Prompt #17 by raffertysink: "Harvey and Donna are still new to their relationship and they're still trying to keep it a secret at the firm. Until they find themselves under a mistletoe and Harvey makes it an excuse to kiss Donna."
"Hey, are you ready to go? Ray's gonna be here in about five minutes," Harvey shouted in the direction of the bedroom, putting his suit jacket on. For the past 30 minutes, he had been sitting on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through his phone in order to wait for Donna to get ready.
"Yes, could you just help me with this sneaky little necklace, please?" she rushed into the living room, handing him the tiny, almost fragile-looking golden jewelry with a sparkling, circular pendant.
The sight of her made Harvey freeze on the spot for a second, her appearance taking his breath away once more. He had never seen that dress on her before, but he was already certain that it was one of his favorites. Each day he was convinced that she could not become even more beautiful and sexy than she already was. And yet she somehow did so every single day.
The gown she chose for tonight was classic and yet sophisticated, plain and yet hot as fuck. His hands itched to touch her every curve, his lips itched to kiss every freckle and his mind itched to convince her to skip the party and spend the evening at home instead. Or rather, in bed.
But she had already turned her back to him and moved her hair to one side to give him better access, so he decided to hold back for once and not give in to his desire this time - wouldn't be the first time in the last few weeks that they would have been late to an appointment or missing out on it completely. Plus, he knew how important the Christmas party was for her, as she loved Christmas and social events in general, especially when she was the one organizing them.
Once he was done putting on the necklace, he couldn't help but kiss the curve of her neck though, his lips lingering on the soft skin as his large hands found their natural place on her hips. He pulled her closer and moved his mouth to her ear.
"I'm gonna have a very hard time staying away from you tonight. You look absolutely stunning." He ran his palms up and down her sides to emphasize his words. Her perfume flooded his nostrils, invading his senses, making his mind dizzy in the most wonderful way.
Not able to withstand her attraction for him either, Donna hummed and turned around in his arms, sizing him up before she declared with a smug smile "So do you, handsome stranger." She cupped his jaw and pulled him down for a kiss, in which they both got lost for a while.
Eventually, Harvey pulled back. "I don't wanna hide anymore," he whined, his expression completely serious all of a sudden.
Donna let out a breath. "I know, me neither," she stated, her hands landing on his chest. "But we discussed this already and reasoned that now is not the time. We will tell everyone very soon, but tonight should be for the firm, for celebrating our amazing team after all we've been through. I wouldn't want this to be about us and to overshade the purpose of the event with our news." She searched his gaze, the intensity of those brown puppy eyes making her feel weak to her knees.
It's only been a couple of weeks since they finally got together, everything still feeling new and exciting. They had quickly agreed that they would like to keep their relationship a secret for a while, in order to savor it completely, without any intruders, without any external attention. And it was kind of a blast for the both of them at first. Stealthy glances, hidden touches, stolen kisses and secret lunch break meetings - it all made them feel young and loose and carefree, and it made them even more giddy and randy for each other. They truly and thoroughly enjoyed that.
But eventually, with the first waves of euphoria slowly subsiding, it all started to feel more real and less like a dream that was too good to be true. And with it, the urge to let the world know about them increased. They didn't want to hide anymore. They wanted everything with each other, they wanted to let everyone share in their happiness and they wanted to act freely on their attraction for each other. An attraction that they've already been trying to suppress for way too long.
On the other hand, tonight did indeed not feel like the right moment to come out. After all the firm had been through lately, they all deserved a little celebration to reward themselves for their hard work and tireless cohesion. That was also why they kept the group of participants for this year's Christmas party small and did not invite any clients or business partners. They wanted to be among themselves, the staff of SLWW, only.
"You're right," Harvey sighed now, earning a playfully raised eyebrow from her. "But I don't wanna hide my feelings anymore. We're gonna do it real soon, okay?"
"Promise," Donna pecked him and squeezed his arms that still held her firmly.
"Good. Because I really can't wait any longer to show the world that you're mine," he added, pulling her yet a little closer.
Donna beamed at him, her heart melting and her belly casting somersaults at his words. She was still not used to him being all open about his feelings for her and it caught her off guard every single time.
"I can't wait either," she declared. "Because I love being your girlfriend."
"Oh yeah?" he asked with a wink, his voice dropping an octave.
"Mhh yes," she dove in for another kiss.
A few minutes later they were seated in the car, making their way to the firm.
.
The Christmas party turned out to be a real success. It seemed as if everyone was truly enjoying the calm after the storm, just having a jolly and laid-back little get-together. Thanks to Donna's and Louis' outstanding organizational skills, the event didn't lack a festive atmosphere either. They transformed the whole firm into a Christmas wonderland with fake snow along the hallways, a huge tree in the entrance and a smaller one in the library, tasteful Christmas music echoing through the premises. There was mulled wine and Christmas cookies and a buffet with traditional holiday delicacies. And there was a mistletoe.
Despite their resolution, Donna and Harvey had a very hard time taking their eyes off each other. Throughout the night, their gazes met again and again, no matter how close or far from each other they were, no matter whom they were talking to, no matter how much they attempted to distract themselves. They tried to keep a certain level of professional distance, even though everyone was used to seeing them together anyway.
Which was why they also did not miss the chance to toast, chat and flirt a little in the corner of the library and share a slow dance to "Winter Song" by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles during which Harvey whispered silly nonsense into Donna's ear, making her giggle and her stomach flutter, making him feel like the luckiest man on earth, grinning like a fool.
Thus they also happened to find themselves under a mistletoe, as they were choosing a song for another dance on the jukebox. Harvey was the first one to notice their position. He threw her a side glance, admiring her beauty while she was still busy running through the list of Christmas music. A wave of affection for her took a hold of him and he decided that he had enough. Screw their agreement.
Donna straightened up from the display and studied him with a questioning look, right eyebrow raised. Apparently, he had not responded to a comment from her. But it didn't matter anyway.
He took a step toward her and pointed upward. "Sorry, but I just have to do this now," he said softly, leaning in. Before she could even fully realize the mistletoe above them and what his words implied, his lips crushed on hers. Soft and light, but no less demanding.
Donna was completely blindsided for a second, her body stiffening involuntarily. But after the initial shock, defying her previous reservation and their colleague's eyes on them, she stepped in, put her hands around his neck and prolonged the kiss.
Harvey grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer, his tongue begging for entrance into her mouth, until the kiss left no room for doubt anymore, until it was clear as day to everyone around that this was not just an innocent kiss under a mistletoe, but a kiss between lovers who finally acted on their feelings for each others.
Completely immersed in the kiss, Donna and Harvey did not notice how gradually all pairs of eyes in the room turned to them and every conversation fell silent, every activity ceased. But suddenly, there was a burst of applause that finally brought them out of their trance. They reluctantly pulled apart and looked up, grinning sheepishly at the crowd of friends and colleagues cheering for them.
.
For the rest of the night they were inseparable. They enjoyed the newly found freedom and openness as well as the obvious joy and sympathy from their friends. A few of them asked questions like "Since when?" or "Is that really true?" and made comments along the lines of "About time" or "I can't believe you finally made it.". But overall, people were not making a big deal out of it. Everyone was happy and well-disposed towards them, simply accepting something that had always been meant to be anyway.
Later, as they were seated in the cab, with Donna's hand covering Harvey's on her thigh, they silently smiled at each other.
"I can't believe you did that," Donna snorted, squeezing his palm.
"Nice to know that I can still leave you speechless every once in a while," he winked at her.
"Don't get used to it. From now on, I will always be at least one step ahead of you again."
"Fine with me," he threw her his Cheshire cat grin.
"I love you, Harvey" she whispered, leaning over to him.
"I love you too, Donna," he replied, meeting her lips midways.