Sherlock woke early the next morning. John was still asleep and had migrated to his own side of the bed while they slept. He sat up staring at John who was now laying on his stomach with one hand under the pillow. The blankets were halfway down his back and exposed the exit wound of his scar. Sherlock reached out with shaking fingers pausing before he made contact. He had never been allowed this before. Sure he had sex many times over the years but no one had ever let him explore their body before. Let him touch it to his own content and learn all the secrets that were hidden beneath their clothes. He gently allowed his fingers to make contact with John's skin feeling the ridges around his scar. Despite his fascination with the scar, he didn't linger there long moving to run his fingers along the edges of John's vest and then down his spine.
"Hmmmm, tickles," John mumbled without fully waking. Sherlock tensed his hand freezing in place. John sniffled and turned his head to the other side. A soft sigh escaped as his breathing once more evened out. Sherlock slowly moved his hand back up to John's shoulder focusing once more on the scar. It was because of this scar that John had almost lost his life but it had brought the two of them together to this moment. He touched it reverently as he thought back on John's words from the first night he explored his body. He was allowed to use his fingers, eyes, and mouth to test John's responses. He kept his eyes focused on John's head and listened closely to his breathing as he leaned down closer to him. He paused for just a moment to reassure himself John was asleep before pressing his lips to the middle of the scar. His heart was racing as he kissed the skin softly. Pulling back quickly he jumped out of bed hurrying to the window. Finding his pack of cigarettes on the ledge, he took one out and lit it. The first deep breath of smoke calmed his nerves as he stared over at John. He only smoked half the cigarette before putting it out and returning to the bed.
John hadn't stirred in his absence and his shoulder was still bared. Feeling bolder, Sherlock tucked his head against John's shoulder pushing his nose into the crook of his neck. He took a deep breath taking in John's comforting scent directly rather than from the pillows. Closing his eyes he continued to breathe evenly as the smell of home filled him. Baker Street may have been where he lived but without John, it was nothing more than four walls that surrounded him. John was the one who made Baker street feel complete. With that thought, he couldn't stop his mind to drifting back to the past. To an old dingy room with a single thin mattress where he lay tucked under a ratty blanket in the arms of the man he loved. A man who would be taken from him too soon which was a fate he was determined to stop from happening to John. He had lost both Victor and Author and he wasn't going to lose John the same way.
"Morning," John mumbled as his hand reached up gently stroking Sherlock's cheek. "Are you alright?" Sherlock hummed in response. John pulled away for a second to roll onto his side and take Sherlock into his arms before he had time to protest. Sherlock pressed his face back into John's neck as John ran his fingers gently along Sherlock's back. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Sherlock but he was willing to lay and hold him for as long as he needed. He had no obligations for the day except to make sure that the man in his arms knew he was loved.
"Once you are ready, we can get up and I will make breakfast. Or if you want to we can have a lazy day in bed instead," John informed him. Sherlock lifted his head slightly as he opened his eyes to look up at John in confusion.
"What would we do in bed all day?" Sherlock asked him.
"Cuddle, read, watch telly, sleep, or just talk," John suggested. Sherlock's eyes narrowed.
"People do that?" he questioned John seriously. John knew Sherlock well enough to know he was going to be bored within a matter of minutes if they tried to stay in bed all day. Hell, he was probably bored just considering the idea.
"They do," John told him.
"Why?" Sherlock wondered seriously. Unless he was sick, he couldn't imagine wasting a day laying in bed, even if John was with him. Thankfully, he didn't have to as his phone chimed a second later indicating he had a text. He scrambled out of John's arms grabbing it eagerly. His face lit up as he jumped out of bed.
"Case?" John asked already knowing the answer by Sherlock's grin. It was obviously at least a seven in Sherlock's mind possibly higher by the way he was grabbing his suit to head to the bathroom.
"Triple homicide," Sherlock responded happily as he closed the door between them. John got quickly out of bed rushing upstairs. All his plans for holding Sherlock and breakfast were gone as he knew that Sherlock wouldn't wait. He dressed as quickly as he could, ran a rough brush through his hair, and made it back down just as Sherlock emerged from the shower. John jumped into the room to quickly use the toilet and brush his teeth. Sherlock was waiting impatiently for him by the door with John's coat in his hand. John took it as together they rushed down the stairs and out the front door. Sherlock hails a cab for them and they set off toward their destination.
The case quickly gets to a nine upon the examination of the bodies and leaves them chasing clues all around the city. Sherlock is on a high and refuses to eat or sleep like normal over the next four days. John manages to force nutrition into him by adding extra sugar to his tea and pushing pieces of fruit into Sherlock's mouth while he is distracted. He amuses himself at one point by seeing how much orange he can feed Sherlock as he stares into a microscope and is happy to get the man to eat a quarter of it before Sherlock refuses another bite. Another thing that changes is the little touches that Sherlock initiates as they search for the killer. John barely notices it at first as he took short kips whenever possible either in a cab or blocking the door of the lab so that Sherlock couldn't run without him. Before Sherlock would just yell at him to wake him up but now John found Sherlock touching his arm or running his fingers through his hair as he woke him.
By mid-day on the fourth day, it is clear Sherlock is struggling to stay away. He is even more abrasive when he talks to people and snaps at Donovan for no reason. John is about ready to drag him home and sit on him until he sleeps for a few hours when there is a break in the case. Within an hour an arrest is finally made and all their hard work comes to an end leaving only paperwork to be done. They follow Lestrade back to the station to fill out endless forms as the high from the case begins to fade. John watches as Sherlock begins to crash. He rolls his head back yawning as his eyes start to droop. Fighting it, he forces them back open to sign yet another document. It is late in the evening before the suspect is behind bars with his confession secured. John drags Sherlock out of the police station and it is a quiet ride home back to the flat.
Upon reaching it, Sherlock once more becomes compliant leaning on John and trusting him to take care of him in his exhausted state. He lets John take his coat off and guide him up the stairs to the flat. Once there he is pushed into a chair at the table and a small meal of cold leftovers supplied by Mrs. Hudson is placed in front of him. There is no complaint as he eats and then sits there looking at John confused. John sighs as he finishes his own meal and then drags Sherlock towards the shower. John leaves Sherlock to it as he goes up to his own room to retrieve his clothing. Hearing the door to the bathroom open, he watches as Sherlock crosses the short distance to his bed falling face first on it. John chuckles as he leaves him to sleep as he steps into the shower himself. Upon finishing, though, he exited to find Sherlock laying with his legs still hanging off the bed and his eyes open.
"That doesn't look comfortable," John stated coming over to the bed.
"It's not," Sherlock agreed.
"Berk," John chuckled shaking his head. He climbed up on the bed and grabbed Sherlock by the armpits dragging him further up on the bed. Sherlock went limp allowing John to maneuver him to the top of the bed placing his head on a pillow. He still didn't help as John fought to get the blankets from out of underneath him and covered the two of them. It was only then that Sherlock rolled over so that he was laying halfway on John with his head on John's chest.
"Sherlock," John started to complain as he fought to get his arm free. He shut his mouth just as quickly knowing it would be useless to complain as Sherlock's eyes closed. His breathing quickly evened out as his body finally gave in to the exhaustion it felt and he fell into a deep sleep. John waited until he was positive Sherlock was asleep before giving him a firm shove to get Sherlock's weight off of him. Sherlock grumbled a protest but rolled over allowing John to finally get comfortable. He closed his eyes ready to join Sherlock in his rest when Sherlock rolled back once more placing his head on John's chest. His eyes were open again and he looked tiredly up at John. John gently brushed Sherlock's hair away from his forehead before dropping a soft kiss on it. "You need to sleep more than ten minutes."
"Can't," Sherlock complained.
"How about I read to for a little while and see if that helps," John offered. Sherlock nodded so John reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. He looked at the books on Sherlock's bedside table. A few of them were science books and one was a graphic book on decomposition. Ignoring them, he reached for his own book which he had left at some point. Sherlock would know the ending within a couple of pages but that didn't stop John from opening it and beginning to read.