Disclaimer I do not own sherlock bbc owns the tv show and ACD owns the original characters. also on a less disclaimer-y note this is my first fanfic and I would love feedback and feel free to criticize it just so loving as you don't burn my heart out in the process. (Also I hope you all see what I just did right above ?) also this only has slash if you are wearing your magical glasses of slash.
It was the night; Sherlock had decided it was safe enough to return back to his old life and more importantly his best; no his only friend. He knew John was going to be mad so he decided to have a bit of fun with his return. So he waited till John went on another one of his "dates" if they really even counted. Sherlock had observed them and most went the same way, John found a normal girl took her out out to always the same nice restaurant and they never contacted each other again. From What sherlock had observed from couple on dates while be was waiting for a suspect to show up this did not really count as a date. Sherlock with a cleverly planed disguise and a little help from Mycroft. Who had owed Sherlock a favor for something neither of them remembered. Sherlock snuck in to the restaurant and quickly got changed and slipped in amongst the other waiters when he saw John walk in he knew exactly what to do. He simply served them like any tired and fed up waiter would trying hard not to show any extra attention to John who by the end had done at least a dozen double takes and who's mood had slowly fowled. Sherlock left with a small smirk because he got exactly the reaction he was hoping for from John and that smirk remained until he had returned to his no their flat. As he walked in he noticed the layer of dust that had accumulated while he was gone. All of John's stuff was no longer in the flat except his chair which besides a small path leading to said chair was the only thing not covered in dust. As Sherlock had looked around the depressingly quiet flat he noticed all of his stuff was exactly where he left it. A small smile grew on his face at John's sentiment and he walked to his room to change. After he had changed back into his clothing that he remembered being less loose than it was now, which he dismissed as three years away from John, he walked back to the living room and half sat half jumped into his old chair and there he sat waiting. About an hour had passed before he heard the door open downstairs and footsteps that could only be those of John, who Sherlock noted had regained his limp. But that aside it was John and when he saw the John in the doorway still looking broken and depressed and focusing on the ground all Sherlock said was, "took you long enough."