Title: Heartbeat at my Feet
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: AU, Romance
Length: Long (16,109)
Warnings: BDSM (pretty light, but discussions of and a spanking scene)

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
Dr. Harvey Specter, DVM, gets assigned oversight of Mike Ross' sentenced community service hours at the local university's veterinary clinic.

Review:
It's probably really obvious that I love AUs and, well, yeah. I totally do, haha. This one takes Mike, Harvey, and the rest of the gang, and places them in the vet clinic. You have Mike, floundering and yet always willing to do what it takes to help his grandma, who is sentenced community service hours at the clinic because he took the board test for a candidate. The entire premise mirrors Suits' except in a different location, and the characters are wholly like themselves.

It's just great. Mike is magical and an apparent vicious dog named Cupcake loves him (and who wouldn't?). Harvey kind of gives Mike a sidelong look, but just sort of rolls with it, and everyone and everything is brilliant. The pace is nice and easy; I would have liked more to read, but I think it's mostly my greed talking, haha.

The romance is less of a slow build and more of a matter-o-fact sort of thing where Harvey arranges it so that Mike won't feel pressured and Mike is a little surprised but on board. The BDSM is light, but it's plainly there later on, so do keep that in mind because there's only faint hints until near the end. It felt a little sudden when reading as Harvey jumps into the conversation with little fanfare, and therefore a little jarring.

All in all, a fun read and Cupcake the dog kind of steals the show because she's fantastic.

Heartbeat at my Feet

Title: Homicide Love
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: AU, Dark, Serial Killers, Dysfunctional, Gore
Length: Medium (5,308)
Warnings: Mentions of rape (non-graphic, not involving main characters), Cannibalism, Murders (graphic)

Author on LJ: copperbadge
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
Mike has been waiting all his life for someone who understands -- but Harvey might care too much to survive.

Review:
So, so, wrong but I loved it anyway.

Basic premise is that Mike is a sociopath and kills people who are guilty of some sort of crime. It's like a blend of Hannibal and Dexter, where Mike is taught by his father that if he has to kill he should never target the innocent. It's just so interesting. Mike is all calculation and fake smiles and relationships, while he hides this giant secret. He has the same general background as in the show, and he does end up at the same law firm as Harvey, but it's all different now.

Harvey's pretty much the one person Mike seems to care about. Harvey straddles the line between madness and sanity and you're never quite sure the way he falls until later on in the fic.

The fic does get pretty gory and there are blatant mentions of cannibalism and violence. It's a serial killer fic and it doesn't really dress itself up as anything but. If the thought makes you uncomfortable then you should definitely avoid this one.

It's creepy but in the best of ways. It's just so smooth and the serial killer aspect meshes with Mike seamlessly. If you don't mind the premise then you're in for a wild ride.

Homicide Love

It's Alternative Media Theme Week!

Title: Podfic: Needs Must
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: AU, romance, Dom/sub, prostitution, relationship negotiation, subspace
Length: Epic - 11 hours, 36 min (98,686 words)
Warnings: Dom/sub, barebacking, description of past trauma from a dom

Thanks to simarillion for permission to rec in her fandom.

Reader on LJ: dodificus
Reader website: dodificus , dodificus

Author on LJ: thatotherperv
Author Website: thatotherperv

Author's Summary:
When Grammy needs an upgrade in care, Mike knows that the usual one-off gig as a paid submissive won't be enough. He takes a job he's been refusing for a while - a long-term, full-time contract.
He expects his client to be a sadistic asshole. He expects not to like it. He's wrong on both counts.

Review:
While writing this up, I realized the story has never been recced here, and I have to say that thatotherperv builds a strong and complex relationship while not pulling back at all on kink. What I love about the podfic is that dodificus does a terrific job of voicing the highs and the lows, or as she says, "the anxiousness of certain chapters, the delights of others."

Mike takes a more serious and time intensive contract than he's ever taken before as a paid submissive. It amounts to basically living with Harvey, though he does have set times off for himself and to visit his grandmother. It's a bit of a pressure cooker situation, with both Mike and Harvey being influenced by unfortunate incidents in their past, but both of them being as understanding of one another as they're able. Things get more complicated when Mike takes on the dual role of Harvey's submissive some of the time and his paralegal at others.

dodificus gives us a beautiful and clear reading. Her pacing is spot on, and she brings out the emotional content especially well. You can feel her love for the story and her good sense of the progression of the relationship. If you have long commutes or a trip coming up, you're in luck, because it's 11+ hours (the thought of the editing alone floors me) of gorgeous reading to keep you company.

Podfic: Needs Must
Text version

Title: Tangle the Wires
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike Ross/Harvey Specter
Categories: romance
Length: medium (11,016 words)
Warnings: jealousy, sexually frustrated puppy lawyers
Author on LJ: bewarethesmirk
Author Website: AO3 account

Summary: Theoretically, Mike shouldn't have any qualms about who Harvey sleeps with.

Review: Bewarethesmirk shows us an oblivious Mike who made me giggle with amusement as he keeps being baffled by his own strange reactions to Harvey's conquests. It takes some time to recognize it for what it really is, jealousy, and then it takes even more time to realize why he keeps feeling like that.

This entertaining story has you watch Mike find out more about himself and of course also more about Harvey. It's well written and keeps you shaking your head, going: "Men!" Surely if a woman was involved things would have been resolved faster (maybe communication does have its uses from time to time). ;)


Tangle the Wires

Title: Tangle the Wires
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike Ross/Harvey Specter
Categories: romance
Length: medium (11,016 words)
Warnings: jealousy, sexually frustrated puppy lawyers
Author on LJ: bewarethesmirk
Author Website: AO3 account

Summary: Theoretically, Mike shouldn't have any qualms about who Harvey sleeps with.

Review: Bewarethesmirk shows us an oblivious Mike who made me giggle with amusement as he keeps being baffled by his own strange reactions to Harvey's conquests. It takes some time to recognize it for what it really is, jealousy, and then it takes even more time to realize why he keeps feeling like that.

This entertaining story has you watch Mike find out more about himself and of course also more about Harvey. It's well written and keeps you shaking your head, going: "Men!" Surely if a woman was involved things would have been resolved faster (maybe communication does have its uses from time to time). ;)


Tangle the Wires

Title: In the Air and Breathing
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike Ross/Harvey Specter
Categories: AU
Length: Medium (11,783 words)
Warnings: successful puppy lawyers, sneaky closers

Author on LJ: escribo
Author Website: AO3 Account

Summary: AU. Mike went to Harvard (for real this time)

Review:
The story takes the idea of Mike being an actual associate at Pearson and Hardman who came by his job in the traditional P&H way. Harvey stumbles upon Mike when Kyle, his associate, hands off some work to Mike. The rest as they say is history.

I enjoyed this take on a different version of how Mike and Harvey meet. There are not too many changes to the rest of the going ons to canon and it is interesting to see just what exactly is different. True, Harvey is not as emotionally stunted a person as he is sometimes on the show, but this little OOCness is acceptable when paired with the awesomeness that is this story.

In the Air and Breathing

Title: In the Air and Breathing
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike Ross/Harvey Specter
Categories: AU
Length: Medium (11,783 words)
Warnings: successful puppy lawyers, sneaky closers

Author on LJ: escribo
Author Website: AO3 Account

Summary: AU. Mike went to Harvard (for real this time)

Review:
The story takes the idea of Mike being an actual associate at Pearson and Hardman who came by his job in the traditional P&H way. Harvey stumbles upon Mike when Kyle, his associate, hands off some work to Mike. The rest as they say is history.

I enjoyed this take on a different version of how Mike and Harvey meet. There are not too many changes to the rest of the going ons to canon and it is interesting to see just what exactly is different. True, Harvey is not as emotionally stunted a person as he is sometimes on the show, but this little OOCness is acceptable when paired with the awesomeness that is this story.

In the Air and Breathing

Title: In the Air and Breathing
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike Ross/Harvey Specter
Categories: AU
Length: Medium (11,783 words)
Warnings: successful puppy lawyers, sneaky closers

Author on LJ: escribo
Author Website: AO3 Account

Summary: AU. Mike went to Harvard (for real this time)

Review:
The story takes the idea of Mike being an actual associate at Pearson and Hardman who came by his job in the traditional P&H way. Harvey stumbles upon Mike when Kyle, his associate, hands off some work to Mike. The rest as they say is history.

I enjoyed this take on a different version of how Mike and Harvey meet. There are not too many changes to the rest of the going ons to canon and it is interesting to see just what exactly is different. True, Harvey is not as emotionally stunted a person as he is sometimes on the show, but this little OOCness is acceptable when paired with the awesomeness that is this story.

In the Air and Breathing

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

**My apologies for the late posting. RL intervened.

Title: 5U175
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Categories: Meta, Romance, Humor
Length: Long (26,409 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Closer @ AO3

Summary:
Harvey sometimes moonlights as a Star Trek BNF. Mike might have an attitude problem on the internet. TiberiusGhost is strangely compelling, for a recluse who never goes to meetups, and Harvey's finding this kid Photohead vaguely familiar...

Review:
At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this fic because a lot of meta fics give me a second hand embarrassment squick, so I kept my cursor firmly poised over the browser back button. However, this fic was more like a love letter to fandom in all it’s ridiculousness, revelry, and love.

The characters fit seamlessly into fandom and Closer does a fabulous job with many of the various parts of fandom accounted for. From anonmemes to fanfic to fandomsecrets to wank to shipping each part rang true through content and comments. I’m especially impressed with the formatting of the story itself because I think it truly adds to the narrative.

Overall a truly great story that is well worth the read!

5U175

Title: Imprimatur
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Categories: AU, First-time, Romance
Length: Long (23,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website:Closer's A03 Page

Summary: Mike was raised to believe Imprint was a life-changing event for those few lucky enough to experience it. Harvey was raised to believe it was a form of mental illness. When it actually happened, neither of them noticed.

Review: Even if you don't usually read Suits fic you might want to give this fic a try if you've got a soft spot for soul.

Harvey doesn't know why he's having problems getting it up, why he can't stand to be alone in his apartment, or how he suddenly knows when his associate is about to do something stupid.He does know there has to be a reasonable explanation for it though.

Mike is the son of a Imprinted pair, he knows the signs, but static electricity isn't one of the ones he expected.

What makes this fic, is the slow build-up of the relationship. How they get to the point where they're living in each other's pockets without realizing what's going on is anybodies guess, but it is awesome to witness and definitely makes for a fic worth reading.(Even if it does make you want to shout 'Just kiss already!' at your computer screen)

Imprimatur

Title: Imprimatur
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Categories: AU, First-time, Romance
Length: Long (23,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website:Closer's A03 Page

Summary: Mike was raised to believe Imprint was a life-changing event for those few lucky enough to experience it. Harvey was raised to believe it was a form of mental illness. When it actually happened, neither of them noticed.

Review: Even if you don't usually read Suits fic you might want to give this fic a try if you've got a soft spot for soul.

Harvey doesn't know why he's having problems getting it up, why he can't stand to be alone in his apartment, or how he suddenly knows when his associate is about to do something stupid.He does know there has to be a reasonable explanation for it though.

Mike is the son of a Imprinted pair, he knows the signs, but static electricity isn't one of the ones he expected.

What makes this fic, is the slow build-up of the relationship. How they get to the point where they're living in each other's pockets without realizing what's going on is anybodies guess, but it is awesome to witness and definitely makes for a fic worth reading.(Even if it does make you want to shout 'Just kiss already!' at your computer screen)

Imprimatur

Title: Imprimatur
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Categories: AU, First-time, Romance
Length: Long (23,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website:Closer's A03 Page

Summary: Mike was raised to believe Imprint was a life-changing event for those few lucky enough to experience it. Harvey was raised to believe it was a form of mental illness. When it actually happened, neither of them noticed.

Review: Even if you don't usually read Suits fic you might want to give this fic a try if you've got a soft spot for soul.

Harvey doesn't know why he's having problems getting it up, why he can't stand to be alone in his apartment, or how he suddenly knows when his associate is about to do something stupid.He does know there has to be a reasonable explanation for it though.

Mike is the son of a Imprinted pair, he knows the signs, but static electricity isn't one of the ones he expected.

What makes this fic, is the slow build-up of the relationship. How they get to the point where they're living in each other's pockets without realizing what's going on is anybodies guess, but it is awesome to witness and definitely makes for a fic worth reading.(Even if it does make you want to shout 'Just kiss already!' at your computer screen)

Imprimatur

Title: Imprimatur
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Categories: AU, First-time, Romance
Length: Long (23,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website:Closer's A03 Page

Summary: Mike was raised to believe Imprint was a life-changing event for those few lucky enough to experience it. Harvey was raised to believe it was a form of mental illness. When it actually happened, neither of them noticed.

Review: Even if you don't usually read Suits fic you might want to give this fic a try if you've got a soft spot for soul.

Harvey doesn't know why he's having problems getting it up, why he can't stand to be alone in his apartment, or how he suddenly knows when his associate is about to do something stupid.He does know there has to be a reasonable explanation for it though.

Mike is the son of a Imprinted pair, he knows the signs, but static electricity isn't one of the ones he expected.

What makes this fic, is the slow build-up of the relationship. How they get to the point where they're living in each other's pockets without realizing what's going on is anybodies guess, but it is awesome to witness and definitely makes for a fic worth reading.(Even if it does make you want to shout 'Just kiss already!' at your computer screen)

Imprimatur

Title: Imprimatur
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Categories: AU, First-time, Romance
Length: Long (23,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website:Closer's A03 Page

Summary: Mike was raised to believe Imprint was a life-changing event for those few lucky enough to experience it. Harvey was raised to believe it was a form of mental illness. When it actually happened, neither of them noticed.

Review: Even if you don't usually read Suits fic you might want to give this fic a try if you've got a soft spot for soul.

Harvey doesn't know why he's having problems getting it up, why he can't stand to be alone in his apartment, or how he suddenly knows when his associate is about to do something stupid.He does know there has to be a reasonable explanation for it though.

Mike is the son of a Imprinted pair, he knows the signs, but static electricity isn't one of the ones he expected.

What makes this fic, is the slow build-up of the relationship. How they get to the point where they're living in each other's pockets without realizing what's going on is anybodies guess, but it is awesome to witness and definitely makes for a fic worth reading.(Even if it does make you want to shout 'Just kiss already!' at your computer screen)

Imprimatur

Title: Ars Dictaminis
Fandom: Suits
Pairing: Gen, pre-slash Harvey/Mike (but can be read as gen only)
Categories: Friendship, pre-slash
Length: Medium (3,553 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: matchsticks_p
Author Website: Author Profile @ AO3

Summary:
Trevor sends Harvey an unsolicited email from Montana every few weeks, and Harvey can't figure out why.

Review:
This is one of the best fics I’ve read in the Suits fandom. The author excels at making every character well rounded, no one is vilified as so often can happen (especially with Louis and Trevor) in many Suits fics. The view we’re given of Trevor and his friendship with Mike, through Harvey’s eyes, as Trevor sends Harvey monthly emails is a fascinating take that shows more depth to Trevor than just that of Mike’s trouble-making friend. This Trevor is aware he isn’t worth Mike but he’s also Mike’s lifelong best friend and there is a strong bond between the two of them for better or worse.

Jessica, Donna, and Rachel are each given quick parts but all are thoroughly enjoyable, add to the story, and move the narrative along. The interaction between Louis and Harvey following Mike and Louis’ confrontation is hands-down one of my favorite scenes in any Suits fic. In about 500 words the author gives us a full dimensional view of Louis that is so in character (and again doesn’t vilify him) it’s nothing short of fabulous.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the superb Harvey POV that is used to tell the story. As he gains insight into Mike via Trevor and uses the knowledge you see the way Harvey grows and accepts that he does care about Mike, yet he still retains his essential “Harvey-ness”. When faced with doing something nice for Mike at the beginning of the fic he double and triple guesses himself, yet by the end, he does something nice, decisively and without a second thought.

Ars Dictaminis