Chapter 29
Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock or anything.
Author's note: Please review! Thank you!
A few days after father's day Hamish recovered from the bug, he was very, very relieved when it was over, and so were Sherlock and John. Not just because their son was better and healthy again, but also because they could have their bed to themselves again.
"Hamish, you can go back to your own bed tonight." John said as he and Sherlock walked into their room, freshly showered and in their pyjamas.
Hamish was lying on the bed on his back, reading a book quite happily and his smile fell.
"What?" he asked, putting his book down.
"You aren't throwing up any more, and your dad and I would like our bed back, thank you." Sherlock said, his arms crossing as he raised an eyebrow.
"But… I'm all tucked up. I'm comfortable and I'm not completely better!" Hamish tried.
"Hamish, don't try. Back to your own bed." John said, walking over to the bed and pulling the cover, but Hamish grabbed on and held it tightly.
"Hamish!" Sherlock raised his voice.
"No! I'm tired and I've been poorly!" Hamish pouted.
"Right, young man, you want to act like a baby then we'll treat you like one." John let go of the covers, took Hamish's book away, then with a sudden yank he pulled the covers off the bed and onto the floor, then picked Hamish up, his arms under his shoulders and knees, and he made his way out of the room with a protesting twelve year old in his arms.
"Dad! Put me down! I'm cold!" Hamish said.
"You're being stubborn. When we tell you to do something, you do it." John carried him up to his room and put him gently on his own bed.
Sherlock came in with Hamish's book and passed it to him.
"It's time for bed, so finish your page and then turn the lights off." The genius said.
Hamish grumbled but got into bed and started reading with a scowl.
"Goodnight, now no more silly behaviour." John pressed a kiss to Hamish's forehead and Sherlock did the same and they left.
Sherlock and John fell into bed together, their bed all their own again, they liked the space and that they could have their intimacy back.
They were fast asleep at one o'clock in the morning when Hamish woke up.
He sat up slowly in bed and looked around. His room was so quiet. Over the days when he'd been sick he'd wake up with his parents, the sound of their breathing and occasional light snoring was soothing. But without that Hamish felt solitary.
He got out of bed and quietly made his way downstairs, he looked at the closed door and sighed. If his parents closed their door it meant he couldn't go in unless he knocked. Just in case they were doing grown up things.
He tapped on the door and called out "Dad? Papa?"
He heard movement and waited, the door was pulled open by his papa, his hair was really messy and he was wearing underwear and John's pyjama shirt.
"Are you alright?" Sherlock asked quickly and checked Hamish's temperature with the back of his hand.
"I'm fine, I don't feel sick." Hamish said quietly.
"Then what's wrong?" Sherlock asked, concerned.
"I… papa, I feel lonely."
Sherlock frowned and put his hands on Hamish's shoulders gently "Why? We're right down here."
"I woke up and it was really quiet and I didn't like it." He explained.
Sherlock sighed "Come here, Hay." And he pulled Hamish in for a hug. Hamish rested his head on his papa's chest, hearing the thud-thud of his heart and the funny noises that his tummy was making.
"Can I sleep in you and Dad's bed? Just tonight! I just feel lonely on my own." Hamish said.
Sherlock looked back into his room in thought then said "Fine, but tomorrow night you go to your own bed, and maybe we could setup Gladstone's things and he could sleep in your room with you?" Sherlock suggested.
Sherlock opened the door fully and Hamish shuffled in feeling a lot happier now.
"One minute." Sherlock held up a finger then went to John's side of the bed and rubbed his husband's shoulder "John, love, get up and put some pants on."
"Ugh, I didn't need to hear that, papa." Hamish frowned.
John groaned and slowly opened his eyes "Huh?" he asked tiredly.
"Hamish felt lonely and wants to sleep in our bed for the rest of the night. So put some pants on." Sherlock explained.
"Oh… okay." John looked around and found his pants at the end of the bed, he grabbed them and put them on and then also put some trousers on and as he did so he looked up at Hamish "Just one more night. We don't want you getting into a habit like when you were five."
"I know." Hamish nodded then bounced onto the bed, snuggled down into the pillows, and fell asleep before Sherlock even managed to get into bed.
"Aww, he's tired." John smiled and brushed a blonde curl from Hamish's forehead.
"Like you, if he's tired his head will hit the pillow and he'll be asleep like that." Sherlock clicked.
John chuckled and they both lay down and thought in silence.
"Sherlock?" John asked.
"Mmm?"
"Are you… I don't know how to describe it… well, Hamish won't be like this for much longer. He's twelve. He'll be a moody, grumpy teenager soon enough. That'll mean he'll not want cuddles and he won't want to share our bed when he feels lonely." John said quietly.
"I am aware that that will happen. But remember, John, Hamish isn't like everyone else. He may not be so withdrawing from us as some teenagers are with their parents." Sherlock offered reassuringly.
"Maybe. I guess we won't know until it happens. I'm just going to miss this, our little Hamish. He'll be… our big teenage Hamish." John sighed.
"Me too. Apparently though, after the teenage years and the withdrawal from one's parents, most people's children do become close with their parents again. It depends on the strength of the relationship. Who says he'll withdraw too far in the first place anyway? Some teenagers just get more independent but still spend a lot of time with their parents, some teenagers want to have as little to do with their parents as possible, there are many different paths that Hamish could take." Sherlock said.
"Yeah… I hope he never goes too far though. He is our baby. I still remember his little cry when he was a new born." John said fondly.
"Yeah." Sherlock grinned.
"Night, Sherlock." John said after a few moments, and he reached across Hamish for his husband, Sherlock took his hand gently and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Goodnight, John." Sherlock replied and they fell asleep.
