I am not lonely [Mystrade]

Chapter 1 : The revelation

Mycroft crawled silently into the four posters bed, taking care not to wake his partner already sleeping and snoring quietly. It was four in the morning and the official only just get home from work and didn't even bother undressing himself. He just had thrown his jacket away in the hallway as well as his shoes and socks and managed to have his pocket watch secure on his bedside table before falling asleep.

A discreet scent of coffee and waffles tickled Mycroft Holmes's nose. He was still laying in his bed, just awoken, his eyes closed. He could easily guess that he really should go down for breakfast because of the ray of sunlight heating his face but he didn't want to do so. He turned around and explored the other side of the bed looking for his partner but his hands only met the cold bed sheets. With a huge sigh, Mycroft rejected the duvet and exited the bed. As his feet encountered the floor he moaned. He always hated getting up, since he was a child, but in this cold winter morning the floor was damn cold and he urged himself to reach the in-suite dressing room. He picks up a pair of navy silk slippers and a matching dressing gown, runned his left hand through his hair and exited the room.

He could hear the radio playing an old love song in the kitchen when he passed by and it makes him smile to himself. He would never had admitted it but he always had a soft spot on love stories and nothing made him happier in the morning than a romantic song playing on the radio. He entered the dinning room and took a seat at one end of the longue dark wood table. He rang the bell that was displayed on the table to ask for his breakfast and open the newspaper that someone had brought for him earlier.
Witha discreet cough Michael, his cook, dropped a plate in front of the auburn-haired man. The latter retained a disgusted pout as he checked the content of the plate. Instead of the waffles and maple syrup he would have expected by the smell running trough the house, he found two toasts of whole wheat bread, a boiled egg and range of freshly cut vegetables. Michael pourred him a cup of tea and Mycroft noted that he wasn't offered sugar. His diet had always been a huge struggle for him, but on this peculiar freezing morning after less than 5 hours of sleep he really wasn't in the mood for vegetables. He was wondering if he should give up the diet and order Michael a complete Englishbreakfast when the dinning room door opened on DI Gregory Lestrade from Scotland Yard. The government official gave up on the idea of complaining and smiled to his partner. He just had a shower and smell of shampoo and aftershave. The DI took the seat near his boyfriend and proceed to kiss him on the cheek. With a little nodd the oldest ordered Michael to bring the other man his breakfast and closed his eyes with a little smile while running his hand on the yarder's tight. The latter had a little groan of contentment.

After a quick shower, Mycroft climbed in the car parked outside of his house. Without him needing to say anything the car joined the busy street as the driver switch the radio on on the news. Wearing a grey three-pieces suit with a white shirt and a navy tie, the government official looked as formal as his function asked him to look but his mind was busy with thoughts that had nothing to do with his work. He kept thinking about the discussion he had with Gregory during the breakfast and couldn't help feeling sad. The inspector had announced him that his three kids, those he got with his ex-wife,were coming over for the weekend. Mycroft loved Lestrade's kids and they do like him back but they weren't his.
He've never really been bothered about this before but today it had hit him right to the heart. He always considered kids cute but never considered having some on his own. He always said to himself that his work retain him from any kind of family, not that he ever found someone to match his expectations. But now he had Gregory by his side he started to wonder what a family could be like and understood that he could combine his work and his private life.
He was deep into his thoughts when the car stopped in front of the Diogene Club where he liked to work when he had no official meeting. After a few seconds the driver turned to him, surprised that his boss wasn't exiting the car like he usually does.
"Sir." he whispered. Mycroft didn't move. "Sir" the driver repeated louder. Shaking his head in disbelief, the auburn quickly pulled himself together and exited the car without a look for the driver. He hated being caught not paying attention, that was unprofessional in his view and he couldn't stand not being professional, especially in front of his staff.
He climbed the few steps to the entrance and nodded at the doorman. He especially liked this place because it was quiet. Nobody to rush him with stupid questions, nobody to fake having a great time conversing with. Quiet.Calm. Everything the man liked. Not that he was stark, even if he could be seen like this often, just that he abhor all what could retain him from doing his work quickly and efficiently. He considered not having enough time to lose some in conveniences.

He let one of the employees lead him to his private office at the back of the building. Despite the fact that he was coming here for more than15 years at least 3 times a week, there was always someone to lead him through the corridors. They reached the door and Mycroft nodded to the employee who nodded back, understanding the demand. The official settled down at his desk and started browsing through the different files that had been displayed on it during the night. A few minutes later the employee reappeared with a teapot and a cup on a tray. There again, no sugar. His PA was definitely way to efficient.He nonetheless accepted the cup poured for him by the other man and went back to his work. There has been an attack in Malawi that required his attention all morning and before he realised it it was already one in the afternoon. He took the phone in the corner of his desk and called Anthea, his personal assistant to order her some food. He asked her for some Italian food but was disappointed, even if not surprise, to see that instead of the pesto pastas he had ordered, his PA brought him back some vegetables with grilled chicken. At least, it was worth trying.

He asked her to display the food on the coffee table in the corner of the room, near the fireplace and invited her to join him for lunch. She accepted and they sat down in the armchairs on each side of the table. Anthea was the only human being Mycroft enjoyed discussing with at work and even if he was undoubtedly smarter, she sometime helped him understand few things, especially other human being. And she was absolutely devoted to him, which makes her invaluable to his eyes, not that he would ever had admitted that.
They finished eating and Anthea thrown away the cardboard boxes then exited the room. The auburn went back to the Malawi case but couldn't concentrate as much as he would have wanted. His mind was always going back to the morning conversation and to what he had felt when Gregory announced that his kids would bejoining them two days later. Angry at himself for not being able to focus, something he never had experienced, he forced his mind to go back to the work and pushed his thoughts aside.

It's only at eight that evening, after having a last discussion with his PA about his planning for the next day, that he climb in his car to get back to his home. When he arrived, the lights were already shinning in the living room and Mycroft deduced that the detective was already back from work. He pushed the door and hanged up his coat and suit jacket and abandoned his shoes on the floor,switching them for a pair of black leather slippers. He entered the living room, smiling to his partner who was stretched on a sofa near the fireplace, reading a police report. Gregory heard him entering the room, looked over the file and smirked to his boyfriend.Mycroft poured himself a glass of brandy from the decanter on the coffee table and joined the inspector on the sofa. He nestled against him and put the grey-haired man's head on his tights, a hand caressing his lover's torso.

"Had a great day at work ? Diogene club ?" Asked Greg.
"Hmmm ...." Mutter the auburn.
"Not that good then." deduced Scotland Yards.
"Well not very productive." the official snapped. "What about yours ? A hard case" he added, gesturing to the report.
"Nothing that I would bother your brother with. But quite a lot of small cases and Sally was sick so..." he sighted

Mycroft drank a sip of his brandy. He looked uneasy despite the fact that he was trying to hide it. Lestrade noticed it and looked to his partner right in theeyes.
"What's going up darling ? And don't say nothing, you can't have me fool on this one."

The auburn man stop caressing the DI's torso and used his then-free hand to grab the report and thrown it to the coffee table. Greg straightened a bit and takes his lover's hand in his. He looked at him, urging him to speak.
"Gregory, we need to talk" said the posh one, choosing his words carefully. "Nothing to be worried of" he added in a hurry, seeing the face that his partner was pulling. "It's just ....I haven't been able to focus today. I just can't stop thinking about the conversation we had this morning before I left"
"On your diet ?" asked the grey-haired, confused.
"No, no, the diet ...It's all fine.... No, the one about your kids." Mycroft had pulled all his walls down and look so fragile and sensitive. The inspector squeezed the hand of his lover a little more firmly to encourage him to go on. "Kids... Yes, kids. Your kids are great you know. I lovet hem. But... But they aren't mine." He sighs of relief. He've said it. Well he haven't really said it but he knew that his boyfriend would understand what he meant.

Greg looked at him without saying anything for a few seconds. They didn't need any words to understand each other at that moment. The detective sat down beside his lover and hugged him tight.
"If that's what you want, it's what I want." he whispered to his ear.
Suddenly he felt that the man in his arms was sobbing. He kissed him on the forehead, gently rocking him.
"I love you Gregory." he heard Mycroft hiccup.