Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller
Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help
James' POV
Three days after they had looked at the flat it was available for moving in, he was still trying to decide whether to apply for a lone or not when his mate surprised him by writing a check for the amount and handing it over to the beta woman when they exchanged keys just after breakfast. Once she was gone, his mate had set to opening every window without saying a word to get the place aired out, shaking his head as he checks the glass with his finger tip.
"Interfering brothers," the omega mutters before wandering around for a few minutes, his hand touching the surface.
"You only have one brother," he states questioningly.
"Mycroft adopted me because of my close relationship with Greg and Sherlock, so I have one biological and three non-biological brothers. Greg's family has also claimed me, giving me a pair of omega sisters there, along with the mates and children, and parents, let's not forget parents. Along with a lot of the omegas I have helped claim me as family too," his mate answers, turning towards him the younger man hesitantly asks, "Is it alright I bought the flat outright?"
He nods solemnly once, "It is, I am surprised that you had not previously bought somewhere if you could do so easily."
"We were going to get a flat together, and ummm, I still wanted that, but that little flat was depressing when you were not around, which is why I stayed with them instead."
Understanding that his mate needs to be comforted at the moment, he steps up to him and pulls him into a tight hug, before tilting his head just a bit and gently pressing their lips together. They had already bypassed when he would have had his heat had he not been pregnant. According to the doctor it was perfectly safe for them to continue to have relations if they wanted, but they had not had any since his return and he was not sure as to exactly why however he refused to pressure his mate. As far as he cared he had already done enough damage with his behavior, he would not do more if he could avoid it.
"Shall we see what all we need to purchase for here?" he suggests afterwards, still holding his mate.
Chuckling, his mate burrows against his chest, arms wrapped firmly around him, "I wouldn't be surprised if the others decided to furnish this place, of course we will have to get rid of any hugs any of them decide to install."
"Why would they install bugs?" he inquires, this is another one of those things that makes no sense to him.
"Jim and Mycroft have stalker issues while trying to be protective. Only reason my rooms don't have bugs at their homes is Greg and Sebastian, Sherlock does not allow bugs in the flat either." Sighing, his mate settles on the edge of the sofa that had been left behind, "Mycroft works for the government in a position of importance. I never asked exactly what it is I just know that it comes with a lot of danger. Jim sort of works for Mycroft in an even more dangerous position, again I never asked exactly what. As such, Sherlock, Greg, and I are all carefully tracked to make sure no one tries to use us against them."
A lot of the comments the auburn-haired man and his brother-in-law made that first night in town now make a lot more sense to him. He also realizes he understands why Sebastian has commented on minions. If they worked in the government in a position that allowed for death with the ease that they spoke of it, then they were either MI5 or MI6, both were departments he had to deal with when he was still active duty, and knew that for every person he had ever interacted with, there was at least six to ten more that he had not. Well that explained a lot.
"Out of curiosity, do you know how long they have worked together?" he inquires as he sits down beside his mate.
Blushing, his mate ducks his head and mutters, "Late summer 2000."
That was around the time they had bonded as well. Why would they have started working together then? Thinking about it for a bit, he remembers that his mate had that dinner he had to host a few weeks before they had bonded, he had been on assignment at the time and unable to attend.
"That dinner a few weeks before we bonded?" he asks, knowing his mate will understand the rest of the question.
"Yeah, my brother and my best-friend's mate were literally trying to kill each other, so I decide it had to stop." John's blush gets deeper and his scent is both embarrassed and satisfied. "So I came up with a plan, enlisted Sherlock who I had only known for a few months, and Sebastian who I had known for years, to help me. I got what I wanted in the end, and in the process went from three protectors to five." Cocking his head to the side and glancing at him through his lashes his mate remarks, "Mycroft even offered me a job, not that I took it."
Before he has a chance to answer his mate, he hears the door and a loud, "Damn it Sherlock! You're supposed to knock and wait to be invited in!" from Greg.
Giggling, his mate leans his head on his shoulder, muttering, "We're being invaded."
Despite how annoying the idea is, he is also alright with it because his mate is happy according to his scent. He'll spend a little bit of time with them before evicting them all to spend time with just his mate. It is his hope that now that they have a place his John seems happy with that they will be able to connect the way they had when they had first bonded, back before the injury that had invalided him from the military and his depression set in. Hopefully the five will not come in an out a lot, because he really does prefer his privacy. Maybe they could set an area up where his mate could spend time with the others when they came to visit so the rest of the flat would not get a lot of their scent. While he is certain he will adjust to them in time, right now he just wants to make this place theirs.
"Mind if we come in John?" the detective inspector inquires from the door, holding his companion by the arm.
"Why would he mind?" the dark-haired alpha from across the street demands.
He can hear the eye roll in the following statement, "He's a nesting omega, of course he might not want you in the flat until he has finished nesting. Gezzzz, there are times I think you forgot basic biology."
"Deleted it. It did not seem important," the younger alpha mutters.
"I'm not nesting yet so you can come in for a few minutes but then we need to go shopping, this place is rather bare." His mate answers as he snuggles just a bit closer so they are pressed from shoulder to knee against each other on his unmarred side.
"If its furniture shopping the only thing you will need to get is the stuff for your bedroom, the living room, kitchen, and dining room are all covered. I claimed rights to helping with the nursery and surprisingly enough our brothers didn't argue." Sherlock states as he leans against the wall opposite of where they are seated. "Our brothers had a bit of a shooting match to determine who got to do the flat warming gifts."
"I would like to note I told Myc that maybe you'd want to go shopping on your own, at which point I got a very long and dull explanation of why this was better, including the fact you have been avoiding shops more often lately except for the café and the fact your mate's antisocial." Glancing at him the other alpha shrugs slightly and states, "Sorry."
"It is a fact," he replies, of all of the people his mate deals with often, the detective inspector is the only one that he gets along with for their own sake and not his mates. "I am not fond of people as a rule."
"What do you mean a shooting match?" his mate inquires curiously.
Rolling his eyes, the youngest one in the room answers his mate's question, "They had a target contest first and when they both tied, they decided to do the obstacle course with the laser guns. Mycroft won the first round, Jim won the second round, and Andrea won the third round when she got both of them when they were not looking because apparently both had meeting and the sniper did not want to interrupt." Smirking, the dark-haired alpha concludes, "So you get a complete kitchen set from Andrea, a dining room set from Jim, and a living room set from Mycroft. Which means the kitchen and living room will be to your tastes because she'll check with you first."
He chuckles at the looks of annoyance and affection on his omega's face only to stop when he turns his eyes on him and states in shock. Self conscious he stops, straightening and returning to a neutral expression. Why is his mate staring at him?
"Because it is the first he has heard you laugh or chuckle since your return from the war. He is actually quite happy with it and desires that you are not so self-aware." The dark-haired alpha tells him crossly.
"Be nice Sherlock, not everyone can read situations and people the way you three do." the detective inspector orders quietly.
Glaring at his brother-in-law that order is ignored. "They're mates. I would hope he could read his emotions easily enough. Particularly since he could use the damn bond." The dark-haired alpha snarls putting emphasis on the end of the sentence and making him feel like a fool for not thinking of it.
"No experiments for you for a week," his mate snaps getting up and grabbing his phone, fingers quickly typing in a number before he is speaking to someone while wandering in the other room.
The detective inspector starts laughing, while the dark-haired alpha stares after his mate a pouting expression in his eyes though not on his face, he merely sits there thinking. A small part of his mind wondering why he had not considered doing so, remembering that when they first bonded he used to do that fairly often. Well then, he would have to start doing so again. Less than a minute later his mate is back, settling into his spot next to him. For several minutes the four of them visit, though he is getting a headache from the way the dark-haired alpha jumps between subjects so easily.
When the detective inspectors phone goes off he sighs before, stating, "Well, we're off, we have a murderer to catch."
"What if I don't want to?" Sherlock demands sullenly.
Rolling his eyes, his mate answers, "Then don't, however you are not hanging out here all day, once we're settled I'll come visit alright?"
Stormy eyes study his mate for one long moment before nodding, spinning on his heel, and leaving without another word.
"How'd we end up with three of them?" his mate's friend inquires with a shake of his head.
"One's my brother, you married one, and the third one is your brother-in-law?" his mate responds with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah, thanks for clearing that up, see you later." Turning towards the door, he pauses, as if he remembers something, "The girls want me to tell you that you are to invite them for dinner or come to dinner sometime before summers out. Also, the folks are expecting you to 'finally present his alpha or we are coming for a visit to make sure he is good for him'," the detective inspector comments as he stretches, "Later."
"'Bye Greg! Don't let them drive you too batty," his mate replies with a grin, glancing at him, the younger man continues, "We might want to make plans for visits, 'cause the Lestrade family will carry through on the promise to come visit."
It does not take much to remember that the Lestrade's are Greg's family. He can still clearly recall the other alpha telling him that he was expected to meet the family sometime, and the confusion that had followed because he knows that beside's his brother, his mate doesn't really have family. They had disowned him for being an omega, something he never understood. There is nothing wrong with omegas.
"After we get everything settled, we can have a dinner and invite them all at once to get it out of the way?" he suggests after several minutes of thinking about it.
Apparently it was the right suggestion because his mate beams at him, giving him a quick hug before going back to touching all of the walls in the flat. He watches with a mild sense of amusement, and a quiet joy that his mate is claiming their territory, something he never did with the other flat.
"John?" he queries as his thoughts turn to the small flat.
"Yeah?" his mate replies as he stops between the kitchen and living room, tilting his head to the side, and studying him inquisitively.
"What shall we do with the little flat?" he inquires softly.
Shrugging, the blonde seems unsure of what to say, almost like afraid to give the wrong answer according to scent, "Ummmmm, rent it out or sell it?" he suggests hesitantly.
He nods, "Alright."
Silence falls between them, an edge of worry and relief tinting it, making him wonder if the subtext is purely in his mind or really there.
Three soft taps at the door keep him from asking as his love goes to answer.
"Good morning John," he hears that dark-haired beta woman from when he first returned to London greet his mate, as the two of them step into the room she nods slightly in his direction, "Major Sholto."
"Hullo A, Greg said you'd be stopping by," his mate replies with a smile, "I'd offer tea but I don't think there is any here yet."
She smiles warmly at him before motioning to the sofa, "I am only here on my break anyways," she answers before handing over a tablet, "I have been given charge of mine and Mr. Holmes flatwarming gifts, and since I understand perfectly well of designing a home should be done by the home owner, I have brought this along so you may select what you like in comfort. Don't bother trying not to pick, he'll get impatient and pick something himself, believe me, his tastes while excellent for clothing, are horrid for house design. Just text me when you're done," she tells them as she lets go of it. "Now then, back to managing, I mean working for, one of the most annoying men I have ever met."
As quickly as she is there, she is gone, leaving him wondering how he got drawn into this. Beside him, his mate is chuckling low in his throat while shaking his head.
"That's A for you, you can call her practically any 'A' name and she will answer to it, mostly because she changes her name depending on her mood, which means there are times she will use the same one for days or weeks, and other times she will go through five or six of them in a day." the omega seated next to him tells him, "Of all the minions between Jim and Mycroft, she's my favorite beside Sebastian."
A small part of him is jealous of the idea that his mate is fond of a non-familial alpha like that, but he understands that the sniper had been one of John's protectors longer than he has actually known him.
"Shall we see what sort of options she put on here?" his love asks as he scoots back next to him so they are pressed together once more.
He smiles, loosely wrapping his arm around his mate. The next several hours until he hears the younger man's stomach start to growl are spent with them looking through the various options on the tablet, occasionally John will read the notes that the beta had left on a piece aloud, most the time chuckling at her sarcastic comments and remarks. They easily decide on the kitchen set, picking a design and layout that would work well with the current one and give John plenty of space to do things with. Since his mate loves cooking, he thinks that's a brilliant idea. The living room set is a little harder since it is difficult to pick one based on looks alone. Again it is the notes that have his mate chuckling when he reads them aloud. Once the choices are selected, his mate sends a text message off to the beta, receiving an answer seconds later.
-Want the walls and floor redone?- A
"Do we like the walls and floors as is?" his mate inquires looking around and showing him the message, "Personally I am alright with them, particularly with the color schemes picked, what do you think?"
He shrugs and answers, "I am fine with it. Personally I want you to be happy."
Nodding, his mate quickly sends of a text message. Less than a minute later he gets a reply.
"Shall we go eat? By the time we get back the furniture from Mycroft and A will be installed and set up." His mate suggests, "We can go bedroom shopping, have this entire place outfitted in a day pretty much."
After thinking about it for a bit, he nods and stands, offering John a hand.
After sending off another quick text the two of them leave, this time his mate shows him to another restaurant he has discovered, this time due to Jim. When they are done with lunch, they spend several hours shopping around for a bedroom set until they find one that they both like. Due to his years in the military, he dislikes soft beds, and thankfully his mate prefers a firmer bed too if the one in Jim's flat is anything to go by. Once they have made their choice, he is surprised to see it is dinner time so the two of them go eat before returning to their new flat.
When they walk in he is surprised to see that it is now fully furnished in the lower level with the living room, kitchen, and dining room.
"I can't believe this," his mate mutters as he looks around, "Which one of them am I hugging?" his nose twitches as he sniffs the air as he paces from room to room.
Glancing around, he tries to determine what has his mate muttering, he spots several books on a shelf, a few pictures of two children, a boy and a girl, there are other little items too carefully placed around the flat. In the kitchen he discovers an antique tea service, along with several old sets of pots and pans, and a dishes set in the cupboard. There are other things around the flat that he notices and are older, items that look like they belong to family heirlooms. When the bond between himself and John flares, he follows it upstairs to their room, he discovers his mate sitting on their new bed staring at a unfold sheet of paper.
"John?" he questions softly.
Instead of speaking, his mate hands him the paper. His eyes quickly scan it, widening slightly.
-Dearest John
If you get this message, then the lawyer was able to find you and I have passed on. William selected to get rid of you, but that was never my choice, I hope that you have been able to find a stable life and a good home. I hope that you were able to follow your dreams.
Take care of yourself.
Be happy
Wanda-
Setting the paper aside, he settles himself on the edge of the bed next to his mate and pulls the younger man close, murmuring comfortingly, "It's alright love. Go ahead and let go." He knows that his mate had never understood why he had lost his entire family just because he was an omega. That the younger man had often wondered if the reason his other family members had never tried to find him was because they had not cared. This simple letter said so much more, as did the small items that had been preserved for him.
For a long time the two of them sit there with his arms wrapped around his mate. He's not sure how much he is succeeding at it or not. Time would be the only thing that would tell.