Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in the land of Doms and Subs, there was a brat …
At least, that’s what everyone who had the pleasure of scening with Mike Ross, always called him. That is, before getting fed up with the obscenely pushy “wannabe sub”, and never replying to his messages again. Mike was not stupid. When the fifth Dom washed his hands off of him after only a week, he realized, it was not them - it was him. He was simply not your usual generic eager-to-please sub, that was always in demand. No, he had no desire to grovel in front of some douchebag, calling him Master, or Daddy, or Sir, or whatever other nonsense the Tops demanded to be called, simply based on their genetic predisposition. Pompous pricks!
Mike has always been the smartest guy in the room. His analytical mind combined with an eidetic memory and proclivity to devour books in one sitting, easily assured that he could outsmart any pretentious Dom that felt superior simply because he “was born to order naughty subs around”. Well, fuck that. Mike didn’t have much desire to submit in general, not willingly anyway, he would much rather be made to. And no one stuck around long enough to do that.
Eventually, Mike gave up on the whole idea. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to be in a relationship. Besides, given the contempt he felt towards the majority of Doms, he was not likely to ever form any sort of decent relationship, anyway. Therefore he started posturing as vanilla. He didn’t have to go through any special bureaucratic procedure you do when you want to change your sex. Thankfully, nobody had to openly share their dynamic. Yet. Despite an ongoing lobby to make it a permanent record shown on a person’s ID, there were still enough liberal forces who vetoed such notions.
Mike glanced at the briefcase filled with weed, feeling the drops of sweat slowly emerge along his hairline. He was so not made for this. And this queue for coffee seemed to be taking forever…
“Erika, two latte macchiatos, one with caramel on top, please.”
Mike stared at the tall handsome Dom in a million-dollar suit, who had the audacity to cut the line right in front of him. Oh no, you don’t!
“Hey asshole, there is a line here,” Mike told the Top, using his usual no-nonsense tone of voice which perfectly covered his dynamic for years - a mix between sarcastic Dom and irate vanilla.
The stuck-up white-collar barely even turned to cast Mike a condescending glance. “I’m late for a meeting,” he said calmly as if that was a reason good enough to shut Mike up, the raised eyebrow on a handsome face clearly indicating annoyance that Mike even dared to address him. Well, too bad, dickhead.
"Yeah, I don't give a shit. You think that with that fancy suit and that ridiculous haircut screaming ‘I'm the most badass Dom in the neighborhood’ you have the right to disrespect people?" he snapped, deepening his voice.
That finally won Mike the full attention of the Dom, his expression amused and mildly intrigued. He gave Mike a staredown from head to toe, making him feel naked.
"Mouthy sub," he remarked, though it felt more as if he was complimenting Mike than trying to offend him.
Mike scowled. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Just stand in the goddamn line."
"Your latte macchiatos, Mr. Specter." Erika passed him the coffees and Mike did a double take. Specter? As in Pearson - Specter? The very building they were in right now? Mike had a bit of spare time, so he went to the coffee place not far from the hotel he had the weed gig in. He frequented this café because they had decent coffee, superb muffins, and it was in the building of one of the most established law firms on the market. And apparently, he just mouthed off to Harvey fucking Specter himself. Now would be a good time for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. And when that didn't happen, he went for the second-best thing and turned fifty shades of red.
"Sorry puppy," Harvey said with a vicious smirk that dominated every courtroom, "being the most badass Dom in the neighborhood might not secure the privilege of avoiding standing in lines... but owning this place - does." He took his coffees and strolled past him with a wave of charming confidence, that had everyone turning their heads in a mix of awe and envy.
xxx
xxx
Stupid, stupid, stupid, was all that was going through Mike’s mind as he was running from the cops with the briefcase full of weed. Oh, he was so going to kill Trevor! When a tall pretty redhead called for Mr. Sorkin scolding him for being late and asking why should she even let him in, it took him a second to register that she was, in fact, addressing him.
“Look, lady, I’m just trying to ditch the cops, ok? I don’t care if you let me in or not,” Mike replied, still out of breath from the running. But once the door opened and he stared straight at the handsome Dom who cut his line an hour ago, his pulse still managed to quicken.
Mike pulled a face and Harvey’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Seriously?” the Dom said, not even trying to hide his amusement. He glanced at Donna and her wink confirmed that this was indeed going to be a very interesting job interview.
“Mr. Sorkin, I hope you managed to get your coffee, in the end,” Harvey remarked with a cocky smile as he took a seat at the table. His laidback posture contrasted sharply against Mike’s rigid one. Even if Mike wasn’t on edge for almost getting caught with drug possession, Harvey’s good looks and easy confidence with which he held himself would still have flustered him.
“Despite all odds.” Mike forced himself to relax a bit in order not to draw suspicion. If Harvey looked at the application form he would see the picture of the real Rick Sorkin and then throw the impostor out - right into the waiting embrace of the police. And the douchebag that Specter was, he was likely to offer Mike his services as he did that, too. Mike had to stall the time. Or maybe land a job? The weed trafficking didn’t exactly work out for him and he still needed 25 grand for his grandma’s medical bills.
“And mouthing off to your potential future employer is the new strategy to nail a job interview?” Harvey inquired, his smirk not fading.
“You are not the type to be impressed by nice. If putting you in your place gets me in the room to impress you, then that’s what I do.”
Harvey’s eyes flashed from that exchange. He had to resist reaching out to grasp that defiant chin with his hand and trace his thumb over the mouth, which seemed to be quite brave for a submissive. And Harvey had no doubt that Mike, I mean Rick, was one. A bratty one, but submissive nonetheless. He leaned on his elbows bringing his face closer to Mike’s, locking his gaze with the sub’s and waiting for him to drop his. But Mike didn’t. Which actually DID impress Harvey.
“I think, the one who was put in his place, was you, puppy,” he countered, his tone mocking and by the glare Mike cast him, it did get to him. Harvey normally never used one’s dynamic against themself. It was highly unethical, especially in his profession. For such a thing, he could get thrown out of court within a second with a fat fine on top. But Harvey couldn’t help himself, the sub just pressed his Dom buttons so hard.
“That would be a 3k fine, Mr. Specter in the majority of courtrooms, and a 30 k fine and your license if you dared such a thing at Judge Sommers court 2 years ago in Williams VS Abernathy. But I will forgive you since you got it wrong both times.” Mike spoke with such confidence, that for a second there Harvey thought he did, in fact, guess his dynamic wrong, but then that defiant glare confirmed that Mike was just very good at playing the role.
“Fair enough, Mr. Sorkin. I apologize. However, you won’t persuade me that you are a Dom nor vanilla. Your contempt for Doms gives you away. And in court, it will be your death,” Harvey remarked and before Mike could argue, he added, “No, nobody will strongarm you, of course, but you WILL lose.”
Mike took a second to consider Harvey’s words. He never thought about it this way and the Dom might have had a point. It was not allowed to dominate in court, just as it wasn’t allowed to get sympathy by a played vulnerability. Nevertheless, he would definitely be at a disadvantage if his contempt for a certain dynamic showed in court. For one, the majority of judges were Doms. But Mike wasn’t ready to give up the argument.
“How can you be so sure I’m submissive?” Mike inquired folding his arms on the chest.
“It’s what I do, Rick, I read people,” Harvey replied crossing into familiarity again. Oh, he very much wanted to hire this handsome bratty sub, but for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t unheard of for Harvey to sleep with his clients, but he tried to keep his workplace clean of relationships. It avoided trouble. And the young man in front of him screamed trouble since already Harvey had a hard time keeping his hands off him. Nevertheless, the sub was smart and he seemed to be able to handle himself under duress - even under such a charming Dom as Harvey thought himself to be.
Mike snorted, his ego winning over the voice of reason. “Oh really? Well, tell me, Mr. Specter, if you read people so well, what’s in my briefcase? If you do a reasonable guess within, let’s say 5 tries, I will grant you, that you have me all figured out. But if you don’t, you will give me the chance to prove that I will be a better associate than any of those polished suits waiting outside.”
Harvey was genuinely surprised again. “You want me to gamble the job offer?”
“Aren’t you confident, Mr. Specter?” Mike dared him. Oh, this was SO not smart of him. Once Harvey failed to guess the weed in his suitcase, he will have all the reasons in the world to call the cops. The only positive outcome being Mike intriguing him enough to honor his word. Though Harvey could just as well hire him and then call the cops. Damn, from all the sass Mike gave him, many Tops would do just that and feel gratified.
“Copies of others’ application forms and CVs?”
Mike smirked. He guessed Harvey right, the man was all up for games, provided job position wasn’t costing him anything major and he could fire Mike during the trial period at any time. “No.”
“Information on Pearson-Specter? Or perhaps me, specifically?”
“No.”
Harvey’s smile didn’t falter, but it became tighter. Mike had to give it to the Dom. If it was a regular interview and he didn’t have an eidetic memory, perhaps that would be how he prepared for it.
“Financial documents? Mortgage perhaps?” Mike caught Harvey giving his suit a scornful look and felt slightly offended.
“No.”
“A case you are already working on.”
“No.” Would be nice though.
Harvey took a moment considering his options. Of course, Rick could have been playing him to land a job, but that would be just plain stupid in the long run, and he felt that the boy was smarter than that. He threw his hands in the air in defeat and chuckled.
“Well by the looks of your suit you sure as hell are not carrying a suitcase full of money.”
Mike forced his expression into a pleased smirk, instead of the scowl that threatened to take over his face at the Dom’s arrogant demeanor. “That was actually the closest you got. But not close enough to consider it a win.”
Harvey frowned. “Well, fess up, Sorkin.”
Mike took the application of Rick Sorkin and handed it to Harvey with an impish grin. He waited as confusion changed into shock once the Dom finally noticed the picture, which didn’t have Mike’s face. The sub then offered his hand for a handshake.
“My name is Mike Ross, pleased to meet you. When do I start?” he chirped with fake excitement. He knew all too well, that Specter didn’t get his name on the wall by being ignorant.
And sure enough, the Dom ignored his hand, fixing him with a stern stare without a trace of the previous smile. “What’s in the suitcase, Michael?” His full name uttered in such a dominant tone sent a swarm of butterflies into Mike’s stomach. Harvey’s presence changed from friendly to highly authoritative and Mike was surprised to find that instead of annoying him, it both excited and scared him.
And scared he should be. Any minute now Harvey will find the drugs in his briefcase. The urge to flee was strong, but the stern gaze rooted him into his seat.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. Open it.”
Just like any other sub, Mike was affected by “The Dom voice”, though admittedly normally he had no trouble flipping the finger to anyone who dared to attempt to strongarm him. This time he felt that Harvey was very much within his right to do just that. After all, Mike just lied to his face throughout the whole interview and then dared the Top into giving him a job. His hands were obeying the command before his mind fully processed all the implications of doing so.
If Harvey was surprised by the weed, he didn’t let it show. His features didn’t soften either. However, he didn’t reach for his phone, didn’t grab Mike’s hand or call his secretary out loud. And that gave Mike the tiniest bit of hope.
“Very well, Mr. Ross. Now it’s time to explain what exactly did I just get myself into.”
xxx
xxx
“So let me get this straight, you took a drug trafficking job that could land you in prison for well over a decade, to get your grandma into private care?!” Harvey asked bewildered.
Mike scowled. This arrogant ass had no right to judge him! Forgetting that Harvey was still well within the possibility of calling the cops, he snapped, “Well not everyone is living the polished luxurious life without a care in the world. I did what I had to!”
Harvey’s expression turned to stern one again. “First, do NOT raise your voice at me.” His voice as calm as ever held a steel edge to it, which was enough to make Mike gulp. “Second, it was an incredibly stupid thing to do. And you are not going to argue with that one, because you are bright enough to know as much.” Harvey gave him the Look and Mike indeed didn’t argue. “And third, I wasn’t trying to offend you. I was merely surprised at your motivations which are more noble than one would expect.”
Mike flushed and fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. It was so unlike him to act all subby in front of a Dom scolding him. Normally his smart mouth would argue to the point of humiliating the Top for even attempting to reprimand him. But for once he had actually nothing to say for himself.
“Anyway, as I said, it WAS very smart of you to ditch the cops the way you did. And you seem to be well versed in the law. However many people are, and we only hire from Harvard. While you, not only did not go to Harvard Law School, you haven't even gone to any law school. So I...”
Mike interrupted him. “That's a BarBri Legal Handbook right there, right? Open it up. Read me something. Anything.” When Harvey only tilted his head and gave him an annoyed look, Mike prompted him, “Humor me.”
Harvey’s doubtful expression didn’t change, however, he picked the book, opened it somewhere in the middle and read, “Civil liability associated with agency is based on several factors, including…”
“Including the deviation of the agent from his path, the reasonable inference of agency on behalf of the plaintiff, and the nature of the damages themselves.” Mike finished for him feeling gleeful at Harvey’s shocked expression.
“How…”
“I passed the bar,” Mike replied before Harvey could even finish his question. And normally it would irritate Harvey to be constantly interrupted, but right now he was too busy being impressed with his new employee. Cause he, sure as hell, was hiring him NOW.
“I passed the bar. I don’t recite the books though,” he argued as he glanced behind him to check whether there wasn’t some mirror Mike was using to read.
Mike’s smirk turned cocky. It felt so good to impress the stuck up Harvey Specter. “I told you. I like to read. And once I read something, I understand it, and once I understand it, I never forget it,” he explained the way his eidetic memory worked. “You give me this job and I will work as hard as it takes to school those Harvard douches and become the best lawyer you have ever seen.”
Harvey held his gaze for a couple of moments considering his words. “I can’t make you an associate without a degree. Though your job will essentially be that of associate, officially you will be a paralegal. MY paralegal. You prove your worth, we will think about financing the education for you.”
Everything inside Mike was jumping with glee, however, he didn’t let it show, instead he tilted his head to the side as if considering the offer. “I want a signing bonus. Twenty-five grand.”
Harvey’s lips stretched into a pleased smile, “Why should I?” Mike was pretty sure, that it wasn’t a decline, he just wanted Mike to give him a reason.
“Because you don’t want your personal paralegal getting the money the other way, getting caught and then dragging you and your company through the PR hell,” Mike replied smugly. He was glad to be given the chance for a smartass comeback. And by the proud smirk Harvey was giving him, he could tell that this Dom was all too happy to indulge in verbal sparring with a sub.
“Done.”
“And I want you to keep my dynamic to yourself and never to use yours against me,” Mike continued feeling brave to state his conditions.
Harvey laughed and shook his head. “No can do, puppy. I’m your boss and you will be subordinate regardless of your feelings towards Dominants. If I feel you are out of line, I won’t hesitate to reprimand you and I sure as hell won’t spare you simply because you have your vanilla act to keep up.”
Mike frowned. He certainly didn’t want to crumble under the strong Dom at work. That would be beyond humiliating. Not that he ever had that problem, but Harvey was different than other Doms. He could make him feel small with a single disapproving look and his dominance seemed to affect Mike like no other. Being disadvantaged at one’s workplace based on one’s dynamic was a common occurrence in many professions. And law was a heavily Dom dominated field. Not that there weren’t any famous Switch or vanilla lawyers, but Mike had a hard time thinking of a single sub one. Such info was of course never provided by the serious professionals, it was more of a tabloid gossip that leaked here and there.
Watching the turmoil written all over Mike’s face Harvey’s expression softened. “How many subs do you think work in Pearson-Specter?”
Mike cast him an annoyed look. If that upstart was going to point out how he was not fit for the job because of his dynamic, boss or not, he was gonna get an earful.
“One? Two? Zero?” he grumbled folding his arms on the chest, fully ready to have that argument.
Harvey’s smile broadened, “I don’t know, “ he said simply, “And that’s the point. Nobody cares. It’s not important as long as you do your job well.” When Mike gave him a reluctant smile, he added, “However, don’t expect to be coddled. Law companies are not known for their friendly environment. Long hours. High pressure. Hungry, competitive people. You will need that sass-mouth of yours to survive. And I will expect you to stand your ground and to make me look good in the process.”
“You got it,” Mike replied cockily. “Anything else?”
“We drug test,” Harvey informed him matter-of-factly. The implications of such were rather obvious for him not to elaborate further. Mike pulled a face but nodded.
“You start on Monday. Be on time,” Harvey waved his hand in dismissal but as Mike was approaching the door he called him, “And Michael…”
“It’s Mike,” Mike automatically corrected, then realized it might be not particularly respectful towards his new employer.
“Mike,” Harvey conceded surprising him, “Buy a new suit.”