Chapter 6

When the sun started to peek through his window, Harvey stirred and dragged himself from sleep. He didn't even let his alarm go off, just switched the whole function off and decided to get up early. He was planning on getting Mike into the office today, had already cleared it with Jessica, and the earlier start he got the better. Harvey wasn't sure how long it would take to convince Mike he needed the fancier tie.

As he slipped out from under his covers and found himself some socks and a suit, he thought about the previous night. Walking in and finding the trashed living room had scared him pretty bad. He'd worried Mike had been beaten again, that whoever had tried to kill him once had come back to finish the job. Harvey had pulled out his phone and already pushed the 9 and the 1 before he saw the back of Mike's head over the back of the patio chair.

The kid was so lost. Maybe Harvey should stop calling him a kid. But the way he'd held Harvey's hand, the sad way he'd admitted to his tantrum, even the way he'd sat on the balcony – Mike was more like a kid than Harvey had ever seen him before. Surprisingly, instead of wanting to use it later as a taunt, it just made Harvey angrier at Trevor... or whoever. But he was pretty sure this was Trevor's fault. Bad things in Mike's life had a tendency to be Trevor's fault.

After he had everything on but the jacket and tie, Harvey left his room to go find Mike. He dropped his jacket over the back of a chair and slipped the tie over his head as he walked. When he reached Mike's door, he stopped – tie incomplete. Mike was... talking? Was he awake? Harvey leaned his head against the wood.

"N-No," Mike grunted. "S-Stop."

Harvey pressed his lips into a thin line. It was one of Mike's nightmares, just like the ones he'd had in the hospital. Changing locals had changed nothing about Mike's nights, it seemed.

After a short breath, Harvey knocked on the door to stir his associate. He couldn't walk in and shake Mike awake to save him from the nightmares, but he could do something like this. This he could still claim wasn't for Mike's benefit.

Mike's moaning halted almost as soon as Harvey started knocking, and Harvey waited half a minute before he turned the doorknob and let himself in. Mike was conscious, barely, and he stared at Harvey, perplexed.

"What time is it?" he asked, and Harvey wondered if he even remembered the nightmare at all. He sounded so... normal.

"Early. I came to help you pick out a suit and look presentable. I'm taking you to the office." He flicked on the light and walked over to Mike's closet. The suits they'd brought were hanging up, newly pressed thanks to Harvey. He took one down and laid it gently across the foot of Mike's bed as the associate sat up, cross-legged, on the bed.

There was something different about Mike, about the way he looked at Harvey. His hands on his legs were relaxed, his shoulders only mildly taut, and his breathing was totally calm. It was as if Mike were weighing options and waiting for something to jump start which one would win. His eyes followed Harvey carefully, but not suspiciously, and Harvey realized he was the deciding factor to whatever Mike was thinking about.

"Everything alright, Mike?" Harvey asked.

Mike didn't even flinch. He just nodded. "Yeah." and that deliberating tension left his shoulders and he reached for the suit. "So, the office. Does everyone know? About the accident and-"

"No," Harvey interrupted and stepped back to give Mike room. He turned to go through Mike's bag and see if they'd need anything for their trip today... but it was really just him giving Mike some privacy to change. "Well they know you were in the hospital for two weeks, but no one knows about the amnesia... except for myself, Donna, and Jessica. I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Yeah... I guess that'd be the best. I don't want to be a freak show. Plus, if everyone knew, they'd act different, and we want them to be normal... right?" Mike asked.

"Right." Harvey stopped his searching and turned back to Mike. He had his pants on and was just slipping his arms through the sleeves of his shirt. "Hang on. You seem really calm."

So far Mike had been compliant but wary. He didn't know anyone. He mostly trusted Harvey, but not anyone else Harvey brought up. Mike had even been a little distant since learning that Trevor hadn't been found. But now... Mike seemed almost eager. It was the same energy that passed between them we they discussed their strategy just before going into a hearing or briefing or meeting of any sort where they knew they would mop the floor with the competition. It was... normal... familiar.

Mike hesitated and then finished buttoning up his shirt and folding down his collar. As he reached for his tie, he said, "It's just an office, right? I mean... we're lawyers. What could go wrong in a quick visit?"

"Right," Harvey answered, but he watched Mike carefully.

His chest felt strange. This routine interaction they were having gave Harvey a burst of hope he hadn't truly had since Mike admitted to feeling calm in his presence. Mike was still in there. He was still the same guy, and that was the best possible start to a day.

Mike's tie came out slightly crooked because the knot wasn't straight, and Harvey chuckled as he walked over. He pushed Mike's hands away and redid the tie for him. "Just like Atlantic City," he said.

"I'm banned from Atlantic City," Mike mumbled. "But... you know that."

"Yes, I do." Harvey nodded at his handiwork and stepped away. Mike seemed distracted, his eyes drifting away toward the floor. "Don't worry. The office is a lot like gambling. I'm sure you'll be a natural."

Mike's eyes lifted to meet his and the younger man smiled with a shrug. "Yeah. Pretending to know people I don't remember... How hard can it be?"

Getting out of the car in front of the building for Pearson Hardman is nothing new for Harvey Specter. He's done it a thousand times. More. But Mike's reaction is fresh – from the skilled associate who knows where the bagels are, where the guy sells pot by the hot dogs, and what area of the street to avoid if you don't want to be pick pocketed to the green faced newbie stepping out of the car behind Harvey with a look of shock on his features.

"Holy cow," Mike said with a gasp. His face looked conflicted for a moment before he stared in awe again. "Do I still ride my bike?" he asked, and it was so off topic that Harvey had to think twice about the answer.

"Yeah. Dorky helmet and everything." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "Why?"

"Um. Nothing. I just felt like I forgot my bike for a second." Mike shook his head and glanced away toward the coffee cart on the corner and its few customers. He looked lost, slightly out of place despite the suit and tie. Harvey had dressed him up right, but Mike still needed to act the part.

Harvey cleared his throat. "Okay. Mike, follow me." He started toward the doors and Mike obediently followed. "Keep your head up. Breathe normal. Try not to freak out. If anyone tries to broach a topic you aren't comfortable with or you don't know the answer to, tell them you need to scan files for me and excuse yourself. I'll drop you off at your desk. Spend some time there, and then come see me in my office. It's down the hall, all the way at the end. You'll see Donna at her desk and the glass wall that lines my office. You can't miss it. Okay?"

"What?" Mike stumbled a bit as they slipped into the building. Harvey waved at the guard on duty, who smiled at them both and let them pass without checking their IDs, and then came to a stop in front of the elevators. Mike leaned forward and pressed the button after he stopped beside Harvey.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. If you take too long, I'll come get you. I'm just here to make a few phone calls, sign a few things, and then we'll be out. I promise." Harvey clapped Mike on the shoulder as the doors opened and the stepped inside.

Jessica Pearson slid into the otherwise empty elevator just before the doors shut. Mike tensed up instantly, and Jessica gave Harvey a serious side glance.

"Morning," she greeted and then turned her look on Mike. "How's that head of yours?"

"Um," was all Mike got out before she let out a sniff of a laugh and looked away. Harvey wanted to be angry, but he ended up just being amused at the way Mike bristled under her dismissal. "It's fine, thanks Jessica. I'm trying really hard, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't fire me just because you don't believe in me like Harvey does."

It was brash and, on a regular day, stupid, but Jessica looked more impressed than pissed so Harvey didn't panic. She looked Mike over again and then pulled a hat from her bag. It was a blank baseball cap, and she tugged it unceremoniously over Mike's head. The elevator doors dinged and opened.

"Looks like he's still alive in there," she said to Harvey and slinked out into the hall.

Mike grunted. "What's with the hat?" he asked, starting to pull it off. Harvey shook his head and tugged it back down onto Mike's head.

"Your head hasn't healed all the way and your hair still stands out. Jessica knew you were coming in today and is looking to help cover up your issue. It wouldn't be good for the firm if another firm wooed you while you were in a weakened state," Harvey explained. "So keep the damn hat on."

Harvey wouldn't say he was surprised by Jessica's actions, but he was. Yes he'd called ahead, and yes she said to keep a low profile about Mike, but the fact that she brought in a hat for Mike and intercepted him on the elevator to make sure he was covered showed more care than Jessica Pearson had ever shown to anyone besides Harvey. She'd say it was all for the company, and a good portion of her decision was, but this also helped Mike personally.

A grin threatened to break on Harvey's face, but he held it in. He had a reputation to uphold in the company after all.

When they reached Mike's desk, Harvey tapped the wall and Mike walked around to take his seat. Other associates were stealing glances in their direction, so Harvey lowered his voice and leaned in when he spoke. Mike looked caught between business professional and college drop out with that hat on, but at least he was here. At least the rumors that Mike had been fired would stop now.

"Be in my office in ten minutes or I'm coming to look for you, and you'd prefer that not happen. Alright?" he said. Maybe he sounded a bit harsh, but this was for posterity.

"Yes, Sir," Mike said, and it was with enough of a tease that Harvey doubted anyone would think anything weird had happened recently.

It was harder than Harvey expected to walk away from that desk. At the door to the room, he turned back to look at Mike. Jeff or James or whoever was already moving to lean where Harvey had been, and Mike was smiling and softly shaking his head. It was like letting your kid leave for school for the first time, where you don't know if they'd fall and hurt themselves and need you and...

No. It was worse than that.

It was like putting a loved one on a bus taking them to their hometown where old flames still lived, and the two of you had been having a rough time lately, and you don't know if they'll come back to you after the holidays or stay to rekindle an old relationship. It was filled with uncertainty and worry, and Harvey didn't know how to deal with that kind of tension in his chest... so he turned the corner and left Mike there in his cubicle.

Two short phone calls and a pack of forms to sign later, Harvey was getting jittery. Ten minutes was two minutes ago. He stood up, set down his pen, and grabbed his jacket. He was going to find Mike and hope he didn't find the associate huddled in a ball on the floor somewhere having a panic attack or something.

"Donna," he called out as he pulled on his jacket.

"Yes?" she sounded back over the intercom.

"Can you tell me when I turned into an over protective hen?" he asked. His collar took more effort than usual to tame, but then Harvey was heading for the door.

"When your phone rang and an apologetic sounding nurse told you Mike Ross was found half dead in the ditch across the road, and he'd taken a big hit to the head and they didn't know if he'd ever wake up." Donna was standing when he got to her desk. "But don't worry. I've been finding it hard to concentrate lately too. Knowing you had him has been my only comfort."

"I only got him yesterday," Harvey pointed out, taking the folder she was handing him.

"I know. But you told me he pretty much trusted you from day one, didn't you? That counts for a lot, you know." She suddenly gasped and looked past Harvey. "Mike!" she exclaimed in a soft voice.

"Morning Donna," Mike greeted with such normalcy that Harvey was shocked and Donna literally started to cry.

She hurried around Harvey to hug Mike tightly. This threw Mike for a loop, Harvey could tell, but he let it happen and even hugged her back. When Donna pulled away, she started checking his visible body for wounds. After she couldn't find any, she grabbed him by the face and gave a very serious look.

"Don't ever do anything like this ever again. Do you hear me? You gave us both heart attacks," she said.

"Both?" Mike asked, voice slightly off because of the way Donna was squeezing his face. His eyes darted to Harvey, who did his best to remain totally impassive.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh he'll never admit it. But it's true."

"I think that even if that was true, and I'm not saying it is, but if it was then there's been a major breach of confidentiality," Harvey finally said. Donna released Mike's face, revealing the way Mike was smiling at him now.

"Aw, you care about me," Mike teased. Donna made a squeaky noise and looked like she might faint from joy.

"Excuse me. I need to sit down," she said and walked quickly back to her chair. Mike's expression grew concerned and he held his tie against his chest as he looked quickly between the other two.

"What? What did I say?" he asked. Harvey shook his head and held his hand out in a 'calm down' motion.

"Nothin. You're just proving you're still the energetic egg-head I hired. Come on." and Harvey motioned for Mike to come into his office.

Before they could move more than a step, however, an anxious voice called out to Mike and made them all turn around to look. Rachel was walking quickly in their direction, a file in her hand. When she got to the desk, she set her file on Donna's desk, out of the way, and faced Mike.

"Where have you been? Two and a half weeks? What did you do, go under cover?" she asked and even spared some of her attention to give a quick glance at Harvey. Mike chuckled warily.

"Rachel," he said, his tone trying to placate her. "Calm down. I didn't just vanish, okay?" He paused and rolled his shoulders. His eyes flickered to Harvey and back to Rachel. "I was in a car accident."

Harvey was just as stunned as Rachel. The understatement of how serious this situation was didn't amuse Harvey, but he didn't want anyone else to know just how bad everything was either. He pressed his lips tightly together.

"I was in the hospital for a bit. Bruised ribs. Minor cuts. I'm alright," Mike continued. Rachel's annoyance had melted entirely away. She looked professionally concerned.

Maybe Harvey didn't want people to find out for more reasons than just keeping Mike's image clear. Seeing Rachel fret over Mike was irritating Harvey in a strange way. Her fear made Harvey's look like a cold, unfeeling black hole. Mike was an emotional person. He was going to latch onto this feedback from Rachel. Then what?

"Oh my God. When did it happen? Were you riding your bike? Did the police arrest the driver? Who hit you?" Rachel asked, reaching for Mike's arm but then pulling back.

Harvey wanted Mike to trust him, needed him to. He wanted to be Mike's confidant, his partner, his cohort. He didn't want anyone else in on their corner. Donna and Jessica were already invading. Donna was alright, and Jessica was a necessary evil, but Rachel Zane? Not worth it, and Harvey prayed Mike's amnesia of their relationship would keep the kid from spilling their secrets to her. Rachel was fine normally, but one bad day could ruin everything, and she had a tendency to be unprofessional and overly emotional – especially when it came to Mike.

"Uh...Yes," Mike looked away, his eyes distant. "It was a blue car, Corvette. My bike...um... the car broke the bike. Front wheel was all bent up."

Harvey stopped his inner exposition. Something was wrong. Mike's forehead kept creasing and though his speech was normal his chest suggested a breathing change. Was Mike making this up or...?

"They haven't... caught him yet." Mike pressed his hand to his head, just below his ear, and took a deep breath. His discomfort was obvious now. Rachel stepped forward.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mike? Maybe you should lay down," she said. She reached for Mike again, but he pulled back this time. The movement caused him to bump into someone walking up to the group – Louis.

"Hey, no hats in the office," the other lawyer grunted in annoyance and moved away from Mike. Harvey suspected he was more annoyed at being bumped than the hat. "Take it off or I'll take it off."

"Hat stays. I'm leaving in a minute anyway," Mike grunted. He didn't look well. In fact, he looked pale. Harvey took a step towards him.

"Hat goes. Office policy," Louis said and grabbed the brim. Harvey reached out to stop him at the same time Mike pulled away and accidentally helped Louis get the hat off.

Rachel gasped. Louis did some kind of snort noise and then muttered an "Oh my gosh." Harvey snatched the hat from Louis' hand while he was distracted and then pulled it back onto Mike's head.

"Jessica gave him the hat to wear in the office," Harvey said gruffly, moving half between Mike and Louis. "Don't you have some newbie associate to threaten, Louis?" He gave the shorter partner about two seconds to continue looking stunned and snapped. "Scram, Louis!"

Louis didn't need to be told a third time. He jumped and backed up a step. His forehead creased in what may have been curiosity or concern or both, and then he glanced at Harvey's angry look and headed back toward his own office. When Harvey turned back to Mike, Rachel was trying to fawn over him and so was Donna.

"Oh my God, Mike," Rachel was saying, and Harvey wished he could have stopped her in time too. Mike had his hand on the hat, holding it down where his head wound was. They'd all seen the still healing wound, the patchwork hair styling that attempted to hide it. Harvey frowned deeply. "How bad is it? Are you alright?"

"It was a blue...," Mike mumbled. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. "The bumper hit my... It broke my bike wheel." He let out his breath and stumbled to his right.

"Okay, Mike," Harvey said and grabbed Mike by the arms to steady him. "Let's go in my office and have you sit down."

"Harvey-," Mike began but Harvey made a noise to cut him off.

"Don't talk, Mike. Just walk," he said and guided Mike through the doorway.

After Mike was slumped on the couch, Harvey went back to close the office door. Rachel looked concerned, but Donna was doing her best to calm the paralegal. All Harvey caught was "concussion from the head wound. He's still recovering," but that's all he needed to hear to be proud of his assistant. Mike was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, when Harvey came over to kneel in front of him.

"Mike?" he asked. He was glad Mike's back was to the glass and that he was low enough for Rachel not to see his face. He wanted to keep Rachel out of this. Call it being possessive or selfish, but he didn't want her around Mike.

Mike sucked in a harsh breath and pressed his palms to his eyes. "God, everything aches," he groaned. "I mean, it doesn't... but I still feel it."

Harvey pressed his lips together. His earlier assumption was feeling more true the longer this went on. He took a deep breath to calm his voice and slipped his hand up to the crook of Mike's neck.

"You really were hit by a car, weren't you?" he asked softly. "By a blue Corvette."

Mike's pulse was quick under his hand, quick enough and hard enough to feel without trying. Mike didn't speak, but he swallowed heavily and nodded. His hand was still on his head, his eyes still shut. His lips parted to take a short breath and he nodded again. "I... I think so," he finally said.

"You know the license plate or anything so we can get this guy?" Harvey continued.

He kept his voice calm, kept his hand on the heated skin of Mike's neck, kept himself lower than Mike – all to make Mike feel secure and, hopefully, more comfortable. Harvey's expression was even soft despite the idea that someone had hit Mike with a car. Sure he wanted to find the bastard and kill him, but right now he was more worried about Mike. The younger man seemed to be in pain, and Harvey couldn't tell if it was current or a memory.

"I... I don't know," Mike huffed out. "Maybe? I need a bit to think. Can... Can we go home?"

It was a mix of wanting to get Mike what he needed and wanting to do anything for Mike who just called Harvey's condo 'home' that moved Harvey to agree. He stood up, checked he had everything he needed, and then helped Mike to his feet. Luckily Mike was becoming more stable and could walk on his own, so they didn't look too odd walking out of the office. Jessica spotted them and looked like she wanted to talk, but Harvey motioned for her to hold her thoughts and said he was heading home. She took a good look at Mike then and didn't try to stop them.

Mike leaned against the side of the elevator as it descended, but the woman who stepped on a few floors down didn't seem to think it was odd. She didn't work for them anyway, so Harvey wasn't concerned. What concerned Harvey was how they'd get home. He didn't have time to call Ray if they planned on leaving right now. Taxi it was.

There was a taxi on the corner, waiting for someone leaving the building to need a ride as one or two drivers always did. Mike stumbled about halfway to it and Harvey had to hold him steady again until the apparent wave of dizziness passed.

And that's when he saw the man standing fifty feet behind Mike, arm raised and gun in hand. The barrel was aimed right for them.

Harvey didn't even have time to breathe. He hooked his arm around Mike and forced him to the concrete just as the man's finger pulled the trigger. The shot went off half a second too late. A businessman three or four feet behind Harvey shouted in pain and fell to the ground. Dozens of people milling about screamed and backed away from the three men who went down with one shot. Almost as soon as he and Mike were completely on the ground, Harvey looked back up to find the shooter... but he was gone.

"Mike, you alright?" Harvey asked, turning his attention back to the one who really mattered.

Mike was huddled up on the cement, hands around his head and panting. He didn't answer. Harvey repeated the question but to no avail. Mike was zoned out, curling farther into himself and closing himself off from the world. Harvey cursed. Now was not the time for Mike to have a PTSD panic attack.

"Mike, it's alright," he said. He tried to help Mike sit up, but Mike flinched away violently and pushed him off. Harvey tried not to take it personally. "Focus on my voice, kid. Have you been shot?" There was the smallest of shakes of Mike's head. "Good. There's a taxi right over there. Stand up, Mike. Stand up for me."

It took a bit of coaxing, but Harvey managed to get Mike to his feet. The man who got shot was bleeding pretty badly, but it was a shoulder wound, so he'd live. He wasn't the intended target, and he hadn't been in the same position as Mike. He'd be fine. Harvey made sure someone was calling an ambulance while he walked Mike to the taxi. He handed his business card to the woman making the call and told her to have the police contact him. He hoped they did, because he was really looking forward to describing the shooter, which he told the woman... but for now he just wanted to get Mike out of here. The cabbie took some encouraging to take them, but it didn't take Harvey long to convince him.

On the ride back to the condo, Harvey focused on getting Mike to do breathing exercises. He didn't try to touch Mike again, but he talked a lot and kept Mike's disoriented gaze on him. By the time the cab stopped, Mike was almost normal again.

"Sorry about that," he grunted. "I didn't mean to..."

"Stop right there." Harvey held up his hand and unlocked the front door. "You had a panic attack. I'm not going to blame you for that. Especially when someone just tried to kill you... again."

"Right?!" Mike exclaimed, walking inside. "What on Earth did I do? I mean... why are people trying to kill me?"

"Sit down, Mike. Or go take a nap. I'll get you some water... and then we can figure this out together," Harvey promised.

"Right." Mike nodded but didn't sound convinced. Still, he got up and slipped into his temporary bedroom.

Temporary.

Harvey puzzled over that word as he pulled out a glass and filled it with filtered water. When this was over, Mike would go back to his apartment. But after the first incident and now the shooting... Harvey didn't want to let Mike out of his sight. What if the third time was the charm and Mike never came back?

"Here's the water," Harvey announced, entering the room.

Mike was lying on his bed, on top of the covers, and staring at the wall. He was still in his suit, but his shoes and jacket had been discarded – impressive considering Mike's emotional state. With a soft intake of breath, Harvey walked over and set the glass on the side table.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared," Mike answered quickly. He let out a harsh breath of a laugh and held up his hand. It was shaking. "See? I just keep imagining the car in my mind... I imagine guns, but I don't know if they're going off or not... and someone... or maybe it's a bunch of someones... but they're hitting me, yelling at me. I can't stop it. And the... the terror – it's like it surrounds me."

"You were involved in a severely traumatic event, Mike. It's alright to be scared," Harvey assured him. He moved around the bed and sat on the opposite side from Mike.

"I don't like it," Mike said. He took a deep breath, like he was preparing for something huge, and then held it in.

The silence between them seemed infinite, and Harvey couldn't think of anything to say. I know? That's alright? No one likes it? They were all obvious responses that wouldn't help Mike at all. Harvey didn't like feeling useless or being out of words.

"Can you move closer?" Mike's voice interrupted the silence before Harvey could come up with anything of value.

"Say again?"

"Lose your hearing, old man?" Mike joked, but it sounded lukewarm.

Harvey had heard the request, but he'd honestly just been unsure if Mike meant it. He slipped off his shoes and took off his jacket before he pushed himself further onto the bed and sat just behind his associate. He looked down at Mike, who was still determinedly staring at the wall – probably to avoid eye contact. What Harvey wanted to do was touch Mike: check his head wound, check the temperature of his neck, drag his hand down Mike's arm in an effort to comfort him. But Mike hadn't responded well to touch earlier... and Harvey had never been a touchy kind of person.

"I have nightmares," Mike admitted and bit his lip. "All the time. Every night."

"Nightmares?" Harvey asked. So Mike did remember them after he woke up. Did he call out in his sleep every time as well?

"Yeah. They're about what happened to me. I used to think maybe they weren't... Maybe I was just making what happened to me worse in my dreams than it was in real life, but then Rachel asked me about the car and the gun shot went off, and all the things I've heard or seen in my dreams came back to me. And I know that when I close my eyes, I'll be right back in the darkness with that car." Mike took a shaky breath. "God, I'd love something to calm my nerves," he said, and Harvey knew exactly what he meant.

"No drugs," he said. He pressed his lips together and wondered if there was anything he could do for Mike to help him sleep or even relax. Mike said in the hospital that Harvey helped him calm down. Just now, Mike asked for Harvey to sit closer to him. Maybe... "Do you want me to stay in here with you while you nap?" he asked.

Mike let out a pathetic laugh. Harvey stayed silent and watched Mike's Adam's apple bob. After a moment or so, Mike still hadn't spoken, so Harvey tentatively set his hand on Mike's shoulder to regain his attention in case it had wandered to a dark place.

"Mike?" he asked.

"Yes," Mike said and closed his eyes. "I mean... you don't have to, if you don't want to. I know you have your own bed. And you probably have work to do, since we weren't at the office long."

Harvey made an affirmative noise and shuffled off the bed. He grabbed his jacket and shoes and left the room. In his own room, he discarded all of his clothes into a basket and changed into his sweat pants and t-shirt, his usual at-home staple. Half-way through this, he realized he hadn't exactly told Mike he'd be right back and he hurried through finishing.

When he reentered Mike's room, Mike didn't appear to have moved: his limbs were in the same position and his eyes were still closed, but he'd lost his suit for a pair of sleep pants and t-shirt, and the covers were drawn and covering only Mike's feet. Harvey smiled slightly, amazed at his own forgetfulness of not telling Mike he agreed to sleep in here.

When he started sliding into bed, Mike gave a start and rolled to look at him. "I told you we'd figure this out together," Harvey said. "I'm not going to leave you to fight alone. Understand?"

"Understood," Mike murmured back. He smiled lightly and rolled back onto his side to sleep.

Harvey glanced at the clock and saw it was barely after lunch, but they could nap for a bit. After Mike woke up, Harvey would call Donna and check on any meetings or appointments he had for the evening or tomorrow, but right now he tried to clear his mind. Nothing made someone want to get out of bed more than thinking about all the things they had left to do that day, and Harvey was going to stay here until Mike didn't need him.

Beside him, Mike whimpered in his sleep. It was just like in the hospital – all those scared and sad noises that kept Harvey from sleeping because there was nothing he could do to stop them. Only now Mike wasn't held in a hospital bed. He was right here beside Harvey. As the nightmare continued, Harvey scooted over closer to Mike and reached around the younger man to grab his hand. Shakes ran through Mike, and Harvey slid his fingers around his associate's hand. Mike whined and tried to pull away, but Harvey held on and laced their fingers together to keep his hold. He pulled Mike's hand to his chest and Mike rolled onto his back to compensate.

God, he looked so vulnerable and young. Harvey squeezed Mike's hand.

"I'm here for you, Mike," He whispered. The shivering going through Mike calmed down, and the only other noise the associate made was the calm, steady sounds of breathing.

Harvey and Mike had never had an... intimate relationship. They'd never hugged, not even in the quick bro-hug style that Trevor and Mike once did in front of Harvey. But maybe they should... because Mike wasn't whimpering in his sleep anymore, and Harvey could definitely get used to watching him sleep.

Preview chapter 7:

Mike slammed his hands down on the counter. "Stop it, Harvey. Stop saying bad things about Trevor as though they make you happy."

His mind told him it was wrong to pull Harvey into his bed for his own benefit. His logical side told him that was selfish.

"Your memory-?" Harvey asked, pulling away.

His eyes met Mike's, and that was all it took for Mike not to care about boundaries.

"The only thing that bastard has ever done that made me happy, Mike, was get the hell out of your life," Harvey said, voice quiet but intense.

Trevor, his face lit up by the headlights and yet covered in shadows, moved around the edge of the pack. Was he sorry for this? Was that what Mike heard? Was Trevor feeling bad? It's too late for that, he wanted to scream, but he could barely manage whimpering.