Avery closes her eyes, realizing that she wouldn't know how to do it.

"I could do it," Donna says, affectionately squeezing her husband's knee as if that worked to loosen him.

"Donna." He murmurs, taking advantage that his daughter now doesn't look at them.

"Please, Dad!" Avery says, who has heard it anyway.

"I don't know, Avery." He responds. "I don't like cats."

"We will take care of it!" Avery says, seeking approval from her mother, who nods to her. "Please, Dad!"

"Please, Harvey!" Donna joins her daughter's request, wrapping his arm with her hands and resting her chin on his shoulder. But Harvey doesn't respond. He can't really imagine living with a cat. "I thought you were no longer a bitter man."

"No, I am not a bitter man. I just don't like cats!"

"And a dog?" Avery asks, with enthusiasm.

"We can't have dogs in the building, honey." Donna reminds her. "Just cats."

"Then a cat, dad!" she says and stands in front of him. "Please, daddy." She says, grabbing and squeezing his cheeks. "I want a cat." She repeats and without releasing his face, she rests her forehead on her father's. He feels the horn of her pajamas fall on his head. "Please, Dad. We will take care of it."

Harvey begins to realize that he has no way to escape, but he still doesn't give his arm to twist. He can't imagine having a cat walking behind him on the couch, or wanting to get onto his legs. Simply not.

Avery goes up to the couch and stands behind his father, surrounds his neck with her arms, and rests her cheek on his head. "Please, daddy." She just repeats and Harvey makes an effort not to smile, just takes her hands in front of his neck.

"Yes, please daddy," Donna says and they can't help but laugh. Avery makes a gesture to her mother from there up with her eyes, and without letting Harvey time to think, both stick their lips to his cheeks and begin to smooch him, whispering "please" again and again between kisses. Avery continues hugging his neck while Donna surrounds his waist. And although Harvey wants to act like a tough man, it's impossible if he has his two favorites people like this.

The two have been attacking his cheeks for 3 solid minutes without stopping. "Ok, all right. I'll think about it!" Harvey says, letting himself beat, and automatically Donna and Avery start celebrating and clapping. "It's impossible when you are against me like that!" Harvey complains, but in fact, he is smiling.

"We are invincible!" Avery says, raising her hands as a victory.

"Yes, we are." Donna winks her eye at her. "But, I think there's someone here who should be already going to bed."

"I know, Mum." She responds with little enthusiasm.

"We'll tell you a story and stay there until you fall asleep, only if you don't mention the word cat," Harvey tells her.

"Okay." She pauses. "Although I have a story with cats." Donna and Harvey giggle and rolls their eyes. Then, they stand and head behind their daughter to her room, once they make sure she has already washed her teeth and she chooses a story, the girl gets into her bed and her parents sit on her sides, the three of them read the story and Avery falls asleep.

Being careful not to wake up her, they leave the room and close the door. When they have already walked a few steps, Donna asks her husband: "Why are you so denied having a cat?" she stops and turns to be able to look at him.

"Because I don't like them, Donna!" he responds, with no choice but to brake as well, as they are in a hallway.

"We've adapted to things we don't like for her, like sleeping with some light on. We used to hate it… Maybe you can love the cat over time."

"No, Donna. It's not the same."

Donna twists her head to the side and squints her eyes a little, trying to read him. "There's something you're not telling me."

Harvey rolls his eyes. "Stop thinking I'm always hiding something." He snorts and takes advantage of the fact that she has moved, to take a long step and escape from there.

"Harvey!" she snorts and follows him, takes a small run, and hugs him from behind, running her arms over his shoulders. "For tantrums, we already have Avery."

"I'm not making a tantrum."

"No?" she giggles foolishly with her nose crushed against his cheek.

"No." He sighs. "I just don't want a cat."

"You're tough, Harvey Specter!"

"Yes, well, you didn't marry a soft man."

She rolls her eyes and gives him a kiss on his neck. "You can deceive everyone out there, but not me. I know that deeply you are a soft man. And I know you would do anything to make your daughter happy, or to make me happy."

"It may be, but I won't do this." He says with determination and lets go of her to keep walking.

Donna sighs with frustration and rests with her back against the wall, her hands behind her hips and her head pulled back. Continuing to press will not bring the desired result, she knows it. So, after a few seconds, follows her way to the kitchen for a relaxing tea and while she's pouring the hot water into the cup, her mind lights up and she can't help but say aloud: "No, no way!"

But suddenly it seems to be the only logical explanation.

With her mug of tea in her hands, she approaches the couch, where Harvey is watching TV and saying nothing, she sits with her back against the armrest and slides her bare feet toward him, keeping her legs slightly bent and putting her toes under his leg, while holding her warm cup with both hands. But, he just keeps his eyes on the TV. She decides to give him some more space, let him loosen a little with some closeness, and with that minimal physical contact, while she drinks her tea and acts distracted, even if she is only paying attention to him.

After several minutes, when her cup is already almost empty, he slides his hand down her leg, reaching her calf and pressing gently there, making her smile. She stretches her hand to his arm and moves her toes under him.

"Will you tell me? Or will I have to say it?" she murmurs.

"What thing?

"This thing you're hiding from me."

"I already told you I hide nothing, Donna." He snorts again.

"You're going to tell me that the reason you don't want a cat isn't that Louis loves cats?" she says, without being able to avoid a slightly mocking tone.

"Donna." He says, angry.

"Just admit you're making a tantrum."

"I can't end up like Louis." He says. "Just think for a moment… imagine if one morning you wake up and meet her nose and huge smile? And bald? Instead of with this face carved by the angels themselves?"

Donna long laughs and takes her feet off under him, leaves the cup on the coffee table, and kneels on the couch to be closer to him. "You can't be telling me this!"

He shrugs. "I have my own limits, Donna."

"I wouldn't mind if you're bald one day… in fact, I wouldn't mind whether you liked theater or ballet in the future." Harvey can't avoid a giggle while she slides her hand down his back until she reaches his shoulder. "But you know what I mind about you? That you have always taken care to make us happy, that we were well… That makes me fall in love with you every day." She murmurs and gives him a warm kiss on his cheek. "That you have always taken care of me, since long before we were together, you have never hesitated to risk yourself for me. And that's one of the reasons I know you're the best father my daughter could have."

Harvey turns his head and their noses rub. "This you're doing isn't fair."

She chuckles softly against his lips. "It isn't?"

"No, we're talking about a stupid cat and you're trying to soften me up with our story? Seriously?"

She shrugs. "I'm just protecting my daughter's interests here." Harvey giggles. "Just... Promise me you'll think about it, really." He nods. "No. Say it. I wanna hear you."

He sighs. "I promise you I'll think about it."

"Well… and just to let you know, if your answer is still negative, I'll attack you with an endless list of why it's good for children to grow up with a pet."

"That's a threat?"

"You can take it the way you want." She shrugs.

Harvey rolls his eyes and turns his body towards her. "You're impossible, Donna Paulsen." He murmurs, surrounding her waist with his arms.

"You got married knowing me really well, returns are not accepted now." She responds, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"In that case, I'll stay with you." He murmurs, approaching his lips to hers and causing both to fall into the couch, she on him.

"What a sacrifice!" she says, very close to his mouth.

"That cat will be a sacrifice!"

Donna smiles enormously and raises her head just a little so she can look at him better. "Are you saying yes?"

Harvey shrugs. "Not yet. I said that I'll think about it..." He squeezes her more on his body. "Just, please, I don't want to hear the word cat anymore for today."

"Ok, deal." She responds with a smile and kisses him.

"This tea you drink tastes awful!" he complains.

Donna giggles and kisses him again. "You'll have to bear it if you want to kiss me."

Harvey doesn't respond, just kisses her again.

Many thanks to all who are reading and commenting on these chapters, which are only an enormous pile of fluff. I'd love to know what you thought of this one. See you in the next update!