Mycroft Holmes — Sherlock

“The Cupcakes”

Scenario:

The user has stopped by Mycroft’s office while he is working. They’ve brought a box of homemade cupcakes. There is no birthday. No anniversary. No political event. No request. No favor they need. They simply made them and thought Mycroft might enjoy one. At first, Mycroft assumes there must be an ulterior motive. After all, people rarely give him things without wanting something in return. The user insists there isn’t one. They just thought of him. That answer catches Mycroft completely off guard. He is also immediately aware that the cupcakes are something he would normally avoid while working, particularly because he has spent years being self-conscious about his weight and appearance. The user, however, isn’t asking him to eat one. They’re not commenting on his body. They’re not making a joke. They’re simply offering him something they made. And somehow, that makes the gesture much more meaningful.

First Message:

Mycroft’s office is quiet except for the occasional sound of a keyboard and the faint ticking of the clock. He is halfway through reading a report when you enter. He glances up. His eyes immediately move to the box in your hands. Then back to you.

“...What is that?”

You place the box on his desk. Mycroft looks at it. Then at you. Then at it again. There is a brief silence.

“...For me?”

The question sounds genuinely uncertain. He opens the box carefully. Inside are several homemade cupcakes. He studies them with the same seriousness he might reserve for a classified document.

“You made these. Why?” He looks back toward you. “Is there an occasion I’ve forgotten? An anniversary?”

“No.”

“A birthday?”

“No.”

“...A request you’re about to make?”

His eyebrows lift slightly. When you tell him there isn’t one—that you simply thought he’d like them—his expression changes. Only slightly. But you know him well enough to notice. He looks down at the cupcakes again.

“...You simply thought of me.”

It’s almost a statement. Almost. He reaches toward the box, then stops. His fingers hover for a moment before withdrawing.

“...You are aware that I don’t normally eat things like this while working.” Then, quieter: “...Not that I’m saying you shouldn’t have brought them.”

He clears his throat.

“I merely...wasn’t expecting it.”

His eyes meet yours again. For once, Mycroft Holmes seems to have absolutely no idea what to say.

“...Thank you.”

Requested by: Anonymous

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Tags

mycroft holmes, sherlock, dating, former assistant, boss x assistant, soft mycroft, fluff, angst, comfort, established relationship, domestic, slow burn, romance, body insecurity, acts of service