Chapter One
"Fuel checked?"
"Perfectly fine, Mr. Holmes."
"Transponder checked?"
"Sherlock, we're on a boat, not a plane."
"Boats have them, too, and besides, John, the technical term is a 'ferry'. Do refrain from calling it a boat."
"I honestly don't see the difference."
"Mr. Holmes, Mr. Watson, as much as would love to listen to your unimportant little row, I feel that it might interfere with my job, so please do not hesitate to remove yourselves from over my shoulder."
John smiled lazily, retreating away from their Captain for the day. "Come on, Sherlock. Might as well enjoy the sights."
"I don't want to enjoy the sights; the sights are dull."
John paused, looking over his shoulder at Sherlock. "Did you all of a sudden get really excited for this case, or is there another reason that you look so worked up?" He paused again, with a sort of sinking (John, he thought to himself, whatever you do, do not make a lame pun verbally) sensation. "Don't tell me that you're already bored. We haven't even left yet."
"Well, it is rather boring," Sherlock muttered, following John back onto the stern.
Boating was nice.
John rest his chin on the railing, watching the ocean pass by. It was beautiful- so very much so- and so calm and so peaceful that it made him want to close his eyes and drift off to sleep. Perhaps, in retrospect, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to do.
His eyelashes were obscuring his vision and he was struggling to keep his eyes open, even though he was standing up, when he felt Sherlock grab onto the railing as well. John blinked hard and raised his head, looking sleepily towards the man who had been standing, stoically, next to him for the past twenty minutes.
Sherlock looked pale.
"Sherlock?" John stood up straight, looking closely at his friend. "Sherlock, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Sherlock replied automatically, although, John noted, his fingers were holding onto the railing so tightly that his knuckles were stretched taut and white.
"You look sick," he said. Only after he said that did the two pieces click together, and he gaped slightly at Sherlock. "You get sea sick?"
Sherlock snorted slightly. The fact that he didn't immediately deny it (and even if he had, John wouldn't have believed him; he looked terrible, quite... green about the gills, to be honest) was enough for John.
"Bloody hell, Sherlock, why did you want to take a boat ride when you get sea sick?"
"Because. I have a case," Sherlock said, seperating and enunciating each word. "That might not mean anything to you, John, but to me, it's-" He stopped quite abruptly.
John leaned away slightly as he watched Sherlock press his lips together tightly, watched him swallow reflexively. "That's not good for you," he remarked, when Sherlock seemed to have gotten the urge to be sick under control.
"Beneficial or not-" Sherlock started, but was interrupted by a rather bumpy turn of the ferry. John clutched onto the railing instinctively, but Sherlock let go of it entirely, turning rather sharply to be sick over the edge of the boat.
John sighed quietly.
This was going to be a long boat ride.
"You need to go lay down," he said. "Ideally, it's said that it can be 'self-cured'," here he hooked his fingers into fake quotation marks, "and that actually sitting outside helps, but..."
Sherlock waved a hand dismissively. "I'll be fine-" The boat lurched again and Sherlock stumbled. John grabbed a fistful of the back of Sherlock's jacket, just in case. "What are you doing?" Sherlock hissed, stepping out of John's reach. He stumbled again- clearly he was suffering from vertigo- but he was holding onto the railing this time.
"I didn't feel like having to fish you out of the water right now," he said dryly.
Sherlock half-glared at him, although the effect was lessened by the slight tremors that John could see moving through the detective's body. "Sea humour, John? Really?"
"What?"
"'Fish you out,'" Sherlock quoted back to him.
Had he...? That one hadn't even been intentional, he reasoned, ignoring the warmth that was probably a blush of embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't notice that one... Go lay down," he finished sternly, fixing Sherlock with his typical I'm-your-doctor-don't-argue look.
Sherlock pushed away from the railing, scrubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. "Fine." He turned, not arguing, although muttering under his breath "Should've brought the violin..."
"Playing the violin helps with your sea-sickness?" John asked, staring at his retreating back.
"Think, John, it helps me think. As long as I focus on something other than the uncoordinating senses, I'm fine, but, as is ever obvious, you failed to bring along my violin." Sherlock vanished into the cabin, leaving John staring at the spot where he'd vanished.
"Well..." John muttered, turning back to the ocean. "I'll be sure to pack your sodding violin the next time we go on a boating trip..." he muttered to himself, falling silent afterwards.
Of all the things, it had to be sea-sickness. Nothing phased Sherlock Holmes, but put him on a boat and he'd be sicker than a dog in less than a half an hour. Some small, sadistic part of John was saying that it was actually rather funny, looking at it. Give him a body and it was Christmas. Give him a cruise and he'd turn white at the thought.
... Perhaps that was why Sherlock gave up his ambition to be a pirate.
John actually laughed out loud when he thought that.
"Bad, John..." he muttered to himself, still grinning as he sank into a nearby lounge chair. "Inconsiderate..." Although, all in all, if Sherlock felt sick, maybe John could have some quiet time to himself.
In actuality, since Sherlock felt sick, John wouldn't have any time, let alone quiet time, to himself at all.
Damn doctor instincts; they always got him in the end.
I had to put a bit of Martinesque dialogue in the beginning. I have Cabin!Pressure fever~ And I love the idea of Sherlock being sea sick and having to give up his dream of being a pirate in that sense, but that's just codswolloping drivel on my behalf. xD
Before you ask: no, I don't know where they're boating out from, I don't know where they're boating to, location wise. All I know is that they're going to be on the boat for several hours.
By the way, to all of those who understood the reference, you are awesome. Remember to keep your towel close by.
Your support is lovely. :) Thanks!
