His Great Game (Sherlock x Reader)

Chapter 9: The Older Brother

(Your POV)

I walked out of John's bedroom the next morning to find Sherlock in the living room, having a serious conversation in a hushed tone. Sherlock sat with his violin- I didn't know he played violin- in his hands, mindlessly plucking the strings. Another man I didn't recognize sat across from Sherlock. I didn't know we had a guest- good thing I changed before coming out of there.

I looked down at my clothes, hoping I looked presentable. I was wearing a white, sleeveless button-up, black skinny jeans, and my black, high top converses. I had curled my (h/l), (h/c) hair and then brushed it out, so it now sat in natural- looking waves. To top it off, my favorite pair of diamond studs adorned my ears. Not too bad, I supposed. I looked up at the men, who clearly hadn't noticed my arrival yet. I debated whether or not I would retreat back to John's room. After all, the last thing I wanted to do after yesterday's awkward events was to face Sherlock. I sighed. I can't avoid him forever.

I walked over to the stove in the kitchen where a kettle of tea was sitting, still hot. I poured myself a cup and let it sit in my hands, warming me up. I mustered up some courage and then strode into the living room, taking in the boarded-up windows from yesterday afternoon. "Good morning, gentlemen."

The two men immediately stopped their conversation and turned to look at me.

"Ah, (y/n)." Sherlock looked up, still plucking at the strings of his violin. "Good morning."

The second man stood from John's chair and turned to me, taking in my appearance. He gave me a respectful nod. "Ah, so this is (Y/n). Pleasure to meet you, I'm Mycroft." He held out his hand and I took it, giving it a warm shake. "I've heard plenty about you from my sources."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Have you now?" I took in the man's appearance and judged the dynamic between Sherlock and the newcomer. He was six foot one, roughly, so he stood just taller than Sherlock. He wore a light brown vest and suit with a blue tie. A black umbrella leaned against his chair, and he stood straight, as if trying to maximize his height. His eyes held the same intelligent spark Sherlock's did. A very neat appearance for a client of Sherlock's- too neat. Polished, even. I smiled. An unannounced guest? I was pretty sure I knew who this was and what he did.

"Oh, yes. We have high hopes for you."

"Who do you mean- you and the government or you and your younger brother?" The surprised looks on Mycroft and Sherlock's faces were enough to betray that my assumptions were correct.

Sherlock stopped plucking the strings on his violin and narrowed his eyes. "How...?"

Mycroft turned to face his brother. "Have you told her?"

"No."

"Did you know about this?"

Sherlock kept his piercing gaze on me. I took a sip of my tea and gave him an innocent smile. "I hadn't the slightest. I'd just assumed she was the ordinary type of intelligent. Book-smart. My mistake, clearly." I narrowed my eyes back at him, matching his glare. I tried not to notice how great he looked at the moment. Needless to say, I failed. His purple shirt was tight and showed off his shape. I gave a silent hum of amusement. Purple was a good color on him. I allowed myself to enjoy the view for a moment. When I realized I had been staring, I turned pink and looked him in the eye again, only to find that he was enjoying his view as well. My blush faded and was replaced with a smirk of confidence as Sherlock realized he had been staring. Now it was his turn to blush, although it was less noticeable on him. Bastard.

Mycroft turned to me, his gaze approving. He hadn't seen my side of the exchange between Sherlock and I, which I was grateful for. "This is most interesting. Not on our level, clearly, but this is something to be documented. I'll be sure to put that in her file-" No sooner had he sat down than John burst into the room. We all swiveled our heads to look at him.