Fic: Christmas Renewal: Gen
Dec. 13th, 2022 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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holmes_minorTitle: Christmas Renewal
Rating: Gen
Pairing: Lestrade/Lomax the sublibrarian (the pair so rare they exist only in my head)
Length: 500
Notes: also fornewyearscntdown prompt: renew; who needs coffee shop AU when there's lending library AU?
Summary:Lestrade renews a book on the day before Christmas.
“Good morning, Inspector,” said Lomax. He tried to keep his tone nonchalant, but his heart was thumping loudly in his chest. “What can the Saint James library do for Scotland Yard today? I must make you aware that we close at three o’clock today and will be closed all day tomorrow.”
“I should hope you wouldn’t be forced to work on Christmas Day!” said Lestrade with fervour. “I’m here because I wanted to request a renewal of this. Another renewal, that is.”
He put the thin tome on the counter between them.
H. G. Wells. The Time Machine.
“Another renewal?” teased Lomax.
“Another renewal,” repeated Lestrade, grinning.
Lomax’s smile widened as he looked down at the book. “I am glad you are enjoying it.”
“Yes, so much so that I’m going to be spending Christmas with it.”
“Oh?”
“Have you plans more engaging than mine?”
Lomax felt the colour in his cheeks rise. He thought of his modest bedsit and shook his head. “I haven’t any plans.”
Just then they were interrupted by harrumphing.
Lomax immediately felt a cold chill run down his spine.
“Mister Lomax, are you assisting this patron?” said a deep authoritative voice.
“Yes, Mister Carruthers…”
“He was renewing my book,” explained Lestrade. “And doing a very professional job of it.”
Lomax gulped.
“Renewing your book?” echoed Mister Carruthers sharply. “How is that possible? This isn’t the lending portion of the library. It’s the reference section, and if Mister Lomax has been allowing these volumes to leave the premises…”
“No, no, Mister Carruthers,” interjected Lomax. He turned his head and shot Lestrade a pleading glance before saying, “That just our little joke. This isn’t a book belonging to the library at all. It’s my own. See? No library ex-libris, just my own seal.” Lomax took up the book and exposed the front and back interior covers. “I leant it to Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, and sometimes, he likes to joke that he needs to renew it.”
Lomax felt a wave of relief when Lestrade threw back his head and laughed. “We coppers are like that! Always gotta joke because the job drags us down so.”
“I see,” said Mister Carruthers with a small, forced smile. “Well, perhaps if you’re done joking, Mister Lomax can get back to his assigned collections?”
“Of course, of course, compliments of the season to you both,” said Lestrade.
Lomax gave a nod at the Inspector’s departure. He spent the rest of his day castigating himself, then castigating Mister Carruthers, then wondering what he would do or say if he ever saw the handsome Inspector again.
As it turned out, he didn’t have long to wait.
Lestrade was appeared by his side five minutes after Lomax had left the library for his room.
“It was kind of you to lend me your own copy,” he said. “But why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Lomax shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Spend Christmas with me?”
Lomax stared, then nodded and thought books were truly amazing.
Rating: Gen
Pairing: Lestrade/Lomax the sublibrarian (the pair so rare they exist only in my head)
Length: 500
Notes: also for
newyearscntdown prompt: renew; who needs coffee shop AU when there's lending library AU?Summary:Lestrade renews a book on the day before Christmas.
“Good morning, Inspector,” said Lomax. He tried to keep his tone nonchalant, but his heart was thumping loudly in his chest. “What can the Saint James library do for Scotland Yard today? I must make you aware that we close at three o’clock today and will be closed all day tomorrow.”
“I should hope you wouldn’t be forced to work on Christmas Day!” said Lestrade with fervour. “I’m here because I wanted to request a renewal of this. Another renewal, that is.”
He put the thin tome on the counter between them.
H. G. Wells. The Time Machine.
“Another renewal?” teased Lomax.
“Another renewal,” repeated Lestrade, grinning.
Lomax’s smile widened as he looked down at the book. “I am glad you are enjoying it.”
“Yes, so much so that I’m going to be spending Christmas with it.”
“Oh?”
“Have you plans more engaging than mine?”
Lomax felt the colour in his cheeks rise. He thought of his modest bedsit and shook his head. “I haven’t any plans.”
Just then they were interrupted by harrumphing.
Lomax immediately felt a cold chill run down his spine.
“Mister Lomax, are you assisting this patron?” said a deep authoritative voice.
“Yes, Mister Carruthers…”
“He was renewing my book,” explained Lestrade. “And doing a very professional job of it.”
Lomax gulped.
“Renewing your book?” echoed Mister Carruthers sharply. “How is that possible? This isn’t the lending portion of the library. It’s the reference section, and if Mister Lomax has been allowing these volumes to leave the premises…”
“No, no, Mister Carruthers,” interjected Lomax. He turned his head and shot Lestrade a pleading glance before saying, “That just our little joke. This isn’t a book belonging to the library at all. It’s my own. See? No library ex-libris, just my own seal.” Lomax took up the book and exposed the front and back interior covers. “I leant it to Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, and sometimes, he likes to joke that he needs to renew it.”
Lomax felt a wave of relief when Lestrade threw back his head and laughed. “We coppers are like that! Always gotta joke because the job drags us down so.”
“I see,” said Mister Carruthers with a small, forced smile. “Well, perhaps if you’re done joking, Mister Lomax can get back to his assigned collections?”
“Of course, of course, compliments of the season to you both,” said Lestrade.
Lomax gave a nod at the Inspector’s departure. He spent the rest of his day castigating himself, then castigating Mister Carruthers, then wondering what he would do or say if he ever saw the handsome Inspector again.
As it turned out, he didn’t have long to wait.
Lestrade was appeared by his side five minutes after Lomax had left the library for his room.
“It was kind of you to lend me your own copy,” he said. “But why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Lomax shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Spend Christmas with me?”
Lomax stared, then nodded and thought books were truly amazing.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-14 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-14 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-15 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-15 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-01 04:37 pm (UTC)This is such a charming and gentle portrait of the two of them ^_^
no subject
Date: 2023-01-01 11:56 pm (UTC)