A/N: This little fic has been buried in my documents for almost a year, so I decided it was time to bring it to light. I hope you enjoy it!
Set during season 9
In Harvey's dimly lit office, Donna places one glass of scotch on his desk while cradling another for her. "What are you doing?"
"I've been here countless times. Why wouldn't I do it now?" Her tone, steeped in obviousness, accompanies a slight shrug as she slips off her shoes with her own feet. Seating herself on the office couch, legs neatly tucked beneath her, she catches Harvey's gaze and offers a warm smile as he brings the glass to his lips. "Need a hand with something?" she asks after taking a sip.
"You being here is kinda distracting," he confesses.
Donna's blush is subtle, her attempt to hide it evident. "I've been here many times and you worked anyway."
He lifts his glass, rises, and walks toward her. "I'm not saying I can't. It just makes things a bit tougher."
This time, Donna smiles, exuding the self-confidence that defines her, and plants her feet on the ground, leaning back on the couch, causing her neckline to rise slightly with the motion. She senses his eyes on her boobs. "I can leave if you prefer," she teases.
Harvey joins her on the couch, closer than they've been in almost 13 years. "I'd rather you stayed," he murmurs, leaning in with his elbows resting on his thighs, legs slightly apart, swirling the golden liquid in his glass.
She leans toward his side, maintaining a subtle physical distance to prevent their bodies from touching. "So... Tell me how I can assist you."
"I need to find something to close James."
"Alright, bring the files."
Harvey spreads the files on the coffee table in front of the couch, and both dive into the task of finding a solution for him to close a deal and avoid a trial. As everyone knows, Harvey despises trials, especially given the firm's current situation; it's preferable to strike a deal and clear the obstacle from their path.
However, time ticks away, and both remain without any breakthrough.
"Found anything?" he asks, offering her a refilled glass.
"Not yet," she responds, taking the glass, and letting their fingers touch without hesitation. It's their first physical contact of the night, sparking the same connection they've felt countless times before. It's as if time has momentarily paused in that office, evoking a sense of déjà vu.
"Care to stay longer? Order food? Or prefer heading home?"
"If you stay, I'll stay,"
"But—"
"It's alright, Harvey. We've done this before. We can tonight as well."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Okay." He smiles softly, reaching for his phone. "What shall we order?"
"Surprise me," she responds, lowering her gaze again to the files resting on her lap. "And no burgers for me." She adds, turning her head to look at him again.
He chuckles in response. "I want to sleep with you tonight. I know how to avoid problems here," Donna grins and bites her lower lip, trying to focus on the text. Harvey enjoys the view and orders food for both.
They have dinner with their eyes skimming the lines of the files, their bodies as close as possible without touching, as they often did in the past. The air becomes tense, a familiar tension from countless similar situations on that couch, as if touching each other were implicitly forbidden. Donna feels a longing to be closer to him, her skin tingling with the desire for a little contact. He appears engrossed in reading, yet his mind is consumed by an almost instinctual desire to rest his hand on his girlfriend's bare knee.
Long minutes later, Donna, growing impatient, nudges her knee against his while pretending to be focused on a file that only makes her yawn. She glances sideways, noticing a half-smile forming on Harvey's lips, feeling relieved. For a moment, she thought she had imagined everything.
"Hey... I know we agreed to keep it professional here, but we're alone in your office, on the couch, where we've probably endured the most uncomfortable moments." They can't suppress a silly giggle. "And I'm your girlfriend, or at least I think I am..."
"You are," he confirms, turning his head to look at her.
"Just… I wouldn't mind a little affection," she tells him, a shy smile on her lips as she lifts her head to meet his gaze.
"Wouldn't mind you?" he asks, leaning closer to her, almost in slow motion.
"I wouldn't," she says, barely above a whisper, closing her eyes as Harvey's somewhat rough fingers gently touch the side of her face.
"We're behaving like two inexperienced teenagers," he laughs softly, resting his forehead against hers.
"That's how you make me feel," she responds, placing her hand over his, which still holds her face.
"None of the countless nights we've spent here, none of them. I've never felt like doing this."
"So... what are you waiting for?" she asks, sweet yet impatient, gently rubbing his wrist with her thumb.
"The truth? I don't know," he murmurs, already locking his lips with hers, feeling her smile against his. Harvey gently sucks on her bottom lip, and Donna's mouth instinctively opens, craving more. His hands wander around her body, firmly grasping her by the nape and waist, pulling her closer. Donna allows him to take the lead in the kiss this time, letting him explore her mouth as if he were marking his territory, while her fingers entwine in his hair, wordlessly thanking him for taking over that territory that had always been his.
A fiery passion swirls within both of them; their tongues yearn for more as their hands cling to each other, seeking refuge amidst the blaze.
Countless nights had seen this desire brewing between them. That couch had been a place where their bodies had yearned for transgression, but their minds reminded them it was forbidden. The couch had always allowed a physical closeness that was otherwise impossible with a desk in between. It had enabled them to brush their knees together seemingly carelessly and permitted Harvey to stretch his arm across the backrest almost as if embracing her.
On that couch, both had fallen asleep working, granting them an intimate space and closeness that made them tremble, particularly for the one who stayed awake. Donna had slipped off her shoes and Harvey had rolled up his shirt sleeves on that very couch. The fabric of Donna's dress had ridden up her thighs more than it should have, rendering it impossible for Harvey to divert his gaze from that forbidden skin.
On that couch, they had brought their heads too close to read from the same file and brushed hands while exchanging files or glasses.
That couch had blurred all boundaries. Every time.
That couch had borne witness to their most forbidden desires.
Kissing there means much more than mere lips meeting – it is fraught with significance for both of them and their relationship. Even after weeks together, every time their lips meet, it feels like a lightning bolt coursing from head to toe. They longed for this for so long, convinced it would never happen, that now feels surreal. The desire to kiss each other every night spent on that couch finally culminates. Their lips fuse, tongues dance, and they pant for breath. On that couch, they are finally loving each other the way they have always wanted.
As they part to catch their breath, almost instinctively, Harvey's gaze falls upon Donna's swollen, moist lips, his hands resting on her thighs, sliding under her dress, finally touching the skin he had yearned for so many times on that couch.
"This couch knows more about our lack of self-control than we do," Donna murmurs, tangling her fingers in his nape short hair, enjoying the giggle he gives to her.
"God knows, if this office wasn't glazed, I'd abandon all self-control right now," he says, his voice a few octaves lower, trailing his nails along her thighs this time.
"Harvey–" she purrs, closing her eyes momentarily, savoring the moment. He smirks, relishing the sight before her eyes even flutter open, their lips meeting again.
Harvey's hands trail up her body, settling gently on her waist, guiding her until she settles on his legs. Donna perches herself on his lap, crossing her legs to one side, wrapping her arm around his neck while her other hand playfully trails behind his ear. Harvey holds her close, engrossed in their lip-lock.
"Should we take this couch home and put it to the use it deserves?"
Donna chuckles, shaking her head. "We both have couches capable of fulfilling that purpose."
"We haven't used your couch yet."
"We have the whole weekend for that, sir," she whispers against his lips, planting a brief kiss. "Or do you plan to leave me without sex all weekend?"
"You know that won't happen," he responds, his hand trailing down to her hip, giving it a playful squeeze as she smirks in response. "Every time we worked late at my office, I did my best to end up working exactly here." He admits in a deep, spine-tingling whisper in her ear.
She smirks knowingly. "I noticed."
"Of course, you noticed." He chuckles. "Having you as close as possible was always good."
"Now you have me as close as possible," she replies, capturing his lips with hers, using her grip on his neck to draw herself closer.
"It's been a long time, but here we are," he says, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen on her face.
She nods and pauses for a moment. "Can you hear that?"
"What thing?" he asks, puzzled.
"The couch, it's applauding us because we finally got our heads out of our butts."
Donna says it with such earnestness that Harvey bursts into a hearty laugh. His laughter is so contagious that Donna loses her balance, only to be saved from falling by Harvey.
After sharing that second glass of scotch, Donna is overcome by fatigue and drifts off to sleep on that iconic couch. She assumes the familiar position Harvey had seen her in countless times before – legs bent over the couch, torso tilted, head resting against the armrest.
The significant difference now is that Harvey doesn't fear the world will shatter if he touches her. Carefully, he places a pillow under her head and covers her with his jacket. He remains close to her for a while, gently stroking her hair - an activity that he recently discovered brought him immense peace. Eventually, he kisses her forehead and continues with his work, all the while, his free hand seeks out his girlfriend almost subconsciously. He notices how her body relaxes with every touch, a sight that brings a wide smile to his face.
Donna was usually the one who dozed off on that couch. The desire to touch her while she slept, even if it was just a gentle stroke through her hair, had always tugged at Harvey's fingers. Being free to do so felt akin to touching paradise.
Another newfound freedom Harvey cherishes is the liberty to capture photographs of his girlfriend. And this is a memory he wants to hold onto forever. After completing his tasks and collecting Donna's belongings from her office, he returns to his own and snaps a few pictures of his girlfriend.
Sitting beside her on the armrest, Harvey's fingers tangle in the hair behind her ear as he leans in to kiss her forehead. "Hey, you fell asleep," he whispers. Donna lets out a soft murmur, curling up a bit more. "Shall we head home?"
"Where are we?" she asks, completely disoriented.
He chuckles affectionately. "In my office, you fell asleep," he reminds her, rubbing her arm gently. "Shall we go? It's late."
Donna growls in a mock protest but nods, sitting clumsy on the couch. She smiles upon noticing her boyfriend's jacket draped over her. "It's nice to know you'll look after me if I doze off."
"I'll always take care of you," he murmurs, standing beside her and enfolding her in an embrace to kiss the crown of her head.
She grins and tilts her head to look at him. "This is really nice." She confesses and Harvey leans in for a gentle kiss on her lips before assisting her in putting on her shoes and helping her up, taking her hands in his.
"Here, take…" Donna says, attempting to return his jacket.
"Keep it. You didn't bring a coat, and it's getting colder."
"And what about you?"
"I'm a bit warmer in my outfit compared to you in that dress, don't you think?"
"Alright, thank you," she says, smiling, slipping her arms into the jacket sleeves and grabbing her purse.
Harvey smiles and drapes an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the exit.
Once inside the elevator, she snuggles closer to him as he envelops her in his embrace.
"Your place or mine?" she murmurs, while he's kissing her forehead.
"Yours, it's closer. And also, your couch will be blessed in the morning."
"Oh, right, right," she responds with a playful smile.
Leaving the building with Donna wrapped in his jacket, Harvey knows that this is exactly how he wished to leave that place every night they worked late together, with Donna in his arms.
In the car, she rests her head on his shoulder and drifts off again. But she's not concerned; she knows Harvey will take care of her.
At home, she's still groggy. He helps her change into pajamas and even inquires about what to do with her makeup, but she assures him that tonight, it doesn't matter. Urging him to join her quickly, Harvey obliges. In less than three minutes, he's in bed with her. Donna takes only five seconds to curl up against him, and within a minute, she's sound asleep again.
Harvey doesn't struggle to fall asleep either. Whether it's on that couch, his bed, hers, or even on the moon, having Donna Paulsen in his arms has always been his deepest desire and now he feels at peace. And now, he's ready to simply savor it.
thank you for reading :)