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]

"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."