Work Text:
Mycroft was tired. Normally he never complained about his workload as it required a certain amount of mental strength, but today he'd really reached his limit and that was an event more unique than rare.
Sure, Louis was a more than efficient 'M' and was always careful to manage everything and everyone inside the MI6 with a perfection that almost matched that of his older brother Albert but at the same time, he was still very young - only 26 - and for that reason Mycroft didn't want to push him too hard but one thing led to another and he ended up overworking himself today, almost tripping and falling on the doorstep with a half-desire to collapse and sleep there and now.
His younger brother would certainly have done so - Mycroft was more than sure of it - and the mere thought of that absurd scenario brought a spontaneous smile to his face. He was really glad Sherlock had survived.
Then he heard noises inside.
It couldn't certainly have been his maid Jane, at this late hour she must have already gone home, the only other person living in the house with him was...
"Albert?" called softly Mycroft as he opened the front door: there was no answer but he could still hear the familiar voice of his partner coming from the living room.
He breathed a sigh of relief, at least he didn't have to deal with an intruder or the image of Albert dealing with an unwanted guest: his methods were rather crude, so to speak.
Mycroft took off his jacket and hat, placing them both on the coat rack to the right side of the door, then walked at an almost furtive pace into the living room, seeing him: Albert was in his nightgown, his hair loose and slightly dishevelled, and-... he was singing, or rather humming a melody as in the meantime, with a cloth in his hand, rubbed over and over the frame of one of the many photographs that were on the side-table near the staircase leading upstairs.
"Mmh-mmh... " it was a melody with a fast tempo but also with more moderate pauses and it took Mycroft very little to recognise it. Still with a cat pace, he moved even closer until he reached Albert's back, stretching out his arms, gently placing his hands on his hips and, finally, embracing him.
"Vivaldi's Winter." stated Mycroft in a low, whispered tone. "A melody as beautiful as chaotic, a bit just like you."
There was a hint of laughter from the brunette, who had now stopped cleaning. "Welcome home." he said, and oh, he could clearly tell by the tone of his voice how tired his husband was, yet there he was, still standing. " Thank you, my love but shouldn't you be in bed sleeping? It's almost one in the morning." Mycroft asked, pulling Albert closer to him so that his back was firmly against his chest.
Having come back home from such an exhausting day, it was truly a blessing to feel the warmth of the younger man's body.
"I wanted to wait for you and to be honest, I couldn't fall asleep anyway." Albert replied, basking in the intimacy of the embrace.
"So you started cleaning?"
"So I started cleaning, yes."
There was a moment of silence. "I see, although I think Jane has already done a great job." Albert placed the photo and the cloth on the table and then turned to face his charming but exhausted husband, who was still smiling. "Oh, Mickey." he whispered before bringing both hands to his face, gently caressing his cheeks before pulling him close and kissing him, savouring the moment: a long, slow, adoring kiss. Why rush? After all, his husband had just returned from a strenuous work day and Albert hadn't greeted him properly, yet. Their kiss was slowly broken by Albert, who saw Mycroft's lips reaching for his once again. Truly Adorable. "I certainly do not doubt the abilities of that good and patient woman, but do you have any idea how much dust has settled on the furniture since Jane left?" asked Albert with a seriousness that was far too amusing to be taken seriously.
Mycroft reserved an affectionate smile for him, leaning forward a little to rest their foreheads together. "No, I don't." Albert gave him another small kiss before answering. "I do, and you know very well that I like organization, tidiness and without it I can't be at peace with myself and as a result, I can't sleep at night." this sentence reached his ears as a clear signal that Albert was nervous and needed to talk or, at least, distract himself.
"Very well, My Lord. As you say." Mycroft moved his hands up slightly, tightening his grip on the hips a little but not too harshly. "You know you can always talk to me about anything that's on your mind, don't you?"
For a moment Albert looked away, like a child caught stealing candies from a shop. "Yes, I know and I am very grateful for that." his hands went to rest on Mycroft's shoulders as he looked directly in his blue eyes. "It's nothing I need to bother you with, just unpleasant memories from the past and-..." Albert was unable to finish the sentence as the Director had just silenced him with a kiss so deep that it made him tilt his head back slightly and consequently, made his legs almost buckle. He felt the older man's digging his fingers deep in his nightgown, causing him to let out an involuntary, choked moan between kisses before pulling away slightly panting. His head was spinning, but in a pleasant way.
"Mr Holmes... didn't your parents teached you that it's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking?" Oh, Albert could feel that his cheeks had warmed up considerably and not because of the crackling fire in the fireplace. "Of course, but I interrupted you for a good reason, you were about to say something absolutely untrue and it is my duty to correct you in the proper way."
If for Mycroft 'correcting him in the proper way' meant kissing him until his head became fuzzy, then it meant he was going to say wrong things much more often from now on.
"You are not and never will be a bother, Albert." began Mycroft. "I am your husband, your thoughts, whatever they may be, will always be important to me and I'll always be here to listen to them, all of them." only Mycroft was able to silence all the unpleasant voices inside his head with a few simple words and melt his heart like candle wax at the same time. "I'm glad I met you." replied Albert. "By the way, if there's anything that's bothering you as well, please talk to me." he added.
Mycroft nodded, "Of course, Your Grace."
Albert chuckled at that nickname. "Am I mistaken or have I already told you not to call me like that, I'm no longer part of the nobility, I'm a simple folk now with a simple life." the man went to place his right forefinger gently over the raven-haired man's lips. "You are disobedient, Mr Holmes." Mycroft couldn't help but smirk at such an accusation. "True, but that makes you a liar, Mr Moriarty. You're blatantly denying the evidence by saying you don't like being called with such names: I can see crystal clear how your eyes light up each time with pleasant surprise and, I must say, anticipation for something more." Mycroft brought his right hand up to the younger man's face, carefully tucking a lock of hair behind his ear, bringing their lips very close. "Or am I wrong, Your Grace?"
Albert wanted to contradict his witty husband but his body betrayed him and admitted to himself that the way that title was being murmured to him sent a pleasant shiver running down his spine. "'Uhm, I don't know. I say you sin a bit of arrogance, my dear Director." a hoarse laugh reached his ears and then the lips of the man he loved so much came to rest gently on his cheek. "I beg to differ, Your Magnificence."
"I think you're exaggerating a little now-..." Albert said, jumping slightly off the ground as he felt that damned pleasant sensation shift into the crook of his neck and Albert involuntarily moved his head slightly to make room for Mycroft. "Oh God." he whispered, bringing his hands around the other man's neck. "Dear..."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
Of all the people in the world, Albert would never have guessed that Mycroft Holmes himself could desecrate such an important title just to give it to him in such conditions and, unfortunately, he admitted that his lower body was reacting pleasantly but thankfully, still in a very controlled manner. "It's late and, believe me, as much as I want to be subjugated by you, your kisses, your caresses, your remarkable co-... Ah!" Mycroft had bitten him, trailing his tongue over the same spot, in a tremendously slow way to ease the pain and finally, kissed it lovingly.
A nice bruise was soon to appear in that spot and Albert knew he would be forced to raise the collar of his shirts quite a bit during the following days. On the one hand, it was a shame: he really wanted everyone to know that the serious and composed Director Holmes had 'attacked' him.
"What were you saying?" the Director questioned, brushing against the ex-noble's soft skin as he worked with one hand to untie the knot of his nightgown. Albert felt his legs turn into jelly once more. "Mickey, my beloved husband, you're not playing a fair game."
The 'beloved husband' in question sneered before leaving another small bite on Albert's neck, this time a little lower than the previous spot.
"I am disobedient, you said so yourself." Oh, how Albert wished he could simply let himself go and allow his partner to stop him from thinking at all but-... "Darling, we are both tired: do you remember what happened the last time we tried to make love in these conditions?" Mycroft stopped suddenly his task, searching in his memories.
"I remember-... to not remember."
"Exactly, we both fell asleep during the act, that's why we don't remember. To be honest, I really don't want to re-create another situation like that ever again."
Albert's argument was more than valid and Mycroft admitted to himself that he felt a little embarrassed trying to imagine the scene so, he moved away helping Albert to get to his feet once again. "I agree." the brunette clinged to him, stretching his arms behind his neck once again, giggling amused. "Come to think of it now, if we kept going, we would probably have ended up collapsing on the floor and if poor Jane had seen us in the morning, we might have heard some rather interesting things from her, haha!"
Mycroft couldn't help but feel sorry for the maid: that good woman knew about their relationship and was genuinely happy for them but at the same time, she had already came across the newly married couple exchanging spicy effusions more than once and it had been awkward enough. He didn't want to dig a hole in the ground and hide from the too much embarrassment and, possibly, spare himself a possible lecture from Jane. "Don't laugh at other people's misfortunes, Al. It's rude." Mycroft commented.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-...!" Albert did his best to hold back his laughter, clearing his throat. "Anyway, since when do you enter in this house walking in a furtive pace?" Mycroft smiled at him. "So you noticed?" he asked. "Of course, but I didn't want to spoil your fun, so I kept doing my night cleaning."
"Oh, really?" Mycroft moved closer to the brunette's face. "You're the only target of mine who's managed to detect me so far, I think you deserve a reward for this achivement." Albert flashed him a mischievous grin. "Then, I shall accept this prize without too much ceremonies." then, he closed the distance between them, bringing his partner closer with every kiss they exchanged, feeling Mycroft's smile on his lips. "If I really had to find a justification for my actions-..." the Director began, breaking gently from their slow dance. "I heard you humming a melody to yourself and I didn't want to interrupt, you were a rather lovely sight. You should do it more often, you're very good at it and I really enjoy hearing your voice."
Albert slowly widened his eyes and Mycroft saw his partner's pupils dilate a little, without overshadowing the two emeralds. "Smooth talker." the younger said, lightly slapping the other's chest with his hand, who quickly took it and moved it close to his heart. "I'm just telling you the truth, you know I would never lie to you and more importantly this would never lie to you." After that sentence Albert's heart melted like the wax of a candle and his eyes fell to their hands where two gold wedding rings were illuminated by the light emanating from the fireplace. "The same goes for me, Mickey: we vowed eternal faith, my heart is yours."
The two exchanged a look of understanding and tenderness. "Forever." Mycroft added, leading them to the centre of the living room. Albert looked at him curiously and the older found himself captivated by the sparkle in his eyes.
"Albert James Moriarty-Holmes, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Mycroft bowed and held out his right hand, the brunette couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a pleasant inner warmth at hearing his name with the addition of his husband's surname. "I would be honoured-..." Albert held out his hand. "...-But there's no music here, not that I mind dancing in silence, of course."
"You will provide the musical accompaniment, Al. Could you sing something for me?"
"You want-...?" Albert thought this was the sweetest request he had ever received from another person in his entire life. "You want me to accompany with my voice?"
"That would be marvellous."
For a moment Albert had to pinch his left thigh to check if this was all real and not just a figment of his imagination. It hurted, it was all real.
"Okay then, I will grant your request." Albert began, instructing his partner to get into the correct starting position. "But in addition to accompanying the music, let me also lead you in the steps because, let's be honest, you're not the best at the art of dancing."
Mycroft admitted that his ego was a little bruised by that statement but on the other hand, he couldn't deny it either: he was a man of countless resources and talents but dancing was an activity he had learned in the past, just for personal reasons and in case it was required for a mission but his skills level were quite basic, if not to say less than mediocre.
Albert, on the other hand, had been born and raised in the aristocracy: knowing how to dance was a must, especially for an ex-count like him, the opposite would have resulted strange. It must also be said that, despite his introverted nature and his duty as a nobleman, Albert loved partying, he loved music and, of course, he loved dancing.
At their wedding, held and organised in the garden of the summer estate of the Moriarty family, which was now one of the MI6's bases, Sherlock and William had volunteered to provide the musical accompaniment for the opening ceremony, demonstrating to all the guests their magnificent musical and performance skills, playing each song to perfection. During the newlyweds' first dance, Louis had joined in playing the piano with William, while Sherlock accompanied in the background with his violin.
Truly a memorable day, partly because it was also the day that Mycroft Holmes finally learnt how difficult the art of dancing actually was.
"I think it's for the best, yes." he replied, agreeing with his husband. "I'll be relying on your knowledge on this one, Al." the brunette took care to organise the last few details (and mentally prepare himself) before asking: "What song would you like to hear?"
"Vivaldi's Extravaganza." Mycroft said with a proud grin.
"A waltz-... and a rather lively one." he whispered to himself: it had some fast moments and some moderate ones, a bit like 'The Winter' he had hummed earlier, it was manageable to sing. "Perfect, I'd say we can start our dance then, Mr. Holmes." and so, Albert took a deep breath before beginning to sing the melody, leading his partner step by step.
The beginning of this dance started almost immediately in a vivid but still quite controlled way, which is why Albert decided not to go too hard on Mycroft, at least not yet.
Meanwhile, Mycroft was immediately captivated by the younger man's voice: it was deep, but not too much, and he managed to balance the various vocal changes well. Albert wasn't a professional singer, of course, and every now and then there were little mistakes and slip-ups, but they were so slight that Mycroft didn't pay too much attention to them.
What really amazed him most was Albert's ability to sing a symphony, which was certainly not easy, and at the same time lead a dance with such fluidity.
As the minutes passed, Mycroft was sure that they had walked the entire perimeter of their living room at least ten times (maybe even fifteen.
They weren't in a ballroom, their space was limited but that surely didn't spoil the intimate experience they were having, then a little accident happened-...
Mycroft accidentally knocked his foot into the sofa: In his attempt to save himself from overbalancing, Mycroft instinctly reached Albert, pulling down with him. Within seconds, one arm was supporting the brunette, holding him close, while the other hand grabbed the headrest of the sofa, managing to get them both slowly lying down and, more importantly, minimising what could have been a catastrophic fall.
"Are you all right, Al?" Mycroft asked. "Everything's perfect." was the reply, as he felt his partner's arms wrap tightly around him, adjusting himself so that he could hear his heartbeat with his ear. "Sorry for the fall." A laugh was heard and then, a yawn. "Oh please, don't be so hard on yourself. It was fun."
"Really?"
"Absolutely, and-... I must say you've gotten a little better at keeping up with the pace."
"What an honour to hear it from you." Mycroft moved his hand over Albert's head, playing with some brown curls. "Are you finally getting tired, now?" the younger man yawned again before answering. "Finally yes, but it's mostly thanks to you, to your own presence." Albert lifted his face and planted a small kiss on his husband neck. "As I said, I can't fall asleep without you beside me or in this case, under me."
At this point, Mycroft also felt all the fatigue of the day settle into his body. "I think the same could be said for me." he chuckled. "You could say we are each other's sleep remedy."
"Possibly, yes."
The fireplace in front of them gave off such a pleasant warmth and they were both too tired to get up and go to their bedroom, especially since they would have to climb the stairs and they didn't have the physical or mental strength to do so at the moment.
"Maybe you've already understood it from the way I look at you every waking moment, but if you haven't, I want to say it loud and clear: I love you."
Said Albert out of nowhere, his voice completely taken over by sleepiness but at the same time, fueled with so much love. Mycroft felt his heart skip a beat in his chest, feeling a slight warmth spreading to his cheeks. "I love you too, in a way I can't even put into words."
"Mmh." Albert finally groaned. "Good night, Mickey." Leaning forward, Mycroft kissed his sleepy husband on the head and whispered, "Good night to you too, Al."
'I'm glad to have you by my side.'
That was the last thought they both had before getting wrapped in Morpheus' arms and, finally, falling asleep in each other's warm and reassuring embrace .
__________
The end
__________