221B Recs

Title: Unwritten
Author: misplaced_ad (MisplacedLonelyHeartsAd on AO3)
Pairing: Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes
Length: 2,500 words
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: John and Sherlock are just passing the time. It may or may not be a game.
*****
“I mean, it’s not like Mycroft sends you flowers.”
Sherlock snorts. “If he did, I guarantee that they would be fraught with meaning.”
“What, in the ‘language of flowers’ like a Victorian suitor?” John laughs at the absurdity of the idea. “Okay, so what flower represents ‘I worry about you constantly’?”
“ ‘Eat more green vegetables.’ ” They start snickering.
“ ‘I’ve been monitoring you by CCTV.’ ”
“ ‘Give me back my purloined ID cards.’ ” At this point they succumb to a hearty fit of giggling.
When Mycroft brings flowers the next morning, it is no exaggeration to say that they are both rendered speechless.

Reccer's comments: This is an immensely fascinating "outsider" perspective on the Holmes brothers' dubiously antagonistic and intense relationship, namely John's, who - prompted by something said by Sherlock in passing - can't shake off the idea that there's more to Sherlock and Mycroft's relationship than meets the eye. On the one hand this turns John into an intriguing unreliable narrator because his confusion and previous impressions cloud his judgement and affect his interpretation of everything he observes afterwards. On the other hand, though, John is still John. He makes some genuinely astute observations, acknowledges that his perception's prejudiced, is always ready to question himself and, above all, he takes everything that the Holmes brothers throw at him in his stride, just like the wonderful and immensely interesting human being that he is.

The characterisations are all excellent, especially Sherlock's, who we know loves to play games and never has any scruples to experiment on John. Despite the fact that Sherlock displays a tendency to treat John like an entertaining lab rat, the friendship between them still rings true in every single sentence. The relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft is rendered beautifully, like an intricate puzzle, and with great subtlety. If you ever hoped to stumble across a Sherlock story wherein Sherlock and Mycroft quote poems and exchange flowers and are still very much their own enigmatic selves, this is your fic.

The nature of the relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft remains gloriously ambiguous right until the end. We never know if Sherlock's simply messing with John because he finds the latter's reactions a fascinating study or if he's actually being sincere, and that's what makes this story so perfect through and through.