"Obviously you were concerned I would somehow know anyway, so you went on the offensive. Control where there is none. Don't have to be a trained psychiatric nurse to see that one. But it's even more simple than that. She asked me to make it perfectly clear that you could talk freely about me. This was your fourth session. The time for simple observation on her part has passed. Your clothing is less formal, your speech and choice of words would likely also be more relaxed. You would be closer to the real "you" at this point.
John chuckled. "The real me. Nice to know what I'm like."
"You also talked about sex. Mary works for my brother. A full dossier on me is readily available, so the only thing worth gleaning from you concerning me is whether we have sex, why not, how it makes you feel... all that." He tried to brush it all aside with a hand wave and resumed adding drops to the beaker.
"I told her you weren't interested." John slowly looked up and waited until he made direct eye contact with Sherlock, who felt the pull of his gaze. "I told her that couldn't possibly be true. I told her that I was good." Apparently John wasn't finding whatever he was looking for in Sherlock's expression, because he looked away again. "She asked me how I knew that and I said a lot of people said so. She asked me... she asked me how many people, and I told her 'a lot, a whole lot'."
Sherlock paused his experiment and continued to watch John. "She flirted with you." It was somewhere between a question and a statement.
"Maybe."
"It made you feel uncomfortable. You weren't uncomfortable taking about sex before, so this is different. Maybe because you do find her attractive, maybe because..."
"I'm not hers," John interrupted, looking back at Sherlock again.
"You're not anybody's."
"Yeah, right. Nice try. I just... she didn't exactly flirt, but, and it didn't... it didn't feel right, but it did, but it...didn't."
"Are you asking my permission to have sex with her, John?" Sherlock's brows furrowed in concern, but his eyes remained soft. "Because, we are not in a sexual relationship, you and I. Are you wanting that?" A sediment formed in the bottom of the tube; Sherlock failed to notice.
"A Relationship? Oh. Permission. No. And I'm not saying I want it. With her. I just feel like I should. She's nice, and pretty, and interested."
"And this is enough?" John couldn't tell if it was a simple question or a judgment. He shifted back and forth between his feet, unable to get a good read on Sherlock's features.
"Ummm. No? I guess not."
"Doesn't sound like what you want, then."
"When is it ever about what I want?" John muttered bitterly. "I think I'll do some reading."
That was good. Sherlock needed to do some reading as well. They both headed in different directions.
{ok this is the second time Mycroft has said "they are watching"...I hope it's not a message for me.)
Re: FILL 14b/? "138" (John in slave auction)
"Well, to start with, you discussed me today."
"Because?"
"Obviously you were concerned I would somehow know anyway, so you went on the offensive. Control where there is none. Don't have to be a trained psychiatric nurse to see that one. But it's even more simple than that. She asked me to make it perfectly clear that you could talk freely about me. This was your fourth session. The time for simple observation on her part has passed. Your clothing is less formal, your speech and choice of words would likely also be more relaxed. You would be closer to the real "you" at this point.
John chuckled. "The real me. Nice to know what I'm like."
"You also talked about sex. Mary works for my brother. A full dossier on me is readily available, so the only thing worth gleaning from you concerning me is whether we have sex, why not, how it makes you feel... all that." He tried to brush it all aside with a hand wave and resumed adding drops to the beaker.
"I told her you weren't interested." John slowly looked up and waited until he made direct eye contact with Sherlock, who felt the pull of his gaze. "I told her that couldn't possibly be true. I told her that I was good." Apparently John wasn't finding whatever he was looking for in Sherlock's expression, because he looked away again. "She asked me how I knew that and I said a lot of people said so. She asked me... she asked me how many people, and I told her 'a lot, a whole lot'."
Sherlock paused his experiment and continued to watch John. "She flirted with you." It was somewhere between a question and a statement.
"Maybe."
"It made you feel uncomfortable. You weren't uncomfortable taking about sex before, so this is different. Maybe because you do find her attractive, maybe because..."
"I'm not hers," John interrupted, looking back at Sherlock again.
"You're not anybody's."
"Yeah, right. Nice try. I just... she didn't exactly flirt, but, and it didn't... it didn't feel right, but it did, but it...didn't."
"Are you asking my permission to have sex with her, John?" Sherlock's brows furrowed in concern, but his eyes remained soft. "Because, we are not in a sexual relationship, you and I. Are you wanting that?" A sediment formed in the bottom of the tube; Sherlock failed to notice.
"A Relationship? Oh. Permission. No. And I'm not saying I want it. With her. I just feel like I should. She's nice, and pretty, and interested."
"And this is enough?" John couldn't tell if it was a simple question or a judgment. He shifted back and forth between his feet, unable to get a good read on Sherlock's features.
"Ummm. No? I guess not."
"Doesn't sound like what you want, then."
"When is it ever about what I want?" John muttered bitterly. "I think I'll do some reading."
That was good. Sherlock needed to do some reading as well. They both headed in different directions.
{ok this is the second time Mycroft has said "they are watching"...I hope it's not a message for me.)