Chapter 2

After they had been seated and handed menus, Harvey looked at Mike with the piercing eyes that made him a terror in the court room and Harvey figured that since they weren't at the office, he could show a little concern.

"Care to tell me why your boyfriend felt the need to send you flowers?" Harvey asked, deceptively casual. Mike glanced up from the menu and looked at him warily.

"We had a fight last night."

"About what?" Harvey asked, looking down at the menu even though he knew what he wanted.

Mike shrugged and replied "Just the usual."

Harvey was about to ask another question when the waiter showed up to take their order. After the waiter left, Harvey asked "What kind of fight?"

Mike stared at him in open mouthed shock. 'Is the great Harvey Specter actually expressing concern for me?' Mike should have found this surprising, but it wasn't the first time the older lawyer expressed the sentiment. What surprised Mike was the fact that the Harvey was actually expressing an interest in his home life. Harvey had never done that before. Not since his Grammy died. In fact, their relationship, both in and out of the office, was still recovering from the shit-storm that was Hardman, Darby and Jessica Pearson.

"Just a regular fight." Mike replied quickly, not really wanting to discuss it further and hoping that that would put Harvey off.

"Physical or verbal?" Harvey asked looking him in his beautiful blue eyes, seeing the faint shadows of a black eye that Mike had said he had received in a bar fight the previous weekend and knowing, just knowing, that Lucas was the one that had done it. It made Harvey want to beat the shit out of Lucas for daring to hurt his Mike. 'I seriously need to get over this possessiveness. At least until he's actually mine.'

Mike sighs, closing his eyes briefly. "Harvey, can we please not talk about it?" he asks tiredly. "It was just a stupid fight and all I want to do is forget that it happened." Even though they both knew that he couldn't actually forget.

Harvey studied Mike seeing the toll that the previous night and today had on his young associate. Mike looked more tired and drawn than usual. He also noticed how he had winced when a waiter accidentally bumped Mike's upper arm. He didn't really want to, but he dropped the subject anyway and they went on to have a pleasant dinner.

About half-way through the meal, Mike's cell rang and, after apologizing to Harvey, he answered. "Hey, Lucas."

"Hey, Mike, when are you coming home? I'm lonely." Lucas whined.

"When I'm done." Mike said, his voice subtly hardening a look of irritation making his eyes go ice blue.

"And when will that be? I have a great weekend planned for us."

"I'm not sure." Mike said, casting a quick glance at his dinner companion. He could almost hear the pout from Lucas over the phone.

"Come on, Mike." Lucas whined "Can you at least give me a guess?"

"I don't know, Lucas! Sometime before two, I guess." Mike replied, starting to get really tired of this conversation and really wanting to finish his dinner. "Look, Lucas, I have to go. I'll see you when you get home." After having said that, he ends the call and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Trouble with the boyfriend?" Harvey asks nonchalantly.

Mike snorts. "You have no idea."

"Well, if he ever becomes too much trouble, just let me know and I'll help you out. After all, you're no good to me at the office if you're not there because of some stupidness with your boyfriend" Harvey somewhat snarked. He thinks that the concern he feels for Mike was successfully buried in the comment.

"Thanks for the offer. I just might take you up on that." 'Probably later tonight or tomorrow.' Mike thought feeling somewhat depressed over the scene that he's going to be witness to when he gets home.

Harvey, seeing his suddenly gloomy mood, skillfully moves the conversation into the safer waters of work.

After the bill gets paid, they head out of the restaurant. After they get comfortably settled in the car, Mike turns to Harvey.

"Hey, Harvey, can I crash on your couch tonight?"

Hearing the teeniest hint of anxiety behind the question he replies "Sure, kid. No problem. Although I think that the guest room would be more comfortable."

Mike quirks an eyebrow. "When did you convert your office?"

"About a month ago." He smirks. "You want to stop by your place and pick up some stuff?"

Mike nods, closes his eyes and leans his head against the window.

Harvey smiles softly as the younger man falls into a light doze.

A/N: Coming up to Mike homecoming. Any ideas on how to approach it will be welcomed.