Nothing Like Love and Everything Like a Phoenix

Chapter Ten

John woke up to the front door slamming shut. The moment he opened his eyes to see Sherlock he felt his stomach drop.

"Damn." He muttered, shaking Sherlock's shoulder.

Sherlock's eyes blinked open just as another crash echoed through the house.

"You have to leave, or hide." John whispered harshly.

"Well, I'm not gonna leave."

John could feel the footsteps rumble across the hallway. Sherlock kissed his forehead before climbing under the sheets and behind John. Before John could decide whether or not he wanted to pretend to be asleep, his dad walked in.

"Hey, Kiddo." His dad slurred, "Wonder if you had any cash?" He stumbled into John's room and leaned against the wall.

John shook his head, "I never have money, dad. I don't got a job, remember?"

His dad nodded slowly before stepping closer to the bed and getting down on his knees, so he was looking up at John. John knew what was coming. His dad felt that to make up for years of neglect and drunken rages all you had to do was occasionally ask how your kids were doing.

John just wished Sherlock wasn't here.

"You know, when I was your age I was dealing with some rough things. A girl had just broken up with me, my pa had just gone into the hospital, and I wasn't feeling all that great. So, I just wanna ask, how're you, John?"

John stared back at this man he was forced to call his father and for a brief second wondered if he actually cared. John knew he hadn't had the best life, but neither had John, and only one of them was at a bar all day.

"I'm fine, Dad." He said simply, because for the most part, he was. He had accepted his situation a long time ago, and he could be doing a lot worse.

His dad nodded and stood, but decided to say one more thing right before he got to the door.

"Hey, you heard about the Taff's boy?"

John shook his head and he could feel Sherlock's arm wrap around his stomach. He had half a mind to slap it away.

John's dad clicked his tongue and shook his head, "He ran away with some boy. Turns out he might be a fag." He gave John a glance from over his shoulder, "Family's torn apart. It's real selfish what he did, don't you think?"

John opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He ran away. With a boy. Sure, he was a scandal, but he probably didn't care the moment he realized he didn't have to.

"John?"

John jumped out of his thoughts, "Yeah. Selfish."