Warnings: Eventual Johnlock slash (Rating could go up), Unbeta'd, I'm not British, Bullying Mentions of drug abuse, AU

Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock.

More notes at the end of Chapter.

John, to his displeasure, would be saved from the the cruel desert. He would go through many months of delirium due to infection and pain medication. When he was finally released, a year later, he would be flown back to London broken and depressed. He would be issued a psychiatrist, Ella, who would encourage him to write about his life, but who would want to read that? 'Nothing ever happens to me.'

His army pension wouldn't be enough for him to rent a nice flat so, he made do. He lived in a broken down, plain flat in one of the worst parts of London. He would go on dates but he would never call them back. He would date the person, fellow people who didn't have a soul partner, until she or he began talking about love and would quickly cut all ties from them. He no longer believed in love, so what was the point?

If he didn't wake up screaming from the smell of smoke or the sight of shrapnel imbedding into skin, he was miserable from his shaking hands that forbade him from ever working with his hands professionally. He had a job at the local A&E but, due to his hands, he could no longer work as a surgeon so he now took on the role of setting broken bones and writing prescriptions for flu medication.

John would return home after each day and methodically clean his gun. He had done this countless times before in the army, but each day when he would withdraw it from its hiding place, it had become a hardship to place it back. He would lie away at night, staring up at the ceiling, wondering why he continued with the charade. He lived, but his world was gray, dull, and colorless. He hated it. By now, John had lived a miserable existence of 34 years.

He awoke one morning to a cheery bright sky, which only served to dampen his mood further. In a last attempt to find a semblance of peace, he took a slow paced walk to the park. While there, he had met an old friend that had studied with him at St. Barts. They began reminiscing about old memories. When questioned about his life, John had replied that he had been looking for a flatshare that would be affordable but "Who would want me for a flatmate?" Mike took one look at the shell of a man and laughed. "You are the second person who has said that to me today."

"Who was the first?"

Sherlock was interrupted during a crucial moment during his experiment by the opening of a door. He glanced up momentarily, eyed the two men standing at the entrance, and deduced the stranger's past. 'Medical man, height 5' 6", army, psychosomatic limp due to injured shoulder. Dull.' "Mike, may I borrow your phone? There's no service on mine." Sherlock doesn't expect to be granted access, and sure enough, Mike makes a show of checking his pockets before declining with a lame excess of not having it on him. Though, he is surprised when the unimposing stranger steps forward and offers his own. Sherlock takes the device and quickly sends out a text and hands it back to him but not before he can deduce all the secrets the object holds.

"Afghanistan or Iraq?"

"Sorry?"

"Which was it, Afghanistan or Iraq?"

" Afghanistan. Sorry, how did you—" Before John can finish asking his question, a mousy looking women enters in with coffee and a burning face as she approaches the mysterious man. The man in question dismisses the poor girl and she leaves with a soft sigh.

John, oddly enough, gets his wish granted as the man suggests viewing a flat together. From there John's doubt quickly turns into amazement as the odd man before him dissects his past and reads him like an open book. "We don't know a thing about each other. I don't know where we're meeting. I don't even know your name." Before the man leaves he enters the room again and exclaims, "The name's Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221b Baker Street. Afternoon." He winks and then he is gone.

John looks at Mike in amazement and Mike only chuckles and says, "Yeah. He's always like that. The winking thing is new though. He doesn't usually do that." With one last smile, Mike leads a dazed John back outside to the front of the building. As they go their separate ways, John gets into a cab and stares blankly out the window. He feels his face twitch into a small smile as he nears his dismal flat. He is looking forward to the new possibilities that come with living with such a strange man.

'Sherlock.'

Of course the very next day, when they meet up again, Sherlock takes John out to a crime scene. John is smitten. He has actually found an interesting, threadless man who likes danger as much as he does! John tries to subtly convey that, "Hey, we're both without soul bonds! You're gorgeous, intelligent and dangerous! I think we could possibly have a chance at attempting a relationship."

There was nothing subtle about it. Sherlock caught on in moments and quickly snuffed out any hopes John had. "John, erm... I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I know you once had a soul bound, I have never had one and don't intend to participate in mindless, tawdry affairs. Although I'm flattered by your interest, I'm really not looking for any…" John laughed off the rejection easily enough. He hadn't expected to go anywhere with his suggestion, but he thought he might try. He made a vain attempt of declining his intentions with a "I'm not gay!" and proceeded to use the excuse for the remainder of the night.

The case ends with a bullet piercing through glass then embedding into a decaying body, a whispered name, a dead cabbie, and giggles behind yellow police tape. They had a moment where both men looked at the other and all laughter had ceased. Sherlock cleared his throat and looked away. John felt his face heat up with the realization that he had began leaning forward. His entire body went rigid and the cold truth seeped into him when he realized that he was thoroughly enamored by this captivating man. 'I am well and truly buggered.'

Notes: I used a LOT of "Study is Pink" references, so, be mindful of that. I manipulated the text in order to fix the story line. I hope you like them so far! Oh, and next chapter THERE WILL BE ANGST! Sherlock cries and may seem about OOC but I will explain what that is about at the end notes at the next one. This one will have a bunch of chapters. I believe even more than my last one had. Oh, and before I forget, Updates will be Mondays and Fridays!