They were both too busy with the move to Seattle, the search for an apartment that would meet their needs and adapting to their new jobs to notice some small changes.
Donna had been working her ass off to do everything, and as much as Harvey wanted to help, she wouldn't let him. "You're just going to mess up or get in the way," the redhead would say in a humorous tone, but with no room for argument. Between the much shorter working hours than he was used to and Mike giving them an extra period to organize their lives in a new city, the lawyer ended up with a lot of free time on his hands.
So he watched.
He watched Donna as she made her way through the boxes scattered around the rental house, her hair in a messy bun, sweater pants and an old t-shirt that once belonged to Harvey. He watched her as the redhead looked through the portfolios of the houses they had visited, a pen between her lips, her eyes frowning and the decision as to which one would become their home still to be made. He watched her as she caught him watching, her mouth curving into a smile and her perfect eyebrows arching.
"You're distracting me." Donna complained, but her gaze was provocative.
"You won't let me help." He pointed out the obvious, but truth be told, helping was the last thing on his mind at that moment.
His wife was beautiful. So beautiful that he wondered why on earth it had taken him so long to get his head out of his ass and see what had always been in front of him. She was beautiful in her designer dresses, perfect make-up and hair falling in a cascade of red. She was beautiful like that, at home, wearing old clothes. She was even more beautiful when completely naked, under or over him, on her side or bent over, sweat glistening on her freckled skin, her mouth in his ear saying things that made him lose his mind.
She was beautiful. Perfect. No woman was like Donna and he still had moments of disbelief when the notion that she was his hit him. He hated that they had wasted so much time. He regretted the times he had let her go, the times he had taken her for granted, the number of opportunities he let it pass. But clinging to that would lead nowhere, so he tried to focus on the present and the future they would have together.
"Come here." Harvey called, his voice low but clear, legs sprawling on the sofa.
His wife looked up and, oh, how tempting that invitation was. Harvey knew that Donna liked to be in charge on a daily basis, but between the walls of their bedroom she would let her guard down let him take the lead. Harvey once confessed that, although he tried to give the image of a man completely in control, he was nothing without her. That had been the case ever since the two of them shook hands in that bar years ago. Harvey could be intimidating in his three-piece suit, his voice loud and commanding, but he was lost without Donna. She had taken over his heart and his mind and he was more than fine with that, but he loved it when she obeyed him in bed.
And boy did it turned her on.
Putting the papers aside, Donna walked over to her husband who was staring at her like a predator about to strike its prey. Stopping in front of him, her legs between his, she waited.
The lawyer smiled.
"Sit." He ordered.
"Where?" The redhead feigned innocence, joining in the game.
"On your husband." The words were accompanied by his hand pulling her by her thighs, the grip firm enough to make a point, but not to hurt.
"My husband, huh?" Donna wanted to continue with the flirting, but her flushed cheeks, her already fast breathing and the tone of her voice indicated that she was more than ready.
Harvey, already experienced at picking up her signals, didn't bother to reply and next thing she knew, she was right where he'd wanted, his pants down to his ankles and hers discarded somewhere, along with her shirt and underwear.
She rode him mercilessly, spurred on by the words of encouragement spoken in a low, husky tone. Just like that, you're so fucking hot, you love taking my cock in that pretty little pussy of yours, don't you?, such a good girl.
It wasn't long before they climaxed and Harvey hugged her tightly. The kisses on her face and neck so sweet in contrast to the dirty words spoken a few minutes before. The love he fell for her pouring out, open for her to feel and enjoy.
She sucked him off in the shower and soon he was on his knees returning the favor, he took her a second time against the wall, the way her breasts bounced with his frantic thrusts making him lose control as she begged for more and harder and yes, yes, yes. He then led her under the jet of hot water, letting her lean on his chest, her knees still weak and her legs still wobbly. They washed off and Harvey's bold fingers found their way to Donna's center, his mouth full of her breasts, sucking hard as she moaned and whimpered and he released her swollen nipple to tell her she was beautiful, so beautiful, as her orgasm hit her once again.
It's one of those evenings. Their need for each other making him hard again and again and she's wet, so wet. She knows that neither of them will be able to do anything else for the rest of the night and she's more than fine with that.
They were finally where they were supposed to be.
As the days went by, the couple fell into an improvised routine. They decided that there was no reason to unpack everything since they would be moving once again when they found a permanent home, and since the place they were staying in now had a spare room, Harvey organized the remaining boxes there. The work at the clinic was much quieter than at the firm, but while Harvey felt refreshed, Donna seemed more tired with each passing day.
The lawyer feared that his wife was pushing herself to the limit as a way of proving herself. Having spent a lifetime being questioned about her abilities and the closeness with which she worked with Harvey, Donna didn't feel comfortable being average. She had to be the best.
To a certain extent, Harvey understood where the COO's attitude was coming from and after she had almost ripped his head off when he argued that "it's Make and Rachel, they know you" he decided to drop the subject.
As if listening to his thoughts, Mike appeared in his office with a worried expression.
"Harvey, is Donna all right? She looks exhausted."
The older man sighed and leaned back in his chair gesturing to the empty seat in front of him which Mike promptly accepted. In rushed tones, he then explained what he believed to be the reason for his wife's tiredness.
"Well, I know as well as you do that arguing with her on that point might not be the best thing." Mike said. "I still think you should try something. Maybe put aside the house search?"
Later that day, the lawyer talked to Donna while they had dinner and was surprised by the lack of protest when he brought up Mike's suggestion.
"Maybe it's for the best." She shrugged as she fiddled with the food on her plate. Harvey had cooked one of his wife's favorites, but she had barely touched the meal. "I know you're worried," she smiled affectionately, "I promise I'll try to slow down."
And so she did. Harvey waited for things to get better, but when the picture didn't change he began to notice a few things that seemed out of the ordinary with Donna.
The first was when they were out shopping. Harvey wanted to drop by the store that sold his day-to-day cologne, but Donna stalled in front of it, her expression turning into a grimace.
"What happened?" Donna looked sick and walked away, putting a distance between her and the place. "Donna?"
As quickly as it appeared, the nausea vanished and Donna cracked an attempt of a smile. She knew her husband was worried about her and the last thing she wanted was to make matters worse. The redhead believed that her tiredness was just a symptom of how much her life was changing. All she needed was time to adjust.
"It was nothing. I think the smell inside is too strong and it bothered me for a moment." She placed a comforting squeeze on Harvey's hand. "Maybe I should wait out here?"
Not wanting to pressure her, Harvey quickly bought what he needed and returned to where she was waiting. He didn't mention it, but Donna's words didn't convince him.
For years she had been the one responsible for looking after Harvey and he knew that she had gone far beyond his professional life. From his cosmetics to his wardrobe, Donna had been the one to help him choose the things that would soon become part of him. The suits, the button-down shirts with H.S. emblazoned on the cuffs, his shoes and, of course, his cologne.
Many were the times she accompanied him to that same store that like all great franchises, had its establishments with a characteristic smell.
Two days after the incident, the couple were relaxing on the couch and deciding what they would order that evening. Looking through the delivery app, Harvey smiled when he found a Thai restaurant with good recommendations and was pleased to see his wife's excitement at the dinner suggestion.
Donna gave her husband a tender kiss on the lips. She knew that Thai wasn't what he would eat if he was alone and her heart squeezed at how thoughtful he was. At that moment, the redhead made a mental note to take better care of herself. Harvey deserved more than constantly having to worry about her.
Once the order had been made, the two spent the waiting time lost in tender exchanges. Open-mouthed kisses and whispered words leaving promises for later.
When the food arrived, Donna was busy looking for a movie for them to watch, so Harvey occupied himself with arranging the table, nibbling at the dishes as he went.
The lawyer felt confident that that was going to be a good night. Donna finally looked a little better, the tiredness was still there but nothing that a few more nights of solid rest couldn't help.
It was when she took her first generous bite that Harvey recognized the same grimace she had shown in front of the store two days earlier. Now, Harvey wasn't the biggest fan of Thai food, but after years of putting up with the shitty Thai place that Donna loved in New York, he knew that this new restaurant should meet her standards.
"What's wrong?" He asked, frowning.
Harvey watched as Donna made an effort to swallow her food and a few seconds later ran off towards the bathroom. He stood there, confused. Having already tried basically everything they had ordered, the lawyer knew there was nothing wrong with the meal.
He was still trying to make sense of what had just happened when Donna returned. Her face paler than usual and her hands resting on her flat stomach gave Harvey a feeling of deja vu. The week before, Donna had fallen ill in the early hours of the morning. When it happened, Harvey barely had time to react when she assured him it was nothing before lying down next to him and going back to sleep.
But now.
The constant tiredness, the nausea, the change in taste and the extreme reaction to a smell she should have been used to...
"Harvey, this food is terrible." Donna spoke, but he wasn't paying attention, the pieces falling into place in his mind.
It couldn't be. Donna had been on birth control since before they started dating and he knew she was extremely careful with those things.
"Harvey?" Donna called out impatiently.
He quickly came up with a plan. He wanted to be prepared when he told her about his suspicions and he definitely wasn't prepared now, so he just shook his head, agreed with her complaints and made his way to the kitchen to prepare something quick for her.
He wasn't scared of the possibility, but he knew that Donna might not take it so easily. They were in a new city, a new job, most of their belongings still in boxes. They had talked about the possibility of children, but that should come later.
He smiled as he placed the plate in front of her and when Donna looked at him with a clear question in her eyes, he just shrugged, kissed her forehead and started clearing the rest of the table.
The next morning Donna woke up feeling sick, tired and miserable. She had gotten up twice during the night and was sure there was nothing more she could put out of her. To top it off, Harvey hadn't stopped staring at her since the night before. If Donna hadn't been in such a bad mood, she would have found it funny how his smile contrasted with her frown.
Harvey, for his part, was even more certain of his theory and didn't even try to suggest that his wife take the day off. He didn't comment on her being tired or feeling unwell, that would only lead to an argument and tonight everything would be cleared up and they could start taking the right steps to make her feel better.
In the middle of the morning, when he knew Donna would be busy in a meeting, the lawyer calmly made his way to a pharmacy close to work and bought four pregnancy tests, stopped at home to drop them off in the bathroom and was grateful that things in Seattle were so close. That would never have been possible in New York. By late afternoon Donna was so exhausted that she willingly accepted his suggestion to leave early. After feeling sick and pouring the contents of her lunch into the clinic's toilet, all she wanted was to take a long bath and not see any more food until the next day.
But that would only be possible if she managed to contain the urge to slap the smile off her husband's face.
Why was he in such a good mood? Couldn't he see that she was feeling terrible? That thought startled her. She knew that she was the number one priority in Harvey's life and after spending days worrying about her, it was unfair for her to think that of him.
Still.
"What the hell are you smiling about?" She snapped as they entered the house.
Before Harvey could react, tears welled up in Donna's eyes. Feeling bad about the way she had snapped, about the way she was feeling and about the world in general, she turned on her heels and sank onto the couch.
Everything seemed off. Donna rarely got sick and she was tired of feeling that way. The tears didn't help, leaving her only more distressed by the whole situation without even knowing where to begin to understand what was happening to her.
She felt it when he sat down next to her and when Harvey's arms wrapped around her she finally caved to all she had been feeling.
"Why am I feeling like this?" She whimpered, her face buried in her husband's chest.
For a moment he said nothing and she felt his hands caressing her back in a comforting way. Harvey sighed, knowing that no matter how good his plan was, there was no easy way to approach the subject.
He was surprised that Donna hadn't come to the same conclusion as him. At the same time, it made him feel bad. Donna was so used to putting other people's needs before her own that she overlooked something she would have noticed quickly if it had been happening to a friend. He was sure that if it were Rachel in the same situation, his wife would probably be the first to notice what was going on.
But it was all right, he thought. Donna had him now, she would always have him and he was more than happy to look after her.
"I think you're pregnant." His tone of voice was calm.
Donna stopped crying and lifted her head to stare at him, a humorless laugh coming out of her.
"What?" She waited for Harvey to laugh, to make a joke, but he just stared back at her. "That's not possible."
Except it was. The last few days in New York and the first days in Seattle were a blur in the redhead's head. She and Harvey were trapped in a bubble, too much in love and too busy. The days had passed in the blink of an eye, between moving boxes, goodbyes at the firm and reunions in Seattle, passionate nights in bed and that characteristic joy of newlyweds.
Donna prided herself on being careful, but at that moment, seeing what could only be called certainty in Harvey's eyes, she admitted to herself that even she could forget a day or two of birth control.
Noticing the change in his wife's face, Harvey carried on.
"You've been feeling more tired than usual, even though you've been working a lot less." He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "You got sick of the smell of that store, you were sick last week, yesterday, today." Harvey sighed. "And you haven't had your period since we got here. It's been a month."
Well, If anyone other than her could notice that last one, it would surely be Harvey.
Donna continued to watch him, showing no reaction to the words coming out of his mouth.
"It's okay." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I even bought some pregnancy tests and-"
That did the trick.
Leaving the grip of his arms, Donna stared at him in shock.
"Wait a minute. What? What do you mean you bought tests? Since when have you been considering this?"
Donna wasn't angry, just very bewildered. As if listening to him list all the symptoms that had passed her by wasn't enough, he had still been sure enough to buy the tests.
"Since last night." Harvey was unfazed, shrugging as he spoke and that smile that had been nagging at her all day returning to his lips. "I ate the Thai food. There was nothing wrong with it." He then explained how the sight of her coming out of the bathroom reminded him of last week and the other incidents, about how this morning he went to the pharmacy to buy what they needed just to be sure.
Everything he was saying made sense and Donna felt overwhelmed. Harvey was right. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had her period and all the other signs were there.
The redhead didn't even think that peeing on a stick was necessary at that point, but the fact that he thought about it all softened her up. And it filled her with guilt and she didn't fought the tears this time.
"I'm so sorry." She had gotten careless and hadn't even been able to pay attention to what her body had been saying. "I'm sorry, Harvey."
The lawyer held her before she could sink into the couch once more.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I forgot the pill, because I got angry at you when you told me I was tired, because I made you worry."
That sight broke Harvey's heart in half. He knew more than anyone that Donna wasn't above making mistakes or forgetting something, but the last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad about what happened. Donna being Donna didn't deal well with her own slip-ups and he had seen first-hand how much she could beat herself up for them.
He didn't even know if she had forgotten to take the contraceptive. They were going at it like rabbits and no method was above failure.
"Hey, look at me." The lawyer held his wife's chin towards him. "I'm not. I'm not sorry." Trying to reason with her at this point would lead nowhere. It was done and he had no regrets. "You didn't make this baby on your own and we had already talked about it."
"But-"
"And even if we hadn't talked about it, I still wouldn't be sorry. These things happen. So unless you don't want to or-"
"That's not what I meant." She shook her head emphatically. "Of course I want to. It's just that our life is still a mess, we've just got married, we're starting over in a new city."
Harvey smiled and holding Donna's face between his hands he planted several kisses on her lips.
"It's a good thing we're starting again in high style, then." He joked and the redhead finally smiled. "I proposed to you and married you on the same day. We've been in the making for over a decade and I meant everything I said on the day we got married. We've already wasted too much time and I don't want to waste another second."
Donna wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, laughing and crying. Above all, feeling loved and cared for like never before.
"I love you so much." She sighed into the crook of his neck.
"I love you more."
To the surprise of neither of them, all four tests came back positive. Donna and Harvey cried and laughed some more, amazed and a little fearful at the news that their little family of two would soon be expanded.
But then again, they were finally where they were supposed to be.