No beta, mistakes are my own.
Chapter 16 in which our hero John is changing from giggling to fighting
Sitting besides naked Sherlock all wrapped up in a sheet in the middle of the Buckingham's Palace was too fun for words. It was hilarious. John giggled. He couldn't get a straight face for the life of him. If he ever imagined how he would behave if he ever was invited to Buckingham's Palace he would imagine himself to be serious and composed, dignified as possible.
Sitting on a couch with Sherlock naked under his sheet was all but dignified. He wasn't even bothered that he was summoned with a damn helicopter. While Sherlock was sitting next to him he felt like he can't get hurt. It was like life was a game, and all odds that were stacked against them were just obstacles to overcome, mysteries to solve. And Sherlock was so good at that.
Listening to Mycroft didn't make things any better. Stepping on Sherlock's sheet while he was his condescending self and leaving like true diva made it even worse. John wasn't sure it was funny anymore. Looking power play between brothers was always unsettling to one point, but having Sherlock's bare lean back and his pride on a stake made him want to jump and step between them, wrap Sherlock in his sheet of pride and leave. Luckily Sherlock was smart enough to give in and dress up. After all, he was intrigued enough that his exiting scene was just a way of manipulation to gain information.
Soon enough Sherlock was again on the top of the situation. It was always amazing to listen to Sherlock deduct. He was showing off as usual, but John liked that. He had a good reason to be smug. Mycroft, of course, gave his punches in return. John had a sister and he knew how to fight with a sibling, but Mycroft's insinuation about Sherlock's ineptness in matters of sex was just under the belt, especially because it's probably true. John focused on the task ignoring brothers bickering.
Royalty in trouble that was new. That was big. That was the best commercial ever. John had already started to compose a blog post about it without giving out names and too obvious clues. As they exited John apologized in Sherlock's behalf, he got used in doing so, compensating for his rudeness.
Blackmail sounded fun after all that strapping with bombs thing. It could provoke Sherlock to be less gritty. Since the pool incident, he was just more careful, his pokes were less sharp. John wanted of him to get snippy as he's used to be. John liked snippy because it allowed him to get angry and argue. It was strange how he liked to get angry at Sherlock. Because it was safe to be angry with him. John had his inner anger at the world all stacked up in his chest, yelling at Sherlock from time to time made it easier to bear. And Sherlock's jokes made him more forgiving than he's used to be. Like stealing that ashtray for John.
But aside safe anger, there were things, like Sherlock's unwillingness to adjust and compromise, to share, that made John just go bonkers. He would be mad as hell and Sherlock would just look at him with his calm gaze like nothing really is going on.
That's why when Sherlock leaned forward and asked of him to punch him in his face John hesitated. Moments later, after Sherlock provoked him to attack punching him first, his hesitation proved right. At first, he did as instructed, punched him in his left cheek restraining himself but after that, he wanted to hurt him some more. It was like they were on the playing ground having ten years or less and Sherlock was mocking his height, accent or skill at soccer. John just wanted to punch him right, to twist his arm until he apologizes.
"I was in the soldier," he said with a strain in his voice. "I killed people."
"You were a doctor" answered Sherlock not giving in.
"I had bad days" he shouted back.
I really hope I'll be back soon.