Title: Beginning
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Rating: G
Length: 321
Warning: None.
Summary: The man practically pushed her aside as he strode purposefully past her, his tall build only causing her to step back in surprise. Pre-series.
Notes: Also under 'Question' and 'Doorway' Challenges.



“Right. 221B Baker Street, then?”

The man practically pushed her aside as he strode purposefully past her, his tall build only causing her to step back in surprise.

“Seems spacious enough.” He walked right on in, didn’t wait for her or anything. “Pleasing to the eye.” His steps were quick, long legs taking him from one end to the other in a matter of seconds, as her own cautious steps stopped at the door. “Not too far from the Tube, close enough to the street. No mildew, seems to be in a reasonable condition. Oh, and there’s a place for my skull.” He turned on his heel and fixed her with a wary expression. “Very well,” he said in a bored tone. “I’ll take it.”

The only objection she could think of was to say, “You look like a delinquent.”

He really did. Messed up hair, yesterday’s clothes and coal on his cheek. Dear heavens, was that blood on his collar?

He looked down at himself as if he had completely forgotten what he was wearing. “There was a murder two houses down. Don’t worry. Everything’s solved. The brother did it.”

“A murder?” she asked breathlessly. She knew the lady and her family two houses down. Nice people, a bit selfish when it came to snow days. “Are they all right?”

He eyed her as if she had sprouted two heads. “No,” he said in a condescending tone. “They’re dead.”

He glanced one last time around the room. “I’ll be coming back with the first month’s deposit. I’m relatively on time when it comes to payment. I’ll be taking the upstairs, too.” He started walking past her, and then stopped. “You might want to fix the faulty gas line unless you want an explosion on your hands.”

He walked right past her and outside her house, the door swinging wildly in his wake.

“Oh my…” she muttered to herself. She should get that leak looked at.