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nat-roman0ff · 5 years

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4am (i miss you)

4am (i miss you)

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wc: 1,531

warnings: mild language, like SO much fluff, and a complete misrepresentation of commercial flights

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“I can’t do this without you anymore.”

You sigh, repositioning your phone as you lay down in bed on your stomach, “just a couple more weeks, Bub. It’ll be here before you know it,” you try and reason with your boyfriend.

Shawn pouts into the camera, “I need to see you tonight.”

You roll your eyes, “Shawn you have a show tonight and I’m hundreds of miles away from you. At least we’re in the same time zone tonight,” you try and reason with him.

He always gets this way when you’re apart for too long (although he’d contest that even a few days was far too much), he got a way. He’d whine and pout during every Facetime, complain about anything there was to complain about, and plot up all the unrealistic ways he could fit you into his busy touring schedule.

“Come out this weekend! You can fly out after work tomorrow and come back Sunday,” Shawn says, letting that one little S curl fall in front of his face.

You roll on your back, letting your hair fan out on the pillow, “I would if I could. That’s just so much traveling, and it’s been such a long week. I just want to lay and bed and eat cookies all weekend.”

He doesn’t say anything at first.

“Okay,” is all he eventually manages.

“Hey,” you say a little louder, “don’t be like that. You’re almost halfway through this tour! It’s going to fly and we’ll have the winter to do absolutely nothing.”

His face perks up a little, “can we do a Yule Ball theme for Christmas decorations?” He smiles.

You nod, “abso-fucking-lutely.”

Shawn rolls on his side, letting his cheek smush up against his pillow. He lets out a tired sigh, you recognize it well. It’s the one he does when he’s a little too tired and needs a little bit of you. You just look at each other through your screens for a few minutes, fantasizing about being next to each other in a warm bed and not hundreds of miles apart.

“Promise you’ll see me soon?” He whispers.

You nod, even though it’s probably a lie, “I promise.”

Sleep comes to you quickly that night, falling asleep to the tiny concert that played in your head every night you couldn’t be watching Shawn on stage. You’d imagined it for so long that you could feel the vibrations of the bass in your fingertips, you memorized every chord and note, every word of every song. The echoes of the crowd lulled you to sleep every night, their energy filling the silence of the lonely bedroom.

The bed is always so cold when he’s not home. Your shared condo is silent except for the gentle whirring of the air conditioner as it hums you to sleep, the city lights of Toronto glowing past the scope of your balcony view. You toss and turn, unsure of why you can’t fall asleep. You stay on your side of the bed, leaving Shawn’s side untouched. Eventually, you get up to pull on one of his hoodies he’d left behind covered in his cologne. You wrap yourself back up in bed, breathing in his scent and closing your eyes.

You aren’t sure why your heart feels so much heavier tonight. After nearly three years of dating you’d grown plenty used to the time apart - it was just the way things were and you both understood that, spending what sacred time you did have together lapping up each other’s company. He called you every day, sometimes multiple times; whether it was for ten minutes or two hours, Shawn always made it a routine part of his day to talk to you, no matter what timezone he was in.

It was especially hard this time of tour, halfway through and hoping the second half won’t drag on as long as the first did. While Shawn spends his nights selling out arenas to screaming fans you sit in a quiet condo cooking meals for one and trying not to drink an entire bottle of wine by yourself. Just because you were used to it, didn’t make it any less harder to deal with, you’d just accepted that there was going to be this empty pit in your chest until he came home.

He’d begged and pleaded for months leading up to the first leg for you to go with him; take online classes, quit your job, spend life on the road with him. You both knew it was nearly impossible, you’d spent a lot of time and energy making something for yourself and he was proud of you for that but fuck, he just missed you.

The last time you looked at your phone it was 3:44 am. You take a sip of the (now room temperature) water in the glass on your bedside table. For a few minutes you debate on turning the television on and binging some Netflix until your eyes burn but ultimately decide to roll back over, pull the covers over your head and pray for sleep.

The thought crosses you to call Shawn - he’s probably tucked into his bunk on the bus feeling a similar way, he’d never been able to sleep much because he was too much of a fucking giant to actually fit comfortably in it.

You pick up your phone, your eyes struggling to adjust to the bright screen in the dark. Your finger covers over his name in messages before you tap out a quick text to see if he’s up;

hi bub, missing you extra hardcore in these wee hours. just wish you were home to snuggle me to sleep tonight. love and miss you always. hope you’re dreaming of me.

A few minutes pass and he doesn’t respond, so you lock your phone and roll over, shut your eyes, and hope to whatever God there is that sleep will come over you. You’re not sure if it’s the late hour, the lack of sleep, or your overactive imagination, but you swear you can hear the front door of the condo open and close. You remind yourself that you do remember locking the door before going to bed and squeeze your eyes back shut and blame it on the lingering thoughts.

It isn’t until you hear the soft creak of your bedroom door opening that your eyes flash back open. Shawn is tip-toeing into your bedroom, a backpack slung over one shoulder.

“Shawn?” You whisper, your voice hoarse.

Startled, he trips over the chair at your desk, falling to the floor, “fuck baby I’m sorry did I wake you up?”

You shake your head, “no, I never fell asleep.”

You start to pull the covers back to get out but he stops you, “no no baby don’t get up. I’m gonna clean up and get changed and then I’ll crawl into bed with you, okay?” He stands up and takes the three strides to you from the other side of the room, “stay right here, promise?”

Shawn hooks his pinky around yours and kisses his hand, you follow suit and he pulls the blankets back up over your body to tuck you in, giving your forehead a quick peck.

He’s back within a few minutes, smelling like his apricot facewash and minty toothpaste, “missed you so fucking much,” he says his voice low and grovely, melting into bed next to you.

Shawn wraps his arms around your middle, pulling you towards him, your faces just inches apart, same as they were just through a phone eight hours ago. You almost don’t believe it’s real, and just a result of your overtired brain.

Your hand reaches out to cup his face, thumb rubbing over the swell of his cheek, and brushing down the side of his face at the slight stubble that’s already started growing back in, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Shawn kisses the tip of your nose, “I just miss you and wanted to wake up with you, now go to sleep, I’ll still be here in the morning.”

His lips fan over yours, giving you a quick and chaste kiss before pulling you fully into his arms. You slide your hand from his face to behind his head, threading your fingers in his hair.

It’s quiet for a few minutes, but you know he’s not sleeping. You can tell by his heartbeat and the way his breath hitches when you move your leg to slide up and over his hip. Shawn’s lips feather over any skin he can reach; your forehead, cheeks, chin, jawline. He finally settles with his head resting on your chest.

“I forget how quiet it is, it’s making my ears ring,” he whispers, his breath warm on your skin and sending chills up your spine.

You smile, twisting his curls around your finger, “you sure that’s not from the thousands of screaming fangirls earlier?”

Shawn chuckles, “maybe.”

It’s the last thing either of you mutter in the early hours. You both fall asleep in each other’s arms in the silence of your own bedroom, in perfect uninterrupted bliss until the sun rises and greets a new day.

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes imagine

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darveyfics · 7 years

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We Fight Like Hell [to Protect It]

Prompt:

anonymous - Nothing really specific but I would love some protective Harvey.

Not sure if this is what you had in mind but I was doing a re-watch and this wouldn’t leave me alone so here we go! An AU during 4x11 Enough is Enough

Donna was staring out the expansive window of Harvey's office overlooking the late hour of bustling Midtown madness when she closed her eyes as she heard his familiar footsteps outside the hallway. It was late enough that he'd be the only one coming this way, but that still doesn't change the fact that she'd be able to pick out his steady gait out of the hundred employees at Pearson Specter.

She caught his reflection and twisted her fingers in shame.

"Harvey," she called out and watched the reflection step into his own office before she began to turn around.

"You don't need to say it," he said with a quiet rage discernable only to her ears. It isn't directed at her, but she feels like it should be. At least, partially.

"Yeah, I do," she confirmed as she turned to face him. She paused for a moment before walking towards him as he came around to stand at the corner of his desk. "Louis came looking for you, and I didn't know what to do. He was going to call Sheila and tell her everything. I'd never seen him like that before."

She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her hands and for the first time, Harvey saw the smudged mascara and tear tracks bleeding through her typically put together self.

"Donna, this is not on you," he told her honestly. Because it was him. And Mike. And they thought they were invincible. She had always been the voice of reason, but he hadn't listened to her this time.

"Yes, it is. He pressed me, and I broke," she registered a sniffle, and her eyes met his. Hers was full of shame. His were full of contempt. But still, none of it directed at her.

"It doesn't matter because he already knew," he tries as he broke his gaze and looked down at her defeated posture before returning to lock eyes with her again.

"How can you know that?" She shook her head. She's the one that reads people. Not him. Well, he can't always know as she knows. He's Harvey, not Donna.

"Because I know Louis," he begins, and she watches as he steps around his desk. "And I know you. And he couldn't have broken you unless he knew the truth already. So, this is not your fault, and I never want to hear you say that again."

He's standing in front of her and saying all these words and keeping his eyes locked on hers, knowing she'd see that he's telling her the truth.

"I should have at least warned you before you got here," she says with a flippant gesture. It's all too much and yet not enough.

"All that would have done was antagonize him even more because he would have known you did it," he says as he shakes his head. His fingers unconsciously reach out, and they press her wrist and linger before encircling them. And he does it all without breaking eye contact. "You did everything you could have done."

"Okay," she gets out, and her shoulders shrug a little and his hold slips. Their fingers brush for the briefest of moments. Its a staring contest between them as they continue a wordless conversation to finalize their roles in this new hellscape they've just made.

"We have to tell Mike," she notes with as much care as possible.

"No we don't," he shakes his head and drops his hands back to his side. "Not now."

"Harvey," she whispers.

He watches her lips rather than her eyes now.

"I'll tell him in the morning. He just had a huge win, and I am not in the mood to ruin his night," he notes as he shakes his head.

A single tear falls as she nods her head. She understands but she's also one hundred percent certain this isn't going to be a favour to anyone come tomorrow.

He takes another look at her and reaches deep into his pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a brilliant white pocket square that's been hidden in the suit jacket all day. He hands it to her with a quiet sort of acceptance that they're now here of all places.

She swallows the lump in her throat and unfolds the square once, blotting at the trail of tears before moving to where she knows she looks like a bit of a sad, mangy raccoon.

He has the decency to look away for a moment to let her clean up before he turns back to look at her.

"Come on," he says after she's a little more put together. He can still see how defeated and sorry she is by her eyes and her posture. "Let's go home. There's nothing more we can do tonight."

There's a quiet moment once again as he helps her into her coat and they make it out to the car Harvey's parked at the curb. He opens the passenger door for her, and after she buckles in, she takes hold of her hair, so it doesn't fly all over the place when he does eventually get to pick up speed. When he turns the block three times to head to the Upper East Side, she hums and resigns herself to an evening in his company.

He means his home and not separate homes, and for once, she doesn't give a shit how it looks. He's done this a handful of times in the last year if she's really honest with herself. Plus, she's mentally and physically exhausted from the past two hours and doesn't have the energy to protest.

She doesn't have an appetite, and he doesn't force the issue. He promises to make waffles and berries in the morning since he’s pretty sure Mike had eaten all the good cereal she likes when he had been avoiding Rachel. He's kind of glad the kid is at some other place tonight.

He gives her a spare undershirt and a pair of clean gym shorts. She digs through a washroom drawer to find a new head for his Sonicare and makes sure that her brush head’s coloured ring was not the same as his that already sits atop the brush base. She pulls an extra washcloth and uses his facewash to remove her makeup, and when she comes out of the washroom, he's already turned down his bed and dressed in sweatpants and a similar undershirt.

She lets him slink past her, sticks her clothes on his dresser by the mirror, and then she moves around to the right side of the bed and slips in and rests her head on one of the soft feathered pillows. He's also pulled the blanket out. The one from his father's house that she always curled up in on their holiday or long weekend visits. When they had been dividing little things after his death, Marcus handed over the blanket without a second thought. And here he is, using it without a second thought. Shit, she thinks, she must look really fucking pitiful if Harvey's initiating so many gestures tonight without prompting. This thought causes her to sigh, and he wordlessly questions her with a raised brow as he slips in on his side. As a gesture, she shares her blanket--spreading it horizontally over their middles.

His fingers slide along bare skin on her arm as she curls up against his side, her head resting in the space between his chest and shoulder. He'll have a tingling, almost dead arm by the time she falls asleep. His rage has lessened in her presence and the quiet, gentle rhythm he's established listening to her breathing as well as his gentle touch on her skin. And its less than an hour after she slips into sleep that he finally does, too.

In the morning, he'll be on his stomach with his mouth a little open, and she'll be on her side, leaning against him, sleeping more on his side of the bed than her own. She slips out of his bed and grabs one of her spare dresses she has in the back of his closet-- like he has a few spare suits in the back of hers. She'll shower and dig through her purse to find her emergency makeup bag that has limited items but enough to not have to go home.

When she finally looks at her phone, she finds Rachel's texted her sometime in the night after she had turned the do not disturb function on and she warns Harvey as she's finishing up her waffles that Mike is most likely going to come to him.

He tells her to take the car, meaning Ray, and as soon as Ray texts that he's outside the building, Donna shrugs on her coat and Harvey's still eating waffles at the table.

She leans in and her fingers grip his arm as she presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, Harvey," she whispers with a small smile.

He nods through a mouthful of syrupy breakfast food and watches her leave.

Almost fifteen minutes later, Mike shows up.

There's a tap and rap rhythm on her door, and she knows it's him because no one else knocks like he's trying to do a poor man's morse code. She blows a breath out as she leaves her wine glass on the coffee table in front of her and unfolds herself from the couch to get the door.

When she opens the door, she doesn't have to force a smile because she's had a hell of a day and its only gotten worse for both of them, and his face mirrors her own.

She opens the door a little more to let him sneak past her, and she closes and locks the door.

"Rachel here?" He asks as he looks around and then back to her.

"No. I'm pretty sure they made up," she shakes her head as she watches him look at her and then he moves to her living room and sets the paper takeout bag in hand on the floor, and he sheds his suit jacket before sitting down.

"Sure, make yourself at home," she says sarcastically but moves to the kitchen and pulls out a wine glass for him.

He sits on the couch and looks at the bottle next to her own glass and pretends he knows about wine and his lips upturn in interest and he finds her looking at him with a small smile.

"Pretending you know if that's good or not?" Donna says as she taps his knees with her legs because he doesn't move and she sits down and sets the glass on the table.

Instead of letting her pour, he tops off her glass and fills his own before returning the bottle to the table.

He starts pulling food out of his paper bag and hands her a little takeout box that has three stars on the edge and she hides a smile as he takes out his own that has two stars.

"The shitty Thai place?" she asks as he gets up and moves to her kitchen to get their expensive, non-wood chopsticks she keeps in her utensil drawer. One of her better investments, he thinks, with how much Asian food they've consumed in the past fifteen years. “You must really want my company.”

He hands her a pair when he returns, and she sits criss-cross on the couch as he toes off his shoes to then sets his feet on the edge of the coffee table in front of him.

He watches her start to eat before he focuses on her own. Her television is off, and one of his dad's records quietly plays in the background, and he swallows the guilt.

"Did you and Rachel share a bed?" He jokes as he notices her couch is a little better than his own for sleeping and there aren't any blankets laying around or messily over the back of any chair.

"I told you once that how I sleep is none of your concern," she says with a laugh as she sipped her wine.

"And that still doesn't stop me from thinking about it," he points out.

"Asshole," she shakes her head. "But, no. I mean, did you and Mike share a bed?"

"He likes your side," Harvey jokes. "He did, however, eat all the cereal. I mean he even ate the Raisin Bran Crunch which I'm pretty sure was really old."

"That damn kid," Donna sighs dramatically. "That's why we had waffles this morning."

"Yep," Harvey said through a mouthful of noodles.

Donna shook her head.

Once they were finished with their food, he bags all their trash and moves into the kitchen to throw it in her bin. He sees the photo sitting at the kitchen table next to her purse and his lips form a frown. He brings the framed photo back to the couch, and he has a million questions, but he knows she gave the photo to Louis less than a month ago.

"This morning I found that face down on my desk," she says as she picks up her glass and swirls the dark red liquid around. "I told him I didn't want him to throw our friendship away over this. And he said it didn't exist in the first place."

She takes a moment to sip her wine and then traces the rim of the glass.

"He asked if I had the chance to take back all the nice things I've ever done in the name of our friendship in exchange for him not finding out, if I would do it."

He takes a mouthful of wine, and his fingers tighten on the stem.

"I didn't answer," she shrugged a shoulder. "It was a bullshit question asked to make me feel like shit. And, it worked."

"Donna," he says quietly and his fingers land on her knee.

"The worst part was when he told me I was dead to him," she said as she looked at him. She had unshed tears in her eyes, and he could tell that she was biting her lip before she hid her mouth for a moment by drinking her wine again.

Louis was going after her because he knew damn well it was the best way to get to him. The man had recently called him cold. And he'll take it every day if he has to, but as soon as someone comes after someone he cares about, especially the woman beside him, they better strap in and prepare for his overprotective nature.

He fills their glasses one last time, and he motions for her to sit by him. She curls into a different angle where her side is flush with his. His arm moves up and over her shoulder, slowly tracing the same pattern up and down on her robe-covered arm as they sit in the quiet of her apartment with the only sound his father's saxophone and the occasional sigh as the wine helps them unwind for the night.

"You want me to stay?" He asks quietly as they both finish off the last of the wine.

"Its okay," she shakes her head and moves into a seated position.

He nods and stands, shrugging on his suit jacket, and he watches as she stands.

She walks him to the door, and he promises to pick her up tomorrow because he'll be in early to meet with Jessica and she agrees.

His fingers gently grasp her forearm and slowly slide down to encircle her wrist. He leans in and presses his lips to her temple, and he catches her eye as he moves back.

"Goodnight, Donna," he says quietly.

"Night, Harvey," she echoes.

She watches him as he walks down the hall to the elevator in her building before shutting and locking the door.

Louis was slowly moving up his shit list, and it had been Harvey's and Jessica's day with the announcing of his partnership and the half-truths Harvey had to spout and pretend like he was thrilled this was happening.

And it had only gotten worse when Robert Zane called in his favour, and he had to use leverage against Scottie when all he wanted to do was keep their relationship at status quo and not have this shit hanging over their heads. Donna had offered to call and set up the meeting, but he had shaken his head. He needed to do this. She understood.

So, she didn't question when he took his 'me' time to the coffee cart a few minutes later. And an hour later when she was finishing up setting up a few client meetings with Cline's people, he was in her space, setting down a cruller and one of her specialty drinks with extra, extra whipped cream.

For the rest of the day, he sat at the chair nearest his basketballs, and she took the couch cushion closest to him, working silently on case files.

He had been out of sorts and forgot niceties by the time seven pm rolled around. It had been a short meeting with Scottie, and when he was about to text Ray to come back and get him, a familiar individual leaned against the Lexus stopped at the curb.

"What the hell happened now?" He asks as he rubs his temples.

"He's requested a party with cake and champagne," Donna says as she stands up straight.

"Goddamn Louis," Harvey says as he clenches his jaw.

"Jessica was looking for you, so I told her I would have my guys take care of it since we know Louis and he's going to make all of us more miserable if we get it wrong," Donna says. "I told her I would tell you."

He blew out a breath and she knew without asking none of it went well despite the fact he had succeeded for Robert Zane.

"Come on," she says to him as she stands away from the door. "Let’s go get barbeque, make a pit stop, and then go home."

"Barbeque?" He asks as he opens the door and he hears Ray start the car.

"We can also blame Robert Zane for it," she shrugs before she ducks into the car.

He has a genuine smile on his face for the first time in several hours as walks to the other side, and when he gets in, he lets Ray know the agenda.

They went to Fette Sau and ordered all the barbeque thanks to Donna's conversation with Robert earlier, and Donna couldn't stop craving ribs and brisket for the rest of the day. They had Ray come in with them, and Harvey's driver tried to sit at the counter, but Donna was having none of it and told him he was their chaperone since Donna tended to be very territorial about her barbeque and Harvey tended to order something else off the menu and steal her food. Harvey countered that he ordered other things so they could share and that's why he takes things because she does it, too.

Ray agreed, if only to see Donna's forceful beauty extend to protecting a little piece of barbeque heaven from his boss.

As its an agenda item, Harvey made one last stop that night. Its why he got an extra order of ribs with extra spicy sauce, potato salad, and baked beans to go. And, a half hour later he was at the door with a bag and a case file that doesn't say Pearson Specter... now Pearson Specter Litt.

"It's done," Harvey says as he hands over a white takeout bag and the case file to Robert when he opened the front door. "We're even."

The older lawyer frowns in slight confusion as he watches as Harvey moves to the far side of the Lexus. The windows are too tinted, but as the lights turn on from the open door, he can see there's a familiar silhouette in the window that he had seen earlier that day in Harvey's office talking about the barbeque he now holds in his hand.

"Shit," he whispers to himself as he watches the Lexus drive away.

As with all meaningful confrontations, Harvey corners Louis in the Pearson Specter Litt washrooms after he had seen Donna get back to her desk to slowly sit in her chair and then run a hand through her hair, her posture showing slight defeat.

Thankfully the door is on a hinge that prevents his anger from ruining the door with the force he opens it with to find Louis looking at himself in the mirror with a grin on his face.

"You really want the pomp and circumstance, to lord it over our heads, and tell people that they're dead to you and break people? Then do it to me and do it to Mike. But don't you dare bring Donna into this," Harvey says as his fingers clench into a fist at his side. Although Jessica had made Louis sign the partnership agreement with the small addendum that he is also a co-conspirator, the message for them to start anew didn't quite reach Louis yet.

Louis turned and silently questioned Harvey, grin still apparent.

"Before this whole episode that you've made this small thing to be, Donna went to Jessica and almost got herself fired asking if you could help with Forstman and if Jessica would allow you to stay since she’s let me stay and let Donna come back," Harvey confessed. "She went to bat for you when no one else would. And, when I was supposed to fire you, she came with me to be there to support you because she knows this place is all you have."

Louis looked down in shame for the tiniest moment, but his ego was so overinflated at this point that Harvey was going to have to do a lot more confessing before it was over.

"She has only ever been your goddamn friend, Louis," Harvey says in a way that's quiet but cutting. "She gives a shit about you, Louis. Whenever you fuck up, she is always ready to defend you. And, this is how you treat her?"

"Why would I trust anything you say?" Louis spits back with just as much bite but not enough venom as Harvey’s own voice holds.

He looks at Harvey and steeples his fingers in front of himself.

"How do I know I can ever trust either of you? She may have you wrapped around her finger and be lying to you, too," he reminds the man in front of him. "I know you slept together. She just told me as a part of her penance."

Harvey worked his jaw for a moment, focusing on not beating the shit out of Louis for that comment.

"For the past three days, she's gone home and cried or felt like shit, and sometimes both," Harvey says quietly. He's unsure if Donna would want Louis knowing this, but it's all in the name of protecting the weird friendship Donna and Louis have undertaken the last thirteen years. "What was it you said to me a year and a half ago? What just happened to that beautiful woman in there, that's on you, not me. Well, this time, it is on you. It's on you because you can't goddamn see all she's ever done is defend you and the friendship she values with you. To me. To Jessica. And to any number of people who question us as a firm."

Louis's jaw twitches. He swallows a lump in his throat.

"After you left to go and lord it over Mike, Jessica told me that you threatened to go to the police," Harvey recalled as he stepped closer and used his height to intimidate the shorter man. "Of course Mike, Jessica, and I would have done time. Jessica and I would have our licenses stripped. Donna and Rachel may have also gone to prison depending who the ADA or DA was and if they had a grudge. And, you know what, the thought of Donna going to prison made me want to drop to my knees."

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but Harvey poked his chest with a finger to back him up.

"She's put me and my career first for the past fifteen years, and her loyalty to me is not to be mistaken for a fake friendship with you," Harvey reminds him. "She told you she was sorry and she meant it. It wasn't her tale to tell, you goddamn asshole."

He can see Louis's ego lessening a little. More to a manageable level. Still too much but enough to make him hold up a mirror to himself.

"I've taken your shitty attitude, and now we have you on the ropes, so you better cut the shit, Louis," Harvey reminds him.

Louis opens up his mouth to speak, and Harvey holds up a finger, wordlessly telling him that he's not finished.

"So, I swear to god, Louis, if you ever threaten her, make her cry, or do shady shit to her again, I will beat the shit out of you," Harvey warned. "And, until you figure your shit out and realize she's your friend, and apologise and mean it, stay the hell away from Donna."

Harvey works his jaw as he stands and looks at Louis, making sure the man knows he's not fucking around and Louis dips his chin, acknowledging his understanding.

She's leaning against the edge of his window where she had been three days ago, playing with the baseball he usually keeps on his desk. She's worried the stitching a million times over when she looks up and finds him leaning against the open door of his office.

"Hey," she whispers with a small smile.

"Hey," he echoes her greeting and tone.

She looks him over, and her head tilts with curiosity and knowledge despite the fact he didn't tell her what he was going to do.

"You saw Louis, didn't you?" Donna says with a knowing raise to her brows as he comes closer and takes the baseball from her hands.

"What can I say, he brings out the best in me," Harvey shrugs and his chin dips to watch his fingers move to the stitching as if he was going to pitch a fastball.

She tilts her head and leans in, catching his eyes with her own, and he brings his chin up. They have a wordless conversation where his gaze confesses what he's done.

"You're so goddamn emotional," she laughs breathily, and she steps away from her seat at the window. “While sweet, don’t do that again because we should be taking Jessica’s advice to heart.”

“What, fighting like hell to protect it?” Harvey asks as he’s heard a few things from Jessica the past few days.

She shakes her head and hides a smirk. She invades his space, her fingers run under the lapels of his jacket, and she tucks herself closer. Or, maybe she tugged him a little closer. Either way, she's up in his space, and he watches her eyes search him for a moment. And then two.

And then she's slowly leaning in and its long enough for him to either break contact or go full force, and he chooses a delicate version of the latter.

It's soft and unhurried. Donna's lips are full and sweet and bright, and he swears there's a hint of lip stain that sort of changes the entire taste of her as his teeth graze her lips in a brief exchange that's entirely too short in his opinion. He leans into her as her fingers tighten in his lapels and she leans up and into him. She stops it slowly. He's left with his eyes closed and his brows knitted in concentration and he opens his eyes slowly to find her wide brown eyes searching his own again.

"Thank you, Harvey," she whispers as her fingers loosen and drop and she smiles and drops eye contact as her chin moves downward. She licks her lips unconsciously as she feels him watching her and she steps to the side to go home for the night.

His fingers reach out and stop her as they grab her wrist and keeps her frozen to the spot.

"Come on," he gestures to the coat rack that holds both their jackets with the hand that holds the baseball. "Let's go home."

"I don't have spares at your condo," Donna reminds him.

"We're not coming into work tomorrow until later," he says as he shakes her head. "Breakfast and an excursion to get me a few new suits and you a few new dresses are in order, I think."

She laughs and he sees a genuine smile on her face for the first time in three days and he thinks they’re moving in the right direction for once.

He props the baseball back on his desk, and he helps her into her coat and then shrugs on his. He waits for her to pack her bag and as she rounds her cubicle, his fingers touch her own. She brings their palms together as they walk down the expanse of the hallway and for the first time this week as they see the Litt on the wall at the elevator, it doesn't bring a sense of dread of what's next in either of them.

#darvey #darvey fic #harvey x donna #author: harrietspecter #prompt #one shot #rated t

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delciastudies · 5 years

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[27.10.19] ✧ a story on firsts

White carpet, soft hands

tangled thread under my fingers, under my hair, in my hair

Leaned back 3am, cold floor and bare feet

One twist lock, clothes hanger

Bike breaks and cold air, Wet

Heads at the end of the bed, white frames, white blankets

Fleeting thoughts and framing memories

Wine glasses filled with dead flowers, flowers on our arms, songs looped and dead flowers

Dragonflies on my desk and elephants in my bookshelf. Lovers in my bookshelf. Receipts, plane tickets

Hopes on my desk, candle lit, 3am

Back burning lines against the radiator, cold floors, soft blue sunrises and soft blue eyes

White memories, white cigarette smoke, white gloves from Austria

Pink skin and pink tape, pink lips, pink scattered on my face

Red brick, red lips, red eyes, red lanterns, red wine running down my face

Honey tea, honey facewash, honey where are you flying to?

White converter, blue ceiling tiles, blue ballerina above my bed

Dutch songs, quiet mornings

White mornings, white comforter, white ceiling tiles

The Japanese house above my bed

Coffee in overcoats, chocolate wrapper book marks, breathe

things and visions at my desk

Bugs under the radiator

#poetry

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originalhotdreamland-blog · 6 years

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Good Vibes Wine Anti Ageing Face Wash | Winter Skin Care Beauty Products |#facewash #styloshipra https://cstu.io/8a480a

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hexarlequinette · 5 years

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I'm not the anon who asked your beauty regimen but after reading your text post you seem so knowledgable about beauty and health. May I ask the brand of all the products you use for skin/hair/ingestion? I'd like to see which ones would work best for me.

Yes, I am a total health nut and believe beauty lies in good nutrition and taking care of your body but when it comes to products, I don’t really pay as much attention and prefer not to waist a fortune on them but defo the more natural, the better. For skin I use Simple hydrating light moisturiser (which is basic af but is nice for my sensitive skin and doesn’t have any excess additives inside). ZARQA cleansing tonic clear skin, which is more pricey but perfect. Australian bodycare pure tea tree oil and spot stick. For Neem oil idk the brand cause i poured it over to a different container but was from a biological shop. My pure argan oil is from Equilibra brand. Sunscreen I use Eucerin sensitive protect 50spf. Shampoo and conditioner atm are the most random ever, Loreal Paris Dream Long shampoo lol. Hair oil for just the tips of my hair, i sometimes apply HASK Macadamia Oil and CHI Luxury black seed dry oil. Facewash is also kinda ratchet, some russian brand but it mimics the black mask just in the shape of a deep pore cleansing facewash. My fave scrub has been Garnier SkinActive pure active 3 in 1 for years bc it’s cheap and really purifies the skin if I have sunscreen on or have just taken off makeup. Uhmm and for spirulina tablets it’s Nutrislim brand. Maca capsules are PlanetBIO. B-vitamin complex is some estonian brand. And actually more or less all the superfood seeds, berries and powders are from PlanetBIO. Foundation I very seldom use SENSAI Luminous Sheer one. Lip smackers I am obsessed with Burts&Bees, the tinted ones are also amazing but I also have a ton of different brand versions, I am utterly addicted to lipcear. So there you go, it is all quite random and bottom line is still to look for best products that fit each individual, but the key for thriving is to eat well, not to drink (if I ever drink, it’s only red wine or pure vodka shots with a slice of lemon. All the sugary drinks and beer make my skin react instantly and is also super high caloric.) So yes, what you eat, is what you become, no joke. Kisses

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bellajonas-blog1 · 6 years

Text

Strategic Management Analysis Of LUX

Introduction Of The Company:

Lux is an important FMCG product owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). HUL is a 52% owned subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever, which was initiated in the year 1888. This company mainly deals with consumer durables operating in the market and manufacturing them. HUL is an Indian based company which is a subsidiary of Unilever. Improving the supply chain, taking initiatives to build the brand with the latest innovation is the main focus of the company’s perspective. The company aims to maintain its leadership in the overall FMCG category in India.

Lux soap was first launched in 1916 by Lever Brothers. It was introduced to encourage women to wash their clothes without fear of clothes turning yellow. In 1925 bathroom soap were introduced and it was introduced as the luxury. In the year 1958 Lux came up with different color range: pink, blue, yellow, green. Lux also came up with different packaging styles. Today Lux stands as one of India’s trusted care brands. In 2005 Lux came up with some new variants such as Wine and Roses bath cream, sparkling morning shower gels (Hul.co.in, 2015).

Some of the prominent variants are Lux fruit, Lux sandalwood, Lux Rose, Lux Almond, Lux Orchid, Lux Chocolate, Lux Oil and Honey Glow etc (Outsiders, 2015).

PESTEL Factors Of LUX: Political Factors: Politically lux is facing a problem on the import of raw materials. The government has banned the import of tallow which is one of the basic requirements for soap. Also, there is not so much problem for the ALFRESHSOAP so that it does not create any impact that can affect the product. Also, adulteration of Vanaspati was another incidence by unscrupulous manufacture. Also, the soap industries in India were under the restriction of raj (Sadler, 2003). Later on, there has been more competition between the organized and unorganized sector. The political scenario is changing day by day and new entrants are posing on the threat by giving concession on tax. Economic Factors: The cost of soaps in India is very high as compared to other countries like Indonesia. This is mainly accompanied by the rise in the cost of import duties. The import duty rates have increased from 20% to 35% and the excise rates have also increased at a speed of 16% that forms a major portion of the cost.

The average expenditure per user of every household for toilet soap is Rs 237 and Rs 706 for high-income groups. Social Factors: The need for hygiene and personal skin care is very important nowadays with the increasing disposable income levels and a rise in education. Being a member of the World Trade Organization it is very important to maintain the necessity of skin care and personal affection towards health. Therefore Lux targets the audience to go for Premium Soaps by enhancing the aspiration levels. NGOs towards inefficient PHC- primary health center and fragmented approach of government alleviate the problem. The rate at which advertising media like cable TV and satellite are growing to give emphasis to the market penetration initiatives of other competitors in the market.

Technological Factors:

The industry should focus on technology-intensive opportunities rather being a capital intensive industry. The company should focus on manufacturing premium soap comparing with other soaps. The company should also focus on logistics management where distribution and marketing plays a pivotal role. Also, the company emphasizes on Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) and Supply Chain Management. The company is also trying to cope up with small Kirana stores and small retailers. This company should cater to a high-income group as it is expected to rise by more 100 percent.

Environmental Factors:

Lux was facing a problem of environmental degradation because HUL had fewer resources that could be used and they could produce less waste. Also, there was a major development of European emissions which could restrict the number of polluters that are being emitted in the air and thus Lux could become an eco-friendly product.

Legal:

Because of their presence in the worldwide, they are bound to abide by some rules and regulations by national law. Therefore HUL as a company should make any changes abiding by the changes accordingly.

Porter’s Five Forces For LUX:-Threat Of New Entrants-

In every company, new competitors are constantly entering the market to gain more market share and make their presence across more intense and compete globally. This makes the threat of new entrants high in the market. In the last two years, there are many companies such as Elf makeup, celebrity-branded makeup which have come up into this industry. Because as per economies of scale perfumes and makeup are produced in larger quantities. This is relatively lower in cost per unit. Therefore this is an industry many firms like to open up into. And also very less capital is required and any company can play a dominant role and become the market leader. The threat of new entry is high because palm oil is imported from Malaysia and it is very expensive in India compared to China and Malaysia. So To launch personal care products there will be more cost involved.

Bargaining Power Of Buyers :

In this type, the customers always look forward to reducing the prices and add services to improve the quality of the product that can affect firms competition. Also in this type, the customers have a preference to switch over to other brands and not always stick to any particular product. Which indicates that buying power is always high. But also customers prefer to stock various brands at favorable prices. In rural areas, people are not interested to buy high priced products.

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers:

This means how much power the supplier side has. The cost of switching to the suppliers is not very high as there are many companies which create their own personal products. They have lesser suppliers because Unilever has more than 100 manufacturing units in India ('five forces', 2015).

Threat Of Substitute Products:

This is the fourth force which is very high in this type of industry. If any customer is not satisfied with the quality they can always shift for other brands and go for other substitute products. It may be high priced or low priced depending upon the quality. In this type of Industry threat of substitute is very high. Because for soaps biggest substitute will be facewash and body wash. There is an upward trend to use them as it comes from the western culture.

Rivalry Among Existing Competitors:

There are a large number of firms which are competing with each other. In this type, there is very little product differentiation existing example the scents smell similar.

Conclusion:

From the above assignment, it is concluded that Lux is one of the iconic products that has entered the Indian market. The history of Lux has been related to women of every generation and this is one of their mission strategies. The brand Lux have been able to uniquely position itself in the market and launched through the media partners as well. Advertisements include beautiful photos in pages of women magazines to billboards TV and newspapers as well to actively associate with the market. Lux has successfully transcended the hurdles of elite class epitome and has positioned itself occupying center stage appealing to women of all ages.

Considering the present market share we can say that Lux is a promising brand which is coming to fulfill the needs of customers. The continuity and popularity stand out to be uniquely able to satisfy human needs satisfactorily and it promises to run across centuries.

Get some most prominent report for Strategic Management Analysis Of LUX.

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junybreeze · 6 years

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Hi everyone ! Hope you’re doing great !

I know you guys are going on vacation now and if you’re like me with a very well defined beauty routine, I guess then you wondered what you would take with you in your luggage. You don’t want to miss any step of your beauty routine on vacation and I understand a 100%. You might go somewhere by the beach and the sun, the wind, salt and water (plus change of food) might affect the quality of your skin and hair health. So not only should you keep it up with your normal routine, but you also have to be even more picky about your routine guys !

If you know me now, you know that first thing I’ll advice is WATER. Drink water guys ! No matter how much red wine you already had so far … DRINK at least one glass of water. And don’t forget to hydrate every hour moreover if you’re tanning (forget about bloating in your tiny bikini). Your skin will thank you.

Ok. That said let’s move with Skincare and haircare.

Summer Skin/Hair care Essentials

You know that feeling when your so happy as you left the beauty shop because you’ve just refilled your whole skincare routine … and then you realize you’re travelling in 3 days and you can’t take those stuffs with you on the airplane … (#facepalm). So, I had no choice and went back to rebuy my routine in travelling size ! But of course I did not find everything in travelling size … (would be too easy come on!). So I had to rethink and replace some of my skincare / hair products. And here’s what I came out with.

Pai travelling pouch for sensitive skin

I chosed this pouch without really knowing what was Inside. I already tried Pai products but never the ones that were Inside this pouch. I just needed a facecream and a facewash so I Grabbed this ! And here’s what I think about this as I used it during my whole trip in Italy.

The Camelia & Rose cleanser is the softest thing I’ve ever used to wash my skin. It come with small conton towel. Basicaly what you have to do is to take four plumps on yur finger and gently massage on dry skin. Then you warm the towel with warm water and you was off your face with smal cricular movements. Your whole skin feel skin without any feel of dryness. It’s great for extremly sensitiv skins.

The rebalancing day cream, is a basic cream that protects your skin. It’s a classic cream. The smell is classic also. It respects the skin and you barely feel it. It’s all I ask from a day cream (do the work and shut up).

Might rebuy as it’s really good stuff !

Click on picture below to check it !

Glossier Super Pure Serum & Glossier Sunscreen Cream SPF 35

I really enjoyed those two skincare products from glossier this summer. The serum is just perfection as it smoothed my skin and healed any breakout. The sunscreen really protected my skin but melted really really fast. For more info, please check my last article about Glossier.

Shampoo John Masters Oganics & Conditionner Rahua Hydration Conditioner

Of course, I would never travel without my favorite shampoo from John Masters Organics. It’s almost made with only natural products. It’s very gentle as it almost never foam. An it leaves that amazing fresh smell of lavender. I matched it with the Rahua hydration conditionner. It was the first time I tried it and I liked it. It left my hair very very smooth and easy to design.

For the shampoo I will always rebuy.

For the conditionner, wont rebuy (many other conditionners that are as good).

Kiehl’s body gel and body butter

Everybody knows Kiehl’s, and their body gel and body butter are quite classic and with good composition. I like those two together. And the body wash is very hydrating which is great after tanning. I had them as b-day gifts by Kiehl’s in travel size.

Won’t buy as there are many other brands that have better composition to discover.

Girl Smells Deodorant

I had a crush on this super cute and photogenic deodorant at the store. It’s biological, alcohol free and alumnium free and it smells greeeeaaat ! Girl Smells does it in many different perfume (vanilia, grapefruit, orange etc…). It’s super confortable on armpit skin. One bad point, it does not really do the work … It smells great and it’s easy to wear. But it does not stop you from sweating. I know it may sound gross to some of you but I like that. Sweating is an important way for your body to detoxify. The thing we don’t like about sweat is discomfort but most important the smell. Smell is well controlled here ! The texture is extremely watery (most liquid deodorants are a bit creamy but not this one). So I love the smell and packaging but it does not last too long and price is quite expensive as it’s a high end product.

Will rebuy and complete with the rest of the body collection.

Click on picture below to buy it.

Summer Make up Essentials

On vacation, I don’t really like to put on make up. As beeing tanned fills all my beauty goals (I swear…), I just stay to my skincare routine. But when it’s time for dinner in a fancy place I still like to but some make up to match the vibe of my outfit. So here is what I use as beauty enhancers on vacation !

Eye makeup.

I like to keep it really natural when it comes to shade colors while on vacation. So I use small handable pallettes with neutral colors (for brunettes). I use a lid base stick that is one tone darker than my lid skin. This way I eaither use it as a base for eyeshadow or as a shade itself. Mascara of course !

Eyeshadow Palette is from Dior Backstage in shades 001 Warm Neutrals / Eyelid stick from Bobbi Brown in shade Taupe / Mascara Better Than Sex from Too Faced

And I always take a very classy shade for night out to add that extra sofisticated look.

Eyeshadow from Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in Shade #3 .

I never travel without Laura Mercier‘s make up ! This brand totally changed the way I looked at make up since I was 20 y/o (6years ago). The formula of the foundation and concealer are just perfection for smart coverage with a natural finish. Perfect to not look over baked during this summer. I always take red lipstick. Got to keep close to my classics! what can I say ? And a highlighter, for the glory finish. This summer, I literally LIVE for the glow !.

Processed with VSCO with a4 preset

From left to right : Red lipstick in shade Maya/ Concealer in shade #2 / Tinted moisturizer spa 20 in shade Bisque / Highlighter in shade Seduction .

Of course, beauty routine would never be complete without the finish touch of perfume and nail polish … So here’s what I picked up for this summer.

Tom Ford’s Eau de Soleil Blanc. It’s the very famous sunny fragrance from Tom Ford that everybody knows. BUT, it’s cheaper than the original version as it’s EAU and not parfum. Guys, if those bottles smell the same but one costs 200€ cheaper ? I don’t care how many times I have to respray this, but it’s already MINE ! Plus, you can find this in duty-free shop at any international airport. Go ahead and DETAX guys !

Nailpolish. I don’t wear nail polish that much during the year as I prefer to keep them natural and free from all the chemicals that are in nail polish. BUT, during summer, I really enjoy fancy nails to hold my ice-cream ! And I don’t know why, but I feel like this nail polish is perfect match with my summer style this year ? First of all I spent the whole summer so far wearing espadrilles actually… so maybe that’s why. But I have a thing with red this summer I don’t know why (like in my previous post in Positano). I feel like nothing is more French than red lips and nails and I want to let my French side blossom this year!

Perfume from Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc / Nailpolish from Chanel in shade Espadrilles

Hope it helped you make up your mind about what you’ll travel with this summer regarding your skincare routine and make up ! Remember are those articles in this post are in travelling size so more affordable than original sizes.

So tell me if you have any other product you love taking in your luggage during summer, I will love to give it a try !

Enjoy your summer !

Abeer

My summer beauty essentials for this summer ! Get some Ideas about what you'll need for face skin care and make up ! Hi everyone ! Hope you're doing great ! I know you guys are going on vacation now and if you're like me with a very well defined beauty routine, I guess then you wondered what you would take with you in your luggage.

#beauty #bobbi brown #chanel #essentials #glossier #laura mercier #pai #skincare #tom ford #travel

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