Watch and Youāll See
"John takes up birdwatching. Sherlock is baffled but supportive."
Thanks to @stellacartography for the prompt!
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Relationship: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Tags: Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Birdwatching, Cheek Kisses, Reassurances, Johnās new hobby, Sherlock Holmes Loves John Watson, Angst
Read here on ao3.
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āYou didnāt have to come with me, you know,ā John says as they stroll down the path.
āI didnāt,ā Sherlock confirms. āHowever, this newā¦ hobby of yours leaves me no choice but to find answers.ā
John only rolls his eyes, the conversation morphing into silence.
Sherlock eyes the book titled Birds and All You Need to Know in Johnās hand, a bag slung around his shoulder. Sherlock just doesnāt understand and itās bothering him considerably. John Watson is a veteran, a man whoās killed several, a professional doctor, and, in all honesty, a dangerous man in some situations.
And heās taken up birdwatching.
Yes, heās also taken up blogging as well, but his therapist requested that, and heās gotten quite the following. So, Sherlock canāt ponder why John would dive into a hobby such as watching birds; a calm and overall observant activity on which one must focus.
It started as a slow process. On days when they didnāt have a case, John would slip out of the flat without a word, a slim bag over his shoulder. Then, the bag turned into an obvious organizer for supplies. Sherlock could make out the outline of a binocular, but thatās all. Once he finally confronted John and asked where he was headed at least two times a week, John casually responded, āBirdwatching,ā with a happy-go-lucky smile on his lips.
Sherlock blinked, baffled by the statement.
Now, John has taken his hobby to the next level and decided to take a day trip to Sussex, where there is more nature to be appreciated. John only mentioned that he was off for the day and that he probably wouldnāt be home until late afternoon, but Sherlock was having none of it.
This was piquing his interest.
Sherlock insisted on accompanying John, which John first protested, but Sherlock didnāt care for his argument.
They sit on a bench that overlooks plenty of branches and slim trees. John sighs, setting his bag down and grabbing his binoculars from inside.
āAgain, you really didnāt have to come,ā John says again as if that will get Sherlock to disappear.
Sherlock can tell John expects him to poke fun, to laugh at such a contrasting hobby to which he would usually have. But Sherlock does nothing of the sort.
Instead, he leans forward and kisses the doctorās cheek. āYou are ridiculous sometimes,ā Sherlock says. He then takes the book from Johnās hands and begins observing the hardcover.
John continues to stare at him in bewilderment.
āTediousā¦ but probably factual,ā Sherlock murmurs. He then looks at John. āDo you have a notepad?ā
John blinks, then nods slowly. He gets out a notepad and a writing pen from his bag, handing it to Sherlock. Sherlock sees that John has already scribbled down on each set of paper, filling up almost half the notepad.
Sherlock feels warmth overtake his chest.
Itāsā¦ quite adorable, really. John is so dedicated to this activity and it shows in his writing, each category of birds having notes of specifics under them.
Sherlock hides his smile, eyes settling on John.
John huffs a laugh as he sees Sherlockās expression. āYeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, you git,ā he says as he reaches for his notepad.
Sherlock holds it out of reach with ease. āIām doing no such thing,ā Sherlock tells him. āNow, I suggest you start before it gets dark.ā
āWhat, so you can take pictures and send them to Greg?ā John questions.
āWho?ā
āNever mind. Just- Sherlock, itās embarrassing.ā
āWhy should it be?ā asks Sherlock. āIām simply watching you enjoy something that youāre fond of.ā
āSherlock-ā
āJohn.ā Sherlockās voice is, for once, genuine. āPlease. Iāmā¦ glad you have something to pass your time with. Thereās no need to be embarrassed.ā
John smiles gratefully at him.
For the rest of the day, the two men observe different birds, Sherlock admittedly finding this hobby fascinating as well. The majority of it consists of observations, so why wouldnāt he? Sherlock also canāt be blamed for correcting Johnās monitoring throughout their experience or slipping the notepad out of Johnās hands to write his own set of notes.
And he canāt be blamed for staring at John in awe every time the blogger acquires a glint in his eye when he sees a new bird, or when he pats Sherlockās arm excitedly when a bird appears close.
All the more reason to love John Watson.
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