I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 26 : Celeste

Mycroft entered his bedroom, wearing only black boxers and socks, a costume cover in his right hand, his son maintained close to his chest by his left arm. He lay down the costume cover on the bed and brought the little boy to the bathroom. The toddler was already dressed in a little sailor-like suit but he had covered his face and hands in chocolate porridge while he was taking his breakfast.
The official sat the boy on the washbasin edge and opened the water, trying to prevent the rambunctious baby from falling on the floor. He was in the middle of washing the little boy when Gregory stepped in the room.
"We are going to be late Myc'! Why are you still in your underwear?" he started, a bit restive. He was already dressed in a Aegean blue suit and ivory shirt, his hair nicely combed on one side.
"Am I suppose to let Alden covered in chocolate ?" snatched the auburn. "If you haven't remarked, your son spilled himself with porridge this morning."
"I'll do it, ok !" retorted the detective, not really appreciating the allusion made by his partner. He took the toddler from the official's arms, hearing the tall man sighing out of boredom while he was exiting the bathroom.
Mycroft quickly don his light grey suit that was in the costume cover and a burgundy red tie. He looked at his reflection in the mirror on the dressing room door and, finding that he was looking terrible and very exhausted, he grabbed a pen of concealer and applied it under his eyes. Running a hand in his hair to comb it properly he putted on a pair of black varnish shoes and joined his lover in the bathroom.
Moving quietly to the back ofthe DI, he put a kiss in his neck. "Excuse me." he whispered to the inspector ear, knowing that he had upset him earlier. The detective didn't answered but he handled Alden back to theofficial.
"Ready ?" he then asked, his voice soft and cheerful again. The auburn nodded, running a finger on his now-clean son's cheek. The three of them were supposed to have lunch with Sherlock,John and Molly at Celeste, a gastronomic French restaurant near Wellington Arch in Belgravia. Mycroft had agreed only because it was Gregory's birthday the next day and the detective had suggested in an unsubtle manner that it could be great to celebrate this with some friends and, as always, Mycroft couldn't resist a request of his husband.
They climbed in the car parked outside Kensington Palace Garden's Holmes Mansion, the official strapping Alden in his booster and sitting beside him. Lestrade sat in the passenger seat and put his sunglasses on his nose. It was a bright and sunny November day and the weather was making the detective cheerful. He was determined to enjoy his last day of youth before turning 50 and was feeling prettier than ever in his luxury suit presented to him for his last birthday by Mycroft, the delicate scent of his aftershave tickling his nose.

When they arrived at Lanesborough Place and stepped out of the car, Molly was already waiting for them outside the restaurant. She was wearing a pale lilac dress and a white wool coat and smiled hugely when seeing the detective. He hugged her warmly while the official was unstrapping the toddler from his booster.
"Happy birthday Greg !" she wished the DI cheerfully.
"Thank you, Molly. How are you doing ?" replied the latter, taking his son from the arms of his partner while he was placing a kiss on each of the doctor's cheeks.
"Well, I'm quite good. It's a bit ... dead ... at the moment, at work." she giggled awkwardly.
After more than 10 years of working alongside her, Gregory was used to her weird sense of humour but Mycroft was still finding it very outlandish. They entered the restaurant and took the table that the waiter indicated to them. Gregory sat his son in a high chair placed between him and his partner despite the protestation of the little boy who would probably had preferred running around and playing on the floor rather than sitting in his chair.
While waiting for Sherlock and John, Mycroft ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon's champagne and an apple juice glass for Alden. This restaurant was one of the official's own favourite since it's opening a few years ago and he never missed an occasion to bring Gregory here for important celebrations. The waiter poured each of them a glass of champagne and they toasted to Greg's birthday, the toddler agitating his own glass to imitate the adults, making his fathers and Molly laugh.
They were sat in the restaurant for about ten minutes when John and Sherlock arrived. The consulting detective sat down between Greg and Molly, nodding toward the detective as a birthday wish. Dr Watson on the other hand shook the hands of the two men and hugged Molly before sitting down beside Mycroft.
"Happy Birthday Greg !" he cheered the yarder, nodding toward the waiter who had come back to pour the new arriver a glass of champagne.
"Thanks John." the detective smiled. "How was Ireland ?"
"Well, I wasn't there for tourism you know. But at least I was able to escape London's business for a few days ..." answered the doctor, referring to a case Sherlock had sent him to investigate.
"What was it about ?" intervened Molly Hopper, curious.
"A dismembered country squire." explained the soldier. "You would have found it dull, on a post-mortem point of view."

Mycroft was observing his brother who was sending texts since he had arrived. By the way he was texting and his eagerness to answer everytime his phone was buzzing, adding to that the fact that Greg andJohn were around the table, the official could easily deduce that he wasn't texting for a work purpose. Smirking, the auburn addressed his brother. "Sherlock, mother would be very displeased with your behaving."
The younger Holmes looked up. "Do you see mummy anywhere near ?" he replied sharply.
"Dismembered country squire ?" the official continued, the other people around the table looking at the two brothers curiously.
"No." evaded the black-haired. He then turned to the yarder, hoping that if he addressed someone during a few minutes, his elder will give up. "So Gavin, anything interesting in Scotland Yard ?"
"Greg." sighed the inspector. "Well, except if you are interested in teenager's runaway and passional crimes, I doubt you would find any interest in our case..."
"Any cold case ?" the young man tried again, seeing that his brother was still looking at him suspiciously.
"I'm afraid you already have your hands on everything we have." replied the detective with a little pout. "But maybe Molly have something no ?"
"Yes. I have some bodies for you if you want to do any kind of experiment." proposed the young woman.
The consulting detective nodded, arboring a fake smile and took advantage of Molly asking a question about Alden to Mycroft to go back to his texting. The waiter served them the first meal, a foie gras with black truffle, even serving a smaller portion of the dish to the toddler as requested by his dad. While John, Greg and Molly were talking about school memories, Mycroft focused back on his little brother .
It has been quite a long time since he had last witnessed the younger Holmes showing any interest in anyone else but he was sure he wasn't making any mistake. Grabbing his phone, he discreetly sent a text to the black-haired. 'Become soft, brother mine ? -M'.
A couple of seconds after he heard Sherlock sighing and caught the bitter look the latter was throwing at him. Laughing for himself he sent another text. 'John knows you are not making it home tonight ? -M"
He was feeding a little piece of foie gras to his son when his phone buzzed with a message from the consulting detective. 'Shut up. -SH'. He finished feeding the little boy, who appeared to like quite a lot the dish, before turning to John.
"So how is life at 221B Dr Watson ?" he asked him in a gentle voice."Does my brother behave ?"
"Oh well, he is not at home a lot these days, probably working a case, not that he would tell me what he is doing actually, but at least, no shooting." answered John with a smile. "And he is composing again."
"Oh that's lovely!" remarked Molly, always keen to praise Sherlock's music.
Gregory frowned. "Why is he asking for a case if he already has one ?" he asked, surprised. Even if Sherlock was actually sat around the same table, it wasn't unusual for the three others to talk about him as if he wasn't there, and that doesn't seem to bother the younger Holmes.
"No idea." laughed the doctor, not noticing Mycroft's little grin. The consulting detective never told anyone about his private life, even to John who was the closest thing he got to a friend. The only one who knew was Mycroft, not because his brother had told him, just because he had deduced it. He was always very keen to inform everyone that he was married to his job and repressing himself from any kind of natural impulse but if that was true most of the time, it certainly wasn't true all the time.
They were served four other courses before being offered a nice Guanaja Chocolate witha glass of sherry. They toasted again to Gregory's birthday, Sherlock even joining the celebration, before Molly and John presented the yarder with a couple of books and a rare record of a live session of Miles Davis. Greg shook Watson's had and hugged Molly once again before dipping his spoon in his dessert. The lunch had been exquisite and the dessert didn't failed to please the DI's papilla.
While they were waiting for their coffee and tea to be brought to them, the inspector unstrapped his son from his high chair and sat him on his lap, entertaining him by tickling him, making the little boy giggle. He was really proud of the baby who have been very nice and sensible during the all lunch and despite the fact that he was still looking excited, Greg could say that he was feeling sleepy and he was regretting not bringing Alden's pram that would have allowed the boy to sleep comfortably.
When they exited the restaurant, the black BMW was already waiting for Mycroft and his family on the side of the road. The detective strapped his sleepy son in his booster before coming back to the other to say goodbye. While his partner was shaking hand with John before the doctor climbed in a cab, Mycroft approached his brother.
"I hope it's not Henry you are talking to again." he warned him, keeping his voice low not to be overheard by the others.
"This is not your business." snapped the younger, turning away.
Mycroft grabbed the young man's wrist, forbidding him from leaving. "It could be my concern if it ends like last time."
"Piss off." answered the consulting detective, freeing himself from his brother's holding. "I don't need your help.". He climbed in a cab without a look for his elder who sighed, before grabbing his phone to ask Anthea to increase momentarily the surveillance on his brother.