The eighth change was all about affection…
Beta:OneWhoSitsWithTheTurtles
Affection
Mycroft was not the kind of person to express his affections openly. When you considered the fact that he had grown up in a family like his, it was quite understandable. Mummy Holmes was the only affectionate person he knew; maybe a little over-affectionate at times. She showered her sons with love and care, couldn't live a day without hugging them at least once – that was, of course, when the Holmes brothers were still young. As they grew up, Sherlock moved out and ran towards his own adventurous world, making a great fuss over it in the process, and Mycroft, led by a need to be closer to where all important political battles took place, bought a spacy apartment in London. The politician spent only a little time there, when he didn't have to work, but still could not call that place his home. Home was a small mansion in the suburbs where he grew up. Mycroft visited Mummy as often as he could with a schedule like his. On top of that, he would, from time to time, attempt to press Sherlock into attending at least one dinner every couple of weeks. His younger brother declined every time, but Mycroft had proof that he visited no less than Mycroft himself.
They both cherished her attention. Hers was the only affection Mycroft longed for these many years.
It was not like he wanted to have a big overly-affectionate family; he'd be the first one to bring Sherlock to a psychiatrist if he even attempted to hug Mycroft.
For most of his time Mycroft Holmes was surrounded by cold business partners as well as employees who were afraid of him; but that was fine – he worked hard to create a reputation like that.
And that was why Gregory Lestrade surprised Mycroft yet again. After their date both men viewed themselves as involved in a relationship, so Mycroft thought it was safe now to call them partners. He'd never refer to Gregory as his boyfriend, which sounded so juvenile, and he considered it a little early to call them lovers. So partners suited nicely. There was a small nuance concerning what meaning the two men put behind those words. Because rather unexpectedly it appeared that Gregory Lestrade was a man who'd tell the world about their relationship; subtly, of course, but he would still mention it.
No matter how much Mycroft attempted to deny it, he rather liked that, since finally getting permission to get closer, Lestrade couldn't keep his hands off Mycroft. Wherever they went, to their Sunday morning meeting or to their ordinary lunch or on another date, it seemed like Gregory always needed to keep physical contact with his date. That was endearing, the way he offered his elbow for Mycroft to hold onto when they went for a walk in the park, or how when the two of them entered a café or a restaurant Gregory, after gallantly holding the door so that his date could pass, would follow a step behind with his hand on the small of Mycroft's back.
Mycroft could not hide how happy it made him feel, but at the same time it could be too much. He was not used to openly displaying his relationship to the public. Not because he was ashamed of being in a relationship with another man, but just because he was the type to keep his feelings to himself, showing them only in private.
When Gregory greeted him with a kiss as he came to Mycroft's office in order to take him out for lunch, that felt causally wonderful and they fell into that routine as quickly as any other. But when the DI tried to kiss him in public, Mycroft instinctively moved away. He didn't mean it as an offence, but could not help his instincts. In a world like his own one learned to be very careful not to give his enemies any blackmail material. It's not like he wanted to consider it blackmail material, but as it is said 'old habits die hard'. Personally, Mycroft considered that saying crude, but that did not mean he could not use it once in a while.
The look on Lestrade's face when that happened was the one Mycroft would have preferred not to notice if he could. But the problem was that he couldn't t not notice every small detail about that man. As a plea for forgiveness he carefully covered Lestrade's hand with his own, entwining their fingers. The DI glanced at his date from his place across the table from him, and after a second of faked offence gave him a forgiving smile. Mycroft decided he was very lucky to have a partner like that.
He reconsidered that statement though, because Lestrade was as persistent as he was honest and forgiving. Subtly he bent all the boundaries that Mycroft had created. He did not break them, just very carefully avoided sharp edges, side stepped them and expanded the boundaries slightly so that they'd fit his tastes. The politician thought that the DI probably had a diplomatic talent which he hid well, because Mycroft didn't notice how that had happened. On the other hand, he did tend to get short-sighted when it came to Gregory.
Every refused public kiss he amended with an uncharacteristically tender smile and hand holding. He let Lestrade move a nonexistent strand of hair from his eyes, gently running his fingers over Mycroft's brow. That felt nice, but with so many people around Mycroft could only stand stiffly and wait until it would end, hoping people wouldn't stare. He didn't like being the center of everyone's attention; and even if technically he was not, Mycroft still felt like all those people around were looking at him. He knew very well how curious people could be.
The moment Lestrade quickly moved closer as if preparing to attempt yet another kiss, Mycroft was ready to move away as he did many times before. But this time the DI snuck one hand around his waist, not exactly hugging but still holding him in place, and said something very quietly which Mycroft didn't have the sense to comprehend. It was a boring mundane thing, because the gesture itself had more meaning than the words. And Mycroft just let him do this. In that exact moment Mycroft Holmes realized that he was fooled.
Every time he turned away from Gregory when they were in public, he did something to compensate for it. And it appeared, while for Lestrade those conditions didn't change, for Mycroft it was entirely different – every time he gave in just a little more, bending yet another of his small rules and letting Lestrade do something slightly less obvious than kissing. And that's how they came to holding hands, rarely though since Mycroft considered that inappropriate for his age and thankfully Lestrade agreed with him on that one. They ended up walking closely together so it was very easy for the DI to put his hand around Mycroft's waist carefully, making the gesture seem almost unconscious and unintentional.
While Mycroft was busy playing political games, he was beat in a game he didn't realize was occurring. Somehow he couldn't find any willpower to mind that.