Also posted on AO3
A/N: I was trying to write just a prompt to remind myself of for later if I wanted to write it out and this is what happened.
Disclaimer: I don't own Suits. If I did, there would be no such thing as a season finale.
Mike has a secret. He joined the military after he got kicked out of college. He was part of a black ops team and was the intelligence. The sniper. The flyer. The stealth force. He wasn't leader, but he held the team together like glue.
After a successful, but very messy mission, the band was broken up and put on deep reserve. Mike let that chapter of his life go and got back with his childhood friend and lover, Trevor. His life got out of hand. He moved farther down that reservist list.
But now, he was two years into Pearson Hardman. Two years into clean. Two years into trying to win Harvey Specter's attention and he was staring down at an official seal on the large white envelope on his desk. Suddenly, Mike wasn't two years into anything anymore.
He took the letter to Jessica first and she fired him with the promise to take care of his grandmother's care. He was very grateful after what his lie could have done to the firm if anyone found out. She gave him a little bit of time to finish work that he needed to get done and say his goodbyes.
He took the letter to Harvey the notice of termination from Jessica. Harvey was confused. Then furious. Jessica couldn't just fire him like that. Couldn't just leave Harvey puppyless. But Mike told him that he was okay with it. Told Harvey that he was sorry. Suddenly, Harvey was very scared. He was losing his puppy. He was losing his everything.
He got really cold when Mike then left the room to go explain to Louis who had stopped him in the middle of the bullpen to demand explanation.
Everyone was shocked to hear. Surprisingly, Kyle stood up and thanked him to whatever service he provided to the country. His brother had been a Marine until he lost his legs. The associate saluted him and Mike wasn't a lawyer anymore. He was Staff Sergeant Michael James Ross of the Navy, joined Black Ops, and he was about to go back into the battle field.
He stood straighter, faced Kyle, and saluted him back. His eyes were suddenly hard and his body was tense. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some people swoon at the prospect of a military man in the room. Even Louis did too. He went to his cubicle and grabbed files that Louis and Harvey both needed when he saw numbers start to flash in the junior partners eyes. He was trying to do the math. Mike stopped him.
He went to find Rachel and tell her the news too, but she was out, so he just took his lunch break to go see his grandmother.
She cried. He held her. The staff gave him hugs.
[SUITS]
Harvey flooded Mike with work the first few days of his last.
He was doing his best to avoid his associate who was now sporting a buzz cut.
Mike said he just wanted to get used to wearing it again.
Eventually, he ran out of work because Mike was doing it like a high powered machine. He couldn't help but be impressed with the rest of the emotions he tried to tell himself he wasn't feeling.
Donna kept giving him looks, telling him that he was running out of time. He would get hostile then, in deep denial. He still had time...
Three days. His stomach did flip flops and his heart hurt. For the first time since his father died, Harvey really felt like he was going to cry.
[SUITS]
Rachel did cry. After Mike had told her. She had straight up burst into tears and sobbed into his jacket. He'd tried to comfort her, but he wasn't really strong at it. Not since military Mike had cone back.
He held her for a minute before making her sit with a box of Kleenex. After that, he left her office.
Most of the associates stayed away from him. Some asked what he did. He always gave them the 'it's confidential' speech. Kyle kept touching him oddly and Mike didn't like it very much. Shoulder pats turned into squeezes, then rubs, then hugs. He put an end to it when Kyle made the mistake of doing it while Mike was caught off guard with a very volatile Louis and Mike had almost broke the man's arm. He felt bad, but wasn't sorry.
It was the morning before the day he flew out and Harvey had called him into his office.
"So, what's going to happen?" His boss looked very strung out, sad even.
"I fly to D.C., hop a train to Quantico where I'll train with my old CO for a few days. Then I'll fly a jet to a naval aircraft carrier and get my mission from there on out with the rest of my old squad. There's no telling how long I'll be gone. It was better for Jessica to fire me."
Mike paced over to the view in Harvey's office. The older lawyer watched him for a minute before getting up and handing him some folders.
"A few last briefs for a dead man?"
Mike chuckled. "Who, me or you? I don't think you'll be able to function without me." He took the files and promised Harvey they would be prefect.
[SUITS]
Harvey had never seen anything so hot, but saddening before.
Mike had come to visit them one last time before going to catch his flight. Harvey had been in absolute turmoil the whole night, thinking he had missed it. He had fucked around and missed his last chance. Donna had calmed him when she saw him and told him that Mike had promised not to leave without saying goodbye.
And he didn't. He was looking particularly good in his pressed fatigues and medals. His cover was removed and tucked under his arm. He looked built and Harvey doesn't think he's ever quite noticed that before.
Donna and Harvey are about to approach him, but every time they start to speak, someone walks up and hugs Mike or offers him their virginity. Not really, but Harvey was getting frustrated.
Jessica was the last person to interrupt and wish Mike a safe return.
After that, Harvey dragged the soldier into his office and Mike moves to lean against Harvey's desk. Donna peppered him with kisses and suffocated him with hugs until Harvey kicked her out.
The two men have a very long staring contest before Mike stands up straight. It's time for him to leave.
Harvey lunges forward and his hands go to either side of Mike's face, wishing told hold him their forever as he gives him a burning kiss. The younger man is very responsive.
Harvey pulls back for air after a minute and rests his forehead against Mike's
"Just come back. For God's sake come back to me safe." Harvey is crying. Actually letting salty tears run down his cheeks.
Mike just reaches up to wipe them away before giving him one last kiss and leaving Harvey alone.
The text he reads an hour later from Mike does nothing to stop the rivers from falling from vis eyes.
"Took you long enough. I love you too, Harvey. -Mike"
[SUITS]
Mike likes writing. He writes a lot of letters to Harvey. Some he even sends in for future delivery in case he can't actually get any time. He just talks about everything and Harvey takes it all in stride as the letters he sends back are just as full of crap. He smiles when he gets them. Donna and Rachel write to him too. There are, surprisingly, some from Louis and cards from the associates.
His squad irritates him and tells him it's all cute. Officer Robert Shepp gets him to tell him more about Donna.
The last letter Mike writes to Harvey, there are some that he has sent in for future delivery. He explained how he was going on a long mission then would be back home for a week to give the squad time to regroup. He sends the letter, a little giddy.
This mission is dangerous, but what follows has him eager to get it done.
When Mike takes his last breath, he is strangely not thinking of the bomb in the middle of the tiny shop in Iraq. He's thinking of Harvey, and how he was going to feel when Mike got back home and asked him to marry him.
His squad was joking around an helping him pick out a ring when he saw it. He swore things went slow motion from there.
He smiled at his buddies who teased him about popping the question. He just kept smiling and browsed the jewelry. It was all surprisingly beautiful.
He blinked as he looked over towards the counter where the clerk was watching them an pulling out a box. Alarm bells went off and he looked into the clerk's eyes. All he saw was hatred in them. His heart thudded.
"BOMB!"
He yelled and they all ran to take cover, by it was too late. Fire hit him in the back and just before he blacked out, his thought of those words Harvey had said.
"Just come back. For God's sake come back to me safe."
I'm sorry, he thought.
[SUITS]
Harvey was smiling. He'd just gotten another letter from Mike saying he would be home soon and how much he loved Harvey. He got up to show it to Donna, but stopped short when the redhead walked into the room looking very pale and followed by two men in uniform.
"Mr. Specter?" They removed their hats and stepped in closer. Harvey nodded slow and looked between them then to Donna. "This is about Michael Ross, Sir. Would you like to have a seat?"
"No. What's going on?" He moved closer to his secretary.
"We're sorry to inform you of this, but there was a bomb in a small shop in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Michael James Ross and the rest of his squad is currently MIA, presumed KIA. There will be a military funeral held-"
"What in the hell are you talking about?!" Harvey was suddenly in denial. "No! Mike is on a mission and will be back home soon to spend time with us... He's... I..." Harvey couldn't breathe. His pushed one of them men when they tried to offer comfort.
Donna had fallen back on the couch, sobbing. Harvey stumbled back himself.
"NO! You're fucking liars! Get out. Get out of my office!" There was a crowd and Louis and Jessica pushed their ways in. Jessica addressed the men and Louis practically held Harvey up when the man's legs gave out on him and he was close to sobbing like Donna. Rachel came in to comfort the Secretary and ended up in a crying fit too when she found out what was going on.
Harvey sat on the floor, barely breathing as sobs wracked his body. Louis held onto him and shielded his body from the confused crowd.
Jessica was at a loss on what to do. She'd never seen Harvey like this. She never thought he could be like this.
When Mike's grandmother was told the news, she died of a heart attack a hour later. When Jessica fielded that call, she was not happy to inform Harvey and Donna at all.
A storm cloud had just passed over Pearson Hardman.
[SUITS]
When Mike woke up, he thinks he could acclaim to being the most confused person ever.
Bright surgical lights were overhead, the American flag hung on one side of the small room and a strange man in a white coat was standing over top him with a chart in his hands.
He hurt all over.
"My squad?" His voice was just a little croak. The man glanced up.
"Oh, Mr. Ross. Wonderful to see you awake. What did you say?" The man leaned closer.
"My squad? Where?" He was very weak.
"Your squad? Oh. They did not survive. Only you and Mr. Shepp are alive."
"Where am I? Who are you?" Mike tried to sit up, but the man pushed him back down, smiling.
"You're at a military medical science lab in Washington. You can learn who I am later. All you need to know now is that you're family thinks you're dead and you pretty much were. The military and the government have given me legal rights over your corpse to do with as I please. You were dead for a few days. I may have made some alterations to your, well, everything. Free reign let's me do that. Now, don't look at me like that, Mr. Ross. You'll be thanking me later." His grin got bigger. "I've brought you back to life. And I've made you flawless in everything... Well, you may need a little but of tweaking."
Mike looked at the man in bewilderment. "You're crazy." He croaked.
The man just kept smiling and pulled out a needle, putting it in a IV line. "Yes, I am. Now just go back into a coma, Mr. Ross. We'll talk later."
Mike started to panic as darkness seeped into his vision.
What was happening?
A/N: May be sequel/second chapter. I'm not sure yet.