My Saving Grace

Chapter 13

Sherlock woke up with a groan. Kicking his covers, he hissed at the light shining in his room. It was too bright. His head pounded as he tried to recall moments from the night before. Sitting up, he found himself still fully dressed and clean. Things couldn't have been that bad. Pulling his sheet from the bed he made his way down the hall, shielding his eyes from any light. He found John sitting at the desk beside the window scribbling notes.

"Morning." He said without looking up from his notes

"Mph," Sherlock replied, shuffling into the kitchen.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and slid to the floor sipping it slowly as he rested against the cabinets.

"There's aspirin in the bathroom," John called causing Sherlock to wince.

"I can't move," Sherlock whined taking another sip of his scolding drink

"Yes, you can," John called back

"Why did you let me drink last night?"

"I don't let you do anything. You do what you want when you want."

"That isn't entirely true."

"You smoke at school, even though there are rules that prohibit it. You stay out until the sun comes back up. You say what you want to whoever without a second thought. So how do you not do what you want when you want?"

I don't kiss you when I want, or grab your hand and lace your fingers through mine while we're walking. Sherlock thought.

"What happened last night?" He asked changing the subject

John stopped writing to lean back in his seat thinking of how does to put the events of last night into words, unaware Sherlock could see him from his spot on the floor.

"You saw your brother, disappeared for God knows how long, and came back drunk, then you insulted your brother, had more to drink, and fought me tooth and nail while I tried to get you home."

Sherlock remembered the drinking. He remembered the third drink, and walking back to John, after that, things became blurry. Sitting on the floor he could see the wheels turning in his flatmates head. 

"What else?"

John took a deep breath "When we finally got home, I put you in bed."

"And?"

"And you told me to read the notebook on your desk."

Sherlock's heart skipped a beat. His stomach dropped and his mouth went dry.

"Did you?" He asked, swallowing hard

"No," John said softly

Relief flooded Sherlock, he let out the breath he had been holding and rested his head back against the cabinets

"Why didn't you?"

"I figured the sober you would have liked for that to stay with you. If that makes sense."

"It does."

John resumed writing letting the silence fill the air around them.

"John?"

"Mm?"

"What would you say if I told you I was bored?"

"I would tell you to find something to do while I study."

Sherlock let a few moments pass before speaking again

"John?"

"Yes?'