Summary
Sequel to A Silent End To Belgravia
Ever wonder about what happens when the three friends don't have a case to entertain the ever bored Sherlock?
The Smokey Silence
"John?"
"Yes, Sherlock?" John replied, not looking up from his book.
"I'm bored." The mad man replied from his chair.
"Then do something." The doctor replied, content to read his book rather than entertain the bored detective.
Sherlock just let out a heavy sigh at failing to engage John in some activity or another. Frowning slightly, he remembered he did have another flatmate. "Rose?"
"Yes, Sherlock?" Rose replied, echoing John.
"I'm bored." He told her, as though she didn't already know.
"I know." She replied.
Sherlock just let out a frustrated sigh, slumping in his chair, head lolling back to face the ceiling. He hadn't had a case for two whole days now and it was starting to get to him. He just didn't understand why it wasn't getting to the others; he knew John was happy to relax sometimes, but Rose? Rose, he thought, usually went to her room to relax, preferring music and art to take up her down time.
An idea occurred to him then.
He launched himself off of his chair and strode across the room to sit on the arm of the sofa, facing his ever patient assistant. After a few bored seconds where she didn't react, he decided to prompt her.
"What are you doing?" He asked, unable to fully see the screen of the laptop she was typing on.
"Typing." She replied, not missing a beat.
It was a rare day that Sherlock was indeed this bored, but it didn't mean that the unfortunate flatmates weren't used to his childlike ways by now.
"Hmmm.." he hummed. It was a few seconds later that he quickly reached forward, attempting to snatch the unlocked laptop away from the young woman.
Key word here being attempted.
Rose Spencer had grown up with two older brothers and, though they weren't quite as much hard work as Sherlock could be, she also recognised the signs that a bored person had decided that she would be the one to entertain them.
She quickly snapped the laptop shut - locking it once again - and rounded on him. "What do you want?"
He just blinked. "I'm bored."
"Then do something Sherlock." She replied, noting John had looked up from his book, watching them; making sure they didn't start arguing.
"Like what?" He asked.
"I don't know." She said tiredly, rolling her head round as she tried to think of something to occupy the man. "Experiment?"
"no." He replied, having checked all his current experiments; he didn't want to put together anymore for now.
"No case…?" She asked, knowing the answer and just getting an obvious look from him. "Well… play a game, read a book. Something the rest of us do."
He just rolled his eyes. "Dull." still thinking, another idea struck him. Wondering if it would actually work, he turned back to her. "Want to play a game?"
As a single eyebrow of John's raised in interest, Rose became Immediately wary of what sort of game Sherlock Holmes would want to play, she decided to prepare herself first. "What sort of game?"
"Cluedo?" He asked, trying to sound innocent; he knew they weren't a fan of the game.
"No." She deadpanned, shooting the idea down instantly. After the game at Christmas, she was never playing Cluedo with the mad man ever again.
He hummed, trying to think of another decent game. Wondering if she would play the stereotypically childish game, he asked, "What about truth or dare?"
Rose didn't know what to make of this, but decided that it could be the most interesting thing they'd done in a while. A little game could even be good for the man, she thought. How bad can it be?
"Okay, I'll play along." She said, turning to face him more. "Nothing illegal though, Sherlock. I don't want to get arrested today thank you."
"Alright." He allowed, though looked a little bit disappointed. Turning to his best friend, he asked, "You in, John?"
John looked over his book to Sherlock, who looked like he was about to finally get something brilliant, but was trying to contain his excitement but not being able to hide the twinkle in his cold eyes, to Rose, who didn't look so thrilled, but was resigned to her fate of the day. Sighing, he put his book down, marking his place. "I suppose." Getting a grateful smile from Rose, he smiled back.
John had found the flat dynamic rather strange right from the beginning. He was used to it now, but it still threw him sometimes. Through all the deadly cases and murdering villains they chased down, having to deal with the some of the worst things people could do to each other, they still somehow had their little moments, like this, where the once troubled doctor felt young again.
He suspected it had something to do with Rose.
She was a lot younger than the two men, even though she was very mature when she needed to be. She brought a sense of youth to the serious world they worked and lived in, a sense of the innocent, even though they knew she was far from it.
"Right." Rose said, starting them off with a small clap, turning to the most bored of them all. "Sherlock, since you're the bored one, truth or dare?"
"Dare." He replied, wanting something more fun then just a question.
Smirking, Rose had the perfect thing in mind, knowing he'd pick what he did. "I dare you to compliment Anderson the next time you see him."
"What?!" Sherlock said, frown in place, outrage in his eyes. "But he's an idiot!"
"A dare's a dare, Sherlock." She said innocently. "You're the one who wanted to play…."
"Fine." He growled out, earning a smug smirk from Rose and a chuckle from John. Hearing the other man, Sherlock turned his gaze to him instead. "John, truth or dare?"
And that was how they spent the next hour, going around, each taking their turn. They had all sorts of creative dares, including but not limited to; Rose having to kiss the skull, John changing the ring tone on his phone to the badger song - which in turn meant Sherlock had to have the banana song.
Sherlock himself had to do the cinnamon challenge - after explaining what it actually was - Rose having to eat a lemon in revenge.
Then there was one of Sherlock's dares. He had come up with the genius - or apparently not genius - idea to make John dance with Rose as an unfortunate victim. It was an awkward moment when John tried to lead, failed miserably and Rose - getting sick of having her toes treaded on - took control instead.
Eventually, it came back to Sherlock - who was currently wearing heavy eyeliner, courtesy of John's dare and Rose's makeup bag - who turned to Rose, glint in his eye as he saw the woman had relaxed a fair bit from when they first started. "Rose, truth or dare?"
"Truth." She said, not trusting the glint in his cold eyes, but seeing his grin widen, she figured she'd played right into his hands.
"What's the password to your laptop?" He asked, getting a laugh from John.
Her face dropped. The little sod! She thought, before quickly coming up with an answer. "Tricky."
"What?" the man asked, that doesn't fit with the hint.
She smirked at his confusion. "The password to unlock my laptop is tricky, as in it's not easy to guess."
He glared. "That's not what I asked."
"Yes it is!" she laughed, John joining it.
The doctor chipped in there, waving a spoon at his friend; he'd had to stick it to his nose not long ago. "She's got you there, Sherlock."
"John!" Rose said, turning to her other friend. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth." John replied.
"Aw…" Rose replied, her fun ruined temporarily. "Okay, most shocking thing for you since you moved in here?"
"Ooh!" John sounded, having to think about that one; so much had happened. He decided on something safe though, turning to the man himself. "Sherlock's lack of knowledge about the solar system."
"Oh for…" Sherlock muttered. "It's not important!" They just laughed at him as he huffed, knowing they were just trying to wind him up.
John got an idea then, wondering if it would be a good idea. Worth a try, he thought. "Alright Rose, your go; truth or dare?"
"Dare." She told him, trusting John to give her something more sensible than Sherlock's dares.
"I dare you,…." He started, pausing for effect; Sherlock had really been a bad influence on the good doctor. "…to give up smoking for a whole month."
Her mouth dropped. "…A month…?!"
"Yep." John said happily, knowing it was his best chance to get the young woman to kick the bad habit.
Sherlock just chuckled, seeing where John was coming from. "Come on, John, you really think she can go a whole month?" He taunted her; and she knew it.
Seeing what they were doing, she thought quickly again. "Oh, I can last much longer than you can." She bragged.
He scoffed, but realised a moment too late what she had done, seeing the hidden smugness that was only just visible behind her masked eyes.
"I bet out of the two of us, going cold turkey - no patches, no gum, nothing - I can out last you." She told him, pushing him a little further.
John just sat in his chair, watching the two of them. This is better than I could have hoped, he thought.
Sherlock however, not being able to resist a challenge simply retorted with, "Oh really? Sure about that are you?"
"Definitely." She nodded, sure about her own will to resist things, hoping she wouldn't regret this too much.
"Okay." John said, playing referee once again. "Are you willing to bet on it?"
Turning to the man who started this predicament, game of truth or dare forgotten, Rose spoke up, Sherlock paying just as much attention for once. "What are you thinking, John?"
"You both go cold turkey." John explained. "First to break looses."
Sherlock frowned slightly though, not seeing what they would actually get out of it, other than a bad temper each. "What does the winner get?"
John thought for a second before grinning widely, knowing they'd agree to this idea. "The winner gets to choose a forfeit for the looser."
Rose looked to her boss, flatmate and friend, knowing if she lost this, he'd pick something she really would regret. But at the same time, he's unpredictable, she thought, far more likely to crack first.
Sherlock meanwhile, was already thinking about what he could choose as a forfeit for the young woman.
"Fine by me." He said, holding out his hand to shake on it.
Rose took his hand. "No cheating, of any sort." She warned him, still holding the outstretched hand.
"I don't need to cheat." He said with a confident smirk.
Rose just chuckled, shaking his hand; the deal was done. "You're on." She told him, taking her pack of half smoked cigarettes and throwing them over to John, who caught them and put them on the side, planning on hiding them somewhere neither of them wouldn't find the small box.
They sat, smirking and glaring at each other in challenge for a second as John thought about what he'd just done; he'd have Sherlock - temperamental at the best of times - and Rose - who could be just as bad, possibly worse than the detective - both craving a cigarette for who knows how long.
This could actually be a very bad idea, he thought, hoping the flat would survive.
Suddenly, Rose broke off the gaze, heading to the kitchen. "Dinner?" She offered.