Mr. Harvey J. Specter [10/22]
Title: Mr. Harvey J. Specter
Pairing: Harvey Specter/Mike Ross
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4,920
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.
Warning: none
Summary: Harvey isn’t happy at all with Mike dating someone else under his nose.
Author’s note: Originally written for suits_meme. The prompt was ‘Mike starts to get close to someone at the firm and Harvey expresses his extreme jealousy.’
Harvey and Mike were in the dining car of the train that was headed to Washington D.C. Thanks to Donna’s reservation, they were enjoying a delicious lunch at the table that was illuminated by the warm sunlight and Mike’s smiles. It was mid-June and Mike thought that it was the perfect time to explore a new city.
“I know this is a business trip, Harvey, but I’m really glad that you brought me with you.” Mike smiled as he wolfed down his burger.
“I didn’t see why you couldn’t come along. You’ve earned the right to sit at the adults’ table and you haven’t screwed up in weeks.” Harvey took a bite off his sandwich.
“Haha, thank God for easy cases then.” Mike’s answer might have been humble but inside, he was burning with pride. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to ‘not screw up’ in Harvey’s eyes; Harvey had been serious about mentoring these days and had been pushing his limits intellectually.
“It had nothing to do with the cases, puppy. You did well. I’m proud of you.” Harvey commented casually and worked on his salad.
Mike gasped. “Did I just hear you say that you’re proud of me?”
“The burger is about to fall out of your hands, Mike.” Harvey warned his associate and watched him quickly bring the burger to safety.
“You said you were proud of me!” Mike loved how the words sounded to his ears.
“Yes, I did. But I’m not too proud of how you’re gaping and not eating.” Harvey put some broccoli and carrots on Mike’s plate. “Now eat.”
“Aww, you even care about my health.” Mike said with dreamy eyes.
Harvey made a disapproving sound and focused on his cucumber.
“Thank you, Harvey.” Mike’s voice was sincere.
“You’re welcome. The salad was too big for one person anyway.” Harvey didn’t think that it was a big deal.
“I’m not talking about the salad, Harvey. I’m talking about every single thing that you’ve ever done for me. If I didn’t have a perfect memory, I might’ve forgotten a couple of things because there are just so many! I know I owe you big time and I’ll do my very best to make it up to you.”
Mike’s adoring smile stung Harvey’s heart. He badly wanted to reach out and feel the smile on his fingertips. Instead, he gripped his cup of coffee and took a deep breath.
“You don’t owe me anything, puppy. Whatever you think I have done for you, I might’ve done it for myself.” Harvey was honest.
“I really don’t think you risked your own safety to save Trevor for yourself.” Mike happily ate the veggies on his plate.
“I didn’t want to see a sad puppy.”
Mike smiled as he drank his apple juice. “Have I ever told you how much I like it when you call me a puppy? It makes me feel like you’re going to look out for me no matter what. You always insist that a puppy can’t clean its own mess.”
Harvey was surprised. He had known it the first time that he had used the puppy analogy but he hadn’t expected Mike to admit it. Perhaps the fresh air was making him bold. “You never told me but you didn’t have to. I can read you easily, puppy.”
Mike chuckled as he ate some fries. “I know you can but I wanted to tell you. If my secret ever gets out or if either of us gets promoted, I think that’s going to be one of the things I’ll miss the most.”
Harvey’s blood went cold. “Why would you even think about that?”
Mike shrugged. “I’m not going to be your associate forever, Harvey. I don’t see Jessica having an associate so I assume that if you get promoted, you wouldn’t need one. And, if I somehow manage to get promoted, I probably won’t see you as often as I do now.”
“And, if your secret gets out?” That was what Harvey really wanted to hear about.
Mike finished his burger and answered, “I’m going to say that you had no idea I hadn’t gone to Harvard, or any other law school for that matter, so I assume that I’ll have to stay away from you. Otherwise, people might wonder why you’re hanging out with someone who betrayed you right from the beginning.”
It hurt Mike to think that a day might come when he wasn’t allowed to hang out with Harvey. He loved how they had become great friends and he really didn’t want to lose the bond they shared.
“Listen to me, Mike.” Harvey waited until Mike looked him in the eyes. “Your secret is not going to get out. Lola gave you two layers of protection, remember? Besides, now you’re too good of a lawyer for anyone to doubt you. And, even if things somehow come to the worst, I’m going to find a way to get you out of the mess, all right? So there’s absolutely no need to think about it and torture yourself.”
Mike looked at Harvey as if he was searching for something in the brown eyes before looking down at his left hand on the table. Harvey followed Mike’s eyes with his until he spotted a familiar hand on top of Mike’s.
Harvey immediately pulled his hand back and picked up the cup of coffee.
“I was trying to reassure you.” He regretted, right after saying it. It made him look even more suspicious.
“I’ve been greatly reassured.” Mike said in a gentle voice. He missed the warm hand that had covered his like a security blanket.
As Harvey nodded and ate in silence, Mike thought about Rachel’s hand which was small, soft, and aesthetically pleasing. Then he thought about Harvey’s hand which was slightly bigger than his, strong, and aesthetically pleasing as well. He had no idea why he was comparing hands but Harvey really had nice hands. He had noticed that shortly after he had started to work for Harvey because the sight of his boss holding his black fountain pen was something to be remembered. Mike’s mind moved on and presented him with a much more recent memory. He thought about the day that Harvey had taught him how to use the dumbbells. He hadn’t been able to get his arms into the right position so Harvey had covered his hands with his to help him out.
‘That was very reassuring too.’ Mike thought as he looked at the man in front of him.
“You want more veggies?” Harvey asked, trying not to guess what was going on inside Mike’s head.
“No thanks, I’m full.” Mike patted his belly with a satisfied grin.
“Good. You should really eat more.” Harvey couldn’t resist nagging him.
“Well, in that case, I could use some dessert.” Mike turned around in his seat to read the menu over the counter.
“I thought you were full.”
“There’s always room for dessert, Harvey. Hey, how about we order an ice cream and share it?”
“Why? You only have room for half an ice cream?” Harvey finished his salad.
“No, I have room for more but I’m trying to get into better shape, remember?” Mike moved his arms as if he was holding dumbbells.
“Ah, so you’re trying to dump some extra fat on me for your own good. I see.” Harvey didn’t point out that if Mike wanted to get into better shape, he shouldn’t order ice cream at all.
“I’ll take that as a yes and go order one!” Mike announced cheerfully and bolted out of his seat.
Harvey chuckled and glanced at the suit jacket that Mike had left behind. It reminded him of the night when Mike had come to his place wearing a wrinkled shirt and marks of that paralegal. He remembered how he had pictured the paralegal taking off Mike’s jacket and that was when he had realized that he was jealous of her. That had happened a week ago and Harvey didn’t see any progress. He had been able to stop his associate from jumping in the paralegal’s bed and let the girl know that she had competition, but he hadn’t achieved anything substantial on the Mike front.
‘That will have to change. I’m not going to waste this opportunity when we’re far away from her. I’ll make sure that she sees a different Mike on Monday morning.’ Harvey vowed and welcomed Mike and the ice cream with a determined look on his face.
Two hours later, the pair was getting ready for their Washington D.C. bike tour. They had left their luggage at the hotel and had come out in their sporty biking gears. Harvey was wearing elegant black Lycra and Mike’s orange helmet for safety measures while Mike was wearing yellow from helmet to shorts. Since Mike had provided them with helmets, Harvey had brought matching shades for the event.
“Ready?” Mike asked as he checked Harvey’s bike.
“It’s not the first time I’m riding a bike, Mike. And, you already checked twice.” Harvey looked down from his saddle.
“I know. But it’s a rented bike and I want to make sure that I won’t get sued even if you fall.”
“I’m not going to fall, Mike. It’s not like we’re on the mountains. Plus, the beauty of riding a bike is that you don’t forget how to do it even after so many years.”
“I know that too but better safe than sorry. Now let’s take another look at your helmet.”
Harvey wanted to tell Mike that he knew how to wear a helmet but he didn’t think that it would stop him from checking it. So he remained silent and let his biking mentor make sure that he was 100% ready.
“You’re ready.” Mike announced with satisfaction as he got on his own bike. “Don’t hesitate to let me know when you need a break. I’m not going to tease you. I’ll show you how caring and understanding a mentor can be!”
Harvey laughed. “Is that supposed to make me feel bad?”
“No. But there are many different styles of mentoring and I might do something that would inspire you.” Mike wore a confident smile on his face.
“Good for me then.” Harvey chuckled and checked the map. He was supposed to be Mike’s personal tour guide. Mike had told him on the train that he was particularly interested in visiting the political and historical monuments. “Let’s start with the White House, shall we?”
“Excellent choice!” Mike looked at the map over Harvey’s shoulder and duplicated it in his head.
“Did you just memorize the whole map in two seconds?” Harvey asked even though he knew the answer. He liked to watch the proud expression grace the pretty face.
“Yep, every single inch of it. Now you don’t have to worry about losing the map.” Mike answered smugly.
“If I lose the map, I can simply buy another one. It only costs a few bucks.” Harvey grinned.
“But I know you’ll like it better when you get the right directions from me.” Mike stuck out his tongue.
Harvey’s gaze lingered on the tongue and then on the enticing mouth.
“Let’s get going or we’ll never make it in time.” He pedaled off before he had a chance to do something stupid. It was only about three o’clock in the afternoon so there was no need to do anything risky. He still had plenty of time to make his move before they had to go back home.
Mike was having a fantastic time, riding the bike across the beautiful city with the most handsome tour guide in the state. A tourist even asked him which tour agency he was using and Mike had to tell him that the guide was his boss with whom he was on a business trip with. The guy had given him a funny look but had left him alone, and ever since, Mike had followed Harvey’s lead and even raced with him while keeping an eye on Harvey’s biking. He liked how Harvey rode his bike. He had a firm grip on the handlebars and used long, smooth thrusts with a leisurely yet confident look on his face.
They had stopped to experience the capital’s hot dogs and coffee for a short while but apart from that, Harvey had been able to bike gracefully without a break. Mike had been impressed and had complimented his protégé by using various synonyms of the word ‘wonderful’. He was about to pick yet another wonderful word when he saw Harvey nearly fall off his bike. A little girl and a puppy had come out of nowhere and Harvey had almost hit them.
“Oh my gosh, Harvey! Are you okay?” Mike got off his bike and rushed to Harvey’s side.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Move your legs a bit and tell me if it hurts.” Mike became a little pale.
“I’m really fine, Mike. See? Nothing’s wrong.” Harvey moved his legs to prove his point.
“Hey, you look nice but your boyfriend looks like a sour Popsicle.” The little girl’s words made Harvey laugh.
“Excuse me? I’m not his boyfriend and I’m most definitely not a sour Popsicle.” Mike protested.
“But you have the same shades.” The girl pointed out, eyeing Mike as if she wanted to say ‘Don’t lie to me just because you think I’m a kid’.
“He’s my puppy.” Harvey helped her out.
The girl tilted her head. “Your puppy? So you scratch his belly and pat him on the head like I do to Leonardo?”
“Pretty much.” Harvey answered. He figured that allowing Mike a fist bump was close enough to scratching his belly.
Mike couldn’t care less about the current topic; he was still grumbling over the ‘sour Popsicle’. Why couldn’t people understand the utter importance of the color yellow? It would certainly be wiser to choose safety over fashion but perhaps it wasn’t the same for a little girl.
“Come on, puppy. Time to go back to the hotel.” Harvey’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he noticed that the girl and her Leonardo were gone.
“Already?” Mike looked disappointed. He was having such great fun.
“The banquet starts at seven, Mike. We can’t go there with wobbly legs, smelling like sweat.”
Mike nodded. They were here for business and he was actually looking forward to the banquet. He was hoping that it would be another fascinating adventure with Harvey.
“Which way is the hotel?” Harvey quizzed him before he took a sip from his water bottle.
Mike looked around and pointed at the right direction. “That way.”
“That’s my boy.” Harvey smiled and patted his puppy on the helmet. He didn’t know what kind of tricks Leonardo was able to do but he was fairly certain that his puppy was the best in the whole wide world.
Mike’s tricks continued to satisfy Harvey at the buffet banquet. After the meal, Mike stood next to Harvey, feeling valuable as he shook the hands of important people and smiled at all the compliments he got. Harvey didn’t only show off his memory but also his wits and humor.
“Very impressive, young man. I wish I had a truck full of employees like you.” The client shook Mike’s hand again.
“Thank you, sir.” Mike smiled politely.
“I expect nothing less from Harvey Specter.” The client addressed Harvey. “You found yourself a brilliant asset.”
Harvey smiled. “Yes, I was very fortunate. I’m trying to train him into a lawyer that you’ve never seen before.”
Mike found himself blushing at Harvey’s words. To think that Harvey thought so highly of his potential made him shiver with excitement.
“Well, we’ll talk about business tomorrow at brunch. For tonight, I hope you’ll get to find some entertainment in here.” The client shook Harvey’s hand and left to join his wife.
“Phew, I thought it was never going to end.” Mike relaxed as he was finally left alone with his boss.
“Business hasn’t ended until you set foot outside this place, Mike. So try to stay sharp.” Harvey mentored him.
“Aye, aye, Sensei.” Mike knew that Harvey liked it when he called him ‘Captain’ or ‘Sensei’.
Harvey fixed Mike’s tie and was about to comb his associate’s hair with his hand when Mike’s cell phone started to buzz inside his jacket.
“You didn’t turn off that thing before coming in here?” Harvey frowned.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was okay as long as it didn’t make any noise…”
Mike was right but the frown didn’t leave Harvey’s face. He knew that it had to be the paralegal.
“Uh, do you mind if I take this call and go get some dessert? I think I saw cheese cakes back there.” Mike pointed over his shoulder.
Harvey gave him permission with a small nod and watched Mike smile into the phone. Instead of clenching his fist and throwing a punch at the imaginary paralegal, he chose to distract himself by talking to more people.
“So, Mikey, how much do you miss me? How many times have you thought about me today?” Rachel asked sweetly.
Mike was a little taken aback. He had thought about his girlfriend… once. And, even when he did, he hadn’t thought about her as a whole; he had just thought about her hand.
“Oh, haha, I was extremely busy today. I wasn’t able to think about anything other than work.” He had to lie. He didn’t think that Rachel would appreciate his honesty.
“That’s too bad. I was hoping that you would get some time off and take a look around the city. Didn’t you want to go to the zoo?”
“Ah, I think we might have time to squeeze that in tomorrow.” Mike was hopeful.
“How are things with Harvey? Is he nice to you?” Rachel asked cautiously.
“With Harvey? Yeah! We’re doing great! We just finished talking to the client and we had so much fun, biking around…” Mike closed his mouth. He blamed the champagne. People kept offering him glasses and he hadn’t been able to refuse them.
“I thought you didn’t have any free time.” Rachel’s voice was cold and sad.
Mike bit his lips. He didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry, Rach. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I did have some free time in the afternoon but…”
“But you didn’t think about me.” Rachel took pity on him and finished the sentence for him.
“I did think about your pretty hand… And, hey, I’m just a guy who focuses on the things right in front of me. It doesn’t mean that I love you any less.” Mike hoped that his voice was soothing.
“Mike, there’s a potential client who wants to talk to you.” Harvey interrupted and Mike had to mutter apologies and hang up in a hurry.
After dealing with two more potential clients, Mike finally got his hands on the cheese cake. He felt bad about how the conversation had ended with Rachel but he was glad that he had been quite successful so far on his first business trip.
“So how long have you been dating the man of your life? I saw you two interacting with each other and I bet it hasn’t been long.” A female voice caught his attention as soon as he sat at his table.
“Excuse me?” Mike looked around if she had been meaning to talk to someone else but there was nobody but him within earshot. “Oh, you were talking to me. I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you mean. There’s no man in my life.”
The woman laughed and pointed at someone. “Then who is he? He seems to be very fond of you.”
Mike followed her finger with his eyes and realized that she was talking about Harvey. “Oh, Harvey! He’s my boss. I’m here as his associate.”
The woman smiled. “I get it. You work in a firm that doesn’t allow fraternization in the office. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“No, no. I’m really just his associate.” Mike wondered why this city thought that he and Harvey were a couple. Perhaps things worked a little differently here.
“Ah, then you’re worried that I might be homophobic.” The woman nodded as if she understood Mike’s concern. “No need to. I have a gay son and that’s actually why I asked how long you’ve been dating. Forgive me if I was rude. You remind me of my son and I’d just love to see him find true love like you.”
Mike opened his mouth to set the record straight one last time. “Ma’am, Harvey and I are…”
“Oh, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I’ve lived long enough so I know true love when I see it.” The woman gave him a warm smile.
Mike looked at his boss to see if he had given the woman any reason to reach such a conclusion. As far as he could tell, Harvey was innocently chatting with an elderly couple with a glass of champagne in his hand. Mike was about to face the woman again when Harvey looked straight at him and gave him one of his charming smiles.
Mike smiled back with a fluttering heart. ‘It’s the champagne again. After hours of biking, my body’s naturally circulating the alcohol faster.’
He felt Harvey’s gaze get more intense and instinctively looked away. He could hear the woman laugh right next to him.
“Uh, ma’am, could you tell me about your son? How old is he?” Mike asked, hoping that the life story of a gay boy struggling with his sexuality and longing for love would sober him up.
“How come people here think we’re a couple?” Mike blurted out as soon as they walked into their hotel room.
“If it’s about that little girl, you can forget about it. She’s just a little girl.” Harvey locked the door behind him and got out of his jacket and shoes.
“No, there was this woman at the banquet and…” Mike decided to skip the details. “Well, for some reason, she thought that you were the man of my life. I kept telling her that I didn’t have any man in my life but she wouldn’t listen.”
Mike kicked off his shoes and pulled a fresh undershirt and a pair of boxers from his bag.
“Does it bother you that someone thought you were with me?” Harvey tried to keep his tone casual but he was a little nervous.
“No, it’s not that. I just thought it was weird how we didn’t get any of those comments back home. Are we doing something differently? Or do lawyers date their associates in this city?”
Harvey laughed at the last question as he took off his tie. “I don’t know, Mike. Some people like to see good-looking men be together.”
“Hmm, well, we are definitely good-looking.” Mike agreed as he watched Harvey unbutton his shirt. He didn’t know how the man could do everything with so much grace. He knew that he was supposed to give Harvey some privacy, but Harvey didn’t seem to mind it and he didn’t feel like looking away. Harvey looked nice and he wanted to keep looking at him.
Harvey was fully aware of the stare his associate was giving him. He hadn’t planned on giving Mike a show but he wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity. So he let his fingers move as slowly as possible down his shirt and started to hum lightly so the silence wouldn’t feel too awkward.
Mike sat down on his bed and took off his socks, pretending not to stare at Harvey’s arms. He took his time with his shirt as Harvey got rid of his undershirt, belt, and socks. Soon all there was left for Harvey to remove was his pants. ‘Okay, this is getting creepy. I know I’m under the influence of alcohol but let’s not screw things up.’
“Can I use the bathroom first?!” Mike shot up from the bed, startling Harvey who had just put his hands on his pants.
“Sure. No need to yell, puppy. I have perfect hearing.” Harvey noticed that Mike’s cheeks had turned crimson. He thought about taking advantage of his drunk associate but that wouldn’t be right.
“Thanks! I won’t take too long in there!” Mike ran into the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes.
Harvey sat on the other bed, rubbing his face. He felt a little disappointed that Mike had chosen to leave the room. ‘Nah, it was the right thing to happen.’
Despite all the questionable things that he had done in New York, Harvey didn’t want to do something that might put their trip in jeopardy.
‘Well, it was still a good day if I think about it.’ He thought about how much they had chatted and laughed on the train and their bikes. He had even let Mike do a series of awful impersonations just so that he would feel free around him.
‘Then there was the banquet.’ Harvey remembered how he had constantly put a hand on his associate while they talked to other people. He had usually guided him around with a hand on his back but in other occasions, he had gently grabbed Mike’s wrist, arm or shoulder and Mike had never stiffened. Harvey was pleased that he had made his presence clear to Mike without disturbing him.
His thoughts then went back to the train when he had held Mike’s hand. The contact had happened unconsciously but it was probably more meaningful.
‘I don’t know what he thought about that one.’ Harvey rubbed his chin and figured that he would have to do it again to find out what Mike thought about it.
“The bathroom is all yours, Harvey.” Mike came out of the bathroom, wearing his undershirt and boxers.
“Okay. If you’re sleepy, you can go to bed. We had a long day today and tomorrow will be a long one too.” Harvey tried not to stare at Mike’s underwear.
“But I thought we were going to trade embarrassing stories and secrets until we fall asleep. Isn’t that what people do when they’re on a trip?” Mike asked as he tried to stifle a yawn.
“We’ll think about it if you’re still awake in ten minutes.” Harvey took out the things that he needed from his bag.
“Oh yeah? You think you can be ready for such a sensational talk in ten minutes?” Mike sat on the bed and chuckled.
“Watch me.” Harvey said playfully and went into the bathroom.
By the time Harvey came back to the room in his boxers, Mike was asleep on top of the covers.
‘Just like I expected.’ Harvey smiled. He was quite exhausted too.
Harvey managed to pull the covers from under his associate but Mike opened his eyes in the process.
“I fell asleep?” He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn.
“Yeah. I know it’s warm but you should sleep under the covers.” Harvey tucked him into bed.
“So you want to go first?” Mike asked with a grin.
“Go first on what?” Harvey wasn’t sure if trading secrets was a good idea.
“Tell me one of your secrets!” Mike looked more awake now.
“I don’t have any secrets.”
“Liar. Everybody has secrets.”
“Oh yeah? What’s yours then?” Harvey settled down in his own bed.
“I asked you first!”
“No, you asked me if I wanted to go first.”
Mike gave in. “Fine, I’ll go first then. I think I like your hands.”
“Everyone likes my hands, Mike. I happen to have very nice hands.” Harvey tried to play it down as he turned off the lights.
“I’m not talking about how they look, Harvey. I’m talking about how they feel.”
Harvey was glad that the lights were off. He hadn’t expected such an honest confession. “Care to elaborate?”
“Elaborate? Hmm…” Mike yawned. “I think they’re warm, confident, and reassuring. Very useful hands. Now it’s your turn.”
Harvey thought for a moment. What other secret could he tell him? “I’m worried that Leonardo might be a better name for a puppy.”
Mike’s laughter filled Harvey’s heart. “I thought you liked my name. You use it pretty often!”
“I do, but alas, I might’ve fallen for Leonardo. I wonder if it’s a da Vinci or a DiCaprio.”
Mike laughed some more. “That’s none of your concern. The only puppy name you need to know is Mike!”
“Well, in that case, you need to promise me something.” Harvey’s tone became serious.
“Promise what?”
“Give me your hand, Mike.” Harvey stretched his arm out of his bed. There was only a nightstand between the two beds.
“My hand?” Mike was puzzled but did as he was told.
Harvey took the hand in his and closed his eyes, pricking his ears for any sound that Mike might make. “If your name’s the only name I need to know, promise me that even after you stop working for me, you’ll still be my puppy.”
He could hear Mike take in a sharp breath and let it out with a smile. “I promise, Harvey. If you want, I’ll always be your puppy.”
Harvey didn’t want to let go of Mike’s hand but he could feel that Mike’s arm was getting heavier. “Okay. Good night then.”
“Good night, Harvey.” Mike let out one last yawn before falling asleep.