Brother from another mother

Brothers.

"I don't get it."

"It's not your fault. Your mind understands very little. Maybe when you're all grown up it'll make sense." Harvey commented dryly as he walked down the halls of Pearson Hardman, flipping a file closed with satisfactory as he went. Just another case closed by yours truly.

"But…" Mike said, floundering behind him as he tried to keep up. The Senior partner resisted the urge to smile as he thought about how much Mike must actually look like a puppy tailing him right now, every so often stumbling as he tried to keep up.

After entering his office, Harvey set down his files and took a seat, watching as his pouting associate put down his share of paperwork, and turn to leave.

"Alright, what don't you get?" he said, allowing the smallest hint of amusement to lace his tone as Mike spun back around and practically bounced over to his desk.

"The Carney brothers." He told his boss, shaking his head in complete bewilderment. Harvey on the other hand snorted. The men Mike was referring to were their clients, David and Jacob Carney. Both were annoying, obnoxious, and had been sued for supposedly copying Harry Johnson's computer programs and distributing them as their own. Harvey had sorted all that out though. As per usual.

"What about them? They take your wallet?" he asked and he could see the younger man's face getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of understanding.

"No. It's just… I don't get it!"

"I figured that much out actually. Care to elaborate on a second grade level now?"

"They acted like they hated each other the whole time we talked to them…but, when Johnson attacked David, Jacob went ballistic. Why didn't he just let him shred him?" Mike asked, his expression suggesting that his mind had just been blown.

"They're brothers obviously."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mike demanded and Harvey took a moment to remind himself that his associate was not really accustomed to the ideal 'normal' family. He had grown with his parents ripped away from him at a young age, and lived in some not so family friendly neighborhoods after that.

"Go ask Donna."

"But she's not here!" Mike whined and Harvey could have sworn that the kid was dangerously close to stamping his foot. It was obvious that not knowing was driving the genius absolutely crazy.

Ugh. Harvey was really going to have to end up explaining this wasn't he? God, he better not sound sappy…

"Alright. Shut up and listen. All siblings usually have this kind of messed up relationship. Their main goal in life is kind of to drive the other one crazy. Like the Carney brothers were." He said, watching Mike nod slowly, probably taking notes in his head. "The thing is, when somebody else tries to mess with one, the other doesn't like it."

"That makes no sense."

"Fine then. Imagine if I took your bike right now and road it home. Would you be okay with that?"

"Um. No. Leave my bike out of this." Mike said defensively and Harvey rolled his eyes.

"But you ride your bike home every day."

"Yeah, because it is my bike. I have that right."

"Exactly. Same thing applies. Jacob got mad because David was his brother, and only he had the right to screw around with him." There was a pause in which understanding dawned in his friend's eyes.

"Oh" he said and quickly added "I knew that."

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of my face and back to work." Harvey grumbled and Mike grinned, walking out of the room looking as though he had just learned Quantum theory rather than why siblings fight.