YULE

[fighting_northumerland]

John stopped in front of the front door. It wasn't too late, he reasoned-- they hadn't seen him yet. They could escape back into the cab, get Chinese, have a quiet night to themselves and not deal with the madness of Watson Christmas...

Behind them, the cab pulled away and turned off into traffic. Trapped.

"Well then," he said, steeling himself, and knocked.

Comments

[fighting_northumerland]

John shifted, getting comfortable. Harry gave him a look that screamed no PDA, little brother and he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out.

"I must be getting old," John said, yawning. "I'm exhausted." He resisted the urge to loll his head on Sherlock's shoulder.

[punchmeitssubtext]

"Overstimulation will do that to you." Sherlock patted his friend's knee, quick but reassuring. "We can call the cab a little early, if your parents don't mind."

"You know what," Harry put in suddenly. "Why don't you do that? Give me and my brother a minute to catch up."

[fighting_northumerland]

John looked wary, but glanced up at Sherlock.

"Could you?" he asked, "that would be great. I'll be right with you in a minute."

[punchmeitssubtext]

Sherlock levered himself off the couch. "Right. Phone's in my coat, I'll give them a call."

The minute he'd moved out of their line of sight, Harry shifted in her chair, leaning over as close to her brother as she could get.

"John," she said, her voice low and serious. "I'm your sister, I have to do this. Just... tell me you really like this bloke and I won't say another word."

[fighting_northumerland]

"Ha-rry," John groaned, pushing the heels of his hands into his eyes. "We've been living together since we met, if I was going to snap out of it it would have happened ages ago!"

[punchmeitssubtext]

"I mean, I had a boyfriend once, for God's sake. You remember that. Things get weird sometimes." She reached over the arm of her chair, laying one hand on the couch: he could take her hand if he wanted to, but he wasn't obliged. "I just need to know that you're... okay with all this. That he's, you know, good for you."

[fighting_northumerland]

"Good for me?" John looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. "Harry...you know how I was after I was sent back. Sherlock- you saw him, he's a mad genius, but he's the one person who..." he shrugged. "We're fine."

[punchmeitssubtext]

Harry was silent for a moment, mulling over this information.

"Do you know how he feels about you?" she asked at last. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Johnny."

[fighting_northumerland]

John nodded. "He doesn't really do feelings, Harry- except for me, and a few select others. He saved my life," he admitted, "in more ways than he knows. I return the favor as often as I can."

[punchmeitssubtext]

Her face lit with a smile. She knew her brother well enough to know when he was telling the truth.

"And he knows if he breaks your heart I'm going to kill him?"

Her mobile beeped, and she rolled her eyes. "Hang on, that better not be an ex text on bloody Christmas... oh. Um."

The text simply read, I know. -SH

"They'll be here in twenty minutes," Sherlock said, tucking his mobile back into his pocket as he moved into the living room. "Should be enough time for a few carols and another cup of coffee."

[fighting_northumerland]

John looked back and forth between his partner and his sister, eyebrow raised.

"You two are going to make Ella a very busy woman," he sighed. "I assume you'll want the violin?"

[punchmeitssubtext]

"I'm a show-off, of course I'll want the violin." He radiated false innocence. "Besides, I'm out of change and the children have to be kept quiet somehow."