Twenty-One: … Him

Sherlock woke first, gripping onto John as if his lover wasn't going to be there when he woke up. Sherlock squeezed and John woke with a start, pulling from Sherlock's arms, as he thought someone was trying to possibly hurt him. But then he saw, "Sherlock," he sighed, calming and bringing Sherlock back into an embrace. "Sherlock, sweetheart, what is it?" He brushed the sweaty curls from Sherlock's face and placed a kiss to his temple.

"John," Sherlock just held tighter, and it sounded like he was about to cry, but he didn't. He couldn't let himself get carried away in that. Stupid emotions that happen while you're sleeping. They never seem to let up, do they? "John, don't leave," he breathed and instantly regretted sounding desperate as John sighed, this time in understanding, and concern for what he understood.

"Sherlock, I promise, I'm not going anywhere," John soothed. "Come on, Sherlock, can't we not do this? It's the last day of the weekend before we have to go back to school. Why don't we go for a walk again?" he chuckled, "Maybe through that garden, too," he suggested.

"Don't tempt me," Sherlock warned. Then John felt kisses on his neck, up to his jaw and over the corner of his mouth. John made the last one by catching Sherlock's lips on his own. "But, a walk does sound nice, then I need to get home, haven't been home in a while," he realized.

"I know," John said sadly, almost pouting at the fact that Sherlock had to leave.

"You could just come with me, you know. Home, I mean. You could stay the night," the brunette grinned and John smiled.

"You sure your parents would really want me around you around them?" John pondered, knowing Sherlock knew what he was suggesting.

"Nonsense," Sherlock said, "besides, they're almost never home in the first place. It'd only be Mycroft," Sherlock assured, grinning because he knew exactly where John was going with that.

"Ugh, Mycroft. Only ever met him once, and I still think he's a dickhead," John scoffed and Sherlock chuckled.

"Well, he is an older brother. Older brothers aren't exactly supposed to like the boyfriend," and John rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll ask my mum and then if she says I can I'll get some stuff together and I'll go home with you," he agreed and Sherlock smiled, kissing him just once again before dragging both of them out of John's bed…

o0o

"Oh yeah, nice day to go hiking, Sherlock," John grumbled, but following as Sherlock pulled him along.

Sherlock proceeded to take him through that forest, but they were going deeper this time, hopefully to find the other side. "Well, if it starts raining, we'll go home, or well not exactly home for you but-"

"Shut up, just shut it and let's go. Arguing with you is like talking to a brick wall," and Sherlock rolled his eyes, linking their fingers in between one another and dragging John further. With the darker weather, the forest was small, but it still seemed to be gloomier than before.

Although, before… yeah, they never really got a good look into it in the first place, but still. This looked one of those scenes from the horror movies. Ha! John's the stupid blond and Sherlock's the brunette that gets them into a load of trouble. Oddly enough, John wouldn't mind being spooked out of the trees. It'd make for something exciting instead of just terrifying.

Besides, Sherlock wouldn't be scared as much as he would be curious, so even if John almost pissed himself in fear, Sherlock would calm him, then make him go further. And just as they were both thinking of something exciting that could happen, they heard a crack, like something had been stepped on a twig. And they knew it wasn't them, as it was all leaves over here.

But it seemed as though that whoever or whatever it was, didn't let up in its path and it was walking towards them. Sherlock stood up straight and pulled John to his side as John had started shaking a bit. "Honestly, John?" Sherlock mumbled.

"Shut up, Sherlock," John whispered back, standing taller, but still scared of what was to come. But it was also exhilarating to think that they could get into some trouble. And from behind the tree in front of them, a little to the left, but still in front of them, emerged a boy.

"Quite clever, aren't you?" he approached and circled a bit around Sherlock and came back out peeking over John's shoulder, "and the pet, of course, you geniuses always have to have that," he patted John's shoulder and Sherlock had a weird sense of knowing this boy from somewhere, but he didn't know exactly where.

He was just about to call on his mind palace to indentify his face or voice, but then this boy said, "I'm Jim. Jim Moriarty," and it clicked. What Sherlock was onto before was gone, and now he knew who this was.

"You belong to the police, Jim," Sherlock said, gripping John's hand harder and pulling him closer.

"Well, they're too stupid to guess it was me," and John was still confused. But he was sure Sherlock would fill him in soon enough. "Besides, it really wasn't fair. He laughed at me," he faked a pout but Sherlock knew that in those brown eyes, there was nothing but joy. "So I stopped him. It was simple and a little too easy," he shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. And everything clicked in John's head as well and now he felt really stupid he hadn't realized it earlier.

"I would imagine so. You must be extremely bored by now," Sherlock said, almost feeling bad for him. Sherlock hated being bored, it always made him cranky and restless. But this, this situation was definitely not boring. This was everything but boring.

"Oh, I really am. I'm still waiting for your move, Sherlock," Jim complained and Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"And I'm working on it. Patience is a virtue," he nodded and Jim eyed him.

"Right, well, I wish I could stay and chat, but I have things to be doing, bye boys. I hope to be seeing you again soon," he sang and walked away, back out of where Sherlock had dragged John in.

"Why would he wear a suit in the forest?" John pondered.

"Why would he wear a suit at all?" Sherlock sneered in disgust. "They're not exactly the most comfortable of things," he told John. "Anyway, are we going deeper, or going home?"

"Oh, what, it's up to me now?" John asked.

"Yes."

"Right," he nodded and smirked, "on we go then," he gestured to the trees and Sherlock grinned as John pulled him further. And sadly, it didn't take long to reach the other side. There was a field that folded out behind the wooded area, and then the road out there behind all the grass.

"Well, this is boring," Sherlock sighed.

John chuckled, "We can make it not so boring," and Sherlock gave him a glance from the side, only moving his eyes and one of his brows to quirk it.

"No," he decided. "That can wait," he smirked and John shrugged. "Actually, I have somewhere I'd like to go before we go home," he said suddenly.

"What? Where?" John questioned, furrowing his brows in confusion and looking to Sherlock's features to try to read anything.

But he was remarkably and regrettably a bit too good at hiding any kind of emotion he had as he said, "A place where I can confirm a thought of mine," and John nodded, knowing it was officially somewhere neither of them would want to be.

"Alright. And I'm guessing you want to go now?" John queried and Sherlock nodded.

"Yes," he drug John back through the smallest of forests and back to the sidewalk, eventually reaching John's flat and practically threw him into Shezza as he grabbed her keys from his pocket. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Shezza?" Sherlock asked as he rounded to the driver's side and John rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't drag me here so you could talk to Shezza," he pointed to Sherlock's attention and Sherlock shrugged.

"Car like this is worth talking to," he smirked and jumped over the door, as he always does.

"Do you ever actually use the door?" John asked and Sherlock smiled.

"Sometimes," he nodded and shoved the key into the ignition, twisting and reveling in the sound of his baby purring under him again. John shook his head, rolling his eyes and Sherlock leaned into his personal space, whispering, "Don't worry, I don't love her as much as I love you," and with a kiss to the cheek, he pulled away from John's flat.

John was actually shocked that Sherlock had said that to him. All Sherlock did was look to the blushing boy and smirked, chuckling as they took off and all John could hear was his voice, repeating those words over and over. You love me? When did that happen? I mean, I know I love you, too, but…

John looked to Sherlock in bewilderment, and then smiled. I love you, too. Then he was jolted from his thoughts as Sherlock asked, "Have you ever had a problem with the upstairs neighbors?"

"No," John shook his head, "we don't have neighbors, not yet at least," and all that was given as a reply was a small, 'Huh,' and they were gone…

o0o

"It's just a store, Sherlock," John noticed and was extremely confused now.

"That's what they want you to think," he took John's hand and lead him inside to the counter. The man eyed John, but welcomed Sherlock. "I need Moran," Sherlock said simply and the clerk looked around the empty store, confirming it's emptiness, gesturing for them to follow.

He then took them to someplace in the back of this little store, and knocked on a door. "It's Sherlock Holmes," he said and there was a swear that could be heard behind said door and out walked a man. The same one from…

"Sherlock, why-"

"Sh," he squeezed John's hand and Moran closed the door behind himself. He was tall, looked like he could hurt you if he tried, but he's not the type to just go about beating the shit out of people. He hair was cut shorter than Sherlock's only by a little, and you could tell he had wavy almost full on curls in his brown hair.

But it was going greying a bit, John noticed as he patted Sherlock's shoulder. "I thought you said you weren't coming back for more. Ever," he claimed, almost sounding like he was mocking Sherlock.

"I didn't come back for more," Sherlock shook his head slowly and looked the man straight in the eye, "I came to confirm something," he nodded and Moran eyed him. Sherlock was so tall, he was almost the same height as Moran, so he could easily hold his ground under that glare.

"Information, then?" he asked and Sherlock nodded.

"Yes…"

Not as good as I wanted, but I need to move on with this. I still hope you liked it, though. :-)