Notes:

Sorry about the greatness of the lateness. Trying to catch up a bit. Thankyou for the follows and reviews on this! Enjoy xXx

Suits – Chapter 2

Donna spends the rest of the day paired in what can only be described as a 'dance of the silent people'; her and Harvey manoeuvring between one another via memo's, the signing of letters; a well-crafted dance of getting everything done without so much as a word. It riles her, but she's not going to give in and their collective stubbornness prevails all the way till lunch.

She actually takes a lunch today; fearing that she'll snap around the three o'clock mark if she doesn't hunt out a Cheeto; but she gets stuck in the Partner's kitchen when Rachel walks in and can only have opinions on Mike's current state of mind. She thanks the earth for Rachel and her complicated relationships, as well as her forgiveness of Donna for keeping things from her. It's all twisted…but she's thankful all the same.

"I just… I can't believe that he…everyone…hid it for so long." Rachel says, her hands hanging limply in her lap as her mind tries to piece together the thoughts in her head.

"Oh, trust me… we were on lockdown and it still nearly slipped out of the net. For conspiracy levels alone, it's up there with a Watergate tapes."

"Aren't you worried about losing your job?" She asks.

It's a question no one has ever asked her. Harvey and Mike dealt with it everyday, but no one considered the implications of her involvement…yet. She pauses, collecting.

"Harvey made the call; I supported it. If Mike goes down, I, Harvey and Jessica all hit the screws."

"Jessica too?"

"And now even maybe you," She says vaguely.

"Donna," Rachel objects immediately.

"Sweety, I'm not going to implicate you; I would never… and Harvey, no matter how much he lectures Mike has a very soft spot for you. But Jessica? If she hears that another person is implicated in this then she could use that as leverage against Harvey."

"Things with Harvey and Jessica still bad?" Her friend winces.

"You have no idea. I know why he did what he did, but he's making bad choices now… kicking everyone out of the boat…I'm getting worried. If he goes, I go. And that's fine, but… I may not be able to salvage this."

"I don't want to lose you at the firm." Her friend says. It would be comforting if the idea wasn't so close to home.

"And I don't want to lose my job. I trust that if the shit ever hit the fan that I can trust in Harvey one hundred percent. But… this is,"

"Your Home."

"Yeah." She says, the realisation in her voice. "It's our home."

"Things will get better. They have to; none of this is putting anyone in positions where they're comfortable. Something has to give."

"That's what I'm worried about." Donna responds, pressing a button on the coffee maker.

She's alerted to Rachel ironing out the creases in her skirt.

"I have to get back to work otherwise Louis is bound to come and find me. I swear that guy has almost no respect, and yet in a second he can be so…"

"Charming?" Donna offers, a knowing smile on her face.

"It doesn't sound like a 'Louis' word, does it?" She says; laughing at her friend as she slowly pulls herself out of the chair. "Are we still meeting after work?"

"Of course. Seven Thirty and not a minute earlier. Harvey's corporate card needs a little action that happy hour cannot provide." She jokes with a deliberate purr.

"You're so bad!" Rachel chuckles, a peel of laugh trickling all the way down the hall after her.

Donna is left in quiet silence, stirring the coffee in her cup, slowly watching the fluid mix and swirl unevenly and the thought of just how she's going to get Harvey back into everyone's good books. The problem is that, Harvey doesn't want to. And he knows her tenacity for going behind his back when an occasion calls for it. But with their ambiguous relationship on tenderhooks and her still in the dark about why he even came to her apartment; it appears to her that things won't get better for a while.

I deserve a raise… She thinks to herself.

"Why, if it isn't Donna Paulsen."

She turns very slowly so see Stephen casually leaning against a water cooler.

Smooth Bastard, she thinks.

"Hey Steve." She jibes, glancing at him with purpose.

"How are you?" He asks carefully.

"Good. You?" She replies; an odd self-consciousness overcoming her as she thinks of what she's wearing. And how he is more than equipped to get her out of it in 30 seconds or less…

He narrows his gaze, a smile small on his lips. "This is … a little awkward, isn't it?" He says.

"Only because you're making it," She replies, measuring him once again. Then she checks herself, realising that there really is a tension to their now rather personal connection. "Okay..it's awkward." She admits, smiling.

"It's because of your Boss isn't it?"

The question throws her but just how 'on the mark' it is...

"Harvey?" She doesn't answer yes or no, but somehow between the parted silence in her answer he draws his own conclusion.

"It was him at the door…Friday? He doesn't like people playing with his things, does he?"

"I'm not his to play with." She fires, sure of her meaning.

"Have dinner with me tonight." He counters, standing upright. To Donna it doesn't even really feel like a question but it throws her off the defence. Lawyer…

"I can't…girl's night out." She says.

"Tomorrow then… my treat?" He offers, his eyes narrowing as if it's all to keep himself amused for the day.

She eyes Stephen; taking in his manner; casual, suggestive with a hint of narcissism. There's something oddly gold about his hair...

She walks very slowly, taking time to sachet past him with a hidden smile and note that he is shorter than her and Harvey. She stops for a moment, her eyes looking at his lips deliberately.

"I'll think about it." She says, and walks out into the busy corridor; the door shutting with a clank behind her.

She spends the rest of the day sure that she made the right choice but tempted by the alternative. Especially when Harvey extends his silent treatment.

When they go out; Rachel has a habit of going to the bathroom for more than ten minutes, often leaving Donna solo. And over the years she's spent more than her fair share of time at the bar trying to placate or sway a stranger from buying her a drink or attempting with some limp interest to ask her out.

Tonight is no different when she hears shuffling behind her. She rolls her eyes, an excuse ready on her lips until she turns and finds herself face to face with Stephen Huntley. He's grinning at her in his way. She finds it immediately annoying but is reminded instantly of him, hot and sweaty and writhing in her bed.

She blushes like a red head should, all the way to her ankles.

"Are you…stalking me?" She asks, the playfulness dimpling under a very serious note.

"I wish. I'm having meeting with," He turns pointing to the man at the table of two alone. "That guy there."

"You're lying." She scoffs.

"Wave and see." He challenges.

She looks at him as if he's completely insane, but finds herself waving at the man riding solo on a table for two; then Stephen joins in and the man at the table is suddenly smiling and waving back, his eyes obviously wider than usual at the attention being drawn to him.

"Okay hotshot. What do you want?" She folds her arms.

"I want, what every man wants,"

"And that is?"

He dips between her and the blonde standing to his right, leaning against the bar. "A drink." he grins wickedly.

She laughs at that; something wide and almost guttural. It's so odd the way he is. The way his British humour is so easily translatable through his cool exterior and sharp look. Very unlike the rest of the lawyers who came across the pond on this merger. She'd never seen such a stare from a man with eyes as greeny blue as his. She thought only Harvey, with his dark browns had that act down.

"So, you're still…busy tonight I gather?" He enquires, eyes ranging for a free barman.

"My friend's in the bathroom." Donna gestures, suddenly self-aware that Rachel could pop up at any moment and that she hasn't even told her about any of it yet. More aware of the fact that she's having to justify herself once again being alone in a bar; as if she's really trailing for gentleman callers.

"Don't all women go to the bathroom together?" He asks.

"Only in Sex and the City." She scoffs once more.

"Good program. HBO?" He muses, a flirty look in his eye.

"Sure it is," She rolls her eyes at that, taking a sip of her wine.

"What? It's candid. Vodka on rocks, and a bottle behind the bar for whatever this beautiful woman is drinking." He says to the barman in front of him, who nods vacantly.

"Candid? That just does it for you? Not the...naked women and lunchtime sextalk?"

"The naked women...well, I'm not going to object. But, I like it when people are...blunt. It's honest." He plays once more, but there's a hint of truth in his words.

"Then you must love me." She jokes rolling her eyes, but only after is aware of what a snare trap she's laid out.

He takes his drink, shoulder brushing hers until he's inches away. She can't smell a drop on his breath.

"Oh, I'm getting there." He says, before gliding away.

He causes a shiver in her chest.

It would have been perfect, if Rachel hadn't witnessed every last second of it.

Donna's stomach flips as her friend hurries quickly back into the gap that Stephen's vacated at the bar.

"Donna... wasn't that…?" She asks, eyes following the suit.

"Stephen Huntley." She confirms.

"Scottie's ex?"

"…Perhaps…" She replies, carefully.

"He was flirting with you." Rachel states, her face immediately accusing. She has to give it Rachel. She is quick.

"…Perhaps…"

"You're not…?" She asks, waiting for Donna's face to give it up.

"…I did…?" Which she does.

"What? No you didn't!"

The shock on Rachel's face is enough to worry Donna. She's not easily worried but she knew from the get go how difficult this would all be.

"Keep your voice down Rachel. He's in earshot, kind of. His table has more than enough of a view."

"When? And where? And When? And why didn't you tell me! Tell me everything right now."

"You've had a lot on your plate. And Friday. We met at a bar; my date had to dash. Yes we ended up at mine. Yes is was great. And to add even more strain, Harvey appeared at my door at 1 in the morning. And yes. He was still there."

"Oh my god! And you didn't even tell me?"

"Rachel, it's Monday. It took me the whole weekend to process it all."

"What did Harvey say?"

"Nothing at the time. Well...he's not that happy with it. Thinks that it's a game to turn everyone against him."

"Ugh. It is just like a guy to think like that; god forbid a man be interested in you because you're a catch. No, it must of course be about overthrowing your Boss's position in the firm."

"Well. I mean… It's understandable; to a point. Scottie left Stephen for Harvey. And now he and I have… It's not like there isn't ambiguity all over this one, but,"

"Wait, does Scottie know that you and her ex-fiancé have…?"

"Bumped uglies?"

"Ew." Rachel says, making a face.

"Look, she dropped him; and I have only ever tried to help her when she's come to me about Harvey. I'm not at fault here; and neither is he. It was a snap decision and it's not like we're dating. And we're both single, so..."

"He's looking over here." Rachel says, the excited panic in her voice etching up a notch as she taps her friend on the arm.

"He wanted to take me to dinner tonight when we collided in the Partner's lounge."

"And you cancelled? For me? Donna…."

"Friends before…spontaneous one-night stands, Rachel, you know that."

Rachel laughs at that.

"You should go over there." She suggests, a oddly wicked look from a usually innocent Paralegal.

"He's in a meeting. I'll see him tomorrow."

"He's still staring at you." Rachel sing songs at her.

"It's so unprofessional. He's in a meeting…"

Everything was running so smoothly the next day that she should have known better than to assume the day would continue as such. She was ahead of her personal targets, Harvey was being complacent but somewhat more cordial and everything seemed perfectly in sync…until she sees a figure tower above her cubicle.

She sucks in a breath before looking up into his pearly blues. "What? I'm busy."

"Good afternoon to you too, Ms. Paulsen." He says in his smooth British accent.

"What do you want…Steve…?" She flashes a look she regrets, until she notices that he seems unfazed.

"Just, making sure you don't forget our date tonight. You promised." His tone is bribing, somewhat pouty.

"I did no such thing. I said, 'I'd think about it'." She counters, unfazed.

"You say that…but your eyes said 'yes'."

"It's the funniest thing, because my mouth is saying 'no'."

"You are a contradiction." He muses. "Okay…what is it going to take?" He asks, getting down to the hardball end of the conversation.

"Nothing that you have." She plays, eyes fixed on her computer.

"Are you always this hard to get; or do I just bring that out in you?" he asks.

For the first time he sounds like Harvey. Even with the accent it's alarmingly similar. And somehow she hears a shuffle come from Harvey's office like he hears it too.

"Fine. If I say yes, will you go away?" She fires.

"Immediately. Seven thirty-five, at the lift?" He says, immediately pleased with himself.

"The lift?" She says, confused, her face crinkling at the edges.

"The Elevator." He corrects, rolling his eyes.

"Ah.. yes. The thing that…lifts. Now leave me, I'm busy."

She watches him smirk from his toes to his teeth and it leaves her unsettled by just how amused by it she is. But she doesn't look behind her and Harvey doesn't question a thing.

But she can tell by the way he responds to her for the rest of the day that he heard every word of it.

Hopefully I'll get a Chapter out faster as I've written an outline. x