Chapter Text
In some universes, Mike Ross would have spent his days at Pearson Hardman in love with Rachel Zane. He would tell her the truth, she would slap him, and they would have sex and live together for the rest of their days. In some universes, where Mike Ross didn’t hold an unresolved crush on his boss.
So instead of flirting with the pretty paralegal, he stuck solely on friendship with her, and from that came an unexpected network. So on the night that Rachel and Mike were supposed to become a couple, instead Mike was sitting in the bullpen, scribbling frantically at the paper in front of him, eyes blurring as tears threatened to fall from his face.
“What are you still doing here Ross? Daddy cut you loose?” Mike jerked with surprise at the voice, not expecting anyone to be at the office past 9 at night. Looking up, he saw the sneering face of Kyle Durant.
“None of your god damn business Durant.” He stands up, starting to collect his papers, ignoring the mocking look on his co-worker.
“Oh but I think it is. Because from what I’ve heard, Harvey doesn’t want you. Which means it’s free game for a position as his associate. I think the two of us would make a great team, don’t you think Ross?” Mike tried to push past him, trying not to show the fact that there were tears threatening to push their way down his face.
“Do whatever the hell you want Durant. Harvey’s not my problem anymore, and I’m not his.” He tried to keep a steady pace, but Kyle grabbed his arm to keep him in place.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry your little head about it. Take a shot at Harvey if you want.” He pulled his arm out of Kyle’s grip, but the other man pulled again.
“Ok what the hell Mike? What’s going on between you two? Cause last time I checked, you were fucking Batman and Robin over here, and now you’re telling me that I can take a run for your job if I want? Cause seriously, what the fuck?” He could hear the doubt in Kyle’s voice.
“Like I said, it’s nothing for you to worry about. Harvey and I are over.” He tried to pull his arm away again, but instead all he managed to do was get Kyle to spin him around so that they were face to face, close enough that he could smell the lingering sent of gum that the other man must have been chewing.
He takes a breath as the other man studies his face, and Kyle must see the tears that swim In his eyes because the anger, confusion and smugness melts from his face, leaving only a mild look of concern. His hand drops away from Mike’s arm, and he pulls away.
“Look Ross, you don’t have to tell me what happened. And I’m not gonna take a run at Harvey, he’s a total asshole,” the man says with a chuckle, “honestly I’m not sure how you put up with him. But if you ever want to talk, I’ll be here.” The other man pushed himself away, walking towards the end of the bullpen to grab his bag. He doesn’t know what causes it, but before Kyle can leave the room, Mike calls out to him.
“Hey Durant, do you want to grab a drink?” A half friendly, half wicked smile lights up on Kyle’s face, and the other man gives him a tight nod.
They leave the building together, and somewhere along the line, 5 drinks in, Mike is looking at him in a different light. And maybe it’s the alcoholic buzz, or the hurt from Harvey’s rejection, but something about the flush in Kyle’s cheeks and the warmth in the pit of his stomach makes his lips loose, and before he can stop himself, the whole sordid affair is coming forward.
From the moment his Grammy’s care needed upgrading, to spilling pot all over Harvey’s shoes and the trip to Harvard that comes from it. The lies that the two of them tell, every single one of them, and the trust that comes from it. Lola hacking into the Harvard records. Jessica finding out, and the chock hold it held over his life, to this very day, ending with his utter betrayal of Harvey and the merger coming through.
When the words finally stop pouring out, he looks up, and Kyle is staring into him like he’s never seen Mike before in his life, and the utter weight of what he has just done comes crashing down on him. He’s given his rival everything that he needs to not only break him and Harvey, but take down the entirety of Pearson Darby.
Kyle sits there a moment longer, before he breaks into laugher. Mike is shocked, glaring at him. “What the fuck man?”
It takes Kyle a moment to catch his breath before she speaks. “That is the greatest shit I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s not funny,” he huffs in passive anger.
“Yes it really is man.” Kyle takes a sip of his drink, “it’s funny. But it’s also genius, I’m not going to lie.”
“What do you mean?” Mike can practically feel the wheels turning in his head.
“I mean, most of us get into Harvard and life with strategic nepotism, luck and a hell of a lot of money. But you, you got dealt a shitty and hand with life, and yet somehow are sitting in the exact same place I am.”
Mike huffed, “not quite. You’re an actual legal practicing lawyer. I’m nothing more than a fraud.” He muttered, going back to his drink.
“Ya but you’re better than me.” Mikes head shot up, he gave him an incredulous look. “No seriously. I might talk mad shit, but I know I’m not god’s gift to law. I’m just another guy blustering his way to the top. But you’re not. You’re actually good. And you actually care.”
Mike felt a blush rush over his face, and he turned his face towards Kyle. He never had seen the man as anything other than an enemy, but he could practically feel his heart melting at the other man’s words.
“I’m good, it’s true,” he chuckled, “but you’re not bad. You just need a little,” he paused as he rolled the word around his mouth, “refinement.” Kyle chuckled, rolling his eyes.
“Yup, refinement and a whole lot of luck and time.” They sit in silence before he speaks again. “But seriously man, what you’re pulling off is genius, I would have never guessed. But what happens if someone does?”
Mike shivered slightly, and the two of them sit there, eyes intense as Mike heaves a sigh. “I’ll go to prison. Probably take Harvey and Jessica down with me, and the whole firm with them.” The heaviness of what he says sits between them, the air full of tension and grief at the truth of his statement.
“What if it wasn’t true though?” Mikes head tilted. He could practically see Kyle’s brain working, the gears turning faster. “What do you mean man?”
“I mean, what if you weren’t a fraud? What if you were an actual lawyer?”
“I don’t see how that could actually happen,” he snorted into his drink.
“No seriously, what if you became an actual lawyer?” The other man looked excited, practically buzzing in his seat.
“It’s too late for that man. I’ve already committed multiple heavy level crimes.”
Kyle nodded. “No, I mean you can’t go about it the traditional way. But you don’t have to get a J.D. to practice law in New York State. You can do an apprenticeship. All you need is to take a year of classes, then work under a licensed counselor for three years.” He looked like an excited puppy at the idea
“It’s a good idea man, but I’ve already committed the crime. There’s no way that they’re going to let me do it now after practicing law illegally, emphasis on illegally, for over a year.”
Kyle deflated for a moment before his face broke into a grin. “So what if you weren’t practicing illegally for a year? What if this whole year you were actually practicing law as an apprentice?”
“Listen, it’s a good idea man, but I told everyone I graduated from Harvard. Everyone thinks I’m legally a lawyer.”
“No think about it. We say you’ve been studying at Harvard remotely for the past year, taking the train back one day a week for tests. Nothing says you must graduate from Harvard to work at Pearson Darby, only that you needed to come from Harvard, and now with the Darby side of things who the hell knows what the hiring restrictions are going to be. You aren’t in the Bar because you can’t sit for the ethics board before you finish your apprenticeship. Now your crime of lying about a lawyer isn’t a lie. You just didn’t tell anyone to save face.”
“Ok man, but I haven’t been going to Harvard every week. It’s still completely a lie.”
“Dude, you still have no idea how the world works do you?” Kyle looked at him with humor in his eyes.
“Money makes the world turn. The last 3 generations of Durant men went to Harvard law, my sister started there last fall, and we donate nearly half a million each quarter. If we say that you’ve been going there this year, you bet every single Professor will have 100% test scores and papers from you, and every single admissions board member will remember you.”
Mike can see the plan coming together, but he still remains doubtful. “It’s all nice and good man,” he downs the rest of his drink, “but there’s two things. First, I haven’t even graduated undergrad. There’s no way I could go to Harvard law without a degree. Second, you hate my guts. Why would your family do anything for me?” He looked at the other man pointedly.
“How far did you get through undergrad man?” Kyle looked at him.
“I was a second semester senior.”
“So you technically finished your associates?”
“I guess so.”
“Then that’s it. There’s no law that says you must finish your BA to go to Harvard. We’ll say that you had an interview and explained your situation. You impressed them with your funky brain and warm fuzzy feelings, and they were willing to overlook your lack of credentials with the understanding that you would make tons of money should you become a lawyer, and their understanding in your time of need lead to your later generosity.” Mikes eyebrows shot up in doubt.
“Seriously man, money talks.”
“Ok, that’s one thing.” He huffed, “but you still hate my guts. Even if all that was true, there’s no way that you help me like that.”
“Listen man,” he puts his hand on the younger man’s shoulders, “I don’t hate you. I DID dislike you just as much as everyone else who is a competition for me making youngest junior partner. But after tonight I think we can consider ourselves mutual acquaintances. And,” he winks at Mike, “if you do any work that Louis assigns me over the next month, we might even consider each other friends.”
Mike looked at him in shock. “You would do this for me?”
Kyle nodded. “I know you. You’re going to be great someday. And my father told me something my first day of Harvard. ‘Don’t make friends with powerful people. They won’t help you rise to their position. Make allies with people that are going to go far, who will bring you up with them.’” He polished off his drink. “You’re going to go far, whether I’m there or not. I might be good someday, but I don’t want good. I want to be great. And you can help me get there.”
Mike analyzed him for a moment. “I’m not going to hand hold your way into junior partner.” He pressed.
“I wouldn’t want that. I want to make it on my own. But I do want you to vote me in as junior partner. And someday,” he shrugged, “when we’re senior partners, I want you to remember how we got there, and keep me in mind for your power plays. Also,” he chuckles, “everyone knows Harvey Specter is next in line for name partner, and Jessica fucking Pearson is name and managing partner. Not such a bad thing to have the two of them owing me their lives.”
Mike nodded, before starting to seriously consider it. Harvey was mad at him. This could push the man away for good, prevent him from ever trusting Mike again. On the other hand, it could prove how loyal he really was. After all, he was just pushed against the wall with a gun pointed at his head, and he had folded to Jessica’s wishes. Maybe it was time to start breaking down that wall so that he could point that gun somewhere else.
After a few moments of silence, he peered at Kyle. “Let’s do it.”
The other man let out a whoop before flagging down the bar tender. “Next round is on you,” he said with a chuckle, clasping Mike on the shoulder.
“You got it man.”
And that’s how their night ended, with Mike tipsy, and Kyle slurring his words as Mike poured his loose body into a cab with directions to go home and drink some water before going to bed. Tomorrow was a new day, and he was going take advantage of all that came with it.