I haven't written fanfiction (or anything else, really) in a long time. So, I thought this 30 day challenge ( post/39302697479/30-day-otp-challenge) was a fun way to get back into it and improve my writing. Reviews are hugely welcome. Also, I apologize for any mistakes I could've missed.
Hope you enjoy it :)
Day 1. Holding Hands
"Breakfast is served. C'mon, Watson. A gruesome puzzle awaits!" Holmes bounced on his heels after depositing a tray on Watson's bed while she turned herself away from his partner's cheerfulness and buried her face in the pillows. Holmes crossed the room and opened the shutters to let in bright sunlight.
"God, not this again" Joan covered her face with the blankets. "Seriously, Sherlock?"
I brought you breakfast and news of what appears to be an interesting case" he pulled the covers from her and motioned for her to sit up. "Up, Watson!"
Joan sighed in resignation as she sat up against the wall. "Okay. Give me" she gestured to the tray on her right. Sherlock handed it to her with a satisfied smile. "You have 15 minutes to get ready. Hurry up" he said as he exited the room.
A few loud whistles and a cab ride later, Holmes and Watson stood in Cap. Gregson's office skimming the case files of a series of cons executed on big companies for which, after checking every possible suspect, the police were no close to solving the case than when they started.
Watson recalled a similar and particular modus operandi on an old case of Holmes, and made a pair of young officers take the files to the brownstone so they could study both cases closely. Afternoon arrived and found them sitting on the dining room with police files all over the place and no progress.
"We've been at it for hours. Let's take a break. I'll make some tea" Sherlock nodded yes without taking his eyes off the documents he was examining. As Joan stood up and stretched, something caught her eye. She froze and looked again, more intently, as if to corroborate she didn't imagine what was written on the page. She hadn't.
"Sherlock, look" he lifted his gaze as she turned the paper around for him to read. His eyes registered the breakthrough, widened and looked at his partner in satisfaction and a certain sense of pride. "Well done, Watson". Tea was forgotten as the pair grabbed their coats, phoned Detective Bell to inform him of their discovery and rushed out of the brownstone and inside a taxi.
They met Bell at the back of an apartment building where they believed the criminals they were looking for gathered, and set themselves up for surveillance. After hours of sitting in the car without seeing any activity, Sherlock decided it was safe enough to snoop inside the building. Despite Bell's protests both consulting detectives got off the car promising to keep him updated should they notice anything abnormal inside.
Watson picked the lock of the building's backdoor. Holmes was the first to enter into what appeared to be a large empty room, illuminated only by the light that filtered through the windows. They decided against trying the light switches on the wall next to the door, and made their way through the place in the dark. After their eyes adjusted to the lack of light, they found a staircase to their left. They had climbed a couple of steps, when they heard someone pushing something (or someone) down the stairs. Soundlessly, the retreated to the room where they had come in hoping that whoever had a different path in mind.
They stood with their backs to the wall and the staircase, listening as the steps got closer to ground level and shifted away from them to an unknown location. Joan, being closest to the staircase, moved her head forward to glance at their potential suspect when several guns were fired in a room somewhere above them. Both of them started, Joan swallowed a scream and grabbed a hold of whatever object closest to her, which happened to be Holmes' hand.
They both looked in wide-eyed at each other when they realised what she had done. Holmes' eyes softened as he looked into hers. Their initial scare starting to give way, their hearts slowly returning to a regular rythm. He turned his head questioningly, are you okay?. Hmhh, she nodded rapidly . His thumb caressed the back of her hand. Two more shots echoed in the empty room. Sherlock motioned for the door and they slowly started they way back to Bell's car not once letting go of the other's hand. The two of them tried to convince themselves the handholding was only a reaction to the potentially life-threatening situation they inadvertenly were in, but both knew it was not just that.
As soon as the door opened and the chill air hit them, their hands dropped to their sides and they exchanged a look of sweet complicity. They quickly made their way to Bell's car while police sirens howled in the distance, minds racing and hands tingling with the ghost of contact.
They might get longer (and hopefully better) as I make my way through the challenge. Again, reviews are highly appreciated.