The Sweet To My Salty (a Suits fanfiction)
Rated: T
Pairings: Mike/Harvey
Summary: AU. Mike and Harvey are freshman undergrads. Will the stresses compromising their friendship cause them to split? Or will they be able to work it out? Eventual slash. Mike/Trevor then Mike/Harvey.
Chapter 1 - Sit (Posted 13 August 2011)
"I can't believe we're at orientation already!" Mike Ross said excitedly as he walked beside his best friend of five years, Harvey Specter.
"Settle down." Harvey rolled his eyes at him. "You're so excitable."
"I am not." Mike pouted.
"You are. You're like a little puppy, wagging your tail whenever someone gives you a treat."
"Whatever." That was one thing Mike didn't like about his friend, the way he belittled him. But it wasn't always like that, they engaged in back-and-forth insults all the time, so it wasn't like Harvey was just a bully, even though it seemed that way sometimes. And there were times when Harvey crossed the line, offending Mike with words that were harsher than usual. But Mike overlooked it, choosing instead to focus on the good times they'd had together since he transfered to Harvey's school in eighth grade. He'd always been kind of a geek, he was the nerdy guy everyone loved to pick on. But somehow Harvey had ended up sticking up for him, and Mike had clung to him ever since. Sometimes he got the feeling Harvey didn't really want him around, but he never said it, so Mike practically never left his side.
"Come on, don't go all pouty puppy on me, you know I'm only joking."
"Yeah," Mike said, obviously not believing him, "sure you are. But seriously, aren't you even a littlebit excited? We're in college!"
"We've been taking college courses since junior year, Mike."
"But it's not the same, Harvey!" Mike shouted, once again smiling and excited to be there. "A few classes on top of a high school schedule does not a college student make."
"Oh, so now you're a poet too." Harvey commented.
"Fine, if you're going to be like that. I'll just go sit with someone else." Mike started to walk away from Harvey, but felt a hand on his wrist. Although Mike still felt like he needed Harvey to protect him even now that he was an adult, there were times when he just felt so insignificant standing next to him that he needed to spend some time away.
"Mike, wait."
"No, just leave it," Mike said harshly as he shook Harvey's arm away. "We all know what's going to happen if we sit together."
"What are you talking about?" Harvey asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mike stared at harvey for a moment, deciding on what to say. "You know what I'm talking about."
"No, Mike, I honestly don't." Harvey shook his head.
"The rumors, Harvey. All those rumors from high school."
Harvey blinked, confused. "You think people will call us queer if we sit together?"
"They did in high school."
"And you think it'll follow us here?"
"Yeah," Mike admitted, looking down.
"Come on. We're in college now, people are supposed to be more mature. They're not going to go around calling people fags just for shits and giggles."
"The people here are only a year older than they were in high school, they're not that much more mature."
"So? Even if they do say shit like that, it didn't bother us then, why should it bother us now?"
"It didn't bother you?"
"Nope," Harvey declared proudly. "I know who I am, so it didn't matter what a bunch of future college drop-outs thought of me." Then he looked at Mike, who seemed to be staring at him, his eyes full of a mixture of awe and... sadness. "Why?" he asked softly, putting his hand on Mike's shoulder. "Did it bother you?"
Mike shook Harvey's arm off his shoulder and looked away again, walking toward the auditorium where orientation was being held. "Maybe. It doesn't matter, let's just go."
"No," Harvey said, catching up to him, "I want to know what's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong."
"I'm sorry if it bothered you that much, Mike. I didn't know..."
"It's fine." Mike sighed. "I just didn't like it. But if you didn't have a problem with it, I guess it's not important."
"Of course it's important."
"Since when are my feelings important?" Mike asked honestly. Although Harvey had protected him from day one, he never gave any other indication that he actually cared about Mike. Harvey stayed silent, answering Mike's question without uttering a word. "That's what I thought."
"Mike..." Harvey called out when the shorter boy started walking away from him again. "Where are you going?"
"I told you, I'm sitting by myself. You go sit with your jock friends that you met at summer training, and I'll sit with..."
"You can sit with me." an unfamiliar voice bellowed from behind Mike.
Mike turned around after seeing Harvey glare and purse his lips. "Um... do I know you?"
"Don't think so." the dark-haired man replied. "I just uh... happened to overhear you saying you didn't have anyone to sit with, and I'm alone to, so I thought I'd offer. If you don't want to, though, I understand."
"No." Mike smiled. "I'll sit with you."
"Great." the man smiled and stuck out his hand. "My name's Trevor."
"Mike." he extended his hand and shook Trevor's.
"We'll talk about this later, okay?" Harvey looked pointedly at Mike.
"Yeah. Okay." Mike said, watching Harvey walk over to some burley jocks. He didn't want to go through this without Harvey to protect him. But it was better this way, he told himself. The less torment he was forced to endure, the less Harvey would be forced to come to his rescue, and that would be better for everyone. He knew he was a burden to Harvey, so maybe he could make it up to him by being less of a damsel in distress and more like an actual man who can deal with his own problems.