Picking up the Pieces
Sherlock sat in the kitchen watching as John went through the motions of making tea.
"Hands shaking, evidence of the returned intermittent tremor, dark circles from 3 months without sleep"
But John was fine. He was perfectly fine and accepting and John. After the initial spout of rage and a single punch, they had slipped right back into their pre-reichenbach lives.
John did not cry upon Sherlock's return. He did not faint and he did not immediately dismiss it as a hallucination. John was a no-nonsense kind of a guy and did not have any patience for hallucinations or tears. He told Sherlock that it was a bit not good to be dead for 3 months and that was that.
But Sherlock could tell from the evidence in front of him that John had not been okay. He did not mention it and instead tried to be as caring and nice and un-Sherlock as possible to make up for it.
And honestly he had an easier time of it than he expected, it being John. He could do anything for Dr John Watson, the only man to make Sherlock Holmes feel. If only John felt the same way…
Sherlock was pulled from his thoughts by an irritated sigh as John shut the refrigerator door and went back to stand in front of two milkless cups of tea.
"I'll go to the shops" Sherlock said quickly, striding out of the kitchen with a swirl of his coat.
He almost made it to the door before a crash and a yell stopped him in his tracks.
"NO"
Sherlock glanced uncertainly at the skull which gave him a smile of encouragement then he slowly walked back to the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of John standing in a pile of china shards and a puddle of tea. Sherlock stepped back, slightly unnerved by the almost maniacal look in John's eyes. But the look faded as John's brain caught up with his actions.
"I'm so sorry"
It was barely more than a whisper but Sherlock could hear the tears behind the words. He stepped forwards at the same time as John and they met in the middle of the kitchen.
Sherlock drew John up into his arms and John buried his face in Sherlock's neck and finally allowed himself to drop his guard.
Sherlock was at a loss as his always steadfast and strong soldier began to cry. So he just held John and let him ruin his shirt because he was John and John meant a lot to Sherlock and Sherlock needed John to forgive him and for that he needed to show John that he was always there.
"And I always will be and I'll always come back"
And in an effort to be just as brave as John always was, Sherlock pressed his lips to John's hair and allowed himself to drop his guard as well.
And the two men stood there in the kitchen and put each other back together.