The next morning Harvey laid awake in bed, trying to convince himself the warmth of Mikes naked body curled against his back was real and not a dream. Careful not to wake him, Harvey put a hand on the arm thrown over his waist and let the memories of the previous night flood over him. Stirred by the touch but still mostly asleep, Mike tightened his grip, snuggling closer. Enjoying the feeling of being the one being held, Harvey nestled into Mike's embrace, for once at peace with the joy he felt. Warm lips pressed against the back of Harvey's neck.

"Hi," Mike said his voice still raspy from sleep. Harvey rolled over to face him, fitting his knee in between Mike's thighs. Cupping Mike's face with a hand, he placed a soft kiss to his lips before answering,

"Hey."

The huge answering smile on Mikes face made Harvey swear to himself that he would spend the rest of his life trying to see that smile again and again. Until now, a thought that grandiose would have terrified him, and yet it felt like the most obvious thing in the world.

"How are you this morning?" he asked.

Mike took a moment to consider the question, "Happy. Sore, but in a good way. A little cautious I guess."

Harvey brushed his thumb along Mike's cheek, wondering how he had ever looked away from those blue eyes.

"Cautious?"

"I'm not really sure what we're doing here. Is it something that's just for fun? To try something new? Or is it real?"

"Mike," Harvey's voice was soft but firm, "I can't speak for you, but this is the most real thing in my life."

This time Mike's smile was smaller, but no less genuine.

"Good. So does that mean I get to take you on a date?"

Harvey couldn't help it, he laughed. "I'd love that. But for now I should probably get myself presentable for the job I was supposed to be at two hours ago."

Mike squeezed Harvey tight, as if he was going to protest and keep him in bed, but let go and muttered, "fine."

Harvey gave him a chaste kiss before getting up and heading for the bathroom.

While Harvey was getting dressed, Mike fixed him a cup of coffee and sat down at the bar with a bowl of cereal. When Harvey joined him he cleared his throat awkwardly and offered,

"So last night, there was something you said..."

"We both said a lot of things last night if I remember correctly, which I do. I might not have your brain but I can guarantee it's not a night I'm ever going to forget.

"I was talking about the 'you wanting to be my boss again' part."

"Mike," Harvey stated with a roll of the eyes, "the day after you showed up in New York I went to the partners. If you don't think your junior partnership is there waiting for you whenever you're ready for it then you don't know me."

"Harvey, I don't know what to say," Mike's voice cracked just a little.

"Say you'll come back where you belong. Again."

"But won't that cause problems for you now that we're—complicated?"

"I believe 'together' is the word you're looking for," Harvey corrected with a pointed look, "and no. Interoffice romance is discouraged but not forbidden. If someone has a problem with it they can take it up with me. And we both know I don't lose."

"And you don't think you would get sick of me, being at the office and then coming back home-" Suddenly Mike's eyes went wide. "Wait, does this mean I should move out? Oh my god, I totally just moved in with you without even asking and now—"

Harvey interrupted him with a raised hand. "Do you want to move out?"

"Well no but...moving in and then getting together isn't usually the conventional way of doing things."
"And? Since when have we done things the conventional way? It's worked out for us so far."

"Says the one who never went to prison," Mike interjected.

Harvey shot him the 'shut up before I slap you' look Mike had grown accustomed to from their time working together. However, the callousness of the look didn't match his words as he continued, "As for your first question, I want to share every part of my life with you. I've missed you every second you haven't been at that office. And having you here this past month has felt right, and normal, and satisfying. If I'm being honest I've been terrified of the day you decided to get your own place. So no, I won't get sick of you.

"Well then, there's nothing I'd love more than to come back to the firm."

It was almost 10 by the time Harvey made it to the office. He decided to go with the classic 'pretend you've been here the whole time and hope no one noticed' bluff. However, when he walked past Donna's office and heard her loudly clear her throat he realized he should have known better. Donna lifted a hand and curled one finger, beckoning him into her office without her eyes leaving her computer screen. Harvey came in and sat down, waiting a few moments for Donna to finish typing and look at him for the first time.

"So did you have a nice trip to see Marcus?"

"How..?" Harvey gaped. "Have you been going through my credit card statements again? I changed my pin!"

"Oh I know, to 0814," Donna said with a shrug, "your first day as a senior partner." She left out the fact that it was also the day he had met and hired Mike, even though she was pretty sure that had a bigger role in his choice of dates. "But no, I didn't need to. I knew you were upset. You didn't come here. I happened to talk to Jeff who would have mentioned if you had shown up to see Jessica, and he didn't. That just leaves Marcus.

"I'm changing my pin again," Harvey grumbled. "But yes, it was a good trip."

"That's good to hear. So then, how's Mike?" The question was innocent enough, Donna asked after Mike all the time, but Harvey eyed her suspiciously.

"He's much better. He decided to take me up on my offer."

"It'll be great to have him back," Donna replied sincerely.

Harvey got up to leave and was halfway out the door when he heard,

"You should probably let HR know that he decided to take you up on your other offer too."

Harvey turned on his heel and strode right up to her desk, fixing her with a glare that had made CEO's cower, but all she did was smirk.

"Relax, I'm happy for you. Plus all your pining has been unbearable. Trust me, this is better for everybody."

"I have not been pining!" Harvey hissed.

"You can say what you want but you have the least subtle heart eyes I've ever seen anytime he's mentioned, or your phone rings, or it's time to head home. Really Harvey, this is a good thing. I'm glad for both of you. Now go get some actual work done," she said shooing him out of her office.

Harvey had made the preparations for Mike to start at the firm about a week later. On that morning Mike woke early, disappointed over Harvey's empty pillow but distracted by the smell of cinnamon. Throwing on a pair of boxers he wandered into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Harvey's naked backside standing in front of the stove top in nothing but an apron. Mike snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, planting a kiss on his shoulder.

"Are you making French toast?" Mike asked somewhat incredulously.

Harvey turned in Mike's arms, giving him a kiss on the lips that lasted several seconds longer than he originally intended.

"I wanted to celebrate your first day back. And plus that sugary children's cereal you eat is going to kill you one of these days."

"Mhmm sure, trying to impress me so that when I'm back with all the pretty people I won't try to trade up?"

"You're an idiot," Harvey said rolling his eyes but unable to hold back a smile.

"But I'm your idiot."

"Don't you forget it," Harvey said with what was supposed to be a menacing wave of the spatula.

Since Mike had to go across town to get an HR mandated drug test that morning, Harvey had gone to the office first. When it was time for Mike to arrive he stood in the elevator lobby, working hard to keep the scowl he usually wore in the office plastered on his face. But when the elevator doors opened and Mike stepped out wearing a suit for the first time since he returned, ridiculous skinny tie and all, Harvey broke into one of his eye-crinkling grins. He wanted to pull Mike into a tight hug. He wanted to walk him backwards until he was pressed against the wall, the wall that held his name, the wall that would one day hold both their names side by side, and kiss him senseless. But they had agreed. They weren't going to lie about their relationship in the office, but they also weren't going to advertise it. So instead he reached out to shake his hand, giving it a squeeze that he hoped conveyed everything he was feeling.

"Welcome home rookie."

"You know, I've given six years to this firm and I'm coming back as a partner right?" Mike hurried to follow Harvey down the hall towards the managing partner's office.

"And yet, you're the newest hire. Technically that makes you the rookie."

"So, by that logic it means you'll stop calling me that once we hire a new associate?"

"Not a chance, rookie," Harvey answered with a slap on the back.

Walking into Harvey's office Mike was surprised to see Louis, Alex, Donna, Gretchen, and Katrina waiting all waiting around a cake. Mike was sure the cake was Louis' idea and he was glad that they were starting out on good terms. He was suddenly surrounded by salutations of 'welcome back!' 'Mike!' and 'it's so good to see you again!' along with hugs and handshakes. The group spent awhile sitting in Harvey's office where exchanging pleasantries quickly became people talking over each other to give Mike all the office gossip he missed over the past three years. Eventually Gretchen stood up,

"Alright, I understand you hotshots have got time to sit around, but some of us actually work hard around here." As she was leaving she added with a warm smile, "It's good to have you back, Mike."

This started the departures, as everyone rose from their seats grumbling about the work they had to do and one by one returned to their own offices. Before Louis left he put a hand on Mike's shoulder, fixing him with an intensely serious stare.

"I can assure you Mike, no one understands the depths of despair that come with the loss of a beautiful woman as much as I. I'm truly glad that Specter Litt is here to welcome you back. This is why I am overlooking your previous social faux pas. But now that you are doing better, I must inform you that it is only polite when someone considerately reaches out to try and bring you joy through your pain that you answer at least some of their gracious emails."

A look of confusion passed over Mike's face. At a sound from the couch they both turned around to look at Harvey, almost doubled over from amusement who was struggling to speak through his laughter.

"imareallawyer84 , really Louis? Really? You have no one to blame but yourself for falling for that."

Louis narrowed his eyes to slits, fixing Harvey with a glare before turning in a huff and stomping out of the office without another word. When he was gone Mike shook his head and chuckled.

"Really? Pinocchio? Didn't peg you for a Disney person. But please tell me you saved all those emails."

"Actually I was thinking of Shrek," Harvey admitted. "Just wait until you read them, my personal favorite was inviting you to a cat café with a seven paragraph explanation of the medical evidence that cat purrs help heal the body. Come on; let's get you to your office."

Harvey's old corner office, which had briefly been Mike's before he left had been given to Katrina. Harvey offered to take it back for him but Mike protested that she had both earned it and outranked him since making senior partner. Instead, Mike returned to his first office after making junior partner. The office that had once been Harvey's first as well. He said he found it fitting, them sharing meaningful firsts with each other, and that he wanted to start organically and let things grow authentically. At this point, Harvey wasn't sure if he was still talking about his place in the firm.

Together they worked to unpack and put Mike's office. Although, this mostly consisted of Harvey making fun of everything he pulled out of the box and constantly correcting what Mike was doing. At which point Mike would tell Harvey that if he thought he could do it better to do it himself and things would inevitably end up more crooked than they started.

When they were finished Mike stood behind his desk to take it all in. Harvey moved to stand close behind him, place one hand on his hip and the other with his fingertips resting on his desk.

Leaning close enough that the feeling of his breath on his ear raised goosebumps on Mike's arms he whispered,

"You know this desk really is the perfect height," he put pressure with the hand on Mike's hip, pulling him back against his groin, "it would be so easy to just bend you over it and—"

Mike cleared his throat and tried to pull away, doing long division in his head to try and bring his body back under control.

"I'm not sure the glass doors are very conducive to those particular day dreams," he said trying and failing to keep his voice nonchalant.

Harvey didn't move from behind Mike, instead reaching out with the hand that was on the desk to hit a preprogramed speed dial on Mike's desk phone.

"Mike?" came Donna's voice over the speaker.

"Donna," Harvey answered, "I was thinking it was maybe time to revamp the office. Give it a new image. All the glass just seems a bit tired and overdone."

Donna cleared her throat, "so I take it you blew off that HR appointment I set for you this morning? You guys should really stop misbehaving."

"Think about it," was all Harvey replied before lifting the phone and quickly place it back to end the call. Harvey finally took a step back, albeit a small one, giving Mike room to breathe before turning him around to face him.

"I want you to know how glad I am to have you back," Harvey said, all hints of mockery gone from his face and voice. "You and I, we always belonged here together."

Thinking better of it and doing it anyway Mike leaned forward to kiss the man that had single handedly changed his life time and time again.

"Oh shit!" came Katrina's shocked voice. Mike and Harvey sprung apart, turning to see Katrina and Louis with identical wide eyed expressions standing in the doorway.

For a single second Harvey's look of panic matched Mike's, before it transformed into professional with a strong note of defiance.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice daring them to protest.

"You..this...but...Esther...when..." his face cycled through more expressions that most people's did in a week before he landed on resigned. "You know, this actually makes a lot of sense," he said pursing his lips and nodding, "I couldn't ever compete with that. But wait—is this why you and Rachel split?" he asked, shifting to defensive.

"No Louis, no. This had nothing to do with that." Although, later Mike would think that this wasn't necessarily true. Maybe what lay between him and Harvey did have to do with him and Rachel ending things. He could never regret the years he spent with her, because he learned a lot about himself, and it ended up with him happier than he had ever been due to Harvey being in his life. But maybe the thing that was getting in the way of him and Rachel all this time was Harvey. Maybe it had always been about him and Harvey.

"Okay," Louis said slowly, still nodding while he processed. "But I hope you recognize bylaw 36-C makes and sexual activity in the office a fireable offence. And you better not let your personal drama get in the way of work." Harvey just fixed him with a stare to point out the absurdity of that statement coming from Louis, who had once screwed up a case over feelings for a cat after all.

Donna walked past the doorway and without stopping as she passed said with a self-satisfied smirk, "I warned you boys you should stop misbehaving."

"I'm serious Harvey," Louis said with the point of a finger before leaving the office to accost Donna for knowing and not telling him.

"Well shit," Katrina repeated, but this time directed at Mike with a questioning tone, a quick impressed glance at Harvey, and one eyebrow raised.

"Well shiiit is right," Mike answered the unspoken question seductively.

Harvey reached over and slapped Mike on the back of the head, "Have I mentioned you're an idiot yet today?"

"Just once," Mike answered lightly.

"So anyway," Katrina shook her head to get back into business, "Louis and I were just stopping by to give you this. It's your first case back here at Specter Litt." She handed Mike a blue folder. "Don't screw it up," she added before leaving them alone in the office.

"Well at least now we don't have to worry about Louis finding out," Mike said with a sigh.

"You know... now that people know. Wasn't there mention of a date? I seem to remember that?"
"Oh just you wait. I'm going to sweep you off your feet."
"Just no pizza-or Chinese-or cheeseburgers."

"Nope, you don't get a say. My date, my rules. Just be sure you're free Friday night."
"Just to be clear, I have absolutely no confidence in your date planning abilities."

"That's what I'm counting on," Mike said with a grin.

"Come on, let's go back to my office. I saved a case for you too."

Walking side by side down the firm hall both men reflected silently that things were back to how they should be. Slyly, Mike reached down and playfully grabbed Harvey's rear through his pants.

"Careful there," Harvey said a clear warning in his voice. "I'm still your boss. I can still assign you to work with Louis for the week."

"You could, but then you would miss me."

"Yeah, I would. Truthfully, now that I have you back I'm not ever making the mistake of giving you up again," Harvey said and Mike smiled at the knowledge that he wasn't just talking about working arrangements.