He noted the relief in Irene's voice with caution, unused to the idea of anyone needing him, much less wanting his company. Sherlock knew it wasn't because of him, really—they were both out of their respective elements, and human behavior dictated they would gravitate toward one another for comfort. That was inevitable. Coping, he thought, annoyed again; not at Irene, but at himself, so he resisted the relief and desperation he felt to be near her and firmly buried it.
Everything in her space was noted with one sweep of his gaze. How she'd arrived, what she'd done to the furniture, why her phone was missing. It seemed they were both stripped of their most important possession before arrival. Interesting. The tea was a far easier thing to handle, and he set himself to the task, appreciating the fact that Irene didn't hover. She knew him very well, and it made him bristle just as much as he seemed to have the same effect on her.
Sherlock handed Irene her tea like a peace offering, then retreated to the couch with his own cup. That she didn't immediately offer an explanation was hardly a problem; he was ... distracted, the now-dry, cold stain on his shirt making him shift, only once, uncomfortable. There were still so many thoughts swirling in his head, flashes of moments he'd shared with Mary, fond memories that now stung like a reopened wound.
When Irene spoke again, he focused on her, emotionally exhausted, but clear-eyed. The squabbles comment at least earned her another raised eyebrow. Still, he sat listening—and he was listening, watching Irene with a steady, piercing gaze he knew most people found unnerving. She was saying a great deal without words; natural little indicators that all pointed to the fact that Irene was telling the truth, however grossly out of the realm of possibility it sounded. "And yet, for all they can do, they have no idea how any of us appeared here. No more than we do, I presume," Sherlock replied evenly. It was the easiest thing he could focus on—the thing he understood, if nothing else. He suspected they could both use facts right then.