AN: Hi friends and folks! Let's get in the time machine, and travel back to season six, where we're between episodes 6.09 and 6.10 for this one-shot. I hope you'll like what I've come up with to keep our Darvey needs fulfilled. Enjoy!

Donna was having a mediocre day at best. There were things she was happy about, like Mike getting out of prison, but other things just irked her. She had a hunch something big was going to happen, but she couldn't decide if it was something good or something bad. She didn't even know if it would have anything to do with her. Or when exactly it was going to happen. Over the years she had stopped telling other people when she felt something was off. She had red hair already, she wasn't exactly keen on getting compared to witches more often.

She was sitting at her desk, typing up an important document that had to be delivered to Judge Atkins within the hour, when she saw Harvey round the corner, an annoyed look on his face.

"Hey Harv-", she started before he cut her off.

"Are you done with the motion?" he all but barked at her.

"I'm typing it at the moment."

"Why don't you have it ready?" he said as he checked his watch, adding, "I need it to be done in thirty minutes!"

"I know. As I said, I'm just typing it," Donna said calmly.

"Next time have it ready sooner," Harvey ordered and avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Harvey. I will."

"Why is no one doing their jobs?" he asked before he vanished in his office.

Donna quickly finished the motion, printed it, and took it to his office for Harvey to sign it.

"Here," she said as she closed the door behind her and handed him the sheet of paper.

"Finally," he sighed and signed the document.

As the ink was drying, Donna stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"OK, what is going on with you?" she demanded to know.

"Nothing," he waved it off.

"I can count on one hand how many times you've yelled at me over the years, and each and every time I could understand where you were coming from. You called me five minutes ago to tell me that the motion needed to be typed up in an hour, then you show up and pretend there's been a mistake on my part when all I did was type up the damn thing. So please don't say nothing, and tell me what the hell is going on!"

"I'm sorry, Donna. I didn't mean to insinuate you made a mistake. It's the Mike thing, and things are just... off."

"I get that. But I did nothing to deserve this," she said softly and sought out his eyes.

"I know," he said remorsefully as their eyes locked.

"Good."

Just as she was about to turn on her heel to put the letter in an envelope to send it on its way, she heard him clear his throat.

"Donna?"

"Yes?"

"Did you go mudding with Louis?"

"What?"

"Louis asked me to come mudding with him because he asked you last time. Did you?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"When?"

"A couple days ago. Why?"

"Doesn't matter. Please send the motion by messenger."

"Sure."

And with that, she left the office. Harvey stayed behind even angrier than he was before, only now he managed to keep his emotion to himself. Ten minutes ago his world was fine, but then Louis made the off-handed comment about having gone mudding with Donna, and Harvey saw red. At first he was wondering what on earth made her agree. But then different kinds of thoughts penetrated his mind. What kind of bathing suit she had worn, a question he knew had better been left untouched. He pictured her in the mud-bath, how she blissfully closed her eyes as she tried to ignore Louis's presence. Was she wearing a one-piece, or a bikini? What color would it have been? She'd look sexy in black, and undoubtedly hot in red. And then came the question that wouldn't leave him alone for the rest of the day, including the following sleepless night: Did she wear a robe before stepping into the bath, concealing her bathing suit, or did she strut in there in a sexy bikini, not caring if Louis saw her almost naked? Harvey wracked his brain all night, hoping for the former, fearing the latter.

He was well aware of the fact that he had no right to tell her what to do, but at the same time he couldn't stop his mind from going there. His possessive side appeared, and he wasn't particularly proud of it. Nonetheless, the thoughts were there. Donna was his, no one from the office was allowed to see her that way. She had her rule for a reason, but she had also broken it before. Shit! Donna had worked for Louis, did this mean that there was a possibility that they could be together? In a romantic way? Harvey knew that Donna and Louis shared a passion for theater. Was this Mitchell guy even still in the picture? He quickly pushed the notion aside.

Images of her freckled skin invaded his brain. If one night in his life screwed him up for good, it was certainly that one. Never in a million years would he have thought that he was picturing her, them, regularly, over a decade later. He was torn between regretting that night for that reason, or being glad it happened because his fantasy was still living on it. Now that he was thinking about regret, he thought that he wasn't regretting offering her the job instead of asking her out on a proper date though. He knew that he wasn't ready then. He had different goals, and having a girlfriend wasn't one of them. Harvey's career was his number one priority back then. To a degree, it still was. But unlike then, he now no longer sought out the loner lifestyle. Maybe it was the exposure to Mike that made him realize that there was more to life than just work. He was envious of Mike's relationship to Rachel. Seeing the two lovers reunited after Mike got out of prison was a moment Harvey would treasure forever.

He knew that Donna and Rachel were close friends and that they both seemed to be able to support people despite their flaws. They loved them inspite of their flaws. Love. Donna told him twice that she loved him. Once, she compared her love towards Harvey to a familial one. The second time, however, she told him she loved him without any restrictions. And then she left.

Harvey turned to lie on his stomach, the pillow wedged between his head and arm, his eyes open and his heart suddenly racing. She told him she loved him. Not many people had ever told him they loved him. And if he was honest with himself, he hadn't really given many people the reason to do so. But still, Donna had.

He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and started typing.

You still awake?

To avoid the awkward waiting period, Harvey got up and grabbed a glass of water in the kitchen. He gulped it down, and slowly went back to bed. His heart beat faster when he saw that he had a reply from Donna.

Yeah. Must be the full moon...

Harvey smiled. He replied Can I call you?

He watched the three little dots appear, then disappear. When they reappeared, his thumb hovered over the call button, but then they disappeared again. He was disappointed, but knew that it was close to midnight, and that they both needed to get up early the next day. The more surprised he was when he then saw her call him.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi. What's up?"

"Nothing, I, uh, I just can't sleep."

"Me either. It's all been a bit much lately."

"I know. But it was worth it, right?" he wondered.

"Sure was. Mike's free."

"Yeah."

"I assume you'll make him an offer soon."

"You know me so well."

"I know you're longing for calmer days."

"I do. And when I want some relaxation, maybe Louis can take me to the club," he said and tried to sound nonchalant, but he was afraid he came across as reproachful.

"Harvey, what is bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me. I just find it hilarious that Louis actually talked you into going mudding with him," he chuckled.

"You wouldn't believe how good it really felt. I could tune him out as he babbled about Tara and Josh. It was divine!"

"Who are Tara and Josh?"

"Oh, that's his girlfriend and her boyfriend."

"What now? Louis is in a throuple?"

"No! He can barely handle being in a relationship with one person, much less two."

"So, mudding is relaxing, even with Louis present," Harvey said, but it almost sounded like a question.

"Yup," she replied with a grin.

"Does it make up for the fact that your swim suit gets ruined in the process?" he asked her, desperate to steer the conversation in a different direction. He just needed to find out what she had worn in the mud-bath.

"It might surprise you, but my bikini wasn't ruined," she replied, wondering why he was suddenly interested in the cleanliness of her clothes.

So she had worn a bikini. The thought tortured Harvey even more. But on some level it also satisfied him to have found out.

"Well, I guess when it's dark enough, it won't make a difference," Harvey mumbled.

"Um, I wore a white one," Donnna clarified.

He fell silent then. Was she trying to kill him? Donna in a white bikini was exactly the look he had created many moons ago with a can of whipped cream. He had enjoyed spraying the sweet cream on her body as much as he then enjoyed chasing the pattern with his tongue before the cream had completely liquified again. Back then, the felt proud to have placed strawberries in the middle of each triangle of her bikini top. But now picturing her in an actual white bikini, maybe the shadow of her nipples showing through the fabric, was driving him mad with jealousy and lust.

"Harvey?"

"Yeah. Sorry, something just came up," he lied, and his cheeks started burning when he noticed the innuendo. "So, how does it work exactly at the mud club?"

"Well, I changed into the bikini, put on a bathrobe, then I entered the room with two giant mud-filled tubs. Renaldo had put up a privacy curtain, and thank God he did, because Louis enjoys mudding in the buff."

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"Nope. He was naked," she snickered.

"God, I really didn't need to know that," said Harvey and made a face of disgust to no one but himself.

"Come on, Harvey. He was all over the damn place about his relationship. And I'm glad I could be there for him. He even called me the second most important woman in his life."

"He did, huh?" Harvey said.

"Yeah. It was really sweet."

There was a long pause again. But this time Donna stayed quiet, leaving Harvey to pondering the notion. He would without a doubt swear to anyone who would listen that Donna was someone very special in his life.

"I know I don't tell you enough, but thank you for being there for me, too. You've done so much for me. I can never make it up to you. You might be the second most important woman to Louis, but you are the most important person in my life. And you have been for quite some time."

His confession came as a huge surprise to Donna. She felt the overwhelming urge to tell him the same was true for her. No person had ever been so important in her life. Her life revolved around Harvey, and not just in a professional capacity.

"Harvey, I-" was all he heard before his phone went dead. He stared at the black screen. And suddenly, he couldn't stand to stay in his bed. He threw the covers to his right, got up, and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. Sooner than a plan had formed in his head, he was out the door and on his way to Donna's.

Donna stared at her phone as she tried to call him for the third time. She was in the middle of a sentence when she got cut off, and now she was confused. Should she go over to his place? She decided against it. She knew Harvey. He rarely opened up like that. The moment was gone. Donna doubted that they could recapture that point of honesty anytime soon. It's this decade long trace of moments like this that at times made it very clear to her that there was something more, but it ultimately hadn't lead to anything besides a night of passion so long ago. It was more likely Harvey would backpedal instead of repeating what he said. But he did say it. He told her she was the most important person in his life, and he wasn't referring to her job. She drew in a sharp breath, got out of her bed and started pacing. It was almost a year ago when they had last reached a similar point, and things had gone to shit afterwards. She was scared to death that this was their groundhog day. Being trapped in an endless loop of the same emotional dead end.

Donna got mad at herself for always getting her hopes up when he said things akin to what he said to her five minutes ago. It's as if Ironic by Alanis Morrissette could've used another verse, solely about their dynamic. First he says he loves her, only to backpedal a day later. Then she repeats those words to him, only to quit working for him. I'm bothered, but it's not what you think. I love you, but not like that. She was considering calling him again, but what was the point? The next morning he would most likely walk through his glass door, greeting her curtly, and that would be that. Until maybe, just maybe, they would find themselves in another moment of heartfelt honesty in another six months' time. Donna sighed. She was a grown woman, finding herself hoping for a guy who was probably only nice to her because he liked being cared for by her. Professionally.

This pacing was getting her nowhere. Donna went back to her bedroom, rolled out her yoga mat and started with a couple of breathing exercises to calm herself down. It was after midnight for crying out loud. She needed to get some sleep at some point. Just as she felt her heartbeat evening out, she was interrupted by the sound of the bell system. She got up, walked to her entryway and pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Paulsen, there's a Mr. Specter here, asking to be let upstairs."

"It's fine, Johnny. Let him through."

In the minute before Harvey appeared at her door, Donna's heartrate went up again, making her exercises a superfluous attempt at calming her down. She was wondering what he was doing here. Probably he needed to clarify that he hadn't meant it like that. That she was important to him, but not that important.

When she opened her door after his knock, she took in his appearance. He had been in her apartment exactly four times, but she had never seen him here in casual attire. And she truly couldn't deny it was doing things to her. Harvey in jeans and a simple black t-shirt. She was in trouble.

"Can I come in?" he asked her gently.

"You came all the way here already..." she replied and opened the door further.

He looked at her, couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over her body. He never expected her to wear this, long silk pyjamas. He really must have surprised her by coming over.

They walked to her living room where they sat down on the couch.

"Listen," he started, leaving no doubt in Donna's mind where this was going. "I'm sorry I asked all those questions about mudding. As soon as Louis mentioned it, I don't know, I couldn't help myself from picturing it. You and Louis next to each other in a mud-bath. Because this means you're friends, right? You no longer work for him, why would you do that?"

Donna nodded. "He needed me."

"Yes, apparently so. But then I was wondering why we never do things like that. And I don't mean that, exactly. God no. Other things. Maybe things that don't involve a tub full of dirt."

"What are you saying?" she asked him, her mind going wild from what he's said so far.

He exhaled before he looked at her face again. "I've never had a bad time with you. Ever. Whenever we spend some time together that isn't work-related, I have the best time. You get me. You're funny, smart and so compassionate. What are we doing?"

"Harvey, what exactly do you want?" she pressed. She had no idea what he was rambling on about. Donna had to ask him. She needed clarity.

"I guess what I want is to spend more time with you," he simply stated.

"We see each other for 80 hours a week," she pointed out.

"I know. But I want more. And I don't mean spending time like you and Louis do. I wanna take you out to dinner more often, not just once a year at Del Posto or take-out at the office at 9PM. I wanna take you to the Garden when there's a boxing match, if you want. We could go to the theater together, too. Maybe go out to see a movie every once in a while. Or stay in and watch a movie, whichever you prefer."

"So let me get this straight. On top of working together, you want to share meals and entertainment with me," she said a little incredulously.

"I do. Because as I said, you're the most important person in my life. You're amazing, and I'd really like it if we did some of those things. Together. If you'll have me."

"I'm sorry to be digging deeper here. I don't quite get it. Are you asking me to hang out with you, or are you asking me out on a date?" she demanded to know. Her tone was soft, but it had an edge to it. She was tired, and she had no clue what it was he really wanted. Was this all motivated by jealousy? And if so, what kind of jealousy? Was he maybe just possessive over her because he had lost her to Louis once? On top of that, she was sick of misinterpreting his words and actions. It had her led to hope when it was unwarranted many a time.

He smiled at her then. Time to come clean, so he took a deep breath. "I thought you always knew everything. I was hoping you'd go out on a date with me. But if you just want to hang, then that's fine, too."

Was this real? Here she was, sitting next to Harvey on her couch, at 12.30AM on a Tuesday, being asked if she wanted to date him.

She cleared her throat. "I don't know about boxing, but I'd very much like to do the other things you mentioned."

His face split in a wide grin that made her heart beat faster than she thought was possible. "Yeah?"

"Yes," she said and smiled back to him.

"What about hand holding?" he asked as he took her hand in his.

"I guess that'd be fine," she said.

"Good. What about kissing?" Harvey then wanted to know. He took her hand to his face and kissed the back of it. Donna's heart thumped in her chest.

"Also fine," she breathed.

He turned her hand around and pressed his lips to her wrist. The sleeve of her pyjama top slid up her arm as he raised her hand. His lips moved up on the inside of her right arm, and she was nearly shuddering from it all. He was so gentle, and she never expected it could be so erotic to be kissed there. She had goosebumps all over her body, and she couldn't take it anymore. She pressed her right knee into the couch, lifted up and in one swift motion turned to straddle Harvey's lap. He looked into her eyes and saw the fire he had sparked. Donna took his face in her hands, and gently kissed him. Surprised by her action, an involuntary moan escaped him then.

As their kiss deepened, both got lost in the feeling of being so close after so many years. Harvey's hands roamed her back as he pulled her even closer to him. He couldn't believe how good she, they, felt. He mentally scolded himself for not doing it sooner when it hit him why they haven't done it sooner. He gently pulled her back by her shoulders, and their lungs sucked in as much air as they could.

His eyes looked for hers, took in her swollen lips, and he swallowed. "What about work?"

Donna blinked. Once, twice, then she opened her mouth to say something, but came up blank.

So he spoke instead. "I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me."

"But you said..."

"I know what I said. And we have to figure something out. But if I should stop working for you, I'm sure you're perfectly capable to stay the best closer the city has ever seen."

"Really? Because your comments over the years have suggested otherwise."

"I've told you already that I believe in you. And let me be very clear: I know I'm valuable to you at work, but don't you think it'll be worth it in the end? I can't be the only one who remembers that night. I know what I felt back then."

His look dropped to her mouth again. He'd be lying if he said the same wasn't true for him, but in a way he was ashamed he so willingly threw it away back then, only to value it more over the years. "You're right. It'll be worth it. Besides, if Mike comes back to the firm, maybe it'll soften the blow of losing you as my secretary. That is if you're willing to break your rule for me."

"I mean you did mention going to the theater with me," she breathed against him, a coy smile playing at her lips.

"That's what swayed you?"

"Well, it's been over a decade since I last saw you naked, so we'll see."

"Hey, I regularly go to the boxing gym since you last saw me naked."

"Yeah, which means you're more likely to break your nose, jaw or cheekbone. So I hope your body makes up for the fact that your face will no longer be its most handsome version."

"I knew you find me handsome," he said while his words were accompanied with his shit-eating grin.

"And cocky," Donna replied with a raised eyebrow.

"And irresistable."

"And pretty full of yourself," she almost sing-songed.

"Maybe I'll be full of yourself soon."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Hey, I have a gorgeous woman in my lap, maybe there's hardly any blood in my brain left to come up with a witty response," Harvey confessed and shyly lowered his eyes.

"Please, you've never come up with a witty response to me."

"That's because you've always had that effect on me."

Donna let out a soft chuckle and traced his left eyebrow with her finger. "Really? You should've seen me in the bikini..."

His breath got stuck in his throat. The image that has tortured him for the entire day wouldn't leave him alone. "Don't tease me."

"I'm just getting started," she smiled against his mouth before she deftly kissed him. Her day definitely wasn't mediocre anymore.

Leave me a review if you will.

PurryCat will return