[As promised, Heizou will be waiting for Sherlock in their agency, in the common space between their offices. He's taken up one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, a book sitting in his lap while he twirls a pen between his fingers.
When Sherlock finally arrives, he'll turn in his chair and offer him a cheery wave.]
There you are! For a moment I thought maybe you'd change your mind~
[ Locking the door behind him, Sherlock arrives carrying a small basket. Inside are cleaned cups for two mugs of coffee, two glasses... and a bottle of wine. (He's seen a bottle with Kaveh before, so it has to be decent at least.) The bottle was a spur of the moment decision. He may need a drink or two depending on how this goes. He sets the basket on the table they keep relatively clean for clients. Where's that coffee, Heizou? He was promised coffee. ]
If I did, I would be stuck with my erroneous knowledge. Kaveh might say that it depends on the couple and thus cannot be quantified, but I don't think he realizes just how much I don't understand. My initial assumption was that such relations happened maybe once every other week, so hearing that more than ten in a single week is possible... I question just how far from the truth I am.
[There is a pot of coffee done brewing off to the side for Sherlock to get whenever he wants... But Heizou's attention is more on that bottle of wine in his friend's hands. He can't help but raise an eyebrow about it, amused. The idea that Sherlock doesn't think he can sit through this topic without the help of alcohol is just... really funny to Heizou.]
Your "erroneous knowledge"? Man alive, you make it sound so dour!
[Still, Heizou gestures for Sherlock to take a seat near the fireplace while he goes to fill their mugs with coffee. Even if Sherlock ends up not drinking his share.]
I promise you, Sherry. For starters, it's really not something to be so concerned about. I can try to answer any questions you may have, but as Kaveh said, these things do vary from one individual to the next. Every couple is different, and circumstances can frequently change!
[ No, Sherlock wants that coffee. Give coffee. Any potential wine will come later when he has answers and then fall easily under the influence. Maybe he can start to build a tolerance. (Spoilers: No, he won't because his mental defenses are Swiss cheese and falls into altered states too easily.)
He takes his seat, bringing his knees to his chest and resting his feet on the edge of the chair. Sherlock only sometimes sits in a chair correctly, and this particular way of sitting occurs whenever Sherlock feels self-conscious, anxious, or some other form of mild (or great) distress. ]
I understand that this is an important element of relationships. I am already inexperienced, and in the godforsaken chance that I ever have a chance to act upon my feelings and they are welcome, I don't want to be even more of a disappointment.
[Heizou has to chuckle when he returns to the chairs with their coffee and sees the way Sherlock has curled up. He understands why, of course, so he simply hands Sherlock his mug without comment.]
When your feelings are welcome, it won't matter how inexperienced you are. Lyney is the first person I've ever been in a relationship with, and he wasn't as experienced as he seemed to be when we met.
[Which may be surprising for Sherlock to hear. It's not like Heizou's ever mentioned it, especially since it's more Lyney's business than his own. But despite how easily and frequently Lyney has always flirted with people, Heizou was the first he ever took to bed.
He takes his own seat, stirring his coffee in his mug as he gets settled.]
[ Sherlock takes the mug and nearly brings it to his lips when Heizou drops that admission. The mug remains frozen in place as the gears inside Sherlock's head turn, stutter, attempt to resume, stutter some more, and then jam. A few more seconds pass before Sherlock realizes the mug held in front of his face and lowers it to rest on a knee. ]
What?
[ No, while that is a question, that doesn't help clarify anything. Although, Sherlock doesn't know which he wants to tackle first. ]
You never had a relationship before Lyney, and Lyney was inexperienced before you... and yet you both coached me on discovering my own feelings. I might have felt betrayed had I known neither of you knew what you were doing at the time...
[ What kind of inexperience did Lyney have exactly? ]
I-I suppose this is where we differ. I never imagined you partaking of certain services for your needs before you started relations with Lyney because I cannot fathom myself doing so.
[ Well, no... that... is not entirely true... Sherlock has had the occasional weak, fleeting thought that maybe he should seek... assistance and get his first time over with. Perhaps it would calm his anxieties on the matter and provide an experience to better contextualize matters. But he didn't want to place himself in the hands of strangers either; he wanted John, someone he could trust his heart and body to ]
[He can't help but look amused at Sherlock's reaction, taking the time to sip from his own mug of coffee while the detective gets his thoughts out. It's not like he doesn't understand the surprise, and all things considered it's only fair. But it doesn't make it any less funny to him.]
When I started out as a detective, extra-marital affairs was a common case to handle. So I guess you could say I learned quite a bit from observing couples and families over the course of my work... At least enough to be able to apply it wherever and whenever necessary. And by extension I... learned how to use it to my advantage during the odd investigation. Flattery and flirting can be extremely effective to coerce information from someone. When you know what kind of reactions you're looking to invoke, navigating someone else's feelings isn't always that hard. Navigating my own feelings, on the other hand... That was definitely different.
[Heizou lets out a little chuckle.]
I think maybe it's just that I've tended to think of myself as a tool to get things done. When I looked at it that way, physical intimacy wasn't something I thought of being particularly precious. That's all.
[He can't speak for Lyney, but given the nature of Lyney's work as a Fatuus, he suspects the magician operated similarly. Except perhaps for the part where he'd never actually taken it further than flirting or foreplay...]
[ Something about Sherlock's expression turns... sad instead of flustered. He's not a stranger to feeling like his body was a tool, something to be used in the pursuit of a case. Yet when Heizou says it as he does, the sentiment changes. His body was a means for a livelihood and to an end, not even to satisfy a physical need or to seek pleasure.
Perhaps Sherlock could blame the difference between their cultures and upbringing, but at least his body was his to use. For as much as Sherlock wished he wasn't limited by his body and took poor care of it... at least he had a body. Some people aren't so lucky.
And how could physical intimacy not be precious when Sherlock craves to be touched and held so much that he bought two plushes with an enchantment to feel like he's being hugged? How could it not be precious when a clasp of the shoulder can bring comfort and strength in equal measure? As a child, he wanted someone to gather him in their arms and told that things would be okay, that he wouldn't have to settle with only ghostly embraces within his mind or painful strikes that left bruises or cuts or broken bone. What of Heizou's intimacy with Lyney? Is that not precious and treasured? ]
You're more than that. You're not a tool to be used and discarded.
[He just laughs again when he sees the look on Sherlock's face, waving a hand to dismiss his concern.]
Oh, don't worry about me, Sherry! It didn't happen all that often, and it's not like I didn't get anything out of it when it did.
[Plus, if word ever got out that the Cyclone of Inazuma sometimes slept around for information, then all of his actual hard work would've been for naught. That's something that Heizou absolutely wouldn't be able to abide by, not when his work has always been so important to him.]
Besides, things are quite different now that I have Lyney. Which is more aligned with what you want to ask about, right? How people in a relationship do things?
[ Sherlock's tone lacks accusation and challenge. If anything, his tone carries a bit of hesitation and fear that Heizou doesn't understand how much it meant to Sherlock when they laid in such companionable proximity on their landlocked ship, resting against each other. To give the feeling another name, Sherlock almost feels... hurt that he might have misread the situation. (Yes, they were both drunk, but that is besides the point.)
Additionally, he knows what Heizou tries to do because it is what Sherlock himself would do. He'd deflect the topic and try to steer it towards more comfortable for him and off-balancing for the other. For that reason, Sherlock avoids taking the bait and waits for Heizou to answer. ]
[Honestly, Heizou should've expected that. They're too alike to fall for one another's tricks, and he really should've known better. He lets out a little sigh, a sort of huff of laughter, and takes another big sip of his coffee.]
Man alive, there's no escaping your questions, hm?
[He settles more comfortably in his chair, turning to look at the fire in the fireplace with a fond, but thoughtful look on his face.]
...Yes. Yes, it's very different. Here, and not just with Lyney.
[ Just as there is no escaping Sherlock's questions, that last comment "not just with Lyney" shows that there is no escaping Heizou's observations. Heizou has read more into Sherlock's reaction beyond the concern he has for Heizou.
Well...
Sherlock places his mug of coffee on a small nearby table as he unfolds himself from the chair. He's behind Heizou in his chair in just a few long strides. Without a word, he bends over and wraps his arms around Heizou's shoulders from behind and drops his head against red hair. ]
Forgive me for taking liberties, but something like this is something precious to me.
[ Well, why not confirm Heizou's suspicions? He holds on for a second longer before moving to pull himself away. ]
[Heizou can't help but give Sherlock an odd, curious look as he gets up, watching as he steps closer. He doesn't quite get a second to put his own coffee mug down before Sherlock's arms are around him. Which also means he can't quite hide the way he jumps ever so slightly at the first touch. Heizou never has any trouble initiating physical affection, but having someone else do the same to him without warning still catches him off guard.
But to his credit, after all this time on Eltrut, with how close he and Sherlock have become, it only takes a moment for him to relax into the hold. Heizou's expression softens into something warm and genuine, and he lets his eyes shut and leans more into Sherlock. At least until the other withdraws, and Heizou lets out a soft chuckle.]
I'm sorry, Sherry. I didn't want you to worry about me. We were meant to be discussing your curiosities, not my own... issues.
[ Though Sherlock doesn't say, Heizou relaxing into his hold means so much to him. He looks sheepish as he pulls away and returns to his chair. He's not used to initiating with purpose, not spur of the moment in times of distress or in an altered (drunk) mental state. However, doesn't it make it even more meaningful? That he chose to, fully of sound mind?
The feeling lingers. It never fails to surprise him how solid, warm, and grounding embracing another body could be. So different from embracing air and imagination. ]
I know, but even so... well, I think we learned something of myself. Something to keep in mind as we discuss...
[ Sherlock waves his hand as if that would make all of Sherlock's questions appear and thus answerable without him having to voice them. (Or know them) He sighs, picks up his coffee, and once more curls into a ball of detective. ]
Matters of the heart and body.
[ Or mostly body as Sherlock's heart is doing a fine job of yearning over a man who isn't in this world, even after all this time of being apart. (Sherlock tries to ignore that soon he can no longer deny that he's been in this world longer than he's known John. And then ponder what that might mean.) ]
Perhaps I place too highly of an importance on certain aspects for as much as I think I would be deficient in them.
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Two Truths and A Lie Day...
Date: 2025-12-09 09:13 pm (UTC)When Sherlock finally arrives, he'll turn in his chair and offer him a cheery wave.]
There you are! For a moment I thought maybe you'd change your mind~
Bestie trying to help his Victorian Bestie understand Things
Date: 2025-12-10 01:20 am (UTC)If I did, I would be stuck with my erroneous knowledge. Kaveh might say that it depends on the couple and thus cannot be quantified, but I don't think he realizes just how much I don't understand. My initial assumption was that such relations happened maybe once every other week, so hearing that more than ten in a single week is possible... I question just how far from the truth I am.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-14 02:34 am (UTC)Your "erroneous knowledge"? Man alive, you make it sound so dour!
[Still, Heizou gestures for Sherlock to take a seat near the fireplace while he goes to fill their mugs with coffee. Even if Sherlock ends up not drinking his share.]
I promise you, Sherry. For starters, it's really not something to be so concerned about. I can try to answer any questions you may have, but as Kaveh said, these things do vary from one individual to the next. Every couple is different, and circumstances can frequently change!
no subject
Date: 2025-12-14 09:25 am (UTC)He takes his seat, bringing his knees to his chest and resting his feet on the edge of the chair. Sherlock only sometimes sits in a chair correctly, and this particular way of sitting occurs whenever Sherlock feels self-conscious, anxious, or some other form of mild (or great) distress. ]
I understand that this is an important element of relationships. I am already inexperienced, and in the godforsaken chance that I ever have a chance to act upon my feelings and they are welcome, I don't want to be even more of a disappointment.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-14 06:32 pm (UTC)When your feelings are welcome, it won't matter how inexperienced you are. Lyney is the first person I've ever been in a relationship with, and he wasn't as experienced as he seemed to be when we met.
[Which may be surprising for Sherlock to hear. It's not like Heizou's ever mentioned it, especially since it's more Lyney's business than his own. But despite how easily and frequently Lyney has always flirted with people, Heizou was the first he ever took to bed.
He takes his own seat, stirring his coffee in his mug as he gets settled.]
So! Where would you like to start?
no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 09:50 am (UTC)What?
[ No, while that is a question, that doesn't help clarify anything. Although, Sherlock doesn't know which he wants to tackle first. ]
You never had a relationship before Lyney, and Lyney was inexperienced before you... and yet you both coached me on discovering my own feelings. I might have felt betrayed had I known neither of you knew what you were doing at the time...
[ What kind of inexperience did Lyney have exactly? ]
I-I suppose this is where we differ. I never imagined you partaking of certain services for your needs before you started relations with Lyney because I cannot fathom myself doing so.
[ Well, no... that... is not entirely true... Sherlock has had the occasional weak, fleeting thought that maybe he should seek... assistance and get his first time over with. Perhaps it would calm his anxieties on the matter and provide an experience to better contextualize matters. But he didn't want to place himself in the hands of strangers either; he wanted John, someone he could trust his heart and body to ]
no subject
Date: 2025-12-16 04:17 am (UTC)When I started out as a detective, extra-marital affairs was a common case to handle. So I guess you could say I learned quite a bit from observing couples and families over the course of my work... At least enough to be able to apply it wherever and whenever necessary. And by extension I... learned how to use it to my advantage during the odd investigation. Flattery and flirting can be extremely effective to coerce information from someone. When you know what kind of reactions you're looking to invoke, navigating someone else's feelings isn't always that hard. Navigating my own feelings, on the other hand... That was definitely different.
[Heizou lets out a little chuckle.]
I think maybe it's just that I've tended to think of myself as a tool to get things done. When I looked at it that way, physical intimacy wasn't something I thought of being particularly precious. That's all.
[He can't speak for Lyney, but given the nature of Lyney's work as a Fatuus, he suspects the magician operated similarly. Except perhaps for the part where he'd never actually taken it further than flirting or foreplay...]
no subject
Date: 2025-12-17 08:36 am (UTC)Perhaps Sherlock could blame the difference between their cultures and upbringing, but at least his body was his to use. For as much as Sherlock wished he wasn't limited by his body and took poor care of it... at least he had a body. Some people aren't so lucky.
And how could physical intimacy not be precious when Sherlock craves to be touched and held so much that he bought two plushes with an enchantment to feel like he's being hugged? How could it not be precious when a clasp of the shoulder can bring comfort and strength in equal measure? As a child, he wanted someone to gather him in their arms and told that things would be okay, that he wouldn't have to settle with only ghostly embraces within his mind or painful strikes that left bruises or cuts or broken bone. What of Heizou's intimacy with Lyney? Is that not precious and treasured? ]
You're more than that. You're not a tool to be used and discarded.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-17 06:32 pm (UTC)Oh, don't worry about me, Sherry! It didn't happen all that often, and it's not like I didn't get anything out of it when it did.
[Plus, if word ever got out that the Cyclone of Inazuma sometimes slept around for information, then all of his actual hard work would've been for naught. That's something that Heizou absolutely wouldn't be able to abide by, not when his work has always been so important to him.]
Besides, things are quite different now that I have Lyney. Which is more aligned with what you want to ask about, right? How people in a relationship do things?
no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 09:26 am (UTC)[ Sherlock's tone lacks accusation and challenge. If anything, his tone carries a bit of hesitation and fear that Heizou doesn't understand how much it meant to Sherlock when they laid in such companionable proximity on their landlocked ship, resting against each other. To give the feeling another name, Sherlock almost feels... hurt that he might have misread the situation. (Yes, they were both drunk, but that is besides the point.)
Additionally, he knows what Heizou tries to do because it is what Sherlock himself would do. He'd deflect the topic and try to steer it towards more comfortable for him and off-balancing for the other. For that reason, Sherlock avoids taking the bait and waits for Heizou to answer. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 06:32 pm (UTC)Man alive, there's no escaping your questions, hm?
[He settles more comfortably in his chair, turning to look at the fire in the fireplace with a fond, but thoughtful look on his face.]
...Yes. Yes, it's very different. Here, and not just with Lyney.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-19 09:00 am (UTC)Well...
Sherlock places his mug of coffee on a small nearby table as he unfolds himself from the chair. He's behind Heizou in his chair in just a few long strides. Without a word, he bends over and wraps his arms around Heizou's shoulders from behind and drops his head against red hair. ]
Forgive me for taking liberties, but something like this is something precious to me.
[ Well, why not confirm Heizou's suspicions? He holds on for a second longer before moving to pull himself away. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-12-24 11:50 pm (UTC)But to his credit, after all this time on Eltrut, with how close he and Sherlock have become, it only takes a moment for him to relax into the hold. Heizou's expression softens into something warm and genuine, and he lets his eyes shut and leans more into Sherlock. At least until the other withdraws, and Heizou lets out a soft chuckle.]
I'm sorry, Sherry. I didn't want you to worry about me. We were meant to be discussing your curiosities, not my own... issues.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-27 08:14 am (UTC)The feeling lingers. It never fails to surprise him how solid, warm, and grounding embracing another body could be. So different from embracing air and imagination. ]
I know, but even so... well, I think we learned something of myself. Something to keep in mind as we discuss...
[ Sherlock waves his hand as if that would make all of Sherlock's questions appear and thus answerable without him having to voice them. (Or know them) He sighs, picks up his coffee, and once more curls into a ball of detective. ]
Matters of the heart and body.
[ Or mostly body as Sherlock's heart is doing a fine job of yearning over a man who isn't in this world, even after all this time of being apart. (Sherlock tries to ignore that soon he can no longer deny that he's been in this world longer than he's known John. And then ponder what that might mean.) ]
Perhaps I place too highly of an importance on certain aspects for as much as I think I would be deficient in them.