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Donna knows everything. There is a reason this was her mantra, her catchphrase. For example, her boss, Harvey, had a very good poker face. Very few could read him and yet she knew he was going through a moment of confusion.
The red tie was a dead giveaway, a bold and strong color for when he was feeling so uncertain of himself. If that wasn't enough the perfect knot kept being readjusted, he pushed it up and up again like Sisyphus with his boulder, hanging himself in his own feelings… he never was comfortable showing affection. She checks the cases he is working on, but they are all going well. It had to be personal.
That’s when Mike walks in, or rather it was when he left. Harvey asked her to make copies for him. Nothing out of the ordinary, except Donna isn't ordinary. He came to her desk, instead of calling her through the intercom, and worse yet: his tie was slightly loose to the right. This could only mean one thing, he was confused about his feelings for Mike.
She could see how clearly he was trying to relax and undo the knot in his throat by doing so with his tie. It was almost laughable how easy it was to know what was going on in his head. She ponders on whether or not to intervene. She should, these two are idiots, however, she knows he needs to figure out his feelings first. Otherwise, anything she says might just make him repress them.
A week passes and the red-color ties fade into more muted colors. Not what he would usually wear, but then again he wasn't feeling like his usual self. She made sure to anticipate any coffee needs or copies to give him some thinking space. It must have worked because the next Monday he wears a black tie.
‘Oh shit, black tie’ It’s her first thought as she smiles and gives him a good morning, he barely responds with a grunt. She is well aware black ties are for days when he had no energy to pick one. He was sad. But nothing beats Friday, apparently after days of mourning the death of a relationship that had yet to begin he was full-on depressed.
She wanted to yell at him, first that Mike Ross was completely and obsessively in love with him, just as he was, and to fix his damn tie which hung low, maybe half a centimeter from where it should be. He wasn't paying attention when he put it on, the small shaving cut he had right underneath his jaw showed he didn't even look into the mirror that day. Did he hate himself that much, over having feelings for his associate?
Donna tried to catch him at a good time to talk, however, in a good old Harvey fashion, he buried himself in work to not deal with his emotions. She waits, not-so-patiently, for him to give her any indication he was ready to work through this.
Her opening was next Tuesday, the morning after Louis roped Mike into doing work for him.
“Where’s Mike?” He is already impatient even before receiving an answer.
“You are not going to like it”
“I’m going to kill Louis”
“Or maybe we could talk about the light blue tie” She follows him to his office, closing the door.
“What about my tie?” He looks down, not seeing anything wrong with it.
“The knot is too tight and the smaller part is bigger than it should be. You were distracted while doing it, probably cursing to yourself”
“...Do you have a camera on my apartment?” He slowly remakes the knot, but his anger seeps through once more and he finds himself with a tie that’s higher than it should be.
“I don't need to, I know Louis has Mike”
“What does that have to do with anything?” His tone has this very well-done fake indifference, but not well enough for Donna not to notice.
“Harvey, look at me” Her boss moves his gaze from the window to her “You don't like he has Mike”
“Damn right, I don't! He is my associate! What is the point of hiring one if he isn't here to do his job?” His tone got incredibly angry as he stood up.
“You don't like he’s not yours hum?” She tried to repress her smile, it crept up to her lips anyway.
“He is mine” His tone got lower as he looked at her through his eyelashes, both hands on his desk. If she was Litt, she might have been worried about him straight, or not so straight, up attacking her.
“So go get him” She winks at him and leaves.
“Wai-” She’s gone before he can finish, sitting down on her desk she gives out a satisfied sigh.
She must have gotten through to him as the next day he was with his usual dark blue, proudly replacing the ‘everything is fine and I definitively don't want to murder anyone’ lighter blue tie he wore the day before. He could pretend it was all normal for everyone else, Donna knew that his usual tie could only mean one thing: he had a plan.
‘A very slow plan’ she thought to herself, bored as the days went by without any difference. Where is the drama she was promised? Had the tie lied? Could she be wrong?
No, that was a ludicrous assumption, she shook her head as if trying to shake those thoughts away. She knew. Donna. Knows. Everything.
About a month later her boss brings her coffee, and her usual was done perfectly. And yet that wasn't even the most surprising event that morning. Harvey Specter wasn't wearing a tie. In all her years working alongside him, she had never seen him come in without one. Loose one while working late? Sure. Spilling something on it and taking it off to replace it? Of course, we all do it.
But no tie? This could only mean one thing.
She quickly navigates down the hallway, gracefully avoiding anyone that tried to talk to her. She was a woman on a mission and there was nothing that could get in her way. She had a wide smile when she finally reached Mike’s cubicle, before even confirming, she was far too excited for that, she spoke.
“Congratulations”
“Fooor what?” He removes one of his earphones, confused but smiling a little too as Donna’s energy had a tendency to be contagious.
Now she looks, while she points at the tie he is wearing, and without a word she watches the realization dawn on him. His eyes moved from her to ‘his’ tie maybe five times before he knew what to say.
“I-i I didn't have one, well I have ties, but I couldn't find it and I would be penalized, but Harvey won't because he’s a senior associate and-”
“Mike… Mike. Mike!” She finally stops his rambling and gets his attention. His eyes widened, he looks like a kid getting caught with his hands on the cookie jar and his pants were down “Congratulations”
“Thank you” His reply is barely above a whisper, but the blush on his face says it all.
This time she calmly walked to her desk, only to find her boss there… again.
“How did you know?” He closes his phone as soon as she’s close enough to hear him.
“He told you already? For people who took so long to get together, you guys sure communicate fast” She gives him a ‘wow’ look, but he places a hand on her arm.
“Donna…”
“Oh of course! Congratulations” She knows that is not what he meant, so she adds “There is a reason you never need to turn on that intercom isn't there? I won't tell anyone”
With that reassurance, he walks back to his office before pausing right at the door.
“Thank you… and how did you know?”
“You aren't wearing a tie” She doesn't even look up from her computer, saying this as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world and to her it really was.