One-Time Deal (1/1)
Title: One-Time Deal
Rating: FRAO/NSFW
Characters/Pairings: Mike/Harvey: mentions other characters but no appearances
Words: ~6600
Spoilers: 1x07 'Play The Man'
Warnings: Smut :)
Summary: "Mike's heart wasn't in the game. Anyone else on the witness stand and he would've brought the win home, Harvey had no doubt about that. This was exactly why private lives were private. It was why you didn't mix emotion with the job." - In the aftermath of the Mock Trial, Harvey decides to offer Mike a one-time deal.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mike, Harvey or any of the other characters or show content - kudos goes to USA network.
A/N: This my first dabble in the Mike/Harvey fandom, my first try at an American fandom and my first fic written in over half a year! Hopefully any britishisms have been caught and amended and the characterisations aren't too badly off.
X-posted to my AO3
This fic is one of many ideas that turneer a surprisingly short conversation with luvinthe88and20
ONE-TIME DEAL
Mike drained the last of his drink and looked down into the empty glass. It had been a bad day to end a bad week. He'd failed on so many counts that he couldn't quite believe it. It was the first time since his first week that he was genuinely considering throwing in the towel.
Not only had he made a fool of himself in front of the other associates, he'd received a personal dressing down by Jessica. He could've dealt with that, gone home and licked his wounds over the weekend, but the look on Harvey's face as he turned away had felt like ice water down his shirt. Still, that was nothing compared to facing him in his office on his way out.
The resignation, the lack of surprise, the lack of any real disappointment in his expression. He'd expected that outcome, despite everything. He'd expected Mike to fail - and that had hurt like nothing else. There was no resentment or irritation in his voice, just the truth delivered in the same calm, collected tone he always used.
Mike slid his glass across the counter and made his way quietly out of the bar, hailing a taxi and going straight home. No one noticed him leave.
--
Harvey stood by the bar, staring at the door long after Scotty walked out. Somewhere inside, he knew he wouldn't see her again, not properly. This had changed something and it felt a little like losing something. Not for the first time, he wondered how it felt to lose and lose for real, to not be the best in at what he did.
His thoughts inevitably drifted from Scotty's broken expression to look that had haunted Mike earlier on. He was a good kid, he had the smarts and the bravery, but he was too damn soft for his own good. Too human. All he'd done was tell the truth, calling it as he saw it. Mike knew he was right, he'd seen it in his face, had seen it rile him. The man who made the constant, amusingly plebeian remarks was gone, replaced someone who had finally seen the truth and was facing a decision that would change everything for him - and he was facing it after a monumentally bad performance.
Harvey had tried to be fair. He'd supported him, pressed him, nudged him in the right direction - he'd put money up on him. He'd done everything to show his support, his belief, but it had fallen flat on its face for the sake of a girl. Two girls, even. It wasn't hard to see what was going on.
Mike's heart wasn't in the game. Anyone else on the witness stand and he would've brought the win home, Harvey had no doubt about that. This was exactly why private lives were private. It was why you didn't mix emotion with the job. Scotty was his testament to that.
He sighed and took a seat back on the stool, ordering another drink. Perhaps he'd been a little too hard on the kid. He wanted to believe Mike was doing his best, but he knew that he could do better. Everyone had bad days, bad weeks even, but that didn't mean you could let it interfere with your work. You couldn't tell a client that they'd lost a multi-million dollar deal because you weren't feeling so hot. You learned to deal and worked through it.
Naïve and soft, Jessica had summed it up perfectly. Mike hadn't been subjected to the same lifestyle as the others. He hadn't fought his way through the backstabbing briar patch of privilege and private schooling, let alone subjected himself to the bloodbath that was Harvard. He didn't have the same scarring that the rest of them carried - Mike's scars were entirely different. He was learning things now that the rest of them had mastered in their teens. This life was something that had to be navigated with extreme precision and, whilst Mike had all the makings of a greater lawyer than any of the others combined, he couldn't quite read the compass.
The memory of humiliation and defeat - the resignation - in Mike's face in the library came back to him and he paused for the briefest of moments, glass halfway to his lips. Making up his mind, he drained his glass, left a generous tip and made his way resolutely out of the bar.
--
Mike had wasted no time in stripping his suit and tie and pulling on a battered pair of flannel pyjama pants and a t-shirt. It was still early - only ten thirty - and he was planning on doing nothing more than watching a movie and eating his way through all the popcorn he owned - and that was a lot.
He was just in the process of battling a bag of popcorn out of the plastic to shove in the microwave when there was a loud knock at the door. Carefully, he put the packet to one side and made his way across the apartment. His brain was firing through all the possible visitors he might have and the reasons they might be there. He paused for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to grab his baseball bat when the knocking came again. Now he was actually listening, he recognised that knock and his heart plummeted. It was the one that came when he was buried in the filing room or immersed in proofing a brief. It was the one that told him that time was up.
He sighed inwardly and closed his eyes for a moment before drawing himself up a little and easing the door open. Sure enough, there stood Harvey, half turned away from the door, hands in pockets and eyes fixed on the carpet. He looked up and met his eyes with the same expression as he'd worn in the office. Something in Mike bristled.
“What could you possibly have to say that couldn't wait for Monday morning?” Mike frowned a little and Harvey's lips twitched slightly in amusement.
“If this was work related, I would've called your cell.” Mike stood resolutely still in the small opening between the door and the frame. “I've come to clarify my earlier observations - and to offer you a deal.”
Mike was tempted to shoot him down with a sharp remark and a door to the face, but something in Harvey's expression stopped him. He shifted a little on his feet and stayed silent.
“You're going to have to let me in if this is going to work.” Harvey raised his eyebrows slightly and, reluctantly, Mike stepped to one side, opening the door a little further and locking it once Harvey had come to a stop in the middle of the living area, hands still in his pockets.
Mike stayed where he was, watching intently as Harvey's gaze swept around the apartment. He'd never been inside before - never even been in the building - but he wasn't stupid enough to question how Harvey knew his apartment number.
“Say what you have to say or leave me and my 'weak stomach' alone.” Mike folded his arms and watched as Harvey turned back to him.
“What I said earlier was true. I call things as I see them, and what I saw this week wasn't good. What I saw today was abysmal, it was the first time you've been brought to the attention of any of the other partners - and it was all down to emotional conflict.” Harvey fixed him with a look and Mike didn't bother to object. “With your girlfriend, you were impressive and you got Jessica's attention. With the para-legal, you were all over the place and you made a fool of yourself.”
“There was no point in hurting her, it was a--” Harvey cut him off.
“A mock trial, yeah. But Rachel has been at the firm for five years. She knows the deal and she knows how to brush it off afterwards. She's a professional and she's been in this business long enough to understand the score.” They stared at each other for a long moment.
“Is that it? You're here to tell me who I should a shouldn't like?” Harvey smiled a little and looked away briefly.
“You're standing between two worlds, rookie. You've got this one,” He gestured to the apartment around them a casual hand, “the one you've known your whole life, and you've got mine.” He put his hand over his chest. “You're trying to decide what person you want to be? You've got to lose the chip on your shoulder.”
“I haven't got a chip on my shoulder.” Mike instantly riled at that, no doubt that had been Harvey's intention.
“Of course you do. It's your misplaced sense of guilt with your girlfriend over Trevor. It's your lack of connection with the other associates.” He shrugged it off in his typically lazy manner of the eternally bored.
“Fine, but what does that have to do with you?” Mike folded his arms again, a defensive move that he realised a little too late. Harvey had spotted it before he'd realised he'd done it.
“Everything.” Their eyes met again and Harvey had his no-messing face on. “I didn't come from money, Mike. I wasn't poor, but I wasn't like those jocks. I chose this world for a reason, and so did you - because you're better than them and someone needs to make sure they don't forget that.”
Mike stared at him and Harvey levelled a gaze back gave Mike no doubt that he was telling the truth. He tried not to let his reactions play out on his face and he wasn't sure how successful he was being, but some of the overwhelming despair was beginning to ease a little.
“I'm not the only person who had a bad week.” Mike had meant it as a mutter, to keep it under his breath.
“Yeah, but I recovered and I won.” Harvey replied with rhythmic ease.
“Barely.” He didn't look up.
“A win is a win. You need to decide what you want from all this and you need to decide soon.” Harvey shifted then, only slightly on the balls of his feet, but it was still noticeable. “You're not going to do that with your head in the state it's been this week.”
Mike could feel that they'd come to the crux of Harvey's visit. He almost didn't want to hear him out. He made his way back to the kitchen area, keeping the sofa between Harvey and himself. He was painfully aware of his boss's eyes tracking his movement across the small space but did his best not to rise to it. It was only after he slotted the popcorn packet back in the box and the box back in the cupboard that he turned back to Harvey. He folded his arms and leant back against the counter. Harvey made no move to talk.
“So?” He raised an eyebrow, unamused.
“So, I have a proposal for you.” Mike resisted the urge to roll his eyes and pushed off the counter. He began moving in the direction of the front door, but Harvey took a step forwards, cutting him off.
“A proposal?” Mike felt something rise in his throat, forcing himself to keep Harvey's unflinching gaze.
“A proposal.” Harvey paused again. “A one-time deal, no strings attached.” Mike didn't offer a reply. “One night, you and me. We work whatever it is out of our systems and we show up for work on Monday with our game back where it should be.”
Mike froze, only just catching the way Harvey swallowed compulsively. His mind was torn between blank numbness and racing at a hundred thousand miles an hour. He focused instead on Harvey, on the intense expression on his face, just a little anxiety evident in the press of his lips.
But since when did Mike pay attention to Harvey's lips?
“Harvey, I'm not gay.” Mike managed, a little awkwardly. He didn't class the occasional, mostly drunken night as a determinant of his sexuality. Harvey looked nonplussed and shrugged a shoulder lazily.
“Neither am I.” After a long moment, Harvey took another step forwards, smaller this time. “But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy having it off with a guy every so often.”
“What about Jenny? And Rachel?” Harvey took another couple of steps, Mike moving back in turn until the back of his thighs bumped against the table.
“They'll still be there to stumble around tomorrow. This offer won't.” Harvey's next step took him fully into Mike's personal space, only inches left between them. Mike had been this close to him before - in the office, walking between buildings, getting into the car - but they'd never been close. He could smell the ridiculously expensive aftershave, but it was weakened after a day's wear. He could see the stubble beginning to show across his chin and the skin under his eyes was showing the first signs of weariness.
“This would stay off the record?” Mike frowned a little, arching his neck back a little to get a proper look at Harvey's face.
“You think I document all of our interactions?” Harvey began to smirk and something in Mike's head eased at the sight. “No, this all stays 'off the record', as it were.”
Mike stared at him, really stared, and tried to make the logical decision. Everything he'd said was true. Harvey had read him like a book all week and his synopsis was better than Mike would've thought up himself. Two worlds, familiar or challenging, Jenny or Rachel. His head had been all over the place, wound up and unfocused and he'd lost his case. Yes, it had been a fake, but everyone else clearly thought it was a big deal, so why hadn't he played along?
Harvey had been in the middle of his own case, something involving an old friend - if his eavesdropping was to be believed. He'd seen the signs of stress as more things than were comfortable went the other way for him but, as ever, Harvey had pulled through. Whether it was an innate ability to brush things off or whether he was just very, very well practised at putting personal issues aside, Mike didn't know.
And this was Harvey. He wouldn't be here with this offer if it wasn't something he wanted. As supportive as he was when people weren't looking, he didn't do anything that didn't help him in some way.
Harvey shifted a little, leaning closer. Mike could feel his body heat through the layers of material and worryingly little air between them. He was a solid weight in front of him and Mike realised he welcomed it. This was a reprieve, something so insane that it couldn't possibly interfere with his other worries - and he remembered enough of a handful of doped up nights at gay clubs to know that it would be a good workout.
The press of Harvey's legs against his and the way he had to look up as Harvey crowded him against the table demanded all of his concentration. He'd made up his mind anyway. He wouldn't lie and say he didn't find his boss attractive, but until this moment, he hadn't even thought to entertain this particularly scenario. One time offer? Well... who wouldn't?
He looked up at Harvey, met the calm, level gaze once more before curling his fingers around the tie on the chest in front of him. Leaning up, he caught Harvey's lips in a hard kiss that left little else to be discussed. In barely a moment, Harvey was replying in kind.
The press of his chest against Mike's as he leant forwards and the inevitability as he planted his hands on the table, each side of his hips, was something he hadn't really expected. Mind you, he hadn't expected this when he opened his door--
His thoughts were derailed as Harvey's teeth made their presence known on his bottom lip. He took full advantage of his surprise and Mike felt Harvey's tongue running against his. Mike pulled himself closer and gave as good as he got, almost losing himself in a surprisingly messy clash teeth and tongues. He could feel Harvey's breath growing erratic and pushed forwards, shifting the balance between them so he was sitting up instead of hanging on.
Harvey's hands moved and curved around his neck, each thumb pressed beneath the hinge of his jaw in a possessive manner that sent a shudder through him. He pulled himself away, sucking air into his lungs as he started to go light headed. He was perfectly aware that Harvey's hands hadn't moved, his fingers gripping harder if anything, keeping him close. Mike let go of Harvey's tie, smoothing it back down against his chest, heaving as it was to take in enough air.
He curled his fingers slowly into the lapels of his jacket and tugged just a little, pulling Harvey slightly off balance. He leant forwards and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to his jaw and felt Harvey's head falling back a little.
“Where?” Harvey sounded mostly normal, but for a slight gravel to the word that Mike liked to thing he'd put there.
“Bed.” Mike pulled back for barely a moment before Harvey was pressing forwards again, another bruising kiss catching at his mouth.
Mike pushed back until he was on his feet, Harvey's hands sliding over his shoulders and down his back, settling on his ass and dragging their hips together. Mike ground against him, satisfied at the half-hard prick he could feel through their clothes and the accompanying groan that sounded somewhere in Harvey's throat.
It seemed to spur him on, Harvey taking control of them once more and turning as they battled across the few steps it took to get to the bed. Mike felt it hit the back of his legs, and combined with the angle Harvey had been holding him at, he tumbled backwards.
He propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Harvey neatly toed his shoes and socks off, removed his jacket and lay it neatly on the small kitchen table. Mike barely had a chance to wonder at the coherency of his actions before he was standing in front of him again, staring him hard in the eyes.
It seemed to be a dare, some new level of psychological warfare to hold his gaze as he carefully removed the cufflinks at his wrists. His hands moved deftly at the bottom of Mike's vision, but he didn't look down. He'd learnt enough of Harvey's tactics at work to know that some things would overlap into the private. To look down was to submit and he wasn't quite at that point yet.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position as Harvey slid the cufflinks in to the pocket of his vest. His hands moved to the top button, but Mike got there first, eyes still locked but they slid away as he focussed on what he was doing. If he was only going to get this opportunity once, he was damn well going to do it right.
He shuffled forwards a little as he popped the first and then the second buttons free, moving methodically until he could push apart the material, hands splayed across the smooth shirt beneath. Harvey pulled open his tie, slowly, and Mike pulled it free, tossing it to one side as Harvey began on his shirt buttons. When he got half way, Mike took over, pulling the tails free from his pants as he finished. He met Harvey's eyes again, running his fingers over the plain undershirt Harvey wore, across his stomach and tracing the buckle of his belt. He turned his fingers and ran them over his crotch, pressing the palm of his heel in until Harvey's eyes flickered closed and his head tilted a little.
He bit back a smile and deftly flipped his belt open, popping the button and unzipping his fly in one smooth motion. Mike parted the material with both hands, sliding them around Harvey's hips and pushing the pants down. Harvey stepped out of them and moved forwards, pushing Mike onto his back and kneeling across his hips with a predatory look on his face.
Mike wriggled up the bed a little and Harvey planted his hands on either side of his head, leaning down to kiss him, this time with less bite and a whole lot more promise.
Mike ran his fingers across the waistband of Harvey's boxers and pushed a hand inside, fingers wrapping around his prick. He felt Harvey's breath hitch and he gave an experimental stroke, earning a bite to his bottom lip for his efforts. He did it against and the more Harvey panted against his mouth, the more Mike felt in control.
He pulled his hand free, much to Harvey's disapproval, and dragged himself down the bed. Harvey's shirt and vest hung down on either side of him, a shield against the outside. He pushed down the boxers, freeing his now full erection and taking it in hand. Harvey shuddered again and shifted, repositioning himself and thrusting into Mike's hand in one go. He glanced up, seeing Harvey's forehead resting against his arms as he took his weight on his elbows. His mouth had fallen open just a little.
Mike pushed himself slightly further down and stroked again, Harvey's hips pressing forwards in time. He took his moment and caught the head between his lips. There was a strangled noise above him and took it deeper. He swirled his tongue and stroked with his fingers and Harvey couldn't seem to keep still - or quiet, no matter how hard he tried to stifle any noise. Mike found it ever so slightly amusing. Okay, make that a lot amusing.
He waited until Harvey's patience seemed to reach it's breaking point and let his prick go to a low groan of frustration that might or might not have covered a slight whimper. Mike pushed himself back up the bed until he was level with Harvey, who'd pointedly propped himself back onto his hands. Mike tugged him down by his undershirt and kissed him hard, making sure he would taste himself among the left over beer and scotch they'd each been drinking only an hour or so earlier. He moved his hands to Harvey's hair, running his fingers through and holding him in place.
Harvey arched down into him and Mike moved to pushed the shirt and vest off one shoulder. Without releasing his lips, Harvey lifted an arm and pulled it free from the sleeve, repeating the action with the other and tossing the garments carelessly to one side. Mike's hands were already at the bottom of his undershirt, pushing the material up and his fingers over Harvey's stomach, up to his chest.
Harvey pulled back until he was kneeling, pulling Mike with him by his t-shirt and promptly stripping it off him, doing the same with his own. There was a brief moment of embarrassment for Mike as Harvey raked his eyes over his chest, eyes darker than ever, pupils blown, and mouth pressed into an appraising smirk. It didn't last long as Harvey surged down and kissed him roughly again, like the first time. He sucked and bit and licked and Mike felt himself coming undone. He let himself be pulled close as he clutched at Harvey's back, fingers biting into the muscle and raking down to grip his ass.
Breathing was getting hard to control and Harvey seemed to have laid claim to every part of his mouth by the time he broke away for long enough to kick his boxers free of his ankles and press Mike back against the bed. He tugged at the waistband of his pyjamas and Mike lifted his hips, letting the flannel be stripped off him. Harvey straddled his hips again and looked down at him. Mike raised his arms and folded them behind his head, cocking it to one side and making Harvey snort and look away with a grin.
“In the middle drawer, at the front.” Mike nodded his head in the direction of the bedside table and Harvey gave him a sidelong look.
“Roll over.” He said as he reached across to retrieve lube and a condom.
Mike did as he was told, refolding his arms as he lay on his stomach and resting his head on them, for all the world like he was about to get a massage. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes briefly. He focussed on the feel of Harvey's hands of his hips, his ass, his thighs. He let himself be pulled up onto his knees, moving so his forehead was against his arms. He shivered as Harvey's thumbs parted his cheeks and he was almost, almost prepared for the sensation of Harvey's tongue against his hole. Almost.
He sucked in air in his surprise, making some sort of noise that had Harvey chuckling as he swiped across the entrance, teasing the tip in and drawing a small cry from Mike. He circled and dove in again, and again and again until Mike was shuddering with the effort to keep himself supported. His arms were shaking and his prick was almost painfully hard.
“Fuck, Harvey...” It was only a whisper, exhaled with a lungful of air as Harvey pulled away. His fingers ran across his ass and Mike heard the tearing of foil and the faint noise of lube being squeezed. A cool finger stroked into him and he arched under the touch. Another followed and he was shuddering again.
When he felt Harvey shift himself closer and pull his fingers free, a brief moment of nervous anticipation gripped him. It was shattered and Harvey parted him again and he felt the head of his prick against him, then in him.
Everything stilled for a long heartbeat and Mike relished the burn, trying not to lose his composure already. He thought of how that would inflate Harvey's ego and forced himself to press his hips back, to pushed himself further onto Harvey. Hands gripped his hips, fingers biting in a little as they let him move, until Mike could feel everything in him, pressing against the spot that would very quickly unravel him.
He heard a low sigh and Harvey was moving pushing them forwards, thrusting with more and more power until Mike was panting and letting out weak cries, his hips keeping rhythm despite everything. Harvey pushed Mike up a little and the next thrust hit at an angle that nearly wiped him out. From the noise Harvey made, it had a similar effect on him.
Harvey leaned forwards, changing tactics. His thrusts became more meaningful, more lingering and his pressed hot kisses to the top of Mike's spine, biting and licking and blowing on his skin until he thought he'd been set on fire. His mouth pulled away, but he planted one hand on the bed and reached around with the other, touching Mike's prick for the first time. He closed a warm, rough hand around him and stroked deliberately with each deep, measured thrust.
Mike's hips were stuttering, as were Harvey's, both of them shaking with the exertion and impending orgasm. He could feel the control slipping and he arched himself a little, earning a low cry form Harvey as he let go and picked up the pace again, hand still moving. Mike could feel his chest heaving, his hips squirming and his stomach pooling with liquid sensation. Harvey's hand tightened around him, twisted slightly and he came hard into his fist and over the bed covers with a strangled moan.
Harvey stuttered again and the lights and colours behind Mike's eyes pulsed with each almost-painful thrust and the continued strokes until with a yell Harvey came, balls deep in him. They were both panting, buzzing and exhausted all at once, trying to regain some composure as the afterglow burned comfortingly in the background.
Eventually, Harvey straightened up, hands firm but gentle on Mike's hips as he pulled himself free. Mike spent a moment mourning the loss before he realised Harvey's hand was still secure and comforting on his hip as he rolled to one side, avoiding the pool of come beneath him. He sighed happily, eyes closed, and was eternally surprised to feel the bed dip on either side of his head and Harvey's lips on his again. This kiss was slow, gentle and made him feel a little bit safe. Mike ran his hands up Harvey's sides and round to his back, letting them rest there and the kiss continued, sleepy and slightly perfect.
When Harvey pulled away with a hum of contentment, Mike was ready for him to get up. He'd expected him to find his clothes, dress and leave with some smart remark on the way out. He hadn't expected him to got to he kitchen, wet a hand towel and fill a large glass with water. He brought them back to bed, stripping the top sheet off. Mike had to shuffle awkwardly and grumbled slightly in protest, but Harvey grinned again before wiping them both down and tossing the towel back in the general direction of the kitchen.
He took a sip of water, handing it to Mike before pulling back the covers and nudging him into bed. Again, Mike expected to him to beat his hasty retreat, but instead he climbed in along side him, stretching out on his stomach with his arms under his head. He looked at Mike, a smile on his face and a rather sleepy look in his eyes. Mike smiled back and made himself comfortable, half curled on his side, facing Harvey.
He felt Harvey shift and a foot tangled with his and he smiled - this time to himself - sighing gently as he let his exhaustion and new found relaxation carry him to sleep.
--
Harvey woke early, as usual. He blinked his eyes open, shaking off the last dregs of sleep and realigning his thoughts. He shifted, breaking the spell, and turned his head, settling his eyes on Mike. He was lying on his front, facing the other way, but the view was still more than welcome. The light outside still had the pinkish tinge of the too early and was filtering easily through the open curtains on the other side of him. It was setting the muscles in Mike's shoulders right off.
He rolled onto his back and stretched out, slotting his hands behind his head and letting his eyes fall closed in a rather indulgent manner. It was strange to wake up in a bed that wasn't his, in a place that wasn't a penthouse, but it was a good thing. It served to reinforce the singular nature of the night.
With a sigh, he rolled his shoulders a little and opened his eyes, easing himself up and out of bed. Mike made a noise of protest, but settled almost immediately. Harvey took a gamble on the door between the front door and the open bathroom and was rewarded with a closet full of shelves filled with what Harvey could only assume were Mike's clothes, though you wouldn't have guessed to look at them. He rolled his eyes at the mess and pulled out a t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, along with a pair of boxers that were clearly several sizes too big for Mike and rifled for a reasonable pair of shorts.
He pulled the clothes on with a pair of socks and some slightly too-small running shoes and stretched out as best he could. His muscles were aching in all the right places, so different from where he usually did. Another good thing.
He looked over at Mike, appreciating the view for a moment before letting himself out of the apartment with a satisfied grin.
--
Mike stretched out with a groan. He really, really did not want to wake up. He'd been having such a good sleep. He could feel his muscles protesting along with certain, sore body parts and the events of the night started to trickle through to his consciousness. He rolled onto his back and rubbed a hand across his face. God, he felt good. It had been a long time, possibly several years, since a lay that good. He'd be feeling the after effects all weekend.
It was only then that he realised he was alone and he felt something deflate a little in his chest. Rubbing his eyes again, he forced himself to sit up. The first thing he saw after blinking the sleep from his eyes was Harvey's jacket on the table... then his pants, boxers and shirts lying haphazardly on the floor.
He shuffled to the end of the bed and snagged his pyjama pants from where they'd been discarded and pulled them on as he collected Harvey's clothes. He dumped them on the table and went in search of some half decent hangars, getting everything straightened up before hanging them on the back of the bathroom door. Turning the shower on, he hung a towel on the rack, pulled the door closed and clambered in.
The hot water worked wonders on the less wanted aches and pains. He stood, with his arms braced against the wall and let it roll over his back and shoulders. It was early enough in the morning that there was a good amount of hot water and he needed the steam to fill the room and work out the worst of the creases in Harvey's shirt and pants. They may be a day old already and only needing to be worn for the trip home, but even Harvey had standards.
He straightened up and turned his face under the water, running his hands through his hair and rolling his neck to work out the kinks. He took his time as he soaped up, rolling out each joint from his jaw down to his feet and by the time the water started to cool, almost twenty minutes later, he felt like a new man. All the stress and conflict that had been building over the last few weeks had dissolved completely.
He shut off the water, wrapped a towel around his waist and took the hanging clothes through to the other room. He hung them on the outside of the closet door and grabbed a pair of boxers, yanking them on, dumping the towel back in the bathroom. Grabbing the orange juice from the fridge, he hopped up onto the counter and kicked his heels off the cupboard doors as he gulped juice straight from the carton. The morning was just starting up and he could hear the beginnings of life on the street outside. He was just debating the merits of rolling back into bed for a couple of hours when the front door opened and Harvey stepped in with two coffees and an a brown paper bag.
“Straight from the carton? Really?” Harvey's eyebrows raised a little as put coffee and bag on the coffee-table and dropped onto the couch. Mike shrugged and swallowed as he watched him unlace his running shoes - Mike's running shoes - and kick them off.
“My place, my rules.” He screwed the top back on and jumped down. “Productive morning?”
He tilted the carton in the direction of the coffee-table and thought he saw Harvey smile as he looked around and noticed his clothes on the back of the closet door.
“Breakfast. Coffee and bagels, none of that sugar junk you call cereal or Red Bull.” Harvey pushed himself to his feet. “I'm going to grab a shower - I hope you didn't use all the hot water.”
Mike watched Harvey disappear into the bathroom and took a seat on the couch, retrieving a cream cheese bagel and inspecting the coffees. One black - Harvey's - one white with - Mike took a sip - one sugar. That'd be his then. He ripped a bite out of his bagel and sat back, smiling slightly at the fact that Harvey paid attention to a hell of a lot more than he let on. All those stolen coffees had clearly had an impact. He sighed happily around his mouthful of bagel and propped his feet up on the coffee table.
“Do you steal all the hot water every time you have someone over, or am I special?” Harvey strutted - strutted - out of the bathroom, dressed in last night's undershirt and boxers, a towel in hand and rubbing at his hair. He dropped back onto the couch and fished out a second bagel, this one with smoked salmon in it.
“There's somewhere around here that does smoked salmon on their bagels?” Mike raised his eyebrows, taking another mouthful of coffee. Harvey shot him one of those sideways looks that indicated a worry about Mike's mental stability.
“No, there's not,” He tore a chunk out and chewed briefly, “but there is one round the corner from work.”
“You ran to work to get us bagels?”
“No, I ran in the direction of work, got hungry and was going to get myself a bagel when Ray happened to be driving by as I was stretching out. I bought him breakfast and when he offered me a lift home, I thought it'd be unfair not to pick you up something as well.” He reeled off events in his usual way, opening his coffee and inspecting the contents of his bagel in a distinctly bored manner. Mike snorted and shook his head a little.
“All that energy and you couldn't have used it up by a morning round?” Mike took another bite of his breakfast and tried not to laugh at the slow turn of Harvey's head and the incredulous set of his features. “Not even a blow job? Really?”
Harvey rolled his eyes and turned back to his food.
--
They finished eating in a companionable silence. When Harvey drained the last of his coffee, he got to his feet and set about getting dressed, sending a text to his usual cab company. He donned his armour with the usual practised efficiency and he had to hand it to Mike, his steam room trick made him look more like he'd spent the night at his desk rather than in his associate's bed.
He straightened his tie and popped his cuffs before running his fingers through his hair, still slightly damp from the shower. He smoothed down the front of his vest and shrugged on his jacket, checking his pockets for his cell, wallet and keys. Mike was still lounging on the couch in his boxers with a ridiculous expression on his face. It seemed their deal had worked perfectly.
The last thing to do was pull on his shoes and when he straightened up, Mike was looking at him over the back of the couch, his chin resting on his arm.
“I want to see you first thing Monday morning with those proofed briefs for the client meeting over lunch. Got it, rookie?” Harvey fixed him with a look, knowing he was smiling slightly. Mike returned it, nodding slightly.
“Sure thing.” He turned back round and Harvey headed to the door. “Oh, and Harvey?”
He stopped, turning on his heel to look back at the smirk now plastered across Mike's face. “See what happens when you care?”
He pressed his lips together, refusing to smile or give any sign of positive reinforcement. He tilted his head down a little, raised an eyebrow and turned back on his heel, pulling the door closed behind him. If he smiled a little on his way down the stairs, who was counting?
---
Fin.
(Thanks you all for reading - feedback and concrit are most welcome! Also, if this is received well - and probably also if it isn't - there may well be a series of oneshots that follow on from this. The bunnies are already bouncing)
Rating: FRAO/NSFW
Characters/Pairings: Mike/Harvey: mentions other characters but no appearances
Words: ~6600
Spoilers: 1x07 'Play The Man'
Warnings: Smut :)
Summary: "Mike's heart wasn't in the game. Anyone else on the witness stand and he would've brought the win home, Harvey had no doubt about that. This was exactly why private lives were private. It was why you didn't mix emotion with the job." - In the aftermath of the Mock Trial, Harvey decides to offer Mike a one-time deal.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mike, Harvey or any of the other characters or show content - kudos goes to USA network.
A/N: This my first dabble in the Mike/Harvey fandom, my first try at an American fandom and my first fic written in over half a year! Hopefully any britishisms have been caught and amended and the characterisations aren't too badly off.
X-posted to my AO3
This fic is one of many ideas that turneer a surprisingly short conversation with luvinthe88and20
ONE-TIME DEAL
Mike drained the last of his drink and looked down into the empty glass. It had been a bad day to end a bad week. He'd failed on so many counts that he couldn't quite believe it. It was the first time since his first week that he was genuinely considering throwing in the towel.
Not only had he made a fool of himself in front of the other associates, he'd received a personal dressing down by Jessica. He could've dealt with that, gone home and licked his wounds over the weekend, but the look on Harvey's face as he turned away had felt like ice water down his shirt. Still, that was nothing compared to facing him in his office on his way out.
The resignation, the lack of surprise, the lack of any real disappointment in his expression. He'd expected that outcome, despite everything. He'd expected Mike to fail - and that had hurt like nothing else. There was no resentment or irritation in his voice, just the truth delivered in the same calm, collected tone he always used.
Mike slid his glass across the counter and made his way quietly out of the bar, hailing a taxi and going straight home. No one noticed him leave.
--
Harvey stood by the bar, staring at the door long after Scotty walked out. Somewhere inside, he knew he wouldn't see her again, not properly. This had changed something and it felt a little like losing something. Not for the first time, he wondered how it felt to lose and lose for real, to not be the best in at what he did.
His thoughts inevitably drifted from Scotty's broken expression to look that had haunted Mike earlier on. He was a good kid, he had the smarts and the bravery, but he was too damn soft for his own good. Too human. All he'd done was tell the truth, calling it as he saw it. Mike knew he was right, he'd seen it in his face, had seen it rile him. The man who made the constant, amusingly plebeian remarks was gone, replaced someone who had finally seen the truth and was facing a decision that would change everything for him - and he was facing it after a monumentally bad performance.
Harvey had tried to be fair. He'd supported him, pressed him, nudged him in the right direction - he'd put money up on him. He'd done everything to show his support, his belief, but it had fallen flat on its face for the sake of a girl. Two girls, even. It wasn't hard to see what was going on.
Mike's heart wasn't in the game. Anyone else on the witness stand and he would've brought the win home, Harvey had no doubt about that. This was exactly why private lives were private. It was why you didn't mix emotion with the job. Scotty was his testament to that.
He sighed and took a seat back on the stool, ordering another drink. Perhaps he'd been a little too hard on the kid. He wanted to believe Mike was doing his best, but he knew that he could do better. Everyone had bad days, bad weeks even, but that didn't mean you could let it interfere with your work. You couldn't tell a client that they'd lost a multi-million dollar deal because you weren't feeling so hot. You learned to deal and worked through it.
Naïve and soft, Jessica had summed it up perfectly. Mike hadn't been subjected to the same lifestyle as the others. He hadn't fought his way through the backstabbing briar patch of privilege and private schooling, let alone subjected himself to the bloodbath that was Harvard. He didn't have the same scarring that the rest of them carried - Mike's scars were entirely different. He was learning things now that the rest of them had mastered in their teens. This life was something that had to be navigated with extreme precision and, whilst Mike had all the makings of a greater lawyer than any of the others combined, he couldn't quite read the compass.
The memory of humiliation and defeat - the resignation - in Mike's face in the library came back to him and he paused for the briefest of moments, glass halfway to his lips. Making up his mind, he drained his glass, left a generous tip and made his way resolutely out of the bar.
--
Mike had wasted no time in stripping his suit and tie and pulling on a battered pair of flannel pyjama pants and a t-shirt. It was still early - only ten thirty - and he was planning on doing nothing more than watching a movie and eating his way through all the popcorn he owned - and that was a lot.
He was just in the process of battling a bag of popcorn out of the plastic to shove in the microwave when there was a loud knock at the door. Carefully, he put the packet to one side and made his way across the apartment. His brain was firing through all the possible visitors he might have and the reasons they might be there. He paused for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to grab his baseball bat when the knocking came again. Now he was actually listening, he recognised that knock and his heart plummeted. It was the one that came when he was buried in the filing room or immersed in proofing a brief. It was the one that told him that time was up.
He sighed inwardly and closed his eyes for a moment before drawing himself up a little and easing the door open. Sure enough, there stood Harvey, half turned away from the door, hands in pockets and eyes fixed on the carpet. He looked up and met his eyes with the same expression as he'd worn in the office. Something in Mike bristled.
“What could you possibly have to say that couldn't wait for Monday morning?” Mike frowned a little and Harvey's lips twitched slightly in amusement.
“If this was work related, I would've called your cell.” Mike stood resolutely still in the small opening between the door and the frame. “I've come to clarify my earlier observations - and to offer you a deal.”
Mike was tempted to shoot him down with a sharp remark and a door to the face, but something in Harvey's expression stopped him. He shifted a little on his feet and stayed silent.
“You're going to have to let me in if this is going to work.” Harvey raised his eyebrows slightly and, reluctantly, Mike stepped to one side, opening the door a little further and locking it once Harvey had come to a stop in the middle of the living area, hands still in his pockets.
Mike stayed where he was, watching intently as Harvey's gaze swept around the apartment. He'd never been inside before - never even been in the building - but he wasn't stupid enough to question how Harvey knew his apartment number.
“Say what you have to say or leave me and my 'weak stomach' alone.” Mike folded his arms and watched as Harvey turned back to him.
“What I said earlier was true. I call things as I see them, and what I saw this week wasn't good. What I saw today was abysmal, it was the first time you've been brought to the attention of any of the other partners - and it was all down to emotional conflict.” Harvey fixed him with a look and Mike didn't bother to object. “With your girlfriend, you were impressive and you got Jessica's attention. With the para-legal, you were all over the place and you made a fool of yourself.”
“There was no point in hurting her, it was a--” Harvey cut him off.
“A mock trial, yeah. But Rachel has been at the firm for five years. She knows the deal and she knows how to brush it off afterwards. She's a professional and she's been in this business long enough to understand the score.” They stared at each other for a long moment.
“Is that it? You're here to tell me who I should a shouldn't like?” Harvey smiled a little and looked away briefly.
“You're standing between two worlds, rookie. You've got this one,” He gestured to the apartment around them a casual hand, “the one you've known your whole life, and you've got mine.” He put his hand over his chest. “You're trying to decide what person you want to be? You've got to lose the chip on your shoulder.”
“I haven't got a chip on my shoulder.” Mike instantly riled at that, no doubt that had been Harvey's intention.
“Of course you do. It's your misplaced sense of guilt with your girlfriend over Trevor. It's your lack of connection with the other associates.” He shrugged it off in his typically lazy manner of the eternally bored.
“Fine, but what does that have to do with you?” Mike folded his arms again, a defensive move that he realised a little too late. Harvey had spotted it before he'd realised he'd done it.
“Everything.” Their eyes met again and Harvey had his no-messing face on. “I didn't come from money, Mike. I wasn't poor, but I wasn't like those jocks. I chose this world for a reason, and so did you - because you're better than them and someone needs to make sure they don't forget that.”
Mike stared at him and Harvey levelled a gaze back gave Mike no doubt that he was telling the truth. He tried not to let his reactions play out on his face and he wasn't sure how successful he was being, but some of the overwhelming despair was beginning to ease a little.
“I'm not the only person who had a bad week.” Mike had meant it as a mutter, to keep it under his breath.
“Yeah, but I recovered and I won.” Harvey replied with rhythmic ease.
“Barely.” He didn't look up.
“A win is a win. You need to decide what you want from all this and you need to decide soon.” Harvey shifted then, only slightly on the balls of his feet, but it was still noticeable. “You're not going to do that with your head in the state it's been this week.”
Mike could feel that they'd come to the crux of Harvey's visit. He almost didn't want to hear him out. He made his way back to the kitchen area, keeping the sofa between Harvey and himself. He was painfully aware of his boss's eyes tracking his movement across the small space but did his best not to rise to it. It was only after he slotted the popcorn packet back in the box and the box back in the cupboard that he turned back to Harvey. He folded his arms and leant back against the counter. Harvey made no move to talk.
“So?” He raised an eyebrow, unamused.
“So, I have a proposal for you.” Mike resisted the urge to roll his eyes and pushed off the counter. He began moving in the direction of the front door, but Harvey took a step forwards, cutting him off.
“A proposal?” Mike felt something rise in his throat, forcing himself to keep Harvey's unflinching gaze.
“A proposal.” Harvey paused again. “A one-time deal, no strings attached.” Mike didn't offer a reply. “One night, you and me. We work whatever it is out of our systems and we show up for work on Monday with our game back where it should be.”
Mike froze, only just catching the way Harvey swallowed compulsively. His mind was torn between blank numbness and racing at a hundred thousand miles an hour. He focused instead on Harvey, on the intense expression on his face, just a little anxiety evident in the press of his lips.
But since when did Mike pay attention to Harvey's lips?
“Harvey, I'm not gay.” Mike managed, a little awkwardly. He didn't class the occasional, mostly drunken night as a determinant of his sexuality. Harvey looked nonplussed and shrugged a shoulder lazily.
“Neither am I.” After a long moment, Harvey took another step forwards, smaller this time. “But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy having it off with a guy every so often.”
“What about Jenny? And Rachel?” Harvey took another couple of steps, Mike moving back in turn until the back of his thighs bumped against the table.
“They'll still be there to stumble around tomorrow. This offer won't.” Harvey's next step took him fully into Mike's personal space, only inches left between them. Mike had been this close to him before - in the office, walking between buildings, getting into the car - but they'd never been close. He could smell the ridiculously expensive aftershave, but it was weakened after a day's wear. He could see the stubble beginning to show across his chin and the skin under his eyes was showing the first signs of weariness.
“This would stay off the record?” Mike frowned a little, arching his neck back a little to get a proper look at Harvey's face.
“You think I document all of our interactions?” Harvey began to smirk and something in Mike's head eased at the sight. “No, this all stays 'off the record', as it were.”
Mike stared at him, really stared, and tried to make the logical decision. Everything he'd said was true. Harvey had read him like a book all week and his synopsis was better than Mike would've thought up himself. Two worlds, familiar or challenging, Jenny or Rachel. His head had been all over the place, wound up and unfocused and he'd lost his case. Yes, it had been a fake, but everyone else clearly thought it was a big deal, so why hadn't he played along?
Harvey had been in the middle of his own case, something involving an old friend - if his eavesdropping was to be believed. He'd seen the signs of stress as more things than were comfortable went the other way for him but, as ever, Harvey had pulled through. Whether it was an innate ability to brush things off or whether he was just very, very well practised at putting personal issues aside, Mike didn't know.
And this was Harvey. He wouldn't be here with this offer if it wasn't something he wanted. As supportive as he was when people weren't looking, he didn't do anything that didn't help him in some way.
Harvey shifted a little, leaning closer. Mike could feel his body heat through the layers of material and worryingly little air between them. He was a solid weight in front of him and Mike realised he welcomed it. This was a reprieve, something so insane that it couldn't possibly interfere with his other worries - and he remembered enough of a handful of doped up nights at gay clubs to know that it would be a good workout.
The press of Harvey's legs against his and the way he had to look up as Harvey crowded him against the table demanded all of his concentration. He'd made up his mind anyway. He wouldn't lie and say he didn't find his boss attractive, but until this moment, he hadn't even thought to entertain this particularly scenario. One time offer? Well... who wouldn't?
He looked up at Harvey, met the calm, level gaze once more before curling his fingers around the tie on the chest in front of him. Leaning up, he caught Harvey's lips in a hard kiss that left little else to be discussed. In barely a moment, Harvey was replying in kind.
The press of his chest against Mike's as he leant forwards and the inevitability as he planted his hands on the table, each side of his hips, was something he hadn't really expected. Mind you, he hadn't expected this when he opened his door--
His thoughts were derailed as Harvey's teeth made their presence known on his bottom lip. He took full advantage of his surprise and Mike felt Harvey's tongue running against his. Mike pulled himself closer and gave as good as he got, almost losing himself in a surprisingly messy clash teeth and tongues. He could feel Harvey's breath growing erratic and pushed forwards, shifting the balance between them so he was sitting up instead of hanging on.
Harvey's hands moved and curved around his neck, each thumb pressed beneath the hinge of his jaw in a possessive manner that sent a shudder through him. He pulled himself away, sucking air into his lungs as he started to go light headed. He was perfectly aware that Harvey's hands hadn't moved, his fingers gripping harder if anything, keeping him close. Mike let go of Harvey's tie, smoothing it back down against his chest, heaving as it was to take in enough air.
He curled his fingers slowly into the lapels of his jacket and tugged just a little, pulling Harvey slightly off balance. He leant forwards and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to his jaw and felt Harvey's head falling back a little.
“Where?” Harvey sounded mostly normal, but for a slight gravel to the word that Mike liked to thing he'd put there.
“Bed.” Mike pulled back for barely a moment before Harvey was pressing forwards again, another bruising kiss catching at his mouth.
Mike pushed back until he was on his feet, Harvey's hands sliding over his shoulders and down his back, settling on his ass and dragging their hips together. Mike ground against him, satisfied at the half-hard prick he could feel through their clothes and the accompanying groan that sounded somewhere in Harvey's throat.
It seemed to spur him on, Harvey taking control of them once more and turning as they battled across the few steps it took to get to the bed. Mike felt it hit the back of his legs, and combined with the angle Harvey had been holding him at, he tumbled backwards.
He propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Harvey neatly toed his shoes and socks off, removed his jacket and lay it neatly on the small kitchen table. Mike barely had a chance to wonder at the coherency of his actions before he was standing in front of him again, staring him hard in the eyes.
It seemed to be a dare, some new level of psychological warfare to hold his gaze as he carefully removed the cufflinks at his wrists. His hands moved deftly at the bottom of Mike's vision, but he didn't look down. He'd learnt enough of Harvey's tactics at work to know that some things would overlap into the private. To look down was to submit and he wasn't quite at that point yet.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position as Harvey slid the cufflinks in to the pocket of his vest. His hands moved to the top button, but Mike got there first, eyes still locked but they slid away as he focussed on what he was doing. If he was only going to get this opportunity once, he was damn well going to do it right.
He shuffled forwards a little as he popped the first and then the second buttons free, moving methodically until he could push apart the material, hands splayed across the smooth shirt beneath. Harvey pulled open his tie, slowly, and Mike pulled it free, tossing it to one side as Harvey began on his shirt buttons. When he got half way, Mike took over, pulling the tails free from his pants as he finished. He met Harvey's eyes again, running his fingers over the plain undershirt Harvey wore, across his stomach and tracing the buckle of his belt. He turned his fingers and ran them over his crotch, pressing the palm of his heel in until Harvey's eyes flickered closed and his head tilted a little.
He bit back a smile and deftly flipped his belt open, popping the button and unzipping his fly in one smooth motion. Mike parted the material with both hands, sliding them around Harvey's hips and pushing the pants down. Harvey stepped out of them and moved forwards, pushing Mike onto his back and kneeling across his hips with a predatory look on his face.
Mike wriggled up the bed a little and Harvey planted his hands on either side of his head, leaning down to kiss him, this time with less bite and a whole lot more promise.
Mike ran his fingers across the waistband of Harvey's boxers and pushed a hand inside, fingers wrapping around his prick. He felt Harvey's breath hitch and he gave an experimental stroke, earning a bite to his bottom lip for his efforts. He did it against and the more Harvey panted against his mouth, the more Mike felt in control.
He pulled his hand free, much to Harvey's disapproval, and dragged himself down the bed. Harvey's shirt and vest hung down on either side of him, a shield against the outside. He pushed down the boxers, freeing his now full erection and taking it in hand. Harvey shuddered again and shifted, repositioning himself and thrusting into Mike's hand in one go. He glanced up, seeing Harvey's forehead resting against his arms as he took his weight on his elbows. His mouth had fallen open just a little.
Mike pushed himself slightly further down and stroked again, Harvey's hips pressing forwards in time. He took his moment and caught the head between his lips. There was a strangled noise above him and took it deeper. He swirled his tongue and stroked with his fingers and Harvey couldn't seem to keep still - or quiet, no matter how hard he tried to stifle any noise. Mike found it ever so slightly amusing. Okay, make that a lot amusing.
He waited until Harvey's patience seemed to reach it's breaking point and let his prick go to a low groan of frustration that might or might not have covered a slight whimper. Mike pushed himself back up the bed until he was level with Harvey, who'd pointedly propped himself back onto his hands. Mike tugged him down by his undershirt and kissed him hard, making sure he would taste himself among the left over beer and scotch they'd each been drinking only an hour or so earlier. He moved his hands to Harvey's hair, running his fingers through and holding him in place.
Harvey arched down into him and Mike moved to pushed the shirt and vest off one shoulder. Without releasing his lips, Harvey lifted an arm and pulled it free from the sleeve, repeating the action with the other and tossing the garments carelessly to one side. Mike's hands were already at the bottom of his undershirt, pushing the material up and his fingers over Harvey's stomach, up to his chest.
Harvey pulled back until he was kneeling, pulling Mike with him by his t-shirt and promptly stripping it off him, doing the same with his own. There was a brief moment of embarrassment for Mike as Harvey raked his eyes over his chest, eyes darker than ever, pupils blown, and mouth pressed into an appraising smirk. It didn't last long as Harvey surged down and kissed him roughly again, like the first time. He sucked and bit and licked and Mike felt himself coming undone. He let himself be pulled close as he clutched at Harvey's back, fingers biting into the muscle and raking down to grip his ass.
Breathing was getting hard to control and Harvey seemed to have laid claim to every part of his mouth by the time he broke away for long enough to kick his boxers free of his ankles and press Mike back against the bed. He tugged at the waistband of his pyjamas and Mike lifted his hips, letting the flannel be stripped off him. Harvey straddled his hips again and looked down at him. Mike raised his arms and folded them behind his head, cocking it to one side and making Harvey snort and look away with a grin.
“In the middle drawer, at the front.” Mike nodded his head in the direction of the bedside table and Harvey gave him a sidelong look.
“Roll over.” He said as he reached across to retrieve lube and a condom.
Mike did as he was told, refolding his arms as he lay on his stomach and resting his head on them, for all the world like he was about to get a massage. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes briefly. He focussed on the feel of Harvey's hands of his hips, his ass, his thighs. He let himself be pulled up onto his knees, moving so his forehead was against his arms. He shivered as Harvey's thumbs parted his cheeks and he was almost, almost prepared for the sensation of Harvey's tongue against his hole. Almost.
He sucked in air in his surprise, making some sort of noise that had Harvey chuckling as he swiped across the entrance, teasing the tip in and drawing a small cry from Mike. He circled and dove in again, and again and again until Mike was shuddering with the effort to keep himself supported. His arms were shaking and his prick was almost painfully hard.
“Fuck, Harvey...” It was only a whisper, exhaled with a lungful of air as Harvey pulled away. His fingers ran across his ass and Mike heard the tearing of foil and the faint noise of lube being squeezed. A cool finger stroked into him and he arched under the touch. Another followed and he was shuddering again.
When he felt Harvey shift himself closer and pull his fingers free, a brief moment of nervous anticipation gripped him. It was shattered and Harvey parted him again and he felt the head of his prick against him, then in him.
Everything stilled for a long heartbeat and Mike relished the burn, trying not to lose his composure already. He thought of how that would inflate Harvey's ego and forced himself to press his hips back, to pushed himself further onto Harvey. Hands gripped his hips, fingers biting in a little as they let him move, until Mike could feel everything in him, pressing against the spot that would very quickly unravel him.
He heard a low sigh and Harvey was moving pushing them forwards, thrusting with more and more power until Mike was panting and letting out weak cries, his hips keeping rhythm despite everything. Harvey pushed Mike up a little and the next thrust hit at an angle that nearly wiped him out. From the noise Harvey made, it had a similar effect on him.
Harvey leaned forwards, changing tactics. His thrusts became more meaningful, more lingering and his pressed hot kisses to the top of Mike's spine, biting and licking and blowing on his skin until he thought he'd been set on fire. His mouth pulled away, but he planted one hand on the bed and reached around with the other, touching Mike's prick for the first time. He closed a warm, rough hand around him and stroked deliberately with each deep, measured thrust.
Mike's hips were stuttering, as were Harvey's, both of them shaking with the exertion and impending orgasm. He could feel the control slipping and he arched himself a little, earning a low cry form Harvey as he let go and picked up the pace again, hand still moving. Mike could feel his chest heaving, his hips squirming and his stomach pooling with liquid sensation. Harvey's hand tightened around him, twisted slightly and he came hard into his fist and over the bed covers with a strangled moan.
Harvey stuttered again and the lights and colours behind Mike's eyes pulsed with each almost-painful thrust and the continued strokes until with a yell Harvey came, balls deep in him. They were both panting, buzzing and exhausted all at once, trying to regain some composure as the afterglow burned comfortingly in the background.
Eventually, Harvey straightened up, hands firm but gentle on Mike's hips as he pulled himself free. Mike spent a moment mourning the loss before he realised Harvey's hand was still secure and comforting on his hip as he rolled to one side, avoiding the pool of come beneath him. He sighed happily, eyes closed, and was eternally surprised to feel the bed dip on either side of his head and Harvey's lips on his again. This kiss was slow, gentle and made him feel a little bit safe. Mike ran his hands up Harvey's sides and round to his back, letting them rest there and the kiss continued, sleepy and slightly perfect.
When Harvey pulled away with a hum of contentment, Mike was ready for him to get up. He'd expected him to find his clothes, dress and leave with some smart remark on the way out. He hadn't expected him to got to he kitchen, wet a hand towel and fill a large glass with water. He brought them back to bed, stripping the top sheet off. Mike had to shuffle awkwardly and grumbled slightly in protest, but Harvey grinned again before wiping them both down and tossing the towel back in the general direction of the kitchen.
He took a sip of water, handing it to Mike before pulling back the covers and nudging him into bed. Again, Mike expected to him to beat his hasty retreat, but instead he climbed in along side him, stretching out on his stomach with his arms under his head. He looked at Mike, a smile on his face and a rather sleepy look in his eyes. Mike smiled back and made himself comfortable, half curled on his side, facing Harvey.
He felt Harvey shift and a foot tangled with his and he smiled - this time to himself - sighing gently as he let his exhaustion and new found relaxation carry him to sleep.
--
Harvey woke early, as usual. He blinked his eyes open, shaking off the last dregs of sleep and realigning his thoughts. He shifted, breaking the spell, and turned his head, settling his eyes on Mike. He was lying on his front, facing the other way, but the view was still more than welcome. The light outside still had the pinkish tinge of the too early and was filtering easily through the open curtains on the other side of him. It was setting the muscles in Mike's shoulders right off.
He rolled onto his back and stretched out, slotting his hands behind his head and letting his eyes fall closed in a rather indulgent manner. It was strange to wake up in a bed that wasn't his, in a place that wasn't a penthouse, but it was a good thing. It served to reinforce the singular nature of the night.
With a sigh, he rolled his shoulders a little and opened his eyes, easing himself up and out of bed. Mike made a noise of protest, but settled almost immediately. Harvey took a gamble on the door between the front door and the open bathroom and was rewarded with a closet full of shelves filled with what Harvey could only assume were Mike's clothes, though you wouldn't have guessed to look at them. He rolled his eyes at the mess and pulled out a t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, along with a pair of boxers that were clearly several sizes too big for Mike and rifled for a reasonable pair of shorts.
He pulled the clothes on with a pair of socks and some slightly too-small running shoes and stretched out as best he could. His muscles were aching in all the right places, so different from where he usually did. Another good thing.
He looked over at Mike, appreciating the view for a moment before letting himself out of the apartment with a satisfied grin.
--
Mike stretched out with a groan. He really, really did not want to wake up. He'd been having such a good sleep. He could feel his muscles protesting along with certain, sore body parts and the events of the night started to trickle through to his consciousness. He rolled onto his back and rubbed a hand across his face. God, he felt good. It had been a long time, possibly several years, since a lay that good. He'd be feeling the after effects all weekend.
It was only then that he realised he was alone and he felt something deflate a little in his chest. Rubbing his eyes again, he forced himself to sit up. The first thing he saw after blinking the sleep from his eyes was Harvey's jacket on the table... then his pants, boxers and shirts lying haphazardly on the floor.
He shuffled to the end of the bed and snagged his pyjama pants from where they'd been discarded and pulled them on as he collected Harvey's clothes. He dumped them on the table and went in search of some half decent hangars, getting everything straightened up before hanging them on the back of the bathroom door. Turning the shower on, he hung a towel on the rack, pulled the door closed and clambered in.
The hot water worked wonders on the less wanted aches and pains. He stood, with his arms braced against the wall and let it roll over his back and shoulders. It was early enough in the morning that there was a good amount of hot water and he needed the steam to fill the room and work out the worst of the creases in Harvey's shirt and pants. They may be a day old already and only needing to be worn for the trip home, but even Harvey had standards.
He straightened up and turned his face under the water, running his hands through his hair and rolling his neck to work out the kinks. He took his time as he soaped up, rolling out each joint from his jaw down to his feet and by the time the water started to cool, almost twenty minutes later, he felt like a new man. All the stress and conflict that had been building over the last few weeks had dissolved completely.
He shut off the water, wrapped a towel around his waist and took the hanging clothes through to the other room. He hung them on the outside of the closet door and grabbed a pair of boxers, yanking them on, dumping the towel back in the bathroom. Grabbing the orange juice from the fridge, he hopped up onto the counter and kicked his heels off the cupboard doors as he gulped juice straight from the carton. The morning was just starting up and he could hear the beginnings of life on the street outside. He was just debating the merits of rolling back into bed for a couple of hours when the front door opened and Harvey stepped in with two coffees and an a brown paper bag.
“Straight from the carton? Really?” Harvey's eyebrows raised a little as put coffee and bag on the coffee-table and dropped onto the couch. Mike shrugged and swallowed as he watched him unlace his running shoes - Mike's running shoes - and kick them off.
“My place, my rules.” He screwed the top back on and jumped down. “Productive morning?”
He tilted the carton in the direction of the coffee-table and thought he saw Harvey smile as he looked around and noticed his clothes on the back of the closet door.
“Breakfast. Coffee and bagels, none of that sugar junk you call cereal or Red Bull.” Harvey pushed himself to his feet. “I'm going to grab a shower - I hope you didn't use all the hot water.”
Mike watched Harvey disappear into the bathroom and took a seat on the couch, retrieving a cream cheese bagel and inspecting the coffees. One black - Harvey's - one white with - Mike took a sip - one sugar. That'd be his then. He ripped a bite out of his bagel and sat back, smiling slightly at the fact that Harvey paid attention to a hell of a lot more than he let on. All those stolen coffees had clearly had an impact. He sighed happily around his mouthful of bagel and propped his feet up on the coffee table.
“Do you steal all the hot water every time you have someone over, or am I special?” Harvey strutted - strutted - out of the bathroom, dressed in last night's undershirt and boxers, a towel in hand and rubbing at his hair. He dropped back onto the couch and fished out a second bagel, this one with smoked salmon in it.
“There's somewhere around here that does smoked salmon on their bagels?” Mike raised his eyebrows, taking another mouthful of coffee. Harvey shot him one of those sideways looks that indicated a worry about Mike's mental stability.
“No, there's not,” He tore a chunk out and chewed briefly, “but there is one round the corner from work.”
“You ran to work to get us bagels?”
“No, I ran in the direction of work, got hungry and was going to get myself a bagel when Ray happened to be driving by as I was stretching out. I bought him breakfast and when he offered me a lift home, I thought it'd be unfair not to pick you up something as well.” He reeled off events in his usual way, opening his coffee and inspecting the contents of his bagel in a distinctly bored manner. Mike snorted and shook his head a little.
“All that energy and you couldn't have used it up by a morning round?” Mike took another bite of his breakfast and tried not to laugh at the slow turn of Harvey's head and the incredulous set of his features. “Not even a blow job? Really?”
Harvey rolled his eyes and turned back to his food.
--
They finished eating in a companionable silence. When Harvey drained the last of his coffee, he got to his feet and set about getting dressed, sending a text to his usual cab company. He donned his armour with the usual practised efficiency and he had to hand it to Mike, his steam room trick made him look more like he'd spent the night at his desk rather than in his associate's bed.
He straightened his tie and popped his cuffs before running his fingers through his hair, still slightly damp from the shower. He smoothed down the front of his vest and shrugged on his jacket, checking his pockets for his cell, wallet and keys. Mike was still lounging on the couch in his boxers with a ridiculous expression on his face. It seemed their deal had worked perfectly.
The last thing to do was pull on his shoes and when he straightened up, Mike was looking at him over the back of the couch, his chin resting on his arm.
“I want to see you first thing Monday morning with those proofed briefs for the client meeting over lunch. Got it, rookie?” Harvey fixed him with a look, knowing he was smiling slightly. Mike returned it, nodding slightly.
“Sure thing.” He turned back round and Harvey headed to the door. “Oh, and Harvey?”
He stopped, turning on his heel to look back at the smirk now plastered across Mike's face. “See what happens when you care?”
He pressed his lips together, refusing to smile or give any sign of positive reinforcement. He tilted his head down a little, raised an eyebrow and turned back on his heel, pulling the door closed behind him. If he smiled a little on his way down the stairs, who was counting?
---
Fin.
(Thanks you all for reading - feedback and concrit are most welcome! Also, if this is received well - and probably also if it isn't - there may well be a series of oneshots that follow on from this. The bunnies are already bouncing)