i'll be coming out for christmas

lunch (ketch up)

you promised we'll see each other today.

sherlock starred down at his phone screen. another text appeared.

i can easily drive to your house.

don't be a dick, sherlock.

sherlock slumped into his seat, letting out a huff. he looked at the ceiling, thinking if he should make up an excuse or actually out in the effort to see john. they could go out for lunch. sherlock remembered his mom was going shopping with mrs. watson and his father was out working on god knows what. he's always doing something.

uncle bucks at noon?

an instant response.

you better be there.

i'll be there.

sherlock pushed himself off the sofa, deciding sweatpants, a tee shirt a fuzzy socks isn't proper attire to reunite with his best friend. sherlock rolled his eyes at how gay that sounded in his head as he went upstairs. he went into his room, deciding it was time to unpack his suitcase and do laundry, so that's what he did to pass time.

sherlock sat in the local small town restaurant, sitting in a booth as he waited for john to arrive. the usual lunch rush was buzzing around him as he squished his straw wrapper between his fingers before flicking it into the booth across him. he slouched into the cushion behind him as he looked at his watch, seeing it was ten after noon. he sighed and took his phone out of his pocket, seeing a text from john.

running late. sorry.

of course he was running late. he always was. especially when it was something to do with sherlock. he was probably bringing james with him. god if he was sherlock would get up and walk out because he did not agree to that and john never mentioned it. sherlock set his phone on his folded jacket next to him, placing his hands in his lap as he watched the window, tapping his fingers on the table top.

it wasn't until quarter after noon when john showed up. he saw sherlock sitting at the booth and went to him, removing his coat then sitting in the booth, looking at his friend with a smile. "sorry. james and i got into a fight."

"it's alright." sherlock said. the fight was about john going out to lunch with sherlock. he knew it just by the way john checked his phone once he sat down, clearing the text he had received then set his phone on his coat. "i didn't know if you wanted sweet tea or coffee, so i didn't order a drink for you." sherlock said.

"that's fine." john said. he looked over his friend, seeing the only thing that had changed was that he had gotten thinner and john never thought that'd be possible. his phone went off next to him and he sighed, grabbing his phone and putting it on do not disturb, not even looking at the text from his boyfriend. "so, how's harvard?" he asked.

"it's good," sherlock nodded, "cold as hell, but it's good." he cleared his throat, wanting this small talk awkwardness to vanish. "and how's uva?"

john scratched the back of his head. "i plan on transferring to john hopkins after this year."

that's your problem for choosing the same school your boyfriend goes to. sherlock even told him not to, but john insisted that he really wanted to and not because it's where james went. "did you get in?" sherlock asked. "that's a private university."

"i got in." john said with a smile. "it's the nursing program, but i'll have to do four years there because i haven't started my nursing classes yet."

"what does sholto think of it?"

john's smile fell as he looked at his hands. "he's mad about it and he's being crazy about it, but i still have a whole semester at uva." he gained eye contact with sherlock again. "it's my decision, but he's acting like it's ours and that it'll effect our relationship. and he gave me shit about meeting you for lunch. yelled at me over the phone."