Set immediately after 9x04
"Have you proposed to your girlfriend, who has been waiting for you for God knows how many years, without any speech, romantic dinner, or ring? Donna, I permit you to go away. Right now."
"We're in my apartment, Lily, so I can't leave."
"I can leave if that's what you want," Harvey responds, looking at his girlfriend.
A silly smile appears on Donna's lips as she shakes her head. "No, what I want is a slightly more elaborate proposal."
"I've already told you, no matter what I do, it won't be what you would have wanted me to do." He tells her, sounding as soft as he can, as his hand slides over her thigh and gives her a loving squeeze there, still lost in her hazel eyes.
Lily's laughter interrupts them, and for a second, they had forgotten that they weren't alone. "It's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard, Harvey. And look, I've lived many years now."
"Your mother said it, not me," Donna says, watching her boyfriend's face turn into a tomato. His eyes show that he's longing to be swallowed by the earth right now.
"Sorry, I'm on your girlfriend's side here, Harvey."
Harvey snorts, he looks like a small boy about to be punished. Donna drags her fingers down Harvey's nape and smirks, "I think we're starting this relationship with the right foot, Lily. I like you." Donna says near the phone, gently scratching behind Harvey's ear, who is looking down, still with his hand on her thigh.
"And you like me. A woman who has waited for my son for so long, I don't doubt that it's the right one."
"I told you that," Harvey says with a smile.
"What did you say?" Donna asks, frowning slightly.
"That you're the right one," Harvey responds, after turning his head to look at his favorite redhead, who has a huge smile on her lips and brighter eyes than usual. "My mother has helped me a little to ease the situation with your father."
"Another thing you haven't been able to do by yourself, huh?" Lily asks, just taunting her son, who turns red again.
"Hey, I'm doing the best I can!" Harvey grumbles, crossing his arms like a little boy.
"Is he crossing his arms right now, right Donna?"
Donna can't help but laugh, looking down. "That's right."
"He has done this since he was a kid." Lily giggles. "What's wrong, Harvey?" she still asks in a mocking tone.
"The two most important women in my life are plotting to mock me. It's not a very pleasant situation."
Donna raises her head almost unconsciously, to observe the relaxed and happy facial expression with which he just said those words. And it's not that she's surprised to be one of the most important women in Harvey's life, even when they were just friends, she already was. And she always knew it. It's the fact that Harvey said that about his mother, out loud, with the certainty that they both heard him, that hits her. And even though she can't see Lily right now, she's completely sure Lily's more hit than herself.
Donna's fingers get tangled with his, as she holds her eyes stuck in his, while he smiles with a little shyness, which makes Donna's heart grow two inches in that precise instant."We promise to behave better when we dinner the 3 together. Right, Lily?" Donna asks, trying to remove Harvey from the hole he had gotten into. Somehow she knows he doesn't want to have that conversation right now.
"We promise, Harvey. You don't have to worry."
"Then… When will you come here? I want you to know each other." Harvey adds, squeezing Donna's hand.
"Soon, Harvey. I promise."
"It's a date, Lily. I wanna meet my mother-in-law."
"I know, Donna. I wanna meet you too." Lily says and they both can notice that her voice breaks a bit in the end. "Okay guys, I'll let you enjoy the night. I'll be in New York as soon as I can."
"Okay, mom, have a good night."
"You guys too."
"Goodbye, Lily. We're waiting for you here." Donna is the last to speak, just before ending the call.
For a few seconds, silence builds between them, while their eyes remain focused on each other's, their hands united and their breaths synchronized. It's Donna the first to break that position, releasing his hand, to gently wrap his nape with her hand, her fingers tangled in his hair, dropping her forehead against his. "I'm so proud of you, Harvey."
Harvey smiles and rubs his nose against hers. "Even if I don't know how to make a good proposal?"
Donna giggles foolishly. "I know very well how hard it was for you to get here." She murmurs, scratching his head fondly. "I know some things take you a little more time, so I can wait a while for a better proposal."
Harvey chuckles and shakes his head. "I just need to be sure of something first."
"Of what?"
Harvey separates slightly from her and raises his free hand, to accommodate a lock of red hair behind her ear. "That you will say yes."
Donna smiles so much that it turns into a laugh, with an honesty that hits Harvey. "Seriously, do you doubt that I'll say yes?" Harvey smiles so much that it doesn't fit on his face, as he wraps her around her waist and guides her until she's straddling him. Donna wraps his neck with her arms and puts her forehead back against his. "Marriage is part of being together forever. And this is what I want."
"So... I only have the hardest part left now." He says, with obvious happiness and relief on his face.
"What would it be?"
"Surprise the amazing Donna Paulsen." Donna laughs and lets his lips wrap around hers, while their hands run down their backs fondly.
Lily will never get to meet Donna, and that's a thorn that Harvey will never be able to get out of his heart. Luckily, he found a little relief in that ring, which he carried with him every day until he found the right moment to really surprise her. The thorn still hurts, but the relief is a little more at the certainty that Donna will wear the ring that mother gave him, forever.