You Left A Mark - A Johnlock Soulmate AU

17- (Potential trigger- homophobia and slight gore)

Potential trigger- homophobia and slight gore.

The cab ride was silent, however not with the tension that had filled 221B Baker Street the past couple of days. This was known silence, a welcomed silence. Both men thinking, well mainly Sherlock as John knew nothing about what had happened and where they were going.

The cab ride lasted about 20 minutes until it pulled over outside a bar. This bar however, John had realised, was not what he we would call a pub. Drag Queens surrounded the entrance, men on men and women on women. John now realised they were outside a gay bar, a place John didn't even know existed.

"Sherlock, do you even know where we are?"
"A crime scene John," and with that John just decided to drop the subject entirely. They met a very uncomfortable looking Lestrade by the side alley and he lead them further down.

Both men followed Lestrade until they encountered the body. Well one can't exactly call it a body. From what John could see, the corpse had no face, the skin stripped to bone. As well as multiple bruises and broken limbs, the worst being the left leg which was bent in the completely opposite direction. The one obvious thing John hadn't noticed was the writing on the corpse's arm.

Sherlock, however, had already noticed the writing and it shook him to the core.

-"I couldn't handle knowing it was you. I'm sorry"-

The handwriting was scrawled and obviously written quickly and from an angle. But what Sherlock couldn't understand is what it meant. He had already absorbed every piece of information possible from the scene, it all made sense apart from that writing. More soulmate business, he hated how everyone had an obsession with them. A voice tore him from his mind

"Probably some, thing, that got too close the normals around here."

He spins around to see the voice belonged to no other than Donovan, his hatred for her seemed to grow then. However her remark may have turned everyone's attention to her, Sherlock however was focussed on John. His flinched didn't slip past Sherlock's notice, the now discomfort shown in his body language. John had bad memories associated with this. This case was close to John, maybe not in personal terms, but emotional.

Once the tension in the air had died down, Greg asked Sherlock for an explanation.

"Well the body is in its mid 20s. Obviously he was back here for smoke, evident by the still warm cigarette by his side. Was attacked from the front, but didn't have time to fight back, Showing he trusted the person. No clothes but underwear and obviously no face, showing the murderer does not want the victim identified. You would expect the attack to be planned by the amount of detail gone into it. However I have grounds to believe it wasn't. That it wasn't something planned weeks in advance but one acted on impulse." Sherlock monologue.

"How do you know it's not planned, it has signs of professional killers?" John asked, still blown away by the skills Sherlock has.

"The writing."

"What writing Sherlock?" This time it's Lestrade that asks, wanting to have as much evidence as possible.

"On the victim's arm, "I couldn't handle knowing it was you. I'm sorry", showing it was clearly an emotional and impulsive attack."

Again John seemed to freeze up, he knew immediately why this person had been murdered but he doesn't know if Sherlock does. As he mentally voices this question, Sherlock answers it.

"All we need to do is figure out the motive and we should be set to tracking this murderer down"

John knew he should say something, it was obvious to him for once, but he didn't want to speak up after Donovan's remark earlier. As if Sherlock could read his mind he speaks up again,

"John you seem to have an idea, care to share."
He was terrified but knew the police needed the information, so he decided to speak up.

"He was killed because the murderer couldn't handle the idea of being... um.. being gay"
Everyone looked at John instead of Sherlock, he wanted them to stop. He could feel panic rising, they probably all think he's gay now.

"Brilliant John, can't believe I missed that," the tall man strode over to John, placing his hands on his shoulders he continued "Absolutely marvelous, incredible."

That just made the thoughts worse, Sherlock probably confirmed their suspicions, he couldn't handle it but if he walked away he'd only make it worse for himself.

Sherlock then turned into a bloodhound, knowing now that it was done due to emotions, the killer would be easy to track. All the mistakes they have made, made him excatic. Almost instantly he spotted a trail of blood. Tiny little specks that Scotland Yard would probably miss, leading him right to the killer. So he followed. Knowing John wouldn't be far behind him he set off, watching nothing but the floor. Hearing a muffled sorry from John every now and again until they were lead down another alley. Here they found him, rocking back and forth. Muttering and distressed, Sherlock found him pathetic. He went to call Lestrade before he realised they were only a few streets over, meaning he wouldn't be far.

John felt nothing but sympathy for the bloke in front of him. He didn't want to do what he did, but it got too much for him. He understood the thoughts he'd have had that lead him to do it, he has them every time he thinks of Sherlock being his soulmate. John would never go to murder though, althought sometimes the detective pushed him a bit too far.

Lestrade had the man cuffed, Sherlock took that as his cue to leave. He started walking until he realised a familiar presence was not by his side. He turns to see John in a conversation with Donovan, well conversation was a loose term. She seems to speaking and John seems to be barely listening. He seems uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. Sherlock walks back towards the pair and he begins to hear the one sided conversation.

"I bet you followed hoping for a shag, shame we were only around the corner. Freak."She stopped noticing Sherlock standing behind John. She left. John sighed a visible sigh of relief, as he turned to see the detective. Yet his expression didn't change, he still looks distressed and uncomfortable. This time it's Sherlock that follows John to the cab. 

--AN--

Probably the longest chapter yet. Sorry again for vanishing, I'm not going to lie, I put it off because I did not want to even try to write a case but I bit the bullet and did it. I hope it's alright. I know it seems a bit touchy but I thought it would fit and just gives more background to the version of John and Sherlock I'm writing. I know the language is tame and probably doesn't give the scene the umph it needs, but by personal choice I don't swear and even if I did I couldn't ever even use a slur for writing purpouses. So if you want to imagine worse was said than do that, but what I wrote is within my comfort zone.

--An--