Catch-22, Chapter 1/?
Title: Catch-22
Author: lyrical_sky
Pairing(s): John/Jim, John/Sherlock
Chapter 1/?
A package for John is delivered a few minutes after Sherlock leaves the flat to meet with Lestrade. John opens it gingerly and finds his mobile phone tucked inside the box, accompanied by a note:
I know the phone was a gift from your sister so I thought you might want it back.
Jim xx
The phone rings. John wants to ignore it but the threat in the note is clear. He answers. "What do you want, Moriarty?" he says in a cold, clipped voice.
A warm chuckle. "Hello to you too, darling."
"What do you want?"
"Aren't you going to thank me?"
"Thank you?" John snaps incredulously.
"Of course! Perhaps you didn't notice, but your vest wasn't actually strapped with real Semtex."
"I was in the army. I could tell it was fake from the start."
"And you didn't say anything."
John doesn't dignify that with a response.
"I want to see you," Moriarty says after a pause. "Today. Now."
John laughs. The sound is hollow, mirthless.
"I mean it," Moriarty says softly. "I want to meet with you, anywhere you want."
"No."
Moriarty sighs. "Don't be difficult, Johnny."
"Don't call me that," John bites out.
"Fine. John." A concession. "Come on, I could have just sent some men to kidnap you but I'm trying to be nice. Meet with me."
John says nothing.
Moriarty sighs again. "It's not a trick," he says.
"Yeah, right."
"I'm serious. It's not. I just...want to see you."
John lets out an angry breath. "Do you honestly think I'm that stupid? Fuck you. I'm not an idiot, despite what you - "
"I know you're not," Moriarty says, cutting him off. "Listen," he continues, his voice soft but urgent, "I was playing a part last night. I had an agenda and I did what I had to do. But I want you to know, I didn't really mean the things I said about you at the pool. That was part of the game." He pauses. "The pub was different. I was playing a part then too, but I was mostly telling you the truth and being real with you, as much as I could be. What I said...I actually meant most of it."
"Oh, for god's sake! Stop it. Enough. Do you honestly think I don't know what this is about?"
"You're wrong. It has nothing to do with Sherlock. It's about you. Me. Us."
John snorts. "Us," he repeats.
"I can't stop thinking about you."
"This is ridiculous. I'm hanging up."
"Don't," he warns. "Come on, don't be like this. I could force you. You know I can. But I don't want to have to do that. Be reasonable."
"You're insane. Fucked in the head."
"You kissed me back," Moriarty says quietly. "You wanted it too."
John flushes at that. "Yeah, you're right. I did. When I thought you were Jim from IT. You played a good game, I have to say. At the pool, at the pub, all of it. I've got to give you credit for that. So, congratulations. You were very convincing. And well done, you managed to get me to snog you at the pub. But don't forget, I pushed you away in the end."
"You're angry because you think it was all a game. But it's more than that, isn't it? You're upset because even though you believe I was just playing you the whole time, you're still attracted to me."
"No. I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Don't lie."
John is silent for a moment, then says, "Fine. I admit I was attracted to 'Jim from IT' but I'm not attracted to you."
"Last night wasn't me. You don't know the real me. But I want you to."
"No thanks."
"John - "
"No. I don't care who you really are. You're Moriarty. That's all I need to know." He hangs up.
The phone rings seconds later. John doesn't answer.
A text comes next:
I didn't want to have to resort to threats but you're forcing me. Do I really need to mention Harry or Clara or Mrs Hudson or Sherlock? Meet me in the front hall at The Savoy. Now.
Read Chapter 2 here.
Author: lyrical_sky
Pairing(s): John/Jim, John/Sherlock
Chapter 1/?
A package for John is delivered a few minutes after Sherlock leaves the flat to meet with Lestrade. John opens it gingerly and finds his mobile phone tucked inside the box, accompanied by a note:
I know the phone was a gift from your sister so I thought you might want it back.
Jim xx
The phone rings. John wants to ignore it but the threat in the note is clear. He answers. "What do you want, Moriarty?" he says in a cold, clipped voice.
A warm chuckle. "Hello to you too, darling."
"What do you want?"
"Aren't you going to thank me?"
"Thank you?" John snaps incredulously.
"Of course! Perhaps you didn't notice, but your vest wasn't actually strapped with real Semtex."
"I was in the army. I could tell it was fake from the start."
"And you didn't say anything."
John doesn't dignify that with a response.
"I want to see you," Moriarty says after a pause. "Today. Now."
John laughs. The sound is hollow, mirthless.
"I mean it," Moriarty says softly. "I want to meet with you, anywhere you want."
"No."
Moriarty sighs. "Don't be difficult, Johnny."
"Don't call me that," John bites out.
"Fine. John." A concession. "Come on, I could have just sent some men to kidnap you but I'm trying to be nice. Meet with me."
John says nothing.
Moriarty sighs again. "It's not a trick," he says.
"Yeah, right."
"I'm serious. It's not. I just...want to see you."
John lets out an angry breath. "Do you honestly think I'm that stupid? Fuck you. I'm not an idiot, despite what you - "
"I know you're not," Moriarty says, cutting him off. "Listen," he continues, his voice soft but urgent, "I was playing a part last night. I had an agenda and I did what I had to do. But I want you to know, I didn't really mean the things I said about you at the pool. That was part of the game." He pauses. "The pub was different. I was playing a part then too, but I was mostly telling you the truth and being real with you, as much as I could be. What I said...I actually meant most of it."
"Oh, for god's sake! Stop it. Enough. Do you honestly think I don't know what this is about?"
"You're wrong. It has nothing to do with Sherlock. It's about you. Me. Us."
John snorts. "Us," he repeats.
"I can't stop thinking about you."
"This is ridiculous. I'm hanging up."
"Don't," he warns. "Come on, don't be like this. I could force you. You know I can. But I don't want to have to do that. Be reasonable."
"You're insane. Fucked in the head."
"You kissed me back," Moriarty says quietly. "You wanted it too."
John flushes at that. "Yeah, you're right. I did. When I thought you were Jim from IT. You played a good game, I have to say. At the pool, at the pub, all of it. I've got to give you credit for that. So, congratulations. You were very convincing. And well done, you managed to get me to snog you at the pub. But don't forget, I pushed you away in the end."
"You're angry because you think it was all a game. But it's more than that, isn't it? You're upset because even though you believe I was just playing you the whole time, you're still attracted to me."
"No. I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Don't lie."
John is silent for a moment, then says, "Fine. I admit I was attracted to 'Jim from IT' but I'm not attracted to you."
"Last night wasn't me. You don't know the real me. But I want you to."
"No thanks."
"John - "
"No. I don't care who you really are. You're Moriarty. That's all I need to know." He hangs up.
The phone rings seconds later. John doesn't answer.
A text comes next:
I didn't want to have to resort to threats but you're forcing me. Do I really need to mention Harry or Clara or Mrs Hudson or Sherlock? Meet me in the front hall at The Savoy. Now.
Read Chapter 2 here.