Fic: 221B - Warrior

[anarion]

Title: Warrior
Words: 221
Rating: PG-13
Pairings : Sherlock/John
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: ‘365 days of 221Bs’ challenge: a prompt a day, given by atlinmerrick. The first was 'war'.




Previous 221b: A wordless prayer
_________________________________________________________________


Warrior


Sherlock had been at war with himself and with the world since he can remember.

Maids - scared by his questions. Teachers - annoyed by his intelligence. His parents - wanted a daughter and not another strange little boy. Other children - hated him even before he opened his mouth.

The only light in the darkness of his childhood had been his brother, who comforted Sherlock when he cried because nobody liked him (he stopped crying when he was five, a circumstance that upset Mycroft more than he ever liked to admit to himself), who bandaged wounds with words and careful touches and sometimes actual bandages and who explained the world to him every time it did not make sense (constantly).

In his teens he hated himself, hated his body, the tall stature with slender limbs that seemed to go on forever and never do what he wanted them to, hated his life, hated everyone. He tried to calm the war inside with drugs, learned to adorn himself with an armour of disdain and to defend himself with words sharp as a blade.

Then he met John Watson.

And though his days were still filled with bullets, brawls, fights, arguments (the worst of them with John), for the first time in his life, Sherlock felt at peace.

Life with John was the best of battles.


Next 221b: An Aspect of Beauty


------------------
AN: I needed a little writing exercise. I asked Atlin for a prompt. Then we decided that I was going to write a 221B every day we spent together.

Thank you, darling. You are the hummus to my vegetables!








.

Comments

[ledasdaughter.livejournal.com]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[anarion.livejournal.com]

:)

Thank you darlin!

[verityburns.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's gorgeous, darling! Kudos to Atlin for the prompt and to you for doing something so perfect with it.

The 'his parents - wanted a daughter' really strikes a chord with me; it drove me mad when people used to ask me what I was 'hoping for' when I was pregnant... were they going to tell my child later on that it wasn't what I'd wanted? And in the end, after God knows how many hours of labour, I wouldn't have cared if it had been a cat!

[chocolamousse.livejournal.com]

But maybe the father would have cared.

[verityburns.livejournal.com]

After what I went through, he was lucky to escape the delivery room with his tackle still functional.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

I love you!

[chocolamousse.livejournal.com]

This is so sweet ! Especially the part with Mycroft that is adorable. Sherlock stopping crying at five and building a defensive armour is very IC, for me. Could you tell him that I, as for me, don't hate his body ? (Yes, it's an euphemism.)

Then we decided that I was going to write a 221B every day we spent together.
I wish you'll spend many, many days together. Couldn't you marrry her or something ? :D

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Couldn't you marrry her or something ? :D
We are working on it. :D

Thanks for the comment, darling, especially the IC part!

[maggie-conagher.livejournal.com]

Awww, I want to hug Sherlock at all the ages. He needed a friend and waited a long time to get one.

Meanwhile, Mycroft is lovely here too, comforting and supportive, and grieving the closeness that they don't have anymore.

I love writing exercises and prompts. You two are going to have so much fun!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, we are having so much fun! :)

He needed a friend and waited a long time to get one.
Well, in his case the waiting was worth it, don't you think? :)

Thank you!

[atlinmerrick.livejournal.com]

When I read this the first time that last line gave me goosebumps. When I read it the third time the whole thing did. I love this. You took a one word prompt—war—and as usual did something utterly unexpected and beautiful with it.

I am happy to be your hummus, baby cakes, so much so that I will even refrain from being the red pepper kind. It's a clear mark of how much I adore you.

[arianedevere.livejournal.com]

Welcome back, sweetheart! I'm so glad you're Sherlock-inspired again, and looking forward to many more Atlin-inspired stories!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Thank you, it's good to be back!

It was lovely seeing you! (even though you were not kidnapped and therefore no Sherlock was involved in your rescue. Damn!)
:)

[arianedevere.livejournal.com]

Listen, even if I was kidnapped on the way home, d'you honestly think I'd have called you and Atlin to coordinate my rescue via Sherlock and John? I'd still be sitting in an abandoned factory or something, drumming my heels boredly against the box the kidnappers had sat me on, and waiting for bloody ever while you two kept distracting the boys with all the flirting!

[rox712.livejournal.com]

Life must have been hell before John Watson. (LOL I actually wrote "Love must have been hell" without even noticing it. Would have fitted too)

This is beautiful.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Life and love were probably hell without John, you are right! *hugs Sherlock*

Thank you, I am glad you like it! <3

[mirith.livejournal.com]

When you walk with John Watson, you see the battlefield.

Although John is off-stage, I love him here. Sherlock's formative years are mainly a placeholder between birth and meeting John.

"Arguments (the worst *with* John)." It's touching to think of Sherlock, who is generally battle-ready, hating to fight with his flatmate. Or maybe "worst" here means that the two of them go at it, no holds barred. Either way, it feels right.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Sherlock's formative years are mainly a placeholder between birth and meeting John.
Hell, yes. It's sad, but I think what he got out of the waiting was totally worth it. :)

Or maybe "worst" here means that the two of them go at it, no holds barred.
I meant it like that. ;)

Thank you for your thoughtful comment, as always much appreciated! <3

[mildly-neurotic.livejournal.com]

This is lovely.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear that. Thank you! :)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 and Wednesday, May 9, 2012

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User bwblack referenced to your post from Tuesday, May 8, 2012 and Wednesday, May 9, 2012 (http://holmesian-news.livejournal.com/207054.html) saying: [...] by (Holmes/Watson | NC-17 | BBC) ‘365 days of 221Bs’ challenge: Week 1 [...]

[dauphkantus.livejournal.com]

Oh Sherlock... *hugs*

Live with John Watson was the best of battles.
Psssst- it'd either be 'living' or 'life', though with the past tense 'was' there, living would be the better choice...

<3

[anarion.livejournal.com]

Jeez, you're right. *facepalm*
Thanks!

[purrculier1.livejournal.com]

*sniffles*"He stopped crying when he was five"*sniffles some more* This...nope,no words. Oak trees and acorns that was wonderful!

[anarion.livejournal.com]

*pats gently*

I made it all better (well, John did) in The Gift!

Thank you very much for your wonderful (albeit tearful) comment!

[veniachan.livejournal.com]

It's such a perfect start to this story! Cause it's so true, I just see this happening in front of my eyes. Every bit of it is perfect and again, so sadly true.
It's so cruelly logic that his life had to be exactly like that. It had to be hell for him *hug Sherlock*
The only good thing is that he had Mycroft. At least, there was someone who loved him, and loved him a lot in his special and oh so valuable way (and he still does, so sad that they can't share this closeness anymore. To think about it always breaks my heart :()

But now he has John! Hooray for John :D:D:D

[theorclair.livejournal.com]

I know you said that you'd have a PDF of all the stories once you were done. Is it ready yet?