Day 5 Prompt: Decorating


"Give me a hand, Sherlock," John said as he hauled a cardboard box into the living room of 221B. "There are two more boxes that need to be brought up from Mrs. Hudson's flat." He placed the box on the sofa.

Sherlock began typing furiously on the laptop, but quickly glanced at the box. He then eyed John suspiciously. "Busy."

"You are not busy. Fifteen minutes ago you were complaining there was nothing to do."

With another quick look at the box, Sherlock returned his attention to the laptop.

John thought for a moment. "For once, can't you be helpful? Mrs. Hudson said she would help, but do you really want her lugging a heavy box up all those stairs? She might hurt herself." When Sherlock paused in his typing, John smiled in satisfaction.

"Fine," Sherlock huffed as he got up and followed John down the stairs. "Well played, by the way."

Letting the comment go, John picked up the smaller of the two boxes and walked back up to their flat. Sherlock mumbled something behind his back but followed seconds later. The two placed the boxes on the floor next to the sofa.

"Why did we just bring three boxes from Mrs. Hudson's into our flat?" Sherlock asked as he returned to his laptop and immediately began typing again.

John turned on the radio to a station that was playing Christmas music. "She'll be visiting family for the next few weeks and thought our flat could use some holiday cheer." Humming along to the radio, John opened the box Sherlock brought up and began removing pieces of an artificial Christmas tree. He looked around the flat and decided it would be best by the window closest to the sofa. "Since you've got nothing else to do, you can help me assemble the tree."

"Dull."

John shook his head in exasperation. "Of course. What was I thinking?" He moved all the pieces of the tree by the window and over the next forty minutes interspersed with some curses and grunts, put the tree together.

While John was engaged with the tree, Sherlock closed the laptop and sat down on the sofa next to the first box John brought in. He opened the top and began picking through the items, smiling when he spotted what he was searching for.

After turning the tree in almost a circle to get the best side facing the flat, John stood up and cracked his back. "Glad that's over. Now the fun can begin." He turned around to get the second box he brought up when he paused mid-step in surprise. "Sherlock…"

"What do you think?" Sherlock swept his arm around the room. "I decorated!" he said proudly.

John took in the fairly lights around the mirror and the entry way to the kitchen, the wreath hanging on the door, a stuffed snowman sitting in his chair, a stuffed reindeer sitting in Sherlock's chair, garland adorning the top of the bookcases on either side of the fireplace, stockings hanging from the mantle, and even spotted a Christmas towel hanging from the oven door handle. "I don't…" John began, at a loss for words. "I never took you for the Christmas decorating type."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Sherlock said seriously.

"Yeah, but that's because you don't share anything about yourself if it's not related to the work." It came out harsher than John intended and he didn't mean to glare, but it couldn't be helped. He always hated how much he didn't know about Sherlock.

Sherlock put his hands in his pockets as he regarded John for a minute. "I prefer colored lights on a Christmas tree."

John softened his look and took the comment for what he knew Sherlock meant it as. "I do too. Now let's get this tree decorated."

Sherlock joined John at the box holding the ornaments and pulled out a gold star. "Mycroft never let me put the star on top while growing up. He said I wouldn't put it on perfectly."

"Go ahead." John watched Sherlock stand up and walk up to the tree. "And Sherlock?"

Sherlock paused with his hand outstretched and turned his head to John. "Hmm?"

"Thank you."

With one of his small genuine smiles, the one that John thought made Sherlock look like a little boy, Sherlock placed the star on top.


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