Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As her cab gets closer to the address, Jayden takes a deep breath. This is supposed to be a fresh start but she’s having a bit of trouble accepting that this will actually help her. At least she’s an ocean away from her home town. That should help.

When the cab stopped at the side of the road to let Jayden out of the cab, the driver chuckled a little. “You have a case for Sherlock Holmes, miss?” The question made the young woman cock her head. She’s never even heard of that name before.

“No, I don’t.” Jayden said simply, slinging her backpack around her shoulder as she got out of the cab. She grabbed her stuffed suitcases from the trunk and then went to grab some money for the driver. “How much?”

The man responded with a number and Jay hastily gave it to him. That guy gave her bad vibes, partly because of the meaningless conversation he tried to start on multiple occasions during the ride. Jayden knew she was pretty, hot too.

She became a porn star for a reason.

Jayden approached the door labeled 221b Baker Street and knocked on the door. Her friend, Mrs. Hudson came to answer the door and the girl smiled, relieved. The young woman already knew she had other tenants so she was a little afraid someone else would answer the door and she would fumble over her words. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

“Jayden! Come in, come in!” Mrs. Hudson waved the girl inside, smiling happily. “Oh! Let me help with your bags.” She offered. Well, it wasn’t much of an offer, she took the lighter luggage out of the two. Jayden laughed quietly, Mrs. Hudson loves to help but obviously not at the expense of her own well being.

As they scaled the stairs to the top floor, Mrs. Hudson was talking and Jayden didn’t really mind listening to her. “Sherlock and John are not in their flat today so they shouldn’t disturb you too much. Y’know Sherlock plays the violin! Maybe you and him could play together?” She suggested unlocking the door to 221A once they got there. “Though I’m not sure what he feels about the guitar.” She hummed as she opened the door.

Who is Sherlock anyways?

Jayden had most of her things already shipped in, the things in her suitcases were mostly precious things and some clothes she wanted for the trip. But, now, her furniture rested in random places all around the apartment. Fresh start, indeed.

“Thank you, Mrs. Hudson.” Jayden smiled as she pushed all her things inside. “This is the best favor anyone’s ever done for me.” She said happily before hugging her friend. “I better get to decorating and should be enjoying the day at this hour.” The young woman winked as Mrs. Hudson laughed and nodded, making her way back downstairs.

Jay sighed softly as she turned, closing the door. The place seemed cold, lifeless, and horrible. 

Thankfully, Jayden knew how to decorate. She went to her bedroom to change into some…. Not so nice clothes to paint. She pre-ordered all the ones she wanted. For the main room, she decided on….. Black. Her furniture was nice and bright so she wasn’t so scared of it being too dark. Jay put her brunette and blue hair in a ponytail to start painting the walls of the living room, she also decided to put on some music as she painted.

Jayden herself was a beautiful girl. She was in her twenties, twenty-three specifically. Young to be moving to another country. Jayden was mixed so her skin was naturally tanned already, she was mainly Latine, African, and she had some Indigenous in her as well from her mother's side. She had short, wavy, dark brown hair with dark blue underneath but the color under hair depended on what she wanted when she redyed it. She had one brown eye and one icy blue eye with small specks of green in it, a little bit of everything. She also had a few piercings on her face, one on the bridge of her nose, a septum, and one on her left brow. The woman’s stature was actually very tall, taller than most men and also stronger than most men as well. Ever since Jayden was little, she wanted to be the epitome of a physically strong woman and she completed that goal. Hell, Jay found buff women hot so why not become one too? And, as she put it, she grew like a beanstalk in High School.

Once Jayden finished painting the living room, she started on the kitchen with a deep green to compliment the black cabinets nicely, then for the bathroom she did a soft blue. Now, for her own room, she settled on black again but she knew her walls would mostly be covered in art or other decorations she would eventually print out.

After painting everything, Jayden took a deep breath. There were colors splattered everywhere on her clothes, in her hair, and in her face. The woman blew a piece of hair that fell in her face and pursed her lips for a moment before she took all the sheets off her furniture and moved it into place.

It was easy for her to do, but she was tired. Jayden just wanted it to be done as soon as possible. By the time she was done with that, it was squarely midnight so Jay decided to shower and sleep.

—------------

The next day, Jayden started to take everything out of the boxes and put them in their respective places. Cabinets, drawers, dressers, and desks were filled with silverware, mugs, cups, glasses, pencils, pens, shirts, shorts, and pants.

For a moment, Jay wondered if her self-care things shipped to the UK but she realized they did because it was the most well known European country. They had to.

That day though, Jayden heard some banging downstairs. She shrugged it off, humming a little as she set some makeup in her desk. Then she heard a knock on heer door and immediately went to open it.

“Hello, dear! I decided to make you some breakfast for your first day here!” Mrs. Hudson said, carrying a tray of food for Jayden. The woman blinked before stepping to the side to let the older lady in. “This is so exciting. This also will not be happening again, I’m not your maid.” She shook her head. Jay cocked her head, it seemed like Mrs. Hudson was irritated by her tenants downstairs.

Jayden rolled her eyes and laughed a little, hugging the lady once again. “Thank you, Mrs. Hudson! You're adorable.” She smiled happily. She was very genuine in her response, she hasn’t had anyone besides her parents cook for her before so this was kind of monumental. Although, Mrs. Hudson seemed like she’d be a second mother.

After that day, the only person in Baker Street Jayden interacted with for a month was only Mrs. Hudson. She would only see some blurs of a pair leaving Baker Street and that was it. Plus, her own schedule was very hectic. 

—---------

See, the porn scene in London wasn’t so different than it was back in Chicago so Jayden was used to the restlessness. 

Occasionally, a shoot would start early. But that was rare. Most of them were from the middle of the day to the end of it. Thankfully, Jayden was already adapted to that kind of schedule. 

So imagine Jayden’s surprise when she came home around three a.m. one night and heard the violin as she scaled the stairs to her apartment. That had to be coming from 221b, right? Mrs. Hudson was dead asleep by then and Jay knew she didn’t leave anything on when she left for the day. Mrs. Hudson did say Sherlock played the violin…. At three a.m. though? 

At least it was good, enjoyable even. It did sound very…. Sad though. The chords and the harmonies all expressed the feeling of loneliness. Well, Jayden could relate to that.

Jay was never really a people person, she could talk with strangers but it was never something she would really go out of her way to do. And, well, recent traumatic events certainly didn’t help. But, either way, Jayden was excited to start this new chapter of her life, hopefully with new people as she found her way. 

The woman yawned as she closed the door to her apartment and walked to her bed. “Got damn.” Jayden groaned a little, scratching her head as she flopped on her bed. The shoot that day was tiresome. More than usual.

At least she had an off day in the morning. 

Jayden’s morning routine stayed mostly the same, not changing much even if it was a shoot day. She would wake up, shower, wash her face for the day and put on some comfortable clothes then have some breakfast. On a shoot day though, she would put on some makeup as well and occasionally put something more nice on if the shoot called for it. 

That day, though, since Jayden didn’t have much else to do, she decided to break out her acoustic guitar. She did have an electric one, she got it from a friend who just never learned so she was given it as a gift. The woman undid the clips of the case, her thumb stroking the metal for a moment. Jayden’s acoustic guitar has been with her through a lot, she had it ever since she was twelve. It was a simple design, a white body with a black neck and it was also not full size since she got it as a child. The guitar did have a few nicks here and there but it was mostly in good condition.

Jay started to play a more quiet piece, not wanting to bother the tenants downstairs or beside her. She hummed along with the song she played, closing her eyes as she let her fingers pluck notes like they had a mind of their own. A smile broke out on her lips, hastening the tempo slightly to match her mood.

Then there was a knock on her door.

Jayden stopped suddenly, her guitar making a distasteful sound. She set it off to the side, letting it rest against her couch as she stood up to get the door. The girl chuckled a little, “Mrs. Hudson, I told you I don’t need you to keep making me coffee!” She exclaimed, opening the door.

Not to Mrs. Hudson.

The young woman let her surprise show, her eyebrows furrowing at the man in front of her. He was very pale compared to her with dark curly hair that framed his face, accentuating his cheekbones more than they would be without them. Jayden fully took in the person in front of her, he wore a nice suit. Who wore that at eight in the morning unless he was in some sort of business?

“Not Mrs. Hudson.” Responded a deep, accented voice. The man had a small smirk on his lips, one that someone may not think was even there unless they were looking for it. “You play the guitar.” He narrowed his eyes for a moment, Jayden feeling a little exposed under his calculating gaze. 

Jayden shifted her weight on her feet for a moment, keeping her hand on her door. She was very guarded around new people. “Um, yes I do?” She cocked her head, somewhat confused. If this was a complaint about the noise, Jay would rather have him be more straight-forward than him just stating something.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause as the man’s eyes roamed her body. Yeah, this was weirding Jayden out. She’s had this happen before, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. At the same time, this didn’t feel as violating as previous times.

Early twenties. Physically strong. Mentally? Not so much.  Male to female transgender. Anxious, sometimes crippling. Depressed. Insomniac. 1.778 meters in height. Guitar player. Self-harm? No…. past abuse. Clumsy. American, quite obviously. Born in Chicago, previously lived in Florida. How she knows Mrs. Hudson. Sex worker, porn industry. Has glasses, prefers contacts for work. Near-sighted. Estranged Parents. No partner. Trouble with commitment. No siblings. Art lover. Dog lover. Film lover. Vintage antique collector. Punk style. Size ten and a half, US. Size eight and a half, UK. Right-handed. Loves to listen to music loudly. Favorite color is deep blue.

“I’m Sherlock Holmes.” He said, his eyes blinking for a moment as they snapped back up to Jayden’s. Oh, right! Mrs. Hudson’s tenant for 221b. Sherlock seemed very…. Interesting to say the least.

Jayden nodded, “Yeah, Mrs. Hudson’s told me about you.” She said. She was honestly expecting someone…. Older. Like a cranky old man because that’s what Mrs. Hudson described him as half the time. This man seemed young enough to be a millennial and it surprised her. He was only a generation older than her, that was better than some previous men she’s known.

“Interesting, Mrs. Hudson hasn’t told me a word about you and you moved in last month.” Sherlock said with a small shrug. Though she probably did, he just wasn’t listening. Might’ve been in his mind palace or, quite plainly, not listening.

Jayden slapped a hand over her mouth, a laugh escaping her. She didn’t know why but she found it hilarious. She took a breath as she got her giggles out, “I’m sorry. That fucking got me!” She sighed, a bright smile on her face before she looked back up at Sherlock, though he wasn’t too much taller than her. Maybe a few inches.

Sherlock opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it.

After that day though, Sherlock decided to bother Jayden every chance he had. After John left, after or during a case, usually when he was bored. Thank god or else he would shoot up the walls and Mrs. Hudson didn’t want to keep telling the people next door that she would pay for the holes in their walls. Strangely, Sherlock never decided to bring up his deductions about Jayden, maybe because she somewhat already knew that he knew what she did for a living. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for a man (usually) to recognize her. Either way, it was a little strange for Jayden.

Sherlock was intrigued by Jayden. Mostly how many people younger than him functioned, he couldn’t ask a child because there were no children that knew how to speak in his life. So a grown woman from the generation below him would fit well enough.

Not that he actually liked Jayden or anything.

Chapter Text

After first meeting Jayden, John begins to wonder where his friend is when he’s not in his flat. Occasionally, John will notice Sherlock won’t be in 221b when they have a case to get to. Now, he’ll just meet him at Scotland Yard and it’s bugging the man a little. He’s supposed to know mostly everything about Sherlock at this point and yet, he still gets surprised. He just hopes it’s nothing bad. Whatever it is that he’s up to before they meet.

“Well, this is certainly….. Horrific.” John grimaced as his eyes landed on the dead body in the middle of the room.

The body was mutilated and naked as it laid on the floor. This case was in a sex club in the heart of London, as far as John could tell, a lot of British elites frequented the place. And the dead man in the middle of the room was no different. A rich man by the name of Lucas Williams was lying dead.

Sherlock cocked his head for a moment. He found small rope indents all over the man’s body. Perhaps he was tied up before he died? Or he was dead in the ropes and the murderer decided to maticulously untie him. But what kind of rope was this? He needed the help of a friend….

“Alright, John, we’re done here. We need to stop by somewhere before we go home.” The man explained before telling Lestrade his findings.

The detective inspector blinked, surprised. “What? That’s it? You’re just gonna leave, like that?” He asked, confused. Usually, Sherlock would have more. Hell, sometimes he would already know who the killer was.

Sherlock hummed, nodding as he left, leaving John having the same questions as Greg but he followed his taller friend anyways. He was on a mission to go…. Well, wherever it was they were going.

—---------------

I have some questions and 

I’m bringing a friend with me.

SH

Then John heard the man next to him laugh at his phone in the taxi after it pinged, signifying he got a text. He cocked his head. He turned his head, trying to get a small glimpse of Sherlock’s phone. “You know it’s not a good practice to try and look at someone else’s phone.” The man sassed.

you don’t have to sign your texts, 

dude, i know it’s you

Who was Jay? “Well, is it so bad I want to know what has you giggling like a schoolgirl?” John rolled his eyes, shrugging as he looked out the window this time.

—--------------

Imagine his surprise when they stopped at 221b Baker Street, Sherlock’s flat. John blinked, “I thought you said we had to stop somewhere?” His voice was laced with confusion, cocking his head as they got out of the cab.

“We do.” Sherlock said simply, entering the familiar door. “Up we go.” He said, motioning at the stairs before scaling up the stairs to Jayden’s flat with John following closely behind him. “I needed an expert on more…. Sexual things.” Sherlock explained, having a feeling John was going to ask something like that. Since he’s not too educated on the topic, help was definitely required. Though, Sherlock's ignorance is purely on purpose. The man didn't find the need to know about such things.

Until now.

John was about to say something. “You wouldn’t know the answers to my questions.” Sherlock said sternly, not wanting to explain why he knew John wouldn’t. The topic didn’t necessarily make him uncomfortable but he knew others wouldn’t want to overhear such a thing. Well, who knows about Jayden.

Sherlock knocked on the door, somewhat more nervous than ever before. He would have to bring Jayden to the Yard and, well…. The amount of men there that have watched porn was incredibly concerning. To him. 

To Sherlock, things like that weren’t natural. Though, he didn’t degrade the people who participated in it for the money.

As the door opened, Sherlock heard that familiar voice which made him smile. “Hey, Sher.” Jayden hummed, a relaxed look on her face and her black thick-framed glasses resting on her nose. Sher? An off day, one of the reasons why Sherlock knew she would be home at this time. “You want some coffee or something today?” She asked, not even looking past Sherlock at the man behind him.

John was bewildered. This was the person Sherlock was going to ask for knowledge on the case? Was she his friend? That was unlikely. Hell, the way they dressed compared made it…. Very weird. Sherlock dressed prim and proper while the way this woman did was more punk. He did know that she lived up here though, Mrs. Hudson absolutely raved about the kind girl that lived on the highest floor in their part of the building. But how could she help?

“Unfortunately, Jay, I need your assistance in a case. I’m bringing you to Scotland Yard.” Sherlock explained, fully taking in Jayden’s appearance. Seems like she just got back from being out. Not the best time but good enough.

The young girl wore black, ripped pants with chains on her hips with a cropped, long-sleeve deep blue top. It somewhat showed her tattoos on her back and legs. Sherlock was a little surprised, he hadn’t noticed the tattoos before. But they were…. Nice. 

Jayden pursed her lips for a moment before closing the door.

John let out a breath, “Who the hell is she and how the hell is she your friend?” He hastily whispered as Sherlock. The girl had to be, at least, ten years younger than Sherlock. The age gap should’ve been enough for them to despise each other. Though, he was being hypocritical. John was upwards of ten years older than Sherlock.

Before Sherlock could respond, the door opened yet again to Jayden wearing some boots and a jacket. It was a little chilly outside.

“I’m not sure, to be honest.” Jay shrugged as she exited her flat, Sherlock smirking at her answer. John’s shoulders relaxed, watching the small expression. The detective was fond of her…. That was interesting. “Maybe it’s the main character syndrome.” She hummed a little as she walked down the stairs, Sherlock following her. 

John was so confused on what that meant that he didn’t follow until Sherlock stopped to look at him. 

"Main character syndrome?"

—----------

“So…. How did you meet?” John asked, pursing his lips as he looked at the two of them. They were so incredibly different, it surprised him that Sherlock would even talk with her.

Sherlock let out a frustrated sigh, “It was bound to happen at some point, John, she does live above me.” He said, looking out the window as the cab passed by the London streets. He’s seen them over and over and yet looking out the window is the best escape from a conversation as dull as this.

Jay let out a laugh at Sherlock’s response. “The real answer is he heard me play guitar, went up to my apartment-”

“Flat.”

“Whatever grammar police, I grew up in Chicago not in London. Anyways, he introduced himself. Since then, he’s been drinking all my fucking coffee with no charge.” Jayden explained, rolling her eyes at the detective beside her while Sherlock smirked yet again. Bothering her seemed to be his main source of entertainment, ultimately saving 221b’s walls and the man himself from a more detrimental addiction.

“Huh.” John responded, watching their dynamic. It felt like he was watching them from the street. He would’ve assumed they were close by just a quick glance.

Jay and Sherlock both looked at John, their eyebrows cocked. ‘Huh’ was all he had? Well, that was surprising.

—----------

“I need the photos from the Williams case.” Sherlock told Sally Donavon, who looked at the man like he was insane as she glanced behind him at Jayden. 

Jay seemed familiar to her but she couldn’t pinpoint where from.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment then rolled her eyes, “Fine, but Lestrade has them, not me. Ask him.” Sally explained, shrugging as she walked away from him. Sherlock grunted under his breath and led Jayden and John to Lestrade’s office. He was hoping to not have to bother the Detective Inspector.

“Y’know, you still never explained to me why you’re bringing me with you. Not that I’m complaining but you did say you ‘needed’ me? Whatever the fuck that means….” Jayden cocked her head as she followed Sherlock, gaining a few stares on her way. She felt them but decided against acknowledging them. 

Greg opened his door once he realized Sherlock was on the other end of it. “Okay, who is that?” He asked, not really looking at the girl, only noticing another presence there.

“Why don’t you actually look?” Sherlock asked sarcastically.

Greg’s eyebrows furrowed before he actually looked at Jayden, realization dawning. She looked so different in real life. Better, even. Yeah, he watched her stuff and Sherlock could tell. This must be awkward for the girl in question here.

“Oh, well….. That doesn’t explain why she’s here.” Lestrade pointed out before Sherlock shoved his way in, the detective not even making an attempt to block the man from coming in. As Sherlock entered, so did Jay and John. “Oi! What do you think you’re doing?”

The tall man rifled through some files before grabbing the one with the photographs he needed. “Getting the help I need. Would rather not look up the questions I need to ask.” He explained, sitting down in Lestrade’s chair as he spread out the pictures for Jayden to look at. Sherlock's search history would be worse than it already was. “An expert’s opinion?” Sherlock said hopefully as he looked up at her.

Jayden sat down in the chair across from Sherlock and looked at the photos, seemingly not phased by the gore shown in them. “Oh. This man is into some kinky shit.” Were the first words from her mouth, a smirk on her lips.

“Explain.” 

“Bondage. And by the bruising, it was either incredibly tight or he was suspended in the air…. You usually need the rope to be tight in the first place for that.” Jayden said, her eyes scanning over the pictures. “The rope also has to be catered for your skin type, certain rope will not work with certain types of skin. Though, he probably had the good stuff. He does seem rich.”

As Jayden explained this, yet another police alumni decided to enter the office. Philip Anderson. The man was now suddenly obsessed with Sherlock and the detective wasn’t sure if he liked him better before or after. Both were horrendous and he tried to avoid the man at all costs.

Realization set in John’s mind. Jayden worked with sex of some sort to have Sherlock asking such questions. He just hoped this wouldn’t be like Irene again. How could he not have noticed that before? Why else would he ask her to come to Scotland Yard for questions like these? People were also staring at her as she walked in…. And now that he was thinking of this, Anderson was certainly in the middle of staring at Jayden’s body.

Maybe Sherlock was rubbing off on John.

Greg watched the two as they talked about his case. This was vital information, maybe he should be taking notes. But he was a little distracted by the fact that Sherlock was friends with a fucking porn star and was completely nonchalant about it. 

Though, after all was said and done, it was just a job.

Sherlock looked down at the photographs again. “So it’s not the cause of death?” He’s already deduced the stab wounds were done after death so that just left the rope, he did see some marks around the man’s neck.

“No.” Jay shook her head, trying to think. “Though, I’ve heard of this spot. Some clients there like to take drugs before a scene.” Scene? “They will usually ask the worker to give it to them, maybe he was given an overdose on purpose.” She concluded, shrugging.

“Alright.” Sherlock hummed, that seemed like a big probability. But now he needed to find out who was working in that ‘scene’ with Williams that night. “Thank you, Jayden.” He said as he cleaned up the folder and set it back in with the other files.

Now, Philip made his presence known for Jayden. “Of course you had to get help from someone like her, you don’t know a thing about sex.” He shrugged. Well, maybe he was back to despising Sherlock. The detective rolled his eyes, releasing a sigh of frustration. It was always the cases to do with sex that everyone seemed to want to point out he was virgin. But now Jayden was staring at Anderson, unapologetically showing an unimpressed expression on her face.

“And I bet you fifty bucks you don’t know where the cilt is.” Jayden said seriously, making the men in the room dumbfounded by her response while Sherlock had a proud look in his eyes. The woman stood from her chair and nudged Anderson a little as she left the office, winking, “Have fun trying to find it though, bitch.” 

Sherlock looked at John, signaling for them to leave as well. He caught up with Jayden and smirked, hugging the girl once they were outside. John was bewildered. Sherlock didn’t hug people unless he had to. This was unlike anything John has ever believed about the man. Maybe this was a good thing.

“Better let me know if I’m right.” Jayden winked, as he pulled back and walked away to hail a taxi. Sherlock watched the woman leave, a soft expression in his eyes.

Once she did leave, John finally let out a breath. “What the hell was that?” He threw his hands up, confusion evident in his features.

“A new friend, John. Isn’t that what you wanted? For me to find a friend?” Sherlock teased, adjusting the gloves on his hands.

Certainly not what the man had in mind when he told Sherlock that.

Chapter Text

So far, after William's case, Sherlock didn't need Jayden's help which she was grateful for. Although she wasn't too phased by the gore, it's not something she wanted to see daily. Jayden expressed this and Sherlock respected that, deciding against taking her to more cases. Or have her consult for him. For now.

Though, that didn't mean he wouldn't talk about them. In great detail. Jayden sort of learned how to drown out the more bloody parts and focus on how Sherlock solved them. He was really smart and he loved to talk about it which Jayden didn’t mind much. She hated the men that thought they were smart but were actually incredibly stupid, Sherlock concured with that opinion. 

—---------

“Those men are annoying. But anyone can be a narcissist.” Was what Sherlock said, shrugging after he took a sip from his mug. 

Jayden smiled, “Like you?”

“Well…. Yes. But I have a more mild case.” Sherlock smirked, shaking his head a little as he looked at Jayden. 

Bullshit.

—--------------

Today was not so different for Sherlock and Jayden. Except it really was. The young woman had a shoot today and the detective had no case. It was a rare occurrence for one of them to be off while the other was busy. So imagine how distraught he was when he realized Jayden wasn’t going to be there for most of the day to keep him company. 

He acted like a child and Mrs. Hudson wasn’t a babysitter.

John was though. He did have a child. 

“So what happened?” John asked, going through his fridge as he tried to find the formula for baby Rosie while Mary rocked the little girl.

Mrs. Hudson rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, John!” She exclaimed over the phone, “He’s acting like his puppy died. And he’s pouting like a little boy.” As long as she’s been the landlady for both Sherlock and John, sometimes she felt like she didn’t know a thing about them with how much they change their demeanor. 

“If Sherlock gets worse, let me know and I’ll come over.” John let out a frustrated breath, giving the formula to Mary before he ran a hand down his face. Mary cocked her head at John. Wasn’t something always wrong with Sherlock? It certainly seemed like half of John’s problems came from him. 

Mrs. Hudson shrieked, hearing something breaking upstairs. She’d given the man tea this morning and left her china in the flat. Her china. “It’s worse!” She shouted before she moved the phone away from her face. “Sherlock Holmes, if that was my china, I’ll deal with you myself!” She yelled, though John could still hear her before she hung up.

The man let out a sigh and shook his head again. “Sherlock shattered Mrs. Hudson’s china.” He told Mary, grabbing his jacket. “I better save him before she murders him herself.” He joked a little.

“I’m surprised she hasn’t yet.” Mary laughed before she leaned in to kiss John softly, still rocking Rosie softly. “I have this, go.” She winked, grabbing the formula bottle.

—------------

As John entered 221b, he could hear arguing upstairs. The doctor shook his head, maybe he should have brought some supplies instead of going empty handed. Either way, John still went upstairs and, of course, the door was wide open to Mrs. Hudson yelling at Sherlock as she cleaned up the tray. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, confused before he registered the bleeding palm Sherlock was holding. The detective was wearing his maroon robe with his usual attire beneath it.

“Ah, John. Come here to help? Or to yell at me too?” Sherlock said, amused as he held his hand up which was gushing with blood even with the towel covering it. Of course he would still be able to find amusement in his own injury.

Mrs. Hudson huffed, “You’re lucky I’m not making you clean this mess.” She frowned as she picked up the pieces and left. This was her good china too…..

John, as always, was appalled. The doctor let out a sigh, going into the kitchen to grab some alcohol. “Come here, Sherlock.” He ordered, grabbing another clean cloth that was bound to be bloodied either way. 

Sherlock complied and let out a breath, sitting down at the kitchen table as he let John clean his hand. He set his eyes on a groove on the table, staring at it as John did his work. He knew the man was bound to ask something so maybe if he ignored it for long enough, it wouldn’t matter.

“You know Mrs. Hudson worries about you.” John stated, looking up at Sherlock as he took his time to clean the wound.

Sherlock hummed in response. “I would certainly hope so or that row was for nothing.” He chuckled deeply.

“Yes, so do you mind telling me why you had a temper tantrum like a five year old?” John asked pointedly, pouring a little too much alcohol on the cut, making Sherlock wince softly.

“Not important.” The detective simply said, looking away. Anywhere that wasn’t in the vicinity of John Watson. 

But his emotions got the better of him, like he always did, and a light blush spread on Sherlock’s face. Embarrassment. That wasn’t an emotion the detective was too familiar with. And where did it come from? Well….

John smirked for a moment, catching on. “This is about Jayden isn’t it? What, did she finally realize that you’re a cock?” He laughed quietly as he wrapped Sherlock’s hand in a bandage. This was golden for the doctor. As far as he’s known the man, John has never ever seen the man feel embarrassed.

“No.” Sherlock pursed his lips, taking his hand away from John once he noticed he was done. “She’s just…. Been gone today.” He said simply, trying his best to not sound so disappointed but he failed miserably. It only made John laugh even more, oh, he’d have to tell this to Mary once he got home. “What’s so funny?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

John shook his head as he let out another hearty laugh. “You’re an attention whore is what’s funny, Sherlock.” The man in question blinked, facing this revelation was…. Interesting to say the least.

—-------------

That night, around 12 am, Jayden came home. When she got to her floor, she gasped in surprise. Sherlock was standing at her door, a bandage around his left hand. At least it wasn’t his dominant one. She cocked an eyebrow him as she adjusted her glasses, “You waiting there for me like a fucking creep?” Jay asked jokingly as she unlocked her door and went into her apartment, Sherlock following her inside. She was sure Sherlock was able to pick it but…. She was kind of happy he waited.

“Thought it would be kinder than breaking and entering.” Sherlock shrugged, somewhat admiring the casualness of being in Jayden’s flat as he sat down on her sofa. The normalcy of it suddenly hit the detective like a train. 

“Mrs. Hudson texted me saying that you were being a bitch today.” Jayden hummed as she started to prepare some coffee for the two of them. The young woman wasn’t exaggerating when she said Sherlock (one) expected her to make him coffee and (two) he was starting to get addicted to it. The frothed sweet cream was her special ingredient and it was like crack.

Sherlock snorted out a laugh. “That’s not a nice thing to say.” But he knew he was acting in that way. All because of his new addiction. Not to coffee. And not to sweet cream either.

“Hm, if you don’t like it, you could leave.” Jayden said with a sly smile as she set a mug in front of Sherlock, taking a sip from her own before she set it down and took off the jacket she was wearing. It revealed a simple gray sweater but Jayden’s neck was exposed…. 

Usually, she would wear turtlenecks. Sherlock believed it was because she was self conscious but he was wrong. Wow . He’s rarely wrong! But what fixated Sherlock on Jay’s neck, besides it being a new patch of exposed skin he’s never seen before, was the tattoo going up her neck and almost meeting the hairline there. It was a similar patterning to the one he’s seen on the small glimpses of exposed skin he’s seen on her back and stomach. Perhaps it was all one big tattoo? Sherlock took a breath and willed his eyes away. That was not something he needed to think about in the moment or his mind would spiral.

For a moment, it was silent while the two of them were just sipping on their coffee. Then Sherlock spoke up, asking something he’s been wanting to ever since they ever met. “What do you want to do?”

Jayden looked at Sherlock, confused by the question. She thought he might have already figured it out. He was Sherlock Holmes after all. “After all this, I want to be an actress. An actual one. Though, I do think I got faking orgasms down to a T.” She joked, nudging the man once she noticed a blush appearing on his face. 

“I don’t want to lie and say you’d make a good actress simply because I’ve never seen you act before.” Sherlock said truthfully, though he was faithful that she was. 

Jayden laughed quietly, “At least you’re honest with me, Sher. Some people are just plain liars.” She hummed as she took a sip of her coffee then her eyes shifted back to Sherlock, assessing the honesty in his features. “I like you.” She said simply, looking down at her coffee.

Sherlock blinked, processing this information. What did that mean? As a friend? Sherlock could handle that. Romantically? He’d be much worse than he was earlier today. And maybe he was okay with that.

Chapter Text

John and Mary are in 221b on what Sherlock would consider the most important day of his life. One filled with revelations and unadulterated happiness from said revelation. The couple had their babysitter take care of Rosie for the day, knowing something horrifying was bound to happen. God, were they incredibly wrong. But a surprise definitely did happen.

Something that would shake the world.

—-------------

John and Mary were in the middle of cleaning up Sherlock’s kitchen from the experiments he did a few days ago when the man came out from his bedroom, reading a book. A love story? When the hell did Sherlock Holmes become interested in books like that? “Well, thanks for deciding to show up after we’ve cleaned up your mess.” John grunted out, throwing his towel down onto the countertop as Mary simply laughed. It was amusing to her just how frustrated the man could get with Sherlock even though he’s known him for much longer than her. 

Sherlock didn’t even acknowledge his presence as he sat down in his chair, huffing as he then aggressively threw the book at the wall. “Fuck!” He grunted out as he closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. “This is not helping, I feel like I have a smooth brain after reading that….” He murmured, not realizing what he said. 

Something he gained from being around Jayden for days on end.

The couple in the flat stood there, shocked. What was that? They have never seen or heard Sherlock swear as long as they’ve known him. John has seen tantrums, things getting shot, destroyed, et cetera. But swearing? That was a new one. Jay was rubbing off on him, that was a sure fact. Though, Jay wasn’t the only reason for this type of outburst. Well, maybe that was a lie. She was definitely the biggest component.

Once Sherlock opened his eyes he looked directly at John and Mary. Of course! He needed advice from an actual couple. Books were filled with fantasies on how to ‘woo’ a girl which half the time weren’t true to begin with. They were mostly written by men with preconceived ideas on what dates should be. But maybe Sherlock should’ve picked a book written by a woman instead. Sure, big romantic gestures weren’t exactly bad but not everyone wanted that. And this was much different than being with Janine, first of all, he was acting like he was romantically in love–they were good friends at best in actuality–and two, Jayden is from a completely different generation which means there's different ways to go out and be together.

And the detective severely doubted Jay wanted those huge declarations of love. “John, you have Mary as a partner.” He stated, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes?” John furrowed his brows, not sure where Sherlock was going with this. “She is my wife, Sherlock.”

Sherlock rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes, heteronormativity and all that.” He shrugged, looking off to the side for a moment. Perhaps he should come out or words like that would make him quite obvious to others.

Mary had a knowing smile on her face. “What did you want to ask? ‘Cause it’s obvious you have some questions.” She hummed as she grabbed a glass of water to sip on. From what John has been telling her, it seemed like Sherlock was a little lovesick. Well….. More than just a little .

“Yet again, your wife is more observant than you, John.” Sherlock smiled at Mary, watching as she took the seat across from him while John opened his mouth then let out a breath of frustration. Sometimes he didn’t understand how they ever became friends. “Well, I should preface this with the fact that I am bisexual but I’ve never really found either men or women attractive before, I plainly didn’t really care who I found attractive if I did. And there is no need to say you’re proud of me, it’s not something I felt like I needed to hide.”

John cocked his head, not completely surprised by the statement. “But something’s changed.” He hummed as he listened to Sherlock. It was a little cute to see the detective so clueless on what to do and how to go on from there after realizing what he felt.

“Yes.” Sherlock sighed out, pursing his lips. He didn’t like not knowing. And relationships were no different. “I’m not sure how to…. Start a more romantic relationship with someone. I want to but there isn’t a lecture on how to ask someone on a date or allude to wanting to be more than friends.” Not to mention he was quite awkward around anyone, generally

Ah, so this was about Jayden. That’s for sure. 

Mary looked at Sherlock, finding no fallacy in his expression. It seemed this was genuine. She just hoped he wouldn’t break her heart. “The thing is…. There’s a reason why there’s no actual classes on dating that are genuine. Because wanting to be with someone and them reciprocating is natural, it can’t be pushed. It’ll happen with time. Just like you’ll ask…. Someone on a date when you feel it.” She explained, taking a sip from her glass as if she didn’t just shatter Sherlock’s entire thought process.

“I don’t…. feel like that.” The detective grumbled for a moment, looking down at his hand as it tapped the arm of his seat.

John huffed out a laugh, “I know.” Mary slapped his arm and shook her head.

“You’ll know, Sherlock. Whatever John says is idiotic, you and Jayden will be perfect for each other.” Mary gave him a reassuring smile before nudging John. The doctor nodded, scratching the back of his neck. As long as he didn’t mess up….

Sherlock’s eyes snapped up to Mary’s. “Who said anything about Jay?” He asked, eyes cold and sharp. 

Though, he was quite obvious. Jayden was the only new person that stepped into Sherlock’s life. Unless the man had some sort of online friend who was debating on coming to London for him, Jayden was the only candidate that made sense. Mary could tell just by what John told her about the woman and how Sherlock was around her. The detective was softer, more warm with her. His demeanor would change in seconds whenever Jayden walked into the room.

“Sherlock.” John deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “For someone so brilliant, you really can be so dull.” He snorted. 

The detective scoffed, pouting before he looked up at John. “Was I really that obvious?” He asked, eyes showing pure innocence. For someone who seemed to be an enigma from the outside, his emotions could be read as plain as day if you looked closely enough. It was peculiar. The seemingly emotionless man fell in love.

“Elementary, my dear Holmes.” Mary winked.

Chapter Text

Jayden Wayne was a name mostly everyone knew in the porn industry or if someone even watched a smidge of modern adult movies. Her popularity soared after only a few years on the scene so she was a busy woman. She had to get paid somehow. Maybe that’s why John didn’t know her. He had a wife, no real need to watch things like that. So, with the amount of movies and videos she’s been in, Jay is not surprised to see people staring at her as if she didn’t have a life. The staring would mostly happen in public with big crowds, people may think she wouldn’t notice because there’s plenty of other people around right? Wrong, it’s somehow worse. It’s like she’s being singled out. 

Regret. That’s all the woman felt, unlocking the door to her apartment as she retreated for the night. She was stupid to think anything would change. Jay let out a sigh, looking around her apartment for a moment. It all suddenly felt empty again, like the first day she moved. She could imagine the sheets back on the furniture. 

Life was hard. Jayden was twenty-three, no parents that cared to guide her in the right direction, with a job that not everyone viewed as a job. She probably needed a therapist too.

At least she had a relatively popular TikTok account. 

Jayden yawned, humming for a moment. At least she got a free meal that night with no need to cook. Though, it probably would be a lot better than what she ate but she wasn’t in the mood to make something. The young woman grabbed a fruity flavored beer from her fridge and twisted off the cap before taking a swig. “Hm, fruity. Like me.” Jay joked softly, letting out a light, disheartened laugh.

For a moment, Jayden seriously contemplated actively trying to date women or non-men. Her previous relationship with a man absolutely destroyed her. Women could be manipulative but certainly not as much as men. She hoped. Though Jay was pansexual, she wasn’t sure why she was drawn to men more than anyone else all the time. She had options. 

Jayden’s phone vibrated, taking her out of her thoughts. She quickly grabbed it, hoping it wasn’t the guy trying to ask her out again.

In the mood for

some coffee? It won’t

be as good as yours

but I felt compelled to ask

- SH

Jay blinked at the text. This was severely out of character. Sherlock never asked her to come to his flat before. Usually she would just invite herself in. Maybe he sensed Jayden’s sadness by the weight of her steps or the way she opened her door, hell, she didn’t know. The simple text convinced her to leave her beer and pocket her phone again. And hopefully, Jayden would leave her sorrows as well. 

As she approached the door to 221b, Sherlock swung the door open before Jayden even had a chance to knock on it. The man looked like he was sleeping earlier, for once, his curls were messier than usual and he had his robe on. His eyes, on the other hand, were filled with energy once they caught sight of Jay. And she noticed. It wasn’t a bad thing though. 

“Hey….” Jayden said softly, looking at Sherlock with a small smile. She didn’t have much emotional energy to do more than that but it was genuine. The detective ran his eyes over Jayden’s form, pursing his lips. 

Disappointing date. Disappointing meal. Disappointed. Reminiscent of a previous bad relationship.

The young woman in front of Sherlock reeked with disappointment like a horrible smell but a consequence of the kind of disappointment Jayden felt was feeling hopeless. Something Sherlock could relate to so he decided not to comment on it. He stepped to the side to let Jay inside before he closed the door. The man watched as she looked around the flat, a very small smile on her face that you wouldn’t be able to see unless you were looking. And, well, he was Sherlock Holmes. He noticed. Jayden was comfortable here. That was an accomplishment in his mind. She wasn’t overly comfortable around men to begin with so something like this was monumental. 

“Hello, Ms. Wayne.” Sherlock smiled gently, watching as Jayden sat in the plush chair across from his own and grabbed a mug from the nearby table that sat beside the loveseat. 

Jayden rolled her eyes at the formalities as she took a sip from her mug, surprised by the taste. “Not bad.” She hummed, looking up at Sherlock as he sat across from her and grabbed a mug as well. “Thought this would be horrible but you understood the assignment. No notes from me.” Jay was certainly coping with humor and she knew it. That’s just how she rolled. 

“I’m glad you think so.” Sherlock hummed as he took a sip from his own. Thankfully, he didn’t drop any eyeballs into one of the mugs or he’d immediately retracted his invite. “But, I’m sure you know the coffee is not the only reason I asked you to be here.”

Jay nodded, her face falling as she pursed her lips. “You my therapist now?” She didn’t have one to begin with but maybe she should get one, to unpack her trauma and try to live with it better. 

“God, no. I don’t think I would qualify. I’m on the autism spectrum, I have a dissociative disorder, sometimes I starve myself to think better. I forgot I had a sister until last year.” Sherlock admitted. Jayden cocked her head, why was he telling her this? “I’ve heard…. If you talk with someone, not necessarily a therapist, you may feel better.” And Sherlock honestly wanted to be that person for Jay. 

The young woman hummed as she listened to Sherlock, looking down at the brown liquid in her mug. She looked at her reflection for a moment before she shifted her gaze back up at him. “I’m….. I don’t want to tell you. Not now, at least.”

"Hm, I'm going to assume he was a 'nice guy' as you call it." Sherlock mused, a sympathetic smile on his face as he said this.

Jayden explained to him what a nice guy was a little while ago after she said the term about one of Sherlock's clients that he kicked out. Someone who felt entitled to one's affection after doing 'nice' things for them. For instance…. Asking someone out on a date and expecting absolute devotion in return.

Jay let out a small huff of laughter, "Fucking hell, he was."

 The man across from her smiled, secretly pleased with himself that he was able to make her laugh. 

Chapter Text

Jayden’s day started off relatively normal. She’d wake up, brush her hair, put on a shirt over her bra (she wore comfortable shorts to sleep so no need to put those on), and exited her bedroom to start making breakfast for herself. As she ate her breakfast, she always checked her emails about potential “call backs” for roles she auditioned for. And of course, they all said something along the lines of “we just don’t think you’re right for this role.” Hearing that as many times as Jayden has, it eventually starts to get numb–until you break.

That’s where Jayden was. No one wanted new actresses, especially one like her. She was a porn star, a transgender porn star at that. Jay was glad people like her were getting roles, like in Pose. But that was only one exception, things like that were not done widely. 

Sometimes, Jayden wished she wasn’t a woman. What if she just never felt different? If she was a man she would’ve had more opportunities ahead of her. She would’ve been able to pursue her passion much easier and not have to resort to sex work to make a living before accepted into a role. It would’ve been so much easier. To live. But knowing her parents, it probably still would’ve been difficult.

But, at the same time, Jay didn’t run away from home thinking it would be easy to live how she wanted. She knew it would be hard. And that’s the unfortunate part. 

With all this pressure on herself to succeed in the life she chose, Jayden broke down. Sobs escaped her mouth as she retreated into her room. The crushing weight of all those denials finally broke her. Was she not good enough? Did they hate her performance? Was her current occupation the only reason? These questions danced around in her head as she wished she could forget about everything.

Everything.

—----------------

Jayden knew she was a girl very young in her life, around four or five is when she expressed this to her parents. Surprisingly, her parents were very accepting of this. For all the wrong reasons. They taught her how to be a woman, how to be a housewife. To cook and clean and not be spoken to unless asked or prompted to. She was meant to be petite and soft-featured. And they made her that way. Which was jarring with how tall she turned out to be. She was a very sheltered child, only going to parties that her parents were also invited to. She could barely be with any boys unless they were in the same class with her at school. Her mom was afro-indigenous while her father was white, quite obviously, Jay’s father was the head of the house. 

Everything got worse when Jayden turned sixteen.

Her parents had arranged a marriage between her and a man…. Much much older than her. He was thirty-six, almost exactly twenty years older than her. Apparently, they thought it would do the teen good, to be in the presence of a proper man that wasn’t her father. 

It didn’t. It made everything worse.

When James wasn’t pounding Jay’s parents' teachings in her head, he was plain pounding on her head. He was abusive in all the ways one can be. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. Jayden was honestly surprised she didn’t cave and want to die. There were plenty of times she could’ve, not by her own hand. Fortunately, her hopelessness never got to that point. 

Two years into their marriage, when Jayden turned eighteen is when she ran away from the “nice life” she once had. She took all her clothes and as much money as she could before she took James’ car and took off to a place that she thought was far enough away that he wouldn’t even bother to find her. Florida.

Jay tried to keep in contact with her family at the very least, but disapproved of what she was doing. This is when she started sex work, it paid a hell of a lot more money that the other jobs she was qualified for. She had no college degree, only graduating high school by the skin of her teeth. 

Now that Jayden was free, she embraced modern culture and decided to do what she wanted. Gain muscle, cut her hair to the length she wanted, dye it, get tattoos, change her name, get piercings, embrace her culture. She was never able to do these things before and she relished in that fact that she could. She was only ever able to have her hair long and wear dresses so imagine the first time she tried on pants at the store. Jay exploded with happiness.

When she got her current job, Jayden changed her last name. She should have immediately to not raise much suspicion. Jayden Gastrell was dead. Jayden Wayne was very much alive.

Having her job led her to Mrs. Hudson. Who said she would give her an enormous amount of money if she propositioned a man for sex to see if he would be faithful to the older woman or not. In retrospect, the deal was hilarious. So, of course, Jayden took the job. And the man did cave at the single question. Mrs. Hudson promised that she would owe the younger woman a favor afterwards. They kept in touch for a while until Jay expressed the need to move, urgently.

Jay secretly stalked James online and realized he was in Florida. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him so when Mrs. Hudson gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse, Jayden packed everything she had and sent across the sea not knowing what awaited her in the land of tea and crumpets. The woman did research a little beforehand, making sure her kind of work was legal. And it was, thankfully. Not like that stopped her before but it was good information to know.

—-------------

“Jayden!” Sherlock’s voice pulled the woman from her thoughts, her tears momentarily stopping from streaming down her face. 

Her bedroom door opened, revealing the detective looking incredibly frantic, eyes wide, worried. He’d been yelling for the girl for quite a little while. Sherlock immediately went to Jayden’s side after seeing her state.

She had made it to her bedroom but not her bed. Jayden sat, sobbing on the floor leaning against the wall. And Sherlock sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to his chest. He was protective of her and seeing her like this…. He hated it. More than he’s hated anything before.

“It’s alright.” Sherlock whispered as Jayden cried into his shirt, the man didn’t care about the tear stains. The woman that held him like her life depended on it was more important. “I’m here, you’re okay. He’s not here.” He said subconsciously, not noticing the words. 

Jayden blinked, pulling away as she wiped her tears. “H-How do you….?”

“I deduced a little while ago you had….. Relationship trauma.” Sherlock mumbled, cradling her cheek and wiping some stray tears away as well. 

Her wonderful eyes were so red after crying, the mismatched eyes made it all the more worse. Depending on which eye you looked at, the pain was registered differently in the brain. The blue one held so much more suffering while the brown one tried to keep it together more.

The young woman let out a small, strained laugh. “I should’ve known. Nothing’s a secret to you, hm?” She asked, tears welling up in her eyes again as she looked up into Sherlock’s eyes. Every few seconds, she would feel fine, then the next she would be back to bawling her eyes out. 

“Not completely. I can be wrong,” Sherlock admitted softly. Maybe it was pity he felt for her. Or maybe it was complete and unadulterated empathy, something he felt on very rare occasions. That he showed. “It’s rare, I’ll admit. But we all have flaws, even someone like me. And I can be surprised.” He tried to be light-hearted to make Jayden smile.

“Some would argue you have too many.” Jayden breathed, looking off to the side. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew what people called Sherlock. 

A machine. Someone incapable of human emotion. A psychopath. Inconsiderate. Blunt. An asshole. And Jay would have to agree with some of those observations but as far as she knew, Sherlock was the most emotional man she knew. He could feel things so acutely but he didn’t let it show that he did care or feel it.

Sherlock chuckled softly, his eyes soft as he admired the woman in his arms for a moment. He could feel the amount of muscle underneath her shirt. Then it registered in his mind. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, something he’s never seen her in before. As discreetly as he could, he looked at her tattoos. The big one that ranged from her neck to her legs, long black tendrils that swirled slightly at their ends. Cultural significance.

“You checking me out, Holmes?” Came Jayden’s amused voice, the redness in her eyes still but the tears stopped flowing so he was certainly getting somewhere. “And I thought you were incapable of that.” She laughed quietly. Sherlock’s eyes snapped up to Jayden’s, blush heating up his pale cheeks. “Oh! You were!” 

“You’re not going to shut up about that, hm?”

“Nope, never.”

Chapter Text

Following that fateful day in Jayden’s flat, she and Sherlock were closer than ever before. They began to go out together more often than before and that caught the attention of…. One might say Sherlock’s biggest enemy or closest friend. Since then, Jayden has been getting a lot of calls from unknown numbers and she’s not stupid enough to answer them. Who does that anymore? Definitely not people from her generation. Plus, she has trust issues and paranoia to begin with so why would she risk it? 

As Jayden exited the door to 221b, she adjusted her coat. It was chilly as December approached. But, then again, the weather in London was always shitty even in the Summer. It was something Jayden had to get used to after living in Florida for five years. It was always so warm there, Jay could’ve worn just a bra and shorts outside and would feel fine–no one would bat an eye either. Jay started to walk along the sidewalk, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. She needed to get out of her flat for non-work related reasons and, as much as she liked being around Sherlock, he could be overwhelming sometimes. She needed time alone.

When the young woman went down an almost abandoned street, she saw a man waiting by a sleek black car. Interesting…. The car looked expensive and the man was wearing a seemingly nice suit. That was out of place for somewhere like this. This was a shitty part of town…. Jayden eyed the car, starting to walk faster before the man went up to her. 

“I would advise you to get in the car.” The suited man said, addressing the only other person there. Jayden Wayne. 

The girl stopped, turning back towards the man before she narrowed her eyes at him. Was this some ploy made by James? If so, it was pretty weak. Jayden went up to the man and gave him a reserved smile, “Unfortunately for you, I am not easily convinced anymore.” She said sweetly, catching the man off-guard by punching him square in the face before she ran off. “Fuck you!” She yelled as she ran back to her apartment. 

—------------

Arriving back at 221b, Jayden was exhausted but at least she was used to running. “Dear, are you alright?” Mrs. Hudson asked, frowning as the girl sat at the bottom of the stairs to catch her breath. 

“Yeah, I escaped a kidnapping so I think that was a success.” Jay shrugged, leaning back against the stairs to stare at the ceiling. Popcorn ceiling. Interesting choice. But then again, this building was probably made a century or so ago. Mrs. Hudson blinked, shaking her head for a moment before she retreated back to her flat. Jay cocked her head at Mrs. Hudson, whispering to herself, “A regular person would be concerned…. But she knows Sherlock so yeah….” The landlady was already well versed in a lot of weird shit.

Come upstairs

I have a feeling you’re

going to tell me anyway.

SH

Jayden looked down at her phone, sighing for a moment. He was right. But when was he ever wrong? Certainly not about her. The young woman took a deep breath and stood from her spot on the stairs and began to ascend them to Sherlock’s flat. She opened the door, already knowing it was unlocked. 

One look in her direction and, “You’ve been running.” Sherlock stated, a small smirk appearing on his lips. But he wasn’t alone in the flat and it wasn’t John in the seat across from the detective like she was used to.

“No shit, Sherlock. Got anything else?” Jayden deadpanned, rolling her eyes. As she entered 221b fully, she got a better look at the man. He wore a full suit and had an umbrella at his side. Someone important? “Who’s the guy in the suit?” She whisper-asked Sherlock, knowing the man could hear her but she didn’t really care.

Sherlock smiled in response, smug as he looked at the man. “This is my brother, Mycroft. The man who just tried to ‘kidnap’ you.” He explained before shifting his gaze back to Jayden, his eyes full of regret. He knew that Jayden would react like she did and yet his brother went against his wishes anyways. It was…. Interesting to say the least. His brother never listened to him.

“Your brother…. Tried to…. Abduct me?” Jayden’s mouth dropped open before it closed and she shook her head with disbelief.

“It was not abduction.” At that point, he definitely should not have a job in the British government. But maybe the government thought that was a good thing? Who knows? “I just wished to have a talk with you.” Mycroft rolled his eyes at the dramatics. His brother always was and now someone like this? How he hated the younger generations with a passion.

Jayden took a seat at the table, nearest to Sherlock. “Could you, like, not have done it like that, hm?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed. “Y’know, I would’ve loved to meet you like this but apparently you had other plans.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and fake politeness. It was hard to act nice after what she just went through.

“I did warn you, Mycroft. Though, I didn’t know she would incapacitate a highly trained agent.” Sherlock chuckled, amused. Oh, he would certainly have a fun time with Jayden. He could fight but he was not as physically strong as the woman beside him was. Sherlock wasn’t sure Jay even knew that she could do that by a simple punch. 

Jayden blinked at Sherlock’s words, “You knew this would happen?” Okay, now she was even more appalled. Sherlock knew? And decided not to tell her. Time to give him hell.

“Well-” Sherlock stuttered, averting his gaze from Jayden.

It was Mycroft’s time to laugh. “Have fun with that, brother mine.” The man stood up from the loveseat and exited the flat, twirling the umbrella in his hand. And he said his brother was into theatrics. Sherlock had to learn it from somewhere and it certainly wouldn’t be their parents.

“Explain. Now.” Jayden’s expression turned sour.

“It’s sort of…. A thing Mycroft does with anyone that is close with me. John’s been through it, Mrs. Hudson as well. He thinks he’s protecting me, usually he offers any candidate money to “spy” on me. Balance of probability, we’ve been doing things together and I was sure Mycroft would do the same sooner or later with you.” Sherlock explained, somewhat looking ashamed with Jayden’s fiery gaze on him. “I’m sorry I did not tell you sooner.”

Sorry was not something Sherlock was used to saying. And Jayden made him used to it. With all the mistakes he’s made and will make, he had to.

Jayden didn’t say much for a little while before she looked up at Sherlock, a small smile making its way to her face. “Maybe I should have taken him up on that offer. The money part, at least. But he probably doesn’t want that anymore after I rocked the shit out of his friend.” She chuckled softly.

Sherlock let out a breath of relief then let out his own chuckle, thankful Jay wasn’t going to yell at him. He was scared of angering the girl, much more than he would if he angered John. Maybe it was the deeper emotional connection they had, or he thought they had. Though he didn’t know everything about Jayden’s past, he didn’t care. Sherlock was more concerned with the future and how he would fit in with hers.

“But seriously. If you don’t warn me about that kind of shit again, I’m never talking to you.” Jayden said, deadpanned.

“Understandable.” Sherlock nodded, shrugging.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet morning in Baker street, no urgent cases needed to be tended to, no unexpected explosions, and no shooting up the walls in boredom. So Mrs. Hudson decided to prepare some tea for Sherlock, as she usually did if she had the time. Setting everything on a tray, the landlady began to climb the stairs to 221b. As she pushed open the door, she could see Sherlock looking out the windows onto the bare streets. Mrs. Hudson was surprised he was even awake this early. But miracles do happen.

"Here to bring me my tea again, Mrs. Hudson?" He asked, a small smirk on his lips as he turned over to her. The woman rolled her eyes, setting the tray down on the table before she prepared it for him. 

—------------

Thankfully, this time, there were no major changes happening on the same day. John and Mary were married and he moved out. For Sherlock, no other changes needed to happen. He was content with the way things were.

Or so, he thought.

Jayden was still a big outlier in Sherlock's mind. Sure, he could deduce her but there was still so much left to talk about. For instance, the next step in their relationship. The detective may be a little out of place when it came to romantics but he could tell there was some sort of mutual attraction. He could tell Jay was attracted to him as well but they both didn't know what to do. She was so different from any woman he's met before. 

There was no explanation for it. Sherlock couldn't find one. Just that his brain was being his brain and his heart was being his heart. 

The same, yet different. 

Attraction. It was so foreign to Sherlock. He's never been attracted to anyone in his life. Maybe some but that was more platonic in his mind, he couldn't tell at this point since it was so long ago.

—--------------

"Well, someone has to or you'll be cranky for the day." Mrs. Hudson rolled her eyes as Sherlock grabbed his tea. Sometimes, the detective would be grumpy even with the tea. But it would sure as hell help.

Sherlock let out a small laugh as he took a sip. It was perfect, as always when Mrs. Hudson made him tea. It was also somewhat refreshing after downing the coffee Jayden made every time he went to her flat. He should probably teach Jay how to make tea…. He'd drink it even if it was horrible. Sherlock has put worse things in his mouth.

Mrs. Hudson hummed as she sat down on the plush chair across from Sherlock. "I'm surprised you haven't found a way to bother Jayden yet." She said smugly, a knowing look in her eyes. More than half the time she was in either Sherlock's or Jayden's flat, they were together. 

"Forget the biscuits again?" Sherlock tried to change the subject, knowing what Mrs. Hudson was insinuating. He was sure this would be a part of some ploy to force the two of them together.

But like John and Mary said, some relationships took time and were based on what one felt in the moment. And Sherlock wasn’t sure if he was ready yet.

"There's so many things Jayden hasn't told you, for good reason. She is the more sexually experienced out of the both of you." Mrs. Hudson shrugged, ignoring Sherlock's futile attempt at getting her to be quiet. "But I wouldn't want to ruin your image of her, now would I?" There was a small quirk of her lips.

Sherlock took a sip of his tea, taking a breath as he shifted his gaze up at Mrs. Hudson. "You wouldn't have brought that up unless you did." He said simply, "So spill." 

He doubted anything Mrs. Hudson said would ruin his image of the girl living above him. With the way the landlady was acting, it may even make him think better of her.

What was said, though, was unexpected.

"When I met her, years ago, Jayden was a porn star–"

"And she still is."

"And she also worked at a dominatrix club." Mrs. Hudson explained, looking into the distance as she remembered and pursed her lips. 

Sherlock blinked, almost choking on his tea. He had a type, huh? He didn't really like Irene in a romantic way but it was more of a mutual appreciation. She had almost bested him and he saved her life in return. Irene would probably be having the time of her life listening to this. Yet another installment of the detective and the dominatrix, just a different one.

But how could he not see it before? Jayden knew all these different kinds of ropes and methods for tying rope on people. Bondage was very common in the dominatrix community. It should've been obvious! Perhaps he was just blinded, a light blindfold on each time he looked at the woman. 

"From what I remember, she was one of the highest paid ones. She even had a special name." Mrs Hudson chuckled softly, "'Mistress Violet.' She even had purple hair at the time so maybe that's how she came up with it, I'm not completely sure." The woman shrugged, a light smile on her face as if she didn't just give Sherlock groundbreaking information.

Mistress Violet….. Saved. 

Before Sherlock could even register it, he stored that information in the back of his mind to save it for later. Whenever later would be.

"Great talk." Sherlock pursed his lips, sipping his tea before he set it down and stood up to guide Mrs. Hudson out of his flat. "Next time, I advise you not to give out information that is not yours to give." He said with a fake smile, closing the door before the older woman could respond. 

Turning back to his flat, Sherlock took a deep breath and shook his head a little. He wanted to delete everything Mrs. Hudson just said but…. Something was stopping him. 

Attraction strikes again in the face of logic. 

Though Sherlock could always just blame it on Mrs. Hudson, it wasn't like Jayden would be mad at her anyway. From what he could see, Jay thought of the landlady like an adopted mother. A meddling one, but still, not as horrible as her biological one.

The man sat back down in his seat, humming as he took a sip of his tea. He glanced up at the ceiling as he heard a thump from upstairs. 

Jayden fell. Mrs. Hudson was upstairs. Sherlock's eyes widened. 

And before he knew it, Jayden was in the doorframe to his flat. Her hair was a mess, her glasses were sitting squarely on her face and she wore a simple black band t-shirt and some soft shorts, her tattoos on full display. Jay looked adorable. 

Quite the opposite for what you would think a dominatrix should look like.

"Whatever Mrs. Hudson said is…." She took a deep breath, "First of all, right BUT she had no right to tell you." Jay breathed, running a hand through her hair. 

Sherlock let out a small laugh, nodding as he went up to Jay and took her hands to guide her to his chair so she could sit. "Yes, I know. Consider everything she said deleted." He hummed, going over to the kitchen to start some coffee for Jayden.

The young woman cocked her head as she watched Sherlock make some coffee for her. Though, Jay remembered, she shouldn't question it. Sherlock remembered everything. It shouldn't be a surprise that he knew how she took her coffee.

As Sherlock handed Jayden a mug and offered her some biscuits…. Or cookies as Jayden reminded him, she pursed her lips, "It's not ever going to be deleted, hm?" It was her turn to be smug. 

Jayden could tell that even if Sherlock deleted something, it wouldn't be lost forever but this…. There was something special between the two of them that even if the man tried, it could never escape his mind. Sherlock had a section in his mind palace devoted to everyone in life, the closer one was to him, the bigger the section. For instance, John's wing in his mind palace was huge…. Yet Jayden's was even bigger. Every little piece of information Sherlock could get from her was immediately stored away. How she took her coffee, the different ways she liked to style her hair, the most miniscule scars on her hands from playing the guitar, her favorite flavor of ice cream, the face she made when she tasted something she hated, the patterning of her eyes, things that people may not think were overly important. Sherlock kept those. 

“You know me too well, Miss Wayne." Sherlock smiled softly, nodding at her as he took his tea and sat in the loveseat across from Jayden. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." He admitted.

Jayden was similar to Sherlock in that aspect. She knew a lot about Sherlock as well but it wasn’t like she had a mind palace with rooms filled with information. She was just nice. Knowing simple things somehow meant so much. It’s how she acted with a lot of people she loved, the detective was no different. 

Well, maybe a little different. There was something special about him. Something Jay hasn’t ever had before. 

Chapter Text

Sherlock grabbed both cups from the counter and gave the coffee to Jayden, who was covered head to toe. In fact, it was her idea to get something hot to drink since it was so cold outside. She definitely hated the London weather, she bought mountains of coats after moving since most of her wardrobe before was curated for the weather of sunny Florida. Winter in the UK was like hell and it didn't even snow yet, which Jay was surprised by. She somewhat missed the snow but not the cold and that didn't even happen yet. There was just something so special about walking through a city with little snowflakes making their way to the ground. It was one of the only things she missed about living her old life. Chicago winters were hell too but at least they were fun, most of the time.

Jayden took a sip of her drink, let out a small hum. "Thanks." She hummed simply, a light smile on her face. She didn't tell Sherlock her order and yet he knew what to get her anyways. As always.

Sherlock nodded in response, still not used to all the "thank you"s given from her. It was unusual for him. For all these simple things. Usually they would be said when he saved a life or solved a case, not for buying someone their usual coffee order but he cherished them all the same. He held them closer to his heart because after saving a life, all someone could say was thank you, in cases like Jayden’s it wasn’t as important yet it was. 

The detective stopped trying to find a deeper explanation for it. Simply because there was none. It was hard to find the answer to a problem when there wasn’t one to begin with. It just was. And that was okay.

—-----------

Jayden and Sherlock sat on a bench, both of them looking into the park and admiring the frosted grass and dying trees. There was something strangely beautiful about trees bare of leaves. Each time they let out a breath, you could see it in the air. It was that cold…. And yet, no snow. It was a somewhat perfect time for tourists to come for Christmas before they would leave before the snow came down and inevitably turned into slush.

Thankfully, neither Sherlock nor Jayden had their own car. It would be a nightmare if they did.

“I’ve never understood the hype behind tea.” Jayden hummed, adjusting her gaze to look at Sherlock, who had some in his cup from the shop. “At least why the majority of the British population was obsessed with it.” She shrugged, fixing her glasses as they slid down her face ever so slightly. 

The detective let out a small laugh, shrugging, “I don’t know either. It’s just something my parents gave me so I never questioned it.” If he did know the answer, he wouldn’t say. 

It was kind of nice to turn off his brain, if only for a moment. Because it was taking in information all the time even if he never voiced it. Sherlock was always a show-off but with Jayden it was in more simple and effective ways. He didn’t have to deduce everyone within a room to impress her–although it would–knowing how even the most minute change in facial expression showed a change in mood was far more impressive, especially when it was applied to her. 

The pair took sips from their drinks, Jayden letting out a small sigh afterwards as she looked up at the sky. Sherlock noticed she did this a lot when they were outside together, he deduced it was a way to show she was thankful to be alive and away from her past.

“Oh, I did not expect to see you here.” Speak of the devil. A man walked in front of the bench, an unsettling smile on his face.

Immediately, there was a shift in Jayden’s demeanor at the voice. Even an idiot could catch that. She took a sharp breath and opened her eyes, a small fire behind her pupils that would catch anything alight if she had the power to. While her shoulders did relax, her hands tensed. As if she knew this day would come. Once Sherlock saw this, he shifted his gaze to the man in front of them. 

Early forties. Physically strong. Mentally unstable. Cis male. Left-Handed. Severe narcissistic personality disorder. Abuser. 1.750 meters in height. American, from Chicago. No siblings. No current partner but reminiscent of one from a divorce. Reminiscent of the fifties. Knows Jayden. 

It clicked as the word ‘abuser’ echoed in the back of Sherlock’s head, his eyes hardening in the direction of the man. He was prepared to jump into action if the occasion ever arose. James Gastrell. One of the many banes of Jayden’s existence. She absolutely despised him and she would destroy the man now if it was legal in public places, but alas it was not.

Jayden put on the fakest, most obvious smile she could, “I’m sure you did.” She replied, her voice never wavering with each syllable. Strong in the face of dangerous situations. An admirable trait.

“I never did like it when you talked back.” James’ smile dropped for a moment, glancing at Sherlock before he waved at the two of them. “Sad to cut this short, I would’ve loved to meet your friend, but I have other things to get to.” He said in a sickly sweet tone, one that would make one think that he could never hurt a fly. But Jay knew the truth, as did Sherlock.

And Sherlock’s talents were never doubted. At least, until after he died.

As the man who abused one of Sherlock’s dearest friends left, Jayden relaxed and took a big gulp from her cup after taking a breath. Even just seeing him in person exhausted her and the detective could see why. 

“He seemed like a cunt.” Sherlock stated, looking down at Jayden’s scuffed shoes. Often worn outside in cold weather. He didn’t want to seem like he was distracting himself but he could tell the woman next to him didn’t want to talk too in depth about him. Not yet. 

It wasn’t the right time nor place. They would freeze to death before she could ever finish her story the way she wanted. But Jayden knew Sherlock would listen. He’s listened to her rambling on about nothing. About her day, about new music, about movies she liked, about makeup, about fashion, about life as a trans woman, especially without bottom surgery. In fact, Jayden didn’t want it. She was a woman, with or without the thing between her legs. 

Jayden let out a strained chuckle, “He is…. Was back then too.” She said softly, her whole life was a rollercoaster and only recently has she felt normal. Now, though, she was scared. James was in the UK. How could she not have seen this? Maybe she was distracted by something or someone.

“Well, fuck that guy.” Jayden has never agreed with anything more.

Chapter Text

A Christmas miracle. Not the snow that decided to fall exactly at twelve am that Christmas day but the new girl who was invited to 221b's annual get-together to celebrate. Sherlock was nervous. Mrs. Hudson knew Jayden as a surrogate daughter  but John and Greg have only seen her for fleeting moments and Mary and Molly have never met her before. No need to worry about Mycroft this time of year though, he was probably off with their parents seeing the Nutcracker for the umpteenth time. Sherlock, though, needed to make sure everything was perfect.

He made sure Jayden knew what time to get there by and that she was under no obligation to get anyone gifts nor was there any sort of dress code but Sherlock secretly hoped she would dress up. The man hasn't even seen the young woman dress up for the club, isn't that what younger people did? Well, Jayden wasn't one for the club anyway. She liked staying at home and drinking coffee or hot chocolate and watching a movie or even playing a song on the guitar. Sherlock wondered if there were any pieces they could play together.

Preparing for the party, Sherlock cleared the kitchen counters of experiments. He stuffed his materials in the cupboards below, to try and hide them best he could. The detective stole some decorations from Mrs. Hudson to put up around his flat. Surprisingly, the detective also went shopping for Christmas for the first time in years. Probably since he was a boy with his father, picking something out for his mother. While Sherlock did pick out gifts, he also bought some orderves and cookies. This was a party and he was sure no one expected him to cook anyways, he was atrocious at it. 

Setting everything up was easy, the countertops were littered with food while Sherlock hid his gifts in his room. His flat was too small for a tree, plus it would be a hassle to take one up stairs. Sherlock was usually a subtle man, not this year. His flat was practically glowing with all the Christmas lights he put up. Mrs. Hudson even convinced him to put up mistletoe, she said it was for John and Mary but he knew better. Plus, they were married, why would they need a fake plant to tell them to kiss? 

Getting dressed, Sherlock wore his usual attire but opted for a dark green button-up. He took a breath and checked his watch, guests would be arriving soon. He hoped. It was a lot different not having John wait with him but he would keep it together. Being so nervous like this was something Sherlock was not used to. 

Thankfully the first few guests were John and Mary. Relief filled Sherlock's head, immediately striking up conversation with the couple after a hug from Mary.

"This is quite different from other years." John said, looking around the flat at the decorations as he set the gifts down on the table. Mary chuckled and nodded as if she knew why. She had amazing insight into things and Sherlock knew he couldn't hide from her. "Better, less depressing." 

Sherlock rolled his eyes, "I'll spoil your gifts for the others." He responded as John just rolled his eyes back at him. 

Mary slapped both their arms. "Oi, would you both shut up? Sherlock, your decorations are great." She complimented as she took off her coat before she noticed the mistletoe. "Is that what I think it is?" Mary asked smugly.

"Mrs. Hudson made me put it up." Sherlock said hastily, as if he knew what she was thinking. The mistletoe hung on the ceiling between the kitchen and the living room. "Said something about love, love, love." He shrugged nonchalantly but fire alarms were going off in his head. Was he too obvious? Well, at least John and Mary knew but then they would make fun of him. Hopefully not.

Speaking of Mrs. Hudson, as John and Mary popped the cork on some champagne, the woman herself arrived with some gifts and hugged the three of them as tightly as she could. They were like her children, she loved them all very dearly. Mrs. Hudson set her gifts where John set theirs and grabbed a glass of champagne for herself, raving about how good the flat looked. Sherlock had a proud glint in his eyes with the compliments. 

"It's clean! And it wasn't because of me." Mrs. Hudson smiled happily. Oh, Sherlock should've known. "Perhaps it was because of someone else." She teased, smugly. 

Ever since she told Sherlock about Mistress Violet, he could tell the landlady wants him and Jayden to be together. While it is flattering that three people in his life want him to go for it, he wasn't quite ready yet. Sherlock knew he had some growing to do first to have a true, good relationship. 

But that didn't mean his crush would dampen.

Mary let out a small laugh, "Stop teasing, his brain might explode!" She nudged Mrs. Hudson slightly, catching a small glimpse of the blush on Sherlock's face. As if he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. "Or maybe it's in the process…."

"My head isn't going to explode unless there's a bomb attached which I don't think there is." Sherlock said matter of factly, trying to change the subject to something he was more comfortable with. Which wasn't himself and what he felt about something or someone. "Tea?" He asked suddenly.

John deadpanned at him, cocking his eyebrow. They all had drinks already except for the detective himself.

Greg came in right on time to distract Mrs. Hudson from Sherlock, if only for a moment. Another comment on the decorations and the detective would bang his head against the wall. He wanted to impress someone in particular, not all of his friends. Perhaps the decorations were a mistake. A plan to completely underwhelm them next year formed in his head. 

Next to arrive was Molly and Sherlock couldn't help but be even more nervous. Jayden was almost twenty minutes late and she lived right above him. Another ten minutes and the probability of her arriving was almost zero. Those were just the odds and he couldn't deny them as much as he wanted to. He hoped she would come, he didn't want to dampen the mood of the others in his flat. A depressed host was not good for the guests. 

As Sherlock sat in his chair, his leg bounced nervously as he had his hands locked in his lap and tried to listen to the conversation being had. "Is he okay?" Greg whispered to John in the kitchen as he looked at the man in the next room.

John looked at Sherlock as well, not as concerned as the man next to him. "Yeah, he'll be fine. Nerves. First time he actually tried Christmas." He joked a little. 

As Greg nodded, the main door to 221b opened yet again to reveal the guest of the hour. Sherlock blinked at the woman in the doorway, in some ways she was completely unrecognizable. For a moment, his brain went numb with taking mental pictures of this moment.

Jayden was standing in the doorway, wearing a black cropped sweater that showed her shoulders and her neck with a plaid, tight skirt and some black, ripped tights paired with black boots. Her sweater, since it had a cropped neckline, showed her tattoos and strong arms even better than before. The swirling, dark lines touched her collarbone and swooped down her back. There were even some small tattoos on her shoulders as well. Without thinking, Sherlock stood and hugged Jayden tightly. 

It shocked the room while the woman just hugged back, a light smile on her face. She practically dropped all her gifts on the floor just so Sherlock could hold her and, if she was honest, she didn't mind it one bit. 

“You’re more affectionate than usual.” Jayden teased softly, nudging Sherlock’s shoulder with her hand as they pulled away from the hug. She started to gather up her gifts and set them with everyone else’s before taking in the flat. “I’ve never seen this place look better.” She beamed, looking over at Sherlock who melted at her expression. 

John and Mary shared a knowing look while it was Mrs. Hudson’s turn to hug the young woman. Jay let out a small chuckle as the older lady held her tightly, rambling on about how happy she was that the girl could make it to the party. She almost let it slip just how distraught Sherlock was going to be if she didn’t show up. Thankfully, the man himself stopped her by giving her another drink. 

Sherlock also took this opportunity to give Jayden a glass of champagne. “You wanna get me drunk before you introduce me to your friends? Bold. I like it.” Jay winked as she took a sip from the glass. She just hoped it was clean. 

Jealousy was an emotion Molly Hooper was very familiar with, especially in regards to Sherlock Holmes. But never once has she seen the infamous detective actively want to be with someone. And it doesn’t take a boundless intellect to tell that’s what Sherlock was doing with this Christmas party. To impress. Like a prelude to a date. She was shocked. She’s always thought Sherlock was simply incapable of romantic love but maybe it was just her that he didn’t like.

“Hello! I’m Mary, John’s wife.” The woman explained, a smile on her face as she stuck out her hand for Jayden to shake. Mary was excited to finally meet the woman who made Sherlock freak out and have to ask them about love.

Jay hummed in response, “Sherlock’s told me a lot about you and John too, of course.” She said with a soft expression. Mary cocked her head, what did he say?

—---------

“Mary is similar to you. She can see through me and can tell when I’m lying.” Sherlock explained one time while the two of them were in 221b, fire crackling in the background.

Not an experiment for once. Nor was it a gas leak.

Jayden just smiled in return, sipping on her hot chocolate. It was cold that day. No snow, but chilly as hell. “Like the time you said you’ve always known origami but you actually just learned it from YouTube after I said I liked it. Once.” 

Sherlock grunted in return, choosing not to respond. It would only damn him more. 

—-----------

“Lestrade.” Sherlock said simply, motioning to the man with a hand on the small of Jayden’s back. He was guiding her through the flat as gently as he could. Jayden offered Greg a small smile as Sherlock went to introduce Molly immediately after. Perhaps because it was awkward that Greg knew about her job, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

—-----------

“I’m not surprised Greg knows who you are, he seems like the type.” They were in a park, this time in the fall where it wasn’t as cold and Jayden was in the middle of eating a sandwich she got from a corner store. Maybe Sherlock was a little envious of her healthy eating habits so he got one too….

Jayden rubbed her nose for a moment with a napkin and looked over at some kids playing in the leaves with a small smile before diverting her gaze back to the man next to her. “I’m relatively famous, Sherlock, anyone who’s watched even two videos in their entire life probably recognizes me.” She explained with a small laugh. 

Sherlock shrugged as he took a bite of his sandwich, a smile on his face.

—------------

Molly, the girl who seemed to be sulking around the whole afternoon since Jayden got there, it was now her turn to be introduced to the illustrious Jayden Wayne. She tried to put on a brave face but everyone could see otherwise. “Molly Hooper.” She introduced herself.

“Yes, I know.” Jay said softly with a small smile on her face. “Sherlock talks about you a lot.” She said truthfully while Molly just looked confused. That man…. Talked about her to others? Now, that was a Christmas miracle.

—-------------

“Molly’s been there for me for a while, ever since I became a consulting detective. It’s hard to imagine my life without her now.” Sherlock admitted one day in Jayden’s apartment as he took a sip of the woman’s coffee. He looked down at the tan liquid in his mug. “She may think she’s worthless to me but that’s simply not true, Molly is one of the many diamonds I keep close to my heart.”

Jayden listened, a soft expression on her face. She was a wonderful listener and so Sherlock wanted to be that for her as well. Be there for her the same way she was for him. The detective has never felt the need to pour out his heart to someone the way he does for Jayden but it happened and it will keep happening. 

The young woman hummed, “She seems nice. Like a big part of your life.”

—--------------

The rest of Christmas night was filled with music and talking, one of those things Sherlock was still iffy on but he would get the hang of it. Eventually. Small talk could be incredibly boring but he stayed by Jayden’s side as if he was a lost puppy. These were his friends and yet he spoke maybe ten times the entire night. 

All his big plans fell apart the moment Jayden walked into the room, the only thing on his mind was her. Making sure she felt comfortable. Nothing else mattered, really. He was just glad they all got along for the most part. Molly, though, was a slightly unhinged variable. It was hard to predict how she felt and how she would act. She was single again so her attachment to Sherlock would be tried again. 

Opening gifts was a surprise for Sherlock. At least, when it came to Jayden. Everyone else's gifts he predicted before they even got there. John would get a myriad of new jumpers, Mary would get new wine glasses and some motherly things, Greg would get office stuff and a new watch or two, Molly would get jewelry that she would never wear, and Sherlock would get new books he would never read. 

But Jayden was a wild card and she bought a gift for everyone there even though Sherlock told her she was under no obligation to buy anyone a gift, even for himself. She did anyway. 

A new stethoscope for John, a sweater for baby Rosie while Mary got a hand-made mug, Greg got a new coat with a scarf, Molly got a book which included studies on the dead (Jayden wasn't sure if she would like it but she assumed she would since she worked at the mortuary), and the detective himself was given a brand new violin. It had a black finish with white accents, very different from his old one which was a more natural wooden color with nicks and black accents. Jayden assured him that he was under no obligation to ever play it if he wished not to.

"This is beautiful." Sherlock said softly, admiring the violin in the case. The woman wrapped each gift as carefully as possible but since his gift was already in a box, Jay just put a bow around it. 

John smirked at the two of them, idiots in love. That must've been very expensive. A lot more than everything else Jayden gave out. Or maybe she got a special deal and thought it would be perfect.

Jayden hummed, taking a sip from her glass. "Well, I wanted it to be. You can still play your regular one but you could use this as decoration if you'd like." She said softly, a small smile on her face. The place did need some decoration all the time besides the smiley face on the wall and all the books that would be littered on the floor any other time of year.

Sherlock made it his mission to play that violin as much as possible. After all, it was such a thoughtful gift.

—------------

After Sherlock’s guests left, that just left him and Jayden. And, as always, they sat in the chairs across from each other with some sort of hot drink in their hands. This time it was hot cocoa and the pair couldn’t be happier.

“Thanks for inviting me, Sher.” Jayden said softly, her eyes twinkling in the fireplace flame as she looked into it. The fire fascinated her. “It was nice to get a glimpse into your other life.” She teased with a smirk.

Sherlock took a sip from his mug and let out a sigh as he admired the woman in front of him, “It was the obvious thing to do. It’s not every day I make a new friend.” Especially someone like her. Someone so similar to him yet so different. They’ve both had hard times and yet Jayden dealt with the present in such a better way.

The detective just hoped he would learn it from her.

Chapter Text

A scream is how Jayden Wayne started her day. As usual, the woman checked her emails and voicemails in case anyone called her while she was asleep. And guess what? She got a call back! For a movie she really wanted to get. A superhero. Jay was immensely happy and very excited to be blessed with a big role like this. Superhero movies were all the buzz nowadays and she was sure it would do well even if it did turn out to be bad.

The young woman had her agent request for the whole script and say she was all in. Speaking of which, Jayden called up her porn agency and stated that she quit. She had enough money saved up to get her through the months before filming. After all, she wasn’t the only person getting hired for the film. They had to hire other roles, extras, costume designers, VFX people, etc. The producer of the film told Jayden that there was, at the very least, two months of free time before they would fly her out to the location(s) they would need her to bed, including costume fittings. The young girl was glad she had some time before filming to get her feelings together and think of what to say when the inevitable questions were asked during press.

Jayden was incredibly relieved she could quit porn, it wasn't the worst with the people she worked with but the fans and comments she would get were less than desirable. People were strangely picky about her genitals? Never thought she'd see the day but apparently so. People were so obsessive over her body and it weirded her out. Were normal people like that?

come upstairs

i want to tell you something

Of course the first one to know had to be Sherlock. He was Jayden's closest friend since living in 221A, besides Mrs. Hudson. But she lived two floors down versus Sherlock's one. The closer the better in Jay's opinion. 

Plus their connection was much different than Jayden's and Mrs. Hudson's. Sherlock wouldn't scream and yell from the rooftops that she got this role but he would be happy for her and smile and hug the girl who would do all that screaming for herself. She was her own biggest fan, after all. Jayden learned how to be that for herself after moving away and realizing no one in her family would be. It was a bittersweet thing, one Jay wasn’t sure she would ever forget.

There was a knock on the door and immediately, Jayden opened it to a smiling Sherlock. He already knew but didn’t want to dampen the woman’s mood. “I was hired!” She yelled happily, taking the man’s hands and pulling him close, twirling him around in her apartment. 

That was certainly surprising. Sherlock predicted many ways the girl would react to getting an actual casting for a non-sexual film and this was not one of them. Though Jayden was always unpredictable and Sherlock could count on that yet it still surprised him.

"I have faith you'll do great." Sherlock smiled softly, eyes filled with happiness for the woman who held his hands tightly. 

He knew Jayden was waiting for this day to happen. Sure, she's been hired in some plays and small indie films but she was entering a franchise. Meaning, people would want to hire her just for that reason. She was a great actress in actuality but producers would want her simply because the fact she would be a face everyone recognized. Jayden would go from a nobody to a somebody everyone wanted for their film to be popular. 

Instantly a legend. Maybe that was a good thing so Jayden could widen her filmography and perhaps she could put some truly good films in the spotlight that otherwise wouldn't be.

Jay smiled back at Sherlock and squeezed his hands tightly. "We should celebrate, hm? You're in this as much as I am at this point, helping me read and such." She winked. 

There have been plenty of nights where Jayden asked the detective to her partner in scenes, it helped having someone act opposite of you. Even if that person was as cold as a block of ice when delivering lines.

"I'm not one for celebrations." Sherlock said bluntly but he was sure Jay knew that already. 

Christmas was an exception because it was annual that he threw a party at this point. But any other holiday or huge event wasn't Sherlock's go-to. John's wedding was even a little too much for him, not to mention how drunk he was after a few hours on their stag night. He was a big lightweight when it came to alcohol that he almost acted stupid when drunk, within about three or four drinks of course.

Jay chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. "I'm not talking about drinks and partying, Sher, I know you don't like that in the first place." She thought for a moment though, she needed to check out the clubs in London. Because there were many, she just didn't have many friends her age yet.

"I can try to make you dinner." Sherlock offered softly. Emphasis on try. 

Cooking was like chemistry except the detective had a much harder time with cooking than chemistry. His kitchen was filled with lab equipment instead of pots, pans, or even spices. The only kitchen utensils he did have were old, dented, and usually only had one of each thing.

Jayden cocked her eyebrow with a small smirk on her lips as he looked the man up and down for a moment. "Try?" She was silently judging, mostly the situation. 

Sherlock never cooked. Most of the food he ate was takeout, made by Mrs. Hudson, or something pre-made at the store. And from what Jay's heard from John, it always ends in disaster. It's been burned, on fire, executed wrong, or it's just a weird recipe. 

"How about we stick with some coffee and maybe Irish cream, huh?" Jayden laughed quietly, shaking her head.

Sherlock sighed in relief. "That would be nice." As much as he'd like to impress Jay with his nonexistent cooking skills, he would be a wreck trying to make sure it was perfect.

Much like Christmas.

Chapter Text

Days and even weeks went by since Jayden was casted for the role. She is still prevalent in Sherlock’s life but she is somehow a lot busier than before. Her agent is getting relentless calls from the studio, she’s been getting her measurements taken for costume design, they’re taking pictures of her face and body for the VFX team as well as the concept artists. Jayden has never been so enthralled with the movie making process than ever before. It’s so interesting to be inside of it. To see it. Every gritty detail, person who worked with her, and strand of every fabric. It was cool to see everyone behind the filming and even before it.

All this meant that Sherlock was crankier than usual. Each case he tried to get through as slowly as possible to occupy his mind longer. Though that never worked as much as he thought it would. 

Plus, the people he worked with, including John, were getting more and more annoyed with him as it went on. He was using phrases and weird words none of them had heard from the detective's mouth before. In fact, John noticed the phrases Sherlock used were ones Jayden used. She was young, a hell of a lot younger than the doctor so her language was much more…. Foreign to him but he noticed it in Sherlock.

For instance, when talking with one of the family members of the deceased (who Sherlock revealed to be the killer), the detective said she did a "self report." 

John thanked whatever God there was that there were no cases that needed Sherlock's attention or he might have strangled the man. Usually, the detective was quick to get cases over with but not this time. He spent an unusual amount of time on the most recent ones.

The doctor thought it was some way to still connect with Jayden even though she was gone, not forever, but gone.

Although it was infuriating .

They were at crime scenes for God's sake! But Sherlock would make small jokes Jayden's generation would make…. Although some of the staff, including John, would laugh, it just wasn't the right place.

But then again, when was Sherlock known for doing something right at situations like these?

—--------------

Sherlock let out a breath as he stepped outside of 221b. Earlier, Jayden texted him that she'd be home before midnight, they were keeping her for some extra costume measurements. Specifically near the crotch area. So he wanted to do something to pass the time. 

An experiment. Mrs. Hudson forever banned him from doing any experiments in his flat after one nearly blew off the counters. Plus, she threw away all his big equipment to execute them.

To Saint Bart's he went. 

"Oh!" Sherlock literally bumped into Molly, making her drop some papers in the process. "Sherlock, hi." She laughed softly after calming her heart. Both from the scare and from the man.

The girl started to grab her papers from the floor, Sherlock giving her back some that he caught from the air. "Hello, Molly." He gave her a slight smile, his eyes catching something.

Makeup around her eyes. Date. Not the best one. 

"What are you doing here?" Molly asked, cocking her head. "As far as I know, there's no cases the Yard needs you to be working on." She explained softly.

She was trying her best to stand her ground and not break any codes letting Sherlock do what he pleased in Bart's anymore…. But it was hard. Molly was hopelessly in love with the man, evident in wanting to do anything for him. Anything Sherlock asked, she wanted to be able to do for him.

Sherlock wasn't surprised by this. Molly could be a force to be reckoned with if she tried. And she was doing her best. Sometimes that wasn't enough though.

"I'd just like to use the lab. No weird experiments. I need to pass the time somehow and watching TV is not the best stimulant." The detective explained, a small smile at the edges of his lips. "Plus, Mrs. Hudson hid my 'scope. I mean, how am I supposed to live, laugh, love in those conditions?" He shrugged, looking at Molly expectantly.

Molly just stared at the man. What the hell did that mean? Maybe Sherlock thought a little too much of her. While Molly was younger than Sherlock, it was only by a few years. Not at all like him and Jayden. 

The man shook his head and whispered under his breath, "Not this." He cleared his throat then looked up at Molly again. "Can I use the lab?" He asked straight forward.

"Sure…." Molly narrowed her eyes at Sherlock for a moment, "Just don't do anything idiotic." She said, skeptically.

Pfft, like Sherlock could ever be an idiot. It's not like he died for two years and didn't tell anyone he was actually alive or the fact that he didn't know the solar system rotated around the sun. Who would ever do that?

—----------------

A few hours into Sherlock's "experiments"--they were anything but–Jayden texted the man, telling him she was on her way home. The detective was thankful, he felt like he was going to explode trying to stimulate his brain by something as simple as testing different elements together. It was so bad Sherlock decided to actually wear safety goggles. Surprising.

The man quickly cleaned everything up, taking his goggles off before he grabbed his coat and scarf. Sherlock put on both, offering a smile to Molly as he passed her to leave. 

He was being kinder. Or, at least, trying to be. Love was a funny thing when it came to Sherlock. 

At first, he would never dream of making an effort to be exceptionally kinder to people. Sherlock thought the people he was fond of would know. Then John came along. And after John, it was Jayden. They made the detective both better at his job but also better as a person.

Now, Sherlock would still definitely be unaware of many social cues and, generally, how society worked in the first place. He knew his friends would help him with that.

As Sherlock stepped into his flat he noticed two steaming cups of coffee on the small table nearest John's seat. 

Without himself noticing, Sherlock's shoulders relaxed. As if he just had a taxing day and this simple sight was enough to get rid of the weight. The smell was unique to Jayden's coffee only and it intrigued him. Was it a figment of his imagination? How special was it? Sherlock wasn't sure and he couldn't bring himself to even want to solve those questions. This was sacred. Why should he touch it?

Jayden peaked around the corner, waving at Sherlock with a smile full of the warmth of the stars. "I figured I should make some dinner for us too." She hummed.

"In my kitchen?" Sherlock asked, amused as he took off his coat and scarf. The man plucked one of the mugs from the table and began to drink it. 

"Yeah, though I did have to bring everything from my apartment." Jayden hummed for a moment, pursing her lips. "Maybe I should've just done it upstairs but at least now you get a nice smell in this place instead of a rotting head." She smirked, winking at the detective.

Sherlock let out his own small laugh, "It's not here anymore so you shouldn't complain." He pointed out. Though, the scent did linger even if it wasn't noticeable to a regular nose.

As they both sat down to eat, Sherlock took a deep breath to savor the moment. This would be the first of many but he didn't want to forget the very one that set it off. Maybe he needed to make some space in his mind palace for these memories. Delete a few details to cases…..

A dinner like this and remembering the details of it was far more important. 

Chapter Text

As the months of filming drew closer for Jayden, so did her nerves. What if she wasn't ready for something of this magnitude? She's only been in small plays, only occasionally getting the main character or a big part. Now she's going to be the protagonist in a big budget superhero film where they'd usually hire faces the audience has seen in other projects. This would be the first ever acting credit Jayden would have on…. Any website. 

The girl isn't even an indie actress, she's no one. There's no fan made films she's ever done or even short features. The girl has barely even been an extra in a TV show.

She expressed her worry to one of the production assistants but they soothed her, even if it was an empty compliment or two, it did settle her nerves until she got home for the night. It all suddenly hit her. Jayden would be filming in a month or two from then. Which meant the next year or so she would spend away from her home. Was she prepared for that? 

Jayden wanted to be an actress. A huge one that everyone in their right mind couldn't ignore and loved. But was this too soon? She certainly hoped not. The young woman has wanted this forever, for as long as she can remember. 

Even seeing the movies her parents carefully curated for her, she wanted to be an actress. To wear pretty costumes, have her hair meticulously in or out of her face to add to a scene, to be able to go to far away lands that no one could dream of. It was a type of paradise only she thought she could reach. But that wasn't so.

Jayden knew she used these shows and movies as a coping mechanism. Escapism. It helped most of the time. Other times, it simply didn't. 

Now though, she was truly in the mechanism that is film making. Another small gear in the huge machine that is Hollywood. She was mostly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, as were most actors and people in general. 

The young woman shook her head. She needed to stop with the existentialism or she would have a panic attack. 

Jayden took a deep breath after entering her apartment and quickly went to grab a cup and fill it with chocolate milk. While a cup of coffee was comforting there was something even more soothing about a nice glass of chocolate milk. Reminiscent of a time of her childhood that wasn't as horrible.  

She knew she should be happy. Elated even. Her name would forever be etched into the eyes of Hollywood. But maybe part of her doubts was that she would only be cast in Superhero movies. Her only source of income would be that. Nothing else. Jayden didn't want to be typecast, she knew how damaging it could be to some careers. 

Then a ping grabbed Jayden from her thoughts. A text from one of the costume designers.

This is the final design!

We'd like you to come over

tomorrow so we can

adjust accordingly, thanks!

Another deep breath from Jayden and a small smile made its way to her face. The costume was almost done, just some small adjustments…. Probably around her crotch area. It was a little funny that everyone knew they hired a trans actress and yet there still wasn't enough room for her package in the costume.

The woman took a long sip from her glass and pursed her lips for a moment. She wondered where Sherlock was, usually he'd be barreling through her door at this point. Maybe he was out? At least it was quiet for the time being.

Jayden quickly drank the rest of her milk and set the glass in the sink, holding onto the counter as she took a breath. She could do this. Her whole life led up to this moment and she couldn't–shouldn't–back out now. As the woman looked into her reflection in a metallic pot, she realized she's exactly where she needs to be. 

The woman has friends now. True ones. Good ones. They will help her. She's not alone anymore. Jayden doesn't have to do things by herself if she doesn't want to. 

Sherlock is a loyal friend and isn't one to sugar coat things, great if asking for advice. While John is nicer than Sherlock, he's still good to come to for advice since he's lived a longer life. And Mary…. Jayden could tell she would be able to come to her for anything, advice, clothes shopping, makeup products. 

They all seem to also care less that she is transgender. And not in the bad way.

Jayden couldn't help the light smile that made it to her lips. She was glad she could function without friends but wasn't it sweeter being able to function with them? She could share her excitement about roles with them rather than just screaming in her apartment by herself. Which seemed much much sadder. They could go out together, have fun by simply walking around and perhaps shopping. Though she was the youngest out of the four, she would be able to stay out longer. Plus, John and Mary had a child…. Maybe not the best idea to go out in the afternoon.

As Jayden went into her bedroom to change into some pajamas, she noticed a mug on her nightstand along with a note underneath. 

After a long day, I 

usually like some tea but

since you're not one 

for that, I made some hot cocoa.

Have a good night, Jay.

– SH

The smile on Jayden's face widened at the note, pursing her lips before she set the note in her drawer and took a sip of the cocoa. She blinked at the taste. It was everything she liked…. 

Well, of course Sherlock noticed. Jay loved a sprinkle of cinnamon in her hot cocoa to make it taste similar to a chocolate snickerdoodle. 

Then she also noticed some pajamas were already sitting on her bed. That had to be Sherlock yet again. Jayden shook her head and let out a small laugh, realizing the man probably had to pick her lock to get inside. The things that man does for a simple payoff like this….

Getting ready for bed that night was much easier than the previous ones partly because Sherlock helped with it but also because Jayden made peace with something. That she'll be okay in the end, no matter what happened because there were people now backing her. They would show up to her movies even if no one else did and Jayden was okay with that.

Sure, it would be nice to impress the world but it would be a hell of a lot cooler if she impressed both herself and her friends. That's what mattered.

Chapter Text

Sherlock breathed in heavily, letting out small, strained moans. Something he never thought he’d do in his life. For pleasurable reasons, at least. The man held onto the sheets, his head buried into the pillow in front of him. Yes, Sherlock Holmes was on his hands and knees in the middle of his own bed. “Please….” Came from Sherlock’s mouth, a foregin word on his tongue but it made the sound all the more sweet. The depth of his voice made a simple, pleading “please” mean that much more. It was a foregin emotion in this circumstance. Desperation. In times of high stress, big cases, were usually when it came to him. Not…. this.

Irene Adler may have thought she would bring Sherlock Holmes to beg for mercy, and be the first to get to him. And maybe she could. But fate was funny, it had that scenario playing with another woman in mind. 

Someone much different than The Woman.

“Please what, sweetheart?” A very familiar voice to Sherlock. She pulled slightly on the man’s restraints, the ropes tightening slightly which would create bruises he would most likely cherish in the morning.

Sherlock let out a small, deep whine, “I-I-” This was hard for the detective…. In many ways. Emotionally, though, he wasn’t used to having someone else in such control over him like this. 

Sex wasn’t something he’s fully experienced before and, as far as he knew, he would be the one in control. But in one fell swoop, she changed his mind. No, he would be the one begging, pleading, wanting, whining while she made him like that. It felt…. Freeing. Good, even. Like it was meant to be that way. She showed him a side of himself that he didn’t think he had.

“P-Please, M-Mistress Violet!” Yes. He’s letting go. She’s letting him let go. Sherlock let out a breathy whine as his lips released those words.

Jayden is not an inherently sexual creature, even though it was her job. But she has a better insight than anyone about what a simple experience can do to someone. She was just hoping this would be a positive outcome. And right she was….

—-------------

“Sherlock?!” John banged on his bedroom door, his voice muffled from within the four walls. Was he really not up? It was eleven am. Sherlock had to be. That would be a new record for the detective. 

Speaking of, the man inside the room let out a deep breath, not realizing his face was flushed. It was a dream…. All of it? Why did it seem so vivid? Like…. Like Jayden was right there, making him feel good. Making him lose control and give it to someone else in the sweetest way possible.

Sherlock looked around his room, trying to calm himself with simple deductions but that was not working so he got dressed…. Careful of himself. He didn’t want to seem hot and bothered. Because he was surely both. Now, John was a man as well but the detective wasn’t ready to reveal himself to be sexually inclined yet. After all, the first time Sherlock was sexually active in some way was when he met Irene Adler and he didn’t do anything with her besides see her naked.

Which John saw as well so it wasn’t private anyway. Not that he wanted it to be, it was a surprise. Something he didn’t anticipate. Like his dream. He didn’t anticipate he would have it. Sherlock barely dreamt in the first place so it was shocking he had one, especially like that.

Another deep breath as the man opened the door to his room, coughing to gain John’s attention as the man took a sip of some tea he made. “There you are, thought you were dead.” He chuckled softly.

“Somehow I doubt my death will be as…. Boring as dying in my sleep.” Sherlock coughed for a moment, realizing his voice sounded much more husky than usual. 

John wasn't an idiot, as much as Sherlock decided to call him so. The man's eyebrow cocked at the sound of Sherlock's voice, "You alright?" The doctor observed the detective for a moment, not missing the way Sherlock's cheeks were slightly flushed and–he realized this because of the detective's own ramblings–the way his pupils were dilated once he came out of the room, not to mention the slightly harbored breaths.

"Just fine." The detective gritted his teeth, trying to sound less irritated but failed. Sherlock could tell John was observing him and was one step away from finding out exactly why his pupils were dilated, why his skin was flushed, and why his voice was deeper than usual.

Thankfully, the doctor was not as cruel as Sherlock would be in such a situation and decided not to comment on it. "Alright, well, we have a case to get to." John said, his mind already clicking everything in place.

Sherlock nodded, coughing for a moment before he went to grab his coat and scarf. London was frigid in the winter and with the snow, the air had a certain bite to it that most everyone hated. But, for once, Sherlock was quite thankful it was cold outside. It should be able to distract him from the scene still lingering in his head.

"Please what?" The sickly sweet sound of her voice echoed in his head. Sherlock has never even heard Jayden say something similar to that in a tone so…. distracting. 

Sex was something Sherlock didn't really acknowledge until Irene and after, he started to question it was something he wanted in the first place. Indifference seemed to be a struggle after The Woman arrived, naked with only some heels on. For a moment, though, the detective landed on a hard 'no.' That only lasted for a few years. 

Jayden came along and messed everything up. In the best way possible. Sherlock's attraction to her was like nothing he's ever felt before. He wanted to do everything and anything with her. Whether that included sex or not was up her. 

If he was honest, Sherlock wouldn't blame Jayden for not wanting anything sexual from him. It was a part of her job, it could be–was–tiring. She needed a break from it all. It was more than healthy to take a break…. From anything really. Especially if you do something for days on end.

 —--------------

The crime scene was brutal. It's been a while since Sherlock has seen something this bloody. Stains of red were all over the walls, floors, and even the ceiling. 

Just goes to show how good of a weapon a guitar can be when trying to kill someone.  

Although, it did take some time for Sherlock to realize what the murder weapon was. The images of his dream and the sultry sound of Jayden's voice haunted his mind, distracting him from the task at hand. The man had to press his palms into the temples of his head just to get his brain to start working properly again.

"Something up with him?" Greg asked John as Sherlock began pacing around the scene, rattling off simple deductions like what Sally had for breakfast or the state of a police car to calm himself. 

It was nice that Greg was concerned and so was John, but he knew the deeper meaning as to why Sherlock couldn't focus. "Yeah…. He'll be fine though." He hoped. John shrugged, keeping an eye on the detective to make sure he didn't say anything stupid just to get his mind working again.

When Sherlock did start to focus, he rattled off the deductions like they were fleeing from his mind as soon as he realized them. "Clearly a physical altercation with things being broken or askew, as well as the bruising on the woman's knuckles, head was beaten by something heavy and large…. An electric guitar judging by the size and width of the indents. Possibly something expensive like a Fender but not too flashy, perhaps in the color black…." He explained, his eyes scanning over the woman's body yet again. 

It was someone she didn't know, that much was clear. Someone going to the music shop, perhaps to buy or…. Reminisce in a time where they could play. "Check inventory and see if any guitars are missing that match the description." Sherlock said, looking over at Greg who finally paid attention. 

Sherlock looked to the wall of the shop, eyeing some of the guitars on the wall. It reminded him of Jayden's…. Jayden! Right, she knew her guitars from inside and out. She was able to manipulate them in ways no one else could, or, he thought only she could. The soft melodies that were played on her acoustic greatly complimented the appearance of it. A soft white with the black painted accents being chipped away after the countless times she's used it, the gloss fading away to a nice matte. It was loved. Loved for years. 

But Jayden's electric guitar…. That was something that hung on the walls of her apartment, barely used unless in the mood for it. It was in immaculate condition, in the style of something more retro than anything newer. It was a light mint color with white encapsulating the strings and a wooden neck that was meant to play chords. Sherlock has never heard nor seen Jayden play it. Perhaps it was more of a trophy for her or she only played it when she felt a piece called for it. For instance, something more Rock N' Roll? Or something more like Pop? Sherlock knew she listened to an artist called Doja Cat….

Sherlock totally didn't search up the song on Google for the sole purpose of bonding…. And he totally didn't listen to any others made by her.

Totally.

Chapter Text

People die every day in London. Sherlock knows this. But it’s a rare occurrence when a death affects him, or someone he loves, directly. Even rarer, it’s not the death at all. It’s the killer. The killer is trying to communicate with her. Get her attention. Make her scared. 

As soon as Sherlock walked into the scene–a nice two-story house, right at the suburbs of London–he could tell something was even more wrong than usual. People looked at him weirdly, more than they already did before. It was a mix of pity and fear. Fear for him. But some lonesome murderer wouldn’t be able to kill him, even if they tried their hardest. The fear was misplaced. 

Or so he thought. 

“Give it to me.” Sherlock suddenly blurted to Greg who looked at him, confused in return. He let out a small breath, “The letter! Quite obvious to me that the murderer left something this time. On purpose.” He rolled his eyes, a sarcastic and annoyed look in them.

Greg let out a breath and nodded, “Not wrong but, um…. We’d rather you not go mad. The letter isn’t for you. ” He explained, trying to be as careful as possible. Lestrade knew the kind of damage Sherlock could do if he knew someone he loved was in danger. He's gone to hell and back just for John.

Imagine someone that–somehow–mattered more. Sherlock would rearrange the universe. And it seemed someone already knew he would.

Sherlock narrowed his eyes at Greg before holding his hand out. The detective inspector sighed and nodded, grabbing it from one of the evidence bags to give to Sherlock. 

The detective was stubborn and so eager for his heart to break that he didn't like when people tried to protect him. Sure, Mycroft was an overprotective and overbearing brother but unfortunately that worry was warranted. Hell, their younger sister was trying to kill them a year or so ago.

As soon as Sherlock started to examine the envelope, the name on the back stuck out at him and the smallest–but noticeable–sliver of fear crossed his eyes. Written in the most impeccable cursive was Jayden Wayne . 

Jayden Wayne . 

Sherlock's eyes focused on the writing, staring a hole into the center of it. It worried John. The detective just got someone he could be vulnerable with, lay every card out on the table. Willingly. And now that person could be in danger. Sherlock's eyes narrowed for a moment before he roughly opened the envelope.  

Dear Jayden Wayne–originally Gastrell if I recall,

It's funny how life has brought you to me. Someone who made it their mission to escape from my grasp, yet here you are yet again. So close to your goal, but not enough. Destiny has so many other plans for you. All of which include me! How wonderful is that? Come home with me willingly or else I'll be forced to do things I'd rather not. Your family misses you. The you with your pretty natural, long, black hair, and a rounder face marked a pretty purple by my hands. Being different is so hard. Isn't it? You belong with me, darling. We compliment each other, don't you think? I'd do anything for you while you'd rather watch the light leave my eyes. Perfect for each other!

Lovingly, your husband

P.S. Sherlock Holmes, being the nosy little shit you are, I know you're reading and I'm warning you to back away from Jayden Gastrell or she won't be the only one getting hurt.

Anger. He's felt it many, many times before. But this was different. It was a white-hot flame that wouldn't end by throwing a simple bucket of water at it. Someone he loved was caught in the crosshair of some murderous, misogynistic idiot. And this love wasn't a simple love of a friend, like John. No, this love was deeper, closer to Sherlock's heart. Something that might kill him.

Or keep him alive.

People always say they would die for someone or even kill for them. But Sherlock knows all anyone wants is for their partner to be alive and live a life with them. A relationship that will last. He's not sure if he could give anyone that, but he wanted to try.

Sherlock shook his head, letting out a frustrated huff. He quickly put the letter back in the envelope. "I…. Need to leave." He said simply, striding out of the house while John watched with an expression of concern written all over his face. 

The doctor quickly followed, letting out a breath when he realized Sherlock already hailed a taxi and left. He either went to see Jayden and showed her the letter or holed up in 221b and left Jayden blissfully unaware of the threats on her life. Perhaps his reasoning for that would be that she's already had to deal with shitty situations and he didn't want to add to it. But John knew better. Sherlock didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. The one to tell her that something horrible was going to happen.

But maybe John was wrong.

—---------

A knock on Jayden's door pulled her from her trance. She was staring at the finalized costume, a proud smile on her face. It was finally comfortable around her crotch and looked beautiful. A white tactical suit with armor plating around the shoulders that blended in with the regular cloth, gauntlets made of silver, and long boots–without a heel, thank god–that had plated armor on it too. To pull it together, a simple, swirling design on the sides of the waist to look like she was cinched. 

The young woman opened the door to her flat and cocked her at Sherlock. Something was wrong, she could see it in his eyes. The detective opened his mouth to say something but closed it when Jayden widened the door for him to come in.

She could tell they needed to sit down for this.

Sherlock roughly undid the scarf around his neck and set his gloves inside his coat pockets as he sat down. Jayden just watched, observing him with neutral eyes. He was like a pot of boiling water that was about to explode. She couldn't imagine whatever made him seethe like this.

"Talk." But she wanted to know. Jayden sat next to Sherlock, eyes taking in the hardened features more closely. His jaw was clenched, lips pursed into a thin line, his nose was scrunched up into a slight snarl while his eyebrows furrowed.

But then he looked at Jayden and his features softened. Slightly. But she could tell. Sherlock let out a huff, eyes flicking from Jayden's to some random groove in the wood floors. He debated on whether or not he should admit what he read earlier. But Jayden was sure to hold it against him if he didn't. She would hold a grudge and Sherlock knew he wouldn't be able to survive it. 

"I think your ex is going to kill you. Or, at least, kill to make you get back with him." He said, then continued to explain what he saw earlier that day, before he arrived at her flat.

As he described the crime scene and recited what was in the letter, Jayden's eyes were wide with fear and her heart sunk deep in her chest. James. He was toying with her. She knew it. He was trying to make her feel guilty. Make her feel like this was her fault. 

And it was working .

James was using something she loved against her. Literally killing someone with an object that Jayden loved. That had to be some sort of metaphor. 

When Sherlock was done, Jayden looked off to the side. Her worst nightmare was coming true. How did she not see this coming? James was in London. With her. Her eyes were glazed over, not noticing the concern written all over Sherlock's face. Her emotions were all over the place that she couldn't really function properly. She wouldn't be able to for a while. Unless she found a distraction. Hopefully her job could do that for her. Distract her enough to just barely forget about this mess, threats on her life. Funny. She thought it couldn't get worse than the half-dead state James would leave her in years earlier. But now other people were dead just because a man didn't get what he wanted. 

And what he wanted was her. The obedient, little girl that died a long time ago.

"Jay." Sherlock said softly, grabbing her attention. Barely. "Is there anything I can do?" He knew the answer already. No . Someone wants to murder me for leaving them. 

Jayden looked over at Sherlock, taking a deep breath before she wrapped her arms around him. She just needed someone with her. To feel with her. "Just stay here…. For a little while." She said softly, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Somehow, Jayden still found a way to surprise Sherlock. "Okay…." He let out a shuttered breath, gently wrapping his own arms around her body. "I got you, okay? I'll protect you." He slowly rubbed her back, still not used to physical affection or anything close to it. 

Jayden wasn't crying but she didn't have any more tears left to cry. She wanted to be done being afraid and running from her past. She could be strong and she was, but this was so much different. Her life was quite literally on the line. More than usual.

"Is that a promise?" Jayden asked softly, looking up at Sherlock with her eyebrows furrowed.

"It's a vow." Sherlock whispered back with a gentle smile.

Chapter Text

It's been hard, trying to cope with a man–one that Jayden used to love once upon a time ago–trying to kill her. It's been a few days since her conversation with Sherlock about it so Jayden's been trying everything in her power to ignore it. Trying to throw herself into work, playing guitar, stress cooking, hell, even doing grocery shopping for both herself and Mrs. Hudson. It helped, but not by much. 

So, on a day where she was unfortunately alone–Sherlock was off trying to figure out where James was–Jayden decided to go out for some lunch. Not too far. Just to Speedy's right next door. She ordered a simple sandwich and grabbed a water as well, sighing as she looked at the TV for a moment. It was some random reality show that Jayden wouldn't dare to actually watch but it provided some nice background noise to keep her mind busy from the quiet.

The girl quietly ate, eyes scanning the area. There was a couple off to the side of her, laughing and smiling together, and the clerk was currently talking with a customer. Jayden took a deep breath, looking down at her sandwich for a moment. This whole thing…. She didn't want it. 

What happened to the life she was so close to living? Being successful, having a family, possibly even a boyfriend, and doing what she's always wanted? Now she's alone and probably for good reason. Sherlock could get hurt now…. Not that he would be scared of that but Jayden was.

Distracted in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the figure that decided to sit right next to her until they were getting uncomfortably close. Jayden turned, opening her mouth to say something but her breath was caught in her throat as she realized who it was.

James Gastrell.

The fucker that is trying to ruin her life. Anger flared in her features as well as a hint of fear in her eyes. She wanted to punch the living hell out of that man but she didn't want to make a scene in the middle of a restaurant either.

"Hello, my love." James hummed as he looked at Jayden, a hidden threat underneath features that seemed to exude that he was in love with her. He slowly set his hand on her thigh and rubbed it with his thumb. "Don't wanna resist or I'm sure to do something else you don't want." He whispered in her ear, his breath on her skin which made her even more uncomfortable.

Jayden's eyes were filled with a look that could kill as she tried to slowly move away but as soon as she did, James grip on her tightened. "I hate you." She spat quietly, her nose scrunched in disgust.

"Mhm, I know." James smirked, leaning in next to Jayden more. "But it's fun, right? Being wanted? Needed? Isn't that what you always wanted?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Jayden pursed her lips. She did want that. But not like this. James wanted her to like him, as if she was in some sort of Stockholm Syndrome situation. But she wasn't like that. She had a level head on her shoulders now.

"Not like this. You're hurting people and for what? A girl? Wow, so original." She rolled her eyes, getting up from her seat before the man could stop her. "If I see you again , you are dead ." Jayden growled, a fire in her eyes which showed she meant it and an intimidating stature made her even scarier.

James laughed softly, "Feisty, eh? Well, that can always be fixed." He whispered, holding her gaze. He looked very nonchalant compared to the woman in front of him.

Jayden scoffed at him before she turned to leave, taking a breath as she closed the door to her apartment. "Fuck…." She breathed, her lungs felt like they were being squeezed and her heart was beating as if she just ran a marathon. Jayden was exhausted by just seeing him.

She just interacted with a killer. A killer she knew well at one point.

Jayden ran a hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face before it fell back into place. Her whole body started to shake and she let out a sad sigh, slowly making her way to the kitchen. Water. She needed something to drink. Grabbing a glass, she filled it with water and shakily drank from it. 

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jayden repeated softly after a few sips and set down the glass, leaning her hands against the countertops. Her muscles were tense and she wasn't sure if she could take it. "Breathe. Breathe. Breathe." She reminded herself, eyes flicking up to the ceiling with desperation in them.

What's in the room? A…. Comfy chair. A few different guitars hung on the wall. My favorite records as decoration. The cold glass of water under me. As she listed off some things she saw, her eyes flicked to them and slowly, she calmed down.

Another deep breath, "I'm okay." Jayden said softly, blinking away tears that were starting to form at the edges of her eyes. 

Her eyes then flicked to the water, seeing a bit of her reflection inside. Jayden stared for a few seconds, taking in her own features. Her hair was a mess, eyes red, and her eyebrows were still furrowed with sorrow that she wasn't sure would be erased anytime soon. 

Hopelessness is an emotion Jayden Wayne is used to. And yet, it hurts worse every time she feels it. 

"You'll be fine, Sherlock is the smartest man alive…." Jayden reaffirmed, shaking her head as she squeezed her eyes shut. Sherlock had to find him. 

James might as well be across London now and thank god for that. Jayden didn't want to see him ever again unless it was in police cuffs and in jail. That man might as well be insane for what he's done to her and to others. Perhaps, a different kind of hospital would treat him the correct way.

Suddenly, pushing Jayden from her thoughts, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

He's been arrested.

– SH

Jayden let out a breath of relief, running a hand through her hair as she swallowed thickly. Maybe she could relax again. But how–No, she didn't really need to know, just that he would be gone from the rest of her life forever. 

A few moments later, Jayden heard the front door to the building open and she couldn't stop herself from meeting him at the stairs. She pursed her lips, surprise on Sherlock's face as they stood in front of one another. She coughed a little, the awkwardness was suddenly very evident and it somewhat embarrassed her.

"I just wanted to say…." Jayden fiddled with her fingers nervously. "An explanation." She whispered softly, her eyes flickering from Sherlock to her shoes constantly. 

Sherlock nodded, trying to get her to keep speaking with gentleness in his eyes. For once, he was quiet. Because he knew that Jayden needed it, to get everything off her chest.

Jayden confessed what happened in her life. How horribly James treated her in their marriage. What happened in her earlier life with her parents. How she truly met Mrs. Hudson, leaving out a few details here and there. Details that were too sore to tell. Sherlock was patient though which helped her go from sentence to sentence.

"I'm trying to get to where I want to be and I…. Want you to be there when I do." Jayden said softly, sighing as he looked up at Sherlock with nervousness in her features. "I-"

"I know." Sherlock interrupted softly, hesitantly stepping forward. "I…. I love you too." He said gently, cupping her cheeks and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. 

Jayden looked up at him, shocked. He seemed so eager to tell her. Sure, they've talked together about emotions and other random shit like that but this was so much different. Because he was confessing that he had feelings for her.  

She didn't know why she was so shocked when all the signs were there. Sherlock made that Christmas party perfect for her, loved spending time with her, whether it was in her flat or his or somewhere different, whether it included conversation or not. There were also the constant looks on her body that she, in fact, enjoyed. Sherlock's eyes weren't always filled with lust but instead, they were usually filled with reverence. He just wanted to be around her, drink in her presence like one would for royalty. 

Hell, he would trade Jayden for anyone in the royal family any day.

"You're so beautiful and it…. Pains me dearly to hear what you've gone through. A type of empathy I feel I've never had before meeting you." Sherlock explained softly, struggling a little to find the right words as his hands settled at Jayden's shoulders. "You've never wanted me to change and yet, I've changed so much because of you…." He confessed softly, knowing that Jayden was hanging onto every word.

"I love you." Jayden said finally, a light smile on her face. Sherlock may have known already but she wanted to say it. To confirm it.

Chapter Text

Jayden's life has changed very quickly before. From being abused in the suburbs of the Midwest to being free on a beach somewhere in the middle of Florida in a matter of hours. Now, Jay was on a plane to go back somewhere she never thought she'd be again.  Home. The United States. Where exactly? Chicago. The Windy City. A place where many cultures clashed to make a ridiculously beautiful city off the coast of Lake Michigan. It was Summer and while the city could get a type of dangerous cold in the Winter, it could also get dangerously hot in the Summer. Moody is the only way to describe the weather. 

She hasn't been here in quite a few years but the city barely changed so she could still get around, thankfully. Though the World's Largest Starbucks…. That was new to her. Who needed five stories to get a fucking coffee?

Either way, Jayden Wayne wasn't there for a quick vacation to get a coffee, have a photoshoot by the Bean, or even go to the Navy Pier. She was there for work. She was going to be filming in Chicago. Although, she's heard that most Superhero movies film down in Atlanta. Perhaps it was a precaution for the paps, to confuse them. From what Jayden's heard, the public doesn't even know they're doing this movie so it should be a pleasant surprise anyway.

Finding the hotel was easy. A quick Google Maps search and a 20ish minute walk later and she was there, standing in front of a thirty story building that screamed opulence with huge arches in every door and window, golden accents on Roman-inspired pillars. Jayden has never stayed somewhere quite this nice in her life.

A phone ringing made Jayden start to pay attention, shaking her head from being lost in her thoughts. "Yes?" She asked, picking up the phone as she went inside.

"Hello…." Said a deep voice. Sherlock . "I'm assuming you've arrived at the hotel?" He asked, but he knew. 

Jayden let out a small laugh, adjusting the phone so it was wedged between her cheek and shoulder as she pulled her luggage alongside her. "I think you already know." She hummed, her eyes drinking in the lobby. "It's huge." 

Giving the man at the front desk her name, Jayden grabbed the key card and quickly pocketed it before finding the elevator. "It's a lot." She admitted, thankful she had the elevator to herself.

"It will be, you're being thrown into this. It is your first official acting job. I'm sure you'll do great." Sherlock reassured, then some shifting could be heard as well as some far away voices.

Jayden laughed quietly, realizing it was John and Mary bickering in the background. Probably something about Rosie…. Perhaps even the detective on the phone with her.

"You're at the Watson's." Jayden said with a smile, walking out of the elevator onto her floor. She then started to walk to her room number. 

Sherlock let out a huff, "Yes. They're bickering about something for the baby. Not sure if I care to ask what." He admitted quietly as if they weren't right next to him.

"Help 'em solve the problem, Sher. You're a detective." Jayden said teasingly, rolling her eyes as she opened the door to her hotel room. 

The room was huge with a nice king sized bed off to the side, a round decently sized table with four chairs surrounding it, a huge TV on the wall, a mini-fridge and even a microwave in the kitchen-ette off to her right. Not to mention the balcony outside. She was sure the bathroom was just as big as the room itself.

"Look, I gotta go. Just got in my room." She said, her eyes catching onto a tray filled with different fruits with a folded card on top that said her name. "Bye." Jayden said softly.

Sherlock hummed in response, "Goodbye." Then the line went dead as she hung up.

—-----------

As the line went dead, Sherlock let out a sigh and set his phone back in his blazer pocket. He looked over at John and Mary, rolling his eyes as he went to the baby they were arguing about. She was crying and they couldn't figure out exactly why, she had a clean diaper and they just fed her so what else could it be.

"Attention, hm, little Rose?" Sherlock chuckled softly, gently picking up the baby from her highchair and started to bounce her.

—---------

Sherlock had always been good with kids and animals but it was so much different when said child was a baby. He had to be so much more gentle and quiet. One simple thing could set them off and there wasn't much else you could do after that. Rose, though, calmed fairly quickly when Sherlock held her in his arms. It was like she knew he would keep her safe, much like her own father. 

Years ago, Sherlock was sure he would never be within 100 feet of a child, let alone hold one. Not that he hated kids but no one would've trusted him with one. 

That all changed with John, much like everything in his life did.  

Then again, many things changed with Jayden as well. His capacity for love, being able to feel different types of it then just familial.

Romantic love. It was always something Sherlock despised, even though he and his brother were technically born from it. It was wrong. It was not meant for him. It was, as he said, a chemical defect found on the losing side. The reason one could lose everything.

And yet, the reason one could gain everything.

Sherlock was feeling things he'd never thought he'd be able to, new sensations, new ideas, new mannerism, new…. Everything. Because of her. And then Jayden was gone. Not for forever but it sure as hell felt like it.

She'd be gone for weeks, months, maybe even a year or more. Surely she would be able to come home though, right? During holidays or if they had breaks during filming? Sherlock feared not being able to see her after just admitting what he felt. Though, Jayden wasn't a liar, nor was she a quitter even though she felt like wanting to sometimes. He just hoped that would be enough.

Sherlock's never had a real relationship before. Janine was fake and before that he had nothing else to really go off of. Irene was…. An interesting case and Kitty Riley, while there was some weird sexual tension, it was something he wanted no part in.

This–It was born of innocence and a genuine wanting. Both Jayden and Sherlock were cracked, broken, with pieces crumbling off. Maybe that's why they worked so well together. Because, maybe somewhere deep down, they both knew they were broken and that no one else could understand them quite like the way they understood each other.

Sherlock, however, knew this day would come. Jayden would leave him for greener pastures. He just hoped she wouldn't forget him and devote a little of her time to give him a call or even a simple text….

He wished the days passed faster so Jayden could come back sooner.

Chapter Text

It's premiere night in London for The Silver Star and Jayden was nervous, but mostly proud. It's been a year of filming and even more of production, editing, VFX compositing, etc. Everything she worked for was looking forward to this night, when she would finally be recognized as what she wanted to be. An actress. And a damned good one at that. This film was everything Jayden loved. A mix of comedy and drama, happiness and sadness, fun moments and even devastating ones. The story was beautiful. Pride shone in Jayden's eyes as she walked the red carpet. It was so surreal, being the center of attention. Especially in a non-sexual way. Sure there would be some people who said weird as hell comments about her but she decided not to dwell on that and instead let her happiness show. Year of hard work was coming to a beautiful culmination. She posed with co-stars, the director, even some other crew members were there and she made sure to give them each a big hug. Sure, she was the star–quite literally–of the show, but it was made with their hard work too. 

For a few moments, Jayden wished she had Sherlock with her. But she understood why he didn’t want to come in the first place. It was overwhelming. Cameras were flashing every second and journalists were yelling at the crew to ask some questions. Hell, even the cameramen were. “Look over here!” “Beautiful!” “Get out of my shot!” were just a few things Jay heard from their mouths. She’s always wondered why celebrities hated the paparazzi. Now she knows. They breathe down your neck like so many men Jayden’s known before.

Finally, getting into the theater, Jayden was hit with the most extravagant movie theater she’s ever been in. Golden pillars with bright red walls and granite floors that cascaded to each big room. She knew she was lucky. Seeing things like that didn’t happen to just anyone and she couldn’t explain just how happy she was. But damn her floor length dress and heels, almost making her trip as she entered. 

Now that would be a field day for the paps.

—-----------

Seeing the full movie for the first time was mesmerizing. And seeing the audience's reactions was even better. People loved it! And that just inflated Jayden’s ego more. A universally loved movie on her first try? Now that is amazing. There was no other way to describe it for Jayden. This whole experience was amazing. Being in a huge franchise and having people love her movie in particular would be wonderful. What it seemed like from the crowd’s claps at the end of it, then it was going to turn out that way. Jayden couldn’t be happier about it either.

As she got in her car home–the studio got each star a ride home–she got a text from Sherlock. A simple:

How was it?

– SH

Jayden didn’t even realize she was smiling, her jaw almost hurting. But she couldn’t stop. People loved her. Well, she hoped they would. The people they invited were curated by the studio. The movie was actually hitting UK theaters later that week and Sherlock had plans to see it sometime. He was a busy man, most of the time.

i think they liked it

hoping for it to do well

in theaters

She set her phone down, looking outside at the passing cityscape. It was night by the time she left with bright lights all over the city, buses, cars, and people still out and about. Jayden was used to it and it somewhat comforted her–the busyness. Alone with her thoughts though, was not good for her.

Critics could be cruel, people could be cruel, but also people could love her. Love. Obsess. Hate. Lie. All those things scared her. Jayden has been obsessed over and it’s not as beautiful as one may think it was. Being so infatuated with someone could hurt you and that person. Then there’s hate. One small slip and Jayden could be fucked over for the rest of her career. She was still young, twenty-four now, but she still had room to grow and make mistakes and have…. Fun! But she knew that being a movie star meant that she had to mature a bit faster than she wanted to. 

Jayden wasn’t sure if she could handle it. All those emotions being thrown at her all at once. Her safe space would still be there, though. Sherlock and a nice cup of coffee, or even hot chocolate.

—----------

Around twelve am in the morning, Sherlock was awoken by a loud knock on his door. He groaned but shook his head from the sleep that plagued him and looked over at his clock. Jayden must’ve come home. So, the detective grabbed his robe and slid it on his shoulders before he answered the door. 

He was greeted by the sight of Jayden Wayne in a simple black, floor-length dress that had a deep V neckline between her breasts accompanied by a slit that went up her thigh and some simple deep red heels. Sherlock blinked heavily, thinking Jay would be changed into some sort of iteration of her sleep clothes at that point but he guessed wrong. Not to mention the fact that he started to take mental pictures of her in said outfit. Stop it, he cursed at himself.

“Stop what?” Jayden asked, cocking her head. Shit, he said that outloud. They stared at each other for a few moments before she flashed him a smile. “Gonna let me in?”

Sherlock coughed and nodded hurriedly, moving over to the side to let her walk in. “Of course.” He’s never had a woman dressed like Jayden come into his flat before in the middle of the night or else he would have a very different kind of reputation. 

The woman’s heels clicked softly against the wood floors, humming as she looked around the flat like she did practically all the time she entered it. “It’s a bit cleaner here than I remember.” Jayden teased softly, her arms crossed as she rubbed them together as well. 

Noticing this, Sherlock immediately went to grab her one of his coats and set it around her shoulders. He knew they were broad but feeling them sent his brain all sorts of haywire. “I’ll go make some coffee as well.” He blushed, thankful that the only light in the room was coming from the streetlights outside the window. Sure, Jayden knew his feelings but he wasn’t quite ready for her to learn the extent of his attraction to her yet.

“Thanks.” Jayden hummed, already feeling warmer with the detective’s blazer on. She breathed in 221b with a heavy sigh. 

It smelled of lingering tobacco, books, dust, and some febreeze Mrs. Hudson most likely sprayed while Sherlock was gone. But overall, it smelled of home, something Jayden didn’t think she would have. The woman quickly sat down in one of the chairs as Sherlock came back with a single mug.

“Not having any?” Jayden asked, taking the mug from Sherlock’s grip before she took a small sip from it. They softly brushed hands, something they both knew to be intentional at this point. She sighed out happily, a light smile on her lips.

Sherlock shook his head as he sat down. “Nope. Someone wants me to have a healthy sleeping schedule and having coffee at twelve in the morning is surely to not help in that aspect.” He teased softly, crossing his legs over one another as he watched Jayden sip at her coffee. 

Over the past few months, Sherlock has perfected his coffee making skills. He made sure the taste of it was perfectly curated for Jayden. She was the only one he would be making coffee for anyway. John was more of a tea drinker, as was Sherlock.

“Suit yourself.” Jayden winked.

Chapter Text

A few weeks passed after the opening of Jayden’s movie and you could say she was quickly projected to an A-List celebrity, her phone blew up with all the new followers on her Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc. You name it? She had a million followers or more on it. Jayden loved her newfound fame but she knew it came with downsides, people obsessing over her–negative or positive–and she would have to keep working to keep their attention or else her star would die out sooner than she’d want. So Jayden had her agent line up some auditions for her to do. Thankfully, she was able to pick out a few of the handful her agent offered. Some of them had awfully written trans women. Like, c’mon now! Jayden had more depth than just a woman with a dick.

The actress quickly got ready once she was up for the day, deciding on something more comfortable since it was just a simple audition. She didn’t expect to be casted on the first try, if her previous endeavors were anything to go by. And sure, her newfound fame would help her but not much. Producers only cared on who would give the best performance and also who would get the most people seated in an audience and it certainly wouldn’t be some random new girl from a superhero film.

So, Jayden would do what she did best. Act her ass off in that audition and wait for the call. And she did. The script they gave her once she arrived was just a few pages, after all they only wanted to test the potential actors and didn’t want the script being talked about too much. Jayden acted with a partner, presumably one of the producers or writers and then, when she finished, they said they’d call her to let her know if she got the role or not in a week or so. Yeah, right. Well, Jayden needed to have some hope. After all, she did get a role of a lifetime being a trans woman who just so happened to be a superhero. That—she couldn’t be more ecstatic about, especially since she was signed on for later movies. But she didn’t want to be known as a one-trick pony either.

—-----------

Arriving at the door of 221b, Jayden looked carefully at the worn out metal that formed that combination of numbers and letters. She hummed, eyes catching on the smallest bit of rust at the edges and smiled a little at it. Yeah, she was outside staring at the door to her home. Hell, it was nice to call something that for once. 

“It’s a little weird that you’re just standing here, don’t you think?” The image of the door was replaced by Sherlock standing in its place, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk on his lips and smugness in his eyes.

Jayden rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, “A girl can’t appreciate her surroundings?” She asked with a wink as she pushed past Sherlock to the foyer so she wasn’t standing in the cold anymore. The girl stretched her arms out, muscle flexing lightly.

Sherlock’s eyes flicked to the movement before quickly raising them to Jayden’s eyes. “Not when you’re appreciating a rotted door.” He teased softly, shaking his head in a tutting manner.

They both paused their light banter to stare at each other, and suddenly, it was like all the air was sucked out of the room. It was just the two of them, like always. And even though they’ve basically confessed their feelings for each other, they didn’t do anything about it. Not yet. Sherlock and Jayden agreed that it would be better to pursue a relationship once she was done filming and well…. She became a bit busy with red carpets, press junkets, interviews, anything you could think of really. But, it felt right in that moment to a particular detective.

“Go on a date with me.” He breathed out, his features soft as he let the words leave his lips before he could think any further. It wasn’t posed as a question but Sherlock sure as hell hoped Jayden would say yes. 

They’ve been dancing around each other for what felt like years and it was frustrating him. All these new feelings that Sherlock knew were reciprocated but nothing new blossomed, they were both two idiots who felt too scared to say something.

Jayden blinked, surprised he would be this forward out of nowhere. “Oh, uh, sure.” A light blush covered her face before she took a breath and composed herself, there was no need to get all nervous in front of Sherlock. He’s Sherlock, the first person she’s opened up to in a while. “What time and day?” She asked softly.

“Preferably tomorrow at 10 am, I have something in mind.” Knowing Sherlock, he always had something in mind. In fact, his perfect date was at the forefront of his mind for the past year or so of knowing Jayden. 

Jayden looked at Sherlock, cocking her eyebrow as she tilted her head. She had a slight smile on her features. “We going out for breakfast or something?” She asked with a light laugh. It wouldn’t be the strangest thing Sherlock’s asked her to do. Then she let out a hum, “Any specific dress code?”

“Anything you feel like wearing is perfectly fine with me. I do expect it to be warm tomorrow, though.” Sherlock shrugged with a light smile, not expecting much. He barely expected her to dress any differently than she usually did. 

The woman hummed again in response. Sherlock would probably wear the same button-up, blazer ensemble he did everyday. So Jayden thought she would do the same, it seemed Sherlock loved her in any type of clothes anyway. Especially tank tops, they showed off her muscle and she’s caught his eyes quite a few times after coming back from the gym.

—------------

The date was simple and Jayden loved it. Sherlock took her to a small corner store that had a bakery inside, he noted that Jayden stared at it once on one of their walks so he decided it would be nice for their date. After getting some baked goods for home, they went on a small walk around the city. Hand in hand, with Sherlock rattling off a few facts about places they passed. Jayden took in the information with a smile. Sherlock didn’t want to let it show just how excited he was to have the simple touch of her hand in his.

Was this what love was like? Being comfortable enough around someone to be vulnerable and admit when you’re nervous? It seemed so. After so long, Sherlock finally caught it. The love bug, it stung him and he wasn’t going to get better anytime soon. But maybe he was okay with that. Sure seemed like Jayden didn’t have a problem with it either. 

Chapter Text

As May rolled along, John and Mary began inviting their friends to their anniversary party. Of course, Sherlock knew about it before anyone else did cause who else was around them so much it bothered them sometimes. At least now they had Jayden to catch his attention more than them. Thank God. The couple didn’t even have to make invitations, deciding on an oral invitation since their first anniversary was more monumental in general. It was supposed to be a nice, small party paired with a couple of glasses of champagne for everyone and maybe some decorative fruit plates or other horderves scattered around on different surfaces. At least, that’s what John and Mary had in mind. Before they invited Jayden.

Originally, John and Mary were going to 221b to see Sherlock about something but it turned out he wasn’t there but Jayden was. She was singing softly and slowly dancing in the kitchen as she popped some grapes in her mouth. Her voice was occasionally muffled but her voice was amazing, light yet Mary could hear the power behind it. 

John and Mary looked at each other before John closed the door, alerting Jayden of their presence. “Shit!” She exclaimed, dropping a few of her grapes before she hurriedly picked them up. “Uh, hey.” Jayden said shyly as she turned to them, throwing the dusty grapes away.

“Hello.” Mary smirked, an idea forming in her head while John shook his head. He could already tell what was forming in her head.

Jayden’s face was still flushed with embarrassment but she tried to compose herself. “Um, did you need Sherlock? He’s not here but I can tell him what you need.” She said, straightening her posture a little. She felt silly, only children were embarrassed by being caught doing something. But then again, her childhood wasn’t the best in the first place.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something.” Mary smiled kindly, nudging John a little while adding a wink his way too. This anniversary would certainly be special.

—---------

Sherlock groaned a little as he and Jayden showed up to the Watsons home, a few cars already lined the streets around the house. “Do we have to go inside? I’m sure John and Mary already know we appreciate them being married and they are good for each other, do they have to celebrate it every year?” He asked, voice whining like a child. He pursed his lips, shaking his head as Jayden pulled him along.

“Pretty sure you said that last year too.” Jayden rolled her eyes, her grip was hard against Sherlock's arm as she pulled him to her side. While she wasn’t invited last year, it was mainly because of filming among other things. “ And I’m sure they’d be very sad if their best friend decided to bail.”

Sherlock deadpanned at her, “No they wouldn’t. They know their friend is antisocial and hates being around others unless they know them well.” He grunted out, shaking his head as Jayden pressed her finger against the doorbell.

“Can’t bail now.” Jayden winked with a smile, “Plus, you’ll be fine! Most people already here are probably ones you already know. So shh.” She nudged the man next to her, looking up at him with a happy twinkle in her eyes. 

John opened the door and quickly ushered them in, revealing the house decorated in twinkling lights and their (Sherlock’s) friends mingling throughout the house with some sort of wine in their hand as they talked. It was certainly not something Jayden was used to. After her film wrapped, parties were filled with people intending on getting drunk and finding someone to spend the night with. This seemed very adult . Which wasn’t something she was opposed to, but Jayden kind of liked watching the chaos of the other kind of party. The way people would react if they were denied, seeing their faces fall was hilarious to her. Maybe she was a bit of a sadist that way but Jayden didn’t really care either way.

As they entered, John led them through the house to the kitchen where there were glasses of different types of wine scattered, some full while some were evidently sipped out of. “Take your pick.” He hummed, happy his best friend was there so he didn’t have to put on the mask of being overly happy about seeing so many people. John was a sociable person but parties drained him.

“You’ll like this one.” Sherlock plucked one of the full glasses that had a golden liquid inside. Jayden cocked her head at him but took the glass anyway. “It matches perfectly with your flavor profile.” He explained nonchalantly as if analyzing a wine to match someone’s taste in a matter of seconds was normal.

Jayden shrugged and took a sip of the wine, humming when she realized Sherlock was correct. It was a white wine that was light with just the right amount of sweetness that it didn’t want to make her vomit right after drinking it. Which unfortunately did happen a few times when Jayden had something that was way too sweet for her tastes. 

Sherlock winked at Jay, pressing a small kiss to her cheek which made her blush. While it was public knowledge Sherlock and Jayden dated, especially since their date was very public and the English paparazzi were starved for content, it still was very new to Jayden to be physically affectionate with someone. Hugs were always on the table but the small touches and kisses were going to drive her insane. But she was somewhat proud of the man beside her, Sherlock wasn’t the best at physical affection either yet he was the one who mostly enacted everything. He set their date in motion, he loved holding hands, and pressed kisses to Jayden’s temple anytime he could. Which was a lot.

—------

About an hour into the party, guests were being ushered outside into the Watsons small backyard. There was a speaker and a microphone set up which made Sherlock’s mind immediately go to singing . But no one there knew how to sing, he would know if they did. Hell, he knew almost everything about everyone. While Jayden…. Jayden. She was an open book but written in a way that made you want to learn more, maybe even buy the sequel or the third installment too.

John and Mary went over to the microphone while Mary grabbed it. “I know, you may have thought all we were going to do tonight was drink and talk but that gets boring after a little while. So our friend and new movie star, Jayden Wayne is going to sing a song for us!” She smiled. 

A light whisper among the crowd started as Jayden left her place beside Sherlock, his eyes following her. She grabbed the mic from Mary and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh before the older woman patted her arm gently and went to stand with everyone else, pulling John with her. 

“Um, I’m very not used to this.” Jayden said into the microphone with a nervous laugh. “I’m used to a different kind of spotlight but the things you do for friends, am I right?” She joked half-heartedly with a few people from the crowd letting out a pity laugh or two. 

As the music started, Sherlock made his way to the front where Mary and John were, eyeing the two of them. They were always coming up with ways to get him and Jayden closer and this was certainly one of those moments. They didn’t need to and that much was obvious but they just liked to say they were helping things move along, knowing Sherlock, it would take forever if he did it on his own.

Oh, my love, my darling

I’ve hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time

The first thing to catch Sherlock’s attention was her voice. How soft, light, and smooth it sounded. It correlated so well with her regular voice and yet, it sounded so different. So beautiful. How had he not known she could sing? Jayden would always hum along to songs that played on the radio or even as she played a tune on the guitar.

Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?

I need your love

I need your love

God speed your love to me

Her belt was powerful and held such a weight to it that, for a moment, Sherlock believed every word she was singing to be her own and not from a man who wrote the song over fifty years ago. 

Lonely rivers flow

To the sea, to the sea

To the open arms of the sea

Lonely rivers cry

Wait for me, wait for me

I’ll be coming home, wait for me

The second thing Sherlock noticed was Jayden’s face as she sang. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows were furrowed, showing her effort but her neck showed no signs of strain or discomfort. This was easy for her, those high, belty notes as well as the light, wispy ones.

Oh, my love, my darling

I’ve hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time

I need your love

I need your love

God speed your love to me

As the last few notes rang out, Mary pushed Sherlock up to Jayden as she moved the mic away from her lips. She chuckled softly at the blush that heated up Sherlock’s face and pursed her lips into a thin line before she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down for a deep kiss. Their first kiss. It was everything Sherlock hoped it would be. Her soft, sculpted lips against his. Hell, he didn’t even register the cheers going on behind them. 

So much for celebrating John and Mary. But even they were cheering too.

—------

Scripts were coming in like rain in a thunderstorm, apparently some people from John and Mary’s anniversary decided to take some videos of her singing and they’d gone viral wherever they posted them. That was starting to get the attention of some studios. She wasn’t mad about it. She had more options to choose from but half the new scripts that came in required singing and, although she could sing, Jayden wasn’t classically trained. When she sang, there were still cracks in her voice and it could be pitchy at times. Jayden wasn’t perfect, she knew that. She just hoped people would get used to the idea of it too.

Sherlock would help weed out the bad scripts or uninteresting ones if he had the time, making small comments about how ‘boring’ or how ‘that doesn’t depict the trans experience correctly’ –with a nod from Jayden of course. He was a great help and, eventually, Jayden would contact her agent back with three or four scripts she was genuinely interested in pursuing. 

It was nice to have someone have her back in an industry like hers. Hell, it was nice to have at least one “normal” person in her life, making her feel normal too. Jayden was swept up by the craziness of the filming, the photoshoots, red carpets, and the costumes that she forgot what it was like to be human–if only for a moment. She loved her job, she’s wanted it for so long and it was a dream come true but it was nice to just relax and have a cup or two of coffee with Sherlock while talking about anything.