So, I've had this fic started for a while but, I never felt like it was either finished enough or written well enough to actually post up. But, that being said, I went to my own Senior prom and this fic has actually been finished for weeks and I was convinced to finally post it. So, enjoy! Review please (:
Title :: Prom.
Disclaimer :: I don't own our lawyer boyfriends, sadly enough.
Summary :: Harvey finds out that Mike never went to either of his high school proms and, well, that's just unfair in his opinion. Everyone deserves a prom. Light Slash, Fluff. One-Shot.
"You seriously never went to your high school prom?" Harvey stared at Mike with skeptical eyes from beside him on the couch.
Mike rolled his eyes, looking back at the open file in his lap. "No, Harvey, I didn't."
"Why not?"
Mike shrugged. "I just didn't."
"Really though, Mike?" Donna asked. Mike looked over at where she was perched on the arm of one of Harvey's chairs in front of them.
"I really don't see why it's so important."
"Cause it was prom! Everybody goes to prom." Harvey said.
"I went all four years when I was in high school," Donna commented. "And two at other schools." She finished, looking up as if she was thinking back to those nights.
"Well, congratulations." Mike said sarcastically, earning a challenging look with raised eyebrows from Donna. Mike sighed after a moment. "Sorry." He mumbled. Donna just nodded in acceptance.
"I just can't believe you didn't go!" Harvey blurted and looked back over at Mike.
Mike glanced at him before looking down at the files. "Guys, it's really not that important-"
"I mean, Junior prom I sort of understand not going to. You would have your Senior year to make up for it I guess...but, Senior Prom...it's...it's your Senior year! Your last prom. Like, why would you not go?" Harvey wasn't really asking Mike the question, more thinking out loud to comprehend what would make someone not want to go to prom.
Mike looked at both Donna and then Harvey, still not understanding why it was such a big deal. It was so incredibly absurd to the two of them that Mike didn't go. Their conversation had started with talking about work, when had it escalated to this? Why had it escalated to this? Hell, how did they even get on this topic anyway?
"Okay." Mike sighed. "I think I'm gonna go work at my desk now." He mumbled, closing the file on his lap and moving to get up. Harvey quickly put a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop him.
Donna glanced quickly between the two of them on the couch, noticing the look in Harvey's eyes. She watched them for a quick moment before she stood up. "I think I'm gonna go get coffee." Donna smiled quickly at the two of them before exiting Harvey's office.
"Come on, Mike. Really, why didn't you go?" Harvey asked softer this time. Mike leaned back on the couch with a sigh. Harvey took the file off of Mike's lap and put it on the table in front of them before leaning back and sitting closer to Mike, one arm on the back of the couch behind Mike's shoulders.
Mike sighed again. "Why is it so important to you?"
"I just want to know, come on. Why didn't you go to prom?"
Mike watched Harvey closely for a few moments. "Okay, okay, well, Junior year, I...uhm...I got suspended with a group of kids after getting caught coming to school high." Mike spoke quietly. He looked over at Harvey, expecting to see some type of disappointment for being a stoner back then but, Harvey's expression was more neutral than anything.
"Mike, it's not like I can be mad at you for smoking before you even met me. Plus, it was high school " Harvey paused and Mike frowned slightly. "I want you to tell me." Harvey quickly said as if reading Mike's mind.
Mike shifted on the couch a bit, leaning more into Harvey than before. "You do?"
"...Did Trevor get caught too?" Harvey asked before stopping himself.
Mike nodded lightly after a few silent moments, eyes leaving from looking at Harvey's face. "It's not like he was the only one, it was a couple of other friends too. It...it wasn't the first time we had done it...just, someone noticed this time and told our principal."
"How could no one notice before?"
"I am-" Mike closed his eyes for moment, letting out a silent breath. "-Was. I was a pretty calm high, Harvey. We all were. You know, it's not always munchies, giggle fits and bad ideas." Mike chuckled softly, stopping when he noticed Harvey wasn't smiling. "It was just easy to hide. Especially when your teachers didn't always pay attention to the stoner kids in the back corner of the room. Actually, I know for a fact, that Trevor's and my science teacher didn't mind. He was our first period and whenever we showed up late and stoned we just sat in the back and kept our mouths shut and stared at the ceiling. He liked it better that way, no disruptions."
"So your science teacher knew?"
"Yeah, he also stopped writing me up for skipping his class after a while. I mean, my grade never dropped below a ninety-five so he didn't have much to complain about. He knew where I was and made a deal with me that if I could keep my grade in the high A range and showed up at least two to three times a week, then he'd keep a Doritos snack bag in his desk for me every morning I came in." Mike chuckled softly at the memory.
"He did?"
Mike nodded and half shrugged. "He liked me. I was in the top of his class all year." Mike paused. "I was a good student, just had some bad habits. He understood that." Mike took a breath. "We got along really well. Plus, he was pretty thankful of me since I won the Science Academic Bowl, twice, and got him a major pay raise."
Harvey chuckled softly. No surprise there. "What about your other teachers?"
Mike looked up thoughtfully for a few seconds. "My..uhm..photography teacher, didn't like it. He's the only one though. The only reason he didn't like it was because he was convinced I had all this potential and thought that I 'shouldn't be throwing my life away with all those harmful drugs', as he put it."
"He's right." Mike looked over at Harvey. Harvey gave him a small shrug. "He is, Mike."
"I guess, I just didn't see it back then."
"So, who noticed? Who caught you?" Harvey asked.
Mike sighed, looking down at his hands in his lap. "We had two months left of school and the substitute for math one day figured it out. We showed up late and math was our second class so we were still a little zoned out and he noticed right away. He dragged me, Trevor a few other kids down to the principals office."
"Why didn't you get expelled, or arrested for that matter?"
"Principal didn't wanna do it. She knew all of us pretty well and knew the reasons I smoked, knew the reasons Trevor smoked. It's not like we were trouble makers like a lot of the other smokers in school. We didn't give teachers hassle, we had good grades, we were productive. We usually showed up for class and she told the sub that she would take care of it then spoke to each of us individually. She didn't call the cops for the same reason, plus none of us had it in possession at the time, we didn't sell to any kids, and we never brought it to campus. She...just sent us home."
"What did she say to you?"
"Nothing really," Mike shrugged. "Just relayed how much trouble I could be in and should be in. But, she knew..." Mike was quiet for a few moments. "She, uhm, knew my parents. She went to school with my mom..." Mike voice got soft, eyes glazing over just a bit. "She knew why I smoked. She understood it. She told me I would have to be suspended for two weeks, not be allowed to go to any school functions, and have detention for basically the rest of the year...but, that was it."
Harvey noticed that when the conversation shifted to his parents, Mike's body tensed and he figured he wouldn't push Mike to talk more about his reasons for smoking. Though, Harvey was pretty sure that he got the connection.
"Okay, but, what about your Senior year?"
Mike looked down again and Harvey noticed the small grimace and felt Mike's body twitch a little.
"The, uhm, week before prom..." Mike paused for a moment, that small wince back. "My grandfather died...and uh," Mike swallowed. "The night of prom was my grandparents' anniversary so...Trevor and I spent the night with my grandmother instead. We did our best to make it a good night." Mike didn't look at Harvey for what seemed like a long time.
Mike shifted his position a little, taking in a breath. "Neither of us were really planning on going anyways." He continued, as if to justify himself. Harvey's hand dropped from the couch to around Mike's shoulders. "My grandmother wanted us to go, said she'd be fine on her own for the night but, Trevor and I knew her too well for that. So, we stayed."
"That's really sweet, Mike."
Mike shrugged softly, thinking back to it. He remembered playing cards and board games until after midnight and cooking a bunch of her favorite foods together to keep his grandmother from really thinking about his grandfather.
Mike could still picture playing the piano in the family room and watching Trevor convince his grandmother to dance with each of them. He remembered seeing her smile and the feeling of pride that rose in his chest because that was the first night she had since his grandfather passed. He remembered the food fight they had in the kitchen that night, and falling asleep laughing on the living room floor with Trevor by his side when daylight was starting to break.
Harvey nudged him softly. "What are you thinking about?" He asked softly.
Mike shook his head with a faint smile. "Nothing."
Harvey kept his gaze on Mike for a few seconds before letting it go. He kissed Mike's cheek softly. "Let's get these done, we can go home after. I'll cook dinner." Harvey picked up the files from the table and handed one back to Mike as the younger man rested his head on Harvey's shoulder and began to read.
So, like I said, this was completed because of the inspiration of actually going to my Senior Prom and I know this isn't my best work but, I hope you liked it.
Oh, and Mike's experiences about being at school high were sorta based off my own. I know a lot of schools are very different and handle these things very differently but, I wrote it out how it happened. Personally I've never been caught but I've had two friends get caught high and/or drunk on campus so it's based off that too. The Doritos thing though, that was one of my teachers. So, yeah.
There is a sequel to this that I'll be posting up tomorrow night.
LIFE UPDATE :: Well, I graduated highschool literally a week ago. I'm finally free!
Also, I'm vacationing on the Biltmore Estate right now - one of my favorite places to be during the summer. It beautiful. I've been editing this fic and its sequel here in the library lounge, next to the fireplace and listening to music and it is literally perfect to be in.
I'm sure most of you have heard of the Vanderbilts and, yeah, it's their place. That's where I am right now because, family, obviously.
But, now it's a bit after midnight so, good night!
Wow. That was long. Sorry. Review please!
Send me prompts! Tumblr :: buriedvoices-stolenlives (.tumblr) (.com) - I will also be posting the photos I've been taking here at Biltmore.