Chapter 9
Mycroft cursed violently inside his head as his phone started buzzing furiously at the most inappropriate moment possible. He withdrew from Greg, who looked a bit dizzy, gave him an apologetic look and grabbed his phone off the table to see who dared to disturb him when he had so much more important matters to attend. It was the foreign minister. Right, the potential nuclear threat in China... Mycroft had completely forgot about it as soon as Greg had called him. He sighed.
"I'm really sorry Greg, I have to take this." he brushed his lips slightly against Greg's forehead before clearing his throat and answered his phone, his tone changed into a much more professional one. He walked into his library and closed the door behind him.
Twenty-three minutes, and a very heated discussion, later he headed back into his living room, not sure if Greg would still be there. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him, still in the sofa, sipping another cup of coffe and fibbling with his phone. "I am so sorry about that. I had completely forgot about that call and it was really important, I had to take it." He sat down in the sofa again, further from Greg this time. He felt a sudden nervousness. What if the kiss had been in the heat of the moment? What if Greg only had stayed to tell him it had been a mistake?
"No worries, Mycroft. I don't really know what it is that you do, but it seems important as hell, so I guess interrupting phone-calls is part of dating you." He stiffened as soon as he'd said it. "I don't mean that we are… I just, uhm…" Greg stuttered out, his face red, and Mycroft felt he had to help him out.
"We could. Be dating, I mean. I'd really like that." It felt weird saying it out loud, but he felt very bold as he did so. "If you want to, of course?" He added as Greg didn't respond. He was rewarded with a smile, so genuine and beautiful that Mycroft almost had to look away. How could anyone in their right mind look so happy of the thought of dating him?
"Of course I do. Hell, I've wanted to kiss you since you kidnapped me that first time."
"I did not kidnap you Greg!" Mycroft said, a bit heated.
"Yeah, you kind of did actully. But I'm glad you did. I could use a bit of drama in my life." Greg winked and linked his fingers with Mycroft's.
"It was a neccessary precaution" Mycroft responded, and Greg chuckled. A comfortable silence fell, a kind that Mycroft hadn't felt in years together with another person. He watched their linked hands and he decided that if ther were about to do this, they would do it properly.
"I want to take you out" He said, breaking the silence so abrubtly that it made Greg jump next to him.
"I want to take you out on a real date, with dinner and proper conversations and nice clothes."
"You always have nice clothes" Greg said, but he smiled and continued with "I'd love to."
Mycroft smiled back. "Okay then. Tomorrow?"
"That would be great."
Mycroft really wanted him to stay longer, but he had an international crisis to deal with and it started to make his attention drift away. He searched in his mind for the right words to say to send Greg home, without him feeling like he'd been sent home. He didn't have to worry. Greg sensed that his presence was although very much welcome, no longer convenient. They rose from the sofa and Mycroft followed him to the door. An awkward pause appeared as neither of them really knew how to say good-bye. Eventuelly they settled for a hug and a quick peck on the lips. "Tomorrow them?" Greg said as he stepped out the door.
Mycroft smiled. "Tomorrow"
Greg stood in front of the mirror in their bedroom, fidgeting with his tie when Elaine came in. Her lips were a deep burgundy color, instead of the usual rose-color. She'd ditched the gym teacher then. "You're going out?" she asked him, surprised.
"Mhm" he answered, still trying to tie his tie.
"Come here, I'll do it" Elaine said, and Greg handed over the messy knot his tie had become. She undid it and started over, her hands effortlessly turning the piece of cloth to a perfect knot.
"New lipstick?" Greg asked.
"Yes. I got tired of the old one, I needed a change. New tie?" She said, as she straightened it.
"Yes, I needed a new one, too." Greg said and she nodded. And at that moment he felt that they fully understood each other, that they shared something, for the first time in years. They both knew, and neither cared.
"Well…have a good time tonight then." Elaine said.
"You too. I'll see you tomorrow." Greg replied.
"It suits you" she said as he was heading out the door, nodding towards the tie.
Greg hesitated, then walked back and placed a quick peck on her cheek. She smiled, and it was genuine. Their good bye was a closure, for both of them. He smiled back and headed out the door, feeling lighter than he'd done in years.
He'd barely made it out the door until the black car slowed to a halt in front of his house. He shook his head sligthly, but got in the car without questions, greeting the driver. He were a bit surpised to find the backseat empty, as he'd expected Mycroft to pick him up. Well, he at least expected Mycroft to be in the car when his driver picked him up. Greg doubted Mycroft had ever driven a car himself.
It felt weird. Here he was, in his forties, going on a date, after being married for the major part of his life. He'd forgotten the nervous feeling and the buzz of anticipation, and it was a nice change becuase he usually buzzed with nothing but boredom. Parts of him was wondering if he was really ready to do this, to start over. Okay, it was one date, it didn't have to lead to a life-time committment, but Greg already knew that Mycroft Holmes was not the kind of man you met for a one night stand or a booty call. If you'd gotten as far as to being asked out by Mycroft, you'd already gotten further than many others. Greg was already deeper down in this than he'd realized, and it scared him. But it wasn't a coincidence that he'd chosen the job he had, fear and danger excited him so it was a good typ of scary he felt as the car stopped and he got out. The restaurant looked nice, but not too nice. Greg had feared that he would be taken to the kind of restaurant where they didn't even put the prices on the menu, so he felt a bit more comfortable as he stepped inside the warm and surprisingly cosy restaurant, which also, he noted, had reasonable prices. He was shown inside and pointed to a table in the corner ,where Mycroft was waiting for him. The furnishing secluded them a bit from the rest of the room, and Greg strongly suspected that it was Mycroft's own doing. Mycroft got up, hugged him and said "Welcome" with a bright smile. Greg couldn't help but smile back, and felt some of his tension loosen up as he sat down.
Mycroft cleared his throat. "I did took the liberty to order, I hope you don't mind. I have personal connections in the kitchen, so I've been promised a special composed menu."
Greg chuckled, not the least bit suprised. "Sure, it's fine" he said.
The evening proceeded and before Greg knew it, the candles were almost burned down in their sockets, and as he looked around they were left alone apart from the staff. He threw a glance at his watch and recieved a slight chock. They'd been sitting there for nearly four hours, and the clock was approaching midnight. "When did thid happen?" he gestured towards the almost empty room.
Mycroft smiled. "Sometime during the first course and the third bottle of wine, I would imagine." Greg raised his eyebrows. Had they really been drinking three bottles of wine? Yeah, he could feel the warm buzz in his body and the slightly slower train of thoughts. He was amazed. Never in his life had he met someone that so completely absorbed him, to the point of him forgetting time and space, not even in his first months with Elaine. He was falling hard for Mycroft, and the realization that it was out of his control made him feel relaxed. God, he could really love this man and somehow it didn't scare him at all. Why would it scare him?
They thanked the staff, and made their way out of the restaurant, and all the while Greg couldn't keep his eyes off the other man. He didn't know if it was the wine or a newfound boldness or maybe both, but as soon as they'd stepped out he took Mycroft's face in his hand hands and kissed him. He tried to say all the things he didn't know how to put in words, and he must have succeeded because as they parted Mycroft, dizzy eyed, asked "Would you like to come home with me?"
Greg smiled. "I'd love to."
