When Harvey arrived at work the next morning it looked like just another day at the office. Donna was sitting behind her desk, Mike at his cubicle. As usual, the man was hunched over some files, headphones on and highlighter in the corner of his mouth.

On the surface, it all seemed like perfectly normal behavior. But he could feel in his gut that it was false. Something had shifted for both him and Mike. And it could not be undone. At least it sure felt that way.

Donna looked up at him when he approached. Instead of handing him his coffee, she got up from her chair, walked into his office and put the carton cup on his desk. She sat down, legs and arms crossed regally, and waited for him to take his seat.

He looked at her, unsure whether he should protest or just give in. He finally decided on the latter, sat down, picked up his coffee, and braced himself for what was to come.

"First of all, I am glad you came to your senses." She smiled. It was a kind and warm smile. She knew it hadn't been easy for him to swallow his pride and push his considerable ego aside. "You almost make me proud."

The look in her green eyes turned serious, something that he rarely got to see. It wasn't some variation of the scolding, patronizing, or know-it-all look she usually threw at him when she wanted to make a point.

She continued in a deceptively sweet voice. "Now, I know about the kiss and its aftermath. But what I don't know is why you were such an idiot as to not express the feelings you fail so badly at keeping secret."

He rolled his eyes at her, but before he could get a word in edgewise, she had started up again. "Now, if you don't return his feelings, fine. But the least you could do, as a mentor and a human being, is be honest with him and let the wound heal on its own. But if this whole thing is because of some stupid outdated crap about professionalism…" She took a deep breath and donned a rather grave expression. "Either way, Harvey, you've got to act. Before you lose him."

Waiting for an answer, she leaned back in her chair. Harvey did not say a word. He knew there was more to come. She paused for a moment before dropping another bomb.

"You better figure your feelings out fast, Harvey, because Mike's a hot item and he's for sale."

"I never want to hear that metaphor again," Harvey grimaced in an attempt to regain some composure. He was fairly certain he knew what Donna was about to do.

She glared at him before continuing. "Well, the rather attractive, smart, neighbor of Mike's new apartment is single and very interested in him. And I'm going to tell Mike about him if you don't hurry up and stop all the pining for each other."

"No one is pining for anyone!" Harvey declared, intensely angry all of the sudden.

"Well, Mike is pining away after you," Donna started. Harvey frowned in confusion at the warm glow in his stomach at the thought of Mike still being interested in him. It wasn't like Harvey actually wanted the man to have such feelings for him. He certainly could never return them. There was no real reason why Mike shouldn't be with this neighbor. It was none of Harvey's business.

"Listen, either you-"

"Morning," Mike said as he barged in. His blue eyes looked a little brighter than they had recently, and there was even a faint smile on his face. "Am I interrupting something?"

Donna got up from her chair trying very hard to hide her irritation. "No, that's okay Mike. We're pretty much done here." She threw Harvey a questioning look. "Aren't we, Harvey?"

Harvey ignored her remark and turned his attention to Mike. "What can I do for you?"

...

Mike sat down on the couch and threw a stack of files on the table. "Here you go. All the case files from last week. Finished." That was no small feat. Even for someone with a brain like his.

Mike could see that Harvey was impressed. "I thought I had to make up for working for Louis. Don't want to get fired now, do I?" he said with a slightly sarcastic undertone, not caring if the hurt still played in his voice.

Mike leaned back into the couch. He loved that couch. He always felt at home when he sat there. He remembered the moments he had spent in that spot, seemingly at work but secretly watching Harvey looking devastatingly handsome as usual. Whether he'd been going over cases, playing with his pen, even when he wore a frown above his beautiful brown eyes as he figured out ways to outsmart everybody. How could anybody not fall in love with that man? Well, Mike had. And it had made him more miserable than he had been in a very long time.

But at least he knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was never going to happen. Mike had never in his life gotten such a cold response to a kiss. It had made a big dent in his ego. And Harvey's coldhearted reaction hadn't exactly boosted his self esteem.

So Mike had decided that kindness had become the absolute number one on his list. Donna and Louis had been genuinely kind to him when he was miserable. And that was no match for lust. No matter how devastatingly gorgeous the man in question might be.

The only thing that kept nagging at him was that he knew, deep down, that Harvey was kind. Warm, giving, and kind. He immediately pushed that knowledge back in a little drawer that was buried in the back of his mind. If he gave in to it, he would be lost all over again.

Somehow the fact that Harvey had been such a dick had actually helped him to get over his crush. At least now he could hang on to that shell of cruelty as a reason to not love him with the same all consuming-fire that had burnt his house to the ground.

He would be okay now. Keep it professional. Mike would prove that he was a good student. He would handle their relationship the Specter way. Do not get attached.

He could do this.

...

Harvey let Mike's sharp sting of words sink their teeth into him. He deserved it.

"I deserve that," he said with a small smile. He watched as Mike settled into the couch like he always did. It was starting to get a groove in it in the shape of Mike's butt, the man was on it so much.

Harvey took a seat at his desk in the hopes of moving this awkward moment along. But as he took his seat he recalled the other night when Mike had rushed in, grabbed Harvey by his tie, and passionately kissed him. For some awful reason, it was all Harvey could think of. And all he could feel about it was regret.

"Do you need help moving?" Harvey asked.

Mike glared at him and stood. "No I get it. I'll find some more work to do."

"With your apartment, Mike."

Mike stopped and looked confused for a moment before understanding dawned on his face. "Oh. I thought..."

"It's okay," Harvey reassured.

Mike coughed and tugged at the knot of his tie. "Well, pretty much all of my stuff is now ash and cinders, so..."

"Nothing? You have nothing left?" Harvey asked him, finally realizing just how bad a position Mike was in when he'd shown up at Harvey's door that night.

"Nope. Nothing. Well, except the panda, but it's kind of blackened around the edges now." Mike fiddled with the hem of his jacket.

Harvey stuffed his hands in his pockets, not sure how to respond without sounding like an ass.

Mike also seemed to feel awkward. "Well, I guess I'll just...I think Harold needed help with something for Jessica. I'll just go do that."

"Right," Harvey said and returned to his work. Mike took a step out the door, but was intercepted by Donna.

"Mike. Can I talk to you about Kevin later?" Donna asked, glancing meaningfully at Harvey.

Mike seemed nervous at her question and whisked his eyes between Harvey and Donna. "Uh, yeah, sure I guess."

"Actually, really quickly, what do you think of him?"

Mike shuffled his feet. "Well, uh, he's a really nice..."

"New neighbor?" Donna finished for him.

Mike nodded.

"You don't think he's...too tall? Too handsome?"

Mike shook his head and gave a small laugh. "Donna. He's perfect. Really. Thanks for-"

"Introducing you?" Donna stared at Harvey as she said, "It was my pleasure. I hope you two are happy together."

As both Mike and Donna made their way out, Harvey found himself tightly gripping his pen with both hands. Harvey didn't care that way about Mike, maybe, but he needed to make sure that whomever Mike dated, they were acceptable.

And this Kevin person was most definitely not qualified to speak to someone like Mike, let alone be kissed by him. But Harvey couldn't go about things the wrong way again. He needed a way to both keep Mike single and out of the path of self-destructing sinking anchors while preserving the friendship they shared.

Basically, Harvey needed a plan-a new and much better plan than the last one.

But first, he'd need that panda picture Mike was so fond of...