A/N: Hello, people!
I don't own Sherlock.
I have no beta.
ENJOY!
CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.
-PROGRESS REPORT: Nana was sleeping during the time her heavy dose
of pain medication was to be administered, so they let her sleep. As she
had vomited more than 8 times that day(10th December 2015), they let
her rest as much as possible. On the 11th December 2015, she woke up
in less pain, less swelling, was able to eat, did not vomit once, and was
cognizant for a visit.
-Thank you to everyone for your supportive words of encouragement,
well wishes, and prayers. We're hoping she'll be out of the hospital soon.
As a thanks, this chapter is a little longer and I rushed it in the midst
of other stuff yesterday. I built a gingerbread house to keep myself
occupied, watched my little sister, cleaned, waited for Amazon orders
to arrive, and it was all a big mess. But I got this done for you all! Hope
you like it.
12 December 2015, Saturday:
John had gotten every possible white/blue and silver/blue decoration that matched. He bought stuffing to use as fake snow because the bags of fluff that were used in the stores were too difficult to clean up and actually didn't resemble stuffing or snow in the least. Their tree skirt was blue in three tones and had little swirls of sparkling silver lines smattered across it.
John had busied himself by teaching Sherlock how to cut out detailed snowflakes from paper and Sherlock was proud to add a new skill to his list. Silhouette snowflakes were probably the best thing he'd ever seen at the holidays. If he'd known of them while younger, he might have actually liked Christmas.
Maybe.
John and Mrs. Hudson amused themselves with the normal decorations and left Sherlock to deal with the ones that had to be placed too high for either to reach. John didn't hound him over where to place anything and simply smiled whenever Sherlock asked if something he did was alright.
There were biscuits and cups of cocoa and they made use of Spotify to listen to American Christmas carols that didn't make sense half of the time but the tunes were catchy so they listened anyway. John looked amused the entire time.
"Sherlock, are these of us?"
Said detective looked over, seeing John holding one of the many snowflakes he'd cut out. It was a silhouette of he and John leaning close together as if about to kiss. John was smiling at it and was cradling it very carefully.
"Yes."
"It's perfect!" John proceeded to place it on the mantle, where he'd placed a large strand of blue and silver garland and several silver candles. The snowflake was placed in the center, so it was easily visible.
"Oh, boys!" Mrs. Hudson sighed, smiling. "It's about bloody time, you two!"
John was beaming, "We're idiots."
She patted his cheek good-naturedly and went back to stringing lights on the tree.
Her comment brought forth questions, for Sherlock at least. How many people who asked if they were a couple, genuinely meant it and weren't just trying to be funny or rude? If people were walking around waiting for Sherlock and John to 'finally' become a couple, then Sherlock severely misread the situation.
He had been under the assumption that those people were trying to see if John was free for dating, but perhaps there was more to it.
And John's response!
John always swore he wasn't gay, but that… didn't mean he was only heterosexual. Sherlock was shocked at how he'd missed that little loophole in John's claims.
Sherlock loved it when John was being brilliant! Usually, Sherlock was petulant when being one-upped by someone, but for some reason he loved it when John managed to do so. It was pleasing to note that John could be devious when he wanted to be.
"John, are you planning to wrap lights around the banister outside or no?" Sherlock asked, remembering that John had wanted to do it the former year but never got the chance and when he asked Sherlock to do it, Sherlock put it off until he didn't have to.
John blinked in shock but nodded. Sherlock took up an extension cord and a nearby box of white lights and went to do the deed. By doing so, he made sure that John realised he had in fact paid attention to the way John liked to decorate last year. And he was also saving John the trouble of bearing the cold and the snow, by doing something he'd complained about having to do last year.
When Sherlock returned a few moments later, Mrs. Hudson was sweeping the floor, picking up all the stray pieces of fluff and wrappings that had fallen during their decorating. John was filling a bag with that larger pieces and spared a small smile for Sherlock who slipped the now empty box of lights in with the other rubbish.
John took the rubbish out while Sherlock shifted a few things to make them even. A candle, a piece of snow/fluff, and a Christmas card with no writing in it but the image on the front was nice to look at.
"Time for ornaments!" John cheered and Mrs. Hudson clapped happily, descending on the brown storage container that held their new and old tree trimmings.
Sherlock knew that John was just buzzing to get to the tinsel, eyes flickering to the boxes he'd bought, excitement nearly palatable.
The meticulous placing of each, individual ornament took time and effort. Things had to reflect the light the proper way. Some needed to fill the small gaps in the tree. John even had the ones Sherlock had chosen in the front and easily visible, so that Sherlock's preferences were a part of their Christmas.
Those ones being a skull, a heart, and a germ. Most odd ornaments for a tree, but Sherlock had found them and liked them and it made him feel all warm inside that John would put them out so people could see them. And the pride in his face as he did it!
"Time for tinsel."
When it became apparent that John was indeed going strand by strand, Sherlock departed, intent on finding the 12th photograph on the advent tree.
John looked good in red, Sherlock decided. The photo was John in a simple, red pair of pants that were adorned with a small white bow. The bow rested right over his obviously erect package and made Sherlock salivate greedily. He wanted to see John in those again. Wanted to press his face against them and peel them off with his teeth.
Feeling heat stirring below the waist, Sherlock took a fortifying breath and returned to John and Mrs. Hudson, walking in such a way that his dressing gown hid his erection well enough. Only someone really looking for it would see it and as most people didn't observe, he should be fine.
He must have been gone longer that assumed, because John had only one box left and a few strands to go before he finished. Sherlock had to admit, the tree made more sense with tinsel than garland. But he did feel a stab of worry over the cleanup involved.
Still, John was overjoyed, so Sherlock could keep his comments to himself.
For now.
A/N: Another is done!
How was it? Let me know.
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See ya! :D
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