[ an explanation doesn't come, but an angry flatmate does after his shift. John's done a little research on the network and he's not happy with what he's found out. ]
[Oh. He knew this would happen eventually. Sort of hoped it would be sooner, but John doesn't take the time to troll the NVs for information like he does. Despite the late hour, that's precisely what Sherlock is doing on his phone, sitting up in the living room.
John is obviously upset, though he isn't sure why-- that post was from June and he was obviously fine.]
Did you? [It's not clear if he hasn't looked up to be cheeky or if he just doesn't want to see John's anger.]
It was a bit inevitable John would find out, especially since the subject was brought up (and quickly dropped) during that disastrous hunt for Batman and following interrogation. He dropped his NV onto the couch and began to pace around the apartment and waited for an explanation.
Sherlock finally looks up, setting his phone aside. He hates it when John gets in these little tizzies, even if they are over his well being.
"Well what? That was June. It's nearly September. I'm fine." The scar on his side was still there to remind him of it, as well as the healers had done.
He doesn't have a sarcastic comment for that, not immediately. His lips purse momentarily. Sherlock knows just how close to dying he'd been. It was a miracle he hadn't bled out before he was found.
It wasn't just the result of boredom, but also of desperation. The Port was in imminent danger at the time, and he was one of the few people who knew why. It turned out his powers weren't enough to do anything about it, and that was frustrating. Infuriating really. John wasn't there, so he let himself do riskier things.
"Yes, I know, I'm well aware of the risks." John snaps, falling back onto sarcasm and stops pacing in front of the nonchalant detective. He had tried to find out as much as he could on the network about what happened around that time, but came out with the bare bones of the situation.
"And thank you for reminding me. Really, it's not like I can come to that conclusion by myself or anything."
Sherlock was, to put it lightly, confused. What was John so angry about? They'd been in danger at home before. Hell, they'd been in danger when John first found out about the Xehanort fiasco. True, those times he was never on the brink of consciousness, coughing up blood and worried enough to send out a distress call, but danger was danger, wasn't it?
A frown slowly comes to the detective's face as he puts himself in John's more emotional shoes. Empathy had never been his strong point.
Infuriatingly enough, Sherlock hits the nail on the head and John has to admit that he was getting a lot better at considering other people's feelings, especially without being prompted to do so.
But it still struck a nerve and he clenches his hands at his side.
Had it been anyone else, Sherlock probably wouldn't have made such an educated guess. Living with John-- actually liking him, made it feel more like an observational exercise. These were baby steps.
"John, that's-- that doesn't make any sense. Neither of us had control over coming and going. Don't be stupid."
In the back of his mind, John knew that getting himself worked up about his absence in the port was ridiculous and completely out of his control, but that's admittedly the cause of his distemper. He needed to be in control and having his actions dictated... well, it was like having an earpiece forced on him again.
And John was used to Sherlock calling him an idiot. But rather than defuse the situation this time, the detective's comment only served in adding fuel to the fire.
"Don't call me stupid. There's only one idiot in this room and I'm looking straight at him."
It doesn't help that Sherlock's stress over John being gone in the first place had driven him to do slightly more mad things. Not to mention John doesn't know why he risked his life, not that had really been the intent of his escapade. Wasn't saving lives what John wanted him to do? That and there was teasing him and then outright meaning it.
"I suppose the next time the whole city is in danger I'll be my proper genius self and just sit on my hands and wait to be destroyed then. Marvelous plan, that, bravo."
John always hoped that Sherlock would put his skills to good use. He remembered his face the moment the third victim was killed, only to watch him emotionally detach himself from the failure and act nonchalant during the news report the next day. It had been maddening and impossible to witness.
"That isn't what I meant." John retorts angrily through gritted teeth. Having only half the facts was certainly blowing up in his face and he would be embarrassed about it later, once he calmed down enough, but it was hard to back down when he was this livid with his flatmate. "You're so bloody intolerable!"
Sherlock really hated these fights, but he hated John being irrational even more. Most of all he hated that he actually felt hurt by John's words. These things aren't supposed to effect him.
"What did you mean, then, John? Enlighten me, if you can manage, with my being unbearable to talk to."
John felt like thumping him -- he was so difficult to deal with, but he managed to reign in his anger and licked his lips. He takes a deep, calming breath and tries to enlighten Sherlock, since he asked so damn nicely.
"You can't keep doing this." John stresses, thinking about the moment he lifted one of those pills up into the light and decided to play the cabbie's game, how he went out into the darkness to satisfy his curiosity about the Batman, "You keep risking your life to prove that you're cleverer than everyone else."
"People care about you, Sherlock. And you throw it back in their face."
And that's enough to shut him up. Sherlock stands up and turns away, ready to go off and sulk in his room, but he thinks better of it, and his shoulders slump with a sigh. Why did John care? Because he knew it wasn't "people." It sounded stupid and sanctimonious as soon as he thought it, but it was a sincere question, not one motivated by self-pity.
Not to mention he was clever and there was no other way to ever stop being so bored--
"What do you suggest I do, then?" It's not quite as sarcastic as the last inquiry, and his voice is definitely less sharp. "Give up and be normal? You can't accept that either. I know you can't."
"... No." John admits slowly and in resignation; nothing he could ever do or say would sway Sherlock from taking all these risks. "It was pretty pointless saying anything. Never gets through that thick skull of yours."
Sherlock momentarily bit the inside of his cheek before turning back to John.
"If Yorick heard you say that, I think he'd be very hurt." The smirk returned for a split second. Mrs. Hudson had probably thrown the skull away ages ago, but it was still good for a laugh.
"Still waiting on a suggestion." Not that he'd follow it, but if John wanted to be heard, well. Maybe he should let him be for a change.
... Yorick? He actually called that blasted skull Yorick? John can't help but chuckle learning this and shakes his head. Still staring at the space before Sherlock decided to storm off to his room.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 10:13 pm (UTC)Found your post on the network!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 10:22 pm (UTC)John is obviously upset, though he isn't sure why-- that post was from June and he was obviously fine.]
Did you? [It's not clear if he hasn't looked up to be cheeky or if he just doesn't want to see John's anger.]
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 10:53 pm (UTC)"Well?"
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 11:24 pm (UTC)"Well what? That was June. It's nearly September. I'm fine." The scar on his side was still there to remind him of it, as well as the healers had done.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 12:29 am (UTC)It wasn't just the result of boredom, but also of desperation. The Port was in imminent danger at the time, and he was one of the few people who knew why. It turned out his powers weren't enough to do anything about it, and that was frustrating. Infuriating really. John wasn't there, so he let himself do riskier things.
"That's the risk on a case, John. You know that."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 03:35 am (UTC)"And thank you for reminding me. Really, it's not like I can come to that conclusion by myself or anything."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 05:16 am (UTC)A frown slowly comes to the detective's face as he puts himself in John's more emotional shoes. Empathy had never been his strong point.
"Are you angry because you weren't there?"
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 09:16 pm (UTC)But it still struck a nerve and he clenches his hands at his side.
"What do you think?"
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 09:32 pm (UTC)"John, that's-- that doesn't make any sense. Neither of us had control over coming and going. Don't be stupid."
Tiny, minuscule baby steps.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 09:58 pm (UTC)And John was used to Sherlock calling him an idiot. But rather than defuse the situation this time, the detective's comment only served in adding fuel to the fire.
"Don't call me stupid. There's only one idiot in this room and I'm looking straight at him."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 10:38 pm (UTC)"I suppose the next time the whole city is in danger I'll be my proper genius self and just sit on my hands and wait to be destroyed then. Marvelous plan, that, bravo."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 11:59 pm (UTC)"That isn't what I meant." John retorts angrily through gritted teeth. Having only half the facts was certainly blowing up in his face and he would be embarrassed about it later, once he calmed down enough, but it was hard to back down when he was this livid with his flatmate. "You're so bloody intolerable!"
no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 01:22 am (UTC)"What did you mean, then, John? Enlighten me, if you can manage, with my being unbearable to talk to."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 07:16 am (UTC)"You can't keep doing this." John stresses, thinking about the moment he lifted one of those pills up into the light and decided to play the cabbie's game, how he went out into the darkness to satisfy his curiosity about the Batman, "You keep risking your life to prove that you're cleverer than everyone else."
"People care about you, Sherlock. And you throw it back in their face."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 03:57 pm (UTC)Not to mention he was clever and there was no other way to ever stop being so bored--
"What do you suggest I do, then?" It's not quite as sarcastic as the last inquiry, and his voice is definitely less sharp. "Give up and be normal? You can't accept that either. I know you can't."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 01:38 am (UTC)"If Yorick heard you say that, I think he'd be very hurt." The smirk returned for a split second. Mrs. Hudson had probably thrown the skull away ages ago, but it was still good for a laugh.
"Still waiting on a suggestion." Not that he'd follow it, but if John wanted to be heard, well. Maybe he should let him be for a change.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 02:06 am (UTC)"You already know what I'm going to say."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 02:35 am (UTC)He folded his arms and waited. Even if he had a good idea of what John might say, he wanted it from the horse's mouth.