Secrets [Johnlock]

9: Recommendations

It was a dull day in 221B, with the traffic almost non-existant and not a single person strolling down the street. Sherlock had deemed it a good enough day to sort through his mind palace, filtering his knowledge and preparing to void any unnecessary files, such as phone numbers, addresses or names of previous cases to create more space for useful information. He wouldn't be needing them again.

The vacant flat had clearly proved beneficial to John as well as he seemed incredibly relaxed, slumped in his chair with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits next to him, a book clasped in his hands. Judging from the condition of the book, it was new. And from the cover, it was only opened today. Therefore, the few hours of peace had allowed him to begin his new book, and he was already at least two hundred and fifty pages in from a glance. The blogger could easily become immersed in a good book, taken to other worlds and only brought back to reality when he had finished it. Even then, it could take a while to fully adjust, as the events that had occurred in the pages seemed better than the ordinary tasks that usually consisted of milk, or a lack thereof.

Sherlock subtly turned around, his head now resting against the other arm of the sofa. The immersed man hadn't noticed this and so the detective could investigate. He took a photo in his mind of the cover, reading the title and realising that, unsurprisingly, he had not read it. That will be changed soon.

~

Another day had passed and John had finished his book, returning it to the bookcase and leaving to do the weekly shop. As far as he was aware, Sherlock was still experimenting with his bag of thumbs and wouldn't move for at least three hours. So, this was the perfect time to leave the flat, especially as he had offered to do Mrs Hudson's shopping simultaneously to save her hip and would take considerably longer looking for specific items.

The consulting detective immediately jumped up at the sound of the front door clicking shut and rushed to the bookshelf, memorising exactly where the novel had been placed in order to return it without suspicion. He then read the blurb, predicting that it would indeed be a worthwhile read, and sat in his chair, turning to the first page.

Four and a half hours later, John crashed into 221B with bags of shopping weighing him down.

"Why haven't you finished that by now?" He started, annoyed at the lack of space for the groceries. "You're normally quite quick with body parts."

"Some experiments take time." Sherlock replied flatly, not looking up. The doctor shuffled around him, opening cupboards quietly and wrestling to fit a jar of jam on the top shelf of the fridge. He received no help, having to squeeze between the chair and sideboard to put away the tea bags.

"John...?"

"Yes, Sherlock?"

"I have a joke for you."

"Go on, then."

"I think it's rather relatable, seeing as you're a doctor. Why is the Hobbit doctor always angry?"

"I don't know, why?"

"He has very little patients."

A quiet chuckle was let out from behind him and he smiled knowing that the joke had been successful. Perhaps having common interests in literature would prove beneficial...

~

John shuffled downstairs and into the living room the next morning, taking the newspaper from the table and collapsing into his chair after tying his dressing gown around him and crossing a leg over the other.

"You're like Bilbo, John."

"What makes you say that?" He called back, still fixed on a riveting article about sugar tax.

"You're short, have oddly large feet, you walk around barefoot, you appreciate a good pint and the comforts of your home. You're heroic as a result of your ethics and you don't like missing dinner. You're a hobbit."

"How'd you know all that about him?"

"I've read The Hobbit, John."

A few moments of silence passed due to John's disbelief and shock before he spoke again.

"Are you calling me a hero?"

"I'd say you have heroic features, yes. You're slightly witty, though not overly intelligent-"

"Sherlock..."

"But... you do act quickly to save friends and use your bravery to act heroically. You also accept the quests I give you when we have a case."

It was this conversion that plastered a smile on John's face for weeks, which in turn plastered one on Sherlock's. It was this impact that made Sherlock swear to read every book read by John from cover to cover as soon as he had finished them, in order to find a relatable compliment and discuss key events that would leave him pleased until he read another one. This would also give them more to talk about, meaning that more common interests would be discovered and they wouldn't always have to talk about John's tedious blog. However, this would be Sherlock's little secret, a little way of impressing his doctor that he would never find out...