December 12th excerpt:
Letting go of that finger, Dean moved over to Lestrade’s middle finger, deciding he would simply continue until he found one that he was taller in comparison to. He couldn’t be shorter than all of them…
Right?
Lifting up this finger just like the first, he looked at Sherlock with slightly unfocused eyes. “How ‘bout now?” he asked, his accent thickened with a distinct slur.
Sherlock rolled his eyes dramatically. “That one’s longer than the last.”
December 11th excerpt:
That was when he remembered the fingers he was standing next to, and immediately went over to Lestrade’s index finger, wrapping two hands around to try and hoist it over his head. “What about this? Who’s taller?” Dean called, determined to find something he was taller than.
December 10th excerpt:
“This lifeline’s longer than me!” Dean’s voice rang out from under Lestrade’s palm, aimed at Sherlock.
Lestrade arched his brow, glancing at Sherlock as soon as they both realized who Dean was speaking to. Addressing Sherlock as though Lestrade wasn’t there. They exchanged a look before their gazes dropped to the obvious culprit for Dean’s unusual behavior that neither had considered until then. The little tin cup Dean had abandoned with the rest of his things.
December 9th excerpt:
Leaning over the fingernail, Dean looked closely at all the small ridges, and where the nail met the skin in the quick. He touched the hard surface of the nail itself with a finger, finding it nearly as thick as his pinky when he inspected the edges. Making a fist, Dean knocked against the top, cocking his head at how solid.
Wondering just how small his hand was in comparison, Dean spread his hand out on top of the nail, rueing the way it didn’t reach to the edges no matter how much he stretched.
December 8th excerpt:
Lestrade’s brow lifted slightly, following Sherlock’s gaze. He recognized the meandering steps, he’d seen it many times over in much larger individuals. “Doesn’t drink much, does he?” Lestrade inferred with a glance at Sherlock.
“No,” the detective answered tersely, keeping a sharp eye on his small friend.
December 7th excerpt:
The placid, darkly amber liquid in the glass called to him. There was enough in there to fill a hot tub at Dean’s scale. Surely one drop wouldn’t be missed, more than enough for him to enjoy another cup of It.
Dean put a hand on the glass to help keep balance as he stood on his tiptoes to reach the rim and the drink calling for him beyond it. When it proved to be taller than he’d estimated from a distance, part of him started working on a solution, wondering if he could get a grip on the rim and pull himself up to fill his foil cup. The effort of holding himself suspended in midair like that didn’t put him off, knowing he had more than enough upper body strength, but the slick rim might prove to be difficult to grip.
Lestrade blinked in disbelief when he realized what Dean was after. Clearly the fella wanted a refill of his own, and planned to get it on his own. Watching his first attempt fail, Lestrade could practically see the wheels turning in Dean’s head and had a fairly good idea of what his next move might be.
December 6th excerpt:
The glass of whiskey was on Lestrade’s half of the table, guarded closely by one of the DI’s hands, but it hadn’t been picked up yet for a sip since being refilled. Dean gave himself at least five minutes before Lestrade remembered it, and started to edge towards that side of the table. Between Sherlock’s rambles and the drink buzzing inside him, Dean had an unnatural level of confidence in his ability to go unseen. The glass was only a little taller than he was, clearly he’d be able to reach the alcohol level inside to fill his cup again.
He’d earned this whiskey, dammit.
By the time he was halfway across the table, Dean had managed to tune both Sherlock and Lestrade completely out in lieu of his mission for a refill.
December 5th excerpt:
Realizing Lestrade had already helped himself to a second glass, Dean sent Sherlock a glare for failing to be a host and providing more whiskey.
With his options narrowed down to either interrupting Sherlock mid-story or securing his own second glass, Dean decided on the latter. Lestrade had that same glazed look that John adopted when Sherlock really got on a bend.
December 4th excerpt:
“I take it you have a few questions before you go,” said Sherlock curtly, setting down the glass he’d finally tracked down.
“I do, yeah…” Lestrade made a move to take the drink Sherlock poured, but the first thing the detective did was tilt the glass so that the drink was within reach for Dean. By the pointed gaze Sherlock was giving him, it was clear to Lestrade that he was being shown exactly who was first priority here. Lestrade couldn’t contest that either, so he sat back and folded his hands on the table in front of him, waiting for Dean to take his drink first.
December 3rd excerpt:
Lestrade, admittedly, lost himself in thought as he watched a person he thought he knew fairly well interacting with someone who, by all rights and laws of nature, shouldn’t exist. It was certainly a sight he never thought he’d see, and he couldn’t stop staring at Dean while the little fella’s attention was elsewhere.
Dean seemed American, which was definitely noteworthy, and fairly young. Lestrade couldn’t tell for sure, but he couldn’t be older than his mid-twenties. Everything about him was scaled down perfectly, from his boots to his jeans and jacket.
Curiosity got the better of Lestrade, and without putting much thought to it, he reached forward slowly to place his hand next to Dean, a few inches away. He stood his hand on its side, shifting his gaze between it and the tiny man to see how he measured up next to his palm.
Brothers Apart 