CHAPTER 5

Two months! Two fucking months Mike was back to work and nothing. Harvey tried all the usual tactics: late nights at the office, work lunches and dinners even a weekend away in Atlantic City to visit a "client" but the younger man was refusing to talk to him about anything other than their cases. The most discouraging about this was that Harvey knew that during the long silences Mike's mind was to Edith. A conversation with both Donna and Rachel confirmed his suspicion. Mike was depressed; he went straight home from the office and refused any of their attempts to drag him out.

That wasn't Harvey's only problem though. Jessica informed him two days ago that Edward Darby had hired Dana Scott to work at their New York offices. And today, he had to suffer through a meeting welcoming her as senior partner with Mike by his side. And to make matters worse, Donna's info assured him that she hadn't got married.

As the pleasantries came to an end and the other partners and their associates emptied the conference room Scottie turned to him with a mischievous smile.

"So… How are we going to celebrate this?" She leaned over him.

"Dinner?" He needed to play nice.

"Or we can just skip the dinner." Harvey gave her a flirtatious smile but a loud gasp from the door alerted them for Mike's present.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?" Scottie asked straightening up but Mike was looking between them like a deer in the headlights.

"Harvey?" The older lawyer recognized immediately the pleading tone but there wasn't much he could do. No one at the office should know about him and Mike, especially one of Darby's lackeys. As much as he cared about Scottie, she wasn't the most trustworthy person ever. Besides, he had to admit it to himself. He flirted with her… It was hard not to, like a compulsion, especially with Dana. History was history but Mike was Mike and now he had another thing to apologize for and try to explain.

"Scottie, meet my associate Mike Ross."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Ross." They shook hands and Mike gave a shaky smile. "Now if you'll excuse me," she continued, " I'm going to check out my new office. Call me tonight?" she left sending Harvey a wink above her shoulder. The two men immediately locked gazes before Mike all but ran from the room.

Harvey caught up with him outside his office and pushed him inside. He closed the intercom and shut the blinds.

"You need to let me explain."

"Like you let me explain?" Mike let his body fall on the black couch. "Are you going out with her tonight?"

Harvey didn't have time to answer, busy as he was observing the other man. Mike had lost weight and he was always tired nowadays. If he wouldn't see him for himself every day he would be worried he started getting stoned again. But he dismissed that thought as soon as it came. He owed him the benefit of the doubt. Apparently his silence had led the blond to drawn his own conclusions.

"Not that I'm saying you shouldn't. We are obviously not together right now. Who I am to ask you to wait? You can do anything you want… Really… I'm sorry, you just caught me by surprise."

"Mike… Mike! Stop!" He sat next to him and took a deep breath. "You have every right to be upset and I apologize. Just because we are not together right now it doesn't mean that I can do that but you have to give me something here Mike. It's been two months."

"Give you something? What? A blowjob would suffice for tonight then?" He got up and started pacing.

"No! Christ!" Harvey shot to his feet. "What the hell is wrong with you? You know that's not what I meant!"

Mike all but collapsed back onto the couch. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Harvey knelt before him and took his hands in his. "I wish you would stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. I just… No one else should know about this Mike until I figure out what to do with Darby. Jessica and Donna are more than enough."

"And screwing Scottie would lead the suspicions away?"

"I'm not going to sleep with Scottie… I love you Mike but you need to tell me now. Do you just need a little more time or you think that you'll never forgive me and that it's over? If it's the first then you can have all the time in the world. But if it's the latter we have to stop this, here. I know I screwed up but it's not fair letting me hope."

"If we were to get back together would it again be only inside our homes?"

"What are you asking me Mike?"

"Will you ever tell anyone about us or I'm going to be your secret."

"I'm not ashamed of you, if that's what the issue is here."

"But you are not comfortable about it either."

Harvey shook his head. "If you can have all the time you need don't I deserve a fraction of that time too?"

Mike understood deep in his heart what Harvey was saying. And the truth is he had already forgiven him but he was so scared to trust him again. He wasn't ready to come out either; last thing he needed around here was for the other associates to start talking that he slept his way to the top. The only difference here was that if Harvey was ready to give the green light he would follow him to the end. He knew though that if it was the other way around Harvey would keep saying no. God, he wished grams was there… She would know what to say to make it all better. From his end, Edith was the only other person who knew about him and Harvey. With her gone, he kept crying himself to sleep every night. He had no family left. Except for Harvey for a little while back there.

Through his whirlwind of thoughts one thing was clear though. He still loved Harvey and, ready or not, he needed him in his life. So if he wanted something he was going to give him something.

"Don't go out with Dana Scott tonight."

Harvey smiled and gave him a chaste kiss that left him shivering.

"OK…OK…"

Thanks for reading folks! I'm open to suggestions. What would you like to see next?