trashchildren | For Joan

"I'm all right," she answers just as softly. "Not being able to do basic things on my own is a little frustrating." Ted can doubtless pick up on the fact this is an understatement. "But I'm sure I'll have my strength back it a couple days."

"Yeah, I get that," Ted answers, and he really does. "I mean, it wasn't a lot of fun having to be carted around, and I'm still sort of limited. And you have it worse than me. It's okay to be annoyed by that."

He's here to make her feel better, but if what she needs to feel better is to be annoyed and vent about it, that's okay too.

There are plenty overly optimistic people who would have responded to her annoyance with rousing encouragement that completely ignored the validity of her feelings. But that's not Ted, and she loves him for it.

"Thank you," she says softly. "For everything."

The goal is optimism, but that doesn't mean the method always has to be. ...Just most of the time. He definitely falls in that trap for himself sometimes, because those negative emotions can be uncomfortable, and it's easier to ignore them in the short run. But he's good at acknowledging it others. He has to be in his line of work.

"You're very welcome," he answers. "For everything," he adds with a chuckle.

He lifts her hand and kisses it. "I love you so much, I just want to make you happy," he says, incredibly sincerely. "And I know I can't solve all your problems -- I've made that mistake before. But I want to be there to help you face them."

"I love you," she replies, utterly sincere, every ounce of emotion suffusing her voice. "So much. I'm so lucky to have you." She can't imagine...or doesn't want to imagine...going through this without him. Sherlock would take care of her, and would be attentive to her needs, but there's something wonderful to be said for going through this while being cared for by a man who loves her so completely, who will take care of her basic needs while also kissing her and holding her while she sleeps.

She glances at their hands, wanting to kiss his hand as well, but she decides it might be too much for her strength right now. So instead she looks up at him and smiles.

"Can I kiss you?"

Ted doesn't need to be asked twice, immediately rising to his feet. It also brings back very wonderful memories of the very first time they kissed.

"I'd like that," he answers with a smile, just as he did back then, but this time he's the one leaning in to kiss her. Still holding her hand, and resting the other one at her neck.

She smiles, remembering that moment echoed in his response. She had already been fond of him in that moment, but she couldn't have imagined how deeply she would come to love him, how deeply they would love each other.

She kisses him back, her eyes closed lifting a hand to brush lightly against his cheek. When their lips part she sighs happily and opens her eyes. "I love you," she murmurs.

The door opens and Sherlock enters, carrying the stepladder. He sees the two of them kissing and turns to the side, averting his eyes, fidgeting restlessly.

Ted turns his head as the opening door draws his attention, and he gives Joan a cheeky smile at Sherlock's timing. "You too," he whispers, before straightening up, though still resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Sherlock, I got a question," he says, smiling a little.

The door opening catches her attention, too, and she answers that smile with playfully raised eyebrows. The hand on her shoulder is sweet and warm, and again makes her feel so loved.

Sherlock turns toward them, now that they're not kissing anymore, and raises his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"How come you're all cool with giving us bedroom advice, but you don't even want to see us kiss?" he asks, with obvious amusement.

He's not entirely unfamiliar with someone being so forward about his sex life - he knows Sassy. But she certainly wasn't uncomfortable with seeing Ted and Joan kiss, nor does she get so awkward about it.

"Just because I laud the benefits of orgasms to Watson's wellbeing doesn't mean I wish to watch you give them to her," Sherlock points out.

"Kisses are hardly the same thing," Joan says.

"Are they not?" Sherlock counters. "Your affection and attraction are just as much on display. When I entertain prostitutes, do I do so in your presence, Watson?"

"Okay, now that is definitely not the same thing," Joan protests.

Ted blinks, raising his eyebrows. He's not sure whether it's deeply surprising that Sherlock 'entertains' sex workers, or completely expected. Somehow it's both.

"Just as much on display, really?" he asks, mildly incredulous. It's not like this was a deeply suggestive or intense kiss, after all. He would be okay with Henry giving someone the kind of kiss he just gave.

"I think we're basing our distinction more on what would give NC-17 rating, versus PG rating," he points out.

Ted doesn't actually think it's weird that Sherlock doesn't like to see them kiss. That's fine. What's weird is that he simultaneously is totally okay with commenting on their sex life.

"I don't think it actually has anything to do with whether or not it's explicit," Joan says, her voice quiet. She leans forward a little, looking at Sherlock. "Love is hard for you. I get it. You've been hurt before."

Sherlock tightens his jaw and looks down.

And now Ted suddenly feels like he's the one walking in on something private. His hand tightens a little on Joan's shoulder. Not because he's uncomfortable, but because he feels a sudden sympathy for Sherlock.

He knows some of that already, of course. Perhaps all there is to really know, beyond the actual details of it. But he hadn't been thinking about that being a potential reason, but of course now it makes complete sense.

Sherlock takes a breath, looking up and away. He looks back at them and holds out the folded stepladder.

"Where would you like this?" he says.

Joan nods a little. She gets why he doesn't want to talk about it, especially if it's still painful enough that he doesn't even want to see Joan and Ted being cute and affectionate with each other. She looks up at Ted for his instruction.

"Bathroom, I guess," he answers, a bit more softly than he was speaking a moment ago. "Thanks."

And then, as Sherlock is about to leave the room, he speaks up, though still softly. "Hey, Sherlock. How about we try not to get too cutesy in front of you, and you refrain from commenting on or giving advice about our love life. Sound fair?" he asks, though he says it kindly, not confrontational. That's just some boundary setting he needs to do, while offering up a boundary for Sherlock as well.

Joan smiles up at Ted, fully on board with this plan.

Sherlock turns back, considering that for a moment, then nods. "Sounds fair," he agrees, then heads to the bathroom.

Joan leans her head against Ted's wrist with a contented sigh.

Ted smiles down at Joan, then looks back at the door Sherlock disappeared through.

"Okay, he's gone, quick," he whispers urgently, then leans down to kiss her. Mostly to make her laugh by being silly.

And laugh she does, as she kisses him with as much force and passion as she can, totally committing to the bit to get all their passion and cuteness out in one kiss.

Then she hears Sherlock coming out of the bathroom and she pulls back, grinning and trying to suppress a giggle.

Ted straightens up, trying to look as innocent as possible, probably comically so.

...They probably do look pretty cutesy even while not doing anything, huh? Whoops.

Sherlock sees them and shakes his head, but there's a twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth.

"I set it up in the shower for you," he says. "Do you need assistance getting Watson to the bathroom?" he asks Ted. He has no intention whatsoever of going past the door.

"I think we've got it, thanks," he answers, his smile going from silly to just generally pleasant. She's already in the wheelchair, so the actual moving will happen probably after they've started undressing.

He grabs his crutch and hangs it from his arm, so he can have it if he needs it, but for now he can just lean on the wheelchair. "You good?" he asks Joan, ready to wheel her along to the bathroom.

"I'm good," she says. She looks at Sherlock and smiles. "Thank you."

Sherlock nods and goes to sit down again. "Enjoy your shower, Watson."

And with that, Ted wheels her off to the bathroom, and parks her right next to the stool. "He didn't tell me to enjoy my shower," he comments jokingly, pretending to be pouty about it, as he goes to turn the shower on to warm it up.

"I'm sure it was just an oversight," Joan says with a smile. She suspects it's actually because he expects Ted to be focusing on Watson and making her feel good, and she suspects he's right about that.

She watches him turn on the shower, then looks around the bathroom. There's soap and shampoo and conditioner and body wash and loofahs and everything. Sherlock really spared no expense to make sure the place was ready for them.

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