Code
Title: Code
Author: aislingdoheanta
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters/Pairing: Mycroft & Sherlock
Summary: When Sherlock picks at Mycroft's weight, it's his way of checking up on his big brother because Mycroft has the habit of stress-eating.
Rating: T
Word Count: 322
Notes: Written in response for this prompt over at sherlockbbc_fic. Fairly quick and short.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Obviously Not Mine
Mycroft didn't know when their code truly started, but knowing Sherlock, it had probably been early.
Mycroft had always had trouble with his weight. It wasn't because he didn't exercise or watch what he ate. The problem arose because he had a problem with stress eating.
It had started after he went to University. He had put a lot of effort and time into his studies because he had always wanted to enter the political or government field. Every exam, he'd be up late revising the night before and eating whatever he had around. Most of the time, he didn't realize how much he had eaten until he was sick or the next morning.
That became the cycle he followed. Every time he became stressed, he ate. Even if he didn't want to--especially if he didn't want to. Food was comforting, stable. It didn't change, no matter what the situation was.
The stressful situations did not decrease after getting a position within the British Government. If anything, they were more stressful because of the scale and the vast amount of people affected.
So his weight suffered and the appearance of yo-yo dieting was noticed.
However, Sherlock was the only one to recognize the stress behind his eating habits. Thus they developed a code. Whenever Sherlock mentioned his weight, it was actually his way of seeing if his brother was under stress.
It was why Mycroft was able to brush off Sherlock's jibes about his weight--usually anyway. It still made him uncomfortable to have it pointed out, but he knew it was just Sherlock's way of showing he cared.
"Putting on weight again?" Sherlock questioned, plucking at his violin. Is there anything worrying you? Something you are working on?
Mycroft smiled. "Losing it, in fact." Everything's fine. For the moment.
It wasn't a perfect or normal was to show concern, but it was theirs, and it worked just fine for them.