Chapter Text
“I still can’t believe that you’re here.”
Harvey smiles when Rachel puts down a glass in front of him and shakes her head. “I was so happy when Mike told me you were coming. I thought he was joking at first, actually. I just never saw either of you leaving New York. Especially you, Harvey.”
“Well, the plan is to eventually convince all of the original Pearson Hardman team that Seattle is the place to be so we can start up the firm again,” he tells her, and she chuckles. It’s nothing but wishful thinking of course, but it’s still a nice idea to contemplate.
“We didn’t really plan on leaving,” Donna adds, lifting her shoulders. “Never talked about it before. But once it came up, we just knew it was what we needed to do. Start over somewhere new. And I think we were right. Just look at Harvey.”
He glances at her. “What about me?”
“You’re actually smiling.”
“So? Harvey smiles sometimes,” Mike points out as he carries over the lasagna from the oven, raising an eyebrow. “Especially when he’s mocking someone or destroying an opponent, as I distinctly remember.”
“That looks amazing,” Harvey says, glancing up at Mike. “You helped with that?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Good to know. I appreciate the warning.”
Donna chuckles. “This, see? This is what I mean. He does smile, yes, but lately he hasn’t had much reason to. We’ve been here for two days and that’s already changed.”
She takes his hand, and Harvey concedes the point with a nod, turning to Mike. “You saw it when you were there. Things haven’t been easy at the firm, and after a while… it seemed like the right time to leave. I had a good run, but when you know, you know, right?”
“We’ve been there,” Rachel agrees. “I’m just glad you decided to include us in your fresh start. I know Mike and I haven’t exactly been great about keeping in touch.”
Harvey waves his hand. “It’s fine. Forgiven and forgotten.”
Forgotten is pushing it a little, truthfully, but the hollow feeling in his chest he’s been carrying around ever since they left and Mike stopped returning his calls has finally eased enough for him to look past it.
Donna nods. “We get it. Especially now that we’re going through the same thing with the move and the new jobs. It’s a lot to deal with. Other things just get pushed to the background.”
“They do.” Rachel shakes her head. “They shouldn’t, but they do.”
“It’s fine. We’re still friends, nothing changed about that. We did miss you guys though, a lot. It just wasn’t the same after you left, for any of us.”
Rachel hums in agreement as she cuts the lasagna, taking Donna’s plate.
“It was hard for us too. I didn’t struggle with anything else we left behind, but the people…” She sighs. “I need to do better when it comes to keeping in touch. There’s so much I wanted to tell you all and never got the chance to. And so much I wanted to hear, too. The last time I talked to Louis Sheila wasn’t even pregnant yet, and now his daughter is already a month old. I missed his entire journey of becoming a father. And this, too,” she adds, waving between Harvey and Donna.
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re here now. We can catch you up on everything.”
Rachel smiles. “I’d love that. We do have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Don’t worry, there’s time,” Donna says, accepting the plate back and humming appreciatively. “God, that smells amazing. I always forget how good a homecooked meal is every once in a while.”
“I really hope you enjoy it. It’s a new recipe I’ve been meaning to make for ages and just never got to.” Putting a generous serving on Harvey’s plate, Rachel adds, “We try to cook as often as possible, at least on the weekends, but even that we don’t always manage.”
“I’d take care of it more often, but my hours aren’t exactly better than Rachel’s,” Mike says. “And when I do cook, I face a lot of criticism, so I tend not to.”
“Oh, sure, just put your laziness on me.”
“You complain about my cooking all the time.”
“Yeah, because you’re terrible at it.”
“See?” Mike turns to Harvey and Donna, shaking his head. “No matter what I do, it’s wrong.”
Donna chuckles. “It’s like you two turned into an old married couple. Adorable.”
“The new jobs are keeping you busy then?” Harvey inquires.
“Very much so.” Rachel hands Mike his plate, then takes her own. “It’s good work, and I don’t mind putting in all these hours, but there isn’t much left of the day when you get home after sundown.”
She nods towards the food. “Well, don’t wait on my account. Dig in, everyone.”
They don’t have to be told twice.
Donna sighs. “Rachel, this is amazing.”
“Fantastic,” Harvey agrees after the first bite.
Rachel lights up with a smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Cutting another piece, Harvey asks, “So, is the work how you imagined it to be? I don’t really know what to expect from it apart from what it says on the tin.”
“Not really, no.” She chuckles. “That’s what Mike always goes on about, how different it is from what Andy told us and how he lured us here under false pretenses.”
“But you’re still enjoying it?” Harvey asks, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I mean, it’s definitely important work and it’s good to be able to contribute to that. It’s just… so much less than it could be.”
Rachel sighs. “He goes on about that too. I keep reminding him that we’re a brand-new firm and that it takes time to find our flow and best practice, but he just loves complaining about it.”
“Well, it’s not gonna get better by not talking about it, is it?”
“Talking about it is one thing. Developing an obsession, on the other hand…”
She doesn’t finish, but the short silence that follows is a little too heavy for it to come across as a joke.
“How do you think things could be improved, exactly?” Harvey wants to know, but before Mike can reply, Rachel sighs.
“Do we really have to talk about work all night? It’s bad enough that Mike and I constantly do.”
“You’re right. Rachel hasn’t seen us in over a year, Harvey. Let’s find something else to discuss, hm?”
Harvey glances at Donna, then nods. “Sure. We’ll have plenty of time for all that later on. Especially now that we’ll be working together again.”
“And finally the right way around.” Mike’s frown dissolves, making way for a grin. “I always knew you were meant to be my employee, not vice versa.”
“Right, you’re my boss now. Something tells me you aren’t going to let me forget it.”
“Are you kidding? This is, like, the best thing that happened to me since I left.”
“Because you’re finally getting a competent guy to do all the dirty work for you?”
“Oh, you bet your ass you will.”
“You’re entirely too gleeful about that, you know.”
“No, no, I think I’ve earned this. I’m very excited for you to get started. Showing up at eight sharp, wearing your best suit, eagerly awaiting my instructions… music to my ears.”
Donna snorts and shakes her head. “You were right, Rachel. He does go on and on about work.”
“I’m gonna go ahead and blame Harvey this time, since I’m just too thrilled to have him work for me, but I will admit that I’ve turned into something of a workaholic. Which, now that I think about it, I can also blame on Harvey.”
“There’s a compliment somewhere in there,” Harvey mutters.
“Is there?” Donna sounds doubtful. “We all work too much, I think we can agree on that. It’s a bad habit that is very hard to shake, and from what I’m hearing chances of getting out of it after moving here are disappointingly slim.”
She halts, her eyes narrowing before a slow smile spreads on her lips. “Actually, you know what we should do? We should all go on a trip together. Harvey and I never even got to think about our honeymoon, much less have it, and neither did you, right?”
“Right,” Mike agrees. “I mean, Seattle is nice and all, but I rather had something different in mind for a honeymoon. I’m sure you did, too,” he adds, turning to Rachel.
She bites her lip. “Of course,” she admits. “But it’s not like we were in a hurry. We already rushed the wedding, I thought we could take it slow now and wait for a good opportunity once the dust had settled.”
“Well, this is it.” The corner of Mike’s mouth lifts. “We’ve never gone on a real vacation, and you did want some time to catch up with Donna and Harvey. Why not do it with a drink by the sea?”
Rachel rubs her neck.
“Well, I for one am dying to have a vacation,” Donna declares before she can say anything and holds up her hands. “Moving is stressful, everyone. I could really use some time off. I know Harvey could, too, and from the sound of it the two of you aren’t faring much better.”
Harvey turns to Rachel, who is glancing at Mike.
“It’s just… I don’t know. This is very sudden. I don’t…”
“What? Are you worried about work?” Mike shakes his head. “They’ll survive without us for a week or two. Whether we leave now or in a few months, it won’t make a difference. Might as well go for it before this turns into one of those things that we keep pushing back and never actually do.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but mutters, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Your dedication to your job is admirable,” Harvey remarks gently. “But you deserve some time off, probably more than anyone. I think you’ve earned this.”
Mike lifts an expectant eyebrow. “So? What do you think?”
She takes a deep breath, then smiles and nods. “You’re right,” she repeats. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“Well, I guess that settles it,” Mike declares. “We’re taking a vacation.”
He puts an arm around her shoulders, smiling at her before he reaches for his wine glass. She does the same, Mike’s arm falling away when she leans forward.
“Oh, this is amazing,” Donna gushes at his side, taking his hand. “We’re going to have the best time. All of us together, could it get better than that?”
“We could leave Harvey behind,” Mike suggests, a shit-eating grin on his face when Harvey sends him a withering glare.
“I have an even better idea. We should leave you behind. Give poor Rachel a break.”
Donna snorts. “Like you wouldn’t be the first to mope about your buddy not being there.”
Harvey opens his mouth to protest despite the fact that she’s right and they all know it, but he’s cut off by Mike’s laughter, so he contents himself with just glaring at him.
Rachel offers a brief smile when he meets her eyes, then looks down at her plate.
“Where should we go?” she asks, cutting her lasagna. “I’m voting for a nice beach somewhere, if we’re doing this already.”
“No complaints from me,” Mike says.
“Agreed. Who knows when we’ll get another chance to take some time off? I heard my new boss is kind of a hardass.”
Mike shoots him a look, and he smirks.
“Yeah, you just enjoy your little vacation while you still can. You don’t know what’s coming at you, Robin.”
“No. Absolutely not. You’re not Batman, and I’m definitely not Robin.”
“What you gonna do about it? You wanna quit before you even had your first day?”
“Oh, you’re gonna wish I’d quit once I’m done with you,” Harvey threatens, which only makes Mike laugh again.
“Alright, while these two sort out their little quarrel…” Donna throws Harvey a look, then turns to Rachel. “Why don’t we think of somewhere we’d like to go?”
“No, wait. I want a say.”
Donna shushes him. “Only the grown-ups get a say, Mike. Or those who act like it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m being perfectly serious. It’s Harvey who’s throwing a temper tantrum.”
“I’ll give you a temper tantrum right now if you don’t cut it out.”
“Please don’t.” Donna rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “So, Rachel? Any ideas?”
“I’m not particularly picky, but Europe does sound nice. It’s been a while.”
“Oh, yeah. For me too. If we’re sticking with the beach theme, a cute Greek island or something like that sounds just about perfect right now.”
“Well, why not?” Harvey lifts his shoulders. “I’d like to see Greece. I’ve never been.”
“Yeah, me neither,” Mike says, then adds, “Obviously. I’ve never been anywhere.”
“I went with my family once, years ago. But I’d love to see it again. Maybe a different island this time?”
“Sure. Where did you go last time?”
“Rhodes,” Rachel says. “But there’s plenty of beautiful places in Greece that we could visit.”
“I’m sure we’ll find one,” Donna agrees. She raises her glass, smiling. “Let’s drink to that. This is a big moment, after all. To our first proper vacation, our honeymoons, and… to old friends.”
“And Greece,” Harvey adds.
“And Greek food,” Mike helpfully contributes. Rachel rolls her eyes, but smiles too as she picks up her glass.
“To a lovely vacation,” she says, and when they clink their glasses they’re all grinning.
*
The rest of the night is spent brainstorming ideas and researching options, and in the end they settle on the island of Santorini, which draws all of them in with its lovely white buildings and the clear blue water.
They find a nice place to stay and a good deal for a flight at the end of the month, and Donna and Harvey have barely unpacked their belongings in the new apartment when they pack their suitcases again and make their way through the still foreign city to get to the airport.
Mike and Rachel arrive almost twenty minutes after them. Harvey puts his phone back into his pocket after having checked for any messages about their whereabouts and gets up from his seat when he spots them.
“You look about ready for this vacation.”
Rachel sighs, impatiently brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry we’re late.”
“You’re with Mike. I get it.”
“Hey! You think this was my fault?”
“Wasn’t it?”
“To be fair, not entirely,” Rachel amends, but she still sounds annoyed. Her eyes fall on Donna, returning from the nearby coffee place with a cup in each hand.
“There you are,” she greets them, giving her and Mike a once-over before lifting an eyebrow and holding out one of the cups. “Here, take this. I got it for myself, but you look like you can use it more.”
Rachel accepts it gratefully. “Thank you.”
“If you think I’m giving up mine too, you’re mistaken,” Harvey informs Mike, who rolls his eyes.
“As if I would want that bitter, black brew you insist on calling coffee.”
“I put sugar in it now, actually.”
“Really? Since when?”
“Since last summer. Accidentally grabbed the wrong order and it turned out to not be terrible.” He shrugs. “You’re still not getting mine.”
Before Mike can say anything, Rachel touches his arm.
“Come on. You’ll have enough time to talk later. Let’s check in first.”
Mike nods and excuses himself, following Rachel to the kiosk.
“They work too much,” Donna says as she steps next to him, her eyes on their backs. “They must be exhausted. I’m glad they’re getting some time off now.”
“Thanks to you,” Harvey adds, wrapping an arm around her shoulders when she smiles. “You see what happens to people when they don’t have you around to meddle anymore? They overwork themselves. They lose their way. Things fall apart.”
Donna snorts. “First of all, I don’t meddle.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“Second, I don’t think it’s quite that bad, but it will probably still do them a world of good.”
Harvey glances at her, wanting to ask what she means, if she’s picked up on something or if the slightly off air between them is just a product of his imagination, but changes his mind when he sees them coming back.
“And us,” he says instead. “We haven’t exactly been idle either these past few years.”
“I don’t think you’ve been idle in over a decade,” Donna muses, the corner of her mouth lifting. “But don’t worry. I have my ways to make you unwind, in case you forgot how to.”
“I think I’ll probably manage, but if you want to give me a hand, I won’t stop you.”
“Is that a dirty pun?” Mike asks, taking his backpack off to put his passport away.
“Mike,” Rachel scolds him, rolling her eyes when Harvey chuckles. “Don’t encourage him. He’s like a teenager. Can you hold this for me?”
She hands her bag to Mike before turning towards the restrooms. Donna is looking for something in her purse, not paying attention to them, and Harvey uses the moment of relative privacy to conversationally ask, “Stressful morning, huh?”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
He doesn’t, but Mike doesn’t seem particularly willing to share any more details with him either, so he just says, “Well, you’re here now, and we have lots of time before boarding starts. You can relax.”
Mike lets out a deep breath, but nods, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Yeah, you’re right. I can’t wait to just… get there and have a good time, though.”
“Soon,” Harvey assures him.
“What about you? Ready to get a nice tan as well?”
“You know it. Though I do feel a little weird. I haven’t taken an actual vacation in years, and now that I’m starting a new job it’s the first thing I do.”
“Good thing your new boss is so lenient, huh?”
Harvey gives him a look, but anything he might have said in response sticks in his throat when his eyes catch on Mike’s profile, so very familiar and yet different somehow. He’s not just older, he looks changed too – by what, Harvey can only guess. They may talk again, but there is still a large period of Mike’s life that he knows nothing about, nothing but the fact that the first time he saw him again after it, he was different. He was harder, more goal-oriented, less inclined to stop and listen to reason.
Anything could have happened to provoke that change and Harvey wouldn’t have the first idea. It must be work, probably, the new position at a brand-new firm taking its toll on him, but he can’t know for sure.
They keep talking about it, work is busy here and he’s always at the office there, but Mike never once told him how it feels. What it’s like to be in charge of people. If he likes the work he’s doing. If he’s happy.
Granted, they haven’t really gotten a chance to talk since they put their most recent dispute to rest. It’s not that they can’t discuss these things in their group of four, but it still strikes him as something… personal. Something he’d rather talk about with just him. They’ve barley had a moment to themselves, without anyone around. There’s always someone else alongside them, or some other place they have to be, or some urgent matter demanding to be taken care of, and never a minute to just sit back and be together.
It’s almost ridiculous how much Harvey misses it.
This is not the time and place, though. Not with Donna right next to him and Rachel returning from the restroom, already craning her neck to see where they can drop off their baggage. But they’ll have time, later. Once they actually make it to Greece and everyone starts relaxing.
Donna puts a hand on his shoulder, ripping him from his thoughts.
“You alright?”
He nods. “Sure. You think we should go and drop off our luggage before Rachel gets a stroke?”
She chuckles, elbowing him gently. Harvey accepts the kiss she places on his lips before drawing back.
“Come on then. Let’s get moving.”
*
“Just a warning, the first thing I’ll do once we’ve unpacked is find us some Samos.”
“The dessert wine?” Donna asks, amused. Rachel nods.
“It’s amazing. I tried it the first time we came to Greece. My parents let me have a glass with dinner. I never forgot it.”
“Aw. I love that we have someone in our group who’s been here before and knows all the insider tips,” Donna says, smiling at her.
“I’ll do my best to remember everything,” Rachel promises, watching the view passing them by. It’s a short transfer to the house they rented, and there isn’t much time to take in the scenery, but from what Harvey has seen so far, they made a good choice in coming here.
“Greece is wonderful,” Rachel agrees when he says as much. “The quality of life is so different here. Even when you’re just visiting, you notice it right away.”
“Probably because the US is a train wreck and everywhere seems heavenly compared to that, but I get your point.”
“Also true,” Rachel concedes and sighs. “But let’s not think about that and just enjoy being here while it lasts.”
“Agreed,” Donna says, throwing him a stern look. “We’re here to relax, remember? That kind of talk is not relaxing.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mike snorts. “Look at you two. Who’s the boss now?”
“Careful. We don’t want to start this vacation with me smacking you over the head.”
“Like you’d dare,” Mike retorts cheekily, clearly unbothered by the threat. Harvey didn’t mean it anyway. He pushes down the slightly uneasy feeling in his stomach and leans back, wrapping an arm around Donna’s shoulders as he enjoys the view.
“Is that it?” Rachel asks when they drive around a corner and a house appears in sight.
“I think it is,” Mike says, craning his head. “Looks like the pictures.”
“That view really is gorgeous. They weren’t promising too much.”
Harvey has to agree as they pull up at the narrow drive leading to the house. Stepping out of the taxi, he pays the driver before taking a proper look. Donna has already gone ahead, and he grabs his suitcase and follows, the cool breeze and the chirping of the birds putting a smile on his face as he heads towards the door.
Mike has punched in the code for the door before either of them gets the chance to look it up, and the distant exclamation of “nice!” makes him chuckle.
It’s pretty much his first thought when he enters the house too.
There are no separate rooms on the first floor, just a wide, open space illuminated by the sunlight falling in from the windows that make up the opposite wall. There’s a back door leading to a pool spanning so much of the backyard that he can only catch a glimpse of it from here, though they’d hardly need it, with the sea so close that it expands right behind it. The beach must only be a few minutes away, and with the bars and restaurants they just passed on the way here, they should have everything they need in walking distance.
Donna turns around and smiles. “Wonderful, isn’t it?”
“Like a dream,” Harvey agrees. “Let’s check out the second floor, before Mike and Rachel claim the best bedroom.”
“I’m afraid we’re already too late for that, but let’s take a look anyway.”
Mike and Rachel have indeed chosen a bedroom already, but Harvey needn’t have worried, because all of them are equally spacious and beautifully decorated. The same large windows from downstairs let the light flood in, allowing for a clear view of the sea that will make for a nice way to start the day every morning.
“Yeah, this will do.”
Donna chuckles at the understatement, and he smiles, adding, “We probably won’t spend much time in here anyway.”
“Are you sure about that?” Donna asks, smirking when she lets go of her suitcase to wrap her arms around his waist.
Harvey lifts an eyebrow. She leans in to kiss him, then does it again, and again until he pulls back slightly. “Don’t you wanna unpack first?”
“Not particularly, no.”
She kisses him again, her hands sliding down his sides, and when they dip beneath his shirt he breaks the touch.
“Well, as nice as this is, I kind of do want to unpack first.”
When she lifts an eyebrow, he adds, “When we get back here tonight, we sure as hell won’t be in the mood to do it.”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not in the mood to do it now. You wanna know what I am in the mood for?”
Harvey’s eyes drop to her hands, deftly unbuttoning her blouse.
“I can take a wild guess,” he remarks dryly.
“Well? Still want to say no?”
Looking at the expression on her face, he knows that he already lost.
“When have I ever said no?” he asks, thinking that if he has to yield already, this is as good a way to go as any.
Donna smirks, already seeking his lips again, and he just so manages to kick the door shut before she’s all over him.
It only occurs to him when they’re getting dressed again, checking his hair in the mirror – Donna got the worst of it, though she doesn’t look too put out by the fact – that they never made plans for the rest of the day with Rachel and Mike, and neither of them came looking for them.
Or they did, and got a little more of a show than they bargained for.
“We should check in with the others,” he says, turning around as Donna pulls her hair into a ponytail. “See what they’ve been up to.”
“Probably the same thing we’ve been up to,” she remarks, but the door to their room is open when they pass it and there’s no one inside.
They’re not anywhere in the house and not on the balcony Harvey is only now discovering, nor are they by the pool. He’s about to send Mike a text asking where they went when the door opens and they come inside, carrying a few plastic bags.
Rachel grins as soon as she sees them.
“Look, the two lovebirds resurfaced.” Confirming his suspicions, she adds, “I trust that you found a room you like? It certainly seemed like you were… enjoying yourselves.”
Donna chuckles. Harvey smiles briefly, clearing his throat when he meets Mike’s eyes.
“It’s a nice room, yeah. Where have you two been?”
She holds up the bag. “Samos.”
“I did tell her that we could just have some with dinner, but that wasn’t enough for her.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s for after dinner, when we’re back here but don’t want to sleep yet. You’ll thank me later.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Donna says, smirking. “What else did you get?”
“Just some snacks. At Mike’s insistence, because he’s a child who can’t go two hours without food.”
“I can, I just don’t want to,” Mike disputes. “I mean, why should I put myself through that if I don’t have to?”
Rachel exchanges a longsuffering look with Donna, which makes him frown. She turns around to unpack, and he asks, “I’m serious. What’s the big deal?”
“There is no big deal, Mike.”
“Then why are you always going on and on about what I’m eating?”
Normally Harvey might have teased him about the way his frame has filled out since they first met, but it doesn’t seem appropriate now, not in the big group and with the way Mike is looking at Rachel.
“It’s a joke. I thought you liked those, considering that you can barely go a minute without making one.”
“Okay, well, it just didn’t seem like you actually thought it was funny. If something’s bothering you, just say so.”
“Of course I’ll say so,” Rachel gives back, all traces of amusement leaving her voice now. “When have I ever not said when something was bothering me?”
“I can think of a few times, actually,” Mike gives back, looking like he’s about to rattle down a list of incidents that is no doubt going to ruin the mood thoroughly.
“Before you get into that, could I borrow one of those snacks?” Harvey cuts in. “I haven’t eaten in a while, and I can’t say that I loved what they served us on the plane. I could use something solid in my stomach.”
Donna snorts. “See, Rachel? Maybe it’s not Mike. Maybe it’s just men.”
“Feeling hunger is a masculine trait, is it?”
“Don’t twist my words.” Donna rolls her eyes. “Lawyers.”
“You’re the one who voluntarily went on vacation with three of those,” Rachel points out, the corner of her mouth lifting.
Mike’s eyes are still narrowed, but his shoulders sag when he turns to Harvey, the tension leaving him.
“We thought we could grab an early dinner soon, but if you still want something, take whatever you like.” He glances at Rachel. “That’s what I bought it for, after all.”
She lets out a deep breath, but doesn’t comment.
“Have you unpacked yet?” she asks instead, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter. “I took care of that right away. Mike doesn’t see the point though, since we’re only staying for a week.”
Mike holds out his hands. “It makes no sense. I have no problem living out of a suitcase for a few days. At least I won’t have to repack everything, only to unpack it again once we’re home. It’s efficient.”
“We’re not on a class trip, Mike. This is supposed to be an actual, fancy vacation. As well as our honeymoon.”
“What, and how fancy it is depends on whether or not I unpack my suitcase?”
Rachel sighs. “No, I guess not.”
“We haven’t really unpacked either,” Harvey answers her question, ignoring the suggestive smirk on Donna’s lips.
“Maybe you should get to that before we head out for dinner, unless you think you’ll want to do it tonight.”
“Probably not. You know what, we’ll take care of it right now and then we’ll meet you back here in… say, twenty minutes?”
“Sounds good.” The corner of Rachel’s mouth lifts. “Sure you don’t wanna make it thirty?”
“I think we’re good,” Harvey says. “Donna, you coming?”
It turns out to be mostly him doing the unpacking, as Donna decides to put on a different outfit and do something about her hair after all, but they make it downstairs within twenty minutes, joining Mike and Rachel, who are already waiting in the kitchen.
“Ready to go?” Mike asks, jumping up from the counter.
“More than. I’m starving.”
“I could eat, too,” Donna agrees, and Rachel nods.
“We saw some really nice restaurants earlier. I think we’ll find something that suits us.”
They do, settling on a charming little place ten minutes from their house that doesn’t just overlook the sea, but a good part of the island too. The menu sounds heavenly as well, and Harvey leans back with a sigh when the waitress takes their orders and puts their drinks in front of them, thinking that he could get used to this. Sitting here with people he loves, for once not having to worry about anything except what to order for dessert, he can’t for the life of him remember why it took him so long to do this. He used to think that working all the time was a sign of how serious he took his job, of how tough he was. That all work and no play was an acceptable trade for the upscale lifestyle he got in return, never mind that he rarely got to enjoy it with the amount of time he spent at the office.
He doesn’t understand why, looking back now. Then again, there’s a lot of things he did that he doesn’t get anymore.
“So,” he says, shaking the train of thought, “tell us about Seattle. What’s it like? Be honest. If we’re going to regret moving there, I wanna know now.”
It’s meant as a joke, but neither Mike nor Rachel offer as much as a smile.
“Well, I love it,” Rachel begins just as the silence starts to stretch. Mike reaches for his glass, twisting it without picking it up. “I never lived anywhere other than New York before, but I think it’s a perfect alternative. I was never really all that attached to the city anyway, you know? Sure, my family is there and I didn’t mind it, but I think it’s nice to see something else for a change and not spend your whole life in one spot.”
Donna nods. “I think so too.”
“I don’t know,” Harvey says. “I mean, I get where you’re coming from, but I never thought of New York as just one spot. You have all the variety you need right at your fingertips there, don’t you? If you go somewhere else just so you won’t stay in one spot your whole life, only to give up all those options and downgrade to a smaller city… you’ll be somewhere else, but you’ll still have less than before.”
“Harvey.”
Donna throws him a look, and he holds out his hands. “What? I’m not saying that I feel that way about Seattle. I don’t know Seattle yet. I’m just saying, if you were to get tired of a place, it would probably be the smaller one that you’ve seen everything of in a few weeks or months.”
Mike hums, but doesn’t contribute anything else. His eyes stay on his glass. Harvey wonders if he is even listening.
Rachel clears her throat. “Yeah, well. Maybe you’re right. I don’t know, maybe I’ll grow tired of it one day and realize it wasn’t the right place after all. But right now I’m enjoying it.” She lifts her shoulders. “Seattle is great. It’s a really fun city. Mike always says that it’s so quiet there, and I guess when you compare it to New York it is, but there’s amazing places to go if you want to have a night out. On the rare occasion that we do, that is.”
Again, Mike fails to add anything. Harvey glances at him, but he’s still engrossed in his wine. It must be really good, to hold his attention for so long.
“Well, we’re going to change that now that I’m there. You’ll have to show me all your favorite spots,” Donna declares.
Rachel smiles. “I would love that.” She sighs. “It’ll be good to have another reason to get out of work early for once. We made some friends, but most of them have the same insane hours we do. We could use someone to drag us out of the office every once in a while.”
“Sounds like it’s a good thing I followed you to Seattle,” Donna says dryly.
“For so many reasons.” Rachel reaches across the table, squeezing her hand with a smile. “Not least because I’ll finally get to spend some time at the wonderful bars in our neighborhood. There are amazing places in all parts of the city though. And, of course, there’s great coffee wherever you go. Which is a godsend with the hours we’re working. There’s a bunch of coffee shops right around the block from the firm that will get you through any shift, no matter how hard.”
Harvey hums. “But do any of those shops reach the coffee cart guy’s level?”
Rachel snorts, taking his remark for a joke, but when he glances at Mike he’s finally looking up, smirking and bowing his head slightly in understanding.
“You can find his services in Seattle, no need to worry about that.”
“Hm. And do you? Frequently?”
Mike tilts his head. “Not as frequently as I would like. Do I want to? Sure. But I’m a grown-up now, you see. I watch my… intake.”
“Is that so.” Harvey smirks as he lifts his glass. “Well, we are on vacation. Think we should go looking for some around here?”
“Oh, definitely.”
Rachel frowns at them, but Harvey preempts her questions and, with one last glance at Mike, turns to her and asks, “So, what else is there to like about Seattle?”
“Well, it’s… a lot greener than New York, for example. I love that. You don’t just have the parks, there’s nature everywhere. And it’s cleaner. Far less rushed too. It was actually a little jarring when we first got here and still had all that momentum.”
Harvey wonders if she realizes that most of her points are just emphasizing how different Seattle is from New York. She did say she never had an issue with the city, but it still makes him wonder.
“You’re saying that like we’ve lost it,” Mike points out dryly. “I don’t see you slowing down at work. I’m telling you,” he says, turning to Harvey and Donna, “she knows no mercy. She really took a page from Louis’ book.”
“Well, I… not exactly,” Rachel tries to amend, which makes Donna snort in amusement.
“Oh, he’s gonna love hearing about this.”
“She’s more humane, I’ll give her that,” Mike concedes. “If someone is crying at their desk, it’s not because she yelled at them. Just because she’s giving them more work than they can handle.”
“They can handle it. It’s not my fault they don’t know it yet.”
“Well, if they didn’t before, they sure as hell know after working for you,” Mike says, patting her shoulder.
“Rachel, I gotta say. Hearing that makes me so proud.”
She chuckles, meeting Harvey’s eyes. “Yeah, well, I learned from the best.”
The waitress interrupts the conversation as she arrives with their plates, and any thoughts about Seattle or the firm inevitably get pushed to the background for the time being.
“Is it just the view that makes it so good or is this actually perfect?” Rachel muses, taking another bite.
“No, this actually is really good,” Harvey agrees, waving towards his plate.
“But the view is fucking sweet, man, you gotta admit it.”
Harvey smirks at Mike. “That’s right, Dorothy. You’re not in Kansas anymore. Or Coney Island.”
Mike snorts. “I do love Coney Island,” he remarks. “Love the corn dogs there. And the saltwater taffy.”
“That’s terrible. I see your taste hasn’t improved since we last spoke.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I bet you haven’t even been to Coney Island in the last decade. Or ever.”
“I have, too,” Harvey argues. “Once. And it was eight years ago, not ten. Also, you do realize that speaks for and not against me, right? Because it proves I’m a responsible adult and all that?”
“Yeah, a responsible adult who doesn’t know how to have fun.”
“Says the guy who stays late at the office every night,” Rachel remarks.
“Well, since apparently none of us remember how to have fun, I think it was high time we did something like this,” Donna says. “To remind us of what’s really important.”
She covers Harvey’s hand with hers, smiling as she looks around. Harvey meets Mike’s eyes briefly before he reaches for his glass and her hand falls away.
The conversation returns to the days ahead as they eat, and they gather ideas about what they could do until their plates are empty and the waitress hands them the dessert menu. Rachel hesitates, but agrees when Donna suggests to share. Harvey and Mike each order one for themselves.
“So, what’s the plan?” Rachel asks when she puts down her spoon. “Should we get drinks here? Somewhere else? Or do you guys want to go back?”
“Drinks sound good,” Harvey says. “I saw the menu earlier, there’s definitely something on there for me.”
“I could have a drink too,” Donna agrees.
“Great. Mike and I saw this amazingly cute bar earlier, actually. I thought maybe we could try that? Unless you want to stay here.”
Mike shrugs. “I don’t really care either way.”
“Well, why don’t we make it a girls’ night then and leave these two here?” Donna suggests. “I’m sure they have some catching up to do that they don’t need us around for. I know you and I do.”
“That sounds like a great plan, actually. You two don’t mind splitting up?”
Harvey shakes his head. “By all means, go ahead. There is no need for us to spend every minute of this trip together, and like Donna said, we probably all have some catching up to do.”
He has a feeling that Rachel in particular does, judging by the grateful look she shoots him, and since it means he’ll get to spend the rest of the night with Mike, that suits him just fine.
Donna and Rachel finish their wine before they get up and gather their things.
“Meet you back at the house?”
“Sure,” Harvey says, accepting the kiss Donna drops on his lips. “See you later. Have fun!”
“You too.”
He looks after them as they leave the restaurant, already deep in conversation. Then he turns to Mike, lifting an eyebrow.
“I’m gonna get myself some ouzo. You want something too?”
Mike gulps down the rest of his wine and nods. “You know it.”
They wave the waitress over, and she takes their empty plates and promises to be back in a minute. Harvey crosses his legs and sits back, folding his hands over his stomach.
“So. You don’t love Seattle, do you?”
Mike raises his eyebrows. “No foreplay?” he asks dryly.
“You’re the one who always goes straight for the prostate.”
“Fair enough.”
When he doesn’t say anything else, Harvey tilts his head expectantly. “Well?”
Sighing, Mike shifts in his seat. “What do you want me to say, Harvey?”
“I don’t know, yes? Or no?”
“Alright, no, I don’t love Seattle. I don’t hate it, either. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a good place to live. Not my favorite, but certainly preferable to, say, the Bronx. I don’t have to love it. It is what it is.”
The waitress brings their drinks. The rich flavor of the booze bites Harvey’s tongue as he takes a sip. It’s a welcome burn.
“Nobody said you had to love it,” he remarks as he sets it down.
Mike huffs. “You sure about that?”
Part of Harvey wants to ask, but there’s really no need to.
“Sometimes it takes a while to get there, you know,” he says instead. “One day you look back and realize that what you wanted is what you had all along.”
“I didn’t know you took motivational speaking classes in my absence.”
“Maybe I just got more mature. You ever think about that? Not all of us can stay young and carefree forever.”
“So… what you’re saying is that you got old.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say something? I was too distracted by the sight of those poorly hidden grey streaks in your hair to listen.”
“At least I can wear them with pride and don’t feel the need to cover them up.”
“Now you’re getting too personal.”
“There’s no too personal for us,” Mike points out, smirking before he raises his ouzo.
Harvey regards him quietly, his own smile fading slowly.
“Just give yourself some time. There’s no rush to get anywhere.”
Mike lets out a deep breath. “I am, yeah.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but Harvey lets it slide. One thing at a time.
“So, Seattle, the jury’s still out. But the work is good?”
“Of course it’s good. All of it’s pro bono. It’s the best work you’ll ever do.”
Harvey lifts an eyebrow. “Is it fun though?”
Mike holds his eyes before he looks away, glancing into his glass. “Sometimes.”
Harvey tilts his head. How strange this entire conversation is. Not just to an outsider, which it undoubtedly is, but for them specifically. For Mike.
When did he get so closed off? When did he stop saying what he really means?
It’s weird. It’s still Mike in front of him, and they’re still talking, still having a good time, but it’s different now. Mike is rougher around the edges. He’s not unkind, but not exactly friendly either. There’s something rugged about him, a harshness that Harvey can’t quite pinpoint or make sense of.
Whatever is at the bottom of it, there’s no way for Harvey to find out. Not with how reluctant he is to open up about the time in his life that he missed.
“Is it the firm? Or the line of work in general you’re not happy with?”
It’s not that he expects Mike to spill his guts, but maybe he’ll share something. It’s worth a try.
“What difference does it make? I’m stuck with both.”
Harvey throws him a doubtful look, but Mike just shrugs, waving his hand like he expected him not to get it.
“Who can even tell? I mean, do you know what exactly the discontentment you’re experiencing is made of every single time you feel it? What you would have to change, precisely, to make it go away? Does anyone ever?”
“I think some people do. It’s called emotional intelligence or something. I wouldn’t know.”
Mike snorts.
“I guess neither would I then.”
“I used to think you would.”
Mike’s eyes snap to his before he makes a noncommittal sound.
Pursing his lips in thought, Harvey taps the rim of his glass.
“You know, it’s kinda funny.”
“What?”
“When you came back to visit, you said I lost my way.”
It still stings, even now that he’s only repeating the words back to him. It never quite stopped stinging.
“You did lose your way.”
“Yes,” Harvey agrees. “But you didn’t?”
Mike cracks a smile that Harvey doesn’t think holds any amusement. He raises his glass, drinking until it’s empty. When he sets it down, he still hasn’t said a word.
Harvey realizes quickly that he’s not going to.
“The booze is good, isn’t it?” he changes the topic. Trivial, but safe.
“Yeah.”
“Goes nicely with the view.”
“I’ll say. If this is what vacations are like, I should have gone sooner.”
“What stopped you?”
He chuckles. “You, my hardass boss of seven years, who thought that taking a day off should be punishable by death.”
“Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit, but hyperbole is a close second.”
“And jealousy is unbecoming, so I guess we’re even.”
Harvey huffs out a laugh. “I guess we are.” He glances at Mike, hesitating before he says, “You’re different, you know.”
Mike looks at him, his eyes searching his face like he’s trying to determine if Harvey is still joking around. As if the tone of his voice didn’t make it clear.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
A bunch of conflicting answers are on the tip of Harvey’s tongue. He takes his time dissecting them one by one, sorting through them before he has to admit that it got him nowhere.
“I’m not sure yet,” he eventually tells him.
Mike accepts that with more grace than he expected.
“It just is what it is,” he says, if to himself or to Harvey, he can’t begin to guess. His eyes are on the sea behind him, watching the waves come and go. The corner of his mouth lifts at some point.
“You’re gonna laugh at me, but I did love going to Coney Island as a kid. It was the only time I ever got to see the ocean. And the only ‘vacation’ we ever really got to go on.”
When he looks back at Harvey, he smiles too.
“I’m not laughing,” he promises. “It’s not funny.”
“Grammy used to pack an entire backpack of food when we went. Since the ride took so long from where we lived, we always made a day of it. We woke up at the crack of dawn and didn’t leave until dusk, usually with a bit of a sunburn despite her best efforts to keep me in the shade.”
He looks younger as he talks, as if the memories are coming over him like a veil that erases all marks of the time gone by from his face, all that ruggedness that Harvey can’t get behind. It aches, the sight of him, in ways he couldn’t begin to put into words, so he doesn’t try to.
“I used to like getting them, actually. Isn’t that stupid? Of course it was super uncomfortable, and I looked like a clown, but it was… proof of the nice day we’d had. Of the vacation that I kept telling myself was way better than anything my classmates ever did with their families.”
He turns back to him, a challenging look in his eyes. Like he honestly expects Harvey to make fun of him.
It’s the farthest thing from his mind right now.
“It’s not stupid,” he tells him. “I think it makes a whole lot of sense, actually.”
Mike hums. “Where did you go, as a kid? Ever went on any family trips?”
“Depends on what you count as a trip.”
Harvey picks up his drink, sits back, and begins to talk.
He hasn’t thought about those memories in a long time, even after his mother’s death, not since before he even considered forgiving her, and revisiting them now brings up a lot of things he buried somewhere he wouldn’t have to look at them.
He doesn’t know how he feels about them now, but with Mike being the one sitting across from him, he doesn’t think he needs to try to put it into words. He’ll get it, probably more than anyone. He’ll understand.
Things may have changed, as has Mike, but at least this has stayed the same. They still get each other, in some ways at least. In those that count.
Maybe the rest will come, too.
The words do, at any rate. They talk over their first drink, then another one, until the last of the sunlight has vanished from the sky and the moon shines bright over the sea like he’s only ever seen in pictures.
It was a good idea, this vacation. He can feel it as he looks out on the waves, a distant sense of importance, of rightness. They needed to come here.
Rachel and Donna aren’t back yet when they reach the house, a little tipsy but in good spirits despite the rather bleak nature of what they talked about earlier.
Companionship, Harvey thinks. That’s another thing that hasn’t changed between them. He missed it. A lot.
He’s not exactly sad to find the house empty upon their return. He’s fairly certain Donna would have wanted a repeat performance of before, and he’s even more certain that he couldn’t have delivered, not with all the alcohol in his system and the exhaustion from the journey finally catching up with him.
As it is, he wishes Mike a good night before brushing his teeth and slipping into his pajamas, his eyes closing as soon as his head hits the pillow.
It feels heavenly to give in to the tiredness, to know that there is no alarm waking him up barely six hours from now and no catastrophe waiting for him, no responsibility other than deciding where to go for breakfast and what to see afterwards.
Maybe Mike was right and he did get soft in his old age.
But who is he to judge himself for it? This feels too damn good to regret anything that led him here. And this time off might be the first thing in months, if not years, that he did just for himself. Just because he wanted to. If that makes him soft, then so be it. There are much worse things to be.
It really was a good idea to come here, he thinks, the last thing on his mind before he drifts off. He can already feel himself relaxing like he hasn’t done in ages. This vacation is going to be amazing, and nothing and no one will ruin that for him.