Doing the shopping alone was tedious. That was John's justification. In theory, bringing Sherlock along would be a welcome distraction. In practice, however, it was one of the most terrible ideas John had come up with lately.
It was obvious Sherlock had not done any grocery purchases in years, and John wondered what exactly he'd eaten before they moved in together. Every aisle, every turn, filled with people to deduce and things to study.
They headed towards the fresh vegetables, and Sherlock's face lit up.
"See that woman? She's buying the makings of a romantic dinner, for her lover. The lover's got no plans to leave her husband, but she keeps stringing the girl along. Look at the state of her blouse, and her manicure."
John glared at Sherlock, willing him to shut up. Apparently finished, Sherlock wandered over to a manager's selection of exotic fruit. Gleefully, he started rummaging through the prickly rambutans, star-shaped carambolas, and vaguely threatening-looking pitaya. He held them up, looking hopeful.
"Are you actually going to eat any of those?" John asked.
"Of course not. I'm going to cut them up and study them. Aren't they fascinating? What sort of absurd evolutionary purpose would these shapes serve?"
Resignedly, John just held his hand out, allowing Sherlock to toss the collection of oddly-shaped produce into the basket.