I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 16 : Mr and Mrs Holmes.

Mycroft was rubbing his shirt's cuff with his fingers, anxiously. Him and Greg were sat in the official's car, on their way to the Holmes's countryside cottage. The driver exited the highway and entered a small Norfolk's village. The auburn was more and more nervous as they were approaching the house and his lover wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "It's going to be fine darling... You can handle the Queen, there is no reason you couldn't handle your parents..." he tried to reassure him.
"Except that the Queen don't give a damn about who I am sleeping with. Not that she would ask, by the way."he muttered. Greg didn't knew what to say more so he just kissed him on the cheek and pulled himself closer to the tall man's body. The car stopped in front of a huge house that could easily have been labelled as a manor. Placing a last kiss on his partner's lips, the elder Holmes got out of the vehicle and walked to the door. He rang the door bell, Greg watching him through the tinted glass.
They had agreed that it was better that Mycroft talked to his parents alone before introducing them to Greg and even if the latter thought that it would probably have been easier for his lover to have this discussion if someone in the room was actually supporting him, he had kept his thoughts for himself, not wanting to make this already hard decision even harder.
An old and distinguished woman opened the door. She was not looking surprise to see her son on the doorstep after not hearing of him for more than two year, neither was she looking please to see him.
"Mother." said the man, forcing a smile, despite his nervousness.
"Mycroft." she replied, a little rictus that could be interpreted as smile on her face. She let her son in and closed the door behind him. Greg laid down in his seat, not being able to know how things would be going before his partner reappears. He grabbed his phone in his pocket and started playing games without being able to concentrate, way to anxious about what was happening inside the house.
Mrs Holmes escorted her son to the living room where his father was sat in an armchair, reading the Daily Telegraph.
"Father" told the auburn,, shaking the man's hand.
Mr Holmes didn't seem surprised either by the unplanned visit of his elder son after not having any news for all this time neither do he seems to be bother by the fact of not hearing of him for nearly two and a half year. "What brings you to us ?"he wondered.
"I got something to tell you. To both of you" he added to his mother, noticing her disappearing in the corridor. She came back in the room and took a seat in an armchair near her husband. Mycroft sat himself in the couch facing his parents and they stared at each other oddly for a few seconds.
"Things have changed during these last two years." he started, his eyes fixed on his parents faces to get their reaction. He was still nervous but he was talking from a clear and neat voice, determinate to get throughit with all the dignity that a Holmes should show in every circumstance. "I've met someone and we are getting married.". He paused, scrutinizing his mother's eyes where he could see that she was happy and proud. The official was nearly 50 years old and Mrs Holmes had thought that he would never find anyone to marry. His father on the other hand, was waiting for his son to go on, quite sure that this wasn't the only thing he had to say.
"We have a son together. He is called Alden and he is 21 months old." he continued. He knew he now had to evoke Greg. That was the real reason why he had came to see them in person more than calling them or just sending them a wedding announcement card. He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed in his father's eyes. "I'm gay.". The silence in the room was now so thick that they could hear the wind in the trees of the garden.
"And you have come all the way from London to Norfolk to say us this ?" asked his father, interrupting the silence after a couple of minutes.
"Yes." replied Mycroft, keeping a stoical face despite the confusion of his mind. The two men were facing each other and he knew that he shouldn't look away before the confrontation was over if he didn't want to lose his father's respect. That was the rule in the Holmes's family, save face whatever happen, never show any sentiments.
"You know what that means ?" wondered the old man. He wasn't expecting any answers from his son but paused for a few seconds. "Do you want to bring dishonour on our name ?". He now looked cross, while his wife was remaining silent by his side.
"I don't see what kind of disgrace that would be." retorted the official sharply. He was resolved not to gave his parents the joy of loosing his temper, even if he was starting to feel very angry to the man in front of him.
"You see perfectly well." replied Mr Holmes coldly. "I won't let you ruinour family position just for one of your ... caprice.". Mycroft knew his father was bubbling with anger and despite all his attempt he couldn't hide it as much as he would have wanted, his lips's commissures shivering.
"This is none of your business Father. I haven't come here for approval, not that there was any chance that this would happen. It's my will and you can't change it." He was finding it harder and harder not to scream but he thought about the way they had treated Sherlock when he had decided not to follow the law career that his father had planned for him and how cruel they had became to him when he had had the fool hardiness to shout at them."But maybe Mother has something to say." he continued, not that she had said many things against her husband opinions during all the time they have known each other.
"Your father is right Mycroft.You need to let down this stupid whimsy and come back to your mind. It's not how a right gentleman behave." she just said in her sharped and posh voice.
"What do you know about gentlemens Mother ? It have been twenty years you live by your own in this cottage, what do you know about todays world ?" he knew he was near to be impertinent so he took a deep breath before continuing. "If I had said you that it was a woman, you would have told me off for having a child without being married. If I had said you that this lady was a commoner you would have told me off because she wasn't good enough for me and for the family prestige."
"Are you telling us we are unfair with you ? Are you telling us that we should say Amen to all your extravaganza ? We've raised you to be an honourable gentleman and that's what you are going to be." declared his father in a rather definitive voice.
"I'm telling you that you know nothing about the real world and that your views are out of age." replied the auburn, eyebrows frowned.
"Because we have principle we are out of age. Because we don't agree with your deviation we are out of age ? You are the sinner, not me." retorted Mr Holmes, starting to flare up seriously.
"And there we are, God is coming to save your principles. Was it God too who ask you to kick Sherlock out when he decided to choose for himself ?" snapped the younger Holmes.
"Sherlock had decided that we weren't good enough for him and he had preferred to leave than to agree with what was best for him." replied his father.
"Sherlock haven't decided anything except that he didn't want to do what you had decided for him. He certainly haven't decided to leave the house at just 15 but you didn't given him that much choice." reminded Mycroft. "You've never allowed any of us to take our own decision. Nobody leaves home at 15 if they aren't forced to." He raised to his feet, his eyes still fixed on his father's face. He was now dominating him and he could see a little fear in the old man's eyes.Mr Holmes had just realised that his son wasn't 16 any more and that he was the one with the power, not only physical, he knew that whatever happened, the auburn would never had punched his own parents, but he was the one with a governmental charge now and he could use his power against them if he had to.
"I suppose there is no use in me introducing you to Gregory." the younger told them coldly. "And don't think you will see your grandson either, I don't want him to be corrupted by his heartless relatives.". He exited the room and his parents heard the front door slamming.

Gregory saw his partner stepping out of his parents's house and he could guess even 20 meters away, that things haven't been going well. He opened the car's door just when Mycroft was reaching it. The official entered the vehicle, crying. The detective wrapped his arms around his near-to-be husband and nodded to the driver to take off. During more than ten minutes the two men said nothing, the DI just rocking gently his lover, his lips pushed against his forehead.
They were already back on the highway when the auburn started to pull himselftogether. He brought himself even closer to Greg's body, nearly sat on his lap, his head in his neck. He was not crying any more but he was still sniffing. The inspector was waiting for him to talk, really curious about what the Holmes's parent could have said, even if he was now absolutely sure it was certainly nothing good, but he didn't wanted to force the official to talk if he didn't want to.
It took Mycroft nearly half an hour more before saying a word. "They haven't changed" he muttered, his voice broken of having cried for so long. "All they care about is their name, their reputation. They don't fucking care if I'm happy or if Sherlock is. In fact, they don't even regret kicking him out when he was 15 so ...". He was on the verge of tears again and Gregory placed a kiss on one of his hands. He wasn't speaking, not really knowing what to say but the auburn wasn't expecting to say anything.
"They accused me of bringing disgrace on the family !" he continued, tears rolling down his face again. "Mother said that this was not how a real gentleman should behave, like if she knew what is a gentleman nowadays.". He closed his eyes and laughed sarcastically. "I never should have come..."
"No darling, it was important to you. If you haven't done it you would have regretted it later." retorted his partner softly. "I know that it haven't turn out well but it was worth trying. And you can't say you haven't tried...". He knew that was probably not the best things to say, but he wasn't good at comforting people, especially in that kind of situation.
"I love you Gregory. I love you and nobody will ever make be feel otherwise. You know that Gregory ? You know it right ?" he sobbed, his head backin the detective's neck.
"Yes I know it Myc'. I know you love me and you know I love you." replied the DI, rubbing gently his hands on his lover's back.
"I'll never let anyone take a decision forme any more. I love you too much to let anyone separate us..." the official muttered before going silence again, his tears wettingLestrade's shirt.