A/N: Prompt is from Sagredo: "An unusual gift, which the recipient must pretend good-naturedly to like. The recipient is Holmes. "
"I must say, Wiggins, I have never before been gifted anything like this." I glanced down at the book I was holding to regain composure and to avoid having to look at the eager faces beaming up at me, full of pride at this latest endeavor.
"I knew you'd like it, Mr. Holmes! Me and the rest of the gang have been saving up for it for months! Charlie thought that you might get mad, him bein' a detective too, an' all, but I told him that it'd be perfect!"
I knew only too well the implications of that statement. Most of the Irregulars had families to support, and the daily earnings of a street urchin are practically nonexistent. Every little bit they saved only took away from that, and all for a book for my birthday…I was touched. Reining in laughter at the moment, but touched.
"Yes, Wiggins, it is…lovely. I will ensure that it has a place of honor next to my scrapbook," I managed to get out, albeit in a rather strangled tone. Watson had already begun sniggering under his breath, while I was fairly certain that I wouldn't be able to hold it together for much longer. "Now, I believe that Mrs. Hudson may have accidentally baked an extra cake, so if you were to go downstairs and ask her very politely…"
Instantly, there was a mass stampede for the exit and within moments the sitting room was clear once more. Once the door had shut behind them, Watson's good-natured guffaws rang throughout the room as I doubled over in silent laughter.
"Really, Holmes, that was priceless!" he remarked after the mirth had subsided, and it was indeed, the book which I had been gifted was titled TheBestDetectives:aCompleteCollectionofDupinandLecoq.