She holds it out, and his ears start burning. Mycroft has a terrible tendency to needle at him, when he suspects his baby brother might be putting himself at a disadvantage--but then maybe, after Sherrinford, he's also considering going forward in a slightly different way.

Maybe Mycroft is conceding he was wrong about something.

Still, even when it's likely meant with some degree of sincere happiness, it's bloody irritating to be teased about liking somebody.

"Oh, no singing telegram to accompany it? He's slacking in his old age." The sarcasm almost helps cover the fact that he's been thrown off-balance for a second.