No Left Brain - Sherlock AU

10 - Camping Trip Pt. 1

3rd Person P.O.V

To get to know Irene a bit better, the band decided to go on a camping trip together. They had a week off of school, and they decided to use it to spend time as a band. Irene was completely down for it since she was the new girl and wanted to get to know the guys better. She had even gone so far as to create a few playlists for the trip over, the trip back, and for sitting around the campfire.

Greg, in his typical style, brought his guitar along (even though Mycroft begged him not to). Greg had a little plan in the back of his mind, and he wasn't going to give it up that easily.

Once everyone had packed their stuff, the brothers got into an argument about which one of them would drive. Mycroft won that fight, using the 'I'm older' card. Sherlock was worried about seeming like a bitchy younger brother in front of John, so he shut up pretty quickly.

"Let's just go. We can kill each other when we get there." John grumbled, tossing the last of his bags in the back of Irene's car.

*

It was probably the longest car trip of Irene's life. She was sitting in the passenger seat, and because she didn't know the guys very well yet, she didn't really try to make much of a conversation. She looked in the rear-view mirror about an hour in and saw that both John and Sherlock have fallen asleep.

John's head was on Sherlock's shoulder, and Sherlock's head was on top of John's. She assumed they were a couple, just hiding it around most people, so she smiled and resumed looking out the window.

"Mike?" Greg asked, just shy of too loud. He didn't know that John and Sherlock were sleeping.

"Yes?" Mycroft asked, trying to focus on the road, but also on whatever his boyfriend had to say.

"When are we gonna get there? I need to run around."

"I figured that would be the case, so I picked the closest campsite to uni. We're about 10 minutes away now."

"Yes!" Greg clapped his hands together and turned to look out the window too. "My legs are asleep."

*

After another hour, the camp was finally set up. The group naturally flowed into many different conversations about school, work, the band, life, etc. Sherlock ran back to the car to see if they missed anything, and Greg took that as an opportunity to share some news with John.

"Did you hear that Sherlock got a boyfriend?" Greg asked, making John nearly choke on his beer.

"He what?"

"Ya. His name's Victor. Victor Trevor, I think." John's head was spinning; he didn't know of a guy named Victor, and he was incredibly confused. Sherlock had only weeks before said he was in love with John, and now all of a sudden, he had a boyfriend that no one had even heard of!

"So?" John grumbled, trying to calm down. It's fine. I'm just completely and utterly in love with him but I blew him off because I'm an idiot and scared of my stupid father. Now he's gotten over me and I'm too late.

"I was just wondering if he told you," Greg said, completely unknowingly.

"No. He hasn't said anything about a boyfriend."

"Oh. I just figured cause you guys are best friends that you might know. Why hasn't he told you?"

"I dunno, Greg. I dunno."

"Nope! We got everything!" Sherlock jogged back over from the car, causing John to shrink into himself and turn his back. "Irene, here's the keys." Sherlock walked over to Irene and handed her back her car keys, trying not to focus on John.

"Sherlock, can I talk to you?" John asked, wobbling to his feet and gesturing to the pathway leading down to the lake.

"Uh..." Sherlock was hesitant. He didn't want John to be mad at him, and he wasn't sure why John could be mad. "Sure." But he didn't want to pass up alone time with John.

Sherlock's P.O.V

OKAY, I SUPPOSE I HAVE TO BE HONEST. I'm not actually dating Victor. I made it up because Graham started to figure out my feelings for John. Victor is a completely made-up person, but when you're in university, you don't really know anyone outside of your own friendship group. I can't have anyone else knowing about me liking John. Everyone knows I 'used' to like him. They don't know I still do. The only person that knows is John. I wish I could erase his memory.

"So, you have a boyfriend now?" He sounded disappointed, sad. His face was emotionless but his voice was anything but.

"Uh..." I felt as though my throat was closing over. I had no idea what to say. I wanted to tell the truth, but I didn't want him to hate me even more than he already did. "Uh..."

"And don't even think about lying to me. You know I can tell when you're lying." He was right. He could tell, and he was the only person who could. Not even Mycroft could tell if I was bullshiting or not.

"I... No."

"No what?"

"No. I have no boyfriend... I made it up."

"Why?"

"Because you told me you didn't like me like that and I wanted to pretend that I'd move on so you wouldn't think I was creepy or anything."

He went completely silent. I don't think he expected me to be that honest.

"Are you serious?" He asked. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not.

I simply nodded, staring down at my shoes. Another pair of shoes soon made its way into my vision, and I looked up to find John standing right in front of me.

"So... you lied about having a boyfriend because I rejected you and you wanted to make me believe that you were over me?" I could barely hear what John was saying. He was standing so close and he looked so gorgeous in the late afternoon sun- "Are you listening?"

"Uh... Well... I lied about having a boyfriend because people, mainly Gary, had started to figure out that I maybe sorta still liked you." His eyes widened. "I've liked you for years and everyone else knew except you. I basically said that I no longer liked you, but Glenn started to think that I still liked you, so I lied about having a boyfriend so that he and everyone else would leave me alone about it."

"What are you saying here?"

"I'm saying... I have feelings for you. Still. And I have for a very long time."

"What kind of feelings, exactly?"

When I first told him I liked him, I couldn't go into much detail because of how distraught I was. Now was my choice to be completely honest.

"'I want to be with' you feelings. 'I care about you' feelings. 'I would do anything for you' feelings. Those... those kinds of feelings. The kinds of feelings I've been scared of for my entire life. But... I feel less scared knowing that it's you. Even though I know you don't like me back, I still care very much about you."

"Sher-"

I couldn't hear him anymore. My brain and heart were crumbling around me and I could only hear the thoughts spilling out my mouth. "You're the best and most brilliant person I have ever known and I-"

"Sher-"

"You are generous and kind and beautiful and... and too good for me and I can't believe that you're even in my life at this point and I-"

"Sherlock!" He yelled, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me down towards him. "Do you want to know why I rejected you?"

Not particularly, no. "Uh... yes?"

"Because I'm scared..." What? "I'm scared of what my family will say. I'm scared of what my friends will say. I'm scared of hurting you. You put yourself on the line and that was..." He gingerly reached out and took my hand in his. I felt my heart speed up. "That was the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"We'll figure it out together. It doesn't make me uncomfy, you can't control your feelings. I don't blame you."

"O-okay..."

"It doesn't make me uncomfy because..." Say it. Please, dear GOD, say it. "I like you, too."