This story is a very late entry for Darvey Valentine. "Louis being the new managing partner Harvey and Donna goes for drinks They decided to go celebrate in Harvey's condo Asking for Ray to stop so they can buy a celebratory bottle and walk to his place They weren't expecting the storm and found themselves soaked and freezing" The prompt was by DonnaPaulsen19 on Twitter.
I never would have finished this story without the help of my amazing Beta and cheerleader AimeeValle1! Thank you for always helping me when I was stuck.
Lately, life at the firm has been stressful. With Robert now in the picture, Rachel and Mike off to Seattle, and the aftermath of all the Paula drama, life had been a more than a little nerve wracking. On top of that, Robert and Harvey had to go and start a competition between Samatha and Alex to see whose name would go up next. At some point it became too much for Donna. She felt like she had to put her foot down or the firm would implode from the inside. These two grown men were fighting like a couple of three year olds. She was the COO, afterall, and well respected by everyone in the firm so in the end the only person she had to get on board was Louis. The firm meant everything to him and not even the fact that he would soon become a father would stop him from saving it from falling to pieces.
So here they were. Louis was the new managing partner.
He stood in his office watching the sparkling skyline of New York sipping on a glass of scotch. So much had happened to him that day and it was tough to process it all. To take it all in. All he had ever wanted was to be managing partner and now that he was, it couldn't seem less important than it did in this very moment. He let out a deep breath when he felt Harvey enter his office.
"Harvey, it's been a long day so if you are here to yell at me..." He really wasn't in the mood for another fight with Harvey. He just wanted to have his peace and quiet for a little while longer. A chance to let it all sink in.
"Relax Louis, I am here to say thank you. We lost ourselves and you brought us back." Harvey walks further into the office and stops right next to Louis at the panoramic window. Louis turns his head and looks at Harvey with a puzzled expression on his face. He certainly wasn't expecting that.
"Thanks, Harvey. I appreciate that," he sighs.
There is a short silence between the two men. Neither sure of what to say next when Harvey finally continues.
"Takes a lot of balls to come at me and Robert like that".
"No, Harvey. It didn't. Because for the first time I didn't care how either one of you saw me, because I didn't even want to be managing partner in the first place." a small smile appears on Louis's lips. His current situation was not at all what he had imagined it would be when he woke up this morning, but things had gone this way for a reason, and he had accepted that. He turns to face Harvey to make sure he really understands what he is saying.
Yet, Harvey stands in front of him with a confused look on his face. As far as he knew Louis had always wanted to be managing partner. Wanted to be better than him. And now his friend is looking at him with a serious, but happy, expression saying he never wanted to be managing partner in the first place?
"What do you mean?" Harvey finally asks.
The smile on Louis face breaks open until it takes up the whole width of his face. He explains further.
"I am gonna have a baby, Harvey. I'm gonna be a dad. And once that hit me, dealing with this felt so simple." Louis's voice and eyes are full of emotion.
Hearing the good news, Harvey's expression starts to mirror the one from his friend. He knew how long Louis had dreamed of becoming a father, and how hard it had been on him when Sheila had miscarried. Now he would finally have what he had always wanted.
"Congratulations Louis. I think you are gonna make a great managing partner and I know you are gonna make an outstanding father."
The two men hug just as Donna walks into Louis's office. A smirk spreads on her lips. She has known the two men long enough to expect them to be at each other's throats after something like this, but she is pleasantly surprised to see Harvey seems to have accepted the situation.
"You two need to get a room or does anybody wanna go out and celebrate?"
"Actually I think I am just gonna stay here for a bit and take it all in." He gives Donna a smile before he turns around again and lets his gaze wander back to the window looking at the city lights.
"I understand," she responds with a smile.
"Goodnight, Louis," Harvey says heading to the door.
"Goodnight."
Donna and Harvey leave the office together after he agreed to go for a drink with her.
"Level with me. You really think he can handle this?" Harvey asks her as they walk next to each other down the hall.
A cheeky smile grows on Donna's lips as she speaks. The joy in her voice is noticeable. "I think desperate times require desperate measures. And I think something else, too."
"What's that?" Harvey grins back.
Their arms are slightly brushing against each other.
"That I'm going to enjoy watching you and Robert take orders from Louis." Harvey's head turns in her direction. He is not quite sure what she means. Louis will be the boss of all of them from now on. Sure, Donna may have been part of the process of Louis getting there, but why should that bring her any advantage, when in the end she is still below him in the food chain? He is pretty sure of himself when he lets her in on his thoughts.
"We're not gonna be the only ones he's in charge of. He'll be giving you plenty of orders, too."
"No, he won't. You're forgetting. I'm the Louis whisperer," she says in a hushed tone. As the words leave her lips, she leans into him.
"Are you sure about that? When he walked in, he said you weren't pulling it off, he was."
"And who do you think told him to say that?" She stops to take a look at Harvey's reaction, knowing he wouldn't expect that.
He turns to her and makes a face that tells her that she was right. Even after all the years that they have been working together, she could still surprise him.
"Holy shit, are you saying you're the real managing partner?"
"I'm not saying that. But I am also not not saying that." She grabs his arm and places her right hand on his shoulder slapping it lightly.
"Come on, Pretty. Drinks are on you."
They walk down the hallway and head to get their things from their offices. It had been quite a while since they had gone out for drinks. They were well on their way to a new normal and occasionally had drinks at the office after a late night, but going out for drinks was something different.
As Donna walks into her office, closes her laptop and slips her arms into her long coat a smile spreads over her face. It had been a good day. And it wasn't over yet. She really likes the thought of spending some time with Harvey outside of work again. The pain was still there, somewhere in the back of her mind, buried deep inside from all the what ifs and could have beens with Harvey, but it was slowly disappearing and she was at a point now where she was able to trust him in a personal way again.
The moment she was about to close her door an old and familiar thought crept into her mind. Would there ever be a chance for them to be more? Maybe not right now. They're not even close to that. But maybe someday? She had been telling herself that for such a long time now that the hope for him to finally wrap his head around his feelings was fading more with every passing day. I mean, she would be okay with them just being close friends again. At least that's what she tells herself as she walks out to meet him at the elevators.
He is already waiting for her with a smile on his lips. He offers his arm and even though it seems to be a bit too much physical contact for the place they are in their current relationship, she wraps her arm around his and walks with him into the elevator.
They stand close to each other with their arms interlocked the entire ride down. She feels her body start to hum as the scent of him enters her nose. The side of his body is touching hers and the heat between them is undeniable. When they leave the elevator on the ground floor she casually lets her arm slip from his and walks ahead of him to the car, where Ray is waiting for them. Harvey notices an immediate sense of loss when she breaks the contact between them. But instead of pushing the feeling aside, the way he has done for so long, it fuels his need to touch her again.
Ray opens the door for her and she gets in, followed by a slightly irritated Harvey. They decide that it would be best if they celebrate at Harvey's condo and just buy a good bottle of liquor at the store on the way.
As they sit next to each other in the back seat, Harvey's hand brushes lightly along her outer thigh. He slides his hand up and down his leg, slowly, as if warming it from the cool air outside. With each stroke up and down, his pinky rubs along her leg.
Donna isn't sure if his actions are intentional or not, but regardless they make her skin break out in goosebumps. What the hell was he doing? She could feel every hair on her skin stand in anticipation. His soft touch causes her mind to wander back to the thoughts she had just left behind in her office. Was he trying to tell her something or was it all just in her imagination? And if he was, why now? They were finally in a good place.
Despite the internal struggle, Donna didn't want him to stop. She didn't want this intimate moment to end. About four blocks away from his place Harvey told Ray to stop at the liquor store on the next corner.
"You can go ahead and go home, Ray. We will just walk from here. It's not that far," Harvey tells Ray as he Donna get out of the car.
"You sure, Harvey? I can wait?" Ray asks.
"We'll be fine. See you tomorrow, Ray." Harvey closed the door he had opened for Donna and Ray drove off.
Leaving the car also meant the loss of contact. Only this time, Harvey isn't the only one who misses it.
After some time wandering through the store Donna comes back to Harvey with an expensive bottle of red wine. "I think I found the right drink to celebrate this special occasion. I've always wanted to try this one since Rachel told me that Mike bought it for her once. Apparently he had read on the internet that it was the highest quality wine you could find without paying a fortune. And... since you're the one buying, it seems like a perfect chance for me to try it." Donna smirks and shrugs her shoulders playfully.
An incredulous look spreads across Harvey's face. He had never been much of a wine lover. He enjoyed a good scotch much more, and Donna knew it.
"Really, Donna? Can't we just get a good scotch? At least we don't have to empty the bottle then." Harvey whines.
"This is a celebration, Harvey. So we should choose something special! Not your usual Maccallen."
"How about we just buy both?" He sighs. "We shouldn't mix them, but at least we can both have what we want," he adds as he walks up to the counter.
They pay and are about to leave when Harvey notices the rain pattering against the window of the store. He turns his head to see if Donna had noticed it too. She's just looking out the window with a slightly distraught look on her face.
"We could try to catch a cab… or we could just walk?" His eyes are still focused on her. He isn't sure she even heard him. She seems focused on the rain. He waves one of his hands in front of her face to get her to pay attention to him.
"Did you say something?" she questions, a bit embarrassed that she got caught up in her thoughts.
"I just wondered if you would like to walk the few blocks even though it's raining or if we should try to get a cab?" He chuckles at her confused expression and continues.
"It seems to be getting worse. Maybe it's better if we get a cab," Harvey proposes.
He hands her the bag with the two liquor bottles and walks first out of the store into the pouring rain. He waves his hand on the side of the street trying to hail a cab, but the few cabs that pass them are all already occupied.
Their heads and coats are getting wetter with every minute they stand in the rain so Harvey changes the plan. "It's not that bad. It's just a few blocks. Just give me the bottles and then we can walk." He gives her a resigned look before taking the bottles back and starts walking.
Just moments after they set out the rain starts pouring heavier than before. At some point Donna starts running in an attempt to get to his building faster and to avoid getting completely soaked. Harvey follows her lead.
They run through the rain like children. Giggling at how ridiculous this situation is and how drenched they are getting.
They arrive at Harvey's building completely drenched and still laughing. Donna catches her breath before she starts talking excitedly.
"You know, I actually kind of like the rain. It reminds me of some good times as a kid," she said with a smile on her face.
"Just tell me the story, both know you want to," he laughs as they get on the elevator. He really likes the way they seem to be talking so freely for a change.
"I was in my last year of middle school and was having a hard time after some guy from the theater club had dumped me after our second date. I really liked him. So one day my mom waited in the parking lot for me after school and took me to a concert. My favorite band happened to be playing some small concerts in our area. I never found out how she knew, but we had an amazing time together."
The joy radiating around the redhead next to him in the elevator makes Harvey hope that maybe there will be a time when he will be the cause of this kind of happiness in her. He is so lost in that thought he nearly misses the fact that she's continuing with her story
"And that wasn't even everything!" Donna adds, talking a mile a minute. "When the concert was over, my voice was almost gone and I had completely forgotten about that stupid boy. The band came in front of the stage to meet the audience, and I was so starstruck I was struggling to find my words. All the band members gave me an autograph on my ticket and my mom had a camera with her so we took some photos. It was probably one of the best evenings I ever spent with my mom." Donna remembers it like it was yesterday, even though it had been two decades earlier.
"Later, when we left the concert to go home, it started raining. It wasn't far from our apartment and we were in such a good mood that we decided to walk. At some point we started dancing in the rain. Enjoying the empty streets, knowing that noone would see us like that. We were so carefree and for a little while we completely forgot about everything else that was going on in our lives! Since then I've never really worried much about rain. I've always felt like it was a sign that even bad days could turn out better than you would expect." She finishes her tale with a nostalgic smile spreading across her lips.
"Sounds like a really good memory." Harvey smiles.
Donna finishes up her story just when Harvey unlocks the door to his condo. The water dripping from their bodies is forming puddles on the floor of his apartment as they walk inside. He turns around to look at her after putting his keys on his counter to find her all wet and shivering.
"You can't stay in those clothes. You're gonna get sick. Take them off." he says without thinking twice about his words.
She looks back at him, eyes wide with shock at what he had just said.
"Harvey-"
When he finally realizes the way his words sounded he struggles to backpedal his way out of it.
"No, Donna- I didn't mean-"
"It's okay, Harvey. I get it," she assures him, laughing.
"I am going to get you something to change into and towels for both of us." He turns around and walks in the direction of his bedroom.
Her thoughts start wandering when he is just out of view. He seems a bit different tonight. Like the situation with Louis being Managing Partner had changed more than just his role at work. Like, maybe it changed his entire perspective. She doesn't know how or why, but the Harvey that is in the next room getting clothes for her to change into seems like the kind of man she had always known he really was; behind all those walls he had built up around him. He seems more content. At ease.
He comes back into the living room with some sweats and a T-shirt of his in one hand and a towel in the other. "Here. I hope it's okay. I don't really have anything else."
"I will be fine. It's not like I have to live in it for the rest of my life, just until my clothes are dry." She chuckles at how concerned he looks.
"You can go to the bathroom if you want to. I will just go in when you're done," he offers.
She accepts and walks through his bedroom into the ensuite bathroom. She had never seen his bedroom up close before so when she walks through it she takes a close look at it. His bed is right in the middle of the room in front of the big windows and the balcony. She must admit, it looks very comfortable. There is a lounge chair on the left and at the end of the room on the right there are two doors that she assumes lead to his walk-in closet.
She turns to the right and goes into the bathroom.
A few minutes later she comes back to the living room. It feels a lot better to be out of her wet clothes and what Harvey had given her is very comfy. It's a little strange to be wearing his pants and shirt, but she actually kind of likes it.
"You look... cute. My clothes are definitely too big for you, though," he laughs. "Come over here. I already poured some wine for you." She smiles shyly. It's good to know that they can talk carefree again.
They sit next to each other on the couch. Donna is sipping on her wine, Harvey his scotch.
"So, I told you about a happy memory from my childhood, why don't you tell me something about yours that I don't know yet. There has to be something I don't know about you," she teases.
"You really think I could hide anything from you? You have been listening to my private conversations for over a decade and I am not completely convinced you're not still doing it,' he says just has to mock her. It's what they do.
"I- I- I am not doing that anymore. Just tell me a story. And don't even think about changing the subject. That would just prove to me that you are actually thinking of something, but too afraid to share."
"Okay. Okay, " he surrenders. "When I was probably around six years old I was always playing on the playground in our neighborhood. I was either sitting in the sand building sandcastles as high as I could reach or I was running around with some kids from the area. One day, we were playing family with some kids and a girl asked me if I would be her husband. I told her that I should be the one to propose to her and not the other way around. She said she was a modern and independent girl and that she could decide for herself who she would marry."
Harvey was shaking his head and laughing lightly at the memory. If he was honest with himself the little girl from back then actually reminded him a lot of Donna. How self confident she was. Just like the person sitting next to him, she would never let anyone tell her what to do. It was a quality he really liked about Donna. She always did what she thought was right.
"So, long story short I told her I would be her husband. Another boy officiated our little wedding and after we said 'I do', she said we needed to kiss to make it official. I was six. I had never kissed a girl before and probably never even thought about it so I hesitated. Then she just grabbed my face and pressed her lips on mine. I was shocked and pulled away. I just stood there and smiled at her awkwardly," he chuckles. "It's funny to think of it now. When we were kids everything was just so much easier. Kids don't over think everything they do and worry about what could happen every time they take a risk. Like this little girl, she just did what she felt like."
During his story he had turned his body on the couch in Donna's direction. She has the strangest feeling that he is trying to tell her something. Like that last statement was more than just a story. He looks deep into her eyes, getting lost in the hazel color. He can feel himself inching closer to her and there is nothing he can do to resist it.
Donna is paralyzed by the intensity in his eyes. She can't move. He is so close. Too close. But she doesn't move away from him. It's like they are floating in zero gravity, unable to decide where to move and what to do next.
Seconds later he closes the remaining distance between them.
Their lips perfectly mould into each other. The kiss is soft, Harvey hopes to hold on to it forever. Donna kisses him back briefly, before pulling away from him shaking her head. She pushes him back with her hands on his shoulders.
"Harvey- we can't. We shouldn't."
"We can and we should. I need you! I want to share my life with you, Donna. Only you. I just hope it's not too late for-"
Donna crashes her lips into his, while taking his face in both her hands and pulling him closer. She needs him as close to her as humanly possible now that she has him, she has to make sure that he is not going anywhere. She pulls him down so she is laying on her back and he is hovering over her. Their lips never lose contact.
Completely out of breath Harvey finally pulls away. He looks into Donnas eyes like he is looking at his whole world. Her eyes are dark and he can see the arousal and want in them. Seeing her looking at him like that turns him on even more. He feels his cock twitch in his pants. He knows she must feel it too because they are so close.
Feeling his arousal growing Donna lets out a light moan. It's a beautiful sound to his ears and he definitely plans to hear it a lot more tonight.
"Harvey...I really need you. Now. How about we relocate this to your bed? It looked really comfortable when I walked past it earlier." She lets out a soft chuckle that ends in another moan when he presses his body into her more.
Donna intertwines their hands before getting up from the couch. She leads him in the direction of the bedroom and he follows eagerly. He can't wait to get her stripped of his clothes that are covering way too much of the body he has been craving to see again. The body that had followed him into his dreams on all the lonely nights since the other time. He needs to feel her soft skin under his hands and lips again.
He never expected today to end like this, but he knows he will very much enjoy what's coming next.
Just when they enter his bedroom he pulls on her hand to turn her back to him. He pulls a bit too hard so she crashes into his chest. Donna looks up at him.
"Hi."
"Hi."
They are completely lost in each other. Again, they are inching closer and closer like two magnets. Both of them aware of how much they want the other, yet neither wanting to rush it. They want to savor every single moment.
Their lips brush against each other again. It's soft at first, but the hunger growing in both of them leads the kiss to become more urgent and needy. Harvey softly nibbles at her bottom lip making Donna let out a small moan again opening her mouth. Harvey takes this as his chance to deepen the kiss even more and moves his tongue against hers.
Donna's hands move to the hem of his shirt to try to move it up and over his head. She would love to just kiss him all night, but they will have time for that later. Right now she just needs to feel his skin on hers again after more than a decade apart. Harvey understands what she is trying to do and finally pulls the shirt over his head.
Their lips part for a brief moment before they are fused together again. Donna's hands land on Harvey's bare chest caressing every inch of it. His lips move to her jaw and down her neck. He nibbles and sucks on her soft skin and she is sure he will leave a mark sucking on her pulse point causing her to moan out loud.
Her hands move down his body to the waistband of his pants. She shifts her movements down even more and grips his cock in her hand through his pants, slowly stroking up and down. This time it's Harveys turn to let out a throaty moan.
While his right hand is still around her waist to hold her close his left hand catches hers to stop her ministrations. "Donna...You really need to get out those clothes," he half groans to her while her hand is still laying on his cock.
Their eyes lock when Donna takes a step back from him. He immediately misses the contact. She catches the hem of the shirt he gave her and pulls it over her head in a swift motion revealing that she was not wearing a bra underneath. Harvey's eyes fixate on her bare breasts, unable to look away. She still looks as beautiful as he remembers. Her breasts are just the right size and he wants to cup them with his hands. He takes a step in her direction, yet she doesn't give him a chance to get a hold of her.
She playfully turns away from him with a cheeky smile and walks away a few strides. She stops with her back still toward him and slowly pushes the sweats down revealing her ass and long legs. He feels his erection tighten with every inch of skin she reveals. She looks so damn sexy that he can't comprehend how he could've stayed away from her for this long.
The second her pants pool around her ankles he is right behind her again. He grabs her hips and grinds into her ass to show her what she does to him. He lets his hands slowly wander to her front over her stomach until his thumbs graze the soft skin of her breasts. He feels her suck in a sharp breath before she takes his hands in hers and places them on her chest. He cups them, and kneads them, letting his thumbs circle her hard nipples.
She arches her back into him signaling him to keep going. He sucks on the point between her neck and shoulder that he knows will drive her crazy, as she moans and tilts her head back to give him better access.
Harvey lets his right hand slide to her shoulder and down her arm, causing a shiver to run down the length of her spine. He intertwines his hand with hers and turns her around so she is facing him again. He leans in brushing his lips against hers. Donna's arms go around his neck again immediately. His hand on her lower back supports her while he slowly lays her down on the bed.
Harvey hovers over her again placing kisses from her lips to her neck and down her body. He wants to worship her like he has been longing to do for all these years. If hadn't been so afraid to act on his feelings. He needs her to feel just how much he wants all of her, all of them, not just her body. This night would be a night to remember.
Hours later they lay under the covers cuddled into each other. Their legs are tangled and his hand is cupping her cheek while his thumb is slowly caressing her cheekbone. She has her arm draped around his chest to keep him just where he is. Harvey leans in and places a soft kiss on her plump lips. He feels her smile into it.
When he pulls away she can see something in his eyes that she is sure she has never seen in them before. There had always been some kind of affection there, but tonight it was different. More. He looks deep into her eyes before he starts to speak.
"I don't want to scare you, but I need you to know that I am all in." It's barely above a whisper, but he knows she is hanging on every single word. "I love you, Donna. Probably have since the day we met. I know I've hurt you over the years and I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for that. But, I am ready now. I want to be with you. I want to go to bed with you at night and wake up with you in my arms in the morning. It's probably all I've ever really wanted in life. You. You're all I am ever gonna need."
When he finishes his speech he notices that her eyes are glistening with tears. One tear escapes her eyes and he wipes it away with his thumb. Even though everything seems perfect he feels the worry riding in his gut, a soft look of concern on his face. "Is everything okay? I didn't mean to upset you. Please tell me everything's okay."
Donna just nods her head slightly, not able to get out the words that she has waited to say for the last thirteen years. She lets her tears fall freely now. It doesn't scare her anymore for him to see her like this.
"I love you too, Harvey Specter," she whispers to him with a shaky breath before pressing her lips on his.
No matter what life would throw at them in future, they knew they would get through it with the one another always by their side. They had been a unit for over a decade and even though she wasn't on his desk anymore they had remained a team. Now they wouldn't just be a team at work, but also, finally, in their private life. It had taken them far too long to get here, but everything had finally worked out the way it was meant to. Their future would be full of love and laughter and neither of them could wait to start their life together.