𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 | 𝘖𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 3 ✔︎

Chapter VIII - An Awkward Tension

Clara's feet padded up the steps of 221B, her arms full of groceries. She'd stopped by the store on her way home from her visit with Mycroft and gotten some things from the store--milk, eggs, more tea--and then checked by the Diner and hung out at the park... okay, maybe she had procrastinated getting home. But it was for a good reason; after her meeting with Mycroft, she had a lot to process. A third Holmes... who would've guessed? Clara had spent most of her time fantasizing about what Eurus might be like. Maybe she was funny or clever. Clara wondered what Eurus liked to do in her free time. Does she play the violin like Sherlock does?

It was dark now and she hadn't seen Sherlock all day. She wondered what he'd been up to. Grocery bags hanging on her arms, Clara reached the top of the steps and went to open the door when it opened by its self. Shocked, Clara looked up to see Sherlock standing in the doorway. In clean clothes, and clean shaven. 

"Sherlock!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her bags.

"Would you like some help with those?" he asked. Clara nodded, speechless, and he took the bags from her. Why did he look so much better? 

Once the groceries were out of her hands, Clara wrapped her arms around Sherlock's neck and pulled him close. He even smelled clean.

"Look at you," Clara whispered in his ear, "Since when are you looking so nice?"

"Hello, Clara," Clara heard a voice from inside the flat. Sherlock stepped out of the doorway to reveal John and Jack--John in his old chair and Jack near the desk. My, what had she missed?

"John!" Clara practically jumped on him and gave him a huge hug from his chair, her smile bursting throughout the flat. John grunted under Clara's weight and hugged her back. Pulling away, Clara said, "How have you been? How is Rosie?" Clara noticed that John looked older and wearier than before. And... she didn't need to be a detective to tell that he'd been drinking a little too often.

"Rosie is doing well," John replied, "She's been spending a lot of time with her friends." Clara noticed that he dodged the first question.

"I'm happy to hear that. It is so good to see you!" she replied.

"And what am I?" comes a voice from behind her.

Clara goes over to Jack and gives him a big hug. He returns it with a bone-crushing one. "Chopped liver!" she responds, jokingly. "How was your trip?"

"It was fantastic," Jack responds, grinning at the reference he made to an old friend.

"You have to tell me all about it later," Clara says. Jack nods in reply. "Now, what the bloody hell happened while I was gone?!"

Sherlock answers her question, now from his usual chair across from John. "In short, John and I encountered a man named Culverton Smith, who tried to kill me but in the end got arrested. And, Jack walked in just a little while ago looking for you."

"So you two are back at it again, then?" Clara asks. Neither Sherlock nor John reply. The tension in the room is very awkward, especially between the two men. Even though John is back in 221B, maybe they still aren't completely alright?

Jack must have sensed the weird tension, because he said, "I should get back to the Diner now--it's getting late." And then he adds specifically to John, "It was a pleasure meeting you. Here is my number--give it a call sometime if you want to have some fun." He hands John a slip of paper Clara didn't know he had been holding, winks, and leaves.

John sits there a bit stunned. "Did he just... flirt with me?"

Clara suppresses a giggle with her hand, smirks, and nods. Sherlock rolls his eyes.

"But I'm not gay!" John exclaims and Sherlock mimics, making Clara laugh.

~

After a cup of tea that he didn't drink, John declares he has to go. "I have an appointment with my therapist in the morning," he says, which Sherlock pokes a bit of fun at.

"Alright, John. I hope to see you sometime soon." Clara hugs him goodbye while Sherlock sits in his chair, and John leaves.

Once John is gone, Clara sighs and sits down in the chair across from Sherlock. "It's got to be at least past midnight--we ought to get some sleep."

Sherlock closes his eyes and goes into his thinking position. "You go, I have some things I need to do before bed."

Clara stays silent in her chair for a bit. But then she sighs again and gets up. At least he is getting better, she thinks. Things will go one step at a time, I suppose. While leaving the room, she stops, then turns to Sherlock. "I'm glad to see that you're getting better," she says.

Sherlock nods.

"I love you," Clara says, waits, then turns and goes to bed.

Once she leaves the room, Sherlock responds quietly, "I love you, too."

~~~~~

I said I would update back in August I am so sorrryyyy!!!! T_T

WC: 848

13.10.17