Work Text:
The end of the school year was steadily approaching and as other students, his friends included, were preoccupied with dances and summer plans, Mike was studying for the SATs. He was planning on taking them three times before school let out so if he wasn't happy with his results he could take them again in the fall. He had asked the main office for copies of old tests to take and that's how he found himself taking the 2000 math test on a Friday night while Trevor, Jenny, Rachel, and Donna went to the movies.
Harvey was sitting on Mike's bed with his phone in his lap. He was timing Mike, though he hardly needed the entire time limit.
"Done," Mike said, practically slamming his pencil down.
"You are going to be so bored tomorrow morning," Harvey pointed out. "You still had half an hour left."
"I'll think about you."
"That was ridiculously cheesy. C'mon. Give me the booklet. Let's see how many you got right."
Mike handed Harvey the answer book and sprawled out next to him on the bed. "Obviously I got them all right."
"I wouldn't speak so soon, smarty pants. If you happened to get them all right, though, I'd say you deserved a reward."
"I wonder what my reward would be," Mike said. He shuffled down so he could rest his head on Harvey's thigh.
Harvey ignored him as he finished checking Mike's answers. Naturally they were all correct. Harvey chucked the book across the room and pulled Mike up so they were facing each other.
"I give you an A plus," Harvey said and began placing feather-soft kisses along Mike's jaw.
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Mike's friends, including Harvey, weren't taking their SATs until after prom so there was no one he could talk to as he waited for the test to begin. He kept checking his phone nervously. As the prompter walked in, Mike received a message.
Good luck kid.
Mike smiled and quickly put his phone back into his messenger bag.
The test was easy enough. He flew through the math section, employing all the tricks he had learned, and closed his answer booklet with thirty-two minutes to spare. English wasn't as easy since it'd never been his best subject and the last year that period had been spent whispering to Harvey when they thought Mr. Louis wasn't paying attention. Mike still felt good once he was finished, though, and walked out of the classroom feeling like a million bucks.
Mike's grandma said she'd be a little late picking him up so he decided to swing by his locker and drop off his books before heading outside. He spotted the flower from down the hallway and laughed, in amusement and amazement. There was only one person who left him gifts in his locker and he wondered how said person could have gotten the flower there without Mike noticing or the janitor throwing it away over night. The note attached to it explained everything.
I know I could have asked you last night, but this seemed more appropriate. Will you go to prom with me? - Harvey ♥
"Who's the flower from?" Grammy asked when Mike got into the car.
"Harvey."
"I thought you said you were flying solo today. He showed up after all?"
"Yeah. He, uh, surprised me alright."
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"What do you mean you don't want to go?" Jenny was shouting and Trevor was poking her in the side, not even looking up from his computer, as if that would calm her down.
"I mean I don't want to go," Mike said. "It's not worth the hassle."
"You're telling me," Trevor said. "I have to rent a tux, find a corsage that matches her dress, arrange a ride for the whole gang... It's exhausting."
"We said we'd help," Rachel pointed out.
Mike turned to her. "Wait. You're going too? With who?"
"Donna. We're just going as friends."
"Okay, perfect segway. See, Rach and Donna are two girls but they have 'just friends' to fall back on. If Harvey and I go, people know we're a couple. People like Greg will be assholes about it. I know it."
"People like Greg are assholes to you guys all the time anyway," Jenny said. "You've got to say yes. We'll all be there then. We'll have fun. Even if Greg can't mind his own business for one night."
Trevor closed his computer and grabbed Jenny's hand. "She does have a point."
Jenny smiled and finally took it down a notch.
"Please Mike. At least think about it. Talk it over with Harvey."
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Monday morning English class found Mike fidgeting in his seat as he waited for Harvey to walk into the room. He had text Mike several times over the weekend asking if he got his note. Mike was afraid Harvey would ignore him now, but he had needed time to think things through before they talked - and he would rather they talk in person.
Donna was the next student to come in and instead of going right to her seat in the front of the classroom she walked back to Harvey's.
"He stayed home today," she said. She did love getting right to the point. "He isn't brooding or anything, though he is upset. He just won't admit it. Go talk to him after school."
"Yeah," Mike muttered. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Yeah, of course."
So Monday afternoon found Mike knocking on Harvey's door and staring at his shoes while he waited. Harvey's mom answered and she looked happy to see him like usual.
"Mike, it's so great you're here. I assume you brought Harvey his homework. I'm sure he'll be excited you're here. Come in."
"Thanks Mrs. Specter." Mike followed her in and accepted the lemonade she offered him. "I'll just go up then."
"Oh yeah. Harvey's in his room. It's probably only a cold, but he said he was going to lie down. I'm sure he's up now."
Mike took the stairs two at a time before hesitating at Harvey's door. On any other day he would have walked in like he lived there, but today he felt like a stranger.
"Get in here already," Harvey said through the door after several minutes had passed.
Mike pushed the door open slowly and peeked his head in. "I'm sorry," he blurted.
"I said get in, didn't I?" Harvey asked, shaking his head.
Mike walked in, dropped his backpack on the floor, and sat down on the edge of Harvey's bed.
"I had to think."
"It was a yes or no question."
"It's more than that and you know it."
Harvey pulled Mike close and awkwardly patted his back. He was still working on the whole displays of affection thing.
"I know, but I'm out now and I've made it clear it's you I want to be with. So why shouldn't we go to prom like the sometimes normal teenagers that we are and have fun with our friends?"
"Okay," Mike said. The response was muffled by the fabric of Harvey's shirt which, come to think of it, smelled kind of bad. Harvey was clammy and, okay, he was really sick. Mike should have been grossed out, but he wasn't.
"Okay? So that's a yes?"
"Of course you big dummy. I gotta show off my super hot boyfriend."
"And now annoying Mike is back," Harvey said with a long suffering sigh.
"You like all the Mikes equally. Don't deny it."
"Sick Harvey doesn't. Did Mr. Louis give you my assignment?"
The moment - whatever the moment was - was broken. Mike got out their English work and they did it together. When Mike's grandma called to inform him to 'get his butt home before she kicked it' Mike gave Harvey a quick kiss on the cheek and headed home.
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Getting ready for prom wasn't as big of a deal as Trevor made it out to be. He, Mike, and Harvey went to get their tuxedos together while Jenny, Rachel, and Donna got their dressed. Jenny and Rachel took care of the limousine and Donna helped Trevor pick out a corsage that matched Jenny's dress flawlessly.
Although they had decided to meet up at Jenny's, Harvey still knocked on Mike's door at six sharp.
"Your grandmother might have mentioned she wanted to take some pictures," he explained.
With their vision still spotty from the flash they made their way to Jenny's house. Jenny and Trevor were standing in front of the garden as Jenny's father took his own pictures. Rachel and Donna were holding the limousine doors open and whispering to each other about being late.
"Hey boys," Mr. Griffith said when he saw Mike and Harvey. "Okay, one group picture and then you can go. Promise."
They all shuffled close together, Jenny's extravagant (and kind of poofy) dress getting in the way, and smiled.
"This is going to be the best night ever," Jenny said.
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The music was loud. Mike was used to that; going to concerts was somewhat of a hobby when he wasn't' studying or writing. The music wasn't anything he listened to, though, and dancing was a bit of an issue. For the slow songs he paired up with Rachel and Harvey with Donna and the fast songs had them simply moving and jumping in one large group.
Despite it all Mike was having fun. During dinner they had all talked about what they should do for the summer and what classes they were taking senior year. Then the DJ started and everyone was busy losing themselves in the music. No one even paid attention to Harvey and Mike, so they escaped the bullies' taunts for one night.
"I'm going to go get some fresh air," Mike shouted over the music. He had already taken off his jacket, but he still felt as if he needed to cool down. His friends nodded that they heard but kept dancing. "I'll be right back," he assured them.
Mike walked straight out the hall and sat down on the curb. The sun had set since they'd arrived and the night air was cool. Surprisingly it was mostly quiet, the sound of the music and students in the background, and Mike was able to hear when the door opened again.
Harvey sat down beside him.
"Alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright."
"Good because I wanted to... I wanted to say thanks."
"For what?"
"For doing this."
Harvey never looked unsure of himself, so Mike knew that couldn't be the look that briefly crossed his face, but just in case he had to make Harvey understand.
"You don't have to thank me. I love you, and once you convinced me it'd be alright of course I was going to do this."
The words came easily to Mike that he didn't even realize he had said it until Harvey was kissing him.
"Sure took you long enough," Harvey said when he pulled back. "I love you too."
"You could have said it first, you know," Mike teased.
"Never would have happened."
Harvey looked so smug that Mike had to kiss him again.
Jenny was right.
Best night ever.