ifeelbetter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ifeelbetter) wrote2010-12-02 01:01 am
ifeelbetter) wrote2010-12-02 01:01 am
Entry tags:
Christmas Prompt #1: John/Sherlock + mistletoe
Title: Under the Mistletoe
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ifeelbetter
Disclaimer: I own nothing of value.
Notes: I spent last night--the wee hours of the morning, really--barfing christmas joy all over my house. Now it is time to start spreading my irrepresible holiday joy all over the internet as well! These prompts are going to be short--I'm squeezing the time out of a jam-packed schedule. You could still prompt me if you feel the urge. I'm gonna have to do some creative scrambling once I run out of prompts...in eight days.
"You want to put a parasite over the door-frame," Sherlock said, speaking slowly as if you hoped John would realize it was a ridiculous idea if it came back at him at half speed.
"I want to put mistletoe over the door-frame, yes," John said. He'd had to pull a chair from the kitchen and there was something distinctly charming about looking down on Sherlock for once.
"Which is a parasite," Sherlock said. "Well, I say parasite when it's the common name for a group of hemi-parasitic plants in the order Santalales that grow attached--"
"Just hand me the hemi-parasite and shut up," John said. It was hard to work up even the semblance of real rancor, though, when Sherlock was actually participating and showing interest in mundane, plebeian affairs.
"Mistletoe plants can kill the host tree by over-infestation, you know," Sherlock said. John had a thumb-tack between his teeth so he didn't respond. It didn't seem to deter the flow of information. "A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present."
John took the tack out from between his teeth and worked it into the wood of the door-frame. "Fascinating," he said, not really listening.
"According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas," Sherlock continued. "The custom of kissing while standing beneath the mistletoe is probably Scandinavian in origin." He held out a hand to John to help him step off the chair.
"Scandinavian, huh?" John said.
"I just said that," Sherlock pointed out. "According to Pliny the Elder, the Celts considered it a remedy for barrenness in animals and an antidote to poison."
"Why do you know all of this?" John asked. The backs of his knees were butting against the seat of the chair but he didn't seem to be moving and Sherlock didn't seem to have noticed.
"I had a case three years ago," Sherlock said, shrugging, and of course he knew it for a case.
"Yuletide murder?"
"Not really," Sherlock said and he hadn't actually stepped forward--hadn't really moved at all--but he suddenly seemed a lot closer. "It was a favor for Lestrade, actually. Before his wife left him. He hired me to create the perfect Christmas celebration. I needed to research the customs."
"He...hired you to plan a holiday with his wife," John repeated. It still sounded absolutely insane.
"He trusted my thoroughness."
"No wonder she left him."
Sherlock nodded. "It was fairly soon after that Christmas that she moved out. Presumably unrelated."
"Presumably," John repeated.
"I enjoyed the mythology surrounding the mistletoe," Sherlock said, looking upwards.
"I've always liked it too," John said, letting his gaze shift upwards as well. "I like the in medias res and romanticism of it all."
There was a pause as it became apparent to each that they were, in fact, both standing under the mistletoe in a doorway.
"Ah," said Sherlock.
"Right," said John.
There was another pause.
"I'll just--" John started to say but Sherlock ducked his head suddenly and caught the words on John's lips.
When Sherlock pulled back, John couldn't stop himself from pulling him back in.
"Is there a rule about leaving the mistletoe up year-round?" he asked. At least he'd found a reason to love Sherlock's ever-present scarf. It made for a useful hand-hold.
"Supposed to prevent lightning strikes," Sherlock said, right into the corner of John's mouth.
"Wouldn't want lightning strikes," John said, somewhat seriously...mostly breathlessly.
And that's Prompt #1! If you liked that, head over to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
holiday_heist for Advent Calender style Inception goodies. Mine should pop up...later. I have forgotten my day.
Author:
ifeelbetterDisclaimer: I own nothing of value.
Notes: I spent last night--the wee hours of the morning, really--barfing christmas joy all over my house. Now it is time to start spreading my irrepresible holiday joy all over the internet as well! These prompts are going to be short--I'm squeezing the time out of a jam-packed schedule. You could still prompt me if you feel the urge. I'm gonna have to do some creative scrambling once I run out of prompts...in eight days.
"You want to put a parasite over the door-frame," Sherlock said, speaking slowly as if you hoped John would realize it was a ridiculous idea if it came back at him at half speed.
"I want to put mistletoe over the door-frame, yes," John said. He'd had to pull a chair from the kitchen and there was something distinctly charming about looking down on Sherlock for once.
"Which is a parasite," Sherlock said. "Well, I say parasite when it's the common name for a group of hemi-parasitic plants in the order Santalales that grow attached--"
"Just hand me the hemi-parasite and shut up," John said. It was hard to work up even the semblance of real rancor, though, when Sherlock was actually participating and showing interest in mundane, plebeian affairs.
"Mistletoe plants can kill the host tree by over-infestation, you know," Sherlock said. John had a thumb-tack between his teeth so he didn't respond. It didn't seem to deter the flow of information. "A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present."
John took the tack out from between his teeth and worked it into the wood of the door-frame. "Fascinating," he said, not really listening.
"According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas," Sherlock continued. "The custom of kissing while standing beneath the mistletoe is probably Scandinavian in origin." He held out a hand to John to help him step off the chair.
"Scandinavian, huh?" John said.
"I just said that," Sherlock pointed out. "According to Pliny the Elder, the Celts considered it a remedy for barrenness in animals and an antidote to poison."
"Why do you know all of this?" John asked. The backs of his knees were butting against the seat of the chair but he didn't seem to be moving and Sherlock didn't seem to have noticed.
"I had a case three years ago," Sherlock said, shrugging, and of course he knew it for a case.
"Yuletide murder?"
"Not really," Sherlock said and he hadn't actually stepped forward--hadn't really moved at all--but he suddenly seemed a lot closer. "It was a favor for Lestrade, actually. Before his wife left him. He hired me to create the perfect Christmas celebration. I needed to research the customs."
"He...hired you to plan a holiday with his wife," John repeated. It still sounded absolutely insane.
"He trusted my thoroughness."
"No wonder she left him."
Sherlock nodded. "It was fairly soon after that Christmas that she moved out. Presumably unrelated."
"Presumably," John repeated.
"I enjoyed the mythology surrounding the mistletoe," Sherlock said, looking upwards.
"I've always liked it too," John said, letting his gaze shift upwards as well. "I like the in medias res and romanticism of it all."
There was a pause as it became apparent to each that they were, in fact, both standing under the mistletoe in a doorway.
"Ah," said Sherlock.
"Right," said John.
There was another pause.
"I'll just--" John started to say but Sherlock ducked his head suddenly and caught the words on John's lips.
When Sherlock pulled back, John couldn't stop himself from pulling him back in.
"Is there a rule about leaving the mistletoe up year-round?" he asked. At least he'd found a reason to love Sherlock's ever-present scarf. It made for a useful hand-hold.
"Supposed to prevent lightning strikes," Sherlock said, right into the corner of John's mouth.
"Wouldn't want lightning strikes," John said, somewhat seriously...mostly breathlessly.
And that's Prompt #1! If you liked that, head over to
holiday_heist for Advent Calender style Inception goodies. Mine should pop up...later. I have forgotten my day.