195. {c} [suits] (harvey/donna) six degrees of separation [6/prologue+6+epilogue]
six degrees of separation ; r ; 1,399 words ;
you admit that you may have fucked up a little
they aren't okay but they'll both pretend anyway
a/n: this is for abvj who donated to fandomaid
"Donna, will you marry me?"
She's silent for a long moment, the quietest that the streets have ever been surrounding her. She wants to move but she can't. Wants to form words but she can't. And that's when she hears the voice behind her, the shuffle of the shoes on the concrete as whoever is present closes in on them.
A familiar laugh echoes against the brick of her apartment building, "you've got to be fucking kidding me."
Ted audibly sighs, maybe even rolls his eyes but she can't tell for sure because she's already looking at him over her shoulder, and Harvey stands tall and certain with that smug grin she fucking hates when he directs it at her. She nearly glares at him, but she's stock still beyond looking at him. Her lips part in question, her eyes narrow innocently rather than accusatory. She clears her throat in an attempt to gain her bearings, but it has no avail.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Ted mutters, echoing Harvey word for word.
For a moment, Donna can't tell if Ted is mocking Harvey or simply voicing his annoyance, but she sees Harvey's eyes crinkle at the corners as he fights his gaze narrowing at Ted. Donna knows she has to diffuse the situation right now before it can get out of hand, before Harvey says too much and Ted doesn't say enough. She becomes lighter on her feet, rocking back into the tall heels as she shifts into a neutral position.
"Harvey," she finally acknowledges him verbally, "I thought we'd said everything that we'd needed to say by now."
"Wait," Ted interjects, eyebrows furrowing, "you were with him? That's where you went?"
"It isn't what you think," she counters with an eye roll. It's exactly what he thinks but she's better at hiding it than most. She takes a half step back, distancing herself from both of them. She turns her gaze to Harvey, eyes sharpening on him, "you need to leave, Harvey. Ted, come with me."
She grabs Ted by the sleeve as she starts towards her front door, but she isn't surprised when she hears Harvey's footsteps behind her; of course he wouldn't make this easy for her at all.
Harvey stands in the corner of her apartment, arms folded in front of his chest as she sits on the arm of the chair in her living room and Ted sits on the couch. He's pretty sure that this is a conversation Ted doesn't want to have this conversation with him present and Donna doesn't care to, but he'd insisted. He's leaning against the window, the cold air from outside seeping in through the windows (and wonders why her apartment is so much colder than his when his walls are glass), and he crosses one leg over the other as he leans his lower back against the sill.
"The moment I leave, you run to him," Ted says, desperately trying to keep his voice low in an attempt to make it more private.
"I went there to tell him that he was inappropriate at dinner," she explains; Harvey audibly scoffs and she tosses a glare his way.
Ted's eyes narrow, eyebrows furrowed accusatory, "and that couldn't wait until Monday?"
"It could have," she sighs, "I was just so angry because he doesn't know how to mind his own business."
"Says the woman who was clearly offended when I didn't inform her of my personal plans before I actually made them," Harvey interjects, voice dripping with sarcasm.
He sees her jaw tense from across the room as her gaze zeros in on him, silently warning him to shut up rather than actually saying it. He quirks an eyebrow and smirks a little, feeling badly that this is what the night has become but knowing that he has so much to say. He just needs to get it out but he's almost sure that unless he waits this out he won't get the chance.
"Listen, Donna," he finally says, "I can wait all night but I don't want to. I've waited for a long time to say anything and if you won't give me the chance then I'm just going to have to take it."
"Harvey, don't," she growls, "and this is not a warning."
He smooths his tongue out over his bottom lip, contemplating whether he should say what he wants to say and put her on the spot or if he should be compliant. He's never been one for compliant. He lightly shakes his head, annoyance clearly spread across his features.
"Donna," he finally replies evenly, "I need you to hear me out."
Harvey's honestly surprised that Ted has been still and silent, letting it go on for this long. Harvey knows that he wouldn't, not unless it was a woman who wasn't worth fighting for. And Donna is a woman worth fighting for in every capacity. He calls himself an idiot for not recognizing it sooner.
"I don't want to hear you out, Harvey," she replies sharply. She stands to her feet, her tall heels and long legs making her tower over Ted's sitting form and cast him into her shadows. She lands an accusatory gaze on him, jaw cocked and ready to blow. "I've had plenty of time to hear you out and you've never said anything. Why should I start listening now?"
"Why do I get the feeling this is about something other than your friendship?" Ted starts. He narrows his gaze on Harvey and he knows that Ted gets it. Guys aren't stupid even when they pretend to be oblivious. Ted shakes his head, "you told her, didn't you? You told her how you felt about her, didn't you?"
"Ted," Donna says, hoping that he'll dismiss the conversation. It isn't looking likely. Harvey hangs his head, knowing that if he opens his mouth that Donna will kill him. "It doesn't matter how he feels."
"Yes it does," Ted disagrees, standing to his feet, "it matters because the only thing keeping you two from being together is that neither of you will say how you feel. Now that it's been said and it's out there on the table, those innocent little glances at the dinner table, those silent conversations that you two have that make everyone else around you feel like an idiot, it makes those things not so innocent anymore. You would never say yes to marrying me if you know how he feels about you."
"Donna," Harvey says after a beat, and he can tell she's beginning to hate the sound of her own name, "just hear me out."
"And then you'll leave?"
He sighs, scrubbing his face with his hand, "if you still want me to, then yes."
"Fine," she snaps. He sees the fire in her eyes and it makes him pause, always unable to deny her when he wants her so badly.
"I broke up with Zoe. I told her what happened. And I know I've made a lot of mistakes over the years, but the only one that I've ever felt badly about was not fighting for you when I should have."
Ted furrows his eyebrows, "don't make it easy on me, man."
"I'm sorry. I should have said it long before now," Harvey says with a small, incandescent shrug, "but I didn't ever want to do anything to screw up what we have, Donna, because you are the most important person in my life. If you say no, if you want me to leave right now, then I will. And if you won't be with me, then you should marry this guy because he doesn't deserve any of this, but these feelings between us have been here for a really long time and I don't think they're ever going away."
She stares at him, her mouth an awkward shape between annoyed and fighting back tears. He knows that if he sees her cry, he won't be able to stand 6 feet away from her and watch. He will have no choice but to close the space between them and wrap his arms around her.
"Wow," Ted mutters, annoyed.
"Harvey," Donna says, quiet and shaky voice, "I think you need to leave."
He lightly nods his head and leaves per her request, but the moment the door clicks shut, she mutters, "I'm so sorry, Ted."
you admit that you may have fucked up a little
they aren't okay but they'll both pretend anyway
a/n: this is for abvj who donated to fandomaid
"Donna, will you marry me?"
She's silent for a long moment, the quietest that the streets have ever been surrounding her. She wants to move but she can't. Wants to form words but she can't. And that's when she hears the voice behind her, the shuffle of the shoes on the concrete as whoever is present closes in on them.
A familiar laugh echoes against the brick of her apartment building, "you've got to be fucking kidding me."
Ted audibly sighs, maybe even rolls his eyes but she can't tell for sure because she's already looking at him over her shoulder, and Harvey stands tall and certain with that smug grin she fucking hates when he directs it at her. She nearly glares at him, but she's stock still beyond looking at him. Her lips part in question, her eyes narrow innocently rather than accusatory. She clears her throat in an attempt to gain her bearings, but it has no avail.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Ted mutters, echoing Harvey word for word.
For a moment, Donna can't tell if Ted is mocking Harvey or simply voicing his annoyance, but she sees Harvey's eyes crinkle at the corners as he fights his gaze narrowing at Ted. Donna knows she has to diffuse the situation right now before it can get out of hand, before Harvey says too much and Ted doesn't say enough. She becomes lighter on her feet, rocking back into the tall heels as she shifts into a neutral position.
"Harvey," she finally acknowledges him verbally, "I thought we'd said everything that we'd needed to say by now."
"Wait," Ted interjects, eyebrows furrowing, "you were with him? That's where you went?"
"It isn't what you think," she counters with an eye roll. It's exactly what he thinks but she's better at hiding it than most. She takes a half step back, distancing herself from both of them. She turns her gaze to Harvey, eyes sharpening on him, "you need to leave, Harvey. Ted, come with me."
She grabs Ted by the sleeve as she starts towards her front door, but she isn't surprised when she hears Harvey's footsteps behind her; of course he wouldn't make this easy for her at all.
Harvey stands in the corner of her apartment, arms folded in front of his chest as she sits on the arm of the chair in her living room and Ted sits on the couch. He's pretty sure that this is a conversation Ted doesn't want to have this conversation with him present and Donna doesn't care to, but he'd insisted. He's leaning against the window, the cold air from outside seeping in through the windows (and wonders why her apartment is so much colder than his when his walls are glass), and he crosses one leg over the other as he leans his lower back against the sill.
"The moment I leave, you run to him," Ted says, desperately trying to keep his voice low in an attempt to make it more private.
"I went there to tell him that he was inappropriate at dinner," she explains; Harvey audibly scoffs and she tosses a glare his way.
Ted's eyes narrow, eyebrows furrowed accusatory, "and that couldn't wait until Monday?"
"It could have," she sighs, "I was just so angry because he doesn't know how to mind his own business."
"Says the woman who was clearly offended when I didn't inform her of my personal plans before I actually made them," Harvey interjects, voice dripping with sarcasm.
He sees her jaw tense from across the room as her gaze zeros in on him, silently warning him to shut up rather than actually saying it. He quirks an eyebrow and smirks a little, feeling badly that this is what the night has become but knowing that he has so much to say. He just needs to get it out but he's almost sure that unless he waits this out he won't get the chance.
"Listen, Donna," he finally says, "I can wait all night but I don't want to. I've waited for a long time to say anything and if you won't give me the chance then I'm just going to have to take it."
"Harvey, don't," she growls, "and this is not a warning."
He smooths his tongue out over his bottom lip, contemplating whether he should say what he wants to say and put her on the spot or if he should be compliant. He's never been one for compliant. He lightly shakes his head, annoyance clearly spread across his features.
"Donna," he finally replies evenly, "I need you to hear me out."
Harvey's honestly surprised that Ted has been still and silent, letting it go on for this long. Harvey knows that he wouldn't, not unless it was a woman who wasn't worth fighting for. And Donna is a woman worth fighting for in every capacity. He calls himself an idiot for not recognizing it sooner.
"I don't want to hear you out, Harvey," she replies sharply. She stands to her feet, her tall heels and long legs making her tower over Ted's sitting form and cast him into her shadows. She lands an accusatory gaze on him, jaw cocked and ready to blow. "I've had plenty of time to hear you out and you've never said anything. Why should I start listening now?"
"Why do I get the feeling this is about something other than your friendship?" Ted starts. He narrows his gaze on Harvey and he knows that Ted gets it. Guys aren't stupid even when they pretend to be oblivious. Ted shakes his head, "you told her, didn't you? You told her how you felt about her, didn't you?"
"Ted," Donna says, hoping that he'll dismiss the conversation. It isn't looking likely. Harvey hangs his head, knowing that if he opens his mouth that Donna will kill him. "It doesn't matter how he feels."
"Yes it does," Ted disagrees, standing to his feet, "it matters because the only thing keeping you two from being together is that neither of you will say how you feel. Now that it's been said and it's out there on the table, those innocent little glances at the dinner table, those silent conversations that you two have that make everyone else around you feel like an idiot, it makes those things not so innocent anymore. You would never say yes to marrying me if you know how he feels about you."
"Donna," Harvey says after a beat, and he can tell she's beginning to hate the sound of her own name, "just hear me out."
"And then you'll leave?"
He sighs, scrubbing his face with his hand, "if you still want me to, then yes."
"Fine," she snaps. He sees the fire in her eyes and it makes him pause, always unable to deny her when he wants her so badly.
"I broke up with Zoe. I told her what happened. And I know I've made a lot of mistakes over the years, but the only one that I've ever felt badly about was not fighting for you when I should have."
Ted furrows his eyebrows, "don't make it easy on me, man."
"I'm sorry. I should have said it long before now," Harvey says with a small, incandescent shrug, "but I didn't ever want to do anything to screw up what we have, Donna, because you are the most important person in my life. If you say no, if you want me to leave right now, then I will. And if you won't be with me, then you should marry this guy because he doesn't deserve any of this, but these feelings between us have been here for a really long time and I don't think they're ever going away."
She stares at him, her mouth an awkward shape between annoyed and fighting back tears. He knows that if he sees her cry, he won't be able to stand 6 feet away from her and watch. He will have no choice but to close the space between them and wrap his arms around her.
"Wow," Ted mutters, annoyed.
"Harvey," Donna says, quiet and shaky voice, "I think you need to leave."
He lightly nods his head and leaves per her request, but the moment the door clicks shut, she mutters, "I'm so sorry, Ted."