Street Life (Sherlock Holmes x Reader)

A/N: For this, reader was born in Japan, so everyone in Great Britain treats her like how they treat Ryu.

Your Pov:

I sighed as I walked through the alleys we all called home. I took care of the children here, watching over them like a mother. I worked hard to provide them with food and a livable shelter. However, the jobs open to me were slim to none. Being a both a woman and someone from Japan lowered my chances.

I had met a Japanese boy and girl a few days ago and found out that they were friends with Gina. That was when I also met Mr. Holmes. He was a kind man. He was quite handsome too.

I came to where the alleyways reached the main street and headed down the sidewalk. I kept my gaze to the ground, not wanting to see the glares or hear the whispers directed to me. As I finally reached the end of the street, I stopped. My arms were sore from the all the people shoving me and my feet had been stepped on countless times.

After making sure the street was clear, I crossed. I walked for a bit further before stopping in front of the Holmes residence. I knocked on the door and waited. A few minutes later, Iris answered. "Oh, hi (N/n)! Come in!" I followed her inside. "I'm here to clean up again. Have you eaten breakfast, Iris?" She nodded. "Yeah."

I picked up around the house before collecting the laundry and taking it out to the laundry area behind the house. I came here twice a week to clean for Sherlock. He paid well and on time. I sorted through the articles of clothing, finding some of Ryuu's uniform jackets, Iris's dresses, and a few of Sherlock's overcoats.

I hummed as I washed the clothes and hung them to dry. They blew in the wind, swaying back and forth. Once they were all hung, I headed back inside. Iris was having Tea with Ryu and Susato. I smiled. "Afternoon, you two." Susato smiled back. "Good afternoon, Miss (Y/n)."

Ryuu looked at me. "Afternoon, Miss (Y/n). Is today cleaning day?" I nodded. "Yes. I just did the laundry. Some of your uniform jackets were in there." Then I spotted familiar blonde hair out of the corner of my eye.

Gina was talking to Sherlock about something. Her gaze turned to me and she put her hands on her hips. "So this is where ya have been goin' off to, ma?" I hummed. "Yes. But what are you doing here?" Iris spoke up. "We invited her over for dinner!"

Sherlock continued. "Yes. And that includes you, my lady." I bowed forward. "Thank you."

I continued cleaning around the room as everyone drank tea. Susato looked at me. "I didn't know you were Gina's mother." I put a hand on Gina's shoulder. "I'm not her biological mother."

Mr. Holmes spoke up. "Miss (Y/n) here is a mother figure to all the children in the east end! She takes care of them all like they're her own." Gina crossed her arms, shooting him a glare. "You better not be workin' my ma' too hard!"

I smiled. "Don't worry, Gina. You know Mr. Holmes is a nice man." Gina pointed a finger at Mr. Holmes. "I'm only okay with this 'cause I don't want 'er going back to street walkin'." I tensed at her words. I never told Mr. Holmes about that and by the look on his face, I knew he wasn't happy.

He looked at me. "Miss (Y/n), can I speak with you for a moment?" I nodded. "Of course." He led me out of the room and took me upstairs. When we were finally alone, he turned to me.

"What was Gina talking about?"

I looked away. "It's not important." He sighed. "It clearly is. Walking the streets is certainly not safe nor legal. And not to mention, dangerous." I bit my lip. "Like Gina said, I don't do it anymore. Most customers want nothing to do with a 'filthy Jap' anyways."

Suddenly, he pulled me into a hug. "You don't deserve that kind of treatment. No one does." I stayed in his embrace, not wanting to move. His hand rested on my hair. "If you ever need anything, you can always come to me, my dear." I smiled.

"Thank you..."