On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
A kiss and a slap.
On a particularly grim morning, Harvey slams the Lexus' door shut and quickly maneuvers around a handful of puddles blocking his path to the lobby. He holds the door open for a woman leaving the building and shakes the wet snow off his shoulders once he's through the door.
He presses the elevator button for the 50th floor while adjusting his slanted tie, and sighs, wishing he'd opted for a second coffee before he left his apartment. After leaving Donna's, where she was peacefully sleeping on the sofa, he poured himself a drink and tried to convince himself there was nothing going on between them. She didn't want more, he repeated over and over to himself as he downed a glass of whiskey and climbed into bed. He had a restless sleep, filled with visions of freckles and red and her, and he was paying for it this morning. He looked an absolute mess and he was in a train-wreck of a mood.
He grumbles as the elevator becomes packed with people, squishing himself against the back wall to avoid making eye contact with anyone. By the time they reach the 35th floor, the elevator is nearly empty again and he can feel some of the tension in his shoulders begin to slip.
In a daze, Harvey steps off the elevator on the 50th floor and walks directly into Louis, who, for some unapparent reason, is standing on the threshold of the elevator with a step stool.
"Louis!" Harvey barks, "What the hell are you doing?"
Louis steps back and stares at Harvey, confused and simply shrugs, "Hanging mistletoe."
"In the elevator?"
Harvey feels his pulse begin to race and he reminds himself to take a deep breath. His restless night was already ruining his day and it was hardly 9am. Stupid visions of his lips on porclean skin keeping him up all night.
"Where else would it go?" Louis asks.
"Back in the box it came from," Harvey huffs, "No one is going to participate in something so childish. Especially because this is an office, where professional business is conducted."
"Easy Mr. I-Hate-The-Holidays. People take holiday traditions very seriously around here."
"Mistletoe is a stupid tradition," Harvey whines. He knows arguing with Louis is pointless, but something keeps him from walking away and starting his day and he's stuck in a losing argument.
"It's a time honoured tradition. I think everyone here will appreciate and respect it. Now, step out of the way so I can hang it up."
Harvey does as Louis instructs, moving to the side so the shorter man can step up on the small plastic wedge and secure the miniature leaf tied with a red ribbon to the exterior of the elevator door.
Harvey stands and watches as Louis adjusts the piece until he's satisfied that its centered and steps down off the mount. "There," he grins widely, "perfect."
"Louis, no one in their right mind is going to participate in that."
"Someone needs to embrace the holiday spirit. Do I need to hang one in your office as well?"
"If you put one of those things anywhere near my office I promise it'll be a slap you're getting, not a kiss."
"If you don't want to partake in a little holiday fun, then don't," Louis flares his nostrils, "but you don't need to go around raining on the parades of others."
Before Harvey has a chance to say anything else, Louis turns on his heel and marches towards his office, muttering beneath his breath about Harvey and the damper he was putting on the festive mood at the firm.
Harvey shrugs off the conversation, glares at the stupid leaf hanging in front of the elevator and heads off towards his own office to tell Donna about the ridiculous encounter he just had with Louis.
.
.
Donna meets Rachel at the coffee cart outside before they're both due to be in the office and purchases herself a coffee and a bagel. She and Rachel claim seats on a bench across the street, and sit enjoying their coffee in the warm winter air. Rachel tells Donna about the gift she ended up getting for Mike, and asks if she thinks he'll enjoy it. They debate back and forth and eventually decide it's perfect for Mike.
"I hate that you can't join us for New Year's," Rachel whines, sipping her coffee.
"Me too," Donna admits.
"Any chance you changed your mind about spending the holiday with your mom?"
"I can't stay here Rach. I need something new this year."
"I get it. But I wish you'd stay."
"There's always next year," Donna smiles.
She finishes her coffee and begins eating her bagel. "Are you ready for the Secret Santa?"
"As I'll ever be, I have Louis," Rachel says.
"I have Mike," Donna laughs, "and I gave you my only good idea."
"So what'd you end up getting him?"
"I can't tell you! That's against the rules!"
"Socks?"
"Socks," Donna laughs. "Men are impossible to buy for. Plus something else but it's a secret because I know you and you'll tell him."
"Did you get Harvey anything?"
"Just a record."
Donna doesn't explain which record or the reason behind why she'd selected it, but Rachel doesn't press for details.
"What did he get you?"
"This," Donna smirks as she holds up her new purse. "Isn't it stunning?"
"Harvey has such great taste," Rachel snickers. The two women had once discussed Donna's use of Harvey's credit card while out for drinks and Rachel found it incredibly amusing that Harvey let Donna buy gifts for herself.
"He's nothing if not generous," Donna remarks.
The pair go on to discuss their upcoming holiday plans. Mike and Rachel planned on visiting Robert and Laura for a few days at Robert's vineyard, before returning to the city for some much needed time off. Both women whine about the extra hours they'd been putting in, and they end up deciding to cancel their plans to watch the new episode when Rachel receives a late meeting request, and sighs, making a joke about how much she loved the insane holiday hours.
"The preview looks so good," Rachel gushes. "There's more mistletoe."
"It's such a cliche tradition but god, they own the mistletoe kiss after last season," Donna beams.
"Let's watch two tomorrow?" Rachel suggests.
"Sure, your place?"
"My place works. I think Mike has plans with Harvey so it'll be a proper girls night. We can enjoy our cliché mistletoe kiss in peace."
.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Chapter 8: A kiss and a slap
"Hold the elevator," Mr. Shawn calls out as he sprints towards the closing metal doors. He inserts his palm and prevents them from closing, slipping into the car with a deep exhaled breath.
"Oh Michelle, headed home for the evening?" he adds when he spots her.
"That was the plan," she sings with a smile, "unless you needed something else?"
"Nope. Nothing else." He stuffs his hands into his pockets and awkwardly shuffles in place while the elevator begins its descent.
They stand, awkwardly, a few feet apart and watch as the numbers on the digital elevator sign decrease.
17...16...15.
"Have any plans tonight?" he asks.
"Just drinks with a friend," she answers. "Casual evening."
"Sounds like fun," he smiles.
She stares straight ahead and sighs. Things between them over the past few days had been interesting. She felt like they were getting closer to finally being something, but every time things became too serious, something or someone interrupted and she was left wondering if he was on the same page as she was.
Today, she was too exhausted to play the game, so she stares straight ahead and hopes he'll understand why she can't keep doing this. The elevator chimes and someone else steps on, standing between Michelle and her boss. She uses the opportunity to steal a glance of him over the strangers shoulder, but immediately regrets it when she finds him staring back at her.
The elevator reaches the third floor and the stranger steps off, leaving Michelle and Mr. Shawn to themselves once again.
"Look, Michelle…" Mr. Shawn begins speaking but is interrupted by the chime of the elevator, indicating that it had reached the ground floor.
Typical, she thinks to herself. She steps off the elevator and listens as his footsteps grow closer.
"Michelle," he calls after her.
She turns to face him but immediately hesitates upon spotting the mistletoe suspended from the ceiling above him.
"I swear I didn't plan this but you have to admit, it seems like fate."
"Fate?" she scoffs.
"If fate is the lame excuse that allows me to kiss you again, then yes, fate."
"What are we doing?" she sighs. He steps closer to her and she allows him to.
"Following an age-old holiday tradition?" he smirks.
"That's not what I mean and you know it. I thought you didn't want…"
"Right now," he breathes, reaching for her waist and pulling her towards him, the mistletoe hanging between them, "I just want to kiss you beneath this mistletoe."
.
.
Harvey stomps up the hall in the direction of his office, furious after his encounter with Louis. He wasn't trying to be a Scrooge, but he felt that there were some holiday traditions that weren't appropriate for an office and mistletoe was one of them.
He notices Donna hard at work as he approaches her desk, and huffs as he leans over her desk and groans, "Have you seen what Louis is up to?"
"No?" she stares back at him, confused.
"He put mistletoe up in the elevator!" Harvey exclaims, flailing his arms as his voice grows louder.
Donna stares back at him and blinks, waiting for him to add the scandalous part of what Louis was up to, but it never comes. Instead, he stands staring, waiting for her to react to what he's just told her.
"Oh?" she finally says. Donna tries to hide her smirk, but fails, Harvey's anger is simply too funny and she ends up chuckling.
"This is a place of business," he whines.
"No one said you had to participate," she reminds him.
"You don't think it's inappropriate for the office?"
"I mean, I've always found the entire mistletoe concept kind of stupid," Donna admits, "but I don't see the harm in letting Louis decorate the firm. It's not like he tried to kiss you beneath it."
Harvey's silence only causes Donna to chuckle harder and eye him, "Right?"
Before Harvey has an opportunity to tell Donna what he'd told Louis, that he'd rather slap him than be kissed by him, Jessica approaches the two of them and smiles.
"Working hard I see," she says, glaring at Harvey.
"Harvey was just telling me he loves the way Louis has decorated," Donna smirks.
"Oh really?" Jessica cocks her head and turns to face her senior partner, "Is that so?"
"Mhhm," he mumbles, "I should get to answering some emails," he adds, slipping away from the two women and into his office. Donna notices he leaves the door open and immediately knows it's so that he can listen in on their conversation. One of these days she would teach him how to properly eavesdrop, but she had no plans of doing so while she worked for him.
"What can I help you with Jessica?" she asks.
"I just wanted to see how everything was coming with the party."
"I'd say we're just about done with the preparations," she replies. She notices Harvey staring and she can't help herself from adding, "we just to pick up some more mistletoe."
He glares at her and she has to resist an overcoming urge to stick her tongue out at him, instead opting for a subtle wink that Jessica doesn't notice. Harvey rolls his eyes, pushes his chair back and pretends to focus on his computer screen, and Donna smiles in triumph.
"Wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing what you and Louis have planned," Jessica says. She waves at Harvey before leaving Donna to her day. Donna looks down and notices she has a message from Harvey.
Harvey: Ha ha, funny.
She responds,
Donna: I thought it was.
Donna returns to what she was doing before Harvey interrupted with his Louis rant, and spends the remainder of the morning in a chipper mood.
.
.
Donna's convinced the day is never ending. The stretch between her lunch break and the end of her work day seems infinite, and she's exhausted. She was used to working long hours over the holidays, but today was particularly gruelling and she couldn't wait to get home and crawl into bed.
It's nearing 9 o'clock when she and Harvey both begin to pack up for the evening. Donna slips her arms into her coat, grabs her purse and heads to the elevator. Normally, she would wait for Harvey to pack up as well, but her exhaustion carries her toward the exit while he's still tidying his desk.
She presses the button and waits as the numbers outside the elevator begin to get closer to 50. Once it arrives, she moves to step inside as Harvey rounds the corner and absentmindedly does the same, squishing the pair between the open elevator doors.
Flustered, Donna looks up at Harvey, who is glaring at the small green leaf dangling from the ceiling between them. Harvey has half a mind to kill Louis, until Donna's features soften and his entire outlook on mistletoe shifts in an instant.
"We can't break tradition," Donna says softly. She shrugs her shoulders to make the situation seem less intimidating than it really is.
"I guess not, that would be wrong or something," Harvey mutters and drags his hand through his hair.
"Right," Donna breathes in a near whisper. Her heart is racing so quickly she momentarily wonders if he can hear it. He's standing so close to her, in fact, he's inching closer as they stand face to face in the doorway of the open elevator.
"Right," he echoes. He looks down at her through hooded eyes and brings his palm up to cup her cheek. She closes her eyes as he slides his hand along her jawline, and leans up into the kiss that she's anticipating.
It's a soft and slow kiss. Appropriate for the office, though the way her heart is racing suggests it's much more intimate than it appears.
They part, though their noses rest together as he gently pulls her into the elevator and watches as the doors slowly slide shut. As soon as they close, his lips are on hers again, this time with far more eagerness than the initial kiss.
She's semi-aware that they're no longer under the mistletoe, but she doesn't care. Her hands tug his shoulders towards her, her mouth opens and she glides her tongue into his mouth.
He takes two steps towards her and guides them back towards the wall, which she hits with a thud, momentarily breaking their kiss. She uses it as an opportunity to tug on his lower lip which only causes him to kiss her harder.
It's a mess of limbs and sloppy, desperate kisses until the chime of the elevator reminds Donna they're still at the office and she realizes what they're doing and where they're doing it.
They part without saying anything, partly due to the fact she isn't sure of what to say, partly because her head is still spinning from their kiss.
She wanted him. For years she wanted him like this. She fantasized about this moment. She fantasized about a similar moment in his office, or at her desk. She'd craved the taste of his lips for the past decade and now that she'd got what she desired, she was certain there was no going back. She was his to have, even if he didn't want her that way.
Dazed, she steps off the elevator before him and runs her fingers over her lips. Harvey follows her out of the elevator car, but says nothing. He runs his hands through his hair, clears his throat as if he's about to say something but no words are exchanged. She turns to face him, her fingers tracing the path his lips recently paved across her cheek, and he pales.
"I should go," he says softly.
"Um.. yeah. Me too."
"Right... well, good night Donna," Harvey says. She watches as he stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks out to meet Ray. He only dares to look back once he's reached the car, but she's still staring after him and awkwardly catches his eye.
He slides into the back seat of the car and Donna stands in the lobby until the Lexus is out of sight and she can finally release the breath she'd been holding.