A Fluffy Surprise- Sherlock x Reader Oneshot

“Sherrrrlockkk!” you sing, skipping up the stairs to the flat that you shared with your detective boyfriend. “I’m baaackkk!”

The tiny, grey bundle in your arms mewled softly, staring up at you with opal eyes filled with curiosity. “Hush now, little guy,” you say to the kitten, tapping its nose gently and scratching it behind the ears. “I want you to be a surprise.”

You had adopted the delightful Persian kitten from a shelter not far from where you worked, the grey catching your attention as you had walked past. And when you had locked your eyes with it, you knew it was just meant to be.  But there was a reason to why you had adopted him, not just because it was drop-dead adorable. Your boyfriend, the great consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, missed you terribly when you worked, which was most of the time. Performing a job that you made-up didn’t exactly pay well, so to compensate you worked overtime. While he would never admit missing you, the shine in his eyes when you returned and the grief when you left was all the evidence you needed.

You bounded up the stairs, the little kitten purring happily as you did so. Pulling open the door slowly, you could hear Sherlock mumbling about Avogadro’s Number from the kitchen, the smell emanating from whatever he was experimenting with making your nose tingle. You stayed just out of view, concealing the little kitten underneath your jacket. Sauntering into the kitchen, acting as nonchalant as you could, struggling not to giggle as the kitten started to wriggle and squirm.

The wriggling intensified, causing you to gasp loudly. Sherlock, who had been completely absorbed in his “work” looked up from his microscope and smiled, standing and kissing you on the cheek. “Did you get the shopping?” he asked, eyeing you curiously as you fidgeted.

“Uhhhhh… in a manner of speaking, yes,” you mumbled, offering him a guilty smile.

He quirked an eyebrow, to which you grabbed the kitten hidden beneath your jacket and thrust it in front of you. “Ta-daaaaa!” you sing, holding the kitten out towards Sherlock, who regarded it with a blank stare.  

The kitten mewed and sniffed at Sherlock while he scrutinized the grey fluff ball. He snapped his fingers in realisation, his full lips pulling back into a proud smirk. “I understand! Oh yes, you are clever!” he exclaims, taking your head in his hands and kissing you on the forehead gently before plucking the kitten out of your hands.

You blush at his sign of affection, he didn’t display it particularly often, but when he did you knew he meant it with all his heart. “That’s good Sherl, I’m glad you like him.”

“He will prove very resourceful; I‘ve been meaning to get a live test subject for an age, and this one should be more than satisfactory. Where did you get him, I’ll need to obtain more for future experiments,” he said happily, examining the kitten closely.

“I picked him up from the – wait what?!”

“Now I can finally test my neurotoxin, well I assume it’s a neurotoxin, but I may have miscalculated the ratio of Mercury to – “

“I don’t bloody care about Mercury ratios!” you snap, snatching away the kitten and covering it with your arms protectively. “What did you say, before all the chemistry mumbo-jumbo?”

“I know you aren’t deaf, (F/n). I said that he would make a good test subject.”

“How could you think that?!” you shout in frustration, the Persian rubbing against the palms of your hands affectionately. “Look at him! How could you even consider harming this precious little creature?”

“If it’s not for an experiment, then what exactly is the point of it?” he shot back, genuine confusion shining in his stunning eyes.

“I got him for you, idiot! I know even you get lonely sometimes, and not even the confines of your Mind Palace can help you. He is for you when I can’t be here.”

Sherlock regarded you for a moment; a slight frown spreading across his forehead as tried to comprehend the influx of complicated emotions he was absorbing. You sighed, tapping on the forehead and placing the kitten in his arms. “Don’t think, feel.”

He looked at the kitten in his hands for the longest time, until he dragged his gaze up to you questioningly. You rolled you (e/c) eyes, motioning for him to pet the furry ball that was eager for attention.

“(F/n), though I appreciated the offer of endearment that you have presented to me, I really must get back to stabilising –“

“Sherlock Holmes, you will pat the kitten right now and you will enjoy it!” you interrupt, fixing him with one of your death glares.

Huffing, he began to run a hand down the kitten’s back, causing the adorable creature to purr softly. You watched in satisfaction as Sherlock changed tactics; scratching him underneath the chin. The kitten mewled happily, causing the faintest of smiles to form on Sherlock’s face.

“See? Not so bad, is he?”

He mumbled something in response, his attention completely on the focused on the young feline climbing towards his face. “If he’s going to be staying here, he needs a name.”

“Well,” you say, watching the kitten rub against Sherlock’s cheek, “he’s grey, fluffy and awesome…. Gandalf?”

He sighed and rolled his iridescent eyes at you, and went to say something snarky but Gandalf placed his paws on Sherlock’s lips gently, squeaking at him. “Awww, you two are just so adorable!” you squeal, patting your pockets for your phone.

Sherlock noticed, of course, narrowing his eyes at you before placing Gandalf in your arms. “Don’t even think about it (F/n), I don’t want another picture of me to go viral.” He gave the kitten one last stroke before sitting back down at the kitchen table, fiddling around with his chemicals once again.

You nodded innocently, covering your smirk by lifting Gandalf up and kissing him on his pink nose. “Don’t worry,” you whispered to the kitten. “There’ll be plenty of photo opportunities later.”

Gandalf mewled at you understandingly, causing you to grin wickedly. ‘I can’t wait for later,’ you thought to yourself happily, sitting opposite to Sherlock and babbling about cat collars to bide your time, hopefully causing him to fall asleep with pure boredom so you could start taking more embarrassing pictures and send them to everyone in Scotland Yard.