Closer

Mike wasn't there when news got out about his sudden termination and he wasn't there when news got out about Harvey's either. He wasn't there to send him off or thank him or apologize. He wasn't even there to help him pack up his stuff.

That was why, a week later, Harvey nearly jumped in surprise when he opened his door to leave for his job at a new firm, Gamins and Associates, and was met with Mike, looking guilty and shy as he toed the floor outside his door, biting his lip, and was poised to knock without looking. When Harvey caught his fist before it collided with his chest, Mike gasped and looked up, then smiled shyly.

"H-hey! Harvey-"

"What do you want?"

Mike swallowed and nodded. "Right. Okay, well, I knew you'd be mad but-well, I just came by to say sorry and thanks and-"

"You're a bit late, Mike.", Harvey said coldly, but Mike saw right through it when he stepped back into the apartment, leaving the door open in a silent invitation inside. Mike stepped inside and had to hold back a gasp at the amazing and slightly over the top decor in his ex-bosses stylish apartment.

"So I'm guessing this means you don't need help finding another job?"

Harvey scoffed, but had a smirk on his face that meant he was close to forgiving Mike. Or, at least, he hoped that's what it meant. Harvey sat in one of his nice white chairs and gestured to one across from him as he drank something dark and sweet from a wine glass. Mike sat, looking wary suddenly of getting something dirty and Harvey hid his fond smile in the wine.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You said you were here to say 'sorry and thank you and-'"

Mike nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, um...okay. Well. I, ah, I was told about what happened. What you did. And I wanted to say-thanks. Really, thanks. No one except Grammy has ever done anything like that for me."

Harvey smiled sarcastically. "I love it when you compare me to women. Makes me feel so much better about caring."

Mike smirked back, comfortable now that he knew he was forgiven. "So you're finally admitting you care? Should we have a toast?"

Harvey laughed in a mocking way, but not harshly. "One, it's kind of hard to hide it when he get yourself fired for the person. Two, I refuse to let you have any of my wine while you are in my apartment."

"Why?"

"You'll spill it all."

Mike snorted and shook his head. "Same old Harvey."

Harvey smiled openly then, and filled up a glass for Mike anyway. Mike looked surprised but took the glass anyway. "So, I heard from Donna-before she broke three of my toes with her Jimmy Choos- that you got a new job out of town. Are you moving?"

Harvey shook his head, then laughed loudly when Mike took a sip of his wine-and immediately spit it back into the glass with a grimace. "No, Donna probably just wanted to discourage you from visiting." At Mikes disheartened pout (once a puppy, always a puppy), he explained. "She thinks you're a bad influence. You got me fired, after all."

"Hey!", Mike shouted. "That's not fair! If I'd known you were gonna quit, I would've left voluntarily-"

"-And I would have heard about it long before that from Donna because you are incapable of keeping a straight face. No matter what you would've done, we'd still be sitting in these chairs, having this same discussion."

Mike smirked a little, looking truly fascinated. "I didn't know you believed in fate."

Harvey shrugged and if Mike didn't know Harvey like he did, he would've sworn he saw him blush. "It's hard not to. Too much has happened to me 'by accident' for me to believe it's just random coincidence anymore. My mother, my job, you."

Mike blushed, coughed, and looked everywhere. Harvey smiled.

"You keep doing that.", Mike said, again with childish curiosity in his eyes. It was something Harvey rarely saw in Mike anymore, or ever.

"What?"

"Smiling. You never did that at-um-"

Harvey smirked, then made it disappear, then it came back. "You can say the name. It's not like it was anything personal when Jessica fired me."

Mike rolled his eyes. "That's a lie and we both know it."

Harvey shrugged and swirled the wine left in his glass before downing it like hard liquor and grabbing Mikes glass from him. "So, what about you?"

Mike stuck his tongue out in disgust when Harvey took a drink. "Dude, I spit in that!"

Harvey gave Mike a look. "Don't call me that. And I think I'll be okay; only girls have 'cooties'."

Mike stuck his tongue out again, but sighed and put his chin his hands, quickly returning to topic. "I don't know. I moved apartments after Grammy died, but-"

"Wait, wait, go back. What? Grammy died?" Harvey leaned forward, expecting but not quite ready for tears.

Mike nodded, once, twice, and then said, "yeah", before his voice cracked and his eyes turned red. He dropped his head in his hands and Harvey sighed, putting Mikes glass down. He sat on the arm of Mikes chair, something he regularly detested, and rubbed his friends back. "I'm...sorry. I really am. She was a great woman-"

"How would you know?", Mike snapped, glaring through tears. "You never even met her."

Harvey shrugged. "I don't need to. You talked about her enough, I could write a **** book on it. Call it 'Grammy's Boy'."

Mike snorted and wiped his nose and eyes on the sleeve of his hoodie. It dawned on Harvey that this was the first time he'd seen Mike out of a suit. Unsurprisingly, Mike had no fashion sense in street clothes either.

"I'm sorry, Harvey. You didn't deserve that." Mike looked up at Harvey and smiled. "Thank you."

Harvey rubbed his neck. He wasn't really used to thanks. "Um, sure. Anytime. Well, not really. I'm horrible at this, so please just avoid ever doing this again."

Mike laughed. "You said please! That's a first!"

Harvey laughed too and moved back to his chair and Mikes wine. "So where are you living now? Please tell me it's not with Rachael."

Mike looked a little sad at that. "No, I actually haven't talked to her at all since Jessica revealed what happened to the press. Which, by the way, was super low of her, I mean-"

Harvey shook his head. "I don't think so. She'd just lost her best closer to some...kid. She had every right to be angry, and in the end, she really screwed herself over more than anyone else. You know she lost her job to Hardman, don't you? I tried to help, but she just wouldn't accept it. She thinks I'm weak."

Mike huffed and sunk into his chair. "Well she's wrong, obviously!"

Harvey was a bit surprised. "Oh really?"

"Yeah! I mean, you're the strongest person I know! You gave up your job for me. That job meant more to you than anything. Giving that up-that took more strength than she'll ever have."

Harvey didn't agree with that, not by a long shot, but the thought was nice, so he smiled anyway. He coughed and brought the topic back. "So back to you-"

"Oh yeah! Well, I'm living with Ben-you remember him, right? Head IT guy? Auditory eidetic memory? Game night?"

Harvey nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I remember him. Um, Benjamin Weaver, right? 'Donnas double'?"

Mike laughed. "Yeah, so I'm living with him. Have been for about a month and a half, maybe two. I haven't found a permanent job yet, but Ben's job pays so well, I don't really need the money. Still, I'm working part time as a bartender at Barney's on fifth."

Harvey raised an eyebrow. "You? A bartender? Why, Mikey, I'm shocked!"

Mike made what Harvey recognized as his 'Harvey face'. "Don't call me that. And I used to work at bars all the time after high school. With how many bars you frequent, I'm surprised we never met."

"I wouldn't doubt that we had. Hell, I probably slipped you my number once or twice."

Mike laughed. "I'm glad I never called, then."

The two were silent for a bit before Mike said, "I think I wanna be a nurse."

Harvey frowned. "Are you sure about that? I mean, being a nurse can be a really sad job and with your Grammy and all-"

"Not now, Jesus, just someday. I've read a few books on it and applied to a few schools, but nothing's definite yet. Hell, with my reputation, I'm not sure any college would accept me."

Harvey sat down his glass. "They would if I sent in a recommendation."

"You would do that for me?"

Harvey shrugged. "I already lost my job for you, what's one little paragraph gonna hurt? Just make sure it's worth my while, kid, or I'll have your ***."

Mike glared slightly. "Again, nothing's permanent. I'm still making up my mind, so-You know what, enough about me. What about you? You've got a new job, what else is new?"

"My brothers going to be living with me for a while", he said lightly.

Mike gasped. "Oh my god, really? When? Is he flying in? Can I meet him?"

"Yes, yes, You can meet him. Actually, I was wondering if you'd come with me to the airport to pick him up. His plane takes off on Sunday and should be here at noon. I figured we could have coffee at one of those awful airport cafe's and...talk."

Mike suddenly looked a bit wary. "Um, I'm actually not sure if that's such a good idea. I mean, he's your brother-he'll probably hate me."

Harvey shook his head. "Trust me, Mike, you'll get along famously."

Mike sighed, but smiled. "I trust you."

"I know.", Harvey said without a smile.

It would only be hours later that Harvey would realize Mike had slid a vanilla envelope into his mail tray, addressed from Jessica Pearson herself and filled with twenty five thousand dollars, and Mike would realize he'd missed a call on the ride over to Harveys apartment-from Harvey. There was no voice mail, but Mike likes to think he'd know what it would've said anyway.