#mystrade fic

[johannadc]

The Birdbath

Happy 2026 y'all!

Last night, thanks to the support and encouragement of good friends, I wrote a fic I'd been meaning to put down for two months. It's called "The Birdbath" and involves Mycroft's umbrella. And this week's @mystradepromptsandscenarios Mystrade Monday prompt.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/76826696

[was-fuck-off-watson]

“Reaching Out” alternative cover is here!

Written by me and @holmesianlove for @lisbeth-kk

Read the complete fic here!

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

[thedeakyamp]

guys.

i need a GOOD slow burn mystrade fic

like now

there’s only so many times i can reread the same fics i need recommendations i yearn for the mystrade i need to have the mystrade IN MY BLOOD

like we’re talking anything idc just as long as it’s a GOOD fic

[tryingtomystrade]

Enjoy this little sweet treat in today's TTM Advent fic.

Unwrapping Traditions is now up on AO3!

[12daysofmystrade]

12 Days of Mystrade 2023, the Final Roundup

(Apologies for the delay. Want to revisit some lovely holiday fics? See below.)

Day 1:  Li'l Mystrade and the Christmas Decorations, a photo story where Li'l Lestrade visits Li'l Mycroft’s office at Christmas by @johannadc

Day 2:  Solitude, a lovely story of two lonely people finding each other during the holidays (with the help of a few matchmakers!) by @phinniastuff

Day 3: So Nice and Warm, a Christmas Eve tale featuring snow, amazing banter and some cute flirting by Mouse9

Day 4:  Happy Holidays from Mycroft and Greg, a Christmas card by @lavenderandvanilla

Day 5:  Epiphany, the beginning of a story about helping friends have a better holiday by @lavenderandvanilla

Day 6: Christmas Jumper Day, the beginning of a story about Greg trying to get everything organised in time for Christmas by LittleFluffyClouds

Day 7: Please, Gregory - MH, a bit of angst, a sprinkle of hurt/comfort with a dash of supernatural by Writer_of_Life

Day 8: Silver Light, something soft and romantic that feels like dancing slowly to the gentle tones of Sinatra by @aworldofgoldfish

Day 9: Washed Up, something sweet and delicate, featuring the fragile atmosphere in the aftermath of a party by @stellacartography 

Day 10: Sunrise at Stonehenge, a celebration of Yuletide and Paganism by @jaybeefoxy 

Day 11: Like Petals in a Storm, a New Year's Eve fic with metaphors about midnights by @sky-is-torn

Day 12: Dear Gregory, an epistolary fic with Mycroft fulfilling his New Year resolution by @johannadc

Thank you once again to all who participated, both readers and especially our authors!

[themirokai]

Too Much To Drink

A Mystrade Fic by MiroKai

Around Halloween 2021, the @mystradepromptsandscenarios prompt was "I'm not drunk enough for this" and I wrote Not Drunk Enough (which didn't get posted until December of that year but who's counting?). When this week's prompt was "I've had too much to drink tonight" I knew I had to do a follow up. You can probably read this as a standalone, but the other one is short, so consider reading that one first if you like context.

Mycroft has a bit too much to drink at a Halloween fancy dress party.

You can read the whole story here or on AO3.

Mycroft Holmes had a rather absurd amount of self-control, Greg reflected as he watched his husband from across the fancy dress party. To most of the guests - everyone but him and Anthea, probably - Mycroft probably appeared a bit reserved and quiet. Greg was impressed. He had seen Mycroft drunk plenty of times, but almost all of those were in private and the few times when they had overindulged at a restaurant there was no one else around who they knew, and they generally went straight from their table to the car. 

But here, Mycroft was holding it together in front of a number of Greg’s and Sally’s colleagues, and while Greg hadn’t been watching Mycroft’s glass all night, he’d seen it refilled a number of times and he knew how light his flask was from the drive over. 

Mycroft was betrayed - to Greg, at least - by a looseness, a softness that usually only came out when he and Greg were alone, secluded in the privacy of their home, the work of a nation set aside. Greg could see it in how Mycroft held his glass, how he leaned against the wall, how his eyes - far from their usual sharpness - roamed the room aimlessly. 

“Oh, you’ve got it bad.” 

Greg, startled, turned back to the sergeant he had ostensibly been talking to. “What’s that?” 

The sergeant nodded at Mycroft. “How long you been married to Mr. Mystery, Boss?” 

“Two years,” Greg answered automatically, still not sure how the conversation had gotten here. “Three in May.” 

The sergeant took a swig from their drink. “Yeah? And how long together before you tied the knot?” 

“About five years. Why-” 

“Seven years?” The sergeant whistled. “And you’re still mooning after him like a smitten teenager? I gotta find me someone like that.” 

Greg realized that he had completely zoned out on their conversation and grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, Sarge.” 

The sergeant waved that away, then pointed a finger at him. “I’m gonna tell you the same thing I would tell you if you were a smitten teenager. Go make a pass. At least you know he’s going home with you.” The sergeant barked a laugh, then clapped Greg on the arm and went off, presumably to talk to someone more attentive. 

Smiling, Greg threaded his way through the room to Mycroft’s side. A smile spread across Mycroft’s face as he saw Greg approach. It wasn’t a normal smile Mycroft would use in public: calculated to the millimeter. Instead it was a sleepy, languid thing that nearly stole Greg’s breath. Smitten teenager indeed. 

“Hello, darlin’,” Greg beamed at him. Up close he could see a bright flush on Mycroft’s cheeks and he strongly suspected it was from more than just the warmth of the great coat. 

“Gre- HIC! Mm, excuse me.” Mycroft pressed his slender fingers to his mouth. 

Greg couldn’t help but laugh as he wrapped his arm around Mycroft’s waist. “How are you doing?”

Mycroft blinked. “I am perfectly satisfactory. Thank you.” He spoke a bit slowly, but his diction was perfect. Suspiciously perfect. 

Greg raised an eyebrow at him. “Perfectly satisfactory, hm?” 

Mycroft hiccuped again then leaned forward conspiratorially. “Gregory, do you see the young woman in the blue cape?” 

Greg had seen her earlier. “Yes…” 

“It is a - HIC! - lovely garment. I think I should get a cape. I would look quite fesshhn…” Mycroft frowned. “Fechn.” His brow wrinkled in concentration. “Fetching. I would look quite fetching. HIC!” 

Greg grinned and reached up to brush his fingers over a flushed cheek. “Yeah, you’d look gorgeous in a cape, darlin’.” Greg kissed his cheek. “Seems you got drunk enough for this party.” 

Mycroft sniffed and turned up his nose. “I’ve no idea wha- HIC! - what you mean.” 

“Uh huh.” Greg ran his tongue over his teeth. “Care to walk a straight line for me, darlin’?” 

“‘S ‘mpossible.” Mycroft gestured vaguely at the room. “Too many people. And objess. HIC!” 

“That,” Greg said, “and you’re well and truly pissed.” 

Before Mycroft could retort, Sally stopped in front of them, smiling broadly. Her eyes were a little glassy and her flower crown was askew. “You lot alright?” she asked. 

“Yeah, all good, Sal.” Greg smiled at her warmly. “The party’s great, but we’re going to head home.” 

“Aww,” Sally pouted, then threw her arms around Greg’s neck. “Thanks for coming, Lestrade.” 

“My pleasure,” he told her, patting her back.

Sally released him and turned to Mycroft. “C’mere, Posh!” 

She grabbed him in a hug around his chest and Mycroft was surprised into a hiccup. Sally released him and Mycroft swayed a little, blinking slowly. He focused on Sally determinedly. 

“Sargenn Dono… Donvin. This ‘s been a verr charming party. HIC!” 

Sally’s jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide as she looked between Greg and Mycroft. 

Mycroft swayed a bit more and Greg wrapped an arm around him. 

“Feeling a bit worse for wear, Mr. Holmes?” Sally asked. 

“Nonsense. Perfec… perfeckly satsfactry.”

Sally’s grin could only be described as ‘shit-eating’. 

“I’m gonna get him home, Sal,” Greg said as Mycroft leaned against him more heavily. 

“That seems like a good idea,” she said. “Let me get Thea to say goodbye.” 

Sally moved off and Greg pulled out his mobile to text their driver. Text sent and acknowledged, Greg positioned himself under Mycroft’s arm, with a hand on his chest and his arm around his back. 

“Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you out of here.” 

Mycroft hiccuped again and muttered something about the room being too wobbly. Greg started towards the door, compensating for Mycroft’s unsteady gait. 

They were almost there when Anthea stepped in front of them. A slight smirk broke her normal impassive expression. “You enjoyed yourself?” she asked Mycroft. 

“You have verr. Very good Scotch. HIC! An you gave me quite a lot of it,” Mycroft said, clearly making an effort to keep his diction under control. 

“I did promise to get you drunk enough for the experience,” she said, then turned to Greg. “I hope you enjoyed yourself as well, Lestrade.”

“Yeah, really good time. Wonderful party. Thanks, Anthea.”

She slipped one water bottle into the pocket of Mycroft’s great coat and another into Greg’s jacket pocket, then kissed Greg on the cheek. 

“Do you need any help getting him to the car?” 

“Nah.” Greg looked up at Mycroft who hiccuped. “You can walk, can’t you, darlin’? Just a bit wobbly.” 

“Alright, safe travels then,” Anthea said, opening the door for them. 

“Good night, Anthea,” Greg said. 

“HIC! G’night my dear.” 

Greg guided Mycroft out of the building and into the cool October air. The street was empty and Greg took his hand off Mycroft’s chest to pull out his mobile. The car should be there in another minute or two. He looked back at Mycroft to see him smiling at Greg blearily. 

“Yur verrr pretty,” Mycroft slurred. 

Greg chuckled. “Thanks, love. You’re not so bad yourself.” 

“Gregry, ‘s posssbl I’ve had - HIC! - too mussh to drink tonight.”

“You don’t say?” Greg laughed. “You’re so much drunker than I realized, just seeing you from across the room. You were really keeping it together.” 

“Speaking’s more difficult than standing. HIC! An I knew you’d take care ‘f me. Knew I could...” Mycroft gestured vaguely. "Let go. HIC!" 

Greg swallowed down a lump in his throat. It may have been seven years, but it never ceased to astonish him that this secretive, polished man had chosen Greg as the person he let see his frailties and flaws. As the one person who he let care for him. “Yeah, darlin’,” Greg said as the car pulled up. “I’ve got you.” 

Once in the back seat, Mycroft quickly settled with his head on Greg’s shoulder. 

“Love you, Gregry,” he mumbled as he fell asleep. 

Greg kissed the top of his head. “Love you too.” 

___

Thanks for reading! Writing Mystrade always feels like coming home for me.

[lavenderandvanilla]

Hi, I need some help in finding a fic on ao3 ! It's a mystrade one from TFP about how instead of Molly, Lestrade is the one who's supposed to be in the coffin. I know it's a one chapter fic and I've seen it before but I just can't seem to now !! Is there a chance you could help?

I don’t know that fic, but it sounds fascinating. Let’s tag @mystrade-reading-club and @johannadc and see if they know the fic you’re thinking of. If anyone else knows of the fic @mark7-vii is describing, please chime in. Thanks!

[persnick]

long mystrade fic recs

I love Mystrade, so here are some of my favorite fanfics. These are all medium or long and all are complete. They are masterpieces with much angst and only the happiest of endings. I highly recommend checking out all of these authors’ other works. Some may be locked to unregistered archive users.

Lullabye by Mottlemoth | E, 20k, Complete | Soulmates Twice a year—on your birthday and theirs—you can hear your soulmate's voice throughout the night. It gives each fated pair a chance to talk and bond before they meet. Sharing names, locations or other identifying details is unwise. It's rumored that if you try it, even in hints, the connection will be severed and you'll never find each other. Today is Mycroft Holmes's 38th birthday. He and his soulmate have had two nights together a year for the last two decades, never even knowing each other's names. But it's getting harder and harder to keep saying goodbye.

Under the Rose by Mottlemoth | E, 125k, Complete | Past Trauma, Secret Relationship It's no surprise for Greg Lestrade to discover that, when it comes to relationships, Mycroft Holmes doesn't really do things like other people. Mycroft's lack of experience and intense need for privacy will take some special care—but that's fine. Greg's always been a patient man.

End Game by Mottlemoth | E, 160k, Complete | Sex Holiday, Friends with Benefits to Lovers Mycroft has a problem. After a drunken New Year's Eve at Baker Street gets out of hand, this preoccupation with Greg Lestrade doesn't seem to be going away. He makes Greg an irresistible offer: seven days alone together in paradise, to be with each other and exhaust the craving. Sadly for Mycroft, Greg comes with irresistible offers of his own—and seven days in paradise might not be enough.

A Christmas Carol by Mottlemoth | G, 40k, Complete | Post Break-Up, Reuniting "All lives end... all hearts are broken." Mycroft Holmes never needed a reason to loathe Christmas—but getting dumped by the love of his life certainly did the trick. It's been a year since Mycroft lost the man he adored, and with Christmas Eve fast approaching, he's counting down the hours until all this festive lunacy is over. Sadly for Mycroft, fate has other plans. It's going to take three ghosts to show him the error of his ways. But can he make amends in time? Or will he prove to himself, once and for all, that caring is not an advantage?

Portrait of a London Vampire by Vulpesmellifera | E, 30k, Complete | Vampires, Hurt/Comfort Struggling artist Greg Lestrade lands his big break—representation by one of the most prestigious London art galleries. When his newfound status hooks an attractive and puzzling patron, dangerous desire and a daunting dilemma spins Greg about in a troubling fog. To complicate matters, someone is brutalising his neighbours, leaving behind gutted bodies, faces frozen in a rictus of fear. Grief stirs old, painful memories, wrapping Greg in a sticky web of want and deceit. At the web's edge, the East London Butcher lurks.

Written in Skin by Vulpesmellifera | M, 25k, Complete | Soulmates, Blind Greg Mycroft Holmes lives a quiet, steady life. He works. He paints. He takes walks. It’s what he does to ignore the flurry of partnering around him. Whether it’s the biological drive to mash two bodies together, or the religious dictum of the salvation in finding one’s Devotee, it’s not for him. It won't ever be for him. Until the day he meets a blind man in the park. The world will never be the same.

All Else Above by Meansgirl | E, 140k, Complete | First Time, Sex Work, Family Trauma Mycroft Holmes' life isn't going according to plan, and there is little he can do about it. His career is a mess, his house is a shrine, and he can't even manage to get laid. In fact, he's never quite figured that last thing out. Maybe it's time. Perhaps, if he could work out how to have a relationship, he could work out the rest. Enter Greg Lestrade, who comes highly recommended by Mycroft's shark-like coworker and sometimes-friend, Alicia. Mycroft, under the impression he is going to see a counselor, is shocked to realize he has been misled.

If You Ever Hunger, Hunger for Me by Meansgirl | E, 115k, Complete | Age Gap, Kinky with Heart Greg notices the kid watching him, and for a moment he fantasizes about watching back, doing the old once-over and eyebrow quirk. Do people still cruise like that? AU with a younger Mycroft, who can't stop watching the silver fox at the pub.

If That’s All There Is by Meansgirl | E, 55k, Complete | Depression, Family Trauma The slow-motion breakdown and hard-fought redemption of Mycroft Holmes.