Two Souls: BBC Sherlock X Reader: Ch. 1

    Ducking your head down you turned to hurry down the sidewalk, colliding harshly with a body moving the opposite direction.  You cried out as the force caused you to stumble backwards and land not too gently on your bum, the newspaper flying from your hand and out into the street.  Your mood quickly turned sour, even more so than it already was, and you felt anger bubble up inside you, preparing to spout colorful words at the stranger across from you, whom had also fallen on their rump.

    "What the bloody hell?!" you shouted and scrambled to get to your feet, "Can't you watch where you're going?!"  Your cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment and you refused to look at the stranger as you dusted your coat off.

    They hurried to their feet as well, a string of apologies already flowing from their lips.  "I'm so sorry, Miss.  Are you all right?  You aren't hurt are you?"  The person, obviously male, moved closer to you and rested a hand politely on your arm.

    You looked up finally and all the anger washed away.  You should have recognized that soft voice, but everything clicked as soon as you saw the cream colored jumper and the neat blonde/grey hair on his head.  "John? John Watson?" your excitement got the better of you as you grabbed his face in your hands, "John Hamish Watson?!"

    John looked utterly confused for a few seconds before his eyes went wide and he let out a happy gasp.  "(Name)!  Oh, my God, I didn't even recognize you!  You look so different!" he exclaimed and grabbed you by the shoulders.  He was about two inches taller than you, just like he'd always been.  He looked to be at a loss for words, so instead he just pulled you into a hug, the warmth of nostalgia washing over the two of you.

    You pulled away, happiness and shock rendering both of you speechless so you just stared at each other with wide smiles on your faces.  Finally, John composed himself and motioned across the street, "Coffee?"  Instead of verbally answering, you nodded, linked your arm with his, and followed him to the coffee shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Your smooth laughter and John's soft chuckles echoed throughout the small cafe.  John kept his eyes on you as he asked, "So, what are you doing back here?  I thought you were stationed over in the U.S.?"  You noticed he kept tapping his fingers against the coffee cup, a nervous habit he always had.

    

    Instead of answering you just nonchalantly sipped at your own coffee, a sly smile hidden behind your cup.

    John gave you a, obviously fake, stern look.  "(Name)," he drawled, "What did you do?"

    You kept your childish grin hidden, "I didn't do anything!"

    He raised his brow at you and set his lips in a thin line.

    You pursed your lips, knowing he wasn't going to drop it.  "I got in a fight with someone, and she pushed me in the way of a Humvee.  It ran right over me." you stated, as if it were completely normal.

    John didn't think so, however, and only gawked at you.  You held in a few nervous chuckles and found your coffee cup to be the most interesting thing to look at.  "You're kidding," the astounded Watson hoped.

    "Nope," you pulled the collar of your shirt over to the left to reveal a fairly new scar covering a majority of your shoulder, "They had to virtually build me a new shoulder.  It was completely crushed.  Luckily, none of the fragments punctured anything vital," you readjusted your shirt as you spoke, "I'm living off my pension right now, but it's so hard to find a stable place to live for a reasonable price."  You sighed and began to feel dejected again.

    John cleared his throat, clearly over his shock, and began to absentmindedly swish his coffee around in the cup.  "Looks like you are in the same boat I was, (Name)." He chuckled, "Trust me, I know it isn't easy.  But luckily I have a flat over on Baker Street with my friend Sher-"

    

    John stopped talking as a little 'ding' came from his coat pocket.  He quickly fished it out and pulled up the text message.  In a matter of seconds, another 'ding' sounded and he just rolled his eyes, placing the phone face down on the table.

    You smiled, "Everything alright, John?"

    He ran a hand through his short hair.  "Yes, my flat mate is just being an arse," he groaned.

    Before you could question him on his friend, the phone dinged again.  He ignored it and smiled politely at you.  "You said you were looking for a place to stay?  I believe my landlady said something about a basement flat," he explained, a hopeful glint in his eye, "She'd understand your predicament.  She did the same for me."

    You pondered this for a moment.  Yes, you were in desperate need for a place to live, and John was one of your closest and dearest friends and the only person willing to look out for you.  He had always been kind and protective towards you, ever since you met him in the infirmary in basic.  You were in your first term of training and your platoon had just begun weapons training.  Everything had been going great until someone misused an M16, causing a bullet to graze your side, thus sending you straight to the infirmary with John Watson as your doctor.  That's where your long friendship began.

    John sighed from his seat across from you.  "I really hate how we lost contact, (Name)." he said, reaching out to take your hand in his.

    You smiled and squeezed his hand gently.  "So do I," your voice shook a tad, "Especially when you deployed to Afghanistan.  I had no way to talk to you, to know you were okay."  You squeezed his hand tighter, causing him to look up at you worriedly.  "Not a day went by that I didn't think about you, John Watson."

    "(Name)...  It's okay now.  I'm here." he assured you, his voice soft and soothing.

    Your heart began painfully pounding in your chest and your emotions began to defy you.  "I was scared, John.  Scared I would never see you again.  Scared that you were-"

    Several dings came from John's cell phone, completely ruining the sweet moment between you two.  He kept his hand in yours as he quickly checked the small device.  You wiped at a few tears that had managed to escape and ran your thumb over his knuckles.  John sighed, rather aggravated now, and your eyes locked with his.  "(Name), please forgive me, I've got to go."  He slipped his hand from yours and stood, tugging his coat back on and leaving the correct money for the coffee on the table.  "Here, this is the address of my flat," he said as he scribbled down the address on a napkin.  "The landlady's name is Mrs. Hudson.  I'm positive she could work something out with you." he said, handing the address to you with a bright smile on his face.  God, you missed that smile so much!

    You took the napkin and quickly hugged him.  He returned the hug with no hesitation, afraid you would disappear from him again.  "Thank you, Johnny." you whispered.

    He tightened his arms around you and replied, "I missed you, (Name)." before pulling away and heading out the door.

    As you watched John leave, you began to shrug your own jacket on.  John hurried across the street to a taller man.  He had deep brown curls and was dressed in a long, black trench coat topped off with a deep blue scarf.  You couldn't help but stare at his features a little longer as he exchanged a few words with John.  'Oh, my... Those cheekbones are magnificent.' you mused.  Suddenly, as if he had heard your thoughts, his eyes locked on you through the cafe window.  You felt as if you studied one another for what seemed like an eternity before he got in the cab John had flagged down.

    You shook your head slightly and headed for the door, tugging your coat close around you.  "221B, Baker Street," you read from the napkin.  A smile crossed your face, and you realized your troubles just might be over.