Open Recs: Archenemy, by Elster

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Title: Archenemy on AO3
Author: Elster
Pairing: Gen: Sherlock, Mycroft
Length: 1647 words
Rating: General Audience
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Young Holmeses
Reccer's comments:
This is a nice look at the Holmes brothers as children and young men. More specifically, it's a look at the possible evolution of them as "archenemies" in Sherlock's view. I like the differences here, with edge but not rancor, and Mycroft's convincing care for his brother.


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Mycroft doesn't like his little brother for the first few years. He is very small, endlessly crying, a stupid needy thing, soaking up attention left and right. Then he starts walking – well, moving first, not actually walking – and begins to follow Mycroft everywhere. Mummy finds it adorable. Mycroft thinks that it's the most annoying thing in his life. Being responsible, doing the responsible thing, watching out for Sherlock.

He's a strange kid, never talking, only endlessly watching with his big winter sky eyes. He doesn't talk for so long Mummy begins to worry, but one day he starts, asks Mycroft what a chameleon is, because it's the only thing in his alphabet book he doesn't know. Mycroft makes the error of telling him and that's it, Sherlock doesn't stop for over a year.

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