Into the Night - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

[ihadabadday]

Sex sold. It could be seen in marketing for businesses across all sorts of industries.

And for John Watson, his business was booming.

He worked out of a club in London that catered to certain... Tastes. Men and women who looked to dominate someone sexually. Some would look down on a man having that job, scoffing. Sex work was legal though. But those who were interested in BDSM, found sex workers to be lacking.

John was sitting at a bar at the club he usually worked out of, nursing a soda. He rarely drank when he was working, preferring to stay sober.

He looked around the room, seeing if there was anyone who caught his interest tonight.

Comments

[ihadabadday]

John looked up and smiled at Sherlock. "Water for tea is warm and your breakfast is in the oven to keep warm." He answered before taking a sip of his tea.

"The bar was my job. After I quit, I saw some clients here and there. Private practice always brings in more money."

[seaweed_writes]

Tea first, Sherlock decided. He needed some caffeine. He made himself a nice strong cup, with plenty of sugar, and then pulled the plate out of the oven, sitting down at his kitchen table.

"I didn't even know I had all these ingredients in my house." He admitted, taking a bite and a sip. He was a bachelor, and never actually made much of anything. "Did I have all of this, or did you go shopping?"

[ihadabadday]

John watched and smiled at him. "I went out and got it. Figured we both needed a decent meal after last night." He pointed out.

He finished his tea and then got up to make himself another cup. The scars along his body could be seen better in the light of the day.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock stopped in mid bite, his fork still wavering in the air in front of him. He reached out, touching John as he brushed past to get more tea.

"What.. happened?" He asked in a low, almost breathy whisper.

[ihadabadday]

John paused and looked at Sherlock. "I was a soldier. I suffer PTSD..." He said, "My time in Afghanistan was not a happy one."

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock put his fork down and stood up, not caring that his sheet was falling off of him.
He stood in front of John and leaned down, kissing the site of the wound, gently, layering soft kisses and lightest of licks upon it.

"My brave, brave soldier." He said softly, giving it one more kiss before looking into John's eyes. He knew the man wouldn't want to talk about it, and he would never pry. He may open up about it in the future, and if he did, Sherlock would be ready to listen. But for now, he hoped that this was enough.

[ihadabadday]

John raised his head to look at Sherlock. He smiled at him and reached up to stroke his cheek. "Thank you." he said before kissing him back.

He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready. But knowing the offer was there... It meant so much to him.

[seaweed_writes]

He hummed into the kiss, then gathered his sheet (as best he could, at least letting it pool around his waist as he sat down) and continued on with his breakfast. There was a little bit of an awkward air, Sherlock wasn't really sure what to say after that, so he just ate in a companionable silence.

[ihadabadday]

John looked at Sherlock for a moment before he moved to start to clean up the mess that he had made with breakfast. His mind was wandering... Thinking about the should, coulda, wouldas... He set the sponge down and looked out the window over the sink.

[seaweed_writes]

He noticed that John's mind seemed a million miles away. He got up, not caring about his sheet this time, he stepped out of it and walked up behind John, wrapping his arms around the man's waist, kissing his neck gently, not sexually, but in a comforting way.

"John." He said simply, not even sure what else to say, He was content to be there for the man.

[ihadabadday]

He tensed at the touch before relaxing back, letting out a breath. John sighed and reminded himself that this was Sherlock. Sherlock was safe. He brought a hand up and put it over Sherlock's. He closed his eyes, not saying anything. He wasn't sure how well the man would take to hearing what had happened to him when he had been kidnapped by the enemy soldiers.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock was silent, he let John linger there, with his hand over his for as long as he needed to. To some, it would seem an oppressive silence, but to Sherlock, it was comfortable, a comfortable, domestic silence, that they could share together.

[ihadabadday]

"I was a POW for three months." John said after a moment. He let out a breath, not looking at Sherlock. He stared down at the sink, hand gripping Sherlock's tightly. He swallowed.

"I was grabbed because I'm a doctor. They wanted me to fix someone. I couldn't save him." No matter who it was, John was always the doctor.

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock nodded his head, to show John that he was listening, but he stayed quiet, letting John continue in his own time, if he wanted to. There were a lot of questions that Sherlock wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut and continued with the physical contact. If John wanted to stop there, that was fine, Sherlock would never press him for more.

[ihadabadday]

He couldn't bring himself to say anything more. He just closed his eyes and hung onto Sherlock. John swallowed and let out a breath.

The memories flooded and he couldn't help but start to buckle in Sherlock's arms.

[seaweed_writes]

"John!" Sherlock grabbed John around the waist and helps, or really more drags him to one of the kitchen chairs, and gets him settled in it. He would have preferred the bedroom, but there was no way he could have carried John that distance, so the kitchen would have to do.

"Stay here." He ran off to the loo and wet a flannel with cool water, then came back and put it on his forehead "Just close your eyes if you are feeling dizzy or nauseous, it should pass soon." He really had no idea what else to do, John was the doctor.. well, former doctor.

[ihadabadday]

John closed his eyes, relaxing back against the chair. He had not intended to collapse like that. He brought a hand up and pressed the cloth to his forehead.

He took deep breath, trying to steady himself.

[seaweed_writes]

"Stay there as long as you need." Sherlock moved away again, making a glass of water. He put it up to John's lips. "Here, try to drink a little bit. Just sip, slowly." He had no ides if what he was saying made any sense medically, but it seemed to be what he heard about and what he saw in movies and crap telly, so it must have some basis of truth, right?

[ihadabadday]

"Hey. I'm fine. It was just an overload of things." John put his hand on Sherlock's arm.

"I promise."

[seaweed_writes]

"Alright." Sherlock put the glass down on the table, so John could get to it when he needed to." He cleaned up the kitchen, letting John relax, so he could get back to himself again.

It didn't take long to clean the dishes. He made a couple of cups of tea and put one next to the glass of water, in case he wanted it, and he sat next to John, trying not to let his worry bleed through.

[ihadabadday]

John took the tea and held it in his hands.

"His name was James Sholto. He was my superior officer." He started. John as red to get it all out there. Any dirty laundry. Anything.

"It was a mutual dominant, submissive relationship. He was the dominant. And not because he was my CO. But because I wanted it that way. Eventually I was transferred to another company. He was killed in a bombing, with his entire company two weeks later."

[seaweed_writes]

Sherlock nodded softly. He was quiet for a moment before he looked at John. "Victor Trevor." We were at Uni together. I found him at a party, we were both drunk, and I tied him up, blindfolded him, and then fucked him until he was screaming to let him come." He closed his eyes. "Drunk driver, ironically. Just before we were both set to graduate. We were going to move in together."

[ihadabadday]

John swallowed and then reached out to touch Sherlock's hand. He rubbed his thumb over back of his hand and then shifted and leaned in to kiss him.

"Thank you for telling me." He told him.

[seaweed_writes]

"And you as well, for sharing yours." He kissed John back, long, but chaste.

There was a bit of silence between them.. Not uncomfortable, but heavy. They needed to change the subject, to do something else.

"We could take a walk in the park. The leaves are starting to come back into bloom." He wasn't really one for people watching, at all, but he had no idea what else to suggest tht they do.

[ihadabadday]

John smiled at that and nodded. "Yes. I think that would be good."

He stood up and held out his hands to Sherlock after setting down his tea