"Stop that," Holmes said, stepping up to John Watson and slapping his friend's hand away from where it hovered close to his head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Watson demanded, leaning back to get away from him. "What did I do?"

"You have a terrible habit of pulling at your bad ear," Holmes replied evenly. "It is annoying, so stop it."

"I do not!" Watson protested.

"You do. You pull on your ear when you are upset with yourself and when you are having trouble coming to a conclusion."

Watson considered that. "I suppose I might… but wait a minute, how did you know this is my bad ear?"

Holmes shrugged. "You turn your head," he replied nonchalantly as if it was obvious. "It was one of the first things I ever noticed about you. You stand at a small angle, and you tilt your head so your left ear is towards whoever is speaking. It was especially notable because your left leg is the one that's injured. So, you're angled, taking weight off of your left leg, and presenting your left ear because it's your good ear."

"Oh."

"Don't be upset, Watson. It doesn't look odd or unnatural. I simply notice it just like I notice everything else. At first I thought that your hearing had been damaged by being around so much gunfire; it was even possible that your eardrum had ruptured and you were experiencing the ringing that is common among those workers who are routinely exposed to loud noises. When your habits did not change, however, I became convinced the injury to your ear was an older one that you became accustomed to before you even joined the army."

Watson hesitated. "I suppose you're right," he admitted. "I don't think having guns going off near my head helped, however."

"Did you know I observed you for a related study in the early days of our acquaintance?"

"I imagine that you performed several studies on me without asking," Watson replied pawkily. "Which one are you referring to at the moment?"

"Balance," Holmes said, avoiding the topic of what other studies he may have observed Watson for. "You are well aware, I'm sure, of the theory that the inner ear controls balance. You were an interesting case in that regard, Watson. Your injured leg and your injured eardrum are on opposite sides of your body. I studied how you kept your balance."

"And did you come to any conclusions?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I concluded that you have a horrible habit of pulling at your bad ear and it is very annoying."

Watson laughed, his hand instinctively reaching towards his ear, and Holmes smacked it away again.

"Stop it! I swear, Watson, your bad habits may be much milder than mine, but pulling at your ear is just something I can't stand. I don't even know why it bothers me so much. After all, it is not my ear, and I have excellent hearing. Nevertheless, I wish you would stop!"

"I will try," Watson promised him, "But only if you promise to stop…"

"Yes, yes, I know," Holmes murmured. "No more poison in the teapot. I owe you a new one at the moment, don't I?"

"You do. That horrible Egyptian poison is still lingering."

"Very well," Holmes sighed. "I will try."

Author's Note:

I was watching an episode of the Ronald Howard Sherlock Holmes television series, and I couldn't help but notice that Watson kept tugging at his ear. Thus, this little story. I sincerely hope you enjoyed.