Title: Making the Connection
Story Summary: A non-chronological collection of short chapters based on one word prompts, includes (pre-)slash for Johnlock & Mystrade
Chapter Summary: John and Sherlock take a walk in the park. Mini character study. Prompt: Anemones
Disclaimer: Sherlock belongs to Moffat, Gatiss & SACD.
A/N: Please excuse the biology talk, but this lovely prompt from Balrog Herder made me think of my botany class last year. Only difference between me back then and Sherlock in the story is that I was walking around with half a library. *sighs* I need a mind palace.
It was one of the rare beautiful spring days in London. They were in between cases and Molly was on a vacation, which meant that Sherlock had nobody to provide him with body parts. So when John had suggested a walk in the park to get a bit of vitamin D he had agreed.
They had only known each other for a few months now and John was still very much fascinated by his mind. It was rather refreshing, but also quite amusing. Because if John got bored he liked to test Sherlock's abilities. He would point out random people and asked him what they had for lunch or whether he could determine where they were going. Sometimes he would drag John along to ask the people whether he was right, because otherwise how would John know that his admiration was justified?
Today there weren't many people around so John took to testing his memory instead of his deduction skills.
"What's that?" He pointed to a patch of delicate white flowers that grew just off the path.
"Ranunculaceae family." Sherlock quickly bent down and yanked one of the little plants out of the ground to scrutinise it with his pocket magnifier. He counted the petals, sepals and filaments, took in the colour of the flower and the form and arrangement of the leaves. "It's an Anemone nemorosa, commonly known as windflower or thimbleweed."
"That's the third anemone today and they all looked different." He snatched the little flower from Sherlock's hand and took a closer look at it.
"There are one hundred and fifty-two species of anemones that we know of and they vary largely in size, leaf shape and petal colour." He put his magnifier back in his pocket as they strolled on.
"Can you tell the difference between all of them?" John asked curiously.
"Only the ones that I'm most likely to encounter, the ones that are either indigenous to Europe or used as an ornamental plant. About seventy or so, all of them slightly toxic, so wash your hands before you eat anything." His tone was matter-of-fact when he answered.
Squinting against the bright sunlight John looked at him. "The capacity of your brain is incredible."
Sherlock stole a quick glance in John's direction, taking in the admiration on his friend's face. The compliments that sometimes just seemed to burst out of John still gave him this little satisfied rush of being approved of. It was completely irrational and therefore dangerous, but he wasn't worried about it because he was sure John would stop before he got used to it.