Chapter Text
Donna would never have thought she’d say this one day, but she had a superpower.
Of course, over the years, she had been with men before officially becoming Harvey’s romantic partner — the man she considered her first love, the first one who had truly made her lose her mind, and who was and would remain her only real love. In the past, she could say that some relationships had been serious, others not, sometimes imagining a future with them, sometimes simply passing through each other’s lives. But in every case, the men she had been intimate with had all been able to enjoy one part of her in particular: her body.
They were men, and consequently all had different fantasies, though they shared one specific interest in her bouncy ass and her breasts. But when it came to the lawyer? It had a… different effect. So while she had already gotten a glimpse of what Harvey liked during their night together more than a decade earlier, she had truly discovered the man who would become her husband through the first few weeks of their relationship.
The first thing was that he was tactile.
Sure, during the first few days — even weeks — aside from the more-than-intense sex, Donna could feel how her lover tended to tense up whenever the idea of being physically affectionate with her crossed his mind. So the redhead had taken matters into her own hands, and very quickly she would curl up against him on the couch, drop kisses on his cheek, his lips, or anywhere on his face when they were close, caressing every accessible part of his body whenever she passed by him — gestures Harvey had learned to appreciate over time.
Then he had started doing the same, though only when they were alone, because in front of others Harvey still kept a certain distance — probably the old belief that showing affection would make him look weak still hanging over him.
« Hey babe »
As Donna sat on one of the high stools by the kitchen island, feeling Harvey move behind her, sliding his arm from her hip to her stomach to pull her against him while his lips found the side of her neck, she couldn’t help but smile. After so many years, she finally had access to his love — the lawyer’s love — but more importantly, access to that side of him that only she had ever been lucky enough to know. Well, her and their children now.
Still, while Donna had discovered that Harvey loved being cuddled, pampered, kissed, and every affectionate gesture that made the lawyer feel like he was floating, she had also discovered that certain parts of the redhead’s body had a rather… stress-relieving effect.
Something she had realized only a few weeks after they had started dating.
That night, while Faye was digging through the records of every person working at Specter Litt Wheeler Williams, Harvey was probably the one most furious with the blonde. Of course, the fact that she had practically become his shadow — analyzing and scrutinizing his every move, questioning each of his decisions as though the lawyer didn’t already have two spectacular decades of experience behind him — irritated him to no end, but that day, she had crossed the line.
Over the years, Harvey had learned not to care about what people thought or even said about him, but if there was one thing he would never tolerate, it was someone going after his partner.
« Honey… »
« No »
« Can you just… forget? »
« Forget? Babe, she’s treating you like a secretary »
« Well, I am a secretary »
« No you’re not. Not anymore »
While Harvey was already in bed, wearing only his boxers, one arm tucked behind his head as support and his gaze fixed on the ceiling, Donna couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him like that. For her part, although they had shared a shower, her nighttime skincare routine had kept her from going to bed at the same time as her boyfriend. The redhead was only now coming out of the adjoining room, wearing one of his old Harvard T-shirts and simple underwear, while she finished applying her body cream to her arms.
But although the outfit she was wearing would normally have immediately led to a more intimate moment, given how he was staring at the ceiling, brooding over and over again, Donna couldn’t help but chuckle before climbing onto the bed to join him. As he opened his arm so she could settle against him, the redhead slipped back into her usual place, lying against his side, her hand on his chest and, most importantly, her head resting against his heart.
« Harv »
« It’s driving me crazy »
« I know, but we’ve already had this conversation »
« You’re better than this »
« I know, you know it, and the people who matter to us know it too. Why should we care about what Faye thinks of who I am and what I do? »
« You deserve your position, Donna »
« I know »
« And I can’t stand the idea of people questioning that »
« Honey, you know who I am, right? » asked Donna.
« Of course »
« Then that’s all that matters to me »
And just like that, the room fell into silence, Donna dropping soft kisses along his jaw and into the hollow of his neck, her hand gliding over his abs in random patterns as she heard the lawyer sigh, clearly irritated by everything going on. Only, if the room stayed quiet for a few seconds, he soon started speaking again, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling, his free hand gesturing in the air as if to accompany his words as he resumed his tirade.
« It just makes me completely insane »
« Harvey… » moaned Donna.
« That bitch comes in, thinks she can change everything, talks to you like you’re nothing more than a simple employee… »
And as she sighed, staring at the slightly open doors leading into the living room, she let Harvey speak, the lawyer spilling an uncontrolled stream of words, still as irritated and frustrated by the woman’s behavior, while Donna could feel his heart racing beneath her cheek. So after his long monologue about how much of a bitch Faye was and how he wanted to resign, with her head still on his chest, she could sense that Harvey wasn’t calming down, and despite the small kisses on his torso and her fingers tracing his abs, he didn’t seem to be letting go of his anger.
Even after a few minutes of silence, Harvey’s heart still pounding, Donna felt herself being moved as he pulled her even more heavily against him. This time, his hand slid down her back until it reached the hollow of her lower back. Then, like any man who had at least some attraction to women, Harvey moved his hand down to the redhead’s rounded ass, softly caressing the curve before squeezing the flesh between his fingers and repeating the motion several times.
However, although Donna was used to Harvey touching her on the ass, what surprised her this time was the effect it had on him. Beneath her cheek, she could feel his heart rate slowing down, as if by magic. The kisses, the reassuring words, the caresses, the closeness — none of it had managed to calm the lawyer down, but apparently all it took was him touching her to bring him back under control. So even though she found it surprising, she said nothing, blaming it on coincidence and the moment, before climbing onto him and doing what she did best: distracting him.
« Honey? »
« Mm? »
« Five minutes in the archives room? »
« Yes please » Harvey sighed.
The second time Donna noticed it was a few days later.
When Faye had even followed him to court, Harvey had come back to the firm in a foul mood, walking quickly through the halls, barking orders at anyone who spoke, while Donna had waited, knowing Faye would seize the opportunity to question Donna’s place in the firm. After he had made a partner cry, shattered two whiskey glasses, punched a wall once, and shouted at the fifteenth employee who crossed his path, the redhead told herself she absolutely needed to do something about her boyfriend and his mild anger outbursts if she didn’t want things to spiral.
So as soon as he had finished yelling at another partner and at Faye in Louis’s office, Donna left her desk, stormed into her boyfriend’s office right next door, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the archives room a little further down the hall, empty at this hour. As soon as they were inside, Harvey let himself fall onto one of the tables in the corner, his legs slightly spread, his hands braced on the edge of the surface while Donna quickly stepped closer, positioning herself between his legs before placing her hands on either side of his neck, feeling his pulse beating rapidly beneath her palm.
« Harvey »
« Let’s get out of here »
« Hey… »
« I can’t take it anymore… I just want you and me to leave, far away from here, just the two of us, no one to bother us, some time to think about something other than all this crap at the firm »
« We can’t abandon them. Not now »
Once again, the room fell into silence, Harvey’s heart still racing beneath Donna’s palm, placed just beside his Adam’s apple, over his carotid pulse. And so, once again, despite the butterfly kisses on his face, her thumbs gently stroking his jaw, and her reassuring words, he didn’t calm down: his breathing was still fast and his tension remained high. But as she looked at him with a mix of love, compassion, and devotion, Harvey grabbed Donna by the waist and pulled her toward him.
First, he rested his forehead against her cleavage, staying like that for a few seconds, while Donna kept gently stroking his jaw with her thumbs, before he began to move his head slowly, rubbing his forehead against the soft skin of her chest. Then he pressed the side of his face against her, letting his nose glide into the hollow between her breasts, then his lips following, starting with soft kisses, then open-mouthed kisses, until his hands joined in as well.
Gently, Harvey took hold of her chest, one hand on each breast, squeezing them and kneading them, Donna clearly used to it as well — Harvey being as much of a boobs guy as he was an ass guy. So for a few seconds, she let him do it until she felt his heart rate slow down under her palm, a sign that he was calming down, before he straightened up, taking a deep breath, and murmured.
« Alright »
And after a final kiss on his girlfriend’s lips, he left the archives room, Donna once again intrigued by this sudden change in heart rate as she decided to return to her office, the day unfolding a little more peacefully than it had started.
After that, things calmed down. The firm’s employees found a way to get rid of Faye, Harvey and Donna became husband and wife, and they both decided to continue their lives in Seattle. So once they arrived on the West Coast, things changed, and while the lawyer was a bit stressed about the whole situation — their new apartment, his new job, the idea of having a child and things like that — Donna couldn’t seem to calm him down, especially that night.
So after a fairly busy day, while they were both in bed — Harvey sitting against the headboard with his laptop on his lap, Donna lying on his stomach, flipping through one of Shakespeare’s books — the redhead heard her husband sigh for the fifteenth time in five minutes.
« Everything okay, honey? »
« I’ve got a lot on my mind »
« I figured. How can I help? »
« Nothing babe, that’s on me to handle »
« You know I would still love you just as much even if you lightened your mental load, right? Just because you delegate a bit doesn’t mean I’ll find you any less attractive, you know »
« I know, but I like being… I don’t know… »
« The man of the house? »
« Yeah »
As she glanced over her shoulder to look at the lawyer, she couldn’t help but feel her heart melt. It was silly, but seeing him like that — panicking at the idea of not being enough, of not giving her the best after all these years, of letting her be the one to carry stress — touched Donna deeply. Gently, she slid her hand back until it rested on Harvey’s thigh, squeezing softly as if to show him she was there for him, while he looked at her with a small smile.
Despite that, she could still see how stressed he was — his breathing was faster than usual, she could read the muscle tension in every part of him, and the way he kept biting his lip and his foot wouldn’t stop moving gave away how much the whole situation was affecting him. But as she tried to figure out what to do to de-stress him — probably sex to take his mind off things — it seemed Harvey had his own idea.
Gently, with his gaze fixed on the screen while he typed on the keyboard with his free hand — probably drafting a work report — his other hand rested on the redhead’s back, softly caressing his wife through the top of her nightdress. Seeing how focused he was, she decided not to disturb him anymore and went back to her book, feeling Harvey’s hand slide a little lower, under the waistband of her pyjama pants until it settled on her ass. Then, after a few seconds of staying still, he slowly moved his palm over her roundness, gently pressing his fingers into the flesh, squeezing softly, repeating the motion more than once, his eyes still fixed on the screen.
And once again, it worked.
His breathing slowed, a sigh of contentment escaped his lips, and she saw him relax further against the headboard. Faced with this new situation, Donna watched him for a few seconds before returning to her book, the idea never leaving her mind, the redhead growing more and more intrigued by it.
The next day, while she was taking her break in the staff room alone with her phone and her salad, scrolling through her device and focused on what she was reading, Rachel walked in, smiling as she saw her best friend deep in concentration, taking a seat beside her before murmuring.
« That sounds serious… »
« Mm… »
« What are you doing? »
« Some… research » Donna smiled.
« About… »
As she placed her phone on the table and looked at her best friend with a knowing smile, the brunette was already laughing before Donna paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and murmured:
« You’re not going to tell Mike? »
« It’s about Harvey? »
« I really don’t want your husband teasing mine. You know how much he hates it when Mike jokes about our sex life »
« Is it about sexual dysfunction? »
« What? No! I mean, we’re talking about Harvey, Rach » Donna snorted.
« Fair enough, that guy is as horny as a teenage boy in heat when it comes to you, I doubt he’ll ever have performance issues. Anyway — so? What is it? »
« Let’s say I started thinking my ass and my boobs had superpowers »
« What? »
As the brunette burst out laughing, Donna couldn’t help but join in, finding her own confession absurd, before straightening up as if preparing to explain everything, rolling her eyes in an amused gesture before beginning her explanation, her hands moving as she spoke.
« It’s just that I noticed that every time he’s stressed, anxious, or angry about anything, no matter what I say or do, there’s one thing that calms him down in a split second compared to everything else »
« Your ass and your boobs? »
« Exactly »
« I’m not sure I follow… »
« Every time something’s wrong, even when talking doesn’t help, even sex or anything else, afterward I feel him grabbing my boobs or my ass, doing whatever he wants with them, and then what? He’s suddenly… relaxed »
« Like magic? »
« That’s what I thought, but I was doing some research and apparently it’s just… scientific »
« That’s… neat »
« Listen — apparently when a man touches his partner’s breasts or butt, his brain releases a series of hormones, namely oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine. This neurochemical process leads to a drop in stress and a feeling of well-being, promoting rapid relaxation. Isn’t that insane? »
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke before the two women burst out laughing, Rachel snorting as she glanced at her best friend’s phone before taking a sip of her cappuccino, murmuring softly with an amused tone:
« Looks like your ass and boobs do indeed have superpowers »
And just like that, the two friends went back to their conversation, Donna now half-amused, half-happy to have a plausible explanation for her husband’s behavior.
Then the days went by, Donna noticing Harvey’s behavior every time he felt stressed but never bringing it up, even offering her body to her husband without him really realizing this habit as time passed and nothing changed. Well, in between, Donna had been pregnant, her body had changed, she had given birth to two children, taken a little time to lose the extra pounds, and despite all that, Harvey had kept up his little stress-relief rituals — with a few precautions at certain times, of course.
Only, while up until now the lawyer had kept his hands to himself in public, today was going to change things, and if there was one person who did not want to witness it, it was her.
Lindsay.
Like every morning, the young paralegal took her time getting ready — heavy makeup, short tight dresses, and a bit too much cheap perfume to make sure she caught the attention of one and only man: Harvey Specter.
Of course, over time, she had understood she had no chance, that the man was far too obsessed with his wife and their two little girls to even look at her or show the slightest interest in a woman who was nothing more than an employee. But Lindsay had learned not to give up, absolutely not — that was how she had become the best cheerleader at Nevada State High School in Reno, bye bye Margaret Ginter. So even if she doubted the tall, sexy, classy lawyer would ever notice her, she still felt the need to try.
But as she applied a thick layer of gloss to emphasize her newly enhanced lips, she was interrupted by her phone ringing, her direct colleague’s name appearing on the screen.
« Rania? »
« Hey, are you almost at work? »
« I’m at home, why? »
« Are you serious? Lindsay! This week is going to be chaos at the office. Between the Amundson case, Moulton v. Roth, the Life Map Planners case, and everything else waiting for us, we’re going to have to work twice as hard »
« Rania? I’m doing my makeup »
« And I’m already on my way »
« I’m not surprised… »
As Lindsay chuckled, more concerned with her appearance than her workload, the call went silent for a few seconds until she heard Rania sigh and murmur under her breath.
« I can’t believe I’m saying this but… Harvey really needs help »
« Well, now you’ve got my attention. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes »
And just like that, already imagining giving Mr. Specter a special stress-relief massage in his office after a difficult day at work, Lindsay finished getting ready before leaving her small Fremont apartment toward the firm. Only, as soon as she arrived, she already saw everyone running around, Rania grimacing and waving her over while she could see Harvey in the distance, clearly losing his temper on the phone.
« Give me the update »
« The lawyer for Albert Roth called to say Thursday’s hearing needs to be postponed. William accidentally spilled his coffee on the Amundson case files. Rick Sullivan messed up again and Harvey found out before Anthony could intercept it. And on top of that, I think there’s an issue with Donna »
« What do you mean an issue with Donna? » Lindsay smiled.
« Oh please, stop imagining things, not that kind of issue. I just think they’ve got a personal problem, I mean, she’s not here yet and there’s a ton of work. So I assume something’s wrong, and given how upset he’s been since this morning… »
As Lindsay was about to respond, both paralegals were quickly called back to order when Rachel passed by their offices to inform them of a meeting in a few minutes. So with files under their arms and takeaway coffees in hand, they walked down the hall to the large conference room, the brunette already standing in front of the screen, Mike and Harvey seated, and other associates just as tense as each other. But Lindsay only looked at one of them.
Jaw clenched, dark gaze fixed on Rachel, breathing fast, knee bouncing — even in a stressed state, Harvey Specter was spectacular. But as she was about to take the empty seat beside him, she froze as the sound of heels echoed across the wooden floor, recognizing the redhead in a fraction of a second.
« Sorry everyone »
In an instant, she saw Harvey tense up, his gaze locking onto his wife, watching her walk across the room toward him, his expression now showing nothing but concern and panic. As soon as she reached his side — Donna positioning herself between Harvey and her — Lindsay watched the redhead slide her hand to the back of her husband’s head, her diamond rings glinting in his dirty blonde locks as she leaned in to kiss him tenderly, the lawyer murmuring against her lips.
« How are they? »
« Well… » Donna grimaced.
« Are they crying? »
« They’re sick, honey »
« Fuck… »
As Mike looked at his best friend and colleague with a worried expression, Harvey sighed before speaking, a clear edge of concern in his voice as he launched into a quick explanation.
« They’ve been sick for three days… classic symptoms — fever, congestion, cough — and we’ve done everything, but it won’t go away. So they’re not sleeping, they’re constantly in our bed, they scream every time we have to do a nebulizer treatment, and even though we would’ve preferred staying home with them today, because of that asshole Roth, we have to drop them off at preschool while we deal with this fucking mess »
« Harvey… » Donna sighed.
As Lindsay could hear the anger in his voice and subtly noticed the way he clenched his teeth, the vein in his temple ready to burst despite Donna standing between them, she suddenly froze when she saw what came next. Donna was still standing in front of the chair and facing the table, Harvey seated beside her, when she saw the lawyer place his hand on his wife’s ass.
If Lindsay was used to their public displays of affection — a hand on the lower back, a bit too low to be purely affectionate — this time she had to admit it was on another level. What started as Harvey’s large hand simply resting on his wife’s butt, covering almost the entirety of her bouncy ass, turned into a firm grip as he squeezed her flesh, the fabric of her dress creasing between his knuckles, and the young woman turned to check whether Rania had seen the same thing.
But while the brunette was too focused on the papers in front of her, Lindsay kept her eyes forward, waiting for Rachel to start speaking. Donna’s hand never left the back of her husband’s head, sliding through his hair, while his jaw was already a little less tense than a few seconds earlier. But as the meeting resumed and sensitive topics came up, Harvey remained just as tense, his deep voice edged with irritation as every client discussed earned its share of insults.
« Alright, I think that’s all for today. Let’s focus on the Amundson case since Roth is going to keep us busy for a while. And as for Rick Sullivan, let’s say Fernando and Karolina will handle that while we take care of the others. Is that clear for everyone? »
As everyone nodded, Lindsay watched the room slowly empty until Rachel began gathering all the documents on the table and Mike walked toward them, Rania already ready to execute the lawyer’s requests, while Lindsay couldn’t help but steal a discreet glance toward the couple in the corner of the room. This time, Donna was standing, busy typing quickly on her phone, while Harvey had also gotten up, positioning himself right behind her, his chest pressed against her back, his arms wrapped around her waist as he looked over her shoulder at the phone, murmuring softly.
« So? »
« Miss Giana told me they cried a little after I left but fell asleep right after… »
« They must’ve been exhausted »
« Yeah… » the redhead sighed.
« Babe, I’m not reassured about them being sick at preschool »
« I know, but what do you want us to do? If we take them here, they’ll just want to stay glued to us all the time and that won’t work—we’ve got way too much to do. At least at preschool, they can rest until we get there »
« I don’t like them being there alone, it freaks me out »
« I promise I’ll hurry, then I’ll pick them up, and this weekend we’ll dedicate it entirely to just the two of them, alright? »
While Lindsay wasn’t listening to anything Mike was saying so she wouldn’t miss a second of the exchange between the lawyer and the redhead, she watched as Harvey didn’t reply, dropping soft kisses on his wife’s covered shoulder and then up to her neck while Donna kept typing quickly on her phone, clearly not bothered by being devoured like that. And just as she was about to roll her eyes in frustration, the moment Harvey’s hands slid from her wife’s stomach up to her chest, grabbing her breasts firmly, Lindsay choked on her own saliva as Mike murmured.
« All good? »
« Yeah yeah, of course, sorry. You were saying? »
After a brief glance over the lawyer’s shoulder, she noticed Harvey squeezing his wife’s boobs one last time, dropping a kiss on her cheek before sighing and letting go, leaving the meeting room and leaving Donna focused on her screen, seemingly unfazed by her husband’s behavior. What the hell was wrong with those two? And just as she wanted to turn the question over in her mind, they had so much work she didn’t even have the time.
« Hey Rania »
« What? »
« Did you see how he kept grabbing Donna during the meeting? »
« Linds… As much as I love hearing you fantasize about our boss, we’ve got way too much work and I’d like to get home tonight instead of spending my evening at the office. So help me, please »
And just like that, the two paralegals got to work, sorting documents, scanning, highlighting, discussing, going back and forth between offices, ticking off one by one the points on Mike’s checklist, while Lindsay couldn’t help but keep stealing glances at the couple. And if she wanted to scrub her eyes with bleach after witnessing all that, it didn’t matter—the couple didn’t seem to want to stop touching each other—at least Harvey didn’t.
Every time his wife passed by or stood next to him, his hand migrated to her ass, touching, caressing, grabbing it, squeezing it, and most of all, slapping it. Each time he walked by, Lindsay watched the lawyer discreetly smack his wife’s ass, who didn’t seem particularly bothered that her husband was behaving like that. But as the hours passed and they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, Lindsay stood up to get a coffee, stopping dead when she saw someone was already there.
Donna and Harvey.
« Are you almost done? »
« I just need to submit the profitability report and see Vera from accounting, then I’ll head out. But don’t worry too much — preschool told me they’re already doing better since they slept and ate a little. That’s a good sign, right? »
« Yeah, that does reassure me a bit »
And as neither of them had really noticed Lindsay’s presence in the distance, Donna slowly opened her arm to signal her husband that he could come closer, which Harvey immediately did, nestling against her, dropping soft kisses on her jaw. Then gently, while Donna was explaining the rest of their afternoon plan with their children, Harvey was humming against her skin, dropping kisses along her neck. And once again, Lindsay widened her eyes as she saw Harvey squeezing his wife’s breasts together, kissing her cleavage while Donna snorted softly:
« Honey come on »
« Urgh »
« I’ve got to get back »
« Alright »
And after sliding her fingers through his hair and placing a final kiss on his temple, she pulled away from her husband and left the room without even noticing Lindsay, before watching Harvey follow shortly after, both of them returning to their offices.
It was early afternoon. The two paralegals could finally see the end of their day and were looking forward to the weekend to finally unwind. And as they were in their office, hearing Harvey’s voice rise in the hall, both of them looked up, watching the lawyer giving orders, Lindsay letting out a small whine as she pouted.
« Look at him… Where do you even find lawyers that sexy? »
« I have to say, I’m impressed, Linds »
« Why? » the blonde chuckled.
« The man is in love » Rania snorted.
« But he’s still a man… And in front of a pair of boobs or… »
As the blonde was probably about to explain her theory that men were capable of breaking a marriage and a family over feminine curves, she suddenly stopped. In front of her stood Harvey in the empty hallway, and, as if on cue, Donna was walking by to head to her office, file in hand, eyes fixed on her phone.
Nothing unusual so far — until the moment Harvey’s hand landed firmly on his wife’s ass with a dull sound as she passed in front of him. Both paralegals froze, staring at the scene. Donna rolled her eyes at her husband before giving a quick, barely apologetic glance toward the two young women, while Rania murmured.
« I think he’s got what he needs at home, Lindsay… »
« I wish he’d spank me »
« Oh my god… Alright, let’s get back to work »
And just like that, the two women carried on, the task list slowly shrinking as every file that had seemed impossible to close that morning finally came to an end. When the clock hit three and the two women had just finished, seeing Rachel peek her head through the door with a smile, they knew it was a sign of good news.
« Everything okay, girls? »
« Yeah, we just finished » Rania smiled.
« Then go on, head out »
« It’s only three o’clock… »
« It’s fine. It’s the weekend, you’ve worked hard, and we’ve really pushed you this week — you deserve it »
« Thanks, Rachel »
« Yeah, thanks » Lindsay added.
And just like that, the two young women packed their bags, chatting about their upcoming weekend plans as they walked through the lobby toward the elevators. Lindsay grimaced when she saw Donna already there, typing on her phone. The redhead simply glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her employees, while Lindsay watched her more discreetly, seeing her quickly type a message to her mother about her daughters, then exit the messaging app and lock her phone as her wallpaper lit up. Unsurprisingly, it was a photo of her husband and their two daughters — a selfie of the three of them, cheeks pressed together, all smiling widely. Lindsay couldn’t help but roll her eyes at their perfect little family.
But as she was about to sigh, the elevator doors opened and the three women stepped inside, waiting for them to close — when a hand stopped the doors, reopening them to reveal Harvey.
« Hey »
« You’re leaving? »
« Yeah, I was looking for you but you weren’t in your office »
As the lawyer talked about archives and associates, his foot blocking the doors while he spoke to his wife, Lindsay and Rania exchanged a quick glance as the couple didn’t seem to notice they were being observed.
« By the way, I still need to see Mike about Rick Sullivan, then I’ll send the last-minute Carter trial documents, and after that I’ll hurry home »
While Harvey spoke quickly, Donna’s phone rang —the name of the private preschool appearing on the screen. Quickly, the redhead already brought it to her ear as if to answer, leaning toward her husband, sliding a hand into his hair before kissing him, murmuring against his lips.
« Honey, stop panicking. Finish what you need to do and I’ll see you at home »
« Alright »
And as the redhead answered her phone, replying with a simple Yes, hello? to the person on the line, the couple shared a quick final kiss. Up until then, the two women were used to this kind of behavior from their boss, but it was at the moment when the couple's lips were still touching and Harvey's hand was placed on the redhead's ass to forcefully squeeze it, that the two women exchanged a surprised look.
Clearly not noticing the awkward expressions of the two young women, Harvey pulled away, letting the elevator doors close while Donna continued her conversation with the preschool as if nothing had happened, estimating she’d arrive in about fifteen minutes. Throughout the elevator ride, Rania and Lindsay stayed silent. When Donna simply waved as she left the building, they smiled and waved back, watching her walk away. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke — until Lindsay finally broke the silence.
« Seriously, I don’t get it »
« Oh no… here we go again » Rania sighed.
« No, but look at her with Harvey. I’m sure she does it to mark her territory and she likes it. Like she wants him to belong to her »
« Well, he kind of belongs to her… »
« That way he keeps touching her all the time? Her ass, her boobs — he can’t just leave her alone, right? I mean, it’s not necessary »
« Donna doesn’t seem to complain »
« Of course not. I’m sure she loves being touched like that in front of everyone. I mean, earlier while Mike was giving us a debrief for the day, he was literally standing behind her, grabbing her boobs like it was nothing. What even was that? »
« He was stressed »
A calm voice suddenly came from behind them. Both women turned around sharply to see Rachel standing there with a coffee, far too composed for the situation, while Lindsay felt her stomach drop. For a few seconds, silence lingered as Rachel took a sip of her coffee, eyes on her phone. Then the brunette murmured with a small smile, still focused on her screen:
« Harvey touches Donna that way when he’s stressed and it’s… surprisingly frequent. Oh sorry, my Uber’s here »
The brunette walked toward the street, signaling her car. Lindsay remained frozen, realizing she might have heard more than she should have, while both paralegals fell silent watching Rachel get into the vehicle. But just before she fully sat down in the back seat, she paused, looked at Lindsay, and murmured.
« By the way — next few weeks are going to be stressful. You better get used to it »
The street fell quiet long after Rachel’s Uber disappeared into traffic, but Lindsay’s thoughts didn’t. Harvey’s behaviour was still stuck in her mind — composed, sharp, untouchable… and completely undone the moment Donna was near him. It wasn’t just affection. It wasn’t just habit. It was an instinct, almost. Like Donna wasn’t only his wife, but the one place his tension went to dissolve.
And the worst part, Lindsay realized that it didn’t seem to be changing. If anything, it was getting worse. Because whatever Harvey was in that firm — powerful lawyer, feared closer, relentless strategist — he was something entirely different when his wife was in the room. Softer, distracted and completely, unmistakably obsessed.
Facing everything, Lindsay exhaled slowly as the realization settled in with no comfort at all. This wasn’t going to stop and whether she understood it or not, whether she liked it or not… she was going to have to live with it.