If You Love Me, Get Clean

Chapter Eleven

2012

But it would've been fun
If you would've been the one
I persist and resist the temptation to ask you
If one thing had been different
Would everything be different today?

"Alice, it's me," he closes the front door behind him, beginning to shrug his coat off. "I thought we could try the new takeaway that just opened up the– Oh." Sherlock freezes half way to the sofa. He had hoped to avoid this exact situation for as long as possible.

Jenny grins with all her teeth, wiggling her fingers at him. "Hey, Willy. Fancy seeing you here."

Alice drops her head into her hands. "Shitting hell."

He glances between the two women, his fight or flight immediately kicking in. "Nope." Sherlock swivels on his heel, readjusting his coat back on, and immediately heads back towards the front door. Flight it is.

"Sherlock," Alice jogs up behind him, laying her hand to his back. "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was coming over–"

"No need to apologise," he says, turning to look at her. It was pathetic to even try feigning an unbothered exterior, she'll only see straight through it. She always sees straight through everything when it comes to him. "This is your flat, you have whoever you want here."

"Sherlock–"

"It's no problem. I'll see you tomorrow–"

"Willy."

Sherlock winces mildly, now fully aware his window of escape has shrunk considerably. If he swivels and bolts out the door he will look like he's running away, which he is, but still not something he wants witnessed. Instead he looks over to Jenny awkwardly as she joins them out in the hall. Her hair is a plum colour, something more natural compared to the electric blue he last saw her with, and she's wearing a plain white t-shirt with pinstripe trousers. Becoming a teacher has obviously done wonders for her wardrobe.

"I'm not going to rip you a new one, if that's what you're worried about," she leans back against the door frame, arms crossed. "Alice wants you here, so don't be a dick and run away."

Sherlock swallows. Run away anyway. "I'm sure you'd rather spend your evening without me in the way."

"I might, but she wouldn't," Sherlock's mouth opens to argue, but Jenny just scoffs. "I'm joking. Be nice to catch up. You mentioned a takeaway? You're buying."

Then Jenny slips back into the living room without another word.

Alice chews on her bottom lip, staring up at him nervously. It occurs to him she hasn't once taken her eyes off him since he arrived. "I would like you to stay, but I understand if you don't feel up to it. It's totally up to you."

He watches the trepidation on her face, and he knows he can't refuse her this. He can't refuse her anything. He is quite certain if she told him to go and dance in the middle of traffic he would have probably done it without even questioning her.

"I can stay," he says softly. "I'm just a bit... I wasn't expecting..."

"I know," she nods. "But I can promise she'll behave."

Sherlock laughs lightly. "You absolutely cannot promise that."

Her nose crinkles up at him. All he can think is she's absolutely adorable. "No, you're right, I can't."

He huffs a put upon sigh, gesturing forward. "Come on then, best get it over with."

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