Hello lovelies! This is another one of phreakycat's amazing prompts ^.- Seriously, she Jedi mind-tricks me into writing for her...I'll be browsing around on LiveJournal, innocently minding my own business, and suddenly I'm writing a story for one of her prompts. I don't even know how it happens...I just literally look up and I'm half-way through a story with a prompt that she created O.o Blame her entirely =p
I don't own Suits ;_;
1) Rachel
Mike had lost track of how long he'd been sitting at his desk reading over the stacks of files he'd recieved from both Louis and Harvey. His back was stiff, his legs nearly numb, and he wasn't even half-way through the stack yet. He rubbed at his eyes blearily and kept reading, highlighting a few errors here and there and making notes in the margins.
He'd been up here since 6 am, just barely after the front doors opened. Hardly anyone else had been here that early save for the janitors who were bustling along quietly, polishing the floors and wiping the windows. They did it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening so the building always looked spotless and professional. One of them had given Mike a curious look when he walked in that morning but hadn't said anything and continued polishing the section of floor he was working on.
Mike's stomach had started growling about an hour ago and he suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten anything all day. Hell, he hadn't really eaten anything in the past two days now that he thought about it. He'd stopped working the day before long enough to scarf down a hotdog and had fallen asleep last night before his brain could even register that he was hungry. He'd skipped breakfast this morning, rushing to work to try and get a head start on his paperwork for the day, and hadn't thought about food since. Now it was nearly 2 o'clock and his stomach was rumbling and growling in frustration at his neglect. He tried to ignore it, he didn't have time to step away from the desk right now to go get something.
The stacks of files went by slowly and with each paragraph he felt himself becoming more and more drained. His body was literally running on empty, supplying his brain with nothing but fumes and spent energy to work with. He was slouched in his chair, one hand holding his head up and his elbow pressed into the cubicle wall. It was probably the only thing keeping him upright at the moment.
Rachel appeared by his desk just then, frowning slightly as she looked at him. "Are you okay?"
Mike actually startled a bit when she spoke and shook himself upright, looking up at her with big blue eyes. "What?"
"I said, are you okay? You're all..." she gestured flippantly with one hand. "Wilted on your desk."
Mike flashed her a confident grin and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to get through all these files, you know?" His stomach rumbled loudly and he wondered if she'd heard it.
Rachel's eyebrows knitted themselves together and she looked down at the files. "How long have you been sitting here? Have you taken a break at all?"
Mike shook his head. "I'm fine, really." His stomach rumbled again in disagreement. "Nothing to worry about."
The paralegal looked unconvinced but didn't push the issue any further. Mike was a grown man and he could take care of himself. Still, that didn't stop her from saying, "Well, at least grab a sandwich or something. You look like hell," before she walked away from his desk and waved casually over her shoulder.
Mike smiled a bit and looked down at the papers again. He could eat when he finished this. He was fine, he could do this. With that thought in his mind, he pushed himself forward.
2) Louis
Where was it? Where was it? Mike flipped through the papers on his desk again, scanning the tops of each of them briefly before tossing it back into the pile with a huff. He'd just had it here a minute ago...it had been on the corner of his desk and now-
He rifled through the trashcan vaguely wondering if it had somehow fallen into the bin when he wasn't looking. Nothing but crumpled papers and gum wrappers met his search. He sighed in frustration and looked back at his desk. He was supposed to meet with the client in twenty minutes and if he didn't get that paper signed they wouldn't have a case!
He flipped the top of his messenger bag open and rummaged through the assorted papers and file folders inside. Maybe he'd put it in his bag already so it would be there when he got ready to leave?
"Something wrong, Mike?" Louis' voice was like an oil slick on cold water and he leaned against the walls of Mike's cubicle. He was gazing down at the younger man the way a wolf eyes a newborn lamb.
"Uh no...nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." Mike muttered, fumbling through a few more files in his bag. Where was it? Where was it? Where was it?
"Really? Because it seems to me like you're in the middle of a frantic search for something. Something important. Something a real lawyer wouldn't be stupid enough to lose."
Mike forced a confident smile onto his face before he looked up at Louis. "I can't find my cell phone," he lied casually, taking his hand out of his bag and straightening himself in his chair. "I think I left it at home but I was checking to see if it had fallen into my bag by accident."
"Your cell phone?" Louis asked, one eyebrow arching as he spoke. "Are you sure that's it? Nothing else that's distracting you from your job?"
Mike shook his head slowly. "Nope, everything is just fine. Absolutely perfect."
"Oh good." Louis straightened and adjusted his tie a bit before continuing. "Because I'd hate for something so small to ruin your case for you." A single sheet of paper slipped out of his jacket and laid itself across Mike's desk. "It would be terribly unprofessional if the case was dropped because someone forgot to pick up this little sheet of paper from the copy room."
Mike sighed and slumped in his chair, realizing he'd been caught in a lie. Louis sent him a smug smirk and walked away, leaving the younger man alone at his desk. With another heaving sigh, Mike shoved the paper into his bag and stood up, walking down the hall to elevators so he could go meet with his client.
3) Donna
Donna was used to runing a tight ship when Harvey was away. She knew how to keep the other associates in line and how to handle the office and the phone until he got back. She was the best in the business and that's why Harvey hired her. There had been over fifty applicants for the position of "receptionist to Harvey Specter" and Donna had walked over all of them.
She knew the ins and outs of this office better than anyone, knew appointment times better than most lawyers in this building, and could juggle irate clients, sorting the mail and filing her nails all at the same time. To put it bluntly, Donna was a badass in high heels.
Harvey was away for the morning and wouldn't be back until sometime later that afternoon which meant she was more or less in charge until he returned. Actually, Mike was more or less in charge (being Harvey's associate and all) but he would never usurp the duties Donna so rightfully held. Damn right. She would have to lay down a righteous verbal bitch slap if he ever did. Speaking of, the kid was supposed to have had a file ready for Harvey at least an hour ago.
Donna stood slowly, straightening her skirt and walking in the direction of Mike's desk. The kid wasn't known for slacking but he should have had that file done by now. She weaved her way in and out of the rows of desks and cubicles, finally arriving at the associate's desk. She frowned.
Mike had his head buried in the crook of one arm, his face hidden in the darkness of his sleeve. He wasn't asleep, not from the way his foot was tapping beneath the desk, but he wasn't working either. This was a problem.
"Mike," Donna said, making her voice loud enough to wake the younger man on the off chance that he was asleep. She seriously doubted it but-
"Shh Donna...inside voice..." the younger man mumbled from somewhere beneath his arm, not bothering to lift his head.
Donna's eyebrows lifted a bit at his response. She wasn't used to Mike talking back to her, he was usually nothing but polite. "Inside voice? What, are you drunk?"
Mike actually did sit up this time, his eyes bloodshot and half-lidded. "Sadly not...what can I do for you?" He put on a hollow smile and tried to look more awake than he felt.
Donna was torn between laughing and pitying him. "Oh my God..." She giggled, taking in his haggard appearance and ruffled hair. "Harvey made you go drink with a client last night, didn't he?"
"Shh...not so loud...and yes, I met up with a client last night to talk about his case. And we drank...a lot." Mike grimaced at the memory and looked like he was going to be sick for a second.
Donna took a step back. "Okay, seriously, if you throw up on your desk I'm going to make you clean it up with your own jacket."
Mike shook his head weakly. "No, I'm okay...I took care of all the vomitting this morning."
"Gross."
The younger man had the decency to look embarassed before he continued. "I have the files done that Harvey needed...there right here on my desk." He handed her a stack of file folders.
Donna took the files without a word and hesitated for just a second before she walked away from his desk, disappearing down the hall. She returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and two tiny white pills that she shoved into Mike's hand without preamble. "Take these and finish the water. It'll take care of the hangover."
Mike looked like he wanted to puke and hug her at the same time so Donna took that as her cue and walked away from his desk again before he could do either.
4) Jenny
"-ike..."
He was staring at the coffee cup, watching the inky black drink swirl around the edges of his spoon. It was like looking at a lake in the middle of a moonless night. It was almost hypnotic to watch...
"Mike..."
He wasn't really sure why he found it so fascinating. He rotated the spoon slowly, creating just enough of a ripple to disturb the surface of the coffee. Tiny shock waves of movement wiggled their way to the sides of the cup, lapping at the ceramic like an onyx tide.
"Mike!"
He blinked suddenly, jerked back to reality by the familiar voice. Jenny's head was tilted to the side slightly, a bemused expression on her face.
"Oh...sorry...um, what were we talking about?" Mike asked, blushing a bit when he realized he'd completely zoned out for the second time that afternoon.
Jenny smiled and shook her head. "Uh...nothing really. I asked how your job was going and you kinda faded out on me."
Mike blushed again and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, my mind is just kind of everywhere at once, you know? We have a big case coming up and I've been trying to gather all this information and-"
"Mike, are you okay?"
He stopped talking so suddenly that Jenny looked surprised. "Huh?"
"I asked if you were okay. You just seem really out of it right now..."
Mike smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm fine, Jen. Just got a lot on my mind." That was an understatement; he'd been swamped with work for nearly two weeks now and there was no end in sight. Their case was still a week away and there was still so much to do between now and then. He hadn't slept in almost a day and a half and he was more than likely going to pull another all-nighter tonight as well. He'd agreed to meet with Jenny in the hopes that she could take his mind off of work for a few hours before he started back in on it.
"Are you sure? You look exhausted..."
Mike shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine, I promise." He took a long, deep drink from his coffee cup, nearly finishing it in one swallow. He set the cup back down on the table and leaned forward, willing himself to wake up a bit more and listen to her. "So how's your job treating you?"
5) Melissa Price
The young woman sat across from him quietly, absently twisting the hem of her skirt as he reviewed her case. He was young, barely older than she was, and he looked out of place in this kind of business. She wasn't sure what she could picture him doing instead but for some reason this profession just didn't seem to fit his personality.
Mike had been nothing but helpful to her throughout this entire process; he asked about her injuries and listened carefully as she explained what had happened. He wasn't like the other lawyers she'd dealt with since the accident; they'd swarmed her like sharks and ripped apart everything she told them. Mike was different though, he actually seemed to care about more than the paycheck and genuinely wanted to help her. She had been assured that he was the best one for the job and that she and her case would be handled with care and respect.
Mike flipped through her file again, checking the new notes that had been added by her insurance agent since the accident. One of her tires had blown out in the middle of the interstate and she had veered into oncoming traffic. Her car had flipped twice and had caused serious damage to the brand new car of a prominent government official. The man actually had the gall to sue her for the damages caused and demanded that she pay for the repairs to his car even though the wreck had been an accident. Melissa was a school teacher; she barely had the money to pay for car insurance every month let alone pay for the repairs for both her car and his on top of the medical bills she was suddenly piled with. Mike had volunteered to take the case pro bono without ever being asked.
He looked at the picture of the wreckage, taking in the full magnitude of the damage. The roof was crushed, the windshield shattered to the inside. One door had been ripped off completely by the paramedics when they cut Melissa from the car and one whole side of the car looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. It was amazing she had survived at all.
Mike swallowed thickly, fighting back the surge of emotions that welled to the surface as he looked at the pictures again. It looked so much like the wreck that had killed his parents. The memories were hard to ignore when there was such a glaring reminder right there in his hands. He could still smell the blood, the gasoline that was leaking from the ruined tank, the wail of the sirens as the ambulances finally arrived just minutes too late to do any good...
"Mr. Ross?"
Mike looked at her, his eyes taking in the dark black eyes that marred her pretty face. There was a cut on her cheek that would inevitably turn into a scar, the stitches ugly and vivid against her fair skin. One arm was in a sling, her collarbone and humerus fractured during the crash. She looked at him with concern written across her bruised features. "Are you alright? You got so pale all of a sudden I was worried that-"
Mike shook his head and flipped the file closed, smiling at her warmly. "I'm fine...sorry, I was just looking at the details of your accident. I'm just...amazed that your injuries weren't more severe. Most people don't walk away from accidents like this..."
She smiled weakly at him and laughed humorlessly. "Well, I didn't necessarily "walk away" per say," she joked softly. "I was more "back-boarded away" than anything."
Mike swallowed again. The back of his mouth tasted like copper wire and battery acid.
Melissa shrugged her good shoulder before continuing. "Someone was looking out for me, I guess."
Mike smiled again and nodded. "I'm sure someone was." She beamed at him behind the bruises and Mike vowed to himself right then and there that he was going to win this case for her.
6) Harvey (+1)
It happened just after noon on Wednesday, October 19th. Mike stood, slowly and camly, slipped his bag over one shoulder, and walked out of the building. He didn't tell anyone where he was going nor did he stay to finish the paperwork that was on his desk. One of the files was only half-read, the highlighter still sitting on top of it with the cap off. Harvey needed that file done and on his desk within the hour. Mike walked away.
After said hour had passed, Harvey looked up from his desk, suddenly realizing that he was missing something. He'd been expecting Mike to deliver a file for him partially because he needed it but also because he needed to speak with him about the case. He waited for about fifteen more minutes before he picked up his phone and called Donna.
When she picked up the phone, he cut in before she ever said hello. "Donna, I need you to call Mike and get him to come to my office. Immediately."
There was a soft sigh on the other end of the line. "I can't Harvey.
Harvey frowned. Since when? It wasn't a huge undertaking and he certainly hadn't been rude to her in any way that would make her shut him down like that. Still, he sighed and tried again. "Donna, could you please call Mike and get him to-"
"I can't Harvey," she cut him off again, her words emphasizing on the word 'can't'. "He's not here." There was a strange quality to her voice then, a sort of sad resignation, and Harvey's eyebrows furrowed together.
"What do you mean he's not here? Did I tell him he could leave early? Because I specifically recall telling him that I needed both him and that file in my office by 1:30, no excuses." There was a soft click on the other end of the line and Harvey realized with a start that Donna had just hung up on him.
Not five seconds later, the door to his office swung open and she was standing there. There weren't tears in her eyes but there was a stricken expression on her face that immediately told him something was wrong. "Harvey..." she started, her hand dropping from the doorknob and falling to her side uselessly. "Mike's grandmother just passed away."
Harvey felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach. There was an absolute silence that fell across the room for a few seconds before he found the ability to speak again. "When?" He asked, his voice coming out strange and harsh in his ears.
Donna shrugged just a tiny bit and looked at an obscure point on the wall. "He got a call from the nursing home about thirty minutes ago and just left. I called them back to see what had happened and they told me she passed away earlier this morning."
Had it been any other time, Harvey might have chuckled at Donna's insatiable curiosity. She was the best secretary he'd ever had and she made it a point to know everything about everyone who worked close to Harvey. She'd once told him you never knew when certain bits of information would come in handy and she stuck to that philosophy like glue. Once again, any other day Harvey would have smiled. Today he just felt sick.
He stood, sliding the papers he'd been working on into his desk drawer and closing it abruptly. "Tell Mr. Williams I'll have to meet with him tomorrow," he said and Donna nodded quickly, disappearing out of his office and going back to her desk. Harvey walked out into the hall, just barely paying attention as Donna called his afternoon client and re-scheduled the meeting. He took out his phone and called Ray, already stepping into the elevator.
OOOOO
The nursing home sat in the middle of a downtown retirement community. There was a shiny brass fence sitting on either side of the driveway and the name "Shady Grove Retirement Home" was painted in light blue letters across the sign in the front lawn. Harvey had only been here once and it had been to drop Mike off to visit his grandmother. He felt the same dead weight settle in his stomach that he'd felt back in the office when he thought back on that day.
Ray gave him a sad smile as he got out of the car and closed the door. His driver had told him to give Mike his condolences but Harvey was still trying to figure out he was going to do it. He walked up to the front door, heart heavy, and stepped inside. The nurse behind the front desk smiled softly, knowingly, when he said Mike's name and gave him the room number. Harvey thanked her quietly and walked down the hall, taking a slow, steady breath as he approached the door.
Mike was inside, staring blankly at the empty bed. The bed had been stripped of the sheets and blankets and it was as if no one had ever been here. Harvey felt an irrational flare of anger at that. The woman had just died and they'd cleaned the room as quickly as they could to make room for someone else. He knew it was policy and that it was in no way meant to seem callous and uncaring but still, it angered him for reasons he wasn't really sure of.
There was a cardboard box sitting on the edge of the bed filled with pictures and figurines that had belonged to Mike's grandmother. It was pitifully small and only half-full. A tattered quilt was folded neatly next to it, the corners neat and precise and Harvey had no doubt one of the nurses had been to the one to fold it.
He stepped a bit closer to the bed, his eyes still trained on Mike. The younger man hadn't moved, hadn't even registered someone else had entered the room...he just stared. For a brief second, Harvey was afraid he's gone into shock and was tempted to rush across the room and shake him silly just to get some kind of reaction out of him.
Finally, Mike looked up at him and Harvey felt his breath catch in his throat. There were tears in the younger man's eyes, not falling but just hovering on the ragged edge of trickling down his face. He smiled brokenly, the expression grim and miserable. "She's gone..."
Harvey was across the room then, before his brain ever caught up with the fact that he'd moved, and gathered Mike in his arms. He didn't do hugs or high fives or any of the other touchy-feely things that Mike did. Hell, he was about as comforting as a dead ostrich. He grabbed Mike and held him tightly because it was the only thing he could think to do.
Mike crumbled, his knees buckling a bit as harsh, ragged sobs wracked his body. Harvey held him close. One hand rubbed small, nonsensical patterns across his back and the other carded through the younger man's hair, fingers slipping easily through the cornsilk soft strands. It was an intimate gesture, one Harvey didn't even use on the women he'd slept with, but he didn't care. Mike was gripping him like a lifeline, like the older man was the only thing keeping him drowning in the sea of despair. Harvey tightened his grip and tucked Mike's head beneath his chin.
He wanted to say something to comfort him, anything that would help to ease the pain. Words felt hollow and useless right now, unwarrented and intrusive. Tears were soaking his neck and shoulder and he suddenly found that he couldn't speak even if he wanted to. He knew better than to ask if he was okay...Mike wouldn't be okay for a long time.
They stayed that way, locked in a fierce embrace, for a long time. Harvey felt his feet begin to go numb from locking his knees. He held on. They stayed that way until Mike's sobs finally subsided into nothing more than hiccuped gasps, his hands twisted into the back of Harvey's suit tight enough to cause bruises. They stayed that way until the tears dried and Mike couldn't find the energy to cry anymore. They stayed that way until Mike was so drained and bereft that he could barely stand on his own two feet. Harvey held him close and refused to let go.
Ngggghhhhh! X) Bromance! Okay, so I know the hug at the end may seem a bit OOC for Harvey but I figured it would have happened whether he initiated it or not. No matter what kind of comfort he tried to offer Mike, there would be a hug in there somewhere O.o Hope you all liked it! :D