"You know what Sherlock?" John asked.
"Hm?" he responded, not looking up from the computer screen.
"Its almost Christmas."
"So?"
"'So?'" he repeats. "So its one of my favorite holidays."
"That's nice," Sherlock replied. John sighed, knowing that he wouldn't get a real response out of Sherlock anytime soon; they were in the middle of a case and Sherlock wasn't paying attention to anything else. He grabbed the radio and turned it on, the lyrics to some stupid song filling the room.
Sherlock leaps up, "What is that?"
"A Christmas carol," John replied hesitantly, startled by the reaction.
"A what?" Sherlock hissed.
"A Christmas carol. Haven't you ever heard one before?"
Sherlock paused and considered it for a minute, "No. I haven't."
"What?" John scoffed. "You've never heard a Christmas carol?"
"Really John, all this repeating is getting annoying."
He sighed, "I know, but how have you never heard a Christmas carol?"
Sherlock shrugged and walked over to the radio, flicking it off and then going back to work.
"Sherlock, I was listening to that."
"That is true. You were listening to it. Now you're not and you won't be for a very long time."
John mumbled something about Sherlock being a pain in the butt and turned the music back on. For a few minutes the only sound in the room was the song.
"Would you turn that off?" Sherlock asked.
"No," John replies stubbornly.
"John," he could have sworn that Sherlock was whining. He really was a two-year-old.
"Uhg. Fine," he relented and turned off the radio.
Suddenly, Sherlock stood up. "I have to go," he announced.
"That's nice. I'll be here."
After Sherlock had grabbed his coat and marched out of the flat, John leapt up and turned the radio back on.
"So why have you kidnapped me now?"
Mycroft shrugged, "Just to talk. Are you doing anything for Christmas?"
"Apparently Christmas is one of John's favorite holidays," Sherlock confided to Mycroft, still glaring about being kidnapped. At least it gave him something to do, though. They had solved the case and John was off on a date, leaving Sherlock alone and bored. Normally he wouldn't be talking to Mycroft about anything let alone things about John, but he had nothing else to do. Plus, Mycroft wouldn't let him leave until he said something.
"So what are you going to do?" his annoying brother asked.
Sherlock returned his attention to the man across from him, "I don't know. Suffer."
"You're not going to buy him a present?"
"No. Why would I buy him a present?"
Mycroft sighed, sometimes his brother was a real idiot, "Because that's what people do on Christmas."'
"They do? Well it doesn't matter anyway," Sherlock cut off Mycroft when he opened his mouth. "I'm going to avoid the flat as much as I can."
"Why?"
"I can't stand Christmas carols," he admitted.
Mycroft struggled to contain his laughter, "Really? Well not all of them are terrible."
"I doubt that."
"Just listen to some, maybe you'll find one you like. Or," he added hastily as Sherlock rolled his eyes, "at least learn how to ignore them."
"I doubt that," he repeated, rising. "Goodbye, Mycroft."
Mycroft, lost in thought, nodded as Sherlock left. How could he help?
After an insufferable ride with a cabbie who wouldn't shut up, Sherlock finally entered his flat. John was gone when he arrived, so Sherlock sat down, enjoying the quiet. A moment passed before he noticed the quiet music coming from across the room.
He stalked across the room, reaching for the off button before turning it up. Maybe it would help him get used to the stupid music.
Silver bells, silver bells City sidewalks, busy sidewalks Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day
Were all Christmas carols so bad? Some had lyrics that don't even make sense. Sherlock sighed and reached over to flick off the radio. This wasn't helping; it was just annoying.
The song ended and another started. He paused and tilted his head. What were those lyrics? It was quite a strange song. Wait… Mycroft said that he should get John a present. A grin spread across his face as a plan formed. This could work…