Poison & Wine//A BBC Sherlock fanfic

Then

Then

Although she had only been in the rain for a few short seconds, Cosette had water dripping off every inch of her body by the time she entered the building.

She had just finished a class and had caught a taxi from the University grounds to Sherlock's flat which he shared with another guy. He hadn't had a class on that day so there had been no need for him to come in. They had arranged earlier on in the week, though, for her to come over that day after class (Something that made Cosette feel a little giddy about. It felt like they were planning a date, which she knew wasn't true, but still. A girl could dream).

She let herself into the building using the key she had gotten made a few weeks earlier, something that Sherlock didn't know she had gotten done (or so she thought. She could never be sure, what with his deduction powers and all). Now, she hadn't gotten the extra key to be a creep or anything, it was merely a precaution. If she ever became suspicious that he was back on the drugs, she would need to be able to come in and check (Not that she didn't trust him. He had been drug-free for the past month, now).

With a little shiver she pulled her wet coat off and hung it up on the hook against the wall before walking upstairs. As she reached the top the sound of two voices drifted towards her, rising and falling from time to time. She could clearly hear Sherlock's deep, baritone voice, but the other person she did not know. It wasn't until she heard a laugh that she froze, her foot mere inches above the landing. The laugh had come from a female. Either that or Sherlock's laugh in the past twenty-four hours had become quite light and girly.

Her eyes wide Cosette looked to her right where the landing wrapped around and passed three doors-one of them Sherlock's room, the other his flat mates room, and the last one the bathroom- before leading into the living room/kitchen which overlooked the street. She didn't know what to do. She could hear them talking in the living room and she didn't know if she should go in and interrupt. She stared straight ahead at the window before her, watching the rain run down the glass. She couldn't help but feel a little sad and betrayed. Did Sherlock have a girlfriend he hadn't told her about? The very thought made her wince slightly. Sherlock have a girlfriend? Whatever happened to caring being a disadvantage, to not being in love? A slight flare of anger ignited in her and she frowned, her eyebrows drawn together.

No, she thought fiercely. No, I will not wait on ze steps like- like a piece of merde de poulet!* I am a strong woman and eff eet ees true, eff Sherlock does 'ave a girlfriend, zen fine! Zat ees fine. I will be polite and I will not show either of zem 'ow disappointed and sad I am. Remember: Eet ees better to 'ave 'is company as a friend zan to not 'ave 'im at all.

So with her shoulders pulled back and her chin raised Cosette stepped onto the landing and followed it to the living room.

Inside the room- which was just big enough to fit in a sofa, a small box television and a tiny kitchen which held a stove, a bench, and a mini fridge in the corner- Cosette found Sherlock and the woman who had been the source of the laughter. Only, as it turned out, it wasn't a woman. It was a girl. She sat on the kitchen bench top looking over at Sherlock who lay spread out on the sofa, one arm behind his head of curls and the other lying over his stomach. She must've been fifteen- sixteen at the most- with the same dark curly hair as Sherlock, along with the same pale skin and blue-grey eyes. Her cheekbones were not as sharp as Sherlock's, a hint of baby fat still lingering there to show her ongoing transition from girl to woman. Her young face was made up to look older, though, with the presence of foundation, lip gloss, mascara and thick, smudged eyeliner which made her eyes look dangerous and piercing. Her wild hair was pulled back in a messy bun, strands of dark brown sticking up all over the place. She wore a black leather jacket over a dark red checkered shirt, and her pants were tight and black, making her already round hips look bigger (Cosette couldn't help but feel a little jealous at how well-developed the girl's curves were. Her's still resembled that of a twelve year old boy). From where Cosette was standing she could see that the girl had a pair of dark red leather boots on, and she was swinging them merrily without a care in the world.