Hot Diggity Dog Sherlock Fanfic

All the Difference

John watched Sherlock as he stood in his baby doll pajamas smoking a cigarette, it must have been about midnight and John could tell from the way Sherlock’s shoulders drooped that he was having trouble controlling the black moods that often plagued him. For a moment John considered to attempt to engage Sherlock in conversation, but Sherlock’s cruel words at Thanksgiving had cut deep and so John rolled over leaving the words to drift away where all unspoken words went-nowhere. For a moment John wondered if there was a place in the universe where all unspoken words and lost socks resided. “Maybe, that’s what they mean, when they say, ‘Stick a Sock in it.’” John thought in an attempt to make himself laugh. When laughter evaded him, John curled up in a ball and let sleep overtook him. When he woke up, Sherlock was curled up asleep on the floor and John could tell by the way Sherlock’s limbs were tightly locked together, that Sherlock was cold. John sighed took the pink chenille bedspread off the bed and covered Sherlock up with it.

Sherlock yawned and looked sleepily up at John, “What time is it?” He asked, his voice sounding like a small child’s.

What was it about the voice of a child that could move a person to tears? John didn’t know as he swallowed down the lump in his throat and answered Sherlock, “It’s about 3 in the morning. Sherlock come back to bed you must be cold.”

Sherlock stood up, wrapped the bedspread around him and waddled over to the bed and got in beside John. He tried to stay curled up, so he wouldn’t touch John, as his teeth chattered from the cold. When Sherlock’s icy foot accidently touched John, he jumped. “Sherlock, you’re ice cold, come here,” John said moving a little closer.

Sherlock didn’t say anything for a moment and then he shakily replied, “I should stay over here so you don’t get cold too. I should stay over here so that I don’t touch you.”

“Sherlock, you’ve already touched me, now put your feet over here, you don’t want to get sick.” John said encouragingly.

As Sherlock hesitantly snuggled closer to John, he felt the cold slowly leave his feet, as it transferred itself to John, and then the cold dissipated, as they both yawned. Sherlock’s last thought before he feel asleep was, “Why were children always in such a hurry to grow up?” For Sherlock observed that as bodies developed and minds evolved into adulthood, snuggling was seldom appreciated for the gift that it was. “John, I appreciate you. John?” Sherlock whispered, but John was already fast asleep and drooling on Sherlock’s shoulder.

It was Christmas time and even though there wasn’t any snow, John the enjoyed the light rain, as he watched it pelt against their bedroom window, even Sherlock couldn’t get him down.  As they sat down to a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, Sherlock just quietly sat there moving his food around in a circle, “Sheryl, don’t play with your food-EAT.” The Mom said.

Sherlock looked up at her, his eyes were red, and his face was pale, which only accentuated the dark circles under his eyes. “Honey, you don’t look so good. Are you okay, sweetheart?” The Mom asked as she felt his forehead. “Maybe you should stay home today.”

Sherlock shook his head, “I’m fine, just tired.”

The Mom took one more look and said, “Okay, honey, but have the nurse call me right away if you feel any worse.”

Sherlock nodded that he understood and then gazed out the ivy covered window, the only thing visible were the gnarled limbs of the plant, for the light from outside had been blocked out long ago by the clinging tentacles of the leaves.

By the end of the school day, Sherlock was exhausted from the black mood battle as John called it, however they both knew that it was depression, for just like Winston Churchill who said, ‘depression is like a black dog that plagues me,’ Sherlock knew what it was like to be pursued by the same unrelenting beast.  Oblivious to Sherlock’s struggle, Cuddles and Toots laughed and joked as they excitedly talked about decorating the silver tinsel tree at Cuddles’ house that night.