For Exceeds Expectations' OTP Boot Camp Challenge.
Prompt: Weakness
The best way to be strong, Sherlock knows, is to identify and overcome your weaknesses.
Sherlock's never had very many weaknesses and the few that he has had have been overcome without struggle. He considers himself a relatively strong man, both mentally and physically, although he does take more pride in the former.
His mental state comes naturally to him. Of course, there have been a few kinks to iron out and his brilliance is a finally tuned and practised thing. He doesn't just sit around and allow his brain to sleep for hours on end. That simply wouldn't do.
One of the most important things that comes with a sharp mind is the ability to stay focused. Easier said than done, but Sherlock manages it. Or, at least, he used to be able to. He used to be able to stare at codes for hours on end. Food? Not necessary. Sleep? Not important. Focus. That was all there was to it.
Unfortunately, Sherlock has found himself unable to do this—something he's found so easy in the past. Focus.
He quickly identifies this as a weakness.
Step One: Complete.
Now to attempt the second step of the strength equation: overcoming said weakness. The step tends to be rather tricky. While it seems like a one step thing, there are actually two parts.
Firstly, one must figure out why this weakness occurs. Easy. Sherlock isn't stupid (far from it, if you ask him). He notices the recurring theme in his moments of failed focus.
John.
All the man has to do is walk in the room and Sherlock's train of thought has successfully gone off the rails. John just has to clear his throat and suddenly Sherlock finds himself reading the same line over and over, as opposed to actually finishing the damn book. A lick of the lips is all it takes to clear Sherlock's mind completely. Zip. Nada. Nothing.
Step Two, Part One: Complete.
The second part of the two part thing is simply to get over it. Fix it. Whatever it takes, just get rid of it.
Getting rid of him isn't exactly an option. Sherlock can't very well throw John to the streets. For one, Mrs. Hudson would throw a fit. And, well, he doesn't actually want to do that, so Sherlock does the best he can to shut him out mentally. Yet another thing that's easier said than done.
He's never had this problem before. No matter what he does, John is always successful in distracting him. He tries silly things. Meditation. Green tea. The violin. He almost signs up for that ridiculous Lumosity website everyone's talking about.
Nothing works. John's a distraction and it's driving Sherlock up the wall.
...except it's not. If he's truthful with himself, Sherlock doesn't really mind. After all, it's not as if John's ability to distract has ever interrupted something truly important. And Sherlock figures if he's able to be distracted, whatever it is he's being distracted from can't be that important anyway.
It's more a pride thing than anything. It's just that this has never happened. He's never not been able to overcome a weakness. Overcoming these sorts of things is just something Sherlock does. No questions asked.
So he tries a little harder. He reads up on it. He tries yoga, of all things. He does sign up for that stupid website and it's just as ridiculous as he'd imagined it would be.
He's in the middle of the Times crossword when John strides into the room, complaining about the lack of food in the fridge. And although he's being training for this (flick the hand in acknowledgement if you must, but don't lose focus...), Sherlock looks up. He eyes John up and down. He replies. Conversation ensues.
And then John leaves the room and for a moment, Sherlock can't remember what he was doing before. He closes his eyes in frustration.
This plan will never work, he concludes. John's a distraction. That, apparently, is just how the world works. He sucks on the end of his pen, thoughtful.
One weakness, he supposes, isn't such a bad a thing...especially if this weakness comes in the form of John Watson.
Step Two, Part Two: Incomplete (abandoned).