Sherlock had noticed a few things about John after his great return from death. It was hard not to notice, even if he wasn't the super perceptive man he was he would still notice.
He was compiling a list of them at the moment, marking them by their importance. He sat back in his chair, legs outstretched so his feet rested on the table.
1. Dark circles around eyes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you...I couldn't put you in danger." Sherlock's voice came out choked. John wasn't looking at him why wasn't he looking at him? The detective lowered his head like a beaten dog.
They were standing in the rain, outside the door to John's new flat.
"You were...alive...all this time?" John whispered.
Sherlock looked up again. John had dark circles set around his eyes, and his eyes themselves looked worried and restless.
He hadn't been sleeping, clearly.
2. Weight loss.
"I really am so..."
John grabbed Sherlock by the collar, pulled back his fist like he was going to punch him. Then he lowered his fist and growled, paced away a few inches and paced back.
"You know you could let me in on your schemes just once! Just for the important things like this! I'm not afraid of danger, Sherlock you should have told me!" He yelled. The rain was soaking him through, and even Sherlock was beginning to look a bit disheveled with his impressive coat clinging to him from damp.
"That's hardly my style." Sherlock half smirked, wondering if it was too soon to lighten the mood. John didn't seem to think so, he chuckled actually and for a moment it was like old times-giggling at crime scenes and going to Buckingham Palace naked.
Then John rushed at Sherlock and for a second Sherlock thought he was finally getting punched, but instead John wrapped his arms around the man tightly as if he was afraid Sherlock would melt away and drip through his fingers. He practically found his way into Sherlock's coat, and rested against his chest.
John felt different, he was too thin. So he'd lost weight, too much weight.
3. Drinking.
"Let's go inside already, it's pouring." John withdrew from the hug. "Being back from the dead won't protect you from catching cold."
Sherlock tried not to show his distaste at the fact that John was living somewhere else. He'd long ago named 221B as their home. He couldn't live there alone. He'd have to get John to move back in soon.
John's home looked almost empty, it lacked the sort of comforts you'd expect to see in a person's home: pictures, meaningless decorations, pillows on the couch, rugs on the floor.
What Sherlock did notice was the bottles.
John had left them on the table and the counter, beer bottles with the labels peeled off and rolled into a tube to be tossed away onto the table.
Drinking habits. Borderline alcoholic. Dangerous? Possibly. Easily cured? Yes.
Sherlock frowned. Those were all the important points, the rest of the night was pointless conversations...
Still, he did love being around to have pointless conversations with John. If he could do it all over again he would talk to John more, ignore more cases and stay home with him.
Of course that was impossible, and right now he had to isolate the facts and ignore all extra thoughts in order to decide what his approach to John must be from now on.
"Are you still sitting there? Have you done nothing all day?"
Sherlock was slightly shocked by John's appearance in the door, he hadn't even noticed he'd gone out. John walked in, laden with grocery bags which he dumped in the kitchen.
Sherlock didn't reply. He was too busy making another list.
1. John doing the shopping
2. John making tea
3. John insisting he sleep or eat or not smoke
4. John's jumpers laying all over the flat
5. John writing about him, and worrying about his public image
"I'm going to move the eyes into the back of the fridge, I need room, okay?" John called from the kitchen.
6. John when he's angry about something I've done
7. John when he thinks that something I have done is "amazing"
"Your brother called today but I think we're still ignoring him."
8. John taking my side
"You've been rather quiet today, is something wrong?" John walked up to Sherlock, his face questioning.
9. John worrying about me
"Sherlock?"
The detective glanced up.
John's eyes were clear and awake. He looked happy if not slightly worried. He was sober. He wasn't wasting away. He had slept well last night.
Sherlock reached out and pulled John down slowly by the collar of his jumper. Then he kissed John, sucking on his bottom lip and nipping slightly. John's shock lasted only a few seconds, and soon he was leaning into the kiss and making small pleased noises.
10. John when I kiss him