When Harvey passed Donna on the way to Jessica's office he found Mike there. While he walked by he couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"So...now that you've had a proper chance to get acquainted, what do you think about Kevin?"
Mike laughed. Harvey tried to remind himself that Mike's laughter was the same annoying sound as everyone else's and not special and charming in any fashion. "Well, he's a bit taller than I had expected, to tell the truth."
Harvey smirked, somehow elated at the flaw Mike had found in this jerk.
"Yeah, but he's a great listener. You should give him a try," Donna suggested sincerely.
"Donna, I'm not going to talk to Kevin about work. My life here is bad enough without embarrassing myself further in front of the other associates."
Mike's life was bad here? Harvey wondered with a frown. But it wasn't always. Was it?
"Well, why don't you take him home, then? I'm sure he'd fit right in at your place."
"Uh, I'll think about it."
"You do that," Donna said with a rather shockingly lewd wink.
Harvey attempted not to gape at the lengths this woman would go to to prove a point. Not that Harvey cared. After all, Mike's love life was none of his concern. Unless, of course, this moron Kevin turned out to be some sort of nefarious criminal from whom Harvey would have to rescue Mike. Then he cared.
And judging by Mike's past relationships, both friend and lover...
Harvey stalked off before he lost his temper in public. He'd already just about gone crazy the other day and he really didn't need a repeat of those events. He would simply have to execute his ingenious plan.
Of course, it would be much easier to execute it if he knew what it was.
-
When Mike sat down on his cheap temporary folding chair that evening, he put his feet up, opened a bottle of beer, and swept his gaze through his new apartment with a satisfied look. It was almost starting to feel like home, though the walls needed some decoration and he was mostly without furniture. Then he remembered that he had left the panda on his desk. Although it was the weekend, Mike considered picking up the charred picture the next day. Somehow that stupid thing would be the finishing touch.
His thoughts trailed back to his encounter with Harvey that morning. It had been a little awkward but it had also been...nice. Harvey had been kind. Or at least he'd tried to be. He'd even offered to help. Mike pushed the little drawer in the back of his mind that was labeled "Harvey is kind" shut again and decided he needed a lock on it.
Mike wasn't one to hold a grudge. And he desperately wanted things to return to normal again.
He figured it would be easier to settle things outside of work, without Louis or Jessica looking over his shoulder.
Since it would be Saturday the next day, maybe Mike could invite Harvey over for breakfast. And if Harvey still wanted to help, he could assist Mike in purchasing the last couple of necessities for his new place. He still needed a decent bed; he had borrowed an air mattress but his back was starting to protest violently.
There was one problem though. Chances were that Harvey would not spend his Friday evening alone. And Harvey would never kick someone out in the middle of the night. He was too much of a gentleman. But Mike sure as hell wasn't going to make breakfast for Harvey and his lover. He wasn't quite that comfortable with his being rejected for that door to be open anytime soon.
He weighed his options while taking a sip of his cold beer. Then he decided that he had made so many careless moves already in the last couple of days, one more wouldn't make a difference. But this time he would leave it up to Harvey.
He got out his phone and texted him the invitation. Can I take you up on your offer to help me move? Still need to buy a few things. I'll make you breakfast first. Promise to keep an eye on the bacon. Tomorrow morning at 10, my place?
-
Harvey pressed the buzzer for Mike's new building, which was so much nicer than his previous place that it actually had a buzzer. As he waited for Mike to let him in the building, he stared at the tenant directory list on the wall. It appeared there was indeed someone in the building named Kevin. Harvey immediately disliked him.
The buzzer sounded startlingly and the door latch pulled back. Harvey stepped through and into the working elevator where he made his way to the sixth floor.
At the end of the hall was Mike's place. Donna most definitely had performed her usual magic in order to get this place for the price Mike could afford. The woman could have been anything, but Harvey was glad she was his assistant. He shuddered to think what life would be like without her, even when she made his life at the office miserable for personal vendettas.
After a knock and a call to wait a minute, Mike pulled open the door looking more nervous than ever.
Harvey couldn't help but run his eyes over his associate's slim form. The man was wearing worn jeans and a stretched T-shirt, his hair messy and his feet bare. He looked...sexy. Harvey swallowed down the mixture of conflicting emotions he was feeling. He couldn't afford to not show any emotions here, but he could prevent the wrong ones from surfacing.
"I brought this, among other things," Harvey said, handing Mike a few extra packets of bacon and setting a large box of items down on the floor.
Mike stared at the bacon for a whole minute before laughing. "Oh ye of little faith."
"I figured if you get it right the first time, we can enjoy lots of bacon. If not, well, at least you'll get some practice in," Harvey said with relief, his usual charming grin forming comfortably on his face.
Mike shut the door behind Harvey and headed into the small area of what Harvey guessed was the kitchen.
"Feel free to look around. I haven't figured out where everything is gonna go yet," Mike called from the kitchen.
Harvey noticed the two rooms branching out from the living room and the bathroom opposite one of them. The living room was fairly spacious, though the bedrooms seemed small and the bathroom even more cramped. But all in all it was a pretty great apartment for this price in New York. And it was much closer to both Harvey's place and the firm than Mike's old apartment.
What does it matter how close he is to me? Harvey thought with a frown.
From the kitchen came familiar sizzling sounds and the delicious scent of not-yet-burning bacon. Harvey smiled at the memory of the domestic scene a few days ago; Mike was laughing as he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth while Harvey guzzled down his mug of coffee and enjoyed the banter and the food.
Harvey shook his head to clear it of the memory, but it wouldn't leave. He suddenly felt a fierce longing in his chest at the thought that he could have had that moment again and he'd blown it.
He forced the regret down and marched quietly to the box he'd lugged with him, making sure Mike didn't hear anything suspicious. He popped off the lid and pulled out the level, the hammer, and the nail he'd purchased, and Mike's charred panda picture. Harvey had had it framed anew and fixed up, though the whole thing had cost more than the picture was actually worth. It wasn't a painting, but a cheap crappy print. Yet to fix it, Harvey had hired an expert to paint over the original so it looked even better than before. He could only hope that Mike would approve.
Attempting to be quiet, Harvey headed over to where he thought the breakfast nook would be and where Mike had set up a folding table with a cloth on it. It was set for the two of them and Harvey carefully dragged the thing from the wall so as not to mess it up.
The nail would be the hardest since it would produce the most noise, but Harvey had planned to knock something over to disguise the sound.
In the end, Mike was too busy in the kitchen, probably lost in a focused attempt to properly cook the bacon, to even notice Harvey's handiwork.
Harvey removed the level once he was certain it wasn't crooked and stepped back to admire his work. It looked perfect. Now this place had that Mike Ross look to it.
He sniffed at the delicious odors wafting from the kitchen and headed dreamily for the source.
Mike was standing with his back to Harvey, madly overturning the bacon with his spatula and completely unaware of Harvey's presence. Harvey stared at the man he'd turned down, at the man he'd befriended, the man he had hurt, and in that moment, one thing was clear: he wanted Mike.
"Earth to Harvey," Mike said with a snicker and a snap of his fingers. "Hey, um, Harvey?" he asked when the man didn't respond and continued to stare intensely at him. "Hello?"
And before Harvey could even think about answering, he was pressing Mike up against the counter and pushing his hands against Mike's hips.
"What-"
Harvey kissed him, as fiercely and desperately as he could. When Mike's lips parted slightly in surprise, Harvey dove further in, searching for something he couldn't name.