Want to bet on it? (John/Moriarty)

John's heart jumped in his throat when his phone vibrated in his hand, he took it out, his eyes scanning the text and he was shaking.

What was he supposed to say? Could he really call him?

He had to do it though, so he pushed the call button, placing the phone to his ear as he crossed the road to the nearest park, he was just going to walk around until he was done with this.

"Hallo? This is John," he said when he heard the phone clicking from the other side, holding in his breath in expectation. He had no idea what to say, he was probably not welcome any way.

"John Watson," he pointed out after a moment, still not sure if Jim would remember him.

James heart jumped up insanely as he heard the BeeGee's filling his bedroom.

"Ah ah ah ahhh Staying Alive, staying al-" "Hello?" He said curious but secretly hoping he'd hear that familiar voice. And he did.

The first note of it was enough to make him realise who was on the other end of the phone. There was no need for John to even say his name, let alone say it twice. For a few seconds he was lost for words.

"Oh. Yes! Eh. Hey." He said nervously. "So I guess Sherlock did give you my number after all." He said relieved.

The nervous familiar tone coming from the phone made John's heart clench in his chest. Fifteen years, fifteen long years had passed and even now he still felt the same. It was... preposterous.

The words brought him back to reality though, he felt his heart drop in his chest, and didn't even catch the relieved tone. "I... took it from him..." he confessed, biting on his lower lip. "Did you tell him not to give it to me?"

He felt suddenly miserable. "I am sorry to disturb you... I know it's awkward and you probably don't even remember me... but I... I wanted to talk to you."

James was already happy he heard this man's voice. It felt so familiar it made him shiver. He went to sit up straight on the edge of his bed as he listened to John.

"Took it?" he repeated in his own mind. The bastard.

"Yes. I text him saying he should pass it to you. He said he would." He said, now knowing what Sherlock's intentions were. Clever, but not clever enough.

"Don't be sorry at all. I wanted you to contact me... I eh.. I remember everything about you." He confessed.

John frowned: "Sherlock said-?" He stopped himself, it was silly to argue with Jim about it, but Sherlock will have to answer for this. "You mean you didn't want to go out with Sherlock?" He muttered, hesitating, his heart picking up its beats.

"It's been such a long time..." He started, craddling his phone next to his ear. "I just... We parted in such a way... I still think about it... Even though it's been 15 years... Have you ever received my letter?" He asked, feeling stupid for caring about what happened so long ago.

James shook his head even though John couldn't see it. "No. Of course I didn't want to go out with Sherlock, silly." He said while laughing slightly. Was that really what the detective thought? How utterly cute and highly ambitious of him.

"I Know. It's been too long. 15 years and one day, to be exactly." He pointed out probably coming across as obsessed, but he didn't mind.

A silence fell for a moment and James's eyes traced towards the small table next to his bed. He slowly opened it and saw an old yellow envelope. "Yes." He whispered while his eyes rolled over John's frizzly handwriting. "Yes I did get your letter."

"Hey eh this might sound insane but would you like meeting up? Like.. Now?" James asked before John had the chance to react. He just couldn't have this conversation through the phone. He needed to see John's face, he needed John to see his when they were about to talk this over.

"I mean if not... That's okay too." He added insecure. World's most dangerous criminal felt insecure about asking his ex boyfriend to meet up with him. Ha...

15 years and one day, his mind repeated, of course, if he thought about it, he could remember the exact date. He wondered why Jim still remembered so well.
Could it be that he was still angry at him?
He had every right to be angry at him.

John's heart clenched in his chest again, Jim had gotten his letter, but never replied, that had to mean something, and all the doctor wanted to do was apologize.

"Yes, yes, let's meet up... where are you?" he replied before thinking it straight, but he needed to clear this up, whatever kind of person Jim turned out to be now, he needed to apologize, he needed to explain.

Sherlock was going to notice he was gone too long, but it was all his fault for not giving him the number sooner.

Thank God; he sighed in relief, John did not turn his offer down. Unsure whether the blonde was still interested he gave John his address. They sure had some unfinished business.

"Fine. I'll see you soon then." He said while he retrieved the phone from his ear and hung up. John would be here in 20 minutes. A smile formed on his face and he had no idea why.

--

At 221B Sherlock was stretched out on the sofa by now. John had been away 46 minutes and 57 seconds now. Walking to the shop only took 11 minutes and 20 seconds. Doubling it makes 22minutes and 40 seconds. Adding 7 minutes and 14 seconds to get the milk and some midnight snack he'd never tell Sherlock about it made 29 minutes and 54 seconds in total.

This wasn't normal, John was up to something. Or something was up to John. He grabbed his phone and tapped a new message on it.

"It's taking you longer than usual. Are you alright? -SH"

John was nervous, so nervous he thought he was probably sweating, his whole being felt on edge, tense. He hadn't expected this to happen, he hadn't thought they would be able to meet again, but he realized he wanted nothing else.

He was in Jim's apartment complex, a very elegant one, walking into the elevator when his phone beeped.

He groaned at Sherlock's message, he really didn't want to deal with him at the moment, but at the same time he knew the messages would keep coming if he didn't reply.

I'm alright. I have to deal with something though. Will be back later. JW

He wrote swiftly, he wasn't going to tell Sherlock what he was going to do just yet, he didn't want him to interfere.

He bit on his lower lip, brushing his hair back a bit before he actually rang the bell of Jim's flat, words spinning in his head, all the things he just wanted to say to him.

Sherlock read the message out loud and shook his head. He couldn't believe John was not telling me what he was up to. Was it Mycroft who was bothering John again? At this time of night? No, impossible. Perhaps a date? No, no John would have wore other shoes. Then what? What? Think Sherlock, THINK!......

"Oh."

- Text to John-
You could have just asked the number. -SH

--

James had dressed up again and was pacing back and forth in front of his door. John could ring it any seconds now, if he did not change his mind along the way, that was.

His heart jumped up and down in his chest as he heard the simple ring fill his hallway. John was here, he came. Perhaps way to quickly he reached out to the doorknob and turned it around.

"John.." He said with a welcoming smile on his face. It was all he could say for a few seconds since his eyes took this advantage to stare down this man completely. He hadn't changed at all and James was washed over by nostalgia.

John groaned softly when he heard the beep coming from his phone, but didn't bother with taking out the phone. He didn't need to read what Sherlock had to say now.
There were other things more important now.
Like the door opening and Jim smiling at him.
That smile.
Those eyes.
It was like being back home, fifteen years ago, his heart going crazy and butterflies bursting in his stomach.

"Jim... hi..." he muttered, bowing his head a bit. "I am sorry about the time..."

God, he just wanted to touch him, to feel him under his fingers, but he knew that he was not allowed this any more.
"You are... even more handsome than I remember," he complimented him, looking at the hinges of the door, not sure if he would be invited inside at all.

He couldn't help but blush as john complimented him. Ever so sweet.

"I could easily say the same about you." He returned the favour while taking a step back, gesturing John to come in. "Please." He said.

"Don't worry about the hour. I am not one to sleep early." He comforted John. "Bad habit." He added and smiled weakly as he thought back at the many nights he had spend up plotting out ways to get Sherlock.

"Sit down, please." His hands now pointing to his black leather sofam" do you want something to drink? Anything?" He was just plain nervous and did not know what to do or say without coming across as overly obsessed with all of this.

John shook his head, not really wanting to take the compliment: "I got old..." he commented and slowly moved inside the apartment. "It's a beautiful flat... I... I heard from people you were supposed to be in France," he exclaimed with a soft laugh. "They said you married some sort of rich actress..."

He sat on the sofa, feeling strange, "No thanks, I can't really stay long," he admitted, knowing Sherlock would send search parties if he didn't write back soon enough. "I just... needed to see you..."

"Old." James laughed that one off, John looked still as fit as he used to.

James laughed out loud when he heard what people had been telling about him. He indeed got spotted with an actress in France and they pulled on some story to not get James real Identity discovered. In fact he learned all his acting abilities from her. How to change into a complete different person and play a role. Oh well, she was useful for the time being.

"People tend to talk too much, don't you think. Me? Married to some rich woman in France?" He shook his head and laughed a little more. "I'd at least send you my private jet and met up with you under the Eifel Tower." He said playfully, trying to light up the mood just a little.

John needed to see him? Why? He would have never thought this man was still thinking about him. But James couldn't disagree. He needed to see John as well. "I needed just the same." He confessed.

--

Sherlock was now pacing back and forth inside his living room. John was not answering and he had a strong feeling this Jim from IT man had something to do with it. Sherlock picked up his phone once more and ran through his contacts. Viciously he typed a new message to the person who was stealing his John.

-Text to James-
"Once something dies, you can't make it live. -SH"

Of course he was on about the dead relationship they both had. How could they even get back together after all that time? Impossible. Besides, he had claimed John now and if that were James intentions as well, then he was far to late.

--

James felt his phone buzz in his pocket. "Excuse me." He said polite when he got it out. It might have been Sebastian to say he'd finished the job. But what he saw wasn't anything he would be expecting. He huffed a little as he read the text message.

John blushed slightly at the suggestion of getting whisked off to France. "I didn't expect you to remember me at all... it was a long time ago, and we.. we weren't together for that long..." he muttered, his fingers moving nervously in his pocket.

He waited for James to check his mobile, but he heard himself talking before he could actually think.
"I wanted to apologize... I know it's extremely late... but I owe you an explanation... I did not mean for things to actually end that way, I wanted to call you and I wanted to meet up with you again," he felt himself relive the pain of those days as he spoke about them. And he had thought he was over it!
"My dad split from my mum that night, he discovered a lot of things she was keeping from him, and he dragged me with him... I had no way to a phone for a few days, because I left mine with my mum and he would just drive on and on, and I didn't even know what to tell you... I could only write you... and I never got a reply, I thought... I thought you were done with me."


((Did you just quote Bright Eyes in Sherlock's text? Or is it a coincidence?))

((LOLOLOL Yes I actually did! The song came along on my playlist and I was stuck at what line Sherlock could send andd it reminded me of you saying that their relationship was dead so I was like.. Fuck this I'm quoting that. ))

James got distracted from his phone as John started to talk and unaware of his own actions he had already put it back in his pocket.

He'd never thought John had been through all of that. He had just assumed he was too much of a coward to show himself later on.

"I would have never thought. Gee, John, I thought you just wanted to ease your own consciousness by sending me a letter. I thought you didn't want to see me and just ran off to start over somewhere different. I'm sorry." He was silenced for a few seconds after that.

"I do owe you an apology as well. That bet, not telling you. It was an huge mistake." He laughed slightly. "Look at us, 15 years later."

((OMG you just became my favorite person ever! I love and adore Bright Eyes!! And I quoted him in RPs before!! XDDD Would you marry me? *puppy eyes* ))


John tried to smile, but he felt still quite shaky, those feelings from so long ago, they still felt so close.
"I didn't want to run away from you..." he muttered, looking to the side.

He grimaced at the mention of the bet, he still felt like an outcast at times, and that was a painful reminder of how people used to think he was undateable. Maybe he still was.
"I overreacted about that as well... I was very insecure back then... thinking back, I did realize you were sincere with me..."
He looked at Jim for a long moment. "Or at least I would like to think you were..."

(( VGDBHDJFISOOIAO I LOVE THEMM TOO! Conor is like my hero with words. He's just perfect! YES YES I WILL MARRY YOU NOW! ))

James felt the pain he'd felt when he saw John walk away that night, it still was so fresh. And now it was salt in a ripped open old wound. How could it still feel like this?

"John I..." And without realizing it he reached out his hand and rested his fingertips on John's cheek, stroking down over his jaw. "I really was sincere." He said in a lowered voice.

"I still am." He admitted.

(( SDHGUIRHUIEW Conor is God!! I mean, he's an ass, but man, he writes like he knows everything! Reading what he writes is like reading my diary! Except I don't write a diary! He is just... I dunno, I just love how he writes! It's like straight-forward honesty all over! YES WE HAVE TO MARRY! I WILL MAKE A HONEST WOMAN OUT OF YOU! >> ))


John's heart jumped in his throat when he felt the other's fingers on his cheek, it was like getting thrown back to 15 years ago, when he was a teenager and everything felt so bloody intense.
"You don't know me any more, Jim," he whispered, his voice shaking slightly as he leaned in the touch. "We can't pretend time hasn't passed..."

They were both getting carried away, but only the possibility Jim could feel what he was feeling now made John's breathing quiver. "I hated my dad so much for bringing me away from you..."

Once he reached the end of John's jawline he balled his hands in to a fist and forcefully pulled it back from John's face. That skin still felt as soft as it did back then, or at least Jim thought it did. It probably didn't at all but none of that mattered right now.

"I'm sorry. I just needed to feel..." He said a bit ashamed of what he did. John was right, they did not knew eachother anymore and pretending time did not had passed was useless.

"You're right." He muttered under his breath. "And what happened, happened. We can't really change anything about that now." James shrugged.

Nervously he was plucking onto the fabric of his blazer and he looked down at it for a few seconds. It wasn't till then that he realized John was still wearing jumpers. He giggled a little bit.

(( YES YES YES!!! I am totally agreeing on everything you say there!!! Hahaha how funny though, that we find this out through a RP LOL. ))

John's heart throbbed painfully when Jim's hand moved away, he knew he had said the wrong thing, Jim felt rejected, he could tell that much. God, it all felt like 15 years ago. Why could he still read him?
"It's okay... I... I didn't mind..." he confessed, looking at his feet.

"I know it doesn't change anything... but it is important to me... to know that... that you know I haven't deserted you... I have never forgotten you, Jim," he muttered, looking over curiously when he heard him giggle, but he went on anyway.

"It would be nice if we could be friends..."


((I know! I was like... am I hallucinating? XDD the fact I could recognize the line of the song says a lot about how obsessed I was and sometimes still am with his songs! XD ))

James just needed to feel if he'd still feel the same as he did back then when he ran his fingers over John's skin. And yes, indeed, he still got the same warm feeling.

"I've never forgotten you either." His hands reached into his pocket again and he got out John's letter. "I've kept it. It... was the only thing I had to hold on to you." He confessed coming across rather obsessed now.

James's heart jumped at the words friends. "I'd love to." He said with a smile on his face.

--

Why isn't either of them answering their phone? Sherlock got the inappropriate idea they were /making love to each other/ since they both did not answer. He could understand Jim would not answer but John? It wasn't much like him.

He placed his violin back down. He'd been playing it for the last 17 minutes, it helped him think. His fingers typed in John's number and he pressed the green button on his phone. Hoping John would pick up...

((Hahha I'd of recognized it as well. And I love their older songs better then the new ones sooo. Hahah.))

John felt he wanted to cry when he saw the letter, he recognized it, and he couldn't believe it had been important to Jim like it had been to him. "I wrote you a lot of letters when I was away," he confessed and shook his head. "Oh damn it," he whimpered and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around the other's shoulders and pulling him in for a tight hug.

"Damn, Jim... I missed you... I am so sorry I disappeared... please believe I never wanted to..." he whispered against his neck, only to jump back when he heard his phone ring, it was an unexpected sound in his ears.

He took the phone out of his pocket and frowned at Sherlock's name blinking on the display. "Just give me a second," he muttered, turning around and picking up the call.
"It better be important Sherlock, or I swear I will insert your bloody violin in your ass next time I see you," he hissed, impatient, making the man on the other side of the line chuckle amused.

"And I called you many times. In my mind, that is." He confessed. He'd wanted to call John badly but he always figured this man would not want to hear his voice again. He assumed their business was finished.

James wrapped his arms around John's waist and pulled him close, slightly squeezing him. John's warm breathing touching the skin in his neck was overwhelming. Though, this magical moment got interrupted before Jim had wanted it to end. Stupid Sherlock.

James smiled a little at John's way to threaten Sherlock. It just sounded cute, and everything but convincing.

--

Sherlock grinned wide as John picked up his phone. It only took him 2 beeps, meaning his phone was within hand reach.

"Don't be stupid John, You and I both know the violin is too much to take in." He replied dry.

John's heart was still beating fast for being so close to Jim, he had wished to be able to meet him again, to touch him again for so long and now he was allowing Sherlock to disturb.
It was insane.

He knew it meant nothing, it was just a hug, and he surely didn't expect anything else to happen, nor he was supposed to want that, but the last thing he wanted at the moment was to chat on the phone with his flatmate.
"Are you challenging me?" he hissed, "Because I am willing to try."

Sherlock was smirking, he could feel it in his voice.
"We both know you prefer other things to be up my ass, John..."

The doctor's cheeks flushed red at the implications, Sherlock had always acted like those nights had never happened, he had never teased him before and John hadn't been ready at all.
"W-why did you call?" he tried to keep himself steady.


((I like their older songs better too, even though I do like the new ones as well~ Not so much Cassadaga, more the People's key ^^))