sherlockbbc_fic | Prompting Part XXXIV

Skip to Main Content

Entry tags:

Prompting Part XXXIV

S3 SPOILER POLICY
THE MEME NEEDS ARCHIVISTS!

GUIDELINES

Anon posting is not required, but most definitely allowed. If you think you recognise an anon, keep it to yourself and don’t out them. IP tracking is off, and will remain that way.

Multiple fills are encouraged, and all kinds of fills are accepted! Fic, art, vids, cosplay, interpretive dance — whatever. Go wild! :D

Don’t reprompt until TWO parts after the last posting of the prompt.

RPF (real person fic, i.e. fic involving the actors themselves) is not supported at this meme.

Concrit is welcome, but kinkshaming, hijacking, and flaming are not tolerated.

THE FILLED PROMPTS POST
When you fill a prompt, please use the appropriate Filled Prompts Post to archive your fill (there are instructions on the actual post).

If the part you wanted isn't up yet, just wait and one of the archivists will get to it, but please, once it is up, make sure you post your fills there according to the guidelines. DO NOT skip out on doing this because it seems like too much effort. If you want your fill to make it to the Delicious archive, that’s the way to do it.

Do not be afraid to ask questions about how it works if you are confused! The mods will be happy to explain.

WARNINGS/OFFENSIVE WORDING IN PROMPTS
Please consider warning for prompts that may trigger people (and also for fills, because some people read in flat view) and phrasing prompts in a manner that strives to be respectful.

Things which you might want to consider warning for include: Rape/Non-Con, Death, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, Underage Relationships, among others.

That being said, this is a kink meme. As such, there will be prompts that could offend you in a number of different ways. Not every prompt will have a trigger warning, and not every prompt will rub you the right way. If you have an issue with a specific prompt, feel free to bring it up in a discussion that takes place off the meme. However, flaming will not be tolerated regardless of origin.

You are highly encouraged to scroll past any prompt that you dislike.

Remember: be civil, be friendly, but don’t be shy!

THINGS THAT MAKE BROWSING THE MEME EASIER FOR EVERYONE
Please nest your fills. Doing so will make it easier for archivists to save your fills to the Delicious archive. Using subject lines will also help people reading the meme in flatview keep track of what’s happening. Finally, titling your fills (even if it’s something silly) will be helpful to those tracking a lot of prompts or scrolling through the meme.

PROMPT FREEZES
Depending on the rate of activity, there may or may not be a prompt freeze when a part reaches 2000 and 4500 comments. However, there will be one when it reaches 7000. After the 7000 comments freeze, a new part will be posted, and all prompting should happen on the new part.

CONTACTING MODS
Your mods for this meme are

ellie_hell,

anonspock and

anonbach. If you have any questions, concerns, comments about anything at all on the meme feel free to send a PM or contact us via the Page-A-Mod post.

MEME LINKS
Pinboard Archive - Delicious Archive - Guide to the Archive
Filled Prompts Posts: Parts 1-23 - Parts 24+ - Spoiler Free
The Glorious FAQ - Page-A-Mod

Flat View of This Page - Newest Page in Flatview - Newest Page of the Meme

Love Post - Chatter Post - Searching Post
Concrit Post - Story Announcement Post - Orphan Post
Spoiler Free Prompt Post - Overflow Post

Links to previous prompting parts

OTHER LINKS AND AFFILIATES

sherlock_rant: A place to rant about or discuss anything with few to no restrictions.

sherlock_rpf: This is a kinkmeme for RPF about the show.

sherlockcrit: A multi-fandom betaing/concrit community, with a focus on BBC Sherlock.

sherlockbbc: A community dedicated to the BBC adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
Useful resources for Sherlock and LiveJournal.
Sherlock screencaps.

NOTICE: All links on the meme are now being screened because of spambot issues. When you submit a comment containing a link, it will be marked as spam. Please don't worry, the mods will unscreen it as soon as they can.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm sorry this took so long to get up.

--

When John comes back out into the living room to check on Sherlock after a shower he's still asleep, his breathing heavy. His curls are sticking to his forehead, which is damp with sweat, and he's shivering again, even with the blanket. John frowns. He starts a fire in the hearth, warming the room a few more degrees and goes and gets another glass of water and the medication before gently shaking Sherlock awake. Ideally, he'd have wanted him try to eat something again before taking the medicine but it was obvious he wouldn't be able to keep it down. "Come on," he says. "Medicine time."

Sherlock doesn't argue – at all – and lets John press the pills into his mouth before swallowing them down with the water. He droops back against the pillows and looks John over through heavy lidded eyes. It makes John feel vaguely self-conscious since all he's wearing is slacks – still unbuttoned – with the towel he'd used to dry his hair draped over his shoulders. "Shouldn't you be at work by now?" Sherlock asks after a while, the fatigue in his voice obvious.

John shakes his head. "Day off. And, even if it wasn't, there's no way I'd leave you here in this state."

"I'm fine," Sherlock says, but John can tell he's just saying it for the sake of saying it. He most certainly doesn't look fine and it's obvious he doesn't feel it either.

"Right, sure," John says, slapping his thighs lightly and getting to his feet. "Nothing wrong with positive thinking. Helps the medicine along, after all. Keep it up."

Sherlock gives him a look that says he has thoughts on that statement but doesn't say anything and John goes back to curl up in his chair, laptop in hand this time instead of a book. He hasn't written anything for his blog in over a week and he's starting to feel bad about it. Not by much, mind you, but enough that he feels the need to make a go at it, however cursory.

He ends up staring at the screen for long minutes before the boredom gets to him. He's just doesn't know what to write about. It isn't like anything much has happened in the past few days after all. It has mostly just been the tedium of day after day at the clinic and then coming home to his empty flat to read until he falls asleep and the dreams claim him.

John sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. It's all rather blindingly dull apart from the nightmares and John has no intention of writing about those, no matter how private his blog might be. A shift from the direction of the couch as Sherlock tries to get more comfortable captures his attention and for a moment John wonders... No, he shakes his head internally. He isn't about to use Sherlock as fodder for his blog. That isn't what Sherlock is for him. He is a friend of sorts, a kind of comfort, a spark of colour in a world washed in dull shades of grey.

Putting his laptop aside for a moment, John regards him quietly. "Bored?" he asks. "I can put the telly on."

Sherlock raises his eyes to meet John's and shrugs underneath his blanket. "I'm used to it. I'm fine."

John raises an eyebrow. "You're used to being bored?"

"Constantly." Sherlock says in a weary, put out sort of voice that John knows has nothing to do with his current state of illness. No, this is obviously a long-standing grievance of Sherlock's.

"Well, why not find things that interest, then?"

Sherlock gives him a look that clearly says he thinks John is an idiot for even asking such a question but answers anyway. "I have tried," he sighs. "But nothing is good enough. It's all dull and so I've just learnt to deal with being bored."

"And how do you deal with being bored?" John asks, though he fears he can guess.

Another look, this one a bit more of a glare. "How do you think?" he snaps.

"Yes, right, sorry. Shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, you shouldn't have," Sherlock mutters.

"Right," John offers a conciliatory smile. "Telly, then?"

Sherlock sighs and waves an imperious hand. "If you must."

Edited 2014-03-22 20:52 (UTC)

John wants to shake his head, or roll his eyes, or go over there and thump Sherlock but he doesn't. Instead, he just reaches for the remote and switches on his barely used television, finds a daytime show he figures Sherlock will hate and leaves it there. Sherlock doesn't react in any obvious way but John can feel the waves of annoyance radiating in his direction. He smiles to himself and goes back to his blog.

In the end, he ends up writing only a short post about how things had been quiet the past few days but with a friend over now he has the feeling things would be a bit more lively. Which isn't a lie, really. He isn't quite sure about the friend part but having Sherlock there even for the few hours he has been there so far has livened things up enormously for John. It isn't often he has anyone to just talk with since most of his friends he'd either drifted apart from after he'd joined the army, watched die on a battlefield, or were just as bad off as he was and didn't need any additional reminders from that time of their life. The others were usually too busy to have time to just have a chat for no reason. When he thinks about it, John realises it's probably one of the reasons he'd started this... interaction with Sherlock in the first place. He's lonely.

Frowning at the direction of his thoughts, John gets up, stretching. It's been about an hour and Sherlock has been drifting in and out of sleep, squirming around on the couch. The blanket has slipped down to his waist and one hand hangs in the air over the edge of the couch. John heads back to his room to grab a shirt before meandering back into the kitchen to get Sherlock another glass of water, which he brings back to place on the coffee table. Sherlock opens bleary eyes to look at him at the sound. John lowers himself to sit on the coffee table, hands gripping the edge and his bad leg stretched out in front of him. He nods to the water. "For you," he says. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Sherlock mumbles. "But then again I've also been worse, so.” He stretches a hand in the vague direction of the water and John hands it to him.

"Your fever's not breaking," he says conversationally, looking somewhere over the back of the couch. "And while fevers are good in that it means your body's doing its job, yours is a little high for comfort."

"And?" Sherlock prompts, eyes watchful as he hands the now empty glass back.

"And I was thinking a bath might do you good – well, a sponge bath." He looks at Sherlock now. "Up to you though. We can keep up the medication and see if it starts working if you don't want it."

Sherlock leans back against the couch at an angle. "I assume you're proposing it because you think it would do me good."

John frowns slightly. "Of course I am. But, considering how you're only a barely grudgingly agreeable patient, I figured I'd ask before I started trying to strip and bathe you – even if it's for your health."

"Well, I thank you for the consideration then." Sherlock says, with what John tentatively wants to call a smile. He shrugs. "Sure, let's get it over with."

Surprised, it takes John a moment to react. He hadn't really expected Sherlock to agree so easily. He'd expected to have to fight and argue with him, hashing out why he needed to do it until he was blue in the face. "Oh, uh, sure. I'll be right back, then."

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.

John offers up a small smile and nods back. "Not a problem," he murmurs, going back to take up his customary spot in the armchair with a book. Everything's quiet for a few minutes and then, "You know you don't have to hover, right?"

"Hmm?" John looks up at Sherlock.

"You don't have to sit there all the time watching over me. I'm rather certain that even without the constant vigilance you would know if I were to take a turn for the worse."

John marks his page in the book and closes it, giving Sherlock his full attention. "Have you considered that maybe I just like this chair and the fact that it offers me the ability to check on you without much effort is just an added bonus?"

“I have, actually. After all, it's hardly a difficult observation to note that compared to the rest of the furniture in the room the cushion and arms of that chair show more wear than any other, that the TV – though it's hardly watched – is angled so that the best view is from that chair or that your two, seemingly preferred modes of entertainment, whatever it is you do on that laptop and reading have their materials within easy reach of it." Sherlock waves a hand at each thing as he points it out before eyes that shouldn't look nearly that sharp in sickness jump to John's face. "None of that means you aren't hovering, however."

John is quiet for a moment, absorbing what Sherlock has just said, letting the implication that he is so easy to read wash over him. He doesn't know that anyone else would have seen what Sherlock saw when he looked around the room but it makes him uncomfortable to think that it's so easy for this man to strip his life bare with just his eyes. He wonders what else Sherlock has figured out but hasn't found the need to say yet and it makes his stomach clench to think of the possibilities even as he marvels at the skill of it.

He leans back in the chair, hands gripping at the arms. "Impressive," he murmurs and finds he genuinely means it. "You're still wrong about the hovering though. I'm just a doctor attending to his patient." He smiles.

One corner of Sherlock's mouth presses upwards by the slightest fraction and his curiously coloured eyes darken to blue in amusement and what, if he were a braver man, John might dare to call pleasure. "Right. Certainly. My mistake, Dr. Watson. It was an erroneous deduction on my part. I have no idea where I would have gotten the impression of anything else." He sits up, pushing the blanket of his legs. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll get dressed."

John waves a hand when Sherlock stands shakily. "You can dress in here," he says, standing himself and heading for his room to give Sherlock privacy.

When he shuts the door behind himself, he leans back against it, arms folded as he considers. It feels as if something has changed in regards to his and Sherlock's dynamic and he can't say for sure what it is but it feels that they have gained another level of understanding of each other and are that much closer to the point were they could comfortably call each other friends. John finds he likes the idea of it.

Well John we like it too. V__V

Thank you for the 3rd chapter.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only