On the second day of Sherlockmas: A Quick Visit, for fenm
Author: alafaye
Title: A Quick Visit
A gift for: fenm
Characters/Pairing: Sherlock/John, Mycroft, Mrs. Holmes
Category: Slash
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: A little Christmas slice of life, when John meets his future mother-in-law.
Author's Notes: Thank you canonisrelative for the beta. fenm, I hope you enjoy this.
The first inkling John had that Christmas with the Holmes' family was going to be difficult happened before they even left Baker Street.
"We should have rented a car," Sherlock growled, watching Mycroft's driver load their luggage into the boot.
"And I told you before, there's no point in wasting the money," John argued.
Sherlock pulled his coat tighter around himself as if cold, but his face was dark. "You'll wish we had our own car when Mycroft refuses to let us leave early."
Mycroft leaned out of the car. "Will the both of you stop arguing on the streets and get in here? We are on a schedule."
Sherlock muttered under his breath and preceeded John into the backseat where he got as far from Mycroft as he could. Mycroft returned to the papers he had been working on and John began to hope that Sherlock's warnings were unheeded.
~~~
Luckily, the Holmes' family was only Sherlock, Mycroft, and their mother. John had been expecting some formal event attended by at least thirty people. But it seems the Holmes line had dwindled down to just the three of them and, if Mrs. Holmes believed was true, would likely end with them. To be fair, John couldn't imagine either Sherlock or Mycroft with a child.
Not so luckily, there weren't many people in the house and while Sherlock made a quick, rude exit out the back door and Mycroft took a call somewhere else, John was left with their mother. Alone. With a Victorian tea set that he was afraid to touch and the knowing stare of a mother who thinks the boy her son brought home is wanting.
"It really is lovely to meet you," John offered, trying to make small talk and finding it difficult because Mrs. Holmes' stare would kill an elephant.
She sniffed and drank some of her tea. "I am surprised at Sherlock. I didn't think he would ever find someone, but to know he has and it's...well, you."
"I'm sorry, what?" John asked, confused and offended.
"Oh, nothing much, but you're not quite the type he favoured in school," she admitted. "Back when he did bring home boys for me to meet--or not as sometimes was the case. Tall, thin things those boys were. And from such grand families--oh, I had hoped...but here we are." She smiled tightly, looking pained.
There was always someone with money or an old family who looked down on those who didn't, but it was the first time John had received the treatment from the parent of someone he was dating. Before he could reply, however, she continued.
"Though I do compliment you," she added consideringly. "There haven't been many who can put up with his..." She waved her hand, searching for the right word. "Eccentricities. His mad flights of fancy and his experiments. And that detective work? Nothing like Mycroft's. Now there is a job of worth."
"He's helped some of the people Mycroft works with," John interrupted. "Found one of their kids once. And he did find some data that had been stolen."
"And he would have more such jobs if he just applied himself and let Mycroft get him a proper career," she countered. She sighed and paused for a moment. "Now, how does it work for you? I mean, I know that Sherlock stays well away from sex, but I can't imagine you two don't ever--" Her trailing tone implied that John and Sherlock did something, but she wasn't sure what.
John smirked, finally feeling more on familiar ground. This was a topic he was overly familiar with. "I'm not actually gay."
She paused in the act of lifting her tea cup up to blink at him. "I'm sorry?"
John nodded. "I'm not gay."
"But you and Sherlock are together, like a couple?" she pressed.
"We are," John affirmed. "Because I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life without Sherlock and he feels the same. We don't have sex, no, but we do sleep in the same bed. In fact, we might be getting married in the spring, depending on Sherlock's answer tomorrow."
Her cup clinked as it hit the saucer and she smoothed out her dress as she stood. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Watson."
John nodded affably and sipped his tea as she left. That had been interesting. He was beginning to suspect this could only get worse and suddenly hoped that Sherlock's words hadn't been an omen.
~~~
Christmas dinner did get worse. It had been preceeded by a day filled with icy silences from Mrs. Holmes and Mycroft being smug and Sherlock being...well, John had only seen Sherlock this excited over a locked-room corpse. But John was feeling excited and glowy himself--Sherlock had said yes, provided that John cede all control of the details of the wedding to Sherlock.
"Mycroft, are you sure you can't do anything?" Mrs. Holmes pressed, having graduated to ignoring John and Sherlock both. Likely in the hope that the situation would resolve itself while she wasn't looking.
Mycroft sighed. "I am sure." He cast a look at John as if to say this was all his fault, but John refused to take the blame. It wasn't his fault that Mrs. Holmes--his future mother-in-law, oh, god--was being so dramatic.
"John is almost done with his dinner," Sherlock announced. "Can the car be ready to leave in half an hour?"
John wondered how only half his meal meant he was almost done, especially since there would likely be a pie for pudding. Though he have to admit, being back in Baker Street sounded brilliant.
Mrs. Holmes finally deigned to look at Sherlock. "What? You can't possibly be leaving so soon?"
Sherlock looked at Mycroft and Mycroft sighed. "I...do need to be getting back. A matter arose just before dinner that I think needs my personal touch."
Mrs. Holmes sighed and her eyes filled with tears. "I had hoped you boys would stay a full week."
John didn't think he could stand a full week with her and made a mental note to apologize to Sherlock later. They definitely should have rented a car; what if Mycroft hadn't agreed to leave?
"Later, John," Sherlock muttered in his ear. John smiled.
~~~
221B was cold; Mrs. Hudson had gone to stay with her nephew for Christmas so no one had been home to keep the heating on. Still, it smelled the same (except John thought he could smell the distinctive rancid odor of a dead mouse and if that was true, then Sherlock had better have a good reason this time) and the decorations were still up. The kitchen table was still full of Sherlock's experiments and the sitting room was full of their papers and books.
"Let's not do that again," John said, sinking into his chair.
"Gladly," Sherlock agreed gleefully.
"And she is not to come to the wedding," John added. "I know I agreed to letting you control all the details, but I want her off the guest list."
Sherlock grinned. "Done."
John let out a breath and leaned his head back. At this rate, though, their guests were likely to be Mycroft, Molly, Lestrade, and a few friends. But, John decided, that was alright. Nothing could be better.
Title: A Quick Visit
A gift for: fenm
Characters/Pairing: Sherlock/John, Mycroft, Mrs. Holmes
Category: Slash
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: A little Christmas slice of life, when John meets his future mother-in-law.
Author's Notes: Thank you canonisrelative for the beta. fenm, I hope you enjoy this.
The first inkling John had that Christmas with the Holmes' family was going to be difficult happened before they even left Baker Street.
"We should have rented a car," Sherlock growled, watching Mycroft's driver load their luggage into the boot.
"And I told you before, there's no point in wasting the money," John argued.
Sherlock pulled his coat tighter around himself as if cold, but his face was dark. "You'll wish we had our own car when Mycroft refuses to let us leave early."
Mycroft leaned out of the car. "Will the both of you stop arguing on the streets and get in here? We are on a schedule."
Sherlock muttered under his breath and preceeded John into the backseat where he got as far from Mycroft as he could. Mycroft returned to the papers he had been working on and John began to hope that Sherlock's warnings were unheeded.
~~~
Luckily, the Holmes' family was only Sherlock, Mycroft, and their mother. John had been expecting some formal event attended by at least thirty people. But it seems the Holmes line had dwindled down to just the three of them and, if Mrs. Holmes believed was true, would likely end with them. To be fair, John couldn't imagine either Sherlock or Mycroft with a child.
Not so luckily, there weren't many people in the house and while Sherlock made a quick, rude exit out the back door and Mycroft took a call somewhere else, John was left with their mother. Alone. With a Victorian tea set that he was afraid to touch and the knowing stare of a mother who thinks the boy her son brought home is wanting.
"It really is lovely to meet you," John offered, trying to make small talk and finding it difficult because Mrs. Holmes' stare would kill an elephant.
She sniffed and drank some of her tea. "I am surprised at Sherlock. I didn't think he would ever find someone, but to know he has and it's...well, you."
"I'm sorry, what?" John asked, confused and offended.
"Oh, nothing much, but you're not quite the type he favoured in school," she admitted. "Back when he did bring home boys for me to meet--or not as sometimes was the case. Tall, thin things those boys were. And from such grand families--oh, I had hoped...but here we are." She smiled tightly, looking pained.
There was always someone with money or an old family who looked down on those who didn't, but it was the first time John had received the treatment from the parent of someone he was dating. Before he could reply, however, she continued.
"Though I do compliment you," she added consideringly. "There haven't been many who can put up with his..." She waved her hand, searching for the right word. "Eccentricities. His mad flights of fancy and his experiments. And that detective work? Nothing like Mycroft's. Now there is a job of worth."
"He's helped some of the people Mycroft works with," John interrupted. "Found one of their kids once. And he did find some data that had been stolen."
"And he would have more such jobs if he just applied himself and let Mycroft get him a proper career," she countered. She sighed and paused for a moment. "Now, how does it work for you? I mean, I know that Sherlock stays well away from sex, but I can't imagine you two don't ever--" Her trailing tone implied that John and Sherlock did something, but she wasn't sure what.
John smirked, finally feeling more on familiar ground. This was a topic he was overly familiar with. "I'm not actually gay."
She paused in the act of lifting her tea cup up to blink at him. "I'm sorry?"
John nodded. "I'm not gay."
"But you and Sherlock are together, like a couple?" she pressed.
"We are," John affirmed. "Because I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life without Sherlock and he feels the same. We don't have sex, no, but we do sleep in the same bed. In fact, we might be getting married in the spring, depending on Sherlock's answer tomorrow."
Her cup clinked as it hit the saucer and she smoothed out her dress as she stood. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Watson."
John nodded affably and sipped his tea as she left. That had been interesting. He was beginning to suspect this could only get worse and suddenly hoped that Sherlock's words hadn't been an omen.
~~~
Christmas dinner did get worse. It had been preceeded by a day filled with icy silences from Mrs. Holmes and Mycroft being smug and Sherlock being...well, John had only seen Sherlock this excited over a locked-room corpse. But John was feeling excited and glowy himself--Sherlock had said yes, provided that John cede all control of the details of the wedding to Sherlock.
"Mycroft, are you sure you can't do anything?" Mrs. Holmes pressed, having graduated to ignoring John and Sherlock both. Likely in the hope that the situation would resolve itself while she wasn't looking.
Mycroft sighed. "I am sure." He cast a look at John as if to say this was all his fault, but John refused to take the blame. It wasn't his fault that Mrs. Holmes--his future mother-in-law, oh, god--was being so dramatic.
"John is almost done with his dinner," Sherlock announced. "Can the car be ready to leave in half an hour?"
John wondered how only half his meal meant he was almost done, especially since there would likely be a pie for pudding. Though he have to admit, being back in Baker Street sounded brilliant.
Mrs. Holmes finally deigned to look at Sherlock. "What? You can't possibly be leaving so soon?"
Sherlock looked at Mycroft and Mycroft sighed. "I...do need to be getting back. A matter arose just before dinner that I think needs my personal touch."
Mrs. Holmes sighed and her eyes filled with tears. "I had hoped you boys would stay a full week."
John didn't think he could stand a full week with her and made a mental note to apologize to Sherlock later. They definitely should have rented a car; what if Mycroft hadn't agreed to leave?
"Later, John," Sherlock muttered in his ear. John smiled.
~~~
221B was cold; Mrs. Hudson had gone to stay with her nephew for Christmas so no one had been home to keep the heating on. Still, it smelled the same (except John thought he could smell the distinctive rancid odor of a dead mouse and if that was true, then Sherlock had better have a good reason this time) and the decorations were still up. The kitchen table was still full of Sherlock's experiments and the sitting room was full of their papers and books.
"Let's not do that again," John said, sinking into his chair.
"Gladly," Sherlock agreed gleefully.
"And she is not to come to the wedding," John added. "I know I agreed to letting you control all the details, but I want her off the guest list."
Sherlock grinned. "Done."
John let out a breath and leaned his head back. At this rate, though, their guests were likely to be Mycroft, Molly, Lestrade, and a few friends. But, John decided, that was alright. Nothing could be better.