Kingdom Fall

Category: Romance/Drama/Suspense

Paring: Darvey/Canon

Summary: Harvey takes on his first big case in Seattle, playing in the grey for the good guys, only to discover right intentions can also lead down a dangerous path. Facing the challenge of Donna pursuing a career outside of law, he's even more determined to protect their future from a threat that could have devastating consequences.

AN: Set a few weeks into Harvey and Donna's move to Seattle. Thank you to Southsidesister (darvey_love) for being my grammatical compass, my motivation, and helping me with the summary that took nearly as long to write as the chapter hahaha. And to (NAhavenbb) and (dri_micheletti) for bouncing ideas with me! :) xxxx

Chapter 1.

Harvey leans on his elbows, prising away slick, sweaty skin from the body pressed beneath him, his lower half still tangled in the sheets as he fixes his wife with a wide grin. She smirks back as he slips his hand through the strawberry strands splayed loosely across the pillow.

Donna's lips curve wider, the haze of euphoria she's coming down from giving way to the warmth he's smothering with, and she's swept up by his devoted gaze twinkling mischievously. Without thinking, she gives in the boyish charm plastered across his face. "Go on, say it."

His amusement grows as he absently toys with her hair, revelling in the softness between his thumb and forefinger. "That's the first time we've had morning sex in this apartment."

"You mean, our apartment," she corrects, nudging her nose at him. Since moving into their new place he's grown into a habit of pointing out their 'firsts', and she always teases him for it, but her heart skips every time he declares they're doing something new together. They've been in each other's lives for over a decade, sharing plenty of experiences, but moving to Seattle has brought them a new playing field. Now they're married, everything is a first, and she hums at his enthusiasm. "What happens when we run out of firsts?"

"We move on to second-firsts…" He murmurs the rebuttal below her ear, feeling the soft vibration of her chuckle as she dances her nails across his back.

"You're an idiot," she breathes, sliding her palms up to his shoulders and shivering as he continues to nip and caresses her skin—always gently attentive after the throes of their love making, cocooning her with his body and peppering kisses that usually entice both of them to seek out more. Pleasures she'd be tempered by if they hadn't already agreed to postpone their honeymoon desires to focus on their respective new jobs. "You're going to be late for work," she warns, with a firm but gentle nudge.

He stalls his assault, reluctantly shifting back up, but her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils betray the caution. He knows she would, with a little persuasion, because she doesn't need to leave until later. Her hours are different now she's no longer working at a law firm, and he breathes her in with a soft sigh. She'd caught him off guard by not immediately accepting Mike and Rachels proposal. Surprised him even further when she'd admitted she wanted to try something different, explore all the opportunities she'd missed after starting at Pearson Hardman. There'd been no regret over the comment which had eased his apprehension. But he's not naïve. He knows she'd made sacrifices to further his career, and he wouldn't be the lawyer he is without her. So he'd supported the decision, wanting to see her happy even though being away from her is a change that doesn't sit right. No matter how much they enjoy making up for the lost time, there's still a part of him hoping she'll change her mind. "We'd be late, if you'd reconsider coming to work at the firm."

There's no judgment or pressure behind his gaze, just admiration, but she still hooks up an eyebrow, toying with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. "Harvey."

He smiles, showing her there's nothing more to comment, just his desire to be with her. "I miss you, that's all."

"I know." She feathers her palm across his jaw, teasing the stubble he's about to go shave off. He's not the only one finding the separation strange. They've gone from spending every day together to fitting twenty-four hours into evenings and weekends, but she loves her new role. Working back in theatre is where she wants to be, and she might not be on the stage, but her position on the Broadway production of Rockabye Hamlet is the perfect fit. As the dramaturge she manages publicity, has script approval, and ensures the show sticks to budget and meets its deadlines. The job has been challenging but equally rewarding and in six months, when the show finishes its run, she might decide to reconsider going back into law. But until then, this is just another new first. "You could always audition for a part in the play," she teases, sinking her heel into the back of his thigh. "I still have that video of you doing Clueless."

He shifts forward with a smirk. "You're lying."

She bites her lip, her gaze full of amusement as his face falls, but it picks back up when his fingers dig into her sides, tickling the sensitive skin and making her squirm. "Okay, stop—" she pants through a laugh "—I deleted it, you win."

He ceases the attack, his grin stretching into place as he smooths down her mussed hair, dipping his head to capture her lips.

She groans in protest when he pulls away, knowing full well he's trying to coerce her into sharing a shower when he drags the sheet with him. Her eyes trail his broad shoulders, not objecting and following with a shiver, smiling as he drapes the cotton around both their bodies. New York winters are bad, but the snowfall in Seattle has been unseasonal, and she tugs Harvey with her to their ensuite, switching on the heated lamps and hot spray of the shower.

He lets the sheet pool on the floor as they step inside the cubicle, his hands landing on Donna's waist before roaming up to reach for the shower gel. His mouth stays pressed against her shoulder as he lathers the bubbles, massaging the suds into her skin, slowing at her breasts and teasing her nipples into hardened peaks. The whimper that spills from her lips paints a smirk on his face, and he doesn't care that Mike is going to give him shit for being late.

Luckily, he knows the new boss… who's going to be in an extra good mood this morning.

…

…

Wielding a cup of coffee and feeling rejuvenated, Harvey exits the lifts at Capstone Law, moving through the open space that's nothing like the corporate offices in NYC. All the floors have access to a shared spiral staircase that leads to several recreational areas with a plethora of tech he hasn't even tried getting his head around.

Mike's description of 'progressive' certainly wasn't the first word that came to mind when he'd stepped onto the premises, but now he's used to the environment, he can agree there's a different air surrounding the people who greet him, faces who work on other levels but still take the time to introduce themselves. It doesn't feel like he's working in the B-leagues, more like playing a different game entirely, and he finds his way to the briefing room that, instead of housing a long desk, has a circular table for the named/senior partner's to congregate around.

He slips in behind Shannon Harper and Dylan Corten, who were both recruited from Detroit, ignoring Mike's smug look and Rachel's smirk. Donna had hinted he might like to scale his cockiness back as another 'first' while finding his feet. Whereas, Mike had been one step ahead, encouraging some good natured hazing from Harper and Corten. Despite the pranks, Harvey gets on well with the pair. They both seem loyal and driven, hardworking, and he watches them pull out their notes for the midweek catch-up scheduled—Rache's initiative. They each take a few minutes to touch base, throw around some strategies and ideas for tackling cases. He'd do the same sort of thing with Alex and Samantha over a Scotch back in New York. Although, their way was disguised to make it seem like no one was asking for help. Here, there's more fun in trying to one-up each other with ideas—a friendly competition that serves to get the ball rolling.

"ASYNCS." Mike officially starts the meeting, sliding a folder across to Harvey. Up until now, his former mentor has been consulting, getting a feel for how the firm operates, but Mike can tell he's been itching to sink his teeth into something and knowing Harvey like he does, the bigger the better. "You said you wanted to start in the deep end, right?"

Harvey picks up the brief, flashing a smirk. "Aren't you forgetting who taught you to swim?"

"I think that was Rachel." He throws a smile at his wife, giving her knee a nudge under the table. Every now and again she still likes to tease him about how much he'd relied on her in the early days, and she isn't wrong. He wouldn't have made it this far without her, but he's glad to have Harvey on their side again, especially with the scrutiny they'll face taking on a global company. "They're one of the biggest up and coming technology companies in America, with branches in twelve other countries, and our client, Toby Sampson, is claiming they've been illegally trading their customer's personal information for profit."

Harvey skims through the information, looking for the crux of the dispute. Unlike the younger generation in front of him he still uses his phone as a phone, although thanks to Donna's instance he can now program a number in, but that's not exactly what they're looking at here, and he turns the next page, searching for more clarification. "Trading as in?"

"Custom targeting with participating partners. They're selling locations, profile information, contacts, anything private that other companies could use to promote subliminal messages… which goes against their legal terms and conditions." Mike gives him a few minutes to catch up, aware of Harvey's dislike towards technology in general. The subject matter isn't going to entice him, but Mike knows the stakes will, and nobody plays hardball better than Harvey Specter. Which is exactly the kind of offense they need on this case. "I can run interference, but I think you should take point and head the meeting with Sampson this afternoon."

Harvey nods, trusting there's a reason Mike is handing him the job, one he's going to have fun going over, and he closes the brief, saving the rest of his questions. "I'll clear my schedule."

Mike nods, moving on to the next item of the agenda, and Harvey sinks back in his chair, looking forward to the challenge, specifically his first big win.

He's going to enjoy sticking it to the man for the good guys this time.

…

…

Donna clasps her hand around the coffee cup from Cafe Allegro, thanking her assistant for the beverage and swallowing the bitterness with a wince. She's still getting used to the real taste of caffeine, half-tempted to fly back to NYC just for the sickly sweet, foam coated mocha that used to keep her going in the afternoon. But she's been assured by multiple colleagues that she'll thank them once the production gets into full swing, and she's not relying on sugar to fuel her energy.

There may be logic to the suggestion, but when a body sneaks into her office seconds later, holding something her nose can already detect is sugar, cream and fat under the guise of being coffee, she leans back in her chair with a relieved and dramatic sigh. "Oh, thank god."

"Don't let Mindy hear you say that, she'll be snuffing it out of your hand before you get a sip in."

She smirks at Ethan, nodding her head towards the plant in the corner. "Take one guess where her super-juice blends have been going." His eyes move to the nourished pot and she takes a sip of caffeine, grinning at the production's lead actor—talent she'd personally hand-delivered to the director.

Although casting isn't technically in her job description, the producer had wanted her insight and she'd stumbled on Ethan purely by accident. He'd been wandering around lost, having taken a wrong turn down the maze of halls, and when she'd accused him of espionage, he'd quoted Macbeth, which had won her over on the spot.

He'd then revealed he was actually searching for somewhere to run lines and indulge in a pre-audition ritual, the confession stirring a wave of nostalgia that had piqued her interest. Although the preparation hadn't involved a can-opener, she had been blown away by his talent. She'd pushed him ahead of the audition line and he'd been cast that afternoon, becoming a fixture in her office ever since.

"You're from New York," he smiles, turning his attention back to her with a shrug. "Isn't the raw-food trend all the rage?"

She shoots him an unimpressed look, but it's glazed with amusement as she hands over the script she's been working on. "We're driving there for a Cronut once the play is finished."

He chuckles, folding a leg over his knee as he sits the papers on his lap. "Well, ask me... you've never looked more radiant," he teases, shifting his focus to the corrections she's been making.

She rolls her eyes, but the action goes unnoticed as he pulls a pen from his blonde messy bun. Most actors would be making the most of their free time while the production finishes casting, but he's been in every day helping with adaptations so he can immerse himself in the role. Truthfully, she's appreciated his input and enjoyed having the company. He reminds her of a cross between a young Harvey and Louis; handsome, charismatic, passionate about theatre, and he'd even let slip that his pride and joy is a Sphynx cat named Cleopatra. She isn't surprised they've formed a connection, but they also work well together, and she leaves him going over lines while she opens a list of contacts on her laptop—people she's trying to coerce into attending the publicity stunt she's under the gun organizing.

It's time to pull out her own Paulsen (Specter) charm, and she reaches for her phone, smiling as she brushes the frame housing a picture of herself and Harvey. Rachel had snapped the candid moment their first night out in Seattle. She'd been trying to debate a point with Harvey but he'd swooped in with a kiss to distract her, and the brunette had caught them seconds later holding each other with ridiculously wide grins.

She misses him.

The urge to text itches beneath her fingers, which she forces herself to ignore, steering herself back to the list of phone numbers, instead. Leaving SLWW may have been Harvey's ace in the hole with Faye, but they were both ready for a different challenge, and they can handle whatever the city throws at them.

Seattle is their new kingdom and neither of them are going to let it fall.