Warning: None…AU I guess?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything; It belongs to BBC, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Paring: Child! Sherlock/John
A/N: I REGRET NOTHING.
"Go on. You'll be safe here, I promise." His mother tells him while planting a kiss on his forehead. John just nods, but then his mother starts to leave and he grabs hold of her tight. Getting in one last hug before she has to leave him for the day. He breaths her in before letting her go. He knows this is important.
They have just moved and his mother needs to make a good first impression at her new job. This means he has to let her go so she can get there on time. This also means that he has to stay in a daycare center. He feels out of place and awkward. Everything seems new and bright.
He scans the room. It is very large and vacant. Not many children are in the room. A few younger kids are playing with blocks and pencils. In a corner there is a television. Older kids are sitting there. He decides to stay away from them, knowing how older kids can be.
"Well, hello there dear." He turned to see a woman standing over him. She was younger than his mother, but not by much. She has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her skin is ivory and her smile is bright and it can only make John smile back.
"Um, hi."
"I'm Claire. And you are…?" she already knew the answer to this. John Watson. New arrival. His mother had called in about two days beforehand. But, she didn't want the boy to seem out of place.
"John." He said with a curt nod, happy to know someone noticed him.
"Well, John welcome! Come on, let's get you settled in." she said, reaching her hand out to him, she smiled when he took it. His hands were warm and small. She gave it a squeeze when he started to slow, getting closer to the other kids.
It was perhaps three hours since his mother had dropped him off and John was actually having an okay time. Claire had encouraged the child to go play with the others, but he refused insisting that he could help her. She didn't protest. She did need help, seeing as the other sitters just sat in the office drinking coffee, only to come out when a child would scream. But, now it was time to go outside and so everyone hiding in the office had to put on their coats and walk out to the park behind the building. They didn't have enough money to afford their own playground so they were thankful they were settled close to somewhere with none. Everyone walked across the open space and when they were a little ways away the kids all charged forwards.
John got to the swings, but he seemed to be the only one not attacking the playground. He shrugged, sitting in a swing and gently swaying back and forth. He was focusing on his shoes below him when he heard someone approaching.
A tall boy stood about ten feet away from him. He wasn't looking at John his eyes were focused on a Rubik's Cube. His long fingers were holding it out in front of him. The colors were all missed matched and John didn't know how a boy his age could possibly be trying to figure out something that...grown up. He has curly black hair, wearing a dark trench coat and scarf, and has the most breath taking blue eyes John has ever seen. But before he can say anything the boy is walking away, the cube being turned and twisted to the boys liking.
John sighs as the boy goes out of view behind a group of trees.
Soon John is invited by a younger girl with red pig tails to play hide and go seek with her and a group of other kids. This is one of John's favorite games so he accepts immediately, no matter how horrible he is at it. He follows the girl to where the group is huddling. They all greet John with grins and nods. They go over the rules with each other before voting on who gets to be the seeker. A boy with hair like Sonic the Hedge Hog and glasses is picked. He protests for a moment before stomping of to lean against a tree, hiding his eyes in his hands.
Everyone runs when the boy begins to count. Some take each other's hands to hide together. John just sees a place behind a tree that isn't filled and takes it. He crouches down and hugs his knees to him. Not wanting a foot or elbow to be seen sticking out. He looks up to see the boy, from earlier, sitting behind a group of trees not far away. The older kids were standing over him. John winced as one of them grabbed up the multi-coloured cube out from the boy's hands.
"And what do you think you're doing with this?" they said, messing up all the work the boy had done. "This is for people who are smart. You are defiantly not smart. You're just a little freak who thinks he can do whatever you want!"
John can only watch as the boy does not do anything to defend himself. He just sits, looking down.
"Yeah, you're just a little freak. You think you are so much better than the rest of us because you know how to read. You aren't you are just a big fre-." But the kid can not finish his sentence because John has interrupted him.
"Hey! That isn't yours." He motions to the cube that is now completely messed up.
"Yes it is."
"No it isn't. Now give it back."
"Who's going to make me?"
"I am." This makes the older boy stop. No one has ever stood up to him before, what does this little one think he can?
"Oh really? And how are you going to do that?" When John doesn't reply the older boys start to walk away, tossing the cube up in the air. But once again they stop because John is talking.
"I'll tell." And when the words are muttered the kids turn to look at the sandy haired boy. His jaw is set in a stubborn line and his arms are folded. The magic words have been spoken and the older kids have no choice but to throw the cube to the ground and stalk off.
John smiles to himself, walking forward and picking up the Rubik's Cube. He turns to find the boy standing right by him. John blinks, and then smiles up at the boy.
"Here," John says, holding out the cube. The boy glances at it but doesn't reach for it. This makes John confused, his eyebrows furrowing.
"What are you doing?" the boy asks.
"I was helping yo-"
"I didn't need your assistance." John laughs.
"Not from what I could see."
"I was perfectly fine on my own." John just shakes his head.
"I'm John."
"I know."
"What?"
"I know that your name is John. John Watson."
"How di-?"
"You name is printed on the inside of your jacket's collar."
"Oh…I'm sorry I don't know your name."
"Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes." The boy says his name more quietly.
"That's a funny name." Sherlock flinches, stiffening. Waiting for the teasing to follow. But, he is confused when John grins. "I like it. Has a nice ring to it. Unlike John. It's so…normal. There must be a million Johns in the world. Probably only one Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock just stares at him stupidly.
"Why are you talking to me?"
"Because, I am."
"No one ever just talks to me. What do you want? I haven't any money…"
"I don't want any money! And I'm talking to you."
"Clearly." John pauses, looking down at the toy still in his hand; he twists it around for a second.
"They messed it up…" He sighs.
"Oh…" and finally Sherlock reaches out for it. John lets him have it. That was the whole point in going over to him, to help him.
"I'm sorry. You must have spent years on it."
"Not really, I got it when we walked out here." John's eyes widen in disbelief.
"You're joking."
"No, see…" Sherlock is focused on the cube now, his impossibly long fingers are twisting and turning and soon enough the cube is completely finished. Sherlock held it up, nodding. "It really isn't that difficult to figure out." John could only stare. Sherlock tilted his head slightly, confused by his reaction.
"That…was brilliant! You're the smartest person I've ever met!"
"That's not what people normally say…" Sherlock mumbled, looking away from him.
"What do people normally say?"
"I don't think I should say them out loud…" And then John was laughing. Sherlock's lips twitched into a small smile. He watched as the shorter boy laughed, not really understanding what was so funny, but it made him feel…well, how would he know? He'd never felt it before. He watched as John took in deep breaths to calm himself down. The two stood, staring at each other for a long moment. Sherlock narrowed his eyes slightly. John held his gaze, wondering if perhaps he had peanut butter or jam on his face. He had a sandwich earlier but...
"I found you!" The two jumped when the voice yelled out. John looked around Sherlock to see the seeker dancing about and pointing at John. He furrowed his brow, wondering how long they had been standing there…and why this kid was just now finding someone.
"Right…I'm it then?" The boy stopped, and grinned. He nodded furiously.
"Yeah you are! You and your friend."
"But he wasn't pla-" John started, only to have Sherlock cut him off.
"Very well. Come on John. We have people to find!" He watched as Sherlock grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the tree were the seekers stood to count. John shrugged and closed his eyes, leaning against the tree. He started to count under his breath.
"One…two…three…" soon enough he opened his eyes and Sherlock was staring at him. John stared back, raising an eye brow slightly. Then Sherlock smiled slightly.
"This is going to be too easy…"
"I'm awful at seeking though, so you shouldn't count on me to be able to find anyone." John said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, then it's a good thing you have me. I already know where everyone is." John just gaped at him. Sherlock sighed and started pointing. "Behind that tree is a pair of girls. You can tell by the way the grass is bent out of shape from where they have stepped. And how the tree seems to be 'throwing up' leaves every few seconds from where they are ripping them up and throwing them just anywhere. Carless… Under the table is a boy with blonde hair, it's obvious because you can see where he moved a chair to squeeze underneath. He never moved it back and that is where his down fall came about. But, he also keeps trying to look around so the table moves as he hits his head every few moments. Over there is where a group of many people are hiding. They all seemed to have the same idea because behind that car are at least five different people. See? Hand prints are all over it. Also, their reflection from the house's behind them window. And as for the final child…", he simply flicked his eyes up. John looked up to see a girl hanging onto a branch in the tree above them for her dear life. He turned back to Sherlock who was just standing there, as if it were nothing. He blinked when John started to grin.
"Well! This will be the first time I've ever won! Come on!" And John pulled Sherlock all around as he ran to each and every place. The children just mumbled about how he had somehow cheated or something like that. John was too happy to see this.
It was when they were eating snack, John saw Sherlock sitting at the end of the table. He immediately walked over and sat down on the opposite side of him. He didn't notice when Sherlock smiled. He did notice how Sherlock didn't seem to have any snack.
"What are you eating?"
"Nothing."
"…Why not?"
"Not hungry."
"How could you not be hungry! We just spent all that hard work finding everyone after you insisted on seeking the whole time. You have to be hungry. That's just how it works."
"Not really…"
"Here. You can have some of my snack." He said, shoving the plastic bag over to the taller boy, even sitting down. Sherlock looked at it, then up at John, then back at the plastic bag.
"But…"
"Shush, eat. You deserve it. You helped me. I help you." John just watched as Sherlock huffed and cautiously reached his hand into the bag to pull out a cookie. John grinned when Sherlock stuck it in his mouth and started to chew.
"Homemade." He said, rather than asking.
"Yes."
And for the rest of the day John and Sherlock never left each other. They seemed to become immediate friends. John would make Sherlock laugh, and none of the other children had ever seen so much as a smile on the boy's face. Sherlock just liked to have someone who didn't tease or taunt him about…well anything around him. Obviously Sherlock hadn't had someone around who actually enjoyed him, ever. He clung to John and John clung to Sherlock.
When their parents came to pick them up, they both frowned when they had to leave each other's sides. They said their good-byes and Sherlock smiled when John said he would, 'see you tomorrow!' John didn't notice. But he did hear Sherlock when he said that he, 'wouldn't miss it for the world.'
John never wanted a day to come sooner in all his years of living. Even if it was only a few… Because it was his first day in a long time that he had actually made a friend.
A best friend.