| The Pearson
Hardman Christmas party was in full swing. Strings
of coloured lights and streamers had been tossed up around
the officially mandated tinsel, somebody�s iPod was
plugged into Bose speakers playing the terrible
traditional Christmas tracks, photocopies of a sexy lady�s
ass were being passed around along with the champagne and
eggnog, OJ for those driving or intending to work when the
place quietened down. Ties were loosened, tongues
were wagging, camera phones were capturing the next year�s
blackmail material. Away from the party, one floor up, Mike Ross stood in the darkness, champagne in hand, looking out over the New York cityscape, at the horizon of lights, still amazed day to day that he�d made it so high so fast. This time last year he was sitting in Trevor�s apartment drinking fizzy beer, watching inane DVDs and trying to ignore Trevor and Jenny making out on the couch. Now he was on top of the world, working for the city�s greatest lawyer in the city�s best law film. He had a proper job, a steady pay check, a career ahead of him. His smile faded; a small cubicle � more of a corner - crazy work hours, a boss who would bet him for nothing then not care when he lost. He imagined these were all just bricks in the ever-heightening wall of his education. He had to lump it but it didn�t mean he had to like it. Wasn�t that why he was standing in Harvey�s office staring out at the city instead of being at the only Christmas party he was going to get invited to this year? �Enjoying the view?� He jumped like he�d been caught stealing paperclips. �I didn�t... I wasn�t prying. I know there are other windows....� �It�s fine.� Mike realised then that Harvey�s tone hadn�t been accusatory, it was gentle, appreciative. It made sense that he would know how amazing his own view was, although Mike couldn�t help but wonder how long it had been since he�d noticed it. Wanting to remind him, he said, �It�s beautiful.� �I know.� He jumped again when Harvey�s voice came from right behind his ear. �I thought you�d be at the party.� �I hate the people I work with,� Mike told him frankly, then amended that to, �most of the people I work with.� �That�s fair enough. But I�m glad you qualified it.� Harvey�s fingertips were suddenly there in the small of his back, somehow hard and gentle at the same time. �You�re not here to make friends.� Mike wished he hadn�t had this third glass of champagne. He felt like he�d suddenly been dropped into some strange parallel universe, albeit one where Harvey Specter was still confusing enough to give him a headache. But at the same time he hadn�t been able to hold Harvey�s attention for this long in a couple of weeks, given that they�d both been so busy on separate cases. It was nice to be the centre of his attention again, so he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. �Do you have friends, Harvey? Outside of all this... who are you?� He felt breath on his neck. �I don�t exist outside of all this.� �I don�t believe you.� The touch left his back, fingers walking around to settle on his left hip, leaving a trail of heat. Mike wondered idly if Harvey�s seduction technique had ever failed him; he was turned on before he even thought about what his boss was doing. When he did try to think about it, he was distracted by the warm fizz of champagne in his stomach and the blood leaving his head. He was distracted by skilled fingers playing havoc with his nerves, subtle aftershave and body heat playing havoc with his senses. He was afraid to ask what was going on in case that broke the spell, but he had to know because this was one of the most dangerous situations he'd ever been in. "What - what are you doing?" "Christmas party tradition. Partners are expected to fuck someone below them." Only Harvey could make it sound like a duty. Mike didn't want to be a duty and the idea of Harvey physically fucking him, as opposed to metaphorically - which he'd been doing ever since Mike took the job � scared the shit out of him. But he didn't want Harvey to stop touching because it was good, and since the fiasco with Jenny and Rachel, months ago, he'd only been with his own hand. Instead he tried to joke, "Below them?" Harvey chuckled too, low and sexy, lips so close to the side of Mike's neck that he felt them move. "Figure of speech. Chain of command." Then the warm lips formed a kiss and embarrassingly Mike moaned softly at the simple contact. Harvey hummed. "I notice you're not pushing me away or telling me to stop." "You knew I wouldn't, or you wouldn't have risked it." "I've taught you well," he paused, tone turning serious, "and I want you, Mike. But I don't want this turning into a lawsuit...." He shook his head once and breathed, "It won't." Then he swallowed the last of his champagne and tilted his head to the left. Harvey obliged, kissing his throat, biting his ear, slowly turning Mike to face him. His kiss was hesitant, which Mike wasn't expecting, and surprisingly gentle. Harvey Specter seducing him was something he thought he could deal with. Harvey treating him like a frightened teen was something he couldn't. Dropping his glass to the expensive carpet, Mike put his hands on Harvey's shoulders, pressed the length of his body against the other man's and thrust his tongue down his throat. Harvey made a sound a lot like a growl and there was the man he knew, above him and around him, everywhere; the lion strength, expensive cologne, that elusive something that made Mike feel like he belonged while at the same time made him think he should be running in the opposite direction. And this was such a scary situation, one that he wanted more than anything in the world right then. He got his fingers into Harvey's hair, felt the sticky crunch of gel and wondered how it would look, how it would feel just out of the shower. Harvey kissed like he did everything else - with skill and focus - and it was driving Mike insane. He wanted more, wanted everything, worries about getting caught fleeing his brain. Finally, when all he could taste, all he could feel, all he could smell, was his boss, Harvey's fingers went to the knot in his tie and pulled, loosening and unfastening it in a second, leaving it hanging while he went to work on Mike's shirt buttons, one by one, brushing tantalising fingertips over bared skin as he went. Mike's own fingers itched to undress Harvey, but he was still the associate, he still had to ask. "Can I?" Harvey nodded. "God, yes." Freed from any constraints, he unfastened Harvey's thick silk tie, not as gracefully as Harvey had done but just as effectively. He undid the buttons, quickly, still too nervous to touch skin until a hot hand pressed his palm against a naked, hard chest so that Mike could feel the strong heartbeat. "You can touch." So he did, hands sliding under Harvey's shirt, moving up and over his shoulders to push the material from them, letting it slide down his arms until Harvey had to take his hands off Mike's body to let it fall to the floor. He was gorgeous, and Mike wondered when he found the time to get to a gym but didn�t dwell on it. He ran his hands down over Harvey's sides, over hard abs, taut stomach, sharp hips and the start of the pronounced 'V' into the waistband of his suit pants. He followed the curve until he touched expensive Italian material, but before he could go for the button and zip, his own shirt was bunching at his wrists and Harvey had dropped to his knees. "What are you...? Christ!" For a moment, he couldn't speak. Harvey had his fly undone, his trousers and underwear down over his ass, passed his knees, and was about to put Mike's hard cock between this lips. "Harvey...." It was the single sexiest sight he'd ever seen. Then Harvey lifted his eyes, met Mike's and held his gaze while he swallowed his erection to the back of his throat. Scratch it - that was the sexiest sight in the world. He tried to hold onto those chocolate brown eyes, but he knew if he kept watching he was going to come in the next second and how embarrassing would that be? Instead he dropped his head back against the glass but that apparently wasn't acceptable. Harvey dug his fingernails into his ass sharply, bringing his wide-eyed stare back down. "I can't," he protested weakly, "I'm gonna...." Tight fingers gripped the base of his cock, stopping the inevitable. He took two deep breaths and tried to ignore the smug expression on Harvey's face. Two could play at that game. "Up." The moment Harvey was on his feet, Mike went to his knees, unbuttoning, unzipping with the same enthusiasm, pulling thousand dollar pants and Kelvin Kline boxers down to his ankles before weighing Harvey's erection in his right hand. He stroked his tongue over the pink head, made an 'O' with his lips and slid his mouth down until the tip hit the back of his throat. Harvey growled, a scraping sound low in his throat, and rested his hands on Mike's head, not pushing, not holding him in place, just resting there almost reverently while Mike sucked on him with the same emotion. Soon enough Harvey was stepping back, pulling Mike to his feet, and his heart started to beat just that little bit faster with the thought that he really was about to get fucked up against the window or over Harvey's desk, or on the couch..... But Harvey wasn't turning him, he was kissing him, and Mike could feel long, elegant fingers close around his cock, bringing him straight up against Harvey's erection, strong hands holding them together, jerking them off so slowly it could have been considered as torture. All the time Harvey's other hand was at the small of his back, pressing them close, while Mike's hands were all over his boss, mouths meeting in kisses then separating, Mike burying his face against Harvey's throat, Harvey biting gently along the line of the muscle in his neck. He was in sensory overload, experiencing a fantasy that had been nothing more than a vague, late-night daydream, one he'd put down to simply spending way too much time in Harvey's company. And reality was a million times better than he could ever have imagined; Harvey's mouth was the most sensuous thing he'd ever felt, and the filthiest too because when it wasn't on his skin it was murmuring quiet, intimate porn. Sometimes the words were too quiet and he only knew Harvey was speaking because he could feel lips moving on his neck and shoulders, other times he heard every word, clear enough to almost make him blush. He tried to speed things up, tried to push through Harvey's hand but whenever he did, Harvey paused, tutting him, resuming the torment only when Mike relaxed. It made the slow build agonising, but at the same time, somehow, it was exquisite, like Harvey's skin under his fingers, like the taste of him, the scent of him. "Harvey.... Fuck...." When his climax came, it looped around his spine and he felt like he was exploding. Harvey muffled his cry by covering his mouth with his own and sticking his tongue down his throat. They rode it out, Mike chuckling nervously as they separated, looking down at himself and at his boss, at the mess they'd made. Harvey kept a towel in his office, of course, and he cleaned himself up then threw it good-naturedly at Mike who did the same before he pulled his clothes back on and dressed. Somehow Harvey ended up looking immaculate, once he'd re-plastered his hair into place, whereas Mike wound up looking like a guy who'd just had sex at an office party. When he was as neat and tidy as he was going to get, they both picked up their empty champagne glasses and headed for the door, where Harvey faltered. "Mike...." But didn't have to say it. "I know. This didn't happen." Harvey smiled. "Oh, it happened." The smile slipped. "But it can't happen again." "I know." He did know, and it didn't matter because he'd had tonight, and that was more than he'd ever thought he would have. ~ "The MacMillan contract," Harvey tried not to flinch when Mike dropped two thick files onto his desk the following morning. He looked fresh while Harvey's head felt like a trash can and he was clutching his morning Latte as if that could stop his eyes from aching, "and the Douglas Finland papers, checked and corrected." He smiled and Harvey tried not to hate him. "When did you do these?" They'd left this office together around half nine, he'd watched Mike finally leave the party an hour later, brushing off Rachel who was all over him, letting her down as gently as he was able and leaving alone. He�d been concerned then, but apparently he didn�t need to be. "I'd finished MacMillan before the party," Mike said breezily, "then I couldn't sleep so I came in at five and finished Finland." God, this man could work quickly. Apart from abject envy, Harvey couldn't think of anything more to say, so he had to watch Mike nod with an easy smile and turn to leave, obviously pleased with himself, overly smug in his lack of hangover. "Mike?" He turned and for a second Harvey honestly didn't have the faintest clue about what he planned to say. Then it just slipped out. "Did you enjoy the party?" Mike's smile turned into a brilliant beam. "Best office Christmas party ever." He let the wattage dim slightly. "You?" Harvey nodded slowly, making it mean something. "I had a really good time." "Good." He couldn't think of anything else to say to stop him walking out of the door. Not that he was going any further than the associates pool, but knowing that didn�t help the sharp pang of regret. He didn't know where it was coming from or what it was for and for once, he was glad to see Louis barging into his office and closing the door with his hands behind his back and that ridiculous grin on his face. "So," he started, like this was some goddamned conspiracy, "who did you fuck last night?" He really did want to know, because while Harvey was seducing Mike Ross right here in this office, Louis had been with someone. And while Louis clearly thought he'd trumped Harvey in the Christmas Party hook-up stakes, Harvey knew better. Because he'd been with the only person in this company worth being with. Harvey didn't say a word, just drank his coffee. "Well?" His silence was enough, eventually, to stop Louis asking about his conquest and to start talking about his own. "Amanda in accounts," he announced like he'd won a prize. Harvey knew her. Long legs, blond hair, had a boob job last year. She was brainy too, intelligent and independent. While technically she was a member of the accounts department, it was because she was a fully qualified accountant. He wondered how much she'd had to drink last night and how much she was regretting it this morning. He was relieved Mike wasn't regretting anything, at least he didn�t seem to be going by the way he'd been smiling. And maybe Harvey was just a tiny bit irritated at how easily Mike seemed to have accepted the One Night Only line. Louis was still grinning like a loon, looking like a man who'd been paused on YouTube. He was expecting a reaction but Harvey didn't know what reaction would get him out of his office the quickest. Then it came to him. He chuckled. "Wow. She really had a busy night, didn't she?" As predicted, Louis left his office with the grin successfully wiped off his face. ~ "Thank fuck it's Friday." Mike pulled off his tie, hung up his suit, pulled on an old pair of jeans and a blue sweater, rolling up the sleeves as he went to the fridge and got himself a beer. He'd worked most weekends last year, but it was still quiet after the Christmas lull and he had two days - two full, blissful days - to himself. He glanced at the clock on microwave - 2214 - early for him. Usually he would fall into bed at 2am and crawl out again at 6. He wondered what to do with himself. Someone knocked on the door - two hard, short raps - and he closed his eyes. He didn't have too many friends, not too many people knew where he lived, or even that he existed. And when someone had knocked on his door in the past it meant trouble. Whoever it was knocked again. Tipping back half the cold beer, he put the bottle down on the counter and rubbed his eyes as he went for the door, opening it to find himself staring at the last person on earth he ever expected to see outside his apartment. "Harvey...." He looked uncomfortable, nervous. Like this was the very last place on earth he ever expected to be. Mike stepped back to let him in, but Harvey hesitated. "At the Christmas party," he started, then stopped, and Mike waited. "The bit where I said it wouldn't happen again? I might have...." Lied? Made it up? Didn't realise how caught up in it he was? Mike almost blushed, he definitely opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, stunned at the idea that he might be the cause of this. "Do you... want to come in?" Harvey almost took a step forward but he hesitated. "Mike... I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have done that... at the party. I couldn't resist. I should have done but I couldn't and now... now I can't get you out of my fucking head." One of them needed to be thinking straight, Mike decided, and Harvey � standing there in black jeans and a dark blue shirt, leisurely immaculate despite the chaos in his eyes - wasn't going to be the one doing that tonight. "Come inside." Closing and locking the door, Mike leaned back against it and watched Harvey pace the room for a minute before stopping a foot in front of him. "I should never have started this." Mike kept quiet. "Maybe I thought... afterwards... that you'd come after me, but you've been so fucking mature about it!" "You said it was a one night thing," Mike pointed out gently, "I respected that." "But is that what you want?" He wasn't sure if there was a right answer. Clearly it wasn't what Harvey wanted anymore, if it had ever been. "Harvey, it was really good," he made sure his boss knew he was serious, "but we're already living a lie. You want to double up on that?" Harvey laughed, almost hysterically. "No. I really don't. But I don't think I have a choice." He was being honest, and Mike knew it was the least he could give in return. "One night was great, but Harvey... I think I could be in over my head here." Harvey took a step forward and Mike took a deep breath, looking up into huge brown eyes under long lashes. Was he up for making him beg? "Fuck it." Wrapping his hand around Harvey's neck, he pulled him into a deep kiss, tongue sliding between his lips, other hand going to the buttons of his shirt. ~ "I can't believe you're in my bed, in my apartment." Mike combed his fingers through Harvey's hair, finally finding out how soft and clean it felt without his usual hideously expensive gel holding it in place. "I for one am glad this is where you keep your bed." Languid, sated, Harvey was plastered all over him, head on his chest, hand on his stomach, feet playing with Mike's feet. "Do I take it the one night rule is no longer in play?" He asked it with just a touch of sarcasm, and Harvey lifted himself up on his elbows, one hand sweeping over Mike's head where his hair was plastered to his scalp by sweat. "I was serious when I said I don't sleep with my associates, with partners or clients. But you... Christ, Mike... I thought it was a one off. I honestly did. But I was disappointed you weren't more moved by it, then I had to ask myself why." "You don't think I wanted more too?" Mike looked up into Harvey's dark, dark eyes, stroking his hand over a strong shoulder, incredulous. "You don't think being seduced by the great Harvey Specter, being the focus of your attention, made me want everything? But I listened to you, like I've been listening to you since I got here, and you said it was one night. There was no way I was pushing my luck on this one. I don't know what Jessica would say if she knew, but I don't think I want to find out. And Louis..." he smiled, "... actually, I'd love to see the expression on Louis' face but only if I could take the knowledge back from him afterwards." Harvey looked at him for a long time, then he kissed his forehead before resting his head against Mike's. "I have to tell you, I don't play well with others, and I don't like sharing. I know I've basically coerced you into sleeping with me, so I can give you time to make a decision, but if we're together, Mike, Jenny and Rachel have to go." Mike rolled his eyes, knowing Harvey wouldn't see it. "They're gone," he reassured, hooking his ankles over Harvey's shins. "You really think anyone compares to you at all? Some would say I'm batting way above my average." He felt Harvey shake his head. "Don't put yourself down. You're going to be an incredible lawyer, but you're already a better human being. You make me challenge myself, question myself...." Mike kissed him just to shut him up. ~ They spent the whole weekend in Mike's apartment, door locked against the world. Harvey's phone didn't ring, so they made waffles and lay on the couch watching old DVDs; Mike wearing Harvey's shirt, Harvey not wearing anything. They made love in front of Top Gun, which Mike decided was more than a little perverse, and Mike blew Harvey during Risky Business, which Harvey claimed was a first although Mike doubted it. Mike was woken very early on Monday morning by Harvey's hand on his bare shoulder. He was dressed and crouched in front of him, next to the bed. "I have to go home, take a shower and get dressed." Mike nodded, still half-asleep, but his heart sinking just slightly. "Come to my place tonight, whatever time you finish." His smile must have been a complete give away, because Harvey leaned in close and kissed him. "See you in a little while." Mike watched him vanish out of the bedroom, heard the front door open and close. Then he lay back and stared up at the ceiling. He'd expected a lecture on discretion but it hadn't come. He'd half-expected to be told the weekend had been great but real life was back now. The weekend had been perfect, the best of his life. He wanted to smile so he did, letting it spread over his face, rolling to the side into where Harvey had slept the last three nights. He wasn't about to jeopardise this by being indiscrete. At work he'd be Harvey's associate and nothing more. Outside work, he would be everything Harvey wanted and needed him to be, everything he was. |