Sherlock nods, not looking at him and John gets up, puts the glass in the sink and goes and gathers the necessities. When he comes back with the basin of water, sponge, washcloth and towel, Sherlock is propped awkwardly up against the back of the couch as if he'd started to get up but had run out of energy. He's kicked the blanket away and his shirt is half unbuttoned, baring his neck and part of his chest from where it dragged along the couch. John can only stare for a few seconds. "What are you doing?" he asks, voice careful and controlled. This had better be good.
"I was trying to be useful. I don't think you want to get the couch wet, after all, and I'm more than certain we can't do this with me dressed."
"The couch will be fine." John says, resting the basin on the coffee table so that he can help Sherlock the rest of the way out of his shirt and press him back to lie down after he's draped the towel underneath him on the couch. He pulls the table closer and, sitting beside Sherlock on the couch, dips the sponge in the water before squeezing it out and pressing it lightly to Sherlock's skin. He starts at the top and works his way down, stroking short lines from Sherlock's forehead to his temples, then from his temples to his cheeks, from his cheeks to his chin and then down to his neck.
Sherlock shifts slightly under his ministrations, not exactly shivering but John pauses. "Okay?" he asks. Sherlock nods and he continues, dipping the sponge again before he continues on to Sherlock's chest and arms.
John is slow and careful, following the curve of every muscle, every dip and crease, making sure that he bathes every inch of Sherlock's skin. He doesn't comment on the needle marks on Sherlock's inner arm when he comes to them, just goes over them with as much care as he's done everything so far and continues on. He tilts Sherlock up after he's finished his chest and arms so he can bathe his back before he moves on and turns his attention to Sherlock's legs.
He helps Sherlock out of the jeans he's wearing and sets them to the side with his shirt. He starts with Sherlock's thighs and works his way down with still careful strokes. There is a strange, awkward sort of intimacy to the whole thing but John chooses not to think about it and Sherlock, for his part, stays quiet beneath John's hands. Or, rather, he does until John runs the sponge over the back of one of his knees and he makes an odd sort of growling squeak in the back of his throat and pulls his leg away.
John raises an eyebrow and looks up at him but Sherlock refuses to meet his gaze, looking determinedly away. Well, fine then.
“Ticklish?” John asks. Sherlock doesn't answer and John swipes the sponge over the back of his knee again in retaliation. Sherlock scowls and pulls his leg further away.
"Stop that," he hisses and John raises his hands in capitulation. He smiles at the glare Sherlock angles him but continues bathing him down without further incident.
When he's finished, he drapes the blanket loosely over Sherlock, not wanting to get him too hot again but also not wanting to leave him vulnerable to a chill. Gathering up everything he's used, he goes to clean up before coming back to collect Sherlock's dirty clothes and place clean ones out for him. They won't exactly be a perfect fit given the differences in height and build between the two of them but John's gotten out the longest and largest of his clothes that he can find and they should work for now.
Sherlock regards the clothes with what, in John's opinion, is an entirely too critical eye before nodding. "Thank you," he says.
[Fill] 3c/? Homeless!Sherlock
"I was trying to be useful. I don't think you want to get the couch wet, after all, and I'm more than certain we can't do this with me dressed."
"The couch will be fine." John says, resting the basin on the coffee table so that he can help Sherlock the rest of the way out of his shirt and press him back to lie down after he's draped the towel underneath him on the couch. He pulls the table closer and, sitting beside Sherlock on the couch, dips the sponge in the water before squeezing it out and pressing it lightly to Sherlock's skin. He starts at the top and works his way down, stroking short lines from Sherlock's forehead to his temples, then from his temples to his cheeks, from his cheeks to his chin and then down to his neck.
Sherlock shifts slightly under his ministrations, not exactly shivering but John pauses. "Okay?" he asks. Sherlock nods and he continues, dipping the sponge again before he continues on to Sherlock's chest and arms.
John is slow and careful, following the curve of every muscle, every dip and crease, making sure that he bathes every inch of Sherlock's skin. He doesn't comment on the needle marks on Sherlock's inner arm when he comes to them, just goes over them with as much care as he's done everything so far and continues on. He tilts Sherlock up after he's finished his chest and arms so he can bathe his back before he moves on and turns his attention to Sherlock's legs.
He helps Sherlock out of the jeans he's wearing and sets them to the side with his shirt. He starts with Sherlock's thighs and works his way down with still careful strokes. There is a strange, awkward sort of intimacy to the whole thing but John chooses not to think about it and Sherlock, for his part, stays quiet beneath John's hands. Or, rather, he does until John runs the sponge over the back of one of his knees and he makes an odd sort of growling squeak in the back of his throat and pulls his leg away.
John raises an eyebrow and looks up at him but Sherlock refuses to meet his gaze, looking determinedly away. Well, fine then.
“Ticklish?” John asks. Sherlock doesn't answer and John swipes the sponge over the back of his knee again in retaliation. Sherlock scowls and pulls his leg further away.
"Stop that," he hisses and John raises his hands in capitulation. He smiles at the glare Sherlock angles him but continues bathing him down without further incident.
When he's finished, he drapes the blanket loosely over Sherlock, not wanting to get him too hot again but also not wanting to leave him vulnerable to a chill. Gathering up everything he's used, he goes to clean up before coming back to collect Sherlock's dirty clothes and place clean ones out for him. They won't exactly be a perfect fit given the differences in height and build between the two of them but John's gotten out the longest and largest of his clothes that he can find and they should work for now.
Sherlock regards the clothes with what, in John's opinion, is an entirely too critical eye before nodding. "Thank you," he says.