"Can we chat about – I don't know if Gabriel's gonna be somewhere mad at me for this, but I gotta point it out. Harvey's got a very, sort of, coquettish, pillow-hugging thing going on on the bed. [Sarah laughs.] Do you know in this scene, where he's putting it all together? Like, it's such an interesting take. Like, you'd – I don't know why, you'd think he'd kind of . . . be reclined, but instead he's on his . . . stomach, like holding a pillow. It's very . . . different. And I love it. But I definitely, I was like, "Huh! Harvey?""
– Patrick J Adams on Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast episode "Play the Man"
if you take requests! i love your writing! maybe a fic about harvey and it’s a little angsty bc of his pride or a miscommunication but then it becomes really fluffy
Regrets and Resolutions
[Harvey Specter x Female!Reader]
Synopsis Sometimes it takes a fight to know what you want, and sometimes what you want is what you need.
WC: 2459
Category: Angst to Fluff, Happy Ending
Angst to fluff is my specialty, so when I saw this request, I got all giddy. However, I do want to apologize for how long it took because it's been like two months and I feel really bad about it 😅🙏
Also miscommunication? Haha more like no communication
『••✎••』
Harvey Specter rarely messes up. For him, it’s always a perfect mix of confidence, arrogance, and planning. It was the one thing you always loved about him. Sure, he could be an ass at times, but the man knew how to work the courtroom, and as he always says, he plays the man, not the role.
You can still remember how it all started. It was a slow summer night, and you both happened to be at the bar that evening. For different reasons, of course.
For him, it was a celebration of a win for his client. Usually, he’d celebrate alone in the office with a bottle of wine, but the world worked in mysterious ways.
For you, it wasn’t a celebration or a happy event for work at all. You were there for a break. It had been an extremely stressful day, and all you wanted to do was drink and think about something other than work.
That was until a drunk man ruined your night.
He had approached you with some words that made your skin crawl and a touch that made you nauseous. You quickly got up to leave, but before you could, he held you down. You tried to push away, but he had a firm grip on your arm, and you couldn't get away from him.
That’s when you felt a set of strong arms pull him off you and into a chair. Your eyes widened, and that feeling in your chest fluttered when you were met with the kindest brown eyes you've ever seen.
They were warm, and even though he was mad, he still looked like he had just woken up from a dream. He looked like a male model. You were completely infatuated.
“You alright, hunny?” His voice was gentle and quiet. His voice was like a lullaby and the only thing you could focus on in the noisy bar.
You didn’t even register the nickname.
It was only when he referred to you as “his wife" that you finally snapped out of it.
You were about to argue back, but he took your hand in his and leaned forward to your ear. His breath was warm, and your body reacted on its own.
To some, it would look like an endearing kiss on the cheek, but in reality, he was only whispering.
“Just play along. Marriage will scare him off faster than anything.” There was humor in his tone, and you could feel the smile in his voice.
You nodded in agreement, not wanting to deal with an uncomfortable situation, and as it turns out, Harvey Specter knows exactly how to get someone to back down.
It took all but a few minutes, and he was able to scare the man away. Afterward, you offered your hand to shake his in thanks, and even though he gave you a charming smile, it was his eyes you were most drawn to.
That night, you were sure you were in love.
Since that night, you found yourself frequently going to that bar and talking to the handsome stranger. You fell in love with the way he always paid attention and asked questions about your life and your work. His words were like a breeze in the summer, making you feel alive and warm. He was so easy to talk to, and you were surprised at how quickly you became comfortable around him.
You would ask each other questions, flirt, and even laugh. Sometimes, you would go out to dinner. Nothing too formal, usually just for sushi and wine, but the night would be perfect.
As the months rolled by, he began to be the best part of your day. Whenever you saw him, it would brighten your day, and whenever he'd smile, it would warm your soul.
But one day, that all changed.
Harvey became colder towards you, and you began to wonder if you had done something wrong. But it was never you. It was always Harvey who started the arguments. It was always Harvey who pushed you away, but never you.
It was a Tuesday evening, and you had just returned from work. You expected the day to be stressful as usual, but nothing could prepare you for what came that evening.
You were about to get a glass of water when Harvey stormed in, tie in hand with a pissed-off look in his eye.
“Hey Harv…” You started, but Harvey cut you off.
"Don’t.” He didn’t even look at you, only shrugging off his coat and tossing it on the hook. “I’m not in the mood.”
He didn't even glance your way before he walked over to the fridge and opened it. He rummaged through the fridge for a few minutes before taking out a beer. He opened the bottle, took a swig, and let out a loud sigh. You stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. You wanted to comfort him, but your legs were glued to the floor, unable to move.
"What do you want for dinner? I'm going to order takeout," He said, not even looking at you.
You remained quiet, unsure if you should speak or not.
Harvey didn't speak much more that night. The only words he spoke were asking you what you wanted and when it would be there. But other than that, it was quiet. You ate your takeout in silence and took your bath without saying a word.
In the morning, he was gone before you woke. You assumed he went to work, and when you checked your phone, you were right. He texted you to say that he would be at work all day. It wasn't until that evening that you found out what was going on.
And you didn’t figure it out from him.
Donna. She had told you after you called her for help, asking her why he was acting so strangely.
And thus, the big fight that made Harvey mess up for once. You didn’t mean to blow up at him, but with his constant avoiding and refusal to speak, you got mad.
He thought you were pissed about the dishes and didn't take it seriously at first, but when you began to yell, he realized that wasn't the issue.
"I can’t keep doing this. I know it’s hard for you given how it is at work, but… God, Harvey, I feel like I don't even know you anymore!"
He scoffed and gave you a look you knew too well.
"You can't even spend five seconds with me without snapping or accusing me of something, and that’s not even the worst part," You shook your head and clenched your fists.
Harvey didn’t say anything, only folding his arms and watching you closely.
"You don't talk to me anymore, you don't pay attention, you're just cold." Your eyes stung as you said those words. The reality of it all was just hitting you, and the longer it went on, the worse you felt. "You used to be so sweet, and I used to feel like we were the best team."
“What’re you saying?” Harvey asked, taking a step closer to you.
"I’m saying how I hate that I always have to call Donna and tell her that, 'Harvey’s lashing out again, what happened this time?' when I should be hearing about what's going on from you. But you never open up. You don't tell me how your day is going; you don't tell me how your firm is. I don't know what's wrong. I never know what’s wrong. And when I ask, you either tell me it's nothing or say nothing at all.”
Your voice broke slightly, and you looked away. You couldn't bear to look at Harvey right then. It felt like everything you were saying was a slap in the face to him, and you couldn't stand it. You didn't want to hurt him. You didn't want to be a bad person. You wanted to be good for Harvey. You loved him more than anything, but you couldn't take the pain any longer.
"And now, I just feel like you don't care about me, that you don't love me, that you don't love anything at all. It's like you don't care about anything that I've done for you, that you're just walking away from it all like it doesn't mean anything to you. I can't keep living like this."
You held your tears back, but you didn't say anything else.
You started heading toward the door, not wanting to look at him, but he quickly grabbed your arm and turned you around. He looked like he was going to say something, but before he could, you spoke.
"Just let go.” Your voice was quiet. You couldn't bear to look at him anymore. You tried to pull your arm back, but Harvey wouldn't let go.
"Where are you going?" He asked, and you could hear the pain in his voice. You could tell he wanted to say more, but he couldn't find the words. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“I'm going to think. So, why don’t you do the same and then call Donna and ask her what you should do because she seems to be the only one who knows what's going on with you."
You started heading for the door once again, and when he didn't stop you this time, you pulled your arm out of his grasp.
You could still feel the sting when you woke up the next day, but you were glad it was gone.
After that day, Harvey called you, and you ignored him. Seeing his name pop up on the screen only made you sad, and you didn't know how to deal with that, so you put your phone away, unanswered, and shut him out.
Your parents' house was always open to you, so you spent a few nights there to clear your mind.
As you sat there, watching some crappy romance movie with your family, you only thought about him. The good times. The happy times. The laughs. The smiles. The love.
Harvey always had problems with committing to anything. You knew that before you got together.
You remember all the arguments you had about it. How he would always say everything but the word "love” because he was too scared that you would leave once it was out in the open.
And now, with everything you just went through, you didn't think you would ever forgive yourself if you left. You would never be able to forgive yourself if you abandoned the man you loved, who you knew loved you just as much.
You spent hours debating in your head on if it was worth it. Suppose it was worth fighting for.
And that's when it hit you.
The realization of it all.
He was a lawyer. It's his nature to fight. His nature is to argue and argue until the end. He would never admit defeat or admit defeat was even possible. And you were the person he was willing to fight for and fight for you he would.
The night you decided to go home and face him came faster than you thought. And you didn’t even make it out of your parent's house because he was waiting for you at the front door.
Regret was in those beautiful eyes. He wasn’t in a suit, either. He was in jeans and a T-shirt with a sweater, and he looked so casual but, at the same time, so handsome. You wanted to reach out and touch him, just to see if he was real, but you held yourself back.
You stood there and looked at him, and he looked right back at you. He didn't move, didn't say anything, but his eyes spoke volumes.
And then he finally spoke.
"I messed up," Harvey said quietly, stepping closer to you.
You nodded.
"I should've talked to you sooner, but I was afraid that if I did, you wouldn't understand. I was afraid that you'd look at me the same way as everyone else. I was afraid that you wouldn't love me anymore."
"I never stopped loving you, Harvey," You said quietly, looking up at him. "I just stopped thinking you loved me back."
He took another step closer to you, and before he could say another word, you had your arms wrapped around him. Your body fit against his like it was supposed to be there, and he did the same.
Your foreheads touched, and you looked into his eyes. He looked into yours.
"I love you.”
Your eyes met, and you practically almost burst into tears. You had waited for him to say it for so long.
"I love you so much." He whispered, “And I’m sorry I didn’t show it. I’m sorry I made you doubt that."
You sniffled and nodded. “You know you’re being the most Hallmark cliche ever right now, right?" You let out a small laugh, wiping away a few tears that were escaping you. "Hot lawyer and a tearful confession. All we need now is a dog."
Harvey laughed and looked away for a second. "Don’t forget about the townspeople watching us from their windows and cheering."
“Like who? Donna?”
"Well, I was going to say your parents, but sure. Let's just add Donna." He smiled and kissed the tip of your nose.
"You really do love me, right? And you aren't just saying it for a townsperson's sake?" You asked, your voice trembling slightly.
Harvey put his hands on your waist and looked at you, still smiling.
“I’m saying it for the dog.”
“Harvey.” You gave him a look.
"Alright, alright. I'm saying it for the townspeople. For Donna, if she were here."
“Mhmm... and for yourself?"
Harvey stared into your eyes and gave you the most gentle smile you had ever seen.
"And for you." He whispered.
That was it. That was the moment you knew it was real. You could feel it in your heart, in your bones, and in your very soul.
You kissed him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He pulled you closer to him, and you pressed your body against him.
It felt like time had stopped as the kiss lingered on for what felt like years. His lips moved with yours, and you felt like your soul was leaving your body and going to heaven. It felt like a dream. It was a dream.
And for you, that would be your happy ending.
The world worked in mysterious ways, and so did Harvey Specter. But one thing you learned about Harvey is that he knows exactly how to work the world.
And after that night? He definitely worked it for you.
