Conflicted

xStarletx

Synopsis: Sherlock is determined to figure out why John is acting so strange but he doesn't like his findings, or his reaction to the situation. Does this mean that Sherlock Holmes may fancy his flatmate?

I don't own any of the Characters.

The smoke cleared and Sherlock smiled smugly at the broken beaker. As he predicted the two compounds when combined – exploded. This could be the key to his case.

As Sherlock was mentally filing the information into his flatmate came into the kitchen. John was wearing, what one would assume were casual clothes, but Sherlock knew better. The jeans were a brand name, the cut was tapered and tight unlike his baggier more comfy jeans. He was wearing that ugly brown tweed blazer he thought made him look dapper and Sherlock could smell the expensive aftershave that was a gift from his sister but he rarely used. If he had to guess he'd say that John had a date, but he seemed fancier then he usual did when going out with Sarah.

Curious.

John glanced at him as he fiddled with the watch he was attempting to put on his wrist. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Sherlock waved a hand through the smoke, dissipating it. "Nothing," he said quickly, "Where are you going?"

"Out," John answered hurriedly.

"On a date?"

"No, just out!" he snapped. He was getting more agitated with Sherlock by the second, it sort of seemed that John was hiding something from him. The idea that John may be avoiding him was rather irksome. "Look I have to go, try to not blowup the flat while I'm gone."

Sherlock scowled at the comment, it wasn't that Sherlock was that incompetent, he wasn't often causing things to explode unless that was the desired intent, but John was often spouting such nonsense when Sherlock was experimenting. He watched John leave and listened to his footsteps on the stairs, counting each one until the door opened and shut. Instantly Sherlock was on his feet. He ripped his coat off the chair he had discarded it on earlier before rushing down the stairs. "Don't wait up Mrs. Hudson!" he called as he rushed out the door.

He paused scanning the crowd for John and found a familiar head of blonde hair turning the corner. Now Sherlock had never really had friends, he never had the social graces to interact with the simpler minded people in a normal fashion. Still he was somewhat aware that following his flatmate was not considered socially acceptable, but he couldn't stop now. He just had to know why John Watson felt the need to lie to him about where he was going.

If John knew Sherlock was following him he showed no inclination. This meant that John either hadn't noticed Sherlock, the ever watchful ten steps behind him, or he didn't care. Sherlock was inclined to assume that it was the former.

John had led him to a small restaurant. The menu was pricey and the venue was dimly lit with candles abundant on the tables. This was the kind of place that John often frequented in hopes of impressing his mate. Perfect for a date, he would say. Sherlock waited a half-hour before initiating step two of his plan.

By now John's date should have arrived, they most likely should have ordered by now. If Sherlock was right, one pass by the window and he could see what or who John was hiding from him.

As Sherlock walked by, he tried to keep his head tucked to his chest, but as he looked into the window he found himself taking a step back in astonishment. He froze as he recognized the woman in the little red dress who was laughing and smiling across from John. Sherlock had assumed that John was stepping out on Sarah; he had expected that there was another woman, but he never expected to see John with Molly Hooper.

Regaining his faculties, Sherlock walked quickly forward, rushing away from the window before they noticed him. He was suddenly angry. Why had John felt the need to hide this relationship? In fact why did it bother Sherlock that John was with Molly?

As Sherlock walked the desolate London back streets, he pondered upon the curious reaction he was having to this situation. First he was concerned – how had he missed this development?

Thinking on it now the signs were obvious, he had missed them only because he had shrugged them off as illogical. It had all started a month ago. Sherlock and John had been together in Molly's lab when Sherlock had said something dismissing to her and she flew into a sobbing fit and ran out of the lab. John had chased after her quickly, after shooting a dirty look and disgruntled snort in his general direction. Sherlock had watched the interchange for only a brief moment before his lab results were ready and then he was too preoccupied with the results of his case to worry about Molly Hooper and her unstable emotional state.

After that John had started bringing coffee for Molly when Sherlock used her lab at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Suddenly Molly was disinterested in him, she had always been infatuated but Sherlock had assumed that she realized that he wasn't interested in her, it had honestly been a godsend. Then John had started going out more often, he stopped bringing Sarah up to the flat, but generally he avoided bringing her anywhere near Sherlock so he had dismissed that. John was very rarely home, in fact Sherlock wouldn't have been surprised if John had taken up the habit of sleeping somewhere else in fear that his flat mate might blow up the house.

That week however, John and Molly had been acting weird. They had been giggling and smiling secretly at one another. There was coquettish blinking whenever Molly caught sight of John, and John had a bashful demeanor whenever he was in Molly's vicinity. John was constantly smiling at texts he received but refused to let Sherlock read them. Molly had started wearing make-up and curling her plain brownish-red hair. Honestly he was very surprised he missed it.

Then there was the bigger problem. Sherlock wasn't sure what it was that bothered him most. On one hand Molly had always been infatuated with him and he didn't seem to keen on sharing her attention. He was just so very upset that she had found a replacement for him, and this wasn't another Jim, she wasn't trying to make Sherlock jealous. She had moved on from Sherlock and it seemed that he didn't like that. He didn't like that Molly had moved on from him with John, and how could John betray him like that? Wasn't there some honorary flatmate code that said one did not encroach on another's girl? Even if Sherlock had made it clear that he had no interest in Molly before. John should have sensed that Sherlock was conflicted even if Sherlock had no idea.

On the other hand he wasn't too happy Molly had gotten her hooks into John He definitely didn't want to share him with, well, anyone. He had always half resented Sarah because she was taking up all of John's time with Sherlock. He liked having his flatmate around, Sarah had been a hindrance. But John was with Molly now, which meant that she would be taking up John's time. This was quite the dilemma

When Sherlock finally stopped walking he looked up and found himself back at 221B Baker Street, the flat he comfortably shared with John. He felt the same warmth that enveloped him whenever John was around him and he realized then that he knew all along why he was upset. How the hell had this happened? How had the ever-observant Sherlock failed to notice, when looking back now it was as plain as daylight? Sherlock didn't want to share John because in his mind John was his. There was a very dangerous possibility that Sherlock was in love with John Watson.

John returned late that night. He didn't bother trudging quietly up the stairs. Sherlock was no doubt awake relying on his insomnia to wreak havoc up on the apartment or the Metropolitan Police Services. He walked through the door and threw his keys on the coffee table. He found Sherlock alone in the dark, in his favourite chair, his hands holding his head, his thin fingers in his curly dark brown hair. John's eyebrows furrowed together. "What's wrong?" he asked. He looked about the room, had an experiment failed horribly?

Sherlock's head jerked up. He inhaled sharply while leaning back, John could have sworn he was watching Sherlock draw up the emotional walls around himself. In a matter of seconds he was looking at the normal cocky Sherlock once again. "Nothing," he said. "How was your date with Molly?"

John paused in taking off his jacket. "How did you now was - you know what I forget I asked," he said, shaking his head. He stripped off his coat. "It was as good as a fourth date could be."

John noted a small twitch on Sherlock's face. For half a second that knowing smile cracked. "Will you be seeing her again?"

"Undoubtedly whenever you need to borrow her lab equipment," John said with a cheeky smile. He draped his jacket on the couch in a careful and smooth motion. Sherlock had never been this interested in his romances before. Something was up.

Sherlock leaned forward quickly. "I meant if you would be taking her out on another date," Sherlock snapped.

"I know what you meant."

"Well, are you?" Sherlock challenged.

For a moment John and Sherlock stared at one another. There was a gleam in Sherlock's blue eyes that John sort of recognizes. If John didn't know any better he would have said Sherlock was scared. What could have scared the great Sherlock Holmes?

"Probably not," John whispered tearing his eyes away from Sherlock's. "I think she's still holding a torch for you."

He watched Sherlock's shoulder's relax, as if a heavy weight had been taking off of them. "Well alright then," he said seemingly happy with the answer John had given him.

"Well good night Sherlock," John murmured, leaving before he could say anything too embarrassing to him. For a minute John thought that Sherlock was jealous, that maybe Sherlock might feel the same way for him as John did for the stubborn private detective. John shook his head as he headed up the steps to his room, it was nothing but wishful thinking.