Magic One Shots (Sherlock BBC Fic)
AN – this is basically a dumping point for all the one shot cracktastic stuff that the magic verse threw up but didn't fit into the two fics. Also, it's an excuse to torture Mycroft.
Warning – slash, established relationship. This holds for all the chapters.
Disclaimer – characters and settings as depicted in BBC series (or any other established setting) are not mine. No money being made. Plot is mine.
AN – set a few weeks after the events of 'playing with fire'
The Odd Bit of Gossip
His missus would no doubt call them 'a couple of old women', but Geoff had gotten into the habit of meeting up with John Watson for a drink and a gossip on a regular basis. Usually they went to a pub, but now and then they ended up in Baker Street – partly because it was there that they could discuss the hidden world that existed side by side with Geoff's everyday one.
It had taken him a few days, but Geoff was now completely comfortable with the knowledge that John Watson was a Mage – was in fact the Mage of London – and therefore saw and experienced things in an entirely different way to the DI. This acceptance of something that was quite frankly bizarre had probably been made easier because Geoff had watched John first meet, then accept, then grow to love Sherlock Holmes – excentric consulting genius and part time cross to bear.
Said genius was out at the moment, conducting an experiment in Bart's labs and morgue – something to do with having access to the incinerator and Geoff hadn't wanted to know beyond that. Plausible deniability was sometimes his greatest ally.
John had broken out the scotch, and there was an assortment of savoury things to graze through as well, so with the lights on low and the heater glowing, it was an extremely companionable setting. They sat opposite each other in the armchairs – John was in Sherlock's, mainly because the thin man had taken to sitting in Lestrade's chair at the office in retaliation – and they had already covered the health of various family members as they settled in.
"Anderson and Donovan have broken up, permanently," Geoff shared the gossip with a glint in his eye, "Thank god, because they were on the verge of receiving official cautions for their conduct."
"That may be partly my fault," John didn't sound too upset by that, "You remember that Anderson was cursed, back when those teens tried to raise a water demon?"
"Yes…" Geoff drawled, not sure where this was going. He took a bracing swallow of his fine single malt scotch – John hated blends with a vengeance – and levelled a teasing glare at his friend. John snorted at him, completely unintimidated; though given the glares that Sherlock was capable of, the doctor had probably built up an impressive immunity.
"Well, the curse he was hit with was nasty enough, but they'd over powered it. I had to do some quick on-the-spot casting to ameliorate the worst of it," John sighed, "The hand tremor was one thing I couldn't control – he had touched a cursed surface with it, and there are consequences to that sort of thing, but as for the residue… It would have killed him eventually if I hadn't found a way to contain it."
"You made him impotent?" Geoff guessed, and John shot him a horrified look. Geoff shrugged – everyone knew that Anderson was a cheat, and Geoff privately disapproved of that very strongly. He knew that John prized loyalty as well, so it made sense that the Mage would channel the curse into an area that would prevent Anderson from continuing to act in a way that John and Geoff both abhorred.
"Not all the time," he replied indignantly, "Only when he's with someone who is not his partner – and as he's still married…"
"He can only perform for his wife," Geoff nodded, "Well; you won't get any argument from me. You know how I feel about cheaters."
"Mmm," John looked dissatisfied, "Of course, if he divorces her, then he'll be able to perform for whoever he dates next, provided he only dates one person at a time."
Geoff chuckled and toasted the Mage opposite him. They refreshed their glasses and resettled in their chairs, a comfortable silence falling for a moment.
"You were cursed too, weren't you?" Geoff had been wondering for a while, but hadn't had the opportunity to ask, "When you were overseas."
"The hand tremor is from nerve damage – it's intermittent because the scar tissue from my shoulder wound is irregular," John replied, clearly not offended, "The limp I had when we met was from a curse."
"Sherlock always claims that he cured that," Geoff frowned, "I thought he didn't know you were a Mage straight away."
"He did cure it, but unknowingly," John grinned, "Put simply, and without going into the details of how I was cursed, to undo the conditions of the curse I had to find my life partner. Sherlock being Sherlock was enough to break the curse."
"You haven't told him that," Geoff guessed and when John shook his head, he grinned at his friend, "Mum's the word, then. God knows his ego doesn't need to get bigger."
John laughed and Geoff leaned over to grab a handful of snacks, the scar on his wrist catching the light for a moment. He'd broken his wrist in a beating sustained on a case that hadn't involved Sherlock. He'd needed surgery to correct some of the damage, though John had also applied several poultices in the first few hours of his recovery to speed things along.
"Did I thank you for the poultices?" Geoff asked, "I can't remember if I ever did. By the time things were back to normal and I was on duty again, you'd disappeared to take on Moriarty."
"You're welcome," John replied, "But you don't need to thank me. I take care of my own."
The Mage was very much in evidence in that statement.
"Dimmock accused me of adultery with you," Geoff hadn't quite meant to say that, but it was a response to the tone of John's voice and his subtle change in posture, "Because you claimed me as one of your own, so he assumed it was a sexual relationship."
John snorted and shook his head, disgust in his expression.
"Because the idea of two men being good friends is so odd," he sounded disgusted too, "I guess Dimmock never had a true friend before."
"Sucks to be him," Geoff agreed and they grinned at each other again, the Mage receding once more to leave John behind, "Speaking of poultices, did you ever work out why they send Sherlock to sleep?"
"Yeah," John sighed, "It's the drugs… when he abused the cocaine and morphine; he did a lot of damage to himself: his heart in particular. The poultices are trying to correct that damage as well as whatever it is I've employed them for."
"They're trying to draw the poison left behind, out," Geoff realised, "Will it work?"
"He's a lot healthier than he's ever been," John confirmed, "His brother gave me his medical records, so it's working. Every now and then I get him to take a bath with me and add some ingredients to the water that will help. He usually falls asleep in there as well."
"Too much information…" Geoff waved a hand and they laughed at his not-entirely-faked tone of panic.
"Still here, Lestrade?" Sherlock whirled through the door, and they laughed harder, even as John tilted his head back for his lovers kiss.
End (for now…)
&%&%&%&&%&%&%&