Ficlet - Moments of Clarity
Title: Moments of Clarity
Author: Livia_Carica
Rating: PG
Pairing J/S
Word count: 330
Summary: Retirement.
Written because atlinmerrick told me to do it. So I did. Go read her retirement fic here; it's much, much happier. Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made.
Sherlock sighed as he pulled the big black door closed that one final time, ran his fingers over the gold numbers and dropped the keys back through the letterbox for Mrs. Hudson's niece to collect. He wasn't one for sentiment usually, but he couldn't help think of all the times he and John had crossed this threshold, as unlikely a pair as ever found each other; running out to a case, dragging themselves home from a case, arguing, kissing, holding hands, laden down with shopping, returning from weddings, christenings, funerals and now finally to retire. It was an awful word that set Sherlock's teeth on edge. To withdraw, pull away, bring down the final curtain on all that had gone before. The final act.
He turned to face the streetlights of Baker Street for once last time, orange blooms amid the pouring rain that bounced off the familiar pavement and caught in his greying hair until it dripped, brought his collar up, pulled his leather gloves over arthritic knuckles. Retirement indeed. Hateful.
Then his gaze found John waiting patiently in the passenger seat of the car and Sherlock felt a pang of guilt, also not something he was familiar with, as he remembered why he was doing this. The house they were moving to was small, out in the country, one storey because John was having trouble getting around these days and the stairs were becoming a danger.
Through the rain, in the seconds of clarity afforded by the windscreen wipers as they beat to and fro, they locked eyes and John smiled that easy smile of his. Sherlock's own smile almost faltered and he blamed the rain for the blurring of his vision, because right then at that minute, that was his John, and that was why he was taking the steps away from that big black door and into an unknown future. Because today John remembered who he was. It might not be the case tomorrow.
Part Two: Moments of Loss
Part Three: Moments of Remembrance
Author: Livia_Carica
Rating: PG
Pairing J/S
Word count: 330
Summary: Retirement.
Written because atlinmerrick told me to do it. So I did. Go read her retirement fic here; it's much, much happier. Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made.
Sherlock sighed as he pulled the big black door closed that one final time, ran his fingers over the gold numbers and dropped the keys back through the letterbox for Mrs. Hudson's niece to collect. He wasn't one for sentiment usually, but he couldn't help think of all the times he and John had crossed this threshold, as unlikely a pair as ever found each other; running out to a case, dragging themselves home from a case, arguing, kissing, holding hands, laden down with shopping, returning from weddings, christenings, funerals and now finally to retire. It was an awful word that set Sherlock's teeth on edge. To withdraw, pull away, bring down the final curtain on all that had gone before. The final act.
He turned to face the streetlights of Baker Street for once last time, orange blooms amid the pouring rain that bounced off the familiar pavement and caught in his greying hair until it dripped, brought his collar up, pulled his leather gloves over arthritic knuckles. Retirement indeed. Hateful.
Then his gaze found John waiting patiently in the passenger seat of the car and Sherlock felt a pang of guilt, also not something he was familiar with, as he remembered why he was doing this. The house they were moving to was small, out in the country, one storey because John was having trouble getting around these days and the stairs were becoming a danger.
Through the rain, in the seconds of clarity afforded by the windscreen wipers as they beat to and fro, they locked eyes and John smiled that easy smile of his. Sherlock's own smile almost faltered and he blamed the rain for the blurring of his vision, because right then at that minute, that was his John, and that was why he was taking the steps away from that big black door and into an unknown future. Because today John remembered who he was. It might not be the case tomorrow.
Part Two: Moments of Loss
Part Three: Moments of Remembrance