A Photo Of John

Chapter 1

Quck note: I am the same author who wrote the story " A Photo Of John" on fanfiction.net, which grew insanely popular with 152 reviews and over 30,000 views total. This is my intelectual property and may be only translated with my permission. Enjoy!

John walked into Sherlock's room on a humid Saturday morning, he had asked John to fetch his notebook from his room. John was undoubtedly surprised that he would leave it there; he was never there, only to sleep when absolutely necessary. He entered and decided to look around for a little bit, he wouldn't get another chance. He saw it before when he threw him in bed but that was about it. Everything was organized thoughtfully and there were a few stray papers lying across the rug. A few old dusty chemistry textbooks he probably already memorized. Nothing particularly juicy, so he grabbed the notebook on his way out the door. But then he caught something out of the corner of his eye in Sherlock's coat laid out on the bed. A small slip of something white but slightly browned from either age or a coffee stain hanging out of his pocket.

John softly smiled and carefully pulled up the slip of paper. It was a tea stain; the paper was wrinkled and crumpled as if it had seen many hard days. "I'm sure it had if it was traveling with Sherlock" he quietly concluded. He squinted at the tiny, carelessly scrawled writing. It read "John, 2013 – Never Forget", John was puzzled, what did it mean? He flipped it over and was greeted with a photograph that made his cheeks flush scarlet. It wasn't anything he expected to see, especially in Sherlock's coat of all people! It was an image of John, sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were rumbled and he had a small food stain on the corner of his mouth. Something he wanted to forget immediately! Why did he keep the picture for so long? Why did he tell himself to "never forget" it? Why did he even have it in the first place?

He decided to risk being caught for snooping to find out what it meant. He marched out the door, leaving it swinging slightly with the photo grasped in one hand and his notebook in the other. Sherlock was at his desk , obviously in his mind palace with his hands under his chin and his lack of acknowledgement. John walked over next to him and forcefully tossed the notebook in front of him and stood, foot tapping. Sherlock eventually turned and looked quizzically up at John, holding out the wrinkled picture. " Sherlock, what the hell is this?"

"That is a picture of you"

" Tell me the bloody truth Sherlock!"

" I don't know what you're talking about"

John tried to stay calm. " Why does it say never forget on the back?"

Sherlock sighed, exasperated. " Blackmail John."

"WHAT?!"

" Are you really that dim? I needed the picture to use if you didn't comply to an important decision or event I needed you for. It's certainly embarrassing enough. I mean, look at your hair!"

John grew silent and rosy in the cheeks. "Here, take it back. I was hoping-"

" hoping what John?"

John threw the photograph onto the table. " I was hoping that maybe... you know what? No. It doesn't matter anyways. You wouldn't understand."

John turned and briskly walked away when that low baritone voice struck through the silence.

"If you do not wish to feel further disappointment then I suggest you stop intruding on my personal belongings John."

When John turned around Sherlock swore he saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes before John turned and stalked into his room and slammed the door.

John collapsed onto his bed and held his head in his hands. What was he expecting anyways? Sentiment? Attachment? No, it was just confirmation that he was just like everyone else. He felt foolish for going through his things and making a spectacle of himself. John buried his face in his pillow and tried to forget it ever happened.

Sherlock picked up the picture, the one thing John failed to notice was his smile. John had a beautiful, wispy smile, full of contentment when he took it, unlike any other. The reason he kept it and vowed to never forget was because he wanted to remember that he had something to live for. It kept him off of drugs. It stopped his thoughts of suicide. The photo saved his life countless times and John had no idea. Sherlock smiled. He hadn't smiled in weeks.