It began as an experiment. Sherlock had always been terrible at respecting people's personal space. He started to observe how different people would react to this closeness. Most people would try and put distance between them, some just looked uncomfortable, but only one man seemed totally at ease with the closeness: Doctor John Watson.
At first it started small, Sherlock would lean in a little too close when John was showing him something. Eventually he began touching John when he would lean in, as if he was trying to steady himself, though his balance was just fine. John never showed any sign that it bothered him, so Sherlock kept pushing it further. He began to put his hand on John's arm when they were walking together and occasionally he would put his hand on John's back. At first John would look down at Sherlock's fingers, forming a question that was doomed to never be asked; soon he stopped looking at Sherlock's hands, having come to accept their presence on his body.
When they sat on the couch together watching telly Sherlock slowly closed the gap of space between them. Three weeks into his experiment and he finally was close enough to John that he could feel the heat radiating off of his body. John didn't seem to mind the change, in fact when Sherlock would start to pull away or put distance between them John looked worried and on more than one occasion he moved closer to Sherlock.
One night while they were watching telly Sherlock slipped his arm around John's shoulders. John relaxed into Sherlock and placed his hand on Sherlock's leg. This was the way they watched telly from that point on, and as time went by John's hand moved higher and higher up Sherlock's leg.
Sherlock had never considered sex much-he saw it as another distraction from his work-but he began to contemplate sex. Or at least, sex with John. In those moments when John's hand was inching up his leg Sherlock found his mind wandering to thoughts of sex with John. John's fingers would trace patterns on Sherlock's thigh and Sherlock would fight to maintain control-this was just an experiment and there was no use getting carried away and ruining his data.
During the course of his experiment he wondered what John was thinking and feeling. During these intimate moments Sherlock could read John, and he knew what he wanted; what he didn't understand was why he didn't take it.
They acted like a couple, whether they were in public or private, but John didn't seem to notice. He even went on a date with a girl he met at the Thai place. Sherlock knew he was only doing this to prove that he was not gay but he still felt slightly offended. However, he merely used this as an opportunity to gather more data for his experiment.
It was obvious that John still wanted that closeness he had gotten used to, but Sherlock refused to give it. He kept his distance when they were on the couch together, he kept his hands to himself when they were walking and he didn't get any closer than he needed when John would show him something.
One night when they were sitting on the couch together John kept trying to get closer to Sherlock while Sherlock tried to ignore him.
"How are things with Mandy?" Sherlock asked.
"It's Mindy, and she broke up with me this afternoon."
"What for?" Sherlock asked but he already knew the answer to that question.
"Same reason they all do, you. Most can't handle the relationship I have with you." Sherlock tried not to look too smug when he slipped his arm around John and they settled into their usual spots on the couch.
"I'm not gay," John announced a little while later.
"I never said you were," Sherlock said as he began to thread his fingers through John's hair.
Sherlock continued to let things progress as they were knowing that eventually the evidence would be too overwhelming for John to deny it. After a few more weeks Sherlock proposed that they go to a pub for drinks. John had regarded him strangely, as if he had sprouted a second head (Sherlock hardly ever wanted to go out for drinks), but had agreed in the end.
A few hours later they were stumbling back to the flat, giggling and clutching tightly to each other for balance. Sherlock decided this was the right time to push experiment even further.
"Sherlock, what are you doing? This isn't home," John had pointed out to Sherlock as he pulled him into an empty alley.
Sherlock pushed John against the wall and closed the distance between them, bringing his lips not to John's lips but to his neck. He nibbled and kissed John's neck, working up to his earlobe before switching to the other side. John moaned and tangled his fingers in Sherlock's hair, then gently tugged until Sherlock's lips were on his.
Sherlock eagerly returned the kiss, pressing his body against John's so there was no space between him. He wanted John, and didn't care that this was the wrong place for that. John pushed his hips against Sherlock's, moaning at the intimate contact. A car drove past and Sherlock was pulled back to reality. He forced himself to step away from John, putting an end to their snogging session. John was looking at Sherlock, desire written all over his face. Sherlock grinned, then slipped his arm around John as they walked back to the flat.
They woke up the next morning in Sherlock's bed, fully dressed and with severe hangovers. John rolled into Sherlock, placing his head on Sherlock's chest and draping his arm across his chest. Sherlock smiled and put his arms around John.
When they finally did get out of bed things went back to normal, despite everything that had happened the night before. Sherlock was beginning to think John would never admit he wanted Sherlock.
It may have started out as an experiment but by now Sherlock knew it was much more than that.
To be continued...
