#missdaviswrites

As part of @missdaviswrites’ 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge: a new 221b every day until Christmas. Also on AO3: here

Chapter 2

Prompt: Star

Sherlock hadn’t asked for Mycroft’s help in years. He wasn’t even asking now; he was just standing there on the marble stoop, awkward and rather…shy. “Grandmere’s ornaments,” he finally managed, carefully not meeting Mycroft’s eye. “You’ve still got them, don’t you?”

Mycroft blinked. “In the basement, I think,” he answered slowly, standing back to let Sherlock enter. “You know the way.”

The kettle boiled as Mycroft listened to the rustling downstairs. He considered offering to help, but he sensed this was personal, somehow. (Besides, he rather despised spiders. He shuddered, and the teacup rattled on the saucer.)

Finally, Sherlock emerged from below, one hand brushing dirt from his trousers. In the other, he held a small paper bag.

Mycroft sniffed and handed him a tea towel. “Find what you needed?”

Sherlock nodded. “Just a few old baubles,” he said, failing to sound casual. “The felt animals, and the crystal star. You don’t mind, do you? Only I thought I’d try a tree this year.”

This was unexpected. “You…generally avoid these things,” Mycroft said carefully. “Why now?” But even as he asked, the answer came to him—Rosie, of course.

Rosie, and John. Sherlock’s blush warmed Mycroft’s tired heart.

Hahaha I’m not sure this is what you had in mind but it’s what my brain came up with:

Rosie rolled her eyes and sighed as only a put-upon teenager could.

“No, Uncle Mycroft, Dad and Papa have not had that talk with me. But I already know - “

“I will not have you incorporating inaccurate information into your mindset,” Mycroft admonished. He leaned forward, hands resting on his umbrella as he peered at his niece over the eyeglasses he had just recently been forced to purchase.

“Relax, Uncle. My dad is an expert on the subject, and Papa – “

“Knows next to nothing about it,” Mycroft harrumphed.

“That used to be true, but Dad taught him all he needs to know. In fact, Papa has taught Dad a thing or two, simply by participating in their weekly sessions.”

Mycroft scoffed. “Weekly. As if John could convince Sherlock to engage even that frequently.”

Rosie crossed her arms, sitting up straighter in her dad’s armchair. “And what exactly makes you think you’re qualified to discuss this?”

Mycroft sniffed as he looked down his large nose at her. “I have far more knowledge and experience than either one of your parents possesses.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Now see here, young lady, I will not tolerate insubordination - “

“I’m not one of your employees!”

“Oh very well. Explain your reasoning, then.”

Ok but how spidery were the spiders??

Because everyone likes to discover writers that they might not be familiar with (never too much good fan fiction, right?), I thought that it would be nice to introduce one here that some of you might have missed out on.

 StillTheAddict (on AO3) has thus far posted only three stories, but each one is well worth reading. I feel sure that a brief look at each of her stories will whet your appetite to read them yourself.

 First up is Overheard, a cute and fluffy 221B that works perfectly within that restricted format. It also falls nicely into another favourite trope of mine, The Yarders Find Out.  Lestrade comes to Baker Street one day looking for help with a  case. Instead, he accidentally overhears a cosy domestic conversation between Sherlock and John and realises the truth. Short, sweet and delightful.

 StillTheAddict’s second story is entitled Storm Front. Unusually, in this tale one of the secondary characters, namely Sally Donovan, plays an unexpected role in bringing Sherlock and John together. This is one of the stories that follows the idea that season 4 never happened. After a rather disastrous end to his entirely disastrous marriage, John is now back at 221B. Sherlock’s happiness at that development, however, is tempered by his conviction that their time together is limited. He estimates four months before John will start dating again and probably not long after that before the next Mrs Watson appears.

 During a pub evening, Donovan tries to talk some sense into Sherlock, but it is not until  an incident of homophobia hits the pub and BAMF John sets things right that Sherlock begins to hope a bit. To think that just perhaps things might not be as dire as he had believed.

 Some lovely sentiment follows, as well as a nicely written first time sex scene. As seems appropriate for a story entitled Storm Front, there is the added delight of another one of my personal favourite tropes, the boys being caught in the rain. I can’t be the only one who finds that very romantic, can I? All in all, Storm Front is as immensely satisfying tale.

 And now we come to the third story.

 The title of this one, Tea With Irene, gave me a brief pause, because Ms Adler has never been one of my favourite characters. But StillTheAddict did not let me down. As in the previous story, Overheard, this terrific tale is propelled forward by an overheard conversation. This time, it is John who eavesdrops on Sherlock having a cosy tea with an unexpected (and possibly in John’s view unwelcome?) guest, namely one clever dominatrix.

 Clearly, our boys are lucky in their female acquaintances, because this time it is Adler (like Donovan earlier) who precipitates the truth finally coming out. What at first, at least to Sherlock, seems like a disaster, turns into something quite different. Adler even has the pleasure of shaving Sherlock and getting him dressed for what he is convinced ‘is not a date.’

 I will say no more about what sure looks like a date to me, except to assure you that Angelo’s is even more romantic than ever with dozens and dozens of candles.

 This is a wholly engaging story and one that I would label a must-read by all the romantics amongst us.

 Although as I said at the beginning, StillThe Addict has posted just these three stories so far, the good news is that she is working on more right now. I think we will all want to look out for her next project, which is an Omega ‘verse story entitled The Right Alpha. Having been lucky enough to get a sneak peek recently, I am definitely very keen to see the rest.

 I suggest you might want to check out StillTheAddict on AO3 out sooner rather than later.

replied to your

post

:

why are writing tags THE WORST part of preparing...

Titles are the worst though :)