A/N This is part of the Christmas exchange organised by tragic-vampire on tumblr, blood-sucker-1428 on here. If you haven't read her stories yet, definitely do it! They are amazing!
This story is for ovejalucifer, who wished for anything Mythea themed. So I hope you like it!
I am aware that Christmas is long gone, but real life has been very exciting and since doing Erasmus I have been so sociable that I have barely been on my computer. I thought about just not writing it anymore since I am so far behind the deadline… But I made a promise, so here it is, extremely late. I am sorry! But with the never-ending snow here, I hope you can get back into the Christmas spirit to enjoy this story! I gave my best, but it is super hard and scary to write for a new pairing and new fandom. I apologize for any mistakes, English isn't my first language. Enjoy!
"Pinch me, you really accomplished the impossible." Lucy, the secretary that had replaced Vivian, asked her. Anthea had made it her mission to make Lucy feel welcomed in the otherwise mistrusting and cold work environment. A lot of people were sceptical of her just because of what Vivian did with her position. Lucy had a long wait ahead of her until people would completely trust her. Mycroft himself had looked into her and said she was best for that position, but some people still doubted him. So Anthea had agreed to help organise the Christmas party this year and involved Lucy as much as possible. People trusted Anthea unconditionally, maybe they would see that she trusted Lucy and would trust her in return.
She handed Lucy one of the gin tonics she just ordered from the bar and turned around to look at what Lucy meant.
Mycroft had just entered the building, like always in a black three-piece-suit and his stupid umbrella in hand.
"I told you he would come." Honestly, Anthea hadn't been sure if he'd really show up. She certainly had hoped so, she had put a lot of effort into this party.
She watched him put his coat and umbrella away and then turned to scan the room. He didn't let any of his emotion show, all his walls were up, it was probably the only way he had been able to get out of the car to face the abundance of people.
She recognized the moment he found her in the crowd, the faintest of smiles crossed his face. She couldn't help but smile back.
Lucy watched her closely.
"You're in love with him." She stated as a matter of fact. Anthea whipped back around to her and scoffed.
"You owe me 50 quid." Anthea extended her hand, waiting for Lucy to hand her the money she owed her for making Mycroft attend the party.
"I hope you didn't sell your soul for 50 pounds." Lucy sighed while giving the money to Anthea.
"No need, I know how to get my way," Anthea replied smugly. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"If I hadn't met Mr. Holmes, I'd say you're sleeping with him." Anthea turned back to Lucy to give her a staring down Mycroft would be proud of.
"I told him I'd quit if he didn't show his face at the party I organised. He knows he wouldn't last a week without me."
"Someone is very sure of their position."
"It's called self-confidence." Lucy laughed. Anthea looked back to Mycroft. He didn't look any different to a minute ago, but Anthea knew him well enough to know he would grow impatient and overwhelmed soon. She turned back to the bar to order him a scotch, he would need it.
"I'll better go to him before he decides to leave." She said to Lucy, who frowned.
"That's cheating! You don't win the bet if he immediately leaves!"
"I told you, I know how to get it my way. "Anthea smirked. "You've never specified."
"You came." Anthea smiled at him.
"Pointing out the obvious, I see," Anthea smirked at his reaction and handed him the scotch. "Thank you, my dear." He took it with an almost grateful expression on his face.
"Why did you come?" She shouldn't be asking, she knew he wouldn't answer truthfully, but she was curious. She had some guesses, most of them linked to the incident at Sherrinford. Mycroft had been a changed man ever since it had hit him harder than anyone could have assumed. She tried to be there for him, after all, they were friends, even if Mycroft would never admit it. They had worked together for years, had their up and downs, it would be weird not to consider Mycroft a friend. Hell, he might actually be her best friend, maybe she even had a little crush on him, but that was neither here nor there. She wasn't delusional. It was Mycroft they were talking about. Ever since Sherrinford, he had barely talked to her. He was too busy hiding inside his brain, afraid of all the emotions the island had forced upon him. Maybe that's why he came now as his form of apologising.
"You didn't give me much of a choice now, did you, my dear?" He arched an eyebrow at her in a playful manner. She smiled.
"We both knew I was bluffing." Anthea challenged him. He might not want to be truthful, but she wouldn't let him get away with such an obvious lie. They both knew she loved her job too much to ever jeopardize it.
"I am not talking about your fruitless endeavour to convince me you'd ever quit." He scoffed. "You're just as addicted to your work as I am, my dear. No, I am talking about the fact that I couldn't let you lose your silly little bet." Anthea rolled her eyes at this but kept smiling. It was a very Mycroft thing to say and definitely not the reason for his attendance.
"You pay me well enough; I could afford to lose 50 pounds." She argued further.
"Yes, maybe I pay you too much if that's what you do during working hours." He made a hand gesture encompassing the whole room. He had successfully changed the topic, she let him.
"It looks great, doesn't it?" She beamed. She was rather proud of how the entire party had turned out. She had rented a big ballroom to fit all the influential people in and their plus ones. The ballroom had some adjacent rooms, where she put fun little games or food to decompose from the busy main room. The entire ballroom was decorated to highlight the Christmas theme, snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, mistletoes on every doorframe, fake snow lying sporadically around the room and Christmas trees in every corner. She had foregone any blinking lights, knowing if Mycroft decided to appear beside the odds, he would turn around at the mere sight of them.
"Fishing for compliments, are we know?" Mycroft teased. He made a show of looking around the room again. Anthea knew he had observed everything down to the last detail the first time he set foot in the room and now just pretended to take the room in to make her wait. "It could have been a lot worse." He finally relented. As far as Mycroft went, that was a compliment. "Like everything you do, you have overdone yourself." He added and she blushed a little. An honest compliment by Mycroft was a rare feed. He looked at her again. "And I guess as far as Mrs. Claus outfits go, yours is acceptable." She laughed. She had chosen a white shoulder-free top and a red long skirt. She had curled her hair and put little presents as earrings in. Everyone had dressed a little festive, most of them choosing to stick to red or Christmas themed ties. Mycroft was dressed as always, in a black three-piece suit with a blue tie.
"Thank you, you don't look bad yourself," Anthea spoke honestly. "But would it have killed you to dress a little more Christmassy?"
"Yes!" He gritted immediately as if alone the idea would cause him a headache. She laughed again. It probably did.
In that moment she spotted Richard Smith, responsible for the budget for their next mission. Mycroft followed her eyes, his face contorting. He and Richard didn't get along, but then again, Mycroft rarely got along with people. In Richard's case, it was probably also that Mycroft admired good work ethics and loyalty, neither of which Richard possessed. He always flirted shamelessly with Anthea in the most inappropriate work settings despite being married with two children. It had resulted in more than one lecture from Mycroft about sexual harassment. Anthea never particularly minded, sure, she didn't enjoy it, but she was used to man in power trying to abuse their position. She had helped bring down a few of them; compared to those Richard was harmless. He just had a bit of a crush on Anthea and didn't know how to handle himself around her. So Anthea didn't really know what it was about him that got so under Mycroft's skin, but it had fuelled the office rumours that Anthea and Mycroft secretly dated. They had laughed at those rumours together, at least before Sherrinford, before Mycroft pulled back from their friendship.
It didn't really matter, today Anthea fully intended to use Richard's crush on her to her advantage to get her and Mycroft more money.
"I better go ask Richard for a –"
"Would you like to dance?" Mycroft interrupted her, following her eyes and giving her his hand. She was caught off guard. Mycroft never asked anyone to dance. He knew what she had intended to do and he had never stopped her doing her work before. If it would be any other man, she'd say he was jealous, but that was crazy, it was Mycroft. She wouldn't let herself get her hopes up.
"Sure." She nodded, still a little dumbfounded. She took Mycroft's hand and let herself be escorted to the dancefloor. She was fully aware that everyone was watching them. She didn't know what was more scandalous, Mycroft Holmes attending a party or Mycroft Holmes dancing at the said party.
Mycroft was a good dancer, it didn't surprise her. She had yet to find an area of life that he wasn't perfect at. She had fun and they talked again, which she had really missed. She could see Lucy standing at the bar with some dignitary, they caught each other's eyes and Lucy winked, pointing both thumbs up and gesturing at Mycroft. Anthea looked away, her cheeks turning pink.
The next song started and Mycroft pulled her closer. She was sure she had never been this close to Mycroft before. Their chests were touching and all she could smell was Mycroft's cologne. It made her a little dizzy. She had to fight the urge to rest her head against Mycroft's shoulder, that's how content she felt right now.
I don't wanna miss out on the holiday, but I can't stop starin' at your face
How perfect, she smiled as she listened to the lyrics. She would now forever link someone as sophisticated as Mycroft to a Christmas song by Justin Bieber.
"What's so funny?" Mycroft whispered as if speaking with a normal volume would burst the bubble they had created around themselves. Anthea shook her head to signal him it was nothing, Mycroft, of course, didn't believe her.
"The song." She simply said and watched Mycroft focus on the lyrics as well.
With you under the mistletoe
She doubted he knew "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber, but Mycroft kept surprising her today.
"Do you know the legend surrounding the Mistletoe?" Mycroft asked her while still spinning around the room. She shook her head no.
"I know that if you kiss under it, it's supposed to promise eternal love." Mycroft nodded. They stood so close together, that she felt every one of his movements. Her heart sped up.
"Of course, in past times it was merely a kiss on the hand. According to legend Baldur, the son of the Goddess Frigga, was killed by an enemy's arrow made of mistletoe. The mother cried onto the arrow and her tears turned into white berries that she placed on Baldur's wound and brought him back to life. She then blessed the mistletoe plant and promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it." Mycroft explained. Anthea turned her head away. Dancing with Mycroft and talking about eternal love was not helping her crush. She needed to put space between them before she did something stupid, she would later regret.
The song ended. Anthea stepped back before Mycroft could start the next dance. He looked confused but didn't argue. She needed air.
"You organised a chocolate room, didn't you?" Mycroft suggested. Trust Mycroft to be tempted by chocolate, always.
They were in one of those adjacent rooms. A chocolate fountain stood in the middle of the room and around it candy and fruits to dip into the fountain. Mycroft and Anthea sat on one of the benches, bodies angled towards each other, their knees touching while each of them ate chocolate in peace. They were alone in the room.
"That's the sole reason you came today, isn't it?" Anthea teased. "You heard of the chocolate fountain and just couldn't resist." She took another bite of her strawberry chocolate and tried not to stain her white shirt.
"That's one of the reasons, yes." He joked. Mycroft was a lot better than her at eating without dripping chocolate everywhere.
"One of the reasons?" Anthea questioned, subconsciously moving closer.
"I also wanted to talk to you," Mycroft admitted. She frowned. They saw each other every day at work, what did he have to talk about now?
"Then talk." She took another bite. Mycroft just looked at her and didn't say anything. She waited, but he just kept looking at her. She realized that he didn't have anything specific to tell her, but just wanted to talk to her. It made her heart flutter and a blush rising to her cheeks. It was nice to know that he at least also missed their friendship. "Are you going home for Christmas again?" She finally asked to stop his intense gaze.
"No." He finally said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" This wasn't good. This meant he would spend Christmas at the Diogenes Club, isolated from everyone. It would not help him get out of his head, it would force him deeper into the hole he dug himself after Sherrinford.
"Don't you remember last Christmas, my dear?" He arched an eyebrow. How could she forget?
"I doubt Sherlock will make it a tradition to shoot people." She joked.
"Christmas is just another unnecessary holiday." Mycroft rolled his eyes. "I don't see why I have to suffer because of it."
"It is not unnecessary!" She exclaimed passionately. "It's a magical holiday. Besides, your family loves you and they need you right now, I doubt they would claim it to be unnecessary!"
"I doubt my family will want me there." He admitted, this time not looking at her, but the chocolate fountain beside him. She took his hand, the shock of the sudden invasion of privacy, forcing Mycroft to look at her.
"Of course, they want you there! Sherlock will most certainly want you there, and you'll have a chance to clear all this stupid bad air between you and your parents!"
He thought this over, not looking away from her again. Suddenly, he reached out to wipe away chocolate from the corner of her mouth, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Her heart missed a beat. She was still holding his hand. "You should join me at my parents." He said almost absentmindedly.
"What?" She spluttered.
"You don't have anywhere to spend Christmas." He clarified.
"I do have friends." She reminded him.
"It would make sense." He continued, completely ignoring her. "This way, in case of an emergency we eliminate the time spend on looking for a helicopter for you to find me."
"Are you expecting an emergency to arise?" She challenged.
"Always."
"Mycroft, I couldn't impose on your family." She said seriously.
"My family consists of more than one sociopath and psychopath. They invited a drug dealer and an assassin to their home. I doubt they would mind much." She laughed, moving closer to him, their chests almost touching. "Besides, John Watson will surely be there again and with him, his daughter. You wouldn't be the only guest." Mycroft further argued. She smiled. This was nice. Her arguments were running out. It would be nice to have somewhere to spend Christmas. But spending Christmas with Mycroft? She wanted to, she couldn't think of anything she wanted more right now, but that would make it so much harder to try to keep her feelings professional. It was already so hard with them sitting so close next to each other and basically holding hands.
It took all her willpower to stand up and bring space between them.
"I should go back inside, I've been hiding for long enough." She shrugged, well aware that she was very obvious with her change of topic, but she needed to get a clear head.
"Anthea." He called after her. Standing in the doorway, she turned around. A little annoyed, she watched him get up and walk over to where she stood. "Tell Lucy that she also did a good job with the party. Maybe now, you won't have to focus on your little mission to make her trustworthy anymore and can go back to being my assistant full-time." She smiled and rolled her eyes.
"I w-", she stopped herself and looked up again. She hadn't mistaken the green plant she had seen out of the corner of her eyes when she rolled her eyes. She looked at Mycroft. He was smirking ever so slyly. "We are standing under a Mistletoe." She said confused. Mycroft glanced upwards as well, feigning surprise.
"It would appear so."
"You don't do things by accident." She pointed out still confused, hope slowly creeping in.
"Don't I?" He asked, arching an eyebrow to challenge her.
She laughed full heartedly, the pieces finally clicking together. This silly man!
"If you wanted to kiss me, you just had to say so." She leaned up to kiss him. He met her halfway, pushing his lips softly against hers while putting his hands on her waist to draw her closer. She could feel his heart beating fast against her chest. She interlaced her fingers behind his neck, trying to get even closer to him, while fireworks erupted in her brain. This was better than her imagination. This was magical.
"Does that mean, you will join me at my parents?" He asked cheekily when they separated, their foreheads still touching.
"Yes.", she smiled, still not able to comprehend how the evening had turned out, but extremely happy about it. She kissed him again.
A/N I hope you liked it! Especially ovejalucifer! Please leave me a review on here or on tumblr (katerinaredbird).
And I guess, happy Easter!