Ultimate Johnlock collection

98: One-Shot

Nightmares

It was a long long day  both Sherlock and John had been just on the verge of cracking their  newest case. But whenever they thought they got it, it would just from  slip from their grasps and they would be back at square one.

They had been working  deep into the night with papers, books, and several varieties of  evidence scattered about the flat. This also including the two both  sitting on the floor with their backs propped up against Sherlock's  chair.

John had fallen asleep  first between the two, with a piece of paper in his hand he fell asleep  reading. His head had fallen to the side as Sherlock continued to work,  it took him nearly an hour later before he himself began to drift  asleep. But slowly Sherlock's eyes shut and his head fell to his side  and landed on John's shoulder.

The two were completely  asleep surrounded by papers and such with both of their heads resting on  the other. Before John started to mumble in his sleep, this wasn't  abnormal for the war veteran but it caused its own issues.

As John slept memories  of the war raged in his mind, the sounds of screams, explosions, and  gunfire was all he heard and saw. He saw his friends and fellow soldiers  die beside him and he just stood there unable to move. 'Move' he told himself within his dream 'you've never froze before, don't now'  his voice echoed within his head and it seemed to only grow more  distant. Everything turned white as the world beneath him shrunk from   view all he could see was the fire from explosions.

He fell and landed on  debris next to fellow soldier with a gun wound. John went to crawl  towards the soldier when a man grabbed John from behind and flung him  across the battlefield. He gasped for breath as though he had forgotten  to breath and tried to stand up, but the other man grabbed John and  attempted to choke him.

John pushed the man away and straddled him down and started to choke him instead. 'No. John Watson would not die like this' his voice echoed throughout the world to his mind when he heard the man gasped beneath him.

"John... John" the veteran only looked at the soldier beneath him in a confused daze

"John...... it's... it's  me, please" John blinked as the face of the soldier changed before him  and turned into Sherlock himself. "It's me... Sherlock" John jumped back  in fear landing on his hands as he looked around himself. He was in the  flat with Sherlock lying on the ground coughing and gasping for breath. 

"Sher... Sherlock?"  Asked John in confusion, he was dreaming just now, that wasn't real. But  if it wasn't real why was Sherlock coughing as he gently placed his  hand to his own throat. John's heart nearly skipped a beat as he  realized what he has done.

John held his hands in  front of him, they were shaking like leaves in autumn on the verge of  falling. John looked back at Sherlock, he had propped himself back  against the chair as he breathed heavily.

"What have I done..."  whispered John is shock how could he have hurt Sherlock? Out of everyone  in the world, John Watson almost choked Sherlock Holmes to death.  "I'm... I'm sorry" his voice was weak he could barley even recognize it.  Sherlock looked over at John where he could see the fear and disbelief  within the veteran's eyes.

"John, it's okay. I'm  fine"said the detective as he reached out his hand in comfort towards  him. John quickly pushed away Sherlock's hand and stared at the dark  haired man.

"Fine? I nearly killed  you. You're... not fine, Why would you say that you are?" John ran his  hand through his blond hair as he stared at Sherlock.

"But you didn't kill me  John..." "but I was about to!" Interrupted John his voice quavering. "I  could have killed you Sherlock, and you couldn't stop me." John's mind  flashed the sight of John's hands around Sherlock's neck, it made him  sick.

"But you didn't, I'm  alright. I can take care of myself. I've defended myself against many"  Sherlock's voice was calm as he spoke trying to sooth John and calm him  down.

"But you couldn't! You  didn't stop me because you couldn't. I've seen things and I have done  things I wish I could forget, things that no matter how hard you try,  you will never fully understand." John's voice had risen loudly with  anger, not towards Sherlock but towards himself. Before it finished back  into a whisper.  "I'm dangerous, Sherlock."

"My life is full of  danger, John. A little more can't hurt" Sherlock smiled at John with  pure kindness attempting his best at comfort. But John was dazed from  the dream and shocked by his action.

"I should have gone to  bed in my room... instead of falling asleep here, that was foolish on my  part" he spoke now slowly and in a daze as he thought aloud  mostly to  himself.

"I'm not not afraid of  you John" Sherlock reached out his hand and placed it on John's shoulder  "you can't hurt me" whispered Sherlock. John looked up at the detective  fear prominent in his eyes as he croaked out

"But I did..." John  stared at the dark haired man in front of him "I did hurt you" with that  John stood up abruptly and backed away from the chairs, leaving  Sherlock on the ground sitting before him.

"Maybe I can help you  sleep" said Sherlock as he stood and walked towards the window "you've  had a stressful day and it tends to trigger your nightmares, let me  help" Sherlock looked at the veteran before him with a gentle smile.

John looked over at  Sherlock for a moment before he said anything, "all... alright" John  Walked back over towards the chairs and sat down, he was tired but after  the nightmare and what he did to Sherlock he felt too scared to sleep.

Sherlock came back  towards the chairs and stood in front of John holding his violin in  hand. "I've noticed that on nights I play before bed, you sleep better.  But I fell asleep like you and didn't play." John looked up at Sherlock  mildly in surprise.

"I had never noticed  before, but I have always enjoyed listening to you play as I fall  asleep" John smiled lightly in realization. This made Sherlock smile too  as he placed his violin in position and began to play a soft tune.

John didn't recognize  the tune by its name, but he did recognize it as the song Sherlock  tended to play at night before bed. And as Sherlock suspected the song  calmed John's nerves and brought him the feeling of peace. Soon the  veteran's eyes grew heavy and he began to drift asleep. This caused  Sherlock to smile as he watched his best friend fall asleep.

He played for about  fifthteen minutes watching John to make sure he wasn't having anymore  nightmares before he put away his violin and joined John on the floor.  Where he fell asleep nearly as fast.

The two slept through the rest of the night without anymore nightmares.

This was written by yours truly TheNinjaOfCake22, I hoped it turned out as good as I hoped