Summary: Mycroft plays the piano, Sylvia climbs a tree, and drunken questions are asked. Mycroft is annoyed, cute and slightly drunk.
Disclaimer: I don't play the piano so I'm sorry if I got anything wrong. If there are any piano players out there, let me know! Heart and Soul is the song Tom Hanks plays on the giant floor piano in Big and I love it lmao!
Chapter 11 - Mycroft's Safe House: Day 2
The next morning I wake up around 9 to go to the bathroom and decide to get ready and eat some breakfast. It would be rude to spend all day in bed. If I was alone I would, but I couldn't stay still with Mycroft under the same roof as me. I put on another pair of casual pants and a half sleeve white blouse, given that the sun was out.I walk towards the kitchen yawning and notice Mycroft in an impeccable navy blue suit pouring tea into a cup.
"Good morning." I say with a sleepy voice, smiling at him.
"Good morning. I trust you slept well?"
"Yes, the bed was amazing. I might just steal your mattress."
Mycroft hums and sips his tea. I make my coffee and take it outside to the garden so I can smoke without Mycroft seeing and also to catch some sun.I sit on a wooden bench that lies against the brick wall of the house, facing the garden and sip my coffee. Surprisingly, I hear footsteps and find that Mycroft has followed me outside. He stands by the bench with his hands in his pockets. I hurriedly put my cigarette pack and lighter back in my pocket, but it's too late.
"Please, don't mind me, feel free to have your cigarette."
"Oh, you sure?"
"Yes, I don't mind. Although it would be beneficial for your health if you quit."
"Tell me about it." I reply with a defeated look and place the cigarette between my lips. I bring the lighter to it but can't get it to work, so I shake it around and try again. Still unsuccessful, I see Mycroft's hand in front of me with a metal lighter, turning it on and holding it at the level of my face. I blush and lean forward, letting the cigarette get lit by the flame he holds. The closeness and innuendo of it all makes me blush. I light it and look up at him: "Thanks. I didn't know you smoked."
"I don't. Although, I occasionally indulge." He replies, and pockets the lighter, sitting down next to me on the other end of the bench. Again, I am surprised by the casualness of his closeness. I thought the man would be wanting to avoid me at all costs.
I feel the heat rising up my neck to my face. I can't bear the awkwardness of Mycroft being this close to me after the conversation we had the previous night, and wonder why he seems so calm and nonchalant. Probably because it didn't affect him. He does seem to be extra nice to me since that moment, so maybe he feels guilty for rejecting me and wants to compensate for it with politeness.
I sip my coffee and decide to make small talk. "So, you're going somewhere today?"
"Of course not, we can't leave this place until the terrorist is caught."
"Then why are you wearing a suit?"
"I always wear a suit." He declares as if it's the most normal thing in the world.
"Even when you're not leaving the house?" I ask, surprised.
"Yes, of course. I find it best to always be prepared."
"Oh, for God's sake Mycroft, you don't have to…you can just wear sweatpants and a sweater or something more comfortable."
"This is comfortable Miss Sylvia, and I don't use that type of attire."
"Very well." I looks at me with an upturned brow. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything rash, I'm just agreeing with you."
He offers me a small smile and says: "I was wondering if you'd like a tour of the house. I have a home theatre, a library and a gym in case you get…bored."
"Oh really? I'd love to see them!"
And so, I put out my cigarette and follow him inside, throwing the butt away in the kitchen bin, and setting my cup down in the sink, grabbing a sponge.
"You can leave it, I have a cleaning staff."
I turn to him with a mocking surprised look. "Oooh, how fancy! I'll leave it then."
He smiles and strolls down the hallway, showing me each room on the ground floor. When we get to the "gym" I cackle loudly.
"You have a suit of armour in your gym?! Do they come alive at night and protect the house with sword and shield?"
"My choice in decor is no concern of yours. This is a replica of Emperor Ferdinand The First's suit of armour, dated 1549 AD and I happen to find it lends distinction to a home."
"It's definitely striking. Wouldn't want to stumble upon that in the dark."
He shoots me an annoyed look and we stroll down the corridor.
As we reach the living room I notice a small piano I hadn't seen the night before.
I audibly gasp. "You play the piano?!"
"I dabble a bit. Do you?"
"No, I just play the guitar. I'm not very good at it mind you, but I enjoy it. Can you play something?"
"Miss Sylvia I-" he begins with a tired looking face but I interrupt.
"Oh please Mycroft! I promise I won't ever ask you anything again!"
"Very well…"He strides towards the piano and I follow him, watching his every move. He sits down elegantly on the bench and his long nimble fingers open the fallboard. He slightly adjusts his feet on the pedals and starts playing a beautiful melody I've never heard before. I glance at his face and find his eyes relaxed, barely gazing at the keys. I follow the movements of his fingers again and get lost in the grace with which they move. The melody is beautiful and I smile to myself, listening to its notes rise and fall.
He eventually comes to a stop and I clap loudly. "Brava! That was amazing! What was it?"
"Chopin's Etude, opus 10, number 3." He sees my questioning look and continues. "Also known as the Tristesse." He looks up at me then with a half smile that melts my heart.
"Oh…the sadness." I hesitate, making a mental note to look for the song on Youtube later. "Well, you play really well!"
"I'm better at the cello." He interjects.
"You play the cello too?! Oh my goodne-"
"Before you say anything, I have it stored away, I'm afraid." He interrupts with a raised hand.
I pout. "Oh. Still, that was amazing." I gaze longingly at the keys, and a row of sheet music volumes on a shelf above the piano.
"Would you like to try?"
"Oh no, I don't know how to play."
"It's quite easy and similar to the guitar. Here, I'll show you." He says while scooching over to the right on the bench and motioning for me to sit down.
"Oh I…I…" I stutter and he raises his eyebrows and tilts his head in a mocking motion.
"Alright, sure. Why not?" I relent, and walk over to sit down next to him, my heart already pounding in anticipation. He places his fingers on the keyboard and motions for me to do the same. He explains the notes quite easily and plays a chord, then waits for me to repeat it on the scale next to his. I do so and he says: "Very good. Now try it with both hands at the same time."
My skin tingles and I do what he says, my naked elbow brushing against his, feeling the warmth beneath the thin fabric of his shirt.
I repeat it with both hands and he says: "That's it, good. Now put it all together."
I do so and he says. "There you go. Very good, keep going."
My face is as red as a tomato and I falter, hitting the wrong keys. I remove my hands and rest them on my legs."Oh crap, sorry I…it's quite tricky."
"No it isn't, you're doing quite well. You have long narrow fingers. If you keep practising you'll get there in no time. Here, try this."He grabs both my wrists from above and places them on the keys at a different angle. My whole skin is on fire and I pray he can't tell how flustered I am and how fast my heart is beating.
We keep practising for a while until we manage to play a little of Heart and Soul together. As we finish, I say excitedly: "Yaay! We did it!" and turn to him happily, my hand moving to grab his forearm to celebrate but I stop myself, just grazing it and hovering my hand, before lowering it again.I chuckle to hide my embarrassment. "That was amazing. Thank you for teaching me, Mycroft." I say, moving my hands to my lap and staring at his feet on the pedals.
"I'll teach you the pedals tomorrow, if you'd like." He says, in a soft tone.
"I would love to." I reply smiling, turning my head to look at him. He's staring straight at me and my breath is caught in my throat. My smile drops and I swallow hard.I don't want him to think I'm coming onto him again like when he was tending to my cut, so I'm the one to break our gaze by looking down and getting up from the bench. "Excuse me, I…have to go to the bathroom."
I don't wait for his response and walk briskly to the loo, closing the door behind me and splashing cold water in my face. I'm like an animal in heat. My cheeks red, my heart pounding and I curse myself for having so little control over my body around I open the door to leave, I find him standing a few feet away with his hands in his pockets.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah I was just…" Fuck. Did he notice how flustered I was? "Yeah, why?"
"You have low blood pressure and you haven't eaten anything for breakfast. Also, the living room windows are closed so I wondered if you were on the verge of a fainting spell." He narrows his gaze and purses his lips while eyeing me intently.
"Oh, no! I'm fine…you're right though, I'm gonna go get something to eat."He doesn't reply, watching me walk with a focused gaze so I add: "You want anything?"
"No, thank you. I'll be in my study if you need anything."
I nod and move towards the kitchen, trying to calm down. It feels like I'm always on the verge of either crying, arguing, or wanting to kiss Mycroft and it's exhausting. I eat a banana while sitting on one of the benches on the central island and try to calm my racing heart. After I finish, I make some toast and bring it in my hand towards the garden.
I spent the rest of the morning tidying my room and then making some lunch. Mycroft hasn't left his office so I decide to go ask him if he wasn't to eat anything.I walk over to his door and knock.
"Yes?"
I open it and find him at his desk, on his laptop with several open files around it.
"Hey Mycroft, you want some lunch?"
"No, thank you, I've already eaten."
I find this suspicious but decide not to question him further. I would make sure he ate dinner though.
"Alright. By the way, do you have a ball?"
"What?" he looks at me baffled like I have insulted him.
"A ball. To play outside. Like a football or basketball or something."
"I have a fully equipped gym with workout machin-"
"I know, but I want to play outside! Please?" I sway a little, like a bored kid begging to play.
"I thought you said you wouldn't ask me for anything, ever again." He replies, leaning back on his chair with an upturned brow.
"Well, that's until I get to read your poems which I haven't still." I retort back, glancing down to feign disappointment.
"I don't have a ball I'm afraid, but I can send for someone-"
"No, no! That's not necessary, please don't…" I wave my hands in front of me. "I'll play something else, it's alright! Thanks, have a good work...day. See ya."
I close the door and slap my forehead with embarrassment. Dammit, why do I have to be so awkward? But the last thing I wanted was for Mycroft to spend anymore money because of me. It was, however, a beautiful sunny day outside, a rarity against the usual London weather, so I refuse to give up.I crumple some pages from a newspaper I find on the kitchen counter into a makeshift ball and take it outside to see how many kicks I can make in a row, without dropping it. After unsuccessfully breaking my record, I wander into the garden and climb a beautiful camellias tree. As I rest on its thick branches, Mycroft suddenly comes barging out of the back door, looking absolutely pissed.
"Miss Sylvia, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Get down from there, at once!"
I giggle at the sight of him annoyed and stomping towards me."What? I'm just chilling, it's alright."
"It is most definitely not alright! You're going to hurt yourself! Come down, right now!"
"I'm not gonna hurt myself, geez Mycroft. You never climbed a tree before? It's not even that high-"
"Miss Sylvia! I am not going to say it again. Come down from there this instant or I'll drag you down myself!"
"For God's sake Mycroft, calm down! You're making me nervous." I see him breathe in and puff his chest out to start barraging me again so I interrupt: "Fine! Okay! I'm coming, I'm coming, just…stop yelling at me."
"I wasn't yelling-" At this, my foot slips and I yelp, falling faster than I intended, having lost my grip, but Mycroft swiftly captures me with his arms around my waist. I hold on to his biceps for balance. Our chests are pressed together, as I slowly slide down until my feet touch the floor. His eyes are locked on mine and the rush of adrenaline of almost falling and being so close to him makes my brain stop working. I want to kiss him so bad. I fight against every urge in my body. When my feet are solidly on the ground, he releases his grip on my waist and I let my arms fall away from his.
"I'm sorry." I whisper, because I feel bad that he had to catch me. He probably doesn't want to be in such close contact with me,
"Don't do that again, it's dangerous. You could have fallen-" He clears his throat and looks down, placing his hands on his slender hips. "Promise me you won't climb that tree again."
"I promise. I'm sor-" I breathe in, slightly panting. "Thank you. For catching me."
"Yes, well, I'm going back inside."
"Okay I'll…I'll be there in a minute."He eyes me suspiciously."I'm not gonna climb again! I just want to catch my breath." I groan, turning away from him placing my hands on my hips too.
He turns away and goes back inside and I let a chilly breeze travel over my overheated skin, as my heart pounds wildly.
After our close encounter by the tree, Mycroft went back into his office and I busied myself by admiring the paintings hanging around the house and checking out his home theatre. I was surprised to find that all the movies were on film roll. Not wanting to damage the projector, I just glanced at the titles and chuckled. They were mostly old noir movies ranging from the 30s to the 50s. I wondered what Mycroft's favourite was and if he'd ever want to watch one with me. If he ever left his damned office, that is.
Around 6:30 pm I started making dinner, and went to Mycroft's office again to ask if he wanted any, as a peace offering. Thankfully, he said yes and we ate in silence, occasionally talking about updates on the runway terrorist. After we finished, he went back to his office and I decided to head to the library for some reading. I picked out The Importance of Being Earnest again to see if I could finish it without breaking anything this time.I brought it over with me to a loveseat in the library and laid down.
After about 20 minutes, Mycroft waltzes in, holding a glass of what I assume is some expensive whiskey.I look up at him and he just stares back in silence. Feeling slightly worried, I ask: "Hey, is everything alright?"
"You know, no one's ever confessed their…feelings for me."
"What?" I sit up straight. I must have misheard him. Surely, he is not talking about what I think he is.
"I've never had anyone tell me they had feelings towards me." He says, while wandering over to one of the armchairs in front of the loveseat and sitting down heavily. He seems to be drunk.
"What do you mean? You've never been in a relationship?"
"I've had relationships. But they were all of a…physical nature. There were never any feelings involved."
"I find that hard to believe."
He scoffs. "Why?"
"You…you're a handsome man Mycroft, but you're also interesting and kind and eloquent. Even with physical relationships, feelings are bound to develop."
"Not with me."
"Okay, then maybe you've just had like…one night stands? Friends with benefits?"
"If you want to call them that, yes." He takes another swig from his glass.
"Well I'm sure some of them had feelings for you. Maybe they were just too shy or intimidated to say it."
"You weren't." he says, his piercing gaze making my skin tingle.
"Well, I…I suppose I wasn't." I trail off, pursing my lips and thinking about his rejection.
"Whydoyou have feelings for me?" He asks in a lower tone.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"You're an attractive young woman. Why would you have feelings for someone like me?"
I feel my face heat up. "You-you're not old Mycroft, you're just older than me. And I prefer older men. They're more mature and…experienced."
"So you're attracted to me, is that it?"
"You can't explain it logically, Mycroft!" I huff, beginning to feel frustrated. "Yes, I'm attracted to you, of course, but it's more than that. I care about you. You're intriguing and mysterious. Ever since the day we met I…You're elegant." I fumble, holding my hands out, trying to explain to him why I like him and becoming more flustered by the second. "The way you dress and carry yourself is quite captivating. And you're always worrying about other people. You have all this power and intelligence and influence and you don't use it for harm. You use it to protect those you care about."
Mycroft's eyes are shining and I'm not sure if it's with mischief or drunkenness."You make me sound like some sort of super-hero heartthrob."
Is he mocking me? "Well you are, so just accept it and shut up. Our perception of ourselves is always skewed." I quip back, annoyed.
"Yes, I suppose that's true." He takes another sip of his glass and empties it, setting it down on a small table next to his chair.
I chuckle. "Are you drunk, Mycroft Holmes?"
"I believe I am." He attempts to get up but falters slightly and I rush to him. I try to grab his arm but he swats me away. "I don't need any help."
"Sure you don't, but I'm taking you to your room."
"You most certainly will not!" He grumbles in an annoyed tone and I chuckle.
"I can't have you falling and cracking your head open, your brain is far too valuable. Now shut up and let me help you for once."
He grunts and I take the opportunity to gently take his arm and we make our way to the stairs."I don't need-"
"Be quiet or I'll carry you in my arms like a bride."
He scoffs. "I'd like to see you try."
"Well don't tempt me, mister." I chuckle back.
We ascend the stairs despite his protests and as we reach his bedroom door, he pauses. "I am perfectly capable of continuing on my own, thank you."
"No. You can hit your head on the sink."
"I will not be further humiliated Miss Sylvia, now leave me alone."
"Very well, but I'm gonna wait here and if I hear any banging I'm breaking your door down." He glares at me. "On you go, give me a shout when you're safely in bed." I try to order him.
"This is ridiculous-"
"Mycroft please! I won't be able to sleep until I know you're okay." I look at him looks down at me with those shining eyes again and my breath is caught in my throat."Please." I say in a lower tone, while gently resting my hands against his arm as if to remind him I'm here for him,
"Alright." he replies, his voice cracking slightly and I release his arm, not wanting to take advantage of his drunken makes his way inside and shuts the door after him. I hear him fumbling around, then the sound of a toilet flushing, then closet doors opening and closing and finally, at long last, his tired voice: "I'm in bed. Now, go away."
"Alright. Call me if you need anything. Good night, Mycroft."
"Good night, Sylvia."
I smile at the wooden door and turn to leave to my own room, happy that he called me just Sylvia. I toss and turn, analysing his every word, and hopefully wondering if he will remember anything tomorrow.
Notes:
I hope you are enjoying it so far! Another Mycroft's POV coming soon.
Also, they will be kissing soon, don't worry! It is a slow burn, but I struggle with naturally progressing relationships without havoc xD Do let me know what you think! :D