A/Ns: Hey, I hope everyone is gearing up for Suits Season 2 Premiere Tonight! I'm working right now to try and beat the clock (personal goal) and definitely will have everything up tonight!
Side note: I do own Cheriot. She is my character that pops in and out of nearly everything I write. In this particular instance think of her as Donna's Donna.
We are skipping back to the 'present'. The end is soon! :)
Review, please! They are like candy!
Friday was supposed to be a chance to get things back to normal. Mike had spent all day Thursday trying to will his traitorous mind and body back to normality. It had seemed for the most part to work.
That was, of course, before he found himself blocks away from Harvey's condo, sprinting from the man Mike had considered to be a friend. Finally far enough away, the young associate ducks into a thin alley way and braces one hand on the wall as he leans over to catch his breath. His lungs draw in every painful gulp of air, sending much needed oxygen to his muscles.
Drowning in his thoughts, Mike wraps an arm around his middle to try and steady his trembling body.
How did Harvey even know so soon? And why did he have to mock Mike's feelings? Even Mike didn't figure Harvey to be that cruel. He had just wanted to help Harvey. Ever since he had seen Donna's worried face that morning, he had thought that something was really bothering Harvey. Instead, he was still up to his twisted mind games. Kissing him, Mike thought, was a cruel torture game. If Harvey had realized Mike's feelings then why not just tell him out right that he had no chance.
"God you taste so good, Mike." Harvey's voice echoed in his mind, sending fresh goosebumps down his arms.
Giving a slight growl of anger, Mike slammed his hand against the wall.
"Bastard!" he swore, then looked at his hand.
"Ow," he muttered, and flexed his hand, and the shock from impact began to dissipate, leaving behind only a slight sting.
It didn't compare to the pain in his chest.
Pulling on his tie, Mike hoped without it he could feel like he was breathing again. Once it was loosened, Mike leaned against the wall and took a breath.
It was not fair to fall in love with someone who is so cruel.
...
Saturday was supposed to be a wonderful night out with friends. Donna had been excited at the beginning of Monday knowing that on the weekend she would get to hang out with her friends. But since Friday had come and gone without another word from her boss, Saturday turned into a nightmare.
All through the Broadway play, Donna had been checking her phone, pulling up her messages and sighing when she found nothing new.
At dinner, she could barely focus on the conversations floating around as she kept glancing at her watch thinking if she should call Harvey.
"Donna?" her friend Cheriot drew her attention. Long and slender, with infectious eyes Cheriot is one of Donna's oldest friends.
"You doing okay?" she asks, pushing a long platinum blond strand of hair out of her face.
"Yeah," Donna said, with a smile. She gives a nod and tries to refrain from looking at her phone again. She fails.
"You haven't let go of your phone long enough to try the wine," Cheriot nods to the item in question. "Are you waiting to hear from someone?"
"No," Donna says, then leans back a little. "It's Harvey."
Cheriot simply nods and brings her wine to her lips. She takes a small sip, clearly waiting for Donna to continue.
"Something is going on with him and I'm not sure what I should do," Donna said.
"What's going on?" Cheriot asks. Her face remains impassive as she asks this, even though she is aware that most of Harvey's sordid history and his ability to piss people off in a single glance.
As Donna looks around but the others are engrossed and laughing at whatever Cheriot's boyfriend, Ryce, is saying. Taking a breath, Donna looked back to her friend. "He thinks he's falling in love with an associate at the firm."
Nodding, Cheriot sips at her wine.
"This is completely out of the blue for Harvey, Cheriot. I mean, he's dated casually but I never he knew he was bisexual until now."
At this, Cheriot chokes on her wine, grabbing her napkin as she coughs around her wine. "Harvey?" she asks, loudly.
Two of their friends sitting close glance over but then refocus back to Ryce's story. Cheriot leans forward, now definitely interested in what Donna is saying.
"Harvey's bi?" the blonde asks in a lower voice. "Since when?"
"I don't know. All I know is this guy is under Harvey's skin. He went over to Harvey's yesterday and I haven't heard from either of them since," Donna confided.
"Do you think they're..." Cheriot raised an eyebrow, giving Donna a pointed look.
"I don't know!" Donna says, and sighs. "All I do know is that it's not like Harvey to not check in on me. He likes knowing that everything is okay with me." Then off Cheriot's look, Donna continues with, "He has some slight control issues."
"So do dictators," Cheriot mumbles.
"It's not like that and you know it," Donna defends as she remembers Cheriot is probably still sore over the time Harvey had mistaken her for a waitress at the party they were introduced at. He had not made the 'wittiest' comments about her dress and she returned with some not so polite comments about his attitude. Their forced apologies by Donna had still not left things smooth between them.
"So, Harvey's got the joneses for this guy and you don't know if they're okay or not? Go call their asses. The check will be here in a minute and I'm not waiting longer than that to hear an answer," Cheriot waved her off.
Donna was never more grateful to have her around. She stood and headed toward the door without so much as an excuse. By the time she had reached the door, the phone was dialing Mike's number.
It took four rings for him to answer.
"Hello?" Mike asked.
"Mike, it's Donna," she said, moving to find a quiet spot on the bustling street.
"Oh," he said, "hi."
Ignoring the lack of enthusiasm, she went on. "I hate to bother you on a Saturday, but have you talked to Harvey today?"
"No, and I don't want to," Mike growled.
"Why? What happened?" Donna felt her stomach twist into a knot.
"Nothing, it's nothing... but just so you know, he is every inch of a bastard that people think he is. If he knew how I felt, he should have just told me that I didn't stand a chance, instead of kissing me like that."
"How you felt? Kissing? Whoa, kissing? Harvey kissed you?" Donna asked that bit louder than necessary and received several glances from people out on their smoke breaks.
"Thanks Donna. I almost believed it too until he said the words that Luca said and- If I find out that Harvey and Luca were in on it to get me to quit so he doesn't have to fire me, tell him he won. I quit!" And there was a tell-tale click.
Donna glances at her phone, as it blinks that the call has ended before muttering, "What the hell is going on?"
Then as the conversation filtered through she realized four things.
1) Harvey had (finally) made a move on Mike.
2) Mike thought Harvey had been mocking his feelings.
3) Neither had talked about it. (MEN!)
4) Harvey was alone.
"Oh shit," Donna swears then raises her hand in the air and screams, "Taxi!"
Once in the cab, she texted Cheriot that there was an emergency and to go to the club without her.
Cheriot texted her back to call if she needed anything.
Donna hoped she wouldn't.
When the cab arrived at Harvey's building, Donna threw some money at the driver and bolted for the doors. She thanked whoever was watching over this that she had put her extra spare key to Harvey's in her purse that night. Being prepared had been the first thing she had learned from Harvey. He was her friend and she felt panic growing in her stomach as the elevator climbed.
The glass doors slide open and Donna winced as music came blasting through her ear drums. She looked around, noticing the disarray of things. Sitting on the coffee table is a mostly empty bottle of scotch, not a good sign Donna notes.
"Harvey!" she shouted over the music.
Donna nearly screamed when the couch suddenly moved. She spotted Harvey's foot around the other side.
"Harvey!" she said, moving around and crouching down to find her boss lying, face down, underneath his own sofa.
His hand waved at her, and pushed the remote toward her. Picking it up Donna pressed the pause towards the book cases and sighed when sweet silence came over the apartment.
"Harvey, what are you doing?" Donna asks, pushing the coffee table out of the way.
Picking his head up, Harvey looked up at Donna and grinned, stupidly. "I was takin' a nap," he said, and she blanched at the overwhelming smell of alcohol that hit her.
"You're drunk, great that makes things easier," she said sarcastically.
"I'm not drunk," Harvey protested, "I had scotch."
"If I can find the flaw in your arguments then you're beyond drunk. Come on, let's get you up," she said, turning him over. She notes that he is still in his boxers, and adds, "and dressed.