Sherlock X Reader One Shots || 𝐹𝐿𝑈𝐹𝐹 + 𝑆𝑀𝑈𝑇

There's A Spider In The Loo ((Final) Part 3)

Y/N got back down but left the chair where it was.

Which made Sherlock's stomach (previously tingling pleasantly where Y/N had touched him) to drop to the floor.

"You're going to have to get it," Y/N said, the words he'd been dreading.

"No! Are you crazy?"

"No, but if you want the spider out you're going to have to be the one to do it. I'm not tall enough, Mrs Hudson isn't tall enough---and even if she was there's no way I'm letting you get her to climb on a chair."

Sherlock knew she was right, and chewed his bottom lip. He had a choice to make. He could wait for the spider to vacate its new hiding spot and relocate to a more accessible position. This could take days, he knew, because once a spider makes camp it really does tend to make camp. Being ambush predators, they can remain still for days on end. This posed the obvious threat of the spider moving from the cupboard when no ones looking, and then popping up somewhere else. Like in Sherlock's bedroom. Or in the sink. A mental image of pouring himself some cornflakes only to have a spider spill from the box and into his breakfast bowl made a shudder spiral its way down Sherlock's spine.

Of course, the other option is doing as Y/N suggested and dealing with the problem here and now, himself. Which he really didn't like the thought of.

"Can the cup fit in that space?" he asked, trying his best to sound curiously casual. As if he was just asking for fun, not because he was actually considering---

It was too late, though, Y/N already looked impressed, having assumed his interest meant there was some small chance she could actually persuade him to go through with it. "Yeah, just about. You should be able to just slide the top of the glass along the ceiling until it's over the spider, then place it down."

"I know, I'm not entirely useless," Sherlock scowled, then instantly softened. "Sorry. I'm just...you know."

"Yeah, I know. I was trying to use step by step instructions to ease your nerves."

She sounded so kind and the gesture was so thoughtfully sculpted to Sherlock's zany personality that he felt the tips of his ears reddening with shame at snapping at her.

"It won't touch you," Y/N assured. "You just reach out and put a cup over it. Then the paper, move it close enough for me to take it and I'll put it outside."

Sherlock narrowed his eyes at her. "For real this time?"

"For real this time."

🕷🕷🕷

Sherlock had thought about it for a long time, nibbling on his bottom lip while his mind churned away. He had been thinking so hard that he didn't even notice Y/N approach him and gently reach out to stroke her thumb over his lip, freeing it from the smooth white edges of his teeth. It sent a little shiver of what could only be described as pleasure crawl across his skin and he blinked at her. His jaw, which has been tightly gritted only moments before, had slackened, his mouth falling open enough for her to get a glimpse of his pink tongue.

"You're going to end up eating half your face," Y/N chuckled at him, and he realised with a hollow feeling that she had only been preventing him from biting his lip. Nothing else. Not that he knew of anything he'd have preferred her to do.

Nothing he'd let himself think about, anyway.

He smiled with obvious effort. "Yeah, I need to stop doing that."