Author's Note: Coming a day late, but here is Day #21's Challenge fic! A silly little Johnlock one-shot featuring a Halloween holiday celebration. I do hope you enjoy it. I'm really having fun writing this paring! Beta love to starrnobella. Much love, xxDustNight
Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the BBC, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.
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Baker Street Bash
Rated: T
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Summary: When Mrs. Hudson throws a Halloween party, John convinces Sherlock to attend despite his trepidations. Somehow, Sherlock manages to overcome his personal mental blocks when it comes to having fun in order to have a good time.
Prompt: 31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #21 A Holiday Celebration
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Baker Street Bash
"No."
John sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sherlock," he began giving his friend a stern look. "Mrs. Hudson went through the trouble of planning this party and you will attend it."
Sherlock rolled his head around on his shoulders obnoxiously as he continued to sit in his chair by the fireplace. "Absolutely not, John. Halloween is a holiday intended for children to gorge themselves with candy and play tricks on unsuspecting idiots. I refuse to participate in such festivities when there are much more interesting things to do." Narrowing his eyes at John, he returned his gaze to the book in his lap. Turning the page dramatically, he continued reading, hoping John would leave him be.
"Sherlock Holmes, Mrs. Hudson has done more for you than you will ever know and you will attend this party. Besides, Molly is bringing her infamous punch and I'm sure it will be a lovely time if you'd just stop being so stubborn and come downstairs!"
"Oh, Molly is bringing her punch?" Sherlock glanced up at John, his eyes wide as he feigned excitement. "That changes everything."
"Really? So you'll come?" John asked, shifting his weight as a smile began to form on his lips.
"No." Sherlock's fake smile fell instantly and he turned away from John's stunned expression.
"That's it, you ass-" John groused, stomping towards the detective. "If you don't get up out of that chair and accompany me downstairs this instance, you're going to be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future. Do you understand me?"
Sherlock's mouth popped open as he threw a disgruntled look at John. "You don't really mean that."
"Yes. Yes, I do. Do not tempt me to take away trips to the morgue as well."
Narrowed, sea-colored eyes met John's blue ones in a stare down for the ages. Sherlock was weighing his options carefully, it seemed. Wetting his lips, he marked the page in his book before setting it aside and standing. He smoothed out the invisible wrinkles from his suit and closed the distance between him and John. Staring down into the short man's face, he tried to determine if this was a ruse, but it appeared that John as resolute in his threats. Bugger.
Exhaling through his nose in a rush, Sherlock reluctantly agreed to John's terms. "Fine. I will attend this tedious holiday celebration, but afterward you will allow me to do as I please when we return upstairs." He quirked one eyebrow, his words having the desired effect on his boyfriend.
"Sherlock," John said with a chuckle. "I'd already planned on letting you have your way with me. Now, let's go." John grabbed hold of Sherlock's hand, ignoring his startled grunt of exasperation at being outsmarted. He led him downstairs and into Mrs. Hudson's flat where the festivities had already begun.
Sherlock eyed the party-goers with annoyance as they continued to talk, drink, and have an all around joyous time. The usual crew was in attendance, including Lestrade, Molly, and for some odd reason, Anderson. Molly and Mrs. Hudson were wearing festive attire, the former dressed in a witch's costume and the latter wearing cat ears and tail. Sherlock rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, especially since Anderson was willingly drinking his fourth cup of Molly's punch while Lestrade rambled on about his ex wife.
John joined him, handing him a cup of punch and a tiny paper plate filled with finger foods. Sherlock accepted the drink but eyed the food with thinly veiled disgust. John merely shrugged and kept it for himself, popping one of the tiny cheese covered crisps into his mouth. They stood there in silence watching the party for the next few minutes until John finally decided to break the silence.
"You're allowed to have a good time, you know? You don't have to stand over here all alone and sulk." John took a sip of his own punch and let his words sink in for a spell. "Everyone here knows how you are, so you might as well relax and join in the fun."
"I have no idea to what you are referring to, John," Sherlock said before looking into his cup, The red punch tasted better than he originally thought it would so he took another swig. "I'm Sherlock Holmes. I don't have fun. I solve cases."
"Bollocks," John laughed, gently elbowing Sherlock in the ribs. "I know you better than anyone here, and you can have fun. We have fun together."
Thinking about what John said, Sherlock finished his drink and then glanced over at his friends. It was true. They all knew him well enough by now to know when he was faking having a bad time. In all honesty, he wasn't entirely bored. It was fun to watch Molly and Lestrade avoid flirting even though they wanted to. Anderson kept checking his phone for texts, probably from that new waitress at the pub he frequented. And then there was Mrs. Hudson, having the time of her life flitting around making sure everyone had enough to eat and drink.
It would be so easy for him to join in the festivities, but he was used to being this way. Taking a deep breath, he faced John and observed him. His boyfriend was watching him curiously, waiting for an answer with hope-filled eyes. He hated to disappoint John, so he tried to figure out a way to relax and become more sociable. Holding up his empty cup, he tilted his head and gestured to the table where the food and beverages were being kept.
"I think I may need a few more cups of this punch in order to relax to the extent required to enjoy this party." Sherlock watched as John's face registered understanding. It didn't' take long.
"That can be arranged," John told him before snatching his cup and then intertwining their fingers. He dragged him towards the table and prepared him another drink.
Glancing around at his slightly intoxicated friends, Sherlock wondered just what he was getting himself into and if it would be worth it in the end…
Sometime later, Sherlock had managed to loosen up, the six or so cups of Molly's spiked punch finally allowing him to open up with his friends. Currently, he was acting out one of the cases from his earlier days, before he'd met John even. Lestrade was nearly in tears, his arm loosely draped around Molly's shoulders. Anderson was passed out on a chair, his mobile long forgotten. Mrs. Hudson was giving John a knowing look while he stared adoringly at his boyfriend.
"And then I jumped down from the top of the moving truck and tackled the clown to the ground." Sherlock mimed jumping and literally rolled across the floor of Mrs. Hudson's living room. Popping back to his feet he fluffed his hair and then gestured to his face. "Somehow in the process of apprehending the clown, some of his make-up transferred onto my face."
"It's true," Lestrade broke in. "When we arrived we weren't certain who was the clown we were meant to be arresting and who was Sherlock. It was quite a riot."
"Don't be ridiculous," Sherlock snapped. "That clown was immensely shorter than I am. Donovan just wanted to see me in handcuffs."
"That's true," Lestrade admitted and they all shared a laugh.
A little while later, John found Sherlock over by the window, watching the rain steadily fall outside. "You all right?" He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before letting his head rest on his upper arm. "You got quiet all of a sudden."
"I didn't want to keep the spotlight on myself."
"That's a first," John muttered against the soft silk of Sherlock's expensive shirt. Sherlock gave a small chuckle, a reassurance that John hadn't hurt his feelings. "What's really bothering you?"
"Everyone has such an easy time letting go to have a good time, but I really have to work at it. It's as if I have to shut down part of my brain in order to have fun." Sherlock turned so he was facing John and gave him a sad smile. "How do you do it, John?"
"Have fun? I just live in the moment and if something feels good, I go for it." He gently nudged Sherlock's arm, earning him a playful shove in return. "That's what I do with you."
"So you think that I should just go with my body's compulsions and see what happens?" Sherlock seemed completely bewildered at such a concept. Swallowing he observed his other friends, watching as they stacked crisps on top of Anderson's head while Mrs. Hudson scolded them for tormenting the poor dear. He smirked, his hand itching to take a picture with his mobile.
"You are so strange, but yes. I think you should stop worrying so much about what everyone else would think and just have fun. That's what you do when it's just the two of us alone, so why not with everyone else?" John quirked an eyebrow, watching as Sherlock analyzed what he'd just said. When he still appeared apprehensive, John smirked. "I think I saw a pirate hat in Mrs. Hudson's box of Halloween costumes."
"Really?" Sherlock said, perking up slightly and throwing a glance toward where the box sat in the corner.
"I believe so, yes. Want to put it on? I bet you make a sexy pirate." Despite his lover's bark of incredulous laughter, he knew he had him. Without waiting for an answer, John took his hand and guided him to the box where he did, in fact, find a pirate hat and a sword to match. The look of delight on Sherlock's face was worth it alone. Donning a cowboy hat himself, John turned Sherlock toward the room and whispered in his ear, "Now, my clever pirate. Let's go and have a good time, shall we?"
Without thinking, Sherlock listened to his body's impulse and kissed John full on the mouth right in front of everyone. After a second of stunned silence, cat calls and whistles erupted, effectively causing both John and Sherlock to blush and Anderson to wake up.
"What did I miss," Anderson mumbled, the crisps tumbling from his head and sending them all into an uproar of laughter again. "Bugger."
That broke the awkwardness and allowed them all to relax, Sherlock included. They all had an enjoyable time for the next few hours, Sherlock never again second guessing how he was meant to behave at the party. It helped that John was there by his side and that at one point Molly and Lestrade were found kissing in the corner. Mrs. Hudson certainly knew how to throw a proper bash, that no one could deny.
Eventually, the party had to come to an end, everyone thanking Mrs. Hudson for inviting them and disappearing into the night. When it was just John and Sherlock remaining, the detective stepped forward to thank his long-time friend for her hospitality.
"This was a lovely party," Sherlock told Mrs. Hudson, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."
She swatted him away playfully. "You're silly, Sherlock. It was nothing. I'm glad you seemed to enjoy yourself."
"I did," he intoned, leaning back on his heels before righting himself. "I'm glad John was able to convince me to attend."
"Me too, dear," Mrs. Hudson replied, patting his hand before stepping back and allowing John to snuggle up to Sherlock. He'd clearly had a bit too much to drink, but he was still cognizant nevertheless.
Managing to wrap himself into Sherlock's arms, John inhaled deeply. "Come on, you naughty pirate," he murmured into the crook of his neck. "Let's go upstairs so you can make me walk the plank." His words were greeted with a rumble of laughter as Sherlock took his hand.
"Very well, John." The detective then proceeded to drag his boyfriend up the stairs. "Rough seas ahead…"
Mrs. Hudson stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched the two lovers scurry upstairs, barely able to keep their hands to one another. She sighed happily and shook her head. Heading back inside her own flat, she was glad John had talked her into throwing the holiday bash. It had effectively helped get Sherlock to relax and come out of his shell a bit more. Deciding that the rest of the clean up could wait until morning, she turned out her lights and headed to bed, already secretly planning their Christmas party… Maybe they could get Sherlock to wear a set of reindeer antlers!