The Loo Incident
That was what it became known as at 221B Baker Street: The Loo Incident. Like one of their cases - it got it's own name.
Because Sherlock had to yell at him over the incident one more time. Sherlock couldn't let anything go. But John knew the real reason Sherlock was upset (one of those gut feelings, no actual facts, Sherlock would have never believed him if he'd explained, even though he was right): Sherlock was mad because John didn't ask for any explanation. And if there is anything the detective loves more than being right, it's getting to explain himself.
So when John returned later that night (actually, with a sandwich for Sherlock even though he knew the man would never eat it), he found the dark haired beast sitting on his feet, in the center of his chair, arms crossed, breathing out of his nose. (John hated that. Not the nose breathing: the feet on the furniture thing. Well, not so much the feet but the fact that he didn't bother take his shoes off first).
John swallowed. The man was steaming. "I uh," John began, held out a paper bag, "brought you a sandwich?" Followed by the most ridiculously forced smile in the history of fake smiles.
(Sherlock will later admit, drunkenly, several months down the road that, that smile is saved to his hard drive as one of the top five cutest things John Watson has ever done). Right now, though, Sherlock is still fuming.
Sherlock doesn't move, doesn't even blink. John puts the bag down. "I'm sorry?" he tries again.
"Save it," Sherlock insists.
"Why are you so mad? I'm sorry I saw you in the shower, Sherlock, but we are both grown men and it's not a big deal."
Sherlock moves now, shifts down, feet off the chair and puts his fist up to his mouth like he's going to rest his chin on it, but gently nips at one (perfect) knuckle instead. His gaze bores back to John. "You had no right to come in there!"
By now, John has figured out that Sherlock is mad for the damn sake of being mad.
"Yes, you're right," John agrees.
This isn't want Sherlock wants. He wants a fight. Sherlock is bored, but John isn't giving in.
"I'm sorry. Why didn't you lock the door?" John presses.
"Lock doesn't work."
"Well, then I will fix it and we will never have a repeat of this problem," John says, crossing the room briskly and setting the sandwich in the refrigerator without actually looking in the refrigerator because that has never turned out well for him.
"Fine," Sherlock bit back.
John stomped to the edge of the kitchen and leaned on the door frame and glared at Sherlock. "What do you want?" he finally asked.
Sherlock looked snider than ever (John didn't know he could look that absolutely... well, snide. His vocabulary isn't as expansive as Sherlock's is. The detective would have gone with derisive.) "I wanted you to ask why I do it!" he said. Much louder than he meant.
John stood there, very quiet for a moment, confusion playing across his eyebrows. Then he calmly, soundlessly, walked across the room and sat in the chair opposite Sherlock. "Okay," he agreed. "Sherlock, why do you shave your legs?" he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped flat at a downward angle, looking deep into the detective's face.
John had no idea why Sherlock wanted him to ask him that. None, whatsoever. Before today, he was blissfully unaware that Sherlock preferred to be as absolutely hairless as possible, and was fine not knowing why his already strange roommate was shaving his legs, it's not like Sherlock ever really took the time to explain anything to John (sometimes, even when asked directly he wouldn't explain). Hell, if John had to guess, it was to measure how much hair an adult male's leg could produce in a week.
Sherlock was suddenly not mad anymore, but also, very much dismissive. "You know what?" Sherlock said, not a hint of meanness in his voice at all, "Never mind." And with that, Sherlock stood up, and headed back to his room.
John groaned and leaned his head forward into his hands and pulled on his hair. (And that groan, incidentally, was the moment Sherlock realized how alluring he found John's voice to be).