I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 80 : Superman

"No sweetheart, Daddy is working." Greg scolded his son gently, preventing him from entering his partner's office.
"But he said he would bring me fencing ..." whimpered the little boy.
"I know Aldy but Daddy is a very important man you know and he've been called for something very urgent." the detective tried to explain him.
"But he promised ..." continued to snivel the toddler. "You always say that you must keep your promise !"
"I'm sorry sweetheart but I don't think Daddy got the choice ..." apologize the yarder, conscious that his son was hurt. "He will bring you fencing tomorrow."
"But he said we would go for my birthday !" protested the child, arm crossed on his chest.
"I know darling and I think that he would much prefer going fencing with you than being locked in his study ..." the policeman smiled weakly, hugging his upset son.
"So why don't he come ?" wondered the little boy, his head against his father's shoulder.
"He doesn't have the choice. When you are a grown up you sometime must do things you don't really want to do." explained the inspector "What about going for a walk just you, Marcus and me ?"
"Can I take a ball with me ?" requested Alden, still looking upset but apparently rather happy with his dad suggestion.
"Yes, sure." nodded Gregory happily. "Don't take the new one because Marcus might burst it by biting it."
Ten minutes later the three of them were suited and booted and ready to leave for the nearby park, the little boy carrying a red ball in his arms and the over exited beagle jumping in front of the door. Greg knocked softly on his husband's study's door and popped his head in to let the auburn know where they were off to. Mycroft was on the phone talking about an apparently really important even if rather boring subject and he just nodded with a little smile to inform his lover that he had heard what the policeman had just said.
The yarder closed back the door and clapped his hands, a huge smile on his face. "Ready to go ?" he asked to his son. The little boy smiled back to him, having apparently forgotten everything about his earlier vexation and opened the front door, letting the dog out. This capacity of the kids to get over their contrariety and to forgive was something that Greg envied quite a lot and that would, more generally be rather useful to grown up in their everyday life.
"Alden, give me your hand please." the detective requested as soon as they were out of Kensington Palace Garden.
"But Papa ..." protested the child.
"No Alden, no negotiation on this. You give me your hand until we arrive to the park." admonished the inspector, grabbing his son's hand firmly.
"But why Papa ? When we go out with uncle Sherlock he never holds my hand." the toddler complained.
"Isn't he ?" questioned the yarder, making a mental note of talking about this with Mycroft, the only one who could actually force the consulting detective to do something he wasn't willing to. "Well, he should. Streets are dangerous for children."
"Uncle Sherlock says it's untrue. He says that if you are on the pavement there is no danger." denied the boy.
"And your uncle is wrong." retorted the policeman, starting to be quite pissed at his brother-in-law. "Sherlock is not exactly the one you should ask for to know if something is dangerous or not."
"But he is always right on everything. He can guess everything." replied Alden, confused.
"No. He is brilliant on certain things and completely ignorant on others, like everyone." explained the detective in a grin.
"Even you ?" wondered the young boy.
"Yes, even me. Everyone except your Daddy." Greg answered as they arrived at the park and he let his son's hand go.

It was already near nine in the evening when Mycroft finally stepped out of his office, exhausted and starving after 15 hours of uninterrupted work. He made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of an apple pie that was displayed on the kitchen worktop. He had been woken up at six that Saturday morning by a call of his PA informing him that the US and North Korea were on the verge of war, again, and that John Fillongley , head of the CIA was begging for his help to try to avoid the conflict of happening. Despite his engagement to the British Government, the elder Holmes regularly work for other states, mainly America on a freelance basis and every time he was tempted to stop to focus more on his job and family a new crisis arise, forcing him to reconsider.
He ran a hand in his hair and seized a second slice of pie before exiting the kitchen. He found his husband laid down on one of the living room's couch, watching an ITV drama. Gently, he lifted Greg's legs and sat down before putting them down again over his tights. The detective grabbed one of his lover's hand, the one not occupied by the slice of pie, and started tracing little circle on the top of it with his thumb. After a couple of minutes of silence while the official was eating his pie, both of them staring absentmindly at the television, the auburn finally turned to his partner.
"I feel sorry for Alden ... I hope he is not to disappointed I couldn't be here for his birthday ..." he sighed, looking affected.
"Well I would be lying if I was to say that he didn't cared at all but I think he understood that it wasn't your fault and that you would have wanted to be with him." the policeman comforted him.
"Mmm ... Still ... It's not fair fo him. I always promise him things and disappoint him after ..." moaned the official, pouting.
"He is three. He does not take that to heartedly darling." the yarder tried to reassure him before wrapping his arm around the tall man's waist and bringing him closer.
"Oh don't be a fool, he will remember." sighed the auburn. "I will always be the man he can't trust."
"You are too hard with yourself honey. He is intelligent, he can understand that you work and that you can't always be with him ..." the detective shushed him.
"I don't want to become my father." the elder Holmes finally admit.
"You are not. You try your best and that's what matters." retorted his husband, running gently his finger in the auburn's hair.
Both of them remained silent for a while before Mycroft unwrapped his lover's arms from around his waist and stepped up. Slowly, he made his way to his son's room upstairs and slipped silently inside. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran a gentle finger on the sensitive skin of the little boy's cheek.
"Good evening sweetheart." he whispered him when the child opened his eyes "Sorry for today ... I know it was important for you ..."
The toddler sat up and threw his arms around his father's torso in a warm hug. "I love you Daddy." he murmured, his head rubbing against the soft fabric of the auburn's shirt.
"I love you to Alden. I love you so, so, so much ..." replied the official, placing tender kisses in the ginger's hair. "I'm so sorry I haven't been able to bring you fencing today."
"Papa says it's because you were working. He says you have no choice because do important things." nodded the boy, his head still against his father's chest.
"Yes. There is some naughty people out there and they are doing naughty things and I'm here to fix it." explained the official in mid voice. "But you are more important than everything."
"Like Superman ? You save good people from bad people ?" wondered the toddler, looking up to the auburn's face.
"A bit yes. But I can't fly." chuckled the man, placing another kiss on his son's forehead.
"Oh ! That's cool !" Alden grinned.
They stayed closely entwined silently for a few more seconds before Mycroft had an idea. "Would you like to see something very special and beautiful ?" he asked his son in a smile.
"But it's bedtime ..." remarked the kid.
"It's your birthday ! No one is supposed to respect their bedtime on their birthday !" winked the official.
"Then yes !" exclaimed the toddler joyfully.
"Alright ! Dress up then. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." replied his father before rushing down the stairs to the living room.
"What the hell is going on ?" laughed the detective who was still on the couch in front of the television.
"Put your coat on Gregory, we are going out." retorted his husband before grabbing his phone and texting fiercely to an unknown recipient.
"Why ? What ?" the policeman replied, surprised. "What the fuck is going through your silly head ? It half past nine and your son is sleeping upstairs with no one to look after him if we go out !"
"Shut up, put your coat on and stop thinking." his partner shushed him before handling him his jacket.
"You are saying me to stop thinking ? Like, you ? Can someone please give me back Mr Mycroft Annoyingly Clever Holmes please ?" the yarder laughed while Alden was making his way downstairs.
"Alright, put on your coat and some shoes little man." the elder Holmes smiled, amused by his lover's reaction.
"What the hell are you doing Mr Holmes ?" wondered Greg, half amused, half exasperated by what was happening.
"Papa said a rude word." the young boy remarked while buttoning up his little dufflecoat.
"Yes, he is worse than a kid." retorted Mycroft, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Come on, lets go."
A car was waiting for them in front of the house and led them downtown to Westminster bridge. The elder Holmes helped his son out of the car and lifted him on his shoulders making the little boy laugh. He wasn't used to the auburn doing such an act. Usually it would be Greg who would carry his son this way but Alden preferred when it was the official because he was taller and his pace were smoother, giving him the feeling of being on a boat moving on the sea.
The auburn led the two other alongside the embankment to the London Eye. It was already closed for quite a while but as they arrived the detective noticed that a man wearing the employees uniform was waiting beside the entrance and he understood that Mycroft had got it opened especially for them.
They stepped inside one of the capsule and the official put his son down before guiding him to the windows. The little boy glued his face to the glass as the attraction was starting to move, impressed by the view.
"Happy birthday Alden." Mycroft whispered in his ear before placing a soft kiss on the top of his head.