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English
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Mystrade Monday Collection
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Published:
2025-09-02
Completed:
2025-09-03
Words:
581
Chapters:
2/2
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Unexpected Circumstances

Summary:

At the Pride Festival, Sherlock Holmes runs into someone and makes a conclusion.

Notes:

Since yesterday was Labor Day in the US, today is Virtual Monday. The Mystrade Monday Prompt this week was "Character A and Character B run into each other in the most unexpected place (or circumstances)."

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

John and Sherlock weren't sure why they were there, exactly. Somehow they had dared each other to go to Pride, and neither would back down, no matter how uncomfortable the idea made them.

Sherlock, of course, disliked crowds of noisy happy people, and he wasn't sure why it was necessary to advertise one's sexuality so loudly. At least he wasn't recognized in a simple shirt and trousers. He wouldn't bring his coat into all this colour and glitter.

He was keeping a close eye on John, as he expected John's tendency to state "not gay" wouldn't go over well. John seemed to be taking the events in stride, though; perhaps he really did think "it's all fine", at least for other people. And Sherlock had to admit there was something energising about people glad to be themselves.

Just then, a scream rang out. The two men glanced at each other, then ran towards the sound. A man was lying on his face with what looked to be a kitchen knife sticking out of his back.

Sherlock dropped to his knees to examine the corpse while John swung into captain mode and began shooing people backwards while dialing Lestrade on his mobile. The Detective Inspector walked up in just a few minutes.

"Your response time is improving, Graham, but I would have thought a stabbing deserved a siren."

"Sod off, Sherlock," Greg Lestrade responded, almost by habit. "I was already on site."

John looked at him, confused.

Greg rolled his eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, but my niece wanted to come, and her mum was concerned about the crowds."

John looked relieved, but Sherlock noticed a thin braid of strings around Greg's wrist, in shades of pink, purple, and blue. "Not just her. She wasn't the only one interested in this event."

Sherlock pulled out his phone. "Your colleagues should have no problem with this one. Fingerprints on the knife. The killer was repressed and envious." He rattled off deductions while making a call of his own.

"This should be worth several favors, brother dear -- Gavin's not exclusively heterosexual. He might be open to dating a gay man."

Notes:

This chapter is a 360MG fic, a Mystrade format of 360 words ending with the letters G or M (or in this case, both).

Chapter 2

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Mycroft pulled his phone away from his ear, staring at it as if it might tell him what his brother was on about. No, that didn't work. Sherlock was still incomprehensible.

As his device failed to give him satisfaction, he sighed and waded into battle. "Who is Gavin, and why is his sexuality relevant to me?"

"Gavin! Lestrade! The detective inspector whose posterior you sneak glances at when you think no one will see you."

Hearing his name, Greg looked at Sherlock. "Who's checking out my arse now?" he asked as Mycroft rapidly and strongly instructed Sherlock "Don't you dare answer that!"

Of course, his brother, helpful as he thought he was being, ignored him to answer Greg. "I'm speaking with my brother."

"That posh wanker with the umbrella?" Greg asked.

"Mmmm, yes, more true than you know."

"The one with the fine suits, the endless legs, and those expressive hands?"

Unfortunately, Mycroft had hung up before hearing this. Sherlock squinted at Lestrade. "I see that the festival atmosphere has affected your judgement."

"You and your brother are both good-looking men, no harm in admitting a fact."

Sherlock began backing away, calling out, "John! We need to leave now."

Greg, enjoying Sherlock's discomfort, asked, "What are you two doing here anyway?"

John finally spoke up. "It was kind of a bet."

Notes:

This chapter is a 221B, 221 words ending with one beginning with B.