First of all, I owe you a huge apology for the very long wait. I confess that the wait was entirely my fault... I fell out of watching Suits... in fact I haven't watched a single episode of the second season. This is because I always watched it with my dad. I can't really do that anymore. He's really not doing well and while he is still alive, it probably won't be for much longer unless this new experimental medicine works like a miracle. I'd rather not go into any details of the last several months.. but I'm better now... honest. It was just really hard for a while. Even though, I find it difficult to continue to watch the show, I will not leave you all hanging. I plan to finish all of the stories that I am currently working on. Because you all deserve that. Thank you.

Also... I apologize if this isn't up to my usual standards.

The display flashed four as Mike snapped. "No."

"I personally find it a very fair deal... Unless you have a counter offer?"

Blue eyes darted up to the display. Two more floors. Mike bit his lip to avoid embarrassing himself. So far he had held himself together fairly well, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. In his opinion, Harvey was being unnecessarily cruel.

"No?" Harvey queried as the doors slid open. He dropped a hand onto Mike's shoulder, to keep the kid from bolting across the lobby. He moved out of the lobby, keeping his associate close. "Then, we should discuss the rules. Every good deal has ground rules."

"Only if the deal is accepted... Which it isn't." Mike forced the words out, wanting nothing more than to yank away and leave, knowing that if he did it would look bad on the cameras.

"But, you didn't make a counter offer." Harvey's answer was simple, like it was something Mike should have already known. He continued to guide the other man out of the building. "I am a firm believer in the rule 'anything goes' but... I'm sure you won't agree to that."

"I'm not agreeing to anything!" Mike hissed, keeping his voice low so that the security guards couldn't hear.

Harvey continued talking like Mike hadn't said anything. "So, in the effort of making this deal reasonable to both parties," He ignored the disbelieving sound that Make made. "I think the first rule should be no discussing it at work." He didn't think that would be a problem. Mike was pretty busy with the papers for the case that he had involved himself in. Plus, Jessica would skin him alive if he did anything in the office.

Now instead of counting the seconds between the floors, Mike was calculating how long until they were out of the building. It felt like the doors were much farther away than they usually were. He just wanted to go home and pretend that this wasn't happening. "I'm not accepting your deal, Harvey. Let it go." He was running out of things to hide behind. Sarcasm his personal favorite hadn't worked, neither had getting angry. The words came out an odd mix of angry and defeated.

While he personally didn't like the tone, mostly because it didn't sound right coming from Mike, Harvey tightened his hold on Mike's shoulder, not wanting the kid to bolt the minute they left the building. "That's a shame... then I suppose I'll just have to go with that anything goes rule. I just thought some rules would make you feel better about it."

The mild tone that Harvey used told Mike nothing. That was the whatever the client wanted tone, used only for clients that Harvey or Donna liked. It made the blond suspicious. Sucking in a breath, Mike held it until they were passed the doors, and finally on the sidewalk. Instantly, he tried to work out of the grip. "As fun as this was for you, I'm going home now." He only managed a step before the hand was wrapped around his upper arm, again keeping the younger man from moving away. "Harvey!"

"I'm just following orders. Donna said that I had to feed you. Not my fault that I plan on talking to you while I do that." Almost dragging the kid along, Harvey kept a hold of him until they had gotten into a cab, keeping the small smirk on his face the entire time that Mike huffed. In his mind, the deal had already been made and started. Not to mention, no one questioned Donna.

For his part, Mike refused to say a single word the entire trip. It wasn't the first time that Donna had forced Harvey to feed Mike, granted that only happened after he spent several nights in a row working. But, that didn't mean that he had to listen to anything Harvey said, especially since they weren't discussing work. He'd eat then leave. Having even some kind of plan made him feel a bit better, plus the cab ride gave him a chance to start thinking about rational possible arguments to anything Harvey might say.

All of his years dealing with lawyers made Harvey moderately patient. He had chosen this course of action as was going to follow through with it, and if for some reason after seven days passed and things hadn't gone the way he wanted, then he would simply try something else. Once they were settled at the table of a moderate (for Harvey) restaurant, he picked up the conversation again. "Like I said earlier, nothing would be mentioned at work... But other than that I don't really see any other rules that need to be made." The smirk was back in full now.

Pointedly, Mike raised the menu up so that it blocked his view. "Nothing you say is going to convince me that you're serious. I'm kind of surprised that you're taking this stupid joke so far. It's not like you to do the same thing twice." Thankful that his tone was neutral and steady, Mike continued to look over the menu even though he always got a burger no matter where they went.

Casually, Harvey swiped the menu, and set it aside, ignoring Mike's glare with ease. "I'm not joking. Louis is the only person that I dislike enough to turn their relationships into a joke." He was being completely serious. "Not to mention, I would never make a joke of mine. Maybe you should consider that..." Again his tone shifted, becoming a light scolding.

Rolling his eyes again, Mike shook his head. "Pass." Mike's biggest problem with this situation was that it was completely ridiculous. Harvey was... well Harvey. He dated beautiful people. That was a fact. Mike was not one of those people, he was basically nothing special. "It doesn't work like that. I can't just consider something that has no chance of being true. Not to mention your proposed deal makes no sense what so ever."

"Only because you won't listen to my proposition." Harvey countered smoothly, almost pleased with Mike's overly factual defense. "Besides, if it really is just some elaborate joke, like you believe it is, then there is no harm in humoring me is there?" Not giving Mike a chance to answer, he continued, a small smile on his face as the waiter brought drinks. "Like I said, seven days and nothing mentioned in the office."

Fighting the urge to slam his head repeatedly on the table Mike finally sighed. "Fine... Wednesday doesn't count." While Harvey did make a good point that there was no harm in humoring the man, that didn't mean that Mike was going to waste time that he could spend with his Gran. "I have something else to do."

The small smile turned into the grin that crossed Harvey's face every time he won a case or humiliated Louis. It was his victory grin. "That seems fair."