Lit Up by Phreakycat (NC-17)

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

Fandom:SUITS
Pairing: Mike/Harvey
Length: ~12k
Author on LJ: phreakycat
Author Website: None that I'm aware of.
Why this must be read:

Mike has synesthesia in this fic, and the richness of the language, its descriptiveness, around the condition, is really beautiful. I personally appreciated the way the fic deals with the notion of Otherness, particularly in the realm of illness. Mike's motives, his choices in this fic, read just right to me.



There are some words that have distinctive flavors when Mike utters them. The word “Grammy” tastes like sugar cookies and a hint of lilac. “Sex” tastes like sugar and hot pepper. “Failure” tastes like gone-by apples and fish, and it makes him gag to say it.

His own name, when he's forced to utter it, tastes like mint with a wash of vinegar and salt, a bitter flavor of disappointment and regret.

It's about two months after he starts at Pearson Hardman that Mike realizes he's beginning to pick up the flavor of his coworker’s names.

“Jessica” tastes like espresso and nutmeg, strong and distinct. “Rachel” tastes like maple and curry. “Louis” tastes, surprisingly, like wood smoke and the smell of aged books.

But most distinct, most alluring (unsurprisingly), is Harvey’s name.

Lit Up