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Mike inhales and exhales deeply, enjoying the crisp, chilly New York City air. Winter was upon them now, deep into November. Christmas was ramping up already, stores selling gifts and a festive, magical feel lingering in the air….
Mike pulls his scarf a little tighter around his neck - Grammy knitted it for him a few years ago and he still loyally wears it every winter. Even if it was maybe out of fashion…
Just a little.
“Earth to Mikey.”
Harvey’s voice cuts in and Mike blinks up at him. “Huh?”
“I said, where is this god damn freezing walk taking us?” Harvey says in his usual no nonsense tone. He’s also bundled up in a scarf and ridiculously expensive coat but, of course… it’s Harvey. So he looks like he’s stepped straight off the page of a Gucci winter men’s catalogue.
“Just… around? To the ice rink?” Mike replies vaguely, gesturing.
There’s snow on the ground now and Central Park looks beautiful in the afternoon winter sun. Trees stripped of their leaves, picturesque and still. Snowy paths and people bundled up, boots crunching underfoot.
Mike smiles to himself, leaning into Harvey a little as they walk. “Can we get hot chocolate and cream from that fancy little place we went to before?” he asks hopefully.
Harvey raises an eyebrow. “Do you need a treat every time we go on a walk? You’re never beating the puppy allegations.”
Mike snorts, deliberately stepping in some untouched snow, leaving a perfect boot print.
“You love walks with me.” he says in sing song tone, glancing up at Harvey again. Damn his beautiful face in the bright winter sun. Mike is so distracted.
Harvey smirks. “I do?”
He reaches out his arm and slides it around Mike’s shoulders, drawing him in.
Mike leans in, smiling as they pass a man jogging with four dogs attached to him on various sized leads. “You do.” he nods. “Who else would get the great Harvey Specter walking round the park? Every weekend? And today, you initiated it.”
Harvey’s mouth twitches. “The fuck I did.”
Mike laughs. “You stood there by the apartment door, arms folded. Scarf on. Waiting to go.” He slides his arm round Harvey’s waist and laughs as the older man side steps them into some fresh snow, marking it with their footsteps.
“Wait!” Mike pulls out his phone and takes a quick photo of their perfect footprints, side by side.
Harvey rolls his eyes at this, a fond smile tugging his lips. “Alright, Mr sentimental. Let’s keep it moving, unless you want the best closer in the city to freeze to death?”
Mike grins. Honestly, Harvey is such a drama queen.
They carry on walking, passing dog walkers, hardy joggers, tourists taking photos… They reach the huge ice rink and lean over to watch the scene below them. It’s busy with people twirling and laughing, some falling, some holding hands.
“No.” Harvey says then without taking his eyes off the rink. “We are not.”
Mike splutters. “Fuck you, I never said anything!” He adjusts his scarf indignantly.
“You thought it.” Harvey casts him a knowing look. “Don’t think I can't read that genius mind of yours.”
“We have to go ONCE before winter is over.” Mike reasons. “Come on! It’s practically New York law!”
“Funny, I seem to have missed that particular legal precedent.” Harvey takes off his sunglasses and tucks them into his pocket.
“It was uh, years ago. Eighteen…. ninety. Two.” Mike smiles sweetly. “All New York residents shall skate on the ice rink in the winter. And if their boyfriend is a hot corporate lawyer, they must hold hands.”
Harvey is smirking now. “Funny. I never knew you obeyed the law.”
Mike groans. “So I commit one small misdemeanour and I never hear the end of it?” He bumps into Harvey and the older man does it back. So Mike does it back. They continue for a minute before Harvey pulls Mike back into his aside, nuzzling a kiss to his temple.
“I’m kinda glad you spilled weed in my office.” he murmurs.
Mike laughs, a little breathlessly. “And then beat you on Sarbanes Oxley?”
“You didn’t beat me, Mikey.” Harvey smirks this time. “You sat your skinny ass down and quoted the BARBRI Legal Handbook and I thought you were the strangest god damn kid I’d ever met.”
“Uh, thanks. I think.” Mike says, turning back to the ice rink and watching a man skate around gracefully, spinning and twirling. “I thought you were some smug, rich asshole.”
“I am a smug, rich asshole.” Harvey adjusts his collar and kisses Mike again on the temple. “Come on, you are not breaking a limb on that ice rink today, you hear me? I need you in one piece for tomorrow’s deposition.”
Mike snorts. “Romance isn’t dead.”
They walk further into the park, Mike pausing to take some photos of snowy trees, birds. He even manages to persuade Harvey into a photo of them. Despite his well-above-average looking face, the older man is not into taking pictures.
But this time? He caves. He pulls Mike back into his chest and smiles and Mike smiles even wider.
“We need these photos for when we’re old and mourning our youth.” he says, showing Harvey the photo before pocketing his phone.
Harvey raises an eyebrow. “I won't be mourning any youth, because I intend to look this good forever.”
“Alright, hot Grandpa.” Mike grins. “Did you forget your associate is eleven years younger than you?”
Harvey’s eyebrows shoot up even higher. “How could I forget? I thought Jessica would fire me for fucking my skinny, pretty subordinate.”
Mike gasps out loud and Harvey laughs then, a proper deep laugh.
“I guess I can't argue too much.” Mike grins. “Skinny? Yeah. Pretty? Yeah. You’re subordinate?” he flutters his eyelashes a little. “Yes, sir, I am.”
“Enough.” Harvey smirks. He slides a gloved hand up to Mike’s cheek, brushing it with his thumb. The leather gloves are warm and soft and Mike sighs.
“I bet those gloves cost a god damn fortune.” he murmurs, eyes fluttering.
“Correct, Mikey. Now.” Harvey reels him back into his side and they begin to walk again, crunching over snow. At one point, Mike steps on black ice and wobbles dangerously and Harvey reacts in a split second, pulling him closer.
“Easy.” Harvey chuckles. “What did I say about broken arms or legs, sweetheart?”
“I need you for tomorrow’s deposition.” Mike quotes in his best Harvey voice.
“The puppy can listen and learn.” Harvey says in mock amazement. “Progress.”
Mike laughs and kicks snow at him. Harvey does it back, a glint in his eye. They begin a kicking-snow game, both laughing stupidly until some teenage girls pass them, frowning disapprovingly.
Mike giggles, flushed in the face.
“Can we get that hot chocolate now?” he pouts. “Come onnnn, you don’t want your hot associate boyfriend to freeze to death do you Harvey? Imagine that on your conscience.”
“You argue a good point now and again.” Harvey smirks. He holds out a gloved hand and Mike takes it, gripping on tightly. “Now. Hot chocolate and marshmallows for the child.”
Mike smiles and pauses for just a second, blinking up at Harvey in the crisp, winters day. Despite the dropping temperatures, his chest is warm. Full of feeling for this ridiculously good looking, sarcastic and loving man in front of him. Never letting Mike take life too seriously.
He blinks a second later, realising Harvey is looking at him. “Uh yeah, hot chocolate. Cool. Let me at it.”
Harvey looks bemused but doesn’t comment. They walk further through the park, hands twined tightly. Mike inhales, exhales.
“Don’t say it.” he says quickly. “Weird yoga shit. Every time we come on a walk, you have to bring it up.”
“Not my fault you breathe so god damn loud.” Harvey quips. “You and Donna with your never ending quest for enlightenment.”
“I achieved it.” Mike says smugly. He pauses to take a photo of some snow covered trees, still holding Harvey’s hand. “Your associate levelled up.”
“Levelled up? Yet… still didn’t have the paperwork ready yesterday for our meeting.” Harvey raises an eyebrow. “Any chance you can level up on organisation and printing skills, sweetheart?”
Mike laughs, flushing a little. “Enlightenment surpasses corporate law, babe.”
A man passes with a large, fluffy dog on a lead and it barks at Harvey enthusiastically. He frowns, side stepping.
“God damn dogs.” he mutters. He glances at Mike. “No. We cannot get a dog.”
Mike whines. “Ever? But Harvey-“
“You think I’d let a dog on my twenty thousand dollar couch?” Harvey lets go of Mike’s hand but reels him into his side. “You look freezing.” he adds.
“It’s winter.” Mike mutters but leans into the touch, smiling as Harvey kisses him on the top of the head. “I’m gonna need a large hot chocolate now to get over the disappointment of you not allowing a dog in your apartment.”
Harvey chuckles. “You drive a hard deal.”
They walk out of the park and cross the busy street, ducking into a small cafe on the corner. Mike sits down and sighs in relief, taking off his Grammy scarf and setting it down. It’s warm inside, drinks steaming, people talking…
Harvey walks over a couple of minutes later with their drinks and sure enough, he’s given Mike everything. Whipped cream, marshmallows, the works.
“To your liking?” he says in a mock serious tone and Mike smiles.
“Yeah.. thanks, Harvey.”
Harvey sits down and takes off his own scarf and they sip their hot chocolates, both sighing in relief as the hot drink thaws out their freezing bodies. Their conversation falls to work, as it so often does. Their upcoming cases, Judges, Louis and his disgusting ties, the new pool of Harvard graduate associates…
“One of them is so annoying.” Mike rolls his eyes, mind flitting back to the new associate. “Such a teacher’s pet, what the hell was that the other day? Yes Mr Specter.” he mocks.
Harvey smirks. “Funny, I seem to remember someone else followed me round everywhere like a lost puppy in their first few months.”
“Uhhh, the difference being I knew what the hell I was talking about.” Mike says loftily, sipping his drink.
Harvey raises his eyebrows. “Except for how to file a patent?”
Mike laughs, cheeks flushing a little as the memory washes over him. “That was one time. And I saved it! We won, didn’t we?”
“No thanks to you, Mr no degree.” Harvey teases, but he hooks his leg round Mike’s ankle under the table. “Now. Where the hell are you with your pro bono case?”
Mike smiles and launches into a long description of his latest case, mind running ahead, already anticipating various outcomes and if the company will push back-
Harvey just smiles at him, calm and easy, sipping his hot chocolate.
“So, uh, that’s me. Gonna kiss ass tomorrow, boss.” Mike concludes, hooking his own leg round Harvey’s so they’re completely entangled. He smiles at the older man. “What, no feedback? No sarcasm?”
Harvey raises an eyebrow. “Like hell you’d listen to me anyway, rookie.”
“Not a rookie nowwww.” Mike sing songs. He gulps down the remainder of his hot chocolate before glancing outside. “Can we go for another walk?”
“Another one?” Harvey smirks but he’s already winding his scarf around his neck. “How about I release the puppy into the wild and you try and find your own way home later?”
“You’re a real comedian, Harv.” Mike says in a lofty tone, pulling on his own scarf and buttoning up his coat.
They head outside and over the crosswalk, back into Central Park. Mike shivers slightly, leaning into Harvey a little as they walk.
“Alright?” Harvey says, tone softening slightly. He wraps an arm round Mike tightly, rubbing his arm.
Mike nods, eyes drifting to the barren trees that line the pathway as they walk slowly. He breathes in deeply, breathes out, glancing at Harvey with a grin as he does. “Sorry, babe, just achieving enlightenment again. Keeping on the level.”
Harvey rolls his eyes. “I don’t need an enlightened associate, Mikey. I need your beautiful brain to be switched onto long forgotten laws for tomorrow’s deposition.”
“Oh it is.” Mike says smugly, snagging Harvey’s hand that is round his shoulder and twining their fingers. “Never forget why you hired me.”
Harvey raises his eyebrows. “The blue eyes and nice ass?”
Mike laughs. “Yeah, I was the complete package, Harvey, admit it! Nice ass, blue eyes, genius brain, witty sense of humour-“
He gasps as Harvey, without warning, pushes him away and he nearly falls, feet slipping. At the last second, Harvey reels him back in tightly, chuckling.
“Fuck you, I nearly broke my god damn leg on that black ice!” Mike whines, pouting. “This was supposed to be a romantic walk in the park, not kill Mike day!”
“Oh, my apologies.” Harvey smirks. He turns to face Mike fully, eyes fond and gentle. Without warning he draws him in and presses a kiss to Mike’s temple, his cheek, his cold nose.
Mike smiles, cheeks flushing despite the cold. “You’re not forgiven.” he mutters. “But you know what would help on the road to forgiveness?”
“Does it start with P and end in retzel?” Harvey says lightly.
“It does.” Mike confirms, mouth twitching. “You’re a fast learner, Mr Specter.”
Harvey smiles. “I am. Alright, pretzels it is. Let’s move.”
Mike smiles back and they continue off into the frozen park, snow crunching beneath their feet and Harvey’s arm holding him tight.
As always.