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Mike is awake instantly when he hears the sound of the key scrape against the lock.
For a disorienting few seconds, he’s confused.
The bed feels empty beside him, and cold. No pair of strong arms around him. No Harvey pressing his face into the back of his neck as he sleeps and—
Of course. His brain catches up in a flash.
Harvey has been at a charity gala with the senior partners tonight.
Swanky venue and definitely no associates allowed.
Mike sits up and squints at the glowing numbers on the digital clock.
2:17 a.m.? Harvey told him he was only staying for “a couple of drinks and thirty minutes of pretending to care.”
Clearly, that was a lie.
He hears the apartment door close with a thunk, and then the sound of two shoes being kicked off against the wooden floor. He listens to the sounds of Harvey moving through the apartment, the clinking of glass, the water running.
Then, inexplicably, the light switches on.
Then immediately off.
On.
Off.
Mike blinks. “Harvey?” he calls, stifling a yawn.
The bedroom door creaks open.
Harvey appears, still looking immaculately dressed in a suit, waistcoat, tie. Everything still in place, of course.
“M’awake.” Mike mumbles, sinking back down into Harvey’s cloud bed. “How was it?”
He braces himself for Harvey’s complaints.
Rich, self-centred clientele. Louis’ embarrassing dancing. Bad conversation.
“Boring.” Harvey says, sliding out his suit jacket.
He throws it haphazardly to the side.
Mike blinks. Okay, that was weird. Definitely not Harvey like. That suit jacket probably cost as much as his monthly associate’s wage.
“Boring?” he ventures. “What, rich asshole clients? Louis and his stories?”
“Both. All of the above.” Harvey says, sitting heavily on the bed and turning to look at Mike.
Mike studies him. Harvey’s eyes look a little too bright and a tad unfocused.
“Are you tipsy?”
Harvey snorts. “Not a… god damn chance in hell.”
Mike raises an eyebrow. He can definitely smell alcohol now. “You smell like a tequila distillery.”
Harvey pulls off his tie and drops it carelessly on the floor, and yeah.
Mike is beyond suspicious now. Because Harvey Specter does not discard his expensive ties like that.
In fact, his favourite thing to do is rearrange his suit closet and berate Mike for not using the correct hangers.
“Forget tipsy, are you drunk?” Mike asks in disbelief.
Harvey laughs. “No.”
He stands up and … wobbles, just a little.
Mike bites back a laugh. “Sure. So, apart from smelling like a tequila factory, what have you been drinking?”
Harvey turns back, an unimpressed look on his face. “Excuse me?” He sheds his waistcoat, then unbuttons his shirt clumsily.
“A whiskey or two? Three?” Mike persists.
Harvey mutters something and wanders into the ensuite bathroom, bumping his shoulder into the doorframe.
Mike laughs again, settling back and listening to the sounds of Harvey brushing his teeth and washing his face. He eventually returns and changes for bed, still looking a little unsteady on his feet as he negotiates a pair of shorts and pulls on a t-shirt.
“Water, before you crash. A lot of it.” Mike adds. He grabs a spare bottle he has next to the bed and passes it over.
“Am I under supervision?” Harvey says. Despite the complaint, he drains half the bottle in one go.
“Uhhh, you should be, seeing as it looks like you’ve been downing shots like a college student.” Mike says.
Harvey climbs into bed with a heavy sigh of relief.
“God damn, Louis.” he mutters. He turns his pillow over once, twice, three times.
“Let me guess, you lost a bet and had to drink up?” Mike says.
Harvey throws him a look and settles down with a sigh.
“I had a couple of drinks.”
“A couple? Harvey, you’re inebriated.”
“Inebriated is a strong term.”
“Yeah, so strong that you can’t even say it.” Mike grins.
He shifts across the bed and nuzzles himself under Harvey’s arm. “Also, you woke me up at two in the morning, so I think the very least you could do is hold your fiancé.”
Harvey chuckles low in his chest and wraps both arms round Mike, pulling him in close. “I missed talking to you.” He murmurs. “Everyone else is boring and has a stick up their ass.”
“Oh my god, can you say that again on video?” Mike says, feeling a little giddy. “There was a time you always used to complain about me talking too much.”
He strokes his fingers through Harvey’s hair gently, studying the older man in the dim light. “Anything else?”
“No.” Harvey says in a convincing tone. “Why?”
“I like drunk, honest Harvey. How was Louis’ outfit?”
“Awful.”
“Awful like… a bad tie?”
“Awful like he still hasn’t arrived in the new millennium.”
Mike laughs. “Oh my god.”
He leans in and Harvey meets him in a kiss, soft but firm.
When they break apart, Harvey kisses him again on the corner of the mouth, then on the temple.
“Mike.” He murmurs.
“Yeah?”
“I offended a ninety-year-old.”
Mike huffs out a laugh. “How?”
“He asked me how it was going with the ladies.” Harvey says in a knowing tone. He does an over-the-top shrug. “I told him I’m engaged to a skinny, blue-eyed associate who rides a death trap of a bike.”
“Who is also eleven years your junior.”
“Ten.”
“Once again, ten years and eight months is closer to eleven.”
“Still ten.” Harvey smiles. He studies Mike for a moment.
“What is it, big guy?” Mike says, a warm feeling in his chest. His feelings for Harvey are so big sometimes, he can barely contain them in his body.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re pretty good-looking?” Harvey murmurs, eyes half-closed.
Mike raises his eyebrows. “Pretty and good-looking, or just pretty good-looking? Careful now, think about it, babe.”
“Pretty and good-looking.” Harvey repeats in a serious tone.
He moves his hand up and smoothes it through Mike’s messy hair.
Mike laughs softly. “God, you’re such a sap when you’re drunk, I love it.”
He leans in and Harvey kisses him again gently.
“So how many tequila shots, hmm?” Mike whispers, staying close so they were breathing the same air.
“Three?”
“Oh my god.”
“Blame Louis. Jessica.” Harvey yawns. “Hmm. Mike?”
“Yes, Harvey.”
“This client was a Star Trek fan. We talked about the man… Cap’n Kirk.”
“Uh huh. That’s nice.” Mike smiles. “Your man crush.”
Harvey chuckles sleepily.
“You have a man crush.” he says a minute later, pulling Mike down closer and nuzzling into his neck.
“Excuse me?!” Mike gasps. “Who?”
“Hmmm, I think you know.”
“I very much do not know. Elaborate.”
“Tall.”
“Helpful.”
“Handsome.”
“Okay, still not enough information.”
“Smouldering brown eyes.” Harvey concludes.
“Taylor Lautner?” Mike grins.
Harvey snorts. “Who?”
Mike catches Harvey’s hand and twines their fingers. “Ohh, I get it, when you said tall, dark and handsome you meant you.” he laughs. “Alright, you got me. You are my man crush.”
Harvey makes a satisfied noise against his neck. “Knew it.”
“Enough of pitting yourself up against celebrities, it’s sleep time.” Mike tugs the blankets up over them further, wriggling around until he’s in a comfy spot. “It’s super late, and you are going to be like a bear with a sore head tomorrow.”
“Blame Louis.” Harvey repeats himself. “I’m a better lawyer. Better closer. Better dressed.”
“I know.” Mike interrupts, but he’s smiling. “You’re better at everything, Mr. Specter.”
Harvey huffs in satisfaction and slides his hand up Mike’s back, cupping the back of his head.
Mike kisses his temple. “Goodnight.”
“G’night.” Harvey murmurs, tilting his chin up just a tad.
Mike kisses him obligingly.
Harvey’s arm loops round Mike’s waist, pulling him infinitely closer and exhaling.
“What is it?” Mike says softly, gently caressing his thumb against Harvey’s temple.
Harvey pauses for a second before speaking. “You know me and you. Us?”
“I know us, yes.”
“It’s important to me, Mike.”
“I know. It’s important to me, too.” Mike says softly.
Harvey nods slowly. “You know I’m… bad at emotions, at caring.”
“No, you’re not. I know you care about me, you’ve shown me time and time again… you show me every day.” Mike whispers.
Harvey nods again, looking thoughtful. He slides his hand up into Mike’s hair again, caressing the dirty blond locks. “You’re very pretty for an associate.”
Mike snorts. “Oh my god. That’s the tequila talking. What do you mean, for an associate?”
“None of the others in the pen cut it.”
“I’m glad. If you told me Harold was your type, I’d be a little displeased.”
“Harold?” Harvey frowns.
Mike laughs softly. “I forgot that you were so insistent about locking me into being your associate from day one, that you never gave the others so much as a look.”
“Not a single look.” Harvey murmurs, his eyes 90% closed now.
Mike tucks his head in under Harvey’s chin. “Sleep now or you’ll be god damn miserable tomorrow.”
“G’night. My best associate.” Harvey breathes.
“Uh, and fiancé.”
“The best fiancé.”
“Great save.” Mike smiles.
Harvey hums, his hand sliding down between Mike’s shoulder blades and resting there.
Quiet falls between them for a long minute, the only noise being the faint buzz of the city.
Mike yawns, tucking his face further into Harvey’s neck and Harvey automatically adjusts his grip.
“G’night.” Mike whispers. “Love you.”
“I love you.” Harvey murmurs. “A lot. It’s outta hand.”
Mike hums. “Well, we’ve never done anything half assed, babe.”
Harvey chuckles sleepily. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“That’s pretty romantic.”
“Hmm. Don’t tell anyone.”
“I’ll take it to the grave.” Mike smiles as Harvey tightens his grip on him even more. “But if we get married, people may just have an inkling?”
“They will. I’m going to give the best god damn wedding speech ever.” Harvey yawns. He turns his head, kissing Mike gently on the temple. “Like everything else I do.”
“Except Harvard, you came fifth.”
“Fourth.”
“Uh, no, fifth.” Mike laughs. “Hello, Harvey, did you forget my brain?”
“Hmm.” Harvey grumbles. “And where’s the guy who came number one? Not the best closer in New York.”
“Definitely not.” Mike says. “Hey, sleep now, okay? It’s going to be morning soon.”
Harvey mumbles something but settles, his breathing deepening.
Mike waits for a long minute, brushing his thumb against Harvey’s neck. It doesn’t take long before the older man is out. Fast asleep.
Mike exhales.
Years ago? He would’ve laughed in someone’s face if they’d told him this was how his life was going to be now.
A job he loves, beating the bad guys, using his memory for good.
Never mind being safe, secure, and loved, unconditionally…
By the hottest closer in New York City.
He smiles against Harvey’s chest.
Outside, the city hums and ebbs, even at the late hour.
Right now, there is nowhere else Mike would rather be.