In a matter of seconds, Sherlock is in front of Jim and kneeling down, taking hold of his chin gently and gazing at him in worry. All Jim can do is stare at the detective hurls the question of 'are you okay?' at him.
No. He wanted to say. He is most definitely not okay because last night his boyfriend left him feeling lonely and upset and now that same boyfriend was knelt in front of him like nothing at all happened because his best friend thought that Jim looked like a punching bag.
"What the hell?" were the first words Jim fully hears and they come from John. "Sherlock, you were beyond upset because of him last night and now you're asking if he's okay?"
Sherlock turns his head to look up at John, eyes turning from soft to angry in less than a second. "And because I was upset that somehow gives you the right to punch him, huh?"
John opens his mouth to argue back but closes it a moment later, shaking his head and looking down at his feet in shame.
"Look at him!" Sherlock goes on, eyes back on Jim's jaw to search for signs of damage. "Physically, the only way he'd have a chance against you is of he was armed with thousands of remote controls."
Despite his confusion about where he stood with Sherlock, Jim has to giggle at that. Which earns him a small smile from Sherlock, which leads to Jim looking down at his lap to avoid Sherlock's eyes and that adorable smile.
Jim hears a sigh from Sherlock but he doesn't look up to meet the other's eyes again and doesn't even risk a peak to check, it was definitely him that sighed. Sherlock stands then and Jim, from the corner of his eye, registers that Sherlock's hand was being offered to him.
Ignoring the hand Sherlock held out to help him up, Jim pulls himself to his feet and dusts off his jeans.
Sebastian makes a small sound of approval at the action, and Jim wonders how much his friend honestly meant that comment about him not wanting Jim to push Sherlock away. Then again, he also said he didn't like Sherlock. Not that it mattered. Sherlock didn't need to be liked by his friends to be liked by him.
When he's content that his jeans aren't mucky, Jim mentally prepares himself before raising his eyes to meet Sherlock's own. Instead of speaking, he raises an eyebrow.
Sherlock looks lost and for a split second Jim wants to grin and tell Sherlock he deserved the feeling. By then it faded because he knew that he couldn't honestly think that until he knew why Sherlock left last night.
"Can we go back home.. -I mean, to yours," Sherlock's cheeks take on a pink tinge and Jim ignores the way his pulse was racing. Sherlock considered his flat home.. "to talk," Sherlock finishes, after a slight pause.
Choosing to not answer right away, Jim looks to Sebastian, silently asking what he'd do with himself if he did go home to talk to Sherlock about.. something.
"I'll go see Molly!" Sebastian's face brightens as he suggests the idea.
Automatically, Jim's eyes narrow into slits. Much like he had yesterday, Sebastian holds his hands up in defence and frantically shakes his head.
"Not like that," he cries "We're friends!"
Knowing Sebastian wasn't lying, Jim gives him a small smile before he looks back to the gorgeous man that was his boyfriend. At least, Jim was pretty sure that Sherlock was still his boyfriend... He wasn't going to listen to John's angry words.
"Let's go, then" Jim says to Sherlock, almost knocked off his feet again by the grin Sherlock gives as the words passes Jim's lips.
Sherlock says goodbye to John, who mumbles his farewell and also a quick apology to Jim before he disappears. Jim would have said goodbye to Sebastian but passed telling Jim to text when he was happy for Sebastian to return, the man was glued to his phone as he texts Molly and strolled off in the general direction of her flat.
Jim had never seen Sebastian text a girl he wasn't trying to bed so much before...
It's then that Jim realises a few things. The smiles they sent each other. The way that sat close in Cindy's. And also, Sebastian had been texting Molly for some time because he remembers way back when they went on their not-a-date to the funfair, Sebastian had texted him and said Molly told him where he was going.
Wow. He's blind, Jim realises. Sebastian was falling for the charming Molly. He just hoped Sebastian didn't underestimate that girl because she could be a mean little thing when she wanted to be.
Deciding he could bug Sebastian later, Jim focuses on his own relationship.
Sherlock was walking behind him, following silently like an obedient puppy. Trying not to smile at the mental image he had of a puppy wearing Sherlock's scarf Jim walks faster.
The sooner they moved on from this, the sooner Jim can go back to cuddling Sherlock at night and kissing him. He didn't like this avoidance and awkwardness at all. In fact, he hated it.
When they did get back to his flat, Jim didn't have to remind Sherlock about his shoes and, even though it was a little thing, Jim felt like it was a good sign. Locking the door behind him, Jim also removes his coat and shoes.
He then sits on the sofa, the awkwardness settling over them the same way a winter blanket did on a hot summer's night. Not exactly all that much fun. The awkwardness seems to go up a layer as Sherlock sits beside him.
"About what I said yester-" Jim holds a hand up to stop Sherlock.
Sherlock does stop, looking nervous as he chews on his lower lip.
"Before that, I need to tell you something" Jim pauses. Sherlock nods for him to continue and so he does after a sharp inhale. "Ever since I was little, I've never been good with shouting. My parents have always been laid back and so when someone shouts at me, I... switch off and just stop listening."
Sherlock's face lights up in understanding, and maybe just a hint of happiness or relief of some kind.
"So you didn't hear a word I said?"
Jim shakes his head. "Nope. Other than something about my damn laptop," Jim narrows his eyes. "And something about kissing too, I think."
Sherlock sighs, a grin spreading across his lips. He moves closer and links his fingers his Jim's. Even though he was confused, Jim squeezes Sherlock's fingers and return the smile.
"I know it doesn't really excuse shouting at you like that but I was just having a terrible day and wanted to spend the evening with you. But you were busy on your laptop and I know that when I leaned in to kiss you, you didn't purposely avoid it..." His voice shakes a little. "Lestrade and John have been trying to get me to take cases and even though I miss them a bit, I want to be here with you more than anything..." His smile was nothing but sincere.
Jim's cheeks redden and he averts his eyes. "Is it bad that I kinda forgot you have some form of work?"
Sherlock chuckles and soon Jim feels a light pressure on his cheek from Sherlock's lips.
"It's fine."
There was silence for a while before Sherlock moves closer, his knee knocking into Jim's and his hand sliding up to cup the other man's cheek. Naturally, Jim tilts his head to look at his boyfriend again.
"Can we put this behind us?" Sherlock asks, with a small worried frown.
Jim nods, smiling as he does. "Of course. It was silly."
"We are silly," Sherlock giggles, agreeing.
Folding his feet up onto the sofa, Jim curls into Sherlock and they settle back so Jim's head in on Sherlock's chest, tucked under his chin. From this position they could easily wrap their arms around each other. Jim doesn't even try to be subtle about the way he turns his head and breathes in a smell that can only be described as Sherlock.
He laughs a little, still finding that Sherlock's aftershave was kind of girly with how sweet smelling it is.
But then Jim's frowning and pulling back to look at Sherlock with a serious expression.
"Did I really make you cry?" He asks, almost stumbling over the words with the emotion his voice held.
Sherlock bites his bottom lip before nodding and looking away. "Well, no. Actually," He corrects himself, looking at Jim again. "I did cry, but it wasn't really because of you. Like I said, I was having a bad day and even though you didn't mean to when you avoided the kiss it was just too much for me. So, yes, I cried, but no, you didn't make me cry."
Jim nods, not sure what he can say. Instead of saying anything, he leans forward to kiss Sherlock. He'd planned for it to be a quick, simple kiss but before Jim can really bring himself to think about something that wasn't how wonderful Sherlock tasted, he'd climbed into the other's lap and was straddling him as their tongues moved together frantically.
Sherlock's hand slide under Jim's top, massaging the skin there. Jim suddenly had an image of Sherlock kissing his way down his stomach, nipping and licking here and there. A shudder runs down Jim's spine and he gently pulls Sherlock's hand away.
Their lips separate and Sherlock frowns, looking a bit disappointed. "Clothes stay on?" He guessed.
Jim nods, leaning his forehead on Sherlock's and lowering his voice "At least, they stay on until we move into the bedroom."
Sherlock releases a breath, almost gasping, and the arms that held Jim around the waist tightened. Sherlock kisses him once, hard and fast before he pulls back. "Are you sure?"
Jim nods again, smiling brightly against Sherlock's lips as the fingers he had buried in those curls tightened. This time, he kisses Sherlock and he was very thankful that Sherlock didn't stop them to talk any more. He had his Sherlock back now and he wanted to kiss him all night long. Among other things he wanted to do to and with him.
Sherlock's hands slide under Jim's top again but this time his hands feel their way up Jim's sides, pulling the thin fabric of what Jim called his top with them. Compiling with what his boyfriend obviously wanted, Jim stops kissing him and allows the garment to be tugged off over his head. Even though moments before he said that clothes stayed on until they got to the bedroom. Well, some rules are made to be broken.
Sherlock had seen him topless before but this was different and so Jim's face decided that it wanted to turn the same colour as a cherry tomato. Still blushing, Jim leans in for another kiss so he can't stop Sherlock from focusing on his undefined chest and really not muscular stomach.
It was clear though, Sherlock had other plans. He breaks their lips apart and begins to kiss down Jim's neck, his fingertips running up and down a small section of Jim's spine.
As those beautiful lips work their way down, Jim becomes fidgety. Any second now and Sherlock would find his sweet —
"Holy shit!" Jim gasps as Sherlock bites down on his neck. Not quite on his sweet spot but close enough that it gained a strong reaction, especially from a certain part of his body. "S-Sherlock..." Jim mumbles the word, aroused and embarrassed at the same time.
He was sat here in his gorgeous boyfriend's lap without a shirt on and revealing his not so fabulous body, and on top of that his 'little friend' was making itself announced by pressing against his zipper and forming a bulge in his jeans. He was beyond mortified.
Sherlock raises his head so his mouth was by Jim's ear. His hands squeeze Jim's hips. "You're beautiful," Sherlock whispers. "You're gorgeous... You take my breath away, James..."
Releasing a sound that was some mix of a laugh and a sob, Jim crushes their lips together in a fierce yet loving kiss.
"Take me to bed, Sherlock Holmes," Jim murmurs softly, eyes shining with tears of nothing but happiness.