prompt from shexlockholmes
How about Sherlock introducing Victor to another character for the first time? they might have heard of him or it might be completely out of the blue.
John jogged up the stairs to 221B whistling under his breath. He was in high spirits having come home from holiday with Mary and baby Hannah the previous evening.
He'd promised Sherlock he'd stop by as soon as he got home and spend the day solving crimes. John wondered if there would be any crimes to solve - if Lestrade had needed Sherlock, if any private clients had hired him or if he was going to find his former flatmate in his PJs having a strop because he was bored. Whatever it was, he could handle it. John Watson was on top of the world.
John Watson was fairly certain he was dreaming. He must still be on holiday, he fell asleep under the hot sun and was having some sort of fever dream.
He sat on the sofa, staring at the handsome tall man sitting in Sherlock's chair. He had golden brown hair, cropped close but with an obvious tendency to curl. He had a lean face, high cheekbones and clear blue eyes.
Apparently this was Victor Trevor. John wracked his brain for any memory of the name but he was certain Sherlock had never mentioned this man. Which made the way he introduced the two of them so startling.
John burst through the door to 221B. "Hullo, Sherlock, Mrs. Hudson told me to come on up." He called out.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had a client. I'll pop back down to Mrs. Hudson's or would you like me to stay and help?" John looked from Sherlock sitting in John's former chair and the stranger sat in Sherlock's.
"Ah, John, how was your sex holiday?" Sherlock smiled at his former flatmate.
John felt his face heat up as he closed the door to the flat behind him. "For god's sake, Sherlock, it was just a regular holiday!"
The stranger laughed and rose to his feet. Sherlock followed suit.
"Hello there, you must be John Watson, I'm Victor Trevor." He proffered his hand and John shook it, looking back and forth between the two men. Were they standing awfully close together? Perhaps, but then Sherlock never did have any sense of proper personal boundaries.
"Yes, hello. Pleased to meet you." John looked quizzically at Sherlock who was staring at this Victor with a warm smile on his face. Not a client then?
"Ah no, not a client." Victor said. John startled, he must have said that last bit out loud.
"So, how do you two know each other?" John asked after a long moment of silence, his curiosity was killing him!
"Victor's my husband."
"Ha! Good one, Sherlock." John laughed. Sherlock and Victor exchanged a look loaded with meaning.
"Wait, you're serious. Sherlock, did you get married while I was on holiday?!" John couldn't wrap his head around the idea.
"No, don't be absurd, John. Victor and I have been married for over ten years."
It was at that point that John got a bit dizzy. Victor noticed this and helped the doctor over to the sofa, ordering Sherlock to go make tea.
And now here they were, John and Sherlock's husband sitting quietly, listening to Sherlock raise a ruckus in the kitchen, slamming drawers, tinkling crockery and making tea in the loudest manner possible.
Victor was speaking, John realized. He'd been lost in his head, reviewing the conversation over and over. Sherlock had a husband? For over a decade?
John forced himself to listen to what Victor was saying.
"… And after we got the dog bite cleaned and bandaged, I bought him a coffee and we became inseparable."
"I told him to get rid of that bloody dog, but he refused." Sherlock said as he brought in a heavily laden tea tray.
"Of course I wasn't going to get rid of Max. Before I met you he was the only friend I had! Besides, you loved him. You've always had a soft spot for dogs, Sherl." Victor smiled up at the consulting detective, who handed out steaming mugs of tea before perching on the arm of Victor's chair and rest his hand on the back of the other man's neck.
John watched the two men smiling at each other and couldn't deny the love he saw between them. But ten years?
"Sherlock, I'm so happy for you both. But I'm confused why you never mentioned him."
Sherlock frowned. "Didn't I? Hmm. I probably did and you just weren't listening."
Now it was John's turn to frown. "More likely, I wasn't even home when you told me!"
Sherlock glared at the doctor. "Well it's not my fault if you're not home when I'm sharing important information!"
"Not your fault?" John sputtered.
Victor watched the two friends bicker back and forth and laughed, drawing both men's attention.
"What's done is done, gentlemen. Sherlock, you do have a tendency to talk when no one is around and then blame them for being confused. You've done it to me a thousand time, darling."
Sherlock pouted and the the tips of his ears turned red at the endearment which John found charming. Victor reached up and pulled Sherlock down for a tender kiss. John watched his best friend melt into the embrace and the doctor's irritation immediately fizzled. So this was Sherlock in love. He smiled to himself.
Never a dull moment when you're best friends with Sherlock Holmes.