Chapter 6
Donna clutches her chest with a gasp, panicked by a heavy weight suffocating her, and she scrambles to get free, lashing out at the constraint.
"Donna, hey… stop." Harvey's voice sounds around her. "It's me, you're safe. I'm right here." She freezes, realising the arms keeping her trapped belong to her husband, his tone low and calm as it punctures through her fear. "I've got you. Just breathe, okay?"
She hitches, trying to pull air back into tight lungs and escape the vivid images that had jolted her awake. She'd been on the roof of Capstone Law, hugging herself to ward off the vicious wind as her gaze had searched for Harvey. Only there were no lights, no picturesque moments strung together. Just a vast, empty space sloshed with snow. She'd been about to turn around when something bitter-tasting had clamped over her mouth, and a sickly feeling crawls beneath her skin. The nightmare hadn't been conjured by her imagination. It was a memory, and she squeezes her eyes shut, counting her breaths as they ease into a more natural rhythm. Harvey had found her, gotten her warm, and brought her home—there's nothing here that can hurt her. "I'm fine." She swallows thickly, embarrassment flushing her cheeks as he drops his arms, scrutinizing her with a worried look. He must have turned the lights on before waking her because she can see every pinched line in his expression, and she shifts against the headboard, forcing a small smile. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay," he mumbles, skimming his hand across her clammy forehead, more concerned by the heat radiating from her sweaty skin. "You're warm." He frowns, the reaction ironic given he'd spent half the evening trying to achieve the goal. Now, he's even more annoyed with himself for not forcing her to get checked out.
"It was just a nightmare," she clasps his hand, lightly urging it away. "That's all."
He takes in the reassurance with a sigh. Some nights she's more active in her sleep than others, and he isn't surprised when she wakes up groggy in the mornings. But this wasn't her usual moving around or just a bad dream. She'd been thrashing and whimpering, nearly kicking him out of the bed. Something had spooked her and he prods gently, testing to see if she wants to talk about it. "You were putting up one hell of a fight."
She pales at the choice of words, feeling the opposite was true. She'd been helpless in her dream, passing out from the strong, chemical smell, but her fear had obviously manifested boisterously, and she's suddenly struck with her own worry. "I didn't hurt you, did I?
He shakes his head, steering clear of mentioning the large bruise forming on his shin.
She can tell he's lying. Remembers thrashing against his locked arms, and she scrubs her face with both hands, trying to hide away her guilt.
"Hey, it's okay." He tugs her elbow, not wanting to pressure her. He'd been livid when Mike had tried to jog her memory, wanting to shield her any way he could. And he feels the same way now, the other half of him afraid to push, scared of what she might admit. "You don't have to talk about it, not if you don't want to."
"Someone else was there." The information isn't new to either of them. She hadn't locked herself out, but recalling the assault for herself means accepting someone had been following her, watching her, and she feels Harvey's fingers twitch, the movement barely perceptible but drawing her gaze across. His expression is relaxed, but she knows better than to assume he's calm, and she shakes her head, averting her eyes. "It's not important… I didn't see who they were."
The avoidance falls flat, and he's not always great at reading her hesitation, but this time he gets the sense the lie is to protect him. Yesterday, he'd lost control of his anger. Guilt had clouded his judgment, and he'd found it difficult to reign in his emotions. But he's not going to let her down again. If she wants to talk, he's prepared to push aside his own feelings in order to listen. "I don't care who they were." He lets his fingers slacken over her hip, being serious. While he'd like nothing more than to beat the living hell out of whoever attacked her, what matters more is giving her a safe space to open up in. "I care about you, that's it."
She finds his gaze again, and her chest flutters with a sigh."I care about you, too… Which is why I want you to let this go."
He frowns, not sure what she means. Wondering if the nightmare changed her mind about going after ASYNCS. "The case?"
She shakes her head, sinking down further under his arm. "Blaming yourself." He tenses—ready to argue, but she jumps in first. "It wasn't your fault, okay?"
He breathes out roughly, moving to pull his hand back, but she catches it with a small squeeze, and he blinks his eyes closed, wanting to chase away his memories, not confront them. Someone had gone after her to spite him. He's culpable, whether Donna accepts the truth or not, but he gets the feeling she's not daring him to argue. She wants him to open up first. And as difficult as it is knowing where to start, he takes a chance, being honest with her. "I was scared," he admits hoarsely. "When I found you… I didn't know if—"
He stops, struggling with the flash of her cold, limp body as he clears his throat—feeling her warm palm settle against his cheek. He opens his eyes again, her soft smile banishing the images, and a sudden tightness pinches his chest. "I can't lose you."
"I'm right here," she gently reminds him, stroking the line of stubble dusting his jaw. He might not say much when it comes to his fears, but she appreciates the attempts—the parts he forces himself to access for her. The past few days she's been feeling the same sense of unease gnawing a hole inside her. The distance between them had become unsettling because she can't fathom losing him either, and she drops her arm, absently toying with the cuff of his t-shirt.
"I thought you'd planned a surprise." She feels stupid for jumping to the conclusion now. The message on her phone had been a lure, but that doesn't change how she'd felt, racing over to meet him. "I was so excited to see you." Her lips curve, but the happiness falters, replaced by the suffocating nightmare she'd endured. "I remember someone coming up behind me, covering my mouth with something... I was trying to push them off, get away from the smell… and then, nothing." She exhales a shaky breath. "I must have passed out."
Her head dips away in shy frustration, and anger riles up inside him. There's nothing she could have done differently. She was caught off guard, overpowered and drugged—the recount clenching his muscles, but he forces himself to relax, putting her needs first. "Hey." He finds her hand again, holding it between them. "You didn't do anything wrong." She nods, not seeming convinced, and he lets go, wrapping his arms around her with a small tug "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
She settles against his chest with a sigh. "I know." She also knows he'll be careful, whatever he decides to do, but that's not going to make her worry any less, and she lifts her chin, gazing up at him from beneath her lashes.
She doesn't say anything but he can sense she's holding back, and he prompts her with a gentle nudge. "What is it?"
Maybe she's being a little too paranoid, letting her nightmare give roots to her fears, but feeling so safe and content, she can't help showing her vulranble side. "I can't lose you, either."
"You won't..." he whispers softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
The assurance puts her mind at ease, but she isn't completely settled, and strums her fingers along the cotton caging his muscles, breathing a slow exhale. "Promise?"
He nods, sweeping down to catch her lips and grinning against her mouth when she clutches his shirt with a gentle but demanding pull. He doesn't need more incentive to roll them over, swallowing her hum of amusement as his body tingles in response to her hips lifting up, his erection swelling when she—
Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.
Her alarm jolts through his heavy breathing, and he snaps back, frowning at the aggressive interruption. "Donna… do not tell me that means what I think it does."
She winces, ignoring his pointed look as she slips out from underneath him to silence the noise. As much as she doesn't want to kill the mood, what happened yesterday doesn't change the fact they both still have jobs, and being tired and a little sore doesn't warrant an excuse to stay home. "We can't just lock ourselves in and hide in here."
"Why not?" he asks seriously, having assumed they'd at least take a day to regroup.
She lifts an eyebrow, slumping back into the pillows with a sigh, and his concern mixes with a wave of frustration. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been moments away from landing in a hospital bed, so he doesn't think what he's asking is unreasonable. "Okay, fine..." he challenges her stubbornness. "You stay here and give me a chance to work this out."
"That's not a compromise," she argues, not about to sit around doing nothing while he's out playing Superman. But she can understand why he's being resistant. He'd opened up to her, admitted how fearful he'd been, and she knows he's still feeling vulnerable, which is why she softens her expression, appealing to reason. "You don't have to worry, okay? I'll be safer at work, surrounded by people, than in here by myself."
He scrunches his face, disliking the fact she has a point. "Depends who you mean by people?" he grumbles, not sure a bunch of aloof actors will offer much protection. Especially Pretty Boy, who probably doesn't know his fists from his—
"Seriously?" she admonishes his twisted features, lifting her thumb to skim the creases at the corner of his mouth. "I'll be fine, Harvey."
The reassurance makes him relent, but only on two conditions that are non-negotiable. "I'm dropping you off and you call me as soon as you're done."
"Deal," she agrees, happy with the actual compromise, and that his insistence means he'll finish early, at the same time she does. But even though she trusts him to keep himself safe, that doesn't stop her questioning what his day is going to look like. "What are you going to do?"
He sinks back over her, puffing air into his cheeks and breathing it out again slowly. He'd been livid with Blaine yesterday, barely able to control himself, but the woman is their only link to answers, and she's the second stop on his list. "I'm going to talk to ASYNCS' lawyer. Find out what she knows."
He seems calm about the plan, a little too calm, and Donna runs her hand down his bicep, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Her touch grounds him, suppressing the anger that's still simmering beneath the surface. Their best weapon against any threat is information, and he's not going to do anything stupid. "If she's working for ASYNCS, they're not going to be watching her."
"Keep your friends close…"
The play is a smart one, and when he nods his head, she finds herself filled with faith in him. "You know... If you're coming with me, we could save some time showering together?"
She skims the hem of his t-shirt with a smirk, and he relaxes his jaw, raising an eyebrow that drops when she steals his mouth with a distracting kiss.
He won't go as far to say he's happy with the whole arrangement, but he pushes his anxiety aside, more than happy to oblige the last suggestion.
…
…
Harvey opens the door to the cab, ushering Donna out with a hand against the small of her back. He ducks his head inside the vehicle, making sure the driver knows to wait before joining his wife on the sidewalk. They're in a part of town he hasn't visited before. Greenery that he isn't used to is scattered amidst the dusk light, and the street is emptier than any in NYC would be—except for a tall body strutting towards them.
His face curdles at the approach while Donna smiles at Ethan, accepting the coffee he hands over. The tradition is one they've had from the start. She pretends to drink Mindy's bitter, alternative brew, and Ethan smuggles her non-fat mocha lattes laden with cream and sugar. The sickly sweet beverage is exactly what she needs this morning, and she closes her grip around the cup, inhaling the smell of caffeine and chocolate.
Ethan grins at her reaction, acknowledging the pensive man beside her with a nod. He's only met the lawyer in person once, at the launch party, and he'd found Harvey to be stuffy and boring. Not the kind of guy who drops by just to pay his wife a visit. "Come to check out what a theatre looks like, Harvey?"
"To meet the actors," he quips with a shrug. "If there are any around?"
Donna rolls her eyes at the exchange, turning towards her husband with a pointed look. "Behave."
"Fine," Harvey grumbles, sucking up his pride with a sigh. He doesn't want to leave things between them on a childish note. He doesn't want to leave at all, preferring to keep her in his sight, but she's right. Surrounded by people is where she's safest, and he steps closer, cinching his hand at her waist. "Call me as soon as you finish up, okay?"
"I will," she promises, balancing her coffee and dancing her fingers up to straighten the edge of his tie. Out of the two of them, she's not the one he needs to be worrying about, and she flattens her palm against his chest, pinching her brow seriously. "Be careful. Don't get into any trouble."
"When have I ever—"
"Harvey."
She stops him with a concerned look, and he relents, forcing his lips around a smile. "I'll be careful." He ignores Ethan in his peripheral as he bends down to kiss her, the act turning more heated than just a quick peck goodbye. She responds with almost the same enthusiasm, and he genuinely does forget the other man standing there, until she pushes him back with a soft smirk.
"Go." She turns him toward the cab, savouring the taste of him mixing with the chocolate on her lips. Maybe she should mind he was showing off, but she doesn't, closing the door behind him and stepping back with a sigh. She already misses him, but she was the one who insisted they keep their routine, and she hugs her coffee, meeting Ethan's curious look. She knows he's going to ask what's going on. She just hopes the exhaustion she feels is concealed enough to misdirect his attention. "It's nothing."
"Donna, your husband just Kevin Costner body-guarded you." He stares flatly, not sure what to make of the overprotective exchange. Her man dropping her off and picking her up is one thing, but she'd seemed equally worried, and he can tell she's still on edge. "Did something happen?"
She steals more caffeine, shaking her head. Theatre is a world away from law, and the biggest problems she deals with now are hitting press targets or the cast slacking off. The stress isn't anything like Mike being incarcerated, discovering her ex-boyfriend committed murder, and a hundred other dramas that come to mind. Telling Ethan the truth would only put him in danger, so she settles on a compromise. "Harvey's dealing with a difficult case, that's all."
The evasive answer doesn't explain anything, and he follows her around, quickly falling into step beside her.
"Should I keep an eye out for black vans and men in tinted glasses?" He's joking, but the way she tenses makes him regret the quip, and he reaches for her arm, stopping her from ascending the stairs. Now he's paying closer attention, he can see she looks tired, more skittish than usual, and he finds her gaze, holding it seriously. "Donna, if something's wrong..."
"It's not." She schools her features, forcing a soft smirk. "But it will be if we're late, so get that pretty butt of yours inside."
He can tell she's holding something back. But after getting to know her these past few weeks, he's learned to trust her, so he reluctantly flips his hand up with a mock salute. "Yes, Ma'am."
…
...
Harvey squares his shoulders as he exits the elevator, squinting to adjust to the brightly lit floor as he makes his way down the corridor.
Finding Blaine's address at such an early hour had been somewhat challenging. He and Mike had exhausted all their contacts, but he feels calmer with the cloak of darkness only just starting to lift outside. Stopping outside her door, he takes a breath, reminding himself he has one chance to get this right. There's no margin for error, and he knocks firmly, waiting, until she appears, her eyes widening and then narrowing with a firm glare.
"You need to leave."
He thrusts his palm out, preventing her from slamming the door in his face. "Did you know?" he asks, firing the question at her. She shrugs, inciting his frustration. "That they were going to go after my wife," he clarifies, leaving no room for her to misinterpret his anger.
She stiffens, tightly clutching the wood between them. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Bullshit." He lets go, but wedges his foot into the opening. He's not going anywhere until he at least hears the truth from her. "You set our meeting up deliberately, as a distraction."
"If you have a problem with how I arrange my appointments, Mr. Specter, take it up with my secretary."
She throws him a pointed look, taking her weight off the door, and he catches a flash of something else in her expression. It could be a plea or a warning, he isn't sure, but he kicks his leg out of the way, not surprised when she slams the panel closed, the sound ricocheting down the corridor.
The comment about her secretary rolls around his head, his instincts telling him she meant something by it, and he makes his way back downstairs, waiting another five minutes before calling her office. The line picks up on the first ring, and he braces himself against the wind when a cheery voice answers his call.
"Mr. Specter, are you calling to confirm your appointment with Miss Blaine later today?"
Bingo.
Ten minutes ago there was no meeting, and the need for secrecy churns through his stomach, but he answers confidently. "I am, yes."
"I can confirm she'll meet you at the Elm, at three o'clock."
"Great, thanks." He hangs up, knowing the whole exchange is for show. He thought playing in the B-leagues would be less stressful, but someone went after Donna—the stakes have never been higher, and he dials Mike's number, hoping he and Rachel are already in the office.
They need a game plan.
And they need it fast.
..
...
The day drags by in a frustratingly slow crawl, Harvey's temper growing more on edge, leading everybody except Mike and Rachel to avoid him. The two senior partners spent most of their time in his office, going through the little they do know while he scowled over the information they don't have. The security footage during the time Donna had been attacked played back dead static, and the logs show his code was used even though he hadn't been in the building.
So much for goddamn state-of-the-art-security.
The only shot they have to find something out is his three o'clock with Blaine.
Mike had been initially hesitant to let him go, pointing out the meeting could be a trap. Surprisingly, Rachel had taken his side, agreeing the risk was worth taking. Their only other option would be to drop the case altogether, wash their hands of Toby Sampson and Mike Goulding, and walk away. But no one in the room had wanted to back down on a threat. The only reason they'd considered surrendering is because of Donna's involvement, and if things go south with Blaine, he won't hesitate to pull out.
Which is why he'd left the pair reviewing the security protocols, doing whatever they can to fortify the system so ASYNCS can't breach the building again—their next best defence against the company, one he's counting on as he approaches the Elm café.
From the outside, the place doesn't seem like an upmarket establishment. The blue paintwork is worn from the weather, and the chipped walls are wedged in-between a laundromat and an old, dingy book-store. If the cafe is a lure, he isn't sure to what. But the area supports his theory that Blaine wanted to talk in confidence, and he pushes open the door, casting his eyes over the squashed in booths.
He spots Blaine in the back, looking primp and pressed, in a pencil skirt and suit, out of place in the hobble, like him, but she chose the Elm for a reason, and he strides forward to find out why.
Rebecca steals herself against his approach, not seeing any point in beating around the bush. Her involvement, while indisputable, was under duress, and she wants the lawyer to know that. "It's not what you think."
"But you knew," he accuses, firming his jaw at the woman.
"I didn't," she defends, shaking her head. "Not about your wife." She'd been told to stall him, not why—her only instructions to keep him busy. And while part of her suspected he was going to be delivered a message, she didn't know it would be at the cost of someone he cared about. "I'm sorry, Harvey."
The apology seems genuine, and when she extends her arm, motioning for him to sit, he accepts, albeit stiffly as he slides into the seat.
"Is your wife okay?" Rebecca asks tentatively, wincing when he shoots a glare across the table. In a way, the protective streak is touching. Her own track record with relationships has never been good, but he obviously cares deeply about the woman he married, and she forces down her guilt, cutting straight to the reason she'd set up the meeting. "You need to drop the case with ASYNCS."
Her resolve doesn't change his expression. They didn't have to travel to the other side of town to have a conversation they could have finished at her door, and he's tired of being jerked around on the back-foot. "What do they have on you?"
She flicks her gaze up at the question. "Nothing."
"Bullshit," he calls her out. "You didn't risk meeting me to warn me off. You did it because you want something." She dips her head, hands snaking around her coffee like she's considering her options, and in spite of his anger, he tries appealing to her common sense. "If it's my help, then I need to know everything."
"This isn't about me," she snaps, frustrated by his arrogance. She's known the CEO of ASYNCS for years and he's a good man, but this isn't about Gregory either. "The man you're filing the suit against is being manipulated. What happened to your wife has nothing to do with ASYNCS." She takes a deep breath, losing her edge as she glances around the small café. "The corruption runs deeper than the board of directors."
Harvey picks up on her sudden nervousness, his brow twisting with unease. If ASYNCS isn't responsible, someone else is, and he catches the brunette's gaze, fixing her with a hard stare. "Who, Rebecca?"
She swallows another sip of coffee, forcing the admission out. "The Mayor."
His expression flickers with surprise, and she knows it sounds like a wild conspiracy theory. She wouldn't have believed it herself had she not been so hot-heated, determined to protect Gregory from the board. She'd spared no resource in investigating the other members, and when she'd found out several of them were linked to the Mayor's office, she'd uncovered the truth—a handful of them were using people's personal information to swing votes for the upcoming election. Three hours after the discovery, a man had appeared at her home, giving her two options; either work for him or the CEO of the ASYNCS would be buried, and her alongside the man. She hadn't had any choice but to agree. "The Mayor's office is using the information ASYNCS can access to get him re-elected, and you saw what happens when you end up on the wrong side of these people."
Harvey bristles at the depth of the cover-up, not sure if she knows about Goulding, but realizing if ASYNCS also has ties to the Mayor's office in Chicago, then they're not dealing with a small-town bribe. The corruption could be planting seeds anywhere, leaving him and Mike way in over their goddamn heads… but from where he's sitting, they're not the only ones caught up in the shit-storm. And if everything Blaine's telling him is true, then it doesn't take a genius to figure out why she'd risk giving him the information. "You don't want us to drop the case." He stares blatantly across the table. "You want an out and you need us to find it for you."
She flinches at the accusation, having been doing everything in her power to protect the CEO of ASYNCS and herself. She didn't call Harvey here to fix her situation. She did it because she's made peace with her decisions, and so she can sleep at night knowing he's armed with the facts. "Or maybe I just have a conscience…" She challenges, sliding the coffee in front of her away. "What happens next, Mr. Specter, is up to you and Mr. Ross."
She stands from the table, but before she can leave he catches her wrist with an angry scowl. "If you ever put my wife in danger like that again, I'll be the one coming after you, are we clear?"
"Crystal."
She shrugs free, removing herself from his grasp, and he lets her leave, sinking back into the booth and deliberately waiting so they aren't seen outside together. Whatever Blaine's motives are, he can acknowledge she took a risk, and he's starting to get a clearer picture of just how royally fucked they all are. The only advantage they have is if they chose to go ahead with the case, Goulding's connection to the Mayor's office in Chicago is their lead. And if anyone can get to the bottom of what really happened, it's someone on the inside, prompting him to dig out his phone and scroll through his contacts until he lands on Jessica Pearson's name.
Although he's hesitant to drag her into the mess, he knows he can trust Jessica to be discreet, and if her office has been involved in something shady, she has a right to know.
He just hopes he's not digging all of them into a shallow grave.
…
…
Donna breathes a relieved sigh as she and Harvey step inside their apartment, disrobing their coats. He'd picked her up from the theatre, and she hadn't wanted to ask about his day in the cab ride home, but now they're alone, she's curious to know what happened. He looks tired, like he's wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders as he leans heavily against the kitchen counter, and she steps closer, running her fingers lightly down his arm.
He breathes out slowly, relaxing under her touch, but rather than answer her silent questions, he turns, slipping his hand around her waist and drawing her into his arms. She rests her head in the crook of his neck, feathering the light hairs above his collar, and for a few seconds he forgets about the fight they're facing, content to just hold her.
She lets him take as long as he needs, stealing the same comfort from the weight of his body pressed against hers, until he finally pulls himself back, searching her gaze for something she can't identify. Whatever he's feeling, the emotion is clouded by confusion, and she tugs the cuff of his shirt, leading him over to the couch where he sinks heavily into the cushions and she sits beside him, curling her legs up beneath her with a tentative smile. "It's bad, isn't it?"
He nods, scrubbing the exhausted lines wrinkling his skin. Suing a global corporation for a breach of privacy was challenging enough. Throw in a political scandal spanning who knows how many cities, and it's Watergate waiting to implode. "ASYNCS isn't hacking people's personal information to sell off. They're funneling it to the Mayor, helping to rig the next election, here, Chicago… who knows where else."
She leans back, suddenly understanding why he's so disparaged. They're not talking about one organization anymore, therefore the ramifications of doing nothing also just grew exponentially, and she shifts in her seat, suddenly concerned for the woman they know who works for the mayor in Chicago. "Harvey, does Jessica know?"
"I called her after the meeting with Blaine." Jessica had been livid to hear the accusation, but when he'd explained the situation and what had happened to Donna, her anger had mellowed enough to listen, finally agreeing to look into the possible connection from her side. "She's going to find out what she can."
Leaving them at a dead-end… or not, she realises, quickly going over her own connections. "I can get you into the Mayor's office in Seattle."
"What, how?" He snaps his gaze across with a confused frown.
She angles her head to the side, throwing him a look that says, because she's Donna, and usually he wouldn't question her, but this time he needs more to go on. "Seriously, Donna."
She can sense he's not in the mood to joke, and she doesn't either. "The Mayor was on the invite list for my launch party. His wife, Erica, is a big name in the theatre circles... I contacted his publicity staff and they put me straight through to his assistant. Apparently he gets her theatre tickets when he's in the doghouse."
"He was at the launch?" Harvey asks surprised, not recalling seeing the man, but then again, his attention had been focused elsewhere that night, and he ignores the small stab of guilt that flares up inside him.
"Erica was. Bill declined the invite, but that's not the point." One of the Stampler's had been present, and she'd spent at least twenty minutes talking to the woman, dutifully networking. All it would take is one conversation with Bill's assistant, Maryanne, to determine if the woman's trust-worthy, and then they'd have a way in. "I can—"
"No."
He shuts down the suggestion and she bristles at the fact he cut her off. "That's it? You're not even going to hear me out?"
"I'm not letting you get involved." He doesn't care what plan she has or how convenient her contact is. He won't risk putting her in Stampler's cross-hairs again.
"I'm sorry, letting me?" She sits up straighter, daring him to try justifying the comment.
He can hear the frustration in her voice, and he braces himself against her stubbornness with a sigh. "You know I didn't mean it like that."
"No, Harvey, I don't know that." They're supposed to be a team, and she knows what happened rattled him, but her connection is the only one they have, and for him to flat out refuse to even consider it, is arrogant even by his standards. "You're getting Jessica to do the exact same thing."
"That's different," he challenges, refusing to be the one to back down. "She knows who she can't trust, we don't."
"Which is why if I just talk to Stampler's assistant, I could find out—"
"Dammit, Donna. I said, no," he snaps at her, not thinking about the words as they fly out of his mouth. "You're the one who decided to quit, remember? You don't work for me any more."
He pushes up from the couch, tearing a hand through his hair, but when he turns back meeting the flash of anger in her eyes, all the fight drains out of him, replaced with regret.
He's not trying to be an asshole.
He'd told her this morning, he'd been terrified when he'd found her up on the roof, and the thought of going through anything like that again feels like a crippling weight crushing his chest. All he wants to do is keep her safe, and maybe he is being hypocritical, but honestly, he doesn't care.
She sees the exact moment his composure breaks, the thin film of moisture that brightens his gaze, and her frustration is smothered by a wave of guilt as she lifts herself from the couch, her hand seeking him out and fanning across his cheek to comfort him. "I'm right here," she reminds him gently, bringing him back to the present. "I'm okay."
He nods, swallowing the lump wedged in his throat. "I know..." he whispers hoarsely, "but I can't get those images out of my head, and I just… I need to know you're safe. Please, Donna."
The gentle plea undoes her, and she drops her fingers down to his shoulder, squeezing the tight muscles beneath her loose touch. "We'll wait for Jessica."
He nods, slumping with relief as air filters into his lungs with more ease. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to snap at you."
"I know." She isn't just trying to make him feel better. The thought of finding him in a similar situation would leave her on edge too. Protecting him is why she's so desperate to help, but right now there's another way she can look after him, and her lips flirt with a small smile. "Why don't we forget about the case for a few hours?"
She sways her hips closer, and he can feel the tension draining from his body as she feathers her nails down his shirt. "You mean…"
"Uh, huh." Her mouth opens with a wider grin as she reaches up to kiss him, feeling his grip tighten at her waist. "Couch?" she murmurs, making her intentions clear.
"Bedroom," he answers, wanting to do this right, take his time without worrying about angles or constraints. They may have been a hot, sweaty mess in the shower this morning, but that feels like a lifetime ago now, and he groans, his resolve to be patient already slipping. But they have the rest of the afternoon to rein in his control, and failing that, the entire evening too.
AN: Thank you to everyone reading! To Southsidesister (darvey_love) for being wonderful, and to Beth (NAhavenbb) for being so inspiring :D xx