Chapter Text
The room was quiet. Sunlight crept in through the blinds, casting faint lines across the white hospital sheets. Mike stirred, his head shifting slightly on the pillow before his eyes fluttered open.
The IV still ran into his arm, but his mind was clearer, sharper, even if a little slower than usual.
Harvey came in, bringing with him a coffee, a smug smile and trouble, if the look on his face was any indication.
“Morning, Casanova,” Harvey said as he placed the coffee on the side table.
He frowned. “No. No, don’t call me that. What did I do?”
Harvey shrugged, clearly enjoying this far too much. “You mean besides insisting the nurse’s name was Moonlight?”
“Oh god. I didn’t—” His eyes widened comically in shock.
“You did,” Harvey confirmed, resting an arm on the edge of the bed. “Said her name was ‘Moonlight’, you were lovers since the past four lives who met again in this life and tried to high-five her with your IV hand.”
Mike closed his eyes with a groan. “Please tell me I didn’t.”
“You also said you’re in love with Donna.” Harvey chuckled.
“No way dude, she scares me too much for that.” Mike gasped.
“I know, you said that too.”
Mike stared at the ceiling. “I feel like I ran a marathon. Then got hit by a truck. And then someone beat me up.”
“That’s understandable. Except it was your appendix doing the beating.”
A weak laugh escaped Mike. Then, quieter, “I asked for my parents, didn’t I?”
Harvey didn’t answer right away. “...Yeah. You did.”
Mike looked over at him. There was no fear in his expression, just a trace of embarrassment as he looked at the ground. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Harvey leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You weren’t all here. And even if you were… it’s okay to want them.”
Mike nodded slowly, eyes wet but not spilling over. “I just—I think I forgot for a second.”
Harvey nodded.
He added after a bit of silence. “You remembered me though, on the second time.”
“I did, didn’t I.” Mike whispered as if he just realized that.
They sat like that for a moment. No more jokes. No more confusion. Just the quiet understanding that sometimes, even when you’re a grown up, it still hurts to be alone—and sometimes, when you’re lucky, someone stays anyway.
“You also told the surgeon not to remove your ‘charisma’ by accident.” Harvey wasn’t gonna let him off that easy.
“Is there anything I didn’t say,” Mike muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
“Oh, we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet,” Harvey said, leaning in just slightly. “You asked me to kiss you. Quite a few times.”
Mike froze. The monitor’s beep picked up a little, just enough for both of them to notice. His face turned red.
“I did not.”
Harvey tilted his head, eyes gleaming. “You don’t remember, huh?”
He looked at Harvey’s annoyingly pleased face. “You’re making that up.”
Harvey just raised his eyebrows and leaned back like a man with a winning hand. “You looked up at me, blinked those baby blues, and said—and I quote—‘If you kiss me, I’ll heal way faster. It’s scientifically proven.’”
The monitor beeped louder again.
“You don’t have any proof so that didn’t really happen.” Mike grinned with a put-on confidence.
“Who says I don’t?” Harvey smirked. “Let’s see.” He played a short audio recording from his phone.
“That’s unfair. I mean, how’s anyone supposed to concentrate with you walking around looking like that?”
“Trust me, you manage.”
(A giggle.) “Did I ever tell you you’ve got really pretty eyes?”
“Not in so many words.”
“Well, you do, and your mouth? Criminal. Totally illegal. I should sue you.”
“I’d love to see you try.”
“I probably wouldn’t win. I’d get distracted.” (A heavy sigh) “You know, if you were my boyfriend, I’d let you kiss me.”
“Okay okay that’s enough!” Mike’s hands shot up to cover his face. “ Someone please sedate me again.”
“There’s a lot more where that came from.” Harvey chuckled, low and warm. “I said no to the kiss, by the way. Professional boundaries. Also, I wasn’t sure you wouldn’t throw up on me.”
Mike peeked through his fingers. “Good call.” He couldn’t meet Harvey’s eyes, his face burning bright enough to light the room.
“I can’t believe I said that,” he muttered, his own voice playing on repeat in his mind." God. Kill me now.”
“Relax, it’s not like you murdered anyone,” Harvey said lightly, “You just flirted with your boss-slash-friend while off your face on morphine.”
Mike groaned and yanked the blanket over his head. “Please stop talking.”
Harvey chuckled, tugging the blanket down just enough to see Mike’s mortified expression. “Hey. It’s fine. I know it was the drugs talking. I don’t think any less of you.” He cupped Mike’s face in his palm.
And just like that—beep-beep-beep. The monitor betrayed him again, chiming like it had something to celebrate.
“Don’t you have any work to do?”
“Nah. I’d rather stay here and watch you blush every time your heart rate gives you away.”
Cue another spike.
Harvey’s eyes flicked to the screen, then back to Mike, a smile tugging at his lips. “You okay there, Speed Racer?”
Mike glared at the monitor. “This thing needs to die.”
Harvey laughed, and for a long moment, Mike forgot he was in a hospital bed at all. He just stared at Harvey’s face —bright with amusement and something else he couldn’t name.
Harvey leaned closer, voice soft. “For the record, you’re pretty cute too.”
Mike peeked out, squinting suspiciously. “People call children and puppies cute. You don’t have to humor me, Harvey. It’s okay.”
Harvey raised an eyebrow, amused. “Why is it so hard to believe?”
Mike frowned. “You just said—”
“I said I know the drugs were talking. I didn’t say I didn’t like what I heard.”
Mike blinked, silent, brain lagging behind.
Harvey grinned. “You’re a little tragic in the wardrobe department, sure. But nothing we can’t fix. But otherwise? A solid ten. And right now, with that ridiculous pout and your nose all scrunched up? Adorable.”
Mike made a noise that was equal parts protest and whimper.
“I hate you,” he muttered, trying to hide again.
“You love me,” Harvey said, smug.
The beeping spiked again.
“Okay, I am pretty sure it’s happening because I am still recovering. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Sure.” Harvey said, pulling up a chair like he owned the place. “Except the part where your heart monitor starts playing techno music at very particular moments.”
Mike scowled, but it was half-hearted. “That machine is clearly defective.”
“Or honest,” Harvey said, watching him closely.
Mike rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t- You don’t know that, you’re not a doctor.”
Harvey leaned in just enough to send every nerve buzzing, and murmured, “True but I like hearing the effect I have on you.”
“You’re so full of yourself.” Mike huffed but the monitor beeped faster again, betraying him spectacularly.
Harvey grinned. “Still broken, huh?”
“Quit messing with me.”
“I am not,” Harvey added, “Nice to know-” He was about to say something but some nurse interrupted them, saying Harvey needed to sign the papers for Mike’s discharge.
Mike stepped out of the hospital, blinking against the bright afternoon sun. The breeze felt good, brushing against his skin like freedom. He took a deep breath of non-sterile air and turned—Harvey was opening the car door for him.
“Chauffeur service?” Mike asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harvey opened the passenger door for him with a mock bow. “Only for recovering flirt machines.”
Mike groaned as he slid into the seat. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“Nope.” Harvey grinned, popping the p way too enthusiastically.
It had been four days since Mike was back to office. Everything had gone back to normal after Harvey got bored of the teasing.
“It’s not fun if only I know the joke.” Harvey had said as his laughter died down. Mike didn’t know what was so funny, he had just brought them Burritos for lunch.
And that was the end of it.
It was just another Thursday morning at the firm — at least, that’s what Mike thought until he saw, is that a-
A single, round pebble.
There it was, sitting neatly in the middle of his otherwise chaotic desk. A small, smooth, dark gray pebble. Perfectly oval, almost glossy in the morning light streaming through the blinds.
Beside it: a sticky note, with Harvey’s unmistakable scrawl.
Hope it’s up to the mark.-H
Mike stared.
For a second, his brain just… didn’t compute. A pebble? From Harvey? His eyes darted around the office like maybe someone was pranking him. But no one else had that handwriting. And no one else would sign a note with just an initial like it was a damn Bond movie.
He picked up the stone carefully, turning it over in his hand. It was cool, smooth, heavier than it looked. Chosen on purpose, clearly. But why?
The note didn’t help. Up to the mark? What was that supposed to mean? Was it a some joke? A rock-solid case pun? Wait, was it supposed to help with some case?! Was he supposed to get a geology reference?
Mike’s brow furrowed.
He looked back at the pebble.
“Okay,” he said aloud to himself, “The suspense is killing me.”
He was still thinking about it when he decided to bring a file to Harvey’s office — partly because he actually needed to, and partly because he needed to ask, what the hell?
Mike walked into Harvey’s office with the file tucked under one arm. The moment he stepped in, Harvey looked up, casually — too casually to be really casual.
“So?” Harvey asked, one eyebrow lifting, mouth twitching like he was suppressing a self satisfied grin.
Mike blinked. “So… what?”
Harvey leaned back in his chair. “Do you like it?”
Mike frowned, thrown off. “Like what?”
Harvey gave him a look. “The pebble. On your desk.”
“Oh. That,” Mike said, holding it up like a strange artifact. “Yeah, about that… I don’t get it. What’s that about? Is it a missing piece on some case? Is it some rich people thing for ‘good job or get well soon or something’? Is this some kind of inside joke I’m missing, or—?”
Harvey sighed with theatrical patience, “Penguins.”
Mike tilted his head. What’s that supposed mean? “What? What do Penguins have to do with this rock.”
“You tell me, genius. You’re the one I got to know this from...”
Mike blinked again. He stared at the pebble in his hand. Then back at Harvey. His mind started replaying flashes — some documentary about Adelie penguins, they present the shiny pebbles to the females to show their interest, that they want to mate and start a family together. He remembered smoking weed and crying happy tears over the little fact with Trevor. “I hope we can have that some day, man.” He had said, wiping his eyes.
Mike inhaled sharply.
“Oh my God,” He muttered. His cheeks flushed so suddenly he could feel the heat rush up his neck.
Harvey smirked. “There it is.”
“You- I- I told you that?” Mike whispered, a little stunned, a little breathless. “That was… I don’t even remember saying that.”
“You were charmingly deranged,” Harvey said. “You said, let’s skip all the hard stuff and go full penguin. Let’s give each other pebbles, get an egg and raise it together.”
Mike looked down at the pebble again — suddenly very real, very meaningful in his hand.
And then it all hit at once — the gesture, the memory, the weight of what it meant.
“I need… I need a minute.” Mike breathed, overwhelmed.
He turned abruptly and strode out of the office before Harvey could say anything else.
Mike burst out of Harvey’s office like he was trying to outrun his own thoughts. The pebble was still clutched in his hand, his knuckles white around it.
Harvey got up, intending to go after him.
“What did you do to him?” Donna interrupted.
“Why do you assume I am the one who’s wrong here?”
“Would you have chased him if he did something wrong.”
He didn’t bother replying since it wasn’t really a question and went in the same direction that Mike did.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, catching on a bit. “I have a feeling this is some once in a life time thing—” Her eyes widened with sudden delight and she walked after Harvey.
“There you are,” Harvey said, casually, like Mike hadn’t just sprinted out of his office like it was on fire.
Mike tensed.
Harvey was going say something but some scrunchy sound came from the file room’s door.
Harvey shot her a look. “Donna.”
“What?” she said, eating her popcorn, which, where did she get that so fast? “I’m just here for moral support. And the tea. Mostly the tea.”
Mike stared at Harvey, eyes flicking down to the pebble still clenched in his fist. His voice was low. “You mean it.”
Harvey’s expression softened, like all the deflections fell away in that moment. “Yeah, I do.”
There was a long silence, not uncomfortable, just full — like the air between them was thick with all the things they hadn’t said and now finally could.
Mike blinked quickly. “I should say something really clever right now.”
“You could,” Harvey offered, almost smiling.
“But I’m probably just gonna cry instead.”
And then he did — not dramatically, not messily, just a few quiet tears that slipped down his cheeks while he held the pebble tighter, like it was the only thing grounding him to the moment.
Harvey stepped forward, so close now that their foreheads nearly touched. “Just to be sure, do I take this as a yes?”
Mike laughed wetly, wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t want our egg to be a child of divorce when you decide to change your mind.”
He laughed again.“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Oh The notebook? You really are serious.” Harvey teased.
"Okay, just to be clear… when people talk about wanting a stone, they usually mean the kind that comes in a velvet box. Not the one you pick on the way to work." Donna said looking between the two, amused.
“That’s boring, we don’t do mainstream here.”
“Yeah, this is perfect.” Mike kissed the pebble, looking into Harvey’s eyes.
“Clearly. Nothing says romance like a rock from Central Park. But hey... it weirdly works. For you two.”
“You’re still here?” Harvey arches a single eyebrow.
“And that’s my cue,” She said, turning to leave, “You kids have fun.”
“So, tell me more about this?” Mike waved the pebble.
“What do you wanna know?”
“How did you decide this is the one?”
“Well, you wanted a good rock, nothing ordinary. So I first thought of getting a diamond.” Harvey chuckled at Mike’s disbelief, “But then I thought, nah, that’s not special enough."
“And?”
“I remembered our first meeting, so to commemorate that, I went to the hotel, there’s a row of plants in front, if you remember.”
Mike gave him a look.
“Of course you remember,” He laughed, “So, I cased the options till I found the prettiest pebble, made sure the doorman wasn’t looking and sneaked it into my pocket.”
“Ohmygod, that’s perfect! The place, the pebble and its like Penguins swiping the eggs!” Mike squealed throwing his arms around Harvey.
“So, do penguins usually kiss after the pebble thing?” Harvey looked at Mike’s lips then back to his eyes, alone at last.
His mouth curved into the faintest smile. “Strictly speaking, penguins nuzzle. But I’m open to interpretation.”
Harvey chuckled under his breath, “Interpret this.”
He closed the space between them before Mike could quip back. Mike’s one hand was still clutching the pebble, the other curled around Harvey’s lapel. The kiss was tentative at first, just a brush of lips that held couple of years of tension and something new, something fragile blooming.
Then Harvey’s hand slid up to cradle the side of Mike’s neck, anchoring him in place, and the kiss deepened — no more hesitation, just warmth and longing and everything they’d been holding back.
When they pulled apart, Mike let out a soft, breathless laugh. “God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”
Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Since before the hospital?”
Mike grinned. “Way before. I think I fell for you somewhere between your smug smirk and your soft heart, when you told Jessica, ‘He goes, I go’.”
“Woah, since then?”
Mike nodded, brushing his thumb gently along Harvey’s jaw. “Well, better late than never.” He couldn’t resist kissing him again.
“Come on. Let’s go somewhere.”
“Harvey, we’re just starting the work day!”
“Are you disobeying your boss?”
“Never. Lead the way....”
And for once, they didn’t overthink it. Just two idiots in love, finally doing something about it — one pebble, one kiss, one step at a time.