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John and his sister have always had sibling rivalry, it was nothing new to him. It had started out young, the first time had been simple. He had recieved a new toy that Harry had wanted also, but having an earlier birthday he got his first.
Of course she didn't like that, that moment had sparked all of the jealousy in the entire world through her eyes from then on for whatever John got. She started to steal his toys as a young kid, or if she was caught she would break them.
Not to say that she wasn't punished, but it didn't stop her.
When he was unlucky enough to have her in the same school as him only few grades below him they were old enough to flirt and have crushes and friends of course. She would spread rumors occasionally, nothing terrible just about how John would wet his bed at night or something embarassing to make people embarassed to be seen with him.
Again it didn't always work, sometimes it did and sometimes it didn't. That was life. John was a quiet guy, he didn't complain much. Toys, well they were exactly that, toys, why would he complain about losing a toy when his parents were so kind to give him so many and he'd only lost one.
He was better at making friends too, while Harriet had maybe one or two, John would have a full blown five in any given school year. Though towards the end that would usually be cut in half due to her meddeling.
Yet again though he had to look on the bright side, he had friends, he wasn't friendless or then he might have gone a bit insane or angry. His good friends had stuck by him through the school years despite the occasional rumor that would dissapate in less than a month to be replaced with a new one about someone else.
This had only happened his last year of middle school, and then his Junior and Senior year of high school.
Which had been about the time both of them had really thought out and decided their sexual orientation. John had always been the more open one to many things, he didn't really care about gender as long as he liked the person.
Harriet, whether she was just saying this to be able to spite John or not, said she was the same. Despite having only dated and flirted with women in the high school years.
She was at it again though, she flirted and sometimes even dated John's crushes that she had heard about or just figured it out on her own. She did live with him after all, there were hints at who he liked.
So of course if she dated them John never could, that would make things way too awkward. Dating a sister and then dating her brother.
It didn't stop him from dating though, sometimes he was lucky to go on a date with someone he actually liked. Sometimes he would give someone a chance, or just have been lonely enough to give them a chance. Even sometimes those dates with random people had turned out to be good. But he never dated anyone for very long.
While John's life started flurishing after high school, Harriet's wasn't as great.
He had gone to college with good grades, on scholarships half of the time, he had become a Doctor in a number of years. Joined the army to help pay for the rest of his college that scholarships didn't pay for.
The army was just what he needed too, he got away from Harriet where she couldn't follow him, making new friends and feeling like he made a difference in the world. Even seeing the violence, blood, and death everyday when he was drafted into the war.
He'd been discharged when he was shot in the shoulder, against his wishes of course. Then all of the recent events had happened, meeting Sherlock Holmes and moving into a flat with him, going on cases, his psychosomatic limp had gone away from just the excitement he needed.
While all of that had happened, Harriet had flunked out of college because of her grades, she had started drinking way too much. But somehow managed to get married anyway to a nice girl John had met once or twice before the wedding named Clara.
It was only when he had returned from his duty in the wars that he had seen Harriet and talked for a very short time. He smelled the alcohol on her and refused to stay. She had announced she was getting a divorce and forced an old phone of hers on him to 'stay in touch'. He had left with the phone in hand but with no other words exchanged that day.
Since it had been a whole six months since he'd started living on Bakers Street he had not heard a word from her, and had not expected to hear from her in the least bit. So when she showed up knocking on the door one day he knew this couldn't be anything but of bad intentions.
His life was satisfying right now. He was getting used to civilian life thanks to Sherlock Holmes. They went on cases, shared company and ideas though most of his were disreguarded, shared a few laughs and scares together. Of course there were ups and downs, sometimes they laughed, sometimes he was mad because Sherlock just wasn't a normal person.
He knew that, there was no way around this man and how he was accept getting used to him. Strange as it was, he couldn't be any happier anywhere else than right here living in this flat with that weird sociopathic man.
Sometimes, there were tensions, romantic tensions. At least for him, they weren't that strong, it was like a crush. He wasn't about to act on them either out of both fear of knowing he'd be rejected and also the worry that he was just overreacting to someone who had helped him a lot in the past months.
He liked to think that Sherlock had some minor feelings for him too, he never expected it to show but that only helped that little glimmer of hope for the idea.
This was his happiness right now, all of this. The flat, their kind land lady that acted sometimes as house keeper, the cases, and most of all, Sherlock. He had caused all of it of course so he was the one John thanked most in his mind.
It made him smile thinking about the reaction he would get if he actually ever thanked the man outloud for these such ideas. He would probably get some long explanation of some sort, and maybe a bit of a laugh.
Without Harriet around he had been able to go on dates again too, though none of them were really lasting very long or more than just a few dates. Still it didn't bother him, they always complained about him being away so much or doing so much for his flatmate. So it didn't work out, what he did for Sherlock was just out of appreciation and thanks.
So when he woke up that morning to a knock on the door and answered seeing his sister on the doorstep, he was surprised. He didn't have a girl or boyfriend for her to steal, limited friends, not much stuff or even money at this point. His first thoughts were what could she attempt to steal from him this time?
At first his mind said, Nothing, I have nothing right now that she could want.
After thinking again though, a bit harder his mind realized, Sherlock.
It made him laugh a little inside though, she was going to have a tough time with this theivary.
Answering the door John didn't smile, but he didn't frown either. He just looked at his little sister with a blank sort of expression. "Hello Harriet."
She smiled. She had cleaned herself up today, her long dirty blond hair was curled and brushed through, she was wearing a normal clothes of a skirt and shirt. She didn't smell of alcohol meaning she hadn't drank any in at least a day or so and had been showering regularly to keep the smell off.
"John! So good to see you!" she said holding out a little seemingly home made pie to try to worm her way into the house obviously. "I um brought this for you, cause I know you like them." that meant it was cherry pie.
He forced a small smile, giving himself hope that maybe she really just wanted to reconcile and was getting better and not drinking, but deep down he knew better than that. He knew his sister.
He started with, "Yes ah come in, come in." he ushered her in and closed the door, leading her to the kitchen table to set the pie down. She right away walked into the living room and looked through everything nosily.
From the skull on the mantil to all of the scattered papers on Sherlock's desk, though she touched none of it. "So John, you don't keep in touch. I've been reading the local papers though. You're living with a man." she emphasized that part.
Giving a bitter chuckle he replied back, "Yes Harry. A maaan. Not like there's a big deal, he's my roommate. Nothing more. You'd understand if you met him." though he was hoping it wouldn't come to that. That she would be gone before Sherlock would return from checking out a new case to see if it interested him at all.
"I want to meet him." she blurted out. Well there went his little hope that she was going to leave soon and visit maybe another time when he could force Sherlock out of the house to avoid her yet again.
"No."
She gave him a weird look as she pushed her curly hair behind her neck, "You have almost never told me no before John. It makes me want to meet him so much more. I mean he must mean a great deal to you to say no to me of all people."
There was a long pause before she added, "I mean I got dressed and cleaned up all just so I could meet him without embarassing you."
"No, you can't meet him." he stood his ground.
She sort of pouted, though it wasn't cute, and he was amune to it's powers. She still insisted though, "I won't leave until I do."
Sighing he moved and sat down and grabbed the newspaper off of the floor he had been reading yesterday and not finished. "Fine." she seemed surprised again.
"Just like that? All I have to do is ask a few times? I have to say I'm dissapointed John, I thought you would put up more of a fight for your lover than this."
He started to laugh, he really was, that was just the weirdest conclusion that a lot of people came to for some reason. "Just flatmates Harry. I can't lose a lover to you if their not my lover." he said calmly with no worries.
Well he was worried, but not about Sherlock liking his sister, he was pretty much asexual and not interested in anything but his work. It had been one of the first things the man had said to him, that he was married to his work, that he wasn't interested in looking for a woman.
The worry was more for losing a friend, Harry was smart despite her drinking habits maybe destroying some of that or hiding it. There was always the possibility that if Sherlock found a friend better suited to his ideas, that was more willing and more quiet than John to do his little menial tasks that he might prefer them over him.
Oh yes there was worry, but not over losing a lover as his sister was insisting this was.
So they both sat, in silence. John read his paper and Harriet's eyes seemed fixed on the door waiting for a knock or for it to open.
Fourty five minutes later, it opened. With a familiar deep toned voice called, "No good John, boring as usual!" from the doorway as a sound of shoes being kicked off was heard.
"Maybe some company will keep you from being bored for now then." he said not putting his paper down.
As Sherlock walked into the room he looked into the kitchen for a split moment and then at the girl sitting down to the side, "Your sister's here." He announced as if John didn't know already.
Harriet quickly stood up and asked, "How did you know I was his sister?"
The answer came right away, he had been expecting it as most people always asked how he came up with these conclusions.
"Ah I'm glad you asked! You could only either be here for John or as a client. You can't be a client or you would be less cheery and more upset, dreary, crying even maybe. But no you've had a full nights sleep and you look very cleaned up and are infact, smiling. So you're here for John, if you were a date or a girlfriend I don't think he'd be ignoring you for the paper as much as he is right now and not even introduced you to me. So your relationship is strained right now, the only women that I know John is strained with is infact, his sister. You. Which is why you brought the pie over, one of John's favorites I'm assuming." he said taking in a breath after that long, very long explanation.
John could tell from the small expression on Harry's face he knew that she was not amused by being found out without being introduced or anything in the least. Her face quickly changed when Sherlock glanced at her, to a smile of brightness as she exclaimed with fakeness obvious in her voice, "Amazing!"
"I know." came Sherlock's voice right away, not thanking her for the compliment as usual for anyone.
John listened as the familiar footsteps, followed by the smaller ones of his sisters, into the kitchen onto the tiled floor. The sound of a knife cutting at the pie on the kitchen table, scraping against the bottom of the pan as a fresh slice of pie was cut and dug out onto a plate.
The young woman tried to start again to get noticed, "Oh you like cherry pie too then? I'm glad-" but then something made her stop, shut up, and stay that way.
He didn't know what it was until he felt the edge of a plate touching his shoulder. Putting his news paper down finally he looked over his shoulder to see his flatmate there just standing holding out the plate with a piece of pie ontop. Offering it to him.
The man said as John took the plate with a little nod meaning thanks, "I'm not a big fan of cherry pie myself, but I'm sure John will enjoy it enough for all of us." Was his way of saying that John liked it enough to eat the whole pie by himself.
Yet again Harriet's face seemed to drop and look a bit irritated, "Well..." she ground out, "Maybe you could tel me what you do like so I could bring it over next time."
"Pumpkin pie." he said simply.
"Pumpkin it is next time then!" she clapped her hands together once in a clasp.
"So you plan to be visiting quite a bit do you?" Sherlock asked her leaning against the back of the chair that John was sitting in.
The blond girl nodded, "I do, I'd like to see my brother more since he doesn't call, text or visit me. And maybe see you more often too." she said suggestively which didn't seem to register in the man's mind at all.
John was finally fed up with that comment and stood up with the piece of pie in his hand still, "...Harry I think it's time you go for now. You can visit again tomorrow." *he said nudging her towards the door. Which she gave a good bye to them both and John said, "Bye!" quickly and closed and locked the door.
Walking back into the main room he saw eyes staring back at him and mumbled, "What?" quickly asked.
"Nothing just that you threw your sister out like an old rag." he said not really caring emotionally about it but curious none the less. "You were worried about her staying, why?"
"Leave it alone Sherlock. Or I won't get anything on your shopping list in a few days." he threatened picking up his newspaper again after taking the final bite of his piece of pie. Even if he wasn't happy with his sister, she still made good cherry pie.
"I will, for now. But I'm sure you'll spill if she keeps visiting. You're worried about something, I can tell. So if you're upset with her, why do you still eat the food she brought you?" he asked again sort of curiously, "You just can't not eat it, is that it?" he guessed correctly.
The blond man stood up and said, "I'm going to be in my room until I go to bed, good night." it wasn't said angrily but it was obvious he didn't really want to be bothered or spoken to currently as he left for his room upstairs.
As promised Harriet had kept visiting. Most of the time she barely even spoke to John unless they were left alone or if he was somehow included into the conversation. She really was working all of her intentions on Sherlock.
Normally it was the consulting detective that included him into the conversations now.
John was so amused mostly by the fact that Sherlock wasn't that irritated with his sister. He wasn't kind to her particularly though either. He seemed to just be dealing with her. He listened, or pretended to listen, to her.
He corrected her when she was wrong, spoke how he spoke to everyone with a certain rudeness to his voice like they were idiots. John had to wonder if Sherlock realized that she was just listening because she wanted something, or if he thought she really wanted to listen.
One day, a few weeks later after Harriet had started to visit. She spoke out finally asking what John knew she had been waiting to blurt out from day one.
"Sherlock would you go on a date with me?"
John's heart was pounding a bit fast, waiting to hear the answer himself. What would the great Sherlock Holmes say to an invite on a date? He had really never heard anyone invite him out before and somehow he thought it had to do with everyone they met always believing that him and Sherlock were a couple.
"I've got a previous engagement already scheduled later."
What? Why didn't even John know about this? Usually he knew pretty much anywhere his partner would go. Since he was either off investigating a case, which he was usually updated on at every step. Or..with him.
The man didn't do dates, John did all of the shopping, they didn't own a car so there was no fixing or taking that anywhere. So both of the Watson's quickly asked almost simaltaneously, "What?" Then they quickly looked at each other and then back to Sherlock.
Sherlock seemed to be more looking at Harriet when he said, "It's true. I've had this planned for a few days now."
It was easy enough to say that not getting her way today, Harry left only a bit later. Leaving John to ask, "What could you possibly be doing later today that I don't know about?" There was no answer, since when did Sherlock Holmes not have something to say?
"Let's go out for lunch today." the man suggested and for a moment it took John abit to realize what was going on here. Before he gave Sherlock a sort of 'are you kidding me' look.
"You turned my sister down because you were planning on going out to eat with me?"
"Are you going to complain John?"
"...No."
Seems that Sherlock had made his choice long ago before even having met Harriet Watson.
"I told you I'm not looking for a woman. As for men, I already have you John." he sighed as if that should all be obvious already.
"What so this is a date after all?" he really meant that more of a joke but he got a serious answer back.
"If you'd like it to be."
After John's and Sherlock's first date there were no hugs, hand holding, making out or even a regular good night kiss on the lips at the front door.
There was though, a simple good nights chaste kiss pressed to John's forehead before there was a quiet, "Good night." and they parted ways for their bedrooms.