Prompt by my fav, Ania Jain Aanya48181023 "Rachel, Mike, and Darvey having dinner together and rachel sees first hand how they order for each other/ taking things from the other person's plate etc. (couple darvey)".

A/N:An ode to HIMYM reference, The olive theory comes from Marshall 3

The Olive Theory

Mike's always told Rachel one of the ways he knew she was the one was because they finished each others plates. He hated Brussels she loved them. She didn't care for carrots he liked them, and she loved anything with olives and he detested them. She always rolled her eyes at his statement more than convinced it was bullshit.

Till one night at dinner, with Donna and Harvey.

Donna let out a laugh as Rachel recalled one of the many disastrous first dates she had over the years.

"See aren't you glad those days are over now?" Mike lovingly rubbed Rachel's shoulder eliciting a scoff from Harvey. "Like you're such a prize fraud man?"

"Hey, hurtful. Felt that right here." Mike pointed at his chest and Donna rolled her eyes at their banter.

"Let's just order shall we?" Rachel commented as the waiter walked by their table.

"I need to use the bathroom real quick, just order for me Harvey." Donna shot out of the chair and walked away.

Rachel ordered their infamous shrimp and goat cheese pizza with hot honey, Mike got the steak and Harvey ordered the rigatoni pasta and the ribeye. "Oh and can I get a side of shoestring fries? Thanks."

Rachel frowned bemusedly at Harvey's order "you knew that quick she'd want pasta?"

Harvey shrugged "she loves vodka sauce." As soon as the food came, Rachel noticed Donna moaned around the first bite of her pasta before offering some to Harvey who nodded appreciatively at the taste. "It's good. Not as good as Del Posto though." He smirked and Donna rolled her eyes before shoving his shoulder.

She then went back to talking to Rachel about the upcoming wedding going in detail over her bridesmaid dress options, while Harvey meticulously divided up their food. Rachel cocked her head curiously as she saw Harvey take away the cooked chunks of tomato off Donna's plate and onto his, before portioning out half his steak on her side and serving them both a generous amount of fries.

Donna never strayed away her focus off Rachel as Harvey manhandled her meal.

"Uh, yeah sequins are definitely a no-go." Rachel stammered as she made eyes with Mike wondering if he saw what she was seeing. Mike shrugged, used to the dynamic while Rachel was stunned at the domesticity of it all. She'd never had dinner with Harvey and Donna, this being a first to celebrate their engagement.

Rachel shook her surprise at their interaction as Donna ate Harvey's broccoli.

The next time it happens, it's at Harvey's office working late they order Chinese. Once again, Harvey doesn't ask what Donna wants but does ask Rachel. Once the food arrives, Rachel frowns at the absorbent amount of food.

Extra spring rolls, some walnut shrimp, grilled eggplant and sweet and sour chicken. Donna comes in with another stack of files. "Oh thank god I'm starving! Did you get the-"

"Yes." Harvey answered half-exasperated as if annoyed at the assumption he'd forget. "What about the-"

"You're not drinking plum wine when I need you to finish amending those paragraphs, Paulsen." Donna pouted with an eye roll as she mouthed the words 'hard ass' to Rachel.

"Ok but did you remember the-"

"Spring rolls are all there. With the sauce."

"How many did you get?"

"7"

"But what will you and Rach have?" Donna's lips wrapped around a wide smile and Harvey scoffed at her remark. They share knowing smiles and teasing looks for a second.

Rachel took the files to organize the table. She began delving up the food, slowly picking out the candied walnuts out of her container.

"Did Harvey mess up your order?" Rachel whispered her question teasingly to Donna. "What? Oh," she chuckled "no, he just weirdly really likes them but not the shrimp so l just give them to him because I could care less for them. The shrimps the star of the show." Rachel couldn't wait to tell Mike the latest proof supporting his plate theory and obsession with Harvey and Donna being meant for each other.

The last time it happened, was on a night they were all working to get Mike out of prison. Harvey had ordered a pizza from Gianno's to keep them going. Donna was pulling every string she had at the federal prison system to try and get Mike moved from Gallo's block of cells.

Rachel didn't have high hopes at first but then again she did get her visitation rights when she wasn't meant to have any. Harvey and her were working on finding ways to get him out early.

Once the pizzas arrived, Rach noted how he remembered her preference for gorgonzola cheese. She smiled wistfully at the kind gesture.

She also noticed the second pizza had yellow tomatoes, Donna's known preferred topping. Rachel knew Harvey only tolerated them for her. Like he tolerated her obsession with shitty Thai.

Rachel feels her eyes go misty over the stupid yellow tomatoes, knowing if Mike was there they'd be sharing knowing looks and teasing jokes about their best friends and his stupid theory on love and food.

She shoved a bite of the pizza in her mouth, burning the roof of her mouth in a welcome distraction from the sudden urge to cry for the umpteenth time.

Donna's busy on the phone, she doesn't notice the pizzas arrived, yelling at whatever security guard who owes her a favor to at the very least make sure Mikes not messed with by the other security officers.

Half an hour goes by, and Donna's still not eating, working dutifully through her connections, while Rachel is half dazing in and out of her files, wanting to help and half disassociating remembering this was to get her finance out of prison.

She notices Harvey get up, walk over to Donna, and gently nudge her shoulder as he hands her a slide of lukewarm pizza.

Donna gives him a halfhearted smile of thanks before walking out of the office with the pizza slice to check something on her places the plate on the edge of her cubicle and doesn't touch it again, abandoning it to focus on her mission.

Harvey's eyes stay on Donna for an entire 10 minutes, clearly worried about her.

It's not till an entire 15 minutes pass that he clears his throat and goes back to his own file case.

It takes Rach another 10 minutes to stop mulling over Donna and Harvey and whatever there relationship went through recently, and paralleling it to her and mikes.

Rachel weirdly feels a sense of thankfulness that all her troubles with Mike were in the form of outside factors, and that she was, despite every obstacle thrown at them, in a loving reciprocated relationship with her soulmate.

She just had to get him out of prison.