#me pointing to mike ross in suits when he says 'even knowing how it all turned out . . . i would still do it again' to harvey

[katierosefun]

i'm going to be seeing hadestown apparently, and i can't wait to sob my eyes out like a baby in front of my mom

[rebelwrites]

The Flame That Never Died

Harvey Specter x Reader

A/N I said the other day I didn’t know whether to start writing for Harvey Specter and Mike Ross (from suits) so this is kinda testing the waters a bit as they aren’t many fics for them 🥺

Request by @little-diable : Okay so, what if the reader and Harvey had a thing going on at uni but once they graduated they lost contact. Maybe she needs help with getting out of a marriage where the husband is idk abusive or too powerful for her to just leave him and she seeks Harvey out and they fall for each other once again?

This wasn’t the life you wanted, you didn’t want to be the trophy wife, the one that was to complete the act that your husband put on for the world.

The life you wanted was the life of a lawyer, you had gone through law school coming out 2nd in the class. Being beaten by the one person who would always have your heart. The one and only Harvey Specter. But as soon as you graduated you went your separate ways. You were on the next flight to Chicago to look after your mother, your dreams of becoming a lawyer put on the back burner.

You hadn’t even bothered getting changed out of your sweatpants and oversized hoodie. The house felt so empty, it wasn’t a home, it meant nothing to you. It was a Friday night, the night you would always go over to your mum’s but today was a year since you lost her.

All you wanted was to be held, but no you were in the massive house alone whilst your husband was out with his latest flavour of the week.

You didn’t know what you were doing when you booked the next flight out of chicago. A flight to the one place you could call home. New York City. You were done being the second best.

Pushing yourself off the sofa you ran into your bedroom, pulling the suitcases out and chucking everything you could fit into the case. Including your Harvard certificates. This was about you and you will do anything to get your life back on track. And you needed help to do it, all you were known as were Mrs Beckett, it wouldn’t be a simple process filing the divorce papers but you knew just the person who would help.

Staring up at the building, you took a deep breath, as you walked in with two coffees in one hand and your suitcase in the other. You just hoped Harvey would help you still seen as you both lost contact with each other.

“Hi I wonder if you can help me?” You asked the security guy “I’m looking for Harvey Specter”

“Is he expecting you?” The guy said not looking up from his screen.

“Urm no” you sighed.

“Then no I can’t help you then” he laughed.

You knew this was a bad idea turning up unannounced. Turning on your heels you had decided to give up until you were stopped.

“Sorry did you say you were wanting to see Harvey?” A young guy asked.

“Yeah” you nodded.

“I’m Mike his associate” he smiled “I know you don’t have an appointment but something tells me this is important, so come on”

“Thank you” you smiled softly.

“Mike” Donna hissed gaining his attention “who have you just put in Harvey’s office?”

“She said her name was Y/N Beckett” Mike shrugged “she said it was important and that she’s an old friend”

“You know who she is right?” Donna said watching you through the glass walls “that’s Lucas Beckett’s wife”

“Wait as in Lucas Beckett the politician”

“Yeah” Donna nodded pulling her phone out to call Harvey “which means her and Harvey go way back”

You don’t know how long you were sitting in Harvey’s office, but time was dragging. Hearing the door open you took a deep breath before turning around.

“Hey Harv” you smiled

“Please tell me my eyes aren’t deceiving me” He smirked as you passed him the coffee you brought.

“Well I hope I’m real you idiot” you laughed as he pulled you into a hug.

“What brings you to my office?” He asked sitting at his desk “not that I’m complaining at all, I mean it’s been what seven years since I last saw you”

“I need your help” you said quietly.

“Anything” he nodded leaning forward on his forearms.

“I’m divorcing Lucas” you said, not making eye contact. “But I know it’s going to get messy so I need a lawyer and honestly you were the first person I thought of”

“It’s about time you divorced that prick” Harvey said “I mean as long as I can remember you wanted to be a lawyer and that prick stopped you”

“I know” you sighed “and he’s been cheating on me”

“You deserve so much better” Harvey sighed “tell you what, I will get Donna to clear my schedule for the day and you and me are going to go for dinner”

“Can I at least get changed first” you laughed pointing down to your outfit.

“Tell you what we will head back to mine and I will change and we will go to a low key place you know like old times” he smiled standing up from his desk to speak to Donna.

Part of you regretted ever losing contact with Harvey. But that was in the past now. Within a few minutes he returned with the smile on his face that made you fall for him in law school.

“Come on then trouble” he smirked grabbing the handle of your suitcase “also have you got anywhere to stay?”

“No” you said shaking your head “it was kinda a last minute decision”

“Well then you can stay with me” he smiled “it will be just like old times”

It had been a month since you left Chicago, meaning you have lived with Harvey for a month now. It was like you guys never lost contact, and was like old times with added flirting. It also meant you so called husband hadn’t contacted you at all showing how much he actually cared about you.

You were currently making breakfast whilst Harvey was in the shower, or so you thought. A low whistle brought your attention away from the stove.

“Damn I forgot how good you look in just one of my shirts” He smirked, making you bite your lip.

“As much as I like where this is going Harvs can we hold off until I am actually divorced” you whispered looking at him standing there in just a towel. “And please go put some clothes on”

“What’s up is it distracting you sweetheart” he winked.

“You know damn well it is” you laughed. “I need to finish breakfast and then we can hopefully serve Lucas the divorce papers today”

“Did you ever regret marrying him?” Harvey asked.

“All the time” you sighed “did you look into my chances of starting at Pearson Hardman?”

“I’ve got a meeting with Jessica today” he smiled “who knows you might become the next Harvey Specter”

“What like you have done with Mike” you laughed “I mean seriously Harvs he is like a mini you it’s kind of scary”

“Leave Mike alone” Harvey laughed as he walked back into his room to get dressed.

You were deep in thought and completely forgot about the food you were cooking until the smoke alarm went off scaring the shit out of you.

“Some things never change” Harvey laughed making sure you hadn’t set his kitchen on fire “still daydreaming and nearly kill us, what makes on your mind”

“Urm it’s nothing” you shrugged feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Sweetheart you burnt my bacon it’s definitely something” he said running his thumb across your cheek.

“Okay I was thinking about us” you whispered “as a couple and how much of a power couple we would be”

“It won’t be long before we can make that happen” he whispered before his lips connected with yours. He couldn’t help it, he had fallen for you once again and wasn’t planning on losing you. You felt him smirk into the kiss as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Come on then trouble go get ready”

[mamahanu]

Damn, I wanted to insert text for the "500 words or less" fanfic ask but unfortunately Tumblr doesn't allow for that many words in an ask. Which is honestly just one of MANY fucked up things about Tumblr... Anyway it's for your story, Omertà, and is in chapter 25 halfway through - approx a 500 word segment starting with, “Shit!” Tony exclaimed, tone the complete opposite of Friday’s calm voice. “Shit, okay. Friday, can we move him?”

Curse you, Tumblr! Never fear, @dragonnan. I know the passage you’re talking about. :-) Omertà consumed me for many, many months, and I still think about it, even though it’s complete. My commentary will be in (bold.) 

“Shit!” Tony exclaimed, tone the complete opposite of Friday’s calm voice. “Shit, okay. Friday, can we move him?”

(The thing about Tony right now is he’s panicking. And prior to this he has been building up his panic reserves for days. The last time he actually saw Peter, he yelled at him and took his suit back. The reaction Peter gave him was not what he expected. His original reaction was one of the most hated moments in Homecoming for me. It made no sense. Peter doesn’t do what he does because of a fancy suit. He does it because it’s the right thing to do. Therefore, he reacted accordingly in my fic, and now Tony has a better understanding of what makes Peter tick. He’s been worrying and fretting about Peter getting into all kinds of trouble, and now it’s like a nightmare come to life, seeing Peter so injured.)

“Excuse me,” the woman said, standing up, “I am a nurse, and it would be very unsafe to move him without the correct equipment and without know the extent of his injuries—” (So this, this right here, is Claire being a BAMF. I’ve not known her to take any shit in any of the Netflix Marvel stuff I’ve seen, so she’s not taking any from Iron Man either. She is a delight, and underappreciated.) 

“Claire,” the man behind him said, “he’s got an artificial intelligence that probably just read off the injuries to him.” (probably, Matt? come on. Everyone and their dog knows you can hear it.)The woman crouched down again next to Peter, checking his pulse and muttering something very vulgar about her companion.

(I LOVE Claire. I love her and Matt and how they interact. I love her in Luke Cage. I just love her. She has no powers. She gets in terrifying, life-threatening situations and she still helps the supers. Because she knows no one else will do it, and they need her. She takes the Night Nurse gig very seriously. I knew in my heart of hearts that if Matt had come across Peter this injured, the first thing he’d do is call Claire.)

“Analyzing,” Friday said as Tony shushed the others. He heard footsteps and turned, seeing the masked man walking up to them. He held out his hands in a peaceful gesture.

“Mr. Stark,” he said, calmly. “There are some things I think you need to know—”

“Did you have anything to do with this?” Tony snarled.(So I really enjoyed writing this. This is Tony’s go-to Dad mode for me, at least when Peter’s hurt. All snarl and bite.)

The vigilante sighed heavily. “An associate of mine brought him to me, after a request of an associate of his.” (I.. worked this about 10,000 times to try to make it less confusing. And I didn’t like any of my solutions. So... it stayed the same. I was displeased.)

“Well that’s not vague and confusing at all,” Tony said, sarcastically.(Tony was also displeased.)

“This is a different world. We aren’t all Iron Man. Most of us don’t have the protection of billions of dollars, and even some of the best lawyers would have a hard time picking apart those Accords, despite how unconstitutional they are,” the other man snapped back. (Speaking from experience there, Matt?) “So forgive me for protecting the identities of those who would be quick to suffer Secretary Ross’s wrath.” (So for those of you who read this fic this far, the anti-accords speech is nothing new. Peter was spouting it. MJ was spouting it. Everyone who is enhanced in my fics do not like the Accords. As they are horrible and nothing good can come from them. Tony spent a good amount of time in the background learning some things about his guilt-ridden support of them. I’ve said this many times: Steve didn’t have to do him like that. But Tony wasn’t in the right, either.)

“Not you, too!” Tony yelled. “Look, I’m doing my best with them, okay? Nobody is going to be sent to any kind of prison until they make more sense. I’ve got mutants in high places looking them over—”

“Enhanced peoples,” the masked man corrected. Tony rolled his eyes. “Does Spidey know that no one is going to be imprisoned until they’re sorted?” he pressed. (I really like Big Brother Matt, too. I am in full support of more representation of this.) 

Tony paused. “Why—well, I mean, he’s asked and I’ve told him not to worry. But it doesn’t matter. He stops bike thieves, for God’s sake—” (The fact that Tony found him going after alien weapons’ dealers and holding together a Ferry still will not sway him from the idea that Peter only gives directions to the Churro lady.)

“He’s in something way over his head, and has been for almost a year now, if I figured out the timing right,” the masked man interrupted. (Matt is incredibly perceptive. From the moment he met Peter as Spider-Man, he knew who he was, and what he was doing. He just didn’t know the name of his employer. Peter... was in WAY over his head, and had been burned so badly by Fisk he didn’t trust anyone to help him out of it.)

“Mike,” the woman from the floor called. “Don’t be an asshole. Stark needs you to get the point.”

“Boss,” Friday chimed in. Tony held up a finger for silence. “I do not detect any fractures in Peter’s neck or possibility of damage to his spinal cord if he’s moved. As long as he is kept fairly still, it should be safe.” (I made this up. I did not google this. I took what I remembered from First Aid and hoped for the best. @kitcat992 can school me later. XD)

“Send out Mark XLII. When it gets here, we’ll load him in. Also, call Cho. Let her know we need her at the Tower ASAP.” (So, to be honest, I’m pretty sure Tony would say ‘screw it’ and throw Peter over his shoulder. But I cringed at him doing that. I thought it was a better idea for him to get one of his suits, considering the extent of Peter’s injuries.) Tony was glad he held off on actually putting the building up sale until after he started moving everything over. There was still an active medical wing there. Tony hadn’t moved the equipment or beds. He told Pepper it was because he wanted to add a certain usefulness to the aesthetic of the place for potential buyers. He was pretty sure she knew he was keeping them there in case of a spider-related emergency. (I, as the author, knew there was medical stuff in the tower. I also hadn’t said there was medical stuff in the tower prior to this point. So I just... blurted it out in a blurb here. If I ever go back and edit this, I will be sure to layer that in in previous chapters.) “Also, tell her we need the fancy meds that we use on Steve, alright?”

“Got it.”

Voila! I hope that proved satisfactory, my friend, and I’m sorry it took so long to answer! 

Fanfic Directors Cut: ask me anything. 

[stainedglassgardens]

Watched in April

Queen of Earth Black Christmas Dogs of Chernobyl Firecrackers Les Misérables The Evil Dead The Daughters of Fire (Las hijas del fuego) The Fallen Idol The Wailing (곡성, Gokseong) Inherent Vice Sorrowful Shadow Mistery Lonely The Grand Bizarre Zombieland: Double Tap Waves '98 Uncut Gems The Last Séance Too Late to Die Young (Tarde para morir joven) Room Queen & Slim The Holy Mountain (La montaña sagrada) The Chaser ( 추격자, Chugyeokja) Made in Dagenham The Color of Pomegranates (Նռան գույնը, Nřan guynə) Lost Girls Ghost Town Anthology (Répertoire des villes disparues) And Then There Were None Doctor Sleep Meshes of the Afternoon Circus of Books Catfish Wildling Delphine The Strange Love of Martha Ivers The Red Balloon (Le Ballon rouge) Nona. If They Soak Me, I’ll Burn Them (Nona. Si me mojan, yo los quemo) The Lodge Invisible Man Sans Soleil

Did not finish

Horsehead (Romain Basset, 2014) Sinister (Scott Derrickson, 2012)

Did not like

Sorrowful Shadow (Guy Maddin, 2004) Mistery Lonely (Harmony Korine, 2007) Uncut Gems (Josh and Benny Safdie, 2019) The Last Séance (Laura Kulik, 2018) The Holy Mountain (La montaña sagrada, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973) Doctor Sleep (Mike Flanagan, 2019)

Okay

Queen of Earth (Alex Ross Perry, 2015): The way it was filmed reminded me of The Midnight Swim and Always Shine. I watched it because Elisabeth Moss is in it but was rather disappointed in the end -- it was beautifully shot but went nowhere

Black Christmas (Sophia Takal, 2019): Like Assassination Nation, this is a film I'm glad young people today have -- and it was fine, and if there’s anything I’ve got to say about so-called raging feminists it’s that we need more of them, but yeah the ending was disappointing and I felt that I had aged out of the target audience a good number of years ago

The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981): Finally saw this! Love me a a good campy horror story once in a while

The Wailing (곡성, Gokseong) and The Chaser ( 추격자, Chugyeokja) (Na Hong-jin, 2016 and 2008): A healthy dose of wtf in both of those, I’m still not sure I “correctly” grasped the intended tone. I also just lost all interest in The Chaser when (spoiler) the girl died. What’s the point of that? Are we in Game of Thrones now? I may still be angry about that, actually

Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014): I know it’s a good film but it bored me to death. I don’t like stories about men or drugs

Zombieland: Double Tap (Ruben Fleischer, 2019): A sympathetic, slightly disappointing sequel

Waves '98 (Ely Dagher, 2015): I don’t remember much about this short but I did think it was good

Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015): I couldn’t watch this as separate from the book, it felt more like a companion film to me than anything else. It was good I think, but I’m definitely not the best judge on this one, because the book was so amazing and I’m still not over it, apparently

And Then There Were None (René Clair, 1945): Was it good? Who knows. They changed the ending and added in a crap love story, so who cares, really

Wildling (Fritz Böhm, 2018): I liked it? I didn’t really see the “feminist themes” in this but it was good

Delphine (Chloé Robichaud, 2019): This is one of those short films that are a little too “slice of life” for me to really enjoy. I can tell it’s good, tho

The Red Balloon (Le Ballon rouge, Albert Lamorisse, 1956): This is apparently a classic short film, and I think I would have enjoyed it a lot had I seen it in 1956. Seeing it today, when everything in it has been used in a hundred thousand other films, made it fall flat a little

Nona. If They Soak Me, I’ll Burn Them (Nona. Si me mojan, yo los quemo, Camila José Donoso, 2019): Watched this because it was directed by a woman! Did not know what to expect at all. The non-linear narration kept me trying to remember if there was something I could possibly have skipped that would have made more sense of it. I think the premise (old woman throws Molotov cocktail at former lover’s car) is better than the finished product, although it is very well-shot and the acting is amazing

Good

Dogs of Chernobyl (Léa Camilleri & Hugo Chesnel, 2020): Short documentary that had me on the verge of tears several times (you can watch it for free on YouTube!)

Les Misérables (Ladj Ly, 2019): It’s hard to talk about films like these. It is very good, very important, I think everyone should watch it. Think a new La Haine

The Daughters of Fire (Las hijas del fuego, Albertina Carri, 2018): Loved the reflection on pornography. The pornography itself was a little more... boring... but I appreciate the intention, and the guts it took to shoot something like this

The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed, 1948): An amazing British classic (adapted from Graham Greene!) that I had somehow never heard of. Great acting, especially considering the main character is a small child

Too Late to Die Young (Tarde para morir joven, Dominga Sotomayor Castillo, 2018): There will be people in this world to say that "uhh nothing happens in this film", a statement to which my reply will be twofold: first, it's beautiful so who cares, and second, how many other films have you seen that take place in a commune in the 1990s in Chile? That's what I thought. Shut up

Made in Dagenham (Nigel Cole, 2010): Films like this and Suffragette, that is, mainstream films about the working classes and political activism, are almost bound to be flawed, but I'm grateful they exist all the same. And how many of those have we seen that are about workers’ unions, with an all-female main cast, and nuanced dialogue about communism and the place of women in the home and of men in feminism? I’m glad that male directors have finally figured out that one of the best ways to avoid showing a one-dimensional idea of women is to have lots of them in one film. And Sally Hawkins! I love her

The Color of Pomegranates (Նռան գույնը, Nřan guynə, Sergei Parajanov, 1969): Another one of those classics I had never heard of (until I got Mubi!). Indescribable, beautiful

Lost Girls (Liz Garbus, 2020): Really liked the speech at the end about the police failing the victims and their families, really liked that the old inspector guy wasn't made to be someone who was on the side of the victims instead of on his own side. Bleak, sobering. When I watched this I didn't know Garbus was the person who directed that Nina Simone documentary, which I also love.Will definitely seek out more Liz Garbus in future

Ghost Town Anthology (Répertoire des villes disparues, Denis Côté, 2019): I watched this not knowing anything about Denis Côté or the film, and I loved the atmosphere even before the supernatural element really kicked in. Films like this and The One I Love or Everything Beautiful is Far Away are my kind of low-key science fiction

Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, 1943): Aaaand another classic I finally saw! It just warms my heart to see that stuff like this was being made (by a woman!!) in the 1940s

Circus of Books (Rachel Mason, 2019): I saw a headline calling this “the queer Stories We Tell” and I loved Sarah Polley’s documentary and wouldn’t go quite that far but I can see where it’s coming from. A good autobiographical documentary about the complexity of families

Catfish (Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, 2010): I think everyone going into this today knows what this is going to be about, but let me tell you, it does not reduce the impact

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (Lewis Milestone, 1946): Barbara Stanwyck and Lizabeth Scott! Murder! Intrigue! Love and sleaze!

The Lodge (Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala, 2019): This was so efficient. It is so well-done, and Riley Keough is amazing as usual. More subtle than Franz and Fiala’s last effort, Goodnight Mommy, and at least as good

Sans Soleil (Chris Marker, 1983): It’s hard not to be disappointed by this after hearing every film bro I’ve ever met describe this as his fave ever. It is... pretty racist and sexist... but yes, very pretty, very nice if you can get past that

Faves

Firecrackers (Jasmin Mozaffari, 2018): Is this a coming-of-age story? Anyway it’s about two working-class teenage girls in small town Canada who are this close to making their dream of leaving for New York, and one of them is fuuuuucked up...

The Grand Bizarre (Jodie Mack, 2018): I think this is what I want from a non-narrative documentary. I’m tired of seeing pretentious Godfrey Reggio knockoffs. This quite simply blew my mind and is one of those very rare films I can see myself rewatching ten times

Queen & Slim (Melina Matsoukas, 2019): I can’t not compare this to Natural Born Killers and Thelma and Louise, both of which I used to love and haven’t seen in a number  of years -- but Queen & Slim is quite possibly better than both of those. The tone, the breadth, the acting -- even the soundtrack. It’s a masterpiece

Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell, 2020): This is about a man who creates an invisibility suit. This is also about a woman who is being stalked and abused by a controlling man who just won’t rest until he has completely destroyed her -- but of course, since this is cinema and the woman in question is Elisabeth Moss, she ultimately beats the shit out of him. This was very difficult to watch for me but I’m glad I stuck through

*

I got Mubi this month! So glad I did. It’s so much better than both Filmstruck (RIP) and Amazon Prime. I like that choices are made for me up to a certain extent -- and those choices often turn out very good, and always interesting. And yes, we’re still in lockdown, I’m still unemployed, hence the number of films watched this month. Hopefully we can get out in May and I’ll end up watching less!

[pyro-peony]

Thoughts on 9x05 of Suits

Okay this first scene, I already have so many thoughts. 1) I love Harvey so much and how he wants Donna to be a part of every facet of his life. 2) I LOVE MIKE ROSS AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT. 3) This happy beginning does not bode well for the rest of the episode. This is a law show and I really think Mike and Harvey are gonna end on bad terms so they can make up in the finale when they need to get Harvey out of prison. EEEKKK. 

A cinderella roleplay?? Louis I really fucking can’t. But this pregnancy storyline is potentially good. Suits is a little heavy on the exposition these days and this feels like an issue episode but whatever, i’ll take it. 

Okay this Harvey and Mike scene watered my crops, cured my depression, and made me a better human being. I’ve missed them so much. And they’re such good friends y’all i’m tearing up. They talk on the phone, Harvey gives him details about his life...and then they still banter even though they know they’re about to go toe to toe. I’m just so happy Patrick was so happy and willing to come back. 

I love Benjamin so much. 

Okay you can tell Mike is so pissed he might not be going up against Harvey. Like he wanted this and now Samantha is butting in, HE JUST WANTS BRO TIME!! my heart. can’t. take. it. 

Samantha and Harvey have such big brother/sister vibes over Mike and I love it??? 

MIKE ROSS IS JUST AS GOOD AS YOU OR ME. Harvey is a Mike Ross stan, so I am a Mike Ross stan. That’s just how this fucking works. 

Katrina you deserved more than this dumb storyline they are giving you this season. Although Amanda Schull is so fucking cute in this sequence. 

This is such a classic Harvey and Mike scene, it’s like they never fucking left. But you can tell Harvey is so proud of him, ugh god. 

NORMALIZE GOING TO THERAPY. NORMALIZE COUPLES GOING TO THERAPY. YAY. 

Samantha has to learn the lesson that is Mike Ross on her own y’all everyone else had to do it, she’s no different. 

Does Mike know that Samantha kick-boxes? I would say he’s a douche, but this has been Mike Ross all along, and I kinda love how opposite he is to all of them? This is what’s so great about his character and him and Harvey’s bond, is that they are always diametrically opposed but they love each other anyways. THIS EPISODE?? Reminding me why I fell in love with Suits. 

Alex was due for a Faye Richardson visit. FAYE HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING. 

Samantha, Harvey is telling you that you might not be able to handle Mike, because Harvey can barely handle Mike. you ain’t special. 

MIKE AND KATRINA!! MIKE AND KATRINA!!

We got a motherfucker from Mike? wow. But here’s the deal y’all, a trapped Mike is a dangerous Mike and it’s about to happen. 

I love Louis. I love Rick Hoffman. I just really can’t, I know I talk a big game about Harvey’s character growth, but Louis is almost better, he’s really just come so far. 

EL OH EL Alex and Katrina talking behind everyone’s back about how messy they are is truly a mood. 

Cue Leslie Carter’s Like Wow. Y’all i’m fucking done. Harvey’s like, sure Mike won the suit, but who cares, he’s my friend, this company was doing bad shit, and now I just want to live my life with my girl and my bro. WHO IS THIS MAN??? 

Never delete a voicemail. Never delete a voicemail. 

HARVEY IS PROUD OF MIKE!!! (can I just say I would really like Mike to tell Harvey he’s proud of him too?) 

Okay Gabriel Macht and Katherine Heigl’s acting is so fucking good? They are so good together. I think Heigl has honestly elevated the show in general, she’s been so committed. And honestly Harvey has a point in this scene, they can’t fly by the seat of their pants anymore. Considering the fact that Mike planned this and sprung it on Harvey, it would be interesting to see how they would fair if Harvey sprung a case on Mike. 

LOUIS AND BENJAMIN. 

I DON’T CARE ABOUT HER I CARE ABOUT YOU!! Mike oh my god, that was perfect. There is so much truth in this scene. Harvey being sad that Mike left, that his buddy is gone, Mike wanting desperately for Harvey to see him as an equal but also wanting him to be a good person as well. This just really touched my heart. And it got right down to the bones of what makes Mike and Harvey so Mike and Harvey. 

Samantha.......oh my dear girl. 

Mike always has to seethe for a while but he’ll be back because he’s a little bitch. Mike giving Louis the onesie proves that to me. Plus I’m sure Harvey will call again cause he’s also a little bitch. 

Rolling my eyes at Faye. She just needed to fire someone cause she’s that butthurt they hate her so much. 

IDK Y’ALL IDK. We’re getting down to business here. I’m just ???????

[statusquoergo]

Part I Part II

I talked previously about my thoughts on Mike Ross’s return to Suits, but this episode offered some…additional insights, let’s say.

So this episode uses the word “fuck” four times, “goddamn” once, and “Mike” or “Mike Ross” a whopping seven times. Despite my dramatic emphasis, that may not sound like a whole lot, but considering where we left off last season with Mike having been reduced from subject to object (see here for a more thorough explanation of my argument), it sure does seem like he’s suddenly supposed to be on our minds for some reason. Yeah, he’s going to show up in episode 5, but I should hope the showrunners aren’t just biding their time with filler content until then.

Now, the simplest explanation for this sudden Mike Ross overload is that that’s exactly what they’re doing; they know this show is surviving by the skin of its teeth and they have to scramble for any advantage they can get to hold onto their viewers, and in fact I’m inclined to suspect that’s the truth. Occam’s razor and all that. But I’m a Marvey girl at heart, this is my blog, and if I want to write about what a Marvey episode this is, then that’s what I’m gonna do, goddammit.

Mike reference the first: Harvey called Mike the morning after his and Donna’s tryst.

The thing that’s been weirding me out about all these “phone calls to Mike” is that it would be easy, it would be so easy for Harvey to say that he just got off the phone with Mike, or for Harvey to talk about a phone call he had with Mike last night, or for Harvey to refer to a phone call he had with Mike a couple weeks ago. They could even have one of those one-sided things where we can only hear Harvey’s half of the conversation as he “talks to Mike” even though Patrick isn’t actually in the episode. No, instead we get one reference to a conversation that might happen, eventually (“I thought instead of calling and asking for a solution, I’d rather call and tell him a story with a happy ending” [s08e03]), and one gloomy answering machine message (“Hey, Mike, it’s me. … Gimme a call if you want to hear it” [s08e13]). So all through Season 8, I’m getting a stronger and stronger impression that Harvey is calling Mike and calling Mike and never talking to him, but he just keeps calling, and my god that’s depressing. He must really miss him.

Welcome to Season 9. Not only is Harvey still calling Mike to give him life updates, but he’s leaving him messages offscreen. There is no reason for this whatsoever. None. “I hope [Rachel] listens to her messages before Mike, ‘cause I just left him a doozy.” How hard would it have been to say “I hope she listens to her messages before she talks to Mike, ‘cause I just got off the phone with him”? They use every single opportunity they can find to point out that Harvey and Mike aren’t actually speaking to one another, and being that I haven’t heard any reference to Mike leaving messages for Harvey, I’m inclined to think that this relationship has become unnervingly one-sided. But Harvey’s going to keep at it!

How, um…melancholic.

Minor side note, Donna is apparently in touch with Rachel to the same degree that Harvey is in touch with Mike, and while this is obviously a Machel/Darvey parallel, it’s also a cute little Donna/Mike parallel, so there’s our first hint that everything Darvey is just Marvey in disguise. (Give me a break, I told you I’m a Marvey girl.)

Mike reference the second: Samantha proposes turning the tables on Kaldor because “the best defense is a good offense,” and Harvey laughs about how often he made that same argument to Mike.

This is just tacky, to be honest. The whole point is to drive home how similar Harvey and Samantha are, but they could’ve accomplished the same thing without the reminder that even after that hideous goodbye, Harvey still thinks fondly of Mike (and still thinks of him often; they haven’t seen each other or spoken in like, a year, and he’s still finding all sorts of reminders of him in his daily life).

Mike reference the third: Taking Jessica’s name off the firm’s letterhead was fine because she agreed to it, and she knew about Mike (i.e., was guilty) so she deserved it.

I got nothing on this one, it’s just another excuse to sneak his name into the script.

Mike reference the fourth: Harvey’s been renting out Mike and Rachel’s apartment since they left.

Here we go.

Mike asked Harvey to rent out his apartment. Harvey has not been doing that. In fact, he’s been secretly paying it off and keeping it empty, “in case they came back.” “They” have given no indication that this is ever going to happen (“I know it sounds crazy, but—”). Take this alongside the probability that he hasn’t actually spoken to Mike since Mike left, and this behavior is indicative of a very troubled individual. We know from his issues with Lily that repression is one of Harvey’s favorite tactics for dealing with his problems, and Harvey admitted, out loud, very clearly, to Donna, that he’s missing Mike (“Donna, I might be missing Mike, but I’m not Mike” [s08e04]), so, I mean…

Well. Res ipsa loquitur.

Harvey has been renting the apartment to a fake individual named, wait for it, Rick Sorkin. Now I know that those of us who make a habit of producing and/or consuming Marvey content are quite familiar with this name, but the writers obviously don’t assume that to be the case for your average viewer, given that Donna slips in the awkward reminder that “that’s the kid who didn’t show up for his interview the day [Harvey] hired Mike.” Harvey takes the fact that Donna makes that connection as an opportunity to tell her that he loves that she “gets him,” but I have a question:

Why does Harvey remember it?

Rick Sorkin’s name is mentioned in the first episode, four times by Donna to the Harvard recruits and to Mike, once by Mike to Harvey, and never again for the entire duration of the show until this episode. It’s a piece of obscure trivia, a footnote in the Life and Times of Michael James Ross. I’d be surprised Mike remembers it if not for the writers’ dire misunderstanding of how an eidetic memory works. And yet all these years later, after hearing it once, nearly in passing, Harvey remembers it, well enough to use it as an inside joke in this horrifically lonely task he’s been performing for the better part of a year. But why?

You know what, all I’m gonna say about this is that there’s a reason Marvey fans know the name so well.

Sometimes it’s kind of fun that these writers are only good at romance when they do it accidentally, don’t you think?

[therearemorethanfivenights]

Chapter 10 is up!

Getting back to the writing.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11674818/chapters/37276622

Or alternatively, read it under the cut -

"Now that we're alone, you wanna do adult things? Like taxes? Or scrabble?" Vincent asked. The parts and service room was colder than anywhere else. The only warmth came from a small heater they'd borrowed from Dawn's room. "Oh, how romantic, I thought you'd never ask" Mangle replied, giggling. The two of them were already aware that this is all they'd be talking about for a long time and were aware of how irritating they were going to be too. 

"Ok, but for the next few weeks, I'm not calling you anything except 'girlfriend'. Oh, and sighing constantly. When they ask if I'm sad, boom, I'm just thinking of you. We are driving these people crazy." He snickered at the thought. This was mostly just revenge for all the teasing. And of course, Mike acted in the same way about Amy, pulling her around like a new puppy. Everyone could tell even Mike and Amy were sick of themselves, but they'd kept going for the sake of annoyance. 

"Likewise, 'girlfriend'." Mangle teased, "Maybe we could do something productive. Like... clean this place up? It's kind of a mess..." She looked at all the various computer chips, nuts, bolts and tools spread across the floor, coupled with the large mound of bottles of beer and whiskey she'd collected over time. "Could always turn the trash into useful stuff. If we cleaned the bottles we could use them as decorations. Put little lights in them and stuff." Vincent said picking the little bits and bobs off the floor.

Meanwhile, Mike and Amy had headed over to the office. "Think we can snoop on Jeremy's internet history?" Amy asked, a smile forming on her face. Mike ignored her. He'd always been fond of mystery stories and cop shows. Finally, he was living in one, and he had a lead to follow. "Amy... be honest with me here... do you think I'm crazy for thinking that... maybe William didn't take suicide?" He asked her. She looked at the screen, waiting for the pages to load. 

"I know it sounds stupid, but maybe he faked his death to get off the grid? The one who found him was Henry, and he announced it to the public. No service, nothing. Nobody except Henry's family could say whether he was alive or dead... what if he's the killer? Revenge?" He busily began taking mental notes of all the details of the event. Nobody, of course, could prove him wrong or right, but it was better to have a semi-crazy theory than nothing, he thought. Amy thought about this. 

"It's possible. But Will sounded like a nice enough guy. I mean look at what the internet says. 'Described by company founder Henry Ross as a quiet and humorous individual. He was known by few, yet was more loved than any other employee, and will surely be missed." Doesn't sound like a psychopath, does it?" She said, highlighting the text to read it better. Mike didn't want to dismiss his idea, however. "Sociopath Amy, sociopath. It's unlikely he'd been crazy before. And all the stuff he'd been through... no man can deal with that much pain. Either he snaps and does something awful, or maybe, maybe he does some amazing heroic shit like start a charity or something to make themselves feel better."

“So what, you think the dead guy is behind all this?” She peered at the articles on the screen. “Well… I did some digging and… Michael… he isn’t actually…” Mike was struggling to form a sentence. He almost didn’t believe it himself. “Michael Afton is alive.” He said finally. He turned to his girlfriend as slowly as he could, hoping she would believe him. She just kept reading. “Uh… anyway…” He trailed off. Amy frowned. “But doesn’t that just put more holes in your theory?” She leaned back on the desk. This seemed logical. If Michael was indeed alive, and so was his father, then surely killing would be unnecessary. The dad could just get his son back, problem solved, right? 

“You’d think. Except that the only evidence about him being still in the hospital, ergo the only evidence for him being alive was a small blog piece someone wrote. Apparently, this dude is super invested in the franchise, he’s kept tabs on this kid from day one.” Mike shuddered. “So he posted something months ago about the kid possibly not making it anymore. As in: just before the first murder. If William is responsible, maybe he read that post.”

“That’s not that dumb now that I think about it. Still pretty crazy how they kept this kid in a coma for ten years,” Amy gave him a small congratulatory pat on the shoulder. “See? Even if it’s not Will, we might at least have a motive for whoever it is. Who knows? They might be doing it involuntarily.” He said triumphantly. “Wait, what do you mean by that? Involuntarily?” Mike quickly searched up more articles. 

“See like you remember how your dad was in the army? How he had PTSD for the longest time so if he heard something that sounded like gunfire he’d just drop for cover? No matter what was going on? Same thing. Just way more messed up. If the murderer was exacting revenge on the kids responsible for ‘killing’ that kid, he’ll be basically hardwired to react in the same way if he hears anything is threatening his life again.”

“So this guy just goes out and murders six kids again? Seems a little extreme.” Amy said. She thought about the way her dad had acted during the Fourth of July. “So that’s why it’s gotta be the dad, right? Nobody else would like that kid enough to murder other kids in his honor.” Mike nodded. It all made sense in theory. Unfortunately, neither of them knew a thing about tracking down dead people.

“Did it hurt?” BB was still sat by Marie, waving his hand through her body. He just had to be sure ghosts could really walk through walls. Toy Bonnie yanked his hair. “Oh my god, B, you can’t just ask people that!” He folded his arms and scowled at him. In truth, he also wanted to know, since robots never experienced anything like death. “BB, please get your grabbers out of my chest, it’s weird. Yes. It hurt a lot.” Marie grabbed BB’s arm and removed it from her insides. “How’d they do it?” He continued, rubbing his head from where T-Bone had hurt him. Marie sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She said, closing her eyes.

It was cold and dark. She felt it, burning, stinging, biting… it hurt and it hurt bad. Her knees wobbled. In front of her lay her baby brother. Little Alex Sanderson. Poor Alex. She took a step towards him.

“You can’t.”

She felt her knees crumble below her. She coughed as her lungs filled with blood. Another step.

“You can’t”

She collapsed in front of him. He was beaten and bruised, dead. Hours had passed, he had gone stiff. She took his hand.

“You can’t”

She knew she was dying. She knew from the moment she felt the rush of pain. She lay Alex on his side. She cried. She coughed. She felt something slide from her back. A large kitchen knife. “You can’t”

She took Alex’s hand and clutched her doll tight. She lay by him and waited for the pain to die away. Footsteps. They got closer. Paws, white and pink. They screamed but she couldn’t hear them. They tried to wake her but she was dreaming. Then they collapsed. They were dragged away. She closed her eyes.

“Marie? Hey! Puppet! Hey, wake up!” She jolted awake. “Marie dear, are you ok?” It was Chica’s voice. “What… Chi… Wha?” She was confused. She was lying in the middle of the dining hall floor. “Whoa now, easy, get up slowly.” Freddy. He had his hand behind her head. She looked at herself. Long spindly limbs, suit, buttons, she was in her body again. “What… what did you see?” She asked the huddle. 

She didn’t know how she got there, in the room, in her body. “I don’t think that matters.” She looked up to see Vincent. “Are you ok? He knelt to be at eye-level with her. She tried to sit up. “Ugh… no.” She murmured. “Where are BB and T-Bone? I think I’d like a nice polite word with them.” She growled. From behind the crowd, she heard whimpers. “Please Marie, don’t blame them. You passed out; they just wanted you to be safe.” Chica said. She had armfuls of what appeared to be rescue supplies: Food, water, a blanket, some painkillers from Dawns room and a box of daily hay fever pills. “What’s all that for?” The puppet asked, pointing at the items. Chica placed them in her lap. “I… didn’t know what to grab…” She said, watching her supplies tumble onto the floor.

“I’m going back to my box now.” The group began to whisper. Vincent grabbed her arm. “No, you’re not.” He said, pushing her back down. Chica sighed and grabbed the boxes and bottles. Marie grumbled. She seemed much bigger, trying her best to intimidate her friends into releasing her. “Oh? And who are you to try and stop me?” She hissed. But Vincent’s grip remained firm. “Your best friend, that’s who. I get that you’re stressed but this isn’t going to help. Don’t bottle all this up, we’re your family.” He sat down. 

Everyone slowly followed suit. It was rare that Marie looked anyone in the eyes, and now all eyes were on her. She lay back down again and held Freddy’s arm as it followed her head down. “I… I just want to sleep.” She said. She stared at the lights above her before closing her eyes once more.

“So this is the big secret you’ve both been keeping?” Attention had turned to Vincent. He let go of Marie’s arm. “Yes. Her name is Marie-Rose, a victim of our killer and a witness to… the bite,” he said, “and I figured that maybe letting her be might jog her memory faster than stressing her out.” Dawn and Mangle looked at each other and nodded before heading to parts and service. BB and Toy Bonnie had already scurried off to pirate’s cove and were hiding with Foxy, who wanted nothing to do with it. Toy Freddy sat at a nearby table. “Why though? Why keep it from us? It’s your job, we wouldn’t have intruded if you’d just told us why she-“ “Because she’s scared.” Vincent cut him off. “She trusts me.” “And why is that? What makes you so special?” Toy Freddy continued. Vincent took a deep breath.

“Marie came in almost every weekend. She hated everything. She wrecked stuff, got into trouble, anything she could think of to tear her parent’s eyes away from her brother. Alex. They stopped caring about her the minute he was born. During weekends and holidays, she’d hang out by the puppet box, pouring her secrets into it. Her anger, her fear, everything. The kind of stuff you’d scream into the abyss. Eventually, her parents found out where she was going and forced her to take Alex. Her space was gone. So I went and talked to her. I let her vent. She shared the kinda troubles you’d never expect a girl her age to have. I think it was… maybe a year in? She sent me presents on my birthday, started treating Alex so much better and to top it off every other time we spoke she called me ‘dad’ by mistake.”

Finally, Vincent slumped forward, a weight off his shoulders. He looked exhausted. “Were you?” Toychi asked. “Like, that’s… actually so sweet.” She smiled. Vincent sometimes was like a father to everyone around him, but Marie was the most obvious. He looked at the puppet. “Yeah, I guess I was.” 

He thought about that. Marie’s father, from what he could understand, was always too busy trying to calm her mother down or looking after Alex. She never called him dad once. So despite his better judgment, and the mere 10 years between them, he’d accepted his fate. “Made me feel old though.” He added, chuckling. Marie smiled. “You’ve been awake the whole time, haven’t you?” He sighed. She grinned. “You’re grounded.”

[nobodyzhuman]

Prompt

Prompt:  Soulmates that think ALL the times they met was just a coincidence.

They didn’t give a fandom so I choose Suits. Mike/Harvey :) 

The first time Mike Ross met Harvey Specter he didn't even know the man's name. He wouldn't learn it until much later.

He was starving standing in line at a cheap but tasty food truck patiently waiting for his turn. He was already imagining the mile high pile of cheese and grease that would be his nachos when a commotion at the front of the line, just three people ahead of him, interrupted his daydream. He groaned. Please don’t let it hold up the line. He looked around the person in front of him to see the man inside the truck arguing with a very angry red faced man in line. He was to far away from them to hear the words but he got the impression he would be looking for lunch elsewhere.

He heard the man in front of him curse under his breath.

"You have got to be joking." The man said soundly just as frustrated as Mike felt.

"Think they'll fight?" He asked already thinking what the next closest food place was that he could afford. There was a snort from the man, which made Mike lookup, the man was looking at him brown intense eyes under a raised brow.

Mike swallowed at the look and the man smirked.

"I will bet they don't," the man said sounding amused.

Maybe it was because he was more interested in checking out the slightly older sexy as hell man. Who looked so hot in his dark grey suit and black tie but his mouth opened without much thought, "how much?"

He could the raised voices of the two men getting louder and the people in the line around him started looked awkward and uncomfortable. He was pretty sure the two men were about to come to blows.

The man in the suit eye balled him, looking him over from head to toe. Something in the darkening of the man's gaze froze him. And for a moment Mike couldn’t move, couldn’t  look away, but then the man smiled and that powerful feeling disappeared.

“20?” The man asked. There was something challenging in his eyes and a jolt ran through Mike. He had 20 bucks in his wallet, it was supposed to be for food but with how loud the men had gotten and the loud bang from the customer slamming his hand against the truck, he didn’t see how he could lose.

He grinned and nodded.

He had not expected the man to shoot him a smirk before walking off toward the two arguing men. Mike still couldn’t hear the words exchanged but he watched as the hot stranger talked to both men. Whatever he said calmed down the customer and had the man inside the truck nodding his head in some kind of agreement. He stood there astonished as the man inside the truck passed both the man he had a confrontation with and the hot suit guy their food.

When suit guy turned and started walking back towards him, Mike just pulled out his wallet. He had the twenty in his hand by the time the man stopped in front of him.

He wanted to be annoyed, he had after all just lost the last of his money for the day. But the man’s smirk was confident and sexy, two things that always drew Mike in. So he handed over his money without complained. He was about to ask what the man had said but the man’s phone went off. Suit guy gave him an apologetic look when he answered and then waved him off when it became clear that he wasn’t getting off the phone anytime soon.

Not that Mike had stayed around after that. The truck smelt amazing and wanted to get away from it before he remembered how hungry he was and that it was all his own fault for taking that stupid bet.

<break>

Harvey opened the door and held it open for his boss as she walked out after him. They were just finishing up a lunch meeting and truthfully he was ready to get back to the office. He jerked when he heard someone’s horn go off. It was long and drawn out meaning whoever it was, was being an asshole. He turned his head just in time a taxi clip the leg of a young man on a bike. The kid screamed out a pained curse and the taxi drove away.

Harvey almost turned and walked away. He wasn’t one to normally care about these kind of things but the kid looked up as he limped his bike toward the sidewalk .Harvey recognized him, it was the same young man from the food truck.

The kid was only a few feet away so he moved closer, “You’re bleeding.” It was the first thing to come to his mind. Not that the kid needed to be told, which is probably why the kid shot him a ‘no shit.’ look. Then his eyes widened as he recognized Harvey.

“It’s you.” the kid said then winced looking down at the damage to his leg. Harvey watched as the kid poked and prodded the hurt area. The younger man’s face even paled a bit, it spiked a worry shot through Harvey, something he wasn’t used too.

“You should get that checked out.” He said because the kid didn’t look okay and that was a lot of blood. The kid just waved him off.

“I’ve had worse. That asshole needs to learn to watch out around him.” He wanted to argue, he really did. But it wasn’t his place to tell the young man what to do.

“You sure?” he asked the kid looked up at him and smiled, “I’m sure.”

Then the kid’s watch beeped. Harvey watched as the kids shoulders dropped.

“I have to go,” he hopped on his bike, “It was nice seeing you again.”

“You too.” He said, unsure if there was anything else to say. The kid rode off leaving Harvey feeling empty or maybe like he was missing something. A throat clearing behind him had him turning around to see Jessica giving him a pensive look.

“Who was that?” She asked.

“Remember that food truck client I brought in a couple weeks ago?” He replied she nodded.

“That was the kid in line behind me.”

“You get his name?” she asked.

He cursed. “No.” Why hadn’t he thought to ask the young man his name? This was the second time that they had run into each other. It would have been the common or smart thing to do. But he hadn’t thought about it.

Jessica chuckled, “Maybe next time.” She said before taking his arm and stirring him back towards their waiting car.

<break>

The third time they didn’t even speak to each other. Harvey was sitting at a nice bar. The owner was new to the city, well off and had powerful friends.Jessica was trying to win him over as a client. So, her, Harvey, Donna, and Louis were sitting in a booth drinking their comped drinks., chatting the man up. He was bored and letting his eyes roam over the bar, thinking maybe he could find someone to flirt with, maybe even go home with, when his gaze met startled blue eyes. The young kid must have seen him first because Harvey had his full attention.

They sat there staring at each other for a second before he sent the kid a smile and took a sip of his drink. The young man grinned and took a drink from his glass. The kid tilted his head to the side when the dark haired man next to him said something, he mumbled something back but never took his eyes off Harvey.

“You going to talk to him?” Donna asked next to him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, not wanting to fully look away from the kid.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said.

She snorted. “Sure you don’t, Harvey.”

“They’ve met before.” Jessica cut in. Harvey groaned and he saw the young man raised an eyebrow silently asking him about it. He shook his head. They exchanged wasn’t missed as both women laughed and the dark haired date?, turned his head to see what his companion was staring at.

“When?” He heard Donna whispered to Jessica, he zoned them out and watched as the man with the kid took the kid’s chin and pulled it to look at him. There was a quick conversation and Harvey saw the kid blush before his eyes roamed back over Harvey for a second. Then he turned his attention back to his date. Harvey didn’t like the dismissed feeling he got when the kid didn’t turn to look back at him again. He told himself it was stupid, the kid was obviously here with someone and of course that’s where his attention should be. But still he felt jealous, an emotion he wasn’t used too. He sighed and turned his attention back to his colleagues.

<break>

Mike was going to kill Trevor. What the hell had he been thinking? He tried not to panic as he walked away from the cops and aimed for the stairwell. He heard one of them asked if they thought he was the one they were looking for and hurried his steps. He was already down one section of stairs when he heard the door open and on of the men shout.

“Fuck.” He muttered as he tried to think of a way out. He remembered the sign about an interview in a nearby room. Taking a chance he headed at way.

He heard a woman call out a name when he entered the room panting. He looked up to see her annoyed gaze.

Something shifted in her look at she took him in, “Rick?” She said carefully.

He tilted his head, she gave a pointed look, “Rick Sorkin?” She said again. For some reason was sure she was telling him to say yes, so he did. She smiled and lead him into the next room.

His attention was still on the strange redhead when he heard someone else move inside the room. He turned and froze, it was hot suit guys. He swallowed, shit.

Why the hell was his luck this bad. He hadn’t stopped thinking about the guy in days, not since their weird flirting staring contest thing at the bar the other night. Travor had pointed out he was being way too obvious so he had turned away. Then he felt ridiculous, the guy was with his friends he probably didn’t want to deal with any actually flirting, hence why he hadn’t moved from his seat. Mike had left feeling frustrated and decided he would ask the man out the next time they met.

This was not what he had imagined that next meeting.  Him hiding from the cops with a briefcase for of weed.

“Umm hi?” He said nerves running wild inside him.

“You’re a lawyer?” Suit guy asked, not looking like he believed that.  

Mike shook his head, he didn’t want to lie to the man. It felt wrong.

“What are you doing here?” The man asked, looking him over.

“Ummm?” He bit his lip, how the hell did he answer that? Of course that’s when the fucking case fell open the contentions spilling out on the floor.

“Fuck.” He muttered. “I can explain!” He said quickly to the other man.

Who looked rather amused, “Please do.”  

So he did. He told the man about his grandmother about Trevor and how desperate he had been. To his surprise the man let him talk and when he was done offered to let him hide out until the police were gone. Relieved he fell back in his chair.

“What’s your name?” He asked and the man laughed.

“Harvey, Harvey Specter. You?” The man was grinning and it felt contagious so he grinned back, “Mike Ross.”

“How are the interviews going?”

Harvey rolled his eyes, “Idiots, all of them. I’m surprised any of them passed the bar.”

Mike shrugged, “It’s not that hard.” He said. Harvey gave him a questioning look.

Mike laughed, “I’ve passed it.” Brown eyes widened in surprise, “But you’re not a lawyer.” Harvey pointed out sounding confused by that fact.

So Mike told him about stealing that stupid test for Trevor and the dean’s daughter.

Harvey frowned at him as he talked, “This Trevor seems to get you into trouble often.”

Mike frowned back at him, “His my best friend.” He replied, feeling the need to defend his friend. Harvey just gave him a look, that said the lawyer thought he was an idiot.

There was a knock at the door. Harvey got up and opened it. He talked to the same red head from before he turned around, “Cops are gone.”  Mike was thrown. Not because the cops were gone but because the redhead woman seemed to know what Harvey was talking about and didn’t seem bothered. She hadn’t been in the room when they talked about it. Yet somehow she had known and even came to let them know when the coast was clear.

The hell? He thought. Then he got to his feet, “Thank you.” He said to both of them, sticking his hand out to shake the man's hand, he was debating asking the man out when Harvey’s hand touched his. Skin to skin, it sent a shot through him and the world spun. It was just for a second and when it stopped he stood wide eyed staring at an equally surprised Harvey.

Soulmates.

His brain shouted at him. Everyone knew the stories but to actually find yours. It was rare. Ridiculous rare. And he had not met his once but now four times.

He swallowed, “Wow,” he whispered.

“Donna.” Harvey said in a clear demand.

“Telling the morons to beat it.” She said grinning, before disappearing closing the door behind her.

“You really passed the bar?” Harvey asked. Mike nodded, trying to figure out why the hell that was important right now, he was still holding his soulmates hand, well clinging to it. Because he didn’t want to let go. Harvey seemed to feel the same because he wrapped his fingers around his and pulled Mike back towards the desk.

“You’re hired.” Harvey said, shooting him a grin. “I’m messaging Jessica right now. Then I’m taking you somewhere we can talk. We will work out all the needed details later.” Mike overwhelmed just nodded his head.

He had a soulmate. Who was going to hire him as a lawyer, his dream job. His soulmate was sexy as hell, confident, and commanding. Which caused Mike’s heart to pound as he thought about sex with the man would be like. He took a deep breath and tightened his hold on his soulmates hand. Harvey shot him a smirk as he typed away at his computer. Mike got a happy feeling when he thought about what like with Harvey was going to be like.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Everything's Changed (9x01)

Ah Suits. What a ride it has been. I'm feeling super nostalgic about this last season. Let's dive right in!

Cons:

There has been so much in-fighting at this ridiculously long-named firm over the past several years, and I know that's what drives the drama for the show, but it can get a bit tiresome and repetitive, all at the same time. As I'll discuss below, I actually appreciate the way they're turning the fighting on its head, and showing these people band together... but there's still something wearying about the moment when Sam says she'll reveal the truth about Harvey and Donna breaking privilege, if Louis and Harvey and Alex vote to take Robert's name off the wall. It's another threat, another ultimatum. These people are children sometimes.

There were also a few moments that were just a little too silly for me to handle, plot-wise. Once is Donna telling Harvey to go fight Sam in the boxing ring. She makes this idle suggestion, and then in the next instant she's convincing Harvey that it's what Samantha "needs," and that if Harvey doesn't go and fight her, he'll be disrespecting her in some way. This is just such a plot contrivance. Donna tries to make it like a gender equality thing, and it just does not work. So much silliness.

Also, why do Sheila and Katrina automatically hate each other? They've never met before. I felt like that was a weird decision to make. I'm not saying I wouldn't understand it if these two rubbed each other the wrong way... but why decide to start off their relationship in that way? Sheila seems to come around to Katrina very quickly, so it's even more strange that she walks into the room declaring "we don't like each other." That felt like an odd choice.

Pros:

As I mentioned above, in some ways I don't mind all the crazy drama about Robert's name coming off the door, and who's poaching clients from who, and the factions going on among the partners. Why? Because at the end of the episode, they stand by each other. Harvey takes the hit, giving some of his clients away to Rand Kaldor. Zane's name stays on the wall. Alex doesn't take the opportunity to stab Louis in the back. Harvey keeps his word to Samantha. As the episode ends, it's only the outside influence of the New York Bar coming in that might ruin things for them. Their internal loyalties manage to stand the test of a lot of stress and trauma.

At one point, I was inclined to be annoyed by the fact that Robert wasn't in this episode to speak his own mind. I don't know if that was an actor availability thing or what, but actually I think it ended up working out well that Robert couldn't be in this episode. Everyone was talking about him kind of like he'd died, even though he'd just stepped down. But it goes to show how important reputation and legacy is to these people. It was why Jessica's name coming off the wall was such a big deal. It's why all the squabbling about name partner, and managing partner, has taken so long to untangle. It might get kind of frustrating sometimes, but this show has made a good case for why it matters to these characters.

I've never been all that in to the idea of Harvey and Donna, and I thought that their big getting-together scene at the end of last season was kind of underwhelming. So I was nervous to see how they were going to pull that off. I'm happy to say, I actually found them very cute and charming and romantic here, much more-so than before. They both acknowledge how momentous this is, but at the same time, they're instantly comfortable, like they've been together all along. That's exactly the right balance to strike.

I also appreciate that the difficulties and realities of life don't just go away because the two of them have finally gotten their act together. For example, Harvey is distressed to discover that Donna and Thomas technically hadn't broken up yet when he went over there that night. Donna is quick to reassure him that he didn't do anything wrong, but it's still a conversation they probably should have had. I like that things feel easy and natural for them right away, but that doesn't mean there's no room to grow.

As is always the case with this review, I'm saving the Mike mentions for the end. Because even though the guy hasn't been on the show in a full season, he's still my favorite thing about it. And knowing that he's coming back for at least one precious episode this season? Man, my heart is ready to explode. And we got a glut of cute Mike Ross material this week. First of all, how adorable is it that Donna and Harvey each call their besties (Rachel and Mike, respectively) to tell them the news? It's like they're a bunch of kids, eager to share in their joy. It's a very stereotypical thing to do, to immediately want to share news about one's love life. But just the thought of Harvey leaving a giddy voicemail for Mike is like the cutest thing of all time.

Later, Harvey has a great bonding moment with Samantha. I really like their relationship, and how it echoes the mentor/mentee thing that Harvey and Mike had, without being just an echo of it. In this episode, we get that comparison directly, as Harvey invokes Mike's name to tell Samantha how similar they are. The way he's able to talk to her and work with her is similar to how he could work with Mike. It makes me sad, it makes me long for the good ol' days, but I'm also happy for Harvey that he's finding valuable relationships in his life, even when important people like Mike and Jessica have moved on.

And then we get that romantic Donna/Harvey scene at the end, which was just lovely and cheesy and perfect, and made all the more-so by the setting. Apparently Mike asked Harvey to rent out Mike and Rachel's apartment in New York, but he didn't do it, paying the rent on it with a fake name (Rick Sorkin) and leaving it empty. Why? IN CASE THEY CAME BACK. Which is adorable and also so sad and perfect. But Harvey feels differently about the apartment now. It used to remind him of what he'd lost, but now it reminds him of how he's learned to let things go and live his life. He can miss having Mike around without it being a horrible negative aspect to his life. I just... can't believe that even in this romantic couple moment, all about Donna and Harvey, Harvey still manages to make it about Mike. I'm living for it.

So that's where I'll stop for now. This show will never again capture the joy and chemistry that it had in its earlier seasons, but I still find plenty to enjoy. Notice how I managed to write three whole paragraphs about a character who's not even on the show anymore? Yeah. I may have a problem.

8/10

[sulietsexual]

Hey! I read that you find Friends relatable now that you're older. How is the show relatable to you? Is it specific to your generation or to people your age? Because I don't think any of the friends' lives are relatable. In particular, the fact that they're always in relationships, or hooking with random people they meet wherever, is extremely weird to me. And let's not speak of how most of them have great jobs and no college degree or higher schooling... Anyway, I'd love to read your thoughts!

Okay, so I just want address a couple of your points before I get into how/why I find the series relatable. So, first of all this part:

“In particular, the fact that they’re always in relationships, or hooking with random people they meet wherever, is extremely weird to me.”

First of all, I don’t think that the characters on Friends date or hook up or have relationships any more than characters on any other television series out there. So many shows have their characters dating lots, sustaining long-term relationship etc. Also, I think that while, yes, all the characters did have relationships and hook ups, it wasn’t as constant or as prevalent as your statement implies. Let’s look at the characters individually.

Joey - probably the most sexually active of the group but this is also a big part of his character (similarly to, say, Barney Stinson). Joey does frequently hook up with women because he’s not interested in a long-term relationship, he just enjoys the brief, no-strings-attached intimacy of one-night stands but I don’t find his promiscuity to be unbelievable, especially since it’s an organic part of his characterisation. I also don’t recall him ever hooking up with a random person? 

Chandler - Chandler spends most of Seasons 1 and 2 either single or with Janice. If I recall correctly, he only briefly dates a couple of women other than Janice in those seasons. He spends half of Season 3 with Janice and the other half single. In Season 4 he briefly dates Kathy and then at the end of the season he hooks up with Monica and, as we know, the rest is history and he spends the rest of the series in a committed relationship. Again, I don’t really see this as unrealistic? Chandler has two serious relationships and a third which never really gets off the ground and he casually dates a few women, and this is within the time span of about four or five years. That seems pretty normal to me, especially within the landscape of 90s television, which often portrayed young adults dating around.

Ross - Ross actually dates quite a lot, we see him with many casual love interests, however, as with Joey, I feel like this suits his character. Ross is actually a serial monogamist, he’s hopelessly in love with love and so I find it really in-character that he would date lots in order to find his ideal partner. Again, this is very keeping with 90s culture of dating around. And, of course, Ross has three long-term/serious relationships (Carol, Rachel and Emily) and this is over a ten year time-span, which again, doesn’t seem like a huge amount of romantic developments.

Rachel - Rachel probably dates the least of the characters. She leaves Barry, who is implied to be her only long-term relationship, at the beginning of Season 1 and then has her “fling” with Paolo, which was more about her exploring an exciting and sexual relationship which she hadn’t experienced before. She then spends Seasons 2 and 3 pining after and then involved with Ross, only briefly dating Mark post-Ross. In Season 4 she has her crush on Joshua, which doesn’t go anywhere. Her only other “serious” relationship is with Tagg in Season 7 and other than that, she doesn’t really date that often.

Monica - single for most of Season 1 with only a couple of casual dating relationships, Monica spends most of Season 2 with Richard and then the majority of Season 3 single, until her short relationship with Pete. She’s single for all of Season 4 until she hooks up with Chandler, and then she’s in a committed relationship with him until the end of the series.

Phoebe - Phoebe dates a lot but again, I don’t necessarily find that unrealistic? Like Joey, she doesn’t seem to want or need a long-term partner (until she meets Mike) and she’s happy to just casually date around. At the risk of sounding repetitive, this once again (to me) ties in nicely with 90s dating culture and I think it suits her character. However, I do find her relationship with Mike rushed and it did very much feel like she was shoe-horned into the relationship by writers who seemed afraid of having a female character end the show single. That being said, I do find her and Mike sweet.

So yeah, I’m not sure if it’s a personal thing or a generational thing but I never felt that the romantic relationships and dating habits of the characters felt unrealistic. If anything, I think each of the character’s dating habits and relationship organically tie into their characterisation.

Now, the next part I want to address: 

“And let’s not speak of how most of them have great jobs and no college degree or higher schooling…”

This isn’t completely accurate.

Ross and Chandler both attended college (this is how they met, they were college roommates) and Ross has a PhD, so he definitely completed higher education. While it’s not wholly realistic that Ross would have a PhD and a high-paying job at the Museum of Natural Science at the age of twenty-seven (his age in the first season) it not entirely inconceivable, especially in the early 90s when a college degree actually did guarantee one a job and the job market was much better than it is these days.

Chandler completes college and then works in the same job for several years before receiving a promotion, which does come with an adequate pay rise, but again, he had to slog it out in a cubicle for at least four or five years before receiving said promotion, which he did so at about age twenty-seven, which seems pretty realistic, especially for the 90s. He then works at this job for the next several years, making solid money, before quitting to pursue a job which he’s passionate about. He completes an internship at an ad company and is then offered a more senior position due to his age and experience. I think this is all pretty realistic.

Rachel at least started college (she mentions in a Thanksgiving flashback that she’s taking psychology because the parking’s closer to the building) and she ends up having to work as a waitress for several years because of her lack of job experience, not exactly a great or high-paying job. Her lucking into the job at Bloomingdale’s is a little unrealistic, but she does start at a lower-level position (an assistant) before being moved to personal shopping, which she mentions is a step down for her. She interviews for and obtains the Ralph Lauren position based off her previous experience at Bloomingdale’s and is promoted after being there for a couple of years, again, a fairly realistic trajectory for her. I think Rachel’s work situation is perhaps the least realistic, given that a lot of it rests on luck, but I don’t think it’s completely unbelievable.

We have to assume that Monica went to culinary school, given that she’s a professional chef. It’s not unrealistic or unbelievable that she would be working as a Sous Chef at the age of twenty-six, especially in the 90s. She then loses her job and is forced to work at the demeaning and low-paying diner for over a year, before finally being given the chance to run her own kitchen, where she stays for several years, before being head hunted into a better-paying job when she’s in her early 30s, a realistic move for her, given her experience.

Joey and Phoebe are the only two who are explicitly stated to not have completed college (and in Phoebe’s case high school) but neither initially have particularly demanding or high-paying jobs. Phoebe works as a masseuse, for which she would have needed to complete a certificate or diploma in massage therapy, which she easily could have done in her early twenties. She appears to make enough to live on and doesn’t seem to want a different or higher-paying job and it is mentioned that she doesn’t make as much money as some of the others. And Joey spends so much time on the show unemployed or working odd-jobs in-between auditions, only really starting to get good/steady work towards the end of the series, so I think his career is pretty realistic and an accurate portrayal of how sometimes breaking into an acting career is about right place, right time.

Wow, that got long. Let’s get back to your actual question, of how/why I find Friends relatable.

It’s more little things that I found relatable as I got older. Things such as wanting to work a job I was passionate about (Chandler’s dilemma in Season 1 and again in Season 9), not having a plan for my life (Rachel in Season 1), going against my parents wishes for my career (Joey), having overly-critical parents (Monica) etc. Even smaller things, such as using sarcasm to cover childhood trauma (Chandler) or Monica’s OCD or Rachel always crying. These things made the characters real and relatable to me, even if the world they live in isn’t always completely realistic (their apartments, for example. Even in the 90s Monica wouldn’t have been able to afford that apartment, even with rent control!)

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Suits 1 x 08 Analysis Part IV

After the failed father-daughter reconciliation, we are once again treated to Harvey Specter scapegoating Louis Litt who, to his credit, had attempted a reconciliation with Perkins’ grieving widow. Poorly-timed? Of course. 

But coming with flowers is far better than pretending to lead a charitable organisation in order to extort information from a widow. Does Harvey Specter know any better? And then: “You need to get your shit together and find us a new witness.”, but no attempt made on Harvey’s part to share information so that they can work efficiently together. 

I don’t intend to excuse the volumes of sins that Louis Litt commits, nor to say that they have an understandable cause. The more I have watched since then, the more I blame Jessica Pearson for the eventual rupture-- almost more than I blame Harvey Specter. 

However, the latter deserves more censure for his own arrogance, manipulation, and scapegoating of Louis Litt. It isn’t sufficient that he was made Senior Partner (through blackmail in 1 x 01); he has to rub it into Louis’ face on a daily basis for no good reason other than to convince himself he is the best-- even though Louis probably works harder than he does. 

Now we come to a turning point scene between Michael and Lola. 

The first thing to notice is that Lola Jensen completely takes Michael Ross by surprise when she shows up at his apartment. How she discovered his address is never mentioned, although we must assume by now that she is more than adept at seeking out classified information. 

But again, you need to watch Michael’s reaction and how irrational it is:

[Lola] “Wanted to apologise for earlier today. Can I come in?”

The first question Michael should have asked was, “How did you get my address?” 

Whilst a lawyer has the right to request sensitive information from his or her client, protected by attorney-client privilege, can a client do the same in reverse? Not to mention the fact that Lola isn’t even a client. So that leaves us with two potential options: either Michael gave her his address, which I consider unlikely, or she used underhand means of seeking this information. I don’t think Jerome Jensen knew his address, and there would be no reason for her to request this off Harvey, since that would reveal her hand. 

Furthermore, we know that Harvey dislikes her, although no indication is given why. More on that in the subsequent installment. 

So, this leaves the real option that Lola has looked into him. Michael doesn’t ask this obvious question. Why?

He is thoroughly disarmed by her. 

The second question should have been, “What are you doing here?”, which is of course answered by her announcement. Instead he just says her name. 

Notice that he uses her first name, not “Miss Jensen”-- far more appropriate for the kind of relationship between them. Why? He is still in “save the lost, sweet Girl” mode. 

The third question should have been, “What are you doing here at this time of night?” Sure, Michael often has to work late at the office, so she made a reasonable guess. But the lateness of the visit cannot bode well and Michael Ross of all people should constantly be suspicious when he gets late-night calls, as the Trevor travesties have demonstrated. 

Three crucial questions ignored in favour of surprise. That is to say, he is surprised she came back to him after ignoring his earlier summons. 

[Lola] “Can I come in?”

[Michael] “Er yeah; of course.”

Serious error of judgement!

Am I the only one who considers this inappropriate? Quite apart from the fact that she is a lone female entering his apartment at night, she is also the daughter of a longtime Pearson Hardman client. Isn’t he compromising his integrity so far? He has clearly allowed a great deal of emotional attachment to cloud his judgement and thus leading him to make such a decision. 

If someone had called me an “empty suit” and then ruined my attempts to forge a reconciliation between them and their father, the last place I would want to see them was at my house! What could we possibly have to discuss? 

What could Michael possibly say to Lola that couldn’t be said at the office? Remember, Lola said that she wanted to apologise for her behaviour earlier. Does she need to enter his apartment to do that? Does she even need to visit his house? (Yes, I know what happens afterwards, but I have to reason the case from Michael’s perspective to demonstrate his unusually attached behaviour concerning Lola). Michael does not even say that she should apologise to her father instead of to him-- after all, he is nothing more than a mediator. 

Instead, he allows her into his apartment. “Of course,” he says, although he is obliged to do so. 

Why does Michael Ross do this?

He thinks Lola is back on his side, has somehow been brought to reason, that maybe he can salvage something from the ashes and prove himself again. 

[Lola] “Nice gesture, Temple Gardens?”

Notice that whilst she is saying this, Michael Ross shuts the door behind her. Why? An apology won’t take that long. 

[Michael] “You said it was a pretty special place for you guys.”

She did? 

Folks, think about what this implies. That Lola, after her sulky and contemptuous introduction, was willing to volunteer sensitive information about her childhood implies that she intended to cooperate with Michael Ross-- but why? Evidently, she wanted to confront her father. However, that would put the episode out of sync with her later outrage that her father hadn’t called her personally. It would have been telling to see this scene between Michael and Lola-- how he managed to track her down again after their disastrous first meeting and how he offered her hope of reconciliation. 

Michael going out of his way to find a special place that would soften Lola’s heart shows a deliberate and unusual level of consideration. After all, Jerome tried to get his family problems solved by walking into a lawyer’s office and getting lawyers to chase his daughter down. They could have had this meeting in one of Pearson Hardman’s many offices. Again, I am inclined to think that this gesture was aimed entirely at Lola, particularly since she gives him credit for it as shown earlier. 

Notice that Michael lets Lola walk in and stroll about in his apartment. 

Love the mini-Mike action figure. That’s cute. But Michael’s cute, anyway. 

[Lola] “It was-- but then he became CEO.”

Family issues, of course. Neglect, frustration, the works. Still not enough motivation for embezzlement, fraud, and cyber hacking. 

[Lola] “I must say, I was, uh, really impressed you figured out what I was doing... Especially since you’re not even a real lawyer!”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when you let sulky renegades into your apartment at night. 

Like a fish, Michael is caught.

But, we do get a hint of some other emotions behind Lola’s impenetrable façade. We now know that quite apart from her nonchalance when Michael caught her at Columbia, she was not alarmed, but impressed! She has finally met her match; someone has thrown a spanner in her works. 

[Lola] “I accessed Harvard Law School’s Alumni directory; every class that graduated for the last 10 years. No record of Mike Ross at all.”

In retrospect, one should hardly be surprised that Lola Jensen would look into Michael Ross in the same way he did to her. 

But as I write this analysis, I suddenly ask myself why she looked up Harvard and how she was led to that conclusion. After all, the fact that Michael Ross is fiendishly clever does not mean that he must be a fake lawyer. She must have been searching for something to use as leverage against him, and then was struck by the lack of information available on him. 

This would mean, of course, that she was doubly impressed by his investigative skills, given that he had never sat the LSAT, let alone graduated from Harvard. 

[Michael] “Yeah, the Dean’s office was supposed to fix that; they put my name wrong in the system.”

Lamest excuse ever, and it’s a testament to how disarmed Michael is that he fails to grasp the intelligence of his foe. He already knows that she can hack into classified company data and he pulls the administrator error when she confronts him with evidence of his fraud? The man is thrashing around in an ocean here. Playing with forces he cannot understand. You have to sympathise with him, being outwitted by a sulky, sanctimonious university student (actual university student, one might add), whilst he stands in a t-shirt and jeans, struggling to gain the upper hand. 

[Lola] (pretends to laugh) “I checked your Social Security number against the database.”

[Michael] “How d’you get my Social Security number?”

[Lola] “Easily.”

Michael Ross looks terrified, as he well should. 

Now, a few things to discuss here. 

Anyone notice how quickly Lola jumps into her research after the failed meeting with her father? We are, of course, to assume that she came to his apartment on the very night. This suggests desperation. Although she credits Michael with making a “nice gesture”, she understands that he will not leave her alone. 

So, here’s my question: if this all pans out as the product of a broken father-daughter relationship, why does Lola then say this:

[Lola] “Here’s the deal: leave me alone, or I expose you.”

If what she wanted was a reunion with her father, then Michael is on her side. He’s even dredging up pleasant memories from her childhood to effect that reunion, letting her into his apartment, and obviously itching to try again. So why would she pull such a double whammy on the very night that he tries to heal the breach? 

Isn’t it evident that Lola sees Michael as a threat to her investigations and research, and will stifle her voice of protest against her father’s environmental damage if he continues to act for her father? That is the only plausible reason for her to blackmail him in this fashion. People don’t make such threats without strong cause. 

And notice the wording that Lola uses: “...leave ME alone, or I expose YOU.” The capitalised emphasis is my own. It’s a me versus you issue. She doesn’t tell him to drop the case with her father; she wants him off her tail, meaning he cannot expose her embezzlement. She has him in a headlock, a man she barely knows and for whom she has precious little time, let alone respect. 

For what rational reason would Lola stop Michael from trying to reconcile her and her father? None, of course. 

It’s all about Clarity Drilling and their destruction of the environment, thinking that settlements are sufficient to atone for such damage. 

TBC

[sairyn-noc]

A Fork in the Road

Written for @accol-fics

Harvey didn’t believe in fate. No, he believed in hard work, a strong will, and the balls to do whatever it took to win. That was all the fate he needed. But life has a way of teaching you lessons and proving to you that sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you fight, there are some battles you just can’t win. If someone would have told him that his quick decision to hire some kid off the street seven years ago to be his associate would lead him here, to this, he probably wouldn’t have believed them. Over the years, Harvey battled the various emotions that threatened to consume him when it came to Mike, but it was no use. He still found his way here- watching the man he loved say goodbye.

It wasn’t supposed to happen- not like this. Truth be told, not at all. Love was for fools who didn’t know any better. And Harvey was no fool, at least he didn’t think he was. But that was before. Now, Harvey wasn’t sure. He stared out of the window of his office having slipped out of the party easily, a tumbler in his grasp. The grey skies reflected his mood. In a few hours the city would be covered in snow, the streets empty and cold. Yes, it was a perfect day for clouds. Because soon there would be no sun, no heat, no Mike.

Finish on AO3

Harvey raised the glass to his lips and swallowed greedily, trying to force down the emotions threatening to overload his consciousness. He closed his eyes and willed himself not to go there; not to relive every smile, every laugh, every moment Mike and he spent together. But it was no use. Seven years was a long time, and yet it went by in the blink of an eye. And just like every movie Harvey loved, his mind went back in time to the beginning- the day a very young ‘Rick Sorkin’ dropped a briefcase of weed at his feet. The memory made him chuckle.

Harvey could still recall how much Mike impressed him that day. So much so Harvey did the unspeakable, he hired him. That wasn’t fate; that was just good business. And besides, it worked.

While the first year was an experiment in “what can we get away with”, the second was filled with secrets, compromises and blackmail. It also brought the first inkling that maybe there was something more than just a defiant streak that had him fighting to keep Mike at his side if defying Jessica’s order to fire Mike was any indication. Sure, he had told himself at the time it was because Mike was valuable to the firm, but looking back, he could easily see it was because of something else; something he couldn’t name that made him resist Mike leaving. Little did he know that following year would be the beginning of the end. That was the year he told Rachel the truth.

Oh sure, Harvey was supportive. Why wouldn’t he be? He had plenty of people willing to warm his bed. What did he care if Mike risked everything over Rachel? Apparently, with hindsight being 20-20, he did. How else could he explain the rage over losing Mike to become an investment banker, leaving Harvey’s side? Or better still, the relief of him coming back- where he belonged, his mind ad-libbed. But nothing was more telling than the last year.

It nearly broke Harvey to watch Mike walk through the gates of Danbury- their secret no longer hidden in the shadows. Harvey believed watching Mike get tried, convicted and sentenced to jail, was the lowest point in his life. And then, when he was released, when he was back and tangible and free, Harvey ignored the twist in his gut as he watched him run into Rachel’s arms. It was enough, he told himself; just to have him free was enough. But with each passing day, it got harder. Instead of Mike following him, it was him chasing after Mike. For all of his bluster and confidence, Harvey was a walking, talking, exposed live nerve- and Mike was the spark of electricity. He spent the last year trying to find the solution to his own personal Kobayashi Maru- his very own doomsday scenario. No matter what he did, it didn’t stop his descent into madness, and it definitely didn’t prevent this day from coming. A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“I thought I would find you in here.”

Harvey looked to see Donna standing against the door jamb.

“Just needed a break.”

“Hmm, I see, she said walking into the office to stand next to him. “You know if you need company…” Her voice tapered off and Harvey heard the concern or was it fear, beneath the statement.

That was the last thing he wanted. They still hadn’t talked about that damn kiss. Nor did he want too. But apparently, the shit storm that was his life was intent on making another visit.

“Donna can we just not… do this right now?”

“Yeah,” she murmured, disappointment lacing her answer. She headed towards the door.

Shit, he thought. “Donna wait.”

She stopped, her back still to him. He watched her stiffen, bracing herself, before turning around to face him.

“I get it, Harvey,” she said firmly.

“No, you don't” he sighed.

She pegged him with her signature ‘don’t be an idiot’ look. “Yeah, I do. Don’t forget, I know you better than anyone.”

He looked away as if he could prevent her from seeing a truth he hadn’t even acknowledged yet.

“That night I kissed you, I thought that … Well, I had hoped that maybe now, now that…”

Harvey did not want to talk about this. Not. At. All. He gulped the rest of his drink down and slammed his glass on his desk. Balling his hand up into a fist, Harvey did the one thing he knew he did best; disguised his discomfort in anger.

“You thought what, Donna? That after all this time, you would just waltz in here, kiss me and we would fall into some stupid fantasy you’ve been carrying around for years?” His words were biting, and he saw her flinch more than once, but he couldn’t stop.

“What the hell were you thinking? We’ve been friends too long…”

“Yes. Harvey,” she cut in. “Friends. And for years I have watched you run away, ignore and avoid the glaringly obvious truth you seemed incapable of acknowledging. Talk about the elephant in the room! Everyone could see it, everyone except you and possibly…”

“Don’t,” he warned, his voice a controlled whisper.

“Don’t what Harvey? Speak the truth? Well, too bad,” she hissed in return.

Donna stalked closer to him, her finger pointed at his chest.

“I spent years wondering if I made the wrong decision that morning, I kicked you out of my apartment with a smile and a promise that we would never share a bed again. But I got my answer, the night I kissed you. Because even then, despite all that has happened, everything that is happening now, I could tell you were wishing you were kissing someone else.”

“Donna!”

She startled at his abrupt outburst, stopping her tirade. They stared at each other silently for a moment, before she schooled her features into a mask of indifference, then turned to walk out. She paused at the door before turning back to face him once again.  

“At least I got my answer,” she said flippantly. “…yours is downstairs, getting ready to leave to go and marry someone else.” With that parting shot, she left.

Harvey released the breath he had been holding and slumped into his chair. He would like to believe that her words didn’t affect him, but he refused to lie to himself. Not anymore and especially not tonight. Harvey was in love. He hadn’t expected it, didn’t want it, in fact, he fought it at every turn. But there was no more denying it. Harvey wanted someone.

Someone he couldn’t have.

Someone who was in love with another.

Someone who was downstairs that very moment.

Someone who was Mike Ross. And Harvey never had the balls to tell him.

But I got my answer. Donna’s words ran through his head on a loop. Harvey thought of all the moments, all the wasted opportunities to say something, anything, but didn’t.  How could he be- when up until recently, he couldn’t even admit it to himself. Him. In love. With a guy. Never saw that coming, he mused silently. That’s not to say, Harvey had never been with a man. Back at Harvard, Harvey was known for being a switch hitter. He just never saw himself entertaining the thought of settling down with another man. But here he was, wanting just that.

Too bad it’s too late, the voice, which sounded suspiciously like Donna’s, rang in his head.

Harvey got up and poured another two fingers, intending on drinking enough to drown away his traitorous thoughts and forget about the man downstairs who soon would be another memory. Sure, Mike had told them that nothing would change. But they both knew it was a lie. Everything would change. How could it not? New life, new wife, before long a family. No. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t stand by and torture himself like that on a daily basis. It was best to cut the tie now. He had his chance- and he didn’t take it. He lifted the glass once again, surprised to find it empty. Harvey was about to refill it when Mike’s voice filtered into the room.

“Harvey?”

Harvey looked up to see his office door once again occupied. Mike stood there in his crumpled suit pants, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and eyes a little too bright. Apparently, Harvey wasn’t the only one who may or may not have had a glass or two too many.

“I looked around and you were gone. What ya doing up here?”

“What do you think I’m doing. I’m working,” Harvey answered dismissively.

Of course, Mike didn’t take the cue. “Huh. Really? Cause from where I am standing it looks like you’re avoiding a very good party.”

“Then you’re standing in the wrong spot,” he tried again.

Mike walked across the threshold and grabbed a clean glass- holding it out. Defeated, Harvey poured them both a drink. Mike took a sip and sat on the couch.

“I saw Donna a little bit ago. She was leaving, kept saying something about needing her beauty sleep.”

Harvey stayed silent.

“I take it things aren’t going so well between you two.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harvey deflected.

“Really. Considering just a few weeks ago she came to me hinting around about taking a chance and needing to find answers. It seemed like you two were finally getting together.”

“Donna and I are friends,” Harvey groaned.

“Friends. I have lots of friends…” Mike began.

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do and don’t interrupt. Like I was saying. I have lots of friends, but I don’t go around kissing them in my office.”

Harvey felt a warm blush creep up his neck. He had no idea that his and Donna’s little ‘tête à tête’ was witnessed by anyone. Especially not Mike.

“Well, then maybe you’re doing it wrong.”

“What? Kissing in my office or kissing my friends?” Mike smirked.

“Both,” Harvey answered, barely suppressing a sigh.

“I’ll keep that in mind for future use. But seriously, Harvey. What is going on with you? Did you guys fight?”

“Mike,” Harvey sighed. “I told you a long time ago, Donna and I had our time. But it wasn’t meant to be. I love her, I will always love her. But not like that.”

Mike took a sip and cocked his head to the side- appearing to mull Harvey’s statement over in his head.

“Meant to be? Does the great Harvey Specter believe in destiny?” he chuckled lightly.

“Harvey Specter believes in Harvey Specter.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, tell me this then, counselor. Why then did I witness the two of you making out.”

“I had no idea you were a voyeur, Mike,” Harvey countered.

The banter felt good, felt right. The ground beneath his feet for the moment was steady, despite the topic.

“Are you going to answer my question?” Mike asked, unwilling to be swayed.

Harvey looked at his once protege. Gone was the shy kid whose off-the-rack suits hung disproportionately off his once-wiry frame. No, the man before him now was confident, polished, and something he never saw coming. There was also something else- a fierce determination even more apparent at his insistence surrounding his question.

“Is this why you left your party? To come try out your interrogation skills with me? Which, I may add, are abysmal,” Harvey fake admonished.

“Hey, my skills are top notch. Louis taught me everything I needed to know.”

“Oh, Louis did, did he? No wonder you suck at it,” Harvey laughed.

“Look Mike, this is your night. Go down there and enjoy your party, enjoy your fiancée, enjoy your life. You don’t need to worry about me. Donna and I just had a misunderstanding. We will be fine. We always are.”

“Are you sending me away, Specter?”

“I could never send you away,” he breathed. If only he could.

The weight of his statement hung between them. Mikes eyes flickered briefly, and Harvey wondered if Mike could somehow read his thoughts and feelings beneath the words.

“Good,” Mike stated before rising. “Because I don’t want to go,” he added. The words were soft as if they slipped out without conscious thought.  

Mike caught Harvey’s eyes briefly and for a moment they blazed with the same heat and intensity as Donna’s had earlier. Then he was walking out of the office into the hall.

Harvey’s heart and brain waged battle in the seconds that ticked by. His brain reminded him that Mike was a taken man; while his heart screamed at him to not waste what could be his last chance.

“Mike,” Harvey called out, jumping up quickly from his chair.

Mike, already in front of the elevators, turned to look at him.

“Yeah?”

“You free tomorrow? Movie marathon? See if you’ve learned anything over the last seven years.”

“You’re on,” Mike grinned. “Prepared to be slayed, Specter.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Harvey smiled in return.

In the battle between his heart and his brain, Harvey couldn’t tell if either truly won that round. Technically, it wasn’t as if he professed his love to Mike. But it was something- wasn’t it? Either way, Harvey would enjoy tomorrow. Yes, he was avoiding the inevitable, but for one more day, he could pretend it was just the two of them against the world.  

~~~~

Morning came too soon for Harvey. In fact, when he was awakened by the pounding at his door. He was just in the middle of a dream that had him standing in the middle of nowhere. Three roads fanned out before him. The one to his left was bathed in warm sunset hues. On it stood a group of those people and things long past. His parents, an abandoned baseball field, a younger version of himself when he was Assistant DA, Jessica, Scottie, Zoe, Donna and many more loves and lovers who he had shared his time and or bed. The middle road was bright like the midday sun. He could see occasional clouds and storms in the distance but even those had sun streaks behind them, telling him the storms were passing through. This road looked to be his present life. Images of the firm, with flashes of him in and out of a courtroom, and off to the side was a clear-cut snapshot of the moment he met Mike Ross. Behind that, were snapshots of all their adventures- the good (sneaking into Louis’ office while high), the bad (Mike being caught by Anita) and the mundane.

But it was the third path that bothered him- it was forked. One side was obscured by fog and dark skies with intermittent flashes of lightning. The other was clear, cold and desolate. The path of least resistance…. Harvey began to step towards that one. Harvey was not known for playing it safe, but walking into a storm that he couldn’t see through seemed- unwise. What kind of jackass would do that? He told his dream self. Before Harvey could take a step, the pounding on the door returned.

As his consciousness came back online, the dream faded. A quick glance at the clock told him it was three am. He rolled out of bed and padded over, ready to give a good tongue lashing to whoever was at his door. That threat died when he saw the familiar blonde messy hair through the peephole.

“I thought you had grown out of this,” he mumbled as he opened the door.

“Nope,” Mike replied, popping the ‘p’ like he used to. ” You going to let me in?”

Harvey glanced at Mike scrutinizing him. “Not until you tell me why you are on my doorstep in the middle of the night. I don’t see blood or bone. And you don’t look high or drunk…”

“You said movie marathon,” Mike answered.

“Nowhere in that statement meant at three am.”

“I wanted to get an early start?” Mike held up a six-pack of beer and a bag.

“Uh huh… Get in here.”

Harvey stepped aside so Mike could walk by. After a silent prayer to whoever was listening for strength, he closed the door to face his demons head-on. Harvey meandered to the kitchen where Mike was pulling out a couple of bottles.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the gesture,” Harvey stated as he reached out to still Mike’s hand from opening the first bottle.

“…but how about we start with some coffee, so I can stop seeing two of you, and then you can tell me why you are really here.”

Mike lifted both his hands in a gesture of surrender and headed for the couch. Within minutes, the smell of fresh roast coffee wafted throughout the kitchen. Harvey grabbed two mugs and joined Mike.

“Now you want to let me in on what’s going on?”

Mike took a sip and frowned. “Bitter.”

“I swear,” Harvey sighed, walking back to the kitchen. “When will you learn how to drink coffee like an adult?”

“Never.”

Harvey returned to the couch with the sugar. “Here Peter Pan. Don’t come crying to me when your teeth rot.”

“Who else am I going to come to?”

“How about your soon to be wife?” Harvey answered sarcastically.

“But she won’t treat me like you do,” Mike whined.

“I should hope not,” Harvey chuckled.

Requisite amount of sugar added, Mike took a big gulp of the steaming liquid and smiled.

“Happy now Princess?”

“Yes,” he answered easily.

“Good. Now you want to tell me why you are at my door in the middle of the night?”

Mike looked down for a moment, burying his nose in his cup. Harvey was willing to wait. It only took a moment. With a heavy sigh, Mike put down his mug and turned to face Harvey.

“Maybe I just wanted to do something that was familiar. Something that was all mine. With all of the changes at the firm, my decision to cut back and my wedding in a few weeks, I just wanted a piece of my old life. And when you brought up a movie marathon day, well, I found I wanted that more than anything at the moment.”

“I get that, Harvey replied. “But it still doesn’t answer the question why are you here now?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Making the decision to not push any further, Harvey changed direction.

“You want to sleep here, then get started first thing?”

Mike smiled and reached for his bag. “Thought you would never ask.”

Harvey picked up the two mugs and went to the closet to retrieve a pillow and some blankets.

“Here,” he said, throwing and effectively hitting Mike square in the chest. “You know the drill. Whoever wakes first makes pancakes.”

“I’ll take blueberry.”

“What makes you think I’ll wake first?” Harvey asked incredulously.

“In all the years you have known me, have I ever been the first to wake?”

Harvey cocked his head and sighed in fake annoyance. “Fine, blueberry. But don’t think I am letting you sleep all day.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Mike said, spreading the blankets across the length of the couch.

Harvey retreated to his room and attempted to go back to sleep. But all he could do was listen to the soft noises and rustles coming from his living room. It was maddening to know that Mike was so close and yet still a million miles away.

“Shit,” Harvey muttered into his pillow, before turning over and closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, it was to the sight of the sun streaming through his windows and the smell of bacon. He stole a quick glance at the clock- eight am. Harvey couldn’t remember the last time he saw Mike awake and alert this early without the threat of termination. He had to see this.

“I must have an intruder because I know damn well my soon to be ex-associate isn’t awake and in my kitchen making breakfast. Who are you and what have you done with Mike?”

“Funny,” Mike replied. “Have a seat. The coffee is fresh and bitter. Just the way you like it.”

Harvey grabbed a cup and sat at the counter while Mike flipped the bacon.

“So, what’s your pleasure Specter?”

Besides you? His thoughts flashed. “You making pancakes? Or should I order up something simple like eggs?”

“You can order anything you want,” Mike suggested.

And for a second, Harvey’s brain went offline. “How about chef’s choice,” Harvey managed to mumble. “I’m going to cue up today’s movie fest.”

“Sounds good,” Mike replied offhandedly before turning back to his mix.

Harvey couldn’t get a handle on his warring emotions. His brain was too busy trying to decipher and decode Mike’s strange behavior- which only got stranger. After begging to watch the Marvel movies in order, Mike was asleep before they even got to the first Captain America. Not that it mattered- Harvey still had a collection of original comics and the movies did not do them justice, but something was definitely off with his protégé.

“Mike,” Harvey nudged the man currently drooling on his leather couch.

“Hm?” a sleepy voice answered.

“Wake up.”

“I’m awake.”

“Really? Because it looks like you’re sleeping.”

“I’m not sleeping. I can tell you everything that happened.”

“Yes, I am sure you can. With your memory and all,” Harvey chided.

Mike lifted his head and stretched his arms above his head. Harvey did not, repeat, did not, look at the small patch of skin as Mike’s shirt rucked up. Instead, he stopped the film and turned to face him.

“Okay Mike. Let’s have it. What’s going on?”

“I told you, I just wanted a day for me.”

“And you have had one. Now why don’t you tell me why you are avoiding going home.”

Mike sat up and sighed loudly, “I don’t know. I mean, I love Rachel. I proposed, we set a date and then I went to jail.”

“Yes, I was there. But now you are free. You have spent the last year rebuilding your life, the life you want,” Harvey stated blandly.

“Is it?”

“Is what?”

“Is it the life I want?”

And then just like that, Harvey knew the real problem. Mike was having second thoughts. Harvey would be lying if the thought of Mike not getting married didn’t fill him with a certain sense of relief, but his better angels prevailed. So instead of pushing Mike further, he went with reassurance.

“You know Mike. What you’re feeling is normal. A lot of people have second thoughts; it’s called ‘cold feet’. You know you love Rachel and she loves you. There is nothing wrong with being happy. If anyone deserves it, it’s you.”

Mike stayed silent, his hands shuffled back and forth through his hair. Harvey recognized the gesture, Mike often did that when he was struggling with something.

“Mike,” Harvey started again. His voice a little softer. He grabbed Mike’s elbow, stopping Mike’s motion. “Mike, look at me.”

Mike turned. His eyes were wide, trusting, and a little frightened. Harvey’s mouth went dry. Once again, he had to swallow his first instinct to reach out and pull Mike into his arms. But Mike wasn’t his.

“Rookie…,” he started again. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”

“No.” Mike’s voice was small almost childlike.

“Then trust me now. You got this. You and Rachel are going to have a great life together. Promise. Now go home.”

Mike smiled and sighed with relief. Ten minutes later, Mike was packed and walking out of Harvey’s condo. And Harvey? Well, Harvey died a little.

~~~

Harvey spent the next few weeks working like a madman. His relationship with Donna was still strained and Mike was spending less and less time at the firm which was fine by Harvey. Really it was. It allowed him to drown himself in his work. Harvey spent his days trying to rebuild the firm that seemed to be on life support at every turn and at night, making sure Mike’s wedding and everything that went along with it, was perfect. That is what you do for someone you love, no matter how much it hurts. It wasn’t until two nights before the wedding that Harvey got another late-night visit.

When the pounding came, Harvey was on the couch, his bed of choice as of late. He didn’t even bother to look. He knew who was on the other side. Opening the door, Harvey watched as Mike sauntered in- eyes bloodshot, and looking a bit thinner than he last remembered.

“You look like hell,” he said as way of greeting.

“Yeah well, tossing and turning every night will do that to you,” Mike grumbled.

“I thought we cured that the last time you showed up at my place in the middle of the night.”

“So did I.”

“Okay, so coffee or alcohol?” Harvey yawned.

“Neither,” Mike countered, and plopped on the couch.

“What?” Harvey responded surprised, his brain going on full alert.

“I just want to hang here for a bit,” Mike said, as way of explaining.

“Okay. Why don’t you pick out a movie and I will put on a pot of coffee for me.”

“Harvey,” Mike huffed. Can I just crash here?”

Alarmed, Harvey sat back down. “Mike, is there something going on? Did you and Rachel have a fight?”

“What? No!” Mike quickly answered. “I just… I guess maybe I am just having another bout of nerves.”

“Nerves. Okay. Tell me then. Do you love Rachel?”

“Yes.”

Harvey measured his next words carefully. “Are you in love with Rachel?”

This time, there was a pause before Mike answered.

“Of course.”

Harvey had built his career on reading people. Distinguishing truth from lies. And right now, Harvey knew Mike was lying. But this was not his fight, his truth to reveal; so he continued.

“Then why are you here, instead of at her side?”

Mike dropped his head. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice low and filled with emotion.

“Shouldn’t you…know?”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do since the last time I was here?”

“I don’t know, Mike. What have you been doing?”

Mike’s eyes shone then. “Trying to figure out why this is the only place I want to come when my world isn’t right.”

“Well, I can answer that for you easily,” Harvey said trying to lighten the mood.

“You can?”

“Of course, Harvey countered. “I’m awesome.”

Mike chuckled. “And modest too.”

“It’s not bragging…”

“Yes, yes, Harvey I know, ‘if it’s true’,” Mike interrupted.

“Look Mike, I am not trying to tell you what to do. But did you ever stop to think that you are here, because you don’t want to be somewhere else?”

“That’s all I have thought about.”

“Well, don’t you think you might want to figure out what that means? Preferably before you walk down the aisle.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No matter what, it’s going to be okay. I got your back.”

“Thanks Harvey. I mean it.”

“Anytime. So how about you try and get some sleep. I’m going back to bed.”

“I’m going to head out. I need to do some thinking.”

“You sure? It’s late.”

“I got this Harvey. Thanks.”

Mike closed the door with a thunk and Harvey dragged himself to bed.

He would’ve liked to say he went back to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, his mind drifted back to the first night Mike had nerves and showed up at his place in the middle of the night. Images from that strange dream flashed behind his closed eyelids. What the hell was going on. Up until a few months ago, everything had been fine in Harvey’s world. Well, as fine as losing his mentor and trying to rebuild the firm and his reputation could allow. That was also before Donna decided to play whack-a-mole with their shared past. Now everything was topsy-turvy with Mike. It was like Harvey went to sleep one night and woke up in some strange alternate reality. What he wouldn’t give to wake up tomorrow and have a do-over. Harvey was supposed to be the man with all the answers. But lying in his bed after hearing Mike unknowingly confess that he wasn’t in love with Rachel left him lost. Maybe it’s a sign, he wondered. Although was it really? Maybe the absence of a sign is the sign. This is ludicrous, he told himself and turned over once again.

~~~

The morning of the wedding, Harvey woke to a myriad of texts starting just after five am. The first was from Mike, asking to meet him for breakfast. The others came from the rest of their friends, including a cryptic “WHAT DID YOU DO?”  from Donna. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to determine what had happened.  Harvey sent a quick text to Mike asking him when and where and grabbed a quick shower. An hour later, he walked through the doors of a little hole in the wall sporting a Best Breakfast 2017 award in the window. Mike was sitting in a corner booth, dressed smartly in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt; his winter coat folded (more like wadded up), next to him on the bench. The most telling sight though was the smile he was wearing. It seemed to brighten the entire room. Harvey found himself smiling in return when he caught his eye.

Harvey saw the two roads from his dream in the ten feet walk to where Mike sat. After everything they had been through, all the moments he chose the path of least resistance and kept silence, Harvey was getting one last reprieve. Maybe it was time to choose differently. Maybe there was such a thing as fate or destiny. Harvey took his seat across from Mike and ordered.

“So…” he started.

“Did you know…,” Mike interrupted, “…that the Greeks didn’t write obituaries?”

Harvey, not knowing where this was going, waited for Mike to continue.

“'They only asked one question after a man died, ‘Did he have passion?'”

“Is this what you have been doing while contemplating your future? Brushing up on the death practices of ancient civilizations?”

“Something like that,” Mike chuckled.

Their breakfast arrived shortly after and Harvey took a sip of coffee. “Are you going to tell me what happened? I mean, I can surmise that we will not be going to the church this afternoon, but the details are a little fuzzy.”

“Nothing happened, per se,” Mike began, after shoving another forkful of eggs into his mouth. “It’s just like you said. I wasn’t with Rachel because I wanted to be someplace else.”

“I assume that didn’t go over so well with her.”

Mike placed his fork down and looked at his plate. “No, not particularly. But it was still the right thing to do. I didn’t want to have the wedding only to have this same conversation weeks, months or years down the road. So yeah. She thinks I am a jerk.”

Harvey felt his heart grow with pride. Doing the right thing wasn’t always easy. Sometimes it hurt. He knew that first hand.

“Mike, I don’t think you’re a jerk. I think…” and then he stopped for a moment, the quotes finally falling into place. He wanted to laugh out loud. “I think you look like a jackass.”

Mike’s head snapped up and he smiled brightly. “And I think…you’re the shit!” he exclaimed excitedly.

“Serendipity? Didn’t think that was in your wheelhouse.” Harvey laughed.

“Why not? It’s a classic. Besides, you started it. All that talk about 'maybe you’re here because you don’t want to be somewhere else,'” Mike beamed.

He did have a point, Harvey conceded silently. If someone had told him that on the morning of Mike’s wedding, Harvey would make a life-altering choice, he would’ve laughed out loud. But sitting across from Mike at that moment, it seemed inevitable. Fate, destiny, serendipity, or whatever else was out there, waited for Harvey to make his move. Harvey took a deep breath and chose the unseen path.

“Mike, would you like to get out of here?”

“Sure. Any place you want to go?”

“No. Not really. I just know I would rather spend everyday with you than with anyone else.”

[statusquoergo]

Hi! Can you write a "director's commentary" on "Signals Crossed"?

Thank you for asking! Wow, I ranted a whole lot while I was writing that one, didn’t I? I’ll try to say at least something new here!

So as I said in the notes of the first chapter, I wrote the thing in the first place because I was so frustrated by the Paula/Harvey/Donna triangle. This was right around the time it was becoming unmistakably obvious that Harvey and Donna were going to end up together, so I was annoyed that they were stringing it along by introducing “the other woman,” but specifically I was pissed that the other woman was Paula, as in Harvey’s former therapist Paula, because that is never an okay thing for a show to introduce without addressing how not okay it is, and “We waited until it’s not technically breaking your professional code of ethics” does not count as that. At all.

Rather than just write Paula out of the narrative, or try to rewrite their romance from a “this is a huge problem and here’s why” perspective, it occurred to me that Suits doesn’t exactly have a great track record of healthy relationships in the first place, especially in the romance department; Paula’s response to Donna kissing Harvey was terrible, but what if Harvey was in a stable, loving relationship with somebody who did trust him? Like, somebody to whom he could confess that Donna had kissed him and who wouldn’t immediately yell at him for it or threaten to break up with him or whatever but actually understand what a problem that was and try to support him?

Enter Mike. (I know, I know, in canon he has the emotional awareness of a damp tea towel, but hey! Fanfiction to the rescue!) Here’s somebody who loves Harvey, who wants to support him (see: panic attack incident), who will take his side basically all the time (in arguments against other people, anyway), who might, I dunno, listen to him when he speaks. How about unpacking this shit show from the perspective of a functional relationship? With mutual trust and compassion and stuff?

In that sense, the first chapter is just a total teardown of “Hard Truths” (s07e11), so even though Mike and Harvey are loving and supportive of one another, a lot of time is spent really ripping into Donna; I actually intended the fic to be a one-shot, but then snjeguljica33 asked for “Marvey in the morning,” and I thought, yeah, sure, that could be cute. Then the rest of the season was so ridiculous, and I kept waiting for them to deal with the whole Donna-kissed-Harvey-without-permission thing, and they never did, so I figured I might as well just write over the rest of the episodes! I didn’t have any other fic ideas at that point and people seemed to like a Marvey version of the show, and it’s not like Suits was suddenly going to get good at writing romantic relationships, so I didn’t really think I was going to end up copying canon very much.

Partly because I diverged increasingly from the show as the season went on, and partly because I spent a decent amount of time developing Mike and Harvey’s relationship, the later chapters, while still pointedly attempting to address as many flaws and oddities in the canon as possible, became less angry and more humorous and mocking. Some of that came from the fact that I wasn’t writing from a place of anger so much as bemusement, but another part was that Mike and Harvey as a unified front in the face of so much bizarre fuckery provides a lot of opportunity for them to be cocky assholes, and that kind of dialogue is more fun all around. And I did enjoy the opportunity to point out how stupid the whole situation with Forsyth was. And give Donna an actual redemption arc with an apology and everything, none of that “If I could go back and do it over I wouldn’t do it any different” bullshit.

Oh, I should probably mention that at the time of writing, I thought there was a real possibility that Season 7 was going to be the end of Suits, especially since Patrick and Meghan were leaving. I mean they ended it with a wedding and a new merger; Mike was going off with his blushing bride to be a superhero for the underdogs of the world, Harvey was poised to be the head, or co-head, of the newly restructured and apparently much more stable Pearson Specter Litt Zane Whatever; the only thing I expected that didn’t completely come to fruition was the beginning of the Donna-Harvey romance, but they certainly implied it with that slow dance at the end there. Anyway, that’s the biggest reason that the fic ends with Harvey and Mike starting their own firm (”Specter Ross LLC” was the ending a lot of us were pulling for before Patrick’s departure became public knowledge) and getting married; it’s a pretty solid conclusion-type ending, no? Wrapping up the loose ends and all. Plus I got to poke fun at Mike and Rachel’s vows, and point out the myriad flaws with holding the wedding so last-minute.

I think the hardest part about writing this fic was keeping track of everything that happened in canon so I could address it properly; figuring out what probably should have happened instead of what did was much more interesting, especially regarding Stu Buzzini and shorting the stock. But all in all, it was a lot of fun to write, and I’ve been really happy that everyone seems to have enjoyed it so much!

Thanks again for asking!

[frivoloussuits]

Never Have I Ever

Louis isn't quite sure how he managed to talk Harvey Specter into playing "Never Have I Ever," but the team's all here, and they are going to bond, dammit!

Ships: Marvey Rating: Mature (to be safe) Warnings: Sexual humor Word count: 2K

Written for Suits 100′s 9th prompt: “Never Have I Ever… The PSL crew (either all of the (main) characters or just a selection) engage in a game of ‘Never Have I Ever…' – Why they do and what happens is up to you.“

“I cannot believe we are still here.”

“Louis, I never thought I’d say this, but I 100% agree with you.”

The two named partners grin at each other, looking around at the glass-walled office that somehow is still theirs, at the firm that is somehow still intact, even after Anita Gibbs’ latest scorched-earth attack.

“We should unwind,” Louis says, clapping Harvey on the back and ignoring his flinch, “like the night Mike went to prison.”

“Wait a minute--” Mike enters the room at that moment-- “what’d you do the night I went to prison?”

Harvey smirks. “You remember how we figured out how to get rid of Hardman?”

“You’re kidding. You and Louis--”

“--and don’t forget Jessica.”

As Mike’s jaw drops, Katrina walks in. “What about Jessica?”

“She’s proud of us for once again saving the firm from certain death,” Harvey covers smoothly, ignoring Mike’s gawping.

“But really,” Louis cuts in, “we should have some sort of celebratory bonding exercise!”

Katrina looks at him sharply. “Louis, while I would trust anyone in this room to defend me against criminal charges, I don’t trust any of you to catch me if I fall backwards.”

Harvey looks mildly offended, and Mike flat-out squawks in protest.

“There are other options,” Louis points out. “Strictly verbal games, strategy games . . . Or we could just go home and sleep.”

A shadow crosses Mike’s face as he thinks of going back to his apartment-- sadly empty, now that he and Rachel have called it off for good. Harvey catches the look and sighs, “What games are we talking about, exactly?”

Once again brightening, Louis says, “Well, there’s this whole array of games that I always saw Esther playing, but I never got invited. ‘Would You Rather,’ ‘Never Have I Ever’ . . .”

On hearing that option, Harvey releases a snort. “That’s never going to happen. I’m obviously the most experienced one here, and I don’t play games I can’t win.”

“Well . . . We could always make up a special lawyers’ edition,” Katrina remarks.

"Yeah,” Mike adds, “we can amend the rules to suit our purposes. First off, let’s say there’s two winners-- the last person in, but also the first person out. And in order to avoid a repeat of today’s disaster, nobody can say anything that could implicate any of us or our coworkers in a crime or open us to litigation.”

“It’d be fun if we had a version of ‘taking the fifth,’” Katrina muses.

“Maybe you can lie in your response on at most one turn,” Louis contributes.

“I’m in!”

They turn around and find Benjamin has somehow materialized in the doorway, smiling broadly at them.

“Well, then . . .” Harvey rolls his eyes, “I guess it’s time for a teenage girl sleepover party. Next we can do each other’s hair.”

“Hey, would you let me--”

“No, Louis."

Thus they end up sitting in a circle in Harvey’s office, waiting for their managing partner to make the first move.

“Never have I ever slept with a-- hang on, that’s not actually true anymore. Never have I ever seen Louis shirtless.”

He grins as everyone else folds a finger.

“That’s not fair, there’s a mirror in my bathroom, that guarantees I lose a finger!”

“That’s how the game’s played.”

Mike shoots their IT specialist an odd look. “Benjamin?”

“There are more cameras in this firm than you people realize.”

Katrina just shakes her head and mutters, “Damn mudding.”

Harvey: 10. Mike: 9. Louis: 9. Benjamin: 9. Katrina: 9.

“Just to be clear--” Mike narrows his eyes at Harvey-- “never have I ever wanted to see Louis shirtless.”

“Okay, that’s not fair either--” Louis breaks off into a gasp. “Katrina?”

“There have been times,” she admits, eyes downcast, “when I have had a lapse in judgement.”

Mike glares at their IT specialist. “Benjamin.”

“Okay, so maybe I installed some of those cameras.”

Harvey: 10. Mike: 9. Louis: 8. Benjamin: 8. Katrina: 8.

“Oh you . . .” Louis shakes his fist at Harvey. “Never have I ever flirted with Jessica Pearson.”

“Now we’re talking--” Harvey beams as he puts his first finger down, only to frown. “Back up, Louis, you’ve definitely flirted with Jessica.”

“No, I haven’t!”

“Just because you did it by accident doesn’t mean you didn’t do it. You gaped just like every other associate back then!”

“Benjamin,” Mike protests.

“Just because she didn’t notice doesn’t mean I didn’t do it!”

Harvey: 9. Mike: 9. Louis: 8. Benjamin: 7. Katrina: 8.

Benjamin simply announces, “Never have I ever willingly bought a Mac product.”

“Hang on,” Mike says, “have you been coerced into buying a Mac product?”

“You should fear the Apple fandom, Mike.”

Harvey: 8. Mike: 8. Louis: 7. Benjamin: 7. Katrina: 7.

Wearing a smug smile, Katrina says, “Never have I ever spent a consecutive 365-day period employed by Pearson Specter Litt.”

“Mike,” Harvey scowls, “you’ve definitely worked a full year at the firm.”

“Ah, but she didn’t say the firm, she said ‘Pearson Specter Litt.’”

“I meant the firm--”

“But you didn’t say it,” Mike grins. “I worked at Pearson-Hardman for a full year, and at Pearson Specter for a full year, but Pearson Specter Litt? Nope.”

“Ugh,” Katrina says, “you need to pick a name and stick with it. Unless you’re going to add ‘Bennett’ in there, of course.”

Harvey: 7. Mike: 8. Louis: 6. Benjamin: 6. Katrina: 7.

Harvey whips out his most lecherous smirk as he says, “Never have I ever had sex in the office.”

“Missing out, man,” Mike replies, throwing back a smirk of his own.

Harvey inhales sharply before murmuring, “I didn’t need that image.”

“Louis,” Katrina near-whispers, “you had sex in the office?”

“Is it so utterly impossible to imagine me as a wild, untamed associate desperately in need of discipline by my betters?”

“. . . And I definitely didn’t need that image.”

Then Mike looks at their IT specialist and exclaims, “Benjamin!”

“I’m not under oath, you’re not getting any more details out of me.”

“That’s . . .” Mike grimaces. “That’s actually probably good.”

“But let’s just say The Donna isn’t my only project.”

“Benjamin!”

Harvey: 7. Mike: 7. Louis: 5. Benjamin: 5. Katrina: 7.

Mike grants them all a beatific smile before saying, “Never have I ever graduated from a school in Cambridge.”

“Low blow, kid. I’m proud of you,” Harvey chuckles.

Harvey: 6. Mike: 7. Benjamin: 4. Louis: 4. Katrina: 6.

“Never have I ever tasted a Stilton,” Louis announces, “without pairing it with an excellent port.”

Katrina shudders. “Why would anyone eat a Stilton without port?”

“I can’t possibly imagine, but it seems those two uncultured swine can tell you . . . Hang on, Harvey. You’ve never tasted a Stilton without port? I-- I’m proud of you--”

“I haven’t, given that I have no idea what the hell a Stilton is.”

“. . . Never mind, I need to take your name off the wall at the soonest opportunity.”

Harvey: 6. Mike: 6. Louis: 4. Benjamin: 3. Katrina 6.

“Never have I ever--” Benjamin surveys the other four before proceeding-- “wanted to hit Louis Litt in the face.”

“That’s because you’ve never dealt with him alone for more than two minutes,” Harvey says.

“Possibly.”

“Katrina--” Louis stares at her once again-- “I’m shocked and flattered.”

“I’m an archer, Louis, I fantasize about shooting you in the chest.”

“As a fellow marksman, I can respect that.”

“Louis,” Mike says with a puzzled frown, “why did you put a finger down?”

“I admit, I have occasionally caught sight of my face in a mirror and thought that, really, it is a supremely punchable visage.”

“Self-awareness is a virtue,” Harvey remarks.

Harvey: 5. Mike: 5. Louis: 3. Benjamin: 3. Katrina: 6.

“Never have I ever worn a man’s suit,” says Katrina.

“Mike,” Harvey scolds, “you can’t call those rags ‘suits.’”

“But Harvey, I spent 500 dollars!”

“Oh, shut up,” he says, voice undeniably fond.

Harvey: 4. Mike: 4. Louis: 2. Benjamin: 2. Katrina: 6.

It’s Harvey’s turn. “Never have I ever worn a dress . . . Of course you did, Louis.”

“I was playing Lady Bracknell!” Louis exclaims.

“Someone here is lying,” Benjamin says under his breath, “and I know who it is.”

Harvey: 4. Mike: 4. Louis: 1, Benjamin: 2. Katrina: 5.

“Never have I ever ridden a bicycle without a helmet,” Mike says.

After a moment, Benjamin observes, “We’re all a lot more risk-averse than our arrest records would suggest.”

Harvey: 4. Mike: 4. Louis: 1, Benjamin: 2. Katrina: 5.

“In honor of the salacious reputation that this game enjoys out in popular culture,” Louis says, “never have I ever had a sexual fantasy involving cheesy legal jargon.”

“Define cheesy,” Benjamin immediately demands.

Katrina gives him a look. “If you have to to ask . . .”

Harvey had lowered a finger, but he slowly unfurls it.

“Harvey?” Mike asks.

“I can’t remember whether I’ve ever had a fantasy, or whether it’s always been real-life.”

“Harvey!”

“I specialize in mergers, what do you expect?”

Harvey: 4. Mike: 4. Louis: 1, Benjamin: 1. Katrina: 4.

“Never have I ever had a net worth of over fifty million dollars,” says Benjamin.

Harvey Specter would never pout, but he comes close. “Did you just-- make me feel slightly insecure about my financial situation?”

Harvey: 4. Mike: 4. Louis: 1. Benjamin: 0. Katrina: 4.

“Regardless,” Benjamin says, “I’m our first winner.”

“That’s not fair,” Katrina retorts. “You can’t say something that’s false on your turn.”

“Unless he just saved his fifth amendment right until now, because we never specified that you couldn’t use it to respond to your own statement,” Mike points out.

Harvey groans. “I can’t believe I have to win this by lasting the longest. This game has been aggravatingly non-sexual.”

“Well,” Mike chuckles, “if lasting is a problem for you, then maybe you should stick to non-sexual games from now on.”

“Never have I ever wanted to punch Mike Ross. Oh wait, no false statements.”

“Wait your turn!” Mike says, swatting him on the shoulder.

“Never have I ever slept with a woman,” Katrina says.

Louis throws up his hands, crying, “And so my sexual prowess does me in!”

Harvey: 3. Mike: 3. Louis: 0. Katrina: 3

“Never have I ever been hired by Harvey Specter for a job,” Harvey says.

Harvey: 3. Mike: 2. Katrina: 2.

“Okay, I know I should do something obviously strategic like ‘Never have I ever stood face-to-face with Mike Ross,’ but . . . Never have I ever spent over an hour doing my hair.” Mike looks at the results and grins. “Just as effective.”

Harvey: 2. Mike: 2. Katrina: 1.

“Hmm,” Katrina says, considering. “Along the same lines, never have I ever spent more than thirty seconds gazing at Harvey Specter’s chin or cheekbones.”

“How?” Louis yelps. “How can you resist the thrall?”

“You gaze at me, Mike?”

“You gaze at you, Harvey?”

Harvey: 1. Mike: 1. Katrina: 1.

“Never have I ever checked out Harvey Specter’s-- hang on, that’s not technically true.” Harvey sighs, rubbing his forehead, and says, “All right, never have I ever worked for Louis.”

“Oh, come on . . .” Mike protests.

“It’s a fair, if boring, move,” Katrina says with a shrug. “And I already used my fifth amendment right.”

“So did I,” Mike admits. “Okay, Harvey, you won fair and square.”

They look over at Louis, who is downright shaking with excitement. “I can’t believe we did that! We bonded! Next up is ‘Truth or Dare’!”

The other four look at each other. “Actually . . .”

“I have work.”

“Same.”

“I gotta go.”

“I’m not playing anything more unless we get drugs this time.”

The shout goes up in unison: “Benjamin!”

Harvey moves to his desk to work, and the others start to filter out. Mike is the last to leave, but Harvey calls out while he’s in the doorway, “Hey, did you take the fifth on the dress question?”

Mike spins around, a funny expression on his face. “I don’t have to tell you if I took the fifth.”

“And yet you just did,” Harvey smirks.

“In return, can I say what I would have said if I made it to my next turn?”

“What?”

“Never have I ever wanted to have sex with Mike Ross.”

Harvey matches his gaze, poker face firmly in place as he contemplates his answer. “I would have taken the fifth.”

Mike nods, walks out of the room calmly, and waits until he’s safely in the elevator to break out into cheers.

[nobodyzhuman]

Soulmates that think ALL the times they met was just a coincidence

HI! I really hope you like this. You didn’t give a fandom, so I went with Suits. I love these two and your prompt felt perfect for them. 

The first time Mike Ross met Harvey Specter he didn't even know the man's name. He wouldn't learn it until much later.

He was starving standing in line at a cheap but tasty food truck patiently waiting for his turn. He was already imagining the mile high pile of cheese and grease that would be his nachos when a commotion at the front of the line, just three people ahead of him, interrupted his daydream. He groaned. Please don’t let it hold up the line. He looked around the person in front of him to see the man inside the truck arguing with a very angry red faced man in line. He was to far away from them to hear the words but he got the impression he would be looking for lunch elsewhere.

He heard the man in front of him curse under his breath.

"You have got to be joking." The man said soundly just as frustrated as Mike felt.

"Think they'll fight?" He asked already thinking what the next closest food place was that he could afford. There was a snort from the man, which made Mike lookup, the man was looking at him brown intense eyes under a raised brow.

Mike swallowed at the look and the man smirked.

"I will bet they don't," the man said sounding amused.

Maybe it was because he was more interested in checking out the slightly older sexy as hell man. Who looked so hot in his dark grey suit and black tie but his mouth opened without much thought, "how much?"

He could the raised voices of the two men getting louder and the people in the line around him started looked awkward and uncomfortable. He was pretty sure the two men were about to come to blows.

The man in the suit eye balled him, looking him over from head to toe. Something in the darkening of the man's gaze froze him. And for a moment Mike couldn’t move, couldn’t  look away, but then the man smiled and that powerful feeling disappeared.

“20?” The man asked. There was something challenging in his eyes and a jolt ran through Mike. He had 20 bucks in his wallet, it was supposed to be for food but with how loud the men had gotten and the loud bang from the customer slamming his hand against the truck, he didn’t see how he could lose.

He grinned and nodded.

He had not expected the man to shoot him a smirk before walking off toward the two arguing men. Mike still couldn’t hear the words exchanged but he watched as the hot stranger talked to both men. Whatever he said calmed down the customer and had the man inside the truck nodding his head in some kind of agreement. He stood there astonished as the man inside the truck passed both the man he had a confrontation with and the hot suit guy their food.

When suit guy turned and started walking back towards him, Mike just pulled out his wallet. He had the twenty in his hand by the time the man stopped in front of him.

He wanted to be annoyed, he had after all just lost the last of his money for the day. But the man’s smirk was confident and sexy, two things that always drew Mike in. So he handed over his money without complained. He was about to ask what the man had said but the man’s phone went off. Suit guy gave him an apologetic look when he answered and then waved him off when it became clear that he wasn’t getting off the phone anytime soon.

Not that Mike had stayed around after that. The truck smelt amazing and wanted to get away from it before he remembered how hungry he was and that it was all his own fault for taking that stupid bet.

Harvey opened the door and held it open for his boss as she walked out after him. They were just finishing up a lunch meeting and truthfully he was ready to get back to the office. He jerked when he heard someone’s horn go off. It was long and drawn out meaning whoever it was, was being an asshole. He turned his head just in time a taxi clip the leg of a young man on a bike. The kid screamed out a pained curse and the taxi drove away.

Harvey almost turned and walked away. He wasn’t one to normally care about these kind of things but the kid looked up as he limped his bike toward the sidewalk .Harvey recognized him, it was the same young man from the food truck.

The kid was only a few feet away so he moved closer, “You’re bleeding.” It was the first thing to come to his mind. Not that the kid needed to be told, which is probably why the kid shot him a ‘no shit.’ look. Then his eyes widened as he recognized Harvey.

“It’s you.” the kid said then winced looking down at the damage to his leg. Harvey watched as the kid poked and prodded the hurt area. The younger man’s face even paled a bit, it spiked a worry shot through Harvey, something he wasn’t used too.

“You should get that checked out.” He said because the kid didn’t look okay and that was a lot of blood. The kid just waved him off.

“I’ve had worse. That asshole needs to learn to watch out around him.” He wanted to argue, he really did. But it wasn’t his place to tell the young man what to do.

“You sure?” he asked the kid looked up at him and smiled, “I’m sure.”

Then the kid’s watch beeped. Harvey watched as the kids shoulders dropped.

“I have to go,” he hopped on his bike, “It was nice seeing you again.”

“You too.” He said, unsure if there was anything else to say. The kid rode off leaving Harvey feeling empty or maybe like he was missing something. A throat clearing behind him had him turning around to see Jessica giving him a pensive look.

“Who was that?” She asked.

“Remember that food truck client I brought in a couple weeks ago?” He replied she nodded.

“That was the kid in line behind me.”

“You get his name?” she asked.

He cursed. “No.” Why hadn’t he thought to ask the young man his name? This was the second time that they had run into each other. It would have been the common or smart thing to do. But he hadn’t thought about it.

Jessica chuckled, “Maybe next time.” She said before taking his arm and stirring him back towards their waiting car.

The third time they didn’t even speak to each other. Harvey was sitting at a nice bar. The owner was new to the city, well off and had powerful friends.Jessica was trying to win him over as a client. So, her, Harvey, Donna, and Louis were sitting in a booth drinking their comped drinks., chatting the man up. He was bored and letting his eyes roam over the bar, thinking maybe he could find someone to flirt with, maybe even go home with, when his gaze met startled blue eyes. The young kid must have seen him first because Harvey had his full attention.

They sat there staring at each other for a second before he sent the kid a smile and took a sip of his drink. The young man grinned and took a drink from his glass. The kid tilted his head to the side when the dark haired man next to him said something, he mumbled something back but never took his eyes off Harvey.

“You going to talk to him?” Donna asked next to him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, not wanting to fully look away from the kid.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said.

She snorted. “Sure you don’t, Harvey.”

“They’ve met before.” Jessica cut in. Harvey groaned and he saw the young man raised an eyebrow silently asking him about it. He shook his head. They exchanged wasn’t missed as both women laughed and the dark haired date?, turned his head to see what his companion was staring at.

“When?” He heard Donna whispered to Jessica, he zoned them out and watched as the man with the kid took the kid’s chin and pulled it to look at him. There was a quick conversation and Harvey saw the kid blush before his eyes roamed back over Harvey for a second. Then he turned his attention back to his date. Harvey didn’t like the dismissed feeling he got when the kid didn’t turn to look back at him again. He told himself it was stupid, the kid was obviously here with someone and of course that’s where his attention should be. But still he felt jealous, an emotion he wasn’t used too. He sighed and turned his attention back to his colleagues.

Mike was going to kill Trevor. What the hell had he been thinking? He tried not to panic as he walked away from the cops and aimed for the stairwell. He heard one of them asked if they thought he was the one they were looking for and hurried his steps. He was already down one section of stairs when he heard the door open and on of the men shout.

“Fuck.” He muttered as he tried to think of a way out. He remembered the sign about an interview in a nearby room. Taking a chance he headed at way.

He heard a woman call out a name when he entered the room panting. He looked up to see her annoyed gaze.

Something shifted in her look at she took him in, “Rick?” She said carefully.

He tilted his head, she gave a pointed look, “Rick Sorkin?” She said again. For some reason was sure she was telling him to say yes, so he did. She smiled and lead him into the next room.

His attention was still on the strange redhead when he heard someone else move inside the room. He turned and froze, it was hot suit guys. He swallowed, shit.

Why the hell was his luck this bad. He hadn’t stopped thinking about the guy in days, not since their weird flirting staring contest thing at the bar the other night. Travor had pointed out he was being way too obvious so he had turned away. Then he felt ridiculous, the guy was with his friends he probably didn’t want to deal with any actually flirting, hence why he hadn’t moved from his seat. Mike had left feeling frustrated and decided he would ask the man out the next time they met.

This was not what he had imagined that next meeting.  Him hiding from the cops with a briefcase for of weed.

“Umm hi?” He said nerves running wild inside him.

“You’re a lawyer?” Suit guy asked, not looking like he believed that.  

Mike shook his head, he didn’t want to lie to the man. It felt wrong.

“What are you doing here?” The man asked, looking him over.

“Ummm?” He bit his lip, how the hell did he answer that? Of course that’s when the fucking case fell open the contentions spilling out on the floor.

“Fuck.” He muttered. “I can explain!” He said quickly to the other man.

Who looked rather amused, “Please do.”  

So he did. He told the man about his grandmother about Trevor and how desperate he had been. To his surprise the man let him talk and when he was done offered to let him hide out until the police were gone. Relieved he fell back in his chair.

“What’s your name?” He asked and the man laughed.

“Harvey, Harvey Specter. You?” The man was grinning and it felt contagious so he grinned back, “Mike Ross.”

“How are the interviews going?”

Harvey rolled his eyes, “Idiots, all of them. I’m surprised any of them passed the bar.”

Mike shrugged, “It’s not that hard.” He said. Harvey gave him a questioning look.

Mike laughed, “I’ve passed it.” Brown eyes widened in surprise, “But you’re not a lawyer.” Harvey pointed out sounding confused by the fact.

So Mike told him about stealing that stupid test for Trevor and the dean’s daughter.

Harvey frowned at him as he talked, “This Trevor seems to get you into trouble often.”

Mike frowned back at him, “His my best friend.” He replied, feeling the need to defend his friend. Harvey just gave him a look, that said the lawyer thought he was an idiot.

There was a knock at the door. Harvey got up and opened it. He talked to the same red head from before he turned around, “Cops are gone.”  Mike was thrown. Not because the cops were gone but because the redhead woman seemed to know what Harvey was talking about and didn’t seem bothered. She hadn’t been in the room when they talked about it. Yet somehow she had known and even came to let them know when the coast was clear.

The hell? He thought. 

Then he got to his feet, “Thank you.” He said to both of them, sticking his hand out to shake the man's hand, he was debating asking the man out when Harvey’s hand touched his. Skin to skin, it sent a shot through him and the world spun. It was just for a second and when it stopped he stood wide eyed staring at an equally surprised Harvey.

Soulmates.

His brain shouted at him. Everyone knew the stories but to actually find yours. It was rare. Ridiculous rare. And he had not met his once but now four times.

He swallowed, “Wow,” he whispered.

“Donna.” Harvey said in a clear demand.

“Telling the morons to beat it.” She said grinning, before disappearing closing the door behind her.

“You really passed the bar?” Harvey asked. Mike nodded, trying to figure out why the hell that was important right now, he was still holding his soulmates hand, well clinging to it. Because he didn’t want to let go. Harvey seemed to feel the same because he wrapped his fingers around his and pulled Mike back towards the desk.

“You’re hired.” Harvey said, shooting him a grin. “I’m messaging Jessica right now. Then I’m taking you somewhere we can talk. We will work out all the needed details later.” Mike overwhelmed just nodded his head.

He had a soulmate. Who was going to hire him as a lawyer, his dream job. His soulmate was sexy as hell, confident, and commanding. Which caused Mike’s heart to pound as he thought about sex with the man would be like. He took a deep breath and tightened his hold on his soulmates hand. Harvey shot him a smirk as he typed away at his computer. Mike got a happy feeling when he thought about what like with Harvey was going to be like.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: The Greater Good (8x13)

You get one guess as to what my favorite part of this episode was. I'm predictable.

Cons:

There was a lot to like, hypothetically, about Samantha's story this week. I'll talk about that below. I honestly think the one thing that stopped me from really liking this plot thread was Katherine Heigl's performance. I've liked Sam fine so far, but I've never loved her or felt super invested in her. The closest I get is when she's interacting with Robert, because I like that mentor/mentee dynamic. The thing is, though, when she's playing off of her old foster mom, I just don't feel the connection there. I don't get a sense of the relationship that they had, or what they really meant to each other. It was all tell, no show. I wish I could pinpoint it a little better than that, but all I can say is that all of the pieces were there to make me like this plot thread, and it just didn't come together for me.

Pros:

But I did like the way that Sam felt betrayed, and decided to help this woman out anyway. It was a good moment of growth for her character, and I like the way that Robert helped her to come to that realization. Robert actually played a really interesting role this week, as he also helped Louis in a mentoring way. Louis gets frustrated about Sam, and about Katrina, but Robert helps him to see that as Managing Partner, he needs to be considerate of problems going on among his colleagues.

Katrina and Brian continue to somewhat break my heart, but in a good way. I like that they got a little tense with each other, and that their usually stellar communication broke down. After talking with Donna, Katrina knows that she needs to find a way to control her feelings without hurting Brian's career by kicking him off of her desk. So, they find a compromise, but it's going to involve them continuing to work together for some time. I'm honestly torn as to what I want to happen. They have such good chemistry and I want Katrina to find happiness, but I don't want Brian, who seems like a genuinely good person, to compromise his marriage!

Louis gets brownie points for his cute little moment with Katrina at the end. He figures out, more or less, what's going on, and offers Katrina comfort and even a cute little joke and a hug. I adore the two of them and their odd working relationship. The fact that Louis was able to come through for Katrina when he's feeling so overwhelmed balancing his work and personal life was really nice. He's seeing the bigger picture and learning that not everything is about him.

Donna and Thomas continue to be delightful. I like that the show is going out of its way to emphasize how much these two genuinely like each other, and are eager about their relationship. They want to see each other every day, and they also understand each other's crazy busy schedules. It feels natural and good that they would fall so quickly into something somewhat serious. I know that this is all fodder for potential drama with Harvey later on, but for now I'm just enjoying the ride.

The main story this week involved Cahill, and Stu, and Kevin Miller, and it was such a fun journey through a wormhole back into Season Six. I loved the fact that Donna and Harvey both did what they could to help Stu. They knew that he was in a tough spot because of them, and even if he's not in the core group, he's still a friend of the firm. I like Stu a lot and wish he could be around more.

The best part of this plot thread was the stuff between Harvey and Cahill, though. I like that Cahill is sort of this frenemy character for Harvey. They're not on the same side, really, but Cahill probably thinks of Harvey as the lesser of two evils in this situation. They also feel undeniably bonded by everything that happened, and they know some pretty personal stuff about each other as a result. I loved the moment when Harvey tries to extend an olive branch at the end, and says that they make a pretty good team, and Cahill just tells Harvey that he'll totally arrest him next time something like this happens. Harvey's just like... "well, okay then..." that was pretty funny.

And now we get to the Mike Ross corner. First of all, I love that Cahill throws Mike's name in Harvey's face, reminding him that he helped to save Mike's life. Harvey, fierce negotiator that he is, immediately softens his tone and tells Cahill he'll always be grateful. I also love the fact that we got to see Kevin, and we learn that he's doing really well. I love the idea that Harvey is still keeping up with what he's up to in some way.

The final scene shows Harvey calling Donna and leaving a message, as Donna is about to go out for drinks with Thomas so she doesn't answer the call. Harvey then calls Mike and leaves a message for him too, telling him he has a story for him that involves Cahill, Kevin, Stu, etc. He ends the call with "miss you, buddy." This scene is obviously supposed to highlight Harvey's isolation, as Donna is off with a new beau, and Mike is far away in Seattle, Jessica is in Chicago, and Harvey spends the night alone. But my favorite thing about it is the way Harvey starts the call with "hey, it's me." Now, the show isn't being clear with us about this, but in my personal head-canon, Harvey and Mike are in touch. They talk on the phone semi-regularly. They are doing just fine, and Mike and Rachel totally visit New York to see Rachel's parents and Harvey on major holidays. I like that this phone call didn't seem like it was Harvey's first call to Mike in a while, or like they were totally disconnected from each other's lives. It spoke of a continuing friendship, albeit long-distance. Now if only Patrick J. Adams would come back to guest star, I'd just be as happy as can be!

8.5/10