Chapter Text
“Donna, come in here for a second,” Harvey commanded. Donna could tell by the sound of his voice something was up. Something important.
“What’s going on?”
“I need your advice.”
Donna sighed in relief. Finally. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Where to even start? Harvey rarely asked for her advice, and even if that had never stopped her from imparting her wisdom to him, this chance was too good to waste it.
“I’m so glad you asked. No, brown is not your color, and that tan suit really isn’t doing anything for you.”
Harvey just looked at her blankly, giving her his signature glare that she had seen so many times over the last couple of years. “You done?”
“You want me to keep going?” Donna grinned. It was too easy sometimes. Not that Harvey would ever actually take any comments on his appearance to heart, he was too self-assured for that.
He rolled his eyes but carried on opening his desk drawer, producing a little jewelry box. Donna’s eyes widened. Unless it was time for an early bonus and Harvey had for once gone shopping for her himself, there was just one thing this could be.
A little smile crept up on her face; it was about damn time. She had been planning this for years.
Harvey exaggeratedly checked the hallway was clear and Donna took the hint to come a little closer; only then he opened the box, revealing a classic silver ring, a thin line of sapphires in the middle going all the way around it, just a little darker than the blue of Mike’s eyes. It was absolutely stunning.
“Oh, wow,” Donna exclaimed, leaning over the desk to have a better look. “That is beautiful, Harvey. I’m afraid I have to decline though. I only love you like a brother.”
Harvey huffed, closing the box gently.
“Funny. You think he’ll like it?”
“Are you kidding, he will love it! I mean, you could literally get one of those one-dollar plastic toy rings and he’d still be swooning and would wear it like it’s the crown jewels, but yes, this is more than adequate,” Donna smiled.
She wished she was kidding, but deep down, she had no doubt that it was true. There was no way Mike would ever say no to marrying Harvey, regardless of what ring he would be presented with.
“Good,” Harvey hummed, sounding a little less tense. Hard to imagine that he was actually feeling nervous about this. Even if it was a big step, he was still Harvey Specter.
“How did you know his ring size?” Donna asked curiously.
“I measured his finger when he was sleeping,” he said like it was obvious, the implied ‘duh’ reverbing strongly in his tone. Sure, totally a normal thing to do then. How silly of her to ask.
“So. When are you going to pop the question? What’s your plan?” she carried on, sitting down on the chair opposite Harvey.
“That’s just it. How do you think I should do it?”
Harvey hid the box back in the drawer before anyone else would see it, suspiciously checking the hallway again with his eyes. Paranoia was a surprisingly fun look on him.
It was a big question though. Again, she had no doubt Mike would always say yes no matter how he did it, but she knew Harvey better than that. Anything just didn’t cut it; he’d want to do the best thing possible.
“I don’t know. Fly him to Paris. Or get tickets to Hamilton, should cost about the same,” Donna joked. Sort of. Those were exactly the kind of maximalist things she’d expect Harvey to do, the obvious choice, except that he didn’t look convinced. Why was she a part of this suddenly?
“If I fly him to Paris, he’ll know something is up. Not to mention when I invite him to a Broadway show.”
Oh yeah, that. Harvey’s snobby attitude towards musicals was well documented, even if Mike had a soft spot for theatre and recently developed a bit of an obsession with the show, constantly humming and singing it without even noticing. Harvey’s restrained annoyance about that was hilarious to witness; but either way, he was right, there was no way he could pull it off without Mike asking a few questions.
Not that that mattered anyway. So what if Mike had a hunch beforehand? Their relationship had been going strong for long enough, despite all odds – this really shouldn’t be a surprise either way.
“So what if he does? Harvey, it’s Mike. You could ask him in a dumpster, and he’d still say yes. You could ask him right now and he’d be all over it,” she said genuinely.
“But he deserves better than that. So help me do better.”
There was a rare sincerity, almost vulnerability in Harvey’s eyes; all these years, and she could count on one hand how often she had seen him like this. Fair, this was kind of a big deal, not that she was the authority on good proposals, even if she had been on the receiving end of a few. None that swept her off her feet.
She knew how she would like to be proposed to, but she wasn’t Mike. And Harvey and Mike, they were so very similar, so much on the same wavelength, she had questioned more than once if they shared a brain or established some telepathic connection somewhere along the line… if anyone had the answer, it was Harvey.
“How would you like to be proposed to?” she asked. As expected, Harvey of course didn’t just roll with it. That man and his stubbornness.
“How is that relevant? I am the one proposing.”
“Let’s just pretend for a moment it was the other way around. What would you like? Like a grand gesture or something small and intimate?”
Harvey sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter anyway. I won’t let him beat me to it.”
“Okay, weird that I have to say this, but you know that proposals are not a competition, right?” Donna said. She didn’t even know why she still tried, of course she knew what Harvey’s answer would be.
“Everything is a competition,” he declared. Donna shook her head a little. Typical.
“Come on Harvey, gut feeling. First thing that comes to mind. What would you want?”
“I don’t know…” he swayed his head a little as he considered, before offering: “Small and intimate?”
More a question than a statement, but she could still work with that.
“See, there’s your answer. If you feel comfortable with the setting, he will too. Just plan a nice date, prepare a few words, and he will melt.” She smiled encouragingly, but Harvey still didn’t look convinced. Jesus.
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple. You love him, you want to marry him, so tell him that. It’s been five years and he still hasn’t run away, whatever you’ve been doing so far is clearly working for him. Just keep it up.”
Harvey pursed his lips, clearly still thinking about it. Men. Sometimes she did wonder how he was this successful as a lawyer when in private matters, he could be this unsure of what was right, even after all the time with Mike. Romance might not be his natural habitat, but still. How the hell had he managed to find someone to marry before she did?
He was lucky Donna took pity on him.
“Do you want me to go find out what he wants?” she sighed. Harvey’s face lit up in a way that was almost adorable, even if he narrowed his eyes at her.
“Can you be subtle about it?”
“How dare you,” she said seriously, crossing her arms in front of her chest. After all this time, he still dared questioning her skills like that? Talk about audacity.
Harvey smirked. “Fine. That could work.”
“What would you do without me,” she said contently, getting up to leave. He really owed her once she pulled this off; good thing she had her eye on the new Louis Vuitton bag.
As it turned out, bringing Mike onto the subject of marriage was easier than she had anticipated. Just a few days later, when she could feel Harvey getting more and more impatient, Mike approached her with a happy smile, leaning on her desk as he always did when he wanted something. She only glared at him; she couldn’t very well give her own intentions away too early.
“Hey,” he greeted, making no attempt to keep talking.
“Can I help you?” she asked warily, typing some gibberish on a random document to appear busy.
“Actually, yes. I need your advice on something. About Harvey.”
Jackpot. She suppressed a small smile; time to play her favorite game - getting the information she needed while making the other person think she had done them a favor.
“Aren’t you supposed to be the expert?”
“Well, yes, but it doesn’t hurt to get an outside perspective from someone as smart and observant as you are,” Mike said sweet as honey, and yet so matter-of-factly as if there was no doubt about it.
Smooth as always. Donna knew when people tried to manipulate her, but she couldn’t even pretend that she didn’t enjoy the flattery anyway. Mike knew to lay it on thick with her, not that she was ever not willing to help him.
“What do you need advice on?” she asked calmly, placing her face on her interlaced hands, elbows resting on the desk. Mike looked up at Harvey sitting in his office, considering for a second.
“Actually, I’d rather not do it here… Can I take you out for lunch? Harvey has a meeting, so we have a good excuse to not take him with us.”
She had to hand it to Mike, he certainly was much more of a gentleman about asking for help than Harvey was. Of course, she wouldn’t say no to free lunch with good company, especially not when there was a new restaurant that just opened a few blocks from here that she was dying to try.
“Do I get to choose the restaurant?”
“Sure”
“Great. You’re paying,” she hummed, turning her focus back to the computer in front of her so Mike would get the hint and leave her alone.
“Wouldn’t have it another way,” he muttered under his breath. Only when he had left, she allowed herself a little victorious smile. They did make it easy sometimes.
Mike picked her up just around 2 PM, following her out under a suspicious glare from Harvey, caught in a meeting in a conference room nearby just as Mike had predicted.
“So what is this about?” Donna asked when Mike announced they needed to make a little detour before they went to the restaurant. But he didn’t care to explain, only made some small talk and asked about how things had been going with Steve until they reached a small jewelry shop a few blocks away.
There was only one reason why they needed to make a stop here. She smiled to herself a little. Harvey and Mike really did share a brain, or something happened that made them both consider proposing at the same time. But she put on her best poker face, only followed Mike inside.
“Hi, order for Ross,” he told the clerk, who nodded and ran off to the back, only to return with a little ring box. She loved that she was always right.
The clerk opened the lid, revealing a silver ring with black diamonds; it was similar to the one Harvey had gotten Mike, a little wider perhaps, but just as beautiful. Simple and elegant. Just like Harvey.
“What do you think?” Mike asked, beaming nervously as he looked at Donna. She was tempted to make the same joke and tell him she wasn’t interested but frankly, she was above recycling her wit like that. Not when Mike looked at her with those damned puppy eyes, waiting for some validation.
“I think it’s perfect,” she said instead. Mike nodded at the clerk, who gently closed the box and wrapped it up. What a perfect opportunity for her to follow through with her own mission; she felt like a double agent. It was kind of cute how much they both trusted her to ask for her opinion.
“So you want to pop the big question, huh?” she asked casually.
“Yes. I think it’s time, don’t you? Five years. That’s a good twenty in gay years,” he joked. Yeah, that sounded about right.
“How do you know you should be the one proposing and not Harvey?”
“Why not? I guess I just feel ready, so I should go for it before he does, right? It’s not like anyone better is ever going to come along.”
Again with that tone. Donna rolled her eyes.
“Proposals aren’t a competition,” she reinstated. Mike looked at her with mocking disbelief.
“Aren’t they though?”
Incredible. Well, if they wanted to turn it into a competition, the least Donna could do was level the playing field and set them up for a fair chance, lest she be accused of being biased and helping one side to the win – well, win what exactly? A hopefully happy life together? Bragging rights for having proposed first?
Men. No matter how much time she spent around them, she still couldn’t fully grasp what was going on in their brains sometimes.
“You guys do love weird,” Donna mumbled, earning a confused glance from Mike that she pointedly ignored. When he received the box and stored it safely in his suit jacket and they left the shop to walk to the restaurant, she tried to bring them back on track: “So, how are you going to do it?”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about. I love Harvey, and I just want to get it right, you know? Make sure it’s perfect.”
Donna smiled. These two adorable idiots. “I’m sure he will say yes no matter what you do.”
“Sure, but will he make fun of me for it later?”
“It’s Harvey, he will do that anyway, no matter what you do. Do you have any ideas?”
“A few, ranging from quiet and simple at home to going all out and doing it during a baseball game or something. But if I take him anywhere, Harvey would know something was up the moment I get him tickets… also, on a Venn diagram, sports fans and homophobes have a liiittle too much overlay for comfort, so that’s a no.”
Donna could genuinely not imagine how Harvey would react if Mike actually proposed during a sports game, probably on the big screen for everyone to see too... Part of her was tempted to encourage it just to find out, but Mike did have a point – last thing they should have to deal with was people voicing their disapproval. Or worse.
Good thing she already had some inside information.
“Yeah, maybe you should go with the smaller scale ideas, less big gesture and more… intimate. How would you like to get proposed to?”
Mike paused. “I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, it’s a big deal, right? But it also isn’t, I mean we have been talking about it for a while and nothing will change, except that there is a lot more paperwork when we try to leave each other.”
“You’re a true romantic, aren’t you?” she mumbled sarcastically, smiling at the hostess as they reached the restaurant. It was nice, kind of upscale with a relaxed vibe to it; definitely the kind of place Harvey would enjoy, even if it wasn’t Mike’s usual kind of joint.
Only when they were seated, she picked up where they left off.
“So, back to the important question. What would you want?”
“I don’t know, it wouldn’t need to be anything special, just him and me. That’s all that matters, right?”
“Right. Don’t overthink this, if that’s what you want, then Harvey will love it too.”
“I guess so... I just want to surprise him. But not in the kind of ask him at a weird time just for the sake of surprise way. It should be romantic, but I don’t want him to go in expecting it, you know? I was kind of hoping for your help to set something up so he won’t get suspicious.”
“Okay, well, why don’t you just set it up like a regular date then? A nice romantic restaurant, maybe an evening stroll, say what you feel, and you’re all set.”
“If I voluntarily take Harvey to a fancy restaurant, I might as well just propose to him then and there. He’d be on to me in no time.”
God, same story all over again. These two. The element of surprise was entirely overrated. So what if they knew beforehand? It wouldn’t change anything. But at least this played right into her cards, giving her a shot of pulling the strings so that both of them thought to be in control, and hopefully, they’d be too caught up hiding their own agendas to catch onto the other's.
“So let him choose. If you make him think he is the one planning the evening, he’d never suspect it. Tell him you’re overdue a date night, he’ll take charge as he always does, I’ll steer him in the right direction of some super romantic place and boom, perfect excuse.”
Mike nodded slightly, a smile creeping up on his face, his eyes glowing. “That… that would work. You’re the best, Donna.”
“I know,” she smiled.
She loved it when things worked themselves out. Let them have their competition and see who proposed first.
When they got back to the office, Harvey was already standing in the doorway of his office, eyeing them suspiciously.
“What have you two been up to?” he asked, looking back and forth.
“Oh, nothing. Just had a lunch. We wanted you to join, but you were busy, so,” Mike shrugged. Harvey did not seem convinced or particularly thrilled.
“You’re not conspiring against me, right? Trying to steal my secretary?”
Donna rolled her eyes. She was no one’s property, thank you.
“But babe, I thought we share our family,” Mike said sweetly, smiling innocently. Harvey huffed.
“Yeah, you can have my family, but not Donna”
Okay, enough was enough.
“I know you are trying to be cute, but I don’t appreciate people putting a claim on me,” she interrupted, settling behind her desk.
“Yeah, geez, Harvey. Have you learned nothing?” Mike grinned, pressing a quick kiss on Harvey’s cheek, who already started smiling despite himself. The years really didn’t make them any less subtle, even if she had to admit that was still cute to see them being playful with each other, a side of Harvey she so rarely had seen before.
“I see you later,” Mike then said, smiling as he made his way back towards the bullpen. Before she knew it, Harvey was by her side, looking at her expectantly.
“Have you found something out?” he asked in a hushed voice. Typical Harvey, wasting no time.
Donna rolled her eyes. “Yes, actually.”
“What is it?” he asked eagerly, squatting down next to her. How very not obvious and totally not a thing he just did for the first time that would raise the suspicions of everyone who cared to think about it.
“He said he’d like something private and romantic. So find a beautiful and romantic restaurant, he won’t question it because it’s you, set it up a normal date. You can set the mood and see where it takes you. And if it doesn’t feel right, you can always workshop why and reschedule,” she proposed.
Harvey nodded slowly. “I like that. You sure he didn’t become suspicious or knows something was up?”
“Nope, your cover is intact. But he did say that he you were overdue a date night.”
“Thanks, Donna. What would I do without you?”
Wow, everyone was big on the compliments today, but she took it happily. He could stand to thank her more often, if anything.
“Yeah, remember that when we plan your wedding.”
“Why, are you gunning to be my best man? Or best woman, I should say,” Harvey said. It was clearly a joke, but actually, she kind of liked the idea… Or even better, she could be the officiant even. After all, she had been weirdly involved in their relationship from early on and definitely had a few words to say about them.
“Maybe,” she said entirely seriously, and Harvey huffed a smile before he walked back into the office.
Donna was certainly intrigued to hear how it will go down between them now that the plan was in motion. If she already had created several mood boards and bookmarked a couple of prime wedding destinations in the city, Harvey didn’t need to know that just yet. Her time would come.
***
“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” Mike asked as they crossed Brooklyn Bridge, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Harvey only smiled; Mike would find out soon enough where they were headed.
He hadn’t made the choice of venue for tonight lightly, even if Donna helped a little with narrowing it down.
Ray dropped them off at the front door of the boat, home to one of the finest restaurants there was. But more importantly, the River Café was considered one of the most romantic restaurants not just in the city, but the whole world; nestled on the Hudson under Brooklyn Bridge, it provided the most gorgeous view of the city skyline, all lit up against the reddish twilight sky.
In many ways, it seemed the best of both of their worlds, acknowledging both Mike’s roots in Brooklyn with a view of their shared life in Manhattan.
It was a little poetic if Harvey might say so himself. He only hoped everything would live up to his expectations. A flutter of nervosity went through him, he used all his self-constraint to not fidget or give the specialness of the night away.
They were greeted by a friendly hostess right away, guiding them to a table by the window that Harvey had Donna explicitly request, handing them tonight’s menu options and wine card. Mike hadn’t said a word, there was only an amused smile around his lips that Harvey didn’t know how to place.
Only when they were left to it, Mike chuckled quietly.
Okay, really not the reaction Harvey had gone for, but at least he was in a good mood. Should have known he couldn’t impress Mike just with a fancy restaurant alone, even if it was quite beautiful and very atmospheric.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. I just feel like I should have taken an etiquette class before entering is all. This has got to be the fanciest place you have ever taken me to.”
Harvey smiled. “Well, I couldn’t just start with a place like this. I had to build up your appreciation for fine dining first.”
“So now I’m ready, huh?”
“Absolutely. We’ve been here for five minutes, and you haven’t complained once yet. That is progress, my love.”
There was a time when Mike made fun of Harvey every time they even went to a slightly upscale place, just a slightly bougie name of a restaurant normally enough for him to roll his eyes. Actually, that time was just about two months ago, and Harvey had a feeling he would continue to do so at least once in a while for the rest of their lives, but at least not right now.
Maybe he could feel tonight was special, or maybe Harvey had just nailed the restaurant selection. For the sake of his ego, he preferred the latter.
“Well, you’re right, I do appreciate it, it is very beautiful. And I appreciate you,” Mike smiled, placing his hand on Harvey’s on the table.
The waiter came to take their order, and Harvey was filled with a weird sense of pride and adoration when Mike easily ordered with the correct pronunciation without even having to ask Harvey what any of it meant. Progress indeed. If he kept a close look at Mike’s beautiful face during it, no one could really blame him for it.
Hard to believe this was the same man who insisted on cheesy crust in every pizza.
The sommelier recommended wine to go along with it, and Harvey only nodded it off, barely listening. Whatever it was, it would be excellent anyway; there were more important things he wanted to focus on right now. Like the way the dance of the cadle's flame was reflected in Mike’s beautiful blue eyes.
“I think we might be the luckiest people alive,” Mike then said, eyes fixed on the view across the river.
“Why is that?”
“Well, every day, wherever we are, we always get to see this for starters,” he gestured at the view of the lit-up Manhattan skyscrapers against the night sky, “And we get to do it together.”
Harvey smiled, never looking away from Mike. “You’re right. It’s the most beautiful view in the world.”
Mike’s head turned towards him, catching his eyes right away. The room was only dimly lit to help with the atmosphere, but underneath the slight roll of Mike’s eyes and the widened smile, he was sure he could see a faint blush creeping up in his cheeks. Some things never changed.
“Very smooth," Mike smiled.
“I know. You’re cute when you blush.”
Mike looked almost bashful, but he huffed, staring right back into Harvey’s eyes. God, Harvey really wanted to wait until after dinner to pop the question, but the ring box suddenly felt hot and heavy inside the pocket of his suit jacket, burning into his side as though it was on fire, making itself known.
The moment was perfect. Mike was clearly in a romantic mood as well, although it was hard not to be in this place, they had the best view of the city, and the surrounding tables were still empty to grant them a modicum of privacy. It would be so easy then, to pull out the ring and go down on one knee…
Except that the sommelier came back, breaking the spell of the moment by skillfully filling the glasses in front of them. Sticking to the original plan of waiting until after dinner it was then. Just as well.
“To us,” Mike proposed, lifting his glass.
“To us,” Harvey agreed, clinking his against Mike’s before taking a sip.
The romantic vibe stayed with them effortlessly throughout the evening; even when Mike spotted that the restaurant sold a singular bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for seventeen thousand dollars, and briefly lost his composure, it was still very endearing.
“I mean, what are they doing with the wine to possibly justify that price? Do they grind diamonds in it? Is it the cure to cancer? Water from the fountain of youth? I need to know,” he whispered animatedly, leaning over the table to not attract the attention of other guests. Harvey could only laugh about it.
“Bold words from the man in a five-thousand-dollar suit,” he teased, but Mike shook his head.
“A suit will last for years and still costs less than a third than one bottle of wine.”
“You know, a 1945 bottle of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has been auctioned for nearly six hundred thousand dollars a couple of years ago. It’s like a legend, the holy grail for wine buyers.”
Nearly everything fell out of Mike’s face when he heard the number, he looked as though he was contemplating the entire universe; Harvey loved the moments he could turn the tables on him and surprise him with a fun fact.
“If at any point in my life, I am ever so out of touch with reality that I consider spending more than half a million dollars on something as inconsequential as wine, promise me you’ll stop me and humble me right away,” he said entirely seriously.
Not the kind of life-long commitment he was going for tonight, but he supposed that was part of it. Harvey fancied himself a bit of a collector, but he definitely never spent such an outrageous sum for anything inconsequential. He had a hard time picturing Mike in such a situation, as much as he fixated on things he enjoyed, he was also not exactly a heavy spender.
“You’ve come to the right person. I am awesome at humility,” Harvey said solemnly, both of them knowing damn well it wasn’t true in the slightest.
“Sure, babe, but more importantly, you are awesome at humbling others,” Mike smiled.
“Oh, yeah. That I can do. I promise you that I will never let you become a pretentious snob. Not that I think there is much danger of that happening.”
“Well, you can never be too sure. Thank you for your service.”
The server arrived with their first course, and the food was sublime, so good it practically forced them to halt their conversation bar some exclamations of just how delicious it was and sneakily feeding each other bites when they felt unwatched, not giving a damn whether it was frowned upon.
It was their night; they’d enjoy it how they saw fit. Harvey wouldn’t stand for anything less.
Only when the dessert was finished, and the evening was naturally coming to an end, Harvey decided that it was time. He mentally prepared himself, going through the words he wanted to say in his head, thinking of how to best set the whole thing up when Mike played right into his cards.
“Apparently, they have a little garden area here on the terrace. Want to check it out?” Mike asked, a determination in his eyes that wasn’t there before.
“You’ve read my mind,” he smiled, accepting the hand Mike offered to him as he stood up, walking outside into the darkness of the evening. They were alone, the weather mild but decisively too chilly for a whole dinner outside, and it was perfect; the lights of the skyline and of the bridge reflected in the pitch-black, calm water, it was quiet except for the subtle ambiance of cars passing in the distance. Even a few stars were visible on the night sky, faint as they might be.
They shared a moment in silence, and Harvey’s heart was running a marathon, beating so loudly he was sure Mike could hear it. He wrapped his arm around Mike’s waist, hugging him from behind as they both took in the view, breathed in the wonderful scent of Mike’s cologne and just him, trying to get his thoughts in order.
This was really happening. He, Harvey Specter, was going to propose to someone. How very, very unlikely this had seemed just a few years ago. But this was Mike. Wonderful, idealistic, erratic Mike. His Mike. How could he possibly not?
He gently eased his arm around him, moving so he could actually look at Mike too, these blue eyes that had captured his heart the moment he had first seen them, checking him out in that bar a lifetime ago. Harvey wasn’t the same person he was back then. He was so much better, better than he ever truly believed he could be, could feel. And meeting Mike had been a key to it all.
“I love you,” Harvey said. As good a start as any.
Mike smiled, cupping his cheek. “I love you too.”
Perfect. Excellent start, going smoothly so far. The insides of his body felt like it was buzzing, vibrating, he swallowed against the dryness in his mouth. Okay, time to carry on before Mike could say anything more; he needed to use the momentum while it still felt so right.
He could do it.
“I love how smart you are and how much you care. I love how you challenge me every day to be the best I can be, and how you have made me a better person from the day I met you because of that, with your lippy mouth and unwavering love and support. You are my partner, my confidante, and the only person in this world that makes me tolerate getting older, because I get to do it with you. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you, but I know I will never love anyone as deeply and unconditionally as I love you.”
Harvey reached inside his suit jacket, producing the little ring box that he had been hyperaware of all night. Mike’s eyes, slightly narrowed in suspicion since he started his speech, widened as he realized what was happening, his jaw hanging open a little.
“Harvey…” he tried, but whatever else he was trying to say never made it out. Oh, the rare moments when Mike of all people was speechless were precious indeed.
“Michael James Ross, will you do me the greatest honor and marry me?”
Harvey opened the satchel, revealing the ring.
Mike looked down at the ring, then at Harvey, then back at the ring. The lights of the city reflected in the singular tear that ran down his face, but he was smiling widely, laughing even, as he leaned in and kissed Harvey, sweet and yet passionately.
His lips tasted like the wine they had this evening and Harvey drank it in needly, giving as much as he was getting until they gasped for air, Mike still grinning like he truly was the luckiest man alive.
“Is that a yes?” Harvey asked, finding Mike’s eyes, watching him bite on his lower lip. This has got to be the longest time he had ever gone without talking when Harvey desperately wanted him to.
“On one condition,” Mike finally said. Okay, not quite what Harvey had expected.
“Go on,” he said slightly confused.
Mike huffed as his hand also disappeared into the inside of his jacket.
“I’ll marry you if you agree to marry me, too,” he said, revealing a ring of his own. Now it was Harvey’s turn to be speechless.
And then he laughed too.
“Did you…”
“Tell Donna? Of course I did,” Mike laughed, wiping some tears from his eyes.
God, Donna must have had a field day with this, setting them both up for this night, watching them pine from a distance... Well, it certainly explained why Mike was as happy constructing romantic moments as Harvey had been. Even better that they had had the same expectations for the night.
“But I guess that means it’s my turn,” Mike decreed, trying to look more serious, but the smile never left him, just like it didn’t leave Harvey. The slight cramp in his cheeks was more than worth it; he couldn’t stop if he tried.
“Harvey Reginald Specter. From the moment I’ve met you, I have been in awe of you and your poise, your confidence, your sharp mind and your incredibly hot body.”
Harvey couldn’t help but laugh, forcing himself to keep looking Mike in the eyes.
“You have a beautiful heart and I feel privileged and unfathomably lucky that you chose to share it with me, and that you have continued to choose me at every opportunity in the past five years. I’ve loved you from the moment you first allowed me to see your soft side, and I have never felt ever since. You have given me more than I could have ever imagined, you are my home, my family, and I vow that I will love and cherish you until the day I die. Will you marry me, too?”
Great, now Harvey was crying too. He took a moment, holding Mike’s expectant gaze then took a deep breath, steadying his voice. This was it. The first day of the rest of their lives.
“Yes, I will marry you,” Harvey said softly, calmly, confidently. The easiest decision he had ever made in his life.
“Then I will marry you too,” Mike smiled happily. Harvey took the ring out of the box and put it on Mike’s finger, allowing him to do the same, and then it was done.
They were officially engaged.
God, how mind-blowing. How very, very wonderful.
He pulled Mike close to kiss him again, full of the love and emotions he was overflowing with, suppressing the urge to lift him and spin him around. Actually, why the hell should he hold himself back? He had long decided to only get engaged once, after all. So he bent his knees and tightened the grip on Mike’s waist, fast as he could to not give Mike the chance to protest, lifting him a few inches in the air, spinning around himself.
It definitely looked easier in the movies.
But Mike laughed loudly and fully, the most beautiful sound in the world, and it was all worth it. Everything was. Every fight, every disagreement, all the nights alone hundreds of miles apart, it all paled in comparison to the immense happiness he was feeling.
Harvey placed him down, kissing him again, savoring the moment as long as he could.
When they did go back inside, they were met by the looks and knowing smiles of the staff, greeted by their waiter holding a tray with two champagne flutes out to them.
“Congratulations, sirs”
“How did you…” Mike asked, but the man only smiled.
“We get a lot of proposals here. At this point, the staff has developed a bit of an engagement radar, if you so will.”
Mike’s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he accepted the champagne flute. Harvey waited until the waiter was gone when he turned to Mike, whispering: “So much for being original”
“Hm. Some things are clichés for a reason. And this was perfect,” Mike replied in the same hushed voice, pecking his lips.
They didn’t stay much longer, opting for walking home after they paid. It was a beautiful night after all. It was again a cliché maybe to walk arm in arm like a pair of loved up teenagers, but Mike was right; some clichés were there for the simple reason that they were good.
Even if they were in no rush getting home, the urgency consummated them the instant they stepped through their apartment door, more than ready to lose everything except for the rings. Clothes scattered on the floor, trailing the way to the bedroom, and they were so intertwined, it was hard for Harvey to tell where he started and Mike ended.
Simply put, it was perfect.
Every touch, every movement felt that much more exciting, sparks of electrifying tension vitalizing them as if they hadn’t done this hundreds of times already; nothing could mute Harvey’s happiness. Nothing had changed, really, and yet somehow everything had.
It was every bit as indulgent and sweet as it was hot, steered by deliberate touches and the desire to make Mike feel as good as humanly possible, and yet they laughed more than ever before during sex, nothing wiping the grin off either of their faces. Harvey wouldn’t have it any other way, made a point of teasing the sensitive spots of Mike’s body to make him giggle even more until the passion took over, their movements grew more rapidly to chase the extra rush, the heat, the earthshattering orgasm that flooded his senses.
Harvey was officially maxed out, entirely satisfied, happy, in every single way. If only the dopamine high would last forever, but he would ride it out as long as possible.
When Mike climbed off him and dropped on the sheet next to him, hair all messy, chest heaving, and sweat pearls glittering on his forehead, he was still grinning as well, his eyes finding Harvey’s; he could see his own happiness reflected back at him, and it was nothing short of breathtaking.
Harvey immediately turned on his side to hug him close and share in the remaining heat, for them to cool down together, to fully take in the familiar smell of their mixed scents that he loved so much, kissing Mike’s cheek.
“Mine,” he whispered. It had been true for a while, but it resonated with him more than ever. He had the ring to prove it now.
“Forever,” Mike hummed just as quietly, his hand finding Harvey’s to intertwine their fingers, resting on his slightly damp stomach.
“Is that a promise?”
“It’s a threat. I’ll never leave you alone again. Even when I die, I’ll come back as a ghost to haunt you until you join me and we’ll spend eternity haunting our friends and enemies”
So Mike had thought about this. Of course he had. And it was perfect.
Harvey smiled. “I can’t think of a better way of spending forever.”