I'm sorry about the slow postings, the spring semester just started at college and I'm a bit busy!
Two days after John made the offer, Sherlock moved in. He made sure he came at a time when John was not at home. They had yet to move past the awkward formalities in the rebuilding of their relationship and Sherlock didn't want to push it. When he finished packing away the last of his things, Sherlock walked about the flat enjoying how familiar everything was. It had been a while since he felt this comfortable anywhere.
He considered preparing dinner, but not only did he draw a blank on what or how to cook, he also wanted to take this opportunity to invite John to dinner. It would be casual, a way to ease back into their lives together.
John and Sherlock cracked the shorthanded killer case only hours after John had extended the invitation for Sherlock to once again take up residence in 221B. The symbols that had been left on the body of the first victim led to the address of the second victim, and the symbols on his body led to the address of the third victim and so forth. When they decoded the address of the next target, the police waited for the killer and captured him, he was half out of his mind with madness.
What was different about this particular case was that it failed to result in a cleverly written blog post with a glaringly obvious title. Sherlock wasn't sure if things would ever go back to that.
As he read the paper on the couch, in the same clothes he woke up in hours ago, Sherlock wondered when John would be arriving home. It felt good to think of 221B in that context again, as home. It was already 8 o'clock but he hardly knew what John's social habits were like these days.
Suddenly, Sherlock heard the door slam downstairs. He quickly put away the paper, however as the footsteps got closer it sounded more like two pairs of feet instead of one. Sherlock quickly stood as John entered the room, with another man in tow.
Stopping short when he saw Sherlock was home, John spoke quickly "Oh, Sherlock, you're home?"
"-Yes."
John smiled and turned to the man behind him who meanwhile was staring at Sherlock, "Matthew this is Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, this is Matthew Gibson."
The attractive older man stepped forward with an extended hand grinning wildly, "Hello Mr. Holmes, I've heard so much about you."
Sherlock, still confused as to what John's relationship was with the man nodded slowly and accepted the offered handshake, "From John?" He figured saying 'I've heard absolutely nothing about you' would not be a good way to get back on John's good side.
"Well yes, and the articles! It's fascinating, the work that you do!"
The man was hyper and obviously easily excitable, just the kind of person Sherlock hated being around.
"Thank you," Sherlock answered softly before turning his attention back to John, "Do you two work together?"
Matthew gave John a side-glance, "No, we met on a case a while back."
Sherlock noticed the way the man wore his tie and the brand of shoes, a police officer? No, he was higher up than that, perhaps another inspector in a division separate from Lestrade. He made note to ask Lestrade about this Gibson fellow later on.
"We were going to get some dinner, you should join us!" Matthew said to Sherlock who was busy ignoring him and looking at John who was looking at the floor. It was the offer Sherlock had been waiting for, but from the wrong man.
Forcing himself to look at Matthew he declined, "Thank you, but no. I have a prior engagement for dinner in a half hour." A lie, but if Sherlock was going to eat anything with anyone that night it would be with John.
John was avoiding meeting Sherlock's gaze, he had been for the entire exchange. He was hiding something.
"I'll go get that book from my room then we can head out," John said to Matthew, leaving Sherlock alone in the room with the man he now secretly regarded as the grinning fool.
"Please have a seat, can I offer you anything?" Sherlock made his way over to the couch.
"Oh no, I'm fine! Actually I'm curious, when did you move back in with John?"
Sherlock raised an eyebrow at the forward nature of the man. Who was he to ask such questions to someone he'd only just met?
Spotting Sherlock's expression Matthew backtracked, "I only ask because you weren't living here when I was over last week," he laughed uneasily, "I didn't mean to be intrusive."
So he's been here before.
"No it's…fine. I moved in this morning."
"Amazing! I do hope John starts up that blog again!"
"Right."
John came back into the room, obviously in a hurry. He looked at Matthew and gestured with his head "Let's get going," John looked over at Sherlock who had already been staring at him, his expression neutral, "I'll see you later Sherlock."
Sherlock nodded as the two men left the flat. In his head he was going over all the possible circumstances of their relationship but refused to considered the one he knew was most possible. That they were lovers.