"I have a surprise for you" Harvey whispered in a hoarse low timber, his voice sending goosebumps all over Donna, sparking illicit memories of the last time he whispered those words to her.
Their bed, a blindfold, handcuffs, and some of the most intense sex they'd ever had. Donna had come five times. Harvey three. They almost broke their bed that night.
"I thought the bed frame couldn't handle any more of your surprises?" Donna teased turning her head towards him offering him a wicked smile and her, her favourite view of his side profile that was etched in smile lines around his eyes as he grinned at the truth in her words.
"Mind out of the gutter Paulsen. This is a more sentimental surprise." He chided thoughtfully.
Donna let her face scrunch up in mock distaste, letting them slip into their familiar routine. "Oh. That kind of surprise, you're greaat at those." The sarcastic quip and scrunch of disproval on her nose was unnecessary as it was untrue.
Shockingly, Harvey was great at surprising Donna. Ever since they finally became a couple and had settled down post Faye and impromptu move to Seattle, his gifts always hit the mark. From remembering her preferences and likes she'd mentioned decades ago, to bringing her to tears with his sentimentality.
"Hey I haven't missed the mark once since we got together." Harvey fake pouted as he guided Donna to from the bedroom she'd been sequestered into after work, to their dining area.
"Hmm that's true" she conceded, a flash of past gifts entering her mind: a gold necklace with diamond constellation of her birth gemstones in the pattern of stats from the night they got together, a yoga mat with better foam for her back aches she mentioned once, little dates organized on past milestones they'd had, tickets to her favorite opera, Valentine's Day gag gifts that touched her heart and even on secretary's day- he'd gotten her peonies, a hallmark card, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and let them both take the day off so they could celebrate the day in some of her favourite positions. "although you're sexual surprises still take the cake." Donna grinned wickedly remembering how they spent secretary's day role playing in the bedroom, pretending she was still his secretary and he was her boss.
Harvey huffed, stepping a few centimeters away from her, letting his arms that encircled her waist to drop. "Clearly you only see me as man-candy. Maybe I should just return this gift since you clearly don't care-"
"Don't. You. Dare. Specter." She made a grab at his arms and dragged him back to her as she ceremoniously stopped in the entry way of their dining area with her eyes closed. "C'mon, I'm ready for another spectacular Specter surprise."
Harvey chuckled at her antics "Okay ok. Gimme a sec."
Rummaging around occurred for the next minute or so, and Donna heard a faint crackle of matchsticks occur before a whif of candles popped into her nostrils.
She sensed Harvey settle back next to her, his arm squeezing her waist. "Open your eyes."
Donna blinked her eyes open taking in the transformation of their dinning area with a puzzled smile and frown. "Oh my god!"
Their new penthouse had an open kitchen concept that bled into the dining area before being divided with a two step down into the living room area.
Where there once was a flimsy 4 by 4 square wooden dining table they bought from target (which Harvey, had made fun of Donna for for weeks) till Donna could find a table that met both their standards, a rich brown circular table, that looked very familiar, was found instead. She was shocked he managed to get such a huge piece of furniture into their house without her knowing.
Donna tilted her head, looking at Harvey sheepishly lost at the familiarity of the table that she couldn't quite peace together.
Harvey smirked, knowing she'd need an extra helpful hint. "How about… now?"
Donna blinked in rapid succession as Harvey placed an invory silk like cloth on the round table, two long stick white candles balanced on the right side of the table while he set up plate settings as well. He sat on the left chair across from her, still in his brown suit from work earlier, with his arms crossed at his chest smirking at Donna winningly. "Is any of this ringing any bells now?"
Donna let out a gasp as she walked closer to the dining table, taking a look at the chairs that she'd all but ignored earlier. They were a matching set of rich brown wood with the back curved eloquently and the chairs bottom clothed in a white cotton fabric. "Is this the set from Del Posto?"
Harvey grinned nodding his head. Donna wasn't sure why she immediately felt moisture prick her eyeline her nose scrunch up in a hitch to calm down her breathing.
She blinked, letting a stray tear flow down her cheek before wiping it away hastily. "This is perfect." She whispered still not meeting Harvey's gaze as she took in how wonderful it was that they'd managed to get a piece of furniture filled with sentimentality to finish off this room in their new house.
It fit perfectly with both of their aesthetics, and the fact that Harvey did all this to surprise her melted her heart. She raised her head to take a glance at him sitting across from her in their dining room on a dining table theyd sat on every March 23rd, every year, for 15 years.
She left her finger trace the wooden chair's edge, thinking fondly of all the memories they had at their restaurant, all the milestones they had there the shared drinks, the heavy flirtation, the awkward conversations stilted about Louis, Esther, and Mitchell- the one time they took it too far played footsie, and only stopped because they were interrupted by a client greeting them.
It felt like a surreal glitch in the matrix almost. The juxtaposition and melding of their past and present as the table was placed in their penthouse.
"You're perfect" Harvey's voice spoke aloud, startling her from her inner monologue. He looked emotional as well and one look into his chocolate brown eyes and Donna could tell they were on the same page with their thoughts.
"I can't believe you managed to snag this."
Harvey shrugged. "Well, we were both so upset about the closing of Del Posto back in Chelsea, we couldn't have that last dinner there because of work and," donna shook her head fondly, the way he still undermined his actions that spoke tenfold of his love for her would never stop amazing her. How he threw his commitment and love at her so casually. "I read they were auctioning off parts of their restaurant. And we still needed a few pieces for our place. Figured this was better than the two hundred dollar table we'd been using." Donna rolled her eyes around a laugh at the dig on their old table which she was sure he was more than happy to throw away.
"Well I can't wait to re-christen this table as a married couple." Donna smartly replied.
"We never properly christened this table to be fair." Harvey wrinkled wolfishly at her his eyes sparkling with clear innuendo and Donna hated the heat that flared over his body in anticipation.
She raised a brow at him. "Mind out of the gutter Specter," she mocked his tone from earlier. "I was talking about having dinner on this table."
"So was I!"
"Don't think we were talking about eating the same thing." Donna rolled her eyes at him. "Mm I beg to differ." He replied before getting up, rounding the table to kiss Donna quickly, and then moving into the kitchen to grab their pasta dishes that were staying warm in the oven.
they both settled down with a bottle of Donna's favourite red wine, paired with Harvey's amazing spicy rigatoni, their handles linked together over the table fondly rememberring every dinner they had at this table. How they both wanted to take each other home at various times, confess their feelings and throw caution to the wind.
"I just can't believe-" Harvey stopped, faltering and shaking his head still not prepared to be so utterly vulnerable with whatever thought popped up in his head. Donna simply waited. Patiently running a finger on his palm, whether to distract or coax him or herself she wasn't entirely sure.
"I can't believe we're here. In our house together on this table after so many years."
"Me neither." Donna mumbled softly before raising Harvey's palm to her lips for a quick kiss. "Thank you."
Harvey felt a surge of warmth engulf his heart at donna's feeling of gratitude towards him. He wasn't sure her feelings were just about the table, her gesture too sincere and heavy to be just about the table.
With a glimpse into his eyes Donna read the question behind those soft curious brown eyes. "Not just for tonight, although you were right this was a spectacular surprise." Donna feigned begrudgement around a hint of a smile before turning sincere again. "Thank you for caring enough about me to setup a work anniversary for us. Thank you for ignoring my pleas that it wasn't necessary and taking us to Del Posto that night 15 years ago. Thank you for always making it a priority. For never letting me back out of it even when I went to work for Louis. For making it that same restaurant that was just for us so it was special when we could've went to a million other places. Thank you for loving me when we were just friends."
He shook his head softly, as if disagreeing with the picture she was painting of him and Donna couldn't believe after all these years he couldn't easily accept sincere compliments directed to his kindness. "Harvey.."
He couldn't believe she was thanking him. "Donna that was nothing c-"
"It was everything Harvey." Him showing his love and appreciation for her in such a simple yet intricate part of their past that he was entirely responsible for- it shaped their relationship. Altered it in ways that could be studied- Harvey provided a line through for all the years they shared through a gesture that meant so much to Donna.
"You managed to find a way to make it feel like we were always us even before we were."
"I meant it then and I mean it now Donna when I say you changed my life the night you introduced yourself and maybe it was just an excuse to wine and dine you outside of the excuse of work when I first brought it up," Donna laughed at that "But I always wanted you to know how much you meant to me. How much I love spending time with you. How much I just love you." Despite it not being the first time she'd heard the sentiment, or felt it, it still felt like a rarity.
Donna blinked her watery eyes, replying with an I love you too before sighing dramatically.
Harvey caught the shift from emotional to humorous mischief in her eyes "what?" He cocked his head to the side his voice more hoarse than he expected.
"Looks like you're gonna get to break in this table after all mister."