Hello everyone! This is a short chapter I'm afraid, but it's a good one. Lots of fluff. This is all John and Sherlock, so do enjoy :)
'Hello. Don't worry. You're still fast asleep. I just wanted to know what humans dream of.'
'I... I'm sorry. What?' John stammered, looking around before turning back to Sherlock. 'How did you get inside my head? I thought you couldn't read my mind?'
'I can't. I can, however, take a peek in your dreams.'
'So that's what this is?' John asked, taking in the sweeping countryside. 'My dream?'
'It's quite a beautiful dream,' Sherlock mused.
'It's just countryside.' John shrugged. 'This is usually what I dream about when I'm stressed though. This is my peaceful place and I usually wake up calmer than when I went to sleep.'
'Mmm,' Sherlock hummed. 'I can see why. It's, err, nice here.'
'I like it a lot.' John smiled. 'Why don't you fly for a bit? I think I'd enjoy watching you fly.'
'Wanna hop on?' Sherlock asked softly, crouching down.
'I– Oh my god, can I?!' John asked in excitement. He raced over to Sherlock and clambered onto his back, making himself comfortable. He stroked one of Sherlock's wings softly, utterly amazed that he was doing this. Holy fuck, he was riding an angel.
'Hold on tight.' Sherlock chuckled, running and jumping into flight, his wings flapping heavily as they began to soar in the sky. John gasped softly and wrapped his arms around Sherlock's chest and his arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly.
Oh my god. Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod. This is so... Exhilarating! I'm flying with an angel!
'Maybe when I'm better we can do this for real,' Sherlock called out to the boy on his back. 'You seem to enjoy it.'
'Oh my god! Can we?!' John exclaimed, laughing joyously.
'Of course. I'll have to eat some damn food first though. Otherwise I'd risk falling with you on my back.'
'Yeah. Let's not risk that,' John agreed. 'This is amazing, though. I can't wait to try it for real.'
Sherlock sighed happily. 'I like flying. It makes me forget that I am a slave. It makes me feel free.'
'It feels very freeing, yes,' John agreed. 'I wish I could fly like you can.'
'This is as close as you're gonna get.' Sherlock smirked slightly.
'Well, seeing as this is my dream, can't I just sprout a pair of wings for myself?' To his amazement, yes he could. He felt them growing even as he was speaking the thought. He glanced back and was amazed to see a striking pair of brown, speckled wings protruding from his back. My god, they were gorgeous. He tested them out as best he could, flapping them experimentally, and laughed for joy.
'Land. Sherlock, land. You gotta see this.'
Sherlock laughed. 'No need to land.' He flipped John off his back and laughed harder as he began to fly.
John screamed like a teenage girl at a One Direction concert as he fell. But he soon realised he wasn't falling. He was flying. He was actually flying! He removed his hands from his face and looked around until his gaze met Sherlock's. The angel looked incredibly cocky and John scowled at him.
'Sherlock, you bloody idiot!' he screeched. 'What if I'd fallen to my death?! I've never flown before! I don't know how these things work! What if I'd died?!'
'This is a dream, John,' Sherlock scoffed. 'You weren't going to die. Now follow me. I'll race ya.' He swooped off in one swift motion. John whooped for joy and took off after him, flying naturally and with ease. He caught up fairly quickly and ruffled Sherlock's curls, laughing when the angel managed to scowl and pout simultaneously. Sherlock growled playfully and gently flapped his wing against John's face.
'Not funny.' He scowled when John laughed and flapped his wings harder, flying ahead.
'So where are we going?' John asked after they'd flown around for a few minutes.
'Anywhere and everywhere. This is your dream,' Sherlock pointed out.
'Well, I've always wanted to go to California,' John mused. 'I hear the weather is gorgeous all year.' He suddenly flew past a palm tree and nearly collided with another. He cried out as he actually crashed into one and slid down its trunk and onto the ground.
'Fuck,' he choked out, trying not to cry. 'That fucking hurt. I hate it when dreams transition that fast.'
Sherlock flew to the ground at the speed of ligh. 'Are you... OK?' he asked worriedly.
'I'm fine,' John choked out, wiping at his eyes. Don't you dare fucking cry, Watson! 'I just... I'm fine.'
'Nope. You're not.' Sherlock knelt down and pulled John into a gentle embrace.
Don't you fucking cry, don't you fucking cry, don't you fucking cry, John told himself as he tentatively wrapped his arms around Sherlock. His lower lip was trembling and he was sniffling despite himself. Don't you fucking cry!
'Hey. It's just a dream. You're not really hurt.' Sherlock's black wings came to wrap around John tightly.
'I know,' John choked out. 'But... I'm only human. Things are gonna hurt no matter what.' He clutched tighter to Sherlock and breathed deeply, swallowing the sobs that threatened to burst forth. 'I wanna go back to the countryside. I know that place. Less chance of me flying into a fucking tree.'
'Shhh.' Sherlock nuzzled John's head gently. 'It's OK. Just think of the countryside. Think of flying over those vast green plains. It'll be OK.'
John did. He closed his eyes and imagined his countryside. The rolling green hills, the soft grass beneath his feet, the open sky, the fresh air and the cool breeze on his face. He hummed softly when he felt the ground he was sitting on soften and a breeze started ruffling Sherlock's feathers. He opened his eyes and smiled softly up at his angel.
'Thank you,' he said softly. 'Thank you so much.'
'It's, err... OK.' Sherlock smiled and released John. 'It's the least I could do I suppose.'
'So... do you want to fly around for a bit before I wake up? Usually when I'm this calm is about when my body decides to wake up.'
'You go,' Sherlock said softly, a frown embedded in his forehead. He could feel the pain of his vessel. His real body was in bloody agony and in a way that the pain was passing into his dream body too.
'Hey, you OK?' John asked before he gasped sharply in pain, clutching his ribs. 'Sherlock?' He looked up at his angel, asking him with his eyes to explain. Sherlock was practically blinded by the pain now.
'It's OK,' he choked out before falling sideways onto the ground with a loud scream, his whole body shuddering.
John gasped awake, still clutching at his ribs, and panted harshly as he came back down to Earth. When he had his wits about him he turned to Sherlock and saw a medical team was already working on him, giving him as much morphine as was allowed for a human.
'He's an angel!' John cried, pushing against one of the nurses. 'A normal human dose will do nothing for him! He needs more! Please!'
The medical team all turned to look at John, not saying anything. Sherlock's heart monitor was still beeping radically, his body still convulsing in pain. Finally, someone nodded and injected Sherlock with more morphine, enough to kill a human, and his heart started calming and he relaxed against his mattress.
'Thank you,' John choked out. 'Thank you.'
Sherlock stared at John with a pained but thankful expression on his face before his eyes slipped shut and he fell asleep with a loud whimper.
'It'll be OK now, Sherlock,' John said softly, smoothing a hand through Sherlock's curls. 'But I'm gonna have to go eat now, me being a human and all. I'll be back. You rest.' He squeezed Sherlock's hand gently and left to go the the cafeteria, simply getting a bowl of soup and some tea. He didn't think he could stomach anything heavier at the moment.
Sherlock dreamed. He dreamed of the funny human boy. He dreamed of having John fly by his side. He dreamed of a life that made him feel happy, a life where he was free.
Sorry for the short update. Things will be slowing down here while I'm at school. I'm taking a fiction writing course and my time and energy will be mostly put toward writing for that class. Fanfiction will take a backseat for a bit I'm afraid. School is more important right now anyway.
Updates will be sporadic or maybe once a week. I will still occasionally publish a one-shot or two, but updates will generally be slowing down. Just a heads up for you all.
Until next time!
TSA + IB
