Work Text:
Two days before Thanksgiving and the first big winter storm was setting in. The supermarkets were already running low due to panicking city goers hoping to stock up on emergency supplies, the streets were being cleared to make way for emergency vehicles, just in case. Harvey was not impressed. Not at all. Sure, the past year hadn’t been the best for storms in New York, mentioning Sandy still made people grimace and grow far too somber for his liking. But he was fairly sure the coming storm would be nothing more than freezing rain and even more miserable temperatures.
So when Jessica sent everyone home a bit earlier than usual, under pretenses of safety, Harvey’s already sour mood hit home.
“It’s a goddamn rain shower, Jessica.”
They stood in her office, Jessica pulling on her thick coat, with what Harvey suspected may not have been faux fur lining, and wrapping a cashmere scarf around her neck. She rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Then stay if you want,” she told him, pulling on delicate gloves. “But Harvey, if you die because there’s ice on the roads do not expect me to be sympathetic at your funeral.”
“It’s rain,” he said again. “You’re already making me give up Mike for the next four days for this stupid holiday, the least you could do is not take him from me the day before a major deposition.”
“Harvey,” she stopped packing up her purse and sighed. “I promise you the deposition tomorrow with Tiffany & Co will not be as big a deal as you’re making it out to be.”
“Lately, the easy things are hard enough to handle,” he said, shoulders sagging ever so slightly. They still hadn’t properly recovered from the whole Stephen debacle, and the “Divorce” was making the upcoming winter more difficult than Harvey liked. “We can’t risk losing a potential client as big as this, Jessica.”
She regarded him a moment in silence and Harvey felt himself fidgeting, the way he always did when she looked like a disapproving mother.
“You’re doing it again,” Jessica said finally.
“Doing what?”
“Avoiding the holiday.”
“No I’m not.”
“Yes you are.”
“No I’m-”
“Harvey the last time you were this keyed up about winning over an heiress, you were a rookie and it was your first major move in my name,” Her face softened. “Which means the only reason you’re this worried is because you want to make good with me, which you already have. Or you’re avoiding something else in your life.”
Harvey made a face.
“You can’t run from the holidays forever.”
“24 years and counting would like to prove you wrong,” Harvey said quickly.
She chuckled and shook her head. “You could try enjoying it for once.”
“I could also try arsenic.”
“Alright, Scrooge have it your way,” she waved him off and grabbed her purse. “Stay and work until you’re ready for tomorrow. Keep your pet if you feel it would help, but please, Harvey, be safe on your way home.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze on her way out. “I’d like to see you here in one piece tomorrow.”
“Goodnight Jessica. Drive safe.”
Once she, and most of the firm, were gone, Harvey settled in to finish his work. He liked having the office more or less to himself. He’d sent Donna home with everyone else, not wanting her to get stuck there in case the weather did get nasty. Mike he hadn’t seen since lunch and, as usual, the kid wasn’t answering his phone. So if he got stuck there with Harvey it was his own damn fault.
He turned up just around five, two hours after everyone had been sent home, balancing a stack of briefs for the Tiffany deposition, and two cups of steaming coffee with surprising grace.
“Why am I not surprised you’re still here,” he commented, edging into Harvey’s office. Harvey looked up and couldn’t help the slightly relieved smile when Mike set the cup of coffee in front of him.
“You’re a life saver kid.”
“Yeah, yeah, here,” Mike handed him the paperwork and sat down on the edge of the desk with his own coffee. “Honestly it should be a pretty cut and dry meeting tomorrow, unless Miss Tiffany finds reason to not like us, because you offend her sensibilities or something.”
“And why would I do that?” Harvey asked, sitting back in his chair to leaf through the files.
“Cause you’re you and you’re an ass.” Mike smiled when Harvey shot him a warning look, like he wasn’t even afraid in the slightest. His blue eyes wandered then, to the windows, where the constant, albeit light, rain could be seen, the dark clouds blanketing the sky, the lights of the city blurred like a running watercolor painting. It was beautiful, Harvey had to admit, so long as he was warm and not witnessing it first hand.
“It looks like it’s letting up a bit,”Mike said, sipping his coffee. He climbed off Harvey’s desk and went to look. “Might be good to leave soon just in case.”
“You didn’t bike here did you?” Harvey asked, skimming over the last few pages, the feeling of relief settling in his chest. Mike, as always, had delivered with flying colors, and Harvey let himself smile.
“It wasn’t that bad this morning,” Mike replied and Harvey noted the sheepish tone.
“You’re no good to me dead Mike,” he chided, closing the folder and getting to his feet, stretching his back with his arms high over his head. “I can give you a ride.”
“No Harvey its-”
“Not up for discussion,” Harvey snapped. “I don’t want you riding your bike in whether like this. I’m serious.”
Mike seemed surprised but the shock melted into a warm smile. “Alright. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. You ready to go?” Harvey grabbed for his jacket and his winter coat, slipping the briefs into his briefcase. “We can work at my place a bit, unless you feel like heading straight home.”
Mike shrugged. “I have an extra suit in my desk, so if we pull an all nighter I can change when we get here.”
“Are you inviting yourself to stay the night, pup?” Harvey asked, amused.
Mike just shot him a cheeky smile. “You’re the one who insinuated the offer.”
It was a testament to how much Mike had grown on him that all HArvey could bring himself to do was chuckle and nod in agreement. “I did, didn’t I?”
“I won’t stay if you don’t want me to. I get the whole privacy thing,” Mike said quickly.
“You crashed there for the whole morning a month ago,” Harvey reminded him. “I think we’re good on the privacy thing.”
And if there was a certain warmth in his chest at the thought of Mike being there when he woke up next morning, well, no one had to know. He had spent months keeping those, for lack of a better word, feelings, well under wraps. Despite all the bullshit lines the two of them had crossed, the feelings line, the line that had Harvey breaking almost every fraternization policy Pearson Specter had, was one he wouldn’t cross. Mike deserved better than the shitstorm that move was sure to bring. Besides, Rachel would end up being a better fit, Harvey had told himself, over and over. She was bright, smart, pretty, and not an asshole.
Harvey had always been aware he was an asshole. He was aware that was why so many relationships failed and why holidays were just not his thing. But for some reason, Mike didn’t seem to care.
Unlike everyone else, who turned away with scowls and upturned noses at his harsh demeanor, Mike just smiled at it, like he found it endearing.
Even then, almost a year after they met, Harvey still didn’t understand it.
Bundled up in their thick wool coats and scarves, Harvey’s far more high quality than Mikes old leather jacket with several layers underneath, the stepped out into the nasty weather. Harvey grumbled and pulled his coat tighter, waiting just under the overhang of the building as he watched for Ray in the passing whirl of cars. Mike on the other hand, seemed completely happy walking out into the freezing rain.
Harvey watched him, scowling, ready to tell him off for his childish behavior, mention something about pneumonia, but Mike close his eyes, tilted his head back and smiled, letting out a sigh the sent steam into the cold air.
Harvey forgot what words were.
Mike’s normally pale cheeks were flushed with color, rosey in the frosted air, his lips stretched into an easy smile, his long body arching beautifully so his head was tipped back and the rain hit his skin in a light, loving rhythm. His breath was a steady stream of fog hitting the air, his lips parted just enough to allow the fog to slip past.
He was beautiful.
And then, because if that hadn’t been enough to make Harvey’s mouth go dry and his pulse start to panic, Mike’s eyes shot open and his face broke into a giddy smile.
“Harvey it’s snowing!”
“No it’s not, it’s called sleet, Mike,” Harvey grumbled, adjusting his scarf so it covered his nose.
“No seriously, it’s snow,” Mike said again, and he laughed, a bubbling childlike sound. “It’s snowing!”
Harvey opened his mouth to argue, but Mike was moving towards him, reaching out, and dragging him away from the shelter and into the cold, damp, miserable-
But Mike was right. The rain had more or less ceased and instead of harsh, icy water, soft white flakes were showering down on them, sticking to the wool of Harvey’s coat, melting into the puddles on the sidewalk. It was soft, slowly covering the few dry patches of ground around them, and when Harvey looked back at Mike, who was staring up at the sky, the snow flakes had started clinging to his short, messy hair. His cheeks were red, eyes bright with a wonder Harvey hadn’t known in a long time, laughter breathless and unhindered, as snowflakes laced his eyelashes and fell on his tongue.
“Two days till thanksgiving and it snows!” Mike crowed and he spun on his heels like a dancer. “It’s snowing, I can’t believe it’s snowing.”
“You act like you’ve never seen snow before,” Harvey said, but he was smiling, his own cheeks cold and flushed with color.
“I have of course I have it’s just,” Mike threw up his arms. “I don’t know it’s the first snow, Harvey. Weren’t you ever excited about the first snow?”
“When I was five maybe.”
“Pssh you’re no fun,” Mike snorted. “Come on, stick out your tongue.”
“No.”
“Harvey.”
“I am a grown man. Besides everyone knows the best snowflakes are in January.”
Mike stared at him a second, then his face split back into a wide grin. “You watch Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.”
“Every kid who celebrated Christmas watches that movie, Mike.”
“Come on, stick out your tongue.” Harvey made a face and Mike threw up his hands in frustration. “It’s fun. Can’t you have fun for once?”
“I do have fun,” Harvey argued. Snow was now dusted over Mike’s hair and across the shoulders of his worn leather jacket.
“Fun that doesn’t involve vaginas.”
Harvey choked on air and Mike laughed at him. “You are unbelievable.”
“Come on, Harvey,” Mike said again, his voice gentler. “Live a little.”
It was such a simple, silly, childish thing, that did nothing for him other than add to the chill in his bones. But he sighed, tipped his head back and stuck out his tongue, all to Mike’s fond, approving smile.
They stood there together for a moment, grown men in designer clothes who were meant to take over the legal work of possibly the most famous jewelry store in all history in less than twenty four hours, and caught snowflakes on their tongues.
When Ray pulled up a few minutes later, Harvey closed his mouth and shook the snow off his hair with a smile. Mike laughed and did another wild twirl, arms out to catch the snow on his jacket, face red and all alight. And Harvey watched him, all sense of the cold forgotten as warmth and fondness spread through his chest and warmed his nerves.
Somewhere, amidst the snow and ushering a giggling Mike into the back of the town car, in Mike leaning against him heavily as they rushed through the snow into the apartment building, as they shared hot whiskey tea on Harvey’s couch, all those feelings Harvey had worked so hard to keep in check, were starting to show.