Chapter Text
It wasn’t often that he came here—He was more of the people-smart than the book smart type of law student, a soon-to-be lawyer if everything went well. But he’s here because he didn’t actually have any personal experience with this topic so to the library he had to go. He had searched the card catalogue and found where he needed to go. It wasn’t that late in the afternoon but the place was quiet with only a few law students perusing the stacks and hoping no other student had currently checked out the circulating copy of the reference material when he stopped at the end of the stack he needed.
He was instantly struck by her red hair placed in a perfect up-do. She was placing books back onto the shelf in the unit a few down from where the catalogue said his book would be. He slicked his hair back and walked up casually to her.
"Can I help you?" She asked. She didn't even bother to look up at him.
"I need a book," Harvey began.
"This is a library, it's full of books," Donna said as she went back to reading the spine labels to make sure she’s shelved all the appropriate books.
"A law book," Harvey tried.
"You're in the right library," Donna told him.
"I thought you “librarian” types were supposed to be helpful and shh at everything I say,” Harvey quipped as he looked her up and down. “And also wear giant glasses, hair pulled back and oversized cardigans that drown your figure and hunchback.”
Her figure was showcased with the simple pair of black dress pants and a crimson coloured blouse. It actually highlighted the red in her hair. Fiery on the inside and out, he thought. He couldn't see any glasses so he figured that was a stereotype. She looked like the hot librarian over the grumpy grandma kind.
"And I thought lawyers were supposed to have a way with words," she countered. Moving her cart of books along, Harvey snagged the book he was actually going to look for before she had caught his eye.
"You come here often?" Harvey asked.
"You use those lines often?" Donna smirked and actually looked at him for the first time. She pointed to her name tag. "I work here."
"You know your way around the law section," Harvey said as he watched her effortlessly put the books back on the shelf. "Do you go here?"
"Northeastern," Donna said as she moved to the other side of the stacks.
"And yet, you work here," Harvey said.
"Harvard has a more extensive collection for my thesis," Donna shrugged. "I volunteer here in exchange for a library card."
"Seriously?" Harvey asked. "They give those out to anyone these days."
Donna gave him a nod and pushed the cart over two units, Harvey followed like a lost puppy.
"What's your thesis on?" Harvey asked.
Donna stared. It was only appropriate after a seemingly total stranger walks up to you, starts a conversation with the occasional borderline comment, and follows you while you’re just trying to do your job. His brown eyes held a bit of wonder and even a hint of playfulness and she couldn’t help but draw out their conversation.
"Intellectual property rights," Donna said with a sigh. "I wrote my other master’s thesis along the same lines, minus the law jargon. That’s the only thing I'm having trouble with. And I don't even know why in talking to you."
"Because you know that I can help," Harvey shrugged.
"You're only a law student. And not even in the top ten. Why should I need your help?" Donna told him.
"How do you even know this?" Harvey asked.
"I'm Donna, I know things," she shrugged.
Harvey opened his mouth only to close it again. She raised her brow and declared herself the victor if he couldn’t make a fun comeback. She watched as he tilted his head ever so slightly and finally spoke.
"I'll make a deal with you, miss high and mighty. You help me get to the top ten, I'll help you with the legal jargon," Harvey said.
"And how will I know it's not a ploy for you to just get into my pants," Donna asked her eyebrows raised in question.
"Because if I wanted to get into your pants I'd have to wine and dine you, not sell you some hypothetical tit for tat," Harvey shrugged.
"Fine," Donna stuck her hand out. He gripped hers and shook. She didn't think he would have soft, smooth skin, but he did. And he was quickly gaining the upper hand— a fact he very well knew.
"I have classes Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday," Donna told him. "I work here on Friday and Saturday."
"Then I'll see you Saturday," Harvey said.
Donna walked off with her cart of books before he could even ask what her full name was. He smiled to himself, a woman who could stand on her own against him and not be charmed by his hair and smile.
The library was quiet with a few faculty members and students milling about. The lights were dimmed with just one bank turned on to allow natural sunlight filter through. He didn’t have to look far for her this morning—she was sitting near the front of the library, her head peeking over the large computer monitor.
"I brought a print out of the things my professors seem to think I need to work on," he told her as he strolled into the library that following Saturday.
His hair was mused and his button-down was let down a few buttons. He was suave, she'd give him that much credit.
"Surprised ego wasn't the first thing on the list," she smiled up at him from her seat behind the desk as she read through the list.
"They all know when it's a lost cause," Harvey shrugged.
"Spelling? Seriously, there are dictionaries for that," Donna sighed. This might take longer than she thought, she sighed internally and set the paper down on her computer keyboard.
He made a little motion with his hands and she sighed as she moved under her desk and brought her backpack up to the counter.
"I don't think about spelling as I do this stuff. I write the big words to confuse the shit out of everyone. The assistants and associates proof-read documents," Harvey told her—as if that's what she should have concluded, too.
"Of course they should," she said in her most sarcastic tone.
"Did you bring your thesis?" Harvey asked.
"How do I know you're not going to use it for your culminating paper?" Donna asked.
"Because I've had my culminating paper done for months. And I may be a lot of things but a cheater isn't one of them. In any sense of the word," Harvey told her seriously.
His tone changed as he spoke about cheating. Not overly so but she reads body language and she might not know him that well but cheating obviously strikes a chord with Harvey Specter.
"Need me to proofread?" Donna asked as an olive branch.
"Sure. As soon as I read your thing. You have first years to help," Harvey said as he backed away from her desk with her backpack in hand. She wondered briefly when he took it from the desk but put the thought in the back of her mind as she plastered on a smile to help the students.
An hour later, Harvey was thumbing through a law textbook and Donna walked over to his table. Her hair was now up in a ponytail and she looked ready to hurl a textbook at someone or something… the heavier the better.
"First years?" Harvey asked, already knowing the answer.
"I hate them all," Donna said as she sat down in the chair opposite Harvey, her chin in her hands as she placed her elbows on the table. She watched him work, nose metaphorically buried in the law books in front of him.
"I made some notes, with references back to whatever cases I used," Harvey said. "Might want to spell check before adding them in."
"Oh my god, your handwriting is chicken shit," she shook her head as she tried to take the papers back.
"What?" Harvey asked and looked back down at his writing. "I can read this perfectly fine."
“What does that even say?” She asked as she tilted her head. “Is that a quote from a movie?”
“It’s a reference code for the new patents,” he told her.
He looked miffed and she laughed quietly. He released his grip on the papers and capped the pen and closed the lid.
"You did this all, for me?" Donna asked. His brown eyes were like liquid quicksand, slowly sucking her in.
He nodded and at her skeptical look, raised a brow.
“Rumour has it, you're one of the most self-centred future lawyers out there," Donna clarified. "I may not go here but I have a pulse on the Harvard Law School class. You all come here to celebrate mock trial victories. God knows why you come to the library when there are bars to go to."
"Don't believe all the rumours," Harvey said as he got up from his chair. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Donna asked. She threw her papers into her backpack and he placed the law books onto the cart to go back onto the shelves.
"Lunch. All that research made me hungry," Harvey said.
"I have work to do," Donna said.
"I called a friend who owes me a few favours. He's taking over the rest of your shift," Harvey told her.
"I can't," Donna shook her head.
Harvey grabbed her wrist lightly and looked at her as they both felt the metaphorical spark run through them at the touch of skin against skin.
"Do you trust me?" he asked as he stepped closer.
"Yes," Donna said. It was quick out of her mouth. She had known this guy one week and she knew, somewhere deep down inside of her, that she could trust him with anything and everything.