Fic: A Reliable Man. Part Nine: Resolution

[randomly_rusted]

Summary: Lestrade is back at work, and a routine bit of legwork turns dangerous. For once it is only marginally Mycroft Holmes's fault. What happens later, well that's different. Very different. Very different indeed.

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 7600

This really is the final part of A Reliable Man. It does rely rather heavily on what has gone before,

Comments

[randomly_rusted]

It's good the build up worked for you. I was trying to show how they slowly got together, almost in spite of themselves.

[bigbadporkchop]

I love this so hard. Well done ♥

[randomly_rusted]

Thanks!

[lucybun]

I sat down this afternoon and read this from start to finish. Uhm, I would love to write some eloquent response, but it just isn't going to happen. Instead, I'm going to gush for a moment. Just wow! So in character, so romantic without crossing that soppy line, and so spot-on about the push and pull of control I see in these two. I loved every word of this. I've loved everything you've written, actually. Your writing and Elfbert's actually got me interested in this pair back when I was a horrible, no-commenting lurker. So, thank you for this and all your other wonderful fic, and I really look forward to what you come up with in the future.

[randomly_rusted]

You have caught me out! Yes, I am a romantic. It isn't done in fandom to just do relationship stories without explicit sex, but I do it anyway. The complexity of this relationship between two strong men neither of whom automatically defers to the other is a wonderful one to write.

I'm stoked to know that I helped you get into Mystrade and maybe start writing your own, the Album was a fic I enjoyed, especially the difficulty Lestrade was having in dealing with his own feelings.

[lucybun]

I don't mind stories without explicit sex. The smut has its place, but the stories I find myself reading over and over are by far the less graphic, more romantic tales. I hope you don't change one thing about the way you write or what you write, fandom be damned. Oh, and thank you about the Album.

[rusty_armour]

While I'm sorry to see this series end, the title of this fic delivers just what the story promises: resolution. It's been such a pleasure witnessing the evolution of the Mycroft/Lestrade relationship. It got off to such a rocky start that it seemed as if it would be almost impossible for Mycroft to earn Lestrade's trust let alone his love. That moment of truth in the final scene in which Mycroft pretty much bares his soul is both beautiful and fascinating. I can understand why Lestrade is still so confused and mystified by Mycroft, despite what he's learned of the man over the years. The lightbulb moment, when it comes, is wonderful:

It was like a blinding light.

"It's how you keep sane isn't it. " he said slowly "The formality. That's the barrier you built between you and what you do... " He fumbled for words, working it out. "And you can't afford to make a hole in it, you can't afford to weaken it."I found it so interesting to see a kind of role reversal in this scene as Mycroft is the one who is vulnerable and has his fate

[randomly_rusted]

I couldn't see how they'd get together either! And they wouldn't if Mycroft didn't have that depth to him.

He had to completely give up control and leave it utterly to Lestrade. And hope Lestrade would see what he was doing.

I'm happy it worked, because I wasn't sure if I'd shown enough connection between them and what Lestrade might see in Mycroft, enough to overcome the problems.

[anonymous]

I love this whole series; I've been checking back regularly to see if the final part was posted. I really like the the way you've written both characters, there's a lot more complexity here than in most Mystrade I've read. Speaking of which, this series is one of the main reasons I like Mystrade.

Thank you so much :-)

[randomly_rusted]

Thanks! I admit this series got me into Mystrade too... because writing it convinced me they could be together, I wasn't sure before.

I'm really happy I got you into it!