The flower shop turned out to be a good fit for John. They tried to convince him he was over qualified and would be easily bored.
Army doctor turned private detective, not suitable to weeding.
But John was happy. The flowers were easy enough. Quiet. It was mostly plucking dead bulbs, arranging bouquets, and selling fertilizer. He was near the only one in the shop, subtracting the customers.
And the stories. John thrived in the stories.
"See, he's beautiful, he is," a man said.
John smiled.
"My boyfriend. Well, I say that but I'll be proposing tonight," he added.
"That's lovely!" John said.
The man smiled a nervous smile.
"It's.. lovely. I know they say you're to never ask until you know that the answer's yes, I know it. But there's no certainties. Never any," he said quickly.
"How long have you been together?" John asked.
"Two years. Not long, but.. long. I've known him my whole life, I love him," the man said.
John smiled.
"I don't think he'll refuse you. But I'll wish you good luck, and I hope he likes the tulips," John said.
The man came back the next day holding the hand of a short, slender man. His face was shining and glad.
"He said yes," the man said joyfully.
The woman buying flowers for her mother's birthday clapped and smiled.
"Well, of course I did, Stephen. Like you'd come back to the man who sold you engagement flowers and tell him they didn't work," the other man said.
"Stephen, is it? I never asked your name," John said, "I'm John Watson."
"I'm Garreth," the other man said.
"We just wanted to thank you," Stephen said.
"And to invite you to the wedding," Garreth said.
John's mouth opened in shock.
"Well, I didn't.. I didn't do much, I just run the register. And arrange the flowers when the manager can't," John said.
"We don't have much by way of relatives, and that thins out our guest list," Garreth said.
John frowned.
"We do want you to come. When it happens. Can I leave my number?" Stephen asked.
The woman at the counter grew visibly bored of pretending to browse the cards. John rushed to the register and helped her with her things.
"Yeah, of course. Yes," John said.
Mycroft came into the place John worked at the end of John's shift and uncomfortably held Williams's leash.
"Mycroft, you can't bring him.. I'm finishing up," John said.
He logged out of the register and rushed himself along.
Mycroft watched him curiously. The strings of the green apron John wore flapped about behind him. There was something nearly.. endearing about it.
"Why did you walk him that way? The leash is upside down, I know you're not an idiot," John said.
Mycroft looked down.
"I suppose I was distracted," he said.
John rolled his eyes and took Williams' leash from Mycroft.
What are you doing here, by the way? " John asked.
Mycroft smiled.
"You'd been gone. He needed a walk, and therefore we needed to find you," he said.
John laughed.
"I got invited to a wedding today," he said.
"How lovely," Mycroft said tonelessly.
"You knew," John accused.
"How could I possibly- of course I knew. I know nearly everything," Mycroft said.
"False humility is as damaging as pride," John said with a laugh.
They took the long way home