A Mild Annoyance

The paper was uninteresting but I refused to let my curiosity get the better of me. I kept my eyes on the jumble of words in front of me and sighed. Holmes glanced up from his chair.

"Watson if you're not interested in the paper why on earth are you reading it? Go for a walk or something. You're beginning to become annoying." His eyes left my face and went back to whatever it was in his hand he was fiddling with. I smiled.

"Fine. I think I will go a walk. Care to join me?" I asked more out of politeness than seriousness. I knew he wouldn't, his attention was engaged.

"No," was the expected reply, "besides I'm sure I would only be in the way."

I turned slowly from the door and raised an eyebrow.

"In the way?"

"Yes, you are meeting Miss. Brooke are you not? Your appearance and evident boredom with my company would seem to suggest it." He didn't take his eyes of the thing in his hands.

"I was actually, but I wasn't bored with your company, I never am. I simply assumed you were bored of mine and had much more interesting things to engage you."

Holmes favoured me with his most dazzling smile,

"My dear Watson I'm so sorry. I have been somewhat preoccupied by this object my brother rather unceremoniously dropped on me this morning."

"Mycroft was here?" I asked astounded.

"I know, a shock to the system I can assure you." Holmes had now stood and was walking towards me with the curious object, he passed it to me. It was silver and round in shape, smooth and cool in my hands.

"What is it?" I asked, my walk nearly completely forgotten.

"I'm afraid I haven't a clue," Holmes sighed and ran a hand through his mass of dark hair.

"Is it bothering you?"

Holmes laughed and patted my shoulder.

"My dear boy everything I can't solve bothers me." He took the object from me and returned to his chair. "You're forgetting the delightful Miss. Brooke Watson."

Holmes' eyes twinkled at me as he passed the cylindrical object between his hands.

"I haven't forgotten her."

"No, I'm sure she's a difficult lady to forget." I sighed as I realised that Holmes was in one of his infuriating moods.

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked, I honestly believed at times like these that Holmes was more difficult to deal with than a child.

"Of course not, who am I to stand in the way of true love?"

"It's not true love it's a walk." I said leaning against the door, waiting for this latest whim to pass.

"No, don't stay; go, go to your delightful Miss. Brooke, I will languish here wondering where my talents have gone."

I sighed again,

"Holmes…"

"Watson go!" He screamed as he threw the silver ball at his bedroom door, at the opposite end of the room. It bounced off it and landed on the carpet, at that precise moment the thing opened and shot a great gust of steam up into the room. I could see nothing.

"Holmes!" I cried into the mist, I could hear him laughing somewhere behind me, then I felt his hand steal into mine and shake it.

"I'm here Watson," he said as he caught his breath, "well that's a neat little trick."

"What on earth is it for?" I asked, completely bewildered by this point. The smoke had begun to clear and Holmes walked over to where the silver ball lay.

"That I have yet to discover." Holmes bent down and picked it up, walking over to the window he opened it to let the remaining smoke clear and, I imagine, to lessen Mrs. Hudson's wrath when she came home to discover smoke consuming her house. I glanced at the clock over the fireplace. Damn, I was late.

"Holmes if you don't need me I'm going. I shouldn't be late."

But it was no use; I was nothing to him now he had a new problem, nothing but a mild annoyance. He grunted something unintelligible as I took my hat and left him to his own devices.