AN: Guys! I'm back with the final (well, kinda) chapter to this story. It's a long one! The smutty addendum will be posted in a couple of days. I tried to keep this T-rated, though I saw that in this fandom the ratings aren't quite as strict as I know it from others. Sex is M-rated elsewhere, and I wanna keep it that way. Anyway, thanks to everyone who took their time to read, review and fave this story. You're awesome! I hope it didn't show too much that I'm not a native speaker and had no beta for this story.

In the description I wrote this story takes place after Zane vs. Zane, but I've taken some liberties with the timeline. Donna already slapped Hardman, and the scene where she tells Harvey about it is actually the reason why I wrote this fic in the first place. Harvey simply doesn't see her when Jessica walks to the elevator, and I can never take it when I rewatch. I had to do something about it and came up with this storyline. Sorry for the ramble.

Previously... there was a radio silence between Harvey and Donna after a couple of days where he stayed with her while she had the flu. Both are stubborn and spent two days just admiring the problem instead of talking to each other. The drought it over, and talk to each other they will!

Wednesday. Or: Tough Negotiations

A knock on his door made him put his phone away. It was time to let work be work and relax a little after a fourteen hour day anyway. Harvey was wondering who would be facing him before he opened the door. Normally Julio didn't let anyone he didn't know in. He was just hoping it wasn't his strange new neighbor who could give Louis a run for his money again.

The door swung open and there she stood. Breathtakingly beautiful. He said her name, half in bewilderment, half in curiosity.

"Hello, Harvey. Can I come in?" she asked. Donna felt slightly nervous, but tried her best to not let it show. To leave the flu behind, she had a me day. Blow-out, mani-pedi and she also rewarded herself with a new purse.

He felt his heart hammering in his chest. "Sure," he mumbled as he stepped aside to let her in the dimly-lit apartment.

Only then did he see the bags she was carrying, one in each hand. His brow furrowed.

"This isn't an early surprise birthday party, is it?" he groaned as she put the bags down on his kitchen counter.

"No. This is just for us. For you, actually," said Donna as she was unbuttoning her coat and putting it over one of the bar stools.

"What did I do?"

"Well, I thought after all you've done for me it was about time I did something nice for you. Have you eaten?" she asked with a smile.

"No, I haven't. Donna, you don't have to do anything in return. I, uh, I liked that I could be there for you," he said sincerely.

"Who wouldn't enjoy my company? But seriously, please let me do this. I threw you out of my apartment after you've been so great to me. This is the least I can do."

"OK. How can I help?" Harvey offered.

"I don't really need help. But I wouldn't mind some company. Here," she said as she grabbed a bottle of wine from one of the bags. "Open this and pour us a glass."

Harvey did as he was told. He was still a bit incredulous. It also surprised him that she straight out talked about her throwing him out on Sunday. He watched her unpack her bags. She produced an apron and tied it around her slim waist to protect her dress. He couldn't believe she had picked the dress. The same one she wore on her first day back after he had rehired her, as well as the one he saw in the picture taken at the Pearson Hardman retreat five years ago. He smiled as he saw her pull thin metal tongs as well as a citrus zester out of the bag.

"You travel with your own kitchen utensils?" he asked her, his smile spanning from ear to ear.

"You never know how well-equipped other people's kitchens are. You're not a cook, and I need both of those items to prepare the food," Donna explained as she got started on the meal prep.

"What are you cooking?" he wanted to know before he took a sip of the well-tempered Riesling. He checked the label to busy his hands.

"Baked salmon with crispy skin on bell peppers and spring onions, rice on the side. And I got banana pudding from Magnolia bakery for dessert," she informed him and took the glass he was pushing over the counter.

He nodded approvingly. He liked having her in his apartment for a change. "Do you want me to put on some music?" he offered. He needed to busy himself or he'd go insane from the awkwardness.

"Sure," said Donna as she zested a lemon over the skin-less underside of the fish.

Harvey walked to his turntable and put on Miles Davis. The scratched one. He could never get rid of it. Too many memories were attached to it. She arched her eyebrow when she heard the first tunes. Donna watched him with interest as he went to the fireplace next to light it. He came back and sat on a stool opposite her.

"You haven't been to my place in a while," he remarked. He was desperate for something to talk about.

Donna was gracious enough to reply, since she could detect his nervousness. Why was he so nervous, she wondered. "Remember when you bought it?"

"Oh, I remember. That was quite a show you put on," he grinned as he remembered her playing an angry ex-girlfriend in front of the realtor to make sure Harvey would get the apartment.

"That agent had to sell it to you after that. He truly felt sorry for you."

"As he well should! You slapped me in front of three other prospective buyers!" he chuckled.

"I had to. I needed you to react genuinely surprised in order to make it more real. That was possibly one of the most satisfying things I've ever done. But still not as satisfying as slapping Hardman. Twice," she grinned triumphantly.

She looked beautiful to him in that moment. Sometimes he was wondering how he got his work done with her in such close proximity.

"You deserved that slap, too," she exclaimed in feigned seriousness.

"How?" he asked, astonished that she would say something like that.

"You slept with your assistant!" she said as she briefly slipped back into character.

"Which was you!" he clarifed, which left them chuckling.

He cleared his throat. "Your flu seems to be gone," he remarked as his eyes descended on the label of the wine bottle again.

"Yeah."

"Didn't you say you wanted to call me on Monday?" he asked her then, his eyes finding hers.

She released a breath after putting the salmon in the oven and setting a timer. "I did. I wanted to. But my doctor said something that made me change my mind."

"What?" he asked, almost afraid of her reply.

"She said that I've been taking good care of myself, and I realized I really hadn't because it was all you," Donna swallowed before adding, "And then a phone call seemed insufficient. I decided to come by for a surprise visit. But you weren't there. And, I don't know, I felt really stupid, Harvey."

"Wait, when was this?" asked Harvey, his brow furrowed.

"Monday."

"I was out."

"I know," she said bitterly and turned around to busy her hands with the rice on the stove.

Harvey sensed something was off all of a sudden and rounded the kitchen island to stand next to her. "Donna?"

She faced him, but remained silent.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I felt really shitty when you weren't here. And I hate myself for admitting this to you, but I felt something. You were so nice to me, and I know that you almost always are, but this time it felt different. But when you weren't here on Monday, it hit me that you will never see me like this, and that I'll always want to be seen like that. By you."

Harvey swallowed, and slightly shook his head afterwards.

"What?" she asked.

"You just summed up my feelings towards you," he admitted softly.

"What?" she repeated incredulously, her eyes darting to his.

"I always saw you like that, but when we first met you immediately crushed my advances. Hiring you was the only way for you to be close to me."

"Bullshit! By hiring me you kept me at arm's length!" Donna said loudly and fiercely.

"Maybe I did," he admitted meekly. After a while he added, "It felt different for me, too."

Her heartrate doubled after that comment and again she clawed on the last bit of hope she had inside herself.

He touched her shoulders with both hands, a gesture so uncommon for them that it almost made her uncomfortable. "On Monday night I went to Smalls to clear my head. I do that sometimes. Because as you might remember the night before didn't end so well."

"I know," she admitted and gave the rice a quick stir. She knew Harvey had practically outsourced his emotions to the music he was listening to, but she hadn't known of his trips to clubs on his own. "I guess I should explain why. Which is why I came here in the first place." She inhaled a breath for confidence. "I threw you out because I couldn't take it anymore."

His face fell.

"No, that's not what I meant. I couldn't take you being so nice to me, taking care of me, being there for me unconditionally, going above and beyond. I knew it would be the hardest transition for me to go back to our professional relationship, so I pushed you away," she explained with glassy eyes and a slight tremble in her voice. His voice still echoing in her head. I need you. When all she wanted to hear was I want you, or possibly I love you.

His hands stroked down her bare arms and took her hands. "Why do you think I want to go back?"

"Because that's what we do, Harvey," she said a bit too loudly and freed her hands from his. She walked back to the oven to check on the fish. Then she started pacing back and forth while she elaborated. "We sleep together for one night and then we go back. We flirt all the time and we go back. You make a casual marriage proposal as I hand you your morning coffee and we go back. You mention you think about how I sleep and never mention it again. And I let it happen because I love it when you do all of those things. But this time I don't think I could have gone back so easily. Because you did so much more than those things. I saw it on your face, Harvey, that look of horror when you were worried about me. But then I also realized that you probably don't wanna lose me as your secretary, and that hurt. It hurt so much!"

Harvey listened as she was listing the things that made her act that way and throw him out of her apartment. Her face was red with anger, and she stopped pacing to look at him. He slowly walked closer to her. He felt horrible for upsetting her, for hurting her like that. He couldn't recall a time when he's seen her like that.

"I'm sorry, Harvey. I lost my temper. I came here to apologize, and it turned to accusations. I didn't mean to make you feel even worse." There it was again. The impulse to mask her true feelings for his benefit. She wanted to slap herself.

He gulped down non-existent saliva because his mouth was dry. "You're right with everything you said. Please accept my apology for making you feel this way. I'm sorry, Donna. You're so much more than a secretary. None of the things I did for you in the past week or ever were motivated by the wish to keep you as my secretary. I was genuinely worried about you. I told you it felt different for me this time. I also asked why you thought I wanted to go back," he said calmly as he neared her. "I don't wanna go back."

"You don't?" she asked incredulously, her pulse racing so fast she considered it unhealthy.

"I don't. I want to go forward. With you. With us. I was so scared when you were sick. But how can I be scared to lose you when I never had you in the first place? I want to be with you. Every day. Not just at work. Working with you is great, but actually being with you? I've never felt more carefree and happy than in the couple days I spent with you. Everything seems to come so easy with us. You're the most amazing woman I know, and it was about time I pulled my head out of my ass and opened my eyes. I see you, Donna," Harvey told her as he took her hands back into his. "And I don't think it's a coincidence that you're wearing that damn dress tonight," he grinned.

"It's not," she smiled, as she almost shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His words had sent her heartrate on a rollercoaster. Everything he had just said sounded too good to be true.

"Can I kiss you now?" Harvey asked. She gave him the slightest of nods, and he dipped his head to press his lips to hers.

It was the gentlest of kisses, but it had her toes curled and her heart hammering in no time. She put her hands around his neck and stepped closer to him.

"Just for the record: You didn't go on a date on Monday night?" she asked, breaking their hesitant, yet sweet kiss.

"No," he said about an octave too high.

"And you didn't go out by yourself and came home with someone?"

"No!" he said more forcefully.

"Good. Just making sure," Donna said and she granted him access to her mouth.

He tickled her lips with his tongue before it slipped in and danced with hers. Her hands went to his hair, his descended on her back before they settled on her waist. A moan escaped Donna's throat when they deepened the kiss. The sound sent a shiver down Harvey's spine. They were torn out of their passionate kiss when the timer beeped.

"No," he groaned. He was almost out of breath.

"Yes," she insisted, adding, "Or do you wanna eat burnt salmon skin?"

"Eating is not what's on my mind right now," he told her.

She turned around to the oven where she removed the tray. She put it on the counter and expertly loosened the edges of the skin with the metal tongs and a knife. Harvey watched her with fascination.

"Is there anything you can't do?" he asked with a curious smile.

"No," she replied confidently. She flipped the skin over so the underside would get crispy as well, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and placed the tray back under the broiler. She reset the timer and stirred the rice once more.

"What now?" he asked.

"Set the table?"

When he came back a couple minutes later, he asked, "How much longer?"

Donna checked the timer. "Five more minutes."

He pulled her towards him and kissed her again. Every hair on her body stood on end when he pulled her flush against his chest. Her appreciative moan spurred him on, and he kissed his way across her cheek to her jaw. Soon he found his destination on her neck where her scent crept into his nose and made him weak in the knees. She smelled like peonies and freshly cut rhubarb.

"You smell amazing," he whispered into her ear, his fingers threading through her fragrant hair.

"Hm."

"And you look hot," Harvey continued, his voice almost raspy.

"Likewise," she replied.

Harvey's hands wandered from her waist up her sides where they halted right under her breasts. He sucked the tender skin on her neck into his mouth and soon soothed it with his tongue.

"Harvey," Donna moaned. It drove him wild. Her saying his name, her eyes closed in pure bliss.

She clawed at his back, eager to pull him even closer.

"You drive me crazy," she mumbled.

"Ditto," he said between kisses.

"Do you think you can handle stopping for half an hour so we can eat?" she asked him after she had pulled back.

"I'll make no promises," he grinned.

Eventually they had to stop because the timer beeped again. She sent Harvey to the dining room nook as she arranged their food on plates. When she carried them over to the table, she saw he had taken out some candle holders and lit the candles.

"Wow," Donna commented. "An hour ago your apartment looked like a regular bachelor pad."

"And now?" he asked with his Specter smirk, trying not to take her statement as an insult.

"Now it looks like you think you'll get lucky tonight."

"Will I?" Harvey asked, his cockiness very obvious.

"We'll see," she replied noncommittally.

After dinner, they found themselves on the couch. With a respectable distance between them.

"So, it seems like we've come to an agreement," said Harvey in a very lawyer kind of tone.

"We have. It was a tough negotiation," said Donna in feigned honesty.

"It was," he nodded.

"What about an addendum?" she suggested.

"What you got in mind?"

"Well, for one, we need to figure out how we're gonna do this at work," Donna said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh, I have already figured it out. You, me, the couch in my office after hours..." he said lasciviously.

"I'll have to stop you right there. Harvey, we can't do that," she insisted in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"A man can dream," he smirked.

"I've had that rule for good reasons. For one, neither of us needs the distraction. Plus, I don't wanna do it on your couch with my butt sticking to the leather."

Harvey's gaze wandered to the couch they were sitting on. "I guess this means this couch is off-limits as well."

"Yup."

"What if it wasn't your butt but mine instead that's sticking to the leather?" he asked her with a playful tone.

"Why do you wanna have sex on a couch in the first place?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"We're older than 25. And we both have beds. If you really wanna do it on a couch, we could do it at my place. But I'd still prefer a bed. More space."

"Noted. So, what about work?" he asked while he made plans to buy a new couch as soon as his busy schedule allowed.

"I don't think we should have sex or even kiss at work."

"Donna, I'm not saying I wanna take you in the lobby, what I had in mind was more... intimate."

"There is no intimacy in an office with glass walls. And windows," she pointed out.

"What if I wanna kiss you late at night when no one's around?"

"We'll go home, you wait till we're in a car, and then you can do it," she stated matter-of-factly.

"How about we'll go home and I kiss you in the elevator?"

"Only when we're alone in there," Donna insisted.

"Alright. What else?" asked Harvey.

"We're not telling anyone that we're seeing each other. It's none of their business anyway."

"I need to tell Jessica," he said.

"And Rachel."

"And Mike."

"Which means Louis will find out," she reasoned.

"So?"

"I don't want him to know you're screwing your secretary. It's too much like Blake and Krystle Carrington."

Harvey furrowed his brow.

"From Dynasty," she clarified.

"Never saw it."

"Louis one hundred percent did."

"Shocker," Harvey deadpanned.

"OK, focus. Louis wrote the by-laws. Relationships among colleagues are frowned upon," Donna told him.

"I don't care if he knows. What is he gonna do if he finds out? Fire you? He has no authority to do that. Besides, 'frowned upon' doesn't equal illegal," Harvey clarified.

"I don't know, Harvey. You might have to do something to appease him," Donna suggested carefully.

"Like?"

"Like me working for him?"

"You must be kidding."

"What if I'm not?"

"Donna. No!" Harvey just got Donna back, he wasn't willing to share her with anyone.

"Listen to me. You know how hard Louis fought to be in charge of writing the by-laws. He might be on our side if we threw him a bone," she said, her fingers stroking his cheek and jaw.

"And you'd be the bone?"

"I guess..."

"I don't want Louis chewing you."

"First of all: gross. Second of all, have you ever considered how it might look when we work this closely together as a couple? I don't want anyone to think I don't need to work as hard just because I'm sleeping with my boss."

"No one's gonna think that."

"Everyone's gonna think that. I'm a woman. Maybe it wouldn't be so if I weren't, but I am. I say we come clean to Jessica and Louis and tell them what we came up with."

"You really think Louis wants you to work for him when you go to him voluntarily?"

"He's not as prideful as you are. Plus, he's been wanting to fire Norma ever since she started working for him."

He sighed and looked at her hopeful face. "OK, we can suggest it to Jessica. But I won't like it. And Louis doesn't deserve you."

"Then again, who really does deserve me?" she said with a voice like butter.

Harvey kissed her gently. He wasn't sure if he deserved her either. But he was hoping he would show to be deserving of her.

"I hope I will someday," he told her sincerely.

She looked at him then. Though completely happy with his devotion she still was a bit surprised by his unwavering commitment in that moment. She smiled at him.

"I have another addendum," she purred.

"Shoot."

"I demand a stubble."

"What?" he asked her confusedly.

"Your face. I loved the stubble," she smiled.

"You did?" he returned her smile and scooted closer to her.

"Uh-huh. You looked kinda hot," she said while stroking across his smooth jaw and chin.

"But just a stubble. I don't wanna go full-on Jack Soloff."

"I hate his smarmy ass."

"I agree to forego shaving over the weekend, how does that sound?" he suggested.

"Sounds like we have a deal."

"Can I kiss you now?"

"You do know that you don't have to ask my permission every time you're about to do it?" she asked him curiously.

"I'm just making sure you're comfortable!" he rolled his eyes.

"Who knew you could be so sensible and caring?" she mocked him.

"You did," he replied softly.

"True. I know everything," she said and closed the gap between them to kiss him with all her heart.

He kissed her back with passion, but her words echoed in his head.

"You don't know everything," he said when the need for oxygen had gotten too important.

"Excuse me?" Donna asked. She almost sounded insulted.

"You didn't know how I feel about you."

"So? You didn't know how I feel about you either. And how many times have you told Mike or anyone else for that matter how well you can read other people?"

"You're not other people. You're Donna."

"What does that mean?" she wanted to know with her forehead in a frown.

"It means you're a hell of an actress. How was I supposed to know that you were only playing to not be interested in me?"

"Huh. You might be right," Donna concluded as his words settled.

"I mostly am," he said casually and shot her a cocky grin.

"I really like your humility," Donna said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"And I really like you in that dress," he smiled sexily.

"You should see me without it," she teased.

His hands circled her waist to pull her closer. "I can't wait."

"Perhaps you don't have to wait all that long..."

Hours later, when moans were replaced by hums and hums gave way to more even breaths, she lifted her head and gave him an almost chaste kiss. Both took trips to the bathroom afterwards, but Harvey didn't come back to bed immediately. Instead he made a detour to the record player where he flipped the Miles Davis record. When he returned to her, they were facing each other in a tight embrace. While his hold on her was not as strong as a couple minutes ago, he still hugged her and kissed every inch of her face, neck and chest he could reach.

"I have no words," she said then.

He scoffed. "That would be the first. Should I give you some examples? How about amazing?"

"Mind-blowing," she countered.

"Earth-shattering," Harvey suggested.

"Unparalleled."

"Indescribable."

"How about the best?" Donna said, his heart swelling to unknown dimensions.

"Best?" he asked his raised eyebrows.

"Best," she assured.

"So it's downhill from here?"

"No, we got room for improvement," she said casually to tease him.

"Like?"

"Like you letting me do stuff with just my hands and mouth."

He was surprised by her openness, yet he knew Donna was nothing if not open about most things. "We have time for that later. I didn't want tonight to be about me."

"How noble of you."

"I'd say so," he gave her a genuine smile.

"I have another improvement," Donna suggested while scooting closer to him.

"Shoot."

"We need to move that bed of yours to the other side of the room."

"Why?"

"Who puts their bed in the way of a view like that?" she asked him and motioned to the skyline right behind his headboard.

"I do."

"You do many stupid things."

"I made you scream my name twice in an hour and you're already nagging me about the arrangement of my furniture?"

"Add to that the years and years where I've kept my mouth shut. I'd say I've shown a great deal of restraint so far."

"At least in that department..." he smiled at the memory of what had just happened.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you gonna move it to that wall?" she asked and motioned to her right.

"We'll see."

"How can I make you change your mind?"

"I don't know."

"I'm pretty sure someone was watching us from the other building."

"OK, we'll move it in the morning."

After their exchange a comfortable silence settled between them. Donna's right hand slowly stroked up and down his back, from his shoulder blade to the dimples above his butt, while his played with her hair. In the darkness of his bedroom, she saw the tiniest smile playing at his lips.

"What?" she asked him to explain what caused this smile.

His smile widened before he pressed a tender kiss to her now barely swollen lips. "Nothing, it's just that I never would have thought our first time could be topped."

Her hazel eyes bored into his brown ones. Her heart started racing. She felt like running out on his terrace and screaming in pure happiness. All those doubts that were locked away in a compartment of her brain for an entire decade were successfully crushed and his words made her feel more secure, confident and sexy than she had ever felt. Her smile put his to shame, and Harvey didn't know what to make of her reaction. She almost seemed like in trance.

"Donna?"

"Hm? Oh. I, uh, I don't know what to say, Harvey. I feel so freaking relieved," she beamed. Knowing that he never considered their first time to be subpar made her feel like the queen of sex.

"Because of what I said?" he wondered.

"Yes," she said and swallowed. Should she come clean? Her hand halted its movement in his back before she moved it to his face.

He got a bit nervous. She seemed to be about to confess something to him he wasn't sure he'd want to hear. "Well?"

"Back when we slept together all those years ago, I wasn't all too sure if you had enjoyed it," she told him. Her eyes piercing his, waiting for his reaction.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm really not," she said and took a breath. "When you asked to meet me and offered me a job, it was basically sealed for me that you didn't think our night together was worth repeating."

Harvey shook his head. He couldn't believe how much he'd hurt her over the years. He gently kissed her then, hoping to erase the memory she just described. "After that night, how could you doubt I had enjoyed it? If anything, you pretty much spoiled me for others."

"Stop. You don't mean that."

"If it really were true and I didn't like our night, why do you think I was more than ready for a repeat at the Pearson Hardman retreat five years ago?"

"I don't know. We were really tipsy. And we both know your memory isn't the best sometimes."

"Donna," he said and ran his fingers along her cheek. "I remember everything from that night. And for the record, I offered you the job for one reason only: You're the best and I knew that a screw-up like me couldn't make you happy back then. But working together, well, kept us together."

"Until you were ready."

"Exactly."

"Are you ready?"

"God yes," he said and chuckled. "Are you?"

"I was ready then, and I'm more than ready now."

"Good. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for stringing you along. Which is why I was so hesitant in the first place. I was afraid I had hurt you too much," he confessed. After a long while of silence he asked her quietly, "Have I?"

"Perhaps you have. But I'm tough. All's well that ends well," she replied. She also remained silent for a moment before she added, "Why did you wait so long?"

He swallowed and took a breath of air. "This is not something I ever wanted to voice to anyone. For the longest time I didn't think I'd deserve to be loved."

"Why would you think that?"

"Look at me. I'm working in a field where I constantly hurt people. I'm sure there's a special place in hell reserved for me. And on top of that, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to love someone. After everything with my parents..." he couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. Donna knew what he was going to say. She always knew.

She never expected his insecurities to run that deep though. "So, what changed?"

"It might sound corny, but I really couldn't help it. I couldn't not love you, Donna."

She kissed him gently. "You're such a sap!"

"The one time I'm open about my feelings..."

"I'm sorry. You deserve to be loved. I love you too, you know?" she told him then.

He was relieved at her admission. "I'm really glad you got sick. Everything became so clear. What have we been doing, Donna?"

She looked at him in true Donna fashion then. "We've been getting so close that we became inevitable."

Harvey crushed his lips against hers. He would never let her go.

Before I ask for a review, let me share something I noticed. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it was discussed years ago, but here it goes. In early season four Rachel suggests to Mike they go out to a restaurant called The Little Owl. I researched it, and it's a restaurant in the building whose exterior was shot for Friends as *the* building where Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Joey lived. Friends. Ross and Rachel. Suits. Mike Ross and Rachel. Coincidence? Thoughts?

Thanks so much for reading, please leave me a little comment if you will :-)