Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Harvey! My man!”

Harvey barely turned, but just in time to see Ant, one of the partners, approach, who lightly put his arm around Harvey’s shoulders. Being too touchy was his whole thing. Harvey barely tolerated it most days, but he was feeling pretty good today, so he’d allow it.

“Heard you just closed a hundred-million-dollar deal?”

Harvey smirked. Like it was hard. “You heard right.”

“Well, me and my next bonus check thank you.” Ant grinned. “Begs for a celebration, don’t you think?”

This was what he liked about Ant. He wasn’t someone Harvey made a habit of hanging out with regularly, but he was always down for a party, and sometimes, that was just what Harvey needed. “Took the words right out my mouth.”

“You got plans? If so, cancel them. I know a place.”

Harvey huffed. There were several decent places around that never failed him, he doubted Ant could show him anything he hadn’t seen before. “Me too.”

“No, this one is special, trust me. Friends of mine are already there. You’ll love it. Great place to,” he clicked his tongue as he winked, “Meet someone, if you catch my drift.”

How could Harvey not, when he was so obvious about it? If Ant was about to drag him to a strip club… actually, Harvey wouldn’t be opposed to that either. He could find some company there too.

“What do I have to lose.”

“That’s the spirit.” Ant patted his shoulder. “Meet me here later, okay? Say at eight?”

“Sure.”

“Perfect.” Ant let go of him, walked a few steps in front of him, then turned to point at him. “You won’t regret it.” And kept walking. Alright. Must be some place. Harvey sure was intrigued enough to see if it lived up to Ant’s worship.

So bang at eight PM, he did meet with Ant and let him drag him into a taxi, (when there were a plethora of bars within walking distance, but who was counting). He expected some kind of palace perhaps, a swanky place with an extraordinary charm nothing else could compete with for this level of effort - but when they arrived, it was to an altogether plain building nowhere near the ballpark of impressive. Just some pub, with deep windows and nicely lit bar, sure, but that was pretty standard. It wasn’t too busy or suspiciously empty, but all in all, he failed to see what was supposed to make the trip worth it.

“Remind me why we drove twenty minutes to come here?” Harvey huffed. The place was nice enough, sure, but they had passed at least twenty other bars on the way that would have done the job as well.

“You’ll see,” Ant said mysteriously. Harvey didn’t know him nearly well enough to put any kind of trust in his judgment. But Ant held him by the shoulders and guided him toward the bar, and Harvey let him. They were already here, after all, might as well see for himself what the fuss was all about.

As to be expected on a Thursday night, only a few people huddled around the counter, most were spread around the tables. But Ant kept walking, and...

And then there was the bartender. A young guy, in a black shirt with the first couple of buttons open, the sleeves rolled up above his elbow. His blonde hair stuck up in some sort of organized chaos that made him look even younger, framing a polite smile on that pretty face. The muscles in his arms flexed as he went to town on a shaker before he poured the cocktail through the drain into a martini glass and served it to a woman. Then, he flung the towel over his shoulder with a well-routinized casualness and stretched through his hands. Huh.

Harvey got it now, why the drive was worth it.

The bartender turned toward them; his smile immediately grew wider as he clocked them approaching. The deep blue eyes pierced through Harvey.

Scratch pretty. That guy was handsome as hell.

“Hey,” he greeted. His voice was pleasantly low.

“Mike! Glad to see you're here. Meet my friend, Harvey.” Right. So he was the reason they had to come here of all places. Well done, Ant…

“Hello friend Harvey,” the guy, Mike, greeted with a cheeky grin that made his face even more handsome. Harvey huffed a smirk.

“Hey.”

“Get me and the guys a round of the usual, and take care of my friend here, will ya? First one’s on me.”

“You got it,” Mike hummed and already reached for the rum bottle.

Ant patted Harvey’s shoulder, even winked as he walked to join a table. Well. This certainly was a way to celebrate.

Harvey hung back, leaned against the bar. “They come here a lot, huh?”

“Once in a while. Every couple of weeks, maybe.”

“But you know his order?”

“I know the order of everyone who tips well.” Mike spared him a cocky smile over his shoulder. “What’s your poison?”

“That depends. What’s your whiskey selection?”

And Mike started listing them all, at least twenty different kinds including their main flavor notes and brand, with an ease as if he was reading off a menu. Except there was none around. He didn’t even pause to think, he just knew them by heart like that? Harvey couldn’t manage to pay attention to the items, stopped listening after the fifth one, because damn.

“Jesus. Employee of the month, huh?”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Mike said so confidently, Harvey believed him. Though he would like to get one…

“I’ll take two fingers of your Macallan 12. Neat.”

“Aah, a man of taste. Good choice.” Mike grabbed the bottle; the golden liquid splashed against the glass as he served it in front of Harvey on a coaster.

“You got no idea either. Yet.” Harvey pumped his eyebrows up before taking a sip. Hmmm. Went down like butter.

“Bold of you to assume I care.” It sounded awfully flirtatious for someone who didn’t care. Harvey smirked. What an interesting challenge Mike made… Harvey was certainly interested.

Mike handed the drinks for Ant and his party to a server, and gave a woman at the other end of the bar a refill. Laughed off some comment Harvey wished he could have heard to put the tiniest of eyerolls Mike did after into context. And then, he came straight back to Harvey.

“You’re still here.”

Harvey showed his glass. “Still full.”

“What about your friends? Aren’t they missing you?”

“They are more colleagues, actually.”

Mike leaned over the counter, hands first. “And what am I to deserve the honor of your attention?”

“Interesting.”

A smile tugged the corner of Mike’s mouth up. Flattery clearly worked. Noted. “Look, I don’t know what Ant told you, but I am actually not that easy. Takes more than a lawyer with his fancy suit and expensive drink making eyes at me.”

“He hasn’t told me anything. I can recognize a pretty face all by myself.” And easy wasn't what Harvey was after. Nothing wrong with a consensual chase.

“So that’s what makes me interesting to you, huh?” His tone sounded awfully offended for someone Harvey had met all of ten minutes ago and exchanged a handful of words with.

“Don’t have much more to go on. So far.”

“What makes you think you will?” Mike challenged.

“I’m confident.”

The mere fact that Mike was still entertaining him instead of ignoring him to be anywhere else behind the bar seemed pretty telling. Harvey was good at taking a hint when his advances were unwanted. He could also see when someone wasn’t actually uninterested and simply preferred to play hard to get.

“You know how many times I get hit on working here? There’s a group of women down there right now who I’m sure would love to make me the guest of honor at their bachelorette party.”

Like they could possibly compare. Harvey brought his elbow on the counter, leaned more toward Mike. “And yet, you’re still talking to me,” he purred. Though he wasn’t opposed if Mike wanted to pop out an oversized cake and strip for him…

Mike didn’t shy away from his eyes. He didn’t do him the favor of coming closer either though, but he did shrug lightly. “I can appreciate a pretty face too.”

“Trust me, that’s just the beginning. I got a lot more to offer.”

“We’ll see.” It sounded awfully like a challenge. The game was on. With a smirk, Mike stepped back, keeping up the eye contact for a moment longer before he turned to clean up someone’s empty glass.

He seemed to take his time cleaning the counter, got asked for another drink. But once it was served, Harvey couldn’t help but notice that Mike gravitated right back toward him. And pretended like he barely saw Harvey. Yeah, as if.

“Hello again.”

“This means nothing,” Mike was quick to say. “I just have to cut some lemons, and you’re sitting by my station.”

“Lucky me.” Funny how he couldn’t see a single lemon around though.

“Hey look, mister.” Mike supported himself on his hands against the counter and looked awfully serious all a sudden. “We serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast, and we don’t need any characters around to give the joint “atmosphere”. Is that clear, or do I have slip you my left for a convincer?”

Harvey snorted. How original. And here he was thinking he'd get told off. “Wow. Who the hell quotes a Christmas movie in July?” Funny though how Mike just had that memorized. Harvey couldn’t imagine there were many people who he could use that line on who’d get and appreciate it without being offended by the threat of violence, but he sure hit his target now.

“You know it?”

“Who doesn’t know It’s a Wonderful Life? And why would you quote it if you didn’t think I’d recognize it?”

“Alright, smartass. How about this: Why don’t you make like a tree and get the fuck out of here?”

Slightly more niche that one, but Harvey had never lost a quoting battle. “That’s The Boondock Saints, isn’t it? 1999.”

Mike huffed. “Yeah.” He regarded Harvey for a second; Harvey imagined something approving in his eyes. “I was right. You do have taste.”

He did. Harvey would enjoy proving just how much.

“Are you gonna top me up or do you only serve people you’re not attracted to?”

Mike raised one challenging eyebrow. “You wish.”

“I do.”

He didn’t miss how Mike’s tongue darted out and quickly wetted his lip. Yeah, his wish was not going unfulfilled. He had rarely been wrong about someone liking him back, and today would not be the exception.

Mike grabbed a fresh glass off the shelf and gave him a generous pour. How promising.

“Thanks.”

“Why you drink so much, my friend? Please go home, Mr. Bailey. This is Christmas Eve.”

Back to It’s a Wonderful Life they were. Well, if Mike was insistent on going all golden era on him…

“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.”

Mike frowned. “That’s not in the movie.”

“No. It’s by Humphrey Bogart.”

“Huh. You're a fan of the classics.” It sounded too approving to be nothing but a neutral observation.

“I like things that are good.”

“I can see that,” Mike said insinuatingly. His eyes glided down Harvey’s body; Harvey puffed out his chest to pass the visual inspection.

“Is that so.”

“Good movies. Good whiskey. Good suits. Good company. Not a hard guess.”

“You like my suit?”

“Eh. There’s room for improvement.”

Oh, was there now? Harvey nearly took offense, if it wasn’t for Mike’s wink. Such a wind-up. Although, he did have a point. Perhaps his suit would look better on the floor, next to Mike’s clothes… Mike, who rudely left Harvey again to tend the bar. Harvey sipped his drink. The night was getting good.

When Mike happened to find his way back opposite Harvey barely a minute later, surely by accident and for no reason whatsoever, it was with a whole sack of lemons, a cutting board, and a sharp knife whose edge sent a patch of light dancing on the ceiling. So much for this had been his station all along. Cute how he didn’t even try to not be obvious.

“You want some help with that?”

“I don’t trust where your hands have been.”

“Ghee, so hostile for no reason.”

Mike smiled like he couldn’t be happier Harvey had caught on to that. “If you can’t handle it, your companions sit over there.” He indicated to the table where Ant was sitting.

Harvey simply huffed and took a demonstratively long sip from his drink. If Mike thought some sass would deter him, he had the wrong end of the stick. Few things were as attractive as some fire to make things more interesting. “I think I’ll manage.”

Mike graced him with a long moment of eye contact Harvey easily reciprocated before he focused back on cutting lemons. “You’ve never been here before, have you?”

“You would have remembered me.”

Mike huffed as if there was something funny about that. “You have no idea. What brings you here tonight then?”

“I just scored a big win. Came to celebrate.” Not that Harvey wanted to bore him with the details before he came off as bragging.

“With the colleagues you ditched to be all by yourself by the bar? That’s sad,” Mike said with fake condescension. Missing the obvious.

“I’m not alone. I got you to keep me company.”

“Hm. And do you often pay for company?”

Yeah, right. “I’m paying you for the drinks, not for the conversations. Consider those an advance on your tip.”

Mike drew in a hissing breath between his teeth. “Ah. Thing is, I can’t pay my rent in nice words.”

Like he would have to. Not because of Harvey, anyway. It wasn’t usually his style to advertise his generosity in advance, last thing he wanted was for Mike to feel obliged to talk to him because of the promise of a hefty tip, but if he was concerned Harvey would just rob him of his earnings…

“Would reassuring you that I am not cheap make you feel like a hooker?”

Mike barked a laugh, loud but pleasant, probably entirely involuntary judging by how quickly he covered his mouth to suppress it. Harvey wore his reaction like a badge of honor. “No.”

“Good.”

Mike regarded him for a long moment. “Hope you know I’m not the kind of guy who is gonna entertain you to get more money out of you either.”

Now that was hard to believe. Didn’t Mike just say he had bills to pay? Harvey raised a doubtful eyebrow. “You’re telling me you never flirt for better tips?” That was just a bad business move. Someone as attractive as Mike…

“Oh, no, I absolutely do! …Just not with you.” He kept Harvey’s eyes hostage for a moment longer before he walked off to work some more.

Harvey smirked. Now wasn’t that good to know.

For all his games and teasing remarks, Mike was pretty obliging in answering questions about himself, even if he kept his replies too brief for Harvey’s liking. Like when Harvey asked what he did when he wasn’t working here and simply said “What do you think? I got another two jobs. And college,” with no explanation of what work or major he pursued. Student hustling side jobs really had not been on Harvey’s list of potential answers. Mike was young, but not that young.

“You doing your masters or something?”

“Not exactly. I, er… sort of messed up on my first try and spent some years getting my life back on track. This is me trying to right my wrongs so I can get out of here.”

Now that was intriguing. A messy backstory to compliment the gorgeous face, confident personality, and brain full of movie quotes… Harvey was a sucker for not-boring people. “What happened?”

But Mike just huffed dismissively. “You have to be pouring me drinks to get that out of me.”

“How mysterious.”

“Coughlin’s law: Never show surprise, never lose your cool.”

Oh, Mike had moved on to movies from the eighties. Much as his array of quotes was impressive, Harvey couldn’t help but wonder what treasure he might discover if Mike used his own words. Now unlocking that was a goal to aspire to.

“You do look a little like a blonde Tom Cruise.”

“I do not,” Mike chuckled.

“A little. Tending your bar like that, in the black shirt. Now all that’s missing are the bottle tricks.”

“Oh, you mean something like this?” He took one of the shot bottles and flicked it up behind his back. The bottle rotated over his shoulder; he let it bump off his elbow and caught it effortlessly. Damn.

At the other end of the bar, Harvey heard excited gasps and an “Oh my God, he’s so hot” – the bachelorette party no doubt. They were not wrong. Mike made for a great sight, especially standing proudly like he did now.

“Or did you mean something more like this?” Again, he flipped the bottle behind his back, except this time, he bent his arm up and caught it on his forearm, balancing it for a few seconds before pushing it up and catching it with his other hand. Harvey swore it just got five degrees hotter in here.

“Or more like this?” Mike flipped the bottle from behind his back over his shoulder; it rotated twice before he caught it on the back of his hand and stalled it there before once again pushing it back up and catching it in his palm. Not even breaking a sweat. What a showoff. Harvey was glad he was sitting down; his blood was not where it was supposed to be right now.

A whooping cheer and applause came from the group of women. Desperate much… But Mike gave them a bow and shouted a “Thank you” before he placed the bottle down and grinned at Harvey with a smugness that was incredibly appealing.

“I admit, I’m a little turned on.”

“What can I say, my tricks bring all the boys to the yard.” Mike pumped his eyebrows up, and Harvey chuckled. Sure. It was a neat party trick, very impressive to look at. But how hard could it really be to throw some bottles?

“Can I try?”

Mike snorted. “Yeah, right. You'd have to buy the bottles first.”

“Alright.” If that was all it took, easy.

“And practice at home because I will not clean up your mess.” Mike crossed his forearms underneath him and leaned on the counter. Closer to Harvey. How could Harvey resist doing the same? Easy, he couldn’t.

“I might be a natural.”

“No one is,” Mike whispered. Again, he winked at Harvey before abandoning him to do his work. What a tease.

Harvey allowed himself to check Mike out some more while he made another cocktail. No doubt he was absolutely gorgeous… And funny. And just smug enough that Harvey was utterly fascinated by what lay underneath his bartender persona…

Ant and the others he chose to completely forget about for tonight, nothing could get him off this seat. Prime location, considering how Mike kept coming back. Kept chatting to him about what win Harvey had scored earlier, which was a wonderfully promoted bragging opportunity. Talks about what movie he liked, what else got him excited other than the law. In return, he learned that Mike had a grandma he got strangely defensive over when asked about, how long he was doing this job for. What other jobs he kept or had done to pay rent and support said grandma he didn’t want to speak about. The kid kept busy.

It was hard work to get much more out of him than the basics, but that was plenty already to get Harvey hooked for every droplet of information Mike gave him. Everything about him was such a pleasant surprise. Harvey must have stolen moments of his time for hours at this point, and still he felt like he had barely scratched the surface as of what made him tick.

When Mike took the towel off his shoulder and surrendered it on his working space with a sigh, it was entirely too soon. “Well, this was nice, but that’s my shift done. Thanks for the company.”

Harvey frowned. Cutting a good night short was not on his to-do list for today, there was so much he still wanted to know about Mike. “You got somewhere else to be?”

“You think I wanna hang around here after I finish? I’ve been up since six.”

“So have I. But I’m still here too.”

Mike's chuckle sounded awfully sheepish all of a sudden. He looked away like he was thinking about it, like he didn’t know if he should even though he wanted to, or so Harvey hoped. The light of the bar might have been dim, but Harvey swore his cheeks hadn’t been this pink before.

“Are you blushing?” Now that would be an extraordinary achievement for the day, better than any legal victory.

“No!” it came out lightning fast. And Mike still couldn’t meet his eyes without averting them right away again, his smile grew bigger. Wow. He really had gone shy on him. Just for that, Harvey couldn’t let him go even more now.

“Are you gonna pay up or what?” Mike asked, but his faked casualness didn’t hold up anymore. Harvey had seen all he needed.

“Gladly. Add one for yourself and join me for a little.”

Mike sighed; his lips were sucked between his teeth, but even so, Harvey could see the smile. That wasn’t a no.

“Come on,” Harvey pushed. “Just for one drink. Have some fun. I promise I’ll let you go after without complaints.”

“I’d take the most expensive drink we have to offer.”

If that was all it took to keep him around. “Be my guest.” He intently stared into Mike’s eyes with his best pleading look.

“I’ll have to clock out first,” Mike warned.

Was that supposed to stop Harvey? What, did Mike seriously think his interest was so fleeting it would dissipate once he lost sight of him for a couple of minutes? Please.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Like a stalker?”

“Like a gentleman. Come on, ring me up.”

And he did. Harvey made a point to tip generously for the truly fantastic company he had gotten to enjoy all evening, and then, Mike smiled at him and headed out. Without any confirmation he would in fact come back and join him. For all Harvey knew, he could be sneaking out of the backdoor, but Harvey remained hopeful. It couldn’t just be him. Mike had been too happy to flirt back to not feel at least a bit of a spark too.

Minutes passed; Harvey grew a little impatient in his seat, checked his phone. Nothing was more interesting than keeping an eye out for Mike and making sure the seat next to him remained empty.

When he finally spotted Mike coming back out from the staff room, a wide grin spread on Harvey’s face. His intuition had really never failed him.

Mike already had a messenger back slung over his shoulder and wore a worn-out leather jacket over his dress shirt, but had a beer in a hand. And he headed straight to the empty seat next to Harvey. Perfect.

“Hi,” Mike said sheepishly again. Adorable.

“Hi. Beer is the most expensive drink?”

“I’m a simple man.”

“I don’t believe you.” Simple didn’t keep Harvey in bars past midnight when he had to be in the office in less than eight hours again.

“No?”

“You seem everything but.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” From anyone else, Harvey would have ignored it as a line from boring people pretending to be interesting. But Mike, he believed. Though as a lawyer, he was fond of evidence.

“Go ahead. Impress me.”

“Okay. Ask me about any piece of legislation.”

“What?” Not what Harvey had expected at all. That started to become a theme in their budding relationship.

“You’re supposed to be this hotshot, ivy-league educated lawyer, right? Ask me anything.”

Well, if he wanted to play. It was supposed to be him doing the impressing, but Harvey was more than happy to comply and show him what he was capable of too. That always fared well with the uninitiated.

“Alright. You’re on.”

Despite such a bold request, Harvey had expected that at best, Mike had some law fun facts up his sleeve, some niche knowledge he used to impress any lawyers coming to his bar to better his tips or something. Or that he had watched too much Law and Order and fancied himself an expert now like so many others who thought they knew the law. By no stretch of the imagination had he expected that Mike would continue to quote entire passages of the Babri legal handbook ad verbatim.

Whatever topic Harvey picked, Mike had an answer ready after no time at all. At some point, Harvey only gave him the numbers of paragraphs he roughly knew, and without fail, Mike’s recital sounded awfully close to what he remembered them to be. He even corrected Harvey once by citing such an obscure bit of legislation, Harvey had to look it up on his phone to make sure Mike wasn’t bullshitting him. He was not.

“Where the hell did that come from? Are you going to law school?”

Any confidence Mike had preened with seconds ago seemed to vanish. He sunk more into himself, focused on his beer bottle of which he had started to peel the etiquette off. “Eh. no. Not right now.”

Right. Harvey would bet money it had something to do with whatever mess Mike said he had made out of college the first time. And with that, Mike had just gone from interesting to the most intriguing person Harvey had ever met. The odds for him to keep his promise and not complain about him leaving fell rapidly. Not without knowing he’d get to see him again didn't sit right with Harvey at all.

“What a waste.”

“You think so?” Mike smiled softly.

“Yes. What else are you using your brain for?”

Mike turned in his seat; his knees bumped against Harvey’s. Neither of them moved away. “To impress lawyers in bars, of course. Maybe one will take chance on me and give my brain proper challenges at last.”

“You want your Cinderella moment?”

“Who doesn’t? Question is, are you gonna be my fairy godmother or my prince?”

Couldn’t he be both? The person to make his dreams come true and take his home afterward? But for the sake of argument… “I always thought I had something regal.”

Mike chuckled, giggled even. His hand slid off his thigh onto Harvey’s knee, slowly, but there was no mistaking it for an accident. Harvey leaned forward, supported himself with his forearm on the counter. His fingers lightly traced up and down Mike’s arm, just above the elbow.

“Do you wanna be a lawyer?”

“I’m actually doing prelaw at NYU right now. So, yes. I’d love nothing more.”

Surely, they could make that happen. Harvey’s name meant something at Harvard, he could put a word in for Mike to get him where he wanted to be. Or perhaps he could bribe someone at the admissions office at Colombia instead, to keep him nearby… Jessica could make an exception to the Havard-only rule.

Was he jumping the gun? Massively. But he couldn’t help but feel he had stumbled upon a diamond in the rough here. Mike was special, he just knew it. Special people deserved opportunities to shine.

“So you’re only talking to me to get an in with the law world?”

“Thank God you caught on, I started to feel bad about using you.”

Yeah, right. That was what that coy smile and intense eye contact was about, getting a good letter of recommendation…

Harvey knew two things: this night couldn’t last forever. And this couldn’t possibly be the last time he saw Mike.

“Hey, I don’t do this a lot, but would you care to get dinner tomorrow?”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “You don’t do that a lot? I don’t believe that.”

“It’s true. Normally, I’d ask if you want to come home with me.”

“Oh, so you don’t want to take me home? Wow.”

“I didn’t say that,” Harvey chuckled.

“That really stings. What, are you blind?” Mike stood up and gave him a slow spin. As if Harvey hadn’t plenty admired him throughout the evening. And yes, he hoped he’d get to see a little more of Mike eventually, wouldn’t say no to it tonight if Mike was so inclined. Except he couldn’t risk Mike walking away from him tomorrow morning and that was that. Couldn’t risk rushing things with him and spoiling their chance to do it the right way, the way he never wanted to even spare an ounce of consideration before. But Mike deserved to be more than a quick thing.

Harvey lightly grabbed Mike’s wrist and pulled him closer, until his legs were lodged between Harvey’s knees. Mike’s hands landed on his thigh; he drew small circles with his fingertips that sent a heatwave through Harvey’s body.

“Very much not. You’re gorgeous. And I was trying to be a gentleman, but if you just want this to be a one-night stand…”

“Dinner sounds great,” Mike interrupted him. “I’d love to go.”

Much better. Harvey released his wrists, but Mike didn’t move away, and so, Harvey let his hands find their way to Mike’s waist to lightly hold him there. Mike’s fingers glided higher on his thigh. Dangerously so.

Harvey loved himself some danger.

“So you don’t want me for just one night?” Mike asked quietly. He looked up through his lashes with his puppy eyes that burned straight into Harvey’s soul. Harvey's eyes darted down to his lips. Plum and slightly opened, waiting to be claimed…

Being a gentleman about things sucked. It would be worth it though if this turned out to be as special as it felt right now.

“We’ll see how it goes. But I got a feeling one night wouldn’t be nearly enough to get to learn all I want to know about you.”

Mike reached across the counter – Harvey missed his explorative, teasing fingers immediately – and grabbed a pen and coaster on which he scribbled something down; his number. “Why don’t you send me the details?”

He broke the coaster in half, then slowly lifted Harvey’s jacket open by its right lapel. Slowly, Mike slid the half with the number on it into his inside pocket. Generously leaning into Harvey’s space, bracing himself against his chest with one hand…. Oh, what Harvey wouldn’t give to press him against the bar and kiss him senseless right now…

“Absolutely.” His hands glided to Mike’s hips. Mike, who was still so close, with lips so inviting… Harvey drew back slightly. Soon. Hopefully very soon.

“I should go…” Mike whispered. “Got a long way to go to Brooklyn.”

Brooklyn? At this time?

“You live in Brooklyn?”

“Yeah, is that a problem?” So defensive for no reason.

“Don’t they have bars there?” Not that Harvey wasn't grateful he didn't have to go all the way across the river tonight, didn't even want to consider what the odds were to have met Mike in any bar there, but it did seem like an odd choice to voluntarily travel so far.

Mike shrugged. “People tip better in Lower Manhattan. It’s all suits who got money to burn or overexcited tourists.”

Huh. If he said so. Well, Mike’s long journey could be Harvey’s win. It was miles out of his way, but… “Can I give you a ride home?”

“You’ve had too much to drink to be driving.” A chill went through Harvey at the tone. Worse, Mike pushed himself off Harvey too, away from his touch, and grabbed the bag he had discarded on the floor by his stool. Something Harvey had said?

“Let me rephrase. Can my driver drop you off at home before he brings me home?”

“You have a driver?” His tone was somewhere between surprised and unimpressed.

“I didn’t want to brag.” Funnily, it always sneaked itself into the conversation though.

At least that had Mike smile again. “Thanks, but I’m sorted for today. I’ll take that into consideration for tomorrow though.”

Well, nothing to be done. It was hardly a defeat if he did get to see Mike again so soon.

“Can I walk you out at least?”

“Like I’m a damsel in distress?”

“More like I’m trying to steal some extra time before the clock strikes midnight.”

There it was again, the blush Mike wouldn’t admit to. Hot. “Yes. I’d like that.”

Mike's hand glided into his; in no world could Harvey have not intertwined his fingers with Mike’s at such an offering. It wasn’t nearly crowded enough for there to be any risk of them losing each other, but so what? He let Mike lead him anyway, past the bar and through the back. Through a chunky metal door that led to the tiniest patio on a backstreet. The gust of cool air was instantly sobering; a police siren howled in the distance.

Was Mike trying to rob him or what was this all about? But no, Mike dropped his hand and kept walking. To a bike rack. One bike looked like it had become one with nature, missing one wheel and with moss growing on its seat. The other, Mike undid the lock on. He couldn’t be serious.

“That’s your ride?” And he had turned down Ray? Seriously?

“Yes? What’s wrong with biking?”

Nothing, if someone wanted to die an early and preventable death. “It’s pretty reckless in the city.”

“I like a bit of danger.”

Oh. That made two of them then, and what doors that opened…

Harvey smirked. “Is that so.”

“You’ll find out.” Now that was a promise Harvey couldn’t wait for him to keep… The thought of Mike on a bike wasn’t a bad one, to be fair. Harvey didn’t doubt it would be insanely hot, him bending over the steering, his thigh muscles rolling under his skin…

That was the moment Mike chose to interrupt his fantasy and put on his ridiculous helmet. Jesus. Harvey couldn’t hold the laughter back. So much for hot.

“Wow. You look sexy.”

“I know!” Mike struck a pose, right leg out, hand in his hip with his back as a perfect arch. “I should be on the cover of Bartenders who Bike to Work.”

Hmm. Mike in tight spandex… “I’d buy that.”

“Really? Then I just had my million-dollar idea! Finally, no seducing lawyers in bars to steal all their money anymore.”

Oh, so that was what this was.

“Uh huh,” Harvey chuckled, and Mike joined in. He had a nice laugh, much easier to appreciate without other people spoiling it with their voices… The silence that fell over them was deeply comfortable, familiar even. They didn’t need words. He saw all he needed in Mike’s glowing eyes…

Still smiling, Mike pulled his bike from its parking space and guided it out to the sidewalk, Harvey next to him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Mike asked softly.

“Yes. Be safe. Don’t want to have our date in the hospital.”

“I’ll text you when I get home if it makes you feel better. But only if you text me first.”

“Deal.” Not exactly a hardship, continuing this conversation…

Mike swung one leg over his bike. “Bye, Harvey.”

“Bye.”

With that, Mike pushed himself off the ground with his foot and braved the New York traffic. Harvey watched until he disappeared around the corner. A biking Mike was definitely a good sight…

And Harvey started laughing. He didn’t even know why, he just felt so… giddy about life all a sudden. God. He ran a hand through his hair, held on to it for a second. What had Mike done to him? Tonight had gone to plan in the sense that it was a success, but everything else Harvey had never seen coming.

But Harvey had never challenged a gift from the universe, and he wouldn't start now. No, he'd enjoy making the most out of this. In that spirit, he texted Mike as soon as he got in the car.

Are you mush on the sidewalk?

He had fully expected that there wouldn’t be a reply for a while, Mike shouldn’t bike and text and Brooklyn was a track. If he did, that’d make this whole biking thing much more worrisome. And Harvey definitely didn’t spend the entire time frantically checking his phone or something to hear back from practically a stranger. Sleep was far from his mind, but he used the time well. Normally, he let Donna do the research on date-approprite restaurants for him, but not this time. He wanted something special for Mike.

Still, while he was completely unbothered about whether he’d get a text back or not, when the reply came an hour later, he might have felt a little better. Admittedly, the giddiness from earlier was right back with him. It would have been embarrassing if anyone had seen it, but since he was alone, no harm done.

I’m mush in my bed. 🥴😴😴

Harvey I presume?

Obviously.

How many other people had he met today who'd be inquiring about his safety?

Cute ❤️

What exactly was cute about this Harvey didn’t know, but if Mike liked it, sure. He had been cute or whatever.

Thanks for caring ❤️ Goodnight

Harvey huffed a smile. Full-on with the heart emojis already. So much for taking it slow.

Goodnight

Sleep suddenly came easy.

Harvey spent half the morning prepping for his date, making reservations, organizing transport (from Brooklyn so Mike would get no funny ideas about biking). It would be a great one. Mike generously supplied him with an address of where he could be picked up from, even treated him to an Excited to find out what you've got planned! that had Harvey smiling a normal amount, and they were on. Harvey intended to bring his A-game.

“So,” Ant said, slapping Harvey’s shoulder and keeping his arm around him again when Harvey tried to get to a meeting. That was an annoying habit. “Did you have fun with Mike last night?”

Here were the vultures to take credit when all Ant had done was drag Harvey to a bar… well, Harvey was in a giving mood.

“Yeah. He’s great,” he admitted.

“You’re welcome.”

Harvey rolled his eyes and stepped out from under his arm. “I don’t usually appreciate being set up, but you done well this time, so. Thanks. Don’t do it again.”

“It’s nothing. We work hard. We deserve a little fun too, eh?”

Harvey had the festering hope there was more than a little fun in store. Mike was truly something extraordinary. Special people deserved to have all stops pulled out for them, so Harvey made sure to leave early to have time to get dressed in his best suit and fix his hair. He had rented a stretch limousine for the night, just because he could. Just so Mike could be impressed and perhaps ditch the bike altogether after experiencing real comfort.

He made it to their meeting point ten minutes early, and yet, Mike was already waiting outside on the sidewalk. Hands in the pockets of his cheap suit (but he wore it well), leaning against a railing in front of the residential apartment building. Harvey smiled before he even jumped out of the car; Mike’s eyes widened when he clocked him. Perfect.

“Hi,” Harvey grinned.

“Hi. Is that our carriage? I was hoping for something a bit more pumpkin-esque, but I guess this works…”

Still on the Cinderella metaphor then. Harvey chuckled. “Only the best for my princess.”

“You flirt.”

He offered his hand out for Mike as help to climb into the car; it was entirely unnecessary, more for the sake of the joke, but Mike took it anyway and supported himself on it as he glided in. “Thank you.” Harvey closed the door, jogged around the car to hop back in himself.

“So. Are you gonna tell me where we are going?”

How impatient. That didn't surprise Harvey one bit.

“An Italian place in Dumbo.” That would hopefully do all the impressing so there was no need for Harvey to sell it to Mike in words.

“Oh, lovely. Sounds promising. That’s what I get for dating a man with taste.”

Damn right. Harvey wouldn’t forget to prove it.

Funny thing happened though.

The food, the setting, the atmosphere, everything he had put so much thought into to get right and match Mike’s casual, perhaps slightly raggedy, vibe while spoiling him, it all ended up not mattering at all. Harvey barely noticed the live piano music, didn’t care about the food beyond Mike saying it was fantastic. His sole focus was those light blue eyes he could happily drown in, the hint of a dimple when Mike smiled with his whole face. How his lips moved and his whole body seemed to radiate sunlight when he spoke about something he was excited about.

Harvey made a point of pouring him the wine because fair was fair. And there was still something he was curious about. “You said you’d tell me about your mess in college when I pour you a drink.” He demonstratively moved the glass closer to Mike. “Consider your drink poured.”

Mike awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “You really wanna hear it?”

“Yes.”

“People are supposed to show their best side on a first date.”

“Screw that. Tell me the worst, that’s much more interesting.” He heard a lot of the good yesterday already, and he liked it. The rest was what would determine where this new connection would go.

As it was, if the worst mistake Mike had made was selling test answers and getting kicked out of college, that was nothing that gave Harvey reason for concern or made him locate the nearest exit. It was stupid, of course, and reckless, but he had suffered the consequences. And was trying to bounce back now, by the sounds of it.

“It was really hard, for a while. Kind of… lost my way there. But I can’t just sit around getting stoned in my friend’s living room every day, so. Giving this college thing another shot, even if I do work three jobs to afford it. Trying is better than not trying, right?”

“Definitely. Good on you.” Harvey respected a guy who worked hard for what he wanted.

Besides, he wasn’t a hypocrite; he had pulled some stunts of dubious legality too, except he had made sure to get away with it. Mike would learn that too, eventually.

“Do you stone?” Mike suddenly asked.

“Not in a while. Not usually.”

“Yeah, I figured...” Mike mumbled with a heaviness as if he was in mourning. “I’m trying to quit too. Mostly successfully so far. My new bad habit is allowing strangers in bars I work at to talk me into going on a date with them.”

Moving swiftly on from that mostly, huh? Well, Harvey would get the details eventually. Still not something that would have deterred him.

“So you go on a lot of dates, huh?”

“No. I mean, people try, because.” Mike gestured down on himself. “Hot piece of ass.”

Harvey smiled. “Obviously.”

“Those flair bar tending bottle tricks pull, man, I’m telling you.”

“Worked on me.”

“Right?!” His excitement was adorable. Harvey chuckled. Good to hear Mike knew that he was a catch despite all. “But no. I rarely accept. And what they offer is usually way less romantic than this.”

“Guess that means I’m special.”

“Well, that’s one way of looking at it...” The nonchalance faded away quickly in favor of that soft smile Harvey would kill to see more often. “You are.”

The words were like a warm hug around Harvey’s heart. “Well, you already know I don’t do this a lot, so.”

“Glad I made the cut.” Mike’s hand slowly moved across the tabletop until his knuckles touched Harvey’s. “I’m having a good time.”

“Good. Me too.”

It was hard not to. Mike was a little unpolished, perhaps, but there was something truly valuable under the surface that Harvey had the honor to discover. Truth be told, he couldn’t get enough of it. Mike’s eyes were too deep not to get lost in them, his smile too intoxicating to not get addicted to, he had a wonderfully broad knowledge of everything and nothing, even the most menial things he got excited by… They were from different worlds at first glance, but really, they had a lot in common.

The love for movies. Interest in the law, of course. An equally dry sense of humor, though Harvey took pride in the fact that he got Mike to laugh out loud more often than the other way around. Music. Mike could easily talk to him about sports; even if he admitted it wasn’t his favorite thing, he still showed genuine excitement when Harvey told him about his collection and insisted he wanted to see it all at some point, and who was Harvey to deny him that?

And more than that, Mike was a lot more forthcoming about the details of his life, his past and dreams. Why his Grammy mattered so much to him. About his parents, which explained his frosty reaction when he thought Harvey would drive under the influence. Why he wanted to become a lawyer. It was all very sweet, actually - until his explanation for how he managed to win against Harvey in their little game of law trivia. Now that was nothing short of mind-blowing.

“So you cheated.” The obvious takeaway from all this.

“Not my fault I have a better memory than you.”

“You weren’t clear about having an eidetic memory before we started, so the playing field wasn’t equal. Cheating, like I said.”

Mike only grinned with way too much amusement. “You’re a bad loser.”

“Am not.”

“So are. That’s good to know. I can already see all the ways I can exploit that for my own amusement.”

Well. If him wanting to believe in a lie led to more time with Mike, Harvey could leave him to the illusion. It made paying the bill a little easier, the hope that this wasn’t the end of the night. There sure was one thing Harvey was dying to do still before this ended…

Ray texted him he was just pulling out of the underground parking lot and would be right there, which gave them an opening of an extra few moments alone, waiting on the curb. Mike was rambling on about the historical significance of Italian immigration to Brooklyn, with such passion as if he had never done anything else. He looked so happy, so unguarded and relaxed… His words were interesting, but not nearly as much watching his lips move, his eyes glow. Harvey barely managed to pay attention to anything else.

“Mental, right?” Mike wrapped up. Harvey had no words. He only cupped Mike’s cheek and kissed him.

Mike hummed softly; his fist tightened around the sight of Harvey’s shirt. It was only short and innocent, but it had Harvey’s head spinning. And Mike looked at him like he was the center of the world, still smiling at him, and Harvey truly couldn’t hold back anymore. He simply had to kiss Mike again.

He felt five fingers gliding into his hair, how they traced down to the back of his neck, felt the pull downward he happily followed. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who was dying for this to happen; Mike clung to him, willingly opened his mouth. An invitation impossible to resist.

It was so easy to wallow in the bliss, Harvey completely forgot they were standing on the sidewalk. At least until an older couple bumped into them and nearly knocked them off balance; Harvey wrapped his arm around Mike’s waist to steady them and pulled them out of the way a little, his other hand still on Mike’s cheek. The couple said something in a language Harvey didn’t speak, but combined with the disapproving looks they threw back at them, it sure sounded pretty worked up.

“Homophobes,” Mike grumbled. Harvey chuckled.

“I hope we ruined their day.”

Mike gasped excitedly. “You think?”

“Maybe even their whole trip.”

“That would be the dream.”

Perfect way to end a date, making other people mad… Mike laughed, and Harvey couldn’t help and join in. Only for a moment before he kissed Mike again to make up for the interruption, but he remembered to keep the passion to a minimum this time. Ray was waiting for them on the other side of the road already too, which put Harvey in an unfortunate predicament. They couldn’t stay here, but he wasn’t ready to leave Mike either.

“You’re really causing problems.”

“How so?” Mike grinned defiantly in an I’m-not-complaining-but-tell-me-more way.

“My intention was to be a gentleman and deliver on my promise to get you driven home, but you really make me want to ask you to come home with me instead…”

“Hmm. I know your solution.” Mike grabbed the collar of his shirt.

“Enlighten me.”

“Bring me home…. And then come up. Like the gentleman you are.”

Just what Harvey had wanted to hear. “I like the way you think…” He bowed his head down to bestow another kiss on Mike’s lips. “Let’s go?”

“Yeah.”

Hand in hand, they braved the crossing of the street through the cars unwilling to stop (the next crossing at the end of the block was too far away for Harvey to be bothered with safety); Mike was laughing the whole time, even when he dived into the back seat, which made being reckless worth it. He looked so good like that.

If any part of Harvey had thought there might be a chance that things could turn awkward tonight, that Mike might only be material for one night and nothing more after all, it had solely been mistaken. When following Mike up the stairs, taking him to bed wasn’t even at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to get more of his brain, find out what else would make him laugh.

Even his tiny studio apartment didn’t deter Harvey from getting comfortable (though next time, they’d go to Harvey’s place), because Mike was there, and talking to him was just fun and easy, even when it shouldn’t be. When they went to places that should have been much harder to get to.

But Mike was so open and shared the dark moments of his life so willingly, Harvey too found himself opening up about things he hadn’t spoken about in years. It was like Mike had the keys to all the doors he had locked shut.

They must have been talking for ages already when Mike asked him if he wanted a drink, with the side comment that he did not have an extensive collection like the bar did, and Harvey got a glimpse at his little bartending station. Featuring some unbreakable plastic bottles.

But Mike shrugged it off. “Told you no one is a natural.”

“Are the tips better when you perform tricks for the customers?”

“Why did you have to make that sound like I’m some kind of monkey in a circus?” Mike laughed.

“If the shoe fits, Cinderella.”

“For your information, they are. People love being entertained.”

“Show me?” Harvey might not have been born with puppy eyes, but he still knew how to bust out a look that got hearts melting. Indeed, Mike’s smile grew wide before he suffocated it by sucking his lips between his teeth.

“Alright.” Mike produced two more bottles and put them on the counter. “We’ll start with an easy one.”

The ‘easy one’ was Mike instructing him how to simply flip and catch a bottle correctly, which, admittedly, looked a lot easier than it actually was. Not that that would deter him. Then again - Harvey had always thought he had decent coordination, but if he managed to catch the bottle by the neck half the time after simply throwing it up, that would be a generous estimate.

“And this is why I didn’t let you practice in the bar,” Mike snickered.

“Shut up. I’m getting the hang of it.” To prove it, he threw the bottle (with a rotation that was totally planned) into the air. He barely grasped it in time, but it didn’t fall to the floor, so. So much for there were no naturals.

“Woow. I see it now. You can cover for me, no one could tell the difference.” And because Mike was a little shit desperate to prove his point, he juggled two glass bottles with no effort whatsoever. What a showoff indeed. Harvey was a little obsessed with it.

He only waited until Mike put the bottles down and did one of his ridiculous bows again – the moment he came up, Harvey slid his hand in Mike’s hair and pulled him in for another kiss.

Mike gifted him the sweetest smile when they came apart. “At least one move you’re good at…”

“It’s the one that matters.”

“Agreed…”

Alright, it was decisively too easy to get lost in Mike’s eyes. Harvey swallowed. It was all the movement he was capable of.

Mike was the first to cross the distance again and kiss him, more heartfelt this time. Harvey learned to not look him in the eye after before he fell victim to his spell again. Mike put the bottles back on the station, then wrapped his arms around Harvey’s neck.

“You know, you haven’t told me what the worst mistake of your life was…”

Well, reciprocation was only fair, wasn’t it? After hearing about Mike’s tragic tale of being kicked out. Problem was, as much as Harvey would love to bond over this, there was nothing in his life that really compared. The next best answer it was.

“Not coming to your bar sooner.”

Mike pulled a face that screamed ew-how-cheesy-but-also-I’m-a-little-into-it. Nailed it. Harvey chuckled. “I don’t know that I’ve made one life-altering mistake that changed everything. It was an accumulation of little ones. I just always kept moving forward.”

“So you have no regrets?”

“No, actually. What’s the point of regretting things? Can’t change them anyway.”

“Hmm.” Mike’s hands glided down over his shoulders to his chest. “That was an entirely dissatisfying answer.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Harvey said dryly. How rude of him that his life didn’t suck more.

“You should be.” And Mike’s wide smile really underscored his point. “Then tell me about the worst thing you ever done, mistake or not.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow. That was a different game. “Is selling test answers to the dean’s daughter the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

“No.” Mike pushed himself out of his embrace and leaned against the counter. “Fighting with my Grammy and accusing her of ruining my life when she was only looking out for me after all she did for me was.”

Jesus. That was quite the bomb he just dropped. It came out so quickly, as if Mike had waited to get it off his chest. Harvey didn’t even get his thoughts together enough to know how to react when Mike carried on.

“I was a teenager, and I wanted to go out to get high and drunk and be stupid to make life bearable, and she said no, and… we yelled at each other until she clutched her chest and couldn’t anymore. She had a heart attack. I gave her a heart attack.”

“Oh.” What could he possibly say to that?

“Getting kicked out of college kind of pales in comparison, doesn’t it? Might have fucked my life more permanently, but. You know. I’m just glad she had a full recovery, and the news of my failure didn’t give her another one. I was still paying the hospital bill off until two years ago.”

Jesus. That was quite something.

“I’m sorry,” Harvey offered.

Mike shrugged. “You wanted to see the worst of me. This is me.”

“You acted like every teenager ever did.”

“Yeah. But not every teenager had as much to be grateful for than I did.”

“I caught my mother cheating, told my dad, and ripped our family apart,” Harvey blurted. He had no idea where it had come from, but Mike had been so open and vulnerable with him, and it was the only thing he could possibly come up with. Not that his guilt was comparable to Mike’s…

But when Mike smiled softly, he couldn’t help but feel it had been the right thing to say, somehow. It opened a whole new can of worms, or rather, trauma.

It was insane to think about, even for one second, how he only had met Mike yesterday and yet already shared so much with him, how it felt like he already knew the darkest parts of Mike too when that should have been impossible. But it wasn’t, they went there, through all the shit moments, and came back pretty unscathed given the wicked path they had emerged from.

Somehow, they had come physically closer on the couch as well, and Mike ended up with his legs crossed over Harvey’s lap and his arms around Harvey’s neck. Harvey, in turn, stroked his back and had his hand on the side of Mike’s thigh.

At some point, the talking got lost in a gentle exchange of kisses. Not half as needy or desperate as Harvey felt earlier; he wanted to cherish every second of this, not push for more. Not get lost in lust when he had discovered something way more valuable with Mike.

Mike’s forehead came to rest against his jaw, he grew heavier against Harvey. “I’m getting pretty tired…”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No. I want us to go to bed.”

Perfect. That was that sorted. Harvey couldn’t remember ever having had a first date that ended in the same bed without hooking up, nor when that wouldn’t have bothered him. But now, even though Mike was hot and Harvey wanted him, simply holding him felt enough after all the making out they had done. The mattress was hard and a spring pushed into his side all night, but Mike was so pleasantly warm, and his quiet snores a lullaby sweeter than Harvey had known. Sharing firsts with Mike felt only right. Nothing about this connection was ordinary.

Even in the morning, he didn’t take the chance to rut up against Mike when it would have been so easy in their spooning position. He simply took a moment to relish how good Mike smelled, how soft his hair was against his face until Mike stirred. Only to turn in his embrace and hug Harvey back before dozing off again. It was more than fine by Harvey.

“Don’t know the last time I had cuddles in bed like this,” Mike mumbled sleepily.

“I never have. But I could get used to it,” Harvey admitted.

“I’ll help you…”

“You’re so generous.” He lightly kissed Mike’s forehead and got treated to a soft hum in return. Wonderful.

The daylight didn’t take any of the ease away. It still felt natural to be around Mike, share little touches, talk freely. Of course, Harvey stayed for breakfast. Hell, he’d stay the whole day if Mike let him. Or they could go to his place, for a change of clothes…

Before he could suggest it, Mike climbed onto his lap, straddled him on the couch, and every thought fled from Harvey’s brain when Mike kissed him. He felt his hair getting grabbed, the rocking movements of Mike’s hips against him, the delicious friction and heat they built…

“This is a good morning…” Harvey remarked.

“I think we’ve sufficiently established you’re a gentleman, don’t you?” Mike grinned.

“Do you like that?”

“Hmm…” Mike nibbled on his ear, lightly sucked at his earlobe, and Harvey moaned. “I like to corrupt good men.”

“Can’t wait to see you try…” He grabbed Mike’s thighs from underneath to pull him closer, lightly bucked his hips up in the rhythm of Mike’s gentle thrusts until they couldn’t take it anymore, until the restraint of clothes was too much of an imposition to bear a second longer. Turned out there was something good about a studio; the bed was right there.

Corruption was a strong word for what Mike did to him, Harvey was too experienced for that, but Mike had definitely put him under a spell because Harvey could not get enough of him. Kissing Mike was like oxygen, necessary for survival even when he was balls-deep inside of him. It would never be enough for how deeply he desired to be with Mike, but man, it sure was a great effort.

He sure had no intention of letting any part of this remain a one-time thing, not when coming together was so easy, felt so good already.

And so, he didn’t let it be. He took Mike back to his place, asked him to come back after his shift at the bar. He did. A weekend together made for a great first date.

Even with Mike’s three jobs and college classes, they made it work to see each other at least once a week after that. Harvey was happy to arrange his schedule around Mike, whether it was for breakfast when Mike had a morning off before working nights or a prolonged lunch break for them to meet up in. When he could, he picked up Mike from the bar to escort him home, even if they had to go to Brooklyn because Mike had a commitment in the morning. It was more than worth it. The alternative was not seeing him, and what was the point of that? No, Harvey happily sacrificed sleep and convenience when he got much better things in return.

For the first time in his life, he could see himself actually falling for someone. Genuinely, not because he mistook it for lust or because he gave in to someone’s advances, but just because he was. Because Mike was incredible, brought out sides in him Harvey thought he had lost. Was he supposed to not develop feelings for the guy? Surely, no one could ask that of him.

He didn’t go around advertising the news, and yet, Donna noticed within days that something was different in his demeanor and didn’t let it go until Harvey admitted he had met someone. Another three weeks of pleading, and he caved into her demands of meeting Mike. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the fact that they got along splendidly (arguably too well), that he had her unconditional approval, did mean something to him. It was further proof that he had stumbled onto something amazing here.

Whether it was the honeymoon phase as Donna insisted or just common sense, but the time he spent with Mike was precious, especially when they got a whole night to themselves. Which made it particularly irritating when Jessica called him with an emergency on a case mid-poker game the one time he took Mike out to a casino as an excuse to get him into a tux. Harvey sighed, but agreed to do it. The life of a lawyer was tough.

He was still staring at his phone to wallow in his annoyance when Mike hugged his arm.

“This place is amazing! I won, like, three hundred dollars in the last five rounds,” he grinned, pockets full of chips. Of course he had. Fricking genius.

“That’s nice…”

“What is it?”

“Work emergency. I have to go.”

Mike’s face fell. “Oh. Okay. Probably for the better, the guy looked pretty angry, and I did count the cards, so if they check the tape… Well.” God, Harvey hoped he was joking. There was a fifty/fifty chance Mike had actually pulled that stunt. For now, Harvey didn’t want to know.

“Then we better run. Are you up to join me?”

“Am I allowed?”

“If they call me in this late, they have to cope with me bringing my handsome date.” He lifted Mike’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. Exactly the kind of cheesy gesture Mike pretended to be annoyed by but secretly loved.

“Alright. I like that you want to show me off at work…”

“That’s not what this is.”

“Sounds better than you ditching our date night for some case.”

Ditching? Harvey did the opposite, if anything. He kept Mike with him in every aspect of his life. “I wouldn’t dream to ditch you.”

“Because you’re a gentleman,” Mike teased.

“Finally. He’s learning.”

Mike chuckled and gifted him a short kiss. “Lead the way, Prince Charming.”

Harvey put Mike up in his office (he did still owe him a look at his collection) and told him not to touch anything (which went to shit immediately when Mike took a baseball out of the display case and tossed it between his hands even as he said “Okay”) and headed to Jessica’s office.

The emergency was some guy with cold feet who wanted to go back on the deal that was done earlier. Louis’s client. Harvey smirked. Well. Annoying as it was their night got interrupted, he did love getting to be smug about fixing Louis’s mistakes.

Nothing a little white lie couldn’t fix. Could have been much worse, at least it was as quick as these things could be.

Now all he had to do was make sure his gambit played out by making the deal irreversible and, of course, rub it into Louis’s face. Except that he didn’t find Louis lingering in the hall outside when Harvey had so looked forward to seeing him huff and puff. It was Ant.

“Why is he in your office?”

Whatever happened to hello?

“You mean Mike? He’s with me.”

“Why?” There was a shocking amount of confusion and something much more disapproving in that tone considering that Ant was the one who had wanted them to meet. What, was he jealous? But why would he wingman Harvey then? Either way, if he wanted Mike, he was too late. Harvey had no intention of letting him slip through his fingers.

“We were out, this came up. Not gonna cut the night short because some guy had second thoughts about his deal.”

“You cannot be serious.”

Harvey frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re going out with him?!” Now he could place that tone. It wasn’t jealousy. It was pure disgust. With what right did he dare to judge them dating?

“Is there a problem?” Harvey warned. If Ant was smart, he wouldn’t answer that, but count his blessings and go. Turned out, he wasn’t.

“Harvey. He’s not one of us. He doesn’t belong here. He’s some poor guy with a shit job and no prospects. Why are you wasting time on him?”

No prospects? Last time Harvey had checked, Mike was well en route to join them here in a few years, so how exactly did he not fit in? Since when did they look down on people hustling for a better life? And even if all of that was true, he was still Harvey’s choice. No one had any business voicing an opinion about that, least of all Ant and his hypocrisy.

“You introduced me to him, remember that? And suddenly he isn’t good enough to have around?”

“Yeah, as a joke! He’s nice to fuck, but he isn’t someone to ever take home to meet your mother, you know what I mean?”

Harvey decidedly did not. Chose not to. That was a terrible way to treat anyone, and with what right? Because Mike didn’t have money, he was supposed to be a sex toy? Not in Harvey’s book. He wouldn’t let anyone claim differently.

“I think you need to mind your own business,” he growled.

“Look, I get it. He’s great in the sack. I’ve had him. Wil had him. He’s hot, but he’s only a bit of fun. Don’t waste your time on him.”

Hot rage shot through Harvey. How dare Ant talk to him like this? About Mike of all people? If that was true, he sincerely felt sorry for Mike to have to put up with such jerks. Who knew how they had treated him; they better pray there were no gruesome details for Harvey to find out.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I will do as I please, and you will treat Mike with respect whenever I choose to bring him around. Got it?”

“Harvey, you can’t be serious-”

He silenced Ant with a glare. “Try me. You’ll see how serious I am.” He left him standing there to think about his shitty opinions. That just smudged his victory tonight… actually, no. Harvey wouldn’t let it. So instead of finding Louis to get the account closed for good, he swung by his office first. Mike was in his chair, turned to the skyline, but swiveling around when Harvey came in. Still with the baseball he tossed between his hands.

“You look like you’re having fun.”

“I am. I feel so powerful. No wonder your ego as big as the Chrysler building. I swear I can see it from here…”

He very much could not, considering that it was in Midtown and several skyscrapers literally opposite this building blocked the way to see any further than across the street, but why argue.

“Charming as always.”

Mike smiled. “Are you done fixing someone else’s problem?”

“In a way. You okay here?”

“I mean, I’d be much more effective helping you, but sure.” Harvey would love to see that, one day. Mike in action as a lawyer… that would be hot.

“Alright, lippy. I hold you to that one day.”

“Can’t wait.”

He should have left it at that, should have kept it professional while he was on the clock. Harvey was never good at doing what he was supposed to. He crossed behind the desk, supported himself on the armrests of the chair, and quickly kissed Mike. Who could care about professionalism with a partner this gorgeous? “Give me a few more minutes to wrap it up?”

“You have all night.”

“I intend to spend that time better.”

Even if it meant having to leave Mike again, for now. But Harvey managed; it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes, tops, that he was gone before he went to pick up Mike. For real this time.

Except that when he approached his office, he heard a voice that wasn’t Mike’s. Donna had left her intercom on; with the quiet in the hallway, Harvey heard the words loud and clear.

“Impressive how you got him hooked.” That was Ant. Harvey’s hands curled into fists.

“I don’t. We just clicked,” Mike said defensively.

“You haven’t told him about the freaky stuff you’ve done, huh? He looked pretty surprised when I did.”

A beat. “What?”

“He deserved to know what he’s dealing with, don’t you think? Before he gets the wrong impression of what you’re worth. Wouldn’t want him wasting his time.”

Oh, Harvey had heard more than enough. Again, how dare Ant talking on his behalf?! Hadn’t he been more than clear??

Harvey stormed into the office; Mike jumped up immediately. He looked so deflated and worried, that alone was an offense Harvey would struggle to forgive anyone. But for Ant to come in here and shit talk their relationship, that was a crime he wouldn’t let go.

“Didn’t I make myself clear?” he growled. Ant did not have the decency to look appropriately bothered or apologetic. But Mike did, which made it worse. So much worse

“Harvey…” Mike said, his voice thin and meek. Harvey reached for his hand and protectively pulled him into his side, his arm tightly wrapped around Mike’s waist.

“That’s not what respect looks like. If you can’t do better, stay away from us. And get the fuck out of my office.”

“Only trying to help.” Ant lifted his hands on shoulder height in surrender. “You should thank me.”

Thank him? In his fucking dreams. “You have five seconds or I will kick your ass so bad, they’ll have to surgically remove my shoe from your rectum. Five.”

Ant strutted out without another glance. Finally. Harvey glared after him so he wouldn’t get any ideas about turning around.

“Harvey, I…” Mike stuttered.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, but…”

That was enough, for now. This was not the place to unpack any of this. It was hardly needed in the first place, Mike didn’t owe him any explanation. Though Harvey might have to revisit his conception that Mike had taste. In men, it was lacking. Until now. That was what mattered.

“Come on.” He gently pushed Mike to move. Never removing his arm from around him, he walked them to the elevator. They had overstayed their welcome here. Mike followed, but remained silent until the doors closed.

“Harvey… I meant to tell you, I… it wasn’t like it is with you-”

Harvey frowned. “Why?”

Mike stared at him with big, beaten puppy eyes. “Why what?”

“Why would you have told me? I didn’t request a list of your past sexual encounters.”

“No, but…”

“Do you care who I slept with?”

“No, but…”

So where was the issue here? Harvey had no reason to be upset. He wasn’t, not with Mike. The only problem was Ant making it his business when he had no right to.

“No buts. We’re good.”

“No, listen. Please.”

Harvey sighed, but gave Mike his best attentive face. Unnecessary as his explanation was, if it made him feel better…

“Whatever he told you, it meant nothing. I had a shit day and just needed to feel something, and Ant was there, and he was flirting and tried to make me feel better, and he started making a move, so I let him fuck me in the storage room.”

How classy. And arguably more than Harvey wanted to know. That spoiled the potential of that location…

“You don’t have to explain.”

“I know. But I want to. Before you hear it from him, and he misconstrues it. It happened a few times after that, he sometimes would invite me over, and when I was bored, I went. One time, his friend was there too, and… Look, it wasn’t bad, but it’s not at all like it is with you. And I did not talk to you because you were his guest, he isn’t my pimp setting me up with his friends or something. I talked to you because I wanted to.”

Harvey smiled. He hadn’t even considered the alternative, never got the impression Mike wasn’t in it for the right reasons, but the reassurance was nice nonetheless. “I didn’t think you felt forced.”

“I’m sorry, I should have told you from the beginning…”

Harvey shook his head. They had shared much more personal, more intimate stories than a quickie in a storage room with a guy Harvey knew too; those were what built this relationship, nothing else.

“Mike. We’ve seen each other for a couple of weeks. Obviously, there are things we’ll still learn about each other. Doesn’t change a thing between us. If anything, I’m sorry you had bad sex.”

Finally, Mike chuckled. “I didn’t say bad, I said worse.”

“Same difference.”

Harvey had missed that little, self-assured smile already. “Okay. This is special to me. I just… want you to know that.”

That made two of them. Harvey lightly stroked over Mike’s cheek. “When I said I don’t do this a lot… I meant I’ve never done it before. Not the way it is with you. So.”

“I believe you.”

Finally. Mike shifted to his toes and kissed him briefly before Harvey bundled him back up in his arms.

“Now, seriously, let’s get out of here. Rare enough I have you all night to myself, we wasted enough with other people.”

They had completely forgotten to press the button to go down, but that was easily fixed. Harvey kissed Mike’s head when the elevator finally started to move.

No past encounter or two-faced wannabe friends held any relevance to what they had in the now. The now was amazing. And Harvey, for one, was excited to find out what the future held for them.