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Title: Dung Beetles
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Rating: Gen
Length: 526
Content Notes: fluff, Sherlock/John
Summary: A chase takes a romantic turn.
Author's Note: For my [livejournal.com profile] 1_million_words Bingo Action/Adventure square: Dancing Under the Stars.


“Right turn, one way, roadworks, traffic lights, bus lane, pedestrian crossing, left turn only, traffic lights.”

Sherlock raised his head and spied the man unlocking the door to the building. “Alternate route!” he cried as he pushed the man out of the way and hurried up the stairs. “Come on, John!”

John ran after him. “Why do I think I’ve done this before? Oh, yeah, because I have. The day we met.”

“Second day,” corrected Sherlock as they climbed the metal fire escape ladder to the roof. “And not here, exactly, some ten kilometres from here.”

“What?” panted John when he caught up with Sherlock atop the roof.

He was frozen in place, eyes pinched shut, hands out, head jerking, brow furrowed.

“This way? Or maybe that way?” he mumbled.

“Are you—Sherlock Holmes, the walking GPS—lost?” cried John. “Oh, this is unbelievable!”

Sherlock broke his pose to glare at John. “I’m not lost! It’s definitely—“

John looked up at the night’s sky and sighed. “You know there are dung beetles smarter than you are, Mister Proper Genius.”

“Is that so, Doctor?” snapped Sherlock.

“It is. Dung beetles roll their balls in straight paths away from the pile using the stars for orientation. And not just one star, they require the whole Milky Way. They take a mental snapshot of the sky and use it to navigate. Only insect to do so.”

“Nature programme?”

“Yeah. Telly. Last night.”

“How unfortunate for you that you’re with me and not some scarab.”

“Well, if I was with a dung beetle, I’d be dancing on a ball of shit. So there’s that.” John pursed his lips, then grinned.

Their eyes locked, then both erupted into fits of snorts and giggles. 

Sherlock cleared his throat and turned his eyes skyward. “It is beautiful.”

“I thought you didn’t care about—“

“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it.” Sherlock fished his mobile out of his pocket.

“Finding us a way out of here?”

Sherlock shook his head. “How about a dance?” He dropped his phone back in his pocket as a voice crooned.

Embrace me my sweet embraceable you.

John folded into Sherlock’s arms. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought we were chasing bad guys.”

Sherlock sniffed. “Later. You surprised me, you and your dung beetles. You still surprise me after all this time. That’s worth a dance beneath the stars, no?”

“You know you are the most romantic, astronomically-challenged git in the universe?”

Sherlock smiled.

Embrace me my irreplaceable you.


They swayed together as the music swelled.

Just to look at you my heart grows tipsy in me.

John brushed his nose against dark wool. “I’m never lost when I’m with you, Sherlock. North star, Milky Way, sun, moon, the whole lot, right here in a very nice coat.”

“It is a nice coat,” agreed Sherlock. Then he kissed the top of John’s head and began to hum in a baritone rumble.

You and you alone bring out the gypsy in me.

They danced on, and when the final strains of the song faded, Sherlock dipped John low and whispered,

“Come to me do, my sweet embraceable you.”

Comments

ancientreader: sebastian stan as bucky looking pensive (Default)
[personal profile] ancientreader wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 01:55 am (UTC)
There's a lot in a tight little package here -- so the charmed dung beetle says! Romance and snark and science and dancing: and a needed distraction from the anxieties of repeatedly hitting Refresh on the Guardian's front page tonight. Thank you!
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)
[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 03:23 am (UTC)
Thank you! I am very happy to provide a distraction from any worries, domestic or international.
[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 02:14 am (UTC)
Aw! Snuggly dung beetle dancing....
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)
[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 03:19 am (UTC)
When you google 'dancing under the stars' one of early results is this bit about dung beetles. So I was like, well, okay, let's go with it...Thank you.
[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 12:50 pm (UTC)
Oh! And I missed the bit about the coat....so cute. Squee.
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)
[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 01:41 pm (UTC)
Thank you!
[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 10:20 am (UTC)
Sweet!

Dung beetle plot bunny?
ext_1789368: okapi (Inky Quill)
[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 12:39 pm (UTC)
Thank you!

You know, I hadn't made the leap to be honest, but yes. I shall keep it in my pocket for July.
ext_1620665: knight on horseback (Default)
[identity profile] scfrankles.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 11:28 am (UTC)
When I saw this, I thought Sherlock and John were actually going to be dung beetles. And that thought didn't surprise me at all ^_^ Like Small Hobbit, I think there must be a bunny there - Sherlock the dung beetle, who has unfortunately deleted the solar system ^_^

This is rather lovely and romantic. Favourite line: “I’m never lost when I’m with you, Sherlock. North star, Milky Way, sun, moon, the whole lot, right here in a very nice coat.”
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)
[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com wrote:
Jun. 24th, 2016 12:41 pm (UTC)
Hee, hee. O what we've become! Yes, I hadn't made the leap but you're perfectly right. Perhaps a WW prompt will fit.

Thank you, that was the aim. Thank you again.

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