When Do Harvey And Donna Get Together In Suits - And Why Did It Take So Long?

For a legal drama, "Suits" has no shortage of romantic storylines. While the on-again/off-again relationship between Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle) is at the center of the show's early seasons, romance eventually blossoms between another fan-favorite pairing, too. Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Donna Paulson (Sarah Rafferty) have chemistry from the moment they meet at the District Attorney's office. This is shown in Season 4, Episode 16, during a flashback where Rafferty's character introduces herself simply by the mononym Donna, years before they finally become a couple in the Season 8 finale.

Throughout the series, the high-flying lawyer and secretary-turned-Chief Operating Officer have an uncanny working relationship, with Donna almost always able to anticipate Harvey's needs before he knows them himself. Considering their close proximity to each other on a daily basis, it's not surprising that their relationship eventually grows into something romantic. However, it takes years for the pair to finally be on the same page about their feelings for each other.

They both make declarations of love to each other before the final season, though. Harvey admits how much he cares about Donna in Season 4 as his jealousy over her relationship with Stephen Huntley (Max Beesley) gets the best of him, and Donna does the same in Season 7 while Harvey is dating Paula Agard (Christina Cole). It's even revealed in a flashback during Season 3, Episode 6, that Harvey and Donna slept together after they finished working at the District Attorney's office, though they decided to keep things strictly professional so that they could continue working together at Pearson Hardman. This decision leaves "Suits" fans with eight seasons of sexual tension and romantic build-up to their eventual relationship. Keep reading for all the details on when Harvey and Donna finally get together in "Suits."

After the Season 3 revelation that Harvey and Donna once slept together, "Suits" fans were left hoping that something romantic would happen between the pair in the present. But their staunch professionalism — aka, Donna's rule about not getting involved with co-workers — a series of miscommunications and other relationships keep them apart for years. Harvey and Donna regularly flirt and banter, but it's her kissing him in Episode 10 (which is titled "Donna") that ends up being the catalyst for their romantic relationship, which begins in Season 8, Episode 16 (which is titled "Harvey").

Despite the fact that at this point Harvey is dating his former therapist, Paula, Donna can contain her feelings no longer. After an impassioned speech from Louis (Rick Hoffman), who was talking about his own regrets about his relationship with Sheila (Rachael Harris), Donna finds herself overcome with emotion. Realizing the extent of her feelings for Harvey, she kisses him in her office because she "just had to know." However, the drama draws out the aftermath of their momentous kiss until the end of the following season. In fact, Donna even starts to fall for someone new, beginning a relationship with Thomas (Sasha Roiz).

But, mirroring Donna's emotional realization from the previous season, Harvey also has a moment of clarity about his feelings during a heart-to-heart with Samantha (Katherine Heigl) as he grasps what life would be like without her and rushes to be with her. The "Darvey" romance was worth the wait for Macht, who told Entertainment Weekly that the timing finally felt right. "I think the characters, at this point, are meant to be together," the actor said. "They had to stumble along the way and go through these other relationships to ultimately understand what they really need is right in front of their face."

"Suits" Season 9, Episode 1, picks up exactly where the previous season's finale left off, with viewers finally getting to see Donna and Harvey verbalizing everything that was left unsaid. Telling Donna about his revelation, Harvey sweetly says, "I looked around and you weren't there ... I just wish I'd come to my senses sooner."

The legal drama wastes no time in serving up what viewers want: more "Darvey" moments, all season long. Although there's some drama involving Donna's ex Thomas along the way, this leads to a surprising but perfectly fitting moment in the "Suits" series finale where the pair officially tie the knot. When Louis and Sheila's wedding is cut short because she goes into labor, Harvey sees no sense in letting the festivities go to waste. He proposes to Donna on the spot, telling her he wants to make the most of every moment they have together, and produces his mom's ring to seal the deal — of course, Donna says yes.

Rafferty felt like this was the perfect choice for the on-screen couple because she never saw her character having a traditional wedding. "The fact that their wedding was spontaneous was really beautiful for them, because everyone's here and we need to make a public vow to each other," she told Entertainment Tonight. Of course, Harvey can't get married without his best friend Mike, who just so happens to be in town at the time. And after this, "Suits" comes to an end (though a revival series is now in the works), with Harvey and Donna heading off to start their new life together in Seattle, where Mike and Rachel now live.