As of yet unbetaed. English isn´t my mother language, therefore there may be some mistakes.
I tried to research as much as possible. Because it has been some time since I last saw Suits, please excuse any discrepancy between my story and the series.
Mike Ross was one of the few people on earth who hadn't spent a single thought in their life on the possibility of marriage.
Most of the girls and woman he knew had the whole thing already planned out: The location, the food and – of the uttermost importance – their wedding gown. The only thing they often lacked was a suitable husband and Mike didn't envy those poor souls who would have to endure those plans coming into fruition.
And while his male acquaintances did not put as much thought in the whole thing than their female counterpart, they still had some ideas about their wedding; mainly about the looks of the bride and the stag party prior to the whole affair.
Quite contrary to that, Mike had never thought about a hypothetical wedding with him involved as more than the lawyer who would write up the pre-nup beforehand. He had always assumed that he wouldn't have any time to pursuit a relationship to such a degree that a marriage could come up. After all he had no illusions that his career wouldn't consume his whole life at least while he was still an associate.
With this mind-set as basis it wasn't a big surprise that he absolutely hadn't seen it coming that Harvey would propose to him. After all he had thought that Harvey had the same attitude towards marriage that Mike had.
Of course that didn't mean that Mike wasn't absolutely elated. He was. There was no other moment in his life that could hold a candle against the pure joy that flooded his entire being when he said 'Yes'. Not when he got a full ride into law school, not when he got his first job at Cadbury & Wakefields and definitely not when he made Partner at Pearson & Spectre.
Mike was so glad that he had Donna – and by extension Rachel, who he still had to tell about his upcoming wedding. Those two were forces of nature you couldn't stand up to and may God have mercy on your soul when the two long-haired beauties decided to gang up on you.
Mike had absolutely no doubt that with Donna and Rachel planning the wedding it would be perfect, because while Harvey was quite capable in many areas, planning a wedding wasn't one of them. Before he could even protest Donna had already banned him from anything but choosing the suit he would wear.
#
"You may not believe it, but I´m a grown man who can plan his own wedding," he groused when the three of them were sitting in his office after Donna had told him her decree.
"Harvey, you are my best friend," she started as she looked at him with sincere eyes. "And part of me being your best friend entails to stop you from doing colossal stupid things, like – let´s say – planning your own wedding." She smiled at him.
"You would probably place Louis right next to Carrie and Simons from accounting to Anna from the reception," she explained. "And chose red as the colour theme for your wedding."
"I don't see anything wrong with that," Harvey pouted. "Red is a beautiful colour."
"Harvey," Donna said in a tone that reminded Mike of a parent admonishing his cranky child. "Carrie is the only one here that brings in nearly as much billables as Louis. Placing them next to each other is like setting oil on fire and hoping that it won´t destroy anything. Simons and Anna had an affair six years ago which ended because Simons cheated on her with a younger woman. If you want a scene of epic proportions then be my guest and sit them next to each other."
"As to red," she continued. "Not only is it a colour that subconsciously promotes aggression it also doesn't go well with the majority of the guests. I could pull it off, because I´m Donna, but half of the firm is so white that it would look like you dressed mozzarella in a tomato dipping. And Jessica hates red."
Both Mike and Harvey stared at Donna as if she was the second coming of Christ.
"You´re awesome," Mike stated, voice full of awe whereupon Donna simply raised her eyebrow as if admonishing him that it had taken him so long to recognize this fundamental truth.
"Harvey, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and that great looking body of yours, but if our wedding ends in a scene because you wouldn't allow Donna to plan everything I will be very cross with you," Mike turned to his fiancée. "And I know you and I know that you would rather admit to Louis that you think he is a great lawyer than planning a wedding." Harvey looked at them, but then his resistance crumbled.
"I only allow it, because I´m being generous," he declared.
"Sure, Harvey," Donna said and padded his cheek.
#
Still, that left Mike with the problem of how to tell his friends – and co-workers – about the fact that he was now the owner of a beautiful engagement ring and the implication that came with it. Harvey, gracious as he was, had left that to him.
#jessica
There were certain truths that governed Mike´s life: 'Donna knows everything' was one of them. 'Don´t mess with Jessica' another. Those rule made sure that he was able to live a long and healthy life. After all Mike was man enough to admit that Jessica was the scariest person he had ever met. Depending on the situation she either induced jaw-dropping awe or bone-shattering terror into the hearts of everyone she met.
Mike remembered well the one time – he had just started to work for as a Partner for Pearson & Specter – when some cocky associates prank called her. Repeatedly. When there had been no reaction they had felt even more confident and started to act as if they owned the bullpen. But then Jessica sent them to minor clients without them having the necessary experience and time to prepare themselves. After that those associates were so disgraced that one after another they resigned and not even once Jessica mentioned the prank calls. She had destroyed their professional lives without talking to them a single word. Absolutely ruthless.
So yes; Mike had a very healthy appreciation for the things Jessica could do to him. Insofar he was very lucky that he had cost her so much that she wouldn't act against him for at least a while. And as long as he made good money for the firm – or did not have a negative influence on Harvey´s performance – Jessica simply didn't care.
But now Mike had to tell her that Harvey and he were engaged and that would certainly make her react in some way. After all her number one and four – Mike had looked that up: Harvey was the number one, then Louis, Carrie and Mike himself – would be even more involved with each other which could affect the firm´s income should something go wrong. And nothing rose Jessica´s wrath as fast as endangering her firm would.
Also, Harvey and he were legally obligated to inform her that two of her subordinates were marrying. Jessica knew, of course, that they had been in a relationship for quite a long time – she was one of the first to know as she was one of Harvey´s closest 'friends' – but Mike never had the impression that she thought that their relationship would last very long. After all she knew Harry for years and he had never given her any indication that he had any interest in a serious commitment.
So it was with great trepidation that Mike stood in front of Jessica´s open office door.
"What can I do for you, Mr Ross?" Let it never be said that Jessica wasn't the very soul of politeness, even if you pissed her off beyond imagination. The woman itself sat behind her desk – regal looking as ever – in a stunning white dress, her make-up applied as immaculate as always. During his whole time at Pearson & Specter Mike had never seen the woman as anything but smart-looking. A queen in every sense of the word.
"Ms Pearson…eh…hi," Mike began to splutter, inwardly already berating himself for being that awkward. Great, now she´ll think I´m even more socially challenged than before. Jessica simply raised her eyebrow at him.
"So…there is this – thing – I wanted to talk to you about," Mike continued. "It´s quite important and Harvey said, I should tell you, probably because he is too much a coward to do it himself and now you´re gonna think that I lost my mind or something…" Throughout Mike´s babbling Jessica´s expression continued to be absolutely emotionless and he just wanted to crawl back into his office and die. Or at least hide until Jessica was so old that she wouldn't remember this whole episode.
"Mr Ross," Jessica interrupted after a while. "If you continue like this we will still be sitting here until tomorrow. You wanted to tell me that Harvey proposed to you." Mike´s jaw dropped.
"How-how do you know?" he stuttered.
"Who do you think helped him choosing the ring?" Jessica asked.
"That was you?!" Mike exclaimed disbelievingly.
"Be thankful for that," Jessica said as a tiny smile graced her face. "Otherwise you would sit here with a 24-karat-gold ring with a diamond as big as your finger nail. Harvey should realize that sometimes modesty has its place in our lives." She leaned back.
"That said," she continued, "congratulations to the both of you. I expect the necessary paper work for HR updated and complete at the end of the week." Mike could hear the unspoken dismissal and left the office with much lighter feet than before.
#rachel
Mike would have never thought that someone as fortunate as Rachel would want him as friend. As long as he could remember, he was that nerdy kid that could remember everything and aced every single test. Not something that endeared you to the rest of the High School crowd. The only thing people wanted from him was the solution for tests and the answers to some inane questions so that they could laugh at him for knowing.
Rachel was intelligent, good-looking and came from a good situated family. She could have just dumped him after he had helped her to pass the LSAT. That was how many girls before her had done it. They asked the lonely boy if he could help them with a test and the stupid boy, yearning for some friends, would help them only for them to leave him when his services were no longer needed. Mike knew that he didn't show it, but those times left deep scars on his mind. Trust in others came slowly and would be destroyed even faster.
His inner circle of friends was therefore rather small. His grammy, Jenny, Rachel, Donna and Harvey. Once Trevor had been there as well, but that was a long time ago and Mike didn't mourn the loss of his once-best-friend any longer. He had had some friends at Cadbury & Wakefield, but none of them were as close to him as the others.
"Mike, did you listen to me?" Rachel´s voice ripped him out of his reverie.
"Sorry, Rachel," he apologized. "I was just thinking about something." He took a bite from the food with the unpronounceable name that Rachel had ordered for him. After all this time she still insisted on dragging him all over Manhattan in order to feed him. Sometimes Mike wondered when they would be through every single restaurant. After all Rachel took him to different ones every day. There couldn't be that much restaurants in Manhattan!
"I noticed," Rachel said. "Maybe it would be better if you told me what has you this distracted from your delicious food. There isn´t much that could be more important than French cuisine." She smirked and took a sip from her wine glass.
"Harvey proposed to me yesterday." Maybe Mike shouldn't have said that while Rachel was still drinking. Rachel chocked on her wine and spew it across the whole table. Mike just starred at her while she was still coughing. The other guest looked at them with either amusement or horror. They probably thought that he had said something terrible to Rachel which made her react that way.
"Next…time…Mike…warn…me," Rachel pressed forth between the coughs that were still ailing her body. After a few moments she had her body back in control and a bright smile graved her face.
"But…OH MY GOD!" she screamed. "THAT´S-THAT´S ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! OH MY GOD!" She leaped up, walked around the table and engulfed Mike in a bone-breaking hug.
"Rachel…can´t…breath," Mike wheezed. Rachel loosened her grip and looked him directly in his eyes.
"I forgive you for ruining my blouse and the food," she said in serious tone. Mike gulped. Anything less than an upcoming marriage and he would probably be dead.
"Mam, is everything in order?" a waiter disrupted them. He was obviously ready to kick them out of the restaurant if his annoyed expression was an indicator to go by.
"I´m so sorry," Rachel said with an apologetic gaze. "But my friend just told me that he got proposed yesterday." The waiter´s gaze immediately softened.
"I think congratulations are in order," he said with a smile while the people around them began to clap. Mike could feel his cheek heat up and he looked down on his feet in order to escape the attention that was currently focused on him. "The food is on the house."
"So, Mike," Rachel began and he could see the curious gleam in her eyes that made him shudder inwardly. "Tell me everything! Do you already have a location? Cuisine? Who´s gonna be your best man?"
"Rachel," Mike interrupted his friend´s tirade. "Harvey just proposed yesterday. We haven't planned anything at all. Though Donna has probably already started to make arrangements, so you should just ask her." He paused for a moment. "And I don't know who´ll be my best man. I don't have any male best friends." He shrugged.
"Maybe I should just ask Louis," he joked.
"Actually that isn´t such a bad idea," Rachel commented nonchalantly.
"Are you serious?!" Mike exclaimed incredulously. "The man hates me and wants nothing more than to see me fail." He supported his argument with excessive hand gestures.
"You just said that you had no one to play that role," Rachel began to explain. "Then who is better suited to be your best man than your archenemy?" She grinned. "And we both know that his creepy behaviour is just his way of showing that he cares."
"Do we know that?" Mike raised his eyebrows at her.
"If you have other suggestions I´m all ear," Rachel mocked and Mike had to admit that she was probably right.
#louis
If there was one word with which you could describe Mike´s relationship to one Louis Litt then it would be 'difficult'. The older man had never forgiven Mike for the one time the blonde had defeated him in court and since then Louis had made it his mission to see Mike fail.
Mike truly believed that deep, deep, deep down – under layers of arrogance, derision and Shakespeare – Louis was a decent person who was worth being friends with, but sometimes that was hard to remember when the other person wanted so desperately to be your doom.
"Ross, this time I have you!" Louis shouted through the corridor. It was a testament to how often this had happened already that no one in the near vicinity even raised an eyebrow when a Senior Partner shouted after another Partner as if it was some kind of duel to death.
"You forgot sub-clause 22, paragraph 34, section four on page 214 in the Serell-merger," Louis said triumphantly. "Now Jessica will have your hide!" The man positively cackled with glee.
"No, she won´t," Mike responded. "Because I just came from her office after I gave her a corrected version which explicitly handled said sub-clause." He put an arm on Louis´ shoulder. "But I´m so glad that I have such a dutiful co-worker who looks out that I don't make mistakes which could potentially cost the firm many millions." Louis face was a funny mix between fury – because his plan to make Mike look bad had failed again – and pride because whereas others would have shouted at him, Mike just made a compliment. That was the exact moment when he noticed the ring on Mike´s finger.
"Why do you wear an engagement ring?" he asked incredulously. Mike just gave him a look.
"Maybe because I am engaged?" he shot back and wondered if Rachel´s advice was really worth the hassle.
"To whom?" Louis asked disbelievingly. Mike´s grin grew wider.
"Harvey," he whispered. Louis face took an expression of uttermost confusion. Then it turned into a grin that looked like the cat had just found the canary.
"You just shovelled your own grave," Louis exclaimed gleefully. "Wait till Jessica hears that. Fraternization amongst the employees. She will boot you and Harvey out faster than you can get those rings off your finger." And with that he turned around and strode away towards Jessica´s office. Mike just shook his head and followed the man.
"Louis," Jessica greeted the man. Mike sometimes asked himself if Jessica knew how kindergarten-like her firm was sometimes. She probably did.
"Mike Ross and Harvey are in a relationship!" Louis shouted. "And that already for quite some times, because they are already engaged!" If Jessica had any less than perfect mastery over her body posture she would have probably groaned out loud and thrown her head against her desk. So she didn't even blink.
"And why are you telling me this?" she asked instead.
"Why? Why do I tell you this!?" Louis skin took a dangerous red colour. "Because both of them have broken countless by-laws with their unlawful behaviour! You have to fire them before it spreads amongst the employees and take measures to uphold the sanctity of this firm´s by-laws!" Mike had to supress a snicker faced with Louis' flair for the dramatic. Jessica on the other hand looked less than impressed.
"Louis," she said. "I will fire neither Mike Ross nor Harvey, because I know of their relationship since its beginning and I approve." Louis gaped like a fish. "Besides, they have done all the necessary paper work with HR, so they haven't broken any by-laws." She turned towards Mike. "What are you doing here anyway, Mr Ross?"
"Louis walked away before we finished our talk," Mike explained. "I was just about to ask him, if he wants to be my best man?" Both Louis and Jessica were taken aback by this declaration.
"Is this some kind of twisted joke?" Louis sneered. "Why would you have me as best man?"
"Because," Mike started to explain. "after Harvey, Donna and Rachel you are the person I have the closest relationship with in this firm. Does your constant hounding grate on my nerves? You bet it does! But without you I wouldn't be where I am today. With you constantly on my back I had to put much more effort into my work than I would have done otherwise. I have read books I thought I would never even touch, I went through cases from years ago just to be sure and developed strategies for court that I wouldn't have used before and all of that just so that you wouldn't find any fault with it! You are one of the reasons why I became the lawyer I am today and I want to honour that."
"You truly mean that?" Louis asked. Mike nodded. "Then I´ll grant you the pleasure of me being your best man. But don't expect me to soften up my treatment. Only the best work here at Pearson & Specter." And with what should probably amount to a threatening glare Louis walked out of the office.
"That was truly a masterpiece of manipulation," Jessica complimented Mike. "Even if he denies it – and he will – you´ve just made a friend."
"What manipulation?" Mike responded. "I meant every word I said."
#grammy
There was exactly one person that Mike cherished above everyone else. Harvey came close second, but there was no one more important to Mike than Edith Ross, his grandmother. Many times Mike had been mocked that he still depended on the woman so much, even though he was a grown man, but Mike didn't care.
His grandmother had taken him in and gave him a home when he just lost his parents. It hadn't been easy for the woman, as she had lost a son as well. Both she and Mike had been hurt and grieving and now to add to her burdens she had to raise her grandson all alone.
Mike had to admit that he hadn't made it easy for her at the beginning. Often enough a grieving child was difficult to handle, but if said child was a genius as well and had difficulties adapting in school, then your problems became lot more difficult to handle.
Mike had lashed out, was angry and tried to force as much emotional distance between himself and his grandmother as possible. His parents were gone – never coming back – and who could guarantee him that his grandmother wouldn't leave him as well? After all she was old and already had heart problems, so the probability was much higher.
It had taken some time and many talks and gestures until Mike recognized that he only hurt both of them with his behaviour. But since then the bond between his grandmother and him had been unbreakable.
It cost Mike quite an effort to move his grandmother into a nursing home. At first he had regarded it as a betrayal of her. After her first stroke – a terrifying experience for Mike for he had come so close to losing his grammy – the doctors had advised him to do it, but he couldn't just put his grandmother in a nursing home. What would it say about him if he couldn't even take care of the woman that had raised and loved him?
It had been grammy who convinced him of the necessity of the task.
"I know that I´m growing old," she had said to him during a chess match between the two of them – which she was winning. "And I don't think I´ll grow bored in a nursing home." Mike bit his lips, not looking up to her.
"Mike, look at me," his grandmother said and he looked at her. "Just because I´m in a nursing home doesn't mean that you have somehow failed me or didn't love me enough. I know that you love me and that you would do anything for me and my place of residence won´t change that fact."
Mike had hugged her and promised her that he would visit her as often as he could and that she would never feel left alone. And he had kept his promise.
#
"Hi, Susan," Mike greeted the secretary behind the nursing home´s reception. He always greeted them with their names because if there was one thing experience had taught Mike, it was that the people making up the 'basic staff' – like secretaries, maintenance crew and IT – made for great allies and enemies alike.
"Hi, Mike," Susan greeted back. "Visiting your grandmother again? If only half of the people here had relatives as dedicated to them as you are to her."
"Thanks," Mike blushed. "But there is an ulterior motive behind todays visit."
"Let´s hear!" Susan demanded to know as her attention shifted completely to Mike. "Does it have something to do with that gentleman Harvey?" She grinned at him.
"You could say that," Mike grinned back. Susan laughed and flipped her head around so that she faced the door that led to the office.
"Connie, you owe me 20 Dollar!" she shouted.
"What!?" a voice shouted back and Connie ran out of the door. When she saw Mike standing behind the reception she let out a barky laugh.
"Oh, I see," she simply said. "So he proposed to you?"
"You bet on my love life?" Mike asked incredulously, his expression one of mock-betrayal. "How could you?"
"Please," Susan said frankly. "Even a blind person can see the hearts floating around you whenever you speak of him." Connie nodded in agreement.
"The last time I saw an expression like yours when you speak of Harvey was when I visited my parents last weekend," she added. "And they are already married for fifty years. So of course we bet on your love life." Mike´s blush deepened even more.
"Then I will continue to my grandmother," Mike said. "Maybe for once I´ll be the one surprising with the news instead of being surprised that everybody already seems to know."
He could still hear Susan and Connie laughing when the doors of the elevator closed.
#
Edith Ross was not of imposing figure and her voice was quiet and soft-spoken. And yet – sitting in her chair made of fine green wool – she looked like a queen presiding over her kingdom. When Mike entered she looked up and a smile graced her face as he sat down in the chair opposite to her.
"Mike," his grammy said. "What a nice surprise. To what do I own the pleasure of your company?"
"Can´t a grandson visit his grammy without her asking for ulterior motives?" Mike joked in order to hide is anxiety. His grandmother just raised an eyebrow at him.
"I know your schedule on weekdays curtesy of you always complaining to me about it when you visit me on the weekend," Edith said. "And while I don't question your love for me I was once young as well and know how it is when you have a hectic week. So, Mike, tell me what´s on your mind?"
That was it. Now Mike had to tell the most important person in his life that she may become the second in the future. He gulped and fumbled with his fingers. He wanted to speak up, but somehow he seemed to have lost his voice.
"Mike," he heard his grandmother´s soothing voice. "You can tell me."
"Harvey asked me to marry him," he blurted out. Silence. When nothing was said Mike looked up to his grandmother. Her eyes were teary and her gaze unfathomable to him.
"Oh, Mike," she sobbed. Mike panicked. Why was his grammy crying? He thought that she liked Harvey; that at least had been his impression.
"You don't need to cry," he tried desperately to quell the stream of tears that poured down his grandmother´s cheek. "I thought you liked Harvey? Please, please, don't cry; don't be sad." He blabbered, he knew that, but grammy had to stop crying.
"Oh Mike, she said with a tiny smile on her face. "I don't cry because I´m sad; I cry because I´m so happy." Another sob and then she hugged him. "I always knew that what you had with Harvey was special, but that you have decided to make this final step. I´m so unbelievable happy for you."
#those left behind
"I´ve been neglecting you, haven't I?" Mike whispered. "I´m sorry for that. But I have a good reason. Harvey proposed to me. Went down on his knees right in his office and asked me. Luckily only Donna was there, so we didn't have a big crowd around. Not that I´m ashamed or something like that, but this moment – it was something intimate, something that only belonged to us and I would have been loath to share it with those others. Donna is a completely different matter.
I told you about Donna, didn't I? She is awesome. I admire her for always being so strong, even when the world crumbles around her. She must have been living through some serious shit to become the woman she is now. But she immediately started to plan our wedding – you should have seen the spreadsheet she made about all the things she wanted us to have. And later when she roped in Rachel in the whole affair as well it got even worse! I don't think I can eat anything but burgers and hotdogs for the rest of my life! Every single minute I spent with either choosing colour for something or tasting food I wouldn't be able to pronounce even if I could speak French. But I love those two and wouldn't exchange them for anything in this world.
Harvey – that ass – thought the whole thing completely amusing as he wasn't forced to do anything but choosing his suit. And mine for that matter seeing that 'I´m a child in a man´s body and can´t be trusted with choosing my own suit'. Don't tell him, but Harvey is worse with suits and ties than any stereotypical woman could ever hope to be. He´s probably still positive that I believed his 'I have a client meeting' excuse when he went to Rene instead. Every evening for a whole week!
You know when I realized that I loved this man? It was after another night spent at his condo. It was morning and we were sitting at the table and I wanted a croissant. I held out my hand and without hesitation he handed it over. There were so many things that he could have given me, that I could have wanted – coffee, the newspaper or the butter knife next to him – but he knew exactly what I wanted without me telling him. And exactly in this moment I knew that I loved him. That this was beyond the sex, beyond the little crush I had on him. It wasn't a big romantic gesture; no roses, no poems and candles while the sun sets in the horizon, but simply this act of understanding. And I think for Harvey it somehow was the same. We´re not ones for big romantic gestures.
I really want this to work. In twenty years I want to come home, see him lounging on the couch and feel the same love and affection I feel today. I want to tease him when the first grey hairs show up, because nobody puts so much stock in his appearance as he does. I want to have the same thing that you had. You were always the example I wanted to live by and you still are. I´d like to think that you´d be proud of me. Because you always said, that you wanted me to be happy. And right now I can say that I am happy. So thanks, Mum and Dad."
Mike turned around and walked away. Behind him the grey gravestone:
Nina and James Ross
† 31.04.1992
Beloved daughter, son and parents
May They Look Upon Us From Heaven
Finally Mike´s POV and this time without drama, hurt or angst. Maybe because it was a sunny day today and therefore no place in my mind for morbid thoughts? Who knows?
For the next One-Shot I plan a Katrina Bennett POV simply because I like her character and think that she doesn´t get enough screen time in canon and in fanfictions. I´m really excited about exploring her character and I hope you are as well ;)