When Luck Runs Out

Smoking Like an Amature

I was still in my training outfit, which probably smelled horrible itself since I had no idea how to wash leather. So I slipped away, taking a nice hot shower with all of the foamy soaps that smelled like multiple types of flowers and all that. When I was done I changed into my fuzzy pajamas, ready for a nice night of sleep. But then again, it was only nine, and I knew that John would think I was deliberately avoiding them. I kind of was, but he didn't need to know that, so I sulked back into the living room where I saw John was absent. I sat on the couch anyway, looking around at the kitchen to see where he might have gone.
"Where'd John go?" I asked.
"To get ready for bed." Molly shrugged. Both of them were looking rather intently at me, as if I had done something wrong, and I felt like I had a spotlight being shined in my face.
"What did I do?" I asked. Molly sighed, her cheeks actually going kind of pink as she looked over at Mrs. Hudson.
"Well, we don't know yet." Molly sighed. I sat up straighter on the couch, starting to feel the awkwardness level in the room rising rapidly. I started to really wish that John was sitting here with me.
"This feels kind of like an interrogation." I decided.
"Sherlock, as you know, the games are in two days." Mrs. Hudson started.
"Ah, never mind, it's a lecture." I sighed.
"It's both." Molly snapped. I groaned, but sat back in my chair and tried my best to look as unentertained as I could possibly be.
"Of course it is." I sighed.
"I'll start again." Mrs. Hudson decided. "As you know, the games are coming up in two days, and that limits your time with John drastically." I opened my mouth to debate, but Molly's venomous glare shut me up before I even had the chance to talk.
"But it limits your time away from the cameras as well." She finished.
"What are you saying?" I asked, feeling my cheeks get red as well.
"We're just saying, that if there's anything that you want to tell him, or any sort of something you two wanted to do together, well, the clock is ticking." Molly summed up.
"Are you saying that I'm supposed to declare my undying love now just because we're going to die?" I asked.
"You haven't told him that yet?" Molly asked in shock. I looked over at the doorway, now very happy that John was absent.
"Oh course I've told him!" I hissed.
"And you two, you haven't..." Mrs. Hudson let her sentence trail off, so that we could play fill in the blanks.
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, now blushing so hard you could fry an egg on my cheeks. "Of course not! Who the heck do you think I am?"
"That's what I thought you'd say." Molly added.
"Does John know that you're debating our love life behind our backs?" I asked.
"Well, no." Mrs. Hudson muttered.
"Well, it's disgusting." I insisted.
"You've only kissed him what, three times?" Mrs. Hudson asked.
"Two." I snapped. Molly made a little cough of surprise.
"You've been together for nearly a year!" she insisted.
"I don't need to talk about this!" I defended.
"We're just saying that maybe you should make it three, before you have to..." Mrs. Hudson started. I got to my feet, now absolutely mortified.
"Just stop talking, please stop talking. And if you tell John anything about this, I will have your heads on a stake." I decided, storming from the room before they could ask any more way too personal questions. As I walked from the living room John appeared in his pajamas.
"Where are you going?" he asked. I looked back at Molly and Mrs. Hudson, who both gave me encouraging smiles. I just groaned, pushing John aside and going into my room, slamming the door with annoyance. As if on cue though, about ten second later, there was a knock on the door.
"Sherlock?" John asked.
"What?" I called.
"Can I come in or are you going to freak out?" John asked.
"It's unlocked." I insisted.
"That's not an answer." He pointed out.
"Come in!" I groaned. John opened the door and shut it quickly, as if he didn't think I wanted Mrs. Hudson or Molly to see me in here.
"What the heck was all that about?" he asked.
"That was me not wanting to be lectured." I sighed. I was still standing near the door, because I had known that John would come nose his way into my business. My foot was tapping with annoyance, not so much at John, who I knew was only trying to help, but at Molly and Mrs. Hudson, who thought that my personal business (emphasis on personal) was also known as an invitation to come see what's going on in the world of Sherlock. For example, my bloody love life with John. Why should they care how many times I've kissed him? I knew perfectly well that I'm a bit of a slacker on that, it's not like I didn't want to kiss him, those two times were two of the best times of my life, but I don't have enough confidence to start something, and John was probably too scared I'd freak out if he tried. And I was fine with that too; I was more an emotional being anyway.
"What were they lecturing you about?" John asked.
"Oh you know, the hydration nutrition plans. I guess I'm not being an 'active participant' and I should 'care more about my life'. Like I'll have it much longer." I muttered.
"You know you're a terrible liar." John decided.
"Ya, I know." I shrugged, sitting on my bed and frowning.
"Your hair is cute when it's all wet." John decided.
"I just didn't feel like drying it." I admitted, pushing the heavy black curls away from my face.
"It takes like, two seconds." John pointed out.
"Still two seconds I'll never have back. And besides, if you like it it's good enough for me." I shrugged. John just laughed, sitting next to me and holding my hand.
"What were they really talking to you about?" he asked.
"I honestly don't know. I saw the lecture face coming and I bolted. I know what's coming, and I don't need my two moms reminding me that I'm going to die." I decided.
"Please, please don't talk like that." John insisted, squeezing my hand tighter.
"But it's true." I pointed out.
"Yes, but for the moment, let's pretend like nothing's going to happen." John insisted.
"Pretend this is the Victor's tour." I agreed.
"And we're just taking a pit stop at the tribute's center, for old time's sake." John insisted.
"And we're not going into the games." I decided.
"We're not going into the games." John agreed. I smiled, even though just saying this stuff didn't change my mind set at all, it still kind of made me happy that John was trying to make me happy.
"So, Sherlock, why don't we have a good night sleep?" he asked.
"That sounds like a good idea." I agreed.
"And tomorrow we'll go home." He added.
"If only." I sighed, smiling sadly and thinking what I wouldn't give to be headed on my way to twelve right now.