Oh, snap! Sorry, I was so busy last weekend, I completely forgot to upload the chapter and I only noticed just now! Forgive me, the few reader I have! Well, here you go, nontheless, and there will be a new chapter this sunday! Hope you enjoy it anyway.
Have fun
Kats

Confusion

John's head on Sherlock's chest, they just said nothing until they suddenly heard the buzz of a mobile phone. Unwillingly they moved away from the other and checked their phones.

"Ah, shit!" John grumbled in the living room. Sherlock joined when he read 5 messages from Mary.

"Who is Mary?" Sherlock asked scrutinizing him.

"She's a friend, well, best friend-" he stopped abruptly and looked into the eyes of the head resting on his shoulder. "I'm not in a relationship, if that's what you're thinking." he clarified and placed a soft kiss on Sherlock's cheekbone – the one he had hit earlier that day. He was still a little angry, deep inside, but he was simply happier about him being back for that he wanted be any more grudging.

He lowered his look to his phone again.

5:41 pm | John, what's wrong? M
5:44 pm | Please come back here, I can't carry all this myself.. M
5:50 pm | I left half of it at the store now, sitting in cab back home! M
6:17 pm | John, I'm starting to worry, please respond! M
6:49 pm | I'm driving to your old flat, if you're not there and don't call, I'll call the police.. M

"Sherlock, put on your clothes. NOW!" the former army doctor ordered and collected his own jumper from the couch. Then he ran back into the bedroom and put on the rest of his clothes, rushed into the bathroom to get a quick splash of water into his face, sorted this tousled hair and then joined same one on the couch, not without hectically running into the table again and cursing about it.

With pain he let himself down on the sofa and lay a hand on Sherlock's leg, who then placed his arm around him to gently stroke up and down on his side, goose-pimples running all over the smaller body. He was just about to lean onto his partner, when they heard footsteps on the creaking stairs. John prepared an explanation for Mary, when the door opened and Mrs. Hudson, armed with a cleanser, carefully peeked into the room. She jumped heavily as she saw the two men and started to laugh a hearty laugh.

"It's you! I thought there was a burglar in the house. But, wait! Sherlock!" she dropped the cleanser and approached the men, who stood up right away.

She hugged them both – first Sherlock, then John – warmly and then reproached John for not even calling her in a long time. She then turned to Sherlock happily, asked about how he was doing and scrutinized him extensively until the door bell rang.

"Are you expecting any visitors?" the older lady asked and wagged her hands in the air straight away. "I'll go make some tea. You two just stay here, I'll get the door. Ha!" and the watched her walk down the stairs excitedly. A few seconds later they heard steps again, but they sounded differently. Of course, it had to be Mary.

"John?" she inquired as she stepped through the door. "John, there you are.. Why didn't you reply to me?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear my phone." he said in slight embarrassment when he thought about how distracted he had to have been to not perceive it.

"Didn't hear?! I sent 5 messages! And who-" she stopped. Now it got clear to her. "I see.. You would be Sherlock Homes then, I assume. Good to see you rose from the dead? You said he was dead."

"Yeah, well, that's what I thought. Until I received a message from him and just came to see for myself." he replied looking at the floor.

"Mary." the woman just said and offered Sherlock a hand. He immediately noticed she had to be left-handed and therefore gave her his left hand as well, laying it around John again. He didn't stand up for her.

He saw right away that she had to be interested in John more than a friend and put on his cold mask again. He wasn't planning to give his partner to woman again, now he had finally bridged the gorge between the two of them.

"I'm really sorry, Mary!" John tried again.

"No, it's fine. You grieved for two years when he left you with his death without giving you any reason at all. I understand that you just switched off when he suddenly reappeared." John believed to hear a certain sarcasm and reproach in Mary's tone, not against himself, but against Sherlock, but he simply ignored it. "Nevertheless, you could have at least given me a hint at the store. You just stood there, pale and motionless – I thought you'd pass out any moment." Now she sounded more concerned.

Sherlock rolled his eyes to the window, still not removing his arm from around John's body. Her attempt to push him out of John's favour loathed him and he didn't even start to fight back. He was still too content and stuck in that moment from before, in their own game, which left him shocked by the flood of emotions on the one hand, but on the other hand kept him captive under its spell, making it impossible to think clearly right now.

"Yes, Mary, as I said.. I am sorry. But you know how I felt all that time and when I got that message from my" he squinted over to Sherlock who looked at him again and saw the reproachful look in John's gaze "supposedly dead best friend," he let his eyes wonder over the floor and up to Mary again as he went on talking "I just didn't know anything any more.. It's not going to happen again."

Mrs. Hudson marched into the flat again, carrying a tablet with a teapot and three cups , putting them on the table and left, while throwing around apologies for interrupting, taking the dishes still standing there from the 'talk' under four eyes and now cold, of course, with her.

John offered a cup to Mary with a gesture, which she gratefully accepted. So he poured some tea in all three cups, added the proper amount of sugar into Sherlock's – which the latter was surprised by since he didn't expect John to still remember that detail after those years, but he obviously never forgot that habit – and handed both their cups. They drank. Remainded silent.

Mary took a look at her watch. "I have something to do, still. Now, are you coming or not, John?" she asked more demandingly than considering and emptied her cup.

"Ah, y... yes, right away. Just... just give me a minute, please." he answered surprised. Mary left the flat already to hail a cab and make it wait for John.

"Sherlock-" John started, didn't get any further though.

"No, no, John. It's fine. I was dead and you build yourself a new life, I absolutely understand that." he answered warmer than usual, but still in stabbing cold.

"Really?" John asked sceptically. Sherlock never understood that people grieved over the loss of another, but would that count for his own death, too?"

"Really. Go. You can text me tomorrow." said the younger completely monotonous and without even looking at John.

"Wait, why me?! Why don't you just text me?"

"I already did that. Is it now my responsibility to keep the contact? Oh, please, John. It's only fair, if you communicate your interest in the contact to me now." Sherlock chuckled lightly. John sighed, emptied his cup, got up and turned towards the door.

"Wait. How did you know I was here?" Sherlock asked grinning roguishly.

"Well, you said I'd know where to find you. There were two options: The grave or the flat. Since I was the one who threw your phone onto your bed angrily two years ago, it was obvious you'd be here. Anyway, nobody texts someone from their grave. Do you really think I am that dumb?"

"No, not at all. I just wanted to check whether your in the shape for working with me again soon." the detective grinned.

"THAT is your test? A child could've passed it." Slightly insulted John approached the door. Did Sherlock mock on him or did he really think he was that stupid?!

"Did you solve my case then?"

John stopped, answered sadly, slightly depressed. "How could I? You thought of that plan to fool me, how would I be able to solve it now?"

"Your thinking is so wonderfully simple." whispered Sherlock into his ear and before John could wonder how he'd managed to get to him so fast and unnoticed, he received a soft kiss.

"Until tomorrow, John." the younger said, turned around and walked around the room to check on his chaos.

John left without another word, got into the waiting cab outside and drove home with Mary. He didn't hear any of the words she said, still mentally bound to Sherlock's lips.