Where the Wild Things Are.

Category: Darvey/romance/drama

Summary: After Donna's night with Harvey, Louis spots the evidence leading to a panic there's something more sinister going on.

AN: I have such a difficult time writing Louis but I wanted to give this a try. It's been a week, I need to stop trying to fix it and just post it now XD. Set the morning after 8x16.

Louis stalls at the threshold of the partner's kitchen, the tiniest flare of frustration hovering under a wave of concern as he stands watching Donna rinse out the tray from the coffee machine. People make mistakes and she isn't exempt just because it rarely happens- he knows that.

What he can't understand is why, when she finally went out on a limb for someone who isn't Harvey, she turned around and took it all back. Kessler wouldn't say what happened, just that it was over and Louis doesn't know if it was guilt or loyalty that drove her to end things but what he does know is that anyone caught in the Donna/Harvey self-destructive crossfire inevitably winds up getting hurt (both of them included) and he's sick of it.

Donna can feel him staring and shakes the droplets of water free from the grate in her hand fitting it back inside the machine with a tired sigh. It's a blissful exhaustion. The kind that comes from hours spent in a haze of tangled limbs and muscles working overtime to meet every delicious tease and torment sending her spiralling over the edge more than once. She can't remember ever feeling so complete but it comes along side the reality of facing the consequences of her actions; Robert's gone, the firm's reputation is in disarray, Hardman's circling like a shark and she's responsible. She deserves whatever Louis has to say and braces herself, fingers climbing over the bench to support her weight. "If you want to yell at me Louis, go ahead. Just get it over with."

The last of his frustration falls away at the defeat in her voice and he can't bring himself to mention Harvey. He might not agree with everything that's happened but they're a family and sticking by each other through the shitty fucked up times is what they do. "I'm not going to yell Donna..." he enters the small space with a genuine expression, "I want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." It's the truth and guilt wraps around the notion that she shouldn't be but all she can think about is Harvey; his lips on her skin, the weight of his hands exploring every curve and the desperate desire that left her panting and begging for more. There was an untamed wildness between them, the memory turning her cheeks scarlet as she forces a steady hand up to the cupboard above her head.

"What the hell Donna?"

Confusion clouds her embarrassment until she realises where's Louis is staring and she quickly pulls down a mug tugging her sleeve over the purple discolouration bruising her wrist. She knows what it looks like- a sign of a struggle, but in reality she'd given herself up entirely, her body a willing participant as Harvey took what he needed while she did the same. "It's nothing." She attempts to reassure him, moving around to the coffee maker but his eyes follow her taking in every tiny detail and she feels shamefully naked in front of him.

"Bullshit." His voice is thick with concern, his gaze holding at her neck where the high collar is supposed to be protecting her modesty and his attention urges her closer to the machine.

She can just make out her reflection in the metallic edge, the bruises that were light speckles this morning now a deep yellowish colour and clearly visibly beneath the v-line opening at her chest. On anyone else they might be unnoticeable but they're stark against her pale complexion and she subconsciously pulls at the material hiding the display.

If there's one thing Donna isn't, it's shy. That alone is enough to drive Louis toward worst case scenarios and he jumps to the first one he can think of regardless of how irrational it seems. "Donna, I'm only going to ask you this once..." he pushes stealing a deep breath, "did Kessler do this?"

"No, Louis." The assumption rattles her, the idea of Thomas being violent towards anyone impossible to comprehend. He'd only ever been kind and gentle, their love-making reserved in comparison to last night and she lands on the nearest thing to a plausible explanation she can think of. "I was... moving some furniture around."

The machine whirrs as she places her cup under the nozzle, spitting out a strong aroma of caffeine and Louis baulks at the insulting lie. Clearly she didn't get those sorts of bruises from bumping into things and he catches her wrist making her yelp and jerk out of his grasp.

"The hell Louis?"

"Someone did that to you Donna." He throws back, the action demonstrating his point. He feels guilty for hurting her but there are more pressing concerns right now and his anger quickly smothers the regret. "If you don't tell me who, I'm damn well going to find out."

She opens her mouth but a flash of Harvey pinning her hands, hips grinding against hers, almost expels a moan and she slams her lips together reaching for her cup as if it will somehow mask the thoughts betraying her inability to think. "Look, Louis I... have to go." It's pitiful how quickly she takes the out, cowardly, but she can't think of any other way to justify what happened. She needs time to re-group and clicks her heels across the tiled floor eager to escape the awkwardness.

Louis watches her leave confusion mixing with his frustration at her silent demand to lay down arms. Well, to hell with that. She might not want to talk about it but something happened and he's getting to the bottom of it one way or another.

His panic charged state leads him directly to Harvey's office and it might not be the smartest moves but it's his only one, the new mantra of sticking together through shitty fucked up times driving him forward through the large glass door.

Harvey's gaze snaps up at the intrusion, his eyes adjusting slowly thanks to the little to no sleep he got the night before. The exhaustion is taking its toll in more ways than one. He can barely concentrate, his thoughts centring around where he'd rather be; in bed with a certain redhead's legs wrapped around his waist, buried to the hilt inside her and he clears his throat airing the rush of frustration. "Louis if you're here to lecture me now isn't a good-"

"It's Donna."

Her name has the desired effect. Harvey straightens,suddenly interested and Louis takes a deep breath. He hadn't actually thought about how to broach the subject but subtlety isn't going to work and he shifts bringing his his feet closer to the desk. "I saw her in the kitchen just now, Harvey... she's covered in bruises."

The worry in Louis' expression contradicts the relief washing over him, his mouth twitching as he slides the pen in his hand up with a soft click. He's well aware of the bruises she has, reminded every time he moves or upsets the angry scratches down his back and he tries to keep the amusement from his voice, curious to hear how she explained herself. "Well, did you ask her about them?"

It seems like an odd reaction, probing more than concerned and Louis angles his head to the side with an exasperated sigh. "Of course I did."

Harvey rolls his eyes. "And?"

"She said she was moving furniture." He narrows his gaze noting there's definitely something missing in the man's vacant expression; a lack of understanding and he glances behind him checking they're along before zeroing back in on the lawyer. "Okay... look I'm serious, you didn't see her. She has bruises on her wrists, all over her chest-"

"How exactly do you know that?" The pen clicks more aggressively, Harvey's facade slipping at the intimate description. He knows because it was his mouth, his need to claim her that led to the rough foreplay but she'd covered herself this morning hiding the evidence- driving him even more wild in the process, and up until now he'd still been getting turned on thinking about it.

"Why is that important?" Louis counters, struggling to understand the strange behaviour. It shouldn't matter how he knows, just that he does, and he watches something akin to the same realisation flicker across Harvey's face.

Fuck.

He swears to himself trying to wrap his head around what an appropriate response would be. Louis is obviously here out of concern, worried because he thinks there's something wrong, and he tries to air something towards protective rather than the high-school jealousy that's flaring up. "You're right, it's not..." he lies easily, the pen dropping to the desk before it becomes a casualty, "but I'm sure if there's a problem-"

"If?" Louis lifts an incredulous eyebrow, raising his voice. "I'm telling you there is." The anger isn't intentional but when he says 'Donna's in trouble' Harvey's supposed to jump into the nearest phone-box and leap into action, not sit there acting like he could care less.

"Louis..." Harvey bites the inside of his lip catching a flash of red outside his office and the sight of her instantly calms the irritation firing through him. He doesn't need to know if she heard the yelling or simply has the office bugged. They don't have secrets, especially not now, and he leans back in his chair signalling that he has it under control. She holds still at the door anyway, lingering in case it gets out of hand and he fights a smile shifting his attention back to Louis. "Unless she says something is wrong, there's not much we can do is there?"

Louis shakes his head, frustration growing at the casual dismissal. He can't understand it. Not unless something else is going on and he narrows his gaze sharply. "You're pissed at her, aren't you?" It's the only thing that makes any sense, why Harvey would be reacting the way he is and Louis chokes on the disbelief. "You arrogant, self-righteous asshole."

Harvey arks up forgetting about Donna as he palms the desk. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me," he snaps taking a step forward, "you think that just because-"

"Louis." The door swings open, Donna closing it softly behind her as she stands in the eye-line of both men. She took the liberty of applying more make-up to cover her bruises but is even more conscious of them as Harvey's gaze dresses her down searching for whatever it is that triggered Louis' panic. He should know damn well what it was and she steals her attention away from him shifting it back to Louis. "I know you're worried but you don't need to be."

"Show Harvey." He demands determined to get through to at least one of them but she makes no attempt to move and he flails his arm between the pair, "Donna I mean it, show him "

"She doesn't need to-" Harvey offers the explanation without really thinking about it, "I've already seen them."

Donna shoots him a look asking what he's doing and he honestly doesn't know. He's just trying to take some of the heat back which in hindsight turns out to be a mistake.

"You have?" Louis glances at Harvey now thoroughly baffled. Obviously he's missed something and he isn't sure whether to be confused or down right pissed off. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Harvey let's out a sigh picking up his pen and twirling it loosely between his fingers again. He's effectively boxed them into a corner and either they keep trying to lie their way out -which clearly isn't working- or they come clean and let the cat out of the bag. He can tell Donna is thinking the same and they silently share the unspoken agreement.

"Louis..." she starts and suddenly stops, not sure how to word the truth when Harvey jumps in to recuse her from the embarrassment.

"I gave them to her." He admits holding up his palm in defence, "but before you say anything... it's not what you think."

Not what he-

The thought stalls as the rest of the words catch up to Louis, his eyes widening as he turns to Donna, "he did this to you?"

She swallows, her facing flushing as she subtly tries leading him to the point she and Harvey are trying to make. "I... wasn't complaining." She hates he had to find out this way, before she and Harvey even discussed handling how to tell people but they're in this situation whether they like it or not and honestly seems like the only way out. "We got a little carried away."

A knot of realisation churns in Louis' stomach, the pieces falling into place with a startling clarity and he stutters swinging back to Harvey. "You two... did that."

The insinuation is clear- he finally gets it and Harvey smirks.

"No no no no..." Louis palms his eyes trying to shield himself from the imagery. He thought she'd been attacked for gods-sake and they'd been, they'd-

"I need a fucking day."

Harvey's sentiments exactly, his mouth winding into a grin but Donna's glare implores him not to say it as Louis shoulders passed her. When the door slams with an obnoxious shudder Harvey leans back raising an eyebrow. "Moving furniture?"

"What was I supposed to say?" She plants her hands on her hips trying to fight the amusement threatening her expression. It isn't funny. Louis was seriously worried and when he cools down they're both going to have to work on damage control.

"They weren't that bad this morning." He sits up eyes drifting to the open space behind her. There's no one around, most people at lunch, and he lifts himself out of the chair padding across the her. There's a quiet warning in her expression but he has no intention of crossing any lines. Instead he gently clasps her wrist bringing it up to inspect the damage. Louis was right. In the few hours since he saw her last the colour has mottled and spread into a deep shade of purple making him feel instantly guilty.

"Don't you dare feel bad," she slides her fingers over his embroidered cuff pushing his hand down, "you didn't exactly get off scot-free either." They both know she gave as good as she got and a smile lifts her lips. "We just need to be more careful."

Her tone is teasing and breathes a little easier shaking his head. Sex like that too often will send him into an early grave before he's fifty but it would be one hell of a way to go.

Not tonight though.

Tonight he wants to take it slowly, lazily trace every line and curve that he missed- committing them all to memory. He wants to explore her properly and has to resist the urge to lean forward and taste the desire he knows is waiting there. The wild things need to stay where they are for now, shrouded by darkness and hidden behind the safety of solid walls. "I'll come find you later?"

She can read the intention in his gaze and she gives him a soft nod. "You better."

His pulse skips as she walks away from him, her hair bouncing lightly over her shoulder, and a grin plasters itself on his face. Wild or not, this is where the great things are.