#ask lestrade

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

So when you first got with Mycroft he was heavier?

I’d like to interject here. Heavier than what? What I am now? What I should’ve been? Heavier than Gregory? You need to specify. How on earth do you expect a clear answer when you’re not providing the detail needed for an accurate answer? And what on Earth is the obsession over how we met. It’s hardly that special and it’s not even unusual. We met through acquaintances. What more could you possibly need to know, my exact height at the time? Although considering the question above I find it unlikely you’d ask for anything specific. -MH

Jesus. Sorry about that Anon. Myc’s not in a good mood today. You’d have thought he’d be pleased that you called him Mycroft instead of Myc, but he’s caught up in the small things. I know what you meant, I think everyone does just Mycroft’s not exactly everyone, now is he? Don’t mind him. Thanks for asking, I personally like talking about how we met, so ask away. 

To actually answer your question, yeah, he was heavier. Not as big as he is at the moment, and he did get bigger a little while after we started dating, but it happens. Myc’s weight always goes up and down, it was in the middle of going up when I first met him and started dating him. Not that it made a difference. Honestly I’d have chosen someone with Myc’s body over another person on the sports teams. I don’t like how it makes him feel, I don’t like that he gets upset when he’s gained a little weight or how self conscious he is, which is why I’ll always help with the diets and things however I can. But I like him physically however he is, and if he’s softer, then that means I can get better hugs and he’s more comfortable to cuddle up with. He was gorgeous when I met him, gorgeous now and no matter how his weight changes he will still be gorgeous to me.

Maybe it was a good thing that he was a little heavier than most people when we met, don’t think I would’ve been as interested if he was as thin as Sherlock, not without knowing him properly. Now his weight’s not the main thing. He’s still Mycroft no matter what and that’s what I love. -GL

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

To the both of you... what's your favorite way of showing affection?

Ooh I like this question. Honestly I think any affection is great. It depends who it’s from, I think. From my mum it’s a hug, because she gives some of the best hugs in the world. When my little brothers and sisters were really small they used to bring me gifts like they were cats. Usually it was something like spiders or flies that they’d caught. So getting affection always depends on who it’s from. Showing affection for someone else is different. I always want the people I love to know that I’m there for them and I love them no matter what. Sometimes you have to say it, and that’s a little tricky even though it’s possible. I like little gestures though, curling up with someone, holding their hand, getting to kiss their cheeks…Myc know all about it I do it all the time to him. I just want them to know that I love them. With Myc it’s not always so easy, he can be a little funny with the touching thing, so it’s just whatever I can do. I like kissing his cheeks and holding his hand a lot because I can do that easily. And I like telling him things that’ll make him blush because he is honestly the cutest thing ever when he blushes. So beautiful. -GL

I’ve never been particularly good at accepting affection. It’s not something I’m used to. While I did receive it often enough in my childhood there were certainly events that caused a break of sorts in affection as my family adjusted and recovered, and then I went to Eton. I’ve never had a constant period of people showing me affection, it happens when I’m at home and not at school as is to be expected. Giving it is difficult too. My affection for Sherlock manifests as concern, or meddling as he puts it. For my parents it’s letting them hug me and pat my hair and sit me down for conversations that I hate. Showing affection to Gregory though…I believe it’s just showing that I’m comfortable. That I trust him. I let Gregory hug me and I let him rest his head in my lap and I get to admire him. I’m not good at expressing myself, I understand that and I think it’s advantageous rather than anything to be ashamed of. I just try and do things that I know Gregory will like, and more often than not I find myself enjoying it too. Like holding hands in public, like sitting beside him on the sofa, coming over for meals with him and lying in bed with him. Grand gestures are most often portrayed in romances, but I don’t believe they’re accurate. Not for us. Our affection is subtle, and it seems to work well enough for us. -MH

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Here it is! Finally! I’ve been waiting for this one! I think the fact that it’s 2000 words longer that might make up for it. I don’t know what you guys think though, or what Mycroft thinks because he’s the harshest critic I think. Anyway, we’re always here for questions if you have any! -GL

No, I don’t think it makes up for it, not after such a long wait. However it’s a slight bit of compensation for the wait we’ve had to endure. I’m not personally a fan of this chapter. It puts far too much emphasis on personal thoughts that should never be published. What happens in my head should stay there unless I chose otherwise. I dislike them being broadcast. Nonetheless it’s out there, and we shall just have to see how long it’ll take until a new one is out. At this I presume it’ll be after the sun implodes. -MH

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

How did you meet guys?

I’ll take this one, if you don’t mind, Anon. If I let Myc have it he’ll go all complicated and start asking rhetorical questions about how anyone meets anyone or something. Don’t get me wrong, I love how smart he is, but this one’s an easy answer that’s best kept simple. 

We met through Sherlock, I suppose. That’s not too surprising, I mean there’s not a lot of ways to get to Mycroft and Sherlock’s the biggest one there is. Me and John are on the school rugby team together, and Sherlock and John have that unspoken thing between them that neither of them will admit to. So I got to know Sherlock a little. He’s not easy to get through to either, bit of a prick when you first meet him, really. First time I met him he pointed out the fact I was wearing second hand clothes and my dad had ran off with a younger woman. Nearly punched him in the nose. Course you get used to him, eventually, and I did. Anyway, Sherlock had gotten himself into some trouble at school, insulting a teacher or something so he was on detention after-school. Mycroft was home from Eton early and was supposed to meet him and make sure he got home on the tube alright. Only Sherlock ditched Mycroft to come and watch the rugby practice. 

Anyway, half a practice session later a very pissed off chubby ginger kid comes marching to the pitch, looking half like he was going to start shouting at the coach before he shot off towards the stands and started telling Sherlock off. I asked John who he was, he doesn’t look much like Sherlock, really, I didn’t even know he had a brother. So I start poking around about him, just curious , and eventually John must’ve gotten sick of the questions because he started inviting Mycroft to the parties and get togethers. He never came. First time I spoke to him was when Sherlock had a party at his place when his parents were away. I nearly punched him too. I didn’t though, and after a few more run-ins I actually got to talking to him. It all goes from there, I suppose.  -GLI don’t over-complicate things, what I say is perfectly simple given the slightest amount of thought, I’m just encouraging cognitive processing. Also, It’s ‘John and I are on the rugby team’, not ‘me and John’. -MH 

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

What Is your favourite food Mycroft?

Why is it always assumed that there must be a favourite? 

Ask a child of reasonable age their favourite colour, and you will find that those that give the question adequate thought will answer with ‘all of them’ or ‘rainbow’. That is because the child would have considered the question and decided that while they may enjoy certain aspects of a single colour, that enjoyment will shift with time. Not only that, but they understand that the variety that the rainbow offers is perhaps their favourite thing about colours, how there are different colours for different moods and events and seasons. 

It is no different with food. I don’t have a particular favourite, and while I do find myself gravitating towards certain types of food. I don’t have a particular favourite, even if I did it wouldn’t be set, the favourite would change with all the different things that can affect colour preferences too. To try and give you a simplified answer and one that you were looking for, I’ll tell you that I have a sweet tooth and a preference for home cooking over takeaway or fast food. My mother does a wonderful Sunday roast. -MH 

Can’t have you just answer a question normally, can we? Yeah, he likes dinners, mash, gravy, Yorkshire puddings, all that good stuff. But I’ve seen the way he looks at scones, and if you ever leave a packet of biscuits - he likes hobnobs - open where Mycroft will find them, you’ll have a lot less than what you started with. Oh, also chocolate. And cake. -GL  

[greg-and-mycroft-answer]

Question for Greg: Do you worry about Mycroft's health?

Oh. First can I just say thanks for asking, gives me something to do and I love being involved in this, the more people I talk to the better. 

Now for your question…yeah, I do. It’s not that I think he’s about to have a heart attack or anything, sure he’s bigger, but he’s still young and things, he’s not about to drop dead or anything like that. But I still worry. It’s just the little things, you know? I spend a lot of time on the pitch, I play football and rugby and I love running, most of the people I spend time with are on sports teams, they’re people that are in great shape, really fit and things. I notice the difference, they don’t get out of puff going up a few flights of stairs and Myc does, they spend a lot more time moving and eat a lot less sweets. It just sometimes I forget and I walk too fast or I go up the stairs too fast and then Myc’s just left trying to catch up and then catch his breath. It’s a little worrying when that happens. I know Myc knows the risks, I know that he takes it into account and it’s not like he’s always that size, the diets do work when he can stick to them…but he’s big and I worry that maybe he’s going to give up. If he gives up then he really will start putting himself at risk. I love getting to hug him, I don’t mind that he’s bigger but I want him to be around for as long as possible. The thought that he might not be worries me. 

And that’s without all the mental health side of it. If anything, that scares me more. -GL