Sorry about the mix up yesterday – I accidentally uploaded and posted the wrong chapter! Thanks for letting me know, and here's the chapter I meant to post….
Hi, everyone.
I know I've been MIA for quite a while now – I've been struggling with this chapter. As you know, it's been written for a long time, but this one just was not my favorite. I really wanted to work on it a little bit and make it better before I posted, but then I'd get stuck or lose my motivation or start fixating on other fics and the cycle would repeat.
Anyway, it's still not my favorite, but it is what it is – I can't let another several months go by while I try to improve it.
So, here it is – hopefully, you enjoy.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"So…it's my last day of freedom before I go back to work," Donna muses. Her head is resting on Harvey's chest, her arm thrown haphazardly across his stomach as they bask in the evening light.
She doesn't need to look at him to know there's a smile stretching across his lips. For weeks, he's been telling her how much he's missed her being at his desk. Not only that, but he's also taken absolutely every opportunity to complain about Cameron – the smell of his cologne, the way he clicks his pen, the framed picture of his mom on his desk, the way he chews his food, the specific colors he uses to color code the calendar, the three different thermoses he brings to and from the office each day, the three e-mail reminders he set up to automatically send to Harvey before every meeting, and so on – Donna has heard it all.
Once he got Jessica to sign off on her return, he's been counting down the days until Donna would be back at his desk and she knows he's just been itching for tomorrow to arrive.
"Don't lie – you can't wait to get back," he retorts while his fingers lazily trace patterns across her bare back. While he's definitely been anxious to get her back on his desk, he knows he's not the only one. Being home all day has been killing her – as much as she's tried to get into daytime television, it just wasn't for her.
"I'm just concerned about my filing system," she defends, stifling a laugh. "I'm sure Cameron has completely destroyed it by now," she sighs, doubling down.
"Mhm… sure," he responds, not believing it for a second. "Admit it, you've missed working together," he says as his fingers migrate to lovingly play with her hair.
Propping herself up on an elbow, her bright eyes find his in the dim light of his bedroom. "Okay," she concedes, giving in. "Maybe a little," she adds, watching a smile creep across his face before his hand finds the back of her neck and he pulls her forward so their lips can meet.
It's a quick and gentle kiss – one that makes her feel warm all over. And when she pulls away to find his adoring eyes staring back at her, she feels the need to confess: "The truth is… I'm a little nervous about going back," she divulges, apprehensively biting her lower lip.
It's only been five days since Harvey showed up at her place with the biggest grin on his face, thrilled to tell her that Jessica had agreed to her return. The plan was for Cameron to finish out the week on Harvey's desk and Donna would return the following Monday. Of course, Donna was initially happy and relieved at the news, immediately jumping into Harvey's arms before he spun her around her living room and they eventually collapsed on the couch, happier than they had been in weeks. That being said, these last few days, the anxiety has started to worm its way in.
She watches the flash of surprise hit his eyes as he digests the revelation, turning in his bed to face her more directly. "Why?" He questions, his fingers casually drifting down her arm until he slips his palm in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze.
Releasing a breath, she begins to explain. "Well… I did make a bit of a scene at the mock trial," she reminds him, her cheeks warming up as she thinks back on that day. "I'm not exactly looking forward to all the whispers and weird glances I'm going to get."
"Donna, c'mon, that's old news," he assures her. "No one's talking about it anymore."
"Yeah, not around you," she scoffs. "Everyone's afraid of you," she points out.
"Oh yeah, and no one is afraid of you," he says, completely sarcastic, with a playful roll of his eyes.
It's just enough to force a smile from her lips, immediately making him proud for being the cause.
"Okay, you're right," she concedes. "But I'll still know they're talking about me," she explains. "Poor Donna – the lowly secretary who's helplessly in love with her boss," she imitates, being just a touch overdramatic. "I can only imagine the sympathetic looks that'll be thrown my way," she whines.
"Well… we could tell people," he suggests. "About us," he clarifies, a beat later.
And well, that definitely catches her by surprise.
"Really?" She asks, attempting to blink back the shock on her face. They've been a secret for so long that the thought never even occurred to her.
"Yeah, why not?" He shrugs. "I mean, Jessica already knows… and I'm okay with everyone else knowing, if you are," he tells her, letting their fingers intertwine.
"Wow uh… I um… I don't know," she stammers, trying to envision what that would even look like – the two of them being openly together and everyone knowing. She hadn't even let herself imagine that at any point during these past several months, the idea feeling so farfetched. "I uh… I guess I'll think about it," she decides, feeling like it's the safest answer.
"What's to think about?" He questions, trying his best not to let any doubt creep in. He knows they'd been keeping this under wraps for a reason, but things are different now. Things between them – it's serious and given what happened at the mock trial, he's been thinking it's probably time to let everyone know. Sure, they've had some fun sneaking around but, in his mind, it's well past time.
"Well… it's just… telling everyone is a pretty big deal," she points out. "There's no going back," she reminds him.
She feels his body stiffen the moment the words leave her mouth and now, the frown is clear as day on his face. The next several seconds are spent quietly searching her eyes for the meaning behind her words after his hand leaves her and anxiously runs through his hair. "Are you thinking you might want to go back?" He questions, clearly hesitant.
"No, no," she assures him. "I just mean… it's a big decision," she tries to explain, feeling a little flustered. "Once we tell everyone… all the things people have always said about us… no one will ever believe it wasn't all true, and… well, I'll always be that secretary who slept with her boss," she elaborates as she avoids his gaze and instead fixates on picking at an imaginary piece of lint on the bedsheet.
"Donna…" he exhales. Reaching out, he places a finger underneath her chin and lifts it so she's finally meeting his gaze again. "You know that you and I… it's a lot more than that," he tells her. "And I'm pretty sure everyone else will know it, too," he continues. "And if they don't, I'll happily educate them on the matter," he promises, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Smiling up at him, she runs a palm down his chest as she mulls it over. "Still, it doesn't exactly fix the issue of everyone talking about us," she points out.
"Let them talk," he dismisses initially before really taking in her words. The concern in her eyes is clear and it immediately causes his expression to soften. "People have always been talking about us… it's never seemed to bother you before," he says, the unasked question hanging in the air between them.
"I know…" she concedes. Truthfully, she's not even sure why she's letting the potential of office gossip get to her like this. It's just that… before, when people would talk, she never worried about it too much because it was always based off wild conjecture. Everything they said, she knew it wasn't true and everyone she cared about knew it wasn't true, so she never let it bother her.
But now? Now, it would actually be based in reality. Now, their words could actually sting.
And she can't help but not want to hear it.
She's sure everyone will be speculating nonstop about their relationship, as soon as word gets out. She can practically hear the gossip ringing in her ears right now.
That she's a lovesick secretary and Harvey is just a horny corporate lawyer. That she's after his money and he just wants a good fuck. That she's been in love with him for years and he just feels bad for her.
They'll probably start placing bets on their demise before the end of the week.
"Donna?" He says, pulling her from her intrusive thoughts.
"Hm? Sorry," she apologizes, when she realizes that she had drifted off for too long.
"Talk to me," he implores as he cups her jaw, his thumb lovingly brushing against her cheek.
Letting out a sigh, she lifts her chin to meet his eyes and decides to tell him the truth. "I guess I never let it bother me before because… it was nowhere near true, you know?" She starts to explain. "We weren't together, so whatever they said, it didn't matter," she continues. "But… once everyone knows… they'll all be throwing in their two cents about our relationship and I… I guess I just don't want to hear it," she admits with a shrug of her shoulders.
Nodding his head, he takes in what she's saying and really mulls it over.
"Look, we don't have to decide anything right now. If you want to hold off on telling people, we can," he assures her. "But, I don't want you to let whatever the bozos in the office have to say get in here," he tells her as he lightly taps her temple. "People are always going to talk, but they don't know anything about you and me… we have a really good thing going," he adds as a smile warms his lips. "And we can't let anyone else get in the way of that."
"I know," she agrees. "I don't really care… I'm just not looking forward to hearing how I'm just trying to sleep my way to the top or how I'm after your money or that you just feel sorry for me and this is some kind of pity fuck," she clarifies.
"No one will think that," he dismisses with a shake of his head.
And the look he gets in return – it's one of those knowing Donna looks… the one where she raises her eyebrow in a silent challenge.
"Well, like I said… I'll set them straight," he promises as he maneuvers her on top of him.
"Okay," she says with a nod of her head. "But I uh… I'd still like to think about it," she tells him, well aware he probably won't like the answer.
"Alright," he agrees, clearly not too keen on the idea. "But, you know we can't keep this a secret forever," he stresses.
"I know," she responds. "I wouldn't want to," she assures him with a smile.
"Okay," he nods. "Then, I guess… just let me know when you're ready," he offers as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Thank you," she gives him a reassuring smile before leaning in for a kiss.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
The next morning, it's Donna's alarm that wakes him up – her phone buzzing with that Paula Abdul tune that he hasn't heard in several weeks. He always used to groan at the sound of her alarm in the morning, but today, it puts an immediate smile on his face.
It's her first day back and he couldn't be happier.
He's missed her – he's missed this.
All these weeks, she hasn't had a reason to wake up early with him and it really made him realize just how much brighter she made his mornings.
Waking up together, watching her get ready, sharing a cup of coffee, stealing bites of each other's breakfast, their banter in the back of the Lexus – it had become such a prized part of his morning routine, but not getting to experience it for all this time makes him cherish it that much more now.
It's thirty seconds into The Promise of a New Day when Donna finally reaches over to silence the sound. She's just about to roll out of bed when he catches her, pulling her into his side, kissing her temple, and giving her a little squeeze.
"Harvey – c'mon, I have to get ready," she halfheartedly complains. Without even looking at her, he can tell she doesn't mean it. He can hear the smile in her voice. He knows she's missed this too – definitely not as much as he has, but still enough.
"One more minute," he grumbles, burying his face in her hair and pulling her even closer.
She doesn't argue, just places her hands over his and enjoys the warmth of his body heat. They lie like that for more than a minute, but eventually, Donna wriggles out of his embrace and slips out of bed.
Harvey doesn't even consider trying for another fifteen minutes of sleep like he probably would've done weeks ago. Instead, he watches her move around his bedroom, picking up his discarded shirt off the floor, and slipping into it. She doesn't bother with the buttons and Harvey relishes the view.
He will never not love the sight of her in his shirt.
Sitting up against his headboard, his gaze follows her bare legs as she ventures into his closet where a handful of her dresses still hang.
It was one night, maybe five days after everything happened, she was standing in his closet, musing aloud that she should probably bring her work dresses home. She figured there was no reason to take up room in his closet when she didn't have any use for them at the moment.
He wasn't having it, though – immediately refuting the idea and telling her they should stay exactly where they were.
He wasn't giving up on her and he needed the same from her, assuring her that he just needed a little time, that she'd soon be back at the firm where she belonged.
He knew he'd be right – he's just glad she trusted him and waited it out. As soon as word spread that Donna was available, she was fielding calls from every major law firm in the city. He was terrified that she'd get tired of waiting and let herself get courted by another firm, but she gave him the time he needed and it all worked out exactly as it was supposed to.
Glancing at the clock, he figures he should probably go turn on the coffee maker, but instead, he watches Donna look over each option, letting her fingers graze over the fabric of each dress like she hadn't already picked out her outfit days ago. Still, she takes one last look at the other choices while Harvey admires her bedhead, cleavage, and those long legs.
Eventually, she pulls out a blue dress and hangs it on the back of his closet door before moving back into the bedroom. She finds his eyes studying her and she flashes him with that warm smile before heading into the bathroom.
She doesn't shut the door behind her, and after he hears the shower turn on, he figures that's his cue to get out of bed. He doesn't bother with clothes or anything – just heads into the bathroom stark naked, completely forgetting about the coffee maker, and planning on joining her for a shower instead.
When she's back in his line of sight, he meets her gaze in the mirror and finds her eyeing him from top to bottom. The look she's giving him – it immediately makes him want to entice her back into bed, but he knows she doesn't want to be late. So instead, he wraps his arms around her waist and helps himself to the sensitive spot on the back of her neck.
He's able to quickly lure her into the shower and charm his way into a quickie after soaping up every inch of her body.
When they get out of the shower, he slips on his robe and ventures into the kitchen to make them some coffee while Donna blow dries her hair.
By the time he returns, a steaming cup of coffee in each hand, she's finishing up with the blow-dryer and moving on to applying her makeup. He places her mug on the countertop and watches as she carefully applies her eyeliner.
"So… did you decide how you're going to fire Cameron?" He questions, giving her a teasing smile in the mirror. She made him promise she could be the one to do it – not that it took much persuading. He explained that Cameron would just be moving to another partner's desk, but Donna didn't seem to care, and he wasn't about to say no to her.
"Not yet," she relays with a smile. "I think I'll just see how it feels in the moment," she decides.
Harvey just chuckles into his coffee, already looking forward to witnessing the encounter.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
They had barely been at work for an hour and he could feel the difference.
Having Donna back at her desk is like finally putting all the pieces of a puzzle back together. Everything finally makes sense again.
He doesn't even know how he made it this long without her.
Even with all of the chaos going on in the firm, just seeing her back outside of his office makes him feel like all is right with the world. Even if the worst happens and Hardman gets the votes he needs to oust Jessica as managing partner, just knowing that he has Donna by his side again, he feels like it's all going to work out.
Knowing today would be her first day back, he had Cameron reschedule his lunch meeting so he could spend the time with Donna.
It's why Harvey slips out of his office around one o'clock and leans over her desk with a big grin, waiting for her to look up at him.
"How about I take my favorite secretary to lunch?" He asks, practically feeling giddy at the fact that he can even say that again.
"Harvey, do you have any idea how much crap I have to do? That kid completely fucked up my filing system and reorganized my desk and he made a mockery of your calendar. This will take me days to fix," she rambles, barely glancing up at him from her computer.
The rant just makes Harvey smile even more. God, he's missed her.
"C'mon Donna. Anywhere you want to go," he entices.
"Harvey," she sighs. "Aren't you supposed to be figuring out how to get Louis' vote?" She reminds him.
"Yes. And I do my best thinking when you're with me," he tells her.
And well, what is she supposed to say to that? "Alright fine," she gives in.
Somehow, his smile widens even more at his success.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
All things told, her first day back was rather successful.
Luckily for her, all of the drama surrounding Jessica and Hardman and Louis allowed her to get through the day mostly unscathed before she and Harvey snuck out together and ended up at his place. They had barely made it through the threshold before his hands were on her and he was pulling her in for a kiss.
While pressing her against his door, they made out for several minutes as his hands roamed her body and he began peeling off her clothes. Eventually, they made it over to the couch, with their clothes discarded all over the floor. After pushing him onto the sofa, she carefully straddled his lap and then rode him until they both came.
Now, almost half an hour later, they've just hopped out of the shower and are in search of something to wear. Harvey is pulling on a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt, while Donna ventures into the living room to get her panties. Instead of throwing her work clothes back on, she picks them off the floor and drapes them over the couch so they don't wrinkle, deciding to wear Harvey's dress shirt instead. She does up most of the buttons, leaving a few open at the top, and proceeds to pick up the rest of Harvey's clothes.
She's just about to bring them back into his bedroom when the doorbell rings – presumably the delivery they ordered half an hour ago.
She momentarily considers making Harvey answer the door or at least grabbing some sweatpants or something to throw on, but then the doorbell rings again and she decides to just answer it. It's not as if her ass is out and she's sure the delivery guy has seen way worse. Still, she does up another button, so he won't see too much, and heads to the front door.
Except, the moment she opens it, her jaw is at the floor.
It's not the delivery guy.
Nope, it's Mike. And he's gaping at her wearing Harvey's shirt and nothing else.
Neither one of them says a word, clearly way too stunned to even form a syllable or two.
Yeah, all she can think to do is quickly slam the door in his face.
Then, still in a daze, she's speed walking down the hallway to tell Harvey what just happened, when he suddenly appears in front of her. "Where's the food?" He asks, coming to investigate.
"That wasn't the delivery guy," she says, still a bit traumatized.
"Who was it? What's wrong?" He asked, furrowing his brows, as he places a hand on each shoulder.
"It was Mike," she simply replies.
Harvey is speechless for a moment, but as his gaze travels down to her slightly exposed cleavage and her very bare legs, he finally finds the words. "And he saw you like this?" He asks, his eyes wide.
"Oh he saw," Donna retorts.
"Great," Harvey says, wiping his hand down his face. "I'll handle this," he promises before heading towards the door, while Donna dips into his bedroom to hide.
Before he reaches out for the doorknob, he takes a deep breath, preparing himself for the look he's about to see on his associate's face.
"What are you doing here?" Harvey questions, the moment he sees Mike. He's not hopeful, but he figures it's worth a shot.
"No, no, no… what is Donna doing here?" Mike argues, not letting Harvey off the hook.
"Mike…" Harvey warns, trying once more.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Mike exclaims. "How long has this been going on?"
Harvey sighs, knowing he won't be able to get out of this. "A while," he admits with a shrug.
He watches as a look of complete and utter surprise flashes across Mike's face. He clearly assumed that Harvey would try to deny everything. Although, there's not much denying the fact that Donna wasn't wearing any pants… or a bra… or her own shirt.
"A while?! What the hell does that mean?" Mike presses.
"Since before I hired you," Harvey divulges with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What?! Are you serious?" Mike exclaims. "All this time… why didn't you tell me?" He asks, somewhat offended.
"Because it's not any of your goddamn business," Harvey retorts while throwing a stern glance in his direction.
"I can't believe this," Mike says, although there's a hint of a smile threatening to slip out.
"Did you come here for a reason or…?" Harvey tries, hoping to change the subject.
"Of course, I had a reason," Mike confirms. "But it's not important," he quickly dismisses, not ready to move on. "Does Rachel know? Does anyone else know?" He questions.
Harvey releases an exasperated sigh, briefly wondering if he should try to get out of the interrogation or just answer the questions. After a quick deliberation, he decides that the quickest way back into bed with Donna is to throw the kid a bone.
"Jessica knows… I don't think Rachel does," Harvey responds. "We're not exactly telling people… so, keep this to yourself," he adds, giving his associate a firm look, hoping to scare him into silence.
Except he quickly realizes he's made a mistake when he senses several more questions are about to fall from Mike's mouth. So, with a raise of his hand, he stops his associate in his tracks.
"Do you have something important to tell me or can we discuss whatever it is you came here to say tomorrow?" He asks, giving him a look that says he's serious.
"It can wait until tomorrow," Mike concedes.
"Good," Harvey replies. "Goodnight, Mike."
"Goodnight Harvey," he says with a teasing smile. "Goodnight Donna!" He calls out.
With a roll of his eyes, Harvey shuts the door in his face, and turns back to find Donna just a few feet away, having snuck out of the bedroom to eavesdrop. "Well… that was fun," he jokes, inching towards her and getting his hands on her waist. "You okay?" He asks, when she doesn't respond to his quip.
"Yeah," she says with a nod of her head. Except the way in which she's gently nibbling on her bottom lip and avoiding his gaze tells him otherwise.
"Mike won't tell anyone," he assures her, sensing her hesitancy.
"I know," she replies, still not making eye contact.
"So what's the problem?" He asks, already knowing that there is one.
"It's… it's nothing," she tells him, completely unconvincingly.
"Donna," he says, using his finger to lift her chin so she'll meet his gaze. "Talk to me."
"It's just… it's stupid," she says, looking away.
"Hey," he responds, trying to get her attention. "C'mon… whatever it is, I want to know," he insists.
"Well… it's… it's just that… things with us are really good," she declares, causing his lips to twitch into a smile.
"And?"
"And I guess I'm just worried that will change once everyone knows," she explains.
Taking in her concerns, he nods his head in understanding and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Look… some things might change," he reasons. "We'll be able to leave work together… and go into work together," he smiles at the thought. "And yeah, people might talk for a couple weeks, but… nothing that matters is going to change," he promises. "The way I feel about you isn't going to change," he adds.
Exhaling a breath, she releases all of the tension in her body, and smiles up at him, already feeling better. For someone who claims to be shit at comforting people, he somehow always makes her feel like everything is going to be alright. "I love you," she declares, framing his face with her hands and standing on her toes to get close to him.
It still feels so new – saying this to him. They've only exchanged the sentiment a few more times since the night of the mock trial, and it still causes a rush of dopamine every time she watches his face light up in response.
"I love you, too."
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
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