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“MIKE!” Harvey rolls his eyes, picking up his sunglasses and tucking them into his pocket.
“Alright! Jesus, Harvey…”
Mike appears a few seconds later, trailing along with one battered Converse on, one off. Those god damn Converse, Harvey thinks. He’s going to burn them next time Mike is asleep.
“You’re the one who insisted on dragging me away from an important case just to go for a walk.” Harvey says, gesturing to the apartment door.
Mike grins then, pulling on his other shoe. “Yeah, because you’re gonna get square eyes and need glasses, then you’ll be bitching and whining.”
“I don’t bitch and whine.” Harvey lies instantly. “We all know I’d look exceptional in glasses.”
“Yeah, exceptionally big headed.” Mike straightens up and smiles demurely. “Ready, oh great one.”
Harvey rolls his eyes, of course, and opens the door. They head out, Mike bouncing along and talking non stop about Louis and something he’d done to the new associates that week. Harvey zones in and out, sighing in relief a little as the cool, fresh air hits them.
“So, where are we going for this walk?” Mike asks a moment later as they head towards Central Park. “Some new, unexplored route?”
“Hmm.” Harvey pauses at a crosswalk, idly reaching out and sliding his hand up the nape of Mike’s neck. “Wherever it is, I assume it’ll have to be via a hot dog cart in case the puppy gets hungry?”
“Oh my god, dude.” Mike laughs, leaning into the touch. “We’ve been out the apartment for seven minutes and you’ve already called me a puppy?”
“Don’t call me dude.” Harvey says automatically. They cross the busy street, dodging people as they go. “Just planning ahead, Mikey. Strategising.”
Mike grins but doesn’t speak and Harvey leads them down the familiar route and into Central Park.
It’s sunny today, reflecting off the imposing buildings that loom overhead. The sky is a brilliant cerulean blue, not a cloud in sight.
Harvey cant help it, he inhales, exhales.
Mike bites his lip, still smiling.
“Don’t say it.” Harvey mutters, side stepping someone on a bike as they fly past in a whirl. “God damn bikes, should be illegal.”
“Bikes are good for the environment, Mr ozone layer destroyer.” Mike quips. He tips his head back for a second and soaks in the sunshine. “We should totally work outside, it’s good for your brain and mental wellbeing.”
“Great idea.” Harvey says sarcastically, steering Mike up over a bridge. They pause at the top. “We’ll depose the clients in the middle of the park with the homeless guys listening in.”
Mike laughs, looking up at Harvey with his usual expression of fondness. “Idiot.”
They look out across the park - it’s busy today, the sunshine having drawn everyone outside. People sitting in groups, joggers in pairs, people walking dogs, children playing.. The trees sway gently in the spring breeze, the sound calming, a million miles away from the busy traffic of downtown.
“Alright, let’s keep it moving.” Harvey says eventually and Mike falls in step with him as they slowly follow the pathway down through some tall trees.
A couple on roller-skates go flying past and Mike looks impressed, watching as they disappear round a corner. “I could totally do that.”
“No, you totally could not.” Harvey smirks. “I don’t need an associate with a broken ankle. Or leg. Or arm.”
“Or face.” Mike laughs. He hesitates. “Would you still love me if I was mutilated?”
Harvey snorts. “No.”
Mike gasps out loud. “No?! What if I a crocodile ate my face?”
“Hell no.” Harvey teases, wrapping an arm round Mike and pulling him in. “There’s no crocodiles in New York, Mikey.”
“Love is supposed to be unconditional, actually.” Mike mutters, but he leans into Harvey. “What if I lost my arms?”
Harvey snorts again, leading them over to a metal bench. “How could you be my associate with no arms?”
Mike sprawls on the bench, looking half amused and half pouty. “Wrong answer, Reggie. Did you forget we’re in a relationship?”
“How could I?” Harvey stretches his legs out, crossing them at the ankle. “You’re in my apartment every god damn day, eating my cereal and complaining about wanting pop tarts.”
Mike laughs easily and sighs, shifting and leaning his head against Harvey’s shoulder.
Harvey turns and kisses him on the top of the head. “You alright?” he murmurs, softening his tone.
Mike nods and yawns a little. “Hmm just been a long ass week with that damn case-“
Harvey nods, resting his head against Mike’s for a moment. They have got an extremely complex (and frankly, boring) case on at the moment and he knows it’s taking up all of Mike’s energy, brain power and free time.
He blinks as he realises Mike is still talking. “….subpoena that guy, he’s totally shady, and depending on what we find there’s like two different routes we can go down. Son of a bitch is a liar.”
Mike stretches his legs out and Harvey smiles. “Not bad for a guy who couldn’t file a patent.”
“And now? I’m practically running the place.” Mike says cheekily, nudging Harvey’s ankle with his foot.
“Oh, so you’re the boss? So I can come to your office and bitch and moan to you all day like you do?” Harvey kicks him back and Mike laughs, turning and wrapping his arms shamelessly around Harvey’s neck. He plants a kiss on Harvey’s jaw.
“Like hell you want me to do anything else.” he mumbles.
Harvey rolls his eyes, mouth twitching again. “What wouldn’t I give for five minutes, uninterrupted peace and quiet.”
Mike rolls his eyes, a smile on his face.
Harvey studies his blue eyes for a moment. “I guess I can live with the current status quo. It’s been what, a couple of years since you dumped weed in my office?”
“Uhh, that was a mechanical failure.” Mike says, blinking indignantly. “And it doesn’t reflect on my abilities as a weed dealer.”
Harvey smirks and Mike breaks into laughter, dropping his head down now to Harvey’s shoulder.
“Shut up.” he mutters.
“It’s just so easy to make fun of you.” Harvey teases.
Mike mutters something unintelligible.
Harvey reaches up and gently smoothes his hand through Mike’s dirty blond hair, scratching lightly. He stays that way for a minute before squeezing Mike lightly. “Alright, up and at it.”
Mike groans but pulls back and stands up, stretching. He looks even skinnier today in jeans and an old long sleeved t-shirt, the material a little big on him. It reminds Harvey again that he needs to get some more weight on the kid.
Harvey stands up and puts on his sunglasses and slides an arm round Mike, directing him back onto the pathway and they walk through the trees, the sunlight dappled on the sidewalk.
Harvey can see the tension from the busy week slowly leaving Mike’s shoulders so he keeps them walking, keeping his arm tightly around the younger boy and steering them. Mike, of course, lets himself be led, commenting as they walk and throwing out random facts.
“…oh, and there’s fifty eight miles of pedestrian walkways in Central Park.” Mike says as they turn a corner. “That’s like doing two marathons back to back.”
Harvey raises an eyebrow. “I could run that.”
Mike looks up at him with a grin. He then gasps. “Oh my god, Harvey, you should enter the NYC marathon! Me and Donna will stand at the side with signs.”
Harvey snorts. “The fuck you will.”
“Like go number one eight seven three, my hot boyfriend.” Mike says slowly, clearly thinking. “Or you’re doing great, sweaty.”
“If you and Donna are so confident, all three of us will run it.” Harvey quips back.
He leads them onto another pathway and Mike laughs. “Yeah, no, you’d be carrying my skinny ass, babe.”
“No puppies allowed in the race.” Harvey pauses at a fence to look over into a stream running below.
Mike also watches the water for a long moment, a thoughtful look on his face. “Hey, can we rent a row boat one day on the lake?”
“Harvey Specter doesn’t row boats.” Harvey says. “And there’s no way in hell you’d get us moving with your skinny arms.”
Mike looks up at him, mock offence on his face. “Uhh, I happen to be extremely lithe, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Oh no, no. There isn’t.” Harvey teases. “Except you’d want the princess treatment, huh? Me doing all the work? As usual?”
Mike bats his eyelashes. “Maybe not ALL the work, Mr Specter, I seem to recall I put in quite a lot of effort last night.”
Harvey smirks, the memory flashing through his mind. “Enough.” He holds out his hand and Mike takes it and they walk again, this time Harvey leads them around towards one of Mike’s favourite stores that sells ridiculous over priced smoothies and shakes.
“Fuck yeah, are we getting a smoothie?” Mike grins.
“We are.” Harvey confirms. They exit the park and cross the street, Harvey already feeling for his wallet.
Mike grips his hand tighter suddenly as they bypass a couple of girls in short shorts and cropped tops, pretty and young. One of them gives Harvey the once over and smiles rather demurely over her shoulder as she passes him.
Mike scowls back at her, something flashing across his expression. Harvey pauses and gently walks Mike sideways until they’re off the busy sidewalk, tucked into the side street. Mike quickly rearranges his features into something neutral, but Harvey caught it. He always catches it.
“Hey.” he says quietly, moving his other hand to Mike’s waist. He’s seen that brief expression on the younger man before, the last time being when Scottie showed up unexpectedly one afternoon.
Mike avoids eye contact for a second before leaning forward and resting his head against Harvey’s shoulder. He doesn’t speak.
“Mike. I wasn’t looking at any random girls.” Harvey says gently.
“No, no. I know!” Mike says quickly. “They’re looking at you and.. I can’t blame them, you are the hottest guy in New York. Probably the whole country.”
Harvey chuckles. “Hey. Eyes on me.”
Mike tilts his head up and smiles a little. “I’m good.” he confirms. “You don’t always see it but random people are always checking you out, you know? Especially skinny, hot women.”
“Well hot women can keep on walking.” Harvey says gently but firmly. He slides a hand up Mike’s neck, brushing his thumb against his cheek. “You got that, Mr big brain?”
“Got it.” Mike mumbles. His eyes flicker left and right quickly but Harvey doesn’t even bother to check.
He leans in and captures Mike in a long kiss and Mike melts into it, looping an arm round Harvey’s neck and holding on tight, the way he always does when he’s feeling something in his chest.
When they break apart, Harvey kisses his temple, his cheek, his brow. “Now, you good?”
“So good.” Mike says, pink in the face now. “Who wouldn’t be good after being kissed by an expensive corporate lawyer?”
Harvey chuckles and smoothes down Mike’s t-shirt collar. “Now. One smoothie then we’ll head home, yes?” He drops his tone a little. “I can always think of better ways to burn calories.”
Mike’s pupils dilate a little. He swallows. “Uh, yeah. Me too. Can we go home now? I’ll skip the smoothie.”
Harvey laughs. “We’re having a smoothie, puppies need refuelling.” He draws Mike back in and drops a kiss just above his eyebrow.
“Thanks, Harvey.” Mike whispers. He slips his hand back into Harvey’s and they re-join the main street, heading into the smoothie shop. It’s cool inside with whitewashed walls and Harvey sighs in relief, joining the short line. Mike slips in front of him and Harvey wraps an arm around him, pulling him back against his chest as they stand.
“Strawberry and banana, please.” Mike tilts his head back, a smug, soft look on his face now. “Thank you, babe.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” Harvey counters, matching his tone.
Mike laughs softly, relaxed back. They move up the line and Harvey leans forwards without thinking, kissing the back of Mike’s head.
“You want a snack too?” he murmurs.
“M’good, just the smoothie.” Mike says. “Thanks.”
Harvey nods and extracts his wallet one handed, keeping his arm round Mike. He orders them a smoothie each and Mike stays stubbornly close. They grab their drinks and head back out and Mike takes a long gulp of his smoothie, nodding.
“Oh my god… the best.” he declares. “And healthy.”
“Now, if you could only beat that pizza and red bull addiction.” Harvey says. They cross the street and head back into Central Park, bypassing more enthusiastic joggers in brightly coloured outfits, calling out to each other as they zoom past.
“Hey, you know who’s a hot older male athlete?” Mike says airily, looking up at Harvey with an expression that Harvey knows only too well by now. Mischief.
“Who?” Harvey plays dumb, sipping his own smoothie.
Mike pauses for dramatic effect before smirking. “Travis Tann-“
Before he can even finish, Harvey pulls him in close and wraps an arm round his neck. Mike squawks and stumbles a little.
“HARVEY!” he gasps. “I nearly dropped my six dollar smoothie, asshole!”
“You wanna repeat that, Mikey?” Harvey smirks, digging Mike in the ribs a little “Hmm?”
Mike laughs and squirms, leaning his weight into Harvey. “No! No, no! I’m sorry!”
“No? Because I think you were about to say that Travis Tanner is a, quote, hot older man.” Harvey raises an eyebrow.
Mike laughs again. “No, no, he’s slimy as fuck, I was totally kidding.” He leans up and kisses Harvey on the jaw. “You’re hotter. And way better at the law. And taller.”
Harvey chuckles. “Thank you, light of my life. Now.” He sips his smoothie again. “Keep it moving.”
Mike keeps an arm round Harvey’s waist and they stroll down the pathway. Harvey drinks his overpriced smoothie, directing them and letting Mike ramble on as he usually does.
“…the fuck was Louis talking about anyway to Jessica? And what was that disgusting tie he had on? Is he having some kind of mid life crisis for the fifth time?” Mike is shaking his head. “He was so mean to the associates yesterday too, oh my god, it was so unnecessary.”
“I’m mean to the associates.” Harvey replies automatically. He steers them over to a large, wrought iron bench and they sit down again. The cool breeze blows and Harvey closes his eyes for a second. Around them, the trees sway gently overhead, sunlight catching on the leaves. For once, he can even hear birds chirping.
“Uh no, you pretend to be mean but secretly? You’re all bark, no bite.” Mike says.
Harvey cracks open one eye. “Excuse me?”
Mike grins, looking so very young suddenly in his crumpled t-shirt. “It’s true! You’re all mean faced but inside? A big softie.”
Harvey frowns. “Tell anyone and I’ll make your life miserable.”
He sips more smoothie and Mike laughs, copying him before leaning against him. “You already did that yesterday by making me recite the most boring bylaws known to mankind. I nearly died, Harvey.”
Harvey snorts. “Died for doing your job? My heart bleeds for you, Mikey, truly.”
Mike grins but doesn’t speak, looking around the park for a long moment before….. inhaling and exhaling.
“I know.” Harvey smirks. “Enlightenment. Chakras. Levelled up. Any other bullshit concepts?”
“Nirvana.” Mike says, inhaling again. “Perfect peace and liberation. No limitations of the material world and no desire for material items.”
Harvey snorts again. “Not a god damn chance in hell. That reminds me..” He ignores Mike’s raised eyebrows. “I need to visit Rene.”
“Why, the twenty six bespoke suits in your closet not up to scratch?” Mike says sarcastically.
“I need an update.” Harvey insists. He turns to the side and throws his empty smoothie cup into the trash can that’s a few feet away and it lands perfectly. Of course.
Mike immediately copies him - and fails. The smoothie cup hits the trash can and falls to the floor and he groans, getting up immediately to pick it up and dispose of it.
“Let me guess? A blustery cross wind?” Harvey teases.
Mike laughs and stretches out for a moment. “Alright, let’s walk, I’m re-energised. Totally ready to take on the world.” He straightens his crumpled t-shirt and looks at Harvey expectantly, all blue eyes and innocence.
Harvey stands up and pulls on his sunglasses before holding out his arm. Mike doesn’t hesitate and leans into his side and Harvey plants a long kiss on the crown of his head.
“What was that for?” Mike laughs, cheeks a little pink.
Harvey shrugs one shoulder but doesn’t offer any explanation.
They head off back down the pathway, Mike monologuing about one of the new Harvard graduates and her class ranking and… it’s just another normal day in Harvey’s life.
One he wouldn’t change for the world.