Chapter Text
“Donna!” Harvey’s voice rang through the penthouse, urgent and almost childlike.
Donna rushed down the stairs, her heart pounding at the way he shouted her name.
“What? Harvey?” Her voice held both worry and confusion.
“Look at them.” His grin was wide as he pointed toward the couch.
Donna’s brow furrowed until her gaze followed his hand. Two little girls, identical in their wide smiles and matching uniforms, were sitting proudly on the couch with their pink minibags.
“They’re so adorable, Donna,” Harvey whispered, awestruck, right before the sound of two soft giggles filled the room.
“You just scared me half to death, Harvey.” Donna swatted his shoulder, but her lips betrayed her, curving into a smile.
“Mommy!”
“Daddy!”
The twins tumbled off the couch, giggling as they ran toward their parents. Harvey instantly dropped to his knees, arms outstretched.
“Come here, troublemakers,” he said, scooping them both up as they crashed into him with delighted squeals. He held them tight, peppering kisses all over their cheeks, while the girls squirmed and laughed in his embrace.
Donna stood a few feet away, watching them with her heart in her throat. Even after five years, sometimes she still couldn’t believe it. This life, Harvey, the twins, the love that had grown between them it was more than she had ever dared to dream.
Later, at the school, they watched from the doorway as the twins settled into their classroom. Tiny desks, tiny chairs, two little backpacks that looked too big for their shoulders. Harvey’s eyes softened, locked on their daughters.
“I really love them, Donna,” he said quietly, then turned to her. His expression was full of something even deeper. “But I love you the most.”
He slid an arm around her waist, his other hand cupping her jaw as he leaned in and kissed her with tender reverence. Donna melted into him, her chest tight with happiness.
Five years earlier.
The bar was loud with music and chatter, but in their little corner booth, Donna and Harvey existed in their own world. They were waiting for Mike’s birthday celebration to begin, Rachel, Mike, and Louis were running late which meant for the moment, it was just the two of them.
Barely a month into their relationship, they hadn’t told anyone yet. Though, honestly, they weren’t fooling anybody. Their closeness had always been obvious to the people around them, so their lingering glances and shared departures from the firm didn’t raise suspicion. Still, everyone had been quietly waiting for the day they’d finally put a label on it.
Harvey had been… clingier than usual. Donna had set clear boundaries at the office, no kisses where the associates or secretaries could see them but that didn’t stop him from sneaking her into the file room or finding corners in the firm where he could steal a kiss. Extended lunch breaks had become their “thing,” and more than once Jessica had called them out, because Harvey’s face had been far too transparent. She was the first to figure it out, though, to be fair, Harvey hadn’t exactly tried to hide it.
Now, outside the walls of the firm, Donna had no reason to resist him. They were tucked into a booth, close enough for Harvey to pull her onto his lap. Donna’s arms looped easily around his shoulders, one hand cradling his face as she kissed him, slow at first and then deeper, hungrier. Harvey’s hand was pressed against her back, keeping her steady as the rest of the bar blurred into nothing.
They forgot the world existed.
“Umm… Donna? Harvey?”
Mike’s voice cut through, startled and awkward. He stood a few feet away, eyes wide. Behind him, Rachel was blushing furiously, and Louis looked like he was about to faint on the spot.
But Donna and Harvey didn’t hear them. Not at first. They were still lost in each other, kissing as if time had folded back to college except this time, nothing stood in their way.
Mike coughed. Loudly.
Donna finally stilled, pulling back with flushed cheeks, her lipstick smeared. Harvey’s eyes fluttered open in confusion when he realized her lips were no longer on his. He blinked, and the first thing he saw were the stunned faces of their friends.
Rachel covered her mouth to hide a smile. Louis muttered something incoherent. Mike just shook his head, muttering, “I knew it,” though his grin gave him away.
Harvey looked down at Donna, then back at their friends, and shrugged. “What?”
Donna rolled her eyes, but the laugh slipped out anyway.
They all eventually settled into the booth, drinks ordered, chatter buzzing around them. Donna glanced at Harvey, then burst into a small giggle. His face was absolutely smeared with her lipstick, evidence of their earlier make-out session written all over him. She leaned in, whispering with a smirk, “Go to the bathroom before someone thinks you’ve lost a fight.”
Harvey frowned but she shooed him anyway, pressing a napkin into his hand.
“Don’t take too long,” Mike teased, his grin mischievous.
Harvey just rolled his eyes but didn’t miss the chance to lace his fingers with Donna’s as they slipped toward the back together.
Of course, cleaning up turned into another fifteen minutes of kissing against the sink, Harvey tugging Donna closer until they were both flushed again. When they finally returned, Mike was half-pouting, half-smirking.
“Come on,” Mike said, mock-irritated. “It’s my celebration, not Harvey’s.”
Rachel chuckled into her glass. “You should’ve known better than to sit them next to each other.”
Mike leaned forward, eyes twinkling. “Look at you now, Harvey. I thought I was the puppy one in this group.”
“Shut up, Mike,” Harvey warned, though there was no real heat in it.
“Come here, baby,” Donna said sweetly, patting the seat beside her. Harvey instantly forgot his irritation, sliding in next to her with the kind of soft-eyed grin no one had ever seen him wear in public.
“See?” Mike nudged Rachel. “Total puppy.”
Donna’s gaze snapped to him, her tone sharp enough to make Mike sit straighter.
“I dare you to try that again, Michael.”
Rachel burst out laughing, covering her mouth, while Harvey wrapped an arm around Donna’s waist and pulled her even closer, smug and unbothered.
Donna turned her attention toward Louis, who was still staring at them like he’d swallowed a lemon whole.
“Are you okay, Louis?” she asked gently.
Louis blinked, throat working like he couldn’t form words. He gave a jerky nod, clearly too overwhelmed to manage anything else.
Rachel leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
“So… when did this become official?”
Donna smirked, tilting her head. “Geez, it’s Mike’s birthday. Let’s celebrate him, not us.” She winked at Rachel, the silent promise of details later hanging between them.
The rest of the night melted into laughter, drinks, and stories. For Mike’s birthday, yes, but also, finally, for the two of them. After years of dancing around it, Donna and Harvey had stopped pretending. And their friends, shock, teasing, and all, were there to witness the beginning of what everyone had secretly hoped for.
Two months into their relationship, Donna found herself kneeling on the bathroom floor, head bent over the toilet. Her stomach lurched violently, and she hated how familiar the feeling had become, it was the second morning in a row. A whisper of suspicion had already taken root in her mind, but she wasn’t ready to say it out loud. Not yet.
Back in the bedroom earlier, Harvey stirred awake, instinctively reaching for her. When his lips brushed against her neck, Donna gently pushed him away, rushing for the bathroom instead.
Harvey frowned, immediately alert. A moment later, he was crouching down beside her, his hand moving in slow, soothing circles across her back.
“Hey… you okay?” His voice was quiet, careful.
Donna closed her eyes, the nausea finally easing. She rinsed her mouth, brushed her teeth, and by the time she returned to the bedroom, Harvey was sitting up against the headboard, waiting for her. Concern lingered in his gaze, but he didn’t push, didn’t press her for answers. He just watched her with the patience she both loved and feared.
Donna exhaled, crawling onto the bed. She straddled him without a word, her palms pressing flat against his chest. Harvey tilted his head, curious, but the question in his eyes faded when her mouth found his. The kiss started soft, then deepened, heat curling through the quiet morning.
Within minutes, clothes were forgotten, scattered across the floor like fallen leaves. Donna moved against him with urgency, the need to drown out her thoughts overtaking everything else. She rode him with confidence, with a hunger that made Harvey’s grip tighten on her hips.
She was in control, commanding every movement, every rhythm and Harvey never minded. He loved it, loved the way she took what she wanted from him, loved being undone by her.
The lingering worry from moments ago melted into the background. For now, it was only them, Donna chasing release, Harvey giving himself over to her completely.
And beneath it all, buried deep, Donna’s unspoken secret pulsed like a quiet drumbeat.
Donna collapsed on his chest, breathless, skin still damp from the way he’d pushed her body to its limit. She lay there for a beat, letting her heartbeat calm, before lifting her head to look at him. Harvey was already smirking like he’d won something.
“Wipe that smug look off your face,” she muttered, grabbing the sheet to cover herself.
“Smug?” Harvey teased, brushing his fingers lazily down her arm. “I’d call it satisfied.”
Donna rolled her eyes, sitting up on his lap. “Well, you shouldn’t be. Because I think I might be pregnant.”
That knocked the smirk off, only for it to come back even bigger.
“I know,” he said casually, like she’d just told him she left her shoes in the living room.
Donna’s jaw dropped.
“You know? That’s all you’re gonna say?”
He shrugged, still maddeningly calm. “I’ve noticed. You’ve been sick in the mornings, craving weird things, and ” his eyes slid over her body with a grin, “you’ve been even hornier than usual.”
She smacked his chest, irritated. “This is your fault, you know.”
“My fault?” He arched a brow, clearly enjoying this.
“Yes, Harvey. Because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. Almost every night, sometimes thrice in a day. What did you expect would happen?”
Harvey chuckled, catching her wrist before she could swat him again. “I expected exactly this.”
Donna glared at him, though her lips twitched like she was trying not to smile. “God, you’re infuriating.”
He leaned up, capturing her mouth in a quick kiss before murmuring against her lips, “Infuriating, maybe. But you love me. And now, maybe, you love the tiny person we made too.”
Donna groaned, flopping back on the pillow. “I swear, Harvey, if you keep looking this happy about it, I’m going to actually kill you.”
Harvey laughed, tugging her back against him, smug as ever. “Go ahead. But at least let me die knowing I’m going to be a dad.”
And even though she was irritated, Donna couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of her, her annoyance melting right into the warmth of his arms.
….
Donna sat cross-legged on the bed, still staring at the little test she’d tossed on the nightstand, her mouth half open in disbelief. She ran a hand through her hair, muttering,
“This can’t be real… two months, Harvey. Two months.”
Harvey, meanwhile, was leaning against the headboard with his ridiculous grin plastered across his face, like someone had just handed him a championship trophy.
“Guess we’re overachievers.”
Donna snapped her head toward him, glaring. “Overachievers? Harvey, when you asked me if you could ‘put a baby inside me,’ I said not now.”
“And yet…” He gestured to her belly with a smirk. “Already working on it.”
Donna smacked his arm. “You are unbelievable.”
He caught her wrist and kissed the inside of it, not even flinching.
“Come on, Donna. You can’t tell me part of you isn’t happy.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can tell you I’m still in shock. We’ve been together for two months. People usually wait a year before they screw up the timing like this.”
Harvey just grinned wider. “What can I say? I never do anything halfway.”
“Yeah, clearly,” Donna muttered, rolling her eyes. She looked away, but he reached out, gently cupping her jaw so she’d meet his gaze again. His eyes softened, even with the teasing still lingering in them.
“Donna… I know it’s fast. I know it wasn’t part of the plan. But I swear, I’ve never been more sure about anything. About us. About this.”
She exhaled, torn between throttling him and kissing him. Finally, she whispered,
“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” Harvey said without hesitation. “I asked for a baby, and apparently, you couldn’t resist giving me exactly what I wanted.”
Donna shook her head, laughing despite herself, and shoved him back against the pillows.
“God help me, Harvey Specter… you’re insufferable.”
“And you love me,” he shot back, smug as ever.
Her smile softened, her hand unconsciously sliding to her stomach. “Unfortunately for me… yeah, I do.”
Harvey was practically bouncing on the bed, eyes brighter than she’d ever seen them.
“Donna, I’m so excited. You have no idea. And I’m really sure it’s a girl. A mini you. God, can you imagine? That red hair, that attitude, she’d own me completely.”
Donna arched her brow, half flattered, half exasperated.
“You’re already owned, Harvey.”
He ignored her jab, lost in his vision.
“Then we’ll get another one. And then another…”
“Harvey!” Donna cut him off, pressing a hand to his chest to physically stop him from climbing too far ahead. “We’ve been in this for two months. I’m probably three weeks pregnant. You’re already planning a whole brood?”
He gave her that ridiculous, boyish grin, the one that always melted her even when she didn’t want it to.
“What? You don’t want four little Donna Paulsen-Specters running around bossing me around? I’d be in heaven.”
Donna froze for half a second, her brows shooting up. Specter. The word hung in the air, heavier than she expected. She tried to cover the flutter in her chest with a scoff.
Donna blinked at him, amused. “Specters? Last I checked, Harvey, I’m still a Paulsen.”
“Technicality,” Harvey countered immediately, a smug grin plastered on his face. “You’re already a Specter where it counts.”
Donna laughed, shaking her head. “We’ve been together for two months. Two months, Harvey. And now you’ve somehow skipped to babies with your last name attached?”
He leaned closer, lowering his voice, still grinning like a fool.
“You’re carrying my kid. That makes you family. That makes you mine.”
Her eyes softened despite herself, though she still gave him a playful glare.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Specter. I didn’t say anything about marriage, or name changes, or..”
“Yet,” Harvey cut in smoothly, kissing the corner of her mouth.
Donna rolled her eyes, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
“You’re impossible.”
He just looked at her, softer now, thumb brushing over her knuckles as he whispered,
“Maybe. But you’re already the only thing that feels permanent in my life. Donna Paulsen-Specter… tell me that doesn’t sound perfect.”
Her chest tightened, and though she bit her lip to stop from smiling too wide, she finally whispered, “You’re lucky I love you.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” he teased, kissing her again, “I earned this.”
Donna couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out, though she tried to cover it by shaking her head.
“One at a time, Harvey. Let’s make sure I survive this first.”
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, suddenly softer, more serious.
“I know. But I can’t help it, Donna. This… you… it’s everything I ever wanted. And the thought of a little you? It’s like I hit the jackpot twice.”
Her irritation dissolved into warmth, her lips curving into the tiniest smile as she whispered,
“You’re such a sap.”
“Yeah,” Harvey admitted, kissing her gently. “But I’m your sap.”
….
The doctor turned the screen slightly, pointing. “Well… congratulations. You’re not just expecting one.”
Donna frowned, her hand tightening on Harvey’s. “Wait, what do you mean, not just one?”
The doctor smiled. “You’re having twins.”
For a moment, silence. Donna blinked at the monitor, her mouth slightly open. “Twins,” she repeated, like the word didn’t compute.
Next to her, Harvey suddenly let out a breathless laugh, gripping her hand tighter. “Twins,” he echoed, his voice filled with pure, boyish wonder. “Donna, we’re having two.”
Donna turned to look at him, still stunned. “Harvey, two months into this relationship and we’re already having two babies?!”
But Harvey wasn’t fazed. In fact, he was grinning so wide it was ridiculous. His eyes shone, his whole face lit up like he’d just won the biggest case of his life.
“Two little Paulsen-Specters. Double the attitude. Double the beauty. Donna, this is perfect.”
“Perfect?” she choked out, half-laughing, half-panicking. “Do you have any idea what this means? Two cribs, two of everything, two college funds..”
Harvey cut her off with a kiss to her temple, his grin never faltering. “It means I get twice the family I never thought I’d have. Twice the love. Twice the reason to drive you crazy.”
Donna groaned, shaking her head, though she couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. “You’re insane.”
“And you love me,” he teased, eyes still glued to the sonogram screen.
She sighed, squeezing his hand. “God help me… yeah, I do.”
Harvey leaned back, looking like the proudest man alive. “Twins. I couldn’t be happier, Donna. You’ve given me everything I didn’t even know I wanted.”
And for the first time since the news hit, Donna let herself smile fully, leaning her head on his shoulder as she whispered, “Guess we’re really in this now, huh?”
Present Days
“You baby them so much,” Donna said, shaking her head as she watched Harvey fuss over the twins’ hair bows before school.
“They’re mini you, Donna. How could I say no to them?” Harvey straightened up proudly, as if he’d just solved world peace by tying a ribbon.
Donna laughed, that warm laugh that still made Harvey’s chest tighten even after all these years. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, just soaking in the sight of him being… him. The man who once swore he’d never settle down was now completely undone by two little girls in pigtails.
“I would really have to love more of mini you,” Harvey teased, his eyes softening, “but I know that they’re already enough.”
Harvey turned, his grin fading into something more tender. He walked over, slid an arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. For a moment, the sounds of the girls giggling in the background disappeared, and it was just them like it always had been.
He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, his voice thick with emotion,
“I really, really love you, Donna. Thank you for giving me everything.”
Her breath caught, and though her heart still raced the same way it did the first time he kissed her, she managed a smile.
“You gave me everything too, Harvey. Even when you didn’t realize it.”
He kissed her then, slow and unhurried, sealing the words he couldn’t always say out loud. And just as the kiss deepened, two little voices broke in:
“Ewww, Mommy and Daddy are kissing again!”
Donna pulled back, laughing into Harvey’s shoulder, while he just smirked and called after them, “Get used to it, girls. This is forever.”
Later that night, after the twins were asleep and the apartment was quiet again, Donna and Harvey found themselves on the couch. The city lights spilled through the windows, painting them both in a soft glow.
Donna curled into Harvey’s side, her head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He absentmindedly traced circles along her arm, quieter than usual, almost like he was lost in thought.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Donna asked softly, tilting her face toward him.
Harvey’s lips curved, but it wasn’t his usual cocky grin. It was gentler, more vulnerable. “I was just… thinking. About us. How far we’ve come. You know, for years I kept telling myself we were just friends. That it was safer that way.”
Donna let out a quiet laugh. “And I tried to convince myself we were just lovers when we finally caved. Like that was all it was going to be. No strings, no risks.”
He turned his head, meeting her eyes with that steady, unwavering gaze that always stripped her down to the truth.
“But we were never just friends. And we were never just lovers.” He paused, his thumb brushing over her jaw as he whispered, “Baby, we were meant to be.”
Her throat tightened, emotions pressing at the back of her eyes. She leaned up, kissed him softly, then murmured against his lips, “Took you long enough to figure that out.”
Harvey chuckled, pulling her fully into his arms, holding her as if he’d never let go. “Yeah, but now I’m never letting you forget it.”
Donna smiled, closing her eyes, finally at peace in the place she always knew was hers with him.