-Author's Note-

Pretend 221B has a loft!

Sherlock's POV:

One afternoon in mid-September, Sherlock was resting peacefully on the loft, delved deep into his mind palace. Thinking of recent cases, and plotting the murder of his friends as colleges as a mental exercise.

His attention was turned totally inward, as he was unaware of his surroundings. Little did he know a Giant House Spider was making its way up the rafters.

Sherlock's mind continued to wander amongst the possible deaths of his friends and colleges, like Gavin or Graham- or whatever his name was, he'd slit his throat while he slept.

The spider crawled up the edge of the loft and stretched out its front few legs, and began to make its way across the couch towards an unsuspecting Sherlock.

Sherlock was snapped out of his mind palace by a sudden tingling sensation on his foot. He looked down, alarmed, to see the unpleasant surprise of a Giant House Spider resting there.

Sherlock's electric blue eyes widened and an expression of shock quickly formed on his face. a jolt of pure fear made its way through his veins and his heart pounded in his chest.

A wave of terror clouded his mind and he acted on instinct alone, his main goal; to get away from the spider at all costs.

An inhuman shriek escaped his throat and he kicked wildly. The kick only served to make matters worse because the spider practically flew towards him.

Before the huge crawler could latch itself onto any other of Sherlock's appendages he somersaulted off the loft only to land flailing on the couch.

John's POV:

John looked up from the newspaper he was reading in his recliner when he heard Sherlock's echoing screech from above.

No sooner had John's eyes left the paper did Sherlock vault off the loft, only to land in a spastic heap on the couch across from him.

John rolled his eyes and looked up at the loft to see what had spooked the Consulting Detective. The only thing he saw of any interest was a Giant House Spider making its way across the loft.

John's eyebrows furrowed and he pursed his lips in confusion as to why this of all things had frightened Sherlock so. the expression remained on his face when he returned his gaze to the whimpering ball that was Sherlock.

The high functioning sociopath's dilated eyes stared, petrified, at the spot where the spider still lingered. Sherlock slowly retreated into the back of the couch, trying to burrow under the cushions.

John barely held back his laughter as Sherlock began muttering, "No no no no no no no." And shaking his head rapidly, pillows now laying over his trembling frame.

Just as John was about to question Sherlock on his sudden outburst, entered the room, and did it for him. "Boys! What's wrong?!

"Someone," John cast an irritated glance at at Sherlock, "Decided to preform a gymnastics routine off the loft, using the couch as a landing pad!"

"Sherlock!" exclaimed, shaking her head at the terror stricken genius, "You could've gotten your self injured!"

Sherlock was unresponsive, it was as if his vision was tunneling to only the spider. He was as unaware of John and as he had previously been to the spider.

John's look of confusion faded, and was replaced by one filled with mischief. "Sherlock, do you happen to be afraid of spiders?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and smiling slightly because he knew the answer.

Sherlock's POV:

Sherlock jolted out of his trance at John's obscene question. "What? Of course not! Whatever would make you think that?!" He responded, realizing the change of his placement in the room, and trying to make himself appear collected. He cleared his throat and straightened up, fidgeting with his scarf, glancing from the ex-army doctor to his concerned landlady nervously.

John started laughing quietly and shaking his head. Sherlock's answer was quite obviously a lie as his eyes kept wandering back to the arachnid sitting harmlessly above their heads.

"Oh what it would be if the media got a hold of this," John gestured in front of him as if outlining a sign, "I can see it now! The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes: Afraid of Wee Spiders?"

Sherlock attempted to glare at John but failed miserably because the fear that loomed over him was so great, he had no idea how normal people coped.

Sherlock's anger flared that much more when he heard giggle from behind John.

That small noise was what made Sherlock's anger overpower his fear.

"You and your funny little human brains, think someone as superior as I can't have fears-" Sherlock cut himself off quickly as he realized what he had just admitted to.

turned to John and clapped her hands excitedly, "You owe me ten quid ! I told you he ha normal human fears!"

John sighed in frustration as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet, muttering profanities under his breath.

Sherlock crossed his arms and angrily threw the pillows off him, wondering if his mental exercises were about to become reality.

Sherlock took one of the pillows and carefully aimed it at John.

John's POV:

John's amazing reflexes could not rescues his wallet as the pillow knocked it out of his hand.

"Sherlock I swear to God...One of these days..." John trailed off when Sherlock began laughing maniacally and readied another pillow for launch.

"Sherlock Holmes! You are NOT going to start a pillow fight in my flat!" exclaimed cautioning now unafraid and bold detective.

Sherlock merely laughed and rose from the couch. He walked towards a simmering John, with a pillow held high over his head.

"Sherl-" John was cut short by a pillow to the face.

John's eyes glinted dangerously, and he walked briskly past Sherlock and to the loft. John reached his destination and looked back at Sherlock, raising his eyebrows in a silent challenge.

Sherlock's POV:

Sherlock failed to observe, in his adrenaline high, that John had reached up and grasped a leg of the spider.

Sherlock smiled madly, and approached John with the pillow.

John raised his eyebrows further and shrugged. He took his hand off the loft and turned to dangle the spider in front of Sherlock's face.

Sherlock's smile melted, and his fear returned. Unintentionally he dropped the pillow, and ran for the nearest exit. In this case, that exit happened to be a window facing out towards Baker Street.

Without thinking, Sherlock jumped out of the window, landed less than gracefully on the pavement, and took off running down the road.

John's POV:

John and were left standing in 221B with nothing but a spider, confusion and laughter at their new discovery.