a-different-equation: ALL NEW. No Victoriana; less notes; more Johnlock. Fandom: SHERLOCK (TV)Title:
a-different-equation: ALL NEW. No Victoriana; less notes; more Johnlock. Fandom: SHERLOCK (TV)Title: Dead Letter OfficeAuthor: a_different_equationPairing: Sherlock Holmes/John WatsonRating: MatureTags: AU - Office; John Watson is Sherlock’s boss; Angst with a Happy Ending; John Watson and Sherlock Holmes being idiots; PTSD John; military backstory; Sherlock Holmes is a mess; Sherlock Holmes and drugs; Mental Health Issues; Writer John; Epistolary; Texting; John Watson’s Blog; etc.Summary: John Watson comes home from the war, gets a new job and meets Sherlock Holmes through Mike Stamford. Same tale since 1891, except this time it’s 2008, John is Sherlock’s boss, and they work together at the Dead Letter Office in London. Word account: ca. 20k (COMPLETE) Mike Stamford recommended me as the Head of Dead Letter Office in London after my honourable discharge from the army. I would start my new job barely a week later. […] The good thing is when you work in The Dead Letter Office, and in particular, as the Head, you do not have to talk a lot. I asked Mike Stamford because I wanted a personal assistant to deal with the rest. You do not have to be Sherlock Holmes, who is a genius in his own right, to conclude that hiring Sherlock Holmes as my personal assistant was a stupid idea. It might have been the most stupid one I have had so far, and I invaded Afghanistan. It was not only that Sherlock Holmes was even worse at dealing with people than I was, or that he could talk – quite eloquently and with a beautiful voice – but the truth is that most people did not like had he had to say. Over the months, when he reduced his vocabulary almost exclusively to “I prefer not to,” and mostly only handed in his finished reports, I think everyone called me an idiot behind my back for not firing him (Nobody dared to call Sherlock that. He on the other hand, called me an idiot to my face).I mean, no one expected him to brew coffee or bring lunch (or, at least, I did not). Alternatively, especially after seeing his workspace, no one expected him to keep my workspace clean or my appointments in order. (I was lucky when he did not hack my personal computer AGAIN). He gave me frankly unhelpful advice about tobacco ash (I am not even a smoker) and he never hid the fact that he found my wardrobe abhorrent. Once, he commented on all my attempts at writing an article for a local newspaper (“Boring!” “Wrong!” “Dull!”). One day, he walked on top of all the furniture in the Archive because he claimed was the shorter way to get to a case file. Oh, and he got so frustrated once that he threw a coffee cup at a wall.I should have fired him (or, never hired him in the first place), or at least, transferred him to a research assistant (or, to create his own position, consultant, or something).Sherlock Holmes was never really my personal assistant.The problem was not only that I did not really want him as my personal assistant.I wanted him as my personal assistant.I wanted him, personally.It might be unmoral or unethical to hire someone because you fancy him (good, it is) but it is not as if it has never happened before. I tried to keep my emotions in check. Probably I failed because Sherlock Holmes can normally read people like an open book (oh, he found out about Molly’s crush on him in a heartbeat and about Donovan’s and Anderson’s on again, off again relationship even faster; both ended with emotions very much not in check). Therefore, he probably knew and was simply not interested. It is all fine.Because as I have talked repeatedly, Sherlock Holmes was the best employee, I have had. I might have lied to my therapist or to Mary and I might have been in denial from time to time but now, as it is over, why should I lie still?Read here: DEAD LETTER OFFICE -- source link