I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 73 : Hidden talents.

Mycroft glanced a last look at the table and adjust the alignment of one of the forks with the plate before smiling lightly, proud of the result. The air was filled with the smell of the lemon pie cooking in the oven and the official hummed gently one of his favourite Tchaikovsky tune while climbing the stairs to his bathroom.

He opened the water, starting to fill up the bathtub, before wandering to the dressing room and choosing one of his finest suit, a light blue one without waistband that he liked to wear with a simple white shirt and black tie, and which, he knew, was one of his partner's favourite.
He turned on the radio on a jazz station and sank himself into the hot, bubbly water, sighing of ease at the contact of the warm fluid against his tired body. He always had thought that a bath was, alongside a cup of tea, the best way of relaxing yourself of all your stress and bad thoughts and when mastering the refurbishment of the mansion after his parents had handled it to him, he had insisted on having the biggest bathtub possible installed, despite the fact he had, at the time, no one to share it with.
The radio was playing an old song by Miles Davies when the auburn emerge from his thoughts, having allowed his brain to divagate onto subject he rarely fancy think about. He took a look at the clock over the door and exited the bath, willing to have a little time to shave and dress up without having to be in a rush. The elder Holmes had always been one for grooming. Unlike Sherlock, he had always given importance to his image and to how people were to see him, considering that the first impression you gave to people was of a critical importance on your upcoming relationship. On the contrary of his younger brother, he always had tried his best to rule out his natural curls into a more formal haircut, his only indulgence being with the lonely curl on his forehead and Gregory was the only one who was allowed to see the official with his hair all fluffy and unruled.
Smiling at himself in the mirror, Mycroft grabbed his barber-like razor and spread a little foam over his cheeks and jawline and to his neck. While shaving, he wondered if during his next holidays he shouldn't try out a beard. He always had shaved every day since he was at age to do so but he was curious to see how he looks like and to see his husband's reaction. Unlike him, Greg had already tried out facial hair and if a couple of days without shaving was making him, in the auburn's eyes, absolutely gorgeous, a real beard was definitely not suiting him, everyone had agreed on that.
The elder Holmes grabbed a small white towel and rubbed off the remaining of foam before spreading a little aftershave cream across his cheeks and neck. The radio was now playing a rapid Django Reinhardt tune and undulating alongside the sensual and joyful music, quickly got dressed in the suit he had chose earlier and hanged to the door, appreciating the cold and softness of the fabric on his now relax and clean body. While buttoning his shirt, he remarked that Michael might had changed the washing powder, this one smelling definitely better than the one he was using before, and his already beaming smile increase slightly. Even if he was a genius, the elder Holmes had always been amazed by the slightest surprise, remembering, for example, spending an entire afternoon he was still a kid observing a snake molting at the zoo vivarium.
He was running the brush through his hair when he heard the front door opening. He glanced a last look in the mirror to check if his tie was straight, smiled to himself and dashed downstairs to find his boyfriend hanging up his coat in the corridor.
"Good evening darling." the auburn whispered him before placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"Good evening too, you sexy ..." replied the policeman happily after they had parted. "What owe me the pleasure of the blue suit ?"
"You like it ?" wondered the official running a hand on his partner's back.
"If I didn't knew you loved me I would be jealous anyone else could see you looking that fine." chuckled Greg, slightly biting his lower lips, one of Mycroft biggest turn on. He leaned for another kiss but was gently pushed away by the detective. "I'm disgusting. An old woman even vomit on my shoes after I had to announce her the death of her son." explained the man to a quite pouty official. "Allow me to take a shower and I will be all yours."
"If it's to get rid of Grandma's fluid, I think I can allow you to wash up ..." winked the elder Holmes. "I even think a bubbly bath is in order, don't you ?"
"If you force me to ..." accepted the yarder, lazily wandering upstairs to the bathroom.
Letting his boyfriend alone for a couple of minutes, Mycroft made his way to the kitchen where he took the lemon pie out of the oven to allow it to cool down before they ate it and grabbed a beer in the fridge before bringing it upstairs.
He entered the bathroom to find his lover completely immersed in the hot water his cheeks now red of ease and comfort, his body relaxed of all of his job's pressure. The official handled Gregory the cool bottle, earning himself a bright smile, and sat on the bathtub edge, careful not to damp his suit in the water.
After a few minutes of silence, both of them simply holding hand and appreciating the opportunity of being together, Mycroft grabbed a bottle of shampoo and spread a little of its content on his lover's grey hair before rummaging his hands through it.
"Are you going to wash my back and handle me toys or have you remarked that I'm a fully competent adult ?" the policeman laughed.
"And read you Elmer the elephant before putting you to bed in a blue pyjama ? Yes, that was pretty much what I planed." retorted the auburn, deadpan.
"And not feeding me my pudding ? You want me to starve and awoke you by crying at two in the morning because I'm hungry ? Not really responsible ..." the detective remarked on the same tone before both of them broke into laughters.

"Happy first anniversary love." Mycroft wished his husband, raising his champagne glass, both of them sat around the table the auburn had so carefully put together earlier, a plate of finely cooked scallops in front of them.
"Thank you for the best year of my life so far." smiled the detective, raising his own glass.
"Bon appetit !" simply replied the official, not willing to be over soapy, both of them despising this kind of behaviour. Some time, 'less is more' and too many words are worth less than one truthful sentence or gesture.
"Is it you who've cooked this ?" wondered the inspector, surprised, after eating the first scallop.
"Yes. Do you like it ?" answered the elder Holmes, slightly worried.
"Are you joking ? It's absolutely marvellous ! I didn't knew you had this kind of talent ..." smiled the other man, truly amazed.
"Well, I don't have many occasions to show it, but I kinda enjoy cooking. I used to spend some time in the kitchen when I was younger. Well, before all that diet thing of course." He smiled, trying to hide the bitterness of his last sentence.
"You shouldn't hide such a talent darling. This is a master piece..." retorted Gregory placing a little kiss on his partner's hand and purposely faking not to have heard the last sentence pronounced by the other man.
"I could cook for you some other time if you want. I may even be able to learn you if you want." the auburn proposed, pushing away the bad memories, not willing to let it spoil his perfect evening.
"I wish you luck, I'm not even able to boil an egg, if I care to remember you ..." chuckled the detective. "But I could eat this scallops for the rest of my life really."
"I've been able to learn you how to bake a cake, I shall be able to teach you how to cook an omelette at least !" replied the elder Holmes, laughing.

"Do you want one ?" Mycroft asked his partner, gesturing toward the glass of whisky he just had poured himself.
"No, thank you. I've already drank too much, if I continue I'll fall asleep before even having time to reach the bed ..." refused the policeman, lazily laid down on the leather couch near the fire place.
He was waiting for his husband to come back and resume the cuddling they had been occupied with for the last twenty minutes but instead, the auburn made his way to the other corner of the room. A flash of disappointment and frustration passed through Greg's eyes before he understood what the official was doing.
Slowly, the tall man sat himself on a wood stool covered in dark red velour and opened the cover of the piano in front of him. It wasn't the first time the detective witnessed this happening but it was rare enough to always be a surprise to him and he pulled up a little on the couch to be able to have a better view at his lover. The elder Holmes placed his glass on the top of the instrument and softly ran his fingers over the keys a couple of time, uncontrollably smiling. He started to play a rapid and joyful tune Gregory had never heard before and quickly joined his voice to the piano notes, something he never had let anyone witness in his all life.
"Un matin comme tous les autres / Un nouveau pari / Rechercher un peu de magie / Dans cette inertie morose / Clopin clopan sous la pluie / Jouer le rôle de sa vie / Puis un soir le rideau tombe / C'est pareil pour tout l'monde / Rester debout mais à quel prix / Sacrifier son instinct et ses envies / Les plus essentielles / Mais tout peut changer aujourd'hui / Est le premier jour du reste de ta vie / Plus confidentiel / Pourquoi vouloir toujours plus beau / Plus loin plus haut / Et vouloir décrocher la lune / Quand on a les étoiles / Quand les certitudes s'effondrent / En quelques secondes / Sache que du berceau à la tombe / C'est dur pour tout l'monde / Rester debout mais à quel prix / Sacrifier son instinct et ses envies / Les plus confidentielles / Mais tout peut changer aujourd'hui /Est le premier jour du reste de ta vie/ C'est providentiel." he sang, turning his head from the piano to look at his boyfriend right in the eyes.
The detective slowly stood up from the couch and walked to his husband, placing on his lips a passionate kiss.