Mike looked at the debris that used to be his apartment. It hadn't been much but it had been his. Now everything was gone. He wasn't sure whether it was a nightmare or a clean start.

He stared at the charred picture of the panda that he had picked up from the rubble. The only thing that was left after an all-consuming fire.

Maybe he should hang on to it. Whenever Harvey would be his obnoxious self he would hang it in his office. If he could just figure out a way to make it glow in the dark. The panda had always freaked Harvey out. Imagine the effect it would have if it had risen from the dead.

When the police had called him to tell him his house had been burned to the ground, he thought Kyle was making another sorry attempt to be funny. Or maybe it was a 'will you stay to finish your work first, even if your house is on fire' drill from Louis.

But it became clear very soon that it was no joke. And no drill.

All Mike had left were the clothes on his back and the stuff he had in his bag.

And the panda.

He wanted to get his phone to call Rachel. He needed a place to crash for the coming days. Then he realized that he had left it at the office. The only thing he had taken with him was the key to his apartment. Funny how your mind works.

He got on his bike and headed back to the office. While waiting for the elevator he suddenly remembered that Rachel's sister was staying with her. He had to come up with another crash site.

…

Harvey pulled open his door with a sour expression and a roll of his eyes. When Mike came barreling through, he didn't even bother trying to kick him out. None of his previous efforts had ever worked, after all, and Harvey had long since realized the only way to get peace and quiet was to move to an undisclosed location.

As Mike passed, Harvey noticed the faintest aroma of ash and cinders.

Mike combed his hands through his hair as he plunked himself on Harvey's Italian leather imported sofa. Harvey closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath to remind himself it was his own fault for not moving.

"Is this going to take long? I'd really like to get some sleep," Harvey griped tiredly.

Mike heaved out a whoosh of air and scrubbed his hands over his tired eyes.

"I wouldn't have come here, but you're literally my last resort. Rachel has her sister over, Harold is weird and doesn't believe in air conditioning, and I didn't even get to ask Donna before she said no."

Harvey attempted to process Mike's rushed speech before realizing it probably wasn't that important. He really wanted to go back to sleep.

"Can I stay here?" Mike asked, the resignation and hesitation clear on his ash-smudged face.

"What?" Harvey managed. "No. No way."

"Please, Harvey! I really don't want to- "

"Good. 'Cause you're not welcome." He started to pull Mike up off the couch and tug him over to the door.

"-but my place is condemned!" Mike yelled, skidding his feet against the wood floors.

"I'm not surprised," Harvey muttered, putting his back into removing his pest.

Mike braced his arms in the door frame, and shouted, "It caught on fire!"

Harvey stopped pushing, wondering, for a fatal moment, if Mike had just made that up or if his associate's luck was worse than he'd thought.

"Please!" Mike begged.

Harvey frowned, considering. He couldn't see how any of this was his problem. Mike would just have to find somewhere else to stay the night.

"Fine. I'll just sleep at the office in my only suit. See you at the deposition tomorrow," Mike said angrily.

Harvey growled and pulled Mike back inside. The kid's suit was a mess, and if all of his suits really had burned in a fire, there was no way Harvey could take him anywhere. And they both needed to be at that deposition tomorrow morning. "Fine. One night."

Mike practically jumped. "Thank you so much, Harvey. You won't even notice I'm here. I promise."

Harvey rolled his eyes. "I'm sure," he said sarcastically. "Just...don't touch anything."

Mike nodded vigorously. He moved to lie down on Harvey's couch.

"No."

"But I was-"

"That couch is worth more than your annual salary."

Mike rolled his eyes. "That's a gross exaggeration."

"Just shut up and wait there."

Harvey returned a minute later and tossed some gym clothes at Mike. "And get rid of that...thing."

"Thanks, Harvey."

"And don't touch anything."

"Yeah, I think I got that part," Mike said and started to strip his ruined suit off.

Harvey turned the corner to the bedroom, but caught a glimpse of Mike's bare back on his way out of the living room. For some reason, he couldn't help staring until Mike had covered it with Harvey's old Harvard T-shirt.

"Night, Harvey," Mike called before settling on the couch.

Harvey didn't call back, but he did return a few minutes later to dump a blanket on his snoozing associate.