I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favs etc. I love them and they inspire me so much. So thank you again, we're picking right up where we left off, because how can we not after that confession but things can't be easy can they. Looking back I realised I haven't written much including Mike yet, I'm sorry pup.. I've tried to weave him in a bit more, as well as their other friends in this chapter. So here's the next part, slowly progressing cause it's only a few days and there's so much to come before they finally get to celebrate x-mas. Anyway, I do hope you'll like it and I'd love to hear your thoughts. - M
MISTLETOE MYSTERY
CHAPTER VII
She freezes on the spot, and her phone nearly drops from her trembling hand. Any response she could have had falters on the tip of her tongue as the four words are on repeat in her mind. It has taken her so by surprise, leaving her breathless and twisting her stomach into a knot that she only notices he has finished his smoothie and is relaxing against the backrest on the other end of the couch again when she hears him speak once more.
This time his words couldn't be more different from the ones he spoke last.
"Shit, I'm going to fail my test."
Donna's brows draw together now, and she shakes her head ever so slightly as she tries to wrap her brain around what just happened. The words he said before, but even more so the ones he let out now. "What?" she inquires hesitantly.
He signals his jaw, loudly yawns before he feels the need to vocalise his explanation. "They took all my wisdom away."
She blinks twice, stunned by his answer and if it hadn't been preceded by what it had been preceded, she might even have laughed. She remembers her phone now, finally switching it off and tucking it away. She shifts over the couch, draws a breath and fights her patience. "That's not how it works, Harvey."
"But I…" he pauses, trying to stifle a yawn but he fails. "I don't have any anymore," he reasons, yawning not once but twice now. His eyelids fluttering closed after, before abruptly opening them again.
"You're an idiot," she says, pushing herself into her feat and she glances at him when another yawn echoes through the room. "Come on," she motions for him to get up, already reaching forward to take hold of his arm, she pulls him up. "Let's get you to bed."
.
.
Tuesday, December 11
He groans and runs a hand over his face as he makes his way down the stairs. Even after twelve hours of sleep, he feels drained; like he got hit by a truck and had drunken himself to oblivion altogether. His jaw hurts, and his forehead aches even worse; he had fallen asleep still dressed, and it's that Donna promised she'd be the one to take him home that he even knows how he got back there.
He rubs his jaw again, the stubbles rough against his fingertips. His jaw aches so much he has forgone shaving that morning; hell, he could barely even look in the mirror upon waking up. At least the stubble hides some discolouring he's sure is taking place on the side of his face now.
He takes another step, slowly coming to a halt when the door to apartment 206 opens and he waits to see who it is that exits. It's Rachel, and the sight alone leaves a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, relief and disappointment weaved together.
He mutters out a hello and Rachel stalls for a brief second before continuing her quick descend. Rachel says she would wait for him to walk to class but that she is in a hurry as she has to pick up something before.
"Okay," he grumbles, yawning once more, but he doesn't really care. In fact, he's glad he can use the ten-minute walk to gather his thoughts. Mindlessly doing so as he rounds the corridor and continues his way down, he doesn't notice Donna calling his name or her footsteps until she's right behind him and even if he had nothing could have prepared him for the words that were about to follow.
"So, now that the anaesthesia has worked off do you still love me?"
She surprises even herself with her question, one she would have never asked if the words hadn't been all she could think about last night. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself it doesn't mean anything, she even thinks he won't remember saying it at all. But for once her catchphrase doesn't apply, she doesn't know for sure and she can't handle not knowing, so she asks. The boldest question she's ever asked.
His eyes widen, and Harvey nearly misses the last step as he comes to an abrupt standstill on the landing. The pounding of his heart is now a more dominant feeling than the ache in his jaw, he doesn't know where to look, but all he can direct his gaze to is her face. Donnas's eyes, they're as wide as his and yet it nothing clicks. He doesn't realise she is referring to the words he used. "Ooh shit," he groans, running a hand over his face. "What… what did I do?"
She swallows thickly, she doesn't know what she was expecting, and in a way, it's a relief that he doesn't remember. That she was right; that it meant nothing. She realises then she still has to answer his question and her acting kicks in; it's what Donna always does when she has to work her way out of a situation she doesn't know why or how she got herself into it in the first place. So she fakes disappointment, emphasising it with the words to follow. "So you didn't mean it?"
He blames his headache, but it takes him longer than it should to realise she is just messing with him, and once he does, he also remembers the rules. The ones she made him agree to in order to do this whole fake dating thing, the three little words not a part of his vocabulary but even if they had been he wasn't allowed to say them. And neither was she.
He laughs then, loudly even if it makes his jaw hurt, but it's a better feeling than the panic that came over him a couple of seconds ago. "Shit," he breathes, bumping the redhead's shoulder with his own as he shakes his head. "You got me there."
She wills herself to laugh now too, tells herself it was fine. It meant nothing; she knew that and yet it gnaws on her insides. "Yeah, yeah,'' she gives in, flashing her best friend a brighter smile this time around.
Harvey rolls his eyes at her antics and smiles, bobbing his head in the direction of the door, and he silently waits for her to take the first step. Only when he takes a step outside and the cold December air hits his face, Harvey remembers what Donna told him before he even went into surgery. "You didn't film me doing anything stupid, did you?"
She freezes for a split second, his question catching her off guard but she shakes her head, taking the door from his hand and stepping outside too. She brings her hands to her face and blows over then. "No," Donna lies, "didn't think of that."
He eyes her curiously, and he'd be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but he knows his best friend better than that. Harvey bobs his head to the side, challenging her answer with a mere look.
"What?" She reasons, throwing him the same look in return. "You don't trust that I didn't record you?"
It's a trap, he knows it, but he doesn't care. He shakes his head and extends his hand. "Give me your phone."
She chuckles, shuffles on her spot, and kicks a twig with her boot. "No," she reasons with a shake of her head, and she crosses her arms.
"Phone," he orders again, motioning for her to hand it over one more time.
"Fine." She gives in with a loud sigh, dropping her arms with an extra hint of dramatic flair. She reaches inside the pocket of her parka, unlocks and hands over her phone.
He's not sure what he's expecting to find but getting a glimpse of the background picture they took back during thanksgiving weekend reels his mind back to her question.
"Well," she sighs, holding her hand back up to retrieve her mobile.
He snaps out of his thoughts, pushing them away as fast as they came, and he opens up her camera roll. The last ones there were dinner, a selfie with Rachel and a few she took at his father's place. Harvey doesn't scroll further down, exits the app instead and hands it back over. "I stand corrected."
She smirks, stuffing her phone back into her pocket. "Told you."
He shakes his head, shrugs and continues his way down to the lecture hall. "So, I really didn't do or say some stupid shit last night?" he asks as they round the corner, almost finding it hard to believe himself.
Donna eyes him again, wonders if he knows after all and if he's testing her now. She figures he doesn't and is just genuinely curious; a soft snicker rolling off of her tongue as she thinks back to his antics as James Bond, the way he tried to play a game with the tv remote and lastly his words. "I don't think you did or said anything stupid last night."
He smiles proudly, nodding at himself. "Told you a little anaesthesia wouldn't get to me."
"Apart from crying over the prettiest car getting crashed in the movie you wanted to watch," she counters, making the situation up on the spot. She flashes him a teasing smile and parts to the right when they reach an intersection, leaving him to walk ahead. All to hide how last night made her feel. "Sure."
He groans and throws his hands in the air; he shakes his head at the way she laughs. He knew it. "I hate you," he calls after her.
She laughs even louder now, looking back over her shoulder at him. "No, you don't," she belts in return, shaking her head and increasing her steps to make it to her rehearsal on time.
He rolls his eyes, can't believe he fell for that. Donna is right, though. He doesn't hate her. Not at all.
.
.
Rachel hums along to the Christmas music playing on the radio, scrolling up on the recipe on her iPad as she stirs around in the pan, before lifting a spoon to taste the rice. "Hey," she acknowledges her roommate's arrival as she hears the door fall shut in the hallway. "You joining me for dinner?"
Donna drops her keys in the bowl and turns to look at the brunette in the kitchen. The counter filled with little pots and pans, a bunch of spices and other ingredients. She smiles to herself, the sight not uncommon with her foodie roommate. She can't count the times Rachel summoned Mike and her to taste whatever it was Rachel was creating. "Yeah," she answers, "just got to uhm.." she pauses and stares at the phone in her hand. "Send this email real quick, okay?"
It's a lie, but Donna doesn't wait for Rachel to answer. Instead, she hurries her way through the living room and closes the door behind her the second she's in her bedroom. A deep sigh escaping her as she does so.
She flings her bag onto her bed and drops down next to it, her phone still in hand. She illuminates the screen once more and eyes the message Harvey has sent her that morning. Mere minutes after they parted ways on Broadway and West 4th Street.
You were right. I don't hate you.
The message nothing more than part of their banter, words exchanged she already knew they held no meaning. But at the same time they chip away at a facade she had so carefully crafted. Telling herself, she didn't care, that whatever it was that had transpired between them the night before didn't mean anything.
She swallows again, runs a hand through her hair and curses herself for giving in when she unlocks her phone and opens up her camera roll. It had taken more out of her than she'd like to admit to deleting the video and now here she was, going into the bin and undoing it.
Donna glances at the screen of her phone as the video gets restored to her files. Her eyes close for a second when she hears Rachel call for her again.
"I'll be right there," she says, but nothing in her actions hint at that. She remains rooted on her spot on her bed, headphones still in, thumb hovering above the play button on her screen. She presses at last.
The images are mostly a blur, either due to her movement or his. It's a mixture of laughter, mostly hers and while she hadn't been able to last night; she laughs now.
But it's not loud, nor happy.
And she feels the tears starting to form in her eyes as the events replay again. The smoothie she made him, the video game he tried to play, and at last his words. It's where the video ends, and so does her charade. Her eyes closing, she draws her top lip between her teeth and wills herself to take a deep breath.
"Donna?"
Her eyes snap open again, and she regains her composure. Locking her phone, she tosses it on her bed next to her. By the time she's back in the living room, her tears are dry and a smile graces her lips again.
"What are you making?" she asks, genuinely interested but also to take her mind off of the video.
Rachel turns around and looks at the redhead; there's a split second of sadness she catches in the other woman's eyes. She's about to turn her head when Donna smiles, more extensive this time and she watches Donna motion the ingredients in front of her to reiterate her question, and thus she lets it go.
"Sushi," the law student answers. "A few weeks back, I visited this new place near Chelsea Market with Samantha, and I've been obsessed since."
Donna chuckles, she slightly shakes her head and watches the pieces taking shape right in front of her as Rachel excitedly points out all the different types she has made. "They look amazing, Rach."
"Thanks," Rachel beams in return, finishing rolling up the last one, she places it on the wooden serving board next to the others. "And done," she adds with a smile, washing her hands and reaching for the chopsticks from the kitchen drawer.
"I'll grab the wine," Donna announces as she pushes herself onto her feet and makes a beeline towards the fridge. Grabbing the white wine and two glasses, she asks if Rachel wants to sit at the table or on the couch.
The latter usually indicates it's going to be a long night, and it surprises Rachel, but in a good way. "You don't have any plans tonight?"
Donna shakes her head and places the glasses on the coffee table. Pulling her leg up, she sits down on the couch and reaches for the can opener from the table.
"Good," Rachel agrees, walking after the redhead and sitting down next to her. "I needed a girls night."
"Me too," Donna says, sliding one of the filled glasses of wine over to her friend, before lifting her own, waiting for her drink to meet Rachel's in a silent toast.
They're halfway through the sushi rolls when Rachel breaks the comfortable silence. "How was rehearsal?" she asks, dipping her next piece in the wasabi.
Donna hums, chewing on the last piece of her tuna. Washing it away with a generous sip of wine, she shifts over the couch and leans against the backrest. "Okay, I guess," she says. "I don't know if I'm ready to perform on Friday, though."
Rachel bobs her head up and down in understanding, it's not what she hoped to hear, and she regrets the news she has to share even more, but she has to bite the bullet. "About Friday, I'm not sure I'll be able to make it."
Donna takes in Rachel's words and does her best to hide her disappointment. She knows this would only be the case if there weren't another way, Rachel had always been there to watch.
"It's just," Rachel continues, feeling her friend deserves more of an explanation than that. "Professor Gerard told us this morning, Friday's class is now at six in the afternoon and presence is mandatory."
The redhead nods, it's not the first time she's heard her friends talk about the professor's stance on presence. She has some of those classes too, but it only hits her now that it's not just Rachel following the course. It's Jessica, Tanner, Mike and Harvey.
"I get it," she answers, shrugging softly. "It's not your fault, that's part of your exam just like this is mine."
"You sure?"
Donna presses her lips into a thin line and nods once more. It sucks, but it's not Rachel's fault, and she understands the situation. She just doesn't understand why Harvey hasn't told her yet.
"I'll still try, though." Rachel continues, reaching for another piece of sushi. "Sometimes he ends his late classes early, but I just can't be sure. So I wanted you to know."
Donna smiles, bringing her hand to her friend's knee and squeezes once. "Rach, it's fine," she reassures her friend again. "It's a one-night performance of something a first-year wrote. Like a twentieth-century Scrooge but then as a romantic comedy."
Rachel laughs at the description, it's similar to how Sean had explained it before, and it's clear to her how her friends aren't that excited about having to perform it in the first place. "So like that movie with Matthew McConaughey? What's it called again… Ghosts of-"
"Girlfriends past," Donna fills in with a laugh. "Yeah, meets Jane Austen."
Rachel laughs now too, the play sounding even more ridiculous every second. "And who wrote it again?"
"Some first-year named... Uhm Zoe," Donna answers, doing her best to recall it. "There's this collaboration with the writing courses and one of the plays gets picked for the holiday production each year, so.."
"Doesn't sound like an up-and-coming writing career to me," Rachel grins over her glass of wine.
Donna can't help but snicker, and she taps the law student's arm. "That's mean," she reasons, she doesn't know the girl, but, indeed, this isn't the best piece of writing they've had to work with.
"You thought it," the brunette counters, knowing full well that Donna did think it. Her description of the play giving it away.
"Thinking about it, and saying it isn't the same thing," she reasons in return.
Rachel laughs now, getting put in place by her roommate. "I thought I was the one becoming a lawyer, not you."
Donna shrugs, it wasn't her fault the majority of her friends are studying law, and it's in her nature as an actress to pick up on little sayings and gestures and incorporate them in the stories she's performing. "True," she agrees, "but if that doesn't work out, you could always start your own restaurant, cause these are delicious."
"Thank you," Rachel says, smiling as she takes in the compliment.
"Have you made them for Samantha yet?"
"No," Rachel admits, and it gives her an idea. Quickly reaching for her phone, she snaps a picture of Donna taking a bite of the last salmon roll. She sends it, with the promising review to her sister; thanking the blonde for taking her there once more.
"How's Sam?" Donna asks then.
"Good," Rachel answers, "last time I talked to her, she was working on this gender discrimination case with one of the name partners. It actually made me think of changing the topic for my dissertation. It got approved by Ms Hessington today, so I'm really excited to sit down with her after the holidays and discuss the best course of action."
"Rach, that's amazing."
Rachel hums, reaches forward and tops of both of their glasses again. The rest of the girls night contains of with laughter, a movie they've both seen before. Lots of talk about their final months at university and their plans for beyond.
.
.
Wednesday, December 12
Donna sits down on the floor of the rehearsal room, letting out a deep sigh as she tosses the script down next to her. They've been going over the same scene for an hour now, and it's driving her mad. Having to do this play amid finals, and on top of that, she has to think about what she's going to do for the auditions that will take place right after the holidays.
"You okay?"
She glances over her shoulder and presses her lips into a thin line as she acknowledges Sean's presence. "I am," she reassures him when he sits down next to her, "it's just …"
"This play," Sean finishes for her, he tosses his script on the floor too as he stretches his legs out in front of him. "I know, at least you've got an interesting part."
She chuckles, drops her head to the side and lets it lean on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, businessman number two."
Sean laughs and sighs. Wrapping his arm around his friend, he pulls her closer. "At least you might be getting something out of this," he reasons.
Donna pulls away ever so slightly, lifting her head and she turns to look at him. Confusion is written all over her face.
"Ooh come on, you must have seen the way Daniel has been looking at you."
She thinks about it for a moment, eventually leaning her head on Sean's shoulder again. "I have," she admits.
The lack of enthusiasm doesn't go unnoticed to the blond. "But?"
"Not interested," she answers, it's the truth but only a part of it. She's supposed to be with Harvey now, and while most of their friends knew by now. She hasn't told Sean yet.
"He's kinda cute though."
She chuckles, sees right through the comment and eyes the guy on the other side of the room. "Then why don't you date him?"
"He's not gay, sadly," Sean sighs. "Here's to us theatre geeks being single during the holidays, yet again."
She feels her stomach drop at his words, in a way it's true because whatever it is that she's doing with Harvey is fake. On the other hand, this is going to be the only chance she'll get to tell him the news herself as Sean is the only one from her faculty that's become immersed into the group of law students.
"Actually…"
Sean drops his arm again, shuffling a bit as he turns to face Donna. "What, who?"
"Harvey," she admits after a deep breath.
"Har -" he swallows in the rest of the name, taking a moment to digest the news. "Wow," he stammers then. "Wow, another fine man of the market."
Donna raises an eyebrow in surprise, the reply not uncommon at all given the celebrity news they discussed at length during lunch on Tuesdays for years now. Hearing it about her best friend feels strange though.
Sean notices the look on Donna's face and nudges her arm with his elbow. "I mean, everyone with eyes knows the man has only ever been interested in you, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen how hot he is."
She stares at her friend for a moment, swallowing thickly as she takes in his words and what they would mean. Why is it that everyone thinks the same thing. "Yeah," she whispers then, a shy smile forming on her face as she remembers the moment they shared in the shower the week before. But even more then that, the smile she caught on camera."He is."
"Everyone," the director belts through the room before Sean gets a chance to reply, "from the top."
.
.
Donna paces up and down the stairs. A script in her hand, words stumble over her tongue as she tries her might to remember what is written on the pages in front of her. She climbs another two steps, coming to a halt on the landing in the middle and she turns around on her spot, hand still resting on the railing as she does do. She glances back down to the door of her apartment, a sigh escapes her, and her chest heaves with the heavy breath that follows.
Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she averts her gaze back to the script in her hand. Shuffling her feet over the wooden flooring, she turns around once more, staring up now through the hallway to the last floor. Absentmindedly her fingers tap against the railing until the motion turns into a forward pushing movement. Donna forces herself to take the next step and another one after that.
Increasing her pace with each step she takes, she's almost out of breath when she reaches the fifth floor. That not being because of the ascent but the way her nerves multiplied with each floor that she climbed. There's a reason she spent last night with Rachel, not just because a girls night was long overdue but because a part of her is anxious about being alone with him.
Something that had been so normal to her in all the years they've known each other. Harvey has grown to become her best friend for a reason, and she knows, she really knows it's all pretend but sometimes, some little moments it just doesn't feel like it is anymore. Those moments mostly shared when it's only the two of them. When they shouldn't be pretending at all, and that terrifies her.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, forcing her heartbeat to slow down and trying to regain her composure because as much as it terrifies her, as much as she doesn't want to be alone with Harvey, not being near him is even worse. So when she opens her eyes again, she has her right hand raised and resting against the door. She hasn't knocked yet, and she doesn't.
Instead, she pulls her hand back even faster than she raised it. The pieces of paper crumbling under her fingertips, she walks back until her shins reach the railing and she bumps against it. That intrusion breaks her out of her spiral, and she shakes her head, cursing herself for her behaviour.
"He is your best friend," she reassures herself barely above a whisper, and the steps she takes forward are more determined this time around. Just three strides until she faces the three brass numbers in front of her again; 505.
She didn't knock a few seconds back, and she doesn't beat now, using the key he'd given her years ago instead. She turns the lock and enters the apartment like she did a million times before, closing the door behind her with a loud thud as she calls out her greeting.
"Red."
She chuckles at the greeting she gets in return, and Donna quickly crosses the corridor until she stands into the living room. "Travis," she acknowledges the law student, she signals back to the door over her shoulder. "Is Harvey –"
"Not home," Tanner says with a shake of his head, his focus soon returning to the television screen in front of him. "Want to play?" he asks her then, holding up the spare remote for her to take.
"And beat you again?" she declines with a smile as Tanner rolls his eyes in return. It wasn't uncommon for Donna to drop down on the couch and join either of the guys in a game. Either racing of football, she lost ninety per cent of the time though, but she doesn't accept the invitation this time around. "I uhm…" Donna pauses, her gaze flickering to the television remote and she averts it again right after, back to the script in her hand. "I can't, I have to memorise this," she explains, waving the piece of paper in front of his face as she walks past the couch and towards Harvey's room.
"Need help?" Tanner calls over his shoulder, slamming the controller on the edge of the seat as the rival team scores. He hits pause and turns to look at Donna, awaiting her response.
Letting her hand rest on the doorknob, she turns around in the door opening to face Travis again. She shakes her head once and gives him an apologetic smile. "I'll manage. You should worry about beating…" she pauses, staring at the screen for a moment. "France. Bonne chance."
Tanner rolls his eyes once more, watching her disappear into Harvey's room. "Oui, madame," he mumbles, pressing the play button and bringing his attention back to the football players on his screen.
Donna chuckles softly at Tanner's reaction, she's sure he didn't mean for her to hear it, but she did. Softly giving the door a push, leaving it not quite shut, she strolls through Harvey's bedroom. Letting her fingertips trail over the duvet Donna eyes her surroundings. From his bed to the desk, to the lounge-chair that also functions as clothing bin, and she lets her gaze roam over the walls back to his study.
It's definitely not the first time she's there, not even being here alone, but it's the first time after hearing him say three little words he has no recollection of ever having spoken them. Words she convinces herself once more of that they do not mean anything, simply because to him, they cannot mean anything; because he will not ever allow them to have meaning.
Donna tears her gaze away from the painting she knows to be his mother's, back to the script in her hand. Exhaling slowly, she flips through the pages until she finds a highlighted section and the redhead goes over the words again and again.
.
.
Tanner is still playing games on the PlayStation by the time Harvey gets home, and he greets his roommate with a simple nod of his head. Not paying much attention to the other man, he only starts to frown when he watches his fellow law student slowly move through the living room. Dropping his bag on the kitchen island and rounding it to get to the fridge. It's then that he realises Donna probably didn't even let him know she was here.
"Red's in your bed."
The carton of milk slips from his hand, but he's fast to catch it with his other in one swift movement, putting it back again. He turns around, brows knitted together in a deep frown. "What?"
Tanner peeks up from the screen, dumbfoundedly staring at his roommate. "Your girlfriend is here," he spells out for the other man then, returning his focus to the game. "Though I haven't heard her running her lines in a while now."
"Right," Harvey mutters in response, trying to regain his composure. They hadn't talked about meeting up, but it wasn't uncommon for her to show up or just be there from time to time anyway. He kicks the fridge shut and throws his backpack back over his shoulder before slowly making his way over to his room.
His hand slides over the wooden door, hesitatingly pushing it open because a part of him starts to wonder if Tanner isn't just making it up to get a rile out of him. The image Travis' original phrasing sketched turning his insides upside down, and he finds himself wishing she is there.
He spots her feet first, and he exhales slowly, pausing as he closes the door behind him again and Harvey lets his gaze drag over her long legs that are spread out over his duvet and then the rest of her frame until he eyes the familiar red manes cascading down his white sheets.
Her name is on the tip of his tongue when he notices she hasn't acknowledged his presence yet and with a step to the left, a closer look, he sees she has fallen asleep. He cocks his head to the side, nose wrinkling as he takes her in. Striding closer his stare moves to focus on her face, her eyes fallen shut he notices how long her lashes are, how she mustn't have been wearing much make-up because her freckles are more evident and at last her lips—slightly parted. The sound of her steady breathing mesmerising in a way he hadn't noticed before.
Quietly he places his bag at the foot of his desk, and he sits down in the chair. Reaching down and opening it up, he removes his book from it and places it back on his desk. The piece of paper in her hand hadn't gone unnoticed to him, and according to Tanner she had been running her lines, deep down he knows she would want for him to wake her up, but he can't make himself do so. Stealing one last glance, he returns his focus to the book and rereads the final chapter required for his exam tomorrow.
.
.
Her hand tingles and her shoulder aches, she shuffles a little and licks her lips. Her mouth feels dry, she coughs a little and only then does she fully wake. Blinking twice, she presses her eyes shut at the intruding light. All she can think is that it's brighter than it should be and it only dawns on her then that she isn't in her room; in her bed. Donna's eyes flicker open now, pushing herself to a sitting position and when she hears a chuckle, her head snaps in the direction of the desk.
"Hello, sleepyhead."
She groans and tosses a pillow to his face before she runs a hand over her face to rub her eyes. Her movement making the paper wrinkle under her knee and she remembers then what it even was that she had been doing. "What time is it?"
"Quarter to five."
"Oh my god," she mumbles, scrambling to fix her dress and spreading out the wrinkled script. "Why the hell didn't you wake me?"
He caps his highlighter and drops it on his desk as he shrugs. "I don't know," he admits, "You looked peaceful… I guess I don't know."
"Harvey, I don't have time to sleep," she fires back. "I have to get these stupid lines memorised."
He watches her wave the papers in front of her face. "Donna, you know them."
"I don't."
"It was the biggest mistake I've ever made," he says then, "You're making that same mistake now."
"Ooh," she scoffs, throwing her hands in the air as she watches him. "You are off-book," she says, "how? How are you off book?"
"Because," he reasons as he gets up, snatching the script from her hand. "I've heard you mumble this a million times. You know this."
Donna sighs and leans back on her hands on the duvet. Deep down she knows he's right, but there's something about this shitty play that has her on edge. "It's not a part I have to do, though."
"Ooh," he frowns, now looking down at the sheets in his hand and he flips through them until he finds a part highlighted. Now assuming this is what Donna has to learn, he reads her one of the other lines in between and just as he expected she knows every single word that follows.
"Told you," Harvey smirks, handing her the script back.
She hides her smile, folding her hands around the rolled-up paper. She looks at it for a moment before glancing back up at Harvey again. "Thank you," she whispers, and as she notices him reaching for his notes and stacking them along with his books on the corner of his desk, she remembers his exam. "Do you need help studying?"
He bends down to snatch his bag from the floor, stuffing the books inside he shakes his head. "I promised Zane I'd meet her at the library," he answers, checking his watch. "In fact, I have to go now; you know how she is."
"Yeah," she chuckles, pushing herself to the edge of the couch she watches Harvey zip up his backpack and reach for his coat. She taps her hands against the duvet and follows him out of his room. "I'll walk down with you."
He nods but proceeds by telling her that she doesn't have to leave. She shrugs, tells him she knows but that she's also certain there isn't anything edible left in his fridge and that she doesn't want to order take out again.
She unlocks the door to her apartment, holding it open as he follows her inside when she tells him Rachel´s coat is still hanging in the hallway. He tosses the door shut behind them and they both shout a hello through the empty hall, and it gets a greeting of both Rachel and Mike in return.
"Told you," Donna smirks now, mimicking the way he had said it a couple of minutes ago as she enters the living room, she has just sat herself down on the couch next to Mike when the bell rings.
Harvey notices Donna already moving to stand again, but he halts her actions with a shake of his head. "I'll go," he says even though he's already back at the door, swinging it open in one fluid motion.
"One package for a miss Paulsen."
"Ooh, yeah," Harvey reaches out. "I'll take it. That's my girlfriend."
The man gives him a stare. "Sign here, please."
Harvey does as told, taking the plain cardboard box from the delivery man's hands. He shuts the door once more and walks back, suspiciously eyeing the box for any clue on its content.
"Hey, Donna," he calls out on his way back. "What did you -"
He never gets a chance to finish his sentence as the redhead jumps up from the couch, snatching the box from his hands and holding onto it for dear life. "Nothing," she lies through her teeth, having completely forgotten about her desperate midnight order from a week ago.
Harvey bobs his head to the side, studies her for a moment and then grins. "Is it for my birthday?"
She laughs, too loud for her liking as she rushes away to dump it in her room. "No," she yells back, "besides it's not your birthday that's coming up first, mister."
He purses his lips together and eyes her as she pushes the box under her bed. "So you got yourself a present," he reasons, brows still drew together in a frown as he tries to read her. "Anything exciting?"
"Maybe," she cocks her head to the side and challenges his remark with a raised brow. "But the more important question is what did you get me."
"It's a surprise."
"You're not getting away with a gift card this time."
"I know," he gives in. "But it's going to be the best give you've ever had. I'm sure."
She rolls her eyes at his smug grin, slaps his chest as she walks past him. "You've never given me a real present, Harvey."
"Well, you've never been my girlfriend before."
"Okay," Rachel snaps her fingers to get her friends attention, her hand falling on Harvey's shoulder next. "Are you two done eye-fucking each other so we can cram this test or?"
He winces, internally and he's so damn glad it is just that as Donna doesn't give an ounce either. A wink at him and a smile at Rachel, it takes him a moment to find his voice feeling his heart beating in his ears. He scrapes his throat and turns to look at his classmate. "Yeah," he stammers then, "let's cram this test."
Harvey shuffles on his spot and backs away to the hallway. Waiting for Rachel to follow him, he glances over his shoulder to Donna one more time. But his eyes don't meet hers; instead, he finds her watching the other couple.
Donna eyes Rachel bend down to give Mike a kiss and the moment their lips touch, she averts her gaze. Looking up, she finds him standing on the edge of the hallway; head turned down towards his feet. She swallows then, audibly and she folds her hands around the script in her lap again.
"Okay," Rachel mumbles, pulling away from Mike, she smiles and waves at Donna and then makes her way over to Harvey. "You ready?"
He straightens and gazes back up, nodding at her, Mike and Donna last. She returns his gaze this time around, a thin-lipped smile gracing her face, silently telling him good luck. He smiles too; it's a wordless you got this as he motions to the paper in her hands with a nod of his head. He turns around and follows Rachel at last.