Getting to Know You
"The ticking of a nearby clock only grated your nerves further the longer you sat alone on a bench in King's Station. You glanced at a nearby clock; it read 8:55 AM. You were early only because you knew that your dignitary was normally early. But it seemed he was going to take his good old time today. You sighed and ran a hand through your (hair length /hair color) locks, laying your head back and staring at the ceiling. How could Sherlock and John make me take this job alone? You thought to yourself as you slowly closed your eyes. You had been working for and with Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson for a little over a year now. You had met when your ex-boss sent you out on the same case. The three of you became fast friends and you left your old job for one with the consulting detectives.
"Lounging around again, (first name)?" a deep but familiar voice called out. You opened your (eye color) eyes and stared up at the man standing in front of you. He was tall, slender but not thin exactly, he held his signature umbrella in his right hand and a newspaper in his left, he was handsome and had a much lighter shade of brown hair than his younger brother. "No, just waiting for you, Mycroft Holmes." You said standing from your, less than comfortable seat before holding out a hand for Mycroft to shake. He looked at your hand in distaste before walking off towards the train without you. You let out a disgruntled sigh and followed Mycroft. You met your "dignitary" before but you had never really been alone with him before. His prowess, pompousness, icy, self serving nature was infamous at least by John and Sherlock's standpoint. So, this was going to be a real "fun" job.
You followed him to the train you would both be sharing to Paris, and sat across from him. You crossed your legs and placed your elbow on the window resting your head in your hand, planning to relax on the way there watching as Mycroft took a similar position opposite of you. "So…" You started in a bored voice but Mycroft swiftly cut you off with a sigh and an over exaggerated eye roll. "If you plan on what simple minded people call, 'small talk' than please do keep your comments to yourself." You starred blankly at Mycroft for the few moments while the train left the station. "I was just going to ask you where we were going but looking at your new looking business attire, trimmed nails, freshly shaven face and continued lack of humor I can only assume its some sort of important meeting." You stated confidently with a small smirk evident on your face. Mycroft looked up at you from the news paper with little interest. "Has my darling brother been teaching you about deduction while he's been using you to his advantage?" He asked sounding bored. "Using me to his-?" you started asking but simply sighed letting it go. "No… Sherlock has never taught me how to 'deduce' things as you call it. I am self taught to observe the small details. It was rather important in my line of work." He merely nodded before moving into a position that mimicked one of Sherlock's signature thinking positions. Mycroft placed both elbows on his knees and interlaced his fingers before laying his chin on his hands. "And what was you 'line of work' as you so called it." Mycroft said in a much more interested tone of voice than he had before. You smirked at Mycroft and leaned back in your seat willing to take a challenge. "How about a game, Mr. Holmes?" You smiled as you watched a light grow in his eyes. "A game? Just who do you think I am? My brother?" Mycroft teased, but you knew better. You had seen just how long his and Sherlock's chess games could last before, just around five hours, and they could have lasted longer if John hadn't interrupted "just before the end" insisting that he and Sherlock had a date. Hint: (They didn't really, at least not yet.)
"Yes, Mycroft. A game." You say definitively. He leans back in his seat and looks you up and down, taking in your every detail before picking up his umbrella and holding it by the handle placing the tip on the ground. "And what," Mycroft started in an unenthusiastic tone, "might I ask, is this game?" You smiled a bit, basically testing him. "A game of questions and observation, Mr. Holmes. Someone asks the other a question and the other decides whether to tell the truth or not. Once they've told their truth or lie the other gets to choose whether they believe it or not." Mycroft's face stayed solid as stone but his eyes told an entirely different story. His eyes were alight with intrigue and interest. "And what do I get if I win?" he asked. "Win?" You asked with fake curiosity, "Well we'll know more about each other that's surely a win right?" You said playfully batting your eyes at Mycroft. He rolled his eyes. "If that is all we will be playing for than I would rather sit in silence for the next three hours." You sighed in fake exasperation. "Fine, if you're not so willing to just win the joy of knowing me better than what would you like to wager?" You watched as Mycroft seemed to think for a moment. "Dinner." He stated deliberately. "As in you'll take me when I win?" You asked grinning. Mycroft looked at you unamused. "I suppose… It also means you'll take me if I win. Do we have a deal?" Mycroft held out his hand to you to shake. As you took his hand and shook it you felt a strange shiver ride down your spine.
You shook off the strange feeling and sat back in your chair, "Care to go first?" Mycroft asked, "So I can get the hang of things of course." You knew better. He was trying to play you, pick up on your tells early so he had an advantage early in the game. But, that is what you would do too so you couldn't blame him too much. "Certainly." You smiled and thought a moment, looking Mycroft over placing an elbow on your knee and your chin in your hand, "Let's start somewhere easy. Why are we going the whole way to Paris, just for a simple board meeting?" You asked watching Mycroft's every little movement. Mycroft sighed annoyed and rolled his eyes, "To go play with ponies, drink wine, and eat cheese all day." Mycroft replied in a very sarcastic tone. But you had gotten him exactly where you wanted him. When Mycroft had lied he shifted noticeably in his seat, his shoulders bobbed, he moved his hands on his umbrella in a wringing motion, and his feet slid back towards his seat. You caught his tell, and you knew he wouldn't let it slip as easily again so you'd have to pay extra attention to Mycroft. Delight filled your eyes as you smiled, "He does have a humor." You giggled watching with pleasure as Mycroft looked at you. "Too easy." He hummed. "My turn." You nodded, preparing yourself for to answer how ever you had to. "Tell me, what exactly was your job you decided leave and work for my darling brother?" You smiled, speculating that Mycroft already knew the answer to this being "the Government" and all, but was simply testing you. "I was a spy for the British government, I obtained information from foreign countries in whatever form I could using whatever methods I was aloud to use." You answered truthfully.
Mycroft studied your face for a moment. "True. Although these are the types of things I would refrain from stating on a train traveling from London to Paris." You giggled again. "And who is going to hear us exactly? We are in an empty train car." Mycroft merely shrugged, "Train personnel?" he suggested. "T-Train-?! Mycroft have you ever ridden a train before?" He looked at you with his head tilted eyebrow raised ever so slightly. "Is that really your question?" You sighed and ran a hand through your hair, "Sure." You stated blankly. Mycroft left out a near chuckle as he watched you. "Of course I've been on a train. We do live in London, (First Name)." He was telling the truth. There were no signs of any of his earlier tells. "Truth." You said smiling. Mycroft merely nodded as he glossed over you once again. "My turn then." He motioned to your left hand. "Tell me, was it the divorce that caused you to leave your job or my brother's finesse?"
You felt a pain twinge through your chest as you instinctively covered the tan line on the ring finger of your left hand. Your eyes darkened with sadness as you stared at it, bittersweet memories flooding to your mind. It was with these darkened eyes that you stared at Mycroft, "To answer your question, at first I wanted to leave because of what happened, but it was ultimately your brother that 'set me free' so to say. As for your observation you're wrong." Mycroft looked at you in confusion, "Excuse me?" You sighed sadly before pulling a small chain necklace up that was hiding behind your shirt, on the chain hanged three rings, an engagement ring with a small simple stone adorned on a silver band, a simple silver woman's wedding band with a few simple stones embedded in it, and a silver man's wedding band. You looked up at Mycroft sadly, "You're wrong. We didn't get a divorce. He died." Mycroft's icy demeanor changed in an instant. "I-I'm truly sorry." He started. "How? if you don't mind me asking." You placed your finger through your late husband's wedding band and rubbed it with your thumb out of habit, there was polished spot on the ring that had come to be because of your anxious habit. "In battle." You started sorrowful. "He was sent over seas to fight and his… his-" Mycroft looked at you in sympathy and held a hand up to motion for you to stop. "It's ok. You don't need to go into detail." You nodded and wiped your eyes of the few tears that sprung to your eyes. "Truth for all that it matters." Mycroft muttered. You looked up at him with a tear stained face and chuckled. "Thank you. I'm sorry this game turned out like this." You whispered. Mycroft shook his head and laid a hand atop yours. "No do not feel that way, (First Name). I am sorry for asking such a racy question. I should have thought about your feelings. I tend to just speak without thinking." You took his hand in yours. "It's ok Mycroft. I understand." You smiled sweetly at him trying ever so hard to hide the blush that was forming on your face. You noticed that Mycroft was having the same issue. "How about we call it quits on the game for now?" You asked. Mycroft nodded "Alright." It was silent for a few moments before Mycroft spoke again, "Dinner?" You looked at him in surprise, "As in you're taking me to dinner or I'm taking you to dinner?" He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "You truly can be hopeless… I'm taking you to dinner." A blush was much more prevalent on his face. D-Did he just ask out me out a date?! You thought as a furious blush covered your face. You nodded. "O-Ok." Mycroft smiled at you genuinely before turning back to his newspaper. "Good." You two sat in silence waiting for your stop. It was several moments later when you realized that you and Mycroft were still holding hands.