Fic: Bathsheba: Teen

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Title: Bathsheba
Rating: Teen
Length: 500
Content Notes: Pining Holmes, POV Holmes.
Summary: Holmes is distracted by Watson in the bath.
Author's note: Continuing with the 'temptation in the Bible' theme for the March prompt of temptation.


I was adjusting the flame of the burner beneath a bubbling flask of what Watson had called ‘witch’s brew’ when I heard it.

Singing.

It was faint, but I’ve built a career and reputation, have I not, on detecting the faint and the trace. I listened and immediately discerned the tune’s place of origin and its progenitor.

Now I am of the belief that a man’s bathing routine is his own. What I do to achieve the ‘cat-like cleanliness’ Watson attributes to me is a private matter as are the elements of Watson’s regimen. I know that he prefers a Turkish bath but as a man cannot be running down to Northumberland Avenue every time he requires a scrub behind the ears, he often makes use of the homemade article. I also know, based on complaints voiced by Mrs. Hudson, that Watson’s bathing displaces quite a bit more water than our long-suffering landlady believes is necessary to achieve any kind of cleanliness, save that of an animal the size of an elephant.
And now I knew one thing more: that Watson liked to sing in the bath.

I had never heard him do so before, but perhaps he was moved by the change of weather, as winter was showing the first signs of releasing its grip on the world.

The coming of spring made the birds sing, why not the Watsons?

My gaze travelled up as if to meet his voice descending on the stairs.  

Watson in the bath. Warbling Watson in the warm, warm bath. The steam rising, enveloping. The water rippling, splashing, caressing his nude…

Oh, for goodness sake!

I snatched up my thin notebook and fixed my eyes upon its contents.

Science!

Truth!

“…love…”

Watson singing about love in the bath.

Well, of course, he’d sing about love! Most of the songs ever written, and thus ever sung, dealt with nothing else!

My mind conjured an image, a tempting image. I doubt that even King David could resist such an image, and I was no King David. But how did fantasy compare to reality? Well, the only way to know for certain would be to tiptoe to the door and peek through the…

Really!

I was not a schoolboy with loins aflame!

I sniffed.

And realised that loins were not my most burning problem.

My notes were on fire!

I cried out and waved the note-book, which sent a pair of embers flying: one lit upon my dressing gown, setting me a-smolder, and the other landed in the witch’s brew, which turned out to have a remarkable flammability.

What followed brought Watson racing down the stairs.

“Dash it all, man, what were you thinking?”

So overwhelmed was I by the sight of him, clad in naught but a towel, with water dripping very Wastsonly all over his Watson, that I could only speak truth.

“Of Bathsheba.”

He laughed. “Your Solomon-siring days are over, my good man, when Mrs. Hudson sees what you’ve done to the new rug!”

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I knew I suggested "Temptation" as the seasonal prompt for a good reason. This is wonderful - and I do like Watson's last line.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Fabulous prompt. Even if I never leave the Bible, which I am sorely tempted not to do, there's enough fodder for the rest of the month.

Thank you! Yeah, let's hope Mrs. Hudson wasn't in the middle of carving a roast when she smelled the smoke. Eek!

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I have to say you're on fire at the moment ^___^

Loved your Holmes voice in this one ^^ And I loved the humour and lightheartedness - I was giggling all the way through ^___^

OK, my favourite lines:

I know that he prefers a Turkish bath but as a man cannot be running down to Northumberland Avenue every time he requires a scrub behind the ears, he often makes use of the homemade article.


I had never heard him do so before, but perhaps he was moved by the change of weather, as winter was showing the first signs of releasing its grip on the world.

The coming of spring made the birds sing, why not the Watsons?


Really!

I was not a schoolboy with loins aflame!

I sniffed.

And realised that loins were not my most burning problem.

My notes were on fire!


And of course that punch line:

“Your Solomon-siring days are over, my good man, when Mrs. Hudson sees what you’ve done to the new rug!” ^___^

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Heh, heh, pun compliments are the best compliments. Thank you.

Yes, you picked out my favs, too. Wonderful prompt! Poor Mrs. Hudson, if it isn't water, it's fire.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Hee hee. Seems Watson isn't the only one who feels the spring. Some sing in the bath; some distractedly set fire to their experiments.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, Holmes has to set fire to the flat.

[debriswoman]

If Watsonly is not in the dictionary, it should be:-p
Enjoying your responses to the prompt, even if Holmes is having a tough time of it:-)
As is the new rug...

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! A bit Woosterly but everyone knows what it means, I think. Thank you. Think we'll go to the proverbial desert next, the rug might be spared...

[debriswoman]

No flying carpet then?

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Heh, heh, no. But I've sure Mrs. Hudson wouldn't mind one.

[tripleransom.livejournal.com]

"Warbling Watson in the warm, warm bath." Hee!

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

I never met an alliteration I didn't like!