"Talk to him."

"Donna-"

"Harvey, talk to him."

"No."

"Talk to him!"

"Is that all you have to say, because repetition isn't going to convince me!"

"Oh so you can be convinced?"

"Get out of my office."

"Harvey, I'm not going to let you do this."

The dom vs dom stare down that took place then would have made even the bravest of lions cower away.

"Harvey, you love him. I know you do, even if you won't admit it. I won't just sit here and let you throw something good away! Again!"

"Donna, don't tell me how to run my life. Get out."

Now, an ordinary person would be offended by his little outburst. They'd be angry that he'd be so angry at them for trying to help, when he clearly needed it. They'd storm out and probably live the rest of their lives calling him an asshole. But Donna could see in others what usually no one else could. And right now, that gift was pointing right at a crack in the amour. Harvey wanted this – needed this – and he was silently begging Donna to stay. The problem was that everyone left. Harvey knew it, Donna knew it, Mike knew it... Everyone leaves. But in case she hadn't made it clear enough in the past ten years that they'd known each other, when she'd battled right by his side when she knew she was just going to be dragged down next to him, Donna was not going anywhere. Ever. And neither was Mike. That kid needed Harvey like he needed air to breath. It was so obvious, she felt ready to chuck something at Harvey's head for not seeing it. When Harvey had left – or Mike had... she wasn't really sure which way it had happened – Mike let his life go to shit. He got kicked out of school, lost the dream, and built up a nasty habit of smoking way too much weed. But Harvey had brought him back in so many ways after that.

At some point in the silence, Harvey had stopped his nervous fidgeting with his pen, and had turned back around to stare at Donna with puppy dog eyes that could probably compete with Mike's. She smiled at him from her seat, a warm smile filled with unbridled affection.

"I thought he'd come back..."

"Call him," she said in what's almost certainly the softest voice she'd used with him yet. She knew from his silence that he was doubting himself, not her, and that broke her heart. Harvey Specter was strong, but not when it came to his Mike. She knew that he wanted so badly to be with him – in any way. But she also saw how much insecurity they had together. Neither felt worthy of the other, but in the end, it all came down to one marvel of a fact. "No one's leaving you, Harvey."

SUITS

"Yeah, Rachel, I promise you I'm fine. - No, I was not at work today. - Well, maybe I took your advice and took a break to catch up on some beauty sleep! - Oh, you know I'm beautiful. - Yes, you are too. - No, let's face it. I'm way prettier than you. - Hold that thought, someone's at the door. Mind if I call you later?" He hated to hang up on Rachel; the one person who he felt had stuck with him through everything. Maybe he'd just not answer the door... It was probably just the landlord anyway... Even though he'd paid his rent on time. Odd. And he hadn't ordered in...

Curiosity getting the best of him, he pulled the door open and tried his best to not look like he was in complete shock.

"Harvey," He said it more out of surprise than in greeting, but it had just the same affect.

"When I told you to go home, I didn't mean to come back."

The honesty in his voice, and behind his usually hardened eyes, nearly had Mike coming undone on the spot. But, like the man he had spent the past year trying to convince Harvey he was, he kept the emotion buried deep down and held the door open for his ex-boss to come inside. "You know I work for Louis, right? Even if you did send me home send me home, I would still have to go to work."

"I know."

Somehow, he'd expected the assertion to lighten the mood. Why? God must know, but Mike sure didn't. Either way, it clearly hadn't worked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "So what are you doing here?"

Harvey stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not quite sure what to do with himself. Suddenly, an idea that was equally bad to everyone he'd made in the recent past came bubbling out of his mouth before he could stop it. "You smoked?" He pointed to the coffee table where a rolled joint, and quite the bag of weed sat waiting.

"I tried. Believe me." Mike shook his head in a way that looked too self deprecating for Harvey's comfort. "I couldn't get your stupid face out of my head long enough to do it."

"Stupid face?" Harvey asked with what he hoped looked like mock horror, but came out as more of a shy smile. As endearing as it was, it made Mike wish that Harvey would just let himself be really happy for once. His real smile was breathtaking.

"Yeah, you and your stupid face." He beamed when Harvey chuckled and moved to join him where he now sat on the couch.

"I'm proud of you." He let his hand travel up to the back of Mike's shoulder, letting it hold him gently. He was praying for so much more, but he'd settle for this.

Mike turned his head slightly toward him, smile confused, and eyes guarded. "I am sorry, you know."

"I know."

He tried to keep it together, he really did. But the guilt mixed with the forgiveness he'd been so hoping for but didn't think he deserved, plus the hand on his back that belonged to the man he loved but would never love him back... It was too much. He slumped himself over, elbows on knees and head in hands, and tried to get a frikkin grip. How was it that Harvey was able to own him so easily, when he could barely even be fazed by Mike. It wasn't fair.

The hand squeezed tighter, and he heard a whispered, "Come here," before he was moving – of his own accord or by the help of Harvey's carefully controlled hands he didn't know – into Harvey's lap. The older tucked the other's head beneath his chin, and tried his best to rub gentle circles on his back and whisper soothing things into his ear. He wasn't sure he was doing so well though, his own throat was tensing up with the need to just let it all out. "I'm sorry, Mike." The associate froze, breathing, everything. He just stopped moving, going completely rigid in Harvey's arms. "Mike?" No answer. "Mikey, I really am, I swear. For everything. For not listening to you, and for pushing you away, and everything that happened before. Mike, I'm so sorry." He still didn't move, but that was ok. Harvey hadn't expected to be forgiven, or really even let into the apartment. But Mike wasn't pulling away, so he'd be ok. Even if Mike never did forgive him, at least he'd told him.

"It didn't work out with Rachel." Almost an hour had passed before Mike finally spoke. In that time, he'd been clenching and unclenching his fists in Harvey's shirt, and burying and unburying his face in his chest like he wanted to be held but was afraid of to be crushed. "I just thought you should know."

His jaw flexed as he bit back the hurt and jealousy at the mention of the paralegal. "I'm sorry."

"Is that all you have to say tonight?" He moved to sit up, to stare into Harvey's eyes as he teased him, but immediately changed his mind. He was finally close, how could he possibly pull away?

"What happened?" He didn't really want to know. Somehow he felt like he owed it to Mike to hear him out.

He shrugged. "She went back to her ex, but we parted on good terms. We're friends now." He allowed himself a rueful smile, knowing it would go unseen by the other. "We're better as friends anyway."

Harvey nodded above him, drawing his arms tighter in their circle around Mike, shielding him from whatever pain he could. "That sucks." It was a lost hope that Mike wouldn't hear how strained the words sounded.

He shrugged again. "Not like I've never felt the same."

What? The same? That he wanted to be back with his ex? That he and a lover would be better off as friends? He could suddenly feel his heart thudding, and silently pleaded that Mike wouldn't notice.

"So yeah, I'm glad it's worked out for her. Besides, I'm way too busy with Louis' work to have a relationship anyway." He tried to laugh, but disappointment was flooding him profusely. He didn't know what he'd wanted Harvey to say. He hadn't really expected him to say anything at all. But the silence still hurt.

"Will I see you at work tomorrow?"

Mike was blinking back tears and trying his best to soothe the tightening in his throat before he answered. "Good night, Harvey." He didn't bother to look at him as he left, he just walked away, and once he was safely inside the confines of his bedroom, he quietly shut the door behind him.

SUITS

Harvey had been thankful that Donna had given him so much space that morning, but he knew it was way too good to be true. He couldn't help the roll his eyes gave as he saw her cautiously stepping around her desk to meet him at his glass office doors as he approached.

"Donna," he nodded curtly.

"So...?"

"So what?"

She threw a hand on her hip, successfully blocking his path with her body. "So what happened with Mike?" She looked beautifully ready for gossip as she took him in, crossing her arms over her chest and preparing herself. She really shouldn't look so happy.

"I don't know if he's coming back." The words hurt just as much to say out loud as they had to think about them all damned night long. Maybe more even, now that he'd said it, it was that much more real.

With a raised eyebrow, she directed him to look behind them. He turned his head, none too subtly, and then quickly back again. "He's here."

A/N: The climax is coming, guys. And I'm still trying to prep the prequel, SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS PLEASE PLEASE SHARE THEM WITH ME LOL I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with it. Hope you're all still enjoying this story!