14v 2013 Day 12: LGBTQA Women
Title: Pro Bono Publico
Author:
arsenicjade
Fandom/Character: Suits/Donna
Rating: G
Summary: Donna needs a favor for a friend.
Donna wasn't in the habit of concerning herself with the pro-bono applications, and she sure as hell didn't bring hard-luck cases to Harvey. Which was why, when her ex-first love, truth be told-came to Donna alongside her wife with the DoMA case, Donna hesitated for a moment. But only a moment.
*
"Kick it off to Mike and you really will have to find yourself a new assistant." Donna set the Pearson Hardman pro-bono case application down with Harvey's coffee.
Harvey glanced over at the papers. "Wouldn't you prefer whatever that is handled by someone who, say, actually gives a shit?"
"I want it handled by someone who believes his first loyalty is to his clients," Donna said.
He looked then, she could see his eyes scanning over the top page. After a moment he asked, "What is this to you?"
"A favor to a friend."
"Donna," Harvey said, not short or sharp, but demanding all the same.
Donna took a breath. "There was a time I would have married Gwen, if she'd asked. And it would have been nice, you know, to file my federal taxes jointly."
"She didn't ask," Harvey said, anger simmering under the statement.
It took Donna a moment before she laughed. "I've gotten over my broken heart, Harvey. She's a good friend, and the case is-" Donna shrugged. Political sincerity wasn't something she was all that comfortable expressing.
"If I take the case, will you answer a question?"
"You're going to take the case," Donna told him. "But fine, sure, go ahead."
"Why didn't you ever just tell me?"
"Honestly? I figured you knew. You always know everything else."
Harvey tilted his head slightly. "I did know. But that wasn't the question I asked."
"How many out people do you know at power firms?" She didn't bother to hold back on her look of derision. "Our world pays lip service to this sort of thing, ignores it in clientele, and hires it only so long as it stays nice and adequately hidden."
Harvey's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "You think I would have fired you? Over this? That's-"
"No," she stopped him, because she knew when she'd hurt him, and that hadn't been her intention. "No, Harvey. For one thing, I would hope you'd find a smoother and less EEOC-feather-ruffling way of going about it." Then, after a second, "But as a point of interest, we have more than once hired on gay associates as part of a diversity quota."
Harvey smirked then, picking up the application. "Well. Fuck that."
Donna didn't give into the desire to be giddy over her victory until she was well out of his sight.
Author:
arsenicjade
Fandom/Character: Suits/Donna
Rating: G
Summary: Donna needs a favor for a friend.
Donna wasn't in the habit of concerning herself with the pro-bono applications, and she sure as hell didn't bring hard-luck cases to Harvey. Which was why, when her ex-first love, truth be told-came to Donna alongside her wife with the DoMA case, Donna hesitated for a moment. But only a moment.
*
"Kick it off to Mike and you really will have to find yourself a new assistant." Donna set the Pearson Hardman pro-bono case application down with Harvey's coffee.
Harvey glanced over at the papers. "Wouldn't you prefer whatever that is handled by someone who, say, actually gives a shit?"
"I want it handled by someone who believes his first loyalty is to his clients," Donna said.
He looked then, she could see his eyes scanning over the top page. After a moment he asked, "What is this to you?"
"A favor to a friend."
"Donna," Harvey said, not short or sharp, but demanding all the same.
Donna took a breath. "There was a time I would have married Gwen, if she'd asked. And it would have been nice, you know, to file my federal taxes jointly."
"She didn't ask," Harvey said, anger simmering under the statement.
It took Donna a moment before she laughed. "I've gotten over my broken heart, Harvey. She's a good friend, and the case is-" Donna shrugged. Political sincerity wasn't something she was all that comfortable expressing.
"If I take the case, will you answer a question?"
"You're going to take the case," Donna told him. "But fine, sure, go ahead."
"Why didn't you ever just tell me?"
"Honestly? I figured you knew. You always know everything else."
Harvey tilted his head slightly. "I did know. But that wasn't the question I asked."
"How many out people do you know at power firms?" She didn't bother to hold back on her look of derision. "Our world pays lip service to this sort of thing, ignores it in clientele, and hires it only so long as it stays nice and adequately hidden."
Harvey's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "You think I would have fired you? Over this? That's-"
"No," she stopped him, because she knew when she'd hurt him, and that hadn't been her intention. "No, Harvey. For one thing, I would hope you'd find a smoother and less EEOC-feather-ruffling way of going about it." Then, after a second, "But as a point of interest, we have more than once hired on gay associates as part of a diversity quota."
Harvey smirked then, picking up the application. "Well. Fuck that."
Donna didn't give into the desire to be giddy over her victory until she was well out of his sight.