mustbethetruth: (Default)
Sherlock Holmes ([personal profile] mustbethetruth) wrote2012-01-24 03:33 am

Behold I dream a dream of good


Holmes is not dead, but that seems a mere technicality. It’s only because the world thinks he’s dead now—that Moran thinks he’s dead—that he can even begin to consider himself alive. Even still, even with the tentative new grasp on himself, even with the aftershocks of having been so close, so very close to tipping over into actual oblivion, he doesn’t feel alive. His heart beats, and his lungs expand and contract, and he moves from Tibet to France to London, but it’s all just movement, just technicalities that propel a man who is but a technicality himself.

Holmes does not feel alive until he’s dressed as an ancient bookseller, and he has a pain in his back and his neck from stooping, and he smells of spirit gum and makeup, and he sees his soul from across the street.

He could hardly be blamed for nearly forgetting himself, forgetting all of this, and crying out to Watson. What else would a body do, when it sees its soul, ripped from him for far too long?

Maybe that’s overly sentimental, but he’s nearly faded away to his own death in an opium den, and spent the next several months under the careful care of monks, themselves prone to sentimentality and metaphor. He’s allowed.

And besides, it’s true.

The purpose of his mission is to guarantee that Watson is not being tailed, that Moran has not noticed Holmes’s technical state of being, that Moran has not decided to give in and kill where his loyalty has so far stayed his hand. Very shortly, nothing seems more important than cataloging everything about Watson; what weight he’s gained or lost, what new items of clothing he’s bought, what needs to be replaced, where he’s been walking, how much sleep he’s been getting, the emotions that flicker over his face (annoyance at the man who walks far too slowly in front of him, fondness for a boy who might’ve been an Irregular).

He only barely remembers that he has more to do today than drink in Watson’s presence, but suddenly the prospect of reuniting with Watson seems far too real, far too frightening. He’s been dead for so long, to himself as much as anyone, and coming back to life is daunting, like emerging from a cave and finding himself entirely unaccustomed to the light of day.

He allows himself this: he crosses their paths, he bumps into him on the sidewalk, he spills his armful of books, and he flees before they sew themselves together again, as they must inevitably do.

~


Mrs. Hudson faints when a bookseller transforms into the specter of Sherlock Holmes in her entryway.

Holmes revives her in her kitchen, and she cries in little bursts, and she clings to Holmes’s neck, and Holmes hugs her back because she doesn’t smell any different, not in the least, and her hair’s the same, but her apron is new. A present from Watson. When she confirms the deduction, Holmes has to stop himself from fingering it, from imagining Watson lingering in a shop and choosing this for her for her birthday.

Everything is arranged, she says; Mycroft’s package is here, and she hasn’t touched it, like he asked. She fixes her hair and blots her face and hugs Holmes again, arms tight around his back, before she pushes him upstairs. She promises tea, promises composure, and disappears into the kitchen.

There is danger. There will come a time when Moran must know, when Moran will step back into the hunt, and his target will be very different. His target will be far more precious. If Holmes slips, if he fails, the story of Sherlock Holmes will be over; his body, the corpse that still breathes, will complete its decomposition, and maybe the darkness will take him.

But he won’t fail. Before he was but a ghost; soon he will be resurrected.

In their sitting room, he is the bookseller. Sherlock Holmes is not alive still; he is not yet complete, but he will be soon. He sips his tea, and he waits.
lightconductor: (intent)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-04 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
"It's difficult to dislike," Watson agreed, his voice low and throaty with laughter. He had forgotten how he missed such things, such minor things that were so important when he had them. He wasn't sure how he had ever managed to live so long without being able to be touched every day, in intimate and insignificant ways, both.

He kissed the back of Holmes's neck, delicate and savouring. He let his fingers run in gentle circles over the skin of Holmes's arm. He was enjoying the moment, drinking it in through every pore, memorising every aspect of it.
lightconductor: (:))

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-05 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
Watson sighed, sensing the change in tone and relaxing into that newness, gladly. He wasn't thinking about it logically, not rationally, merely reacting in a deep and primal way.

Slowly, casually, he smoothed his hands over Holmes's chest, moving his fingers into familiar, long-missed curves. He knew it all so well, even now, after so many years. He was as familiar as he had ever been.

He inhaled Holmes's scent, savouring it, tasting his skin with small, hungry kisses.
lightconductor: (calm)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-05 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
It was then that he let his hand slide down a little too far, and he noticed for the first time Holmes's growing erection. It was perhaps inevitable, but he hadn't exactly aimed for it, either. His hesitation was only momentary, and had more to do with surprise, with savouring this moment and the power he had.

For Watson, there was no question of what the proper reaction was in this situation.

He reached down and took Holmes's cock in his hand, shutting his eyes at the feel of it. It had been far too long, he thought, since he'd had any cock in hand other than his own. He pressed his lips against Holmes's neck, exhaling slowly.
lightconductor: ((in bed))

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-05 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
Watson's laughter was low and breathy. It would have been a lie of the worst sort to claim he hadn't also missed it, or to try to hide the fact that he was beginning to grow a little hard himself, pressed against the small of Holmes's back.

He stroked Holmes's cock slowly, turning his head to kiss him, lingering and hungry. "I missed everything," he murmured. "This included."

He wrapped his free arm around Holmes's chest, holding him close against him.
lightconductor: (my pleasure)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-05 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
"It's perfectly convenient for me," Watson murmured. He certainly made no move to let Holmes go to any extent. Why he wanted to hold Holmes like this when there were possibilites of doing other things, he couldn't say... except, perhaps, it was good to hold Holmes in one place after too long of having him be far too far away.

He nibbled gently on Holmes's ear. His touch was firm but gentle, loving but with no room for argument. This was his moment, to lay out and direct as he wished, and he would have it, and have Holmes, as he wanted and no other way.

"Stay, just as you are."
lightconductor: (sweet)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-05 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"I look forward to it," Watson purred. "In the meantime, you're mine."

He continued his gentle touches, long and slow and soothing, his hand on Holmes's cock firm and reassuring. He was growing very hard against Holmes's back, only thinking, only imagining this future promise of a ravaging, imagining this shade of control over Holmes, even if it was temporary. Strange, how games of power could be so exhilirating, so intoxicating. He mouthed Holmes's neck, letting his teeth scrape against skin with playful hunger.
lightconductor: (thinking)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-06 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
"And don't you forget it," Watson growled, smiling a predatory sort of smile. He stayed slow, easy, savouring each stroke almost as much as if it were his own cock in his hand. Moreso, perhaps; he took a certain amount of pleasure in pleasing someone else, as opposed to himself.

And he had done this to himself too often over the years.

He took Holmes's earlobe gently between his teeth, his tongue exploring. He slid his leg alongside Holmes's body, along his legs increasing every contact between them as much as possible.
lightconductor: (naked)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-06 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Sometime," Watson promised, his voice breathy and hoarse. "When you're not expecting it. Perhaps your birthday."

He scraped his teeth along Holmes's shoulders, light enough to not make a mark, wishing it were possible to bite down and leave some sign of ownership, as juvenile as that was.

It was unwise, but good God he felt tempted to.

He increased his pace, just a little, and his hips bucked up against Holmes's back, trying to get some sort of friction against his own cock.
lightconductor: ((in bed))

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-06 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
To be asked -- and so irresistably -- to do exactly what he wished to do was more than Watson could resist. Wisdom be damned, he hesitated a moment, memorising the moment, his mouth hot against Holmes's shoulder before he did exactly as he was asked, as he had wanted, and bit down onto Holmes's skin. He sucked gently, soothing after the harshness of his teeth.

His hand over Holmes's cock moved a little faster, a little harder, a little more desperate.

"You are mine," he half-gasped, half-hissed.
lightconductor: (oh)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-06 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
There was something beautiful about watching Holmes lose himself in his orgasm, about holding back to see it and appreciate it. Watson loosened his grip on Holmes, his touch growing soothing, though no less possessive, as he smoothed his hands over Holmes's skin.

He was still hard, of course, still desperate, but for the moment he was merely content to relish this moment for what it was.

He leaned his head forward, briefly resting between Holmes's shoulder blades, before kissing him feverishly.
lightconductor: (sweet)

[personal profile] lightconductor 2012-02-06 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
Watson gave a small groan, leaning back in the tub. His eyes fell shut. "I have one last order to give you," he said, rather hoarsely. He inhaled, drawing breath while he tried to phrase what he wanted when he had so much circling through his mind. Stalling somewhat for time, he twined his fingers into Holmes's hair and kissed him, hard.

"You're responsible for this," he managed at last, gesturing to his own hard cock. "You ought to do something about it."