FILL: Past and Present (1/5)yalublyutebyaOctober 7 2011, 11:56:11 UTC
A/N: Sort of a mini-ish fill. I would have loved to spend even more time with this because it was delicious, but I hope you enjoy it as it is.
~~~~~~~~~~~
John had never really spent much time alone with Lestrade and there was a definite awkwardness as they sat side-by-side in the hospital waiting room. Sherlock was currently in the operating room, having a number of pieces from the pool they had just destroyed removed from his abdomen. Luckily for him, none of them had caused much damage and the surgery was minor. John himself had escaped with a bruised collarbone and a scattering of superficial cuts - and he was thanking his lucky stars. Early reports seemed to suggest only part of the Semtex had been ignited when the bullet hit it, and thank God, because John was quite sure neither he nor Sherlock would have lived to tell the tale if the explosion had been of the same magnitude as the previous ones.
Mycroft had left shortly after learning that his brother would be perfectly fine, but Lestrade had remained behind with John. It struck John as a little odd, given the somewhat strained nature of Lestrade’s relationship with Sherlock at times, but there was an edge in his expression, something like concern, that stopped John from speculating further. For now, all they could do was wait.
About an hour into their wait, Lestrade disappeared off in search of a hot drink and returned with two teas, handing one to John as he took his seat once more.
“Cheers.”
“No problem. I can’t say anything about the quality, but at least it’s hot.”
John smiled into his cup and took a sip of the warm drink and another few minutes passed in awkward silence. John found himself looking around the bland room, eyes flicking over the posters he had already read at least three times and back round to the man next to him. Lestrade sat with arms crossed, his chin resting on his chest, looking tired. John tried to put the observational skills he had learnt from Sherlock into practice by deducing the man next to him, who he realised he knew next to nothing about, aside from the fact that he was a DI at Scotland Yard.
When John’s gaze swept to the ring on Lestrade’s left hand, he paused.
“I didn’t realise you were married,” he commented, eyes taking in the unusual pattern on the gold band.
Lestrade looked up at him, back down at his ring, and back up at John again.
“Divorced, actually,” he admitted with a half-smile.
“Oh, sorry.”
“It’s fine. It was an... amicable split. I should really take the ring off, but, well, it’s useful for deflecting unwanted attention.”
John smiled and now that they had found something to talk about - and Lestrade seemed okay talking about it - he spoke up again.
“No kids?”
Lestrade gave him a somewhat cryptic smile and shook his head.
“No.”
John wasn’t sure what to make of the smile that accompanied the answer and he frowned. A moment later, Lestrade huffed out a laugh as he continued. “Sorry, I probably should have mentioned it was actually a civil partnership.”
“Oh.” That was a surprise. “Oh, right.”
Where before John had been trying to imagine the former Mrs. Lestrade, he now found himself trying to picture a Mr. Lestrade - and drew a blank.
“Are you here with Sherlock Holmes?”
Both John and Lestrade looked up as the nurse spoke and rose to their feet to hear the news.
~~~~~~~~~~~
John had never really spent much time alone with Lestrade and there was a definite awkwardness as they sat side-by-side in the hospital waiting room. Sherlock was currently in the operating room, having a number of pieces from the pool they had just destroyed removed from his abdomen. Luckily for him, none of them had caused much damage and the surgery was minor. John himself had escaped with a bruised collarbone and a scattering of superficial cuts - and he was thanking his lucky stars. Early reports seemed to suggest only part of the Semtex had been ignited when the bullet hit it, and thank God, because John was quite sure neither he nor Sherlock would have lived to tell the tale if the explosion had been of the same magnitude as the previous ones.
Mycroft had left shortly after learning that his brother would be perfectly fine, but Lestrade had remained behind with John. It struck John as a little odd, given the somewhat strained nature of Lestrade’s relationship with Sherlock at times, but there was an edge in his expression, something like concern, that stopped John from speculating further. For now, all they could do was wait.
About an hour into their wait, Lestrade disappeared off in search of a hot drink and returned with two teas, handing one to John as he took his seat once more.
“Cheers.”
“No problem. I can’t say anything about the quality, but at least it’s hot.”
John smiled into his cup and took a sip of the warm drink and another few minutes passed in awkward silence. John found himself looking around the bland room, eyes flicking over the posters he had already read at least three times and back round to the man next to him. Lestrade sat with arms crossed, his chin resting on his chest, looking tired. John tried to put the observational skills he had learnt from Sherlock into practice by deducing the man next to him, who he realised he knew next to nothing about, aside from the fact that he was a DI at Scotland Yard.
When John’s gaze swept to the ring on Lestrade’s left hand, he paused.
“I didn’t realise you were married,” he commented, eyes taking in the unusual pattern on the gold band.
Lestrade looked up at him, back down at his ring, and back up at John again.
“Divorced, actually,” he admitted with a half-smile.
“Oh, sorry.”
“It’s fine. It was an... amicable split. I should really take the ring off, but, well, it’s useful for
deflecting unwanted attention.”
John smiled and now that they had found something to talk about - and Lestrade seemed okay talking about it - he spoke up again.
“No kids?”
Lestrade gave him a somewhat cryptic smile and shook his head.
“No.”
John wasn’t sure what to make of the smile that accompanied the answer and he frowned. A moment later, Lestrade huffed out a laugh as he continued. “Sorry, I probably should have mentioned it was actually a civil partnership.”
“Oh.” That was a surprise. “Oh, right.”
Where before John had been trying to imagine the former Mrs. Lestrade, he now found himself trying to picture a Mr. Lestrade - and drew a blank.
“Are you here with Sherlock Holmes?”
Both John and Lestrade looked up as the nurse spoke and rose to their feet to hear the news.
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