Illegal Practice
Suits: Marvey
Rated: M (Duh...)
Author: Pyro Vamp
A/N:
Alrighty my lovelies! So yeah this is straight up Marvey (MikeXHarvey!) If its not your cup of tea I suggest you grab a coke or something, but don't flame cause you have been warned. I repeat, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Now, I do love actual CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and would appreciate all I can get ^^ Also, I cant forget to give a special shout out to my beta who makes all this possible (that woman is my brain), Belles! Thank you love! SO, without further stalling (takes deep breath)...Illegal Practice!
Summary
: Mike Ross just graduated high school and is about to embark on his college dream as a student at the prestigious ivy league Harvard. Along his journey to becoming the best damn lawyer anyone has ever seen, aided by a flawless eidetic memory and legal genius, he meets suave, debonair, top-of-his-graduating-class Harvey Specter. Unexpected attraction blooms, much to both participants dismay, and leads to experiences neither can control. Not that they want to, anyway...
Chapter One
Michael Ross cringed in preparation from what was sure to be a bone realigning hug as his mother finished smoothing the clear packing tape on the box broadcasting 'navel oranges - Florida's best' in florescent turquoise lettering. After every box, which had conveniently been liberated from behind the nearest supermarket, had been reconstructed and filled with belongings, his mother had brimmed up and embraced him with all her might. Just as last time, she did not disappoint.
"Oh my god, Michael, I can't believe my little baby is going off to college!" Mike watched as his mother released him to pace the room for what was sure to be the millionth time. As she began her one millionth and first circuit of the room, he was sure she was well on her way to wearing a trail into the old navy blue carpeting; he also felt a twinge of sympathy for the stuffed carnival bear, one of the many he'd won at various family outings, she was wringing in her hands; over the course of the afternoon, her hands had moved steadily upward until they were secured around the critter's fuzzy neon purple neck.
Ever since the momentous evening when Mike received the certified letter stating that his early admission into Harvard was approved, she had been over the moon with excitement and nearly struck stiff with terror all at the same time. The letter had come three weeks ago; he'd lovingly endured constant fussing, reminiscing over dusty baby albums, and enough home cooked food to add a few solid inches to his waistline. But, Rebecca and Milton Ross couldn't have been more proud of him.
In almost a month's time, his life had changed. He had felt the paradigm shift as he'd fumbled through the heavy stationary to touch the snow white paper marking the beginning of his future. Harvard had been his dream since he'd first understood what the law was, and it was finally coming true.
Most of his things, his favorite books, clothes, toiletries, desk fixings and lamp, and external hard drives for his computer, had already been packed and shipped off, leaving just a few things left to be boxed up and stuffed into the back of his Toyota.
With only a few hours until he was due to hit the road, alone he inwardly mused, not sure if he should allow his excitement and slight case of dread to bleed through into his gestures and tone and expressions, he was more than understanding of his dad having to go into work to clear up some misunderstanding about charts and files and numbers and such, and his mom promised to stay with Grammy for company and in case she needed anything. With neither of them able to make the drive there and back, the fussing and hugs had become more and more frequently; sometimes combined with tears or spontaneous fresh baked cookies.
"Mom, calm down, please? Before you get yourself worked up? It's not that bad. Harvard's main campus isn't that far and you can call me whenever you want, remember?" She blubbered something unintelligible as she threw her arms around him, and he rubbed her back in small circles, smiling ruefully into her hair. After a solid five minutes of being smothered she let him go, heading for the door saying over her shoulder that he needed to finish his packing and that she needed to finish cooking dinner before his father got home; Milton only had an hour and forty-five minute window before he was do back to straighten up his numbers and figures.
When she turned back to him, her fine-boned hand braced on the door jam, she smiled, eye bright but determined, "We love you, Mikey. Your father and I are extremely proud of you. We're worried, yes, but you are so bright and we want nothing but the best for you. You'll love Harvard." She laughed looking pointedly at the pile of books he had yet to pack. "You'll probably have their library cleaned out in no time, sweetie."
Mike smiled as he ran his hand through his short hair, a nervous habit he had picked up as a child, picturing the enormous shelves and numerous columns and corridors of the Harvard library, and there was sure to be more than one, "I don't know about that, mom. The library there is bound to be huge and I'll be busy studying, too."
"Yes well, that maybe true but don't forget you're still a kid. You can have fun while you're there. It is college after all. Just be careful, honey. Have all the fun you want, just be safe. I don't want you to get mixed up with the wrong kind of people out there, I know what these kids get into nowadays and it's even worse in college when you're around people who drink and do drugs-"
"Mom. Mom? Mom! Calm down, it's ok I promise." Mike was in full 'negate-freak-out' mode as he raised his arms in surrender, then placed his right hand over his heart and grinned wholeheartedly, "I promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth: I wouldn't and won't risk that and I don't want anything to do with that anyway," Rebecca rolled her eyes at his ill-begotten attempt at humor but allowed him to continue, "I'll be fine, relax. Now, I have to finish this and I'll be down for dinner, okay?"
She took a breath to steady herself as she nodded and left the room.
Yet another panic attack avoided.
Mike understood their trepidation. Leaving home, given his age and lack of worldly knowledge was enough to leave even the hardest of heart parents more than a little panic stricken, but shit, he was worried too! Being seventeen and getting accepted into Ivy League Harvard was a colossal deal by anyone's standards. Having a eidetic memory definitely gave him an over-the-top advantage. It was a gift, or a curse it depended on what day someone asked Mike how he felt about it, he had despised when he was younger.
Grade school had been a true nightmare, gift wrapped and sealed with a 'fuck-I'm-glad-that's-over-with.' Day in and day out of constantly being targeted by the other children because he was too smart to be confined to the same public school jail cell with them for eight hours a day.
Luckily, or unluckily, it all depended on how one looked at the situation, on a balmy fall day as he'd entered junior high school, he'd had the misfortune to come in close contact with three of his tormenters at the same time, and as a roundabout way karma presented him with not only a busted lip and a black eye, but a pocket-sized spitfire who'd not only saved his ass that day by alerting the art history teacher, but also by kicking ass and taking names until security had arrived.
It had earned her a three day suspension and a permanent mark on her record, but as he'd sat outside the nurse's station, waiting on his parents to pick him up, she'd sneered as the vice principle sat her down next to him with a disapproving frown. When the man had turned and strode into his office, quite possibly to call Jenny's mother to inform her of her daughter's misbehavior, she'd turned to Mike, a shit-eating grin spread over her too wide mouth and she'd asked him where the hell he'd learned to dick up a punch that badly.
She was the only friend he had ever made who didn't care that he was far more intelligent than anyone around him. She didn't take offense to his corrections or explanations, when he whined or complained about the small things she laughed at him and told him to suck that shit up and grow a pair. They had been friends ever since.
An hour later, after packing all his belongings in the few empty boxes left on his bedroom floor, and employing a particularly friendly neighbor to help him rearrange his trunk twice to fit the new comers, he sat at the dinner table, his father having walked through the door ten minutes ago.
After placing his briefcase on the side-table in the foyer he embraced his wife lovingly as she placed the finishing touches on the delectable pot roast and oven broiled vegetables. Mike smiled as he spied the tender kiss Milton planted on Rebecca's neck and high on her right ear.
"Hey, hound dog, she's mine. You're going to have to step in line and take a number," Mike groused from the foot of the staircase. Milton shot a look over his wife's shoulder and grinned, his mirthful expression only made more so by the effect of his thick Coke-bottle glasses he needed from years of eye strain caused by peering at small print on blindingly white paper.
Rebecca cut her husband's reply by stripping off her lobster shaped pot holders and announcing, "Boys, boys, there is more than enough to go around," she shot a look at both her men and laughed as they fumbled for their plates and flatware, "Go sit, Milt, and I'll bring the roast. Mike, can you grab the vegetables from under the warmer?"
"Sure." Taking up the ridiculous holders, Mike eased open the oven door and slid the Dutch oven laded with julienne carrots, asparagus spears, and thick cut squash, zucchini, and spring onion out, and cradling the dish, he trotted forward to the table and placed it in its designated holder.
When Mike sat down, his gaze fixed on the normalcy that he knew he wouldn't have for a long while. It suddenly struck him that he was leaving, and soon. His next breath came out in a shuddering rasp, but he bit the inside of his cheek to cease the tell-tale prick of beginning tears. He would be back home again; home with his parents and he'd have more than enough stories to keep them occupied for hours.
The rest of dinner passed in a blur. They talked about the usual things, keeping conversation and speculation light and Mike figured they were trying to give him a break from the constant pestering; it was very much appreciated.
While Mike helped his mother clean up the kitchen and wash dishes, his father having hastily kissed his wife goodbye and hugging his son a few minutes before with the promise to be home well before midnight, he listened to her hum the theme song to Hawaii Five O and he found himself smiling, knowing how much he would miss it. It always amazed him how easily he and his parents feel into a routine. When he rinsed the final dregs of flatware and cooking utensils floating in the hot soapy water of the sink and placing them in the dishwasher, he pecked her on the cheek and wished her a good night. As he made his way to the stairwell, he told her he would see the both of the in the morning before he left for main campus.
The second he closed his bedroom door his phone vibrated in his pocket.
sup nerd herd?
It was Jenny. He grinned as he shot back a reply, knowing that if he dallied she'd have both his virtual over the text connection and his actual ass when she next saw him.
just finished dinner. bout 2 finish packing.
He sent the message off and was about to set the phone on his bedside table when it dinged impatiently at him.
awesome, open ur window.
Mike stared at his phone for a good 10 seconds before he heard the muffled thunk of a rock hitting his window. Scuttling over a pile of clothes hangers and around a skeletal chest-of-drawers he wrenched his curtains and blinds up to stare out into the darkening abyss. There Jenny stood, her trademark jeans and band tee leaving her arms bare to the late summer night chill, her loose bun of ash blonde hair a beacon in the encroaching gloom. The annoyed look on her face spoke volumes. He pushed the window up to accommodate her height, moving off to the side as she crawled through the window, something that was becoming more and more frequent for some unknown reason.
"The hell took you so long? I've been out there for nearly twenty minutes man," she complained, rubbing the gooseflesh of her arms to ward off the chill.
"Sorry, just finished dinner and all that. Why've you been out there so long? You usually don't come over until nine and it's only half after seven now." Jenny didn't answer immediately, instead choosing to flop down on the now barren bed, barley covered with a thin sheet and threadbare comforter he'd found lying in the bottom of the linen closet. "Well," she started in a philosophical tone, "someone is leaving for fuckin' Harvard tomorrow so I figured I would stop by early and all that. Excuse me for being considerate, turd." Mike rolled his eyes and pulled the window down again, before going to sit beside her prone form.
She was fiddling with the ends of the faded sheet like she wanted to say something but wasn't quite sure how she wanted to go about doing it. Jenny, for as long as Mike had known her, wasn't big on goodbyes or sentimental emotional topics; she'd rather leave it with a snarky comment or a promise to kick your ass later and that was all there was to it. So Mike was surprised when she sat up, threw her skinny arms around his neck and hugged him so tight and so long he thought he might expire from lack of oxygen.
"I'm gonna miss you, Mike. I know this is your dream and all that and I'm happy for you, I really am, but don't forget about the little people who are still here. M'kay?"
Mike smiled as a tear slowly made its way down his cheek. He didn't know what he was going to do without her after he left. It had always been the two of them. As she held him, he chose not to acknowledge the suspicious wet warmth of his neck and shoulder where Jenny had placed her head; holding her just as tightly until she released him, nonchalantly wiping the tell-tale damp from her cheeks. It killed him to see her like this.
"I'll miss you too, Jen. But this isn't goodbye so don't get all mushy on me. We can still talk all the time and I'm only a few hours away if you ever wanna visit, ya know?" His hand moved to push at a wayward wisp of bun that had somehow managed to escape.
She scoffed, knocking his hand away playfully and shaking her head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. When did you grow up and become a man? Huh? I'm suppose to be the logical one in this relationship, remember?"
"Logical? You? The same person who almost got arrested freshman year for spray-painting the school marquee in gay pride colors?"
"Uh, yeah. Totally logical. It was gay pride week, Mike."
He laughed. That's why they were friends.
After an hour and a half of mindless XBox, she completely let him win even if she denied it, and another hour of explaining all the ins and outs of his road trip plan, Jenny decided to head home before her mom noticed she was missing again, Mike cringed that memories from the first time, it hadn't been pretty. As he looked on, she did her little acrobatic act out his window and flipped him off over her shoulder as he waved good bye.
Some things would really never change.
Mike got up early just as he'd planned the next morning, his alarm clock going off at 4:45 to scare him out of the little sleep he did manage to get. He dressed for comfort as he was going to need it with off the mental discomfort of the oncoming day. On went a pair of his old jeans, the ones with the holes and that random mustard stain that wouldn't come out, and his Trek this! tee Jenny had gotten him for his sixteenth birthday last year.
As he left his bedroom, precariously balancing his laptop case, phone, wallet and keys while putting the blanket and sheet in the hamper to be washed, he couldn't help but smile as he passed the dozens of framed pictures lining the walls. Everything from family vacations to Mike's senior prom, which he'd taken Jenny too because she threatened to cut off his dick in his sleep, it was weird to think he was leaving all this to start something new, but at the same time he was so excited he didn't now what to do with himself.
When he got down stairs he was greeted with a small to-go breakfast of sweet blueberry muffins, bagged orange slices and coffee attached to a note scribbled in him mother's ridiculously neat handwriting:
Mikey,
We can't even begin to tell you
how proud we are of you! Drive safe
and call us when you get settled.
Show 'em up baby!
Love, Mom and Dad
Mike smiled as he grabbed his breakfast, tucking the note in the pocket of his bag, Jenny steadfastly called it his man-purse, along with his laptop, and other necessities and headed to the car. Only to immediately stop when he walked out the door and stood on the porch, watching the pouring rain pelt the sidewalk and neatly manicured lawn.
"Motherfucker," Mike breathed. Retrieving his keys, he popped the locks from the dry safety of the porch, then jogged to the car and hopped in. He thanked his lucky stars he had already loaded everything so the few things he had left made it in his bag. Mike cranked up the car, put her in reverse, and began the winding route out of his neighborhood. Even with the early hour, heading through the always busy streets of New York was no small task. It was something every NYC citizen had to come to appreciate or he or she would go bananas.
He loved everything about the always busy, overly crowded city. Even when it took him almost 3 hours to make it through traffic so he could hit the freeway.
The drive itself was fairly uneventful, except for the hobo who tried to swindle Mike into giving him a ride when he stopped for gas, something he would rather forget if at all possible.
The closer he got to Cambridge the more congested traffic became; with everyone showing up for the fall semester all at once, it seemed. Things were looking pretty hectic the closer he got to campus.
The more of campus he saw as he drove in search of his dorm, the more chaotic the situation became. When he pulled into the large parking lot designated for the building his registration paperwork said would be his dorm, he cut the engine and sat for a minute. His gaze flittered to and fro and he took in the view of scatterbrained students as they tried to find their dorms and those few who had brought their parents struggling in vain to get rid of them for fear of embarrassment.
It hadn't really hit him how real it was until then, as he sat clutching his empty coffee cup so tightly the paper crumpled with a synthetic sigh. he was here for good now. The next seventeen weeks were going to be his freshman year of his college career. It was only a chance glance at his phone that alerted him he was about to be late for said freshman orientation...
Shit!
Hastily grabbing his bag, not a man-purse, Jenny!, he tumbled out of the open car door. After a second check of the locks and a key check, Mike hightailed it for the building...
TBC...? Let me know if I should keep going. If I get enough people who say they yay as opposed to nay, I'll have the next chapter up for you. Be gentle please, this is my first fic and I'm testing the waters ^x^ I also apologize for the length, this one is pretty short but I'm working on making them longer. I'm working on chapter two as we speak and hope to have it finished soon, school makes things crazy but ill do my very best ^^
Love, PY
