Pairing: Harvey Specter/Mike Ross

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.

Warning: little angst at the beginning, slightly creepy (but very helpful) Harvey

Author's note: Originally written for LJ suits_meme and dedicated to a dear friend of mine who's been suffering from the same issue as Mike.

Tick tack. Tick tock.

Mike glared at the alarm clock as if he was on war against time. Well, technically, he was. He had been up for over seventy hours and he was trying to get some sleep even for an hour or two. The room was pitch-dark but his eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, so nothing could stop him from giving the clock a nasty glare.

'This is insane. I am insane. I've been up for three full days! Shouldn't I have passed out by now?' Mike screamed inside as he turned around. He wanted the clock to stop running so fast. Didn't it know who it belonged to? Shouldn't they work as a team? Had they taught it in clock school to taunt its owner like this?

'Okay, I'm definitely going insane. There's no such thing as clock school.' Mike faced the clock again and pulled out the batteries. If he didn't like the clock, he could simply get another one.

'There you go. How nice it is.' Mike let out a satisfied sigh even though he knew that the small ticking sound wasn't the cause of his insomnia. It was just nice to get rid of that uncooperative bastard.

Mike had been suffering from chronic insomnia pretty much all his life. Ever since he had lost his parents at the age of five, his nights had never been the same. He had experienced trouble closing his eyes, thinking that nobody could protect him even if a monster decided to eat him as his late-night snack. His grandmother had often slept in the same room with him but how could an old lady (who wasn't a witch) possibly defeat the monster?

Years had passed and he had come to learn that monsters were not real, but unfortunately, it didn't do any good for his sleepless nights. His grandmother had taken him to all kinds of doctors (even the fake ones) and had introduced him to all sorts of treatments but nothing had seemed to work for more than a few weeks.

Mike had always considered it a miracle that he had grown up to be a tall boy with all of his organs functioning properly. He had once read that going on without sleep for more than a week would cause the organs to shut down one by one. The idea had completely terrified him and he had felt too much pressure to sleep that night. That was when he had decided to stop reading up on insomnia and try to use his time more wisely. He had much more time than most of the people after all.

'Hey, maybe it's not a miracle. Perhaps Grammy is a witch, and a very good one! Maybe she gave me an eidetic memory too.' Mike mused as he turned over onto his stomach. He truly believed that he had gotten over his parents' death and the fear of becoming someone's late-night snack so what was still keeping him up at night?

'Oh god, it's half past four already. I really need to sleep.' Mike checked his smart phone and groaned like a wounded puppy.

'If only I could shut off my mind… Why couldn't God put a power button somewhere for people like me? Gosh, sometimes, I wish I was a robot. I could just check out for the day and rest all night in peace. No thoughts, no agony.' Mike flipped over and looked up at the ceiling, giving God a nasty stare. He had promised God that he would go to church every Sunday if he helped him with this annoying problem, but apparently God felt like he already had enough followers.

'I wish I could literally buy some sleep. Oh, what I wouldn't give to get this curse off my back…' Pulling the covers over his head, Mike let out a sigh of despair. He feared that one day he wouldn't feel strong enough and his body and/or mind would let him down.

'If that ever happens, Harvey will have to make sure his next associate doesn't have insomnia so he would never have to go through the interviews again.' Mike cackled even though he felt like crying.

'Ah, Harvey…' Mike pulled the covers down to his neck and thought about his boss. He could think about many adjectives to describe his boss but if he went there, he would stand no chance against getting any sleep. 'Insanely attractive' was only one of the many words that he could think of.

'I wonder if he's asleep. Maybe he's busy sleeping with a guy.' Mike wondered what it would feel like to lie in Harvey's bed, to feel his weight on him, and to look into those hazardous eyes. Every time he met Harvey's eyes, it felt like a piece of his soul was transferred to Harvey's. Given how he had been working for the man for over half a year, Mike was certain that Harvey owned more than half of his soul by now.

It's not like he hadn't thought about confessing his feelings for him but he had feared that if he got rejected, it would affect their working relationship. They had grown very close and enjoyed flirtatious banter but he didn't know if they actually meant anything. Harvey had never made a move on him and he hadn't dared to try anything funny.

Besides, the rumor said that the senior partner was only interested in one-night stands. Mike didn't think that he would ever sleep again if he ended up sleeping with Harvey only once. Knowing that there wouldn't be a second time, he would naturally have to replay their night in his mind over and over again.

'I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, am I?' Frustration washed over him but he took a deep breath to stay calm. Getting stressed over something that wasn't going to happen wouldn't do him any good.

'Fine. If that's the case, let's make a list of those adjectives.' Mike sat up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand as he tried to rub the fatigue out of his eyes. At least, thinking about Harvey was a great source of joy.

"Harvey? Donna says you need me?" Mike knocked on the door of Harvey's office that evening, wondering if there was more work to do.

"Yeah. I know we've had a tough week, Mike, but I'd really like to go over the Packard case today."

Mike nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"You can get your stuff and come back in ten. We're going to carry on at my place if you don't mind."

"Terrific!" Mike beamed. God did work in mysterious ways; this was totally worth three sleepless nights. He had been to Harvey's condo a few times before but it never failed to excite him whenever he got an invitation. Who cared if it was just for work? He was going to spend time with Harvey at his private place and that was all that mattered.

"Sporting a goofy grin in the doorway isn't part of getting your stuff, Mike, unless you're searching for your lost sanity here. Do I have to hold your hand to your cubicle?"

"You will do that for me?" Mike chuckled.

"Only if you choose something other than pizza, for dinner, that seems to constantly blow you."

Mike's hand jerked up to his ear. His hearing was starting to fail. Harvey must have said 'blow your mind' but in his sleep-deprived ears, it had sounded like 'blow you'. It wasn't actually the first time that his ears had tricked him today. He had imagined Harvey dropping suggestive words all day and had to blush furiously when he thought about them in the safety of his cubicle. He was obviously losing his mind.

"Mike? Are you okay? What's going on with you today?"

"Nothing. Uh, I'll choose garlic bread and pasta then. I'll be back in five." Mike turned on his heel and left in a hurry while his mind showed him a vivid image of Harvey blowing him in the back of the town car.

"And, that's a wrap!" Mike cried in delight as he realized that they had just finished the last page of the document.

"Good job, Mike. Good boy." Harvey gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and stretched on the couch. "Do you want another cup of hot chocolate? Who else is going to drink that thing? I should serve you as many cups as I can while you're here."

"Haha, if that thing means the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever had, then yes, please." Mike added a polite smile.

"You got it." Harvey got up and headed to the kitchen with a spring in his step. Things were going smoothly as he had planned. He was going to end his misery and ask his associate out tonight. He had waited for weeks for Mike to make a move on him but the stupid kid had been showing some superhuman patience. The new suit that he had bought for their first date had been hanging in his closet for too long and he was dying to show it off to the man he wanted to impress the most.

Needless to say, he had thought about making the first move but he wanted Mike to be absolutely sure that he was willing to venture into a complicated relationship with his boss. So no matter how difficult it was to keep his hands to himself, Harvey had been willing to wait for Mike to make up his mind and give him a clear signal.

But the signal never appeared despite the adoration and desire in Mike's eyes so Harvey had started to give him a hand by engaging him in banter that was more than just friendly. Mike had responded well but still hadn't crossed the line which had made him think that he would have to initiate action after all. So he had geared up this morning, ready to take control; he had dropped lewd hints all day, had got Donna find the best hot chocolate in the city, and had invited him over to his place.

'I can't believe he hasn't said anything about all those dirty expressions. Shouldn't he have asked if he had heard correctly? Or is his mind dirty enough that he thought it was all in his head?' Harvey had always suspected that his associate wasn't as innocent as he looked but it was just wrong to think about it when he was stirring such an innocent beverage.

'Let's add some marshmallows so he'll have absolutely no choice but to say yes.' Harvey opened the cupboard and generously put five marshmallows into the mug. Then he poured himself a glass of whisky and walked out of the kitchen, only to see that Mike was fast asleep on the couch.

'Well, this is disappointing. I was only gone for a few minutes.' He put down the drinks on the coffee table and weighed his options. Should he wake him up? Or should he go fetch him a pillow and a blanket?

He was leaning towards waking the kid up and having the talk once and for all, but Mike was clutching the cushion so desperately that he wasn't sure if he had the heart to disturb him. The young face looked completely exhausted and Harvey could tell that a good night's sleep was what he needed the most.

'Tomorrow's a Saturday so I guess he can stay here for the night.' Harvey had pushed down his disappointment and had started padding towards the guest room when he heard a groan.

He turned around to see if Mike was going to wake up but all he did was murmur something inaudible and go back into deep sleep. Harvey now had a new decision to make. Should he let him sleep on the couch or move him to the guest room? Wasn't that groaning a message of discomfort? He had a useful couch but it certainly couldn't beat the comfort of a bed. The answer was obvious.

'But if I'm not going to wake him up, I'll have to carry him. And, my bedroom happens to be much closer.' Harvey had an amusing grin plastered on his face as he carefully rolled the boy over. Then he scooped up both his associate and the cushion before heading to his bedroom. Mike stirred but didn't wake up. It seemed that he just needed to adjust the position of his head.

'Well, well, well, isn't this going to be fun?' Trying to feel like a prince rather than a big bad wolf, Harvey carried Mike into the master bedroom and put him down on the bed.

'Now what? He can't sleep in that dirty suit. These are brand new sheets.' Harvey had prepared new soft sheets in case Mike said yes and wanted to go the extra mile with him.

'Definitely not the most desirable circumstances, but at least he gets to sleep on these.' Harvey eased Mike's grip on the cushion, hoping that the boy would wake up enough to get undressed. He would gladly undress him for him but he was a gentleman; he wasn't going to do that unless there was no other option.

"Mike? Wake up for a second. Let's get you more comfortable." He pulled off Mike's socks, expecting it to do the trick, but the kid didn't move or make a sound.

"Hey, puppy. I need you to open your eyes for me." He shook the boy gently but still didn't get any response. So he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down. Mike was too immobile for his peace of mind.

'Maybe he's not feeling well?' He put the back of his hand on Mike's forehead to check his temperature but he didn't feel abnormally hot.

'Then what's wrong with him? He's simply this exhausted?' Harvey felt bad for the firm's most promising associate. He remembered what it was like to be an associate, working eighty hours a week, trying his best every day not to screw things up. Besides, there was always an additional pressure for those who were in the spotlight. In Mike's case, he even had to deal with his little secret. Well, two little secrets if he counted how the boy was harboring deep feelings for his boss.

'Oh, Mike…' Harvey lifted his right hand and stroked the haggard face. There was not much he could do regarding the heavy workload, the attention Mike got as his associate or the fact that he didn't go to Harvard, but he was in the perfect position to help him out with his other secret.

'Then I suppose this is a great place to start. He certainly wouldn't think that I took off his clothes in his head.' Harvey tried not to rejoice at the opportunity of undressing the object of his affection. He took a good look at the sleeping boy before slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He had fantasized about this moment so many times that he wasn't sure if the real thing would live up to his expectations. But as he opened the shirt and saw the boy's chest heave in his undershirt, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to get disappointed.

'If only he was conscious and showed some kind of a response…' He felt the urge to kiss the sleeping beauty and wake him up just to see how those blue eyes would react, but that would put an end to his guilty pleasure. So he pushed down the wistful sense of what might have been and freed the arms from the shirt. Then he proceeded with extreme interest to remove the old and unfashionable belt so he could get to the best part.

'I'm just trying to help here. He'll be grateful in the morning when he realizes how well he slept thanks to his considerate mentor.' Harvey convinced himself as he undid the button on his associate's pants. He had performed this particular activity on numerous occasions but his heart reacted as if it was the first time. Mike was different. He was special, which made this a very special occasion.

That was when Mike moaned in his sleep.

Harvey froze mid-action with his fingers on the top of the zipper. Was he waking up? Had the fun already come to an end? Was Mike going to stop him when it had just started to get interesting?

He held his breath and waited for Mike's next reaction. But after a few seconds, it didn't look like the boy was going to disturb him. Harvey thought that it was only fair since he hadn't disturbed Mike's sleep either.

'Very well then. Let's carry on.' Harvey smiled mischievously and enjoyed the obscenely loud sound of the zipper going down, revealing a pair of… Star Trek underwear.

'Well, this is rather unexpected.' Harvey had expected many different things in this particular scene but he had never thought that he would come eye to eye with Captain Kirk who was judging him from the front of his associate's underwear. He wasn't sure if he should be extremely turned on or deeply ashamed.

'I'm just trying to make him more comfortable, that's all. It's not like I waited in the kitchen until he fell asleep so I could get him out of his clothes.' He justified his actions to the captain as he tugged at the legs of Mike's pants. If he felt like the stern eyes of his fictional hero were piercing through his mind, it only meant that he needed some sleep.

Harvey's eyes feasted on the fair skin that appeared more and more as the fabric glided down the long legs. He wanted to run his hands down the toned thighs and explore the shape of those cute knees but someone was still judging him.

'Oh, you can't be serious. Who are you to judge me? Who knows what you did to Spock while he was asleep?' Harvey gave the captain the stink-eye before folding Mike's clothes and putting them on the nearby chair. Then he changed into something more comfortable as he took in the sight of his associate sleeping in peace.

To think that Mike was resting his mind and body in the most private part of his condo made Harvey feel fervently protective of him. The burning desire to touch him had just been replaced with the need to protect him even from himself.

'It has nothing to do with you, Captain, so you can wipe off that smug grin of yours.' Harvey made it clear as he joined his guest under the covers. Mike was so close and warm next to him that he couldn't help but innocently drape his arm over Mike's waist. He wanted to watch the wonder boy sleep but if he watched any longer than he already had, his hand was going to slide under his undershirt and break the spell.

'Good night, puppy. Sweet dreams.' Harvey left a feathery kiss on the pale cheek before closing his eyes. He was a heavy sleeper but he had a feeling that he was going to sleep even better tonight.