Secrets Aren't Made Slowly

Could You Be A Bit More Considerate?

Sherlock waited patiently until the final bell, for he had no classes last block and he was able to just sit at his desk and pour through his text book, using their questions for inspiration so as to create his own equally challenging equations. He wanted to be sure he used ones that John hadn't practiced beforehand, and he wanted to see if the boy could do them. If he could, without any notes or any papers or equations, then Sherlock would have to give him the one hundred percent. And yet if suddenly he struggled, if he was stumped and looking at the board helplessly, well then Sherlock would know that there was something else going on, something that he wasn't supposed to notice, and yet he was sure John would never expect him to be one step ahead. When finally the bell rang Sherlock was ready, he was longing back in his chair and watching the door, expecting his guest to saunter in any moment now. When John finally arrived the hallways were growing empty, and yet Sherlock knew to expect him and so he didn't let up his guard. He sat tall and proud, with an expression that assured the world that he knew he was beautiful. It was usually a look that drove people crazy, and of course if John really was in love with him then it would only serve as a better tool to distract him from the problems he was about to be given.
"I was almost worried you weren't coming." Sherlock started, setting down his paper and getting to his feet so as to great him, and yet John simply closed the door and lingered near the student's desks, as if he didn't want to get any closer than that.
"If you're wondering if I cheated, I didn't." John said finally.
"Ah, Mr. Watson you read my mind. And yet, excuse me if I don't exactly believe you. I don't know many who would admit to cheating, and so I prefer to do my own investigating." Sherlock admitted, stepping out from behind his desk and beckoning John with a mere flick of his long white fingers. John took a deep breath, and yet Sherlock really couldn't tell if he was infatuated or just plain annoyed, and so John's advancement wasn't nearly as exciting as it should have been.
"I didn't cheat. I got a perfect score, didn't I? That's why you're all up in arms." John guessed. Sherlock just glared at him, and yet he wasn't going to let this boy's sass throw him off his main goal.
"May I see your hands, please?" Sherlock asked in the politest way possible, holding out his own hands so as to receive John's.
"My hands? Why on earth do you..."
"For any formulas, of course." Sherlock said with a bit of a smile, to which John just looked at him nervously, holding out his hand and yet flinching when Sherlock reached out to grab it. He drew his hand away with a jolt, and of course Sherlock could now understand his concern.
"I don't want you touching me." John murmured, to which Sherlock went rather red and dropped his hands, too proud to apologize and yet only the slightest bit ashamed at having overstepped his boundaries.
"Yes of course, my apologies. And yet please, show them to me." Sherlock insisted. John sighed heavily, however he held up his hands for Sherlock's view, turning them and wagging his fingers and even letting Sherlock peek down his sleeves so as to check that his wrists were unblemished.
"There you go Mr. Holmes, are you quite satisfied?" John muttered, frowning and crossing his arms defensively, as if he had somewhere so important to be right now. Sherlock hummed, drawing back to his desk and collecting the paper he had created over his break, clearing his throat before sitting on the corner of his desk proudly.
"Would you mind doing a couple of these problems for me on the chalk board? Just so that I can be sure you understand the material." Sherlock muttered, to which John just gaped, shaking his head as if he couldn't understand this nonsense.
"Why can't you just take my word for it? I understand the stuff, it really isn't a crime!" John exclaimed, to which Sherlock just laughed proudly. If he wasn't so hateful of the kid he might have admired his daring, and yet while it was still John Watson standing before him he couldn't wear anything less than a scowl.
"You are the only one getting it, and I do assume that you're not the pinnacle of your class academically speaking. And so I would just like to test you, that is all. Now please, the faster this goes the sooner we can all go home." Sherlock insisted, waving John along impatiently. The boy just sighed, shaking his head as if he had so much better things he could be doing, before finally approaching the chalk board and taking up a piece in his hand. Sherlock smiled, reading him the question and watching as John scrawled the numbers on the board in a large, rather ugly looking handwriting. For a moment John looked at the equation, and yet it was only a moment for as soon as Sherlock began to wonder if he knew what he was doing he was off, scribbling on the chalk board at a very rapid pace. He looked as if this was all just common sense, which of course irritated Sherlock all the more, and in a flash the problem was completed and John had, of course, gotten the answer correct. Sherlock rose from his seat on the table carefully, walking towards the board and staring at John's work, hardly able to believe it. And so he wasn't cheating...he was just smart.
"How about that then, Mr. Holmes?" John challenged, putting the chalk moodily back where he had found it, his fingers now stained with blue dust.
"That, Mr. Watson, is enough to convince me." Sherlock admitted finally, taking a deep breath before dropping his head almost shamefully and starting back over to his desk. From there he grabbed John's test and the red pen, taking a deep sigh as he wrote a big one hundred at the top of the page, almost ashamed to hand it over. That smile, that winning smile, it had been the very thing he had been dreading. John looked as if he had somehow challenged him and succeeded, and more importantly he acted as if this was somehow the last time he would be put to the test. They still had a whole semester to go; surely Sherlock would be able to stump him at least once before they had to part ways? And yet today, today was his defeat, for he handed the paper over to John who accepted it with a smile.
"Congratulations then, Mr. Watson, on being the only one in the class who passed." Sherlock murmured, to which John only beamed even prouder, taking the test with careful fingers before nodding, turning and starting for the door as if he was happy with that being the last word. Sherlock knew that he couldn't do anything to call him back, for he knew then that he would just be stalling, and yet he didn't like those to be the last words uttered between them. He didn't want them to hang in the air while he sat and waited for Molly to bother him, he didn't want those to be the last words that rung in John's ears as he started down the hallway, holding onto that perfect test...
"Have a nice evening." Sherlock said finally, and that was actually enough to stop John at the door. It was enough to make him turn his head, and yet he didn't say anything in return. He wasn't nice enough to say something back, and so Sherlock could only assume that John intended on Sherlock spending a horrible evening. His silence was the equivalent of saying 'have a miserable evening' and yet Sherlock didn't really expect anything else from such a boy. And so he let him leave, he watched as he walked out and he sat alone in his silence, staring at the blackboard and wondering what he was going to do about having the reincarnate of Einstein sitting here among his class full of kids with a second grade math level. Oh this would be so much easier if John was a tolerable person! And yet Sherlock could only assume that John felt exactly the same, for they both doubted the other's humanity only the slightest bit.