awww yeah

[mustbethetruth]

continued from here

To be honest, he isn't sure what he'd been waiting for; perhaps he was trying to see how long he could last without kissing, or clinging, or betraying his desire in any overly forward way; or maybe he was waiting for the both of them to be bared to the waist, so that when he finally gave in, they could begin right away with the honey aspect of this.

Regardless of what he'd been waiting for, it appears as if the moment has arrived. Certainly he can't negotiate himself into waiting longer. He reaches for Watson, sliding his hand into his hair, and pulls him in for an unapologetically passionate kiss.

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[mustbethetruth]

He can hear the real question in there somewhere, and he smiles playfully at Watson, wondering at the answer. If Watson had announced his inclinations it's very possible Holmes would have fallen in love sooner, or maybe even later if he'd not considered Watson so mysterious as all that, if he'd not been watching closely to determine his character.

"Let me think," he muses, taking a thoughtful drag off his cigarette. "I would have hardly leapt on you all at once. It wouldn't be a good idea to complicate relations with a new flatmate so soon, before true characters are understood. No, I would have had to wait until I knew you better. And by then I would have fallen in love with you." He takes another drag, exhaling slowly, trying to pinpoint when exactly he'd fallen in love with Watson.

"Judging from previous experience, I would have waited until after our first couple of cases together. Perhaps I would have acted sooner, even, with the possibility of success easing the way."

[lightconductor]

"Success would have been very certain," Watson said, truthfully, "at any stage. I was rather taken with you from the beginning, you realise, even if I was intending it to be a merely fraternal sort of regard." He pressed a lazy sort of kiss to the side of Holmes's neck before settling back down with his brandy. "At any rate, as I said, it's fortunate for my health that you did not 'leap on me all at once.'"

They had been good days, and what it meant for his regard for Mary, he didn't like to think about, but they had been good, agonising days.

"I really never had a chance," he observed, thoughtfully. "Rooming with a handsome, charming-if-tempermental artistic genius, particularly one who was able to provide me a taste of adventure when I sorely needed it? I should have known better than to try to remain platonic."

[mustbethetruth]

He snorts and finishes off his brandy, setting his glass aside. "I didn't have much of a chance either, but you could hardly say I was innocent in what I was getting into. A handsome military man, interested in the sorts of pursuits I engage in as part of my business, perhaps patient enough to put up with me, and did I mention handsome?" He smiles devilishly and takes the last drag off his cigarette, putting that out.

"Just as I could sense your inclination for danger, I could sense too that there was a very attractive man waiting to recover from some unfortunate circumstances, and I couldn't really argue with the idea of surrounding myself with someone who was pleasant to look at." His smile turns slightly more sheepish and he shakes his head. "It was foolish of me. I thought I could resist falling in love, but apparently that has been one of my greatest downfalls, as in the end, I can never resist."

[lightconductor]

"You," Watson observed, finishing his own brandy and settling back against Holmes, "are asking to be kissed, the way you carry on. Very thoroughly, too." He leaned his head back to grin at him. "Although if you could see anything handsome hiding under the mess I was then, you're clearly a more astute observer than even I have hitherto suspected."

Despite his jesting, he was undeniably deeply touched. "I am only ever sorry that I believed you when you told me you were no creature for love, as I cannot imagine many people being as good as falling in love and being in love as you have so far proven yourself to be." Watson smiled softly. "Your downfall or not, it's to my benefit."

[mustbethetruth]

Even though an argument is stirring in him, it isn't an overpowering feeling, and instead he can only give a flattered, abashed smile, turning his eyes away from Watson momentarily. Can it be that Watson's told Holmes enough times that he is worthy that it's begun to sink in? He recovers himself, taking back control of his smile from his flattery.

"Then you must not know very many people who are good at it. I'm just thankful that in this instance things have turned out in my favor. You seem to have changed my fortune in love, my dear."

[lightconductor]

"Not a bad thing to have accomplished, if that's true," Watson said. He did turn and kiss him, then, unable to resist the opportunity. "I hope your fortune remains good, as it's my fortune too, now."

Sometimes the urge to bubble over with ridiculous poetry, with declarations of love and eternal devotion, with adoration and worship was all nearly too much to resist, and now was one of those times. Rather than make a fool of himself, Watson opted to kiss Holmes again, deeply.

[mustbethetruth]

It's a very easy thing to return the kiss with all he has, especially because in that moment he doesn't quite trust his words to say something that would adequately reflect what he's feeling. A kiss, on the other hand, is very easy to infuse with the appropriate meaning.

When he feels as if it's safe to trust his words again -- and right around when he needed to draw a breath -- he draws out of the kiss and rests their foreheads together, his eyes shut contentedly.

"Our fortune has turned out rather well," he murmurs, his voice thicker. "If nothing else, we've gotten married and literally walked into our marital home without so much as one word of argument from anyone else. I'd say that was lucky for us."