Title: Making the Connection
Story Summary: A non-chronological collection of short chapters based on one word prompts, includes (pre-)slash for Johnlock & Mystrade
Chapter Summary: Greg comes home after a long day at the Yard only to discover there's somebody in his flat waiting for him. Prompt: Puddle
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Moffat, Gatiss & SACD.
A/N: This prompt came from oneword(dot)com.
London's weather was not his friend today. It had been one of the rare occasions on which he had decided to take his bike rather than the tube or a cab to work. But London just wasn't a motorcycle's natural habitat and he knew it better than anyone. The day had seemed to turn out nice enough when he drove into work this morning, but shortly after noon it had started to rain and the water kept pouring from the sky until he had left the Yard.
The street in which he lived wasn't very well maintained. It was basically one big pothole and after a day like this it was just one gigantic, cloudy puddle. Great, now he would spend his night cleaning his motorcycle and his leather gear. Just as he pulled into the backyard of his street he noticed the black limousine waiting opposite his house. His eyes shot up and sure enough, the light in his sitting room was on. Cleaning would have to wait after all.
When he entered his flat a few minutes later he wasn't surprised to see Mycroft Holmes sitting in the only armchair he owned, talking on his mobile in what sounded like Arabic. As soon as his visitor saw him he wrapped up his conversation and stood up.
"I wanted to thank you for your latest assistance with my brother, Detective Inspector." Mycroft shook his hand in a very businesslike manner.
"Don't mention it. I still need him after all." Greg said as he took off his dirty leather jacket. "Can I offer you some tea?" He asked after he had kicked off his boots.
"I hope you don't mind, I already prepared everything." Mycroft walked with him to the kitchen and poured them both a cup.
It was a weird relationship that they had. He had known Mycroft as long as he knew Sherlock. The visits, however, had only started after his wife had thrown him out and he got his own place just a few weeks ago. They never talked much and weren't on a first name basis – at least not out loud – but he knew that Mycroft probably had every piece of information there was on him and somehow it didn't bother him.
To be honest he found the aura of power that surrounded the other man rather attractive. That made their association even stranger sometimes. In theory all they had in common was Sherlock, but somehow their conversations had stopped being only about the other man's younger brother quite a few years back. Mycroft Holmes just wasn't like any other person he knew. He had no idea where it came from but somehow he felt at ease with him, despite the fact that they never talked much, certainly not about work or their personal lives.
Greg was sure that the other man knew about his separation even before he had taken the ring off his finger. He himself didn't even know who Mycroft was married to, he had noticed the ring but never asked about it. He liked to think it was because he respected his privacy, but of course he knew his real reasons deep down.
Tonight Greg saw it as the other man handed him his teacup. The golden band was nowhere to be found on Mycroft's finger anymore and immediately he wondered if he dared to read something into that.