Jim made sure that neither of them slept for the rest of the night. The next morning as Jim was curled up against Sebastian, exhausted physically, but not really tired, he made an announcement. "I want a cat."
"A cat?" Sebastian laughed. "I thought you already had a kitten," he smirked, rubbing his head against Jim's shoulder in a very catlike manner. He was exhausted, and in a great deal more pain than he was letting on. His whip marks were still fresh and had broken open more than once over the night, leaving the sheets smeared with blood. Jim had seemed to like that all the more.
"No, no, darling, I've got a tiger. I want a kitten. A real kitten. Get up. We're going to the pet store." He looked down at the sheets. "But first, clean this mess up, it's disgusting." With that, Jim went and climbed into the shower.
Sebastian obeyed, laughing despite everything. He got a nervous feeling in his stomach, though. Jim didn't have a very good history with pets. Inevitably he got bored of them and decided to vivisect them or pit them against a larger, more ferocious animal and watch with delight as it got torn to pieces. A psychopath should not be allowed in a pet store, Sebastian thought. He stripped the bed, cleaned himself off, then yanked on some fresh trousers. "Jim..." he said when Jim returned. "I'll need some bandages for my back. I'm not having blood stain through my shirts."
Jim rolled his eyes, as if Sebastian was the neediest, most helpless person in the world and went to fetch them. He quickly bandaged him up and then slapped his arse. "Right. Hurry up. I'm ready to go."
An hour later, they came home with a tiny gray, squirming kitten who mewled as they put her in the house and showed her where the litter box was. Sebastian laughed for about twenty minutes when Jim named her Mrs. Buttons, no matter how much he thrashed Sebastian in annoyance.
Jim ended up punching Sebastian in the nose and ordering him to go to the hospital to relieve Dawlish for a few hours so the man could take care of a hit that he'd been researching for JIm. "Tell him not to take too long. I want you back here, and nearly everyone else is tied up with something right now. Call me if you need me. And tell that pathetic scrap of a man that if he tries to kill himself again, everyone dies. And that if he DOES succeed in killing himself, everyone dies anyway."
"Yes, boss," Sebastian said, holding his bloody nose. He hurried to the hospital, sent Dawlish on his post, and hurried to John's side. John looked a little better. "John, I'm here," he whispered, smoothing back John's hair and kissing his forehead. "How are you feeling?"
John slowly turned his head to look at him and swallowed. His throat still hurt horribly, but his voice was a bit better. He didn't answer Sebastian's question. He wouldn't like the answer. Instead, he just said, voice gravelly, "...I'm sorry."
Sebastian continued to run his hand through John's hair. "I thought I'd lost you there for a while," he whispered. "Jim's told me to tell you that if you try to kill yourself again, everyone dies. If you succeed, everyone dies anyway." He took a deep breath. "I don't want that to happen, John, and but I'm asking you not to do this again because I'm a very selfish man."
John looked at him sadly, but gave a small nod. "I won't...I reckon I couldn't do it anyway, and what's the point? I stay alive, people die, I die, people die...I don't want to hurt you, Sebastian." He sighed and looked over at the heart monitor before back to Sebastian. "How long are you here for?'
"Not long..." He picked up John's hands—John's restraints had been removed, although he was under constant monitoring from nurses. "But John, things are going to get better. Jim's promised he's not going to rape you anymore. I've...I've given myself over to him," he said reluctantly.
John frowned up at him. "What exactly does that mean?"
"I've told him that I'm in love with him," Sebastian said. "That I've always loved him, and he bought it. I'm his now, or so he thinks. I begged him to back off from you because I'd die of jealousy otherwise." He smiled a little bitterly. "It's perfect, really. Attack the hubris—death by adoration. I'm sorry, John...I'm sure it's not what you want to hear, but don't you see what a perfect plan it is?"
John closed his eyes. He felt even worse now. He didn't want Sebastian to have to take this all on. It was all John's fault. "I'm so sorry, Sebastian...I should've just let him do it...I shouldn't've tried to fight him...to argue. All I ever do anymore is hurt people." Even if it was indirectly, he was always the cause. John's heart sunk. "I'm so, so sorry, Sebastian...you...you should've just let me die," he added quietly.
"Shut. Up," Sebastian said. "I love you, John. I don't regret having to do any of this, I only wish you would feel happier."
John gave him a weak smile and gave his hand a little squeeze. "I'll be okay," he said, trying to soothe Sebastian with a lie. "And just so you know, Jim's forbidden me from talking to you, so if he asks if I said anything, tell him I wouldn't speak to you, okay?"
Sebastian's heart clenched at the thought of John never being able to talk to him. "All right," he said. "Look, John, I have to go. Know that I love you, always and forever. More than anything." He leaned down and gave John a long, tender kiss, and pressed his lips to his forehead. "I'll see you soon..."
A week later, John was readmitted back to Jim's house. "Why, hello, Johnny," Jim said tenderly. "We won't be making any more foolish mistakes, will we? No," he said, stroking John's hair. "This is how things are going to work from now on..."
Jim locked wide leather cuffs onto John's wrists. They were unattached, but he wouldn't be able to access his wrists to cut them. "If I find you trying to put anything toxic in your mouth, you'll be wearing a muzzle all day," Jim said. "Now, off you pop to do your chores as usual." Mrs. Buttons came out mewling and began rubbing against John's ankles, purring.
John blinked down as he felt something rub against his leg. "You...you got a kitten?" John asked, too surprised to tack "master" on to the end. The idea of Jim Moriarty owning any sort of cute cuddly creature was shocking, suspicious, and mildly horrifying.
"This is Mrs. Buttons," Jim cooed, and Sebastian snorted a laugh. "You'll be cleaning her litter box and making sure she's got enough food, fresh water, and exercise. I bought her some catnip mice and some feather toys, but if I find you playing with her when there are still chores to be done, I'll slice off your ears and feed them to her," Jim said.
John frowned up at him and gave a small nod, then looked down at the small kitten, now pawing at the hem of his trousers. He hesitated before bending down and scooping up the tiny furball. John couldn't help give ma small smile as the cat purred and waved her paws in the air. "Mrs. Buttons, is it?" he asked the kitten. "What a nice name you have," he said, lightly scratching behind her ears. She purred again and closed her eyes.
"CHORES!" Jim practically shouted at him.
John flinched, stroked her head then sat her back on the floor. "Yes, master," he mumbled before he turned and walked down the hall, eyes on the ground. As soon as John left, Mrs. Buttons started prancing after him silently.
Sebastian smiled secretly at the cat's immediate like of John. He just hoped Jim wouldn't get frustrated and have the cat killed.
Things became as close to harmonious in the house as they likely ever would. Jim left John to his chores for the most part, and Sebastian and Jim were hard at work during the day and some nights. Sebastian missed talking to John a great deal, but it was nice having him back in the house, just being near him. When Jim wasn't looking he'd let his shoulder brush up against John's in the hallway, or his fingers brush John's hand.
After work most days, Sebastian would head to Baker Street, taking great care to make sure nobody was following him, and would talk to Sherlock about his progress.
Jim was even letting John eat regular meals. The gala was coming up, and he wanted John healthy for the event. Meanwhile, Sebastian's back was slowly starting to heal.
Sherlock managed to get the sniper who was following Mrs. Hudson locked up on other charges, although he of course stayed far away from the case. Just in case Jim did look into it, he would have a very long and strenuous path to follow to link it back to Sherlock. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Over the next two weeks, John and Mrs. Buttons became nearly inseparable. The kitten followed him nearly everywhere and John took complete care of her, seeing as Jim was completely neglecting her. John craved those small touches from Sebastian. They appeared to be nothing more than accidental brushes if Jim was ever to look hard at them in the surveillance. John started letting the kitten sleep in his room, mainly because she was a welcome distraction from Sebastian's and Jim's cries and squeaking bed next door.
One day, Jim had a man over to take John's measurements so that he could make up a suit for him. He returned the next day with one already prepared.
At Jim's command, John went to try it on, tie pin, cuff links, pocket square and all, then walked out to show him.
Jim had unbuckled the cuffs protecting John's wrists for the occasion. "Oh, Johnny," Jim breathed, eyes eating John up from head to toe. "I could devour you on the spot." He licked his lips.
The suit was made of the finest wool, an expertly tailored English cut. It flattered John's shape, emphasizing his square shoulders and trim middle, the gray fabric bringing out the blue in his eyes, and the dark blue of his tie making his hair look golden. He had on new shoes as well, so shiny they looked like black mirrors. "Sebby, come out and see!" John called into Sebastian's gunroom. "John looks decadent."
John swallowed and kept his eyes on the floor. He felt foolish in the clothes, like some monkey that Jim was just parading around, which was essentially what was going to happen. John wondered if he was supposed to come off as Jim's lover or as a pet. Neither would surprise John really, but he supposed he'd rather it be the first that the latter. John glanced up at Sebastian walked into the room and then averted his eyes, embarrassed.
Sebastian swallowed. John looked incredible. He was blushing, staring at the floor, and Sebastian's heart skipped a beat. He had a sudden, alarmingly vivid vision of John dressed like that, in front of Sebastian, slipping a ring on Sebastian's finger. Idiot, idiot, Sebastian scolded himself. He cleared his throat and finally said, "Yeah, he looks passable. Good tailor, Jim," he said, leaning in to kiss his boss. "I'm still a little mad you can't take me, though. You'll have to take me somewhere nice another time," he murmured in Jim's ear.