Chapter Seven: Fire
Louis was a dick.
It only took him two days after Trevor was allowed back in school to realize Mike wasn't talking to him or Jenny anymore. When he did, he decided to change the seating arrangement in the class. He placed Mike in the seat straight in the middle of the classroom, Jenny on his left and Trevor on his right. He didn't send Mike out for errands anymore, either. If he needed anything done, he sent someone else even when Mike was the only one in class who offered to go. He made sure to keep Mike right dab in the middle of his old friends as much as he could.
Jenny wouldn't look at him. She was now avoiding him as much as he was avoiding her. He even caught her turning the other way in the hallway in the complete opposite direction of her next class because he was standing off to the side talking to Harvey. Mike wasn't sure if it was all because she was still mad at him, or because she was still mad at Trevor for what he had done to Rachel. They weren't broken up, but after Trevor had told Jenny in second hour that what he had done was "no big deal", she told him they needed to take a break. She was avoiding both of them now.
Trevor had been trying to talk to him since he got back. The first day he wrote a note, slipping it over to Mike's desk without Louis seeing. Mike kept his eyes trained on the lesson, taking the notes he was suppose to and doing the work. He wasn't sure what to do with it at first. He wanted to explain himself to Trevor, hopefully make him understand, but he didn't want Harvey getting word and misunderstanding everything. It would only make him mad, and that was one of the last things he wanted. Finally, towards the end of the hour, Mike hesitantly reached out and took it from the corner of his desk. He kept his eyes forward until he opened the note completely. Sprawled out in Trevor's messy handwriting was the simple question, "Wanna hang later?"
Mike wanted to laugh. He should have expected that from Trevor. Whenever the two had a fight, he would try to shove it back as quickly as possible. He always felt like apologies weren't needed and "Wanna hang later?" was just the thing they said when they wanted to make up with each other. Mike wanted to laugh, but he didn't. Laughing would just make Trevor think they were cool, and that was far from the case.
Slowly, Mike took a deep breathe and wrote back, "I'm sorry, but I can't be around that stuff anymore. I have to do this. For me," When he was sure Louis wasn't watching he passed the note back and trained his eyes back to the board. He didn't want to see Trevor's usual reaction of a clenched jaw and balled fist whenever he got angry, but he did anyway. It didn't stop Trevor from leaving notes on his desk everyday. Mike just handed them back without so much as a glance.
After that, he came to the apartment high looking for him. Mike refused to buzz him up, and he knew he should have been done right there. He hadn't been telling Harvey that Trevor was bothering him and knew there could be consequences for it. Now Trevor was standing at the front door of the apartment building both Mike and Harvey lived in. Mike wasn't sure how he'd explain that if Harvey saw. Still, he couldn't leave Trevor outside alone in the middle of New York City when he was high. It wasn't the first time Trevor needed an escort home. Usually Mike was the one to walk him back. Instead he called Trevor's cousin to come and get him.
Trevor finally just started trying to corner Mike around the school. It was getting harder to lose him. He even had to duck inside Harvey's classroom a few times despite knowing the man had another class. Harvey just gave him more work to do and sent him on his way.
Mike was actually grateful for all the work. It gave him an excuse to stay home and be with his Gram without her getting mad at him for babysitting her. There was no denying her health was declining, even the doctors were telling them it. Nevertheless, his Gram had always been a very independent woman. She didn't like depending on Gramps when he had been alive, and she had raised Mike single handedly when everyone else had died. She didn't want anyone taking care of her, especially Mike.
The work also helped him to keep his mind off things. Sometimes he felt like the paperwork was the only think keeping him sane what with his worries at home, the constant running in school, along with the hazing he had to endure. Gregory and the rest of his friends bothered Mike as much and as often as they could. Gregory lost to Mike, but he acted as if he was King and Mike was his court jester, there for the simple reason of his own amusement.
The group did whatever they could to him. They tripped him in the hallways, called the apartment late at night and made prank phone calls, and even went as far as starting a pool as to how soon it'll be before he messes up and Harvey dumps him as his partner. Mike would have been lying if he said the things they did didn't bother him. They did. Especially the betting pool. Mike wanted to do right by Harvey. He wanted to make him proud of him. He wanted to impress him.
That was another reason why he didn't mind taking all the work home. He felt like he accomplished something every day when he was able to hand over all the finished paperwork to Harvey. Not only that, but Mike had discovered he couldn't deny the fact that he had feelings for his teacher any longer. He wasn't entirely sure what to call them. He felt more for Harvey than he ever did for Rachel, that much was for sure. It terrified him in knowing that he may have fallen in love with the older man.
Mike couldn't see it ending well. After he graduated, they would probably never see each other again. If he told him about his feelings now, Harvey would probably drop him just because of the liability charges that could be brought up. He would probably never even look at him again. Mike wasn't sure he could handle that. If he waited until graduation to tell him - assuming his feelings don't just go away - Harvey probably still wouldn't be interested. Mike knew teachers had a habit of always thinking of their past students as still their students. His freshmen English teacher was a true testament to that.
For some reason - one even unknown to him - he was still holding on to hope. Harvey would sometimes say things or do things that made him think that maybe Harvey did care about him as more than a student and partner. Like how he would sometimes catch him staring whenever Mike was having a bad day. Or how he may have acted a little too harshly against Seth in class after the kid had finished torturing Mike for it to be anything less than worrying about him. Mike often teased Harvey about caring about him; even going as bold as telling him to just admit that he cares. Harvey dodges every time. If it wasn't for the small ghost of a maybe smile, Mike might have started to believe him by now.
As much as Mike wanted to believe Harvey cared, he didn't bother to tell him about everything that was going on. He knew Harvey wasn't stupid. The teacher probably already knew most of it if not all. He at least knew that Seth had taken to teasing him and he'd asked about Gregory himself. But he didn't know if he knew about Trevor and Jenny or his grandmother's failing health. He wanted to tell him more then anything but he was too ashamed to do it. He wanted to be able to handle everything thrown at him like Harvey did.
It was getting harder at keeping it all a secret, though. Mike and Harvey were spending a lot of time together. Mike both loved and hated that. Loved that he got to spend so much time with him, but he hated how he couldn't touch him the way he wanted to or talk to him the way he wanted to. He did his best to focus on the task at hand so he wouldn't think about it, but the thoughts always came back.
A week had gone by since the first event, their second event fast approaching on them. This time it was a simple game of basketball, two on two. Harvey had played baseball in high school, but was pretty good at basketball. Mike, on the other hand, not so much. Harvey found it amazing that Mike could catch a stack of papers with one hand when he was half-asleep but somehow couldn't grab onto a round ball when he was wide-awake to save his life.
Harvey took it upon himself to teach Mike how to play correctly. He knew basics, but basics could only take you so far. He made Mike read the rules and regulations of the game, look up popular moves and plays, and even had him read an entire book on Michael Jordan, despite it having nothing to do with preparing for the game. There were two gyms in the school, but they were only allowed to practice there on their assigned days. Lucky for them, their apartment building had a court set up in the back. They had been meeting back there everyday after school to practice.
Mike swore to himself he would be better. It's just that Harvey in active wear was really distracting.
…
Harvey was starting to notice a pattern. He went through moments of feeling proud of Mike - like how he had when he showed up both Gregory and Louis in front of everyone, including Jessica-, to feeling like he wanted to slam the kid against the nearest wall and fuck him - Donna was right, he is sexy -, to wanting to smack him upside the head for disobeying him - don't think he didn't know why Mike kept ducking into his room randomly -, and then he'd be right back to the beginning ready to start the cycle again.
He'd made it through the cycle a number of times already that day. He was at the end again. "Mike…" Harvey called out, trying to gain the kid's attention. He waved a hand in front of the young man's face, who had spaced out…again. "Mike!"
"Sorry!" Mike snapped back to reality, actually shaking his head as if it could clear his thoughts. It was the last day of September, and so to save money, the school had shut down the air conditioning a few days before for when the snow came. They had been practicing for over two hours now, which only made the temperature around them increase. Mike had been thinking of taking his t-shirt off, but Harvey had beaten him to it. The older man was running around in just tight enough sweat pants and a thin, nearly see through wife beater. The sweat practically glistening on his skin was just an added bonus. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying that this is our last practice. The game is in an hour and you're still having problems with a belly up." Harvey paused in his rant. He almost started telling him what the belly up was, but he knew Mike had read up on it a number of times. The kid knew what it was, and could even make a good attempt to do it right. If he paid attention long enough. At first Mike getting distracted had been amusing. Harvey wasn't stupid; he knew what he was looking at. After the third time, though, while extremely flattering, was getting annoying. Only because they really needed to get through this. He would not lose to Louis in basketball. "Okay, we're doing a pick and roll. Go stand where you need to stand."
Mike wasn't the best at basketball, but he could dribble, pass, and shoot without tripping over himself ninety-nine percent of the time so Harvey couldn't really complain. It wasn't like Louis or Gregory were pros in what they were doing, and Harvey wasn't bad himself so he wasn't worrying. If the rookie would just pay attention long enough to get through the next few hours, they'd be okay.
"You're standing in the wrong spot." Harvey frowned when Mike looked down at where he was standing and than moved, once again, into the wrong spot. Growling just a little, he stepped forward and grabbed Mike by the shoulders. The two locked eyes easily, Harvey being only half an inch taller than Mike. Mike visibly gulped, and Harvey realized a bit too late that grabbing him probably wasn't the best thing to do, but he wasn't about to back off. That would only make things awkward. He took a step forward, pushing the other's shoulder gently. "There."
"Sorry," Mike apologized as he looked around to make sure he knew where he was suppose to be. He had to focus on something else. If Harvey looked down…he'd be fucked. And probably not in the good way, either.
"This move is generic in two on two, so you bet your ass Gregory and Louis have been practicing the same thing. When it comes down to it, use the double switch or trapping to get around it. Don't use the belly up unless absolutely necessary. We don't need you causing a foul. I'll take care of those." Harvey dropped his hands and took the few steps back to where he left the basketball.
Mike hoped it wouldn't come to him using the belly up. He knew it was the most effective way to stop someone from using a pick and roll. It was used before the other team could set up their play while the other two were used afterward. He couldn't be aggressive and get in someone's face without calling a foul. He wasn't agile enough to maneuver around someone without screwing it up. Mike was happy Harvey was handling it. His mind started to drift. He started thinking about Harvey being pressed up against him and in his face and - damn! He needed to focus.
Mike mentally kicked himself. He didn't want to disappoint Harvey but that seemed to be the only thing he was doing since they started practicing. He was honestly trying his best to focus, but he was torn between doing so, staring at Harvey, and trying to hide the problem in his pants. Harvey had been showing him moves he'd learned over the years and every so often the two would brush against each other. The sensation went straight down and wasn't letting up. He was curious to see if Harvey was having the same reaction, but he was too embarrassed to check.
Sighing, he caught the ball Harvey passed to him and maneuvered like he was suppose to and made the shot. He wanted to feel proud of himself, but couldn't. He just wanted this event to be over with, but at the same time he never wanted it to come. Harvey passed the ball to him again, the two running through the routine without any interruptions for once.
The ball went almost effortlessly through the hoop, bouncing on the ground a few times before coming to a stop not far away in front of Mike. He was trying to picture scenarios with Louis and Gregory in his mind when Harvey came up behind him. "That went well." The feel of his breathe against his ear caused him to jump forward. His left foot came down on the ball, and before he knew it, he was on the floor.
Harvey was on his knees in front of him a second later, "Mike, are you okay?" He touched the ankle gently, happy to see that it wasn't swollen and that Mike didn't flinch away from his touch. The student was on his elbows now, a look of mild discomfort on his face.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Harvey asked, and Mike hoped he wasn't imagining the slight worry he heard in his words. "I can have Jessica move back the game."
Mike shook his head, "Nah, I'm okay."
Harvey nodded as he stood, holding out his hand to help Mike up. People were starting to pile into the gym for the event, including Louis and Gregory, who had been practicing themselves in the second gym.
When everyone had taken his or her seats, Jessica began talking, "Thank you all for coming to this event. We include sporting events into our competition because we believe that physical education is also very important. The rules are simple: two on two half-court regulations must be followed. First team to twenty - one wins." She turned around, "Teams, are we ready?" She nodded when they nodded, "Mr. Hardman, can you please start the game?"
"Yes, ma'am," The vice principal nodded, taking the basketball to the court so they could start. Harvey and Louis went with him, Mike and Gregory stood behind them, both off to the side, hands on their knees and ready to run for the ball.
"Hey, Curly," Harvey smirked at the glare Louis through him.
"You're going down, Specter."
"We're on last name basis now?" Harvey feigned hurt. "Oh, is it because you find out your pretend wife is leaving you for me?"
"That's enough, boys." Mr. Hardman told them, but he chuckled anyway. "Everyone ready?" He threw the ball up.
Harvey reached it before Louis, knocking it to Mike. The game began slowly at first; both teams not wanting to give away what they could do while also trying to figure out what the other team was able to do. It was common knowledge that Gregory had tunnel vision so Mike and Harvey used it against him, moving to the corners of his eyes and passing the ball back and forth until one of them had an open shot.
It was also common knowledge that Mike was clumsy. Gregory would move the ball around in front of him for a moment, even if he had an open shot, just to confuse Mike. Whenever he would go to block, he'd end up tripping over himself. Louis wasn't the best at cardio, and Harvey - who ran every other morning - easily ran circles around him. Louis would never admit that he was shorter than Harvey was, but it came to his advantage when he ducked under the other man's arm to get around him.
If the crowd was divided between the two teams, Mike couldn't tell. Their voices and screams blended into one piercing roar after another. Mike could make out Donna's voice over the others. He wasn't sure if it was because of her tone or because of what she was saying. He was just thankful he could hear her encouragement over the boos of Kyle, Seth, and Rachel whenever he scored.
"Tune them out."
"What?" Mike looked at Harvey confused, moving to the other side in order to block Gregory, but he scored before he could get there.
"Tune the crowd out, Mike." Harvey told him as he was passed the ball for a check. "It's just you and me here, okay? No one else. You listen to my voice and mine alone, got it?"
Mike nodded, "Got it."
"How's you ankle?"
It was sore, but he didn't want to tell Harvey that. He would be fine to play on it. "Good."
Harvey nodded and than passed the ball to Louis, who checked it back to the taller man. Harvey than passed it to Mike, moving around Louis so he could get in position for the shot. Louis came a second to late to stop him from scoring. The score was eighteen to seventeen with Harvey and Mike in the lead. Louis nodded to Gregory, and everyone could tell they were going to attempt the pick and roll, but both Gregory and Louis set up too fast for either Mike or Harvey to do a belly up.
Once the pick was set, Harvey moved to the far side top of Gregory for a double switch, making sure to stay further back. It forced both Louis and Gregory to move further away from the net then they had originally planned and when Gregory went for the shot, he was too far off to make it. It hit the rim of the basket, but fell short and straight into Mike's hands. He passed it to Harvey, who passed it back when Mike moved into the right position. The ball went in the net with a satisfied swoosh when Mike made the shot.
Harvey and Mike decided to set up their own pick and roll, but unlike Mike, Gregory was okay with getting other's faces. He went straight up to Mike, so close they almost touched but he stayed far enough away so Jessica wouldn't call a foul on him. Mike was looking for a way out, but he had to keep watching Gregory or he might steal the ball away. Mike then remembered a move Harvey had taught him. It was a rather simple move, so he trusted himself to do it.
He turned slightly onto one foot and then shot the ball between his legs. He turned as swiftly and as fast as he could, managing to get around him with the ball. Gregory was behind him though, so he ran towards Louis, throwing the ball to Harvey as he did in order to block the older man from blocking Harvey. By the time Gregory realized what he was doing, it was too late. Harvey had scored.
Harvey's hand clamped down on his shoulder as they all moved to do the check, "Good job, kid."
Louis passed it to Harvey, who passed it back. Louis tried moving around Harvey to the net, but he wasn't quick enough. Harvey stole the ball and passed it to Mike. Mike put his hands out in order to catch when he suddenly felt two small, but solid pressures on his back. The next thing he knew he was being shoved to the ground, the force of it causing him to stumble and twist his already sore ankle.
Mike let out a yelp as Gregory caught the ball. Before he could shoot, Jessica blew her whistle. "Foul! Time out!" Harvey, Jessica, and Donna all ran over to Mike.
Harvey leaned down, once again touching Mike's ankle gently. Mike hissed in pain. His ankle was already swelling up. The teacher looked up at Gregory, who was looking at his friends with his arms raised up; as if he was annoyed the game had been paused. Gregory had done it on purpose. Everyone had seen it. Harvey felt anger run through him, and before he knew he was standing to do something, but he wasn't sure what. Jessica was suddenly standing there, however, looking at him peculiarly.
"Your call, Harvey."
At first he didn't know what she meant until her eyes lowered to Mike and then back up at him. "Mike, are you okay?" He asked, feeling like an idiot afterward. Of course he wasn't. Donna - who Harvey thinks must have been a doctor in a past life - inspected his ankle.
"I'm okay, Harvey, I can play. We're one point away from winning."
"No he can't," Donna whispered so no one else could hear, "Harvey, it's sprained. It's only a first degree but if he plays more it could get worse. He needs to get home."
"Well, Harvey?" Jessica asked, getting impatient.
Harvey sighed, looking down at Mike. His heart dropped in his stomach at the sight. He was trying to act like it didn't hurt when he knew it did. "We forfeit."
"What? Harvey, I -,"
"I'm sorry, Harvey." Jessica said sympathetically, and then announced to the crowd, "Team Specter forfeits. Team Litt wins!"
"Harvey!" Mike almost screamed, too busy looking at Harvey in disbelief to look at Gregory and Louis celebrating their 'victory'.
"We. Forfeit." He said slowly, but sternly. Mike mistook it as anger towards him screwing up and shut his mouth, not wanting to make him anymore angry. "I'll take you home." He helped him up and wrapped Mike's arm around his neck, and then wrapped his arm around the younger's waist. "We need to RICE it quick so it'll heal faster."
"I can still walk, you know…" Mike murmured, embarrassed.
Harvey smirked, "I know."
They don't say anything else as Harvey helped Mike to the teacher parking lot. Mike had been back there a few times, mostly for football games Jenny and Trevor dragged him to, but he had to admit going back with Harvey was much more exciting, even if it was just because the teacher was taking him home. Harvey owned the newest version of the Charger. The car was a beautiful onyx color and very well taken care of. Mike shouldn't have been surprised considering what he'd seen of Harvey's place, but he couldn't help but look in awe for most of the ride home.
The air was thick around them. Mike thought it was because Harvey was mad at him. He opened his mouth to apologize, but couldn't find the words. He's not, though. Harvey was thinking that he had Mike in his car and he could take him anywhere and do anything to him. It made his pants a little uncomfortable but the annoying little twitch in the pit of his stomach is telling him to get Mike home so he can heal.
The entire ride is silent, and when they finally make it back to the apartment complex, Harvey just parked and helped Mike up to his apartment and in his room without either of them saying a single word. Harvey set Mike down in his bed as gently as possible, helping him lay down right as he set both feet on the bed. He disappeared for a moment and Mike could feel himself start to panic a little. They lost the challenge because of him. Harvey was probably mad and disappointed with him. He wished Harvey would come back in so he could apologize, but it was afraid of what the other man would say. Just as he felt like hitting his head against the wall, the teacher came back with the extra pillows from the closet, an ice pack, and bandage wrap from the first aid he kept under the sink.
Harvey elevated Mike's foot, and than wrapped his ankle, "Not too tight?" Mike just shook his head no. Harvey placed the ice pack on it, frowning when Mike hissed and then shivered from the cold. He grabbed the blanket off the floor and shook it off before placing it on top of Mike, feeling awkward as he did so. It felt all too personal. They couldn't get personal.
"Harvey…"
"Don't worry about it, Mike."
"…I'm sorry."
"I said don't worry about it. Worry about getting better. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation." He told him, flashing back to his high school days when he sprained his ankle sliding into home base. "I'll check in on you…Uh, call me if you need me…"
"Michael, Michael, are you home?" Gram walked into the room, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head when she saw Mike. "Sweetie, what happened?"
"I sprained my ankle, Grammy. I'm okay, but we lost today."
"Oh, that's okay. You'll get em next time!" She smiled, and then noticed Harvey standing there. "You must be Harvey."
"I am. You must be Mrs. Ross." Harvey shook her hand, "But I'm wondering where Mike's grandmother is. You look far too young to be such."
Gram laughed, "I like him, Michael. He's a keeper. Will you be staying for dinner?"
Mike blushed, wanting to groan out loud but he kept his mouth shut. Part of him wanted Harvey to stay, but another part wanted him to leave. Their apartment was nothing compared to Harvey's.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ross." Harvey apologized, "But I have stuff that I need to take care of. I'll be back later to check up on Mike, though."
"Oh, no need to take time out of your schedule. I'll take care of him." She smiled at Mike and left the two alone again.
"Harvey…" Mike trailed off, not sure how to say it. He loved his Gram but…she couldn't exactly take care of him. He felt horrible for asking Harvey, but his Gram could barely take care of herself. He couldn't make her try to take care of him.
"Don't worry," The teacher reassured, "I'll be back. Stay off your foot for the weekend, all right? You should be fine to walk on it by Monday without too much pain."
Mike nodded, smiling a little. He wanted to make a comment about Harvey caring, but he didn't want to ruin it. Whatever it was. He watched him leave, listening for the sound of the apartment door opening and closing. He wondered if Harvey really meant what he said. He seemed hesitant when he told him to call if he needed anything. Mike wasn't sure if it was because he didn't really want to take care of him, or because the request was so weird. Mike wasn't even sure if he would call if he needed something. He was already too embarrassed. And ashamed. And disappointed. And just... sad. He felt like he let Harvey down. The mere thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Groaning, Mike laid back and let sleep over take him.
…
Karen was suppose to take her medication, but she ignored the pill case while she cooked dinner. It had been a long time since she cooked something for her grandson to eat without someone watching her like a hawk, minus all the pies the boy consumed over the years. If Michael found out she wasn't taking them, she knew he would be upset with her. It wasn't like he was going to find out, and her new medication made her tired. She needed to take care of Michael. She couldn't do that while she was sleeping.
The thought of taking care of him made her stomach bubble with something she couldn't quite place her finger on. She was happy to take care of her grandson. She planned on being there for him since the day he was born, and vowed to do all she could for him when his parents had been killed, leaving him in her care. There was sadness there, too, though. Michael had taken care of her more then she had taken care of him the last few years. Karen feared Michael's bad decisions could be blamed on the pressure that was put on him. She feared it was her fault, but deep down she knew that he had to make his own choices, stress or no stress. All she could do was love him and point him in the right direction.
And to her that meant Harvey. He was good for her grandson, she could tell. He was also easy on the eyes, so that was an added bonus. She hoped that Harvey could set him on a straighter path then she had. She could never have Michael live up to his full potential before, something she wanted more then anything. She knew Harvey could make him do it. It was one of the reasons why she pushed Michael to him, the other being the fact that he had been in love with him for the past four years. Those feelings were not going away no matter what anyone did, she was sure. She had a feeling Harvey would return the feelings, if he didn't already. She'd admit she didn't know the man well. Hell, she doesn't really know him at all, but there's something in the way Michael smiled when something is about Harvey that makes her believe that it must be real.
It's possible she imagined it all. She wanted her grandson to have someone before she left him. Someone who wouldn't go anywhere no matter what because frankly, the boy always needed someone. Karen knew he was only eighteen and he had plenty of time to find that one special person in his life, but she needed to know he'd have someone or else she wouldn't be able to die peacefully.
When she finished the dinner - spaghetti, one of Michael's all time favorites -, she took it to his room, only to find he was fast asleep. She knew how hard he had been working on everything both Louis and Harvey had given him, plus the added practices and the game they had earlier. She shrugged mentally, putting the pasta in a bowl and sticking it in the refrigerator.
With a sigh, she grabbed a bottle of water and the jar of applesauce out of the fridge so she could take her pills. The medication was saving her, but it was killing her in a sense. They made her better when she was awake, but the side effects were starting to get to her. Somewhat unwilling, she took her recommended dose Michael always laid out for her. Her eyes scanned over the left over ingredients she had from making Harvey his welcome pie, a smile making its way to her face. She knew she would begin to get tired soon, but she had enough time to make everything and get the pie in the oven. Michael always loved waking up to a pie sitting on the counter.
Karen then got the rest of the ingredients out of the refrigerator and started to mix what she needed to into a bowl for the pudding. It wasn't until she placed the completely mixed ingredients into the pan on top of the lit stove - the pudding needed to be heated longer then the cooled crust in the refrigerator - that she started to feel tired. Yawning, she walked around the counter to sit in her favorite chair in the living room. She could rest for just a little bit…and everything would be okay…
…
Harvey was just about to get into the elevator to check up on Mike when the fire alarms went off. The main office shut down all elevators as standard procedure as soon as they were sure no one was in them, forcing everyone to take the stairs down or the fire escapes out. Harvey would deny it later, but his heart sank into his chest at the thought of Mike and his Gram in their apartment. Neither was in the condition to get themselves and the other out safely. He quickly made his way down the stairs, counting the floors in his mind. The further he got down the more it become apparent to him that it was a real fire and not a prank. The air was getting stale and thick. It was getting harder for him to breath.
When he finally reached the fifth floor, he fought against the sea of people trying to get through the door and down the steps. There was no way the smoke could be so intense there if it wasn't the source of the fire. Harvey was already making his way towards the Ross' apartment, coughing through his arm as he tried to push the smoke away from his eyes so he could see better. The Ross's door was the only door still closed in the entire hallway. He started closing the doors around the apartment, knowing if wind hit it the flames it would grow.
"Mike!" He screamed, his voice muffled by his skin, "Mrs. Ross!" He could just now hear the fire department sirens pulling up to the building, but he couldn't wait for them to come. He tried opening the door, but it was locked. He rammed it with his shoulder a couple of times, a feeling of relief washing over him in a small wave as the door collapsed to the floor.
He knew the fire was in there, but part of him had been hoping he had been wrong. The color alone was enough to blind him; the bright orange flickered over the stove and onto the counter, already having caught the cabinets and anything else it had reached on fire. The intensity of the heat rolling off it hit him wave after wave, followed by the horrific smell of the smoke. He hit the deck, knowing it was the safest place for his lungs.
"Help…"
He heard the small whimper coming from somewhere close to him, but it wasn't until he started moving towards it did he see the person. Mike had managed to pull himself from his bed and limp his way into the living room in order to get his grandmother out but her medication had rendered her out cold. "Mike…" The kid's name slipped from his lips before he could stop it, just happy to see that both of them were still alive.
"Harvey…" Mike grunted out, obviously in pain, "My ankle…I can't lift her. You gotta…"
The older man was already wrapping his arms around her, half carrying, half dragging her out of the apartment and into the hallway. Mike followed as best he could, the voices of the firefighters reaching their ears. The first one who appeared took Karen from Harvey's arms and disappeared back down the stairs. The second tried to get him to follow but Harvey ignored him and turned back to help Mike. Harvey knew Mike wasn't able to go down the steps safely, so he lifted the younger man in his arms bridal style and carried him down.
The other residents clapped as the two exited the building, some moving towards them to congratulate Harvey for his bravery. He ignored them, instantly moving towards the ambulances so Mike could be checked out.
"Where's my Grammy?" Mike gasped out, coughing. The EMT put a mask over his face for oxygen before doing the same for Harvey.
The man didn't answer. He rummaged through the stuff he had to find something for the small burn on Mike's arm. "You got a little burn here, but it'll hear in a few days." He looked them both over, checking their oxygen levels, "Both of you look fine. Your grandmother was exposed to a lot of smoke though and she was completely out. They rushed her to the hospital before you two made it out of the building."
Mike's eyes filled with tears as he set the mask down, "I have to get to the hospital."
Harvey jumped up and placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back slightly, "You can't walk to the hospital Mike and your bike is at the school."
"I don't care!" Mike tried to pull away, but Harvey just pulled him closer.
"Let me drive you, okay?" He asked, sighing when Mike nodded, "Wait here, I'll get the car. I want you back on that oxygen until I get back here."
Harvey was happy he kept a spare key hidden in the car. He made it to his car and back within a couple of minutes. Mike gave the EMT the oxygen mask and jumped in the car as fast as his ankle would allow. Mike's head was pounding, a deep pressure just behind his eyes. He felt like his eyes were going to burst out of his sockets. He recognized it as the first sign of getting a stress headache. The worse was to come but he ignored it. He needed to know that his Gram was alright.
Harvey's crazy driving cut the ten minute drive into a mere four minutes. They hurried into the emergency room together, Harvey's hand on the small of Mike's back to insure the kid wouldn't trip and fall over. "Karen Ross." Mike said, near desperation as made it to the front desk.
"Who are you?" The woman asked.
"Her grandson."
She grew rigid and for a moment, they both feared the worst. "She was worked on here but the doctors had to do a tracheal intubation. She was taken up to the ICU less then five minutes ago." She wrote some information on a piece of paper. "Just take those elevators up to the fourth floor and go to the East wing, okay? Her room is 4709."
Mike grabbed the slip of paper and headed towards the elevators as quickly as he possibly could. Harvey went ahead and pressed the button, the doors sliding open just as Mike made it to them. By now lights were starting to affect Mike, but he continued to ignore it. He had to see his Gram and make sure she was okay.
"May I help you?" The man at the front counter of the waiting room there asked but Mike just ignored him. Harvey wasn't sure if he should go with Mike to Karen's room. It didn't feel right, but neither did leaving Mike alone to face this so he stuck by him.
The younger man stopped short of the room as he saw his Gram through the glass wall. Oh, God. Oh, God. His mind was racing, the pressure still building behind his eyes. Every light and sound was amplified ten fold and Mike could feel his throat closing up on him and a very distinct pain in his chest. He started to feel lightheaded. What if…what if she dies?
"Mike…" Harvey noticed something wasn't right. He understood why he had stopped. Seeing his Gram like that was probably really hard, but he never pictured Mike to be squeamish. He took care of his Gram on a regular basis, after all. The student was almost swaying in front of him. It hits Harvey just a little too late as Mike's breathe suddenly becomes labored before exploding to full on hyperventilating.
"What if she dies, Harvey? Oh, my God, what if she dies?" Mike started ranting, his breathing only getting worse. Harvey quickly pulled up a chair and gently forced Mike to sit in it. Where were all the doctors and nurses when they needed them?
"Mike, Mike, listen to me. She's going to be fine, okay?" He knelled down in front of the chair and took Mike's face in both his hands, forcing him to look at him. "Everything is going to be fine." He kept repeating the same sentence over and over and soon Mike slowly began to calm down. He leaned over slightly, resting his forehead against Harvey's because it just felt so…good. Mike's lips were just an inch apart and Harvey wanted to move forward and kiss him, but how could he? There of all places?
"Thanks, Harvey," Mike whispered and his breathe wisps past Harvey's face.
He just cleared his throat and said, "You ready to go see her?" Mike nodded, "Want me to wait out here?" He shook his head no. "Okay," He helps Mike stand, afraid of what might happen next. They walk into the room together and just as they do Mike ran up to the side of her bed, tears leaking from his eyes again.
"Grammy…I'm here. Harvey is, too. I hope you can hear me."
"She probably can." A voice appeared from behind Harvey. It was a woman in a doctor's coat. "Are you Michael Ross?"
"Yes,"
"Hi, I'm Doctor Rosemary." She shook both their hands, "Mr. Ross, what medications is your Gram on?"
"Ebixa and her vitamins for her osteoporosis."
Harvey recognized the first medication to be an Alzheimer's medication. So that's what's wrong with her.
"Do either of you know what happened?"
Mike shook his head, "I hurt my ankle so I was resting andI feel asleep. I woke up to the alarm and the smell of smoke. It was a kitchen fire in our apartment. She was probably trying to make something…"
"Yes, well, it appears that she took her pill right before because it made her fall asleep. Tiredness is a lesser common side effect of Ebixa but it is very possible. Has she been falling a sleep a lot since it was prescribed to her?"
"Every time."
Rosemary nodded, "Well…Karen isn't breathing on her own right now, which is why we have her breathing from a tube. We're going to try to take her off in a few days and see if her lungs will be functioning better. We have every hope that she'll recover. There's just one thing…"
"What?" Harvey asked.
"…If Mrs. Ross survives this, she will have to be placed in a nursing home right after she leaves the hospital. We can't allow her to be living without constant watch, anymore." She paused to let it all sink in. Mike wasn't looking at her. Just at his Gram. "I'm guessing this home phone number is…no longer in use in case of an emergency. I still have your cell phone, Mr. Ross, but I would like another number just in case."
"Here," Harvey wrote down his cell phone number, "It's mine. My name is Harvey Specter."
"Thank you," Rosemary smiled, "What is your relationship to Mrs. Ross?"
"Neighbor," Harvey told her absentmindedly. He could have sworn he just saw a flash of familiar red hair coming down the hall. Donna came into view a moment later, rushing down the hall like nobody's business. "Mike, Donna is here." The kid didn't respond. Harvey silently slipped out of the room, meeting Donna in the hallway.
"You should have called." She sounded angry, but Harvey could tell she was worried.
"I'm sorry, I didn't have any time." The teacher explained, running his fingers through his hair, a habit he grew out of a long time ago. At least he thought so. "How did you know -,"
"It's all over the news, Harvey. I found out from their neighbor you guys where here. How is she? How is he holding up?"
"Not good on both accounts."
"Well, what's wrong?"
Harvey sighed, "She's not breathing on her own so they had to do a tracheal intubation. They said if she survives she'll have to go into a nursing home."
"If?"
"If," Harvey clarified, hating how the word sounded in his mouth.
"Oh, God, Harvey…"
Something in the way she said his name told him it was more then what he had just said, "What?"
Donna sighed, "Their apartment is…destroyed. They sealed the complex shut for the night so they could get some new air in and have some people look at their apartment for repairs. The rest of the building is okay, including the rest of the fifth floor beside some smoke damage. People can go back in tomorrow, but…"
"…but Mike has no where to go."
(A/N) Hello, everyone! I hope you'll all forgive me for the long wait...I think this chapter was worth it :D. At least I hope so... *hopeful smile*.
Hm...I don't think there's anything I need to tell you about the story except remember how I said I had BIG plans? Well, this is only PART of those BIG plans. Hehe.
On a different note, I want to ask you all something. Actually a few things:
1. Did you notice how long this thing is? Lmao. Sorry, it's just this story is seriously the longest thing I've ever written...
2(Seriously, now): I had a few ideas for Mike/Harvey stories. They aren't fully developed, but getting there. A few are AU's, but would still involve law and have the same Harvey and Mike(and everyone else) we know and love. Now, I'm not sure if I'm going to do them because...Well, I just don't know. I'm wondering how you guys feel about them?
Side note: I am working on Harvey/Mike right now and it is NOT an AU. It is a multi-chapter, but will probably only be about 5 chapters.
3(VERY SERIOUS HERE): Alright, mainly, so far in every Harvey/Mike story I've read, Harvey has always been "the top". I read one where Harvey had been a bottom on a different site, and really, it was good. So, my question to you for this story and like, every story of mine afterward: How do you feel about a bottom Harvey? Personally, I think they could switch. I feel like Harvey would still be like, "Shut the fuck up and fuck me." But still. *shrugs*
Um, I believe that's it. I'm sorry for any mistakes I didn't catch. Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks to all who have been doing so :D.
With Love,
Kitty!
