A/N: This has been in our docs for far too long. But with the recent Suits reunion at the Golden Globes, it felt like the right time to put it out there. Hope you enjoy reading it! Leave a review and let us know what you think :)
The barking of a dog wakes him up. The painkillers worked a little too well last night and he fell asleep in the middle of the show they were watching. He vaguely remembers being assisted by Donna back to the bedroom so he can have a better sleep.
He carefully stretches his arm towards the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. White, cold, ruffled sheets with no redhead in sight. He checks his phone on the nightstand to see what time it is and to his surprise, it's half past 8 already. She obviously let him sleep in to get some more rest.
Another dog bark interrupts his thoughts. Last time he checked, the neighbors don't have pets and they clearly don't have one even when Avery's been wishing for it since she was seven. He wonders where it's coming from because the sound seems too close, like it's actually inside the house.
Curiosity brings him to his feet, and he instantly makes his way down the stairs. He calls Donna's name, but instead of a reply from his wife, he hears his daughter's laugh, followed by an unfamiliar male voice resonating from the backyard.
From a distance, he spots Avery talking to a boy, the same her age, by the patio table. And in the yard, he sees the culprit of the annoying noise, a large-breed dog with silky black fur playing catch with Donna. All are oblivious to his presence.
The sight of the unfamiliar visitor heightens his curiosity and protectiveness, so he clears his throat to call their attention as he makes his way toward them.
"Dad!"
"Avery." He envelops her into a half embrace, eyes still glued on the unexpected visitor.
"Who's your friend?"
"Dad, this is Josh." Avery introduces her friend who immediately stands up and offers his hand to the man.
"Joshua Miller. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Specter. Avery and I go to the same school."
Harvey gives a firm shake of hand and a nod before the dog comes running in his direction, circling his feet. He bends down and gives the dog a good rub. "And who's this one?"
"That is Cookie." Donna answers, joining the group.
Cookie barks loudly and automatically turns toward Donna, upon hearing her voice. Tail wagging in excitement as she eyes the ball in the redhead's hand. Donna knows Cookie wants to play again so they head back to the grassy area of the yard. There's familiarity between the two that tells Harvey this isn't the first time Josh and Cookie had visited. He notices how Josh comfortably sits down on the patio chair and is already lost in a conversation with Avery. In the field, there's a grinning Donna tossing the ball back and forth and Cookie fetching it every time with enthusiasm.
This seems like a normal day for them, something he definitely missed out on, so he tries to engage in a conversation with Avery and Josh, instead of feeling left out. He chose to just get to know the kid, asking basic and harmless questions even though he wants to interrogate him like a guilty defendant right then and there. The young man was nothing but polite with his answers and that earned his respect.
Despite his reservations, he eventually leaves the young ones and turns his focus to Donna who's now crouching down, meeting Cookie at an eye level as they seem to have a conversation of their own. He watches as Cookie listens attentively to whatever Donna is saying. In the midst of it, he quickly takes his phone out and captures the moment. Then their eyes meet and he greets Donna with a tight-lipped smile as he puts his phone away.
She stands up and walks towards him. "Wanna help make breakfast?"
He silently nods and trails after her.
"How's your shoulder?" She asks with her back facing him as she prepares the coffee by the counter.
"Fine." He grunts as he flops down the dining chair.
"Doesn't hurt?" She inquires further and he answers with a one-worded reply, "Little."
"Okaaay, what's wrong?"
"Why didn't you tell me about them?" Harvey asks as he takes the cup of coffee that Donna made for him.
"About who?"
Harvey signals to Avery and Josh outside.
"There's no them. They're just friends… at least that's what they told me."
"But you haven't mentioned anything." He presses once more but in a soft whisper. He doesn't want to sound accusatory, he just really wants to know.
"I just thought it'd be best to come from your daughter herself. She'll probably tell you about it later. Look, she isn't even bothered you met the guy." She takes a seat beside him, sneaking a glance at the kids over his shoulder. "Besides, she's already 16, Harvey. I think we both know we'll reach this point."
"I know. Just feels like I'm missing out on a lot."
Donna puts a hand on his arm and gives it a light squeeze. "You haven't missed out on anything, Harvey. It's pretty recent. And I assure you he's a good kid."
"How do you know?"
She scoffs and cocks her head to the side. "Really?"
"Fine." He sulks.
"He likes baseball. Maybe you two can bond over that."
He shrugs. "Maybe. But his name is surely not giving him brownie points."
"Josh?"
"Miller. You'd think he's Alex Miller's son." He answers in an annoyed tone before taking another sip of his coffee.
Donna looks at him, shocked.
"What? Don't tell me he is actually his child."
"No." She winces then shakes her head. "But I can't believe you still remember him."
"How could I forget the guy who hit on you while I was standing next to you." He whispers into his cup of coffee but it was loud enough for her to hear.
"Jesus, Harvey!" She jokingly smacks his arm. "That was yeaaaars ago! I can't even remember the guy's face!"
"Well, I do."
"Forget about him. He's not part of our lives anymore." She gives him a reassuring smile.
Our lives. He feels good hearing it. He looks her straight in the eyes and smiles back — a silent understanding between them that even if things aren't the same as they once were, they still consider themselves a family.
They are so caught up in each other that they fail to notice the kids have joined them in the kitchen until Cookie barks and breaks the staring contest they are having.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. and Mrs. Specter."
Harvey smirks and Donna's brow raises.
"Cookie and I just want to say goodbye." Josh says just as Cookie barks another time, wagging his tail and looking up at Donna.
She leans down to give the dog a good rub while Harvey pats Josh at the back. Avery offers to walk them out leaving the couple alone in the kitchen.
"Okay you're right, Mrs. Specter, he's a good kid." He says with a full grin plastered on his face.
"You're an idiot!"
After breakfast, Donna announces that she'll be going for a quick trip to the grocery as she notices the fridge and the pantry slowly emptying. She asks Avery and Harvey for a list of what they need but the latter makes a protest of wanting to come along instead.
"No, Harvey. I literally just picked you up from the hospital yesterday! You need to rest."
"Would you rather have Avery go with you then?"
She shakes her head. "You both can just stay here at home while I go out for groceries by myself. I can do this on my own, Harvey."
"I know you can. But that doesn't mean you have to." He lowers his voice. "Not when I'm here to help."
She sighs. Arguing with a lawyer can really be tiring and stressful. But, god, did she miss having these little fights with him over the pettiest things. And she sees that he really wanted to be there for them.
"Fine. Get changed then we'll leave."
"I knew this is why you wanted to come along." She says as she steals a bag of chips from his hand and puts it back on the shelf. "You're getting things that are not on the list, Harvey."
He takes the chips back and places them inside their cart. "But I want them. And I'll pay for them."
"Well, if you're paying, then I want some too." She goes and gets Cheetos, dumping them in their cart before smiling cheekily at him.
Like he can say no to her. He'd even buy the shelf full of chips for her or the whole aisle rather.
There are more items on the list that they need to grab so she divides the list and splits up with Harvey, an attempt to make the trip quicker and not leave Avery alone at home any longer.
Donna purposely hands him a short list to avoid straining his shoulder. Without his knowledge, most of the items on the list are on the same aisle, making it easy for him. So he crosses everything off way earlier than their agreed meet up time.
She's hoping he'd rest after finishing the list but boredom gets into Harvey so he roams around in a happy-go-lucky mood, grabbing whatever pleases the eye.
"What the hell is that?" Donna stops in her tracks when she sees Harvey in one of the aisles, seriously contemplating between two jars of pasta sauce, an overflowing cart stalled beside him.
Relief washes over him when he sees her. "Oh great, you're here! Are you in the mood for red or white pasta tonight?"
"Whatever happened to pizza night? And that!" Pointing at the cart where surely the majority are not from the list she gave him.
He puts the jars back on the shelf and fishes out the list from his front pocket. He quickly looks at it and holds it up in the air. "You gave me, what, six items to grab. What was I supposed to do after that?"
"You, mister, were supposed to rest!"
"And where exactly would I do that?"
They start to bicker pettily like an old married couple, earning looks, some in annoyance but some with admiration and giggles, from other shoppers that they are oblivious of. It was the death glare of one of the employees that caught their attention causing them to look at each other and burst into a small fit of laughter.
They finally head over to the counter to pay for everything that they got. While waiting in line, something catches Harvey's eyes on the shelf next to them, making him step away from their cart. He chuckles while looking at the tiny boxes neatly lined in front of him. Donna gets curious with what caught his attention and so she stands next to him.
"That is definitely not on our list, Harvey." She jokingly pokes his side.
"Isn't it?" He points at the box of condoms labeled 'strawberry and vanilla flavoured'.
Heat creeps up on her neck, her cheeks suddenly flushed. "Really?" She turns to him.
He just shrugs in response.
"Then why don't you grab one?" She challenges him.
He laughs, shakes his head then walks back to their cart. He picks up the pack of strawberries they just bought. "Nah, I think we got it all right here."
Donna parks in their driveway and pops the trunk, loaded with groceries, open.
"I can carry some of the bags, Donna." He offers when Donna tries to carry two bags at the same time.
"Okay, but no heavy lifting." She hands him the lighter of the two and also instructs him to open the door which he gladly followed.
From the outside, he can already hear the music blasting and loud chatter causing him to swiftly turn the key in but slowly open the door, just enough to see inside the house.
"Donna!" He steps back as he calls her name, stunned to see the situation inside.
Panic sends her rushing beside him, wondering what has happened.
"What?" She takes a peek inside only to see Avery and her friends, oblivious to their arrival, busy chatting away. An occurrence in their household from time to time.
"Why are there so many kids in our house?"
"Avery asked if she could have friends over. I said yes. Jeez, Harvey, this freaked you out?" She bites her lips trying to stifle a laugh, amused at his reaction.
"What? No, I–" He's flustered and quickly changes the course of the subject. "You didn't think to tell me?"
"I forgot." She shrugs and playfully elbows his side. "Why? You can't handle kids?"
He snickers and leans in to whisper, his breath hot in her ear. "Please, I wanted a baseball team with you."
It's her turn to get flustered, cheeks turning into the shade of crimson. She rolls her eyes and swings the door, this time, fully open. Then she taps Harvey to go inside. "Then go help them make dinner."
"Of course, it has to be me. Can't let you do that if we want something to eat." He teases and enjoys the open-mouth, wide-eye shocked look on her face.
"Harvey!"
"Kidding!" He instantly takes it back and kisses her on the cheek, like it's a normal thing between them now. "You take care of dessert."
The two adults greeted the teens before excusing themselves into the kitchen. Harvey can't wipe the grin on his face again from hearing Avery's friends call them, "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Specter!"
"Stop smiling." Donna teases him as they unpack all the groceries they bought, taking turns in filling the pantry and the fridge.
"Do they always call you that?" He asks, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches her place the last box of cereal on the shelf.
Looking over her shoulder, she answers, "Maybe."
"No, seriously. Do they?"
She mirrors his position and nods towards the living room. "Why don't you go and ask them?"
He stands straight, quickly glancing at the living room full of teens who have no idea about what's going on in the kitchen. "What?! No, I'm not asking them."
"Guess you'll never know then." She shrugs then turns around to reach for an apron.
"You're mean, Mrs. Specter. Maybe I'll just call you that."
"Fine by me," she whispers.
"What did you say?" He asks, now standing next to her.
"I said we need to start making dinner already, Mr. Specter." She smiles at him while pushing the apron against his chest.
He takes a hold of her hand before she can pull it back. "Now, aren't you glad I bought a lot?"
Donna stirs the pasta sauce while Harvey stands behind, guiding her. The former insists on taking charge in the kitchen, making Harvey's shoulder condition a perfect reason. Knowing Donna's cooking skills, he stubbornly resisted until they found an ideal compromise; she cooks, but he instructs.
"Okay, try this now. I added salt like you said." She turns around and brings the ladle closer to his lips.
Harvey tries his best not to make a sour face but fails. Even with his instructions, Donna manages to make the sauce bland.
"That bad?"
"Okay, Donna, I appreciate you trying, but for the love of god just let me do it!" He pleads, taking the ladle out of her hand, but she doesn't let go.
"What about your shoulder?"
"I'm sure you can prescribe me the best painkiller there is. Or a massage later would help." He winks at her. "We can practice cooking some other time, when we don't have to feed a bunch of teenagers."
"Fine." She surrenders and gives up on the ladle. "I'll just set the table."
Avery quickly turns up in the kitchen with a couple of her friends, looking for something to do. "Oh no mom, we got it!"
Shortly after, the teenagers join them again in the kitchen, offering to make the dessert. They take over the kitchen counter and return to the living room while waiting for the pie to get baked.
Having no task at hand, Donna leans against the kitchen counter, initially watching Harvey salvage the sauce. Until she ends up just staring at his face.
"You're staring." He smirks as he continues chopping.
For a millionth time that day, she blushes. She straightens up, quick to think of an excuse. "I'm just watching you, so I have a better idea what to do when you teach me next time."
He suddenly drops the knife and looks at her.
"Next time?" He softly asks.
She got what the loaded question meant. She slowly nods and whispers, "yeah, next time." It's an agreement, in the future; they have to be in the same space again, cooking, for 'next time' to happen.
He doesn't dare ask what that entails nor does she elaborate but he returns back to cooking with a smile plastered on his face. They're not back together yet, but spending more time brought them closer again and truly reminded them of what they used to have. Gone are the days when they only talk because of Avery and he'll be damned if he ever lets that happen again.
"Here, try it." This time, it's him bringing the ladle closer to her lips.
She snorts after tasting the sauce. "Sooo much better."
"I think that went well." Harvey says as he sits down on the couch, handing a glass of wine to Donna. The last of Avery's friends have gone home and their daughter has already retreated to her bedroom after helping them clean up the kitchen and the living room.
Donna hums against her glass as she takes a sip of red. "Well?" She asks, looking at him. "You practically became a star."
Harvey and Donna wanted to give the teens as much space as they could, letting them enjoy the day with their daughter who has been stuck at home for a while because of her recent surgery. The plan was to only come out to hand over the food and drinks or whatever the group of friends would need. But the young ones insisted they join the fun too and so they did.
Their competitive sides came out when they started with charades, a game that Donna takes pride in because, as she said, "I was once an actress, you know," before sending a wink over to Harvey. And of course, her team won, fair and square, making it easier to tease him even more.
Not one to back down, Harvey said he'll surely take over the next game which is "beer pong" or maybe "juice pong" because the cups actually just held some orange juice. Avery's friends had been torn on who to root for while Avery gave an excuse that she can't pick because it's her parents. They were cheering the whole game but eventually held their breaths when it came to the last cup remaining for each player. It felt like the world took a pause as the ball flew in the air for Donna's last shot and went straight into the cup. The screams then came back as everyone celebrated her win.
There is a pouting Harvey on the other side of the table who earned several pats on his back from the kids trying to console him for another loss. "That's alright, Mr. Specter! You'll get it next time."
"Good game," Donna says as she walks over to him, a hand held out for him to shake.
He takes her hand but only uses it to pull her closer. He leans in and whispers, "Just so you know, I let you win."
She laughs, pulls back a little to look him in the eyes. "Yeah, I don't think so."
"It was my arm." He answers, "Because I can't move it properly."
She rolls her eyes and pats his chest, "Excuses, excuses."
"Even if I didn't win?" He jokes.
She nods. "It's their first time to hang out with you and you played it cool with everyone, not like that uptight lawyer we know who doesn't like to lose." She teases him, making the conversation a little lighter. "That's why they kept rooting for you after I beat you. Surely you've heard them say they want you back next time, right?"
He smiles, happy to have been able to experience it and really looking forward to doing it again sometime soon. Whenever he gets another chance. "They're great kids. I'm glad Avery has them."
"It was fun, right?"
"It was. But, wow." He takes a breath and runs a hand over his face before dropping his head on the back of the couch. "That was tiring."
"And you wanted a baseball team, huh? That's not even half of it!"
"It was tiring but fun." He takes a sip of his wine, then whispers into the glass. "Should've given Avery a sibling."
There is a moment of silence between them before he hears her low hum of agreement.
"Would you have wanted more?"
It's a risk to ask that question because they have never touched this topic before. They haven't gotten the chance to do so with the whirlwind of events happening and unfolding since they got married and had Avery all while still building their careers. And when they finally reached the calming waters, it was already out of their minds.
Talking about it now is even more bizarre, especially that they are no longer together. But being back in the house, the past couple of days living as a family, he just let his mind wander into the what ifs. And she doesn't seem to mind it at all.
She silently nods. "I mean, another one would be nice, right? Maybe a boy this time. A mini you."
Intrigued, he continues with the questions. "So, this mini-me of mine," he gently prods. "What would he look like?" He closes his eyes as he waits for her answers, wishing to imagine whatever it is that she envisions their kid would be.
She doesn't reply immediately but just shifts sideways on her seat, her elbow on top of the backrest of the couch, her head leaning on her palm as she looks at him. She studies his features, thinking which of those will their baby boy take after.
"He'll definitely get that charming smile of yours."
Then she thinks of hundreds of scenarios having a mini Harvey. There will be a little boy that will steal his father's tie and laughter will fill the household as Harvey chases him around for it. There will be a little boy in their closet trying on his father's leather shoes big enough for his little feet, just like how Avery tried on all of her heels and she found them scattered in the living room. There will be a little boy that will throw tantrums and only she can comfort him.
It would have been nice.
Then she chuckles as another scenario comes to her head.
"What?" Harvey asks, wearing that charming smile of his.
"I just know he'll copy that gelled hair of yours as soon as he can. And he'll ask you to buy him a three-piece suit too."
She adds, "C'mon, humor me. What do you think he'll get from me?"
"I'm thinking..." He pauses as he scoots closer and looks at her intently. "He'll get your hair, not as red as Avery's, more of a strawberry blonde you know."
She looks down on her wine glass, too intimidated by his gaze and the lack of space between them.
"It will be more of a mix of yours and mine." He whispers as he tucks a fallen strand behind her ear. "He'd be quick-witted. Always got something smart to say, just like Avery."
She meets his gaze and nods. "Gosh! Just imagine Avery and him having a silly fight."
"We'll never hear the end of it." He shakes his head as he imagines the endless bicker echoing in the house of two kids fighting over some toy.
"Oh, we'd have to stop them before it even starts!" They just both know their offspring will be stubborn creatures just like them.
"You know what's worse? If they get along and they team up against us!"
"Na-uh, sorry, Harvey you'll have to deal with that. Remember when Avery first answered back?"
Their heads fall back as they let out a hearty laugh, reminiscing the time when Avery decided to redesign the walls of their first apartment with a box of crayons and her 4-year-old drawing skills.
"Avery, you can't do that!"
"Why? The walls look boring, it's just white!"
Shocked when Avery answered back, Donna didn't have it in her to scold Avery and looked at Harvey with pleading eyes.
Harvey took over and after a long conversation, the lawyer in him found a compromise that involved him buying a box of bond paper and ice cream.
Needless to say, they never got the damage deposit back when they moved out of that apartment.
"I mean, we can still try." He teases, wiggling his brows. "Or we can get our own Cookie."
She rolls her eyes and grabs the wine glass out of his hand. "Okay, no more wine for you mister, let's go."
She stands up and extends her other hand out that earns a questioning look from him.
"I promised you a massage, didn't I?"