Hey Everyone!
So just to clarify, Max and Harvey did the deed, sealed the deal, took the turkey out of the oven... you know what I mean. If you happened to skip over the chapter, the story is two months later. This chapter is important though, so don't forget to review (:
Hope you enjoy!
P.S. Suits is not mine
The sun shone brightly at his eyes as Harvey woke up to a beautiful day in Manhattan. The second he woke up, he had never felt so good in his life. The previous night had been better than he imagined it, and Harvey had a very active imagination. With his eyes closed, he stretched to the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the warm skin of Max, when in reality, he came in contact with cold sheets. His eyes shot open, realizing that Max was not in his bed. She wouldn't have left, Harvey thought frantically. For the first time, Harvey hated waking up alone. He was more scared, wondering how Max could have left after such a great night.
As he was thinking the worst, his other senses kicked in. From the kitchen, Harvey could faintly smell the aroma of the eggs and sausage that he bought a few days prior to the morning. Curious, Harvey quickly slipped on a fresh pair of boxers and a pair of sweatpants, exiting his bedroom. The sight in front of him could have melted his heart. Max had been working over the stove, making what appeared to be breakfast. In Harvey's eyes, that was the greatest sight in the world; homemade food made by the most perfect woman in the world. Plus, it even made it better that the only thing she was wearing washis dress shirt.
He slowly walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. As he rested his head on her shoulder, Max quickly turned to him, kissing him sweetly on the cheek.
"Good morning," she said.
He turned and smiled, giving her a soft kiss.
"Good morning to you too," he said, snuggling closer to her.
Max could see that this side of Harvey was only for her eyes to see. There was no way Harvey was aware that he was falling in love with Max. She could tell, but yet Max didn't dare tell him something that might scare him. But she knew, absolutely she knew, that she was starting to falling in love with Harvey Specter.
"You have no idea how good that smells," Harvey said, his voice muffled by her shoulder.
"I think I do," she said, placing a lid on the frying pan.
She turned in his arms, snaking her hands around his neck. He unconsciously pulled her closer to him, and Max couldn't help but giggle.
"What?" He asked innocently.
She smiled at him.
"I just realized that I was looking at the real Harvey Specter."
Harvey knowingly smiled, cockiness ensuring, "Do you like this side better?"
She leaned in to kiss him, "Absolutely."
"Can I ask you something?" Harvey said, still holding her in his arms.
"Anything," she told him sweetly, combing a hand through his hair.
He remembered on their first date, Mike told him that she would answer any questions he asked, right?
"Why don't you ever talk about yourself?"
On the outside, Max played off her reaction in a cool manner, but on the inside she was having a meltdown. She'd been constantly avoiding this conversation with everybody that asked her. The only person to know why was Mike. She knew why she could trust him with her secret though; they had something in common.
"What do you mean?" She said slowly pulling away, walking towards the fridge.
"You know," Harvey said leaning against the counter, "About your family, and how you became a lawyer. You're always at peace when you are sitting on the balcony, and I wanted to know why."
Max just shrugged her shoulders, "I just like the city."
Harvey got agitated. He knew instantly that she was hiding something.
"Really, that's it?" He said crossing his arms.
"That's it," Max said, looking for the cream for her coffee.
The apartment was quiet for a moment.
"Why are you lying?" He said in a very serious tone.
Max held her eyes shut as she faced the fridge. She didn't like lying to Harvey.
"I'm not," she said shutting the door, holding the cream in her hand.
"Like hell you're not. I could tell if you were lying with my eyes closed. Now I may not be chatty about my family too, but at least you know about them. I don't know who your parents are or what their names are or if you have any siblings-"
"Harvey, just not right now. Maybe another time." She said, mixing her coffee.
His hand clasped the cup, placing it on the counter behind her.
"Max, listen to me. I don't hide anything from you. So why should you hide things from me?"
"Because it's my own damn business, that's why!" She yelled, pushing past him to stand beside the dining table, clutching the sides.
It didn't take someone of Harvey's calibre to notice that Max's family was a touchy subject. Was her personal life that screwed up that she wasn't even going to mumble a word about her family? Or was it that she didn't trust him?
"Max, if you don't trust me then-"
She chuckled without humour, cutting him off, "Harvey, last night should have established that I trust you with every fibre in my being."
Trying to look concerned more than overjoyed, Harvey asked, "Then what is it?"
She sighed. Might as well tell him.
She turned around, and Harvey saw the vulnerability again.
"I don't want you thinking any less of me."
Harvey laughed, walking towards her before placing his hands on her hips, "There is no way in hell that would happen. Even if I did, Mike would still be taking the cake."
He nudged her with his nose, "I'd never think less of you, Maxine. Well, only time I'd think less of you is if you were wearing less clothing."
She shook her head as she smiled. Only Harvey would pop a joke in a serious conversation. She thought about it. Why not tell Harvey? Mike told her how Harvey kept secrets so secret that you wouldn't even know there was one to begin with. Was it so bad that Harvey would know about her past?
She swallowed before speaking, "Julian Satin."
"Satan? One of the clients from the firm," Harvey was trying to put the pieces together.
"He's my dad."
Oh, Harvey said before his mind went blank. Now it made sense. If my father was Julian Satin I'd probably be a bit ashamed to tell anyone that.
"Sorry, old habits-"
She cut him off with a wave of her hand, "I've hear worse."
"So, he's your dad? That's not...so bad, Max," he said, trying to change the conversation.
The look on Max's face meant she had more to say.
"He married my mom when she was young. He wasn't much older, though. He was already rich, but so was my mother. She came from a family who owned a bike factory for Schwinn. Her parents died, leaving the factory to her and her sister. After her sister ran away to London, she worked at the company until she married my father. From there, she just oversaw what the workers did, never getting her hands to work again."
"And your mom's name is..."
"Jocelyn Harris. Jojo, actually."
"What happened between your parents?" Harvey never saw a ring on Julian's finger.
Max sighed, thinking deeply, "There is one thing Julian hates in the whole entire world, even more than losing a deal."
"Which is?" Harvey said, afraid of the answer.
"Children," Max frowned.
She wouldn't let Harvey react, "You have to be a specific type of twisted to divorce your wife while she was pregnant. My mom refused an abortion, and my father refused to stay with her. Not only that, her attorney was corrupt, robbing her of money. The factory had to be shut down because of him. She didn't sign a pre-nup, and he accused her of cheating. Somehow the courts believed him instead of her. It didn't help that her lawyer was on Dear Ol' Dad's payroll," she said, moving into the kitchen, "But after I was born, Daddy Dearest was heard of once in a blue moon, and life was good for my mom and I. Every summer night, my mom and I would climb up to the top of our building and just sit there, looking around the city. Manhattan looked so much bigger back then. She told me a story every night, and I can remember every single one she told me."
Harvey understood why Max loved the city skyline so much. It reminded her of her mother.
"She got a great job working as a secretary at Jackson Fortworth. That's why I got my job there; they knew and loved my mom," she scrunched her nose at the thought of her old law firm, now her rival, "It payed the bills, and then some that was more than some. She brought me to work sometimes, until I reached fourteen, and I ended up loving the atmosphere. I thought being a lawyer was cool, but I never pictured myself as one."
"What changed?" Harvey asked.
Max became solemn.
"When my mom caught a bullet."
Harvey, appalled, let her continue.
"I was seventeen when the police knocked on my front door. She was pronounced at the scene," Max said, all emotion leaving her voice, "It was a mugging gone bad. She never stayed out that late, but she had errands to run and lost track of time," this time she looked into Harvey's eyes, "The police called my father, as he became my legal guardian, and do you know what he did? He put me in the system," she said, rage filling her voice, "I know it was only for a month before I turned eighteen, but I guess he wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't even bother coming down to the station to pick me up. He just threw me away like trash..." she closed her eyes, hoping the pain of the thought would go away.
Harvey's arms were comforting as he wrapped her in a hug, "I'm sorry."
She sighed into his chest, "I don't want you to ever apologize for something you never did."
She pulled back slightly, "If he didn't take all of her money, then maybe she wouldn't have to been struggling as a single parent to support her child, and maybe she would have still been alive. That's why I wanted to become a lawyer. I'm doing it for people like my mother, and for the kids like me."
The man holding her saw a whole new side of Maxine. She was driven for the right cause, and Harvey couldn't help that his girl, his girl was one of, no, the most inspiring person he had ever come across. "You're amazing, Max. Kicking ass and taking names all in the sake of getting vengeance for your mother is pretty hardcore," Harvey whispered to her.
She smiled brightly, "Damn straight."
Harvey's heart quickened at the thought. His girl... Harvey never thought of Max that way. Sure, she was significant in his life now, but to actually call her his girl? Another thought hit him; was he her man? Obviously Max cared about him, he could see that. But did she hold him up to the importance he held her?
"You know you're stuck with me now," Harvey said holding her.
"Oh, the horror," Max said rolling her eyes.
Harvey just waited in patience.
Max pulled back a bit. Harvey was serious.
"Harvey Specter. Are you telling me you want to go steady?"
Harvey laughed, "I thought it was obvious, Maxine."
She was still a little curious if he was afraid. This was after all the man who loved woman like he loved winning. Was he doing this because he wanted to prove something? Or that he actually was only trying to prove that he was committed to her, just as she was committed to him.
"I'm not going to let you go that easily," Harvey said as he held her face in his hands, "Don't ever think that for a second."
She could see the sincerity and vulnerability in his eyes, and it almost made Max tear up a bit. Something inside of her knew that no one had seen this side of Harvey, maybe not even Harvey himself. Who was she to question his ulterior motive, if he had one? Maybe Harvey wasn't philophobic anymore. Or at least he was trying not to be.
"Well I'm not going anywhere."
It was as if Max told Harvey was now co-owner of the Yankees. His eyes lit up, causing him to place a wide smile on his face. He leaned in, capturing Max's lips with his own. She cuddled towards his body, holding his neck as his warm hands still held her cheeks.
The ding from the oven had interrupted their perfect moment. Sighing, Max began to move towards muffins until Harvey stopped her.
"I got it babe," he told her.
Max stopped dead in her tracks. Babe? Since when did Harvey say things like babe? Knowing that she probably had Harvey wrapped around her finger, she began to move towards the island where Harvey kept his plates. As she moved her legs, she couldn't help but notice that she was walking a bit funny. Almost instantly, she knew that the cause of this was from the man beside her. As she was realizing this, she couldn't help but know the comments Mike was going to say to her all day. It was worth it though. Max finally told Harvey everything, and he wasn't running to the door. It made her that much more confident in him. She sighed, placing the food onto the plates just as Harvey swooped her in his arms, planting a quick kiss on her lips before grabbing the plates and bringing them to the dining table. She shrilled in laughter. If she didn't like him so much she would have sued him for stealing kisses.
"Mr. Klades, I don't know what the problem is; you won in court, and Karly agreed to testify again," Donna said as the man was screaming at her through the phone. Everything was finally going good for the man and his family; they beat the injunction and Harvey managed to convince Oliver's daughter to take the stand again. Yet he felt the need to call every day to complain, and that made Donna's day a little bit worse. What was worse is that she hadn't seen Harvey yet, and he was fifteen minutes late than his usual late.
"You're sure that Harvey has this in the bank? There is no way that we're going to lose this case, right? They keep pushing the court date back, and I don't know if Karly can take the wait any longer."
Donna sighed as she leaned onto her desk, "Mr. Klades, Harvey is committed to finding justice for your daughter. He is going to win this case in court, and you and your family can finally rest easy."
Oliver Klades sighed into the receiver, "Thank you Donna. Send my regards to Harvey."
When I see him, Donna thought bitterly as she said goodbye to Harvey's client on the telephone. As she placed the phone back in its spot, she could hear Harvey's voice coming down the hallway. Looking up, she noticed almost instantly that her boss was emanating a huge wave of happiness. He complimented everyone he saw. Even Louis got the good part of Harvey, realizing that his co-worker hadn't commented on his manhood or his "wife". After two weeks into their relationship, Donna figured out why Harvey was happy most of the time. At first she thought Max was after his money, which was typical. But soon she realized that Max was wealthy on her own; the Chanel suit skirt, the Jimmy-Choo kitten heels, the Hermès bag she had brought into work one day. Then she thought that she was sleeping with Harvey to get to the top, but she was conquering Pearson Hardman all on her own, and she was pretty sure that she hadn't slept with Harvey. So maybe she was in it for love. But Donna knew one thing; Max made Harvey happy. And when Harvey was happy, everyone around him would be in a good mood.
Harvey's smile plastered his face, "Donna, you look ravishing today."
She mirrored his smile, "Looks like lover boy is in a good mood."
The secretary was waiting for the powerful lawyer to come back with a quick remark, but he just smiled and entered his office. Donna, half-shocked and half-amazed that Harvey didn't even bother to say a comeback, left her cubicle to track down a certain brunette. Passing by her empty cubicle, Donna spotted her in one of the print rooms, alone. She quickly rushed into the room, turned around and locked the door. Max, curious as to why Donna locked them into the print room, turned to face the strawberry blond.
"I was onto you the moment you set your sights on Harvey. Now I don't know what your motives are, so you better watch yourself. If you hurt Harvey, I will rip out your pretty little throat with a claw, you got that?"
Max, unsure how to react, only nodded.
Donna's face became soft instantly, "Also, I just want to say thank you."
The brunette jerked her head back, "For what?"
"This is the first time I've seen Harvey this happy. I know you've had some part in it, so thank you, for making him happy," Donna said, placing a hand on Max's arm before leaving the print room. Max, confused yet impressed, grabbed the files she had been copying, and left the print room to go to her desk. As she passed by her best friend's desk, Mike happened to notice that Max tilted to the side a bit as she walked. Not only that, she kept her thighs together, moving them as little as possible. As she sat at her desk, Mike had a smirk on his face.
"What do you want, Ross?" She said, looking down at her files.
Mike shrugged, "Just noticed you weren't walking straight."
Her eyes met his goofy grin from under her eyelashes, mirroring his all-knowing smile. Before Max was going to say anything, Rachel walked into the room and made a bee-line towards Mike's desk, causing Max to suddenly become very interested in her new case. Mike finally noticed the dark skinned beauty approaching his desk, causing him to go into a frantic state. Rachel leaned over the divider, whispering to Mike.
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
Shooting out of his cubicle, Mike began following Rachel as she walked unusually slow. Once out of the associate office, both of them began to stroll around aimlessly, Rachel with her arms crossed, following her feet with her eyes, and Mike with his hands stuffed into his pockets, noticing the carpet was very expensive.
"Look," Rachel said without stopping, "I know I've been avoiding you lately, I just... don't know what to do, Mike."
Mike nodded in agreement, "I know, Rachel. It's confusing for me too."
A few months ago, Rachel had finally agreed to go on a date with Mike, and another one, and soon enough they were the topic at the water cooler. They managed to keep their relationship out of the office, but not their break-up. They had been fighting during the end of their relationship, to the point that they were screaming in the break room. Everyone in the office stuck their head in the doorway, including Harvey and Louis. Jessica was thankfully at the meeting and no one mentioned it to her. They broke up, but not before Rachel hurled a coffee pot at Mike's head, smashing against the wall on the opposite side. Ever since that day, Rachel silently handed notes to other associates to give to him, while Mike steered clear of the paralegal offices.
"But," Mike said, "Maybe we could...try again? But this time we use plastic coffee pots."
The brunette smiled, "Yeah. That sounds good to me."
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xoxo N.