Disclaimer: Don't own.

Author's note: AU from when Mike gives Trevor the bus ticket. Wherein Trevor doesn't come back but stays in Montana. This is the evolution of their friendship. Because even Trevor deserves redemption. Enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated! You should really listen to the song below, while reading this. It's what inspired this one shot. Such a good song! So, the Jenny thing didn't happen, just an FYI.


everything is going to be okay

Today is, today is

Today is quiet in my town

Today is, today is

Today is quiet in my town

Today two boys disappeared without noise

And I wish that I was them flying somewhere overhead

Civil Twilight- Quiet in my town tonight


"Everything's going to be okay." Trevor tries to soothe him but the hitch in his voice alerts Mike that everything is not going to be okay.

"It hurts." Mike groans, clutching his stomach. His body feels like it's been run over by a truck.

"It's okay, Mikey. I've got you."

"I tried fighting back." Mike tells him and God, Mike just wants Trevor to know that he did try to fight back. He wants him to know that he's not as weak as everyone makes him out to be.

"You did good Mikey. I'm proud. But I'm going to fucking kill them."

Mike Ross is sixteen when he gets the shit beaten out of him. He's sixteen when he has to stay in the hospital for three days.

Trevor never leaves his side.

Sometimes, when everything gets to be too much and the room feels like it's closing in on him, Mike lets the memories wash over him. He thinks back to when he and Trevor were seven, ten, thirteen, sixteen, twenty; he thinks back to all the years that came and went with Trevor as his one and only constant. As the only person anchoring him down to the world.

Yeah, they fucked up. Yeah, Trevor fucked up, but it's all relative because when Trevor fucks up, so does Mike.

Sometimes, when he's working late, going over papers upon papers, he'll think back to late nights filled with pizza and beer. He'll think back to movies that defined their childhood, but most of all, he'll think about Trevor. His best friend, his partner-in-crime, his brother Trevor.

Harvey gave him his life back. And he'll forever be grateful but Trevor is his life and he doesn't know how to function without having him around.


When Mike gives Trevor the bus ticket to Montana, he figures Trevor to be back within the month. Except, the month comes and goes and he doesn't come back. Two months come and go and he doesn't come back. Mike is on third third month, when Trevor finally calls.

"Hello?" Mike answers his voice without looking actually looking at it. He's working late on a case for Harvey and he's exhausted.

"Dude, three months and all I get is a hello?" Trevor's voice is light is happy.

Mike bolts upright in his seat, ignoring the looks of the janitor. "Where are you?"

"Bozeman." Trevor replies and then he laughs. "Mikey, seriously dude, have you ever imagined me in Bozeman, let alone actually liking it? It's pretty great."

"Are you coming back?" Mike asks him. He keeps the anticipation out his voice. He wants Trevor to come back. He wants his brother back. He wants to go back to pizza and beer. He wants to reminisce about their childhood. He wants someone who actually knows him. He's getting sick of pretending to be Mike Ross from Harvard, he just wants to be Mike Ross.

There's silence on the other line. "Probably not." Trevor tells him quietly. "Come on, man. I almost got you and your boss killed. I'm kind of a fuck-up."

So? Mike wants to argue. He knew that from day one. "I never really realized how boring life is without you around." It's true. His life is quiet. Almost too quiet and it scares Mike.

Trevor laughs loudly. "It's because I'm awesome." There's a pause. "Seriously though, this is good for us. I mean it sucks because you're like my brother but families are scattered all over the world. We'll get through this."

"So, this isn't goodbye?" Mike asks. He doesn't even bother keeping the relief from his voice.

"Pssh, dude, you're stuck with me."


He knows how this goes. He's seen it so many times in movies and television shows, that he doesn't even bother thinking otherwise. It's rare for freshmen to get onto the football team, but Trevor has a way of making anything and everything happen. He tells Mike a week before they enter high school that he made the football team. And Mike smiles and nods, tells him congratulations and gets high with him for what Mike supposes is the last time he'll see his best friend.

He doesn't see Trevor all day on their first day of high school and this doesn't surprise him. Mike is in all AP classes and well, Trevor isn't.

He grips his paper lunch bag as he walks into the large cafeteria. There's boisterous laughter to his left and when he turns he sees the football team, smiles wide and loud voices. He's sees Trevor in the middle of them; he looks like he belongs. He looks completely at ease with them that Mike turns around to walk away.

He expects this, but he doesn't realize how much it would actually hurt.

"MIKE!"

Mike whirls around and sees Trevor standing up and waving him over. Mike walks over slowly, feet shuffling as he stands in front of the table. Most of the players ignore him and others look at him with their heads cocked and look of distaste on their faces. "Hi Trevor."

Trevor smiles widely and gestures to the seat next to him. "Come eat lunch with us."

Trevor doesn't take no for an answer and so Mike sits next to him. Trevor beams and looks at his teammates. "Meet Mike. He's my brother."

Mike expected a lot of things upon entering high school. He should have known to expect this.


"You look like someone kicked your puppy." Donna tells him one day. The redhead stops to stare at him. "What's with you?"

"Nothing." Mike answers instantly. Well, Jesus, he's lonely and he's pathetic.

"Liar."

"Who's lying?" Harvey asks walking up to the two of them. He stares at Mike. "Don't you have work to do for me?"

"On it!" Mike says and walks away quickly. He'd usually stay a little while longer, annoy Harvey a little more, but he's just so fucking tired.

And did he mention he's lonely?


It's like clockwork. Ever since that first phone call, Trevor calls every night at eight o'clock. It doesn't matter if Mike is in the middle of doing something, he always answers. Always.

"I'm exhausted." Mike tells Trevor without saying hello.

"I've got a date." Trevor blurts at the same time.

"No way! What's her name? What's she look like? Where'd you meet her?"

Trevor laughs. "Her name is Annie. She's got red hair, green eyes, stereotypical Irish. She's a student at the university. She's wicked smart. I think she could give you a run for your money Mike. She's studying physics and I spilled coffee on her."

"Wait, are you telling me that you spilled coffee on her and then asked her out?" God, Trevor would do that wouldn't he?

"No. I spilled coffee on her and then I offered to wash it if she took it off." He can almost imagine the shit-eating grin on Trevor's face as he says it.

"Don't tell me she fell for it."

"Actually, she dumped her iced something on my head. But dude, love at first sight-or spill, I'm not sure what we're telling our kids."

Mike laughs aloud and spins around in his chair. "Already planning the kids? Get through the first date Trev."

"I just know." He's silent for a moment. "I wish you were here to meet her. You'd like her."

Mike's sure he would and the fact that he's missing out on this hurts. "Me too. But, you'll send me pictures, yeah?"

"God. We're like chicks."

"But we're like tots hot." Mike says as he adopts a high shrill voice.

They both bust out laughing and they talk over each other. Mike doesn't really know what's being discussed but he finds that it doesn't matter.


"Where is this coming from?" It's senior year and Trevor actually looks confused at what Mike is saying.

"What do you mean, where is this coming from? People drift apart Trevor. It just happens. You've got your friends and I've got…well, I've got me."

Trevor's face hardens. "Has anyone been giving you shit? Has anyone said anything to you? Tell me their name."

Who hasn't said something? Mike isn't stupid; he knows what people think when they see Trevor and then Mike walking next to him. "No one said anything."

"You know, for a genius, you really suck at lying. I'm calling bullshit. You're my best friend."

"We have nothing in common!" He's trying to end a friendship that he's had since they were seven. Mike figures it'll be easier for them both in the long run.

Trevor shrugs. "That's the thing Mike. We're family. We don't have to have things in common. We just have to support each other. We support each other."

They do. Mike has been to every single one of Trevor's games and Trevor has been to every single competition that Mike has with the Mathletes.

"Dude." Trevor says, and is it Mike's imagination but is there a little pleading in there? "We're brothers and brothers don't walk away from each other. They just don't. We drag each other down, we insult and bicker and we fight but we always get back up together. Always." He stretches out his hand and balls his fist. "Brothers."

Mike stares at it with blurry eyes (no, he's not going to cry) and punches it lightly with his own fist. "Brothers."


Mike doesn't plan on letting Harvey know that he still talks with Trevor every day. It happens by accident. He leaves his phone in Harvey's office, as they're working late on another case, when he goes to the bathroom.

When he comes back, he can feel a shift in the air. A tension that wasn't there before now is. He stares at Harvey and the frowns. "Everything okay?"

Harvey looks up and studies him. He smiles tightly and Mike knows its forced. "Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

Mike takes his word for it.


Trevor hasn't called him for a couple of days and Mike is worried. So, Mike calls him.

"Am I an awful friend?" Trevor asks before Mike even says hello.

"What?"

"I called you on Monday and you're boss ripped me a new one. I mean, I know I'm an asshole but hearing it from your boss kind of makes me seems like a douche bag."

Mike is torn between hanging up and ripping Harvey a new one and assuring Trevor that no, he isn't an awful friend. The latter wins. "Dude, don't listen to Harvey."

"I kind of have to. He made some good points. Jesus, Mike. You could have been anything and I dragged you down to nothing."

"Trevor."

"I should have let you cut me loose a long time ago. Would have saved us the trouble, huh?"

"No." Mike insists. God, there's a ball in the back of his throat and his eyes start to burn. This cannot be happening. They've been through too much to even let this happen. "Trevor, it's all good. Everything's okay. Everything turned out okay."

"And what if it didn't? I'm not smart Mike. I'm barely average. I'm in Bozeman, Montana, because I fucked everything up in New York City. You're better off without me, Mikey. You deserve a best friend like your boss. It's been a blast, Mikey." There's a slight pause, "for what's it worth…I'm sorry."

He hangs up and Mike falls onto his couch, suddenly aware of how lonely he actually is.


Mike is shaking by the time he gets to Harvey's office. Donna takes one look at him and nearly tumbles off her chair to follow him.

"You had no right." Mike seethes.

"Of course I did." Harvey replies, glancing up. "Trevor isn't worth it."

"Where do you get off deciding that? He's Trevor." He says the name as if that should explain everything.

"Look, when I met you, Trevor screwed you over pretty big and he's constantly screwed you over since. I'm doing you a favor. You need to weed out the roots."

"He's my best friend. He's my brother. Ever since we were seven it's always been TrevorandMike, MikeandTrevor."

"And from what I know, you give and he takes."

Mike lets out a frustrated sigh. "You know, Trevor called me and told me that I deserve a best friend like you. Sometimes, I even imagine that you are my best friend," Mike doesn't have the time nor the energy to feel ashamed that he's actually admitting this aloud, "but then you do things, things like this, that make me realize why I've always chosen Trevor as my best friend. Because despite everything we've been through, and trust me, we've been through the good, the bad and the really ugly, Trevor has never ever tried to change me. He'd change the world before he'd ever think about changing me." He ignores the look of anger/disappointment/hurt that crosses Harvey's face for a second (it was just a second but Mike sees it, Mike sees everything). He slaps a file on Harvey's desk. "Here are the notes you asked for. I'll have the Laurens case to you in two hours."

"Mike," Harvey calls out.

Mike doesn't listen. He turns around, walks past Donna who's still staring directly at Harvey and walks out the doors, down the hall, sits down on his chair and stares at his phone.


He hasn't talked to Trevor in a week and Mike finds himself staring at his phone for long periods of time. He wonders if Trevor does that in Bozeman. He wonders how Trevor is doing. He wonders if he's still seeing Annie. He wants to ask Trevor his opinion on what he should do about the Rachel situation. He wants to watch movies, eat pizza and drink beer with him.

Mike wants a lot of things, but mostly he wants his brother back.

Harvey apologized in his own twisted way a few days ago and they've gotten back to normal. Somewhat. He can't blame Harvey, at least not really. Harvey has only ever seen the bad in Trevor.

It occurs to him that during the many years of their friendship, Trevor was always the one to fight for it. Whenever they hit a rough patch, Mike was always the first one ready to throw the towel in. He was always ready to jump off the edge. Trevor was always the one to pull him back.

With a sigh, Mike picks up his phone and sends a message. Brothers?

Not even a minute later, his phone buzzes. Brothers. Same time tomorrow? And there it is. The sense of relief, that all is needed is reassurance that no, they're not giving up without a fight, because they've been through too much, seen too much, to let each other go.

Mike smiles. Same time tomorrow.

Because that's the strange thing about brothers. They drag each other down and always pull each other back up, reassuring each other that yes, everything is okay.

Everything is going to be okay.


I like the idea of the friendship between Mike and Trevor. Trevor can't be that bad. I mean, no one is that bad. There has to be some redeeming quality, so here's mine. It's cheesy and it sucks ass but it's been buzzing inside my head. Let me know what you all think! Reviews are great appreciated!

BTW: Thanks to caramelcandylover, anonymous, acciojd and windscryer for reviewing my last Suits fanfic. You guys are awesome!

Hope you all enjoyed!

Much love,

Bex.

P.S. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone. I apologize if it offends anyone!