Cat
"Look at him, Sherlock."
Sherlock doesn't look. "No."
"Look at how cute he is, look!"
"No."
John picks up the little tiny puppy and holds him close, then gets way into Sherlock's person space. The puppy dog eyes John makes resemble the small, starving puppy.
"He needs a good home," the dog's seller says.
"No," Sherlock says, finally looking at John. "He smells, John."
"I'll bathe him."
"And you'll take him out? And feed him?"
John makes the puppy dog eyes again.
"No."
"I don't even need to ask your permission. I can buy him if I want," John looks back at the puppy's seller. "How much for him?"
The girl shrugs. "Twenty quid."
John takes out a bill and hands it to the girl, then happily walks down the street with his new little puppy.
Sherlock scowls and follows.
Two can play this game, Sherlock thinks two hours later after he storms out of the flat because the puppy chewed on his dressing gown.
Sherlock wanders for a while until he stops at a pet store. He sees a cat in the window and thinks, Yes! That's the one I want.
He buys the cat, some food, and heads home.
"Oh, John!" Sherlock calls through the flat. That Ratty Little Thing runs to the door when he hears Sherlock's voice. He jumps against Sherlock's shins and nips at his jeans. Sherlock want to kick him, but John rounds the corner.
"What in God's name is that?" John demands.
"You wanted a dog, I wanted a cat."
John frowns. "No way. Cats are fine and good, but there is no way—"
"Then take him back, too."
John glances at the little puppy trying to climb Sherlock and picks him up. "Come on love, he's so cute. He's small, he won't grow to be big. He just wants to play, that's all."
"I don't like him, John."
John and Sherlock are standing so close together that the cat and dog are stretching and sniffing each other, and to John's surprise they're not fighting.
John pets the dog. "I don't want to give him back, Sherlock. I like him, I want him to stay."
"Well, I want my cat to stay, too."
John rolls his eyes. "Fine. Keep your damn cat."
Sherlock smiles, pulls his coat off while still holding the cat, and goes to his chair, letting the cat rest on his lap. John follows and sits in his chair with the dog on his lap.
For nearly an hour, John and Sherlock stare at each other while petting their animal. Well, Sherlock sit and pets his calm cat, but John's puppy hops around on John.
"Is he annoying you, yet?" Sherlock wants to know.
"Nope. I like him."
Sherlock squints his eyes at John. He finally breaks eye contact to check his watch and finds that it's just about time for bed. "I'm off to bed," Sherlock says. He takes his cat and goes to the bedroom.
John follows minutes later with his puppy, and once in the bedroom he drops the puppy on the bed. The cat is there already, so the dog and cat sniff each other before settling in on their respective sides of the bed.
The animals stay on the bed all through the night, and sometime in the night, the animals end up on top of their owner. The puppy rests on John's belly, riding the swell of John's breathing, and the cat rests on Sherlock's bare back. Neither man move much in the night, so the animals don't get squished.
When they wake up in the morning, Sherlock is unhappily covered in tiny red hives all over his body. His nose is plugged up and his eyes are watery and itchy.
"Are you allergic to your little friend?"
Sherlock glares at John. "Yeah, allergic to you."
"Look at you, love. You're covered in hives. I know you want to play this little game, but I think your friend has got to go."
Sherlock pets the cat, and the puppy climbs off John and goes to Sherlock's aid, attempting to mend his hives by slow strokes of his tongue. Sherlock pets the puppy, too.
"I guess he can stay, John," Sherlock says.
"What should I do with the cat?"
Sherlock looks at John and grins.
An hour later, Mrs. Hudson opens her front door to a little basket with a little cat inside. She squeals in delight and takes the cat inside.
"I'm sorry you couldn't keep the cat, love," John says.
"I know, but I think she and Mrs. Hudson can be great friends," Sherlock replies, taking the puppy from John and curling up on the sofa with him.
John smiles at Sherlock. "I knew you'd warm up to him."
"Mmm," is all Sherlock says.
*CAT was prompted by so I hope you like it. I don't like cats so I made Sherlock allergic. Sorry!