Prompt by EmmaLouise (EmmaLou_OQ): Donna doesn't work at PSL but is friends with Louis because of their love of theatre. As part of the firm's fall fundraiser (organised by Louis) , Harvey and Donna become Christmas Pen Pals and end up falling for each other without having ever met. They finally meet at Louis' christmas party.
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In this world full of wonders
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Louis mainly talks about Harvey. It's ironic, because she has never set foot in Pearson Specter Litt, or Pearson Specter, or Pearson Hardman. She met Louis during a play, an insignificant one that neither of them would consider the favourite thing they've ever done, but they met, and they connected, and years later they still go to plays together. They talk about theatre, of course, it's the core of their friendship and the thing they keep circling back to to ensure that their connection is still there. It's easier to talk to him about plays than it is to talk about her parents, or her failed dreams, and she knows he thinks the same things, even though he's more likely to overshare.
But when he doesn't talk about Shakespeare, or Broadway, or musical soundtracks, he talks about his firm. More specifically, he talks about Harvey Specter.
Which means, automatically, that Donna has a very split view of who Harvey is. He's either the worst of the worst, the metaphorical gum people stick under tables or don't even bother throwing away in a trashcan on the streets, or he single handedly hung the stars in the sky and he's the best lawyer at PSL. There is no in between.
She doubts the man is actually that black and white.
Other than Harvey, he talks about Jessica, and Katrina, and Rachel. He tells her about fights with the associates, and fights with other people she hasn't heard about before and won't ever hear about again. Strangely enough, she gets more in depth information about them. She hears about his budding friendship with Rachel, about how he earned Jessica's respect and she earned his. She hears about Katrina in all her mini-Louis glory, about her actions and her wit and that one time she took over Louis's workload when he was heartbroken and didn't go to work for days. She knows the women in Louis's life better than anyone else, because he only really talks to her. She also knows that Harvey is a touchy subject so she never asks, but she's lying if she says he doesn't intrigue her.
None of the people she knows about really know her. Louis told her he does talk about her sometimes, mentions going for dinner or plays or drinks with Donna to Katrina, or Rachel, the closer they get, but they don't know her. They don't know about her empathy or her quick remarks, or about her loyalty. They know she's someone who's friends with Louis Litt. It's a weird thing to think about, and it puts her in a strange position when Louis invites her to the Fall Fundraiser that he's been telling her about for weeks.
He asks her to be his date, and she laughs, tells him she likes him but not like that, and she laughs harder when he fumbles over his words and tells her he just meant as friends, but her laughter dies when he admits that he's struggling to get his colleagues to take this seriously, and he hopes that showing up with her will show them that this is not just the firm. And, he says, it doesn't hurt that she's beautiful and will draw more attention to them than Louis ever could on his own.
She knows his colleagues, can already tell she will be able to recognise faces without ever seeing them before, just from how much Louis has told her, and she knows they will look at her, all blank faces and empty stares, except that they'll most likely also be shocked because she's here with Louis, and they don't know her.
She says yes. She'll go to the fundraiser, if only because Louis is one of her oldest friends and she knows he'd do absolutely anything for her. The least she could do was prove to him that their friendship is far past its I-know-you-from-a-play stage. And, if it gives her a chance to connect faces to names and stories, something she'd been wanting to do for a while, then that's just a win (it's not the reason she says yes, she keeps repeating in her head, she's doing this for Louis).
It's a Fall Fundraiser, so she decides to wear a burgundy dress with short sleeves. It fits the theme, and it's long enough to be classy, but more importantly: it means she won't freeze during the chilly New York night. Louis tells her she looks stunning when he picks her up, and it makes her smile.
Time to turn some heads and direct some attention towards Louis Litt.
It's not until the elevator ride (why did everyone's office have to be on the 46th floor?) that the nerves kick in. In mere minutes all the puzzle pieces in her head will fall into their designated places and she'll know, more than she ever has before. She tries desperately to fight the fear that maybe Louis' colleagues will hate her, but it feels like a losing battle.
The fundraiser is at the firm, partly because the name partners want to show everyone who's interested that the firm is not falling apart, it's stronger than ever, and partly because it feels stupid to spend money on a place to rent. It leads to a lot of mingling between desks in the bullpen and associates showing their friends their offices, and Donna appreciates how much it feels like a school event and kids showing their parents their lockers. It feels intimate, nostalgic, even though this is not her firm and there's no desk with her name on it. She can feel the urge rise to help this place. She would have anyway, has promised Louis she won't leave until she drove up most prices and bid on some things.
Louis was right, bringing her as his date lead more attention their way. Donna sees some associates look her way, and she catches the way they glance at Louis cautiously, so she waves lightly and takes pride in their flustered faces.
The first people, people that really matter; Louis' people, that they come across are Mike and Rachel. She says "Hi Mike" before either can introduce himself, so Rachel lights up and interjects "You're Donna" before she can do the same with her.
"You have no idea how Donna I am," she replies casually, following it up with "and you're Rachel Zane. I heard great things about you."
She ignores Mike when he asks what she has heard about him. Rachel and Mike are really sweet, and she would love to talk more with them, but she has some bidding to do, so she exchanges number with Rachel with a promise to grab a coffee soon, and then she and Louis are moving again. They meet Jessica, numerous junior and senior partners and the tech guy, and then Louis freezes.
"Harvey is not here."
Someone tells them Harvey had an urgent meeting with a client, but his contribution to the Fundraiser still stands. That peaks her interest, so when Louis leaves her alone to talk to someone she doesn't really care about, she heads in the general direction of Harvey's office.
On his secretary's desk, left alone due to the event, is a sheet of paper. It says that the highest bidder wins 5 letters from Mr. Specter, provided the lucky winner writes 5 back as well. Several girls have bid on it already, but Harvey intrigues her.
So much so, that she easily outbids them all, ensuring that she's finally going to know what makes him tick.
She doesn't tell Louis until their shared cab home, when he asks her if she got anything out of the evening.
"Five letters from Harvey," she says, and she almost considers lying to him and telling him she just wanted to drive up the price, but then she sees his face. "Louis. I didn't bid on them to talk shit about you behind your back. I just wanted to know a bit more about the guy so I can contribute to all the Harvey centred conversations. And I'd like to know his reasoning for some things he did."
That does the trick and calms him down, and then they're at her apartment.
"Thank you for inviting me Louis, I had a great time. If you ever need to draw attention to yourself again, I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you, Donna." he says, and then the cab drives off again.
Now it's just her, her thoughts, and 5 incoming letters from Harvey Specter.
The first one arrives three days later, and she wishes she didn't drop everything to read it, but she did.
He starts by asking if she's Louis' friend. Asks about how they know each other, and then goes on to apologise for not being at the fundraiser. He does admit he wasn't really looking forward to it, but it would be nice to know who he was talking to. He tells her some things about himself then, almost exclusively things she already knew.
Donna starts her own letter by asking him if he doesn't think that the mystery makes everything more intriguing. She tells him about theatre, may or may not launch into a rant about Broadway, asks him some things about stories Louis has told her, and closes off by returning the sentiment by telling him some things about herself.
None of it is deep, or really meaningful, it's two people who never met writing letters and testing the waters. But, it's entertaining.
And god it's distracting. Everything seemed to lose its importance, fading away until there was nothing left but letters, ink on paper, crisp white envelopes and the way her name looks on them.
They get into a rhythm, and barely 3 weeks after his first letter, they've reached the fifth one. She doesn't ask about it, treats it like all the others, but it feels like a loss.
And then, another letter arrives.
He talks about not wanting to stop talking to her, about how he couldn't stop thinking about wanting to tell her about his day or his week or something ridiculous that Louis did, and her heart genuinely flutters. And he talks about his parents. It shifts everything, not just because he now chooses to write her instead of being forced to do so by some ridiculous contract, but also because they are now far past pleasantries. This is deeper, more sincere.
It leads to her telling him about her parents. About her father, her piano, her dreams of acting. They tell each other about who they are, why they made the choices they made, they talk about dreams and hopes and regrets, about the stars in the sky and anything they can think of.
In letter 9, he asks her to be his date for the Christmas Ball. She says yes in a heartbeat, and they agree he wouldn't pick her up so they would see each other for the first time on location. He wonders in another letter if texting would be easier, but she shuts it down.
Mystery. Authenticity. … Letters. That's what they do.
There is something about exclusively being penpals (can you still call it pals if there are some feelings involved?) that sets them apart from the crowds, something they should at least preserve until their Christmas date.
She's even more nervous for the ball than she was for the fundraiser. This time, it is on location, and she's not going with Louis. This time, she's meeting Harvey Specter.
The second she lays eyes on him, she knows. He does too, judging by the way his face lits up. He doesn't wait for her, instead chooses to head towards her as she keeps walking towards him.
He greets her with "Hey stranger", and it makes her laugh. Then, he gets serious and asks her if she's Donna Paulsen, because otherwise this would be very awkward.
"I am, yes," she says, just as Rachel passes by and says "you're also under the mistletoe". She's gone before either can react, so they glance up to see that Rachel was telling the truth.
"Well," he starts, smirking a bit, "wouldn't want to break a tradition now would we?"
It's ridiculous, kissing a man she knows so much yet so little about. But she does it.
It might be the moment she falls in love with him.
The rest of the night goes by quickly, as they dance, talk and drink. He makes a point of stopping her under the same mistletoe as the night winds down, and it's the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for her.
She gives him her phone number before getting in her cab, telling him she knows his address so she'll send letters his way Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone style if he doesn't call or text. He texts right after her door closes, and she replies "idiot" to his "save your paper and ink; i texted you".
They continue writing letters for each other. Every anniversary or important event is accompanied by letters, now addressed to Donna Paulsen-Specter instead of Donna Paulsen, and of all the traditions they have, writing to each other is their favourite.
It's not until after their wedding that they quietly admit into the night that they were never big on writing letters before the fundraiser.