I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 135 : Prejudice

"Can you explain to me what we are doing in a ... home improvement  store ?" Mycroft questioned, looking rather disgusted by the simple  thought of it.
"Because we need to repaint one of the spare room for the arrival of your soon-to-be daughter." Gregory retorted, smirking.
"We  could have done that at home and I would have sent someone to collect  it for us." the auburn pouted, stepping aside as a family with two large  carts full of wood panel and tools were trying to come across the shop.
"That's not what normal people do Myc' ... Normal people go to the shop and buy things themselves." the policeman tutted his partner, directing him through the crowd.
"But  why a Saturday afternoon ? If there is anything like hell on earth it's  a home improvement store on a Saturday afternoon !" remarked the  official, definitely not pleased in the slightest by his lover's idea to  bring him shopping.
"If you weren't working that much we would have  got the time to do that last Wednesday as I was on paid leave ... And  would you stop complaining for a minute and try to see if there is  anything that you could see in a little girl's room ?" the detective  chuckled, pulling the other man by the hand to avoid a collision with  another cart full of what seemed like anvils.
"Well I think we  definitely need one of those." the elder Holmes pointed at the anvils.  "Who knows, maybe she has some secret black-smith passion ?"
"Stop that would you ..." the inspector snapped even if he couldn't repress a smile breaking through his lips.
After  a couple more attempts on their life from careless cart owners they  finally arrived in the shelving that they were looking for the most, the  painting department. They decided to start looking on their own side  for what was looking the more appropriated in their eyes before  comparing and making a proper choice. Greg went left to a stack of pink  and purple colours, not entirely sure if he would like some pale or  vivid colours, while Mycroft was going for light blue and pearly grey.
"Have you made a choice ?" the auburn wondered half a dozen of minutes later, himself holding three different samples.
"Hmm  ? Oh, yes, look at those." the detective nodded, showing his partner a  sample of a satin pale pink and one more vivid. "I thought we could have  the walls in the pale one and some details in the other one, what do  you reckon ?"
"It's ... pretty ..." the elder Holmes simply retorted, not looking convinced in the slightest by what he just had seen.
"I know this face Myc'. What's the issue with those colours ?" the policeman replied, looking curiously at the samples to try to figure it up himself.
"Nothing, it's very pretty ..." the official denied.
"But ?" Greg smirked, knowing more than anyone how that worked.
"But  are we facing the obligation to paint the room pink only because it's a  girl ? I mean, t's not that I am against pink or anything, but can't we  have a more ... neutral colour ? There is already enough pink in  everything that is branded for girls not to add on a pink room over  that, don't you think so ?"
"As you want, but you know, little girl  usually like pink ..." the inspector replied, not really seeing what was  bothering his husband that much about a simple wall colour.
"That's  exactly what I'm saying. Why do we think that little girl likes pink ?  Because we never give the anything in blue or green or whatever. Go to a  superstore and look at the toys targeted for the girls, they are all  pink, look at the clothes, mostly pink too. I don't want my girl to  think that the only things she is allowed are those that are supposed to  be targeted for her." the elder Holmes started to explain, surprising  his partner about the passion he was putting in his arguments. "I don't  her to feel limited in her opportunities just because she will have the  feeling that or that because it's not specifically intended for girls.  If she wants to play with miniature cars and to beat her brother at  football, I'd be very happy for her and I hope you will be too ..."
"Of  course I will ! But as much as I agree with what you've just explained,  don't you think that it's a little too much to think that the colour of  a wall is going to change everything in her life and manipulate her to  think that she isn't free to do what she loves ? That's mainly about  education, isn't it ?" the policeman replied, not totally convinced.
"Of  course it's mainly education, but it's not a reason to think the rest  have no influence on someone's life. Studies have proven that by the age  of six a girl already have internalised pretty much every gender  stereotype the society bombard us with all day long. By the age of six  Greg ! Just look around you at every little girl you know. Their lives  are full of pinky stuff and of stories about weak yet pretty princesses  being rescued by brave princes. Of course raising a girl to be confident  in herself and her own abilities doesn't mean getting rid of all that,  but it means showing her that there are things outside that little box  they already tend to lock themselves in. I'm not seeing that we should  forbid our daughter from everything vaguely pink or girly and I'll be  very happy to offer her a baby to cuddle or a pair of Barbie dolls but  everything matters. Don't tell me that before the age of six you were  able to have long conversation about sensible matters yet by the age of 6  or 7 you already had opinions about what was for girls and what was for  boys and I can take a bet quite easily that in your second grade class  there weren't many girls who wanted to be policewomen or scientist, am I  right ?"
"I suppose yes. So your point is that everything count, and what we see count as much as what our parents teach us ?" the yarder nodded, leaning against the shelving.
"Before the age of 6 or 7, yes. Take a look at what you see on television, not only on kids' channel but even on the news. Everytime  they are talking about science or that kind of things, the experts are  men although when they speak about parenting or anything a little  social, here comes the women. It doesn't shock us because we are used to  it but I really hope that my daughter won't find that acceptable. We see women being devaluated or outvoiced by men all day long, of course that will influe  on a child, and more than you think. Studies also shows that although  they are taught about the equality of opportunity, the girls are more  likely to lower their ambition accordingly to what they see around them.  Equality is very abstract for a six-years-old, although seeing women  only as their babysitters, school teachers, or grocery store seller when  they see men taking up all the physical and highly intellectual work is more than concrete for them. So yes, if we show our girl that pink is the colour  she is supposed to like, that dolls and quiet games are the things she  should have interest in and that her brother in opposition is to love  football and fencing and is achieving great in school, of course that  will have a huge influence on her, even if every morning before  breakfast we tell her that she is her brother's equal."
"Alright,  alright, we are not taking pink paint. You've convinced me." the  policeman smiled before putting back his samples where they were coming  from.
"No Greg, I don't want you to say that just to please me. It's  very important you understand the meaning of it." the auburn stopped his  partner, grabbing him by the wrist.
"Yes, I do. I really do. I never had thought about it that way before but yes, it really does make sense now we are seeing it that way." the detective reassured his husband before freeing his wrist. "So what colour have you chose ?"
"Well, I thought about something light grey like this and maybe some blue-grey like this too." the official proposed shyly as if he was a little ashamed of his choice. "Maybe we could pair that with little sheep and woolly feature, you know, as Alden had pirates ... But if you don't like it we can have something else."
"No, no it's great, sheep  are great ! It's nice and peaceful and completely gender neutral.  That's seems really nice to me." the inspector nodded enthusiastically.
"Really ? Alright, do you know how many of those we actually need ?" Mycroft smiled, pointing out at the paint buckets.
"One of each should be enough really." the policeman reassured him.
"Are you saying that you brought me all the way down here for only two buckets ?" the elder Holmes chocked.
"Well  yes, but if you really insist we can take a couple more and not use  them." Gregory laughed while taking hold of the buckets they had chosen  and making his way to the cashing machine. "Fancy a tea time break  before going back home ?"
"Seymour's Parlour at the Ztter Townhouse on Marylebone ?" wondered the elder Holmes, his eyes sparkling as he demanded.
"What ever you want, I completely trust your posh sense on this one." the policeman chuckled in a heart melting smile.

It's  only far later the following day that the room painting was finished,  Greg and Michael having done most of the job while Mycroft and Alden had  both been quite bewildered by the simple sight of a paintbrush and had  tried it so hesitantly that they hadn't achieved much painting but were  nonetheless covered in grey stains.
The light grey and bluish grey  was fitting perfectly with the dark oak panelling of the walls and gave  the place a feeling of peace and serenity as well as some kind o dreamy  atmosphere and despite not having been completely convinced at first,  Greg could only agree that grey was definitely the best choice that could have been done.
They  now needed to find the furnitures to fit with the walls but, from what  he had started to look on the internet as he was supposed to fill his  paperwork but couldn't bare doing so, it shouldn't be too difficult to  find some nice furnitures on which both men could agree.
"What do you think of it Alden ?" the policeman wondered as he was taking off his overall covered in stains.
"Can I have this room and I give mine to my sister ?" the boy replied with a smile.