Walking.
A simple action that involved putting one foot in front of the other.
Although such a feat was so incredibly basic, Sherlock found it difficult to do even that as he mulled over what Billy had told him a while ago... or rather, what probably felt like "a while ago" since the pocket watch that Liam insisted he carry showed that more than more three hours had passed (admittedly he liked it because Liam picked it for him, but wearing one made him feel like Mycroft)... and for the umpteenth time today, he let out a listless sigh escaped as he tried to focus on walking back to their flat.
It just... felt a bit surreal to know that Billy - well, technically the American government, wanted him to work overseas... though he could tell that Billy had taken some delight at the situation from the amused smirk he had on his face the entire time he spent telling him about the offer because they both knew that Sherlock would be talking to Liam about it, and Billy had said that it'd be best for "Ponytail-senpai to give him an answer anytime after he discussed it with Mr. Moriarty."
Honestly, it wasn't like Sherlock wasn't uninterested though. New York was nice and all, but it wasn't London... and if it weren't for Liam...
By the time Sherlock finally managed to step onto their street, he could feel his ears immediately perking up upon hearing the gentle notes of a piano in the night sky.
This song...
Sherlock closed his eyes and smiled as he let himself get lost in the melody for a moment. This was the song that he first heard Liam play once he left the hospital... and although it sounded a bit different from the last time he heard it as Liam was constantly making adjustments to the score, he was quite happy with those changes as most of them were the result of time they spent together...
Still, as much as he wouldn't mind just standing around and enjoying Liam's music, Sherlock knew that he had to pick up his pace. Liam would always play the piano until Sherlock got back to their flat on the days that their schedules differed as he was well aware of how Sherlock liked listening to his piano and could do so for hours... which consequently meant that Liam had been playing for far more time than usual because of how late Sherlock was. Unfortunately, it didn't help knowing that Liam's piano was his way of telling him "welcome back," as Liam didn't always feel comfortable with saying the actual words to him... though it was a fact that Liam was a lot better at expressing himself compared to before.
Shaking his head as if such an action would help remind him of how nothing with Liam could be forced, and that every milestone he reached was something to cherish and celebrate, Sherlock started walking faster. Regardless of how blissfully happy he would get knowing that Liam was waiting for him, he didn't like the idea of making him wait any longer than necessary... however Sherlock had to stop himself from running inside because he needed time to mentally prepare as he found it excruciating difficult to hide anything he felt when around Liam... not that Liam wasn't already able to figure out whenever Sherlock wanted to keep something to himself with a single glance.
Thankfully, Liam remained focused on the piano when Sherlock entered their flat, but after he set down his things and grabbed his violin, Liam's playing became noticeably slower... and Sherlock knew that he wasn't able to stop himself from grinning as he quickly located what measure Liam and readied his violin.
Despite how Sherlock had put in a serious effort to familiarize himself with every piece of music in their flat that contained sections for both the violin and piano, Liam always made sure that they would be able to play in time together... and it was consideration on Liam's part that Sherlock especially appreciated as it was a testament to Liam's will to live and his decision to stay with him...
