AN: Thank you so much for all the feedback so far, it is so lovely. There will be another bit up tomorrow, I just have to do a job interview first.
I drafted this when I was in London, it was supposed to be an observation exercise, turns out I have no self-control.
I hope you like it!
Greg found Mycroft sitting in Regents Park looking across the water. Some birds were making enough noise to drown everything else out, but Mycroft didn't seem to notice.
"I thought you were going to see Sherlock." Greg sat down on the bench next to Mycroft and watched an old couple holding hands as they walked past. He wondered if they would be like that some day.
"I am, I was, it's not that important."
"Have you talked at all?"
"Yes, it took us two minutes to start arguing about out parents and what we should tell them. I would rather not do that again." Greg stroked his arm.
"You'll have to eventually." A group of seagulls flew by, probably scared by the jogger who looked like he was about to have a heart attack any moment. "Have you eaten?"
"Ow don't you start." Mycroft snapped, he didn't intend to. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his head was pounding.
"It's a lunch invitation love." Greg let his hand rest on Mycroft's knee.
"I'm sorry darling." Mycroft's gaze followed a lone swan gliding by. "I'd love to, in a bit. Could we sit for a while?" Mycroft covered Greg's hand with his own. None of them were scared of the signs of affection. You are never as invisible as in a public place where no one stays for long.
"Of course." Mycroft held on to Greg's hand as they sat there. Greg studied the people while Mycroft watched pretty much everything else. Greg understood why. Ones he had asked Mycroft what he thought about a couple walking by and even faster than Sherlock Mycroft deduced more than Greg thought possible. It was tiring. Studying people was not a guessing game to Mycroft, it was an endless bombardment of information. Not at all what you want from a trip to the park. Mycroft had, for the first time in all the time Greg had known him, taken some leave. Leave guarded fiercely by Mycroft's assistant who screened all his calls and made sure nothing disturbed him. She was wonderful. It had taken her a long time to grow to like Greg, to be sure that he wasn't just using Mycroft and would hurt him. She was loyal to Mycroft and it always made Greg feel better to know that she was watching out for Mycroft when he couldn't. Greg studied Mycroft, his long delicate fingers around Greg's hand, the tired lines around his eyes, he looked perfectly relaxed but tired at hell. Beautiful. Greg watched Mycroft's mouth curl into a soft smile.
"Are you watching me?" Mycroft was still watching the birds gliding past in the pond.
"I spend a lot of time watching you."
"See anything interesting?" There was a sarcastic tone to Mycroft's voice. Greg knew that the elder Holmes still wondered why Greg found him beautiful. After the business with Moriarty they had decided it was the two of them, with Sherlock gone they had no natural meeting point, so they had to make a decision.
"A man I love profoundly. You are so wonderful." Mycroft met Greg's eyes, the sun lit up his face.
"You are so much more then I deserve darling, please never leave me." Everything looked brighter out here in the sun than it did when they were curled up at home, but it was an illusion. A large part of Mycroft's world had come crashing down around him and he was clawing for stability and forgiveness.
"I won't, just don't try to shield me from things. We are partners remember." It was a promise they had made a long time ago, not to shut the other out and to help each other shoulder whatever came, no matter if they could talk about it or not.
"Partners." Mycroft nodded. Greg had often wondered if he should ask Mycroft to marry him. But Mycroft had made fun of the institution of marriage many times, and Greg's first marriage was not something he wanted to repeat. "I just don't want to face up to this, I was sure I did the right thing, what was best for everyone." Greg intertwined their fingers. Normally Mycroft faced up to any problem the country found itself in, his personal life was quite different.
"I know you did your best." The guilt was eating at Mycroft and all Greg could do was tell him he did his best and hold him. Through the doubt, the nightmares, the memories, that was all he could do.
"I could have done better." Greg squeezed his hand.
"You are perfect." Mycroft rolled his eyes at Greg's words. Sometimes the man had the body language of a 14-year-old girl.
"Try telling Sherlock, my mother, John, Mrs Hudson, I don't think they will agree."
"Doesn't matter, I'm right. Sherlock will come around when he settles down." Mycroft shook his head and looked out across the water.
"The flat blew up, I did that." It was a miracle they weren't all dead. Mycroft's assistant had been the one to tell Greg that Mycroft was fine and off with his brother. Mycroft just ran off into hiding without the time or opportunity to contact anyone else. Greg had been so scared and angry that he had scared the woman.
"No, you didn't."
"Could just as well have done." Greg was unsure if the touch of anger in Mycroft's voice was because of what had happened of because he was being contradicted.
"That is not true and you know it."
"And you know it is." Mycroft locked eyes with the inspector. They were both stubborn and determined men when they knew they were right.
"You are not responsible for anyone's actions but your own. Not Sherlock, not hers and not Moriarty." It was a line of reasoning Mycroft had used often when something happened in one of Greg's cases. When someone couldn't be saved, when someone got shot, when they couldn't catch a killer quickly enough.
"At this time darling logic fails me."
"But you know I'm right." Mycroft looked away.
"Really doesn't help me now does it?" Greg kissed the back of Mycroft's hand.
"Lunch might help, and then we'll see if we can find Sherlock and John. I'll come with."
"You are too good for me."
"Nothing is too good for you."