The first time it happened, John was having a nightmare. Sherlock had heard the creak of the bedsprings underneath John's old mattress as he tossed and turned upstairs. Bored (not concerned), he quietly ascended the stairs to John's room.
The door slipped open quietly (Sherlock had once oiled all the hinges on the doors in the flat with fluids of different viscosity). In his sleep, John's face looked older and more lined than Sherlock remembered. No carefree smile, or soft laugh. Not even the hard eyes and set jaw which meant John was being stubborn about something. Sherlock was struck with a thought that he had never seen someone look at once both too young and too old, clutching childishly at the blanket, with fear wrinkled all over his face.
Sherlock walked forward softly (he'd practiced this, and with correct footwear on carpet, his footsteps were 87% softer than your average Londoner's). He perched on the edge of the bed, and gently, so as not to wake John (not because of any, dare we say it, tenderness), smoothed a hand through his hair. John's expression softened, although he was still reflexively clutching the blanket to his chest.
The change in expression should have been enough for Sherlock. John's nightmare had gone away. Why then, was John holding the blanket so tightly? Sherlock took in the sight of John's hands. Tanned, with a line where his shirt sleeve would end, muscles skilled at performing surgeries, fingernails short, but neat, kept that way through clipping, not biting.
Sherlock placed his hands on John's, and gently pried the blanket away. Lifting the corner of the blanket, he slid into Jon's bed. Once comfortable, he took John's hands in his, and studying the way John's smaller, broader hands and his intertwined, fell asleep for the first time in three days.
Thoughts? First fanfic ever! This is heading toward a 5+1 format, maybe with the +1 being John's perspective? I dunno. I might do all of them in both perspectives? I have some ideas, but I need help! New author is new! Feedback is lovely. I would also love a beta maybe. This may have an M rating +1, although as a first time writer, I think I may stick with the fluff and leave harder stuff to the pros.
