Fic: Lone Wolf (J/L), Chapter 5
Title: Lone Wolf, Chapter Five
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, D.I. Greg Lestrade
Pairings: eventual John/Lestrade
Rating: PG-13 (this part, higher later)
Warnings: none
Genre: Slash
Words: ~1000
A/N: Sorry for the stupidly long gap - I had Reichenbach feels and then I was trying to work out whether to fit in S2 canon or not - and then it was just back to the usual crippling self-doubt... But here you go... :)
Summary: March 23rd, 2010, Another crime scene means another chance for John to see Lestrade... doesn't it?
Previous Chapters: ( One ) ( Two ) ( Three ) ( Four )
LONE WOLF
Chapter Five
March 23rd, 2010
When John woke up the next morning, the cut on his scalp had completely healed. He didn't even have a headache - until he tried to get the bloody chip and pin machine at Sainsbury's to take his card.
That headache was nothing compared to the one Sherlock gave him later however.
Sherlock received an email from Sebastian Wilkes - banker with a capital W in John's opinion - about his boss's almost literally defaced portrait. A quick visit to Shad Sanderson had led them to a posh flat, a corpse and a nervous feeling of anticipation in John's stomach as they waited for Lestrade to show up.
Which, apparently, he wasn't going to do.
"He's busy," the young man snapped. "I'm in charge - and it's not Sergeant, it's Detective Inspector. Dimmock."
Sherlock shot John a withering look which John assumed meant he was thinking the same thing as John was: D.I? Seriously? This kid is the same rank as Lestrade? He looks about 12!
It was only after they left Van Coon's flat, John found out the look had been meant solely for him.
"My fault?"
"Lestrade hasn't had any issue working with me until now," Sherlock pointed out. "The only thing that's changed is your discovery yesterday."
"But why? I thought I handled it pretty well all things considered. I didn't freak out or anything."
"Obviously we can't say the same for Lestrade." Sherlock sighed petulantly. "I thought we had been through all this already but his feelings for you must be complicating things."
"His... what? For me?" John was confused but elated at the same time.
"Dull. I'll have to go talk to him."
"No, I'll go. " John quickly volunteered. "If it's me he has the problem with, it should be me he talks to. Will he be at the Yard?"
"Most likely. If not he'll certainly be back there at some point."
"OK, I'll drop you off at the flat and just take the cab on to there, yeah?"
~~~~~
When John got to Scotland Yard, Lestrade was in his office, hunched over his desk, fingers stabbing at his keyboard as if he had a personal grudge against it.
John raised his hand to knock but Lestrade interrupted him without looking up from his screen.
"Can I help you, Doctor Watson?"
John stepped into the office and pushed the door closed behind him. He hovered awkwardly in the no-man's land between door and desk. "I, er... D.I. Dimmock said you were busy."
"Do I look like I'm not? Caught those two bastards who had you yesterday, just filling in the paperwork," Lestrade said.
"Oh," John said. "I... I never really thanked you, did I? For yesterday."
"Yeah, you did. You patted me on the head and everything."
"Yeah but that wasn't... I mean..."
Lestrade changed tack. "So how pissed off was Sherlock with Dimmock showing up?"
"He wasn't best chuffed," John admitted. "He's quite annoyed with me, I think."
"Annoyed with you?"
"Yeah - he thinks it's my fault you didn't show up."
"Rubbish. I was busy like I said. Besides, it'll be good for both of them. Dimmock's a decent bloke and it'll be nice for Sherlock to have someone new to insult. I sometimes think he thinks the Met doesn't have any other D.I.s except me."
"So you're not..."
Lestrade finally looked up. "Not what?"
Avoiding me... God, that's pathetic... "Nothing."
"Right. Well if there was nothing else...?"
"Actually I was wondering... if you'd like to get a drink or something. Sometime."
Lestrade's eyes narrowed. "I still don't think that's a good idea, John."
"Yes, but now I know what you're... I mean about your... So anyway I thought, since I know, you might change your mind and..."
John hardly had time to blink before Lestrade was up out of his seat and in John's face. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" His voice was practically a growl.
John backed away, horrified. "No! God, no! I... No. Jesus, Greg. I didn't mean it like that. I meant... it doesn't matter. If that's what you were worried about then it's fine - I don't mind. I meant what I said last night. I would never tell anyone. No matter what."
Lestrade stalked behind his desk again. "Sorry. It sounded like... Sorry."
"That's OK. I mean, I'm flattered you think I'm the kind of bloke to resort to blackmail for a date..." Lestrade huffed a small laugh which John was very relieved to hear. "But you don't really know me, do you? I'd like for that to change."
Lestrade lowered himself into his chair. "Persistent bugger, aren't you?"
John smiled. "See - you're learning about me already."
"I'm sorry, John. I hope we can get to know each other better and it means a lot to me that I can trust you - honestly - but nothing else has changed. I'm still not looking to get involved with anyone."
"Ever?"
Lestrade looked up at him, sadly. "I think you better go. Tell Sherlock I'm sorry I landed him with Dimmock."
John didn't move.
"Goodnight, John. Don't make me call someone in here to remove you, please."
John held on stubbornly for a few more moments but it was clear Lestrade wouldn't change his mind. "Goodnight, Greg." John opened the door, left the office and closed it again behind him before heading for the lift with a heavy heart.
Fine. He could take a hint. Lestrade just wasn't interested. At least it didn't seem as if it was going to affect Sherlock's work too badly.
Bugger. A sudden thought hit him. Speaking of work, I have a job interview to get ready for tomorrow...
( Chapter Six )
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, D.I. Greg Lestrade
Pairings: eventual John/Lestrade
Rating: PG-13 (this part, higher later)
Warnings: none
Genre: Slash
Words: ~1000
A/N: Sorry for the stupidly long gap - I had Reichenbach feels and then I was trying to work out whether to fit in S2 canon or not - and then it was just back to the usual crippling self-doubt... But here you go... :)
Summary: March 23rd, 2010, Another crime scene means another chance for John to see Lestrade... doesn't it?
Previous Chapters: ( One ) ( Two ) ( Three ) ( Four )
LONE WOLF
Chapter Five
March 23rd, 2010
When John woke up the next morning, the cut on his scalp had completely healed. He didn't even have a headache - until he tried to get the bloody chip and pin machine at Sainsbury's to take his card.
That headache was nothing compared to the one Sherlock gave him later however.
Sherlock received an email from Sebastian Wilkes - banker with a capital W in John's opinion - about his boss's almost literally defaced portrait. A quick visit to Shad Sanderson had led them to a posh flat, a corpse and a nervous feeling of anticipation in John's stomach as they waited for Lestrade to show up.
Which, apparently, he wasn't going to do.
"He's busy," the young man snapped. "I'm in charge - and it's not Sergeant, it's Detective Inspector. Dimmock."
Sherlock shot John a withering look which John assumed meant he was thinking the same thing as John was: D.I? Seriously? This kid is the same rank as Lestrade? He looks about 12!
It was only after they left Van Coon's flat, John found out the look had been meant solely for him.
"My fault?"
"Lestrade hasn't had any issue working with me until now," Sherlock pointed out. "The only thing that's changed is your discovery yesterday."
"But why? I thought I handled it pretty well all things considered. I didn't freak out or anything."
"Obviously we can't say the same for Lestrade." Sherlock sighed petulantly. "I thought we had been through all this already but his feelings for you must be complicating things."
"His... what? For me?" John was confused but elated at the same time.
"Dull. I'll have to go talk to him."
"No, I'll go. " John quickly volunteered. "If it's me he has the problem with, it should be me he talks to. Will he be at the Yard?"
"Most likely. If not he'll certainly be back there at some point."
"OK, I'll drop you off at the flat and just take the cab on to there, yeah?"
~~~~~
When John got to Scotland Yard, Lestrade was in his office, hunched over his desk, fingers stabbing at his keyboard as if he had a personal grudge against it.
John raised his hand to knock but Lestrade interrupted him without looking up from his screen.
"Can I help you, Doctor Watson?"
John stepped into the office and pushed the door closed behind him. He hovered awkwardly in the no-man's land between door and desk. "I, er... D.I. Dimmock said you were busy."
"Do I look like I'm not? Caught those two bastards who had you yesterday, just filling in the paperwork," Lestrade said.
"Oh," John said. "I... I never really thanked you, did I? For yesterday."
"Yeah, you did. You patted me on the head and everything."
"Yeah but that wasn't... I mean..."
Lestrade changed tack. "So how pissed off was Sherlock with Dimmock showing up?"
"He wasn't best chuffed," John admitted. "He's quite annoyed with me, I think."
"Annoyed with you?"
"Yeah - he thinks it's my fault you didn't show up."
"Rubbish. I was busy like I said. Besides, it'll be good for both of them. Dimmock's a decent bloke and it'll be nice for Sherlock to have someone new to insult. I sometimes think he thinks the Met doesn't have any other D.I.s except me."
"So you're not..."
Lestrade finally looked up. "Not what?"
Avoiding me... God, that's pathetic... "Nothing."
"Right. Well if there was nothing else...?"
"Actually I was wondering... if you'd like to get a drink or something. Sometime."
Lestrade's eyes narrowed. "I still don't think that's a good idea, John."
"Yes, but now I know what you're... I mean about your... So anyway I thought, since I know, you might change your mind and..."
John hardly had time to blink before Lestrade was up out of his seat and in John's face. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" His voice was practically a growl.
John backed away, horrified. "No! God, no! I... No. Jesus, Greg. I didn't mean it like that. I meant... it doesn't matter. If that's what you were worried about then it's fine - I don't mind. I meant what I said last night. I would never tell anyone. No matter what."
Lestrade stalked behind his desk again. "Sorry. It sounded like... Sorry."
"That's OK. I mean, I'm flattered you think I'm the kind of bloke to resort to blackmail for a date..." Lestrade huffed a small laugh which John was very relieved to hear. "But you don't really know me, do you? I'd like for that to change."
Lestrade lowered himself into his chair. "Persistent bugger, aren't you?"
John smiled. "See - you're learning about me already."
"I'm sorry, John. I hope we can get to know each other better and it means a lot to me that I can trust you - honestly - but nothing else has changed. I'm still not looking to get involved with anyone."
"Ever?"
Lestrade looked up at him, sadly. "I think you better go. Tell Sherlock I'm sorry I landed him with Dimmock."
John didn't move.
"Goodnight, John. Don't make me call someone in here to remove you, please."
John held on stubbornly for a few more moments but it was clear Lestrade wouldn't change his mind. "Goodnight, Greg." John opened the door, left the office and closed it again behind him before heading for the lift with a heavy heart.
Fine. He could take a hint. Lestrade just wasn't interested. At least it didn't seem as if it was going to affect Sherlock's work too badly.
Bugger. A sudden thought hit him. Speaking of work, I have a job interview to get ready for tomorrow...
( Chapter Six )