Untitled (Johnlock)

Chapter 2: Mornings are for tea and contemplation

(A/N: the title of this chapter is an edited Stranger Things quote, but it seemed fitting)

(Sherlock's pov)

The killer had made the headlines again, and John had been reading the papers. Up until then, we had been having a quiet morning in. John and I were settled in on our respective chairs, him with the paper, and me with my tea. Mornings were my thinking times. It's how I best start off my days. Tea, thinking, and the blissful quiet.

"Sherlock?" John had looked up from his paper. So much for quiet. He looked a little concerned, probably something small was bothering him. Maybe someone had been kidnapped. Kidnappings were not the most exciting, but it would do until we got a bigger case.

I looked up from the rim of his teacup I had been studying. "What is it this time? A lost puppy? Or, no, maybe the Minister has locked himself out of his flat?"

John scowled at me, and pointedly threw the newspaper at my feet. "Here. See for yourself."

I glanced down at the crumpled-up paper on the floor. It was upside down, but I could still make out the headline. "The ghost killer? Really, John? We've been over this already"

John leaned forward in his chair "No, you've been over this. I choose not to listen."

Folding my arms, I leaned backwards. Hopefully that would convey my message to piss off. John didn't seem to understand this though. I glared at him. That should be an unmistakable signal to him. "Well, I'm not doing it. It's a stupid case. Even the Yard should be able to figure this one out by themselves."

"It's not a stupid case!" John threw up his hands in what I could only perceive as annoyance. "Three people have been killed already, and God knows how many more will die!"

"Death is only a state of passage from this world-"

"Yes, but some people actually tend to find that passage difficult, Sherlock. Especially if it's their loved ones." He leaned forward, a bit too close. I could see that he hadn't slept well last night, and he had snuck downstairs for a biscuit early this morning, and he-

"Sherlock, are you even listening to me?" John asked.

Damn. He must have asked me something. In these moments, it was better to be honest. Lying didn't go over well with John. "No.. I was thinking."

He sighed, picked up the newspaper, and returned to his chair. "I just wanted you to consider it. People are being killed, and it would be nice if you thought about that for a change."

I frowned. I think about people getting killed all the time. It was practically a hobby for me at this point, like Ms. Hudson and her tea, or John with his blog. Really, when do I not think about murder?

...

(John's pov)

I'm not going to lie, sometimes Sherlock could be a bit much. Really, people were dying. I just wish he'd be able to understand that it was an issue. I wish he could see past the idea of a case. But that's Sherlock for you. He can be so distant sometimes; you could almost forget he's human. Maybe that's why I try so hard with him.

People just see him as how he is on the case: cold, unconcerned, and heartless. Yes, he's like that sometimes, but not all of the time. He's a good person, really, he just has issues when it comes to human interaction.

I've managed to mostly break him out of his shell. He smiles around me, eats more, and even apologizes for himself now. It's a big improvement. But that's only around me, really. The rest of the time, he slips back into his old self. Needless to say, it doesn't give off a great first impression. Maybe if he showed that he cared about the "boring" cases, people would reconsider. Maybe they could see how hard he's trying to be human. 

[A/N: It was short. I don't really like it when people do time progressions mid chapter, so I'll leave that for next time. Hope you're having a lovely day!]