round six prompt post - spoiler free
ROUND SIX - SPOILER FREE POST
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE ALLOWED IN THIS POSTIMPORTANT: Please don't forget to warn for any triggers (these can be found in the Rules post), better to warn when in doubt. If a prompt is not warned for triggers and contains them, it will be screened and you will be asked to re-write it with the appropriate ( Read more... )
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE ALLOWED IN THIS POSTIMPORTANT: Please don't forget to warn for any triggers (these can be found in the Rules post), better to warn when in doubt. If a prompt is not warned for triggers and contains them, it will be screened and you will be asked to re-write it with the appropriate ( Read more... )
"What's wrong with you?"
"What?" Mike looked up from the stack of papers he was reading to see Harvey studying him. "Nothing."
"You're a terrible liar."
Mike groaned and let his head drop onto the table, making a mental note to work on his poker face. "I think I broke up with my girlfriend last night."
"You're not sure?"
"I'm apparently not sure about anything right now."
"Did you need a hug or something?"
"What?" Mike jerked his head up, his eyes widening until he saw the mock concern on Harvey's face give way to amusement. "Asshole," he said but without any heat. "I should have known. I could really be hurting here."
"Are you?"
"I'm--" Mike stopped, looking again at Harvey and was strangely gratified that this time there was something honest behind the question. "I'm all right. It was a long time coming. I think we were together mostly out of habit, you know? We'd been together since college. I was dating this guy and--"
"Guy?"
"Yeah, Trevor. It was--" Mike stopped again, biting at his lip. He couldn't believe he'd actually brought Trevor up to Harvey. He could feel his face heating up as he scrambled to pick up his highlighter and his place. "You know what? Forget I said that. I'm fine. I'm good."
"You just came out to me."
"A little bit. It doesn't matter, does it? That I'm bi."
"Not in the least."
"Good. Thank you. I don't like the labels anyway. It's about the person, right?"
"Sure, and don't thank me."
Mike opened his mouth to thank Harvey again but bit it back, going back to his reading instead, trying to get lost in the language of the document rather than worrying about what would happen if the other associates found out. Or worse, Louis.
"Hey, Mike," Harvey said a minute later, interrupting Mike's train wreck of thought. When Mike looked up, Harvey was leaning in a bit closer, watching Mike intently to be sure he had Mike's attention. "It doesn't matter. Not here. Not with me."
"It's just...this place, you know?"
"Yeah. I know." Harvey smile at him and something warm and reassuring flooded Mike's thoughts.
A few minutes later Harvey broke the silence between them again. "It's probably a bad idea to ask this now that I know how indecisive you are but how sure are you that you can find the loophole we need to keep this case out of court?"
"Of that, I'm positive."
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Oh, Harvey, you ass. XD
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Mike was pretty sure that Louis had fixed the results of the mock trial pairings and that it wasn't merely chance that saw him facing off against Harvey's associate. Ever since Louis had discovered that Harvey had come to rely on Mike more often than not, he'd gone out of his way to make sure Mike understood the office's pecking order: Kyle was Harvey's associate and Mike was...well, Mike belonged to whoever needed him as long as it wasn't Harvey.
Mike waited until the room was clear of Jessica and all the senior partners before he headed back to the bullpen, clutching his trial brief against his chest. He'd been to trial 114 times prior to coming to Pearson Hardman and won nearly every time, which he felt pretty good about. Kyle, who Harvey had never let go to court yet, felt that Mike's record didn't count for much, which is exactly what he overheard as he rounded the corner.
"I'm the national mock trial champion, Harvey. I can wipe the floor with Ross."
"What have I told you about going to trial?" Harvey asked Kyle and Mike couldn't help but give the answering refrain.
"Never go unless you know you can win."
Harvey's grin was sharp, as if Mike was a particularly quick study, which he was, and then it seemed like more. The stab of desire that went through Mike surprised him, and he smiled back, ducking his head as if it would keep Harvey from seeing the sudden blush on his cheeks.
"But he came out of the D.A.'s office." Kyle, oblivious to both Harvey and Mike's reaction, curled his lip with scorn, as if he'd just accused Mike of having not attended Harvard. "He doesn't have what it takes. He shouldn't even be here."
Mike looked up at that, watching as Harvey's eyebrows climbed, surprised, it seemed, by this bit of Mike Ross lore he apparently hadn't known they shared. Harvey, while rarely spoken of by Cameron Dennis himself, was legendary, even nearly a dozen years later. Mike had had his old office and had carved his name into the middle desk drawer next to Harvey's and the four other A.D.A.'s who had had the desk in the intervening years. He had a sudden impulse to share that with Harvey but bit it back as Kyle still stared at him as if to say, now Harvey will finally see you for what you are. Mike couldn't believe Kyle didn't know about Harvey's own stint in the D.A.'s office.
"How many years were you there?" Harvey asked, apparently not planning to enlighten Kyle.
"Two."
"But that means you would have graduated--"
"Early. I started early."
"I thought you were a rookie."
"Skipping grades at Public School 182 is not as much an accomplishment as Mike would like us to believe but now that we've established we have a child prodigy in our midst, perhaps we can return to the business at hand. The associates have work," Louis said, looking pointedly at Mike and Kyle to send them scurrying back to their desks. "And now the grown-ups can talk."
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"Are you ready for your trial?"
Mike's lips twitched at Rachel's question, ignoring her for the moment as he picked at the plate of food the waiter had just set in front of him. "I can't believe I let you drag me to these places."
"It's cuisine, Mike. You asked me to help you with--"
"Yes, I know. Just tell me what I'm eating and how I'm supposed to enjoy it."
"Pork belly in--"
"Never mind. Don't tell me." At the sound of his phone trilling, Mike heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief as he pulled it from inside his jacket pocket. "Sorry. Harvey texted me."
"Do you need to go back?"
"No." He puzzled over the screen for another second before showing it to Rachel. Settle.
"So, it's true."
"What's true."
"I shouldn't tell you."
"Yes, you should. You're clearly dying to."
"You're right, I am. Louis bet Harvey ten thousand dollars that you couldn't beat Kyle."
"Wait. Harvey bet on me? Who did you hear that from?"
"Donna. So you have to win."
"Kyle's never going to settle. He's some kind of mock trial savant."
"I can't believe you used Kyle and savant in the same sentence."
"There's got to be something to him since Harvey chose him as his associate."
Rachel shook her head, pointing to his untouched plate with the tines of her fork. "Eat."
"Not hungry."
"Take one bite and I'll tell you another secret." Mike did. "Harvey didn't chose him, Mike. Now eat."
"How do you know--Donna. How does she know everything?"
"In this case, it was because she was there. They practically drew his name out of a hat."
Mike practically crowed, showing Rachel the first sign that he actually did possess a tiny vindictive streak. Harvey didn't pick Kyle. He wondered if Kyle knew. Of course he didn't. "Can you imagine Harvey interviewing a bunch of recent graduates? I bet he was so bored."
"He has a Harvard degree. He couldn't have been that much different from them when he was their age."
"There's no way Harvey was anything like Kyle. Besides, he came from the D.A.'s office, too."
"What? Harvey?"
"You didn't know?"
"No!"
"I thought it would be common knowledge but you know, Kyle didn't know either. He told Harvey that I didn't deserve to be here because I'd been an A.D.A. Explains the bet."
Rachel waved her hand dismissively. "Harvey would have made that bet anyway."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because it's you, Mike. Harvey likes you."
"He feels sorry for me because I have to work with Louis."
"In six years that I've been here, Harvey has rarely talked with an associate. He's certainly never felt sorry for one. He likes you, Mike."
"Not me," Mike said, unable to wrap his thoughts around the idea. "He likes--"
"You. Now shut up and eat."
Mike poked at his lunch again, avoiding Rachel's eyes even as a warm feeling flooded his chest. Harvey liked him.
"So, what are you going to do?"
Mike jerked his head up, his eyes wide. "About--"
"The trial. You have to crush Kyle."
"I'm going to settle."
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"I'm not settling."
"C'mon, Kyle. Don't be stupid."
"Is this how you won all your cases as an A.D.A.? Calling opposing counsel stupid?"
"Harvey wants us to settle. It's win win that way."
"No way. He wants me to win. He made a bet with Louis."
Mike stared at Kyle for a second, feeling sorry for him in a way that was distinctly unwanted. "You heard about that?" he hedged, trying to be gentle.
"Scared?"
Mike is truly confused for a moment before he realizes that yes, Kyle knew about the bet but no, he didn't know his senior partner had bet against him. His compassion for Kyle spikes to new levels and he almost wants to offer him a hug. Almost. "No. I'm not afraid, I'm just--"
"You should be. I was--"
"I know, Kyle. Since you were in diapers, arguing with your nanny over nap time. I am offering, as a gentleman and as your friend, let's settle."
"We're not friends."
Mike blinked once and nodded twice. Yeah, hugs are completely off the table. "Right. Not friends, good to know. I'll see you in court."
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So...that happened.
Mike countersued, which earned him praise from Jessica and half a smile from Harvey. It was the smile that kept him going when Kyle successfully filed a petition with the court to exclude one of Mike's witnesses. In the end, Mike didn't mind much considering he had no one to play the role. He'd thought for half a minute he could ask Jenny but then that would be all sorts of awkward. They hadn't really talked since. Well. It solved a problem and sparked another piece of texted advice from Harvey. Play the man. Mike could do that.
That Donna was playing Kyle's client was a bit nerve wracking. Mike froze the moment Donna started to cry. He hadn't expected that, and nearly forgot his strategy. Donna could take it, Mike was sure, at least he hoped so as he peppered her with questions in a way he'd learned from Cameron Dennis himself. Give no quarter, he remembered from the pre-trial pep talks of his A.D.A. days, and silently hated himself as Donna cried harder for a moment in response to a question before Kyle finally--belatedly--began to object.
Mike knew he'd won when Jessica smiled at him, but it wasn't until Donna winked at him as she stepped down from the stand that he felt as though he could breath again.
Jessica was generous with her praise, as were the other senior partners. Mike thanked them all before going back to his cubicle to finish the briefs he'd been working on that morning. He didn't feel like celebrating. He'd meet the other associates for drinks that night because he knew it was expected of him and he got that, he really did--but he found he didn't want to.
"You did good, kid," Harvey told him when Mike stopped by his office on his way out.
"I tried to settle."
"You knew you could win, though."
"Yeah." Mike sat down on the couch, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hand over the back of his head. "I knew I could win against him."
The couch dipped as Harvey sat close to Mike, letting their legs touch. Mike could feel the heat from Harvey's body from ankle to hip and fought against sinking into it.
"So, what's the problem," Harvey asked when Mike didn't say anything else.
"It didn't feel good to win."
"No?"
"You worked for Cameron, too, right?" Mike asked but it wasn't question. He already knew the answer, and he nodded when Harvey did. "I didn't like going after Donna like that."
"She thoroughly enjoyed herself, Mike. You don't have to worry about her. She wanted to do it. Wanted to see what you could do."
"I know, but it's the kind of thing Cameron wanted us to do. He made me read The Art of War."
Harvey made a sound somewhere between a laugh and groan, and nodded again.
"I didn't want to win because I knew Kyle had more to lose," Mike said after a while. "His title means a lot to him. It felt petty."
"So why did you? If you were smart enough to figure out how to win, then you knew how to lose, too."
"Yeah." Mike laughed but there wasn't much humor behind it. He shook his head before he worked up his courage to look Harvey in the eyes. "I didn't want to disappoint you."
"You didn't. You couldn't."
"I wish I had your same confidence."
"You are but the padawan and I--"
Mike tipped his head back and laughed out loud, letting his shoulder bump against Harvey's.
"Listen, Mike. You have to get Cameron out of your head and decide what kind of lawyer you want to be."
"How did you do it?"
"I listened to Jessica."
"I don't think she much likes me."
"You'd be surprised. In the meantime, you can listen to me."
"I'm trying."
"I know you are, kid."
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"Harvey, you need to back off Mike Ross."
"Has he made a complaint?" Harvey moved to sit at the edge of his seat in a chair across from Jessica, arranging his features in mock concern. He knew this talk was a long time coming. She didn't miss anything that happened in her firm, particularly when it came to Harvey. There's no way she wouldn't have noticed Harvey's interest in Mike. The way she leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked him over, told him that she didn't buy his innocent act for a minute.
"The associates fall under Louis' purview, and I know you know that."
"Louis doesn't deserve him," Harvey muttered, ignoring the look Jessica shoots him.
"I'm serious about this. Louis can't manage the associates if--"
"You're the one who told me I needed to mentor someone."
"Your own associate would be a good place to start." Harvey curled his lip in disgust. "Harvey." The warning was back in her voice.
"C'mon, Jessica. The kid is bright, maybe even slightly smarter than me. He should be on the partner track, not wasting his time proofing briefs like a rookie."
"He's a first year associate. If he doesn't like the work..." Jessica spread her hand out, indicating the door.
"Mike's not complaining about the work," Harvey said quickly, cutting off the threat. "And he didn't seek me out but we both know Louis isn't going to do anything for him. I can."
"And where does that leave Kyle?"
Harvey didn't answer. He couldn't even begin to pretend to care about Kyle and Jessica knew that.
"Look, I understand that you see something of yourself in this kid--"
"It's not about that."
"Isn't it? He graduated fifth in his class, just like you, spent two years in the D.A.'s office, just like you. I'm surprised you haven't given him Rene's name."
"He's not like me."
"No? Because from where I'm standing--"
"He's better."
Jessica looked taken aback by that admission and Harvey tried hard not to flinch beneath her unwavering gaze as she studied him intensely. "Please assure me that your interest in him is strictly professional, Harvey Specter, and if it isn't, that you haven't acted on it, because I will not allow you to do anything to jeopardize the reputation of this firm."
Harvey looked away to a point over Jessica's shoulder, his jaw clenching hard. He wondered for a second when he'd feel the anger at being accused of sexually harassing Mike but it never came. Jessica, it seemed, wasn't so far off the mark, and Harvey couldn't help but wonder when that had happened and how he'd missed it. Stupid skinny Mike with his stupid skinny ties.
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"And that's the only reason we're having this discussion?"
"Yes."
"Tell me something. I've already given you one puppy tied up with a ribbon around his neck who graduated third in his class but who has no real trial experience and could far better benefit from your experience. If you can't manage to feed and water him, then what makes you think I'm going to give you another?"
"I'm sure Kyle will make a adequate trial attorney someday but he's not Mike."
"I paired Kyle with you for a reason, Harvey. Do you know why that is?"
"I assumed it was payback for all the things I've done wrong in my life."
"It's because he's smart and he'll challenge you."
"He never challenges me, except maybe my patience."
"And Mike Ross does?"
"Constantly."
Jessica was quiet for a minute, assessing him again, and Harvey did his level best to keep his face bland and still, as if he hasn't just spent the last twenty minutes fighting for Mike. He almost thinks it's worked until Jessica shook her head, her lips twitching nearly imperceptibly to the side. Her tell. She's seen right through him. "He's not your responsibility, and I'm telling you, Harvey--not asking. Back off."
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Mike stood outside of Rachel's office for a good five minutes before he worked up the courage to push his way inside. He thought it was telling that he was afraid of all the women in his life--Rachel, Donna, Jessica, Gram... On the other hand, he thought maybe that list alone showed he had good reason. They were all scary, especially Rachel when she was pushing a deadline. It was telling of the depth of his anxiety that he ignored her scowl at his knock. "I think I'm being punished."
"Busy."
"C'mon, Rachel. This is important. Harvey hasn't spoken to me in nearly a month."
"Maybe he's busy, too."
Mike stared down at the crown of Rachel's head, knowing he should leave her alone. He couldn't help pushing just a little bit. "You have to tell me what to do."
Rachel sighed and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're a big boy, Mikey. You'll find a way to make daddy proud of you again."
"You think I'm over-reacting."
"You really are a genius."
"He's still talking to Kyle."
"If I give you some advice, will you go away?"
"Yes."
"Go talk to Harvey."
"That's not--"
"Mike."
"Right. Because I'm an adult, not a teenager with a crush."
"You so totally have a crush on Harvey."
"I really do."
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