Overflow Post II

[sherlockbbc_fic]

This post is for responding to prompts from prompt posts that are full, or continuing WIPs that were started on prompt posts that have since filled up or are close to full.

Please link to the original prompt thread, as well as posting the actual prompt and any necessary warnings in the post here.

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Filled Prompts Posts Parts 1-23 Parts 24+ Spoiler Free

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII
Part VIII Part IX Part X Part XI Part XII Part XIII
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Comments

Re: Just One Word - Part 9

[(Anonymous)]

John sighed and sat back down in the small space Sherlock left empty at his feet. "I am not leaving, Sherlock. Besides, I want to be here."

"Why?" Sherlock repeated and closed his eyes tightly, causing the tears that were on his lashes to fall. He didn't want to hear that John thought it was his duty as either a flatmate or doctor. That would only make everything he was feeling worse.

It was at times like this that John forgot that Sherlock didn't understand things like friendship. He stood up and moved to sit on the coffee table facing Sherlock. "Because you're my friend, Sherlock, and are clearly upset about something. The fact that you're actually showing it…well, I could never leave you alone, even if you wanted to be."

Sherlock quickly turned his head so he was looking at John, unsure of what he heard. "What?"

John's heart broke when he saw the tears falling from Sherlock's red-rimmed eyes; something he never thought he'd see. He handed Sherlock a few more tissues. "What is wrong, Sherlock? Will you please tell me what happened?" he asked quietly.

Sherlock didn't seem to hear John's question. He was still stuck on John saying he was his friend. "You're…you're my friend?" He then uncurled from the sofa and sat back the way he was prior with his feet up on the sofa and his arms crossed on top of his knees.

"Of course. What did you think I was?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Just a colleague."

"Where would you ever…never mind." He ran a hand over his face. "Of course I'm your friend, Sherlock."

"But you said I was pathetic."

John looked down, ashamed. "I admit that I did think that, yes. But I thought you were just having a go at me." He looked back up and met Sherlock's red-rimmed eyes. "If I had known…I… I'm sorry, Sherlock. I shouldn't have said that." John leaned forward, knees almost touching Sherlock's drawn-up legs. "Will you tell me what happened? Does this have anything to do with the conversation you had with Mycroft earlier today?"

"No," Sherlock answered a little too quickly and buried his head back into his knees. How could John even know he'd had a conversation with Mycroft?

Even though John wasn't of Sherlock's caliber with deductions, he'd been around him enough to begin to know when someone was lying. Sherlock's quick answer was definitely not true. His current state did have something to do with the conversation. Based on the few conversations he'd been witness to, he could only imagine what was said.

Sherlock squeezed his eyes shut, his tears finally beginning to slow. This whole thing was embarrassing, another emotion he wasn't used to having. Not only was he crying in front of John and acting like a child, now more than likely John knew what caused all of it. And like John said earlier, it was pathetic; a grown man crying because he thought he didn't have a friend when he really wanted one. "What did Mycroft tell you exactly?" Sherlock croaked out, face still hidden.

"He didn't tell me anything, Sherlock. Now will you please tell me what has you so upset?"

"How did you know we talked then?"

"You were fine earlier today at the bakery, so something obviously happened to you since then. I didn't know what it was and I needed to know. I texted Mycroft."

Sherlock looked up and grabbed another tissue. "Does he know then? About this?" he asked, pointing to himself.

John nodded. "I'm sorry Sherlock. I know this is the last thing you'd want your brother to know about. Like I said, I needed to know if anything happened to you so I would know how to proceed."

"He's never going to let me hear the end of it." Sherlock buried his head in his knees again.

Re: Just One Word - Part 10

[(Anonymous)]

John sat quietly for a few minutes, noticing that Sherlock's crying had now subsided to a few sniffles. "So will you tell me what happened?" he asked quietly. "Is there anything I can do?" When John received no answer, he remembered that Mycroft said the last time Sherlock had cried was when he was a boy. That explained how uncharacteristic Sherlock had been acting. It was like he reverted back to being a boy. He put a hand on Sherlock's arm. John's voice was soft when he next spoke, his tone like he used when speaking to a young child who came to see him in the surgery. "Come now, Sherlock, you can tell me." He removed his hand when Sherlock quickly glanced at it before hiding his face again.

Sherlock couldn't remember ever having been spoken to like that and he couldn't ignore the request, no matter how humiliating it made him feel. "Are you really my friend, John?" Sherlock finally asked quietly, face still buried in his knees.

John was disappointed when Sherlock finally spoke. He had hoped Sherlock would have actually told him what was bothering him, though he knew that was asking too much of the detective. "Of course. You couldn't deduce that?"

"Then why did you say that I first had to have friends in order to keep them?" he spat out in anger, though the effect was ruined by his sniffling.

John ran a hand over his face in frustration. "Sherlock, if you're not going to…"

Sherlock looked up and interrupted John. "Why did you say that I first had to have friends in order to keep them?" he repeated.

"If you really want to know, I was angry. Angry with you."

"Why?"

"We can talk about that later. That's not important right now. I want to know what's bothering you. If you're not going to tell me, just say so, though I'd rather you did tell me. I don't like seeing you like this."

Sherlock's mind was screaming at him to keep quiet, to not confess anything. He'd already expressed too much for one day, maybe even for one lifetime, but for some reason he couldn't obey his mind. "I am telling you," Sherlock said quietly, raising his head slightly to look at John.

"You're already telling…but we've…you think I'm…" John sighed, trying to piece together everything they'd been discussing. Slowly everything started to make sense. "You thought we were friends, your only friend, I know, but when I corrected you earlier today, you thought that wasn't the case. Am I close?" John watched Sherlock nod. "That is what got you in this state?" Sherlock continued nodding and ducked his head when John chuckled. "Oh Sherlock, you complete and utter idiot."

Sherlock jumped up from the sofa. "I am not an idiot, John."

"For a genius, you are; at least in this case." At the still slightly distressed look in Sherlock's eyes, John stood up, closed the short distance between them, and gave Sherlock a hug. A few seconds later he pulled back, a blush slowly creeping up on his face. He'd never hugged Sherlock before, but for some reason, seeing Sherlock in the state he was in, he couldn't help it. "Sorry about that. Don't know what came over me."

Not having any type of physical contact with anyone in decades, Sherlock froze the minute John hugged him, but once released, he slowly began to relax, his eyes fixed on John. "It's…it's okay. It's fine."

Re: Just One Word - Part 11

[(Anonymous)]

John sat down on the sofa and turned to Sherlock. "Do you mind telling me what had gotten you so upset? I mean, I know why, but was there anything in particular?"

That was something Sherlock definitely didn't want to disclose now, maybe ever. "No." He walked over to his chair and sat down, bringing his knees up to his chest. "If you're my friend, why did you tell Brian you were my colleague?"

"I thought it would be obvious." John rolled his eyes at Sherlock's incredulous look. "Right, I have to remember who I'm talking to. Of course you know nothing about social practices. If you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Thanks for making me feel better, John," Sherlock said sarcastically.

"Sherlock, of course I'm your friend. But it's customary in a workplace setting to use the term colleague. It's more professional. Since the errand today was related to a case, it was, of course, better to introduce me as a colleague."

"Oh." Sherlock hid his face in his knees again. He got worked up over nothing and then had a witness to a vulnerability he never knew he could possess.

"Are you okay now Sherlock?" John questioned, surprised that Sherlock was participating in this type of conversation. These last few minutes revealed more about Sherlock than all the other months they'd been flatmates combined.

Sherlock looked up at John again. "Yea. I'm fine. Uh…thanks for that. For explaining. Sor…" Sherlock was interrupted by an alert on his mobile. He pulled his phone out and saw it was a text from Mycroft. Groaning, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the chair.

"Let me guess," John said lightly. "Mycroft."

Sherlock glowered at John in lieu of a verbal response.

John stood up and took the now cold cup of tea from the coffee table. "You handle him while I make us some tea."

"This is your fault, you know." Sherlock got up and went to the sofa, curling up into a ball facing the back cushions. He was still slightly embarrassed at what had just transpired.

"He is concerned about you, Sherlock," John shouted toward the living room. "You have to realize that."

"Hmph." Sherlock took out his mobile and deleted the message wondering how long he could go before having to have the dreaded conversation with his brother. He closed his eyes while waiting for John to reappear with their tea and hoped that the last half hour or so wouldn't be mentioned again. When he felt a dip in the sofa cushions by his feet minutes later, he uncurled and sat properly, taking the cup of tea that was being offered.

John took a few sips of his tea then looked to Sherlock. "So how long do you think it will be before you hear anything from Brian? Did you let Lestrade know what you were doing?"

The remaining embarrassment Sherlock was still feeling was instantly banished at John's questions. Leave it to John to know what he needed. He couldn't help but smile before he began responding to John's questions. Sherlock still didn't know how he and John tolerated each other, but he knew he wouldn't trade John's friendship for anything.

End

Re: Just One Word - Part 11

[(Anonymous)]

I enjoyed this :-)

I thought SH was reasonably IC. Poor bb!