Tropical Paradise [BBC Sherlock (Mystrade)] b-day fic for Spoo: Ch 14/14

[cally]

OMG omg omg! You started a story here! Holy shiiiiiiit, this is AMAZING!

It's sneezy!greg. My favorite!! You spoil me so much. Have I mentioned this is Amazing!

And they went on a VACATION! Do you have any idea how happy that makes me? Mystrade in the tropics. You are a genius!

I'm so glad you are enjoying. It is so amazing that everyone is enjoying!

EEEEK. Two updates, omg. I feel so lucky! Poor Greg. Being so very sneezy~ I melt a little inside whenever Mycroft gets so terribly worried. The adorable babies!

I spoil you, I know. Poor, poor Greg, I know.

I love teasing!Greg and perturbed!Mycroft. LOL.

Poor miserable Greg. Such a reaction! And Mycroft all caring and sweet.

I love teasing!Greg most.

Chapter 8

As they walked out the door, Gregory paused to sneeze (as per his new usual), directing the pair into his shoulder, not wanting to release holding Mycroft’s hand.

HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh! Huhhrahhhshhhooo!

Mycroft raised an eyebrow. “God bless you, my dear. Are you sure you are up for this?”

Gregory rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, stop worrying!” He squeezed Mycroft’s hand as they walked down the beach.

The moon was nearly full; the stars were out, and there were so many of them. Being on an island with no city lights to interfere was simply amazing and breathtaking. Gregory was in awe; speechless.

They walked down the beach, and back up so that they were in front of the villa. They sat down on the velvety soft sand and looked up at the stars, lying in each other’s arms. Mycroft pointed out constellations and stars Gregory had never heard of; he couldn’t believe the younger man’s brilliance sometimes. There were times that Gregory couldn’t believe Mycroft loved him, and wanted to spend his life with him.

Gregory pulled Mycroft into his arms and kissed him, hard, passionately. Mycroft returned the kiss with equal passion and love. Soon they were sprawled out on the sand in a heated embrace.

Sometime later, they were lying there, breathing, each listening to the other’s heart beat as the waves crashed around intertwined feet. Mycroft was resting on top of Gregory, his fingers threading through the sparse grey hair there. Gregory was tracing patterns along Mycroft’s back with his fingers, occasionally dusting off bits of sand.

Mycroft was relaxed and content until his nose began to tickle, deep down in his sinuses. He didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he silently stifled what would end up being a ridiculous fit of sneezes. He managed to get nearly halfway through until Gregory noticed his shuddering and sat them both up.

“Love?” Gregory peered in the dark at Mycroft, worried.

Mmmpfx! Heh-hhh-heh-Hehmmmpftish! Mmmpftish! Mmmpftish! Mmmpftish! Mmmpftishooo!

“God bless you, God bless you, God bless you!” Gregory fumbled for his trousers, knowing the handkerchief Mycroft had given him earlier was inside the pocket. He pulled it out and handed it to his lover. “This corner here is dry, love. Not the ideal situation, I know.”

Mycroft nodded his thanks and blew his nose carefully, not wanting to put on another display. “Apologies, my dearest,” he said. “Not exactly how I wanted this evening to end.” Mycroft sat up, frowning.

Gregory turned to him. “Love, it’s fine. It’s not your fault.” He leaned over and kissed Mycroft softly. “Let’s go inside. I don’t know about you, but I need a shower.” He winked at Mycroft and pulled them both to their feet.

[Spoo]

There were times that Gregory couldn’t believe Mycroft loved him, and wanted to spend his life with him.

Sometime later, they were lying there, breathing, each listening to the other’s heart beat as the waves crashed around intertwined feet. Mycroft was resting on top of Gregory, his fingers threading through the sparse grey hair there. Gregory was tracing patterns along Mycroft’s back with his fingers, occasionally dusting off bits of sand.

This is seriously one of the most beautiful Mystrade lines I've ever read.

Have I told you how much I love this story? It's utter perfection.

[cally]

This is seriously one of the most beautiful Mystrade lines I've ever read.

Have I told you how much I love this story? It's utter perfection.

Awwwww thank you so so so so so much. I am so glad you're enjoying it.

This chapter is so special, it actually gets a title.

Chapter 9: Mycroft gets freckles

Gregory loved Mycroft’s freckles. He wanted nothing more than to see the younger man covered head to toe with them. Of course the British government would not agree to such a thing. (Heaven forbid.) However, he told Gregory that he would allow a small patch of skin to be marked with the speckles that Gregory so loved. And Gregory knew exactly which patch of skin he wanted marked.

They stayed in bed a long time that morning; they both weren’t getting any younger, and their activities on the beach the evening before left them both a bit tired. And they were on holiday; the best time for sleeping in. With only two days left, they needed to enjoy their time.

Gregory was somewhere in between dreaming and waking; perhaps it’s a bit more like lucid dreaming, he thinks later. It took him a moment to figure out what disturbed him.

Mmmmpftx! Mmmmpfx! Mmmpftish! Mmmpftinghsh!

Mycroft had no choice but to muffle his sneezes into his pillow. It was that or risk sneezing on his lover. He made a face of distaste at the situation.

“G’bless you love,” Gregory said quietly.

Mycroft wrinkled his long nose; it was still rather ticklish. His breath hitched a bit and he sneezed before he could gasp out an apology.

Heh-hhh-MmmmpfTISH! Hehhhhmmpftish! Mmmmmpftish! MmmmINGHtighsh!

“God bless you, love!” Gregory sat up and reached for the tissue box, plucking a few, and handing them to Mycroft.

“Apologies, my dear,” Mycroft said, accepting the tissues and blowing his nose gently. “And thank you.” He smiled at Gregory, grateful to have him in his life. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Gregory stretched lazily, his tanned body a contrast to the snowy-white sheets. “M’fine, love. How are you?” Gregory was worried a bit; Mycroft’s morning sneezes seemed to go on longer these days and sounded far more uncontrollable than usual. He hoped that his lover was not hiding anything from him.

“I am wonderful, Gregory. More than wonderful, as you are by my side,” he said. Mycroft pulled Gregory to him, to show him exactly how wonderful he was.

By the time they made it out to the beach, it was mid afternoon. Mycroft was covered head-to-toe in sun cream, except for a tiny strip along his lower back, right above his, as Gregory called it, ‘perfect bottom.’

As they walked outside, Gregory gasped and sneezed violently; they both forgot to remove the vase of flowers from the evening before.

HehRahhhshhngxtishh! HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh! Rahhhshhngxtishh!

HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh! Hhhshhngxtishh! Huhhrahhhshhhooo!

“God bless you, Gregory! I apologize for forgetting to get rid of those flowers.”

Gregory didn’t reply. Mycroft looked over at him, concerned. His lover was standing there, breath hitching, nostrils flaring, as he waited for the sneeze to come to fruition. He had several false starts before sniffling wetly, hoping it would help. It did not. Finally, Mycroft took pity on him, and quickly traced a long, manicured finger down Gregory’s nose.

Heh…huh…heh….hiiiii…HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh! Hhhshhngxtishh! Huhhrahhhshhh!

HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! Ahhhshooo! Rahhhhhshooo! Rahhhhhshooo! Huh-HuhhrahhhSHHhooo!

My goodness, Gregory! God bless you again and again and again!” They had managed to make their way down to the lounge chairs. Mycroft led Gregory to one and pressed a handkerchief into his hands. “I am terribly sorry, my dearest heart.”

Gregory blew his nose and wiped his streaming eyes. “Mycroft, it’s fide. Dod’t worry about it.” He blew his nose again, and cleared his throat. “It really is, love, he said with a sniffle. “Don’t give it another thought.” He wiped his nose with the cloth a final time, and put it to the side. He stretched out on the lounge chair and pulled Mycroft down on top of him and kissed him. They sat there and looked out at the expanse of the cerulean water, content with one another.

Mycroft knew it would take no more than a half hour for him to have enough freckles to satisfy Gregory. After which, he planned on a nice swim, a shower, and a leisurely walk along the beach with his partner.

Mycroft sadly climbed off Gregory and made himself comfortable in his own chair, lying on his stomach. He had positioned the umbrella so that he was mostly protected from the sun, except the patch of skin right above the waistband of his swimming trunks.

Gregory smiled as he watched his lover lay in the sun. He couldn’t wait to inspect him for new freckles later. He planned on kissing each and every one of them.

[Spoo]

You know me so well! I love those freckles. And I'm so glad Greg does, too.

[NorthernLady]

Gregory was worried a bit; Mycroft’s morning sneezes seemed to go on longer these days and sounded far more uncontrollable than usual. He hoped that his lover was not hiding anything from him.

All I can think after that is.... oh? Mycroft hiding something? This is an outrage! ;-) Hope we'll know what it is soon I love Mycroft!

[squealofapproval]

Ooh that perfect bottom doe XD

This is super cute! I'm drowning in feels

[cally]

You know me so well! I love those freckles. And I'm so glad Greg does, too.

Freckles for everyone!

All I can think after that is.... oh? Mycroft hiding something? This is an outrage! ;-) Hope we'll know what it is soon I love Mycroft!

Is he? Perhaps. If he is, you will definitely find out soon!

Ooh that perfect bottom doe XD

This is super cute! I'm drowning in feels

Awwwww. I am too.

I am such a sap, I literally was sobbing when I was writing the last part of this chapter. Seriously.

Chapter 10

That evening Gregory did spend a fair amount of time kissing the newly formed freckles; on the beach, in the shower, in bed. As a result, they stayed in bed rather late the next morning.

Gregory woke first and spent his waking moments just watching Mycroft sleep. It was rare to see the younger man, so peaceful and relaxed. That all changed a few minutes later. Gregory literally was able to watch Mycroft be woken by his morning (now nearly afternoon) sneezes. He watched as his lover’s long nose twitched and crinkled at the bridge and he hastily buried his face into his pillow.

Mmmpftish! Mmmpftinghsh! Hehmmmpftish! Hehmmmpffffshhhh!

When Mycroft turned back over, he found Gregory watching him with concerned brown eyes. “God bless you, love. And good morning.” Gregory smiled at him.

Mycroft smiled in return. “Thank you my dear. Good morning.” He reached up to pull Gregory in for a kiss, but suddenly changed his mind. “Heh going to ahhhehhhh sneeze.” He quickly turned his face away.

Ahhhh-heh-hhhmmpftish! MmmmINGHtighsh! Mmmpftish! INGHtighshooo!

“God bless you again, love! Are you ok?” Gregory was concerned; Mycroft really had been sneezing more harshly and numerously in the mornings as of late. He hoped his lover wasn’t coming down with something; Mycroft did tend to become ill when he traveled.

“Thank you my dearest heart. I am perfectly well, Gregory. Perhaps it is the different climate here that seems to have intensified my morning reaction. I do appreciate your concern, though." This time Mycroft did pull Gregory down for a kiss.

After a leisurely brunch (given the hour), the two made their way out to the beach for their last full day on the shore, as they would be leaving tomorrow afternoon. Gregory was hoping to finish the book he was reading this afternoon, and he was thinking about how it might end as they walked down to the beach. He was brought out of his thoughts by a sudden, rapid tickle and subsequent sneezes.

Heh…HuhhrahhhNGHTshhhooo! Huh-etcssSHHhhoo!

HuhhrahhhNGHTshhhooo! HuhhrahhhSHHhooo!

Mycroft, who was right behind him, frowned. He understood, intellectually, Gregory’s general reluctance to take pills, but he wished that he didn’t have to see his partner suffer so.

“God bless you, my dear. And again, and again, and again. Are you certain that you’re are not bothered?"

Gregory waited for Mycroft to catch him up. “Thank you, love. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” He gave him a slow, lazy smile as he sat down on his chair. Mycroft adjusted his sun umbrella and sat down next to Gregory, intertwining their hands.

They stayed like that for a while until Mycroft began to get anxious. He had incredible plans for them for that evening and he was beginning to get concerned about them; whether or not they would be welcome to Gregory.

He could not focus on the novel he was reading; all he could think about was this evening. It got to the point where Mycroft was actually fidgeting. Gregory looked over at Mycroft, concerned. He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, studying his partner. Before he could ask what was wrong, he was turning to the side and sneezing abrasively.

Ahhhhhh…….hehhhhhhh…… Huhhrahhhshhhooo! Huhhrahhhshhhfff! HuhhrahhhNGHTshhhooo! Huh-etcssSHHhhoo!

“God bless you, my dear!”

“Thank you. Sorry about that. I should know better than to take off my sunglasses.” Gregory smiled at him

Distracted, Mycroft returned the smile.

“Love, what’s wrong? You seem awfully preoccupied.” Gregory reached out and took Mycroft’s hand.

Mycroft squeezed his hand in return. “I am fine, my dear. I just find myself unable to focus today. Perhaps because I know our time here is coming to an end.”

Gregory smiled and stretched in the warm sunshine. “I think I might take a swim. Care to join me?”

After their swim, they went back to the villa and dressed for dinner. Gregory had been told that their last meal would be special, and he knew Mycroft was not one to disappoint. They had each packed one nice outfit for this occasion; despite the fact Mycroft had not explained anything other than that they were to have an extravagant meal.

The only part of the plan Mycroft changed was to have dinner inside. He had wanted to eat on the patio, but he was concerned that Gregory would spend the entire evening sneezing and miserable.

They took a short walk along the beach while they waited for the meal to be put out. Hand and hand they walked along the shore avoiding the waves crashing. Mycroft was nervous as they walked, but he did his best to focus on the moment; this moment with Gregory.

When they arrived back at the villa, Mycroft handed Gregory a pressed handkerchief. “You will probably be needing this,” he said wryly.

Gregory tried not to laugh. He also tried valiantly not to sneeze as they walked up the path, but as usual the allergens had their way with him.

Ahhkishoo! Hehhhh-Huh-HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! HhhhhuhhraGHNTshhoo! HuhhrahhhSHHhooo!

“God bless you my dearest heart.”

Gregory sniffled. “Thank you.” He was about to thank him for the handkerchief as well, but instead sneezed again, grateful for the soft cloth.

Heh…HuhhrahhhNGHTshhhooo! Huh-etcssSHHhhoo!

“My goodness Gregory! God bless you again!”

“Thank you, love.” Gregory said as they walked inside. He stopped short. Mycroft turned to look at him worried, but all he could see was astonishment on Gregory’s face when he saw the candlelit table.

“Love, love, this is beautiful. I almost don’t know what to say.” Gregory was nearly overcome with emotion. He sniffled and pulled himself together and then reached for Mycroft, pulling him into a fierce kiss.

Dinner was a lavish affair with freshly caught fish and fragrant vegetables and rice. Gregory was starving and enjoyed every bit of his meal. Mycroft, on the other hand, was so incredibly anxious, that he spent a lot of time pushing the food around on his plate to make it look like he was eating. He also frequently kept checking his watch, as if he had an appointment to keep. Gregory said nothing; he knew that Mycroft would tell him what was going on in his own time, and that pressing the situation would only make it worse.

With dinner finished, Mycroft checked his watch a final time. It was 7:15. Perfect. “Gregory, would you care to take a walk along the beach again?”

Gregory smiled. “Of course, love.”

The two headed out, and once again, Gregory paused to sneeze.

HhhhHNGXtishhooo! HuhhRAHRhhshhhooo!

“God bless you, my dear!” Mycroft took Gregory’s hand and squeezed it.

Gregory squeezed back. “Thank you, love. I’m so sorry for all the sneezing.”

Mycroft gave him a look that Gregory couldn’t quite read. “You have met me, correct? In the spring perhaps?”

Gregory chuckled. “Fair point.”

They strolled down to the sea; out over it the sun was preparing to set. The sky was illuminated in crimson, gold, and lavender. It was one of the most beautiful sights Gregory had ever seen.

Mycroft stopped Gregory, and took both his hands in his. “My dearest, this holiday, has been nothing short of perfect. I hope you know how much it has meant to me; how much you mean to me.” He paused as he started to become emotional. Gregory started to worry.

“Gregory, you complete me. I was unaware what I was missing until you came into my life.” A single tear slid down Mycroft’s slightly freckled cheek.

Gregory reached out and swiped it away with his thumb, his hand shaking. “Please,” he whispered, his mouth quivering. Please, please don’t end this, he thought. He was on the verge of crying himself.

“My dearest, I love you with all my heart and with every fiber of my being. Would you,” Mycroft’s voice broke here, and more tears coursed down his face.

“Would you spend the rest of your life with me, Gregory Lestrade?” Mycroft asked, weeping in earnest now.

Tears slid down Gregory’s face. He grabbed Mycroft and pulled him close. “Of course I will. Of course. Was there ever any question?”

Gregory pulled back slightly from the embrace and kissed Mycroft, hoping to show every ounce of love he had for him in it. They fell back onto the sand, kissing, as the sun sank into the sea.

Edited June 22, 2014 by cally

[JulesSneeze]

GAHHH YESSSS!!! Thank you so much for this Mystrade gem!

[Spoo]

Ohhhh nononoo. I can't! I simply can't! It's just too sweet.

[AngelEyes]

“You have met me, correct? In the spring perhaps?”

Oh yes indeed!

And awwww! So sweet!!!!!

[bangbang]

NOOOOOOO too adorable for words. I want to squeeze them both up and never let them go.

[cally]

GAHHH YESSSS!!! Thank you so much for this Mystrade gem!

thank you for the lovely comment!

Ohhhh nononoo. I can't! I simply can't! It's just too sweet.

:) It was awfully sweet, wasn't it? I wonder if I could get any sweeter? Perhaps in chapter 12?

Oh yes indeed!

I know, right?

NOOOOOOO too adorable for words. I want to squeeze them both up and never let them go.

Same. I want to take them with me everywhere I go.

Chapter 11

It was the last day they would be spending on the island. Their plane was scheduled to take off in late afternoon so that they would be arriving back home at the time they normally went to bed; Mycroft doing his best to not mess with their circadian rhythms.

In the pre-dawn, early morning light, Mycroft woke up slowly in the arms of his fiancé. A slow smile spread across his face thinking about the very fact that they were now affianced. It was only after he smiled that he realised how tender his sinuses were. He gave a tentative sniffle. This served no other purpose than inflame his ticklish nose (it being the morning and all). He turned his face away from Gregory, who was still sleeping peacefully, and attempted to silently stifle several sneezes, the last one rather drawn out.

Mmmpfx! Mmmpfx! Mmmpfx! Ahhhhh……hehhhhh….. Mmmpfxisssshhh!

“G’bless,” Gregory mumbled quietly, his voice rough with sleep.

“Thank you my dear. Go back to sleep,” Mycroft said just as quietly, hoping that by keeping the volume of his voice down, Gregory would not pick up on the congestion developing.

Gregory mumbled something unintelligible and burrowed himself back under the duvet. Mycroft carefully extracted himself from the bed and padded off to the bathroom. He blew his nose, frowning at how congested he was. This was something he would definitely be keeping from his betrothed; he didn’t want to worry Gregory. It was probably nothing anyways, he thought. He took double the amount of his normal allergy meds just in case. Back to the routine, he thought. Back to waistcoats and umbrellas and rain.

Mycroft regarded his reflection in the mirror. There was nothing visible to indicate that his nose or sinuses were being affected. He was slightly irritated to notice he had two new freckles on the bridge of his nose. Gregory would be paying dearly for that, he thought.

Ahhhhh……hehhhhh….. Mmmpfxisssshhhmpf!

Mycroft was caught off guard and did his very best to stifle the sneeze into the back of his wrist. He heard the rustle of the duvet from the bedroom and turned to head back there. Gregory was half awake again; rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Myc? G’bless? You alright?” He was unable to put together a coherent sentence yet.

Mycroft climbed back into bed beside Gregory, curling up into his warmth. He kissed him gently, tenderly. “Thank you my dear. I am perfectly fine other than these two new freckles on my nose,” he said with a wry grin.

Gregory rolled over on top of his fiancé and lover and looked at the troublesome spots. “They’re perfect, just like you,” he said. He kissed Mycroft softly on the lips as he traced light patterns across his chest. He then kissed the new freckles affectionately, eliciting a groan of both annoyance and pleasure from the younger man. Mycroft’s nose visibly twitched and he pulled back from the embrace, ducking his head down into the pillow.

Mmmpfch! Mmmpfxisssshhhmpf!

“Sorry love! God bless you!”

Mycroft raised an eyebrow at the teasing, but didn’t say anything on the matter, giving only a liquid sniffle. “Thank you, Gregory,” he said quietly. He appeared to give a moment of thought on the matter before he spoke again. “I admit I am rather reluctant to end this holiday,” he began.

Before he could continue, Gregory had him pinned in a punishing kiss. “Let’s not end it just yet,” Gregory said between kisses.

[bangbang]

Aww, no! I want them to stay on holiday forever - there's something so sad about the post-holiday blues! And poor Mycroft's sensitive nose with his new freckles - sweetest thing ever! Greg is the best fiance of all time.

[cally]

Aww, no! I want them to stay on holiday forever - there's something so sad about the post-holiday blues! And poor Mycroft's sensitive nose with his new freckles - sweetest thing ever! Greg is the best fiance of all time.

I want them to stay there forever too.

Chapter 12

After a bit more time in bed. Mycroft encouraged Gregory to get up with him and watch the sun rise. He was now rather glad that he had risen early, so he could have the moments they just shared AND enjoy the brilliant sunrise.

They headed outside just in their robes. Gregory unsuccessfully tried to stifle a pair of sneezes into the crook of his elbow and failed.

Huhhrahhhshhmfp! Rahhhshhngxt!

Mycroft made a sympathetic noise, frowning. He felt his own nose twitch in sympathy. “God bless you, dearest,” he said quietly.

Gregory gave him a sheepish smile in return. “Thanks.” He really should know better by now, he thought.

They made their way down to the soft, sandy beach. For once the sand was cool beneath their toes. They sat wrapped in each other’s arms as they watched the eastern horizon explode and bloom in a swath of colours; pinks, blues, and yellows all at once.

It was stunning, just like the sunset he evening before. Mycroft watched the pleasure flourish across Gregory’s face. This was only second to the bliss in his own heart; emotion and sentiment that he felt very deeply, but was still having great difficulty expressing.

He hoped what he’d done last night and what he was about to do now would show Gregory in his actions, if not necessarily his words.

“Gregory?” Gregory looked at Mycroft expectantly; he could tell from his tone that he was serious.

“Last night I was unsure what your response would be. I did not want to consider what would happen if your answer was no.” Mycroft paused a moment. “May I give you this now, my dearest heart?” Mycroft pulled a small box from his robe and handed it to Gregory; a slight tremor in his hand the only indication of his nerves and anxiety.

Gregory took the box with equally unsteady hands. He opened the box and found two thin, but sturdy gold bands nestled in the velvet folds.

He looked up at Mycroft, tears glistening in his eyes and on his lashes. “It’s perfect, love.” Gregory pulled Mycroft toward him, kissing him passionately.

They then sat back and continued to watch the sun rise above the horizon. After a while, sunlight filled their portion of the beach. Seconds after, Gregory was quickly turning away from Mycroft, sneezing harshly.

HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! Ahhhshooo! Ahhhkshooo! Rahhhhhshooo!

“Good heavens, Gregory! God bless you!”

Gregory sniffled. “Thank you, love.” He rubbed his nose out of annoyance before succumbing once again.

HuhhrahhhSHHh! MmmmINGHtighshhh! HRDSCHHhhhh! HhhshHNGXtishh!

“God bless you again, dearest!”

Gregory sniffled wetly. “Thank you again, love.”

Mycroft took Gregory’s hand in his, joining their rings together for the first time. “Let’s go inside, my dear. Breakfast awaits.”

[AngelEyes]

Back to waistcoats and umbrellas and rain.

I love this line. It's so poignant. And so Mycroft.

They're so perfectly sweet. It should last forever!

[cally]

This is the last chapter chapter. It is rather lengthy. I got a bit carried away! Chapter 14 will be an epilogue, back in London and will be posted later tonight.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments. Special thanks as always to Matilda for allowing me to steal your sneeze spellings. Extra special thanks to Spoo, for who this fic is for.

Chapter 13

After breakfast, the two began to pack. Resigned to the task, neither of them had their hearts in it at all. Gregory slowly got their suitcases down, while Mycroft began to empty the dresser drawers.

After a few moments of working in quiet companionship, Mycroft abruptly spun away from Gregory and sneezed violently into his cupped hands, unable to locate his handkerchief in time. They were harshly stifled and painful sounding.

Mmmmpfch! Mmmmpfx!

“God bless you, Mycroft! Love, are you all right?” Gregory grabbed a handful of tissues and handed them to his fiancé.

Mycroft nodded as he accepted the tissues and blew his nose. “Apologies, my dear, and thank you. I am fine,” he said convincingly. As much as he hated to deceive Gregory, there was no sense in worrying, especially when he did indeed feel fine.

Gregory raised an eyebrow, but dropped the line of conversation, as he continued to pack. While his back was turned, Mycroft scrubbed his nose with the tissues, trying in vain to alleviate the tickle. He thought about quickly heading into the bathroom, but didn’t want to have any undue attention placed on him right now. He had no other choice but attempt to smother down the next set of sneezes as best as he could. Normally, he would have used every ounce of mental control he had to keep from sneezing, but these felt far too ticklish to do so. At least this time he was able to get his handkerchief out of his pocket before they burst forth.

Ahhhhhhh……hehhhhhh…….. Mmmmpfch! Mmmmpfx!

“God bl- . . .” Gregory was cut off by another rapid pair of messy sounding sneezes.

hehhhhhh…….. Mmmmpfch! HehMPFSSHHH!

“God bless you, and God bless you again!” Gregory walked over to Mycroft, scrutinizing him. “Your eyes look a bit irritated; hay fever getting to you, love?”

Mycroft nodded again as he tended to his nose. “Apologies again, dearest,” he said sniffling. “Something has clearly caused an irritation, however, I am sure it will pass,” he said dismissively, waving a hand.

Gregory frowned. Mycroft seemed a bit laissez-faire about all of this. He decided he’d keep an eye on his lover in the meantime. But first, he decided, one last swim.

Mycroft raised an eyebrow as Gregory quickly stripped down. “Off for one last swim,” he said. “Care to join me?”

“As tempting as that sounds, Gregory, I will stay here and pack.”

“Your loss,” he said with a wink, and headed out of the room- stark naked.

Mycroft gave an approving glance at Gregory’s body as he left the villa. He wasn’t surprised to hear two loud and harsh sneezes as Gregory made his way down the path. “God bless you, my dearest heart,” he said quietly, despite the fact that he knew he would not be heard.

With a sigh, Mycroft continued packing. He did not begrudge his lover one last swim, and had he not had the propensity for freckling so easily and so quickly he would have joined him. However, the prospect of attending meetings next week with such unsightly spots was enough to keep him inside.

A half an hour, and six rapidly stifled sneezes later, Mycroft heard Gregory coming up the path.

Huh-etcssSHHhhoo! HuhhrahhhSHHhooo!

There was a pause and the sound of the villa door opening and closing. Mycroft could hear the soft steps Gregory was making as he approached the bathroom.

HuhhraGHNTshhhooo! HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! RahhhTISHshhhooo! HhhshHNGXtishh!

The British government could tell that his fiancé had tried to suppress that final sneeze. He headed out into the hall to make sure that Gregory was ok. He found Gregory standing, towel slung around his hips, with his hand on the wall; bracing himself for the onslaught. His head was tipped back, breath hitching rapidly and nostrils flaring as he waited in anticipation for the next set of sneezes.

“God bless you, my dear,” Mycroft began, but was cut off as Gregory gasped loudly as he finally (and welcomingly) succumbed.

Heh-hhh-HuhhrakSHHhooo! HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh!

HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! Ahhhshooo! Ahhhkshooo! Rahhhhhshooo!

“My goodness, Gregory! God bless you again and again! Although I do suppose if you want to be specific, it would be times fourteen,” he said, a concerned tone in his voice, as he handed his betrothed a clean handkerchief.

“Th-ahhhhh thank you,” he said quickly, before burying his twitching nose in the soft cloth.

HhhhhuhhraGHNTshh! HhhhSNTCshhh! HehhhhSNDishhhh! HuhhTSSCHHooo!

Gregory had tried to suppress the paroxysms as much as possible, but failed on the last explosive sneeze. With a wet, congested sniffle, he blew his nose.

Mycroft winced at the sound. “God bless you, my dearest heart! What has gotten into you?” He put a hand on Gregory’s deeply tanned arm, squeezing in reassurance.

Gregory blew his nose and then looked at Mycroft with an embarrassed look on his face. “It’s my own fault,” he said.

“Whatever do you mean, Gregory?”

Gregory ran a hand through his still damp silver hair. “I stopped on the way up the path to smell the orchids. I was curious as to how they smelled,” he said as he sniffled again and rubbed his still ticklish and irritated nose.

Mycroft tipped his head back and laughed. It wasn’t something that he did very often, but this situation certainly warranted it. Gregory looked on with slight amusement, until he had to brace himself again as he geared up for another set of sneezes. At least at this point the tickle had started to abate slightly.

Rahhhshhngxt! Rahhhshhngxtishh! HuhhrahhhSHHhooo! HuhhraGHNTshhh!

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, as he wiped his nose with the now rather useless cloth.

“God bless you again, dearest. Perhaps you should get into the shower. I will bring you an antihistamine and some tissues,” Mycroft said. He completely understood why his lover did what he did. Mycroft had done similar things when he was younger and deeply frustrated with the state of his allergic reactions.

“Thank you, love,” Gregory said. He let the towel drop where he stood and walked into the bathroom. Mycroft quickly headed to their bedroom. He grabbed the box of tissues and a pill and immediately headed back into the bathroom, where Gregory had already begun to wash. Without a second thought, Mycroft undressed and joined Gregory in the shower.

Gregory was grateful Mycroft joined him in the shower. He would have very nearly slipped had Mycroft not been there to brace him when he sneezed another pair of violent sneezes.

Huh..ahhNGSHHoo! Heh…huhruhhSHHHF!

“Heavens, Gregory! God bless you!” Mycroft held strong to his lover, and then slightly released his grip

“Thag you, love. I’b so sorry,” he said with a wet sniffle.

“There is nothing to apologize for, dearest. Now, please relax and let me clean you off,” Mycroft said, reaching for the shampoo.

After the shower, Gregory took the antihistamine with his last glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. They had made their way down to the beach for the last time, watching the waves lapping on shore. They shared a lounge chair, Mycroft sitting between Gregory’s thighs, their calves tangled together.

They simply just enjoyed being with each other, enjoying the sun on their skin (well Gregory was) and the sound of the sea. Gregory began to doze lulled by the warmth of the sun. Mycroft just simply enjoyed being with his fiancé, enjoying this precious time. He was so wrapped up in his enjoyment and relaxation that the sneezes came upon him before he realised what was happening.

Mmmmpfch! Mmmmpfx! Heh…mmmpfx! hehNGTisssh!

Gregory came out of his doze when Mycroft shuddered and sneezed. “God bless you love. And again and again and again!” He wrapped his arms around his lightly freckled lover and held him close. “All right?” He asked, concerned. Mycroft had been sneezing more and more today and he was starting to worry.

“Apologies, dearest. I am ahhhhhh hehhhh fine,” he said as his breath began to hitch in earnest, in direct contradiction to his words.

Hehhhhhh………Mmmmpfx! hehNGTisssh! Heh..….hhhmmpftish! hehMPFSSHHH!

Gregory sat them up and pulled out the handkerchief he had put in the pocket of his shorts earlier. “God bless you again, lovey,” he said, handing Mycroft the cloth.

Mycroft accepted the handkerchief with a nod, and blew his nose carefully, not wanting to trigger any more sneezes and risk worrying Gregory further. He was concerned at how congested he was becoming; the antihistamines were clearly not helping this budding cold of his. He only hoped they would be home in London before he became ill, if he became ill, he thought. He was still hoping he could will this cold away.

“Thank you, my dear,” Mycroft said. He tucked the handkerchief into the pocket of his linen trousers and turned to face Gregory. He once again intertwined their fingers together, their rings pressed together. With his other hand, he cupped Gregory’s cheek and leaned in for a kiss. If anything, Mycroft certainly knew how to distract his lover.

Gregory returned the kiss with fervor, despite the fact he was worried. He knew there was probably no reason to worry of course, but there was something that was nagging him in the back of his mind.

After another half hour on the beach, the two reluctantly made their way back to the villa. Their time on the island had come to an end. They finished packing the last odds and ends and put their suitcases by the door. Windows were shut, and the villa was closed up as they made their way out to the waiting car.

The drive to the airstrip was made in silence; both men lost in their own thoughts. They simply held hands, the connection between them still present. It was because they were holding hands that Gregory noticed the sneezes that Mycroft silently stifled; had he not been he might have missed them.

Mmmmpfx! Mmmmpfx!

“God bless,” Gregory said, squeezing Mycroft’s hand.

With a nearly imperceptible sniffle, Mycroft thanked him. He rubbed his nose with his index finger, annoyed at himself for being unable to keep from sneezing.

Before they knew it, they were airborne, heading back to London. It was almost as if Mycroft’s body knew this; he was feeling worse by the minute and had been since takeoff. Gregory was reading, while Mycroft had turned on his laptop for the first time since arriving on the island. He made quick work of the emails that had built up, rubbing at his now throbbing sinuses.

The slight pressure he had placed on his sinuses was uncomfortable. Mycroft sniffled in annoyance, which did little relief. In fact, it had the opposite effect; triggering a tickle deep in the back of his sinuses.

Mmmmpfx! Mmmmpfx!

Mycroft tried to stifle the sneezes, but they were too irritating, too powerful. After the first pair, he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and sneezed with gasping breaths into its folds.

hehNGTisssh! Heh-hhhmmpftish! Mmmmmmpfx! MmmmINGHtighsh!

“God bless-,” Gregory began, but was cut off as his fiancé held up his hand; he was not done in the least.

HDSCHHhhhh! INGTish! Mmmmmpftish! Mmmmmmtish! Heh’TISSSHH! Heh’INGTISHooo!

“Jesus! God bless you, Mycroft! Are you sure you’re ok?” Gregory was extremely concerned at this point; he knew something was wrong. Mycroft never sneezed like that unless his hay fever was in full force or he was ill. Oh, Gregory thought.

Gregory stood up and then knelt down in front his lover, grateful for private planes and their roominess. He waited for Mycroft to finish blowing his nose, the congested sounds causing Mycroft to make a face of disgust. “Thank you Gregory. I do apologize, my dearest heart,” he said, an undercurrent of congestion starting to appear in his voice. He looked down at Gregory and cupped his cheek, attempting to be reassuring.

Gregory squeezed Mycroft’s hand. “Love, you’re getting sick, aren’t you?” He asked this as gently as he could, not wanting to upset or embarrass the younger man.

Mycroft was about to answer in the negative, but his nose has other ideas. He quickly brought the handkerchief up to his nose, giving into the punishing and fierce fit of sneezes; nothing like the normally restrained sneezes that came from the British government. He had learned in the past that flying, congestion, sneezing and stifling said sneezes did not necessarily lead to the best outcome.

MmmmpfTISH! INGTishooo! Tishoooo! Heh-MmmmpfTISHoooo!

Heh’MMMPFTISH! Heh’MMMPFTISH! Heh’INGTISH! Heh’TISSSHH!

“God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, love! You sound terrible!” Gregory frowned, worried. He leaned over, reached for the box of tissues and put them down next to Mycroft.

Mycroft wiped his nose with the handkerchief and then put it to the side, it being long past useful. He grabbed a handful of tissues and blew his nose, wincing at the sinus pain and pressure.

“Thag you, Gregory. By abologies odce again,” Mycroft croaked out, completely congested now.

“Oh love,” Gregory said. He rubbed Mycroft’s thighs through his trousers. “How long were you planning on keeping this from me?” He asked with a frown.

Mycroft sniffled wetly. “I was udsure if id was a cold. I had hoped it was odly ad allergic respodse.”

“Have you taken anything?”

“I took by allergy medicide this bording, but dothing sidce.” Mycroft made another attempt at blowing his nose, a gurgling sound that did little to unblock his nasal passages. He made a face of distaste.

Gregory stood and kissed him on the forehead. “Let me see if I can find you some cold medicine, and I’ll make you a cuppa, alright?” He looked down at his betrothed; Mycroft had gone from his usual prim and proper self to having slouched down slightly, and was looking simply miserable.

“Thag you, by ahhhh hehhh dearest. Ahhh hehhh apologies.” Mycroft’s breath hitched erratically as he tried to keep the sneezes at bay. It was only a temporary reprieve before he succumbed.

Hehhh-hhhmmmpftish! Mmmpftish! Mmmpftinghsh! MmmpfTIGshooo!

“God bless you again, love!” Gregory said as he rummaged through his carry-on, searching for the cold medicine he knew was in there.

A few minutes later, he brought the pills and a cup of tea over to Mycroft, who had put away his laptop and taken out a novel instead. Gregory raised an eyebrow at his, knowing how much it was costing his lover to show this weakness, even if it was only in front of him.

“Here, love. This should help a bit.” Gregory squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

“Thag you, Gregory. I apologize for dot alerting you to this before. I berely thought it was hay fever.” Mycroft sniffled and sipped his hot tea, the warmth of it spreading through his body.

And then, as usually was the case, the warmth and steam began to loosen the congestion within Mycroft’s sinuses. He was glad of it; he hated being unable to breathe. However, he didn’t necessarily appreciate how it occurred, as he felt his teacup being replaced with a handful of tissues.

Ever thankful for Gregory’s perception, he nodded his thanks before giving in to more sneezes.

MmmpfTIGisshooo! Mmmpftishooo! MmmmINGHtighshhh! INGHtighshoo!

“God bless you, love!”

“Thag you, Gregory,” Mycroft said, sniffling.

Gregory frowned. “Can I get you anything else?”

Mycroft shook his head. “Just sid here with be, by dear?” He asked, a hint of pleading in his voice.

“Of course, love. Of course.” He made sure Mycroft had tea, water, a blanket, and plenty of tissues before sitting back down beside him. He put up the armrest, and pulled Mycroft into his arms, so that Mycroft was leaning on him, as much as he could position himself that way in these seats.

Soon Mycroft found himself dozing off, warm in Gregory’s arms, with Gregory’s fingers softly carding through the hair at the nape of his neck. Gregory kissed the back of his lover’s head, hoping to provide whatever comfort he could.

[AngelEyes]

Beautiful. Just beautiful. What a fabulous story. I don't want it to end! I am interested to see how their return goes however.....

[Spoo]

I am legitimately sad to see this end! But it's been a fabulous story, with fabulous men, doing fabulous things. Poor Mycroft! Going home with a cold. It's a crummy way to end their lovely holiday, but at least his darling fiancé will be taking care of him.

I can't thank you enough, cally, for writing this beautiful story for me. I love it so much!

[cally]

Ah, the epilogue. (I had hoped to post sooner, but my internet is down again )

Thank you all, once again and I will reply to all comments once this last chapter is up. Please forgive the sappy ending.

Chapter 14:

Epilogue: Back in London

Hehmmmpftish! Tisssssh! Tissssssh! Hehmmmpftish! Hehmmmpfx! HehMPFSSHHH!

“God bless you, love!” Gregory called from down the hallway.

Mycroft was sitting, propped up by fluffy pillows, handkerchief practically attached to his nose. He was in their bed in the townhouse in London and he was absolutely miserable; he hadn’t stopped sneezing all morning. He was completely and utterly congested, his head was aching, and he had gone through half a box of tissues and three handkerchiefs already. The British government was as Gregory said earlier, a mess.

His breath hitching for the countless time that morning, he grabbed for handkerchief number four, pressing his very irritated nose into it.

Hehhhhhhh……..hehhhhhh Tissssssssh! INGtish! Mmmmmmmpfx! hehNGTisssh! Heh-heptisshhh! Heh’IMPFTIGHisshhh! AhhhhTISH! Mmmpfxisssshhhmpf!

“God bless you, love!” Gregory said emphatically, as he came in with a cup of tea for his fiancé. “It’s just us here, you know. You don’t need to stifle and suppress like that. There’s no reason to keep up appearances. And, it sounds . . .painful.” He frowned at the illness-ridden redhead. Gregory put the tea down next to Mycroft, and seeing that the handkerchief stack had been depleted, went over to pull some more from the bureau.

Mycroft finished blowing his nose, and looked up over the top of the cloth at Gregory with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “Thag you, Gregory. I ab not keebing ub abbearances by ady meads ride dow. I ab just so codgested it is how they are cobig oud.” Mycroft made a disgusted face at the amount of congestion present in his voice. He attempted to sniffle and made a squelching sound deep within his sinuses.

Gregory frowned again and sat down on the bed next to his lover. “I still wish you’d told me you weren’t feeling well, love.” Gregory put an arm around Mycroft and pulled him tight to him. Mycroft made himself comfortable, putting his head on the older man’s shoulder.

Gregory thought that Mycroft had dozed off (finally, the frequent bouts of sneezing made for difficult sleep) until he felt him stiffen and then shudder beneath him, his breath hitching once again. Gregory quickly reached over and grabbed (yet another) handkerchief, pressing it into Mycroft’s hands. Mycroft was able to cup his hands around his nose, cloth present, just in time.

Ahhhhh……hehhhhhhhhh…….hehhhhhhhh……… hehNGTisssh! Heh-hhhmmpftish! Mmmmmmpfx! MmmmINGHtighsh! hehMPFSSHHH! Mmmpfxisssshhhmpf!

The sneezes burst forth from the British government, his entire body convulsing through the paroxysms. Gregory held him tight, blessing each sneeze vehemently. “My goodness, Mycroft! God bless you and God bless you again!”

Gregory pulled away slightly from his lover, allowing him to blow and wipe his nose. Mycroft finished his ministrations, balling up the new handkerchief and tossing it to the side. “Thag you, by dearest. Ad thag you for sdaying here with be today.” Mycroft sniffled wetly, wrinkling his long (and now reddened and very congested) nose.

“Mycroft, love. Where else would I be? You’re unwell. It’s no bother to be here and take care of you. I’m glad to do it, lovey.” Gregory reached over and intertwined their hands, their rings clinking together.

“Id sickdess ad id health?” Mycroft asked his Gregory, stuffily.

“Until death do us part,” Gregory said, and leaned over and kissed Mycroft softly, a smile on both their faces.

[squealofapproval]

Ugh, perfect!! cutecutecute! Ah, I am sad it is over, but it was fun while it lasted.

[matilda3948]

You are the QUEEN of Mystrade!!!! I waited until the whole thing was posted so I could read it as one long story. Binging on Mystrade is awesome!

[cally]

Beautiful. Just beautiful. What a fabulous story. I don't want it to end! I am interested to see how their return goes however.....

I hope you enjoy!

I am legitimately sad to see this end! But it's been a fabulous story, with fabulous men, doing fabulous things. Poor Mycroft! Going home with a cold. It's a crummy way to end their lovely holiday, but at least his darling fiancé will be taking care of him.

I can't thank you enough, cally, for writing this beautiful story for me. I love it so much!

I am SO SO SO glad! I hope you enjoy (enjoyed) the epilogue as well. I may even continue it on a tiny bit in drabbles too!

I tried to fit as many of your head cannons in as I possibly could, even the new one with the Mycroft's excessive multiples.

Ugh, perfect!! cutecutecute! Ah, I am sad it is over, but it was fun while it lasted.

I'm glad you enjoyed!

You are the QUEEN of Mystrade!!!! I waited until the whole thing was posted so I could read it as one long story. Binging on Mystrade is awesome!

Awww you waited? SO much restraint! I envy you! I frequently wake up in the night and log in to see if you've posted any drabbles!

Ok, who can change my title on here to Queen of Mystrade?

[bangbang]

ARGH Cally! This is so wonderful - testament to that is the fact that I read the last few on my phone and I hate reading lenght text on my phone!! (excuse any typs!)

aw, they're ao, so sweet - in sickness and in helath indeed! never, ever stop your mystrade! you write them so well.

[cally]

ARGH Cally! This is so wonderful - testament to that is the fact that I read the last few on my phone and I hate reading lenght text on my phone!! (excuse any typs!)

aw, they're ao, so sweet - in sickness and in helath indeed! never, ever stop your mystrade! you write them so well.

Thank you so much! I am so glad that it has been enjoyed by so many people. I will definitely keep writing them.

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

Oh my gosh that was almost painfully delightful. Well done, bravo. Wow. WOW. **swoon** <3 <3