Chapter Text
Sherlock rearranges the needle felted wolves on the mantle piece for the fifth time in ten minutes. Every time he changes their positions and poses, it never comes out the way he envisioned it.
In the end, he places the big wolves opposite to one another, posing them so they’ll each have their heads leaning on the other’s shoulders in a sort of hug.
And then he added the most important part: the small wolf, which he’d been procrastinating all this time. He poses it to stand on it’s hind legs, balancing with the tail, and fore legs stretched to the sky. It’s the closest he could get to ‘jumping with joy’.
He hears trampling on the staircase and grins. He hadn’t told anyone about the little wolf, and would surprise them with it now.
John barely got the door fully open before Rosie is running inside, looking around for Sherlock, then sprinting up to him and hugging him around his thighs. She was growing up much too fast for his liking.
“Hey.” John says with a giggle. “We have a little surprise for-”
Rosie interrupts him by squealing “Uncle Sherlock!”
Sherlock’s brain short circuits. She had just said ‘Sherlock’. Not ‘Sheelook’.
“-..and that was the surprise.” John finishes awkwardly.
Sherlock stares dumbfounded at John, then down at Rosie, still not believing it. “What did you just say?” He breathes out.
“Uncle Sherlock! Uncle Sherlock! Uncle Sheeerlooock!” Rosie sings, jumping excitedly on the spot.
“But what happened to being Uncle Sheelook?” Sherlock asks jokingly, the feelings of pride finally growing in his chest, plastering a grin on his face.
“Mary keeps reading our cases to her for bed time. Obviously leaving out the gruesome details, but she just loves hearing about you.” John explains. “I think it’s safe to say that she’s your biggest fan.”
Sherlock looks away, trying to hide his smile. Then he remembers the little wolf behind him. “Well, my biggest fan, I have a surprise for you, as well.”
Rosie gasps and looks at him with big, sparkling eyes. Sherlock turns around to pick up the puppy he’s made, suddenly feeling apprehensive. He was no artist, and definitely felt insecure in what he’s made. Would she even like it..?
“Sherlock..?” John asks in a low tone when the other stays frozen on the spot.
Taking a last, deep breath to calm his nerves, he turns around and leans down to show it to Rosie.
The girl ooh’s and takes it from his hands with delight, gently petting its head and looking back at Sherlock with a happy giggle.
“You finally made the small one, then?” John asks smugly.
Sherlock stands back up and nods. “I thought it was long overdue.” He comments, and they both watch as Rosie discovers just how posable it is.
John steals a glance at the other two wolves, raising an amused eyebrow at the way Sherlock has posed them.
Sherlock, taking notice, suddenly feels embarrassed. What had he been thinking when he put them together like that?!
But then he almost startles to death when John wraps his arm around him. “You could just ask for a hug, if that’s what you wanted, you know?”
Sherlock laughs awkwardly, but cherishes the closeness and warmth of John.
“Group hug!” Rosie says and wraps her arms around Sherlock again, from the other side, making the adults laugh.
When they let him go, Rosie climbs up on Sherlock’s armchair and places the – now posed to stand, with the tail up in the air – puppy next to the hugging adult wolves. “That one’s cool.” She says, pointing to Sherlock’s lone wolf, looking back at her dad and uncle.
A bit startled, they can’t think of anything to say.
Rosie continues by touching the skeletal wolf. “I like him. He’s different.” She says in a caring tone.
Neither had expected such a turn of events.
John gives her a small smile. “He is, isn’t he? But he’s still loved.”
Rosie responds by loudly kissing her hand, before figuratively putting that kiss onto the skinny wolf. “Much love. He needs all the love of the world. Then he’ll be juuust fine.” Her voice goes up at the last words.
John almost cries. His daughter couldn’t know what she was doing right now, couldn’t know what the wolf symbolises for Sherlock. He looks over at his friend, watches him unsuspiciously rub at his eyes with one hand.
John gives him one last pointed look before placing a hand kiss on the wolf as well.
~ Fin ~