Compromise was not a word with which Sherlock Holmes was very familiar.
Before John and Mary. Before Moriarty. Before...everything.
Time had humbled him and the mask he wore to hide his own vulnerability slipped bit by bit until the day he cast it aside with just 3 little words.
But it was worth it. Lord, was it worth it.
Some days were harder than others. Days, like today, when he wanted to pout and demand his own way, make them do what he wanted without all this unnecessary and tedious groveling and pleading.
It was a lesson hard learned, though, that his tantrums no longer held any sway. If anything, they became a source of amusement the few times he had caved to the temptation to throw a fit.
God, how had it come to this? The great Sherlock Holmes, sitting at his own kitchen table, visibly wrecked, covered in splatters of green mash, trying to beguile his own offspring into eating a single spoonful of mashed peas.
He was near tears at this point.
From his perch, fastened in a seven-point harness courtesy of his uncles’ helicopter fussing, little Will, the spitting image of his father, scowled up at him and adamantly refused to open his mouth.
Streaks of green covered his cherubic cheeks but not a single dollop had made it into his mouth. They were down to the last bite in the jar, the rest covered the floor and Sherlock.
“One bite, Will. And then we can go to the park?”
Not good enough. Will started to turn red and jerked his face away from the proffered spoon, a tantrum brewing behind his ice blue eyes. Hysteria for both Holmes boys was imminent and Sherlock briefly wondered if his parents, the off-continent gits, were suddenly struck with the desire to laugh. They had made it clear on many an occasion that Will was an easy child compared to himself, obviously taking after his mother in temperament.
Except right now, apparently.
Sherlock grimaced. He had no other choice. He hadn’t wanted to admit defeat, but it seemed inevitable.
“One bite,” Sherlock capitulated. “And we’ll go visit Mummy at work.”
The moment the word ‘mummy’ passed Sherlock’s lips, Will’s face lit up with a bright smile. “Mu’y!” He cried out and eagerly grabbed for the spoon, the taste of mashed peas suddenly more palatable when it meant he could see his mum.
Sherlock sighed wearily and set about cleaning his son’s face, the little boy bouncing excitedly. “Traitor.”
Will giggled at his father’s grumpy face.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. She does have both of us wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?” He unbuckled Will and lifted him into his arms. “Bath first for both us, though. Can’t let Mummy see the mess we made.”
“Mu’wy!” Will repeated, happily babbling his favourite (only) word over and over again as they got ready. Sherlock tried to coax him to say “da-da” but his son was a stubborn little thing who went right on singing his mother’s praises.
As he brushed out the wet tangles in Will’s short curls, Sherlock couldn’t help smiling at how very much like him his son was. Stubborn, adorable, and helplessly in love with Molly Hooper-Holmes.