The smoke rose out of Sherlock's nostrils slowly as he exhaled, the familiar burning in his chest soothed him as he closed his eyes. The burning cigarette between his fingers, smoke rising from it slowly into the chilly October air. He was sat in the window of his Baker Street flat. John was at work so Sherlock was free to smoke out the window without John noticing, he would not approve of the smoking that Sherlock had recently taken up again.
After 3 years of being a non smoker, he had given into temptation. It cleared his mind and helped him think, the nicotine patches weren't working as well anymore.
He took another drag on his cigarette, letting the toxic smoke collect in his lungs. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Sherlock looked panicked as he exhaled the smoke quickly, trying to stub out the butt in the empty beer can he was using as an ashtray.
"Sherlock?" John called out as he opened the flat door meeting a waft of smoke and a guilty looking Sherlock standing by the window.
"John!" Sherlock exclaimed, "I didn't expect you back so soon."
He was trying to steer away from the fact that he had been smoking in the flat.
"Sherlock," John groaned looking at his sheepish boyfriend, "What did you blow up?"
Sherlock looked shocked, his face slightly a flush. "Oh, right, um well I was doing this experiment with this chemical, and it just exploded, everywhere," he stammered, trying to come up with a quick lie.
"Oh, okay then, cup of tea?" John asked, moving into the kitchen placing the new milk in the fridge. Sherlock stared after him, frozen in shock that his lie had worked.
"I, uh, yes please." Sherlock stammered as he unfroze, moving towards the kitchen, dressing gown billowing out behind him.
John smiled and went back to making the tea. Sherlock quickly ran into his room to change his clothes, he could claim that they were dirty from the fake explosion and he sprayed some deodorant on to cover up the smell of smoke. Hoping that John wouldn't notice it.
When he walked back into the kitchen his cup of tea was ready, he snuck up behind John wrapping his long arms around his boyfriend, nuzzling the back of his neck.
John grinned and turned around in Sherlock's arms to kiss him. After a quick kiss, John pulled back, a look of confusion on his face.
"Have you been smoking?" John demanded. A look of shock and hurt crossed his face.
Sherlock winced, sighing slightly, "It was only one, I couldn't think and I'd run out of nicotine patches, I'm sorry John, really I am."
John wriggled out of Sherlock's arms, running his hands through his hair. "You should have just texted me, I would have picked some up, you really shouldn't resort to smoking, it's so bad for you. I constantly have to worry about you running off after a serial killer and getting yourself killed without having to worry that you're killing yourself slowly by smoking."
Sherlock went to open his mouth to speak when John put a finger over his lips, silencing him.
"No, don't speak, just please please promise me you won't smoke again."
Sherlock nodded curtly, pulling John into a hug. "Sorry," he mumbled into John's hair, kissing it gently. "I love you John."
"I love you too Sherlock." John replied with a kiss. "Drink your tea, and I might just have to show you how much." John replied with a wink as he pulled away to drink his own cup of tea, leaving Sherlock with his mouth open, looking slightly like a fish.