It had been three nights since he had knocked on her door, and Harvey was finally starting to believe it was real.

This morning he finds himself lying in bed admiring her sleeping form, the gentle rise and fall of her chest filling him with a unfamiliar sense of security and comfort. It wasn't a surprise that they had spent the majority of their time together in bed—a beautiful combination of the most restful, unbothered sleep he'd ever had, and hours of forgoing sleep entirely in their attempt to make up for lost time. As he watches her he feels the urge to reach out and pull her closer into his chest, but he wants to let her get some rest. So, to avoid the temptation he carefully gets up without disturbing her and heads for the kitchen.

He glances at his phone notifications, sighing at the mountain of Monday morning work emails waiting for him. He realizes he can't remember the last time he went an entire weekend without working. And what a weekend to do it—when the firm's survival had been jeopardized yet again, by his actions. But it had been impossible, and irrelevant, to spend the last two days doing anything other than reacquainting themselves with every inch of each others' bodies and reveling in every emotion and feeling they'd been holding back for thirteen years.

They had told Mike, and Rachel of course, and Louis, but there was one more person he wanted to share his happiness with. Someone who had said everything he needed to hear, and maybe everything she needed to hear too.

It's early, but he's pretty sure he remembers Louis having appointments before work, so he decides it's worth a shot. The call goes straight to voicemail. "Stan…it's Harvey Specter. I've got some good news that I wanted to share with you…give me a call when you get a chance."

He makes them coffee and thinks that she could probably use some food after the exertion of the previous night. He looks despairingly at his empty fridge of condiments and takeout boxes and takes out his phone again. "Hey, Ray, it's me. Yeah, I'll be ready in…half an hour." He spies movement in the bedroom and sees Donna stirring. She rolls over and the white sheet slips off her shoulder, exposing an expanse of freckled skin. Tearing his eyes away, he tries unsuccessfully to focus on his conversation. "Actually…make it an hour. Could you stop by Dominique Ansel on your way?…Yeah…thanks, man. See you soon."

He's about to make a beeline for the bedroom when his phone rings. He's momentarily annoyed by the interruption, until he sees that it's Stan.

"Harvey, I am glad you called. I have been worried about you."

"Oh…really?"

"I was aware of some details of your recent…difficulties. I hope that everything has been resolved?"

"Well…unfortunately my partner had to retire to make it happen, but yeah," he says with a twinge of guilt, "I'm in the clear."

"I am sorry that it came at such a high cost, but I am very relieved to hear that, Harvey." Stan pauses. "Is this the good news you wanted to share?"

"No, it wasn't that…I, uh…we…" For some reason he has trouble finding the right words, but just like three nights ago, it seems no words are needed.

"Congratulations, Harvey, I am very happy for you both," he says warmly.

"Thanks, Stan. I guess it's not really great timing with everything that happened, but…I just couldn't wait any longer once I knew…" Knew he couldn't sit by and wait to find out if another man could make her happy. Knew he wanted something more too—and that more meant her.

"Sometimes, Harvey, the truest of our feelings are exposed during times of great hardship. And I suspect this might be the case for you."

"Stan, I just wanted to say…I don't know how to…"

"I know, Harvey. And you are very welcome. But you do not need to thank me—this is my job, and it is all the thanks I need to know that I have helped in some way to bring happiness to your life."

"I guess I…probably won't be seeing you anymore," Harvey hesitates. After all, what would they talk about, now that he felt as though every weight on his chest had been lifted?

"Well, I am sure we will see each other again at the wedding," Stan says cheerfully.

Harvey chokes on a swig of coffee. "Don't you think it's a bit…soon?"

"I was referring to Louis and Sheila's wedding, of course," he says, amused. "But I assure you I have plenty of space in my calendar, should any other invitations suddenly arise. In all seriousness, Harvey, I do not think you should give up on our sessions just yet. You may find that keeping a relationship together is even more challenging than starting it. This is where the hard work really begins."

"If that's true for us, we haven't got a shot in hell," he jokes, but he feels slightly unsettled. With his track record…can he really make this work? Does he even know how to make a woman happy, other than in the bedroom?

"I would invite you to think about coming in together," Stan suggests. "You have started your relationship in very difficult circumstances, and I think we could work on making sure that it does not affect the long-term success of your partnership."

"OK, Stan, I'll ask her," he says, wondering how he'd even begin to broach the subject. "And thanks…again." He hangs up and finally heads back to the bedroom with her mug of vanilla-scented coffee.

She's awake now, and she yawns and smiles up at him sleepily when she sees him come in. "Was someone on the phone?" she murmurs.

"Good morning to you, too," he jokes, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Adorable wasn't really a word he'd previously associated with Donna – stunning, beautiful, and sexy, yes – but then he'd never seen her waking up in his bed before this weekend. It was fast becoming his favorite sight. He sets down the mug and climbs into bed behind her, wrapping her small frame in his embrace. "I was just talking to Stan."

"You called him at…7 in the morning?" She asks quizzically. "That desperate to talk about your feelings, huh?"

"What can I say," he grins. "I'm an over-sharer now. You ruined me." He presses his lips gently to her shoulder and reaches for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"What did he say?" She asks with interest, turning to face him. "Did you tell…?"

"Yeah…he…actually asked if we wanted to come in and see him. Together," he adds hesitantly.

"Like…couples counselling?" She sounds entertained by the idea.

He shrugs. "Yeah…I guess…"

"This must be some kind of record," she says, in full sass mode now. "What kind of couple only lasts three days before needing counselling?"

"Probably the same kind of couple that takes thirteen years to get their shit together?" He says sheepishly. He wonders if it's too soon for that joke, but to his relief she gives him a look of mock exasperation.

"And whose fault was that, mister?" She scolds, landing a playful smack on his ass.

"I mean…apparently I'm the one who's desperate to talk about my feelings," he teases.

"Well, I would never deny you an opportunity to do that, but as far as I can recall, counselling is for couples who don't have their shit together?" She's masking it with humor, but he can sense a touch of hesitation behind her words.

"Hey, if you don't want to go, I'm just saying, maybe the tables have turned and you're the one who's scared to talk about your feelings…" He raises his eyebrows, issuing a challenge.

She rolls her eyes. "You're impossible."

"Don't you mean…impossible to resist?" He smiles devilishly and pulls her flush against him.

"Yes," she breathes, and now he's the one who can't resist her. He threads his fingers into her hair and tilts her head forward to bring her lips to his, kissing her with intent as he presses the entire length of his body into hers. As he deepens the kiss she grips his back and wraps her leg around him, fusing their bodies together, and he's overcome by the feeling of closeness. Suddenly she pulls back and rests her forehead against his. "I love you, Harvey," she whispers.

Yes, she had definitely ruined him, he thinks. He was completely and utterly ruined for anyone but Donna Paulsen.

"I love you too, Donna."

In the end, he wears her down with an appeal to her notorious sense of curiosity, so four days later, they settle nervously into Stan's office. They're each looking to the other for reassurance, and Harvey starts to wonder whether this had ultimately been a good idea. Everything had been going so well—why risk bringing up old mistakes that had caused so much pain for both of them?

He looks to Stan, hoping that he'll talk first and have some sort of plan, because after all, Harvey had never been much good at starting this type of conversation.

"So, Harvey and Donna—I have to say it brings me great pleasure to see the two of you together," Stan smiles. "Throughout our individual sessions the love that you have for each other was very clear. However, had I not known that you were talking about each other, my first impression would be that you were both coping with feelings of unrequited love. But of course…we know that was not the case."

He glances toward her and she's giving him that look, the one with soft eyes and the slightest smile that's reserved for him, and he knows he's giving it right back. And he marvels how they had somehow managed to convince themselves that those looks meant affection, and loyalty, but not love.

"Today," Stan continues, "I would like to explore the reasons you both had for repressing the feelings you have for each other. Although you have overcome them now, it is important that you are comfortable communicating when these issues arise again."

This doesn't sit well with Harvey. "How do you know they're going to arise again?" He says, a bit too aggressively.

"Well, as you know, Harvey, people change. But we do not change overnight, despite our best intentions. So I would like you each to take a moment and think of your biggest insecurity about your relationship, something that is a source of negative emotions for you. And we will try to work through these together. Donna, would you like to start?"

He's relieved that Stan asked her first. But she looks discomfited by the question, so he reaches out and rests a hand on her thigh, hoping to show her that whatever she wants to say, it's OK with him.

"Um…I guess my biggest insecurity is that…Harvey gave me my job, because I asked for it. And sometimes it feels like I…" She looks unsure how to finish her sentence. "Like I didn't deserve it."

He painfully recalls their conversation about David Fox, the words "You're in your position because I put you there!" echoing through his mind. He can't stand the fact that he had made her doubt her own abilities, when she'd spent her entire career helping him believe in his own.

"This can be a common issue with workplace relationships," Stan says. "Of course, one way to resolve these feelings would be to prove to yourself that you are capable of excelling similarly at any other law firm, not just one that you share with Harvey. But I would guess that you do not want to do that."

"No…it's…they're my family."

Harvey breathes a sigh of relief at her answer, but feels guilty for the position he's put her in, knowing that she'll have to bear the brunt of the negative assertions about their relationship. In their first few days back at the firm they'd been keeping it to themselves, but he knows that can't last forever. He should have promoted her earlier, should have given more thought to her career. But the truth was that he'd always been selfish when it came to her, never considering the idea that she might be more fulfilled away from his desk.

"That is understandable," says Stan. "Perhaps we can discuss some thought exercises you can consider to help you cope with these feelings."

"I think I…know how I want to resolve them. I want to…maybe…do an MBA."

"What?" Harvey turns to her in surprise. Did she think she wasn't good enough for him? That she needed to prove herself even more, after thirteen years of doing that every day? He remembers with a pang how he had once gestured, 'I'm here…you're here', indicating their relative importance. He would give anything to take those words back. "Donna, you don't need to do that to prove you deserve your position. I know that you do. And I'll make sure every asshole associate knows it too—"

"I don't want to do it for you," she says simply. "Or for anyone else. I want to do it for me…to be an even better COO."

"Donna, you can't leave the firm," he says warningly, and the words bring back a flood of unpleasant memories. 'This isn't working for me anymore…I'm leaving you, Harvey…' "We need—"

"I wouldn't have to. You can take evening classes. And there's weekend programs too. NYU and Columbia have them."

He's taken aback by this. "You really…did your research, huh? Even before we…"

She nods nervously, watching for his reaction. The thought that she feels she needs his approval to do something for herself saddens him. "Okay." He squeezes her hand. "If that's what you want to do, we'll make it work. And I'm making you get an assistant," he says sternly.

She smiles and squeezes back, looking relieved. "Deal."

"Donna, I believe this could be very fulfilling for you, both personally and professionally," Stan says thoughtfully. "If it is something you have been thinking about for some time, I think it is very worthwhile to consider a plan for balancing coursework and your work responsibilities, while ensuring that this would not become overwhelming for you."

"Actually, my best friend worked at the firm while taking law school classes at the same time," Donna offers. "I know it's possible."

"Yeah, and she survived even though her boss was a real jerk about it," Harvey says with embarrassment. "But he won't be this time." He gives her a earnest look as he says it; Donna seems pleasantly surprised by his admission.

"Harvey, I commend you for your self-reflection," Stan says, correctly interpreting the meaning of his remark. "It is not easy to acknowledge our own flaws. I can tell you wish to be supportive of Donna pursuing her personal goals, and if you continue to be honest with each other about your wishes and fears, you will be able to succeed in doing this. Would you now like to share an insecurity of your own?"

He looks to Donna nervously. He doesn't want to speak it into existence, to tempt fate, and he can't look at her while he says the words. "That she'll…leave me."

He can feel her staring at him. "How can you still think that, after all we've been through?" She says incredulously. "Why don't you have faith in us?"

"I'm not…good at this, Donna. At making relationships work. And what if it's…not enough for you?" He looks down at his hands. It had always been his gnawing worry, that he was too broken, too flawed, to succeed in this area of life.

"How are you so confident about everything else in your life but so insecure about this?" She's getting upset now and he doesn't understand why. Can't she see that it's only because of how much he loves her?

Stan breaks the tension between them. "Often…when people are insecure in a relationship, it is because they feel they are not deserving of the other person. It can be helpful to remind one another of everything you value about your partner."

She looks at him with tears in her eyes. "Is that what you think? That you don't…deserve this? That you don't deserve happiness?"

"You've always been too good for me, Donna," he mumbles.

"Harvey, listen to me. I'm never going to leave you. This," she takes his hand and presses it to her heart, "is everything I've always wanted."

She says it sincerely. And he wants to believe her. But… "You did before." He says the words quietly, looking at the ground, and he's not even sure that he wants her to hear. When he finally gets the courage to look up at her face, she looks as though he's wounded her.

"That's not fair, Harvey…I'll always regret the fact that I ran away from you instead of dealing with my feelings, but you have to know that the only reason I did that was because I loved you so much and I couldn't bear the fact that you didn't feel the same way about me…"

"But I did," he says sadly. "I was just…"

"Scared to lose me?" She lets out a sigh of frustration. "We just keep going around in circles…you can't keep living with that fear forever! You have to trust me."

"I do, but…I don't trust myself…"

"I won't let you," she says firmly, "screw this up. So you better get it through your head…that this is it, OK?" Her eyes fill with tears and she takes both of his hands in hers. "You and me, for better or worse, for richer or poorer. Til death do us part. Got that?"

He stares at her. "Are you…saying…"

"Harvey, you know I'd marry you tomorrow if you ask me," she says, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.

He's lost for words, unable to process the depth of her commitment to him. He opens his mouth to respond, but can't seem to find any words that could convey everything he's feeling.

She looks apprehensive at his continued silence. "But…please don't ask me during a therapy session," she says, smiling through her tears.

"Donna…" Her name is the only thing he can say, but he hopes it's enough. He wipes a tear from her cheek and his thumb lingers over her face before his hands come to rest in hers once again.

All they can do is stare into each other's eyes while the immense weight of everything they've shared sinks in. Minutes pass and the sudden sound of a phone ringing distracts them. They finally break their gaze and look around, noticing that Stan is no longer sitting opposite them. "Where…?"

Looking concerned, she stands up and heads back into the waiting room, and he follows, still in a daze. They find Stan sitting there reading a magazine, looking as though he's thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Stan, what—why did you leave?" Donna inquires.

The doctor looks down at his watch and smiles. "This is an experiment, to discover how long it takes for you to seek me out. If you last more than ten minutes, and I do not hear any yelling, then I have become redundant—you are looking to each other for answers, without needing me."

"How long has it…?"

"Twenty-five minutes," he smiles. "So! You are ready. I will always be here if you need me, but I have total faith in your ability to move forward together. It is very clear to me that you can give each other everything you need."

Harvey's still not sure he can form cohesive sentences right now; all he manages to get out is "Thanks, Stan…" He reaches for her hand and they leave together in silence, taking turns glancing at each other while the other isn't looking. Finally their stolen glances coincide, and he sees a look of pure contentment on her face, and it hits him. He's home. And he realizes that he can finally allow himself to imagine the type of future that he never thought he'd be worthy of.

But then he'd always believed it was better to have goals rather than dreams.

And so that was the day Harvey Specter bought a ring.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I aimed to leave it open-ended enough to allow for future installments (I have a couple planned out), but I also wanted to give them a resolution of sorts as I really don't see these two being dysfunctional enough to need therapy every week! Would love to hear your thoughts, and thanks again to everyone who's offered encouragement and suggestions xx