Fall Into Me - Part 10
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Master Post
Jewelers, Harvey had decided, must be used to strange requests. Men ordering diamonds for their wives and four girlfriends at the same time, nervous young men having meltdowns over engagement rings, eager women also having meltdowns over a lack of engagement rings. But lucky for Harvey they were also incredibly subtle, it was the name of the game and he was pretty sure a platinum collar wasn't the strangest request they'd ever had.
There had been so many options when it came to the design and Harvey had wanted something classy, but not obvious. Something that could be glimpsed by anyone but would only be identifiable as a collar to someone who knew what they were looking at. It was thin, no wider than a shoelace and unyielding except at the back where there was a strip of strong looking chain to allow Mike to get it on. But instead of a clasp there was a tiny metal tube that once the chain was slid through it could be pressed closed and it wouldn't open again unless damaged.
So all in all Harvey was kind of nervous about offering Mike a collar that he couldn't take off, even for the night if he wanted to. He'd made sure that his shirts would cover it and it really wasn't something that would stand out too much anyway. Well to anyone but him. But that didn't mean he'd want to be confined in it 24/7.
He'd had it for a week and every time he thought about giving it to him he put it off. Because it didn't feel right.
And then all of a sudden it was exactly a year since the first time Mike had knelt for him and really even he couldn't think of a good reason to put it off anymore.
"Do you want some more wine?" Harvey asked as he threw the containers from their dinner into the trash, stacking their plates into the dishwasher.
Life with Harvey was often times stressful, well no that wasn't life with Harvey, that was life with Harvey as his boss - and even in his second year as an associate at Pearson Hardman things didn't just suddenly get easier. Life with Harvey though was more than a little amazing.
Even on nights like this where they hadn't done anything special, it was just the two of them, spending time together the way they did, having dinner and talking and just being. It occasionally surprised Mike how something so simple could be so satisfying and yet there he was.
"Trying to get me liquored up?" Mike asked when Harvey asked about the wine, his tone teasing as he shook his head to let Harvey know he was fine. "I don't know if you've grasped this yet, but I'm kind of a sure bet." He gave Harvey a small smirk. "Kind of funny how that works."
Harvey laughed, smacking Mike gently on the ass. "If I'd known that I'd have stopped feeding you months ago," he said, giving the kitchen a last once over and giving himself another minute to delay his plans before he placed his hand on Mike's back to steer him through the apartment to his office. He'd been worried that anywhere else it might be stumbled upon; it was at least slightly more likely Mike wouldn't just search through his desk just for the hell of it.
He'd asked Lila to talk to Mike about it and she'd said he had nothing to worry about but that didn't suddenly make it easy. It was the most serious commitment Harvey considered there was and he'd understand if Mike wanted to wait longer, to be sure. But he was sure now and that meant now wasn't the time to do a terrible impression of a coward.
"I've got something to show you," he said, sliding into his chair and tapping the desk so Mike would take a seat on it, not that he ever had to be asked to lounge around on the furniture. Reaching into his desk drawer he pulled out a few empty files and a large, rather flat black box, setting them down on the desk.
Having hopped up onto the desk without further invitation Mike leaned back on one arm while Harvey poked around in his drawer. Mike raised an eyebrow at the box that was placed onto the desk a moment later, glancing first at the box and then to Harvey not entirely sure what to make of it.
"That," He said slowly, pointing an accusing finger at the box as he turned his gaze to Harvey, "does not look like a file." He had a real knack for stating the obvious, but as Harvey hadn't been particularly forthcoming about what he was showing Mike he didn't really know what else he should be thinking at that moment.
It wasn't the first time Harvey had taken his time getting around to an explanation, though it didn't necessarily make it easier either.
"You know, your eye for detail is one of the things that I like best about you," Harvey said, rolling his eyes as he placed his hand over the lid of the box and glanced up at Mike. "This is actually where I keep The Enterprise, when I'm not out exploring the universe."
Rubbing his thumb across the lid of the box he leaned back in his chair a little bit. "A year ago, we made a stupid decision that ended up probably being the best thing I've ever done with my extensive and clearly impressive life," Harvey said, placing his hand on Mike's knee.
"And this is for you, if you choose to accept it. If not, I'll put it away and you can ask for it in the future when you feel ready for it," Harvey explained, clearing his throat before he removed his hand to give Mike access to his present.
Mike couldn't decide where his eyes should be, he couldn't help the way he watched Harvey's hand on the box, and at the same time he couldn't seem to not look at Harvey's face either, not when he'd started speaking.
Some small tiny bit of hope started to flutter stupidly as he thought about where this might be going, though he didn't let himself get carried away no matter how easy that would have been with Harvey saying things like that.
Mike hesitated for a moment when Harvey's hand moved away, not sure if he should touch or not, but then he couldn't stop himself and he picked up the box setting it in his lap fingers smoothing over the top for a moment just briefly before he opened it. And then all chances of keeping himself from getting carried away went right out the window when he saw what was inside.
He had to touch then, fingers tracing the smooth curves of what was undoubtedly his collar. That conversation with Lila suddenly jumping into his mind - apparently not just a conversation meant to be hypothetical, she'd been gathering information. Or at least it looked that way now.
"You - you're sure about this?" Mike asked, because he knew what it meant, he knew the commitment this was and he didn't want to rush into it any more than Harvey did. And he didn't want Harvey to rush just for him.
Harvey touched the metal with his thumb, it was cold now but it would warm up when it was against Mike's skin every moment of the day and night. It would look good on him, he knew that from the moment he'd picked it up, it should, it had been made for him after all.
"I am," Harvey said after a tiny pause. "I don't ever want to get married, this is what I want and you're the person I want it with. The only person I'd ever want this with, Mike." He shrugged, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "But I also want to have some papers drawn up, so that if anything happened to me, all of this would be yours, it already is but we need a piece of paper to make sure no one could take it from you."
Clearing his throat he glanced back down at the collar, kind of wishing Mike looked a little more excited. "If it's too fast, I can wait, happily. I'm good at waiting," he said with a little grin.
All of it, everything Harvey said was just - it was everything Mike had wanted to hear, everything he was so sure Harvey wasn't ready for, and he'd been prepared to wait for it for as long as he needed to because he knew he belonged to Harvey already, and he knew that wasn't just going to change. But this made it all real, it was the physical representation of all of it.
"Wait?" Mike asked looking up at Harvey suddenly and shaking his head, clutching the box in one hand Mike slid off the desk and straddled Harvey's hips in the chair, making an attempt at being careful so they both didn't end up on the floor, and kissed him. "I don't want to wait, this isn't too fast - I thought you were working with Lila...." He said slowly raising an eyebrow at Harvey, wondering if perhaps he'd been wrong. "I told her I was ready for this."
He wrapped his arms around Mike, making sure he didn't drag them both down onto the floor. "I am working with Lila, but she said you said you might just change your mind about everything, not that helpful, kid," he said as he rolled his eyes.
"I've known this is it for a while now, Harvey." Mike said grinning big and wide and stupidly happy. "You're all I want and all I need." The rest was all details, so long as he had Harvey.
"I've known, too," Harvey admitted, leaning in to kiss him gently. "Pretty sure it was clear you were the only one I've ever needed since we met," he said with a chuckle. "Sometimes I forget how I did anything without you, at work and at home."
Mike sat back just enough to hold the box between them. "There's not like some sort of special protocol for doing this is there?" He wondered, he wanted to put it on, he wanted to feel the metal against his skin and around his throat and know that it was his.
Looking down at his he shook his head. "No, no protocol," Harvey said, lifting the necklace out of the box. It was light and he thought it was kind of beautiful. "Once it goes on, I clamp this shut with pliers and then it doesn't come off." He said, showing Mike the alternative to a clasp.
"Shit Harvey," Mike said when he understood that once the collar went on it wasn't coming off, not without the help of some tools that Mike was certain he didn't really want near his neck. God, if Harvey had known him any better it'd be like they were the same person.
"I'd like if you'd kneel for me though," he urged, gently squeezing Mike's hips with both hands.
He nodded eagerly when Harvey told him to kneel. Mike allowed himself another kiss before he was backing off Harvey's lap and onto his feet before he dropped down to his knees.
He thought about all the many times he'd done this before, when it had simply been because Harvey told him to, or others because he'd needed it, and others as a prelude to something more. But this time, this time was going to be different than any of the others, and out of all of the times he'd been on his knees this would be the one that would always stay at the forefront of his mind.
Mike got down eagerly in front of him and he stroked his cheek and then his hair, holding the collar carefully even though it wasn't at all fragile. "I want this," Harvey told him, looking down into his eyes. "And if I'd known I was going to love those big blue eyes as much as I do, I probably wouldn't have hired you and all of this would have been easier," he said with a laugh.
Placing the collar down gently on his desk he grasped the hem of Mike's shirt, slowly pulling it over his head. Getting the little pair of pliers out of the draw he held the collar in one hand and the tool in the other, giving him a gentle smile. "Are you ready?"
"You'd have never been happy with easier, you love the challenge." Mike reminded Harvey, grinning while Harvey laughed, completely confident in this and Harvey and everything they had together.
Every day Harvey realized that Mike knew him better than he'd ever intended, than he'd ever wanted anyone to know him and he was right. Easy was boring and Mike was anything but easy. He was smart and challenging and everything Harvey needed in someone to share his life with.
Mike licked his lips and nodded, his pulse felt like it was racing and he was sure he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but Mike had never been more sure of anything than he was about this. "Yeah, yes, I'm ready." He nodded again, looking up at Harvey.
Harvey gently slid the collar around his neck, pushing his head down to rest on his knee so he could see the back of it. Getting the chain through the little clasp he made sure it was loose enough to be comfortable all the time before he used the pliers, clamping the tube with as much strength as he could. Every time he closed the pliers and pushed down it cemented their future even more and Harvey wasn't worried, not even a little bit.
Finishing the job he put the pliers down, fingers sliding Mike's hair and gently pulling his head back upright. "There," he whispered.
The one thing Mike had not been prepared for when it came time for the reality of a collar was just how calm he felt. He'd though perhaps there might have been room for nerves or just a small bit of doubt, but when his head rested on Harvey's knee and he felt the pliers closing off the only way to remove the collar Mike only felt a calm that had settled over him.
This was one decision he could stand behind completely, and when he looked up at Harvey again and felt the cool metal against his skin Mike knew this was what he had been waiting for, having the collar around his neck was the final piece that just made everything else slot into place the way it was meant to.
"That's good." Mike said nodding slowly just savoring that feeling of being owned.
Standing up Harvey took both of Mike's hands in his and pulled him up with him. Leading him into the bathroom he planted his boy in the center of the mirror, chin resting on his shoulder as he looked at their reflection.
The collar caught the light and Harvey had never really thought about how seeing it would make him feel. Reaching around he lay his fingers on the cool metal, meeting Mike's eyes in the reflection with one of those intense gazes they often shared.
"It's moments like these, I'm just so glad your name really isn't Rick Sorkin," Harvey said, face breaking into a grin. "Mike Ross is perfect. Perfect for me."
"You wouldn't love me if my name was Rick Sorkin?" Mike asked, though he was far more interested in the picture they made. Harvey behind him looking as good as he always did and him, with a collar around his neck, a collar that was going to remain there indefinitely. It didn't feel like something so small should make such a difference and yet looking at himself it was like everything had changed.
"Not ever a little bit, Rick," he said with a laugh.
He couldn't help grinning right along with Harvey though, turning just so he could see more than Harvey's reflection, momentarily struck but just how damn lucky he was, to have any of this, but most of all to have Harvey.
"You're kind of perfect too, you know." He told Harvey, closing his eyes and leaning into Harvey just briefly, far too happy for any one person and yet there he was.
Harvey wrapped his arms loosely around Mike's waist, pulling him in close. "Yeah, I know," he said with a grin. Harvey couldn't stop touching the collar, feeling the metal on Mike's skin and it was clear he was totally taken with it.
"So I suppose this means you'll be sticking around then?" Harvey asked, his hands dropping down to grab Mike's ass.
Mike was more than a little in love with the way Harvey touched him and the collar, something else he hadn't expected about the reality of this and yet made the whole experience better for it.
He laughed and nodded when Harvey grabbed him. "Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me now." He informed him happily, before turning in Harvey's arms, lifting himself up onto the counter top, and pulling Harvey into the V of his legs. "You're going to have to start getting used to this." He teased, like they hadn't already been living together and Harvey wasn't entirely aware of what the collar would mean.
Stepping into Mike he ran his hands up and down his legs, little smile in place. Dropping his lips down he pressed a kiss over the collar and Mike's neck, kissing along the platinum band. "Getting used to spending the rest of my life shacked up with you? I think I'll manage."
Running his hands up the inside of Mike's thighs he sighed happily. "You know, I'm almost positive you're the best thing that ever happened to someone because of a briefcase full of pot."
"Trevor did say he was giving me a chance to change my life." Mike said with a small smile, ducking his face and shaking his head. It was hard to believe he'd been that guy a little over a year ago, so desperate that he was willing to get involved with drug trafficking. He felt unrecognizable from that person he'd been as he sat there with Harvey so close and the feeling of metal around his throat, marking him.
"I'm not sure this is what he had in mind, but to tell you the truth - I think I prefer this outcome over what he'd imagined." He smiled and butted his head against Harvey's gently, nosing in along the line of his jaw and working his way to Harvey's lips. "Love you."
Harvey was lucky to have this life, to have everything that Mike had given him and the way that he'd changed his life. They were always going to challenge each other and when he'd told Nancy that this was it for him; he'd been telling the truth. He'd never need anything more than Mike.
"Love you, too," he said quietly. Because everyone needed different things in a career and a partner and a life and sometimes because you were a raging narcissist, the person who complimented you the best, the person you'd always been looking for, was another you.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Master Post
Jewelers, Harvey had decided, must be used to strange requests. Men ordering diamonds for their wives and four girlfriends at the same time, nervous young men having meltdowns over engagement rings, eager women also having meltdowns over a lack of engagement rings. But lucky for Harvey they were also incredibly subtle, it was the name of the game and he was pretty sure a platinum collar wasn't the strangest request they'd ever had.
There had been so many options when it came to the design and Harvey had wanted something classy, but not obvious. Something that could be glimpsed by anyone but would only be identifiable as a collar to someone who knew what they were looking at. It was thin, no wider than a shoelace and unyielding except at the back where there was a strip of strong looking chain to allow Mike to get it on. But instead of a clasp there was a tiny metal tube that once the chain was slid through it could be pressed closed and it wouldn't open again unless damaged.
So all in all Harvey was kind of nervous about offering Mike a collar that he couldn't take off, even for the night if he wanted to. He'd made sure that his shirts would cover it and it really wasn't something that would stand out too much anyway. Well to anyone but him. But that didn't mean he'd want to be confined in it 24/7.
He'd had it for a week and every time he thought about giving it to him he put it off. Because it didn't feel right.
And then all of a sudden it was exactly a year since the first time Mike had knelt for him and really even he couldn't think of a good reason to put it off anymore.
"Do you want some more wine?" Harvey asked as he threw the containers from their dinner into the trash, stacking their plates into the dishwasher.
Life with Harvey was often times stressful, well no that wasn't life with Harvey, that was life with Harvey as his boss - and even in his second year as an associate at Pearson Hardman things didn't just suddenly get easier. Life with Harvey though was more than a little amazing.
Even on nights like this where they hadn't done anything special, it was just the two of them, spending time together the way they did, having dinner and talking and just being. It occasionally surprised Mike how something so simple could be so satisfying and yet there he was.
"Trying to get me liquored up?" Mike asked when Harvey asked about the wine, his tone teasing as he shook his head to let Harvey know he was fine. "I don't know if you've grasped this yet, but I'm kind of a sure bet." He gave Harvey a small smirk. "Kind of funny how that works."
Harvey laughed, smacking Mike gently on the ass. "If I'd known that I'd have stopped feeding you months ago," he said, giving the kitchen a last once over and giving himself another minute to delay his plans before he placed his hand on Mike's back to steer him through the apartment to his office. He'd been worried that anywhere else it might be stumbled upon; it was at least slightly more likely Mike wouldn't just search through his desk just for the hell of it.
He'd asked Lila to talk to Mike about it and she'd said he had nothing to worry about but that didn't suddenly make it easy. It was the most serious commitment Harvey considered there was and he'd understand if Mike wanted to wait longer, to be sure. But he was sure now and that meant now wasn't the time to do a terrible impression of a coward.
"I've got something to show you," he said, sliding into his chair and tapping the desk so Mike would take a seat on it, not that he ever had to be asked to lounge around on the furniture. Reaching into his desk drawer he pulled out a few empty files and a large, rather flat black box, setting them down on the desk.
Having hopped up onto the desk without further invitation Mike leaned back on one arm while Harvey poked around in his drawer. Mike raised an eyebrow at the box that was placed onto the desk a moment later, glancing first at the box and then to Harvey not entirely sure what to make of it.
"That," He said slowly, pointing an accusing finger at the box as he turned his gaze to Harvey, "does not look like a file." He had a real knack for stating the obvious, but as Harvey hadn't been particularly forthcoming about what he was showing Mike he didn't really know what else he should be thinking at that moment.
It wasn't the first time Harvey had taken his time getting around to an explanation, though it didn't necessarily make it easier either.
"You know, your eye for detail is one of the things that I like best about you," Harvey said, rolling his eyes as he placed his hand over the lid of the box and glanced up at Mike. "This is actually where I keep The Enterprise, when I'm not out exploring the universe."
Rubbing his thumb across the lid of the box he leaned back in his chair a little bit. "A year ago, we made a stupid decision that ended up probably being the best thing I've ever done with my extensive and clearly impressive life," Harvey said, placing his hand on Mike's knee.
"And this is for you, if you choose to accept it. If not, I'll put it away and you can ask for it in the future when you feel ready for it," Harvey explained, clearing his throat before he removed his hand to give Mike access to his present.
Mike couldn't decide where his eyes should be, he couldn't help the way he watched Harvey's hand on the box, and at the same time he couldn't seem to not look at Harvey's face either, not when he'd started speaking.
Some small tiny bit of hope started to flutter stupidly as he thought about where this might be going, though he didn't let himself get carried away no matter how easy that would have been with Harvey saying things like that.
Mike hesitated for a moment when Harvey's hand moved away, not sure if he should touch or not, but then he couldn't stop himself and he picked up the box setting it in his lap fingers smoothing over the top for a moment just briefly before he opened it. And then all chances of keeping himself from getting carried away went right out the window when he saw what was inside.
He had to touch then, fingers tracing the smooth curves of what was undoubtedly his collar. That conversation with Lila suddenly jumping into his mind - apparently not just a conversation meant to be hypothetical, she'd been gathering information. Or at least it looked that way now.
"You - you're sure about this?" Mike asked, because he knew what it meant, he knew the commitment this was and he didn't want to rush into it any more than Harvey did. And he didn't want Harvey to rush just for him.
Harvey touched the metal with his thumb, it was cold now but it would warm up when it was against Mike's skin every moment of the day and night. It would look good on him, he knew that from the moment he'd picked it up, it should, it had been made for him after all.
"I am," Harvey said after a tiny pause. "I don't ever want to get married, this is what I want and you're the person I want it with. The only person I'd ever want this with, Mike." He shrugged, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "But I also want to have some papers drawn up, so that if anything happened to me, all of this would be yours, it already is but we need a piece of paper to make sure no one could take it from you."
Clearing his throat he glanced back down at the collar, kind of wishing Mike looked a little more excited. "If it's too fast, I can wait, happily. I'm good at waiting," he said with a little grin.
All of it, everything Harvey said was just - it was everything Mike had wanted to hear, everything he was so sure Harvey wasn't ready for, and he'd been prepared to wait for it for as long as he needed to because he knew he belonged to Harvey already, and he knew that wasn't just going to change. But this made it all real, it was the physical representation of all of it.
"Wait?" Mike asked looking up at Harvey suddenly and shaking his head, clutching the box in one hand Mike slid off the desk and straddled Harvey's hips in the chair, making an attempt at being careful so they both didn't end up on the floor, and kissed him. "I don't want to wait, this isn't too fast - I thought you were working with Lila...." He said slowly raising an eyebrow at Harvey, wondering if perhaps he'd been wrong. "I told her I was ready for this."
He wrapped his arms around Mike, making sure he didn't drag them both down onto the floor. "I am working with Lila, but she said you said you might just change your mind about everything, not that helpful, kid," he said as he rolled his eyes.
"I've known this is it for a while now, Harvey." Mike said grinning big and wide and stupidly happy. "You're all I want and all I need." The rest was all details, so long as he had Harvey.
"I've known, too," Harvey admitted, leaning in to kiss him gently. "Pretty sure it was clear you were the only one I've ever needed since we met," he said with a chuckle. "Sometimes I forget how I did anything without you, at work and at home."
Mike sat back just enough to hold the box between them. "There's not like some sort of special protocol for doing this is there?" He wondered, he wanted to put it on, he wanted to feel the metal against his skin and around his throat and know that it was his.
Looking down at his he shook his head. "No, no protocol," Harvey said, lifting the necklace out of the box. It was light and he thought it was kind of beautiful. "Once it goes on, I clamp this shut with pliers and then it doesn't come off." He said, showing Mike the alternative to a clasp.
"Shit Harvey," Mike said when he understood that once the collar went on it wasn't coming off, not without the help of some tools that Mike was certain he didn't really want near his neck. God, if Harvey had known him any better it'd be like they were the same person.
"I'd like if you'd kneel for me though," he urged, gently squeezing Mike's hips with both hands.
He nodded eagerly when Harvey told him to kneel. Mike allowed himself another kiss before he was backing off Harvey's lap and onto his feet before he dropped down to his knees.
He thought about all the many times he'd done this before, when it had simply been because Harvey told him to, or others because he'd needed it, and others as a prelude to something more. But this time, this time was going to be different than any of the others, and out of all of the times he'd been on his knees this would be the one that would always stay at the forefront of his mind.
Mike got down eagerly in front of him and he stroked his cheek and then his hair, holding the collar carefully even though it wasn't at all fragile. "I want this," Harvey told him, looking down into his eyes. "And if I'd known I was going to love those big blue eyes as much as I do, I probably wouldn't have hired you and all of this would have been easier," he said with a laugh.
Placing the collar down gently on his desk he grasped the hem of Mike's shirt, slowly pulling it over his head. Getting the little pair of pliers out of the draw he held the collar in one hand and the tool in the other, giving him a gentle smile. "Are you ready?"
"You'd have never been happy with easier, you love the challenge." Mike reminded Harvey, grinning while Harvey laughed, completely confident in this and Harvey and everything they had together.
Every day Harvey realized that Mike knew him better than he'd ever intended, than he'd ever wanted anyone to know him and he was right. Easy was boring and Mike was anything but easy. He was smart and challenging and everything Harvey needed in someone to share his life with.
Mike licked his lips and nodded, his pulse felt like it was racing and he was sure he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but Mike had never been more sure of anything than he was about this. "Yeah, yes, I'm ready." He nodded again, looking up at Harvey.
Harvey gently slid the collar around his neck, pushing his head down to rest on his knee so he could see the back of it. Getting the chain through the little clasp he made sure it was loose enough to be comfortable all the time before he used the pliers, clamping the tube with as much strength as he could. Every time he closed the pliers and pushed down it cemented their future even more and Harvey wasn't worried, not even a little bit.
Finishing the job he put the pliers down, fingers sliding Mike's hair and gently pulling his head back upright. "There," he whispered.
The one thing Mike had not been prepared for when it came time for the reality of a collar was just how calm he felt. He'd though perhaps there might have been room for nerves or just a small bit of doubt, but when his head rested on Harvey's knee and he felt the pliers closing off the only way to remove the collar Mike only felt a calm that had settled over him.
This was one decision he could stand behind completely, and when he looked up at Harvey again and felt the cool metal against his skin Mike knew this was what he had been waiting for, having the collar around his neck was the final piece that just made everything else slot into place the way it was meant to.
"That's good." Mike said nodding slowly just savoring that feeling of being owned.
Standing up Harvey took both of Mike's hands in his and pulled him up with him. Leading him into the bathroom he planted his boy in the center of the mirror, chin resting on his shoulder as he looked at their reflection.
The collar caught the light and Harvey had never really thought about how seeing it would make him feel. Reaching around he lay his fingers on the cool metal, meeting Mike's eyes in the reflection with one of those intense gazes they often shared.
"It's moments like these, I'm just so glad your name really isn't Rick Sorkin," Harvey said, face breaking into a grin. "Mike Ross is perfect. Perfect for me."
"You wouldn't love me if my name was Rick Sorkin?" Mike asked, though he was far more interested in the picture they made. Harvey behind him looking as good as he always did and him, with a collar around his neck, a collar that was going to remain there indefinitely. It didn't feel like something so small should make such a difference and yet looking at himself it was like everything had changed.
"Not ever a little bit, Rick," he said with a laugh.
He couldn't help grinning right along with Harvey though, turning just so he could see more than Harvey's reflection, momentarily struck but just how damn lucky he was, to have any of this, but most of all to have Harvey.
"You're kind of perfect too, you know." He told Harvey, closing his eyes and leaning into Harvey just briefly, far too happy for any one person and yet there he was.
Harvey wrapped his arms loosely around Mike's waist, pulling him in close. "Yeah, I know," he said with a grin. Harvey couldn't stop touching the collar, feeling the metal on Mike's skin and it was clear he was totally taken with it.
"So I suppose this means you'll be sticking around then?" Harvey asked, his hands dropping down to grab Mike's ass.
Mike was more than a little in love with the way Harvey touched him and the collar, something else he hadn't expected about the reality of this and yet made the whole experience better for it.
He laughed and nodded when Harvey grabbed him. "Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me now." He informed him happily, before turning in Harvey's arms, lifting himself up onto the counter top, and pulling Harvey into the V of his legs. "You're going to have to start getting used to this." He teased, like they hadn't already been living together and Harvey wasn't entirely aware of what the collar would mean.
Stepping into Mike he ran his hands up and down his legs, little smile in place. Dropping his lips down he pressed a kiss over the collar and Mike's neck, kissing along the platinum band. "Getting used to spending the rest of my life shacked up with you? I think I'll manage."
Running his hands up the inside of Mike's thighs he sighed happily. "You know, I'm almost positive you're the best thing that ever happened to someone because of a briefcase full of pot."
"Trevor did say he was giving me a chance to change my life." Mike said with a small smile, ducking his face and shaking his head. It was hard to believe he'd been that guy a little over a year ago, so desperate that he was willing to get involved with drug trafficking. He felt unrecognizable from that person he'd been as he sat there with Harvey so close and the feeling of metal around his throat, marking him.
"I'm not sure this is what he had in mind, but to tell you the truth - I think I prefer this outcome over what he'd imagined." He smiled and butted his head against Harvey's gently, nosing in along the line of his jaw and working his way to Harvey's lips. "Love you."
Harvey was lucky to have this life, to have everything that Mike had given him and the way that he'd changed his life. They were always going to challenge each other and when he'd told Nancy that this was it for him; he'd been telling the truth. He'd never need anything more than Mike.
"Love you, too," he said quietly. Because everyone needed different things in a career and a partner and a life and sometimes because you were a raging narcissist, the person who complimented you the best, the person you'd always been looking for, was another you.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Master Post