A/N: I've been wanting to write a Suits fanfic for a while. Initially I was going to do something a lot darker, but with what's going on in my life at the moment, doing something light seems for fun with these characters.
That said, this will be post season 2A, with the theories I've been sitting on for the past few weeks. I hope it comes across the same way I see it in my head.
Also, given that this is literally the first Suits fic I've ever written, please go easy on a girl! :)
Summary: Daniel's gone, Louis is a senior partner, and Harvey and Mike's careers have just jumped the fast-track. Marvey-centric.
From The Ground Up
Chapter 1
The Release That Comes When You're In Mid-Fall
Mike gulped down a large mouthful of coffee as he stepped through the glass doors of the building. He hadn't spoken to Rachel since the previous week, and after she'd caught him with Tess, Tess had taken off and left him with the promise she'd call. She had yet to, though, and he wasn't exactly holding his breath. She was married, after all.
He stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the forty-ninth floor before leaning back against the wall. He pulled his phone from his pocket and brought the screen up and then turned off the audio book he was listening to before removing his earphones from his ears and pulling the jack out of the phone. He tucked the earphones into the back and then dropped his cell phone back into his pocket as the doors opened.
He stepped out of the elevator and made his way down the hall towards Harvey's office. He had only passed Jessica's office when his phone chirped in his pocket.
He reached into it and pulled his phone out before bringing up the text messages. The fact that it was from Harvey didn't surprise him. Harvey kept tabs on him like a mother hen half the time.
My office. Five minutes.
Mike's brow furrowed as he stared at the message for a few moments longer. When he looked up, his eyes came to rest on Rachel and Donna, chatting at the end of the hall. He dropped his phone back into his pocket again, message forgotten as he made his way down the hall. By the time he reached them though, Rachel had ducked back into her office.
Donna's hand pressed against his chest to stop him from going any further has he turned to walk in the room. He frowned at her, ready to launch into a dozen reasons as to why he wanted to apologize to Rachel, but she cut him to the quick.
"Now's not the time, Mike. She's mad, and she should be."
"Donna-"
"Hey kid, I get it. But unless you want her to slap you, I'd leave her be for the time-being."
Mike sighed and turned to look into Rachel's office. She was diligently paying attention to whatever case she was currently summarizing. "I didn't mean to do anything to hurt her, Donna."
Donna nodded, patting him on the shoulder. "I know, kid. Did you get Harvey's text?"
Mike nodded, turning to head down the hall with her. "Yeah. What's so important that we had to be here an hour earlier this morning?"
Donna shook her head. "I don't know. According to Harvey though, there are big changes coming to Pearson Hardman."
"For Louis' sake, I hope they aren't looking to thin the herd." Mike said lightly.
Donna chuckled. "You and me both, kid."
They reached her desk a few moments later, and she returned to it. Mike made his way back to the associates' offices and walked over to his cubicle. He dropped his bag into his chair and then made his way back to Harvey's office. When he arrived, Harvey and Jessica were chatting happily, though as soon as he walked up, Jessica's smile became more terse.
It was the one thing he hated about his job. Ever since she'd found out that he didn't actually have a degree, she seemed to have lost any sense of respect for him. That had been clear over the past few months, but it had been glaringly obvious when bonuses had come out and he didn't receive one. He hated it because he respected her still, as his boss, and as a mentor.
"Mike, come in," Harvey said as Jessica stepped away, shaking him from his reverie.
Mike followed Harvey into his office and was surprised to find that things were, once again, in boxes. "I thought we were staying on the forty-ninth-"
"We are," Harvey replied. "But we're still moving. Jessica's making some major changes." He settled into his chair and then looked up when Mike hadn't said anything in response. "Not those kinds of changes, Mike. You're still safe. Hell, after what you did to save her job, I don't think you're going anywhere. Whether she admits it or not, she's indebted to you."
The smallest bit of a smile started to pull at the corners of Mike's mouth. "So what does that mean."
"It means that we need to talk later, in private." Harvey tipped his head to the side, and glared just in the slightest at Donna. She winked and gave him the thumbs up before settling her phone back on the cradle and turning back to her work with a smirk on her face. He looked back up at Mike. "In the meantime, I need the deposition for the Montgomery case."
"But-"
"Deposition, Mike," Harvey insisted.
Mike huffed and then turned and walked out of the office, making his way back to his cubicle without another word.
The day passed in a blur. He kept his earphones in his ears to block out the usual noise of the hustle and bustle in the office, and by the time he'd finished the deposition, the sun had long since fallen below the horizon; not that that meant much, considering it was late October. Still, it was nearing 11 PM when he made his to Harvey's office.
Donna had already left for the night, and Mike could see with a quick glance down the hall that the rest of the floor seemed to be otherwise gone for the night.
He pushed the door open as he yawned and walked over to Harvey's desk. Harvey looked up from file he was currently reading and rubbed his eyes, clearly exhausted as well.
"So what is it that I had to wait until now to hear?" Mike asked as he dropped the file onto Harvey's desk.
Harvey flipped the file shut and leaned back in his chair. He watched as Mike stretched a bit, getting the blood flowing in his limbs after sitting for so long.
"As I said, Jessica's making some changes in the firm. They directly affect both you and I," Harvey said.
Mike nodded. "Right. So what does that mean?"
"It means that as soon as her office has been cleared out, we'll be moving." Harvey explained. "Porter's taking my office, and Jessica is moving into the office Daniel had constructed when he came back."
Mike raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's great!"
Harvey nodded. There was a smirk playing on his lips; he was obviously pleased. He pushed up from his chair and found that the action made him feel just the slightest more awake, forcing his blood to work a little harder to move through his body. He walked around the desk and leaned against the edge of it, tucking his hands into his pockets. "She's also naming a new managing partner."
Mike nodded. Harvey didn't need to explain to him that this could be bad; especially if the person she named to take Daniel's position found out that he didn't actually have a degree.
"She's calling an interim partner's meeting in a few days, and Pearson Hardman will become Pearson Specter."
Mike stared at Harvey for several long moments before the news of what he was saying actually sunk in. Harvey was going to be the next managing partner. Harvey was moving into Jessica's office because his name was going to be on the building.
"Harvey, that's amazing!" He said cheerfully when he'd managed to gather his words. "Congratulations!"
The smile on Harvey's face made it clear that he was happy about it. He accepted Mike's congratulatory handshake when it was offered a moment later, but they were both surprised when Mike yanked him forward and pressed their lips together. It was an awkward moment, and ended just moments later when Harvey stepped away.
Mike's eyes fell to the ground, nervous and unsure of what to say next. Was there anything he could say? He'd just jumped very quickly over a very big line.
"The reason I wanted you to stay late was to tell you that you're going to enroll in classes," Harvey told him a few seconds later. He spoke as if nothing more than a handshake had happened. Mike looked up at him nervously, but as he did, Harvey's gaze fell away.
"Is this on Jessica's request?" He asked.
Harvey shook his head, staring out the windows of his office. "This is on my insistence," Harvey replied. "You've got the means to go now. You've passed the bar. You're going to take classes and get your degree because I won't see you screwed out of your job over the lack of a piece of paper. Jessica may not be making a move right now, but I'm not going to let her continue to hold ammunition, either. Alright?"
Mike nodded. They both knew that Harvey's insistence upon this was more of a formality than anything else. Mike could do anything he wanted, because, as he'd told Harvey when the first met, once he read something, he knew it. The only reason he didn't already have a law degree was because of the stupid choices he'd made in the past that had derailed his college education.
"You moving to Manhattan?" Harvey asked a few moments later.
Mike nodded. "I already bought the apartment. Might as well make the best of it."
"Maybe I'll come see it sometime," Harvey said. He still hadn't looked up from the floor.
Mike bit his bottom lip for a long moment before running his hand over his eyes once more. "I'm gonna go, if that's all."
Harvey nodded. Mike turned and walked towards the doors. He yanked the glass door open as he reached it, and then didn't stop until he'd walked around the corner at the end of the hall.
-
I'll be your shelter, I'll be your storm; I'll make your shiver, I'll keep you warm
-
He draped his jacket over the back of one of his chairs as he looked around the room. Most of his bonus had gone towards buying the new apartment he was currently in, but the rest of it had gone towards buying a few new pieces of furniture. Among them was a new kitchen table, an actual bedroom set, and new living room furniture.
Mike walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer from the inside of the door. He was about to pop the cap off on the side of the counter when he thought better. Harvey would kill him if he knew that he'd done something in a place with such beautiful marble counters. Harvey…
He sighed as he twisted the cap off and tossed into the trash before tipping the bottle back and taking a long drink.
He honestly hadn't meant for the earlier action to happen. He always thought he'd been smart about burying how he felt, even if it was just under the surface. When he'd extended his hand to Harvey though, it was as if there had been something electric between them, tugging them together. He hadn't even really realized what he'd done until after they'd parted.
And now he couldn't stop thinking about how things were going to be when he got to work in the morning. Sure, Harvey had been talking about their careers moving forward, but it would be just Mike's luck that in a matter of a day or so, he'd get a phone call telling him that he had to be let go. There was no way to erase what he'd done earlier.
The knock at his door surprised him and his gut churned. There were only two people who knew the address, and he knew that regardless of who was standing outside the door, the next few minutes weren't going to make his night any better.
He walked over to the door and turned the knob, opening it as he took another gulp from his beer bottle. His jaw slackened in surprise as his eyes came to fall upon the brown eyes that he hadn't looked into since earlier in the evening. Before he could say anything though, Harvey pushed into the apartment.
"What was that about earlier?" He asked in a demanding tone.
"I don't know," Mike replied as he pushed his door shut. "It just happened."
"Things like that don't just happen," Harvey said as he turned around to look back at Mike. "Are you… I mean do you…Feel? Something?"
It was as if the situation seemed impossible to Harvey as they stood there in front of each other, and any possibility that Mike could've ever felt comfortable telling Harvey the truth was quickly stuffed down by the stomp on his chest he felt when Harvey asked him that.
"No." He replied quickly. When Harvey's gaze didn't waver, he shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't plan for tonight to happen."
"It can't happen again," Harvey said without hesitation.
"Fine," Mike replied without missing a beat. Harvey nodded, making it clear the conversation was over. He let his eyes wander around the room, and then turned in his spot, taking in the view of the apartment. Mike, however, was still stuck on the fact that Harvey had shown up on his doorstep at midnight to tell him that a kiss between them was to never happen again.
"Wait just a moment," he said when Harvey began to wander towards the doorway that led to his bedroom. "Why did you show up here at this time of night to tell me that, when it could've easily waited until tomorrow."
Harvey shook his head, turning to look back at Mike. "It couldn't have waited until tomorrow."
"Why not?" Mike settled his bottle of beer on the counter and walked towards Harvey, genuinely curious. He brushed his tongue over his lips as he came to stand in front of his superior. "Why did you have to come here tonight?"
Harvey stared him down with the gaze Mike knew too well. It was the same one he often used when he wanted a subject to be dropped. But, whether it was the alcohol sinking into him or something else, there was no way Mike was going let him win this time and take the upper hand.
Harvey huffed, shaking his head. "Because. The last thing I need is for you to show up at work tomorrow thinking that there's any chance that this could go anywhere. I'm a partner. You're my associate. That's all."
"Really?" Mike asked. "That's all?"
Harvey stared at him curtly, and Mike could see the frustration boiling just below the surface telling him to stop pushing.
"Not a week ago, you sat in my apartment and told me things you'd never told anyone else about your family. You seem to do that a lot," Mike said.
"Don't go there, Michael," Harvey said firmly. "This won't end well for you."
"Why not?" Mike asked. "I'm not the one making more out of a situation that it started as. What're you so afraid of, Harvey?"
Harvey's glare didn't wane as he stared Mike down. His expression was grim and he was obviously getting more pissed by the second, but Mike wasn't going to back down.
The next few seconds were a blur, and didn't even begin to phase Mike of what had happened until he realized he was pinned against the wall in his bedroom. Harvey had the collar of Mike's shirt tightly grasped in one hand, and his other hand pulled back, curled into a fist. The rage had finally bubbled over, and Mike was all but sure that if he said another word, he was going to have the imprint of Harvey's fist on his face.
He opened his mouth just in the slightest, but closed his mouth a moment later. He really didn't want to get hurt. A loud sound emitted from beside his head, and he cringed. He peeked one eye open nervously, and then glanced over and realized that Harvey's fist was no longer hovering in front of him. Instead, his hand was flat against the wall.
"God damn it, Mike." Harvey's voice was gruff, but it barely had time to register before Harvey's mouth was upon his. He quickly granted access to Harvey when his tongue brushed over Mike's bottom lip. Mike pressed his body up against Harvey's as Harvey tugged on his tie, pulling it loose until it was open enough to pull over his head. Harvey's hands then moved down to Mike's shirt and began tugging it open, sending buttons flying everywhere as he did so.
Mike broke their lips apart a few seconds later, breathless. "This was one of my best shirts-"
"It's cheap," Harvey growled before pressing his lips to Mike's once more. The shirt billowed open a few seconds later, and Harvey's hands groped at his sides, squeezing Mike's hips until his nails were digging into Mike's back.
Mike broke his lips away again a few moments later, and Harvey's lips moved to his neck. His rough manner didn't change in the slightest however, and with adequate air supply reinitiated, Mike quickly realized what was happening. Harvey was trying to cut him off at the pass with meaningless sex.
"Stop," he said insistently as he pushed Harvey away from him. The look on Harvey's face told him that he wasn't pleased that Mike had pushed him away. He was still pissed.
"I thought this was what you wanted," Harvey said gruffly.
Mike shook his head, shrugging off his shirt. He walked across the hardwood floor over to his dresser and pulled out a fresh shirt. He turned to look back at Harvey as he shook it out and shoved his arms inside of it. "No. I mean, yeah, I want you, but not in some quickie where you show up on my doorstep well after midnight and leave before I'm awake the next morning because you can't handle what's in front of you."
He crossed the room and then came to stand in front of Harvey once more. "This isn't a game to me, Harvey. I'm not going to yank your chain, but I'm not going to let you yank mine either."
"You're stupid to think this will ever go anywhere," Harvey said angrily. "You're a first year associate, Mike. That's not worth anything to me."
"Yeah, yeah," Mike argued back. "Life is this, you like this." His hand made the movements that Harvey made whenever he made the comment. "Yet you haven't been in a relationship the entire time I've known you, and-"
"And nothing!" Harvey yelled. "You are standing in front of me telling me you want to crawl into bed with me and make something out of it all, and I've watched you bounce around between three different women in the past year! How the hell is that supposed to shape up into me believing you want me?!"
Mike bit the inside of his cheek, shaking his head at Harvey. "You know, I may want to fuck you, but I don't want to fuck you."
Harvey said nothing. Mike huffed and shook his head, angry at the vulnerability welling up inside of him.
"I've got no one left, Harvey. You're the one who's always on me to stop thinking I've only got myself to trust, and now you're threatening to slam the door in my face."
Harvey shook his head. "I never said-"
"You don't have to, Harvey! We both know that tonight changes things, and I'm not going to live in some dream land where I'm going to walk into work tomorrow and expect everything to be the same way it was when I walked into the building this morning. Too much has changed."
"So what- What does that mean?" Harvey was becoming confused and frustrated at the same time, which was driving a rage inside of him that he hadn't felt since he'd found out about his mother cheating on his father.
"It means that tomorrow morning I'm resigning from Pearson Hardman. Or Pearson Specter; whatever the hell it is. I'm sure Jessica will be all too happy to take it."
Harvey huffed and his jaw tightened with anger. "Don't do it, Mike. We didn't come this far so that you can throw it all away."
"We haven't gone anywhere, Harvey! Jessica caught us-"
"Because of your so-called friend, who, need I remind you, I told you to cut loose!"
Mike's hands curled into fists. He was just as pissed as Harvey, and they were talking themselves in circles. "It doesn't matter, Harvey. The past, the present…It doesn't change that things here have changed. And I can't sit around and pretend that things didn't happen like they did."
Harvey looked around the room, clearly trying to deflect everything Mike was telling him in an attempt to bury how it actually felt to hear it and know that Mike was serious. "You can't do that. You'd lose this place."
Mike nodded. "Yeah, and some jackass once told me that there are more options out there than selling drugs. And with the money I'd make from selling this and returning all the new furniture,…Well, it won't last forever, but it'll definitely do enough to get me on my feet for a month or so. And I haven't given up my apartment yet."
Harvey clenched his jaw so tightly that it actually began to hurt. His rage was clear, and Mike flinched when Harvey slapped an open fist on the wall and growled angrily. "I hate you for doing this."
Mike nodded and then lifted a hand and pointed to the doorway. "There's the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out."
Regardless of the rage on Harvey's face, it was clear that he knew he wasn't getting anywhere. He shook his head and walked out of the room, and a few moments later Mike heard his door open and close.
He sighed, walking across the room and back into the kitchen. He picked up his beer off the counter and tipped it back, taking a long drink as he stared at the door. He'd thought about resigning at least once every day in the past year that he'd worked at Pearson Hardman, but a part of him always hoped he words would never actually be spoken.
He turned and walked back into the bedroom, settling his beer on the nightstand before he walked around the bed and looked out the window. Rachel was right. The view was spectacular.
His head whipped around at the sound of a door clicking. He tucked his hands in his pockets as he turned to walk back around his bed, but he'd only taken several steps towards the end of his bed by the time Harvey was walking back into his room, shaking his finger at him like a two year old.
"No. I didn't come this far, put all the things on the line that I did for you – EXPOSE myself to you, so that it could all come apart like this."
Mike's jaw slackened in the slightest unsure of what Harvey expected hi to say in response, but there was nothing to be said in the end as the older man came to stand toe-to-toe with Mike. Harvey's hands gripped the back of Mike's head a second later, and his tongue was inside Mike's mouth. Yet again, Mike was caught by surprise. Had Harvey not still had his hands on Mike, he would've fallen over from the sheer force of Harvey's body against his.
This time, their kiss ended when Harvey pulled away. Mike gasped heavy breaths as he looked back at Harvey.
"What was that for?" He murmured.
"I'm not letting you walk out on all of this because you're stubborn." Harvey replied.
Mike's brow furrowed, confused. "What?"
Harvey grabbed his chin and stared Mike clear in the eyes. "I'm not losing you."
Mike stared at him for several long moments before a tentative smile started to pull at the corners of his mouth. Harvey smiled back at him at him.
"So what does this mean?" Mike asked. "I know you well enough to know that you don't agree to anything that you don't first set a list of rules on."
Harvey nodded. "You're right. Which is why this needs to stay quiet between you and me right now. If Jessica finds out about this, things will hit the roof, and that's the last thing we need right now."
Mike moved to take a step back, and Harvey gripped the back of his neck, stopping him.
"This isn't me being a dick. Pearson Hardman is going through major changes right now, and I know we just saved our asses, but one wrong move, and I wouldn't put it past Jessica to find a way to push you out. I'm not going to let that happen."
"I saved her job!" Mike growled.
Harvey nodded. "I know. But at the end of the day, Jessica's watching her back and her name – not ours. It's why I told you you're going back to school. I'm not going to let you get screwed out of this. Alright?"
Mike's brow was furrowed in frustration, but he nodded. "What about Donna?"
Harvey shook his head. "I don't know how long we'll be able to keep it from her, but telling her isn't at the top of my priority list. It'd just be too messy right now. If she figures it out on her own, then we'll cross that bridge."
"So what does that mean?" Mike asked.
Harvey shook his head. "I don't know, Mike. I've never done this before. We play it by ear, but if this goes to shit, we make a clean break. I won't lose my associate because we can't make things work. Alright?"
Mike's jaw tightened at the seriousness of what Harvey was saying, but he nodded.
Harvey squeezed the back of his neck once more and then released it. He looked over at the alarm clock next to the bed. It was almost 1 AM.
"I'm going home. Seven AM, your ass better be in my office."
Harvey turned and walked out of the room, leaving Mike standing there. Mike shook his head, laughing at Harvey's determination to always be so professional.
He rubbed a hand through his hair and then walked around the bed and picked up his beer. He quickly finished it off before walking out of the room, into the kitchen to dispose of the bottle before he returned to his bedroom and kicked off his socks. He removed his pants as well and tossed them over the chair in front of the desk he'd bought before walking over to the bed and pulling the blankets back. He hit the light switch on the wall, and then the only light left illuminating the room was from the window, which – considering the time – was quite a bit.
Harvey was right. There were a lot of major changes coming at them. And they were coming fast. Mike knew well enough that shit was going to hit the fan when Louis found out about Harvey's new promotion. There was no way that he would take it gracefully, especially after what had happened with his senior partner promotion.
And then there was the matter of Rachel and Tess. A chuckled erupted through Mike's chest at the fact that he never could just do things simply. He always seemed to have to find the hard way around things. But as much as he'd wanted Tess when he'd called her, and as much as he had wanted Rachel for the past year, he'd wanted Harvey that much more. He'd never admit it to their faces, but they'd always be a second choice to his preference of Harvey. He just hoped Harvey felt the same way.