Show: BBC Sherlock
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle originally. These versions belong to Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and the BBC.
A/N: Wrote this really late at night but I hope you like it all the same. This is un-beta'd so excuse any typos and sorry for bad writing. Constructive criticism welcome
Chapter 1: Just Some Friendly Advice
"Sherlock, stop moping around" John said sighing and putting his newspaper down rather dramatically. It had been the third time this morning those words had left his mouth but it was becoming increasingly frustrating to see Sherlock sulk all day.
"That is the third time you've said that this morning. Repetition is dull" Sherlock muttered under his breath.
"Fine then, sulk. But your problem could easily be solved if you just called Lestrade and admit that you need him for a case"
"I don't need Lestrade. Lestrade needs me" Sherlock paused for a moment, "Besides, I already have a perfectly good case"
"No, you solved The Lamp Murder yesterday"
"The Lamp Murder? Seriously John? That's the title you're going with?"
"Well his name was Arnold Lamp and he was killed with a lamp. There were a lot of lamps..."
"Hm"
An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment or two before John spoke up. "So this case of yours… something from the Yard? A murder?"
"No"
"Ah, so what is it about?"
"It's more of a personal case actually?"
"Personal case? Mycroft give you something then?"
"No, now shut up I'm trying to think"
"Okay, do you want a cuppa before I leave?"
"No"
"Right, well I'm off to see Sarah then"
Obviously John was expecting a "goodbye" or "see you later then" because he hovered for a moment, before deciding that it wasn't worth it and left.
It wasn't a particularly different day in London. It was raining, as per usual, but there was nothing special. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing wrong. So then why, on such a spectacularly normal day, did Sherlock have a strange feeling in his stomach? He was attempting to catalogue it, trying to place it somewhere. Unfortunately his musings were cut short when Mrs Hudson walked in bearing a tray of tea.
"Morning, dearie. That lovely inspector man is here to see you. Thought I'd bring you some tea and biscuits" She smiled warmly placing the tray on the table and gesturing for Lestrade to come and take a seat.
"Thank you Mrs Hudson" He said and gave her a look heavily implying that she should make herself scarce.
"Ah Lestrade, what case is so special that you have to come to me?" Sherlock said after Mrs Hudson had kindly left.
"Um, no case today actually. On personal business"
"And what does 'personal business' entail?" Sherlock mocked, making quotation marks in the air.
"Something that I think we need to talk about…About John"
"What about him?" Sherlock snapped. With one name the atmosphere had changed from light hearted banter to solemn and tense.
"Look, this is a bit awkward to say, but you.. you need to ..you know.. tell him" Lestrade stumbled over his words, awkwardly shifting his gaze from Sherlock's.
"Tell him? Tell him what?"
"That, you...you know-"
"What are you getting at?"
Lestrade sighed, of course he would have to be blunt. This was 'sociopath' Sherlock Holmes. Although he did wish that Sherlock would drop this 'sociopath' label. Cloaking his feelings with good acting and a fancy diagnosis was not going to make him emotions go away...
"That you're in love with him" Lestrade stated simply.
The words almost hung in the air, just had the silence had earlier between him and John. Neither said a word. What do you say when someone just told you something you were feeling but were too afraid to admit?
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I knew you were stupid but even Anderson knows that I'm a highly functioning socio-"
"Can we just drop this ridiculous label?" Lestrade shouted suddenly, "Look, I know that you're afraid or whatever to admit your feelings but you care for John. Caring is a feeling so that kind of defeats the title 'sociopath', doesn't it?"
"Caring is not an advantage"
"But everyone cares about something"
"I don-"
"I thought I already said to drop this whole sociopath cherade. You care about cases, you care about work but more importantly you care for Dr. John Watson."
"Well, he is useful to my work"
"But it's more than that. The whole Yard sees the way you look at him! Your whole face softens, you genuinely smile and mate I know you don't think we see but when he's complimenting you, you blush"
"I do not blush"
"Whether you do or you don't, you care about him. I mean, bloody hell, when he went missing last month you ordered the whole bloody police force to go looking for him"
"I suppose the idea of him dying is unsettling for me"
"And why do you suppose that is?" Lestrade urged. "Look I'm not here to tell you how to run your life" Sherlock snorted loudly. "I'm not here to tell you how to run your life, seriously, but just some friendly advice that maybe if you stopped using this sociopath label and told John how you feel, it'd be better"
And with that Lestrade grabbed his coat and left.
