I had A LOT of fun writing these little oneshots, so I might do something like this again in the future (let me know what you'd like to read!), but for now this is the last chapter. I'm working on a new multichapter though, so the first part of that will be up in a few days!

Hope you'll like this one!


It is no secret that Donna knows Harvey better than anyone else in the world. But it is sometimes forgotten – even by themselves – that Harvey knows her just as well. And that's why he notices she is tense and stressed, even when she manages to hide that from everybody else.

They have been in Seattle for a few months now, and they have settled easily in their new rhythm. Working with their friends again, Harvey as partner and Donna as COO. Less hours, more time for each other. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. But that doesn't mean that life is a fairytale without any hardships.

Over the last few days, Donna's workload has been piling up. It is time for recruiting a new class of associates and as COO she is overseeing the process, reading resumes and setting up interviews – which she will also conduct herself. Harvey is proud of her, she is rising to the occasion and showing everyone who had the smallest doubts about her that she is more than capable. At the same time, he is also keeping an eye on her, because he knows that while she often seems infallible, she is only human.

On Thursday morning, Donna has left the apartment before Harvey has even woken up. She left him a note and a freshly brewed pot of coffee, but he would have preferred to have woken up with her. A seed of worry plants itself in his mind, because while Donna is a hard worker and has pretty much always arrived at the office before him, sneaking out to go in early is not like her.

Harvey gets in early too, grabbing a triple-whip double-fat extra shot mocha latte with caramel on the way. He steps into Donna's office, setting the coffee down on her desk. She looks up at him, her lips curving into a smile. "Are you okay?" He tentatively asks, leaning against her desk. She nods, but he sees the slight twitch in her lips, signaling to him that she has to force herself to keep the smile on her face. "Can I do anything for you?" He asks. Her smile relaxes at his warmth and she leans back a little as she shakes her head, "no… But thank you for offering."

The next time Harvey sees Donna is at the weekly staff meeting. She is as focused and sharp as always, detailing her own work and asking pointed questions when other people explain things. If he didn't know her this well, he wouldn't notice something was up. But he knows her, and he sees the tight grip she has on her pen and the way the lines around her mouth are slightly more pronounced; small things he has learned to interpret as signs of tension.

A few hours later, the clicking of high heels signals Donna's entrance to Harvey's office. It is almost lunchtime, but when Harvey looks up, the conflicted expression on Donna's face makes it clear she's not here for a break. He puts his pen down and leans back, waiting for her to tell him what she came in for. It takes a few moments for her to find the right words, and as much as Harvey loves rendering her speechless, he doesn't like it now. "What's going on?" He prompts, his voice soft and warm.

Donna exhales and meets Harvey's eyes, "I only just realized it's Thursday," she admits, "and it's supposed to be date night, but, Harvey…" She sighs, "I'm just so busy. And I know we agreed to continue date nights here so we could always spend time together, but I-" "I know," Harvey interrupts her, "it's okay," he offers her a reassuring smile, "I know how busy you've been, and still are. So I cancelled our reservation a few hours ago." Donna looks at him with wide eyes, "really?" He nods, "of course." He stands and approaches her. His hands find their place at her waist and he pulls her in slightly, "maybe we can do lunch?" He suggests.

"No… I have the interview with the first associate scheduled… I'm sorry," Donna tenses again, until Harvey moves his hands up to rest on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing soft circles, "then we'll do a late dinner at home," he softly suggests, "I'll cook, you don't have to do anything. Just let me know when you think you'll be done." She smiles faintly, "thank you," she murmurs, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. He presses a kiss in her hair before releasing her, "now go, the sooner you finish the longer we can enjoy our night." He smiles at her, and watches as she slowly turns and makes her way out of his office. "Oh, and Donna?" He calls after her. She turns back to face him. "Don't forget to breathe. You're doing great." He tells her.

All afternoon, Donna is busy. First with the interview, then with the paperwork that needs to be filled out and after that with preparations for the next days. When Harvey walks by her office, he notices she has kicked off her heels and curled her legs under her, but he knows that's not a sign of relaxation. At home it would be, but at work it just means she needs some comfort to keep herself going through hard work. He doesn't interrupt her, leaving her working. However, around 9 pm, he decides to check in on her.

"Hey," a soft knock on the door accompanies Harvey's warm voice as he enters Donna's office. She looks up at him and then looks around her office, seemingly a little dazed. It has gotten dark, and Harvey notices the only light on is the one on her desk – the one that turns on automatically when it gets dark. She blinks a few times, looking at the clock before looking back at him. He lowers himself in one of the chairs in front of her desk, "are you okay?" He softly asks.

Donna still feels a little hazy. Time flew by while she was working, but she still has so much to do. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and she fiddles with the pen in her hands as she avoids Harveys gaze. "Hey," he tries to coax her into looking at him, "is it an idea to go home, eat and get some rest?" He suggests. She finally meets his dark eyes, seeing the concern pooling in them. "I can't," she exhales, letting her head fall back against her chair, "I still have so much to do."

"Donna," Harvey pushes up from his chair and rounds her desk, leaning against it, "I know you always want to excel, but you have to think about yourself too." He reaches for her hand and softly squeezes it. She looks up at him, tears shining in her eyes. He pulls her up and into his arms, rubbing her back and tense shoulders. She leans into his embrace for a little while, breathing him in. "I'm okay," she mutters after a while, "just a few more days." Harvey leans back to look at her face. She looks a little more composed now and her shoulders aren't as tense anymore. She offers him a watery smile, "I just need a few more hours." He nods at her, presses a kiss to her forehead and leaves her to work.

However, not even twenty minutes later, Harvey is back in Donna's office, this time holding a back of takeout Thai. She looks at him, "Harvey, I told you, I don't-" "You don't have time for date night, I know," he stops her protest, "but you need to eat. And you really need a break." Without asking for permission, he closes the lid of her laptop, takes her pen out of her hand and gathers the papers in a neat stack he places on the corner of the desk. Next, he proceeds to take out containers of food and sets them down on the desk, giving Donna no other option than to take a break.

For thirty minutes, Harvey manages to distract Donna from her work. He had made it his personal mission to make her smile during dinner, and he is glad when he succeeds only eight minutes in. She visibly relaxes, her features softer and her eyes brighter. She needed this reprieve and he is glad he could offer it to her.

Harvey clears away the empty containers and Donna restores her workspace. He lingers for a while and she looks up, "what is it, Harvey?" He smiles at her, "is it okay if I get my own paperwork and keep you company?" The corners of her mouth curve up and she nods, "I'd like that."

For a few hours, Harvey and Donna work in her office. They are both silent and focused, but just being with each other is comfortable. Occasionally, one of them steals a glance at the other. Working late nights together feels familiar, even though the setting is new. It reminds them of how far they have come, together. However, they have both grown older and late nights are a lot harder than they used to be. Harvey can't suppress his yawns anymore, and after the third time, Donna looks up at him, "go home, Harvey. You don't have anything urgent to finish anymore and you're clearly tired."

Harvey looks back at Donna. He saw her stifle a few yawns of her own, but he is pretty sure he won't be able to convince her to come home with him. The tight lines on her face have reappeared and her posture is straight and tense, a lot more muscles contracted than technically necessary. "I'll see you at home." He gives in. She shakes her head, "just go to sleep, Harvey. There's no need for us both to be sleep deprived tomorrow." It's a half attempt at a joke, but he doesn't miss the way she sets her jaw and averts her gaze. Nowadays, they hardly ever go to sleep without being wrapped up in each others arms and she doesn't like that tonight is one of the nights it does happen. It's nights like this, after long, hard days, that she needs the comfort of being close together to fall asleep.

It's well after 1 A.M. when Donna finally gets home. Her eyes are prickly with exhaustion, but after Harvey left she managed to get into a groove again and she forgot all about time. She sees light coming from the living room and her heart flutters with the thought that maybe Harvey did wait up for her, even though she told him not to. She doesn't even bother taking off her coat or shoes before walking towards the light. When she rounds the corner, she stops in her tracks, a smile appearing on her face; Harvey is on the couch, but he has fallen asleep.

"Hey," a soft, warm voice coaxes Harvey awake. He blinks a few times, his sleepy gaze meeting Donna's tired one. "You're home," he murmurs, straightening himself a little. She nods, smiling lightly, "I told you not to wait up." He leans towards her, kissing her softly, "for you, I always will." He whispers. She leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He slips his hands under her coat, running his hands up and down her back through the fabric of her dress. The muscles of her shoulders still feel tense and he carefully digs at the knots with his fingertips.

Harvey holds Donna close and rubs her tight muscles until her shoulders drop and she relaxes into him. He feels her breathing slow, and stands up, pulling her up with him. "Let's get to bed," he suggests. She nods tiredly. Her motions are slow, like she's moving through water. He holds her hand, leading her to the bathroom and when they're done to the bedroom.

Not much later, Harvey switches the lights off, plunging the room into darkness. He gets under the covers and rests on his back. His position offers Donna a chance to curl against him, the way she is most comfortable. He wraps one arm around her shoulders and pulls her a little closer. She releases a long breath, and he kisses her temple. "Do you want to talk?" He offers, knowing that sometimes she needs to vent to be able to unwind after a long day. Tonight, however, she shakes her head, "just wanna sleep." She mumbles. "Okay," he tells her, running his fingers through her hair.

Donna's breathing evens out after a while. Harvey stills his motions, closing his eyes and relaxing himself, until she stirs against him, "don't stop." He is not sure she is really awake, but he obeys gladly. She softly exhales, he feels it against his skin, "thank you," she breathes, "for today." He faintly smiles, tilting his head to press a soft kiss into her hair. It's not like her to admit she is struggling, but he is so relieved they are finally in a position where he notices when she does and is able to do something to help. "My pleasure," he softly tells her, "I love you, Donna."