Imprimatur

Fanfiction
Title:	Imprimatur
Author(s):	Closer
Date(s):	Published:2011-09-27
Length:	22466 words
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Suits
External Links:	read on AO3
Pofdic cover art by Cath (2013)
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Imprimatur is a Mike/Harvey Soulmate AU by Closer published in September 2011. It follows the They Didn't Know They Were Dating trope.

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.

Author's Note

Written for the Suits meme: "When Mike walks into that interview room, he and Harvey imprint on each other. They don't realise it. Harvey sleeps with people and doesn't understand why he can't get off. When they're apart, neither of them understand the pain and unease. It's not until they kiss, until they fuck, that they realise they can't be apart."

Inspired by the fic

• podfic
• your favorite old-fashioned fairytale romance by sinead
• Sparks (Your Touch) by stilesanderek (minxxx)

Reviews

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)

Verdict: I just really like accidental bonding-type fic, okay? And this one is really good.

As anyone who follows my recs for more than a minute knows, I'm a sucker for a good bonding fic. Mix that with Suits!fic and I'm a happy reader. I especially enjoyed how realistic and low-key the bonding aspects of the universe was -- bonding fic traditionally revels in melodrama and miscommunication and angst and while I do enjoy all of those things, there's also something quite satisfying about a story that's just about the practical aspects of unconsciously bonding to another human being (read: impotence). If you're in the mood for a well written, laid-back bonding fic (or maybe just a Suits fic that *doesn't* go the D/s route), this is the story for you.

Judging by the 774 kudos, I’m gonna say this is a fandom classic. (to be honest, I often pick the first fics to read in a fandom by downloading the top 5 with the most hits on AO3 and this method has yet to fail me) Anyway, even if you have never watched Suits in your life it’s irrelevant because it’s the Alternate Universe that this fic is set in which I’m going to talk about because it’s BRILLIANT.

Now, there are many reasons why I love how the author wrote this world where imprinting is a reality:

1) The legal side: Imprinted partners have paperwork and tests and legal precedence etc. Of course this would happen in our modern world.

2) The history: wiki pages, legal cases, the Murray-Robertson story etc. It feels REAL because there is a detailed backstory. (as a side note: I was chuffed that imprinted couples were gender-blind and even though Harvey was known for dating women, no one blinked twice when he imprinted on a man; a lovely touch)

3) The personal history: Mike’s parents were imprinted and he grew up with the knowledge that they were special. Harvey was the opposite; he grew up thinking imprinting was nonsense. Their conflicting views work very well and gives this fantasy world a personal human quality because we know how it fits in with our characters’ personalities.

4) The popculture: The author has taken epic love stories such as Romeo & Juliet and adapted them into stories of imprinting. There is a socially accepted congratulatory line to give if two people imprint, they’re expected to have a ceremony, Mike gets concerned by a journalist because their case of unconscious imprint is so rare and THE BEST THING that makes this feel so very real is…

5) The other people: It is mentioned a couple of times about people that never imprint. They go to Imprint Event and shake hands with thousands of strangers just in hope of finding that connection but they don’t. If soulmates were proved real, would you be able to settle for anything less? Or would you search the globe to find them? I found this quite disturbing to be honest, and it’s what made the fic so special for me, because it did talk about the people who never do, and the author wrote this idea through Harvey who was brought up to believe that no one ever would imprint on him which is a devastatingly sad thought.

I loved this story because it has awakened the romantic in me without being ridiculously fluffy from the get-go. I love the idea of imprinting in this universe because they are bound to each other indefinitely - no amount of stupid words or emotions or circumstance can screw it up because they can communicate almost telepathically, it’s like they solve problems before they even arise, and isn’t that comforting? That imprinting would be like letting yourself fall in love without fear of losing it? No second-guessing, no misunderstandings, no stuffing it up by trying to explain your feelings or your thoughts, and eventually no concerns between you at all because your partner would always be in harmony with you.

The author makes you believe that this is actually a realistic possibility and it’s beautiful. Their world is so like ours that you don’t quite realise until you stop reading and get dumped back into our messed-up reality.

Favourite line, hands down: "See the shiny, isn't it shiny? Don't touch my shiny." But this whole thing was just gorgeously written, and the emotion came through wonderfully without being cloying or stifling, which can happen with bonding/soulmate fics. Watching Harvey's thoughts and feelings shift was amazing, and I LOVED the phone call to his brother. Donna knowing before they did was also all kinds of fabulous.

This is the first soul-bonding fic that I've really been able to get on board with. You write fantastically. Thank you for the gift of all your amazing fics.

I'd been holding off reading this for a day when I needed a pick me up, and it didn't disappoint in the least.

There's something about the twists on what we see in the show and how much that helped to make a soulbonding story more understandable and enjoyable.

Mostly because I never get tire of Mike's protection or Harvey's smug reactions when things go his way.

I know absolutely nothing about suits and the fandom apart from your fic - 'your favorite old-fashioned fairytale romance' by sinead brought me here to read the work it was inspired by (I've recently been haunting the White Collar fandoms on various websites...). I found I didn't need to know much about it anyway, your story was rounded enough that I didn't really need to know the background to certain details. I just thoroughly enjoyed this fic of yours!