The One Next Door

Ketchup Boy Ruined Our Date

    When Sherlock woke up, it was almost strange not to have John beside him. It had only been one night, and one morning, but without John, the room felt...empty. But the alarm went off, and Sherlock got to his feet, stretching out a little bit before pulling his clothes on and making himself presentable. Instead of going over to Molly's for breakfast, he went knocking on John's door, hearing Dudley start to yap in excitement.
"Whoever could it be at this hour?" John asked with amusement as the door opened.
"Oh, no one special." Sherlock shrugged.
"The only one special, come in." John insisted, stepping aside to let Sherlock in. Dudley jumped and bounced around at his heels until Sherlock finally bent down to scratch his ears.
"You're awfully cheery for this time of day." Sherlock decided.
"I'm a bit of a morning person, I'm always happy, but this morning I suspected I'd get a visit from my favorite person." John insisted.
"Who else is coming?" Sherlock asked, looking to the door as if someone else was going to walk through the door.
"Oh, you really are oblivious." John decided, walking up and pressing a quick kiss on Sherlock's lips, leaving Sherlock a little bit stunned.
"Hard to think straight when you're around." Sherlock admitted.
"Isn't that the truth?" John agreed. "Want some cereal?"
"Oh, no thanks, I never really eat breakfast." Sherlock shrugged.
"Suit yourself." John decided, pouring himself a large bowl of some sort of chocolate cereal. Maybe that was the real reason he was so energetic.
"So, that Tom fellow, how do you like him?" John asked, perching on the kitchen counter and waving one of his feet around in the air.
"Oh, Tom. Well, compared to Molly's other boyfriends, he's not terrible. He seemed scared of us though." Sherlock decided.
"Maybe because we threatened him?" John suggested.
"I think he thinks that one of us has a thing with Molly." Sherlock guessed.
"He goes to the coffee shop doesn't he? I thought everyone around there knew our story." John muttered.
"Not everyone. I think only the employees of our shift really care about our love life." Sherlock guessed.
"That's fine with me. As much as I'm proud to have such a handsome man on my arm, I'm sure some things would get a little bit, risky."
"What do you mean?" Sherlock asked.
"I'm sure some people wouldn't want to buy our coffee if they knew a gay man was making it." John guessed.
"Yes, I suppose the world is cruel that way." Sherlock decided.
"It'll get better, I'm sure of it. People may be prejudicing now, but I'm sure they'll come to their senses." John insisted.
"I doubt it. Like my parents, I'm not sure what it'll take to get them accustomed to it, a Christmas dinner or a wedding." Sherlock laughed.
"Is that a proposal?" John asked with a smile.
"Not yet it's not." Sherlock insisted. John just laughed, finishing off the rest of his cereal and patting Dudley on the head in farewell.
"We'll be back soon." He assured the dog, who just whined and wagged his tail.
"I'm sure he's heartbroken. Come on, Molly's probably waiting." Sherlock decided. John grabbed his coat and followed Sherlock out the door, walking down the stairs to Molly's apartment.
"Do you think you guys will ever have a day off?" John asked.
"I doubt it. Even on a holiday people need their coffee." Sherlock sighed.
"That's a shame." John decided.
"Why?" Sherlock asked.
"Because if you two don't find another job, we'll be in an endless coffee shop schedule for the rest of our lives." John decided.
"I'm sure I won't be able to live off a coffee shop salary for the rest of my life." Sherlock insisted.
"You're doing fine now." John pointed out.
"Well, now it's just me, isn't it?" Sherlock insisted with a smile, and John smiled right back. It made Sherlock wonder how much a coffee shop salary and a hardware store salary would add up to.
"There you two are." Molly sighed, opening the door and walking out into the hallway.
"We were waiting here for like, a whole conversation." Sherlock pointed out.
"Sorry, I was just cleaning my cereal bowl. Helen's a bit grouchy today." Molly sighed.
"Did she scratch you?" Sherlock asked.
"No, but she's hissing a lot." Molly sighed.
"She can tell things are changing, and with every new neighbor and new boyfriend, she's getting pushed down the totem pole." Sherlock insisted.
"You think the cat is getting jealous?" John asked as they started down the stairs.
"Oh, I know the cat is getting jealous. That's why she hates me." Sherlock pointed out.
"Sherlock just likes to feel accepted." Molly insisted.
"I am accepted, shut up." Sherlock defended. John just laughed, holding Sherlock's hand and swinging it childishly as they walked. Sherlock loved it though; he loved John with every morsel of his heart. Just the idea of someone so beautiful and so wonderful being totally fine with swinging hands with Sherlock in public, it was just perfect. When they got to the coffee shop, they hung up their coats and went over to the counter. Sherlock went behind while John had to stay in the costumer area, but he leaned over so that he and Sherlock could still hold hands while they talked to the other employees.
"So, I heard that you and Tom finally got together." Sarah decided as Molly came around the corner.
"How'd you hear that?" Molly asked.
"News travels fast around here." Jeanette shrugged.
"Love is in the air these past couple of days." Sarah decided. "I'm still waiting for Cupid to shoot a good one for me."
"Don't worry Sarah, you're a perfectly charming young lady, you'll be fine." Molly assured.
"I'm a perfectly charming young lady, and I turned out fine." Sherlock agreed with a smile.
"Sherlock, honey, wrong gender." Sarah pointed out.
"Sarcasm Sarah, you really should be used to that by now." Sherlock pointed out.
"We ought to start hanging some Christmas decorations; the holidays are coming up quick." Jeanette decided, looking around at the shop as if imagining Christmas trees and tinsel decorating the walls.
"I need to buy all these gifts, I'd rather not think about it." Molly decided.
"Molly, you've got two friends." Sherlock pointed out.
"No, I've got you two; I've got my lovely coworkers, my family, Tom." Molly defended.
"Tom's on the gift payroll already? Things are getting serious." John laughed.
"We're exchanging gifts?" Carl asked nervously.
"Don't worry about it Carl, I'm sure Molly is the only one thinking about doing that." Sherlock assured.
"Oh, good." He muttered.
"We should have a company party." Sarah decided.
"Please no." Sherlock muttered.
"Oh stop, it'll be fun. We can have karaoke, and food, and a dance floor." Jeanette agreed.
"I'm so done meeting new people; it's been like, five, in the past three months." Sherlock insisted.
"Oh, poor thing, you met five new people. We all turned out alright though." John decided.
"Well, you did." Sherlock agreed with a smile.
"Keep all personal affection outside please." Jeanette decided.
"There's no one here." Sherlock pointed out.
"Yes well, I can't have anyone kissing in my shop, no matter what sexuality they are. It's bad for business." She decided.
"Sorry." John muttered, not sounding very sorry at all.
"Well, speaking of business, John please flip the sign, we're open." Jeanette decided.
"I should be on payroll if I'm going to flip the sign." John muttered, thankfully Jeanette didn't hear him though; she had already disappeared into her office. So he flipped the sign, and the usual, costumer, cup, drink, and name, repeat. It was all so boring. The only thing that was interesting was when John came over to get his coffee. This time Sherlock wrote I love you underneath his name, so John would be reminded even when he was drinking his coffee. It was cheesy, of course, but Sherlock deserved a little bit of cheesy romance in his life, he's been so deprived before John showed up.
"Now who might this one be for?" Sherlock asked as John came up to the counter.
"Well, judging on how it's labeled, whoever it's for, I should really beat them up." John decided.
"Don't forget it John." Sherlock insisted, handing John the coffee and smiling at him. John's beautiful face in the early morning sunlight, it would be the only drug Sherlock ever needed.
"Never Sherlock, never." He agreed, sipping his coffee and walking back to his table.
"You two are simply perfect." Molly decided.
"Where you listening?" Sherlock asked with annoyance.
"Not to all of it." Molly shrugged.
"Sure you weren't." Sherlock grumbled. The rest of the shift was very dull, now that Sherlock knew how to make all of the drinks it was getting increasingly boring. But every so often he'd look over to John, who was usually looking at his computer, too absorbed in his work to notice. Other times though, he'd be staring right back, and Sherlock was smile at him and blush a little bit, really wanting to go over there and talk to him, but alas, he was trapped behind the counter. When their shift was finally over, Sherlock and John regrouped at the coat rack to see Molly lingering behind.
"What are you doing?" Sherlock asked as she watched them put their coats on.
"I was going to wait for Tom, if that's alright." She muttered.
"Office romance, adorable." Sherlock decided.
"I'm sorry to bail, but I really like him." Molly insisted.
"No shame there. I'll bring this loser out to lunch, and maybe the three of us could go to the park or something." John suggested.
"Everyone feeds me these days." Sherlock decided.
"Are you complaining?" Molly asked.
"God no. The less money I have to spend, the better." Sherlock assured.
"Alright then, I'll see you guys at the apartments then." Molly decided.
"Good luck Molly." Sherlock agreed, and John waved his farewell. The two of them walked out of the coffee shop, but instead of turning towards their apartment, John took Sherlock's hand and led him down Main Street, towards the restaurants and shops.
"So, where does his majesty feel like dining today?" John asked.
"I honestly don't care." Sherlock admitted.
"How about a burger?" John suggested.
"I would, but remember that whole ketchup story?" Sherlock asked.
"The one where you tried to use ketchup to get a date?" John asked.
"Ya, that was there." Sherlock agreed.
"Well, you can proudly wave your amazing boyfriend in that loser's face. His loss, honestly." John decided.
"You spoil me." Sherlock decided.
"Only because I love you." John insisted.
"You do then?" Sherlock asked, almost unbelievingly.
"Of course I love you, idiot." John agreed, pausing to press a kiss to Sherlock's cheek.
"I love you too." Sherlock agreed, kissing John on the top of the head.
"Keep walking, freaks!" Insisted some high school aged kid from behind them, pushing past the pair to storm down the sidewalk.
"Pull up your pants, you delinquent!" John called after him, and the boy paused just to give the two of them the finger before skateboarding down the sidewalk. "Kids these days, honestly." John muttered.
"He's like, four years younger than us." Sherlock pointed out.
"Ya well he's still a kid." John decided. "And I'll kill him if he says one more word against you."
"My hero." Sherlock laughed.
"I'm serious; people shouldn't treat anyone like that. We're not freaks." John insisted.
"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks John, we know what we are, society is in the wrong these days." Sherlock assured.
"To the burger place then, for more society?" John offered.
"You read my mind." Sherlock agreed, letting John lead him across the street to the burger place. There was a little bit of a line, but with patience and plenty of time to read the menu board, they finally ordered and got their food, finding a table for two in the corner of the window.
"You don't seem like the type to be able to eat a double patty burger and a side of large fries." John decided as Sherlock attacked his hamburger.
"Just watch me." Sherlock insisted.
"So do you see ketchup boy around here anywhere?" John asked.
"Not yet, he could be in the kitchen though." Sherlock shrugged.
"If you find him, make eye contact and kiss me." John decided.
"That's just an excuse to get kissed." Sherlock defended.
"Do I need an excuse now? That's a shame." John muttered.
"No, you don't need an excuse." Sherlock assured with a smile. John smiled, taking a large bite of his burger and observing the clientele.
"Busy today." He decided.
"It always manages to be busy here, and it's lunch time, which can't help." Sherlock insisted.
"Good thing we got here early." John decided, looking at the line which was now spreading close to the door. Sherlock nodded, picking up a couple of fries from his tray.
"Ooh, there he is!" Sherlock pointed out excitedly, seeing the familiar employee walk out from behind the counter to deliver someone's order. "He always does a magnificent job of separating himself from the rest of the people."
"Throw a ketchup packet at him." John offered, handing Sherlock a little plastic packet of ketchup.
"He's coming over here, this is my chance." Sherlock insisted with a laugh. The boy looked miserable in his little striped uniform, walking back over to the counter. Sherlock took aim and flung the ketchup at him, hitting him in the face.
"Missed out buddy!" Sherlock called, nodding to where John sat. John smiled proudly and waved.
"I'm calling the police!" the boy yelled back, running behind the counter desperately.
"Crap, not again. "Sherlock muttered.
"We should get out of here, right?" John decided, dropping his burger on the tray and getting to his feet.
"Probably a good idea, ya." Sherlock agreed, getting out of his chair and running with John back to the apartments. Funny, it seemed like the second time that he ran from that restaurant. r