A/N: This is the last chapter! Thanks, you guys, for sticking with me this far. I hope you enjoyed it :)

Chapter 15 - I Understand (Posted 22 December 2011)

Mike woke up to the feeling of warm sunshine on his face and a pair of warm, strong arms around him. He swore he didn't never need a blanket again so long as he had Harvey to hold him like that every night. He took some time to appreciate the feeling of a body pressing against his back, the light breaths ghosting over his neck. It was a feeling he'd never get used to and always cherish.

"Harvey," Mike said quietly. "Are you awake?"

"No." Harvey murmured into Mike's ear.

Mike chuckled. "How long have you been up?"

"A couple minutes."

"Do you want breakfast?"

"Later. I'm comfortable."

"Me too." Mike said, settling against him. "Harvey?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you... can you believe it's been a whole year since we got together?"

"Has it really?"

"Shut up, I know you know it's our anniversary."

Harvey gave a silent laugh against Mike's skin. "I know. Time flies when you're having fun."

"If picking up the pieces of your emotionally disturbed boyfriend is your idea of fun, then yeah, I guess it does."

"That sounds like a pretty accurate description of both of us, really." Harvey reasoned. "We've helped each other through some rough times, Mike. And aside from maybe taking all your pain away, I wouldn't change a thing."

"You think maybe that's why we work so well? Because we understand how the other feels?"

"Isn't that pretty much the basic foundation for any permanent relationship? Being able to look the other person in the eye and say. 'I understand,' and have it be the complete truth?"

"I guess so." Mike smiled. "Do you mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"You said 'permanent relationship.' I mean... I knew we were long term, but I wasn't sure if you..."

Harvey suddenly turned Mike onto his back and pinned him down, kissing him with a mix of sympathy and passion. "Of course I mean it. I love you, and I don't ever want to be with anyone else."

Mike reached up and touched Harvey's chest. "You know, it's still so surreal when you say you love me. I mean... I know you do, but hearing you say it is always like a dream."

"I like saying it if it makes you happy."

"It makes me very happy." Mike smiled. "We can do this, right? We're not breaking any cosmic rules by being happy together, are we? Because you know how my life goes, Harvey, and..."

"Hey, I made you a promise. I promised you that I'd take care of you and do my best to make you happy. I'm nothing if not a man of my word. I will never let anything take you away from me. And if you're ever unhappy, I'll do anything to reverse it. And I know you'd do the same for me, so to answer your questions, yes we can do this, and no we're not breaking any rules. One, because I want you and I always get what I want, and two, because there aren't any rules in love except the ones you make yourself."

"And we're the masters of loopholes so even those rules can't stop us." Mike joked.

"Exactly."

"I love you, Harvey."

Harvey gave him another short kiss. "I love you too."

Mike smiled. Harvey had made a point of telling Mike he loved him at least once a day since the first time he said it. And while it wasn't exactly rare for him to say it more than once, Mike still enjoyed it when it happened. "So, do you want breakfast now?"

"Mmm, only if we can have breakfast in bed."

"But the whole point of breakfast in bed is not having to get up. One of us will have to get out of bed and actually make it."

Harvey shook his head, diving in for yet another, rougher kiss. "Not if we have each other for breakfast."