Chapter 4: Second Chance

Sherloc asked Jon along to three different crime scenes. Each time there were no marijuana resin stains on his fingers, he was polite, and his medical advice and views of certain topics were very helpful. In the time between those cases they had no contact.

After that, Sherloc stopped by Jon's workplace to inquire about his character, citing his application for flatmate-status. He was told Jon was a hard worker, polite, hands-on, honest, modest, with a measure of humor, always ready to jump in and help. When asked whether he had always been like that they declined to comment. Sherloc asked specifically whether they noticed if he had changed after his hospital stay. Since Sherloc knew of the hospital stay, they confirmed, yes he had. To sum it up, they thought he would be a reliable flatmate.

Then Sherloc called Myckroft, asked for a thorough background check of Dr. Jon Whatson. The report about when police was called to the scene where he had been severely beaten did not give a reason for the attack. He had not been in trouble with the law before and not after. He did not press charges. According to available records there was nothing extraordinary about him at all. Sherloc thanked his brother for the information.

Sherloc, however, viewed Jon as very extraordinary for one specific reason: he had obviously changed. Why? He decided to give him a second chance.

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They got on fine as flatmates. Jon never made any sexual advances towards Sherloc. Aside from cases, life tended to be on the quiet side at 221B Bäcker Street. Living together like this, both of them were less bored. Jon did not go out to try to find a girlfriend or boyfriend, he appeared content to stay "home". Sherloc didn't mind, but did wonder why.

After a few months comfortably living together Sherloc considered Jon to be his friend, he trusted him. Up until now he had not had real friends, he lacked experience in the relationship department. One pleasant spring evening, he thought he should ask, to make sure he was not understanding it wrong.

"Jon, can I ask you something?" he ventured.

"Sure, go ahead," Jon replied, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"Are we friends? Sorry I have to ask," Sherloc felt a little out of his depth.

"I'm glad you're asking! Yes, we are friends. No doubt about that. Got it? - It's alright, Sherloc. S'all good...," Jon said reassuringly looking up from his book.

Even to Sherloc his fondness of Sherloc was evident. He took a deep breath and blinked, because he had arrived at the point where he could not envision his life without Jon anymore.

ooo

In the weeks that followed Sherloc noticed Jon's physical attributes more. He found him quite attractive, yes, still, like when they had been flatmates before. He let his looks linger longer, on occasion found himself wishing he could touch various parts of his body. Like his hand, or his hair, or his bum, or his feet, or hold him close and feel... He realized at times he was daydreaming.

Daydreaming soon spilled over into real dreaming. When he woke up with an erection and cooling ejaculate on his belly one morning, his dream still fresh in his memory, it was obvious: he wanted Jon and himself to be more than friends.

He replaced the top sheet with a heavy sigh, then cleaned himself up in the bathroom. "Don't touch me in a sexual way again!" he had told Jon very firmly and vehemently back then. Was Jon still going by that? Was he attracted to Sherloc as well but holding back? Or not?

At Spiddi's Jon had said, "I respect you." Obviously he accepted and abided by Sherloc's past "no". Knowing Jon as he did now Sherloc knew it meant Jon would never touch him sexually until he gave him permission. There was no way around it, they would have to have another clarifying conversation about their relationship.

ooo

That morning Sherloc thoughtfully stirred his porridge. It had little apple bits in it to make it more appealing, the dusting of brown sugar had already been incorporated into the "glob". This, supposedly, represented a healthy breakfast. While Jon had many praiseworthy attributes, trying to get Sherloc to eat enough healthy food was further down on his list. He felt like rubbing his bare toes against Jon's socked ones but knew he should not touch him unasked. He needed to respect Jon as well, even though he had not told Sherloc not to touch him. The right thing was to ask first, to get permission. Did friends have to ask permission to rub toes? Relationship-talk, then, it was.

"Jon?"

"Yes, Sherloc?" Jon had already finished his porridge, was dressed in jeans and jumper, reading the newspaper.

"Should friends ask permission to rub toes? - I'd like to rub yours with mine under the table."

"I'm glad you're asking," Jon put the newspaper down. "As you know, in the past I often used to not ask." It was evident that he was not happy with himself to have been like that.

"Now I think it's always a good idea to ask permission first before one person touches another, even for friends. Sometimes close friends allow platonic touching without asking. And persons that are intimate with each other should always make sure all touching is done in a safe, sane and consensual way. 'No' means no, also for boyfriends, life-partners and lovers. There, now you know what I think of the topic... meaning, go ahead if you want to make foot contact under the table," Jon smiled softly.

Sherloc smiled, relieved. "Erm, what I said back then about not touching me sexually, I take it back. I wouldn't mind... if you did," Sherloc said as his toes made contact with Jon's sock-covered ones. "You could take your socks off...," he hinted.

"That's a good suggestion." Jon proceeded to take his socks off, then wriggled his toes inviting Sherloc's to touch his again. "Are you saying you want us to be more than friends?" he asked.

"Yes," Sherloc swallowed. "I find you very attractive!"

Jon pulled out some papers from his jeans back pocket, slid them across the table. Sherloc unfolded the pages, read. They were the results of two STD checks Jon had requested. The first was dated just before he went back to work, the other from last week. Both showed that he was STD-free.

"I noticed how you were looking at me...," Jon explained. "I can be observant..."

"Hmm," Sherloc tapped his finger on the report with the earlier date, "this one is from many months ago, even before you asked to speak with me," he frowned.

"Yeah...," Jon didn't elaborate.

"Did you get checked before that?" Sherloc asked.

"No," was the short reply.

That Jon had himself checked for STDs after he left the hospital but before he went back to work, for Sherloc, indicated that whatever caused him to change must have happened around that time.

"I needed to know for my hopefully future partner. It's the responsible thing to do, Sherloc. The way I lived,... there were times I did not use protection!" he revealed.

"You haven't been with anybody since you live here, so you got checked again in anticipation of us? Why?"

Jon nodded. "I wanted to make double sure. If you're clean as well we can..."

Sherloc's eyes widened at Jon's suggestion.

"Right,... My STD check from several years ago was clean as well,... Do you want to see it? It's stashed somewhere...," Sherloc looked towards the living room. "I haven't been with anybody since then, I haven't used IV drugs. - You need to know, though, that at this time I do not tolerate being penetrated. So,... please," Sherloc remembered his manners, "do not even suggest, let alone try that."

Jon raised his eyebrows, "That's fine. Of course I respect that. I can go either way," his eyes smiled. "Thanks for letting me know!" He put his hands on top of the kitchen table, inviting Sherloc to give him his.

"If you ever change your mind, just let me know. We could start with kissing and cuddling...," Jon hinted.

Toe rubbing and hand stroking... Sherloc's porridge was abandoned in favor of his bedroom. ...

ooo