Have Mercy On My Heart (Sherlock fanfiction)

Forgettable/Unforgettable

"Laurie, don't be offended by anything Sherlock says. That's just Sherlock," Lestrade began informing me as we climbed the stairs to the apartment that held the dead body I was called in to examine. "He will be rude and may very well slam the door in your face. At least, he did with our last analyst, 99% of the time, give or take. Don't take it personally."

But I just snorted through my nose. "Thanks, but I know how to take it. I went to secondary with him. Sounds like he hasn't changed."

His mask of disdain and arrogance was worn across his face like the way girls in upper school wore their makeup... it took an outsider to realize just how fake those girls were, and how fake Sherlock Holmes was. And that outsider was definitely me, the low income kid from the wrong side of town.

Lestrade held the door open for her and closed it behind them. "You went to secondary with Sherlock? You know him better than all of us then! And he was just as much an arrogant arse as he is now?"

I was about to answer him, when a mop of curly dark hair caught my eye. Sherlock was already there and after about nineteen years, it was quite the shock to me. His face was about two inches from the dead mans' but he didn't react to our walking in, though good for me because it gave me a moment to take him in.

Bloody hell, how has he grown! He's got about a head on me now, looking like all legs. He was bent, but thanks to a billowing coat, I couldn't make out much more of his body. Sherlock straightened up with a loud sigh.

"And I thought I left all those idiots behind in school," he said, turning to face me, before his eyes widened ever so slightly- just slightly enough if I hadn't already taking in his unusual color eyes, I wouldn't have completely missed it. In nineteen years you forget the details of eye colors, though I'm not sure how I ever did.

"Good to see you again, too, Sherlock," I replied, rolling my eyes, before answering Lestrade's question. "Yeah, it doesn't seem he outgrew his arrogant arse-iness."

"I don't recall going to school with you." A feign look of confusion scrunched up Sherlock's face as he responded.

I shot him a mirroring look, though mine was genuine. I know we were never friends. We didn't have friends. But that didn't mean we didn't always have each other, and that didn't mean I didn't always wish we were.

"C'mon, Sherlock," I rolled my eyes again before saying my name, feeling ridiculous, "Ruth Laurie. We were often lab partners. We even ate lunch together most days!"

"Deleted," he shrugged, before grasping his hands behind his back. His chin pointed, he looked around the small room one more time. When his eyes got to me, they looked right through me. It was like I suddenly turned invisible.

"Deleted?" I sputtered, and Lestrade gave me a worried glance, and opened his mouth to cut in.

"Sherlock-" but unfortunately Sherlock was already answering and didn't listen to the DI, which by the look on Lestrade's face made me feel like it happens often.

"If it's not important to remember, I delete it from my mind," Sherlock answered simply.

"Laurie, just ignore-" Lestrade put in, shooting daggers at Sherlock, and he just shrugged with innocent eyes, but it was me cutting him off this time.

"Okay, yeah, I was wrong. Him being an arrogant arse overgrew him. It must be all he is now," I snapped, color flushing my cheeks at his behavior. It was always awkward to think someone was who they weren't... but this was definitely Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes definitely knew me.

But it was like I hadn't said anything and so I tried to say something that would grab his attention. "I'll reiterate what I meant earlier: nobody wanted to work with Sherlock. Just as well, nobody wanted to work with me, but not because I was the start of all the primary school drama. And we only ate lunch together because as the only few not part of a clique there wasn't many other seating options."