It had been a very long while since 'the fall', as everyone called it now. Almost two years, but Sherlock had been back at Baker St, alive and well, for almost six months now and after everything that happened he was glad things were back to normal. Well normal apart from one tiny thing, Sherlock had actually felt bad for what he had put John through by letting him believe he was dead. John certainly hadn't liked it either, if the prominent black eye he had received when he returned was anything to go by. Although, Sherlock had noted with interest that John had avoided the nose and mouth, a throwback to simpler times.

So in order to appease John, or try to get things back to how they were, Sherlock Holmes the 'high functioning sociopath' had decided to actually be nice. Or at least, he was going to be nice in his own Sherlockian way. It started with small things, which John would call 'common courtesy' anyway, things like not getting poisonous or corrosive chemicals on the kitchen table. He even started keeping experiments on only one shelf of the fridge away from the food that was actually meant to be in the fridge, and he only took up one full cupboard (instead of everywhere else) for his room temperature experiments. John, over time, started to note with interest these unusual happenings; though he did become slightly disbelieving when Sherlock brought a cup of tea up to his room for him without him having to force Sherlock to do it, or even ask for it.

The big shock came, however, when Sherlock bought milk. He actually went out of his way to go to a store, though he usually scoffed at the idea, to buy milk and put it in the fridge. This, to John, was beyond strange and he had to do something about it, or at least find out what was going on. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Sherlock being a bit more normal it was the fact it just wasn't him and quite frankly it was creeping him out slightly. John decided he would have to sit Sherlock down and force him to talk; it was either that or continue to be weirded out by his very un-Sherlock ways.

"Sherlock?"

"Yes." He looked exasperated already, as if he could be doing something more important like studying mould he had been growing in the cupboard.

"Sit down. I need to talk to you." Sherlock tensed at the tone of his voice, it was strangely pleasant… beside the point, and it was also slightly worrying. It was worrying because it sounded a tiny bit like John's serious 'I have something to tell you' voice and he did not like the possibilities of what that something could be. What if John had got back with Mary? What if he was moving in with her and leaving Sherlock?!

Sherlock had hated Mary ever since he returned after the fall. Mary and John had been 'dating' for over eight months and were extremely close, this wasn't why he hater her though, well at least he didn't think that was the reason. It was mainly because she had made him boring, he was boring ex-army John who wanted to settle down and have a quiet life. He wasn't exciting, strong willed, daring John who craved excitement and adventure. That reason and that reason alone, was why Sherlock despised Mary. Fortunately for him they broke up (well she left John) not long after Sherlock returned since John was paying more attention to him than to her, which he was rather smug about for a few days at least.

So now, he was quite frankly worried he was going to lose John to that boring life again and all his work would have been for naught.

"Are you alright?" Sherlock was momentarily surprised by the question and just stared at John.

"It's just, I know you are still trying to make up for what happened and everything we both went through, but Sherlock you are acting so out of character it's bizarre. You bought milk for god's sake, you never buy milk!" He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, happy that it wasn't anything bad or at least bad for him.

"John, listen, I was just trying to express regret for what I had done since I know how it affected you and I couldn't think of what else to do."

"Well you could just apologise you great tit. Just say it." John knew Sherlock loathed saying sorry and knew it was a bit not good winding him up but, he also thought it was a tad funny so he was, by his books, allowed. But what he certainly didn't expect was Sherlock's reply.

"I am truly sorry. For all of it, I know you still sometimes hate what I put you through, and hate me too, and I could never apologise enough for it. Though, I will never regret what I done because it kept you safe." With that genuine rather heartfelt apology john couldn't do anything but smile, so it turned out that Sherlock was somewhat human after all. Sherlock caught John smiling like an idiot and gave a small smile of his own before John went to leave the room. As John left though, he wasn't sure if he had imagined it or otherwise but he was sure he heard John mutter "I could never hate you". He was considerably thrilled with hearing that although he thought it may have further meaning and wasn't sure what to make of it, it was irrelevant at the moment. Since now, after that chat, he had other more pressing matters to consider. Urgent matters including why he was going out of his way to be extra nice to john since he had never before made the effort to say sorry to anyone before, and why on earth did he like it so much when john smiled and that smile was for him specifically? A lengthy trip into his mind palace it was then, he was bound to come across the reasons at some point. Perhaps he should check the John section, well not a section more of a small cupboard, or maybe a medium-ish sized room at a push… possibly.

John came down a while later, from reading some old medical journals and part of a rather boring novel, to see Sherlock was still deep in thought; or as John liked to call it 'touring his palace'. He decided since he wasn't going to talk anytime soon he would make tea, as per usual and headed to the kitchen; after making two cups out of habit he walked back in the living room and placed one in front of Sherlock before settling in his chair. Just as John had took his first sip of tea out of the corner of his eye he saw Sherlock's face turn paler than it usually was and watched as a slow dawning look of realisation start to sweep over his features.

"Sherlock are you okay?" He slowly looked up at John and they studied each other intently for a few moments while Sherlock's mind seemed to race. His mind suddenly seemed to come to a grinding halt as his eyes widened as he looked at John.

"Oh." Sherlock's voice was barely a whisper, he looked as if he had seen every horror of the universe and bolted for him room.