9 year old Sherlock finds it very difficult to think of a birthday gift idea for Mycroft. He asks Mummy to take him shopping. Mummy gives him a pretty large sum of money, and Sherlock enters a posh shop (he asks his mother to stay outside, because he wants the gift to be a surprise).
Sherlock spends a long, long time looking at various items and wondering which one would make a good gift for Mycroft. He eventually selects a handkerchief.
On the next day, the Holmes family celebrates Mycroft’s birthday. Sherlock hands his brother his present - he really, really hopes he’ll like it.
Mycroft unwraps the present. He thanks Sherlock, and says he loves the handkerchief. Sherlock is very happy.
That’s when their father suddenly opens his mouth. "Mycroft, don’t you already have that handkerchief?" Mummy kicks him under the table, and he immediately regrets having spoken, but too late - the damage has been done.
"Sherlock. . ." Mycroft starts. But Sherlock’s eyes are filling with tears, and he goes on and on about what a stupid gift it was, ignoring his brother’s attempts to calm him. He throws the handkerchief on the floor as hard as he can, and runs to his room.
Mycroft picks up the handkerchief, and Mummy tells him how much Sherlock wanted to get him the perfect birthday present, and how long he spent in that shop.
Sherlock is crying into his pillow. He doesn’t look up when his brother enters his room and comes to sit by him on the bed.
Mycroft rubs Sherlock’s back. "Sherlock-" "Go away!" Mycroft’s voice becomes a bit more firm. "Sherlock, look at me." This makes Sherlock peek at Mycroft. He sees that Mycroft is holding the handkerchief.
"It’s the one I already had. It’s yours now."
Surprised, Sherlock stops crying. Mycroft explains that he doesn’t need it anymore, because he has the one Sherlock gave him. He thanks him again for the present, and tells him that it was very clever of him to select the handkerchief - it means that he’s observant, and knows Mycroft’s tastes very well.
Mummy opens the door softly, and finds Sherlock sleeping on Mycroft’s lap, with his face against his big brother’s chest and the handkerchief in his hand.
Years later, this remains the one and only handkerchief that adult Sherlock owns.
And this remains Mycroft’s favourite handkerchief.
