#🔍 ━━ speciesofhurt

[elementxrymydear]

@speciesofhurt

"did you two have a nice chat?"

Sherlock stops their reading, slowly glancing over at Watson from the newspaper, they had been waiting for him to speak up, say anything. " Yes, we had a lovely chat." They decide then that reading could wait, wanting their full attention on the man in front of them." Watson, are you jealous? I would be happy to share any details you may be curious to."

[elementxrymydear]

"Exactly." Sherlock snaps their fingers, pointing towards Watson." I asked her how she got the letter and she provided that the maid had delivered it with the rest of the mail. Which means that there are two possibilities, either whoever wrote them passed themselves off as the postman or the letter was already inside the house, it could have been left somewhere making the made assume she had dropped it."

They hum." Of course there is a third option that it had been the maid herself but that seems careless, not thought out."

Of course, the prospect of a new puzzle at hand immediately distracted Watson from his childish envy. Then again, this fascination with puzzles could also be termed childish, couldn't it?

" 'Collector', you say?" He stepped forward towards Holmes and the letter in his hand. "Perhaps someone is hoping for 're possession' of lost items?" Watson was now completely absorbed by the mystery. What an excellent strategy, Holmes.

"But Holmes, if there was no address, how could she have got the letter? It certainly wouldn't have been delivered to her?"

[elementxrymydear]

Sherlock didn't make an effort to move, they did enjoy this, very much so." Since you asked so kindly Watson I will share with you what she has told me in confidence, nothing to exciting I assure you but curious nonetheless." With that they took a step back, turning completely so that they could reach the desk in the room, holding up a letter that had been left behind.

" She came to me with a request, you see, someone has sent this lady a letter declaring to steal her precious jewels, her husband seems to be a collector of sorts, gifting her something new every so often." They hum." There is no address on the envelope and only her name is written on the back."

Oh, they were absolutely enjoying this, weren't they? Of course, Watson couldn't have that. No, he would not admit defeat so easily.

Gently, folding the newspaper, Watson peered into Holmes' eyes in return. "I was merely being polite, old chap. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Then again, if you didn't enjoy me 'pestering' you so much, you wouldn't have me around now, would you?" He moved to stand up, never taking his eyes off the other. "So, why don't you spare us both... whatever this is and just tell me what the lady wanted that had to be so discreetly mentioned?" A light smile on his lips, he waited for Holmes' answer.

[elementxrymydear]

"No." Sherlock repeats, the newspaper now discarded to the side." Yet I'm not convinced my dear friend." Pushing themselves from their sit, Holmes takes careful steps towards Watson, now that he had peaked their interest they would not let go so easily, teasing him was part of the fun.

" Then why even ask if you were not interested Watson? Seems counter productive." A slender finger pushes down on the paper, there was nowhere to hide." I always wish to included you but having you ask does delight me quite a bit."

"No!" That came out rather too quick and loud for his liking.

"Of course I'm not... that." His interest in his newspaper grew very much in that moment, and his mouth grew small. "What you do in your own time, Holmes, is your own business. And if you don't wish to include me, I shan't intrude, of course." He all but mumbled to the newspaper, eyes too fixated on one spot, unmoving.

Oh, but he did. He very much wanted to intrude.