a lovely date for a murder, don't you agree

[deductivedetective]

Neither of them called it a date. Sherlock may not have been the most socially up-to-speed person, but he knew what this was; what John was asking. He humored him and agreed, not pressing the matter. It wasn't unusual for them to to be together anyway, even before this. In fact, catching them without the other was even more odd.

It wasn't too fancy, anyway. The Chinese place down the street was good, and authentic (according to Sherlock's verification), and reasonably priced for two men sharing money. The atmosphere wasn't romantic, at least. Sherlock imagined the pressure on John would be lessened if just for that reason, even if he didn't understand the big deal.

"Eating in today for once, eh, Sherlock?" the host asked with a polite smile as they entered. "Two, then?"

"Yes, thank you," Sherlock said, looking at John. "Any plans after this, by the way?"

Comments

[deductivedoctor]

John smiled, and with his good arm, he pulled down on Sherlock's collar. He kissed Sherlock just before Sherlock was able to lift the cake. "Movie sounds good, thanks."

[deductivedetective]

Sherlock stared down for a moment, for once being the one caught off guard. Despite himself, a smile had edged into his lips, Sam leaving his mind palace.

"What would you like?"

[deductivedoctor]

"Well I've watched everything we own," John said with a shrug. "There's bound to be one on the telly."

John was referring to the DVDs in his collection, of course, but it was becoming commonplace to claim ownership of objects around the house as our instead of my. John hadn't really noticed it. The transition had happened long before they were ever a couple, but of course now John didn't even seem to claim full ownership of the objects in his room. With the exception of his toothbrush and his jumpers. And then there was of course his chair and his pillow, which were both originally Sherlock's.

[deductivedetective]

Now and then their pajamas would get mixed up, too, John's trousers comically short on Sherlock, and Sherlock's trousers comically tight on John. (Mrs. Hudson spotted him that time - maybe that was when she caught on. Not that she didn't already think there was something going on.)

Sherlock reached for their remote, turning on their TV. There was an action movie on that he didn't recognize, so he handed the remote to John to choose. He knew cinema better than he did anyway.

[deductivedoctor]

John changed the channel a few times, finally settling on what appeared to be a lighthearted science fiction. He had no way to judge if the movie was actually any good, being as he hadn't seen it before, but he was in the mood for something new, and this would suffice. He paused to look up at Sherlock, who was still perched awkwardly on the chair's arm.

"Are you comfortable up there?"

they should be watching star trek heh

[deductivedetective]

"It's all right," he answered, though he shifted where he was. Sherlock felt gravitated to the spot - since it was closest to John without actually being on him.

aw yeah spock vs. cumberbatch

[deductivedoctor]

Rolling his eyes, John tugged Sherlock down into his lap. The two of them together crowded the tiny armchair, and it was evident from the way that Sherlock's bony limbs spilled over the chair's surface that it wasn't exactly a perfect fit, but it was a comfortable alternative to the armrest.

heheh

[deductivedetective]

Sherlock stared up in surprise once he fell into place, looking a lot like one of those surprised cats that crack John up, his body tense and still. He cleared his throat after a moment, glancing down at their arrangement.

"Really, John, you could hurt your shoulder worse moving like that," he huffed. But it quickly subsided into a laugh at their set up (his first laugh since the whole accident), his legs hanging off the couch's arm, one of his arms carefully settled along the back of the chair. "And this is ridiculous."

[deductivedoctor]

"Yeah, well, I could have suggested we move to the couch, but I didn't really want to get up," John remarked with a breathy laugh, shifting slightly beneath Sherlock. They found a comfortable equilibrium eventually.

"And what's ridiculous is thinking the armrest is going to be a good spot to sit for a two hour movie."

[deductivedetective]

"It wasn't that bad," he lied, focusing more on John than the movie. Sherlock leaned in, pressing his mouth to John's neck. He stayed for a moment; long enough to feel his pulse, finding comfort in that.

[deductivedoctor]

John smiled as Sherlock's lips brushed up against the curve of his neck. He would have returned the gesture, but that would require leaning down, which would require moving his shoulder. Instead, he just let his glance fall down briefly, leading his hands mingle with Sherlock's before turning back to the movie.

"You know," John laughed. "I would call that the worst date ever... but that's really up for debate with my track record so far."

[deductivedetective]

"You've had worse than a cleaving to the shoulder?" he asked, with a deep and impressed laugh.

[deductivedoctor]

"Well, no," John said. "But there was that time that Sarah almost got speared through the chest with that Chinese dart. That didn't end very well."

[deductivedetective]

"Ah, right," Sherlock said. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

It was almost worrisome how honest he sounded.

[deductivedoctor]

"No, not really," John replied. "In fact I might actually still have that job if not for that case."

[deductivedetective]

"Still been looking, speaking of?"

[deductivedoctor]

"A bit, yeah," John sighed. "I should get more serious about it. I know I'm not ready to see the hospital bill."

[deductivedetective]

"Worry about it later," he said, waving a hand, clearly not concerned with monetary matters. At least, not at the moment - Sherlock seemed to be more concerned with John's ear, having curiously trailed his mouth up to it, his lips lightly clamping on the lobe.

[deductivedoctor]

Not expecting the contact, John twitched back from the tickling sensation on his ear, a hint of color rising to his cheeks. He cupped his hand over his hear. "Sherlock, movie," he directed, his glance leveling with Sherlock's for a moment before going back to the screen.

[deductivedetective]

Sherlock did look back to the TV, a slight smirk on his mouth. Exploring John's buttons and limits had become a habit of his lately, when things got quiet or boring. (He could enjoy the occasional sci-fi, but he had to be in the right mood for it.)

The movie held his attention for a good few minutes, before he was idly mouthing along John's neck and ear again. He seemed pretty content with this lap arrangement, despite how ridiculous he claimed it to be. The reach was much more convenient.

[deductivedoctor]

"Stop it," John hissed as the kisses continued up his neck and around his ear. He was completely baffled that Sherlock, from what it seemed a man without much of a libido of his own, could be such a persistent tease. It was as if he just riled John up for the sake of it, which John wouldn't have actually been surprised by, but it could still get annoying.

[deductivedetective]

Unfortunately for John, that was usually the reason why. Sherlock did relent again, but not without an experimental, parting nip to his ear. Perhaps at the moment, it was just an unspoken appreciation that John was even here. It was an odd feeling to cope with for Sherlock, but communicating it was simply not something that crossed his mind to do.

He was listening to the television in the background, despite how distracted he might've seemed. He liked Spock, if just for the fact that he was to-the-point about everything, and the least emotional of the cast. Sherlock turned his head to watch it, keeping his head tucked against John's good shoulder, his arms overlapping on his stomach.

[deductivedoctor]

With Sherlock finally settled, John fell content. Using the support of the armrest, his good arm curled around the arc of Sherlock's back. He bowed his chin into Sherlock's curls, his eyes still fixed on the movie. While Sherlock's new-found propensity to eat his ears wasn't exactly telling of Sherlock's relief to John, he had clued onto how Sherlock felt with his uncharacteristic fretting and general closeness. John found it a relief too, really, not that he'd escaped with his life-- well that too --but more in the revelation that Sherlock could actually did care. There was sentiment there, even if he wasn't exactly eloquent enough to express it. He felt privileged to be able to see that side of Sherlock.

About that time during the movie, Lestrade came through the door with a paper bag in tow from a deli near the hospital John had stayed at. "John, sorry, I couldn't get to the hospital until today, and they told me you'd come back here so I..."

John's stomach sank, and he suddenly had developed a great dislike for Sherlock and his culture of keeping the door unlocked, and an even greater dislike of Lestrade's habit of coming in without knocking (which honestly wasn't really fair, Lestrade never had a reason to knock before, except for the odd chance that he'd catch Sherlock running around the flat in a sheet). For a long while, Lestrade just stared.

"Am I interrupting something?"

[deductivedetective]

Sherlock stared blankly back over John's shoulder, not alarmed in the slightest.

"No."

[deductivedoctor]

"Will you get off?!" John gnashed out, shoving Sherlock with his good arm. Unfortunately, Sherlock was so rooted in his seat that he didn't really budge. John was quickly turning red again, his blush flaring up to his ears.

"Right, well um, I got you some sandwiches, though I suppose it was kind of a moot point since you're off the hospital food now anyway," Lestrade said, depositing the bag on the desk, he then extended his reach over Sherlock to offer John and envelope. "And this is from the rest of the police department."

It was a get well soon card with a graphic of a cartoon dog in bed with a water bag on its head and a thermometer hanging out of its mouth. It wasn't exactly appropriate for the specific injury, but the sentiment was there all the same. Even Sally and Donovan had signed it.