ironmonger | (no subject)

"This has become apparent to me," he says, grinning back.

"He tried to trip me up by playing Tony and kissing me," Obadiah remarks. "It was very cute. A little insulting, since the entire point of his being there was that Tony couldn't, but cute. I'm looking forward to his trying it as himself."

He sips his drink.

"Once he figures out that Tony's not the only extra I've got stashed away."

"I am sure he wasn't looking to fool you in any conscious sense," Sherlock muses. "I'd hate to think any of me could be that far out of touch."

He straightens his collar, a quick, unobtrusive, absent-looking movement.

"Did he ask you any pointed questions directly afterward?"

Obadiah's gaze lingers for a moment at Sherlock's neck while he answers.

"He asked whether the other Tony loved me, and I said he did, which he seemed to approve of."

He looks thoughtful, eyes moving back up to meet Sherlock's.

"Which wasn't really the reaction I was expecting. I was waiting for something more along the lines of accusing me of taking advantage of Tony's affections. The two of you are different in some ways, of course, but I didn't think you'd be that different."

"I can be a suspicious bastard on occasion," he says, touching the scars that are now rather less hidden by his shirt than they were a moment ago.

"That's certainly one difference," Obadiah murmurs, watching the gesture. "But he's not my biggest fan any more than you are. In fact, he likes me much less."

"I am a complicated suspicious bastard," he avows. "And I also happen to know that the first time Tony fucked you it was at least in part so you would not go home and murder him for a few more hours. I expect it would put a different cast on things if the other Sherlock were aware of that."

The reason, the crucial difference in this case, is obvious to him and has little to do with Tony. But he is not even going to think it very loudly. There are some things he simply cannot betray.

"He put on a very convincing show of enjoying himself, then," Obadiah says, just a little dry. "But I suppose you're right."

Still, though. That doesn't fit quite as neatly as it could.

"Tony is frankly incapable of putting on that sort of show. He would not have done it if he hadn't wanted to. Nevertheless, the circumstances were not entirely innocent. I am happy to observe that this is no longer the case. He really does love you. As such," he shrugs, "you may have noticed I am no longer troubling you over it."

"I did pick up on that at around the time you showed up with a gun you didn't intend to shoot me with," Obadiah agrees.

"Quite. I trust you enjoyed yourself with it?"

Oh lord, he still doesn't know.

"Immensely," he says, eyes darkening a little with the memory. "I'm glad Tony requested it."

"So is he. So am I, for that matter."

There's something about the way Tony curled up with his head in Sherlock's lap and sniffled a little and didn't say anything for hours, just smiled.

And he has to admit he also gets something out of watching Obadiah fail to put the pieces together. He will eventually, of course. And Sherlock will absolutely refrain from gloating, or holding it over him, or any similar activity.

Will such restraint on Sherlock's part occur before or after pigs fly and hell freezes over?

"Mm. How was he after I left?"

He shrugs.

"Well-fucked and in love," he summarizes.

He laughs.

"Good."

He worked very hard to ensure that that would be the case.

"Oh, yes. Very much to your credit on both counts."

Sherlock knows Obadiah is trying to manipulate Tony's affections. He also knows that the only way Obadiah can do that is to approximate human behaviour well enough to pass, and it will take some degree of sincerity to overcome this Tony's suspicion, so he is content with how matters stand.

Of course he is. Because, if Obadiah's efforts to manipulate end with the satisfaction of all parties involved, where's the harm?

"I aim to please."

"Well. You aim to please Tony," he corrects, which is the least subtle he has been about it yet.

He smiles.

"But that seems to unavoidably involve pleasing you."

"There is a certain unavoidable causal relationship," he admits.

"It works in the other direction, too."

"Oh, does it now?"

Obadiah would be interested to hear more about this!

"Oh, yes. And in just the same way. Although, I am sorry to report, in my case the 'in love' part is probably unattainable."

"We all have to make sacrifices," Obadiah observes.

He's fairly certain he can live without Sherlock's devotion.

"I seem to recall you being quite good about the rest, however."