I'm totally in love with this series, its not even funny.
Rosch (Ro-shh). Really, it's just Ross with a slight accent on it. *was not really creative*
This was also for a prompt on Suitsmeme asking for Mike as a Secret author.
Enjoy!
Mike found it totally by accident. Harvey had pulled the usual 'Like hell I'm staying at the office past officer hours with you. Grab your shit and come on' and now at Harvey's apartment, Mike was staring at one of the things that had nearly launched a completely different career and life for him. It was just a simple red hardback book with a Tree of Life emblazoned on the front. Within the tree, the title was hidden in the leaves but Mike could find it without even trying to and he really didn't want to. However, the author's name was very prominent at the very bottom. Malise Rosch. A name Mike never thought he'd actually have to hear again.
"She's a wonderful author." Harvey said appearing from nowhere and scaring the shit out of Mike.
"Damnit." He jumped turning around. "Why do you keep doing that?"
Harvey smirked. "Zoning out again, Ross? My shoes actually clunk on my floor so either you're deaf or you were really out of it."
"I was looking for that book you said to get." Mike said coloring and waving at the bookshelf. "And, the display thing you got going on over here is kind of a distraction." Mike neglected to mention why they were such a distraction
"It's an aesthetic thing." Harvey said rolling his eyes at Mike. "Besides, she's my favorite author and I like to show my books off." Mike colored even more but hid it by ducking around the display and going to the other books.
"Yeah. Well, aesthetically pleasing as it may be, It's kind of obnoxious when you're trying to get to the other books." Mike said, facing the books glancing at Harvey out of the corner of his eye. Harvey rolled his eyes then picked up the book Mike had been looking at and rubbed his thumb over the spine slowly and sensually. Well for Mike, it was sensual looking. Mike's pants went slightly tighter and he coughed, reaching for the book that he originally had been looking for. Harvey jerked and looked over at him.
"Don't get germs all over my books. I don't want them to get contaminated." He set the book back down and took the other book from Mike. "Here we go. Now here's a book that deserves to be read." He thrusted it back at Mike. "By you."
Mike groaned but took it back and settled down on the couch, preparing to not get any sleep.
"Have you ever read any of her books?" Harvey asked, setting a glass of water in front of Mike.
"Hmm?" Mike asked, having already been reading the book. Mike looked over at the display and tried hard to keep a straight face though inside he was screaming as he turned back.
"Nope, can't say I have" He said looking back down at the book. That much was true, He'd never actually read them. He looked up at Harvey through his lashes. "Are they good?" Shit, why did I ask him that? I don't wanna know.
"Yeah. They're well written, fun, sexy, and they're all about Lawyers. What's not to love?" Harvey said, energetically shocking Mike slightly. Mike quickly covered the psychical jerk by reaching for the water and taking a few gulps.
"Sounds pretty cool." Mike said after swallowing and turning back to the book, hiding his face.
"I just really wish there were more. She stopped writing a few years back, claiming that she had run into a permanent writers' block." Harvey's voice was sad and Mike jerked again at the tone and covering that one by coughing in to his sleeve. Harvey shot him a look.
"If you're getting sick, I'm not responsible for any medical emergencies."
"I'm fine. It's just my throat's dry." Mike said grabbing the water again and downing some more. Harvey raised an eyebrow at him then just rolled his eyes again.
"I'd give anything to find her and get her to write one last book. Just one and I'd be happy."
Mike hid his face in the book and accidently knocked over his glass of water. Harvey immediately started berating him about cleaning up his own messes.
It was about 11 pm before Harvey let Mike leave. On Mike's way out, he took one more glance at the display and cursed inwardly. He had a long-standing crush on Harvey and now that he knew that Harvey was a total Fanboy for Malise Rosch, it went up a notch in the romantic department. As the elevator descended, Mike sighed and hung his head for the first few floors then slowly an idea began forming in his mind. By the time he hit the lobby, Mike was smiling and whistling. Harvey would never have to know that Malise Rosch was actually an anagram for Michael Ross. Harvey wouldn't have to know that the Fifth book of the series had been put on the backburner because Malise A.K.A Mike had lost all and complete inspiration in the story. All Harvey would have to know that Malise was back for one last time and that a man simply named 'H' was going to be mentioned in the Dedications for inspiring her to come back.
Harvey didn't mention Malise Rosch again and just piled Mike with more and more paperwork, which somehow Mike got done and still managed to write more of the book in his very sparse free time. It was actually coming along pretty well for sitting around since he'd been caught cheating and gathering dust. He had changed a few characters around and it made so much more sense. He pretty much ignored the part of himself that was saying he was making the 2 male leads too much like Harvey and Himself. It made sense with the story and the plot flowed much more smoother when they bantered. Mike added the trekkie part just because it had made him laugh so hard, he couldn't breathe sometimes, every time he thought of it.
The first time Mike wrote the story that started the book series, he was 13 and it had been 5 years since his parents had been killed. His therapist had told him that it would help. It didn't but Mike discovered that writing was his only was to escape the world. As he got older, he started writing more and more and eventually his freshman year in college, he'd written the first book. He'd sent it to a publisher thinking it would be rejected so he came up with Malise Rosch as his penname because first it was an anagram of his name and he thought they'd be more sympathetic to a woman writer. Much to his surprise, it was passed through. It hadn't been too popular at first but eventually, it had gained popularity and now had a good sized following, which included one Harvey Specter, Handsome Asshole. Mike had set up an account under his name for the royalties and had a good-sized amount in it. Mostly, it went to his Grandmother's medical bills but when he was really strapped, he got some out.
The book was ¾ of the way done when Harvey and Mike started the Lamont case and that case zapped all of the time he had set aside to work on it. He had told the publisher that he would have the book at least in a month and they had done all the marketing for it. Harvey had been so happy, he was actually being civil to Louis of all people. Mike felt like an asshole but he couldn't get it done so the publisher had pushed the date back. Harvey had moped for a week, leaving all his paperwork to Mike to do. Even with that, Mike managed to get more and more on the book until finally, it was finished and Mike was ecstatic. It finally meant Harvey would stop moping and it meant Mike's work load would lessen up more so he could actually breathe again.
The books came in a plain cardboard box to his apartment. Mike had ripped into it so fast, the box was strips under his hands. He pulled one out and sighed, running a hand over the cover. It was beautifully done. It showed two male figures balancing on an uneven and collapsing set of scales. One had a distinct pompadour haircut and Mike had to smile. He opened the cover and checked the dedications and smiled even larger. He grabbed a pen from his desk and signed the book with a flourish. He'd spent hours perfecting his penmanship to just get the signature to look feminine. He called a delivery service and made sure to say that the sender was under the name Malise Rosch.
Mike went to work the next day, waiting to see Harvey's reaction to the book. He walked out of the elevator in a good mood and not even Devon, that mousy looking intern, could spoil his mood. He waved at everyone he passed and earned a few weird looks and a few waves back. He turned the corner to his cubicle and stopped short to see Harvey sitting in his chair facing Mike. His face was unreadable and he stared at Mike with a raised eyebrow. He beckoned him forward. Mike got closer gulping, not trusting himself to speak.
"My office, Now." Harvey said getting up and yanking on Mike's tie, pulling him behind him. Harvey jerked him down the hall and then pushed him into his office. Donna gave them a look and the next thing Mike knew, Harvey's windows were covered by a shade. Mike had stumbled to a spot near Harvey's desk and he saw the book overturned on the desk along with the note and another note that Mike had wrote him and his face went white. The two notes were almost similar in the way he wrote him.
"Malise Rosch. Michael Ross." Harvey said, voice completely emotionless. Mike jerked, not turning around to face him. "Does anybody else know about this?"
"My Grandmother and the child therapist they assigned me when I was 10." Mike said immediately, almost as a reflex.
"Why a girl's name?"
"I was a young writer and I thought they'd be more open to a woman writing romance novels than a guy. And, it's an anagram do I was still getting credit."
"This is really the last book then?"
"Maybe, I don't know. This one," Mike picked up the book, marking Harvey's place. "took me 6 years to write."
"Who's this 'H', Mike, that got you to write again?"
Mike colored and didn't answer.
"Michael, answer me." Harvey commanded, crowding Mike against the desk. Mike shivered and moaned, feeling Harvey pressed against his back.
"You are." Mike groaned, bracing against the desk. Suddenly, Harvey's weight was gone and it left Mike cold. He turned and stared at Harvey who had a phone in his hand and was texting someone.
Harvey looked up with heavy-lidded eyes, "Grab your shit and come on."
"What?" Mike squeaked, cursing himself for doing it.
"I'm going to give you some real inspiration for a 6th book because it seems I'm the reason you keep writing."
Mike opened his mouth to say something but Harvey cut him off with a very deep kiss.
Needless to say, Mike did write a 6th book but only Harvey gets to read that one and Harvey likes it very, very, very much.