27*A/N: Happy July, everyone! This is a new prompt :D But here's the thing, I can't take any prompts that don't center on the Harvey-Mike relationship because that's what this book is dedicated to (but there are so many awesome friendships on the show), so sorry if it's not what you wanted :(*
Being a lawyer is harder than it looks, Mike Ross had realized a few weeks into the job. It was almost impossible to please all parties involved in a case. And often, even your own clients wouldn't end up happy.
Lucky for Mike, Harvey Specter never lost a case.
Until the day he did.
Daniel Hayden used to lead a pretty good life; a loving wife, two beautiful children and an extremely successful business. None of that mattered when members of his board threatened to oust him, forcing his hand. But apparently, shutting them up with money didn't sit well with most.
Turning to the best closer in the city, Daniel didn't think failure was an option. Which is why he wasn't expecting to go to jail for a year.
At the firm, everyone had this initial state of shock. Harvey Specter had never lost a case before. The man himself was avoiding everyone, including his associate and his assistant. Eventually though, people moved on, and carried on with their business.
Mike, on the other hand, while not shocked -the evidence was irrefutable against the man, was a bit dumbfounded at the idea that his mentor was actually capable of losing, even if he was dealt a bad hand.
Don't get him wrong, he hadn't put the man on a pedestal, but it was very weird hearing the verdict and seeing the lost expression on a normally stoic face. After the case, he mostly tried to stay out of Harvey's way for a few weeks, while still looking out for him.
The younger lawyer had a bad feeling about Daniel Hayden from the beginning. He was reluctant to represent him, but unfortunately Jessica Pearson owed him a favor. Since the trial, he'd literally lost everything; his wife left and took the kids, his stocks have spiraled, and reputation down the drain. All of which will still be gone when he gets out of prison, and Mike was worried that he might do something stupid.
Eventually, everyone forgot about Hayden. And while Harvey was beating himself up about it, and Mike was keeping an eye out, people at Pearson Hardman brushed it off.
The day Daniel Hayden came out of prison, Mike didn't really know what to do. But he had this feeling of dread that he couldn't shake, which he decided to pass on to Donna. The redhead seemed to share the same feeling.
"I mean, the man lost everything, and then some. But what do you think he's going to do?" She mused. The blonde leaning on her desk mulled over the question.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just paranoid." He sighed, looking at the man sitting on the couch inside the office, who seemed way too engrossed in work to notice them. "How's he doing?"
"From what I can tell, repressing the hell out of it. Drowning everything out with work."
"Well," The younger man grimaced, "I've got more work for him." He motioned to the files in his arms.
"I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days." She said, mostly to herself.
Mike pushed open the glass wall, and deposited the files on the crowded desk. He turned to the other man. "Hey, I finished the Klein and Delta briefs. What do you have for me?"
Harvey got up to fetch the files, flipping through them and giving a blank smile. "Nothing, I got it. Good work." Clipped tone and shorter sentences: he was guarded, Mike realized.
"You've got stacks of files here, since when do you do your own grunt work?" He knew he was walking a fine line, but he still had to try to scrutinize the older lawyer's cautiousness.
"Since today, now why don't you go see if Louis has something for you to do." He dismissed, avoiding eye contact.
"Harvey-" He called out exasperatedly, before getting interrupted.
"Harvey!" Donna yelled, panic evident in her voice.
The door was roughly yanked open, revealing a scene that Mike had played in his head a few times now.
Daniel Hayden marched into the office, an enraged look on his face and looking like something fresh out of a horror movie. Mike looked to Harvey to gauge his reaction, finding the man looking frozen in fear at him.
The realization hit him when he felt a cold, metallic presence pressed to his temple.
Well, shit.
He squeezed his eyes shut, heartbeat racing out of control. Having a gun pointed at your head was decidedly not fun, and he found himself thinking about the fact that these could be his last moments.
"What the hell do you want, Hayden?" Harvey spoke up, tone low and cautionary. His words didn't carry the terror that his eyes did a few moments ago, but Mike hoped to God it was just a façade. He dared to open his eyes, glancing between the two men. He couldn't move an inch, and his breathing came in short.
"What I want, Harvey," He spit the name, "is to see you squirm. Now, killing you would be too easy. But killing someone you care about? I'd love to see the look on your face when I shoot your little associate here in the head."
Mike looked to Harvey, eyes shining in fear and silently begging for help. The latter's eyes had shifted from a terror-stricken expression to a murderous, almost feral look that he'd never seen before.
In the blink of an eye, Harvey lunged at the man, twisting his arms so the gun would be pointing upwards, and pinning him against the wall. Mike snapped out of his trance, moving to wrestle the pistol out of his grasp. Hayden, fueled by a sudden rush of energy, pushed Harvey off and kneed Mike in stomach, knocking him off. He pointed the gun at the older lawyer.
And then everything slowed down. The criminal's finger slowly going down on the trigger, and Mike processing what's about to happen.
Harvey found himself tackled out of the way, before hearing a loud bang. Horror filled him as he realized what had just happened, and his fist met Hayden's, knocking him out, before turning to the younger man who had a bloodied hand held in front of him, blue eyes glazed over. He shivered, sliding to the floor.
Harvey leaned in front of him, looking dumbly at the bullet wound in his associate's collarbone.
Red stained on a white shirt, and the older lawyer quickly took off his jacket, pressing it against the wound. This drew a heart-wrenching cry from Mike, prompting Harvey to rest a hand on the back of his neck.
"You're gonna be okay. Just keep your eyes open, yeah?" He tried not to panic, as he heard sirens wailing in the distance.
"Tired, Harv." Came the sole reply, and Harvey too freaked out about the younger man who seemed to be slipping away to care about the nickname.
"Hey, stay awake, you hear me?" He tried to rouse him, but to no avail.
He almost sighed in relief when he was told to step back, and he watched his associate being wheeled away.
He suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that there was blood on his hands, and the reality had finally dawned on him.
Mike Ross had taken a bullet for him.
*A/N: uh… oops? Sorry about that, but don't worry, the second part is coming in just a bit. As always, leaving a review is deeply appreciated, but you being here is great anyway! Prompts are always welcome.Stay safe!*
