Fic: 221B - As I lay me down to sleep

[anarion]

So there we were in London. And I told atlinmerrick that my muse had left me. And what did she say? " Just write anything. Write something about Sherlock's shoes. A 221B." I thought she was crazy. That would never work.
Two minutes later we were fishing for b-words to go with it and suddenly it hit me, the perfect b-word for a shoe story.
That night, while I was trying to go to sleep, my muse came back. And she had this neat little thing in her pocket.

So this is for Atlin, who is wonderful and brilliant and deserves all the hugs I can give!


Title: As I lay me down to sleep
Words: 221
Rating: PG
Warnings:
Pairings : Sherlock/John
Disclaimer: Sadly the characters are not mine and no money is made (that would be sooo cool!).

Summary: John has never given Sherlock’s shoes much thought. Until that night.



221B - As I lay me down to sleep


John has never given Sherlock’s shoes much thought.

Sure, they were elegant, shiny and probably pretty expensive, like the rest of his outfit. But apart from that? There were only two times when John really noticed the shoes.

Once when he fell over them in the dark of their living room (nearly smashing his head on the table) and the other time when Sherlock slipped on a chase because of the smooth soles (only his amazing sense of balance saved him from falling).

But since that night he spent handcuffed to a radiator in a basement, a bloody blue scarf in his lap, watching the man walk around in Sherlock’s shoes, since then he hates them. Hates them with a passion he never thought himself capable of.

Because now the sound of these shoes on the floor, the smell of their leather (yes, the man made him kiss the shoes), just their sight makes him think of that terrible night, his helplessness and despair and his fear that Sherlock was gone.

This sound though is one he loves: The soft padding of Sherlock walking through the dark towards their bed, where John is lying, almost asleep, but never really sleeping until Sherlock has wrapped himself around him. The soft rustling of Sherlock’s trousers. Stepping softly as to not wake John. Barefoot.


--------------------------
AN: So, yes, my muse is back! *yay* Thanks to everyone who offered cookies to get her back. :)
I have one urgent thing on my mind, something porny my muse dragged in with her when she came back (and which was probably inevitable, since I had met Atlin that day *tee-hee*) but then I will get back to finish all the prompts I started. I promise!





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Comments

[baka-yu.livejournal.com]

I really like that! And barefoot Sherlock is always a great Sherlock. Toes! ;)

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Haha, good morning! :D

Eww, toes... ;)

[days-of-storm.livejournal.com]

the other time when Sherlock slipped on a chase because of the smooth soles (only his amazing sense of balance saved him from falling).

THIS IS ALSO CANON! :D

this is lovely. and yes, I see you're warming up to the feet. next stop: toes ;)

[ledasdaughter.livejournal.com]

whoops, logged in with the wrong account :p yeah, since I'm about to post a prompt fic for verityburns :p don't mind me and my split personality.

also, baka_yu, I will start working right after posting ;)

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I nearly died laughing when I read your last chapter and he slipped. But with his shoes, it is inevitable, isn't it?

Re the toes: see icon! :P

[arianedevere.livejournal.com]

Yay, you wrote it! *glomps you* And it's lovely!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Aaw, thank you! *glomps back*

How is your NT-bunny doing?

Edit: your icon! *lol*

[rox712.livejournal.com]

This is such a nice story to bring back home, specially if you have been missed a lot :-)

Barefoot is a brilliant b-word. And yes, I love toes, and feet.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Well, if you love the toes, you should probably talk to daysofstorm, she is a huge fan too... *shakes head*

Thank you for the lovely comment. :)

[mirith.livejournal.com]

Lovely. I love how you take a simple prompt ("shoes") and, in a few sentences, construct a whole world out of it. No wonder John hates this article of clothing.

There's so much tenderness in the last paragraph. Sherlock typically has all the subtlety of a china-shop bull, so for him to be tiptoeing around for John is sweet and affectionate. Plus, I get the idea that he's barefoot partly because he knows John is still PTSD-ing over his shoes.

Congratulations on the return of your muse! If Helen is the face that launched a thousand ships, atlinmerrick is the mouth that launched a thousand fanfics.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

I just love writing 221Bs, they are my favourite format. :)

I'm very happy that you liked it and yes, you saw right through Sherlock and the reason for his tiptoeing!

[mazarin221b.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done - of course Sherlock would know that his shoes bother John still. And "barefoot" is a lovely word to end a 221b with.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Coming from you this means a lot! *bounces*

[zephyr-macabee.livejournal.com]

We must reward the muse with cupcakes; so she stays around and you give us more of these to read!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Ooh, cupcakes! Shiny! :D

[verityburns.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is great! I kind of read it with one eye squeezed half shut, because of the angst warning, I have a non-existant threshold for death or dismemberment, but it was lovely and I read it a second time with a smile on my face :D

PS Great music choice ;)

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Dismemberment??? What goes on in that head of yours? *lol*

And no, there will never be death in my fics!

Glad I yould make you smile! :D

PS: isn't it? I still think of you every time I hear Alejandro! *hugs*

[jerel.livejournal.com]

Never thought about shoes myself. Now I will. Neat idea, well executed. :)

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Haha, I've never thought about Sherlock's shoes before either. Now I notice them constantly. *lol*

Thanks, glad you liked it! :D

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

That is good. So much in those few words!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[chocolamousse.livejournal.com]

The final lines are lovely. Showing his love for John in such a subtle way is so Sherlock (well, in my headcanon at least ! :-) ) And wow, in 221 words you manage to write an adorable domestic scene and to suggest what could be a very long and very angsty fic (I like the detail, which is not a detail at all actually, of the bloodstained blue scarf in John's lap, and the shoe-kissing thing is creepy) ; your muse in on fire ! :D

By the way, I read Another Blink in Time a few days ago and I just went "Aww" in the end. Such a romantic story and such a lovely happy ending ! And I'm looking forward the final chapter of Homeless. :-)

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaah. *flails*

I always love reading your comments and now there is one in my journal! *bounces*

Thank you!

Glad you liked this and 'Another Blink'! And the final chapter of 'Homeless' will follow shortly! (After a fleeting visit in the voyeuristic Sherlock verse)

[atlinmerrick.livejournal.com]

This gives me goosebumps. I never in a million years would have predicted where you'd take such a prompt: "Write about Sherlock's shoes." You have gobsmacked me and amazed me and given me damn goosebumps with what you've produced.

It's terrible and it's sad and it's also sweet and sweet and sweet. One word:

Wow.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Ooh, goosebumps! Nice.

And to be honest, I amaze myself all of the time. *lol*
Not sure where this story came from, but you deserve half of the praise, because you pushed me in the right direction. Thank you! <3

Also good news on the porn front, part 2 of the brain-melter just went to Verity for beta. :D

[ellie_hell.livejournal.com]

At first I was like "haha, Sherlock falling. That's just something waiting to happen."

Then, I was like D: because that glimpse we got of that case gone wrong was chilling and scary, and I both do and don't want to know what happened and where Sherlock was.

And finally I was all :D because the image of a barefoot Sherlock silently making his way to John's bed is adorable. Don't go looking for this fic, I'll be hugging it in that corner over there for a while.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

For reading all this stuff in one go you deserve to cuddle that fic for a while! :)

[zevbaldwin.livejournal.com]

Very nice story!