His Great Game (Sherlock x Reader)

Chapter 28: A Scandal in Buckingham Palace

(A/N: 16.6K reads?!?! *faints from excitement* Thanks for all the support!! Feel free to comment and let me know what direction you want the story to go- it does feature you, after all. Enjoy!)

(Your POV)

And so the months passed. September soon faded into October, and November approached soon after, bringing a blend of fall and winter as the seasons seemed to merge. Since I no longer had to go to Cambridge, I accompanied Sherlock and John to nearly every crime scene we were called for (the 'Geek Interpreter', as John dubbed it, was my favorite). I managed not to get myself hurt at all during those few months- this in itself was a small miracle.

Although I enjoyed every moment I spent with my Baker Street boys, Sherlock's growing popularity was becoming increasingly annoying. Every case we solved, the press tried to follow. Lestrade helped a lot with this, forcing the crowds back so we could cover our faces and get through quickly. The last thing Sherlock needed as a private detective was a public image.

I might be a British citizen now, complete with my acquired London accent, but that didn't change my American roots. I still threatened Sherlock with my fist of freedom from time to time. I had to be constantly reminded that I couldn't say "Land of the free, bastard" anymore. That was rather disappointing. The only downfall of my American upbringing was the cold. I was accustomed to much warmer temperatures back in the states, so to put it lightly, I wasn't very appreciative of the 50-degree weather. More times than not, I ended up stealing Sherlock's coat when we were out. Well, I say steal. More like he offered it to me every time I so much as got a little chilly.

If this wasn't Sherlock we were talking about, I might even think he had a crush on me. I know, at the very least, he cares for me platonically. But of course, this is Sherlock we're taking about, so naturally he feels no attraction towards anyone. Which is unfortunate, since I'm head over heels for him- not that he ever needs to know that. If I wasn't so good at faking disinterest, he'd probably be onto me by now.

We do have a connection, though- that much in undeniable. I don't mean physically, like with the forehead kisses, I mean mentally. It started in late October out of nowhere; I had just returned home from doing some fieldwork research on our latest case.

I quickly shut the door to keep out the cold air and shook off my boots. Slightly shivering, I shrugged off my coat and made my way over to the fireplace, which was alight and blazing with warmth. As John occupied his chair, napping, I took residence in Sherlock's.

It was moments later that Sherlock left the kitchen to come to the living room. Following the feeling in my gut, I picked up his phone from the side table without hesitation and tossed it to him. Sherlock overcame his initial surprise just in time, catching it before it hit the ground. We stared at each other in confused silence for a few seconds.

"How..." He shook his head. "How did you know that I needed my phone?"

I shrugged sheepishly. "I dunno, just had a feeling."

He studied me with a calculating gaze for a few seconds before shaking his head and turning away. "Okay."

After that night, it sort of just kept happening. Sometimes, I'd walk in the door and immediately toss something over to Sherlock, who would be over by the wall studying evidence, on the couch thinking, or at the dinner table experimenting. He would catch it without looking. His phone, a pen, a piece of evidence- it varied. Sometimes I didn't even throw anything, just asked him if he needed what I thought he did. I was always right.

This morning, I woke up in a good mood and went straight to work in my mind, planning. After all, it was the first day of December, which meant there was only 24 days until Christmas. There were decorations to be acquired and gifts to be bought. I smiled to myself as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Today was going to be a good day- I could feel it.