It might not go over as horribly as John expects; Sherlock anticipates being misunderstood. He has to, because he nearly always is. Still, it is probably best they don't delve further, dig deeper into the more unfortunate areas of his psyche.

If only Sherlock knew what to do in lieu of that.

He nods, this time. Nods slowly, eyes fixed on John's face, searching for any signs of dishonesty or half-truth.

Finding none only inspires the question: "What about figuratively?"