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Waiting for John

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Sherlock hadn’t been happy about it, of course. John – his John – off in the wide, wide, world alone? Without him? At war? He didn’t like it at all. But John had given him that look and of course he’d sulked but in the end John Watson went to war without Sherlock Holmes.

“Just one more month,” John says over the webcam link he’s been allowed. He’s dressed in his uniform and there’s a bit of shaving cream near his ear and he looks so familiar it hurts. “Come on Sherlock, you can wait that long, yeah?”

“No.” He’s sulking. He wants to be able to brush that bit of cream away but he won’t mention it because then John will just look amused and affectionate at his attention to detail and then Sherlock won’t be able to keep his sulk up properly. “I’m going to start smoking.”

“You won’t,” John says and laughs just a little. The screen turns all pixelated for a moment and ruins Sherlock’s brief flare of happiness at hearing his partner’s laughter. “I’ve got to go now, alright? I’ll be home soon.”

“I’ll take up heroin!” he declares loudly when John starts to leave but John just shakes his head and mouths ‘I love you too’ and completely ignores his very serious (not at all serious) declaration.

When Lestrade calls him with a case the next day, he’s disturbed to note that he’s less cutting than normal. He agrees without calling the DI any names and only sneers once at Sally Donovan calling him “Freak.”

It’s all John’s fault. If John wasn’t gone he wouldn’t be so ridiculously pleased after a mere ten minute, low-quality video conversation. He makes sure to be excruciatingly cutting when he delivers his findings the next day (the father did it, he’s meticulous about his ties and the stepson was strangled with a very precise knot). Lestrade looks like he’s disappointed but resigned which is the way Sherlock prefers him and he departs to his lonely flat with the neighbours next door who have screaming matches every night at two in the morning.

He cannot wait to move into the flat he’d picked out on Baker Street the moment John returns. He’s thankful that Mrs. Hudson is willing to hold it empty for them.