Motion Denied // Harvey Specter

Mike had seen a lot of things since he started working with Harvey Specter, but watching Harvey comfort someone? That was new. It was kind of messing with him.

-

It was the day after the mock trial, and Mike sat across from Harvey at Pearson Hardman, flipping through a file while his brain was only half on the task at hand. Harvey, on the other hand, was focused. Or at least, he looked focused. But Mike knew him well enough by now to recognize the signs. The little things—Harvey rubbing his thumb against his temple, his eyes flicking to his phone like he was waiting for something.

Mike set his file down. "You really like her."

Harvey didn't look up immediately. He just exhaled, kept his eyes on the document in front of him, and said, "We have a trial to win."

Mike shrugged, unfazed. "Didn't say you didn't."

Harvey flipped the page. "Then let's focus on that."

Mike studied him for a second, then shook his head, muttering, "Right." He picked his file back up, turning a page as if the conversation had never happened.

A few moments passed before Mike spoke again. "You think her father knows he's already lost?"

Harvey didn't look up. "He should. If his lawyer isn't a complete fool."

Mike smirked. "And? What's your read on him?"

Harvey finally glanced up, arching an eyebrow. "A man used to getting what he wants."

Mike snorted. "Yeah, no kidding." He flipped a page. "But legally?"

Harvey exhaled. "Smart enough to make this a pain. Not smart enough to beat me."

Mike shook his head with a small laugh. "God, you're such an ass."

Harvey smirked faintly, eyes already back on his file.

Silence settled for a moment as they both read.

Mike tapped his pen against the table absentmindedly. "I think he underestimated her."

Harvey hummed, still reading. "A lot of people do."

Mike studied him for a moment. "But not you."

Harvey didn't answer. Which was an answer in itself. The office door swung open, and Donna poked her head in.

"Document just came in," she said, leaning against the doorframe. "I sent it over."

Harvey nodded. "Thanks."

Donna lingered for a second, glancing between the two of them. No teasing. No smirking remark. Just a knowing look, and then she was gone.

Mike watched Harvey click into the file on his laptop. The conversation was over.

-

Carmen sat at her desk, fingers absently twirling a pen, eyes scanning a document she wasn't fully reading. For the first time in weeks, she wasn't buried under the weight of depositions, court filings, and legal threats stamped with her last name. She was just... working. Not on anything urgent. Not anything that required much thought. Just something to keep her hands busy, to keep her thoughts from drifting into places she wasn't ready to go. 

For a little while, it helped. It gave a reminder that her life wasn't just a courtroom waiting to happen. She wasn't naive. She knew the trial was coming, that her father wouldn't just let this settle quietly. Yet for once, she wasn't thinking about him. She was thinking about herself.

Because after everything—after the meeting, after the mock trial, after facing the reality of what was ahead—she had come out of it still standing. She had Harvey Specter in her corner. And, despite everything, she still had herself.

She let out a slow breath, stretching her fingers before going back to typing and then, of course, her mind betrayed her.

Harvey.

She could still feel the weight of his gaze from the night before, the way he had looked at her when he asked, "What's your biggest fear?" Not an interrogation. Not a test. Just a question.

Because he needed to know. Because he was planning for it, already finding ways to shield her from whatever her father would throw at her. And when she had admitted her fear—when she had voiced something she hadn't even wanted to admit to herself—he hadn't reassured her for the sake of it.

He had promised her, flatly, confidently, with the kind of certainty that left no room for doubt. "I won't let that happen." And she had believed him. She had believed him because she needed to.

Carmen inhaled, forcing her focus back on her screen.

It had been easier when Harvey was just her lawyer, or at least not a romantic interest. She didn't know when that had come being true, but it had. And there was no undoing it now.

She clicked her pen shut, rubbing absently at the back of her neck. This wasn't the time to deal with it. She had more important things to focus on and Harvey could wait.

She exhaled, setting her pen down. She trusted Harvey, and she trusted herself.