Sherlock Fanfiction: Zygomata
Jan. 14th, 2012 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
saki101Title: Zygomata
Author: Saki101
Genre: pre-slash or slash
Rating: PG
Length: ~650 words
Warning: Spoilers for second season.
Disclaimer: I don't own BBC's Sherlock and no money is being made.
Author's note: Episode-related, The Hounds of Baskerville.
(Link also posted on sherlockbbc and AO3.)
Excerpt: Cheekbones. Not something John normally thought about, unless they were fractured or partially blown away, needing reconstructive surgery if the patient survived. Not until he’d met Sherlock Holmes anyway and spent months noting the pale curve of them.
Zygomata
Cheekbones. Not something John normally thought about, unless they were fractured or partially blown away, needing reconstructive surgery if the patient survived. Not until he’d met Sherlock Holmes anyway and spent months noting the pale curve of them.
“Oh, please. Can we not do that this time?” The words had just spilt out of John’s mouth.
“Do what?” Sherlock had asked, a thread of pleasure running through his voice.
The slimmest of threads, but John had noticed it glimmering in the rich depth of that voice. Such a versatile instrument, Sherlock’s voice, one from which he wrung melodies every bit as expressive as those he summoned from his violin. The sounds played along John’s nerves in unexpected ways. As did other things Sherlock did. And really, they couldn’t be unconscious, not all of them.
“You being all mysterious with your cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool.” More than cool. Unattainable. Don’t hide your neck. I love to see it. Strong, graceful. I wish to pull the collar back and see more. Don’t hide it.
“I don’t do that,” Sherlock had protested.
You doth protest too much. “Yeah, you do,” John said and got into the Land Rover. Sherlock glanced about as though for a witness to corroborate his testimony or for an audience. Sherlock liked an audience, but there had been no one else around as they walked towards the jeep except John. The performance had been for John, Sherlock’s most receptive audience. And John had protested instead of applauding and asking for an encore. I doth protest too much, John thought as he glanced sideways, his eyes tracing the contours of Sherlock’s profile against the passing grey-green countryside.
John returned to gazing out his window. Dartmoor suited Sherlock and he’d never thought that anything except the neon throb of London could suit him, could match his energy. But Sherlock atop the strange rock formations which erupted from the rolling landscape, had seemed right. John had turned his field glasses on him when Sherlock was looking out towards Baskerville, seen all of him outlined against the sky, including those high, sharp cheekbones.
“So the e-mail from Kirsty...the missing, luminous rabbit...” John had brought his thoughts back to the case and resumed speaking, ignoring, for the most part, the alluring elegance of Sherlock’s cheekbones.
**************
He’d been trying too hard. John realised it amidst the gravestones in the morning, reviewing the previous evening’s conversation. He’d been trying to focus on the case, to ignore the feelings Sherlock stirred in him. He’d concentrated so effectively that he’d managed to ignore what was happening to Sherlock right in front of him. How could he have done that as a physician, never mind as a friend? Ignored those symptoms? In Sherlock?
“You’ve been pretty wired lately, you know you have.” John could hear himself saying it in his best bedside manner. Condescending, unobservant. He was a better doctor than that. He had hoped he was a better friend.
Sherlock, who could disregard the most essential demands of his body when his mind was engaged, had had to spell it out for John. “My body is betraying me,” he had said and not only his hand, but his voice had trembled, trembled with the effort of keeping it under control. There had been tears in the corners of his eyes. And John had chalked it all up to nicotine withdrawal? He should have suspected a stronger substance. He’d seen drug reactions, interactions, knew more than a bit about pharmacology. Had even asked about chemical weapons as they strode through Baskerville. Why hadn’t he at least considered the possibility, instead of leaving Sherlock to grapple with it alone in his impaired state? John closed his notebook, walked away when Sherlock came through the churchyard gate, kept his distance as Sherlock followed. When Sherlock caught up, grabbing John's arm, explaining how disorienting having to doubt his own senses had been, John uttered a few glib words and turned away yet again.
It wasn't only Sherlock’s body betraying him. And all because of coat collars and cheekbones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next ficlet in the series may be found here.
Author: Saki101
Genre: pre-slash or slash
Rating: PG
Length: ~650 words
Warning: Spoilers for second season.
Disclaimer: I don't own BBC's Sherlock and no money is being made.
Author's note: Episode-related, The Hounds of Baskerville.
(Link also posted on sherlockbbc and AO3.)
Excerpt: Cheekbones. Not something John normally thought about, unless they were fractured or partially blown away, needing reconstructive surgery if the patient survived. Not until he’d met Sherlock Holmes anyway and spent months noting the pale curve of them.
Cheekbones. Not something John normally thought about, unless they were fractured or partially blown away, needing reconstructive surgery if the patient survived. Not until he’d met Sherlock Holmes anyway and spent months noting the pale curve of them.
“Oh, please. Can we not do that this time?” The words had just spilt out of John’s mouth.
“Do what?” Sherlock had asked, a thread of pleasure running through his voice.
The slimmest of threads, but John had noticed it glimmering in the rich depth of that voice. Such a versatile instrument, Sherlock’s voice, one from which he wrung melodies every bit as expressive as those he summoned from his violin. The sounds played along John’s nerves in unexpected ways. As did other things Sherlock did. And really, they couldn’t be unconscious, not all of them.
“You being all mysterious with your cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool.” More than cool. Unattainable. Don’t hide your neck. I love to see it. Strong, graceful. I wish to pull the collar back and see more. Don’t hide it.
“I don’t do that,” Sherlock had protested.
You doth protest too much. “Yeah, you do,” John said and got into the Land Rover. Sherlock glanced about as though for a witness to corroborate his testimony or for an audience. Sherlock liked an audience, but there had been no one else around as they walked towards the jeep except John. The performance had been for John, Sherlock’s most receptive audience. And John had protested instead of applauding and asking for an encore. I doth protest too much, John thought as he glanced sideways, his eyes tracing the contours of Sherlock’s profile against the passing grey-green countryside.
John returned to gazing out his window. Dartmoor suited Sherlock and he’d never thought that anything except the neon throb of London could suit him, could match his energy. But Sherlock atop the strange rock formations which erupted from the rolling landscape, had seemed right. John had turned his field glasses on him when Sherlock was looking out towards Baskerville, seen all of him outlined against the sky, including those high, sharp cheekbones.
“So the e-mail from Kirsty...the missing, luminous rabbit...” John had brought his thoughts back to the case and resumed speaking, ignoring, for the most part, the alluring elegance of Sherlock’s cheekbones.
**************
He’d been trying too hard. John realised it amidst the gravestones in the morning, reviewing the previous evening’s conversation. He’d been trying to focus on the case, to ignore the feelings Sherlock stirred in him. He’d concentrated so effectively that he’d managed to ignore what was happening to Sherlock right in front of him. How could he have done that as a physician, never mind as a friend? Ignored those symptoms? In Sherlock?
“You’ve been pretty wired lately, you know you have.” John could hear himself saying it in his best bedside manner. Condescending, unobservant. He was a better doctor than that. He had hoped he was a better friend.
Sherlock, who could disregard the most essential demands of his body when his mind was engaged, had had to spell it out for John. “My body is betraying me,” he had said and not only his hand, but his voice had trembled, trembled with the effort of keeping it under control. There had been tears in the corners of his eyes. And John had chalked it all up to nicotine withdrawal? He should have suspected a stronger substance. He’d seen drug reactions, interactions, knew more than a bit about pharmacology. Had even asked about chemical weapons as they strode through Baskerville. Why hadn’t he at least considered the possibility, instead of leaving Sherlock to grapple with it alone in his impaired state? John closed his notebook, walked away when Sherlock came through the churchyard gate, kept his distance as Sherlock followed. When Sherlock caught up, grabbing John's arm, explaining how disorienting having to doubt his own senses had been, John uttered a few glib words and turned away yet again.
It wasn't only Sherlock’s body betraying him. And all because of coat collars and cheekbones.
The next ficlet in the series may be found here.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 09:38 pm (UTC)Mmmm - delicious, thank you. I love John's introspection, bless the man.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 11:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 11:32 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 11:52 pm (UTC)edit: oh, and I liked your ficlet - the very believable ruminations behind the dialog. Watson would never spout that 'cheekbones' line unless her were very emotionally involved, dont you think?
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 05:51 am (UTC)I agree completely. That line about cheekbones simply had to come from somewhere emotional. It made everyone I spoke to (not a huge sample, but still) sit up and notice!
no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 05:59 am (UTC)Not just rewatching, but stop action helps a lot. (Thank heavens for iplayer!) There are so many little things, one can't take them in all at once, I don't think. (Well, maybe Sherlock or Mycroft could, but for the rest of us...) There are also some mumbled words of dialogue that benefit from re-listening. Watson says "Asperger's" to Lestrade outside the pub when he tells Greg that Sherlock is actually glad to see him in his own way. Makes me wonder whether the writers are choosing to change Sherlock's popular (not necessarily accurate) diagnosis.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 06:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 02:01 am (UTC)Very nice.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 06:04 am (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-12 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-12 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 06:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-21 05:58 am (UTC)I agree with John's thoughts in the final long paragraph. We don't see Sherlock lose that much control even when he is craving cigarettes. Moreover, we don't see a full "danger night", so there is no concrete evidence demonstrating that John has ever seen him so profoundly affected. No teary moments mourning for Irene, either.
Looking forward to re-reading this series!
no subject
Date: 2012-03-21 08:34 am (UTC)There were many things I preferred about the pilot, although I liked the addition of Mycroft in the aired version. The description of who do we trust when we are alone, lost, drunk was perfect. I wondered whether people thought twice about taking a cab for a while after A Study in Pink aired.
It's fascinating how they re-styled Sherlock after the pilot as well. That's a whole discussion in itself. Perhaps we should return to it?
I barely touched on an Irene analysis because Hounds so completely distracted me, but that one needs careful scene-by-scene scrutiny. I've seen some fic titles that have addressed it, but I haven't had a chance to read any yet. The whole concept of "danger nights" that they are all co-operating to manage requires lots of contemplation!
Dashing off to work now. More pondering later!
Thank you!
Fic Rec: Experiments Series
Date: 2012-06-11 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-28 05:29 am (UTC)I'm not going to think about whether Experiments/Other Experiments work together as a series till I've read more. First impression is that this does have a different tone, I think you've added a lot of nuance to your portrait of the characters in the more recent stories.
This has such a strong sense of John's battle with himself, knowing the danger of falling under Sherlock's spell, but understanding how much his friendship is needed; trying to hold his own despite wanting a more dangerous closeness too. It really adds resonance to what we see on the screen, I love the way you're able to expand the meaning. It's your eye for detail!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-29 01:05 pm (UTC)That episode had me going nuts trying to reconcile all the different things that were being done and felt. And then they are shown being so domestic in the montage at the beginning of TRF with John giving Sherlock social cues and being very protective when they walk out the door through the press to go to the trial. Explanations (read: fanfic) were in order!
Although I decided this segment was the start of the Experiments series, I wrote You Follow Me Down Other Roads First and then backed up chronologically a bit.
(Your comment about an eye for detail, made me very happy! :-D)