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Heartless (2/2) tawabids June 14 2011, 12:18:35 UTC
John Watson was an army doctor who took a flat with Sherlock. He wasn't the brightest of Sherlock's would-be victims, but he was good at noticing Sherlock. It was impossible to groom and tail a new heart with John around. He was always asking questions, "Are you alright?" and "You look paler than usual, want me to fetch the stethoscope?"

The hunger grew. Sherlock began to sit outside John's door at night, ear pressed against the wood, listening to the beat. Even across that distance could hear the rush of blood, the flex of well-timed muscles, the faint catch of a small atherosclerotic plaque forming in one artery. He knew for sure this time, this one would fit. The more he listened, the more convinced he became.

And then one night he didn't just listen. He had spent three days awake solving a double-homicide, he had eaten nothing but the petrol-station sandwiches John thrust into his hands, he was pumped with two fresh nicotine patches an hour. How the small, smooth-bladed fruit knife got into his hand was never clear. He turned it over and watched the reflection of the kitchen bulb wink back at him. Then the urge hit, sudden, crashing on him like being tossed down by rough surf at the beach. All he could do was let the wave carry him, disorientated and full of adrenalin, up the stairs and into John's room.

He climbed onto the bed and straddled John's legs, one hand pressed into the mattress beside John's head. His flatmate stirred and Sherlock waited for him to roll onto his back. He waited for John's eyes to open. He waited for John to see the knife, to cry out and struggle. When they struggled it was easier, it felt like he was being provoked, the hunger took over. He was ready to hold John down by putting his weight on the bad shoulder, ready to dig the knife in under John's windpipe and then drag across and up, severing plates of cartilage and the thick-walled carotid artery. Blood would rise like a fountain and gush, bubbling, into John's lungs. And Sherlock would be so, so hungry as he tore open the worn T-shirt and sliced away the join between John's breastbone and his ribs to expose the beating beauty within that he wouldn't think a single other thought until he was taking his first bite. And even then the thought would be 'yes...'

John's eyes opened. John blinked, adjusting to the darkness. He didn't look at the knife. He looked at Sherlock's face. His legs shifted as he realised Sherlock's knees were on either side of him. John's left hand, which had been resting on top of the duvet, lifted up and gently brushed the cotton blend shirt on Sherlock's chest, and hovered lightly there.

"Sherlock," he said softly. "Why are you crying?"

Sherlock's lips parted. He heard himself make a noise that was infantile and desperate. The fruit knife tumbled from his hand and landed on the pillow next to John's head, but John did not acknowledge it.

His left hand pressed harder against Sherlock's chest, and his voice - not angry, not afraid, only inquisitive and sympathetic - said, "Sherlock, you don't have a heartbeat."

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OP introductory June 14 2011, 12:44:15 UTC
I am actually speechless. I don't even know how to express what I feel about this. It's beautiful yet gory yet achy and jglhasjdhglsdf. I can't even. I was expecting a fill from John's POV and instead we get this look at Sherlock's backstory and his feelings and the lack thereof, and this is just. This is, excuse the pun, bloody amazing.

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Re: OP tawabids June 15 2011, 07:24:06 UTC
Thank you so much! I'm relieved you weren't disappointed about the POV switch, I figured the prompt was leaning towards John's. Thanks for setting the premise up, I really felt like writing some gore last night and this was perfect XD

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Re: Heartless (2/2) imhit June 14 2011, 23:02:23 UTC
Lovely.

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Re: Heartless (2/2) tawabids June 15 2011, 00:31:21 UTC
D: I guess I should be scared for John, but all I can think is how sad it is for Sherlock to keep doing that over and over again... Awesome fill.

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Re: Heartless (2/2) tawabids June 15 2011, 23:55:55 UTC
Wow. That was lovely and dark.

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Re: Heartless (2/2) ekaybee June 20 2011, 09:07:00 UTC
...Wow. Haunting fill. Bookmarking it for later.

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