ღ... Two Weeks Notice … ღ.
Category: Darvey/Romance
Summary: A few weeks before Valentine's Day, Donna notices Harvey is acting differently, but it doesn't mean anything. They're just friends finding a new normal.
AN: I think I've managed to write something that contains almost no angst :P Which means it's a lot different from my usual stories, and I played around with the style a little bit. I hope it works, but more importantly, happy Valentine's Day! :D
It's been snowing all afternoon, leaving the air crisp and drenched in darkness, and Donna's grateful when Harvey offers her a ride. She declines at first, out off habit. They live in New York and if she accepted a lift every time the weather was poor, she'd feel obliged to start contributing to Ray's wage. But Harvey is insistent. His palm falls to the small of her back, the light pressure gently guiding her, and she submits to the sudden warmth that flushes her cheeks.
It's not that they never touch.
They're just more cautious about it these days.
At one point or another they've both been burned by misunderstood intentions, so she ignores the flutter in her stomach and doesn't think anything of it when he opens the car door to usher her out of the cold. He's renowned for his charm, but she is too, and smiles brightly- a teasing glimmer in her gaze as she tucks her legs inside.
He smirks, silently conveying that chivalry isn't dead, and she shakes her head signaling he's an idiot.
...ღ...
The next morning he's waiting on the street outside her apartment and she takes him in with a curious head tilt. He's bundled in a different coat than yesterday, leaning against the Lexus with a coffee and brown paper bag stuffed in his hands.
She stops opposite him, clutching her purse with a pointed look. "My birthday was in October."
He raises an eyebrow. "Do you want the bagel or not?"
She grins as she climbs inside the vehicle.
He makes sure she's seated safely before handing over the breakfast and the hit of caffeine is like liquid gold. She hums her appreciation, heat tickling the back of her neck when she feels a pair of eyes watching her.
"Good morning, Ray."
"Morning, Miss Paulsen."
His amusement is reflected in the review mirror and she winds her lips into a smile. They chat away on the drive through the city, catching up on things she was too tired to ask the previous night. How is his wife, what are his kids up to at school? His youngest is practicing for an upcoming ballet recital, and she has visions of the most adorable little girl prancing around on stage to impress her doting father.
Harvey stays mostly quiet beside her, reading through the news on his phone and making sure all his appointments are in line for the day.
Rangling him used to be her job but now he's mastered the art of using his calendar so she and Ray continue to fill the silence. She mentions her dad is coming down for a few days, something she's looking forward too, and he suggests a few local theatre productions they might like to see.
When they arrive at the office Harvey picks up the conversation as he follows her through the door. "You didn't mention your father was going to be in town."
She hadn't.
Not for any particular reason, it just hadn't come up.
They stand at the elevator and he reaches up flicking the tip of his nose. "My mom's going to be here for a gallery opening. We should arrange dinner or something."
"With my father and your mother?"
He shrugs. "Sure, why not?"
There are at least a hundred reasons why not but she can't think of a single one.
So she agrees.
He looks relieved but quickly changes the topic of conversation back to work and when they go their separate ways, she forgets about the suggestion entirely. It isn't until the end of the day when he pops his head into her office that she's reminded of it again.
"Le Bernardin, tomorrow at 8pm."
"Sure."
He smiles.
She does too.
...ღ...
At breakfast she mentions the idea to her father and is surprised when he tells her it's a good one, that he's interested in getting to know Harvey properly after all these years.
She's perplexed but nobody else seems to be.
When she and Harvey both arrive in the lobby at the same time he doesn't turn into a big thing, except to say his mother is looking forward to meeting her. They ride up with light conversation, stalling outside the door to her office, and he helps her out of the heavy coat she's wearing.
The act leaves her standing in silent bewilderment
"Everything okay, Red?"
She glances at Gretchen, who's nursing a cup of tea with a coy smirk.
"Fine." She answers, shaking off the confusion.
...ღ...
The evening rolls around quickly and the atmosphere at dinner is pleasant and relaxed, wine flowing freely with easy conversation engaging all four occupants at the table. Most of her questions are directed toward Lily, intrigued by the woman who's mostly been a mystery to her up until now. She has a passionate, creative flair that Donna relates to and they chat a lot about art and theatre, while her father and Harvey stick to mostly sports metaphors and business strategies.
She can see more of Marcus in Lily than she can Harvey.
However, there are similarities between the mother and her eldest son. A drive to succeed, wisdom learned from experience, and a taste for the finer things in life. Lily's only regret seems to be that she didn't travel more when she was younger, and Donna's quick to point out it's never too late, the advice well received with a warm smile.
They stay at the restaurant until close to midnight, the Specter charm on equal footing with the Paulsen sass, and they're all in agreement they should do it again sometime, when the stars align, and they find themselves in the same place again.
"He's a good, honest man, sweetheart. You picked well." Her father comments on the way home in the cab.
She finds it a little odd but doesn't disagree.
They've had their ups and downs but Harvey has always been a fair and generous boss.
Which is what she assumes her father is referring to.
...ღ...
Two days later she's running late for work. She was delayed seeing her father off, so she works through lunch, catching up on reports and getting paperwork sorted. When Harvey stops by in the afternoon, asking if she's eaten, her stomach growls loudly, and she flushes. "No, not yet."
"I've been in meetings all day, have you got time to grab something now?"
He smiles gently and her lips curve around her embarrassment.
They don't go far.
Both of them still have a lot to get through, but there's a pretzel vendor down the road and they find a nearby wall to sit on while they eat and decompress, making jokes about an old colleague at the DA's office who had an unhealthy obsession with the baked pastry. It's the perfect re-charge and when they head back in she works solidly until it's time to leave.
She stops by Harvey's office to see if he's done but he's still going, so she says goodnight, and heads to her apartment.
It feels empty without a house guest so she calls Rachel to replace the silence and is just on her way to bed when Harvey texts, saying they should do lunch properly when things settle down.
She responds telling him she'd like that.
...ღ...
"Busy tonight?"
She's in the partner's kitchen making a coffee when Harvey's voice floats in over her shoulder, and she turns, stirring the hot beverage. "I have a date with the couch, the tv, and a glass of wine."
He nods, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Feel like postponing and coming with me to the Denison charity fundraiser?"
She tilts her head, intrigued, as he leans casually against the counter. "What happened to Louis?"
"Burst water pipe..." he runs his gaze up the length of her dress, "plus he doesn't look half as good in Chanel."
"This isn't Chanel?"
"No-" he admits, tugging his lips into a sheepish smile, "I had my guy drop something off. It's in your office."
Her eyebrows shoot up at the bold assumption she'd be free, and also that she'd say yes if she were. "Without asking first?"
He doesn't miss a beat.
"I'm a gambling man."
"I don't have shoes," she challenges, hiding her smirk as she teases him back.
"You always have shoes."
She does.
There's an all-purpose pair of black Louboutin's in her cupboard and an evening outfit stored away so she's never not prepared to go out, but she doesn't comment on the latter, wanting to see the choice his designer picked out. "What if I don't like it?"
"Then you can wear your emergency dress."
He has her.
Because after a decade of being together without actually being together, he knows her, but there's still one thing he's forgotten. "Make-up?"
There's a pause and he looks all too serious, even though his smug expression doesn't actually change.
"You're perfect without it."
Heat burns her cheeks and she nods, not wanting him to catch her out.
"Okay."
"Good."
He grins, pushing off the counter, and she leans back against it, stealing a deep breath as he strides out.
She doesn't know what's been going on with him recently but she likes this new open side he's showing her even if it is somewhat disarming. Their lines are perfectly clear, she knows where they stand, but it's nice to be flirting and having fun with him.
Something that spills well into the night, washing over long boring speeches and their obligation to network.
They work the room but his eyes and attention are never far away from her, and she has to hand it to his tailor.
The dress she's draped in hasn't just distracted Harvey.
Everyone she greets has commented on the flowing green silk, and she wears the high-neck and daring split with unashamed confidence. It's revealing but also tasteful and elegant, the material wrapping itself perfectly around her curves. She feels empowered by the compliments and drinks a little too much champagne but so does Harvey because there's a point late in the evening when his hand becomes bolder, touching her arm or back, and deterring the train of men that have been hitting on her.
She's relieved, assuming he must have realized she needed a break from politely declining them.
When they're ready to call a cab, he places a respectful distance between them again, and she tries not to feel disappointed, stopping herself from inviting him up for a nightcap.
They're friends, and that's all this is.
A new-old normal.
...ღ...
Circumstances prevent them from seeing each other the next day, or more specifically, finding time to spend with each other. She catches his gaze through the meeting room on several occasions and he does the same whenever he passes by her office and she's on the phone.
When it's time to leave he's preparing for a deposition with Louis, so she doesn't interrupt them.
She's at home and half-way through a container of Thai when he texts to ask how her day was, and she smiles, responding instantly. 'Busy but good, you?'
The phone buzzes two seconds later.
'Same. Breakfast tomorrow, Nougatine then Hermes?'
It's usually only a gesture he makes when she's upset about something and she hesitates, long enough for three little dots to appear signaling he's writing something. She waits patiently as they continue to appear and disappear before the message finally pops up.
'That dress deserves a new purse.'
She chuckles to herself and isn't about to argue, telling him she'll be ready and waiting outside.
...ღ...
They don't make it to Hermes.
Something she isn't disappointed by because instead they get caught up in conversation over breakfast and two hours fly by without either of them noticing. When they arrive at the office she's buzzing on too many refills of coffee and powers through the rest of the morning. It doesn't even occur to her that it's a Friday afternoon. Not until Louis stops by to tell her he's leaving early to arrange a Valentine's surprise for Sheila. She's been so busy recently she'd forgotten the date was approaching and when he asks if she has plans tomorrow, she forces a smile and tells him she doesn't.
It's fine.
She doesn't need to spend the day with someone to feel validated.
She's happy with her life exactly how it is.
...ღ...
Harvey knocks on Donna's door and waits impatiently, uncharacteristically nervous but quietly confident.
He'd been subtle with his plan to the point he isn't sure if she's actually noticed it yet. If she has, then he owes credit to her acting abilities because she hasn't cracked once, but because he'd aimed for a gradual build, he can't be sure.
It had gotten off the ground slowly.
Casual touches, small gestures and doing things like showing up with breakfast.
Then he'd stepped up his game.
He'd convinced his mother to come to NYC a few days earlier than scheduled and had called Jim, smoothing things over with the man before they all went out to dinner. A standard meet the parents before what he can only describe as indiscrete courting.
Louis' water pipe hadn't burst.
But he will concede the dress was a mistake.
Not because she didn't look absolutely breathtaking wearing it, but because every other man in the vicinity had also noticed.
Eventually, he'd dared to put a stop to it, looking for a sign she was starting to catch on, but she hadn't invited him in, and he hadn't pushed. He'd thought breakfast and a new handbag might lead her to question things further but her laughter had bubbled up inside him, and he'd gotten too caught up in the moment to turn it into something more.
But that's what he wants.
It's why he's here, and when she opens the door, looking confused, he smiles.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Donna."
She frowns, not sure what he means, and answers with a casual shrug, "did your date bail on you or something?"
"Or something."
He quirks his lips, studying her carefully. "You honestly have no idea why I'm standing here?"
She stares at him, unable to determine what's resting behind his gaze, but her heart can, and flutters in her chest.
It's the same feeling she's had since he started acting differently. Something has changed, but she's still blind to what it is.
"I don't understand."
A slow, testing smile spreads across his lips. "Donna, you are the date."
She's the-
No.
Her eyes widen slightly, her mind spilling through back through the past two weeks.
All the gestures and actions.
They hadn't meant that, or at least that's what she'd convinced herself, and she stutters, gaping at him.
"We were-"
"Dating."
"But you never-"
He captures her mouth to stop the protest, doing exactly what she was about to accuse him of avoiding- obliterating the line he's been slowly pushing them across.
Because now she's figured it out, he can't wait any longer.
The kiss smothers her senses and she arches her body, overcome by a rush of suppressed desire that she's unknowingly been holding back. He's spent two weeks seducing her and she'd been completely clueless, but his hands are making sure she knows it now, and she smiles, pulling back and whispering against lips. "I'm not dressed for a date."
"Then you should get out of those clothes..." he pants through a smirk, knowing neither of them are in any doubt. This is it, and he can't help the cheshire grin that spreads across his face. "So, are you going to invite me to help?"
She latches onto his mouth again, tugging him across the threshold without any hesitation. She might not have seen this coming but it's exactly where they're supposed to be, and it's how they're going to stay.
Wrapped up in each other and never looking back.
ღღღღ