Title: Leave the Lights On
Characters: Sherlock
Pairing: Possible Sherlock!UST
Word Count: 221
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Post TGG
Summary: Sherlock is afraid of the dark, and silence and being alone now.
***
Ever since the pool Sherlock keeps the lights on. Every light in every room. The curtains are drawn but he keeps a little space at the edge where he can look down into the street. Mrs. Hudson tuts, and when Mycroft visits, he looks about pointedly but says nothing about bills and practicality and pointlessness.
He sleeps even less than usual now, occasionally passing out on the sofa arm thrown over his eyes. He keeps the radio on too, quiz shows, comedies, dramas, the shipping news; blank voices talking about nothing. He should probably be listening more rather than trying to block it out but he can't be alone with the silence. Besides, Mycroft's team is watching and listening. (But weren't they watching before?)
He suspects that John will be less than pleased by the constant illumination and underlying buzz of sound. But John's slept in worse conditions. It's never dark and never quiet in hospitals. Just when you drift off, some gratingly chipper nurse comes to see if you're asleep. Sherlock preferred the ones who were sullen and silent. He walked out after two days which would have been against everyone's advice if he'd bothered to ask them.
John may want to break every light bulb in the flat, but he doesn't care; he just wants John to come back.