Chapter 4: Mistletoe


"I can't believe Greg fell for that," John laughed as he pulled out his keys to unlock the street door to 221B.

"Who's Greg?" Sherlock asked with his hands in his pockets while he looked up at the ominous clouds that decided five minutes ago was a perfect time to begin raining heavily.

With the key in the lock, John turned to face Sherlock. "Really, Sherlock?"

Sherlock turned his head toward John with his eyes open wide in expectation.

John just shook his head and turned back to unlocking the door. "Never mind."

The two entered the building and while John grabbed the mail that Mrs. Hudson placed on the small table, Sherlock headed up to their flat.

While flipping through the mail and not paying attention to where he was going, John walked right into the back of Sherlock at the bottom of the stairs. "Sherlock!" John yelled. "Why are you just standing there?"

Sherlock didn't answer. He just stared up at the ceiling.

When his question was met with silence, John followed Sherlock's gaze. Not believing what he was seeing, he stepped up next to Sherlock to get a closer look. "You've got to be kidding me."

Sherlock looked from the ceiling to John. "What is it?"

"Honestly? You don't know what it is?" he asked pointing at the offending object.

"Do you think I'd really ask a question when I already know the answer?" Sherlock looked back to the ceiling.

"It's mistletoe. Mrs. Hudson must have hung it there while we were out."

As if she knew she was being talked about, Mrs. Hudson opened the door to her flat and walked over to Sherlock and John who were still staring at the ceiling. "I thought I heard you two coming in. I bought a couple of poinsettias while I was out at the shops today. I put one in your flat. Don't kill it before Christmas, Sherlock." She followed both John and Sherlock's gaze to the ceiling. "Do you like it?"

"No," John responded.

Sherlock turned towards John and Mrs. Hudson. "Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on the trunks or branches of a tree. What purpose does it serve hanging from our ceiling?"

"Let me guess," John began. "You deleted it since it has to do with Christmas."

"Of course I deleted it, John. It's not important to the Work." Sherlock looked back up the mistletoe.

"It's a Christmas tradition, Sherlock," Mrs. Hudson answered. "When someone is standing under the mistletoe, they are to be kissed."

John looked at the dangling mistletoe then turned to Mrs. Hudson. "So why did you hang it here?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" she asked looking pointedly from John to Sherlock.

"Mrs. Hudson. How many times must I…" He paused and took a breath to reign in his anger over this constant battle with their landlady. "I'm not gay!" John looked at the detective who was watching him with interest. "And Sherlock's…Sherlock."

"Whatever you say, dear. Now I need to get back to my program on the telly. The commercial break should be over." Mrs. Hudson smiled and headed back to her flat.

With a glare at the mistletoe, John quickly walked underneath it and headed up to the flat.

Sherlock glanced at the mistletoe one last time before heading up the stairs as well. Upon entering the flat, he took off his wet coat and scarf and hung them on the back of the door. He heard John rummaging around in the kitchen, no doubt putting the kettle on for tea, and went to investigate.

When Sherlock reached the kitchen, John had just filled the kettle with water and was pulling two mugs from an upper cabinet. As he watched John close the upper cabinet door, something green caught his attention. Sherlock looked up to the ceiling right above John and spotted another sprig of mistletoe.

Remembering what Mrs. Hudson told him the mistletoe was for, Sherlock waited until John plopped bags of tea in the mugs and then quickly invaded into his personal space. Before John could even utter a word, Sherlock kissed him on the cheek.

"Sherlock!" John shouted in surprise and shock.

With his face turning pink, Sherlock quickly looked up to the ceiling then bounded past John and into his bedroom to change out of wet clothes.


I'm not sure if anyone is actually reading these, but if you have any scenarios you'd like to see, let me know. I'll see what I can do.