Mike Ross clutched a slip of paper so tightly in his hand; it was becoming damp from the nervous clamminess spreading through his palms. Looking down at it, he grimaced as the edges of the pink citation slip protruded offensively through his tight fist. He'd been fined one thousand dollars for contempt of court. He readily conceded that he had never deserved a fine more in his life, seeing as he had spectacularly lost his temper with his snide opposing counsel, in simply outrageous style. Which was exactly what the smarmy lawyer had intended. He had no case, and his only hope of buying himself time to make one, was to cultivate and execute the groundwork for a lengthy continuance. One counsellor using foul language to verbally abuse the other, ignoring a fuming judge in the process, and only being quietened through the quick reflexes of the court bailiff, was a sure fire way to get one thought Mike grimly. He closed his eyes in the back of the yellow cab he had hailed in a daze, and marvelled at his own stupidity.
Thinking back in embarrassed anguish to the mother of all dressing downs the infuriated trial judge had given him in chambers, Mike squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Things had been going horribly enough when the justice had handed him a thousand dollar citation, but they had quickly escalated from horrible to cataclysmic when the snarling judge had ordered him to return the citation with payment within three working days, along with the signature of his supervising partner.That meant Harvey. The vein throbbing, temple pulsing judge had specifically informed him that he knew damn well who his supervising partner was, and had written a scathing adage on Mike's citation professing his disappointment in Harvey for letting his subordinate "run riot without restraint and splattering insolence on the history and ethos of his courtroom with schoolyard hooliganism."
It transpired, in traditional Murphy's Law style, that the mortally offended judge was a former professor of Harvard Law, a favourite professor of one smart assed Harvey Specter in his student days. This professor turned justice kept in contact with Harvey and had watched from afar as Jessica Pearson had cultivated him and then in turn, watched as Harvey began to nurture the talent that was Michael Ross. The irate judge had secretly chuckled to himself as a petrified Mike had stumbled from his office after he'd finished giving him the roasting he richly deserved.
He knew that Harvey was going to kill the kid, little did Harvey realise how exactly similar his little protégée was to his hot headed self. Sighing to himself, the now slightly mollified judge began to wonder if he'd been too hard on the mouthy young attorney, his opposing counsel really had been a piece of work in all fairness. Contenting himself with the thought that with all the grief Harvey had given him as a student, his karma was in the form of the grey hairs he'd develop in dealing with that little genius of his.
Mike, in assessing his appalling situation for what felt like the millionth time, let out on audible groan to the growing alarm of the cab driver who clearly by his quickened pace, believed Mike to be either dangerous or ill, and therefore not a good category of passenger. Fifteen minutes later, the cab was parked outside the impressive home of Pearson-Hardman, and an ashen faced Mike paid the driver and forced his legs to make the necessary movements to propel him into the building he wished with all his might to a run a thousand miles from.
Deciding that he simply couldn't bring himself to face Harvey straight away, Mike headed in the direction of his bull pen desk and far away from his mentors office. Slumping in his chair, he stared unseeingly at the mountain of proof reading that a wounded Louis Litt had pushed on him for failing to wish his cat Bruno, a happy birthday when prompted. Jerking himself out of his reverie, Mike decided sensibly that he needed to work to take his mind of his impending doom. Setting about the dull task of correcting the many grammatical anomalies of his co-associates, Mike was soon lost in a haze of briefings and motions.
Some hours later, he looked up in surprise to see that the bull pen had basically cleared, save for a few stragglers. Glancing at his wristwatch Mike saw that it was gone nine, and as nothing major was on the books, Harvey was most likely gone home. Feeling ashamed at his cowardly relief in the face of this fact, Mike stood and began to gather his belongings to head home himself. He would think about the best way to broach the fiasco of his court appearance with Harvey tomorrow, and buy himself a few more hours of…well, of breathing in the process.
Mike ducked past Harvey's office tentatively, as there was essentially no other exit point. Unless he went through the alarm activated fire door, which he had seriously considered before coming to the conclusion that he was in more than enough trouble without adding to it. Glancing through the glass walls his thoughts were confirmed, the older man was indeed gone for the night. Feeling a mixture of relief and regretful shame that he hadn't just gotten in over with as he knew he should, he boarded the elevator and began the journey home.
He didn't sleep well that night, he tossed and turned relentlessly. The major drawback of a brilliant mind is that it was always brilliant and couldn't be dimmed to force out unpleasant truths. Waking up after about a cumulative total of four hours sleep, Mike dragged himself into the shower. Half an hour later he was on his bike and on his way to work. Chaining his trusted transport securely to his usual spot, Mike headed into the Pearson-Hardman building determined to face the music and get it over with, so he could stop feeling so miserable.
Making his way quickly to his boss's office, Mike saw that the older man was already seated at his desk and working. Donna was mercifully off on a shopping spree in aid of secretaries' day. Drawing a deep steadying breath, Mike strode into Harvey's office. Sensing Mike's presence, Harvey looked up and broke into a grin. He was in a particularly great mood after seeing Scottie last night, she was in town on an unrelated trip and they had been hooking up every other night, making for one very happy and genial Harvey Specter.
"Mike", he said happily "just the man, I could do with your help prepping for this deposition. I don't think they're here to settle, I think it's to suss out our bottom line, can't let that happen, any bright ideas rattling around that Sheldon Copper-esque little head of yours?" he asked good humouredly. When Mike failed to answer immediately, Harvey took a closer look at the younger man and knew immediately something was up. Something was really up. "Mike, what is it?" he asked anxiously. He'd never in a million years let anyone know it, but he really...well, he really cared for this kid, as maddening as he could be at times.
Unable to bring himself to speak, Mike merely handed Harvey the now well worn court citation he had received, the judges handwritten words as to Mike's extreme impertinence seemed to jump out alarmingly against the pink paper it was written on. He watched in intense trepidation as Harvey's facial expressions changed intermittently and alarmingly, from shock to rage and back to shock again as he read and reread the message the judge had written.
Harvey didn't speak immediately, and Mike knew better than to try and broach any conversation, let alone offer any attempts at an excusatory explanation. When Harvey did speak, several minutes had passed and Mike's eyes had seemed to burn a hole in the floor he was resolutely staring at. "Mike," the older man began in a tone Mike couldn't recognise. Mike looked up from his source of apparent amazement on the office carpet, but Harvey didn't continue. Beginning to feel even more alarmed, Mike stared at Harvey in apprehension. He knew Harvey would be furious, but he didn't think he could physically be so furious as to have effectively lost the art of speech.
Mike watched as Harvey took a deep breath.
"Mike, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me with the absolute truth. No equivocations, no playing on words, just the simple truth, ok?"
Mike nodded his head immediately, disarmed and confused at the calm and gentle tone his boss was using with him.
He watched as Harvey took another significant breath, growing increasingly anxious.
"Mike…are you afraid of me?" Harvey asked seriously, looking his associate straight in the eye.
Mike gaped at the older man, but quickly recovered. "No Harvey" he blurted out in blunt response.
Holding the citation up in front of the younger man, Harvey continued "Mike, this was issued yesterday. It was issued yesterday morning. You were in this building for nine hours after it was issued, and I was in this building for eight hours after it was issued, and you didn't come to me. I can only assume the reason for that fact, is that you're afraid of me. If that's the case Mike, I'm truly sorry. I never, ever meant for you to grow to fear me" Harvey finished, misery etched on his handsome face as he surveyed the young lawyer before him.
With a gut wrenching pang of realisation, Mike identified the tone of voice Harvey was using. It was sad. Harvey was sad because he thought he was afraid of him. Mike hung his head in total shame and regret. Taking a second to compose himself, he ripped his gaze up from the floor once again and made direct eye contact with the man who had done so much for him.
"Harvey. I am not afraid of you. I truly am not. The reason….well, the reason I didn't come to yesterday was because I was afraid of getting in trouble. Not of you. I knew I had really screwed up and I just wanted to avoid it. I purposely avoided you for the day because I knew how angry you'd be with me and how angry you should be with me and I dealt with it like a child. I'm so sorry."
With that, Mike couldn't bring himself to look at Harvey anymore and resumed his passionate observation of Harvey's expensive carpet instead. Harvey for his part was dealing with the turmoil that came from rapidly changing emotions. The deep seated and all consuming sadness he had felt at believing that the younger man feared him, had given way to relief. Staggering relief. He believed Mike when he said he wasn't afraid of him. Mike may be brilliant, but he couldn't lie very well. Not to Harvey anyway.
The relief had flooded through the older man's body however had begun to give way to a seething anger. A rising anger. An anger that was borne of two parts. Part one being Mike's disgraceful conduct in a court of law. In a court of law presided over by a personal friend of Harvey's, a man who Harvey actually looked up to. Of which, there were precious few in the earthly world.
Part two was Mikes' deliberate deception. The fact that Mike had essentially lied to him, even by omission stung. Their close bond was founded on trust, and Mike had never until this point failed to come clean immediately about any of his screw ups. Harvey gritted his teeth and resolved that this was the first and last time that Mike would ever commit this particular transgression. Taking a deep breath, Harvey strove to be self aware enough to determine whether he could be fair at this present time in devising and delivering a fitting punishment for his "seriously in for it" associate. Sighing, he realised he couldn't. He was still positively fuming with the younger man. He had royally messed up this time and the repercussions of such had to be sufficiently unpleasant, but first and foremost they had to be fair.
Standing up abruptly, and jerking Mike out of his carpet induced trance in the process, Harvey strode to the nearby filing cabinet, and grabbed the first four, very bulky files that he could find. Marching over to his repentant headache of a protégée, he thrust the files in his arms. "Go straight to your desk and work through these. They need to be condensed and fully annotated for the bi-quarterly audit. I need time to calm down before I can even begin to deal with dealing with you. You will come straight back here when you're finished. It should take a couple of hours, whether or not that is a sufficient time window for me to be even moderately less inclined to wring your god damned neck, I have absolutely no idea. Now, get out of my sight while you still can."
The young lawyer obediently and quietly turned on his heel and left in the general direction of his desk, looking every bit the wounded puppy. Sighing, Harvey sank in his chair and wondered how he managed to somehow grow to feel so personally responsible for that maddening kid. He was getting soft in his old age he concluded grimly.
Mike for his part scuttled guiltily along the halls of Pearson-Hardman, before reaching and collapsing into his own desk. Throwing the thick files on the cluttered surface top, Mike dropped his head down on them in a makeshift pillow and groaned. He'd known that his conversation with Harvey wasn't going to be a pleasant experience, but he had never expected Harvey to think the reason he hadn't owned up was because he feared him. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Mike silently cursed himself. He had taken a situation that seemed like it couldn't be made worse, made it worse and for once his razor sharp mind was failing him. There was no remedy he could think of to mollify Harvey even a fraction. Sighing in defeat, Mike removed his head from his paper pillow and opened the first file and set to work.
Some hours later, his pen scrawled across paper and made the final adjustments to the fourth file and wearily closed it shut. Glancing at his phone, he saw he'd been working for just over six hours. Closing his eyes he grimaced. The technical and complex reports had taken his mind of his situation somewhat, but it came back tenfold on their completion. Standing, Mike decided not to draw out Harvey's anger anymore and scooped the thick paper bundles into his arms and made his way back to his mentors' office. Glancing into the impressive glass panelled room, Mike saw that Harvey was seated at his desk, looking deep in concentration. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked into the lion's den.
When Harvey didn't look up on his arrival, Mike said quietly "I'm finished Harvey" and placed the stack on his cluttered desktop. When Harvey still failed to answer or acknowledge his presence in any way, Mike instinctively stepped back and stood staring quietly at the floor. This was a sign that Harvey was truly furious, and he knew better than to try to expedite conversation from the older man. True to enraged form, Harvey kept his reprobate associate waiting for a considerable period of time, before setting his pen down and looking up. Seeing that Mike had backed considerably away from him, he pointed to the chair in front of his desk. "Hot seat, now" he commanded in a calm, firm voice.
Mike quickly followed this direction and looked nervously at his imposing boss.
"Michael. I want a full, frank and honest explanation of what caused your outrageous behaviour today young man, and I want it now" Harvey instructed fixing the squirming kid with the sternest of stern glares. Wincing at the use of his full name, Mike licked his lips and cast around his head for the appropriate words.
Taking a steadying gulp of air he blurted out, "I let Davidson get to me. It was an obvious trap, and I fell into headlong it. He goaded me about how he never knew me in Harvard and how I must have been a nobody, like I am now. He said it all under his breath so no one could hear. Then I had nearly all of his objections sustained against me. Then he managed to get evidence admitted that should have been inadmissible, all the while smirking at me. I lost my cool and snapped at him under my breath, but the microphone caught what I said and the judge heard. I thought it was off. I got reamed in front of a crowded court for inappropriate and childish conduct, and Davidson laughed at me under his breath, all the while looking the picture of innocence and I…well, I just lost it Harvey. I'm really sorry; I don't know what I was thinking."
Harvey stared at the younger man. Stared at him in disbelief.
"Michael James Ross. Do you really mean to sit there and tell me, that the reason you used foul language in a court of law, disregarded both a judges' instructions and presence and dragged the reputation of Pearson-Hardman through the mud is because some generic opposing counsel taunted you?"
Mike, casting his eyes downwards once again merely nodded glumly in the affirmative.
"Eyes on me this instant."
Mike reluctantly drew his gaze level with Harvey's and cringed when he saw the obvious anger and disappointment on the older man's face. Harvey lost no time launching into the tongue lashing Mike had earned himself.
"I cannot believe you. After everything I have done for you Michael and this is the way you behave when I let you out into the world without a babysitter. Your position is always to be protected. Drawing the attention of the bloody judiciary, for throwing a tantrum, is not the way to do it. I've been chewed out by Jessica for this already, the legal community talks Michael and you damn well know it. You're lucky I've assured her that you're going to sufficiently dealt with by me or else she'd be in here, and if you think I'm mad you've no idea what it is to get that woman as angry as she is."
"When you are in court, or in a meeting or any god damned place for that matter, you are a direct reflection on me. You do not throw your toys out of the pram in this manner. Judge Conway is a personal friend of mine and now because of your disgraceful behaviour I have to ring him later and apologise both on your behalf, and on my own behalf due to my apparent lack of basic supervisory control over my subordinates. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Harvey growled holding the now well worn citation up once again, having fished it out of his desk to refresh himself on Judge Conway's opinion on his managerial skills.
Mike looked at Harvey guiltily and shook his head in the negative.
"Didn't think so" said Harvey grimly. "Would you like to hear what this little jaunt into hooliganism has earned you Michael?" the angry man continued in dangerous voice. "Or will you verbally abuse me as well as this Davidson person?"
When Mike didn't answer, Harvey thundered on "well? I've asked you a question, I expect an answer. Should I be worried for my own sake about a Michael Ross tantrum?"
Swallowing hard, Mike shook his head slightly, "No, of course not Harvey."
"I'm so glad" the angry man said sarcastically. "Now, for the firm approved portion of your punishment Michael, you need to use that memory of yours to get this firmly into your head. You young man, are no longer permitted to argue in court. Any court. Not even housing court, indefinitely. Its paperwork and prep work for you from now on, is that clear?"
Mike looked at Harvey in despair, and nodded miserably. As much as he knew he deserved to be severely punished, "paperwork and prep work" was a Pearson-Hardman traditional method of torture. It meant that the court banished employee was only permitted to work on a back log of case transcriptions, motion and brief writing and completed case synopsises. It meant being chained to ones desk and long, tedium filled hours.
Harvey had once or twice used it to illuminate to Mike the error of his ways, but it had usually only been for a couple of days and the mentor would soften and take Mike back out of the doghouse. This time Mike knew he was in for the long haul, as "indefinitely" was a particularly harsh form of the firm patented punishment. The only thing that sustained offenders throughout a paperwork and prep work sentence was a release date, which Harvey well knew and had clearly decided to deny Mike.
"Alright then Michael, I think we need to move this conversation into a more private setting" Harvey said standing up abruptly and gesturing to the door that Mike detested so much. Biting his lip to keep from whining, Mike obediently stood up and made his way through the door that led to the abandoned secretarial office that branched off of Harvey's office. This room hadn't been used by a secretary in many years, but it had become the room that saw Harvey teaching his protégée certain lessons that couldn't be taught in the open plan nature of his own office. The window devoid room was equipped with curiously thick walls that mercifully prevented anyone from ever hearing the sound of Harvey's paddle against Mike's backside, and the yelping that came with it.
Mike opened the door and stepped inside, Harvey close behind him. As the lights illuminated the room, Michael habitually tried to make his way towards the desk in the far of the room, and was surprised when Harvey grabbed him not unkindly by the upper arm and prevented him. Usually as Mike would take off his jacket and bend over the table, Harvey would fish through the one filing cabinet that remained for the paddle that, when not being used to bring Mike to his senses, resided there.
Looking into the confused face of his associate, Harvey's anger started to fade somewhat. He was still a rookie after all. His intelligence often resulted in him being held to a much higher standard than his peers, and masked the fact that he was still just a kid.
"Mike", Harvey said in a much gentler tone, "I'm not going to paddle you."
Mike visibly relaxed at Harvey's resumed use of his shortened name rather than Michael, but felt all the more confused. If he's not going to tan my ass, why did he drag me in here he thought to himself. Knowing what was going on inside Mike's head, Harvey sighed. As much as he hated paddling Mike, he knew he was going to hate was he was about to do even more. He had after careful thought, decided it was necessary though and gritted his teeth in resolve, why do I have to care so much about this kid he thought ruefully.
"I'm not going to paddle you Mike" he continued firmly, "because I think your behaviour today calls for a more let the punishment fit the crime approach. In other words, because you behaved like a child today and threw a four year olds tantrum, for the first time I'm going to treat you like a child. Instead of paddling you, I've therefore decided that in order to best teach you not to act out in childish temper you need a more memorable punishment". Harvey stopped briefly, steadied himself and took a deep breath. "That memorable punishment is in the form of going over my knee for a spanking Mike, and not over the desk for a paddling."
The unexpected pronouncement hung in the air like a dense smog, obscuring Mike's ability to see reason.
"No Harvey" he said flatly once he'd recovered from the shock of Harvey's proposed method of lesson teaching. "You can paddle me, or you can let me the hell out of here, but you are not putting me over your knee like a child, even if I've acted like one. No way."
Expecting this response, Harvey moved closer into Mike's personal space, and looked him square in the eye. To his credit, the kid stared right back. "Mike. Do not fight me on this. You do not get to determine how I punish you. All you get to determine is your behaviour, and your behaviour has landed you here. You have behaved appallingly today. I have never before had cause to be as disappointed in you as I am right now. You've let yourself down and you've let me down. However, if you feel that you can look me in the eye and tell me you truly don't deserve to be punished, then there's the door Mike. I won't hold it against you, there'll be no repercussions. If however you're the man I know you are, you're self aware enough to know exactly how much you deserve to be punished, then you will accept the spanking. Those are your two choices Mike, and they're your only two choices." With that, Harvey moved out of Mike's way leaving him a clear path to the door and gave him time to make his decision.
Mike sighed and shuffled from foot to foot. Harvey had him and he knew it.
"A spanking huh? Fine. At least it'll hurt less" he huffed, making his decision.
Biting back a grin, Harvey nodded and drew out a straight backed chair from the nearby corner and placed it in the middle of the room. Mike watched silently as he unbuttoned the cuff of his right sleeve and rolled it up to his elbow, growing rather alarmed. Harvey sat down on the chair and beckoned Mike to his right hand side. "C'mon Mike, let's get this over with please."
Throwing masculinity to the wind, Mike started bargaining. "Harvey please, I swear I'll never ever do it again. It was a once off, a blip, I promise. There's no need to…there's no need for this."
Harvey raised an eyebrow. "Mike, if I have to come over there and get you I am going to swat you each and every step of the way back here, it's entirely your choice."
Groaning, Mike dragged his feet slowly towards his sitting mentor.
Not wanting to draw the kids misery out any longer than necessary, Harvey reached out and guided the young lawyer over his knee by his arm. Ignoring the under the breath comments his associate was currently hissing out, Harvey wrapped his free arm tightly around his waist. He raised his outside knee so that Mike's currently pain free backside was best positioned to feel the maximum force of the upcoming spanking.
Firming his resolve about what he was about to do, Harvey drew a well muscled arm back in a wide arc and brought his large hand down hard across the upturned backside over his lap. Apart from a slightly sharp intake of breath Mike didn't respond and Harvey set about delivering the spanking in earnest. Harvey's hard hand came down time and time again on Mike's soft bottom and it wasn't long before the young man began squirming. Merely tightening his hold on his wriggling associate, Harvey set about lighting a fire to the soft sit spots and the tops of Mike's thighs. This predictably caused the first strains of whimpering from the young man. Hardening his heart against this, Harvey brought his hand down with full force on the same spot on each cheek repeatedly and expertly.
Mike for his part had forgotten all about the predominant feelings of shame he felt about being upturned over Harvey's knee, all of his focus was now on the rising pain in his backside. His foolish speculation that at least a spanking wouldn't be as bad as a paddling now dismissed. The paddle may leave a dull throb in the rear for a few hours, but at this point Mike would have chosen that over the stinging pain spreading across his ass, marvelling at how a hand could inflict such a heat over a fully clothed bottom. As Harvey reached the tender curve where his thighs and backside met, Mike couldn't help the whimpers that forced their way through his lips. Trying to move his smarting posterior out of the range of fire, he groaned when Harvey put a quick stop to his efforts by tightening his already firm grip on him.
As Harvey brought another volley of well placed swats to a close, he placed a comforting hand on the kids shoulder. "Stand up please Mike."
Mike immediately leaped up and wiped a hand over his damp eyes, his face a mixture of pain and relief. Harvey grimaced when he saw the relief; the kid had another thing coming if he thought his spanking was over. Harvey pointed to the spot on the floor right in front of his seated position, "front and centre" he instructed the partially chastised associate.
Figuring that Harvey wanted to ream him some more, Mike reluctantly moved into the allocated position. "Hands behind your back please Mike, and keep them there" Harvey further instructed. About to argue the point out of confusion, Mike felt the heat in his backside and obediently did as he was told.
Harvey quickly reached out, unzipped the kids' slacks and tugged them down along with his boxers and put Mike back over his knee before he could process what was happening and before he could argue about it. Taking up his firm hold on his waist once again, Harvey quickly resumed Mike's spanking on his now bare and already red backside, effectively drowning out the volley of complaints that had began flowing from the younger man as he found his voice once again.
"Harvey! What the hell! Ow, no!…You can't do this..oww, please" Mike whimpered in outraged protest in response to both Harvey's baring of his backside and the fire he had resumed lighting in it.
"Yes I can Mike, I told you already. I decide how to punish you" Harvey said calmly, not pausing in his rhythm, delivering hard and fast swats on that the upturned bottom, which underneath his relentless hand was now becoming a vivid shade of scarlet. Harvey had hands like leather and was using them to great effect in teaching his wayward associate the error of his ways. Mike began to squirm vigorously and kick his legs in an effort to cover his bottom, even for a moment from the never ending swats that were befalling it. Harvey merely placed two hard swats on the middle of each thigh in response, the sensitive skin instantly turning fiery red. Mike stopped kicking instantly and merely began sobbing quietly, as Harvey raised his outside knee higher and concentrated forceful and smarting swats on his already well spanked sit spots.
Sensing that the spanking was coming to a close and that Mike had nearly had enough, Harvey delivered another hard round of swats to the roasting hot backside. Pausing for just a moment, Harvey let his hand rest on Mike's bottom and gently said "Mike, tell me why you're being spanked please."
Mike took a second to cease crying and Harvey waited patiently. When he did speak, it was in a very small and upset tone and Harvey felt the familiar pang of guilt he always experienced when having to discipline Mike.
"I'm…oww, I'm getting spanked because I lost my…because I lost my temper in court and I let myself down and I let you down" Mike mumbled, his face inches away from the carpet.
Harvey raised his hand high and brought down a particularly searing swat across both cheeks of the well spanked bottom over his lap drawing a strangled yelp from the younger man.
"And?" he prompted firmly.
"Because….because I didn't come to you and own up like I should have. I'm sorry…I'm sorry Harvey."
"Good Mike, that's good. You're doing great" Harvey said kindly. "Just a little more and we're done ok kiddo?"
Looking sadly as the young man nodded his head miserably and resumed crying Harvey reluctantly drew his hand back once more and dished out a final volley of swats. He took care in ensuring an even shade of fiery red covered every inch of Mike's backside. Satisfied that the young man had been as well spanked as possible, Harvey laid down one last swat and immediately began running the small of Mike's back gently.
"It's over now Mike. You took that well, I'm proud of you" he said in a very un-Harvey tone whilst he continued rubbing circles on the kids back. When he was convinced Mike had stopped crying, he carefully pulled his boxers back up over his tender bottom, causing Mike to stiffen and wince. Bringing his trousers back up to their original position, Harvey gently lifted the contrite associate up off his knee and set him carefully on his feet.
Wanting with all his might to pull Mike in for a tight hug as he usually did, Harvey resisted. As he had never spanked Mike like this before, he wasn't sure of his reaction. Mike for his part looked about five years younger as he rubbed his wet eyes and sniffled sadly, he wasn't looking at Harvey and was again staring at the floor.
Growing concerned when Mike made no attempt to look at him or speak, Harvey made to move towards him but didn't make it very far. The kid suddenly hurled himself at him. At first, and because the wind was knocked out of him Harvey felt dismayed, thinking that Mike wanted to attack him. Before he could open his mouth, Mike had thrown his arms around him and was resting his head on his shoulder, sniffling occasionally. Chuckling, Harvey returned the embrace wholeheartedly.
Mile eventually pulled away and broke into his habitual post punishment pout.
"Your hand is not a normal human hand" he accused.
Harvey snorted as he returned the chair to its original position and pulled his sleeve down, "don't make me use it again then."
"I won't" replied Mike hastily.
"I hope not Mike, I really do" said Harvey honestly, punching Mike playfully on the shoulder.
"Aha! Admit it, go on admit it, you care about me" Mike accused, grinning from ear to ear.
Pushing the kid out of the inner room, and back into his outer office in mock exasperation Harvey replied "you say that again and you're asking for a defamation suit."
"Yeah yeah" Mike taunted rolling his eyes cheekily. Harvey stared at the kid in amusement, not ten minutes ago he'd been upended over his knee having his backside warmed and straight away he was as lippy as ever.
Shaking his head in exaggerated exasperation, "right you, report to archives and get yourself sorted for work to get on with" Harvey instructed.
Clearly the more pressing circumstances of having his ass in the firing line had caused Mike to forget about the non corporal aspect of his punishment, his face fell and he looked at Harvey pleadingly.
"Aw Harvey c'mon please, haven't I suffered enough? You were just kidding about that right?" he pleaded, fixing his mentor with his trademark puppy dog eyes.
"No Mike, I most certainly was not kidding about it. You're married to paperwork and prep work for the considerable future" Harvey replied sternly. He hated imposing this on Mike, having felt firsthand the Pearson-Hardman classic himself many times. Jessica often insisted it was created just for him.
"For how long?" Mike asked dolefully. "C'mon, at least give me an end date, please Harvey."
Knowing the comfort an end date brought, Harvey again fought to harden his resolve. "Mike, no end date. You've bought yourself this for the indefinite future, maybe it will make you think twice before you act. Now, you can either go and report to archives now. Or, we can go back where we just came from and then you can report to archives. Your call kid." Harvey bit back a grin as Mike turned sulkily and made his way towards the 4th floor records office, muttering phrases like "cruel and unusual" and "so unfair." That kid was tough work but he wouldn't change him for the world.
Settling himself down in his comfortable desk chair, Harvey reached for the phone.
Punching a number in he waited patiently for the call to connect.
"Hey Fuller? Harvey Specter. Yeah it's been a long time. Listen, you're associate is Davidson right?"
"Thought so, just a quick heads up. If your guy ever goes after my guy again, he's going to have me to deal with."
Hanging up the phone without a goodbye, Harvey quickly dialled another number.
"Judge Conway, how are you?"
…."Yes Sir, I know he's just like me, sorry about that."