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Mike stepped back in slight shock as he heard the tone of cold finality in Harvey’s voice, he could feel his throat tightening and his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. His hands and feet felt numb, as he stood there staring at Harvey unable to move, black spots dancing in front of his eyes “I can’t believe I have to repeat this a third time”, Harvey told him, his voice rising, “We are done, Get the hell out of my office and don’t come back.” Mike didn’t say anything, just took a long last look at Harvey’s face before turning away and somehow finding it in himself to walk away and not look back. He could see Donna at her desk staring at him with the same coldness that he had seen in Harvey. He walked back to the bullpen in a daze, grabbed all his things and the files he had been working on and headed to the file room.
He locked the door behind him, and everything fell from his hands onto the floor, his legs would no longer support him and he slid down against the door, sitting on the floor, head on his knees as he let go, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed. His grief and despair over losing the only person he had in his corner finally finding an outlet. He literally had no one, his family were all gone and now his friends too. He was entirely alone in the world, he realised. He eventually scrubbed his face with his hands and stood up, gathering the fallen files and sorting them on the table. He would finish this and head home and then he had some decisions to make he realised. He eventually finished everything he was doing about 10pm that night, the office was quiet and empty as he dropped the completed work on Louis’s desk.
The cool night air cleared his head a little as he rode his bike back to Brooklyn grabbing some Chinese before heading up to his apartment. He put a movie on to fill the silence more than anything else and thought long and hard deep into the night about his next move. He reviewed his bank balance, luckily he lived quite frugally so it was healthy and would keep him going for a while if he needed it too. He didn’t want to do anything rash so he went to work the next couple of months and continued as normally as possible. All be it without any interaction with Harvey, he got a lot of work from the other partners though so he was kept plenty busy. Whilst at home, he continued making his plans. He had cleared out everything he didn’t need, sold or dumped his furniture, his apartment now held a bed and a sofa. He had sold the apartment he bought for Grammy and added the profits from that to his account.
He felt a smile spread across his face when he came home one Friday night in late July to find a letter from the small private university in Toronto he had applied too where he could transfer all the credits he had earned when he was at college the first time, with the schedule he wanted he should be able to finish his bachelor's degree in a semester, it would be tough but he wouldn’t need to work yet so he could focus on classes and he knew he could do it. This would allow him to start law school up there with the January intake next year, his acceptance to the law school was conditional on his finishing college. He had another month before he needed to be there for class but he needed to find an apartment, he went online and found a flight to Toronto first thing on Saturday morning and booked it straight away coming back Sunday evening. He set up some viewings on possibilities he had seen online and would find more once he got there.
He couldn’t help but reflect on the last four months during the flight, he had never been so alone in his life but it had forced him out of the fantasy land he had been living in the last few years. What he was doing couldn’t continue as it had been and now without Harvey, he didn’t want too. He had made it so he couldn’t legally work as a lawyer in New York, at least not until the statute of limitations expired on his fraudulent legal activities, he thought sardonically. This would be a fresh start for him, a chance to do what he loved the right way this time and he thought it seemed right in a full circle way to be going back to Canada, this was where he had been born, where he had lived until he was four years old. It seemed right to him when looking for that change, to choose Canada. He could admit to picking Toronto due to the relatively close distance to New York compared to the other cities in Canada he could have chosen for college.
He closed his eyes as they came in for landing in Toronto and couldn’t help his thoughts drifting back to Harvey, He felt a pang in his stomach, in his heart at the thought of Harvey, he had never told him, had barely even began admitting to himself how he felt about Harvey when everything went to shit. His feelings had gradually grown from gratitude and respect at first, to fondness and friendship and eventually to love, a deep abiding love that he had never experienced before or expected to happen with a man. Harvey was very hard to read but he was doubtful that Harvey had felt the same. He always had some beautiful woman on his arm and he had Donna, Rachel had hinted to him that their relationship had gone beyond professional and friendly a long time ago, however briefly. He couldn’t compete with that kind of history, he chuckled bitterly to himself, not that he had the chance to try now, Harvey hadn’t acknowledged his existence since that last day in his office.
He shut those thoughts down and refused to dwell on any of it while he searched for an apartment and just had a wonder around Toronto in the summer sunshine, enjoying a coffee and a place that didn’t have so many ghosts attached. He felt in his bones that this was the right move for him, he had thought it before but being here confirmed it for him. He immediately liked the old house that had been converted into apartments, the one he was viewing was the attic conversion- a tiny furnished studio within walking distance to campus which was very reasonably priced, the bed was a pullout sofa, but he could fit a desk against one wall if he went without a kitchen table which he was happy to do. It would suffice for his needs and it had a huge window with lots of light coming in. He signed the lease, paid the deposit and first months rent upfront. He would be able to pick up the keys when he arrived in Toronto to start classes. Both he and the landlady parted ways happily until then.
He was able to relax for the remainder of his trip and took a quick tour of the campus which he was quietly pleased with before heading home. He was back at his desk the next day and August continued as the months before had, until the 31st when he finished off all his files, made sure he took anything from the desk that was his and instead of leaving for the evening headed to Jessica’s office. He ducked into the men’s room when he saw Harvey already in there talking to her.
He gave them a few minutes and then headed out, relieved to find Harvey nowhere in sight and Jessica in her office alone. She waved him in when he knocked, “Mike, what can I do for you?” she asked politely gesturing to the chair in front of her desk. Mike pulled the letter he had written all those months ago out of his inner suit pocket and handed it to her. “I’d like to formally tender my resignation to Pearson Darby, effective immediately” he told her calmly, her eyes widened slightly in shock as she took the letter and read it. She raised her eyes to his, “Why now?” she asked “It’s time, I’ve put your firm in danger long enough being here and there is nothing left here for me” Mike told her simply, he didn’t mention Harvey but they both knew that is what he really meant. She nodded, “I have a months’ vacation time that I haven’t used, I would like to take it immediately and use that as my notice period. I know that isn’t normally how things are done but…” he trailed off and she smiled and nodded. “I can do that for you” she told him, “Thank you” he told her sincerely, “Not just for that but for not firing me last year and giving me a chance. It has been a tremendous learning experience and I am truly grateful for it.” “You did an excellent job while you were here Mike, qualified lawyer or not” Mike smiled getting to his feet, he hesitated for a moment and then put his hand in his pocket again, taking out a small, wrapped gift. She raised an eyebrow in question, he looked down at it before setting it on her desk, “I got it for Harvey, before everything that happened, for his birthday, obviously I never got a chance to give it to him. I found it in the back of a drawer in my desk when I was clearing out. Can you make sure he gets it at some point?” He asked her “I want him to have it, even if, well I guess he may not accept it”. She looked at him, then the gift and he could see the wheels in her head turning as she put everything together. When she looked at him again, he could see the knowledge of his feelings in her face, but thankfully she didn’t comment, she picked the gift up and put it in her bottom drawer. “I will make sure he gets it” she confirmed, Mike smiled in thanks, “Goodbye Jessica” he told her and opened the door, walking away, again without looking back. He entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby, leaving Pearson Darby for the final time.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out into the muggy early evening heat, feeling the weight he hadn’t realised had been pressing him down, lift off his shoulders. He had ordered an uber to take him home while he picked up his few belongings and dropped off his keys. They waited while he went inside quickly, grabbed his two suitcases and his bike, and put them in the trunk for him while he dropped the keys into the super’s mail slot as agreed earlier. It took a while to get to the airport at that time of the evening, but he was on time for his flight and made it to his new country and new apartment by midnight. It had been an incredibly long day, he collapsed on the sofa and immediately passed out, dead to the world.
One Month Later…
Jessica finished up her meeting with the senior partners and sighed, she could put this off no longer. She asked Louis and Harvey to stay behind, might as well tell them both at the same time, she thought. They both moved to seats in front of her desk and waited for her to speak, “We need to arrange interviews for two new associates” she told them, Louis’s brow furrowed, “We only need one new associate Jessica, we only have one opening” Harvey looked bored and confused as to why he was here, as he wasn’t usually involved in the hiring of associates, “One of our associates quit at the end of August, he is currently using his vacation time to work off his notice period but that finishes up on Friday” Jessica told them, “The only associate on leave is Mike” Louis said, still confused and not understanding what was going on yet, she could see Harvey stiffen in his seat and straighten up, suddenly taking a lot more interest in the conversation at the mention of Mike’s name. “That’s right Louis, Mike Ross terminated his employment with Pearson Darby on the 31st August” Louis looked gobsmacked and immediately burst out in disappointment “he’s our best associate”, he protested, “he does triple the work the others can do” “I know” Jessica said soothingly, “he was determined to go, there was nothing I could say that would have convinced him to stay.” Harvey didn’t miss the slight emphasis she put on the I but he kept silent. He could feel her eyes boring into him but he didn’t look directly at her, keeping his eyes on the view through the window and his expression impassive.
“What firm snapped him up?” Louis asked, “surely the non-compete would prevent him from…” Jessica held up her hand, to prevent a no doubt, torrent of questions and complaints, “He didn’t say what his plans were Louis, he gave me his resignation letter and left”. “Did you know about this?” Louis asked Harvey, he shook his head “No”, “Oh right I forgot, you and the boy wonder hadn’t spoken in months before he left” Louis replied dismissively. “Is that all? I have another meeting to get too” Harvey said shortly, not looking at either of them, Jessica nodded thoughtfully, and he left the room.
He was furious, Mike quit, so he didn’t speak to him for while and he just gives up, probably back in his apartment smoking weed again with Trevor. Harvey snorted derisively at the thought of Mike going back to his old ways, another promise he would have broken to him if that was the case. Well if he was waiting for him to run over there and beg him to come back, he would be waiting a long fucking time His pace quickened as his furious thoughts continued round and round in his head. Donna said something as he passed her but he ignored her and slammed into his office furiously. He paced restlessly and decided he needed out, headed back past Donna and told her to reschedule everything on his calendar until after lunch. He would head to the gym and work off his restlessness there, in the ring, he would feel better after that, he told himself.
Jessica leaned against the door of her office and watched Harvey stride furiously down the hall to his office and then a few moments later with a face like a thundercloud, head toward the elevators. She would keep an eye on him she decided, she wasn’t sure what completely losing Mike would do to him. She had wondered in the past if there were more feelings involved in their relationship than mentor/mentee and friends. That last day speaking to Mike had confirmed how he felt about Harvey, it was written all over him for anyone, who cared to look, to see.
Harvey was harder to read but she couldn’t help but think back on his ‘he goes, I go, speech when she had wanted to fire Mike. Then on his reaction to Mike’s perceived betrayal earlier in the year, he had forgiven her but not Mike. The intensity of his reaction had been telling. She would watch out for them both but resolved to stay out of it, for now at least, she amended to herself. She needed to know where Mike Ross was and what he was doing at the very least. She called her investigator, and he got back to her late that night.
She was surprised when she initially saw his address and status as a student up in Toronto. Then she couldn’t help but laugh, leaning back in her chair. She had been furious when she found out Harvey knowingly hired a fraud but damn had that man found an unpolished diamond without even looking. She hadn’t been kidding when she told Harvey Mike was the perfect mixture of the two of them. He had found a way to legally become a lawyer just over the border in Canada and was perfectly placed to return to the US if he wished once the statute of limitations ran out in 5 years’ time on all the cases he had worked on. No fear of prosecution and as a fully qualified lawyer, he could re-take the Bar and practice law in New York legally.
She sighed, tapping her nails on her desk, Harvey was pissed and hurt right now, had been for months really, but she knew eventually that would subside. Then he would let the worry about how Mike was doing, surviving on his own settle in and torment him. She wasn’t going offer up to him where Mike was and as far as Harvey knew she didn’t know. She knew his pride would prevent him from checking himself, but she would make sure he was alright. She didn’t get involved in the personal lives of her employees but she knew Mike was alone in the world and he needed someone looking out for him right now.
She snorted at how unlikely it was that that person would be her after everything that had happened but Harvey was important to her and Mike was extremely important to him so she would do what she could for him. She called the investigator back and instructed him to find out the price of the tuition for the college and law school Mike would be attending. He emailed her the price the next morning, she transferred him the full amount and told him to anonymously pay Mike’s fees in full and have whatever money he had paid so far, returned to his account. She instructed him to check in on Mike every three months and to let her know how he was getting on. She briefly thought of the gift still in her desk but decided now wasn’t the right time to give it to Harvey. She got back to work, having devoted enough time to Mike Ross the last 24 hours, putting him from her mind, for the moment at least.
Three Months Later…
She left the New Year’s Eve party and walked into Harvey’s office, to find him sitting in the dark, staring out the window, sipping his drink. She helped herself to one as well and took a seat, “Not enjoying the festivities?” she questioned softly, he had a defeated downturned look to his expression that was uncharacteristic on Harvey’s face. “Not in the mood this year” Harvey told her quietly, “You left the party early last year didn’t you? What did you do?” She asked curiously, he was quiet before answering softly, “Mike and I went and got ‘real’ food, as he called it, burgers, at this dive bar and spent the evening doing shots of tequila. We both woke up passed out in his apartment the next day with very little memory of how we got there”. She smiled slightly at the smile on Harvey’s face, one that had rarely been present of late. “You must miss him” she observed, “Have you heard from him at all since he left?” she asked, he shook his head, “No, not a word…I happened to be in Brooklyn this morning and stopped by his apartment, he doesn’t live there anymore. I guess he moved, no forwarding address”. Harvey looked down and she could see concern furrowing his features as he twirled the glass in hands. “You could call him, see how he is doing?” Jessica suggested, Harvey laughed bitterly “I doubt he would answer Jessica, he apologised repeatedly and tried everything to get me to forgive him. I couldn’t let go of my anger to do that. Instead I said some awful things to him, pushed him away and ignored him for months, it says it all that he didn’t attempt to speak to me before leaving”.
Harvey paused and then continued in a whisper, “I never thought he would leave, I assumed in the back of my mind that eventually we would get back to being us. Now I don’t even know where he is or what he is doing”. Harvey put his drink on the table and leaned forward, hands clutching his hair, “What if he isn’t ok Jessica? I was all he had in the world and I abandoned him. I lost him because of my pride and anger, I lost my best friend and my…” Harvey trailed off uncertainty making him hesitate, “Your what?” Jessica inquired softly, “The love of my life. I fell in love with him, me, a womaniser, always kept my guard up, didn’t let anyone too close”. Harvey laughed again but without any humour “I never saw him coming, never even knew to defend against him. I didn’t even realise how I felt until the last few months, after you told me he was gone and now it’s too late”.
“I don’t think it is” Jessica told him, opening her purse and taking out the small gift that Mike had given her, Harvey needed it now. She handed him the gift and he took it confused, they didn’t usually exchange gifts, he opened his mouth to ask but Jessica stopped him by saying, “It isn’t from me, Mike left it with me for you, the day he quit.” Harvey gasped slightly and turned it over carefully in his hands. “He wanted you to have it, he didn’t think you would accept it once you knew it was from him.” Jessica explained, “I believe he got you it for your birthday but with everything that happened he never got the chance to give it to you”. Harvey nodded silently, “Maybe you should head home, Jessica told him kindly as she got to her feet, resting her hand on his shoulder for a moment before moving to the door. She turned around before opening it, “I’m going need you to handle a sensitive matter for me up in Toronto, I will need you to fly up there tomorrow, I will email you the address I need you to be at at 10am Tuesday morning” Harvey agreed distractedly, putting the gift carefully in his inner jacket pocket as he got to his feet. “No problem, Jessica, Enjoy the rest of your night”, “Happy New Year Harvey”.
Harvey waited until he was home and in bed before taking the gift in hand again, finally tearing the paper to find a velvet black box inside. He opened it to find a replica of a baseball, in silver, maybe slightly smaller than a normal baseball, he noticed it was engraved “Happy Birthday Batman, Love Robin”, he smoothed his finger over Robin’s name, the date inscribed beneath was the date they met he realised with a pang. He noticed then that there were hinges along the middle of the baseball, he popped it open and his favourite song of his Dad’s echoed from inside. It was a music box, he realised with tears in his eyes, Mike must have had it specially made for him and managed to encapsulate: their friendship, his love of baseball and his fathers music all in one gift. It was the most perfect gift anyone had ever given him. He realised with sudden fire in his heart and blood, this isn’t the kind of present you get for a co-worker and friend, this is something you do for the person you love. Mike loved him, he was sure of it, just as Harvey loved him and he would find him and get him back, he decided, determination flooding through him. He would beg forgiveness on his hands and knees if he had too, if only Mike would come back to him. He needed to sort this matter for Jessica up in Toronto first, a few days at most and then he could concentrate on finding Mike wherever he was he decided. Harvey fell into the most peaceful sleep he had had in the nine months since their argument, unaware that Jessica had in fact given him a gift of her own that night.
Jessica sent him an address on Tuesday morning and he gave it to the driver, she had given him no details at all as to what he was getting into today. Harvey shrugged to himself, it was odd behaviour to be sure but he figured Jessica had her reasons, maybe a high profile client, non-disclosures to sign before he could know anything about the case. He gazed unseeingly out the window, disinterested in where they were going, he was anxious to get this resolved and get back to New York to find Mike. He pulled his phone out, not believing he hadn’t thought to do this before now. He sent his investigator an email and told her to drop everything and find anything she could on Mike’s location and what he was doing, double the fee if she could get him the information today. She emailed back to confirm as he got out of the car at their destination.
He realised they were at a college, the driver pointed him to a building in the middle of campus where he could see lots people entering, he could see caps and gowns as well. A graduation ceremony he thought confused. Was his client a professor he wondered to himself, the driver coughed to get his attention and handed him an envelope, “Ms Pearson asked for this to be given to you once we arrived.” He opened the envelope and as expected found a ticket to a graduation ceremony, “Call the number on the envelope when you are ready to go Mr Spector and I will be here” Harvey nodded his thanks and headed toward the building, a student guided him to his balcony seat where he had an excellent view of the stage. He prepared himself for several hours of boring speeches and turned his phone to do not disturb. They were calling those graduates whom had received a first in Business and Finance to the stage when he heard a name that he had been thinking of these past few days almost constantly but had not expected to hear here of all places. He watched the ten graduates approach the stage, his eyes searching out a familiar figure and finding him instantly. His heart lightened and jumped as he set eyes on Mike for the first time in months. He was here! Right there in front of him and he had finished his degree, he watched on filled with pride and love as he watched Mike walk across the stage and accept his diploma. He clapped loudly as Mike left the stage and headed back to his seat.
Harvey tracked him with his eyes, not wanting to leave him to leave his sight for an instant. He smiled again to himself as he realised how brilliant Mike was, he found a way to finish his degree and hopefully he was heading to law school. It was smart, he could go legit here and wait out the limitations on him working in New York. Harvey put it together instantly and immediately began plotting out how they could be together. He knew he was getting ahead of himself; he didn’t even know for sure that Mike would forgive him or would want to be in a relationship with him. His heart thudded harshly, and his stomach churned with jealousy as he watched the guy next to Mike lean into him familiarly and whisper something to him, causing Mike’s face to light up as he laughed and said something back.
He might be involved with someone here, Harvey thought numbly, it hadn’t really occurred to him before, but he didn’t know anything about Mike’s life here or before he left New York. He shook those thoughts off as he sat impatiently through the rest of the ceremony, his eyes on Mike rather than any of the graduates. It didn’t matter in the end, he would win Mike back no matter what. He didn’t lose, ever, and this was the most important thing he had ever played for in his life, he wouldn’t lose this time either.
After the ceremony ended, he was one of the first people to get outside and found a good spot to watch as people came out but he wouldn’t immediately be seen. He finally saw Mike walk out with a small group of other graduates, they were chattering and laughing, he approached from behind as the others split off and went their separate ways, hugging each other as they did so, leaving Mike alone. He saw him look around and his shoulders drooped slightly, a sad lonely tint coming over his face, as he watched the other graduates with their parents and families here to support and congratulate them. He never wanted to see Mike look like this again and was fiercely unendingly grateful to Jessica for getting him here today and allowing him be here for Mike on such an important day.
Before he could call out Mike’s name, Mike turned around and saw him standing a few feet behind him. He gasped and his eyes widened in shock, neither said anything for a moment, just stood there feet apart looking at each other in silence. Neither knew how to start the conversation and Harvey decided that this was a moment that needed action, not words. He strode confidently forward, wrapped his arm around Mike’s back and used his other to slide his hand into his hair, holding his head gently. He looked into Mike’s gorgeous bright blue eyes giving him a moment to adjust and pull away if he wanted too but he didn’t move away, instead Harvey felt his arms slide hesitantly around his waist. Harvey leaned down and kissed those soft red plump lips for the first time, they both moaned slightly at the initial gentle contact and then they deepened the kiss, Harvey slid his tongue against Mike’s and it was heaven as they explored each other mouths for the first time. The best kiss of both their lives, he could feel Mikes hands sliding up his back and his fingers lingering on his neck and in his hair, causing shivers down his back in response.
They pulled apart slowly and Harvey wrapped his arms around him and pulled him tight against him, he leaned down, his cheek against Mike’s and whispered against his ear “I’m sorry Mike, I’m so so sorry, I let my anger and pride get so out of control that I pushed you away for so long. I didn’t know how to get back, to let it go, but God I missed you so fucking much. I lost my partner in crime, my best friend, the person I loved most, I can’t lose you again, please say I haven’t fucked this up forever”. Harvey pleaded in desperate whispers against his ear, pressing frantic kisses to his cheek and throat as he did so. Mike shushed him, running a soothing hand through Harvey’s hair, the other hand gently stroking his back and waist. “You don’t have anything to apologise for Harvey, it was my fault, all my fault. I betrayed you, I deserved all of it and you haven’t lost me. I love you, I’ve loved you every single day we’ve been apart, even when I thought you would never forgive me, I still loved you, I thought about you and god I yearned for you so much I thought I would come apart with it.” Tears were forming in both their eyes as they gave words to the pain their separation had caused them, Mike reached up and pulled Harvey’s head down to his, to kiss him again, needing that connection, they both did, to wash away everything that had happened between them and start anew. They hugged tightly after that and then pulled apart a little, the initial desperation of their reunion abating slightly now that they had each been assured of their mutual forgiveness and their feelings for each other.
Harvey kept hold of Mike with one arm around his waist and smoothed his other hand over the front of his graduation robe, “God Rookie, you finished your degree, you graduated! I am so fucking proud of you and so unbelievably thankful that I was here to see you walk across that stage” Harvey told him, his eyes shining with love and pride as looked at him. Mike smiled bashfully, “Thank you, I’m glad you were here too. Its crazy, I was just thinking about you, wishing you could be here with me and then I turned around and there you were. A dream come true.” Mike told him then stopped confused, “Wait, how are you here? How did you know?” “I didn’t” Harvey told him, “Don’t misunderstand, I was missing you so much and had decided to find you. I told Jessica how I felt about you and she gave me your gift, Mike, no one has ever given me anything so amazing before, its incredible, I love it, Thank you.” Harvey kissed him in gratitude before continuing “Jessica told me she needed me to handle something in Toronto for her, sent me this address this morning and here I am. She was the one who made sure I was here with you today” Harvey told him, Mikes eyes widened, “It was Jessica, she made sure you were here but Harvey an anonymous benefactor paid for my college and law school tuition in full about a month after I started, it must have been her.” Harvey tightened both his arms around Mike, “She made sure you were alright for me, she knew I was too angry at the time but she knows me well enough to know once it passed I would have been worried so she checked on you for me” gratitude dripped from Harvey’s words as he mused out loud, “We owe her everything” Mike said softly as he wrapped his arms around Harvey’s shoulders, feeling Harvey nod against him in response.
They both finally took note of all the noise and people around them, luckily they hadn’t drawn too much attention with their PDA. “Do you want to stay for a while or do you want to get out of here and we can go celebrate somewhere together?" Harvey asked, Mike looked around contemplatively, “I’m happy to leave but first”, he pulled his phone out and leaned into Harvey as he took a picture of the two of them together. Harvey smiled happily and grabbed Mike’s phone and asked a nearby person if they would mind taking some photos of them together. The older lady smiled and snapped a few pictures of them together. They thanked her and Harvey took his hand as they walked toward the front of campus together. “Where too?” Harvey asked, “I live just a few blocks away” Mike told him, “Although I warn you it is a tiny attic studio” Harvey nodded, “do you want to go out for dinner or champaign to celebrate your graduation? Harvey asked smiling at him, “the hotel they booked me into has a lovely restaurant and room service if you wanted to come back with me, we could eat there” Harvey told him casually, Mike answered in the affirmative quickly and equally as casually. Harvey squeezed his hand and called his driver to pick them up.
They were both quiet as they headed back to the hotel and up to Harvey’s room. Both their eyes immediately drifted to the bed when they entered the room, “Should I order room service? some champaign?” He asked sitting on the foot of the bed and looking up at Mike, “Maybe later” Mike told him softly, he looked down for a moment and then took a deep breath, approaching Harvey and putting his hands on his shoulders, looking into his warm brown eyes. “Can we just relax and chat, maybe lay down, watch a movie?” Mike asked hopefully, Harvey let out a breath and smiled, “Yes that sounds perfect Mikey” he whispered, he kicked his shoes off and pushed himself up the bed until his head was resting back against the pillows, he patted the space beside him and Mike kicked off shoes and removed his grad gown before laying down on the bed beside Harvey.
They agreed on a movie and watched for little while however they gradually gravitated toward each other, ending up curled around each other, chatting and catching up on what they had each missed in the intervening months since they had seen each other. They were slightly awkward with each other at first, maybe slightly out of their usual rhythm but soon were back in their usual flow of teasing and banter. Harvey was over the moon when Mike told him he would be starting at Law school in a few weeks, “It is an intense accelerated program so I should be able to graduate in 18months time, it will be a lot of classes and work but to finish in such a short time would be amazing” Mike told him, his eyes lit up with excitement as he told Harvey all about the course and his college classes, the friends he had made. He assured Harvey as soon as he mentioned the guy he saw him talking too at the ceremony that he was just a friend. “He’s the same age as me, so it was nice to have someone a bit older in my classes you know? He's married, his wife Sarah is lovely and they have a one year old son. He is adorable Harvey. I’ve been working so hard and the rare time off I gave myself, I spent with the three of them basically. Grant is starting law school with me in a few weeks”. Mike paused for a moment and then wanting to reassure Harvey further that he had absolutely nothing to be jealous of, went on to tell him, “I haven’t been with anyone since before the fight we had last year Harvey, I know we weren’t together, but I wasn’t kidding when I said I thought of you every day. I just wasn’t interested in anyone else, didn’t even try if I am being honest”. Harvey’s breath caught in his throat at Mike’s admission, and he had to lean down and kiss him sweetly in response, Mike kissed him back just as sweetly and took his breath away again when they pulled apart, as he took in the flush on his cheeks, his bright eyes and the loving smile on his face. “Me neither Mikey” Harvey admitted softly and leaned his forehead against Mike’s, Mike breathed out in shock, “I dated, went out for dinner, drinks a few times those first few months when you were still at the firm but it was just for appearances, I never took any of them home, didn’t sleep with or even kiss any of them. I felt nothing and so I gave up after the fourth or fifth try and just concentrated on work”. Mike stroked his hand down Harvey’s face, “I didn’t expect this” Mike whispered, “Me neither” Harvey whispered.
They looked at each for a long moment, “What are we going to do Harvey? How is this going work? We live in different countries, I can’t…” Mike trailed off uncertainly, Harvey gave him that look where he already knows the answer, Mike raised an eyebrow at him and Harvey smiled confidently at him “I know what we are going to do Rookie. I’m going call Jessica tomorrow and tell her I need to transfer to the Toronto branch of Pearson Darby as soon as possible, I’m going apply to practice law here and when you graduate or even before you graduate if you have time, you are going to come work with me. You and I are going look for an apartment that fits both of us, we are going move in together and we are going to be partners in every possible sense of the word. Sometime soon, when we want everyone to see the matching rings on our fingers so they know who we belong too, we are going go to city hall and get married. We are going to love each other every day, so much that we are going be that couple that sicken everyone else with how we can’t keep our hands off each other. In fact our grandchildren will still be getting embarrassed by it when we are 80 years old and should know better. In five years’ time, you and I will decide together if we want to return to New York or stay here or pick a different place entirely, It won’t matter as long as we are doing it together. Are you on board with all of that Robin?” Harvey asked with a tender smile as he started to unbutton Mike’s shirt, Mike grinned “Yes Batman, I think I can live with that, although to clarify, when you say when we are 80 years old, do you mean you or me because technically with you being so much older already, you are going hit 80 long before mmmph…” The rest of Mike’s sentence and both their laughter was muffled as Harvey leaned down kissing him deeply and they were a little too busy the rest of the night for any further conversation.
When Harvey finally turned his phone back on the next morning, he laughed as he found all the information his investigator had sent over on Mikes location, he looked down at Mike sprawled naked on his chest, glad the investigator didn’t know his exact current location. He also had an email from Jessica, with details of his new employment in Toronto and a filled-out application to practice law in Canada that only needed his signature. Harvey handed the phone to Mike when he woke up and he laughed as saw Jessica had already arranged everything for Harvey to move to Toronto when she sent him up here. “We should ask Jessica to be our witness when we get married at City Hall” Mike told Harvey sleepily, snuggling back into his chest and wrapping his arms around him, Harvey nodded with a smile and send Jessica a reply email with their heartfelt Thanks for everything she had done for them. Jessica smiled when she read his reply, glad she had read the situation correctly however she was done playing cupid, helping those two get on track was quite enough for any lifetime and she had a law firm to run and without her number two no less.