AN /: Bet you thought that I was never going to update, right? Sorry about the wait (and I do mean it, I'm really sorry). One chapter to go which, hopefully, I can kick myself into doing by the end of the year.

O.o.O.o.O

When You Need A Hero

Ch 2. The Waiting Game

For someone so clever, Sherlock can be very thick. He can tell someone is having an affair by the state of their wristwatch, he once figured out that a woman was evading the tax office by the colour of her shirt, and one time Sherlock even discovered that John had once owned a pet rabbit by the way he sliced vegetables for dinner. All of this was amazing, incredible, often highly infuriating- but it was a surprise to John that he discovered Sherlock's 'big secret' before Sherlock discovered his.

It had begun with the way that Sherlock could find anything online. If he needed obscure plant names, released CIA documents, even conspiracy theory websites he would always have them instantly on the first search page. In addition to this Sherlock never let John look over his shoulder as he was texting, and for that matter Sherlock never seemed to press any buttons. One time, when John had been sick with a head cold and lying comfortably in bed, he had actually heard Sherlock in the other room commanding someone to send a text even though John was sure that they didn't have visitors. In his delirious state he had assumed that it was Mycroft, and had shortly fallen back to sleep. Finally, it was the fact that Sherlock could always crack his laptop password, no matter what it was.

Finally things clicked when they were on a case. It had been Sherlock's idea to sneak into a suspect's apartment, and it had also been Sherlock's idea to have a look at their laptop files before they left. However it had been John's idea to pay close attention to the way that Sherlock had handled the laptop, the way he talked to it like it was human, the way it came to life under Sherlock's fingertips. There was also the fact that Sherlock had claimed to send an e-mail containing case-relevant data back to his own laptop without ever loading an inbox. When they arrived back at the flat the e-mail was waiting on Sherlock's laptop, and John finally had the last piece of evidence.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Sherlock?" He started, collapsing into his armchair and regarding Sherlock's precarious seating on the edge of the coffee table. Sherlock looked over at him with a raised eyebrow but returned his gaze back to the laptop.

"You know you can tell me anything. You're my best mate, I won't judge." John pressed again, reluctant to just ask outright.

"John my aversion to women does not mean that-"

"Okay, okay." John said, cutting him off. "I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted you to know that if you have any big secrets, you don't have to hide them from me."

"I have no secrets, John, and even if I did they wouldn't effect you." Sherlock replied, still facing the laptop.

"Right, so you being able to order machines around with your mind won't be a big problem, then?"

There was a crash as the laptop slipped from Sherlock's knees and fell into the stacks of paper sitting by Sherlock's feet. John couldn't keep his smug grin to himself.

"How on earth did you notice?" Sherlock asked, furrowing his eyebrows and pressing his fingertips together.

"You don't hide it that well." John admitted.

Sherlock didn't say another word after that, only responding with a low mutter when John offered him tea. John stood next to the boiling kettle, trying to figure out whether to tell Sherlock about his own healing powers, then decided that if Sherlock wanted to know, he could deduce it by himself.

End Chapter Two