Skinny Love: A Johnlock Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven

"When you are hurt I wanna be hurting too. I want to feel just like you. They say it's not worth the pain, but we both know we'd do it a thousand times again." ~'Young Boys' by Sin Fang

Sherlock

The gentle awareness of a presence woke him up. It was an uncertain sort of awake, so much so that Sherlock questioned if he was still dreaming. Because when he opened his eyes, John was so close.

It wasn't unusual for Sherlock to see John's face like this. He had a habit of leaning in when he talked to John. He didn't know if it was his subconscious or just an unexplained behavioral tick of his.

But waking up to him was an entirely new experience.

A small, irrational part of his mind believed he was back at the flat, curled up next to John in his bed. The kind of silly things he'd seen on the telly; waking up just in time to look into the other's eyes. The shy smile, the giddy giggle, the morning-breath kisses. That kind of waking up seemed so foolish and extraordinary that Sherlock faintly wondered if it could really happen.

Then the fog cleared around his vision, and reality became apparent. He was in a coffee-colored room that smelled of cinnamon and cleaning chemicals. John was, in fact, kneeling beside him. And Sherlock had passed out in John's arms earlier after being overcome by emotion. The sheer reminder made his insides twist with humiliation.

"Hey," John's voice was unusually soft.

"Hey," Sherlock tried to say, but it came out as a croak. He cleared his throat. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" John asked. "You look like you're going to have a heart attack."

"No, no I'm fine," Sherlock lied. "I will not to die on you anytime soon."

John smiled with closed lips. It was tight and looked almost painful. Sherlock had no idea why.

"I have to tell you something," John said, leaning back on his heels. "You aren't going to come here anymore."

"Really?" Sherlock sat up quickly, but immediately regretted it as stars flashed across his vision. He held his head and winced.

"Hold on, there's more," John said, gently pushing Sherlock back down. "I'm going to take care of you now."

"You?" Sherlock felt something stir in his chest. "Why would you-?"

"Dan can't do it, apparently," John sighed. "So I suppose I'm the only one that can handle you."

"Handle me?" Sherlock snorted. "What am I, some animal?"

John let out a light laugh. "Good. I see that fall didn't do much to your attitude."

"Yes, that," Sherlock winced. "I'm really... I..."

"It's ok," John said. "Your blood pressure was low. In fact," he paused and turned around to grab something behind him, "You should drink this." He held up a strangely-shaped bottle with a image of milk on the front.

"You want me to drink milk?" Sherlock asked skeptically.

"It's a protein shake," John said, shaking it half-heartedly. "Dan told me you should drink it."

"But-"

"Drink it," John repeated, his face stern and serious. Sherlock could almost see him in uniform on the battlefield. It was an unusually stimulating image.

"Alright," Sherlock grumbled, ignoring his ridiculous fantasies. He took the bottle and cracked off the top. Scrunching his eyes shut, he downed the drink.

"Oh my god!" Sherlock gagged once the taste finally reached his taste buds. "This tastes like chalk and horse shit!"

"Here's to hoping you've never tasted that," John chuckled weakly. He noticed Sherlock's grimace and narrowed his eyes. "But you have to finish it, or else Dan might hunt me down."

Sherlock scowled, but continued to force down the drink. He wanted to leave the clinic and get back to the flat. He wanted to go home with John.

The rain had stopped by the time they walked outside. The sun shone through the clouds, casting speckles through the trees lining the road. The pavement looked like black ink that was spilt across an artist's desk. A teasing breeze tugged at Sherlock's hair and sent a shiver down his spine. A cold London winter seemed just around the corner.

Sherlock turned to John, but his flatmate was looking across the road. Sherlock followed his gaze to two young boys in raincoats and rubber boots splashing in puddles. They giggled wildly as they covered eachother in dirty rain water.

"What is it?" Sherlock asked.

"Nothing," John shook his head quickly and looked away. "Let's go."

John

He couldn't believe they had been in the flat just this morning. The living room seemed to sigh when they walked in, like it had been waiting for them to come home. John let out a content sigh in return as he slipped off his damp jacket.

Sherlock threw off his trenchcoat and collapsed facedown on the sofa. John couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's familiar antics.

"A cuppa?" John asked as he walked into the kitchen.

A groan emitted from the cushions.

"I'll take that as a yes," John said, and proceeded to make two cups of tea. For a moment life seemed familiar and comfortable. A sulky detective and his blogger. The anorexic patient and his caretaker was nothing more than an identity they could shed like wet clothes.

"Here you go," John said, placing Sherlock's steaming mug on the coffee table. A mess of curly hair poked out of the cushions.

"I don't want those," Sherlock pointed at the biscuits John had placed in the saucer.

"Why not?"

"I'm not hungry."

And with those three words, John suddenly felt heavy with the weight of his new job.

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A/N: I'M BACH *furious classical music*

So I know what you're thinking: Why did I wait a month for this little boring chapter?

Well you know what? It's called rising action. Ya, that's right: there's gonna be a CLIMAX. And it will break your heart.

That being said, the story is about to get pretty angsty. So if you've been reading purely for the sassafras that was last chapter, I suggest you abandon ship (cuz this ship is headed for a storm).

Stupid threats aside, thank you for the committed (and often terrifying) following to this story. Y'all make me proud *tear rolls down cheek*.

Farewell for now, my brethren! ~Meg

P.S. The pic attached is from tumblr, and I thought it fit well with a few chapters ago (Speaking of tumblr, I finally got one! My URL is obviouslyobsessive. Fitting, huh?)