Sherlock once again has to hide from another psychopath. Where is the safest? At the bottom of the ocean of course. Our favorite government official and our favorite DI are checking it out not realizing they can't just pop in and out of the base.
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Hey hey!
I'm a tad nervous and this is the first fanfic I've written for years. Now my depression has cleared up enough, I want back in on this!
WARNING: My autistic self is trying once to combine my two favorite things, fanfiction and diving. There will be technical terms but hey, we love people who are passionate about what they are writing, huh? *nervously laughs*
"He had to go chasing some massive psychopath, he couldn't just stay home and shoot the wall. Or screw John, or do some crazy experiment, anything."
Stated an exasperated Lestrade as he walked down the barge trying not to slip on the wet floor. The sky was grey as it always is in England, and of course it was cold. He had a thick raincoat on, and was wondering how this friend/colleague or whatever they were, was not freezing.
Mycroft glanced at the detective. "We both know this was inevitable, however I do apologize for my brother's actions. He will forever be a handful" he sighed, as he focused on the ground somehow still rocking a 3 piece suit with his umbrella.
Lestrade looked at his tired face, "Hey, I might complain but I'll always help him out, even if he makes me want to rip my hair out"
He paused.
"I'll always help you too, and not just because of Sherlock". He then was the one to look at the ground. The internal panic that arose when he said that was no joke, and was hoping that Mycroft was take that at face value. Even though the chance was slim.
Mycroft went bright red. "Thank you Gregory". The look on his face was a strange one. Like the cogs were turning in his head but something was blocking him from reaching a final conclusion. One might suggest it was a certain feeling, but the icy walls wanted to block it out.
"It's fine" Gregory thinks, we just need to go down in the pod make sure it's safe and suitable and then leave. That's it.
Once they got to the part of the barge with the high tech modular saturation diving system, they where greeted by a general who let them inside. Once inside he stated something that to him was obvious but to the rest of us, maybe not so.
"The pressurizing process will take you about 3 days, and once done you will spend your one hour allotted time doing whatever you need to do , and then I will bring you back up which will take you another 3 days, as stated in the schedule sent to you"
Mycroft and Lestrade froze. They knew they were asked to bring some extra clothes but they thought it was because it was be cold at the bottom of the ocean and nothing more.
"We are going to be down here 6 days! Angela never stated that in the briefing last night! " Mycroft proclaimed low key panicking. The thought of being stuck with the DI wasn't terrible, after all he was nice to look at, had a kind heart, very charming… and… yeah okay better not go down that route.
"Didn't you say you were daydreaming about cussing out the French President?" Said Lestrade.
Oh shit, right. Mycroft felt a tad embarrassed and looked sheepishly at Lestrade as they entered the sub and then were being lowered into the Atlantic Ocean. Still he swore he would remember regardless but evidently not.
The oxygen and helium combination was then released into the modules.
Weirdly enough it was Lestrade who was the calmest. He resigned himself to the fact he was screwed. Mycroft would for sure figure out his Gregory's crush on him, which will lead to an awkward underwater rejection. However there was a chance maybe not. He may not be a Holmes but he had noticed that he sometimes made Mycroft flustered. However, that didn't really mean shit. This was a Holmes, it could mean he was irritated.
Regardless, he needed to put the spaced out man at ease, and he knows Mycroft quite a bit better than others.
"Mate, I can tell you are stressed but this place looks decent and it's not like someone can just come down here and hack your brother's head off. Unless the have some kind of nuclear submarine or something he will be fine. Just don't let him bring the gun yeah." Lestrade said reassuringly.
Unbeknownst to our dear DI, the panic was not caused by his brother (for once). "You are right Gregory, it's just a tad claustrophobic. Trapped alone hundreds of feet underwater is slightly daunting even to me".
"Well good thing you aren't alone! Look, I was gonna go meet John after this but hey since that's obviously isn't gonna happen, we might as well make use of this."
Lestrade opened his rucksack to unveil a bottle of vodka with some mixers.
"Are you honestly suggesting we need inebriated underwater whilst around delicate and complicated technology…because right now that sounds preferable." Mycroft said with an unusual laughter.
He knew on a fundamental level that this could have an adverse effect but due to the situation he found himself him, this was for sure the most logical thing to do. Or something like that. Maybe.
Also he didn't even bat an eyelid to the fact that Lestrade was planning to get shitfaced with John. Classic Friday night.
"Right then! Very important question for my favorite Government official (best believe he didn't mean to say that out loud), do you want to do shots with my shitty corner shop vodka?"
This was not going as expected. He has got drunk with Mycroft a few times before, normally after disastrous cases with Sherlock and sometimes after making up some random excuses to see each other. This Mycroft however what in a lot more relaxed and is his element.
"Gregoryyyyyy you are behind, we need to catch you up, let's play a game!" Mycroft said and he adjusted to the slight tilting of the module.
He was loving this. It was so much easier to accept his tiny little crush on his friend. Logically his friendship with the DI should be strong enough that it wouldn't be totally ruined if he accidentally found shout Mycroft's particular liking to him. But that was the liquor talking. His lack of emotional confidence could never handle him knowing the truth.
"Oh for fucks sake aren't we too old for drinking games? But…screw it, Truth or dare" Lestrade half laughed.
"Truth" half yelled Mycroft.
"Thank God cause otherwise I may have made you climb into the diving bell or something. So… how do you actually deal with your job, Sherlock AND your sanity?"
"Well, I have systems, rules and of course a level of intelligence." Answered Mycroft slurred.
He paused.
"Also the people around me. Anthea for work, John for managing for Sherlock and you for both managing Sherlock and my sanity". He admitted, suddenly going a tad quiet.
Lestrade was a bit taken aback. Maybe there was something to his theory. Or maybe Mycroft considered him a close friend. It was a win regardless. Also let him be a bit more at ease. That combined with shitty vodka.
"You always have me. No matter what you can talk to me, you know that right? I know I have to keep an eye on Sherlock, but I like to keep to an eye on you." He laughed, genuinely grinning. "Not in a creepy way of course. But I do know that you sometimes feel bad about it. You don't need to"
He knew then it was showing. There was no way in hell the great Mycroft Holmes wouldn't interpret this as flirting.
"I know that my dear Gregory. I just worry that I will slip up. Ruin something so stable and get so fragile. I don't think I acknowledge consciously enough what I genuinely think about you. It probably for the best, but it's gets tiring." He slightly slurred, but his razor sharp eyes looking into Lestrades as if to try and tell him how serious he meant it.
This was it, this was the opportunity, was it the most sensible thing, probably not, but damn. It was slightly embarrassing that it only took the words "Dear Gregory" to convince him of saying this this and not the entire monologue.
"It almost sounds like you like me My?". He said, trying to see if he could do his own Sherlock Holmes evaluation of of the other. He saw initial panic, fleeting information processing and then acceptance. Mycroft's body relaxed against the metal wall behind him and he gave a slight smile to the DI.
"I know you are a DI, but if it's a crime to like you please don't arrest me, it would be more than inconvenient for everyone" he sighed. Suddenly very interested in the plain dark foggy ocean outside the window.
"Oh My, haven't you realized?", He said as he edged closer. "The way I'm always trying to spend time with you? The way I ask if you eat and sleep properly? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?"
Mycroft sobered up a bit. He looked for any trace of deception and found none. Palms face outwards showing openness, eyes directly looking at his as if trying to convey the same message Mycroft was sending to him, not to mention the close proximity.
"Well as the youth say, denial is a River in Egypt. There is always a sense of fear. So much to lose. I don't want you to forget this" Mycroft said with a hint of fear in his voice. "If you mean this, tell me when we are are sober."
Lestrade beamed as Mycroft put his head on his shoulder, he wrapped his around the not so ice, ice man, lay his head on top of his and fell asleep,
Fast forward (watch how I summon the K-POP community).
Mycroft woke up 8 hours later with a headache, everything was rushing back to him. He slightly wished the floor was swallow him up. Had he really said all of that? What if Gregory forgot, what if he didn't mean it?
Still it was cosy with Gregory's jacket on top of him. Speaking of which, where was he? He hadn't decided to go to the diving as some form of terrible therapy from what occurred last night, Mycroft hoped.
"Good morning My! Or so I think. I know it doesn't really feel like it because we have no sun but still!" Cheerfully stated with DI who was sitting down beside him with some terrible crackers and painkillers.
For the first time since he was a toddler, he couldn't control the words. He needed to confirm. He had the method, data and some results, he just needed to find the conclusion.
"My dear Gregory, date next Saturday?" He said with as much confidence as he could muster.
Greg laughed, slightly bashfully like a teenager. "Yes My, a date next Saturday. Also take these painkillers already. No one needs a hungover 200m into the ocean"
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"Athena did this on purpose didn't she?"
"I would not be surprised Gregory, remind me to give her a pay rise,"
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If you've made it to the end, go get yourself a cookie. As I said is my first fanfic in a longtime, and I'm throwing various ideas around the place. But I had fun! I hope you did too, and see you in the next one.
