This chapter is dedicated to Faerie Fury who asked for Harvey and Aiden with a sick!Mike. I loved this chapter a lot, especially Aiden, but I'm baised because Aiden's the product of my brain. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Suits, just Aiden.
Age: 3 ½ years old
"Wake up, sleeping beauty." A pen tapped on the twanging metal of the countertop by a blonde head lying on top of pair of suit-sleeved arms. The head lifted up and dull blue eyes rolled up to look at the intruder. Harvey Specter stood in front of the grey half wall of the associate's desk, eyes glistening with slight amusement at the sight of Mike. Mike groaned and forced himself to sit up, wincing at the sharp pain shooting through his skull. Maybe he was delusional but Mike thought that he saw Harvey's amusement fade into concern. No, that was the fever talking.
"What do you need?" Mike asked, voice raspy and laden with the lost sleep he was experiencing. Harvey shot him a look that Mike was too tired to attempt to read. Harvey hoisted a few files onto the desk and tapped them with a thin index finger, manicured nail brushing the thick cover.
"Proofed, my office when you can." He ordered before turning back and walking to the door of the bullpen just as Louis sauntered in. "And don't even think of doing Louis' work before mine!" He called back without turning around to look at them.
Louis stopped in his tracks at Harvey's tone. He then made a face, furthering the rumors that he looked like a dying rat and then slammed the files on Gregory's desk before brushing past Kyle causing the papers in his hands to careen to the side and almost fall. Kyle did a great impression of a tripping ballerina to stop the stack from crashing onto the floor. When the hoard of documents was steadied, Kyle took it upon himself to silently blame Mike for all his troubles by fixing a sharp glare at the blonde before going to his own cubicle. Mike sniffed trying to stop his nose from running before lifting a heavy hand to pick up his highlighter. The briefs weren't going to proof themselves.
Mike had woken up that morning with stuffed painful sinus pressure behind the hollows of his eyes and in the crevice of the bridge of his nose. His head felt like it was being split in half by a large machete and he could barely make it to his kitchen for some painkillers without stumbling around. The spring weather was causing him to experience bad hay fever and allergy reactions. He hated to take allergy medicine because it made him droopy and lethargic and in his line of work, however less qualified he was, he still needed on top of his game and drowsy was not the way to be. Even the non-drowsy brands touting that their medicine did not cause drowsiness had a negative effect on him. No amount of coffee, Red Bull or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups could counteract the tired feeling hanging over him when medicated. He clicked a few buttons on the computer keyboard as he thought though some of the provisions in the documents he was perusing. The pain was excruciating; his face felt like it was falling off. He placed his curved index finger's knuckle against his left temple, trying to counterbalance the pain, but the movement was made in vain. Mike sighed and trucked through the work, almost missing when a cup was placed in front of him. Mike looked up at the cup and then up at the benefactor. His blurry vision took in a wave of red hair and a green chiffon dress.
"Don't mention it. Just a small sacrifice and the promise that your firstborn will be named Donna will do." The amused clearly female voice indicating the owner was Donna. Mike smiled slightly, the movement of the muscles causing an ache to pass through his cheeks. Donna looked down at the associate as he gingerly took the cup of coffee and began to sip. "You look like shit Mike. What are you doing here?" She asked him, her voice curious and worried.
"I needed to work and I'm fine. I've suffered through worse." Mike said lowly, as if the sound was going to hurt him if spoken in higher decibel. Donna cocked her thin eyebrow at him in inquiry. "Donna, the less I have to talk everyone the faster I can get through the work and then I can go home. Okay?" Mike questioned rhetorically, turning his attention back to the papers. Donna sighed in acceptance of Mike's stubbornness.
"Okay." Donna relented. "Harvey wanted me to remind you that you two have a client meeting at 3. Be at his office by 2:50." Donna ordered before turning around and walking out, heels clicking rhythmically against the floor. Mike sighed in defeat; he wasn't sure how he would hold up in a client meeting. He could suffer through the monotony of grunt work just fine, but to actually be useful in a meeting? That was going to be a stretch. Mike pushed the thoughts off out of his head and hoped the caffeine would help starve off the pain and grogginess he was feeling.
It didn't. At 2:53 Mike rushed into Harvey's office, panting from the lack of oxygen being taken in due to his stuffiness and from the running down the halls to make it into the office before the allotted time.
"You're late." Harvey commented standing up from the chair he was seated behind. Mike heaved at the door, trying to formulate his excuse but was spared from the thoughts with a quick wave of Harvey's hand. "Don't want to hear it. Just get those files and follow me." Harvey indicated with a finger at the papers on the glass table and strode out the open door. Mike quickly took the papers in his arms and followed the other man. The two went down the hallway, their strides wide and purposeful toward the glass walled conference rooms. Suddenly, a small figure came bursting from the elevator and into the hallway, making its way toward the two lawyers.
"Daddy!" The small figure latched itself to Harvey's leg and grinned up at him. Harvey looked down at the offending grip on his leg, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Aiden. Did you have fun at school today?" He asked warmly, regarding the child with a small quirk of his lips. Aiden nodded quickly.
"Yeah, we did finger paints and music time and-" Aiden babbled until Harvey pulled the child's arms that were wrapped around his legs. Harvey bent down slightly and pulled Aiden's chin with his fingers to look into the round eyes of the toddler.
"Aiden, I really do want to hear about this, but right now I have a meeting. So go see Donna and tell her about your day while you wait, okay?" Harvey suggested lightly. Aiden cocked his head to the side, mulling over the proposal. He then nodded and backed away from his father, smile spreading across his cheeks.
"Okay." He said quickly darting around Harvey's legs and bumping into Mike. "Oof! Oh, hiya Uncle Mike!" Aiden called loudly. Mike smiled trying not to wince at the volume of the toddler's voice as it blared into his ears.
"Hi, Aiden." Mike said stooping down a bit to make a connection with the child.
"Are you okay?" Aiden asked curiously, surprisingly perceptive for a three year old, Mike mused; it must be Harvey's genes. Mike smiled to try and placate the child's curiosity.
"I'm fine Aiden. I'll see you after the meeting." Mike assured him and stood up.
The next moment was all a blur for Mike; it was like he wasn't in control of his body. When he went to stand it was if the blood rushed into his skull all at once, overwhelming the delicate, sensitive nerves in the brain. Mike felt the room spin around and his vision blurred. He could hear voices; loud frantic sounding voices throwing different words around but Mike couldn't discern who was speaking or what was being said. He closed his eyes, just for a moment to get his bearings, to try and set his mind at ease.
When he opened his eyes again, it seemed to Mike it was only a moment later, he found that he was not in the hallway anymore, he was in an office. Mike's eyes carefully took in the high, black-framed white paneled ceiling. It was standing out in his memory why this ceiling looked familiar to the blonde but when the pain in his head resurged quickly put a stop to those thoughts. Okay, that's an indication that I shouldn't be thinking, Mike thought. He sighed heavily as he tried to shut his brain off.
"You're awake!" A loud, high pitched voice called out to him. Mike groaned as the noise permeated his eardrums and attacked his brain. The owner of the voice gasped at the pitiful noise and Mike heard the uneven sound of footsteps quickly coming next to him. A pair of brown eyes filtered into his sight and Mike allowed his eyes to drift over the facial features of the other occupant in the room. Mike took in a small upturned nose, wide forehead showing the dark blonde hair was pulled back from the hairline into a stylish coif. His eyes trailed down from the other's hair and along two soft cheeks leading down to a worried looking mouth. Mike's brain painfully made the connection to who this person was.
"Aiden…what happened?" Mike whispered to the young Specter, noting that his father wasn't in sight. Aiden looked away for a moment, possibly to try and construct the right words; even with Aiden's large vocabulary, the words didn't come very quickly to him.
"You fell down." Aiden finally said, the large brown eyes connecting with Mike's blue ones. Mike's forehead crinkled in confused wonder.
"I fell?" Mike repeated in disbelief. Aiden nodded.
"You stood up when you stopped talking to me and then you closed your eyes and you fell down." Aiden explained. Mike almost nodded but then remembered the pain he was in.
"So I fainted." Mike elaborated. Aiden nodded quickly in agreement.
"Yes. So daddy took you into his office. He's in with the client now. I was told to watch you." Aiden explained proudly, feeling happy he was allowed to do such an important job. Mike's lips twitched to the side.
"Yeah, and who's watching you?" Mike asked cheekily. Aiden blushed and looked at the carpet.
"Auntie Donnie." Aiden answered morosely turning to look at the redhead who was watching them like a hawk. Mike chuckled, flinching when the action irritated the pressure in his nose. Aiden turned and quickly grabbed a glass filled with water from the table. He then slowly spun around with the glass and walked gingerly to Mike.
"Daddy said you need to drink water." Aiden handed the glass to Mike who had struggled to pull himself into a seated position on the soft leather couch that he instantly recognized as the one in Harvey's office. His suspicions were confirmed about his location when he took in the row of five signed basketballs on the window mantle. Aiden had taken the seat next to him when Mike had let his body slump on the back of cushions and closed his eyes again, pressing the glass to his overheated forehead. Aiden snuggled up against Mike's warm side and Mike allowed his arm to fall around the toddler. Aiden's thumb found its way up into his mouth as he drooped against the man. Mike felt himself drifting away until Aiden suddenly popped up off of Mike and shook him. Mike jolted then whined when the pain hit him full force. He opened his eyes and looked at Aiden angrily.
"Why did you do that?" Mike asked harshly. Aiden gulped slightly at the tone but then resolved himself.
"Daddy and Aunite Donnie said when you woke up to keep you awake." Aiden told him somberly. Mike let out his breath, not wanting to shoot the messenger. His head lolled forward and tried to not doze off. Aiden quickly walked to where his Iron Man backpack was sitting and unzipped it. He took out a book and came back to Mike, sitting next to him. He opened the book and held it to Mike.
"I'll read to you to keep you awake. Okay, Uncle Mike?" Aiden told the man. Mike smiled and looked into the book with the young boy. It was the most interesting rendition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that Mike had the pleasure of hearing. Aiden didn't read very well, if at all, and made up the story as he went along. Somewhere along the way the caterpillar stopped eating and was running away with the food to give to his momma butterfly, Harriet (clearly Harvey), who was being held captive by an evil bumblebee named Kyle (no pseudonym necessary) and the caterpillar, Adam (clearly Aiden) was going to get the food and save her. When Mike asked why the caterpillar ate the food in the beginning of the story, when it was still The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Aiden simply replied that the little caterpillar was hungry and that was the end of that. Somewhere between the fictitious slug Lance (Louis) arguing with the snail Harry (Harold) and the awesomest ladybug Donna (three guesses who that was) trying to get the fish Jamie (Jessica, who curiously was not a bug; when inquired Aiden explained that Jamie (Jessica) was too pretty to be a bug and Mike left it alone) to assist her with saving Harriet, did Harvey come back.
"Aiden are you causing Mike to have a bigger headache?" He asked shutting the door behind him. Aiden looked up from the book that he wasn't reading from and glared at his father.
"No, Uncle Mike wants to hear my story." Aiden argued back. Harvey chuckled and placed the files he was carrying on the desk. He then pulled open a drawer and took out a bottle. Mike heard the rattling of pills being poured out into a hand before the drawer was shut again. Harvey crossed to the couch and held his hand out to Mike.
"Take these." He ordered. Mike shook his head.
"They make me feel like crap." Mike complained petulantly. Harvey cocked an eyebrow at the other lawyer. He sat on the arm of the couch and gave Mike the lecture look before taking a breath.
"Let me tell you something. You fainted in the hallway before a client meeting, causing me to be late because I dragged your ass back here and dropped you on the couch. I wrinkled my jacket because you're surprisingly heavy when you're unconscious. I was in the meeting by myself with the most stubborn old woman I have ever faced besides my own mother; actually, it was like being in a meeting with my mother. Anyway." Harvey cut off his ramblings before he could tell Mike exactly how stubborn the woman was. "I left my three year old-"
"Three-and-a-half!" Aiden interrupted. Harvey shot the toddler a look before looking back at Mike.
"Three-and-a-half-year-old in the room with you, knowing that he could ultimately cause your headache to worsen while I closed said meeting. You have been morose and miserable all day and I would think you'd want it to stop. So take the damn pills Mike." Harvey said.
"But then I will be useless to you. I won't be able to think or move and I'll just want to sit here…" Mike ticked off to the other man whose hand still contained the pills that would end the pain and suffering.
"Then sit here." Harvey said as if it were the simplest excuse in the world. Mike's eyes would've been bugging out of his head if they weren't swollen into his face by his pressured sinuses.
"What?" Mike asked unintelligently. Harvey rolled his eyes.
"What good is an associate in pain or in a zombie state?" Harvey shrugged. "I'd rather you be a zombie with the hope of recovery while I do the work then suffering and doing a crap job and leaving me to clean up your mess, puppy." Harvey explained. Mike stared at Harvey with dulled eyes, processing most of what he said.
"I am not a puppy." Mike said huffily, his lips turned into a pout. Harvey chuckled again and gently allowed his fingers to touch the tips of Mike's hair.
"You are if I still have to clean up your messes." Harvey said drolly. Mike rolled his eyes and then winced in pain. Harvey's lips quirked up in triumph as he saw Mike looking at the pills in his hand. Mike took them from Harvey's hand roughly and popped them in his mouth. Then he took a sip of water from the glass that Aiden gave him and let the water wash the pills down his throat. Mike leaned back on the couch and glared at Harvey. Harvey simply settled himself next to Mike, pulling his son into his lap.
"Now you were saying something about Donna and Jamie trying to save the mother butterfly." Harvey asked his son who giggled.
"Who is totally you by the way." Mike interjected smugly. Harvey shot him a glare. "Why is the butterfly a woman anyway?" Mike ignored the look and questioned Aiden. Aiden shrugged.
"Because butterflies are pretty, like mommies and aunties. They can't be boys." Aiden explained. Harvey gave Mike an appraising look.
"Perfect logic." Harvey commented lightly. Mike shot back with a similar look and nodded. Aiden continued with his story, not even looking at the book this time. Donna joined sometime later to add her own flair into the story about the tragic past of the young, note the word 'young', ladybug that explained all of her faults and her strong will to help the young caterpillar reunite with his mother. There were a few more jokes added here and there at Louis' expense but Mike started to doze off.
And if he woke up sometime later snuggled against Harvey's shoulder as the man was reading files, one of the man's talented hands massaging his scalp under his blonde hair, Aiden asleep on the other side of him, his thumb forever in his mouth, Mike wouldn't tell anyone.
Donna on the other hand…let's just say there were pictures heavily guarded on her computer and flash drive and phone memory.
I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, for Wednesday, will be a different POV in the fact that we follow Jessica's interaction with Aiden during Little Harvey Specter, as an added scene if you will. If you like this one I would like to hear your thoughts :)
KatrinaKaiba
