A/N: This is a quick, short, semi-angsty oneshot about Donna and Harvey in season 4, right after the fight that happened with Harvey and Huntley in the bathroom. Takes place the same night she takes care of his split lip. It foucses on the parallels between Huntly & Harvey. As always, critiques and comments are welcome, let me know what you think and if you have any suggestion for more parallel moments!

P.S: If you liked this parallel, or are interested in Harvey's pov with similarities he finds between him and Stephen- I do explore it more in another fic called "British Invasion" s/14135757/1/British-Invasion

AU NOTE: this takes place sometime in season 4, during sucker punch, post fight between Harvey and Huntly in the bathroom.

Similarities in Almosts.

"Did you love him?" Harvey finds himself asking, surprised the words actually fell out of his mouth, when all they could possibly do is hurt him, when he already had a bruising lip and sore jaw thanks to the British prick tonight. He doesn't know why he was acting like a martyr tonight, pushing the envelope as he pokes and prods Donna, who'd been hurt enough tonight, exposed and vulnerable with nothing but more hurt to show for it. Yeah, Harvey seems to be in the mood for atonement tonight, and he hates himself for involving Donna into his sacrilegious grotesque process, but she was intertwined into every part of his hurt, which made sense because if he's learned anything these past few weeks is that Donna held more power than he realized over his state of mind and heart.

"I could have. But I didn't. But I could have."

Harvey swallows and nods trying to hide the disappointment he felt. Because he doesn't know what he was expecting doesn't know if he assumed it was a resounding no or maybe a gut wrenching yes but her saying she could have made it worse.

Because it brought him back to all those years ago when he had his head in between her legs, then on her chest, then nuzzled into her neck and she'd whispered the same sentiments about him. Then they shared a long lingering look and it felt charged and momentous but she must've seen some of the fear he felt in his eyes because she threw him a wry smile after that and sent him a quip about if only he was less of an ass.

Except this time her answer hurt more, stunned him more, because here she was admitting yet again that she fell in love with someone who didn't deserve her and it was someone that had managed to get her to lower her guard and see a glimpse of something sacred. Something he knew she'd done for him but only briefly and when he'd alluded to wanting more, the morning after, at the diner, and weeks later on after they'd won big for the first time at Pearson Hardman, she'd shut him down immediately.

Now here he was, wishing he could tell her that Stephen was an asshole. That he never should have made her choose between him and his rule that if he loved her or respected her even a little bit- which he could begrudgingly admit Stephen seemed like did- the British dick would have followed her rule. But he mentions none of that because he doesn't want to add anymore to the similarities between him and Huntley. Doesn't want them to be in the same category in her mind despite all the parallels already playing out.

He tries to forget that after that moment, that one charged, emotionally heavy moment during the other time their sex seemed to get even better. More intimate, more passionate, like there was nothing else but them in the world, like they had nothing to prove, except proving something to one another when it came to their connection.

Which they did. Over and over again.

He hates the idea she might've had that with Stephen.

"Was he that good in bed?" Harvey's voice is aiming to be sarcastic and drawled out, acting as if he could care less and had no interest in her response. But he didn't have to be Donna to hear the tinge of cringe and heartbreak in his voice, he just hoped the surprising out of left field response would startle her enough to overlook it. He hoped she didn't pick apart the question, didn't see it for the poor attempt of grasping at straws that it was.

He desperately tries avoiding her gaze, not wanting to see the pity or sadness she'd have in her warm hazel eyes directed at him while her own heart was breaking for someone else. Maybe herself or Stephen he wasn't 100% sure.

Donna lets out a pathetic half chuckle that held no amusement and had a tinge of darkness to it. "Nothing my vibrator couldn't mimic."

Harvey smiles wistfully at her words, his eyes still directed to his scotch, glad to hear the distaste in her voice that was firm leaving no doubt in her statement. She was going to be fine, he was sure of it.

Hours later, after they switched to safer topics, after he got Donna to laugh once genuinely and gripped her palm reassuringly as a goodbye, promising her vindication when it came to Huntley, after she hugged him with one arm as a goodnight, after Harvey caught a whiff of her shampoo that smelled like lavender and coconuts and Donna, Harvey went back to his scotch and back to her words and instead of feeling relieved again at her statement- Harvey wondered if she told herself the same thing after they slept together.

He wondered if she adequated the other time with a night alone with her sex toys and he hated that his groin stirred at that image while his heart sunk at the realization maybe one of the reasons she didn't love him wasn't because of some rule but because he kept falling short to all of her expectations be it his personality or their intimate connection that night. Maybe he just wasn't up to what Donna deserved.

Maybe he had more in common with Huntley than he liked.