#Jessica Pearson | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

schrijverr · 2 years ago

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Over the Edge

Mike is being bullied by the associates and Louis, but stubbornly keeps silent about it. Until Harvey walks in on it happening and snaps, making Mike realize he has a support system in him and Donna. Protection. A family.

@ the anon who requested this, I hope it is what you meant :D

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: bullying

(Don’t read if you love Louis. I know I also love Louis and I am aware of this contradiction. However, what makes Louis great is that at heart, he is a piece of shit. And while I love that about him, I can also employ this for Mike angst, so I did.)

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One would think that bullying is the a thing that ends in high school, while hazing stops at the frat houses and other clubs in college. However, it turns out that a law firm is just the place all these assholes end up and their bullshit is actively encouraged by competitiveness that keeps a place like this rolling at the speed it does.

So, here Mike is, between a bunch of preppy dickhead who have never had to face any consequences for their actions. Who have always had it all and have always been told they’re the best thing that ever happened to the world and no one is better than them.

And apparently Mike is their confrontation with the fact that they are no longer the bestest boys in the class… Just his luck.

The first day is a shock, because, yeah, he expected it to be difficult, he’s pretending he has a degree he doesn’t for god’s sake, but he didn’t think it would be made difficult on purpose just because he showed his face.

On top of that, it’s not just his co-associates, who – in some sick bid for the top – try to undermine him by piling work on him, tripping him up or screwing him over. It’s Louis too.

Louis isn’t the main bully, but he almost could be. If Mike was a target like Harold is, he probably would have just quit, but instead he isn’t and Louis just watches on from his throne of associate tears. And it’s a challenge.

It starts already on that same horrid first day, where Harvey nearly fires him and leaves him for that hounds that present themselves as associates, when Louis calls him into his office and threatens to fire him, before pressuring him into a drug test that he later uses to blackmail him.

The fact that such a terrible conduct is allowed without reprimand, says a lot about the atmosphere at Pearson Hardman.

Yet, Mike is smart, he can figure out the game easily.

All the associates are Louis’ domain, while Harvey rules glitz side of the firm. They both do their work and like two bulls are in constant headlock with each other. The associates try to suck up to Louis, who can make their life hell or move them up on the ladder, while Mike is there as an interloper for the other team. They treat him like he has infiltrated their ranks. Like he is the ‘them’ in ‘us vs. them’ even though all of them suck up to Harvey too.

Maybe, Mike thinks upon further reflection, that is part two of the associate’s reasoning. Harvey is the glitz, the thing they all want to be, the top dog that has an in with Jessica and is adored by all the clients who pay the most.

Harvey is the man.

And they all want to be on his radar as the potential next man. They want him to teach them, to rise them up from Louis’ cube farm into the world they went to law school for.

But Harvey isn’t like Louis. Harvey doesn’t want their desperate attempts. Harvey hates the way they buzz around him. Harvey doesn’t have time for them, or any associate for that matter. And yet, Harvey makes an exception for Mike.

Mike is what they want to be. He holds Harvey’s favor in a way no one else does and they hate him for it. Because they are jealous. And what better way is there to cope with that jealousy if not to take Louis’ side and help to make his miserable?

So, it was apparently decided in his first few weeks working there that he is to be their favourite and primary target.

However, as Mike stated before, it is also a challenge. It is asking how long he can hold out for, how well he can work under their pressure, if he will break. And Mike refuses to break.

He has dragged himself up from the streets, scammed his way into one of the most prestigious law firms and got himself into a better life and if Mike has to fight to stay there, then he fucking will, because he has earned this spot. He has the smarts and endurance for it and he will not let a bunch of assholes take the best thing that has ever happened to him away from him.

Besides, it’s not like it is all bad. Working with Harvey is great. The man might be a bit of a hardass, but not in a bad way. He’ll leave Mike to sink or swim, but he will also praise him if something goes well, trusts him to come through in the end, joke around when they can, believe in Mike and be his friend.

Donna is also a good part of working at Pearson Hardman. She is as smart as a whip, funny and there for Mike if he needs help, though also unafraid to him to go to hell. He fucking adores Donna to pieces.

Rachel is a nice thing too. She’s pretty and smart and Mike likes her, but she is also his coworker and he needs the sanctuary that is her office too much to make a move. Not to mention her gigantic help in navigating Pearson Hardman.

So, he is both too stubborn and too happy with where he is to give and roll over just because of a few dicks are harassing him. It’s just part of the game and Mike is willing to play.

Still, some days he wishes he was still a bike delivery boy, where the worst thing that happened to him on a daily basis was rich guys yelling at him for being late, after which he could go and get high and forget about it all.

Such a day is today.

He comes in to find his chair disassembled and the screws on his desk. For a second he just stands there and looks, ignoring the snickers around him. He wants to sigh, maybe scream in frustration, but refuses to give them the satisfaction.

Instead, he internalizes it all, puts his stuff down and gets a screwdriver out of his bag. He put that in there when they took the top of his desk and is glad for that decision now. He looses half an hour to the task, but he manages and ignores them all some more as he gets to work.

When Harvey comes by a while later, indignant about the unfinished paperwork, he bites his tongue and swallows the accusing comments burning in his throat. He just apologetically smiles at Harvey and says: “Gimme 30 minutes?”

“You get 15,” Harvey informs him, sweeping out of the cube farm again. “Make it snappy, we have a deposition to get to.”

Mike nods and calls back something vaguely agreeable as he sees some of the other associates look at him evilly. The vultures are all delighted that Harvey came to scold his golden boy, that they prevented him from being on time. That he did something wrong.

A deep breath and Mike pushes it away. He has work to finish and while they have no problem in inconveniencing him, none of them dare to give him a reason to say that he would have been done on time if it were not for him as they accidentally sabotage Harvey. They all want his favor too much for that.

So, he quickly finishes the last of his paperwork and rushes upstairs to his deposition, hoping that when he comes back they haven’t messed with his stuff again.

Luckily, they haven’t, but they aren’t leaving him alone either. Messing with his stuff isn’t the end of it, they’re all good enough with words to use that against him and if he weren’t so used to playground bullies, this would be harder.

“Hi there, Ross,” Kyle is waiting for him when he gets back, his stupid smug face contorted into an equally smug smirk. “Did daddy come scold you? Work too much?”

There are chuckles around them as the associates follow Kyle’s lead. Mike in turn just rolls his eyes and says: “No, actually. It was fine. Now, if you’re done slacking off, I have actual work to do,” as he pushes his way to his desk, trying not to mind how he’s being jostled.

“If you were ever on time, then you might be finished on time for once,” Kyle tells him.

Now, Mike knows he runs the longest hours out of all the associates, often the last to go home. He also knows that mornings are harder for him and that despite the fact that he leaves his apartment before they do, his bike and where he lives will always make him the last one there. Nothing to do about that, so he ignores the jab and hates how it gives them time to fuck over his workspace.

Still, he has mastered letting go, so that is what he does when he gets to his desk and gets back to work. The paperwork providing an easy escape from that shitty cubicle surrounded by even shittier people.

And so life goes on. His pens and markers go missing, so he now has a fucking pencil case, he takes his bag to lunch after it was filled with jello and makes sure to leave nothing important on his desk, since he knows that it won’t stay there.

Harvey raises a brow when he first starts to show up with a heavy (too heavy) bag slung over his shoulder, but he shrugs it off.

This is as much of a power game than it is just survival. They think he is a prettyboy, who thinks he is better than them and deserves to have things handed to him (goes to show how little they actually know him). Having Harvey intervene will make all their shitty words true.

Because, yeah, it doesn’t stop at fucking with his shit. As he said before, they’re all smart and good with words. There is a reason this is the next generation of corporate lawyers in New York. They all didn’t graduate Harvard on money (getting in is another story).

Sadly, they have also all chosen to use that skill to make Mike’s life miserable. Of course, he is used to being bullied – middle and high school jump to mind – but these pricks know how to make it hurt.

Mike doesn’t even know how he gave away the daddy and mommy comments get to him, but they have certainly caught on. He is not telling them he’s an orphan. He refuses. Even if that might make those comments stop, he’s not letting them have something so personal, for all he knows they’ll only double down. These bastards have no heart.

They have also figured out, he hates it when they make fun of his intelligence, belittling his actual ability and acting as if he is just a baby, because they either don’t believe it or are jealous of it. He knows he should be used to it, but it just brings back memories and he often can’t help but defend himself, which they only think is even more hilarious.

At this point Mike is only surprised it hasn’t turned physical yet.

And all throughout it, Louis watches. The associates often stop when he is around, because they don’t want to seem childish. However, Mike has seen Louis in the background when they’re shitting on him, always that shitty, vile smile on his face.

He doesn’t know if he hates the associates’ sad attempt to gain his favor or the fact that it is working more.

The only nice thing of the associates is that they can’t push more work on him without doing something in turn, because they’ll be responsible in the end and Mike can just not do it. With Louis he doesn’t have that luxury and the man delights in piling more work on him than should be possible, just to see if he can do it or will crumble.

So far he hasn’t crumbled yet and he is not planning on it.

Mike, therefore, finds himself at midnight still in the offices, accompanied by a single light as his eyes burn, the letters nearly blurring before him. This is not the first night this week he has spend like this and he’s sure the physical toll on his body this has will catch up with him at some point, but he isn’t there yet, so he stubbornly works on.

He finally throws it on Louis’ desk at 1:00 AM, going home to wake up four hours later and to do it all again.

When he accompanies Harvey to a meeting the man sends him a questioning and – dare he say it – concerned look. Mike attempts to ignore it and Harvey seems to let it go. It is something Mike is grateful for it, but it doesn’t take long when he falls asleep in the car on the way back.

“Are you okay?” Harvey asks when Mike finally wakes up after it took an embarrassingly long time to hear his name from the land of slumber.

“Yeah,” Mike sighs, knowing he isn’t very convincing.

Harvey levels him a look and in a warning tone, he says: “Mike.”

For a split second Mike considers spilling to Harvey. The man hates Louis enough that he will make a fight out of it, but that’s just what he has been trying to avoid. He can deal with Louis by himself, he doesn’t need the help.

He just returns the look and says: “Harvey,” in the same tone.

Harvey sighs and rolls his eyes. “Don’t get smart with me. What’s going on with you?”

“Just a lot of work,” Mike shrugs. “Had to stay late yesterday.”

“I don’t have that many cases right now,” Harvey frowns.

“And you are also not the only employee at Pearson Hardman,” Mike points out, cutting off Harvey’s indignant reply before it go form. “Despite what you think I still have work besides yours and I can’t just duck that like you can. I’m a measly associate, remember?”

For a moment Harvey (honest to god) sulks, then says: “Whatever. Tell me if it gets too much or Louis is being a dick. Well, more of a dick then normal.”

“Course,” Mike lies with a smile, stepping off the elevator at his own floor.

“That looked friendly.” He is greeted the moment he steps into the cube farm. “Little father-son bonding. How cozy.”

“Shut up.” Mike is too tired to deal with this right now.

“What is it, Ross?” Kyle, the ringleader, asks. “Getting too much for you? Need to run to daddy for a little kiss to make it better?”

“God, can you seriously stop,” Mike explodes. “I have fucking work to do and no time for this nonsense.”

“Oef, someone is grumpy,” Kyle tuts, then turns to the others with a menacing grin. “Probably missed his afternoon nap,” earning him snickers from the crowd witnessing it.

The urge to throw hands with Kyle is growing with every day, but Mike manages to fight it off today as he makes it way to his chair. He throws himself into it, filled with exhaustion, for once not checking. So, naturally it falls apart under him as he crashes to the floor, making the snickers turn into outright laughter.

Mike feels the urge to cry in his eyes. He is just so exhausted and wants this all to stop. He has done nothing to these people, yet they feel the need to torment him and he’s just so sick of it.

However, he hears their laughter and turns the warring emotions to anger and internalizes it as he repairs his chair again, ignoring the mocking grins. He isn’t going to let them get to him. He’s just not.

And so the weeks carry on again.

Louis is continuing to pile work on Mike, who is slowly cracking and refusing to break. In the hard the moments though, Mike wonders how long he can take the mental strain these hours are putting on him.

Meanwhile, the other associates don’t leave them alone for a moment. At first it was just a few of them, but Kyle has gotten everyone on his side over the months that Mike has worked there.

They continue breaking his stuff, making him scramble not to be late, force him to drag all his stuff around and go on degrading and humiliating him where they can.

Today, started relatively okay. Louis has a giant case, which means everybody is too busy for taking apart furniture and he has mastered keeping his stuff at him, so that isn’t an easy target anymore. On top of that, he is extra on guard after they got his bag while he was in the bathroom yesterday.

So, it’s going pretty well for the morning. He gets through his work for Harvey and his stuff is there when he gets back. Which is a win.

He does have to decline going with Harvey to a meeting, which is a tragedy and – looking back – it is the beginning of the end for that day. He knows that sounds dramatic, but he thinks he’s allowed some annoyed hyperbole.

“The files you asked for,” he says coming in like he is allowed to do that. And he is, which gives him the ego boosts he needs to get through the day, remembering Harvey’s disgusted look and how Kyle shrunk back when the other associate tried to talk to the man in the hallways. Especially since he then turned back to Mike to finish their conversation about Rocky.

“Ah, great,” Harvey takes them. “Took you long enough. Come on. The meeting is in an hour, so I have time to catch you up.”

Mike stops, hesitates, then tentatively asks: “Am I necessary at the meeting?”

“What?” Harvey practically laughs disbelievingly.

“Uhm, yeah, there is this bank case and finance is drowning,” Mike tries to avoid mentioning Louis, though that is pretty hard. “Every associate has been put on it. I still have piles on my desk and I really need all the time I can get.” What he doesn’t say is that his pile is nearly twice as big as all the others.

“It’s Louis, isn’t it.” Of course Harvey picked up on that. “He’s an asshole.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Mike jokes, hoping it will buy him enough good graces.

“I don’t know why you still do his work,” Harvey says idly. “You work for me, he knows that. He is just doing it to piss me off, I swear.”

No shit, Mike thinks, but all he says is: “He is also my boss according to the bylaws, Harvey. Just because you’ve never read them, doesn’t mean it’s not there. And Lemmin Inc. is a well paying client.”

“Tsk, I don’t need to read the bylaws, I wrote them. And Lemmin Inc. is as dirty as they come, I don’t know why Louis keeps them on.”

“Then it’s your own fault I’m stuck doing Louis’ work,” Mike scores a point in their verbal sparring. “Besides, I’m too far down the ladder to comment on clients, take it up with Jessica if you’re truly bothered.”

Harvey gives him a look, then grins and shakes his head. “You’re annoying. Now, go. Do your work. I can live without you if you really think Louis’ work is so important.

Mike manages to hide the sigh of relief as he says his goodbye and leaves the office. Once outside he greets Donna again, who suddenly stops him. “Mike?”

“Yeah?” he asks as he turns around questioningly.

“Are you okay?” Donna frowns, concern lacing her brows.

“What, yeah,” Mike semi-lies. He feels exhausted and would rather throw himself out the window then return to work, but that has become normal and overall, today could have been worse. He feels as fine as he has for weeks.

“You look tired,” she says. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

“I am, Donna,” Mike forces a smile onto his face. “Thanks though, but I’m fine. Lot of work right now, but this is just my face.”

“If you’re sure,” Donna doesn’t look convinced as she tells him that, but is mollified enough to let him go.

“Bye, Donna,” Mike waves, then quickly leaves.

He luckily comes back to the aforementioned win with all his stuff in its rightful place and immediately sets to drowning himself in work.

However, the fact that he lied to Donna, doesn’t make it true and the exhaustion is getting to him after all these weeks. So, no matter how hard he tries to focus on the work, to just keep going. He can’t. His eyes close against his will and before he knows it he is waking up after god knows how long asleep.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally decided to join us,” Louis’ voice wakes him.

Mike blinks blearily, trying to recall where he is and what’s going on as slowly all the amused and malicious faces of the associates and Louis come into focus. He blinks again, then groans: “Fuck. I’m sorry. What time is it?”

“3:30,” Louis tell him. So, he’s been asleep for less than twenty minutes. He still feels like he’s been hit by a bus and he has a crick in the neck, but he knows there is nothing except more work waiting for him.

“Sorry,” is all he says as he wipes the sleep from his eyes. “I’ll get right back to it.”

“Clean yourself up first, you look like a mess,” Louis says. Then he drops even more files on his desk. “And finish these. If you have time to sleep, you have time to work.”

Mike truly feels like crying at that point, but he’s too tired to do so and instead he just looks at the work with an empty, defeated stare.

“God, this is sad,” Kyle comments. “I feel like I kicked a puppy, but then a puppy wouldn’t deserve it. Now wash your face and stop dragging everyone down. We’re all busy.”

Before Mike can even begin to find the energy to fight Kyle, he notices that both Louis and Kyle mentioned him cleaning himself up. Looking in the black monitor of his laptop, he sees his own face and immediately wants to disappear even more.

There are doodles all over himself, including a penis and more cliches like that. He sighs, knowing the other associates they have pictures and he is almost impressed how much damage they did in those short minutes.

Defeated, he goes to the bathroom, knowing he can’t miss the time it will take to wash this off and hoping the water will wake him up enough to survive the rest of the day.

By this time Harvey is back and he hopes the other won’t find him like this or go looking for him when he isn’t at his desk, demanding an explanation when he does find him. The panic of Harvey finding out he’s being bullied like some sort of first grader only grows when the ink doesn’t come off with his frantic scrubbing.

He can’t go out looking like this, but he has so much to do. If he isn’t back at his desk soon, it will give Louis more to shit on him about. And he already is close to breaking.

Fuck!

He just wants to yell. To scream and let it all out. He is so done with it all. For a second the thought that he can just walk away crosses his mind and he considers it. Then he pushes it aside. Working with Harvey is still great. The cases are great. He loves this job. It is his dream and he is living it and he is refusing to be bullied away.

Mike is not letting them win.

His reflection nods determinedly back at himself. They’re not getting him today, on that his mind is made up. Now, he just has to guess who is more likely to carry make-up wipes with them, Donna or Rachel.

The moment he thinks it, the obvious answer of Donna is presented to him, he just didn’t want to face it yet, because this will probably get back to Harvey if he calls on Donna.

With a sigh he inspects his face again. He has to pick between his ego when Harvey finds out or not finishing his work. It’s not really a choice and he is glad he always takes all his stuff with him, because he has his phone on him and can call her.

“Hello? Why are you calling me, Mike?” Donna picks up confused.

“Can I ask you something and you not tell Harvey about it?” Mike starts, deciding it’s at least worth a try. Donna likes him, she might keep this secret.

“What?” Donna replies. Before she gets over the statement and says: “Depends on what you’re asking.”

That is more than he hoped for, so he keeps his fingers crossed and hopes for the best: “Can you bring makeup wipes to the bathroom near the cube farm?”

There is a silence for a moment, then Donna says: “Why do you think I have one?”

“Do- Do you not?” Mike asks, not seeing that coming. He was so confident in his guess too.

“No, I do,” Donna flippantly says. “Just wondering why you would assume.”

“You’re Donna,” Mike shrugs, the simple answer feeling like enough.

“Well, you are right about that.” Donna sounds flattered. Then her voice changes to something more serious as she asks: “Why do you need one?”

And now comes the difficult part, because he doesn’t want to worry Donna more (she obviously was already) and he doesn’t want Harvey to know. So, he is going to have to try to bring this in a way that undersells the whole thing, while also convincing Donna he needs the wipe.

“I have ink on my face and it’s not coming off,” Mike offers, going with something as vague as possible. “I once read makeup wipes help.”

“Ink?” Donna repeats.

“Yeah, it’s embarrassing enough as is,” and that isn’t even a lie. “Just come give me a wipe.”

“Alright,” Donna says, before there is a click as she hangs up on him.

In the time he waits, he tries scrubbing some more, hoping that the dick and the mustache will be gone by the time Donna comes. Though he is mostly scrubbing the ‘baby,’ as they have branded him on his forehead.

No such luck.

Donna comes bursting in and the ink is still as clearly legible as it was before. He startles as she does, having hoped she would knock and he could take the wipe without her seeing. He should have known she wouldn’t care about this being the men’s room.

At the sight of him, she stops. Her mouth widens a bit in shock and she takes a moment to collect herself. “When you said ink, I was imagining a few splotches. Not… this,” she says after a moment.

“I know,” Mike says. “That was the point.”

“What happened?” she asks.

“Nothing. Can I just have the wipe now,” Mike replies, hoping it will be enough.

“That doesn’t look like nothing.” But of course it isn’t. She steps forwards, still withholding the wipe as she inspects him. “Who did this?”

“It’s just a bit of hazing,” Mike says, not meeting her eyes. “You know how it is. It’s nothing, just a bit of mucking around.”

Donna raises an eyebrow that tells him, she doesn’t believe a word he is saying, so he just resorts to pleading: “Just give me the wipe, Donna. Please.”

Mike is clearly looking pathetic enough, because Donna’s face softens. She doesn’t give him the wipe, however, instead taking his chin in one hand and wiping his face with the other.

He is about to protest the treatment, when his mother doing this flashes through his mind. He knows that that should make him push her away even more, but he can’t bring himself to do so. The last weeks have just been so shitty that this sudden comfort soothes him and he can’t force himself to back away.

So, he just stands in that bathroom, unable to meet Donna’s eyes as she cleans his face from the vandalism that was done to him.

A part of him knows that if he tells Donna, she’ll crush Louis and this will be over. However, he also knows he can’t do that, because this is still a power game. He needs to prove himself to these people somehow, needs to show them that he is better, that he can endure.

If he tells Donna or Harvey and they go to fix it, it will only get worse. Then he is a snitch, who tattled, a pussy who couldn’t take it. A crybaby, who told mommy and daddy.

God, he hates how they get to him, but they do. And he can’t do a thing but struggle on, because none of them will get fired for this. He is a lowly associate and this isn’t big enough. They all have money and influence backing them, the worst they’ll get is a talking to, after which the bullying will just pick up again a few weeks later. Only worse.

“There, that’s better,” Donna’s satisfied voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

He looks in the mirror and all the ink is gone now. He also feels less like his muscles are all one knot and he readies himself to face the other again.

“Look,” Donna gets his attention again, “I know you said not to tell Harvey, but this is serious, Mike. I have to tell him. Or you do.”

“No, Donna, don’t,” Mike says, hating that he is going to lie to her. “It’s just a one off. Louis has been putting everyone through hell with the Lemmin Inc. case, they needed to blow some steam and I was just the first to fall asleep at my desk. If it was anyone else, they would have gotten the same treatment.”

“And you have all your stuff with you, because…” Donna questions, ever so observant. A skill Mike admires, but now curses.

“Oh, uhm, in case I had something to help this, turns out I don’t,” Mike smiles awkwardly and he can just see the disappointment in Donna’s face as she sees how he lies and then how she chooses to let it go.

“Alright, I won’t tell,” she gives in and he can feel the disappointment crush his chest. “But you tell me when it gets worse.”

“I will.” The lie feels bitter in his mouth.

She leaves the bathroom and he takes a moment to breathe, before going out there. The associates jeer insults at him but they don’t register. Mike is shutting everything out and working. He sees that the piles are bigger, but just doesn’t care anymore. He stays until 3:00 AM and sleeps in the file room, too tired to go home.

After that, he builds a new routine, trying to ensure Donna doesn’t get a reason to tell Harvey a thing. He still works hard, but hides out in Rachel’s office when the others get bad or when he can feel his lids start to close without his permission.

Louis asks where he has been and gives him more work when he tells him he was out with Harvey to work and prays that Harvey will like tormenting Louis enough to lie when the other complains about it to him.

Rachel, of course, is getting more worried, but he can deal with Rachel. Rachel doesn’t make him feel like he will drown in guilt whenever he does something to worry her or lies. She is his friend, not someone to impress or please.

Not like Harvey and Donna.

So, when she worriedly says: “You should say something to Harvey, or Donna at least,” he rolls his eyes. “I’m serious, Mike. This is the third time this week you’ve hidden out here. Half the stuff on my desk is yours. You can’t go on like this.”

“It’s not that bad,” he waves her concerns away.

“Mike, it’s Wednesday,” she points out, her voice all compassion and concern.

“I’m not going to Harvey or Donna like some tattletale,” he tells her.

“Why not?”

“Because that’s only ammunition, Rachel. I’m serious about this too.”

“They can help,” Rachel argues.

“They will make it worse,” Mike exclaims. “God, it’s like you’ve never been bullied before.” That shuts her up, even if it was more than Mike was willing to say. Still, he doesn’t let the opportunity pass. “Everyone knows that telling makes it worse.”

“You were bullied?” Rachel asks, voice small.

Fuck, Mike doesn’t need this. “Yes, Rachel. I was a smart-mouthed, small for my age, genius, know it all, who had skipped a few grades. Of course, I was bullied. And I was fine. This is fine. I can deal with it.”

“That’s terrible,” Rachel says.

“Nah,” Mike waves her away again. “Let me tell you, these guys are a lot less creative than middle schoolers. Now, those twelve-year-olds are ruthless.”

Rachel laughs like she’s offended he made her laugh. She swats him and says: “This isn’t funny, Mike!” and he knows he has her. “But fine. I won’t tell. Yet.”

“Thank you, Rachel,” he says sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” Rachel smiles. “Now, I’m getting coffee. Wanna come?”

“Oh fuck yeah.”

However, he can’t hide out in Rachel’s office forever and the taunting is worse than ever. They have now taken to tripping him up when he passes, hissing insults to him as he goes and throwing stuff at his head.

In short, life in the cube farm is miserable.

It all tips over the edge a few months into his torment. The associates have become great at keeping it out of sight of higher ups, but Harvey has always been a wild card and in hindsight Mike should have known it was only a matter of time, before the man found out.

Mike is working on paperwork for Harvey. Today hasn’t been the most terrible. There were thumbtacks all over his desk when he got there, but he only stung himself twice while cleaning them up and now he has free thumbtacks! So, honestly, who’s the real winner?

Beside that he actually went home at ten last night and got decent sleep. And he saw the trip on time and deftly sidestepped it.

Maybe it’s the frustration of not getting to him sooner that makes Kyle snap viciously without looking out properly. Maybe he’s just getting confident and sloppy.

Whatever the reason, when Mike gets up to get pen, which a passing associate has slapped out of his hands moments before, he trips him up. As Mike grasps at the air around him in an effort to catch himself, he snorts and watches Mike hit the desk on the way to the ground. Hard.

For a moment, Mike just sits there on his hands and knees. His eye is throbbing and he is probably going to have a black eye later. Joy. How the fuck is he hiding that from Harvey?

It hasn’t turned this physical before and he doesn’t know what to do now. So, he just takes a deep breath. He doesn’t know if he is stopping himself from crying or yelling or just snapping. But whatever it is, he manages.

Kyle, however, takes the moment to say: “God, you’re fucking pathetic. Don’t you just hate your own reflection? Can you even look at yourself in the mirror, knowing you’re a little cry baby who needs mommy and daddy to make it better? To protect you?”

Mike looks up, opening his mouth to retort when Kyle dumps the coffee he is drinking on him with a cruel grin.

“Did the baby have an accident?” he asks condescendingly as Mike watches in horror as Harvey appears behind Kyle like a shadow or vengeful demon looming. To make matters worse he feels a single tear slip over his face, the seal breaking after months of this.

Afterwards, Mike isn’t sure if the sudden hush tipped Kyle off to the fact that something was wrong or Mike’s expression, which is something between glee, shame, horror and fear. Whatever it is, Kyle notices and turns, swallowing heavily when he meets Harvey’s angry eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Harvey asks menacingly.

And Mike, does what his moronic self always does. Instead of taking this opportunity to have this done with (it’s not tattling if someone catches you), he tries to hide, wiping away the tear as he diffuses. “It was nothing, Harvey. Just stupid hazing stuff. It happens, you know that. You’ve been an associate, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been associate,” Harvey answers and somehow it doesn’t sound like an agreement. “We did some pranks. This right here, this is battery. Do you know what battery means, Mr. …?”

“Durant,” Kyle offers, fear warping his voice.

“Right, Mr. I Don’t Care,” Harvey says. “Battery. Know it? Or are you that bad of a lawyer?”

“Hurting someone,” Kyle manages.

“Hurting someone,” Harvey repeats in a condescending manner. “Mike, can I please have the definition of battery.”

Mike tries not to feel like a schoolboy as he rattles off: “Battery is the unlawful application of physical force to another. At common law, it is defined as an intentional unpermitted act causing harmful or offensive contact with the person of another,” from his place on the floor.

“Thank you, Mike,” Harvey says, turning back to Kyle with scorn as Mike quickly scrambles up from the floor, unsure of what he is going to do.

“Mr. Specter, I-” Kyle attempts to speak.

“No,” Harvey cuts him off forcefully. “You don’t get to speak. I just watched you commit a physical act of violence, a crime even, in our prestigious law firm. You’re done talking and instead you are going to listen and answer questions if I so wish to ask them. Clear?”

Kyle nods, terrified.

“Come on, Harvey,” Mike tries. The whole thing is turning into a spectacle and that is the last thing he needs with the coffee still cooling and soaking into one of his good suits.

“You are also shutting up,” Harvey says, pointing an accusing finger at him along with a glare that makes Mike’s jaw click together. He already feels like the biggest looser on the planet, he is not giving Harvey a reason to also ream him about something in front of everyone.

Harvey turns back to Kyle. “Now. I don’t know you and I don’t have to, because you are so unimportant that if you even spoke to me before, I would have erased you, before you stopped talking. And if I’m honest, I couldn’t care less whatever all you associates do to each other in your little rat hole.”

He crosses his arms and looks down on Kyle, who is still sitting like he’s on death row. “However, when I decided not to care about the insignificant doings of the cube farm, I thought that you would at least be adults. Not little school boys, who have never heard of the words ‘human decency,’ ‘respect’ and ‘the law.’ Especially that last one. Yet somehow, you apparently haven’t heard of any of them.”

“We at Pearson Hardman shape the next generation of corporate lawyers,” Harvey goes on. “We don’t waste time on children, who feel the need to mend to fragile egos by shitting on others. And we expect them to represent the firm in everything they do. This here, is not what Pearson Hardman stands for. We have class. We have respect. And most importantly, we know better.”

Mike can’t believe he is watching Harvey do an ‘I’m disappointed’-routine, reigning in the anger, but here he is.

Then it hits him that Harvey is defending him and he doesn’t know what to do with that either. On one hand, this is highly embarrassing and will likely come back for him. But on the other had, if anyone is scary enough to make everyone back off, it is Harvey and the protectiveness makes Mike feel warm inside, a feeling he faintly remembers from his youth.

Torn, all he does is stand by and watch with the others, for once not the one being watched.

“Now, I am going to give you the opportunity to explain to me what the hell you thought you were doing,” Harvey tells Kyle.

“Well, uhm, you see,” Kyle immediately starts to stumble, trying desperately to save himself. “We- Mike- It’s all just a misunderstanding.”

Harvey raises a brow that tells everyone he doesn’t believe a word of the absolute horseshit Kyle is attempting to serve him.

“It wasn’t meant to be that serious,” Kyle switches tactics. “We were just messing around. Mike hasn’t complained or anything. I would have stopped if he said so, he just never did.” And Mike can barely believe what he is hearing. Kyle would have stopped? Yeah, right, and Mike is the queen of England.

“I somehow find that hard to believe.” Harvey’s bullshit meter is too good for this, though maybe it’s Mike’s disbelieving look that he can’t keep off his face.

Before Kyle can make his own grave deeper, he is saved by the unlikeliest of heroes – if you want to call this heroic that is. Louis.

“What’s going on out here?” He walks in, not yet noticing Harvey, but pouncing on Mike. “Ross, what the hell is this. We have an image to maintain and this is not it. Go get changed and start your goddamn paperwork. Not everyone can wait for you to catch up.”

“Louis,” Harvey’s voice is practically venom as he speaks the name as if it is a curse.

“Harvey?” Louis sounds surprise and a bit caught of guard. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to discuss something with my associate, only to find him getting attacked by your little minions,” Harvey informs Louis coldly.

“Attacked?” Louis sounds disbelieving. “That is a little dramatic, now isn’t it, Harvey. I get that you and Mike are these bosom buddies and everything, but he doesn’t need your hand over his head for every little thing.”

“Are you serious right now, Louis?” Harvey yells, the anger he’s been suppressing starting to bubble as the associate watch the battle unfold with fascinated horror. “He was pouring hot coffee on the kid when I got here.”

“I’m sure it was just a joke,” Louis says. “Besides, it might encourage him to do his work instead of slacking off. I know, he isn’t out with you the whole time, I’ve seen him in Rachel’s office.”

“Mike has always done his paperwork on time,” Harvey replies. “He works hard enough. Just because you can’t, doesn’t mean others can’t either.”

“Tsk,” Louis rolls his eyes. “He might do yours on time, but everything else. Forget it.”

Harvey frowns at that and Mike is suddenly remembered as their gazes fall on him, his shirt now beyond saving and uncomfortably damp. He would use moist there, but he has been through enough for today.

Though the torture is not done as Harvey asks: “What do you still need to do then?”

“I- uhm,” Mike starts out strong (not), before getting used to not slowly disappearing in the background. “I have to do the briefs for the McKernon Motors case and I’m finishing up the paperwork for the construction merger we worked on. Then I have to check the bank statements for the buy out of that CFO of JPMorgan Chase. And the files from Truman case have come in, so I need to go through those. After that I was planning on trying to get a head start on my deadlines for tomorrow, which are-”

“Jesus, kid,” Harvey cuts him off. “You can’t do all of that by yourself.”

Mike just shrugs helplessly. He knows that, but he has been trying to do this type of workload for months, if he is honest, so he doesn’t even think about it anymore. “I’m working overtime?” he adds finally.

“When’s the last time you went home before nine?” Harvey asks, his anger melting into concern.

“Uhm…” The fact that Mike has to think about that says a lot about the situation and Louis sees what is happening, so jumps in: “It’s been a busy few weeks, Harvey. You would know that if you didn’t come flouncing in whenever you wanted to. All the associates are busy.”

Harvey looks around to the pitifully small stacks of work on the desks of the other associates, before turning back slowly to Louis.

He takes a menacing step forwards and Louis automatically takes one backwards. When he is closer, he hisses: “You have purposefully overworking Mike for your own amusement and I don’t think I’m wrong to say that you’ve stood idly by as your little army of slick, stuck up, slimy associates make his life hell. I always thought you were a scumbag, Louis, but this is low, even for you. And if you don’t get out, right now, I will kick your ass.”

Louis swallows thickly and starts to step back. Before he leaves, he throws to Harvey: “I’m going to Jessica about this. You just threatened me.”

“Good, tell here I’ll be there with battery and assault charges,” Harvey yells back angrily. Then he turns back to Kyle, who pales, having thought he’d been forgotten. “And you. You little bastard. I will come back for you and you will confess all the shit you did and then I will make sure that being fired almost seems like the best thing that happened to you. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Kyle squeaks.

“All of you,” he turns to the rest of the room, who have been silent spectators so far. “I will find you, if you did anything. But for now. Take Mike’s work. Start pulling your own weight and damn the person I catch slacking.”

It’s quiet for a second and no one moves. Then Harvey roars: “Move!” All jump and, surprising everyone, it is Harold who moves first, taking a pile from the desk, before scurrying back.

Harvey doesn’t wait for the others instead turning to Mike and ordering: “You. My office. Now. And bring a clean shirt.”

Then he turns and walks, Mike scrambling after him, a pit forming in his stomach. Now it is time for the other shoe to drop. Harvey thinks he is pathetic and had to stand up for him, because Mike couldn’t even handle a bit of teasing and some extra work. He is going to yell at Mike and Mike is pretty sure that will be the thing that finally breaks him.

Still, he can’t do anything but follow Harvey. Anything is better than staying in that horrid room.

Throughout the elevator ride and brisk walk to his office, Harvey is as stoic and silent as a rock. At first Mike tries to make eye contact, attempts to get a grip on what he is thinking, but no such luck, so he just gives up and anxiously buries his hands in the fabric of his clean shirt as he ignores the looks he gets when they pass people.

It’s only when they get there that someone breaks the silence. It’s Donna, who spots them and is out her seat in no time, cupping Mike’s cheek as she gently asks: “What happened to you, sweetheart?”

Mike in turn just swallows, knowing that if he tries to speak, he will start crying instead and that would be too humiliating.

Luckily he doesn’t have to, because Harvey’s voice comes from besides him. It is laced with anger and Mike can’t look at him, fearing the anger aimed at him as Harvey answers: “They tripped him up and threw hot coffee on him.”

“What!” Donna exclaims, her face too contorting into fury. “You told me you would come to me if it got worse!”

“You knew about this?” Harvey asks, torn between betrayal and anger.

“They drew on his face a few weeks ago,” Donna tells Harvey and Mike wants to disappear as they discuss his failings. “I gave him a makeup wipe. He said it was just joking and nothing bad, nothing that happened often. And made me promise not to tell you.”

“Mike!” Harvey says angrily, turning to Mike, who shrinks into himself, unable to help himself despite knowing how truly pitiful he must look.

“Sorry,” he whispers, hating how he can’t manage more than that, another tear escaping his eye and sliding over his cheek.

Both their faces soften at his display and he is confused as Donna puts a kind hand on his arm and starts to lead him into Harvey’s office. Se says: “It’s okay, sweetheart. We know you didn’t mean it.”

Mike doesn’t even know what she is talking about exactly, but he just nods, glad she isn’t mad at him anymore. It is even more difficult to stem the tears, so he focuses on that as she pushes him onto the couch.

In the background, he hears her tell Harvey to get an ice pack for his eye. Then she sits next to him, untangling the shirt from his hands. It’s all crinkled and looks at it sadly.

He knows it’s stupid and that he’s been fine dealing with this for months, but it is all just crashing down right now. The exhaustion, the constant vigilance, the taunts, the work. It’s just too much and all Mike wants to do is curl into a ball and cry, hoping that will make it all disappear.

However, he knows it won’t and he doesn’t want to make more a fool of himself than he has already done.

At that point he becomes aware that Donna is talking to him. “…know you don’t want to talk, but we’re here for you. Those guys are assholes and Harvey will make sure they get what’s coming to them. We should have seen sooner. I’m sorry.”

What? Donna is sorry?

“Why?” he asks, proud his voice keeps steady.

“Why what, sweetheart?” Donna asks and Mike pretends the petname she has apparently assigned him doesn’t feel like a hug.

“Why are you sorry?” he asks in turn, the confusion having knocked the tears away. “I’m the one who was too stupid to handle a few dicks.”

“No, Mike,” Donna sounds so sad and hugs him. “It’s not your fault, you idiot. We’re mad, because you shouldn’t have had to deal with it. It wasn’t okay what those guys did and we should have noticed earlier.”

Mike works through those words, now realizing the anger has always been on his behalf. Harvey and Donna aren’t mad at him. He’s okay. At the realization he manages a smile and there is a relief that today isn’t going to be the day he breaks down in the office.

Donna encourages him to change into the new shirt, putting his old one to the side as she promises to see what she can do.

At that moment, Harvey returns with the ice pack and sits on the armrest next to Mike, gently tipping his head backwards and placing the ice pack on his eye. Mike tries to take it from him, but he is batted away. Gently Harvey asks: “How long has that been going on, kid?”

And suddenly the tears don’t seem so far away again. He blinks a few times and swallows, before shrugging: “Since I started, really. But it’s only gotten this bad the last two- three months. It’s stupid, I know, I should have dealt with it. Sorry.”

Harvey’s face tightens at his words and he feels guilty, remembering what Donna said. But Harvey doesn’t reply to that, instead lets it go in favor of asking: “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Everyone knows tattling does nothing,” Mike tells him, remembering the conversation with Rachel that now seems so long ago.

“Depends on who you tattle to,” Harvey says. “Who taught you that bullshit. You reach out when someone is harassing you.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Mike defends. “I’m used to it. I’ve had worse.”

“How could you have worse?” Harvey wonders, sounding like it hurts.

“I was an angry little kid, who skipped a few grades and was smarter then everyone and unafraid to tell them,” Mike deadpans. “I have been picked on for my entire life, Harvey. This is like that. At least they didn’t steal my clothes after gym and made me walk through the school looking for them in just my underwear.”

“God, Mike,” Harvey sighs sadly. “You could have told me.”

Mike shrugs: “It was fine. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be used to this,” Harvey informs him and his face must show what a revelation that is, because Mike watches Harvey’s heart break as he breathes: “Dammit, kid. You’re going to be the fucking death of me.”

Suddenly it hits Mike how much Harvey cares. The man never says it, but shows it and right now he realizes that Mike needs to hear and does so in his own way.

And apparently that is enough for Mike to break fully down. The tears he’s been fighting for so long falling, as he starts to heave sobs into Harvey’s side. Donna appearing behind him and hugging him as well as he cries.

It’s a cathartic moment, almost spiritual, if Mike allows himself to be dramatic.

In minutes he lets it all out. All the stress, loneliness and every other shitty feeling that has been haunting him for months pouring out, the burden being lightened by Donna and Harvey, who just hold him. Donna whispering that he is going to be okay and for once, he believes her.

His head feels stuffy, but there is a contentment in his chess as he confesses: “They kept making this fucking mommy and daddy taunts. I hated them.”

He sniffles and Harvey cards a hand through his hair, the other still holding the ice pack as Donna makes an encouraging noise, holding him a bit tighter.

“They were trying to call me a baby and that you were my parents, protecting me or whatever,” he continues. “But it just sucks, because I’ve never had that, because my parents fucking died. And I wasn’t gonna tell them that, because they’d only use it, but it- it just hurt.”

“I’m going to kill them,” Harvey sneers and Donna admonishes: “Later. Now hold the ice pack, Harvey.”

“And Louis kept piling work on and I should be able to do it at first, but he just kept going and going and none of the others helped,” Mike says, now just on a roll as he hides behind the tears as to not focus too much on how much he is telling them.

“Fuck, I haven’t been home before midnight in weeks,” he sobs. “It’s just so, so much and I’m so tired, but sleeping was dangerous. They always get you in your sleep. And I tried hiding by working in Rachel’s office, but I couldn’t stay there forever.”

Then he devolves back into crying blubbering that doesn’t make sense.

He desperately wants to stop the tears. He is crying like a child and he hates it, but he isn’t in control anymore, the exhaustion has taken over now. He can only sob, taking shallow breaths that don’t help as he feels his face get redder and redder as it is coated in tears and snot, knowing he looks a mess.

Neither Donna nor Harvey let go though, even as Mike stains what is likely a ten thousand dollar suit jacket.

In the end, he gives in. The tears are caking his eyes shut and it hurts to open them, so he stops trying. And before he knows it, the exhaustion has caught up with him and pulls him under.

When he wakes up, he’s surprised to find his head in someone’s lap and he shoots up, fearing the worst, until he remembers everything that happened. He flushes bright red as he rubs the much from all the crying out of his eyes, wincing when he hits the black eye he had forgotten about.

He blinks, frowning, then comments: “It’s getting dark.”

“Yeah, you’ve been sleeping for a few hours,” Donna’s amused voice tells him. She had been the lap, he gathers.

“What!” he yells, panicking. “I- I have so much work to do, why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because you needed rest. You were on the edge of collapsing, kid,” Harvey says and when he whips to the sound, he is faces with Harvey looking immaculate sans suit jacket, Jessica besides him.

Mike swallows at Jessica, fear in his eyes. He gapes for a moment, then says: “I- I am so sorry for sleeping during work hours, Ms. Pearson.”

“It’s okay. I have gathered you needed it,” she replies, sounding amused. “And Jessica is fine.”

“Oh, uhm, thank you, Jessica,” Mike nods uncertainly.

“I am actually here to apologize to you on behalf of Pearson Hardman,” she knocks him more off balance with that comment.

“What?” he says dumbly. “Why?”

“While you slept, I have been informed of what happened and Harvey and I investigated the matter,” she informs him. “In this time I have been made aware of the horrible conditions you’ve been working in at the hands of Louis, Kyle Durant and some of the other associates. For that I am sorry.”

“Ah, it’s okay,” Mike says awkwardly.

Jessica isn’t done talking, however. “No one was talking about who else was involved, if you want to shed light on that you are more than welcome to. However, you’ll be pleased to know that Mr. Durant has been fired and Louis has been talked to and told to stop. He’s not allowed to give you work for the next four months. If you wish to press charges that is up to you, but we hope to keep this internal and under the wraps.”

Mike absorbs what he’s been told, hardly believing it. “Wow,” he comments, after a moment. “That- that is a lot. Thank you. I think I’m good. Kyle was the ringleader, the other just didn’t want to piss off Louis and I can’t blame them. I saw what he can do.”

“That is good to hear,” Jessica smiles in her own mysterious way. “I’ll leave you to it then. You know where my office is if this starts again. You have tomorrow off. Rest.”

Then she leaves and Mike stares at the place she was just in like he thinks she was but a figment of his imagination.

“I hate that it is smarter to not press charges,” Harvey mopes, making everything real. The nightmare is over.

Mike is too happy about it to think of pressing charges. It will only bring him under scrutiny anyway, something they’re trying to avoid. So, he just shakes his head and jokes: “I’m sure you can think of other ways to ruin his career.”

When he sees a glint in Harvey’s eyes, he realizes his mistake and quickly says: “Don’t.”

“Too late,” Harvey grins.

And Mike turns to Donna for support, but she just shrugs: “I think we’re too late.”

“Donna!”

“What?” she plays innocent badly on purpose. “You really want him at another firm to find a new victim, Mike?”

He is silent for a moment, then grumbles: “I hate it when you’re right.”

“You must hate often then,” she smiles, before getting up. “Come on,” she says, getting up. “I bet Harvey’s guest bedroom is much better than your own bed and my choice in take out is definitely better than yours.”

“What?” Mike can put the pieces together, they just don’t make sense.

“We’re keeping an eye on you,” Harvey explains. “Since you obviously can’t be left to your own devices.”

“Shut up, Harvey,” Donna elbows him, before telling Mike: “He’s saying we care and we want to make sure you’re okay. So, you’re sleeping over at Harvey’s and I’m making sure you eat some actual food, instead of whatever you found in these offices.”

“Oh,” is all Mike is able to say, a bit overwhelmed.

On some level, he knew they cared, but he always thought that he clung to them and they wouldn’t care for him like he did for him. However, Harvey is full of surprises and Donna forever is an enigma. It’s strange to have people care like that, but it’s also nice.

Mike feels like he can get used to this. To having a family again.

He gets up from the couch and bounces over to them, taking his jacket from Donna and giving an ignored protest when Harvey carries his bag. The banter feels nice and he lets a smile creep over his face.

It won’t all be easy and it will take a while, before Mike feels comfortable in the cube farm or near Louis by himself. But Harvey is always there to offer a spot in his office and Donna is never afraid to be his backup when Louis in involved.

Together the three of them make it work. And if Harvey comes by more often to check on him and Donna orders too much food by ‘accident’ more often that is no one’s business except their own (and Mike’s, who sees through them, but enjoys the attention too much to comment).

They’re going to be okay.

He is going to be okay.

A/N:

I feel like this is what I was trying to do in ‘No One Puts Baby in the Corner’ but I was trying to focus too much on the age storyline for the bullying part to shine.

Also, you cannot tell me Mike doesn’t have mommy and daddy issues, like my mans is broken.

BTW, can we talk about how I wrote this in one day? I’m very fucking proud of that lmao, granted I went to bed at 1:00 AM, but still…

@liar-or-lawyer since you asked to be tagged

#RR writing #tw: bullying #suits tv show #suits fanfic #suits tv #suits #harvey and mike #mike ross #donna paulsen #donna and mike #louis litt #jessica pearson #rachel zane #request #kyle durant #the associates #pearson hardman associates

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