FILL: The Faithful And The Low 2b/2
anonymous
September 26 2011, 14:46:35 UTC
Mycroft shrugged, still stubbornly avoiding Greg's eye.
"It's humiliating," he sighed.
Greg frowned.
"No it's not."
"Yes it is."
"How's it humiliating?"
Finally, Mycroft glanced over at him. Squeezing Greg's hand, he stood from the arm of the chair and settled down beside him.
"It happened years ago," he sighed, gazing down at their interlaced fingers, "And those who used to do it, they died years ago too. It's well and truly in the past, and I just… it shouldn't still bother me the way it does. I thought it didn't any more."
Mycroft squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed thickly. Greg squeezed his hand in an attempt to reassure him.
"It's ridiculous and foolish. I… I didn't want you thinking of me as a fool."
"I don't think I would ever be able to think of you as a fool Mycroft," Greg chuckled.
"How can you not?!" Mycroft moaned, tugging at his already unkempt hair with his free hand, "After last night's display, how could you not see me as anything but an utter idiot?!"
"Easily," Greg replied simply.
Mycroft sighed, unconvinced.
"Mycroft Holmes," Greg rumbled, "You are the most brilliant, smartest, bravest man I have ever met. Some really horrible things happened to you as a kid and I'm so sorry that they did. But being affected by that, being scared by it - that doesn't make you stupid, or weak."
With the hand that Mycroft wasn't clutching like a lifeline, Greg reached over and stroked his lover's cheek, murmuring, "None of this is you fault Mycroft. I wish you'd told me about it sooner. I would have never let it come to this if I'd know, I swear. But we can't do anything about that now. Just know that I really, truly am sorry about what happened, about scaring you and making you relive all that. And know that I'll never do that to you again, alright?"
Mycroft sighed.
"Your life shouldn't be impacted by my shortcomings Gregory."
"My life's been impacted by many of your shortcomings in the past love," Greg pointed out with a teasing smiling tugging at his lips, "Like that bloody diet of yours, or your insisting on dumping my entire wardrobe.
"It was hideous," Mycroft retorted half-heartedly, although the familiar argument appeared to soothe him as much as it did Greg.
Smiling, Greg continued, "And you life's been impacted by mine. That's what this relationship thing is all about don't you know?"
Mycroft smiled.
"As it is, this isn't a shortcoming. This is just something that affects you, that we've got to work around. Like an allergy I guess."
Mycroft scoffed. Greg grinned.
"An allergy?"
"Yeah, an allergy. That's a good enough analogy," Greg replied, nodding decisively. "And like an allergy, we'll manage it by eliminating the risk of a reaction, i.e. I won't come back from my office parties drunk as a skunk again. It won't be a difficult habit to break. I'm not nearly as young as I used to be. Alcohol begins to lose its appeal when the hangover outweighs the intended benefits of intoxication itself."
Leaning back against the sofa, Mycroft smiled indulgently.
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely," Greg replied, leaning back beside him, "The only reason I was drunk last night in fact, was because Gregson, the lying git, tried to convince everyone that he'd always been able to drink me under the table back when we were both uniforms."
Mycroft chuckled at that.
Greg leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, resting his forehead against Mycroft's.
"I'm really sorry about what happened," he murmured.
"It's not your fault Gregory. You didn't know."
"Nonetheless," Greg murmured.
Mycroft kissed him back and whispered, "If it makes you feel any better, I hold nothing against you my love."
Smiling, Greg quietly replied, "And I certainly don't think any less of you."
Mycroft heaved a shuddering breath.
"Good," he murmured, leaning over and wrapping his arms around Greg's neck, pulling him close, "I'm glad."
The End
My reasoning for Mycroft's reaction. He seems like the sort of guy to try and absorb blows and shrug them off rather than fight about it like Sherlock would (for examples, reference his reaction to those diet jokes)
However, if you thought the characterisation wasn't too bad, just ignore all this, Author!anon's just succumbing to post-posting floundering XD
Re: FILL: The Faithful And The Low 2b/2darthhellokittyOctober 12 2011, 04:24:05 UTC
I am amazed by this - so well done! Very emotionally effective - Sherlock manages to scare the hell out of Lestrade and make sure he doesn't make that mistake again; despite his outward dislike of Mycroft, it's obvious he cares for his brother and wants to protect him. I like Mycroft as the forgiving, uncomplaining child, and Sherlock as the angry fuck-you! child. Very glad for the happy ending...
"It's humiliating," he sighed.
Greg frowned.
"No it's not."
"Yes it is."
"How's it humiliating?"
Finally, Mycroft glanced over at him. Squeezing Greg's hand, he stood from the arm of the chair and settled down beside him.
"It happened years ago," he sighed, gazing down at their interlaced fingers, "And those who used to do it, they died years ago too. It's well and truly in the past, and I just… it shouldn't still bother me the way it does. I thought it didn't any more."
Mycroft squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed thickly. Greg squeezed his hand in an attempt to reassure him.
"It's ridiculous and foolish. I… I didn't want you thinking of me as a fool."
"I don't think I would ever be able to think of you as a fool Mycroft," Greg chuckled.
"How can you not?!" Mycroft moaned, tugging at his already unkempt hair with his free hand, "After last night's display, how could you not see me as anything but an utter idiot?!"
"Easily," Greg replied simply.
Mycroft sighed, unconvinced.
"Mycroft Holmes," Greg rumbled, "You are the most brilliant, smartest, bravest man I have ever met. Some really horrible things happened to you as a kid and I'm so sorry that they did. But being affected by that, being scared by it - that doesn't make you stupid, or weak."
With the hand that Mycroft wasn't clutching like a lifeline, Greg reached over and stroked his lover's cheek, murmuring, "None of this is you fault Mycroft. I wish you'd told me about it sooner. I would have never let it come to this if I'd know, I swear. But we can't do anything about that now. Just know that I really, truly am sorry about what happened, about scaring you and making you relive all that. And know that I'll never do that to you again, alright?"
Mycroft sighed.
"Your life shouldn't be impacted by my shortcomings Gregory."
"My life's been impacted by many of your shortcomings in the past love," Greg pointed out with a teasing smiling tugging at his lips, "Like that bloody diet of yours, or your insisting on dumping my entire wardrobe.
"It was hideous," Mycroft retorted half-heartedly, although the familiar argument appeared to soothe him as much as it did Greg.
Smiling, Greg continued, "And you life's been impacted by mine. That's what this relationship thing is all about don't you know?"
Mycroft smiled.
"As it is, this isn't a shortcoming. This is just something that affects you, that we've got to work around. Like an allergy I guess."
Mycroft scoffed. Greg grinned.
"An allergy?"
"Yeah, an allergy. That's a good enough analogy," Greg replied, nodding decisively. "And like an allergy, we'll manage it by eliminating the risk of a reaction, i.e. I won't come back from my office parties drunk as a skunk again. It won't be a difficult habit to break. I'm not nearly as young as I used to be. Alcohol begins to lose its appeal when the hangover outweighs the intended benefits of intoxication itself."
Leaning back against the sofa, Mycroft smiled indulgently.
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely," Greg replied, leaning back beside him, "The only reason I was drunk last night in fact, was because Gregson, the lying git, tried to convince everyone that he'd always been able to drink me under the table back when we were both uniforms."
Mycroft chuckled at that.
Greg leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, resting his forehead against Mycroft's.
"I'm really sorry about what happened," he murmured.
"It's not your fault Gregory. You didn't know."
"Nonetheless," Greg murmured.
Mycroft kissed him back and whispered, "If it makes you feel any better, I hold nothing against you my love."
Smiling, Greg quietly replied, "And I certainly don't think any less of you."
Mycroft heaved a shuddering breath.
"Good," he murmured, leaning over and wrapping his arms around Greg's neck, pulling him close, "I'm glad."
The End
My reasoning for Mycroft's reaction. He seems like the sort of guy to try and absorb blows and shrug them off rather than fight about it like Sherlock would (for examples, reference his reaction to those diet jokes)
However, if you thought the characterisation wasn't too bad, just ignore all this, Author!anon's just succumbing to post-posting floundering XD
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THIS IS MY LIFE.
And it always helps me to think of it as an allergy, too.
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That line is beautiful. XD
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