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[bigbrotheriswatching]

Sherlock is half blown up, lying in a hospital bed with machines attached.

Mycroft moves purposefully down the hallway and into the room as soon as he hears, as soon as he can make it there.

Comments

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Your boss has been a good influence on him."

James Moriarty. The more mature and less self-destructive one in the relationship. Think about that, Sebastian

[fearfulhand]

Sebastian laughs.

"I'll believe that when hell freezes over."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"And yet, Sherlock is the one in the hospital bed."

Nodding at the door.

"I may not understand what draws them to each other, but I would be a fool to try to step between them, don't you think?"

[fearfulhand]

"And Jim's the one who put him there."

Sebastian comments wryly.

"That's pretty fucked, if you ask me."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"This is the first time I've stood in front of his hospital room door in seven years. And the eighteenth time I've done so."

Observes Mycroft, placidly.

[fearfulhand]

He snorts, digging through his breast pocket for a cigarrete, glaring at the nurse nearby, as if daring her to say something.

She won't. Jim owns this hospital- at least, he owns the people who matter here.

"Seems like everyone would be better off if they just honeymooned for the rest of their lives."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"If you can think of a way to encourage them to, please share."

Mycroft suggests, reaching to his own pocket for a pack. He still doesn't smoke, really, however...

[fearfulhand]

He shakes his head.

"I can think of a few ways to send them on a permanent vacation- but you wouldn't like any of them, hm?"

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Do entertain me."

He could happily envision killing both of them, in moments like these, and he still wants a better measure of Sebastian.

[fearfulhand]

"You want to know how many times I've had your brother's head in my sights?"

He chuckles, taking a deep drag.

"Hell, Jim falls asleep on me."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Jealous, Moran?"

Because he has more than enough to go on by now.

[fearfulhand]

He raises an eyebrow.

"No."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Very sensible of you. It would be a mistake to become further entangled. If I were a more moral man I would intervene to stop the body count from growing."

However, he has his brother's selective morality in spades.

[fearfulhand]

Sebastian shakes his head.

"Don't get me wrong, Holmes, I'm as entangled as can be. Someday I'm going to die because he tells me to. But we're not- he's just intense."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"I see."

He takes another look at him, up and down, making a new assessment of his character.

[fearfulhand]

It makes him laugh.

"If you think you're going to get any of him from me, forget it."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"I have everything I need to know about him."

He informs him, comfortably.

"I'm not looking for that."

[fearfulhand]

"Really?"

He shakes his head.

"Then you can stop giving me the 'I know everything about you' stare and just bloody ask. I haven't got any personal secrets I'm hiding from the world."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Ah. Forgive me. In my line of work, people generally won't answer questions."

He isn't even sure what he would ask.

[fearfulhand]

He shrugs nonchalantly.

"Colonel. Graduated from Eton, forcibly discharged from service for enjoying the work too much. Hunted wild game for six years, wrote two books, and then got roped in with a psychopath who giggles like a five year old girl and likes to tear the legs off of spiders."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"You know, men like you are an interesting phenomenon. You're eminently useful as long as you aren't put under some idealistic superior who thinks killing is more ethical when it causes regret and eventual psychological trauma for our soldiers."

Smoking, quietly.

"Interesting, that we live in a culture which only accepts military officers so long as they end up appropriately broken."

[fearfulhand]

He laughs, exhaling a plume of smoke.

"What can I say? You make the psychos work for you, or they'll sure as hell find a way to work against you. Shame you couldn't rope Jim into that fancy government of yours."

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"Oh, believe me, Jim is a class of his own."

He shrugs.

"You, however, I could find a cabinet position for."

[fearfulhand]

"Not interested."

He laughs, shaking his head.

"You want to know how many people have tried to buy me since I met that bastard in there?"

[bigbrotheriswatching]

"I can make an educated guess."

He admits.

"If you're responsible for a fraction of the handiwork I believe can be ascribed to you."