Welcome to Baker Street

3. As clever as it gets

There is a moment of silence inside the living room. John steals a furious look at Sherlock, then turns to Giulia with a crestfallen expression.

"I am truly sorry for that. This is the part where he plays the role of the mind-reader."

Holmes tosses his head offended and retorts, "I don't read minds, John. I read details, clues, clothes, and behaviours."

"You read people like books," Giulia points out, startled.

"I do, and it seems like I've already finished all your pages." Sherlock turns his back to her to look out the window.

"Well, in this case..." She clears her throat before quirking her lips up in a sheepish smile. "Thank you for letting me skip presentations. I'm terrible at them."

John snaps his head up, confused. "And this is usually the part where everyone leaves outraged."

She frowns. "Why? Why are people always so scared of the truth?"

Sherlock turns to her again, intrigued by her words.

"Good question. I believe they simply fear a stranger who knows everything about them."

"And what makes you so frightening, Mr Holmes?" She arches a brow at him with a challenging smirk.

"I make people feel exposed," he says with an edge of contempt for the average reaction he usually gets from people. And yet, she didn't react as everyone else would, he notices.

"I guess it depends on the information you bring to light. Some things are better if they stay secret," she murmurs as her voice drops an octave.

At that moment, John tries to join the conversation. "Alright. Your name is Giulia, isn't it?"

"Correct, and I think there are no more questions left. Your friend has just blurted out an indecent number of personal facts."

"And I made offensive deductions, but you haven't left yet. Why?" He stares at her, but she doesn't budge under his inquisitive gaze.

"Before walking into this flat, I bumped into a potential tenant running away from you. I thought he was mumbling incoherently, but then I realized he had said you were crazy. I'm just trying to determine if he was right." Giulia holds his gaze, tilting her head to the side.

John can't help but chortle, while Holmes looks away, remarking plainly, "You believe him." It isn't even a question, just a pure statement.

"No, I don't think you're crazy. I'd rather say disrespectful of the people around you, unaware of their thoughts and feelings... No, sorry, not unaware, simply careless," she re-words it. "I bet you could break someone's heart without even realising it. You aren't cruel, though, just indifferent."

He cocks a brow at her observations. "Are you trying to deduce me?"

"Not at all. I lack the ability to do so."

"Just observe, then." His voice resonates deeper as he encourages her to go beyond the surface. The art of observation is his favourite pastime.

"I am observing. And I've been listening to you all along. I'd say that your original purpose was to amaze me."

"Nope." He pops the 'p' to express his disappointment. "I just wanted to get rid of you."

Instead of getting offended by the hateful comment, she squints her eyes at him with a playful expression.

"Yeah, I'm sure. But you couldn't resist showing off, could you?"

John chuckles. "She's good, indeed."

"I wanted you out of this flat. As I still do, for the record." Sherlock flares his nostrils: the conversation might be slightly intriguing for his taste, but she appears way too ordinary in his eyes, anyway. Practically everyone does.

"That's exactly why you told me all those things: you wanted me to be astonished in front of your high intellect," she says.

He twitches his lips in disgust. "Useless effort. Amazed people get clingy."

"Amazed people become vulnerable," she corrects him. "That's why everyone before me flew away."

"True. Everyone fears vulnerability and uncertainty. Ever wondered why?" Sherlock feigns interest. After all, why would he care? He never experiences doubt.

"Because it feels like being a child in a world of adults. Terrifying, isn't it?"

"I've never asked one."

"I think you should know." She smiles at him, her eyes fixed on his.

He rolls up his eyes and grimaces. "So, that's your idea about me: a child."

"Quite accurate," John confirms, moving his eyes from one person to the other as if he was watching a table tennis match.

"You look at the world as nobody else does. You do whatever you want, whenever you want, uninterested in what people might think. You say whatever crosses your mind just because you can't restrain yourself. That's childish."

He cocks a brow at her audacity. "Do you intend to impress me?"

She laughs. "God, no. I've barely known you for ten minutes, but I'm pretty sure you can't be easily impressed. Am I wrong?"

"Probably your finest deduction so far."

"I think I made a mistake before, though. You aren't just a show-off. Your performance is not an end in itself; you want to make a point, to prove something."

Sherlock gazes at her, an inscrutable look darting in his eyes.

"What." He doesn't even take the trouble of making it sound like a question.

"That you are the smartest person in the room."

"It's fairly obvious, isn't it? Why should I prove it to others?" he snorts.

"No, not to others. To yourself," she specifies with a smug smile.

They stare at each other for a couple of seconds, like two gunslingers in the Wild West. At that moment, John chimes in the conversation.

"Alright. I think we're good then."

Sherlock goggles at him. "Come on, you can't be serious. You think she is suitable, don't you?"

"Sorry, suitable for what?" Giulia asks, confused.

"Living here, apparently," Holmes replies in a bored tone.

"Think, Sherlock; she is smart and clever. She is a student, which means she has her own business to mind. Most importantly, she doesn't seem to be annoyed by you, which is honestly the greatest and only requirement needed." John smiles triumphantly.

"I'm sorry, you might want to discuss it together," Giulia intervenes.

"Yes," Sherlock promptly replies, but John talks over him.

"No, it won't be necessary. Welcome to Baker Street."