Author's Note: I recently started (and finished) watching Sherlock, and I've become obsessed. I really wanted to write Johnlock so I wrote a one-shot, then I wrote another, and I couldn't stop. So I ended up deciding I'd write a series of unrelated one-shots each with a prompt that had a different letter of the alphabet. Thanks to my friend Taylor for helping me come up with prompts. The first one is "Afghanistan".

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome!

Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock. The show belongs to BBC and the books belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


Afghanistan

As much as John tried to hide it, Sherlock always noticed. Sherlock noticed all the time and every time he did pain and empathy for his best friend clouded his eyes.

Yes, as much John tried to hide it, Sherlock could see his limp.

John didn't walk with a cane anymore. He never asked anyone to slow down for him. He acted like his injury was nonexistent. But Sherlock saw.

Sherlock saw the limp. He saw the exhaustion when John made sure to keep up with everyone else. He saw the small ounce of pain flicker through John's eyes when he puts pressure on his leg.

Sherlock saw war and destruction and a wound that will never fully heal. And that gave Sherlock his own kind of pain. He was pained emotionally. He felt John's pain. He truly did, even if he never showed it.

So, one day, Sherlock decided to ask John about Afghanistan. And, to his surprise, John responded.

"I was always one of the reckless ones. Everyone always knew I'd do something that could get me killed. And one day, I did. And the gunshot that took me down almost took my life."

And so John told Sherlock of his traumatic near-death experience. And Sherlock listened. He made not one remark. He made not one sarcastic gesture. It pained him to hear John talk about this. It pained him to know John went through this.

So when John's eyes were completely clouded with pain, Sherlock pulled him into an embrace. He held the smaller man as he trembled. And Sherlock knew it was about time John talked about it to someone other than a therapist. It was about time he showed some real emotion.

And, on some comforting impulse, Sherlock kissed John on the forehead. John just hugged him tighter.

They stayed like that for longer than Sherlock could keep track of, not that either man minded. John needed the comfort and Sherlock needed John.