My Saving Grace

Chapter 1

They met in a tangle of limbs and a blinding collision. Late for work, John Watson tore through the back flight of stairs of the library. Going down them so fast that he nearly pitched forward. Righting himself he sprinted down the hall and shoved the door to the back exit open. Running directly into Sherlock Holmes who was standing in the back alley enjoying a quick smoke.

They landed on the damp cobblestone with John on top of Sherlock. John froze for a moment looking at Sherlock with wide eyes. Then, as if he realised what he had done and who he had run into he scrambled to a standing position grabbed his book bag from the ground and ran to work, leaving Sherlock watching from the ground. 

"What a prick," A random guy in the alley way muttered holding his hand out for Sherlock to take. "Didn't even apologise or anything." 

Sherlock wiped at his clothes, knocking off the dirt. 

"You should go after him. Make him pay," the man said pulling his cigarettes out of his coat pocket, offering one to Sherlock. 

"Forget about it," Sherlock said lighting the stick with ease lost in thought of the boy who had just knocked the breath from his lungs. 

John was in the back of a local diner cleaning when his coworker entered the back with a growl, snapping him from his own thoughts.  

"What?" John asked with a laugh turning to see Molly throwing on her apron.

 "This group of delinquents just came in. We're ten minutes to closing. Now, I won't be home in time to kiss Sadie good night." 

Molly's sister, Harper was a teen mum who worked in Ireland, leaving Molly, and their mother alone to raise her daughter. 

"I'll take it." John offered, grabbing a towel to dry his hands.

 "Really?" Molly asked excitement shining through her eyes. 

"Yeah just finish those up and I'll take care of it."

 "John Watson, you are my hero," she squealed kissing his cheek 

John walked through the double doors and watched the group as they threw sugar packets at each other. They were all dressed in black and leather. Some with studs and earrings. And a girl with pink hair. John took a deep breath and walked over. 

"Welcome to Christie's, I'm John, I'll be your waiter.  Can I start you with some drinks?" His eyes fell to the boy in the booth who had his arm draped around the girl with pink hair.

 "We'll all take a soda. Bring one more 'cause we have another coming in," he said not even bothering to look at John as he spoke

"Anything in particular?" John asked forcing himself to smile

 "Surprise us." 

 John filled eight glasses with Coke and hoped that would be enough. He carried the drinks carefully and when he reached the table, he noticed the new person. 

 "Are you all ready to order?" John asked. The boy turned at the sound of his voice. His face was unlike any other John had seen. It was breath taking. The boy had sharp cheekbones and a chiselled jaw line, his lips formed a small smirk and his green eyes shone with mischief. His nose was long and thin and his intense gaze fell to John's.

He had a dark mop of curls with his face tucked down into the lapels of his jacket. His hand was on the table and his fingers were tapping slowly as if they were making a beat. His middle finger was wrapped with a silver band and he stared out the window uninterested in the conversation at hand and with anything that John had had to say.