#2018 advent ficlet challenge

[missdaviswrites]

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge

It's that time again! I invite anyone who is interested to join me as I spend the month of December frantically writing a ficlet a day. I will be writing BBC Sherlock but any fandom is welcome!

Join Me!

Below is a list of prompts—feel free to do as many or as few as you like. Switch them around, change ones you don't like, write them all in a month, or take all year—it’s up to you. I'm calling it an Advent challenge so I can stop writing on the 24th and have the rest of the month off, but you don't have to write about Christmas if you don't want to. Be creative and do whatever inspires you! Write that trope you love or misinterpret the prompt to fit what you want to say. Just make sure you have fun!

You can post your ficlets on Tumblr and/or on AO3. I’ve created an AO3 collection for everyone’s work, which will be open to all starting December 1: 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge. (If you post all your ficlets as one work with chapters instead of individually in a series, it makes it easier for others to browse the collection, though this is not a requirement.) If you post on Tumblr, use the tag “#2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge” so others can find your ficlets.

Open to any and all ratings and ships!

Holiday decor  

Star

You better watch out

Snowman

Believe

Fireplace

Memories

Music

Gift

Do you see what I see 

Comfort and joy 

Gingerbread

Frost

A beautiful sight

Toy soldier

Season's greetings

Warm and cozy

Celebration

Silent night

Home  

Hopes and fears

Feast

Nightmare before Christmas

Peace

Here’s the link to the AO3 collection again, which will be open on December 1: 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge. Let’s spread some cheer!

[callie4180]

Christmas at Baker Street update

As part of @missdaviswrites’ 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge: a new 221b every day until Christmas. Also on AO3: here

Chapter 2

Prompt: Star

Sherlock hadn’t asked for Mycroft’s help in years. He wasn’t even asking now; he was just standing there on the marble stoop, awkward and rather…shy. “Grandmere’s ornaments,” he finally managed, carefully not meeting Mycroft’s eye. “You’ve still got them, don’t you?”

Mycroft blinked. “In the basement, I think,” he answered slowly, standing back to let Sherlock enter. “You know the way.”

The kettle boiled as Mycroft listened to the rustling downstairs. He considered offering to help, but he sensed this was personal, somehow. (Besides, he rather despised spiders. He shuddered, and the teacup rattled on the saucer.)

Finally, Sherlock emerged from below, one hand brushing dirt from his trousers. In the other, he held a small paper bag.

Mycroft sniffed and handed him a tea towel. “Find what you needed?”

Sherlock nodded. “Just a few old baubles,” he said, failing to sound casual. “The felt animals, and the crystal star. You don’t mind, do you? Only I thought I’d try a tree this year.”

This was unexpected. “You…generally avoid these things,” Mycroft said carefully. “Why now?” But even as he asked, the answer came to him—Rosie, of course.

Rosie, and John. Sherlock’s blush warmed Mycroft’s tired heart.

He turned to set his teacup down. “The crystal star is quite fragile, little brother,” he said softly. “I’ll find you a box.”

[onwallsjcfwrites]

Warm and Cozy

Chapter 16 of Christmas at Baker Street is up!

WARM AND COZY John lifted Rosie out of the bathtub and she shivered.

And then she sneezed into the towel he was using to dry her off.

The girl was fighting a flu that Sherlock had caught a few days earlier. So far, John had been lucky - knock on wood - to avoid getting it himself. But, that meant he’d been playing both loving husband and doting father for a week and a half.

He wasn’t sure who was worse when sick. Sherlock or Rosie. After a moment’s thought, he decided on Sherlock. Rosie was cranky and a bit clingy, but bugs rarely had her down for too long. Sherlock on the other hand… He was lazy, expected to be waited upon, and downright grumpy with a bug.

John exchanged the snot covered towel for a clean one, and continued drying Rosie. Then he put her fluffy yellow duckie bathrobe on her, and followed her into the living room.

Sherlock had started a fire, and was now sitting in a pile of pillows. The chairs had been pushed back, and three cups of hot chocolate sat on the floor in front of the hearth.

John smiled. Someone was in a cuddly mood tonight.

John and Rosie joined him; Rosie curled up between them.

John turned to Sherlock. “Feeling better are we?”

Sherlock smiled. “Much better.”

[obotligtnyfiken]

I’m writing a fic! Or a series of ficlets, that together make a fic ... anyway, I’ve been inspired by @missdaviswrites and her 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge. And when I found a way to include the most amazing dress ever to be worn in the Stockholm City Hall for the Nobel Prize party, well I just had to write it.

So, here goes. Twelve Nightmares Before Christmas. Twelve chapters to be posted daily, the last one on Christmas Eve if all goes well. Wish me luck!

Twelve Nightmares Before Christmas

Rating:Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Molly Hooper/Greg Lestrade Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Molly Hooper, Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes, Janine (Sherlock), Rosamund Mary "Rosie" Watson Additional Tags: Platonic Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Nightmares, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Nobel Prize, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, POV Multiple, Advent Ficlet Challenge 2018, Ficlet Collection Language: English Collections:  2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge

[yaycoffee]

Complete: Advent Ficlets 2018

And by “complete,” I mean that I’ve rounded out the arc and am finished with the story :-)  Real life got in the way, and I did not get to every prompt, but man--I did love this challenge so much!  It made me get back into the discipline of writing, and I think I ended up with a collection of connected stories that I actually like. 

Thank you so much to @missdaviswrites for organizing all of this and letting us play in your sandbox.  

Happy New Year, everyone!

You can read my collection over at AO3.

Total Words:  5,516

Total Works:  3

[lakoda0518]

“Sherlock heaved a sigh of frustration as he slumped down in John’s chair, openly groaning out his displeasure. His own chair had been shoved out of its usual spot to make room for the Christmas tree John had brought down from the attic. He glared at the doctor who was sitting on the rug with a large mess of tangled up Christmas tree lights in front of him - the artificial evergreen monstrosity taking up the entire corner to the right of the fireplace. John’s jaw was set and he stared down at the jumbled up mess in agitation as he tried his best to untangle them. The detective had never seen the point in decorating for the holidays. Typically, he would rant and rave about the ridiculousness of the whole ordeal until John gave up and threw everything back into the attic just to shut him up, but this year was different. This year, John was going all out for his daughter, Rosamund.”

[merindab]

Chapters: 1/24 Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade Characters: Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade Additional Tags: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Decorations, Established Relationship Summary:

It's Greg and Mycroft's fourth Christmas together. Time for old traditions and new.

Trying to do this advent challenge. At least I posted day 1 before midnight?

[221bjen]

Fireplace

Part of the 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge run by @missdaviswrites in my Give Me Fuel, Give Me Fire universe. Enjoy!

Steve had finally put up the small tree he had purchased the year before in a fit of nostalgia. He hadn’t really had a tree of his own since he’d moved out of his mom’s place. He was either too young to care or too busy with the academy to bother. And he didn’t really want a new tree, anyway; the tradition had been to decorate the one that she’d had for years and years. It was worn and there were always some needles that found their way to the carpet, but she wouldn’t replace it. It was perfectly fine, she said, no need for a new one.

He’d just finished with the lights when Bucky arrived. They seemed to be spending more and more time at Steve’s place, and he wondered if it was because his apartment had more of a ‘lived in’ feel. Bucky’s place was nice but sparse, like it was just a place to keep his things.

“This looks nice.” Bucky’s grin as he took in the tree rivaled those lights, and Steve felt something click into place. He was glad that he’d taken Natasha’s advice to heart, that he could share this with...whatever Bucky was to him.

“Just in time to put on the first ornament.” Steve had sorted through what decorations he had and handed over a fairly ratty reindeer made out of pipe cleaners. Bucky took it with a raised eyebrow, but Steve shook his head. “That is a Steve Rogers original. I made that thing in second grade.”

Bucky shook it, making the googly eyes wobble. “Fancy.” He looked at Steve and a look that Steve couldn’t quite read crossed his face. He quickly hung it on the tree and then walked back over to Steve, taking his face in both hands and leaning in for a quick kiss. “Hi. Forgot to do that when I came in.”

“Hi.” Steve was struck by how natural it all felt, falling into simple things like kisses hello and goodbye. Like an actual couple. He cleared his throat. “You want to help me finish this, or we could watch a movie or-”

Bucky chuckled and kissed him again, probably to stop his babbling. “This is fine. It’s fun, you know? I haven’t done this in a long time.”

They worked together, making quick work of Steve’s few decorations. The last thing in the box was a stocking. It was the one that he’d had for years, handknit by a close friend of his mom’s, and he wondered what a matching one for Bucky would cost him. If he could find someone to do it for him. Maybe Natasha knew someone or maybe Sam…

Bucky took the stocking out of his hands and he realized that he’d been holding it for a few seconds, lost in thought. “It’s too bad you don’t have a fireplace.”

“Uh. Yeah.” Steve was still a little caught up in the idea of two stockings and what that would mean.

“We had a fireplace at my folks’ house, where I grew up.” That was new. Bucky had barely mentioned family other than the crew at the garage. Steve knew that he didn’t just appear in Brooklyn in the middle of a garage, that he’d had a life before that. Before racing and daring crime in the name of justice. Before the military and what had happened to him there. Parents and a whole other family.

“Really?”

Bucky cut his eyes to Steve’s, like he was nervous. Or that he wasn’t used to sharing this much about himself. “I grew up in Indiana, did I ever tell you that?” Steve knew that Bucky was well aware that he hadn’t, but he didn’t say anything. “Moved here when I was about ten and never looked back. Mom and Dad moved back a few years ago and…” He broke off and Steve didn’t push. He was glad that Bucky trusted him with that much. “Well, it’s been a while.”

Steve took the stocking from Bucky and put it aside, wrapping his arms around his whatever and holding him tight. “You want some hot chocolate? Or something with some booze in it?”

“Hot chocolate can have booze in it.”

Steve laughed and kissed Bucky’s cheek. “Sure it can. Let’s go see what I’ve got that goes with hot chocolate.” Bucky headed toward the kitchen and Steve watched him go. Now he wished that they had a fireplace to hang their stockings by, too.

[itsalwaysyou-jw]

The Snowman

Day 4 of 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge

Summary:

Mycroft, the Iceman, hates Christmas. He hates "family time." He hates how insufferable Sherlock and John have been since they got together.

He doesn't entirely hate Greg.

He isn't sure if he hates the gifts that Sherlock and John gave him. 

Holiday Decor

Star

You Better Watch Out

Snowman

Believe (coming tomorrow)

Thank you for reading and please let me know if you want to be tagged in these advent ficlets.

[ttime42]

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge

Read this here or on Ao3

Chapter 2: Christmas Traditions

John was sitting on the sofa,  a glass of cold eggnog in his hand, a favorite old Christmas jumper keeping him warm. He laughed at the television when hapless buffoon Clark Griswold realized he'd forgotten to bring a saw into the woods to cut down the family tree. His and Sherlock's own little Christmas tree was in front of the window on a small table they'd dragged out from behind Sherlock's chair. Mrs. Hudson had a merry time decorating the little plastic tree with John. They'd had to coax Sherlock to hang even one ornament but John had seen him in the evenings, staring at the glowing, sparkling tree while lost in thought. John was sure he enjoyed it, even if he pretended not to.

"What are you watching?" Sherlock muttered from the kitchen. "That's the fourth time you've laughed since turning on that silly thing." He dripped a pipette full of purple liquid onto a glass slide. Sherlock had heard the opening credits of the film, the jingling bells and word "Christmas" repeated over and over. He was hardly a fan of John's type of films, much less sappy holiday ones.

"Christmas Vacation." John said, finishing his eggnog. "You know, Clark tries to have the perfect Christmas and fails at every turn." He watched the movie every season. He and Harry could quote entire chunks of it back and forth to each other.

Sherlock was silent and John raised his brows. "Tell me you've seen it."

"Alright, I've seen it."

"Have you though?" John put his empty glass on the table and leaned forward to see him in the kitchen. "Really?"

"John, you know such drivel tires me."

John pointed at the screen. "This is funny though. You might even like it."

Sherlock didn't move and John sank back into the cushions, watching Clark fiddle with the decorations for the house.

The chair scraped the floor in the kitchen and Sherlock, decked out in his usual loafing-around-the-flat attire of pajamas and dressing gown, appeared in the room and stared at the screen, brow furrowed as if identifying clues on a case. John rolled his eyes. "C'mere and sit." He patted the sofa cushion. "Grab the blanket and let's cuddle."

Sherlock obeyed, picking a folded blanket up by the corner and dragging it to the sofa. He curled up, leaning into John's side. They arranged the thick sherpa throw over themselves and John put his arm around Sherlock's shoulders. They watched the various bickering family members and minor disasters and by the time cousin Eddie showed up, Sherlock had snickered three times and nuzzled into John's neck twice.

"Want tea?" He mumbled.

"Please." John said. Sherlock peeled himself out of the warmth and disappeared back into the kitchen. John was certain he'd stay there, tired of the movie and drawn by another experiment, but he returned bearing two big mugs of tea. "What do you think of the film? Cheers." John took an offered mug.

"It's tolerable."

"It's okay to say you like it." John blew across the tea's surface. "It won't hurt."

Sherlock shrugged. "The experiment was boring and this is as good an alternative as any." He stuffed himself back under the blanket and they leaned into each other to enjoy the rest of the film.

[missdaviswrites]

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge Master List 

We’ve had 42 people post to our collection on AO3, with many people still working on their entries. (There is no deadline, so keep writing!)  Here’s a master list of everyone who participated with links to their work. If you contributed a work and don’t see yourself listed, let me know and I will add you. I tried to track down everyone who wasn’t able to add their fic to the collection, but I might have missed someone. (And, yes, I put myself first on the list, but after that it’s alphabetical by author name.)

Welcome Christmas by MissDavis (Sherlock (TV))

Have Yourself an Angsty Little Christmas by 221b_careful_what_you_wish_for (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

A Holiday on Mt. Hood by 221b_gone_feels (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Shiny and Bright by 221BJen (jcoz1701) (Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe)

A Very Johnlock Advent by a_different_equation (various Sherlock Holmes fandoms)

Christmas Advent Musings by BakerTumblings (Sherlock (TV))

Mistle-bombing by Bookjunkiecat (Sherlock (TV))

Christmas at Baker Street by Callie4180 (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

The Johnlock Christmas for 2018: Advent Ficlet Challenge by CarmillaCarmine (Sherlock (TV))

24 Years of Christmases by Dassandre (James Bond (Craig movies), Sherlock (TV))

Have a very Rinch Christmas by Dhae (Person of Interest (TV))

Various Works by fangirl530 (Tangled: The Series (Cartoon), The Road to El Dorado (2000),  curious cat spy club,  Rise of the Guardians (2012), Frogkisser!, the It girl)    

All Is Bright by FinAmour (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Deck the Halls by itsalwaysyou_jw (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Fourth Christmas by janto321 (FaceofMer) (Sherlock (TV))

Christmas at Baker Street by JCF (Sherlock (TV))

Holiday decor by jkkitty (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Tangled Up In You by LaKoda0518 (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Merry Rhinkmas 2018 by LikeASwitchInHeat (Rhett & Link)

Happy Molly-days by littleweedwrites (Sherlock (TV))

Santa Claus is a Criminal Mastermind by Mads_Ansley (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)

Sherlock - 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge by MelMey (Sherlock (TV))

Advent 2018: Holiday Décor by MiladyPheonix (Sherlock (TV))

Mormories by Bakerstreetcat, MoonShineD (Sherlock (TV))

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge series by mydogwatson (Sherlock (TV))

Christmas by notjustmom (Iron Man (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017))  

Twelve Nightmares Before Christmas by Obotligtnyfiken (Sherlock (TV))  

Christmas Capers by okapi (Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock (TV))   

A Party on Christmas Eve by PoppyAlexander (Sherlock (TV))

Christmas Carols From The Heart - Advent Calendar by ready_to_kick_some_ass (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV))

The Things I Felt in Prior Years by scrub456 (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)  

Under the Satina Moon by Somnaborium (Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II) 

Fireplace by stepOnMeZenos (Final Fantasy XIV)  

Christmas in the Lestrade-Holmes household by Sunyiu2 (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)  

Winter Serenade by SweetSorcery (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies))  

Jauchzet, frohlocket! by tei (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms)  

So every Holmes found his Watson by the_consulting_linguist (xASx) (Sherlock (TV))  

24 Days of Johnlock by thewallflower07 (Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms) 

The Babbitt and the Bromide Deck the Horse by tremendousdetectivetheorist (Ziegfeld Follies (1945))  

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge by Ttime42 (Sherlock (TV))  

Family Matter by WaywardSpark (Sherlock (TV))  

2018 Advent Challenge Ficlets (connected stories) by yaycoffee (Sherlock (TV))

Additionally, some people have posted works on Tumblr only --here are the ones I could find (no thanks to Tumblr’s search function!):

Jeremyholmes.tumblr.com (fic)

Sherlockfandomtandem.tumblr.com (fic)

Thinkanddoodle-batch.tumblr.com (art)

[callie4180]

Christmas at Baker Street update, 12/5

As part of @missdaviswrites’ 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge: a new 221b every day until Christmas. Also on AO3: here

Chapter 5

Prompt: Believe

He’d believed once.

Long ago, John had believed that something was growing between them, precious, fragile, deeper than friendship. He’d believed that the glances, the smiles, the lingering touches spoke to a truth that would someday demand to make itself known. He’d believed that they’d stood together to fight thieves and murderers and bloody fucking monsters, not for London or justice, but for the other. He’d thought they’d had a secret.

He’d believed they’d been in love.

Well. John always had been gullible. Girlfriends called it charming as they tripped off to kiss another boy. Army mates giggled about it as they slipped the fake scorpion into his boot. It was fine, though, because he didn’t want to lose that part that always saw good. That somehow always believed.

The part that suffered a mortal wound, not in distant deserts, but in a London bedsit.

The part that went on life support one rainy afternoon outside Bart’s Hospital.

The part that burned to ash as his wife shot a hole through a coin.

So now? To imagine new light in silver eyes, to wonder if smiles meant something more, to dream of being pulled to the side, to the heart, to the lips of a man who’d long been the oxygen he needed to survive?

John knew better than to believe.

[onwallsjcfwrites]

A Beautiful Sight

Chapter 14 of Christmas at Baker Street is up! (Playing catch up!) A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT

Sherlock unlocked the door to Baker Street. Rosie squeezed between him and the door frame and then rushed upstairs, calling for John the entire way up. She’d bought a new ornament for the tree and wanted to show him. Well, Sherlock had bought the ornament, but she had picked it out.

Sherlock smiled, watching her go. He took off his coat and scarf and hung them up, then started to follow Rosie. He had one foot on the stairs when he heard strange noises coming from Mrs. Hudson’s flat.

As he approached the flat to investigate, he could hear her moving back and forth, fussing. There was a run in her stockings, her shoes didn’t seem to fit right, her lipstick didn’t look right, her hair had fallen out of place, and she couldn’t find that darn brooch.

The doorbell rang and Mrs. Hudson cursed. She opened the door a few minutes later, shocked to see him.

She was wearing a blue dress he hadn’t seen before, adorned with an equally new poinsettia brooch. The woman was going on a date. Good for her.

“Best not keep him waiting, Mrs. Hudson.” Sherlock gave her a wink.

“Oh, Sherlock. How do I look?”

Sherlock stepped back to take it all in and smiled, cupping her face with his fingertips. “You look beautiful.”

[obotligtnyfiken]

Twelve Nightmares Before Christmas is now complete!

My fic/ficlet collection for the 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge is now complete. Warning for tooth-rotting fluff in the final chapter!

Thank you so much to @missdaviswrites​ for setting up the challenge! It has been very interesting to keep posting on a schedule, and very good for my productivity. Next time I’ll make sure to write more beforehand, to avoid having to choose between writing and preparing for Christmas :-)

Because of my writing so close to deadline, I have not given my wonderful beta @wetislandinthenorthatlantic​ a chance to read all the chapters before I posted them. I am certain that it shows in the text and I apologise for any errors, especially since I seem to have developed an unhealthy relationship with the word “that” of late. I’ll have to check myself into some sort of swenglish rehabilitation program :-)

Merry Christmas to you all!

[sunyiu2]

Xmas ficlet challenge

So I participate in missdaviswrites’ 2018 Advent Ficlet challenge. This is my first ever challenge.  https://archiveofourown.org/works/16803649/chapters/39441013 Christmas in a Lestrade-Holmes Household  1 -  Decorating for the holiday 

  "Where is Daddy, Papa?” Asked Brayden when he came down for breakfast.

“He is in the garage, he wanted to bring the holiday décor out so we can start to decorate the house today.” Answered Mycroft.

“Oh, good. This means we can have hot chocolate with cinnamon this evening too?”

“If you help then you indeed can have Hot chocolate with cinnamon, yes.”

“Wicked.”

“Go get your sister. I’ll go and see if your dad needs help.”

“Okay.”

“How are you doing my dear? Did you find the boxes you wanted?”

“Yes. They are in the back. Just have to move a few boxes out of the way.”

“We can do it after breakfast. Come on the kids are already in the kitchen.”

“Alright. So scrambled eggs or pancakes?”

“Eggs, I think, because Brayden already asked about his traditional December beverage for this evening.”

“With cinnamon yeah… well it is the first day of December so he is right.”

“I know.”

“So scrambled eggs it is.”

After breakfast Greg and Mycroft brought three boxes out of the garage. They placed them in the living room and began to sort them out.

“Alright kids, what do you think if we make a popcorn and crepe paper chains before lunch and in the afternoon, we decorate the living room and the staircase?”

“Okay.” They answered together.

“I’ll go and make popcorn.” Offered Mycroft.

“Thank you, love. Iris what colour do you like for your crepe paper chain?”

“Yellow and purple.”

“Red?”

“I think this year green and red.”

“Good choices, very christmasy colours.”

Two hours, five crepe paper chains and three popcorn chains later they sat at the dinner table and planned where to put the decorations.

“We have to put popcorn on the tree too Papa. And a paper chain in my bedroom too with a fairly light I already have and we have to put one on the front door.”

“We always put a wreath on the front door, Iris”

“I know that, Red, but we can put it around the wreath or just hang above it, you know like a roof or something.”

“Alright.” 

Greg and Mycroft just smiled as their kids talked everything over and planned out what goes where.

“Daddy can you put the fairy string lights up, so the tinsels could sparkle, please!” asked Iris as she and Red wound the tinsels around the handrail to the staircase.

“Sure.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay” Greg hummed Christmas songs while he worked all afternoon as the kids instructed him. Mycroft isn’t a humming person, so he worked in silence with an occasional quiet whistling when Greg switched to sing.

The house decorated for the holiday. Crepe paper chains, and tinsel in every colour hung in the living room, the stair case was silver with warm fairy light. The popcorn chains went in the dining room and the kitchen high enough to survive two hungry little kid. Mycroft put the wreath on the front door while Greg hung a paper chain above it which Iris made especially for it with white and red paper. Both kids put paper chain in the other’s rooms as a little surprise and laughed happily when they discovered they done the same.

That evening found the little family in front of the fire sipping their hot chocolate. Mycroft sat in the middle of the sofa the kids cuddles to him in both side and listening as Greg read The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

[elldotsee]

Omg this gave me goosebumps. Nothing like some holiday PAIN. oooh I love it. Join me in hell, @88thparallel and @thornypeach3. It’s nice and warm down here ;-)

2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge #10: Do you see what I see?

I pull on my shirt and button it quickly, checking my watch as I grab my jacket and tie, rushing down the stairs to the sitting room.

“Sherlock,” I call out toward the closed door of his bedroom. “Are you almost ready?”

I don’t hear a reply, so I yell again. “We need to leave in five minutes or we’ll be late!”

We need to hurry to a press conference at Scotland Yard for a case Sherlock cracked, a sensationalistic one the media dubbed “The Santa Strangler.”

I quickly glance out the window, checking for the cab I’d called earlier. It hasn’t arrived yet, but I notice fat snowflakes drifting down from the grey sky. I watch the snow fall for a few moments, wishing we could just stay at home, start a fire, maybe watch an old movie.

But no, the show must go on, and Sherlock must perform at the media circus that he hates but grits his teeth through, smiling insincerely for the cameras, accepting another useless token of appreciation that he’ll never use.

I don’t know why Sherlock insists that I come along to these things. I suppose I’m useful as an assistant, holding on to coats and gift boxes and certificates. And as a translator, nudging him to be polite or replying to simple questions that he ignores.

Neither of us enjoys it, but the publicity is good for business. And when business is good, Sherlock is happy. And when Sherlock is happy… it’s brilliant. His mind snaps and sparks with energy, his hands fly with dramatic gestures, his body hums with excitement. I’d follow him anywhere, do anything, just to be in his orbit.

It’s been that way since I first met him. I’m drawn to him. I want to be with him, even on his worst, stroppiest days.

I walk back to the mirror that hangs above the fireplace and turn up my shirt collar, looping the tie around my neck. I concentrate on making a decent knot, staring at my fingers, trying to get it right.

When the knot looks acceptable, I straighten my tie, checking to make sure it’s even. I pause and glance up. In the mirror I see Sherlock standing behind me. I hadn’t heard him come into the room.

He’s wearing a deep navy blue suit and crisp white shirt that has a subtle pinstripe running through it. His hair gleams in the lamplight, his fingers dance elegantly as he adjusts his cuffs. I swallow, stunned again by the sharpness of his cheekbones, the curve of his lips, the lithesome power of his trim body. I want to tell him that he looks beautiful. I ache to let him know how I feel, that I want him with my heart and body and soul.

I say nothing.

He flicks his eyes up and they catch my gaze. I’m caught unprepared, unguarded, every agonizing desire etched on my face. His hands go still, his eyes lock with mine.

I breathe shallowly, fear and hope twining up my spine. A long moment passes, the air charged and heavy like a coming storm. Neither of us moves.

It’s too much. I break my gaze away, staring at my blanched face, my fingers fumbling to turn down my collar. Sherlock is still behind me, watching.

Do you see what I see? I want to ask him. A man desperately in love with you, too afraid to say anything, terrified to feel this way, terrified of being rejected, terrified of not being with you.

I don’t know if he sees, if he knows.

“We should go,” Sherlock finally says, his voice a low rumble that I can’t interpret.

I nod and shrug on my jacket and coat, waiting while Sherlock winds his scarf around his neck and pulls on his leather gloves, armored.

“Ready?” I ask, the word thick in my throat.

He looks at me with those piercing eyes and doesn’t answer, turns to the door, clips down the steps.

I close my eyes, pinch the bridge of my nose, and take a shaky breath. I square my shoulders and follow him, like I always do.