Sherlock POV

I put my fingers to my temple with my eyes closed. My mind was moving too fast for me to react and I was trying to catch up. Thanksgiving had ended and I had immediately gone to my room, leaving John to clean up. I suddenly felt very guilty. I got up from my bed and quickly made my way back downstairs. The table was still half-covered in dishes and food. The living room was a mess, with papers strewn across the floor and trash everywhere. John was standing in front of the sink, washing dishes. I quickly gathered up as many plates and cups as I could and went to the sink next to John. He stopped washing dishes and looked at me.

"What are you doing?" He asked, turning to face me with confusion in his voice. This made me confused. Wasn't it clear?

"I'm helping you with the dishes?" I responded, staring back at him.

"Yeah, but you're Sherlock Holmes. You don't give a damn about how clean the house is." He said. I couldn't help feeling hurt.

"Well can't I try and help you?" I said scoffing. I don't know why that got to me so much. He just looked at me baffled.

"Well okay then, but you don't clean paper plates.." He said, looking down into the sink. I looked down as well and saw that indeed, I had been washing disposable plates. My face heated up. I was embarrassed. That was new. I was never embarrassed. No one could ever embarrass me. I quickly dropped the sponge and ran up the stairs. I laid on my bed, my face in a pillow. I groaned into the pillow. I needed to go to my mind palace. I had never felt like this before. No one else could make me feel the way John did. It was like how I got on a case that I couldn't solve.

The case of John watson

I sat up and closed my eyes. I entered my mind palace and left the normal world.

John POV

"Sherlock! Oi Sherlock!" I yelled up the stairs. I felt like I made him mad or upset. I wasn't quite sure what I did but Sherlock wasn't acting like himself. I sighed and started walking up the stairs. I had gotten quite familiar with how Sherlock acted when he went to his mind palace. He wouldn't come out of his room for hours, but I needed to talk to him and apologize. For what, I didn't know, but I hated it when Sherlock was mad at me. I walked to the door and gave a knock. No answer.

"Sherlock? Sherlock I'm gonna come in!" I yelled, earning no response. I twisted the doorknob and walked in. My heart dropped at what I saw. Sherlock's eyes were closed, but tears were falling from his eyes. It scared me to see Sherlock like this. He was never ever like this. I quickly ran over to him and sat on the bed next to him. I put my arms around him and started talking as calmly as I could.

"Sherlock it's okay I'm right here. What's happening Sherlock?" I rubbed circles into his back. He mumbled and sniffled but I couldn't understand. I kept whispering to him and trying to comfort him. Eventually he opened his eyes.

"JOHN" He said abruptly, hugging me so tight I could barrel breath. I hugged him back.

"What happened Sherlock?" I asked, growing concern in my voice. He pulled away from the hug and looked at me in the eyes. All traces of emotions except for the tear stains were gone from his eyes. He jumped up, and started pacing the room.

"It's Moriarty. He's stirring something up, I know it." He said putting his hands on his head.

"We still haven't caught him? I would have assumed Mycroft took care of that." I said. I was sure I remember talking about that.

"He did but they couldn't link him to any crimes." Sherlock said pacing out of the door. I quickly followed, brushing off my shirt. Sherlock grabbed his coat and sped down the stairs and out the door. His mood had completely shifted.

"Hold on a minute, where are we going Sherlock?" I asked. How could us running off help find Moriarty when we have no leads? And why was Sherlock crying before and now ecstatic?

"Can't you see John? The game is on!" Sherlock said, rushing into the dark, me following right behind him.