Sherlock doesn't come back to school the next day.
Sherlock doesn't come to school that week.
Or the week after.
'Sherlock… Sherlock… Come back to me…'
'Come back…'
'Sherlock…'
'I need to see you…'
I get an email one Saturday night from ScienceofDeduction243. 'What the hell…' I think as I open it.
John,
Something is wrong.
Please.
Help me.
-SH
I email him back:
Sherlock,
Where are you? Is it an emergency?
-John
A few minutes after I hit send, an email from Sherlock pops up in my inbox.
John,
Meet me at the park.
Please.
Hurry.
-SH
I quickly put on a jacket and run to the door, only to be stopped by Harry.
"Harry. Move."
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"John, I've been worried about you."
"You? Worried about me?"
"Yes. You never eat, I don't see you anymore because you lock yourself in your room… Is everything okay?"
"No. It's not. Now, if you'll excuse me-"
I push past her, open the door, and run off into the night. The street lamps have all turned on, illuminating the darkness and providing me with some light to find the park. When I get there, the bench is empty, and the entire street is dark and cold. There is no one around.
"Sherlock…" I sit down on the bench, covering my mouth with my hand. I shut my eyes tight. 'I'm not going to cry… I'm not going to cry… I'm not-'
I look up quickly at the sound of footsteps. I look to my right, and there he is. Sherlock. He is walking slowly toward me. I stand up and run to him.
"Sherlock!" I yell.
When I get to him, I wrap my arms around him tight.
"Sherlock! What the hell?! Where did you go? I was worried sick! Don't do that to me ever again!"
"John…"
He's so quiet. I can feel his hands grip the back of my jacket tightly, as he buries his face in my chest. I feel him shaking in my arms.
"Sher… Are you okay?"
"…no…" It's quiet; almost a whisper.
I lead him to the bench- 'He's shaking terribly. What… happened?' When he sits down, he doesn't look at me. He doesn't show his face. I gently lift his face toward me, and I see them. The cuts. The bruises. The red marks. They are all over his face. He has a black eye, a severe cut on his cheek that is bleeding, and a split lip.
"Sherlock… What happened to you?"
"There's something you should know about me, John."
"…yes?"
"I'm… I'm addicted-"
As soon as the word escapes his lips I pull him into a tight hug.
"John… I do all sorts of drugs…"
"Sherlock-"
"I… I associate myself with bad people. During these past two weeks I have taken more than I ever have.. Today, I went to get more- because I ran out- and I got into a fight…"
"Sherlock… Why do you take drugs?"
"To get away… I want to get far away from here."
"Why?"
"I can't stand living with my family. With my brother. It's… too much…"
"Sherlock, I can't stand my sister either- but that doesn't mean you should do this to yourself."
"Sister. You have a sister…"
"Yeah, so?"
"There's always something…"
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't get everything right about you."
"You mean your deduction? I'm focusing on now. Do you have any more injuries?"
"Yeah. I think I have a broken rib. It hurts like hell…"
"Oh, God.. Sherlock, you should rest… Why didn't you tell me in your email? You could have stayed home… You didn't have to come here."
"That's the problem.. I haven't been home."
"What?"
"After you fell asleep at your house that morning, I left and never went back home. Well, I got my laptop, but that's all I brought with me."
"Sherlock, you mean to tell me you haven't been home in two weeks?!"
"Yes."
"But, your parents must be worried sick about you!"
"They don't care. No one does. No one cares whether I live or die…"
"I do. I care." I say, wrapping my arms tighter around him. "Sherlock.. Stay with me. At my house. Please."
"But, John.. Won't your parents be mad?"
"Not if I explain it to them. You're my friend, I can't just leave you out here like this."
"John-"
"It's what best friends do, isn't it? Take care of each other."
"So… in fact… I'm your… best friend?"
"Yeah, of course you are. Of course.. you're my best friend."
"Even after… all this?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
We sit there in silence, not knowing what to say next. I want Sherlock to be okay, but him living in my house? With Harry around? It's a disaster waiting to happen… But Sherlock sleeping in my room… In my bed…
"John… You haven't eaten."
"Sherlock…"
He raises his head and looks at me again. His eyes are full of tears. 'Is he in that much pain?'
"You haven't had a good night's sleep in days… You've had nightmares…"
"They've all been about you…" I admit.
"What?"
"My nightmares… They're about bad things happening to you, and I can't stop it. I can't stop your pain… I can't get the images out of my head…"
"John. You were that worried?"
"…yes."
"John… From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you would change my life. I knew you would become a part of it and I would never be able to stop thinking about you… Since the first day of school I've never been able to keep you out of my thoughts.. You're kindness and happy spirit has been plaguing my mind ever since that day…"
"Sherlock-"
"I always want to be around you, with you… I have been dying to hear your voice…"
"Then why haven't you come to school?"
"I wasn't at home, and I didn't have my school things… With the drugs destroying my mind bit by bit, I just… couldn't go."
"Sherlock, I'm here now. And I will always be. So… don't go back to them okay? For me."
"Okay…"
"Sherlock… I want to tell you something.. I… I…" My mouth becomes dry as I begin to say these words. The words that have been on my mind since the first day I met him. 'I need to say it..' I think. "I… love you."
"John… You don't know what you're saying-"
"Yes I do!"
"You're saying you want to spend more time with me.. but I can't let that happen."
"Why not?"
"I'm dangerous."
"Sherlock. Look at me." He does, and I feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach again. I need to let him know that I don't care about the drugs. I don't care about the danger or any of the other factors keeping us apart. I don't care that we've both never done this before. I don't care that we're both nervous and scared to death. I don't care that we're both so confused about what we want and don't want. I don't care that we've known each other for so little time. I don't care that we're both boys. All I know is that I'm so crazy about him that it's going to drive me insane. I want him, only him, right now and forever.
I don't know what I'm doing. I know my parents won't approve of this, and Harry will yell at me, and I am probably digging myself into a hole that I will never be able to get out of… But even so… I look at him then, and the universe stops just for us.
And I kiss him.