So I've had a little more Suits inspiration recently and although I'm working on updates to existing stories, I've been thinking more and more about where 8B could take us. As I'd already explored Donna having a serious romance with someone else (in my 2nd story, Love & War), I'd been in no hurry to write another, but this scene popped in to my head and the rest followed, so I thought I'd share it! This first chapter is quite short, but it was a natural break point. I'd love to know what you think, so do leave a review if you can. Thanks again to everyone who reads my stories. I really do appreciate it.

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Waves

Chapter One

Harvey swirled his scotch around his glass; the cool glass of the tumbler against his hand bringing a sense of calm for a few precious seconds. Letting out a sigh, he glanced around his office; the one that had witnessed so many key moments of his life. It seemed poetic to be back here, having climbed to the top of the mountain, before deciding he preferred the view lower down and returning to where he knew deep down he belonged. For now anyway.

Yet, not everything was the same. The pieces hadn't fallen back in to place exactly as they had been before. So much was different now. There was Robert and Samantha's presence, shaking things up, yet another new firm name and Louis as Managing Partner. The latter thought caused him to let a quiet half-laugh escape his throat between sips.

- Louis as Managing Partner!

He'd never imagined that would ever happen! Yet, what seemed most unexpected to him was that he was fine with this development in the firm's hierarchy. Sure, there'd been teething problems over the last few months, including days when Louis had been unbearable and Harvey had felt the strong need to strangle him. It was Louis after all, but it had been the right decision for the good of the firm.

Letting his eyes take in the full panorama of the room, he sighed, taking another sip, before turning his back on the space and focussing on the evening skyline. He'd always found peace gazing out at Manhattan from above, letting his mind slow down momentarily and take time to appreciate just how much he'd achieved.

However, tonight it was the losses his mind was focussing on – Jessica, Mike, his father, Rachel and…

The thought trailed off; his subconscious unwilling to participate in his pity party, but all it would take was for him to turn around and glance through the glass to receive the biggest gut-wrenching reminder of his most recent loss.

- Donna

Technically, she wasn't gone. She may not be outside his office anymore, a fact far more glaring to him since he'd moved back in here, but she was still COO; her office sitting just down the other end of the hallway. Yet, she felt lost to him that night.

It was the third night that week she'd left at a reasonable time.

- To spend time with him.

Harvey let his eyes close for a moment, trying to rid himself of the thoughts invading his mind; thoughts of Donna and the man she seemed to be growing closer to every damn day. Looking back, he'd been arrogant to dismiss it as nothing; arrogant and naïve, somehow expecting her to always remain exactly where she'd always been – right there next to him.

The irony wasn't lost on him that it was Paula's words that kept needling him and how irritating it was that she was right. He no longer captured Donna's attention and affection, not alone anyway. Her life was shifting the way he remembered learning in school about the world's plates moving, breaking apart to form separate continents. She may still have an office down the hall, but she was slipping away and he felt the pain and terror of it more and more each day.

He couldn't even hate the guy. He'd been a client of the firm long enough for Harvey to be aware of him and his company. It was legitimate; nothing shady and neither was he; hard working, driven, successful. Harvey remembered they'd once had a conversation about cars and sport at a drinks event and he'd left thinking Thomas Kessler was someone he'd enjoy working with one day. The memory made him laugh quietly, as he reached for the decanter sitting within reach on the window ledge beside him.

He felt lost, the stable ground beneath his feet suddenly uneven, feeling more akin to quicksand and what unnerved him most was the realisation that even if Donna wasn't leaving the firm, it still felt as though she was leaving him. They were so intrinsically linked that he couldn't imagine anyone else between them and yet that was what was happening.

He wondered if she'd felt this way about him seeing Paula; whether this white-hot fear was what had also propelled her forward that night in her office, when he'd been so caught off guard by her kiss. Closing his eyes again he could still feel it; the all too brief touch of her lips against his and how she'd pulled away before he'd truly had time to process it and react.

- And now everything's a mess.

"Harvey…are you alright?"

Louis's voice interrupted his thoughts, taking him by surprise. Turning, he found his friend standing just inside the doorway with a concerned expression on his face.

"I don't know, Louis."

His friend nodded and took another step inside, seemingly a little surprised by the honesty of Harvey's response. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harvey smiled sadly, before reaching for another tumbler for his friend, recognising that even a year ago, he'd have told him to go away. "I don't know where I'd start," he admitted quietly with a brief wave of his hand.

"Well…we have all night," Louis responded, taking the now-filled glass from his hand and taking a seat on the couch.

- What the hell.

With that, Harvey took a seat in his chair next to the couch and sighed. Dr. Lipschitz had been encouraging him to open up more with those around him that he trusted and seeing as he was too much of a coward to talk to the one person he should, Louis was the next best thing.

- If only Jessica could see us now.

He met Louis's expectant, yet sympathetic gaze. He hadn't been honest. He knew exactly where this mess had started. Taking a breath, he took the plunge.

…

I said this was a short one, but there should be more soon! Do let me know what you think!