The next morning Mike headed straight for Donna's cubicle. "Is he in?"

Donna got up from behind her desk and examined him from head to toe. "You're wearing a new suit, new shoes, you smell delicious, and you look agitated. I haven't seen Harvey yet, but Louis just passed me by when I picked up my coffee."

She sat down again with a very dissatisfied look on her face. "Okay, tell me what went wrong here. Because you definitely did not sleep at Harvey's and you definitely did not sleep in the park."

"Ah, I should have known it was you who sent him over," Mike bit out angrily. "God, I can't stand that man sometimes."

She shook her head while she corrected him. "Mike, you might want to watch your tone. Now, that was not an answer to my question. What went wrong?"

Mike ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to collect himself. "Well, he came over to Louis's, alright. He said he wanted his suit to come with him."

She rolled her eyes. "Will he ever grow up?"

"So I gave him his suit. I took it off and handed it over."

Donna looked amused. "You got undressed in front of him? Always knew that would happen one day."

"Yeah right," he smirked. "Like Harvey would ever be interested."

Her eyes lit up. "Ah, touch a nerve now, did I?"

"Oh, please! You know what? Forget I said anything," he hissed before he turned and marched away.

'Yep," she nodded slowly. "Definitely hit a nerve."

...

Mike stayed out of Harvey's office for the rest of the day. He persuaded Harold to take on the position as errand boy.

Mike was trying to get the work done that Louis just landed on his desk when Harold came running back for the third time in 10 minutes with the same stack of papers. "Sorry Mike, but Harvey still believes you missed something."

Agitated, Mike threw his marker on his desk. "God, the man is such a baby!"

Harold looked like a deer that was caught in the headlights. Never would he dare to speak of the great Harvey Specter in that manner.

"I didn't miss a thing. And Harvey knows it." He let out an irritated groan. "Hand it over, I'll go there myself."

He got up from his chair, barged into Harvey's office, and threw the files on Harvey's desk.

"It's all there. And you know it. So what is it?" He stood there, hands demonstratively at his sides, looking down on Harvey with a stubborn face. "Yes, I stayed at Louis's. And yes, it freaked me out when I heard the shower running. But you know what? He was polite, and, one might even say, kind. I am glad I have a decent place to sleep. So, no, I did not sleep in the park." He tilted his head and looked at Harvey as if he wanted to dare him to interrupt. "And I am sure you have some very clever remark to put me back in my place. Well, you can keep it. If you have a serious question regarding my work, I would love to hear it. Else, I am not interested."

God, why can't he be nice just once and why do I let him get to me so much?

Mike wanted to be stern but he suddenly felt the tears welling up. He brusquely turned around and almost stormed out.

…

Harvey rose angrily from his seat, mouth open in a witty retort. But he discarded it after a good look at Donna. She was clutching tissues and furiously motioning wiping her eyes and pointing at Mike, who, amazingly enough, hadn't noticed the game of charades.

Mike was crying?

Harvey's heart pulsed with an angry pang and he felt guilt overwhelm him. And worst of all, he no longer knew what to say. Sure, he knew all the cruel remarks and teasing comments of their usual banter, but sincerity wasn't exactly the first instinct of speech for him.

"Mike," he managed to get out, startled at the gentle quality of it.

Mike's shoulders trembled slightly, but didn't move.

"Good job on these," Harvey muttered towards the pile of folders Mike had slapped down.

"Is there anything else you need, or can I get back to work?" Mike's voice had steadied itself into a cold and professional tone.

"You," Harvey said, almost too quietly to be heard. Mike turned his head to look curiously at him, his eyes red and watery, but not tearing. Harvey stuffed his hands in his pockets to force himself to relax and regain some composure. "You..." he repeated in an attempt to hide the yearning he'd voiced, "haven't had lunch yet, I assume."

Mike just stared at him, clearly unsure whether he should still be angry.

"Well, I need your help with this case. And I need lunch."

"I'm really busy with this case for Louis," Mike said. "And since my current lodgings depend on him, I'm working his stuff as a priority."

"You work for me," Harvey bit out angrily. He couldn't quite place the possessive feeling that suddenly overwhelmed him at Mike's words. The kid was choosing Louis? Again?

"Yeah, well, it's a two-way street, Harvey." Mike pulled the door open and stormed out.

After a minute, Donna stormed in in his place, fury on her face. Harvey looked at her and silently pleaded with her to just leave it alone.

Of course she wouldn't. "What the hell was that?"

"He made his choice," Harvey said and started busying himself with the mess on his desk.

"You didn't give him one."

He peered up at her tiredly. She was glaring at him, arms crossed and foot tapping, but her expression was not without sympathy. "What do you want me to do, Donna? He wants to work with Louis he'll find out the same as last time that nothing comes without a price."

"You made him cry!" she yelled at him.

"Don't be so dramatic. He wasn't crying."

"He was, you know it, and you're being an idiot." She stalked back to her desk and started grabbing her purse and keys.

Harvey closed his eyes to reign in his ire and with a large breath called out, "Where are you going?" She didn't answer and panic gripped him as he realized she might be heading for a certain balding lawyer who was ruining his life. "Don't tell me you're Team Louis, now."

She gave an incredulous sniff. "As if. But clearly you don't deserve my greatness. Let me know when you stop being a big baby."

"Donna!" Harvey called after her. But she just kept walking.

Well, he wasn't going to chase after her. Harvey Specter chased after no one.

He retook his seat and turned his full attention on his work. If Donna wanted to leave, then he'd let her. He could handle things just fine without her. And he certainly didn't need Mike. Hell, he hadn't even wanted an associate to begin with. And see if Harvey cared if Jessica came after him again. The kid wanted to be with Louis? Fine. Soon enough, he'd come running back and begging to be with Harvey.

He was more than capable of being completely awesome on his own.

The phone rang.

"Donna!" he called instinctively, before remembering she'd left him.

The phone rang again.

He looked at it with distaste.

The phone ra-

Harvey pulled the cord out of it, knocking the infernal thing over and causing the receiver to fall to the floor. He looked up to find Jessica standing in his doorway. She looked at him, then to Donna's desk, and finally to the mess of folders littered with Mike's handwriting and unique color-coded highlighting.

"Whatever it is," she began, and he readied his usual denial for when she had that knowing look, "Fix it. Now." She walked away.

He stood abruptly, letting the phone fall to the floor with a crash, and didn't bother to straighten his tie. He was going to get Mike back. And Donna. He'd done it before, and against worse foes than Louis, and he was going to get things back to normal.

But he had a plan. And he had to follow the plan.

...

Mike sat down behind his desk. He was still trembling inside. There was a battle being fought out in his mind. The anger over Harvey's disinterest was the loudest, the sadness over that same disinterest the most desperate, but it was the silent wonder about the soft and gentle tone in which Harvey had said 'you' that came out victorious.

Without giving it a conscious thought he acted on his gut instinct. He got up from his chair, walked over to Harvey's office, and opened the door.

Harvey was sitting behind his desk. A whole range of emotions appeared on Harvey's face but Mike ignored them.

He stood in front of him and just when Harvey opened his mouth to say something, Mike bent over, grabbed Harvey by his tie, and planted a deep and passionate kiss on him.

Then he let go, and without saying a word he turned and left the office as suddenly as he had come in. Mike didn't look back but walked straight to his cubicle, grabbed his bag, and headed for the elevators. He knew he would probably die of shame the next time he would have to face Harvey. Not only because he kissed him. But above all because Harvey had not made the slightest attempt to return it.