"You're late. Again" Harvey stated as Mike nearly ran into him. The younger man was hoping he could get to his desk before his boss could notice he was late. To his dismay, Harvey was waiting at his desk, and he didn't look too pleased. His arms were crossed, wrinkling the material of his expensive suit. He steadied his apprentice with a stern glare and waited for an explanation. Mike froze, caught off guard. It was the second time in as many days he had been late. Harvey would be pissed if he told him he slept in, again.
"I, uh, had to see my Grandmother. She isn't feeling well" The words tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to realize what he was saying, "I was with her all night, they thought maybe she had pneumonia, but it's just a cold, she's okay now" Mike swallowed hard when he finished rambling. It certainly wasn't his best lie.
"That's what you're going with?" Harvey asked. Mike tried to hear the humor in his voice, but Harvey mostly sounded annoyed.
Mike glanced nervously around at his co-workers who were busy trying not to look like they were listening in. He should have just told Harvey the truth, he could read him like a book anyway.
"That's what happened" Mike said as he tried to look Harvey in the eyes.
"Come with me" Harvey growled as he brushed past Mike. The younger man blushed with embarrassment and hurried behind his boss. He hesitated as Harvey went straight past his office. He tried not to panic and wonder if Harvey was about to fire him.
The pair went down the hall and back to the elevators. Mike was growing more and more uneasy while they waited for the doors to open. Harvey was clearly angry, but he wasn't saying anything. Mike kept waiting for the inevitable lecture, but the older man stayed silent.
Mike almost jumped when he felt a tight grip on his arm. Harvey pulled him into the elevator. He kept his grip on the young man until the elevator stopped two floors down. Mike knew that the floor was vacant, which only added to his panic.
"Harvey?" Mike questioned as he was marched down the hall, "Where are we going?"
Harvey pushed his charge into the bathroom at the end of the hall and locked the door behind them.
"What are you doing?" Mike asked defensively.
"We need to have a little talk" Harvey pulled Mike's messenger bag off his shoulder pushed the younger man over the counter.
"What the hell?" Mike tried to stand back up but Harvey kept him pinned with his chest against the cold tile.
"Relax" Harvey commanded. Mike didn't know why, instinct would have told him to fight back, but he stopped resisting and tried to pull in a deep breath.
"If I were to call your grandmother, she would tell me you were with her last night, correct?" Harvey asked.
"No" Mike said shakily. His heart was beating faster than it was on his bike ride to work. He didn't know what Harvey's angle was, but it was starting to really freak him out.
"No? So you lied to me?" Harvey chided.
"I didn't think you cared about my grandmother" Mike tried to sound defiant. Harvey released him but when Mike went to stand, Harvey pushed him back down.
"Stay" Harvey commanded.
"Why? What are you doing?" Mike asked as he tried to look over his shoulder. He didn't know why the hell he didn't bolt for the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Harvey pulling his expensive belt out of the loops of his pants.
Before the smaller man could react, Harvey's hand was pressed firmly against his back and a loud snapping nose filled the room.
Mike felt a sharp pain radiated through his backside and a fraction of a second later, he was filled with outrage.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" He yelled as he tried to escape. He waned to take a swing at the other man. He had no right.
"I'm spanking you" Harvey said plainly as he kept Mike in place. He brought the belt down again, causing the not-quite lawyer's body to jerk.
"You can't to this!" Mike yelled. At that point, he didn't care if Harvey fired him. He would be lucky if Mike didn't have him arrested.
"Alright, then. You're fired" Harvey said. When Harvey released him, Mike spun up and off the counter, looking at his boss incredulously.
"What? You can't assault me then fire me!" Mike swallowed hard again. He really didn't know what the hell was going on. Harvey held his gaze for a moment.
"Can you honestly tell me you don't need this?" Harvey asked, the doubled up belt hanging at his side.
Mike felt anxiety pulsate though him. He knew Harvey wasn't just talking about his job. Though neither man would say it out loud, they had a connection that was something more that boss and employee. Mike needed someone to keep him in line, and they both knew it.
Mike wanted to yell 'screw you' or storm out or punch Harvey, but he stayed silent. He did need Harvey. He needed the job, he needed his guidance, he needed his approval. He didn't, however, like the fact that clearly Harvey though spanking him like a naughty little boy or a bad puppy was a suitable punishment for being late.
"You keep lying to me, Mike. You disobey me. I can't keep you here if I can't trust you" Harvey said. He studied the younger man. He was breathing fast and his eyes were wide, pleading for something.
Harvey was good at reading people. He banked his career on it. He knew Mike had been left to take care of himself for too long and as brilliant as the kid was, he wasn't good at it. He needed Harvey to keep him in line, to show him the way. Contrary to what his reputation would tell you about him, Harvey had a soft spot for Mike. He wanted to help him become a brilliant lawyer because he felt like Mike deserved it, but he needed consequences for his actions or he was never going to be successful. Spanking the young man may have not been conventional by any means, but their whole situation was unconventional.
"Turn around" Harvey said.
"Do you have to do this?" Mike pleaded. At that point, he knew he would do anything Harvey told him to. Harvey was in charge, and Mike was reluctantly okay with it.
"Yelling at you hasn't worked. Given your Harvard situation, I can't exactly let Louis deal with you and I'm not about to fire you. Do you have another option for me?" Harvey asked.
Mike could think of about a hundred different options, but he couldn't lie to his boss again. He knew that it was probably the only thing that would really make him think twice about the decisions he made.
"No" Mike almost whispered. He let Harvey gently turn him back around. He bent over the counter and nearly jumped when he felt the older lawyer's hand on his lower back again.
"Ten more, Mike" He said sternly. He brought the belt down quickly and Mike stomped his foot down hard.
The next two blows Harvey landed on the back of the young man's thighs and Mike tried to stand again, shocked at the intensity of the pain.
"Easy" Harvey said as he kept him in place. Mike's whole body kept jerking each time the belt landed on his backside and by the eighth smack, he was fighting back tears.
"Harvey, please, I'm sorry" He managed to choke out. The shakiness of his voice and the tears in his eyes only embarrassed him more and he couldn't help the small sob that escaped his lungs.
"Two more" Harvey stated. He didn't like seeing Mike so broken up, but the kid had to learn.
The last two smacks didn't have much strength behind them, but Mike went limp over the counter. The emotional confusion and emotional and physical pain proved too much.
Harvey kept his hand firmly on the younger man's back, keeping him from sliding onto the floor.
"Alright, buddy, you're okay" Harvey tried to soothe, but he wasn't very good at the comforting thing.
Mike's mind was whirling, but Harvey's warm hand was a reassuring presence. He was trying to process what had just happened, but he knew at that point was that he wouldn't be disobeying Harvey anytime soon, and he knew Harvey wouldn't let him fall through the cracks.
A few minutes passed with Mike crying softly into his hands and Harvey patting his back lightly.
Harvey helped Mike stand and turned him around. Mike quickly tried to look anywhere but at his boss, but Harvey lifted his chin, forcing eye contact.
"Don't lie to me. Ever again" He said softly, but sternly. Mike's lip trembled as he shook his head in agreement.
Harvey patted his cheek before handing him a paper towel.
"Be upstairs in ten minutes. I need you to do some research for me" Harvey said. He unlocked the bathroom door and let it close gently behind him.