The restaurant had changed little over the years; a new lick of paint maybe but it was still the same traditional family restaurant that had opened 30 years previously. However, tonight it was not noisy and packed like it usually would be because instead Sherlock had asked Angelo to keep it shut from 9. No interruptions.

He also made sure that candles were scattered all around the restaurant, not a single one touching, and a single table located in the center of the room which would be used later in the evening.

"Sherlock... You..." John breathed, unsure how to express himself as he took in the state of the restaurant.

Sherlock had no intention of losing the auction. He had prepared for this date, John could see that. He grinned and pressing his hand to his mouth, a bit embarrassed by how he was turning into a blushing schoolboy that smiled at the mere thought of their crush.

"I'm impressed." John admitted. "This is incredibly romantic for the standard person. So, for you, this is far beyond what I'd imagine." He smiled at Sherlock, not meaning anything negative. They both knew Sherlock wasn't one to go out of his way to be romantic. But he is now. And that's just... perfect.

"Well... thank you John. I'm glad you like it." Then Sherlock walked inside further, leading John to their table. He pulled out his chair and offered it to John, pushing it under him once he was standing in the correct place. Finally he went round to the other side of the table and sat down himself.

He caught Angelo's eye and he quickly came over with the bottle of wine and the menus, John's favourite, which had been on ice for an hour or so waiting for them. Angelo poured a little out for Sherlock to taste and once he had agreed that it was correct, he poured out two glasses, one for each of them, leaving them in peace once finished.

After glancing over the menu, Sherlock knew what he wanted (he knew what he wanted as soon as he walked through the door but he had to make it look like he had actually looked at the menu.) "Anything caught your eye?" Sherlock asked John although he had already deduced that John would probably want a pizza, considering how much John loved the thin-based pizzas that Angelo made with a good range of toppings.

John smiled and shrugged, eyes scanning the menu. He wanted pizza. The pizza at Angelo's was fantastic but John also knew that he tended to make a mess of himself with the pizza here and he didn't want to be a slob on their first date after all this time.

"Um... I don't know what I want. It's been so long..." He blushed slightly, aware that Sherlock probably saw right through the excuses.
He picked up his wine and drunk almost half of it in one go, attempting to calm his nerves.

Sherlock panicked slightly, hoping that John wasn't getting drunk so he would forget about what happened on their date... but he calmed himself, realizing that he was probably just thirsty or something.

"The pizza is always good, as is the lasagna and the carbonara. We defiantly need some garlic bread."

"I don't want to make mess of myself." John admitted. "I always made a mess of myself with the pizza before...." He gave a small shrug before sighing. "Fuck it. I'll have the pizza. You've seen me looking much worse."

He laughed gently and folded his hands in his lap after placing the menu down on the table.

Sherlock laughed with him, as it was completely true that he had seen him looking much worst.... Like the time that John fell in a trough full of pig manure when they were chasing the murderer who used pigs to kill the victims...

"Angelo." Sherlock called the waiter over to their table to order their food. "We'll have the seafood platter to begin with." Sherlock smiled at John knowing that he would understand why he ordered that specific dish, "John will have the chef's special pizza and I'll have the trenette with pesto.... We'll order desert once we are finished. Thanks Angelo."

John grinned widely when he heared Sherlock order for them. He remembered when they were on their first date here, they were both craving seafood thanks to Mrs Hudson cooking for her friends and not allowing them any. So they'd quickly chosen to have the seafood platter and been cheesy with feeding each other and kissing after every mouthful.

John bit his lips, keeping his comments about Sherlock making a good dessert to himself. He's not sure if they're ready for that kind of flirting yet.

He handed his menu to Angelo and leaned on the table with a smile at the other man.

Sherlock knew now was the perfect time to ask... to find out about all the time they spent apart. Over the past few months he had thought of so many questions, yet he held them back, not wanting to annoy John any more than he already had but he just knew that they had to get these kind of things off of their chests if they ever wanted to move on.

Sherlock leaned forward in his seat, his forearms resting gently on the table. "I know we have spoken a lot about the past over the last few months but I still have some questions that I really need answering. I just..." Sherlock sighed and closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to calm down a bit. "Firstly I have been wondering what happened, immediately after you left. I assume you found a place to stay and just worked hard to stay there but... I just want to know everything so I know that you were fine."

John wasn't surprised that Sherlock wanted to ask him questions and even though a small part of him was annoyed Sherlock wanted to do it at that exact moment, he understood why Sherlock was doing it. They were both relaxed and comfortable. They couldn't deny the atmosphere that surrounded them; one full of love and admiration. They may as well do this here while they're in a good mood.

"I went to stay with Harry. As soon as I told her I was pregnant... It was like any problems we had just evaporated. I stayed with her for a month or so before your brother found me and got the house. It wasn't long after I found a place to work for a few months before I went on maternity leave."

"How did the pregnancy progress? I know that she was born prematurely but overall how did it go?" Sherlock immediately asked, determined to find out more once John had started telling.

He also wanted to tell John about all the cases he had solved whilst John was away (once he had managed to clean himself up and get himself back into the right frame of mind to solve cases) because there were plenty that John would really enjoy.

John nodded to the question. "Yeah, almost a week early, but she was fine. I wasn't in labour for too long and she was a healthy weight and didn't have any problems." He smiled a little at the memories. "I was quite scared, though, according to Harry I almost broke her hand when I went into labour but I think she's exaggerating."

Sherlock smiled fondly. "When my mother was in birth with me, she bit my father's hand because she left it dangling in front of her face. So when I was born there were three people screaming; me, my mother because she was in pain and my father because he too was in pain. He still has a scar of where she bit him."

John laughed. "Well, I didn't bite anyone. Although..." John bit his lip, torn between guilt and laughter. "Well, I did make one of the nurses cry when I snapped at her..." He giggled. "I feel horrible for laughing but... Well, I don't know. I find it amusing. I don't even remember what I said... Poor girl. Hopefully she's just the emotion type and I wasn't too harsh."

While John was speaking, Sherlock placed his hand carefully on the table, taking a small step to holding John's hand. He didn't want to scare him off so he left it still on his side of the table, a few minutes later moving it a little bit closer to John, and then a little bit closer, until their fingers were touching. He looked into John's eyes, asking for permission, letting his omega have the final say.

John's eyes widened and he stiffened for a moment before he relaxed and squeezed their fingers together slightly.

"I'm not going to push you away, anymore. It's not going any good for anyone. Not Alex or us..." John said the words quietly, almost whispering, as if speaking any louder may break the calm that surrounded them.

John's words made Sherlock's heart burst through his chest, happiness flooding through his veins. He moved his hands so that they were covering John's slightly smaller ones, sheltering his marvelous omega from all hardships. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

A blush spread over John's cheeks and he lowered his eyes to the table, too embarrassed to look straight at him. He wanted to drink some more wine (stupid, damn nerves) but he wasn't going to take his hands away from Sherlock's to do that.

"Yeah, well, I've been a bit of an idiot about all this... I just." He chewed on his lower this. "The reasons I left... Well, I guess they were always present in the back of my head and, kinda, they still are. But I... I realise that we're never going to get past" he cleared his throat "all that if I don't give you a chance..."

"I promise Ill show you that you made the right decision. I'll prove that I will be a good dad to Alex." Sherlock just wanted the chance the show John how good he could be and now it was right in front of him, he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers. He would do anything to make sure his family was ok. He would even stop taking dangerous cases if they posed a risk to his family, the family that he had worked so hard to get back.

"I know you'll be a good dad, Sherlock..." John murmured, still not meeting Sherlock's eyes.

John knew that Sherlock deserved a proper explanation about why John did what he did and while Sherlock is smarter than John by miles, John's not sure Sherlock can understand. Not because the man was typically known for not caring or acknowledging emotions but because Sherlock is an Alpha. He's an understanding Alpha compared to others but he is still an Alpha and that means there are a number of "omega" things that Sherlock might not get.

That being said... He might understand most of what John has to say, Alpha or not. Then, though, John was left with not knowing Sherlock's reaction. So far, Sherlock had clearly misunderstood some of the things John had said because John's sure he's never claimed that he thought Sherlock would be a bad parent. The thought had never really crossed his mind. No. John's reasons are far more selfish than that. Some aren't so selfish but some... definitely are.

"But you left. You obviously didn't think I would be good a good father, otherwise you wouldn't have done what you did." Sherlock looked at John confused, because he was, very much so. He wanted to understand, he really did so that he could make things better but at the same time he didn't want to know. He didn't want to look over the past, how he would always prefer to go to a crime scene rather than spend time with John. Or how he would never do any chores around the house to keep it clean, leaving it all for John to do. Having had years to look over the past, he realized all these things and he didn't want to have to think over them again, when he was so close to getting the man he loved back.

There was nothing left to learn from the past so what was the point in worrying over it.

"I'm not going to lie. You definitely weren't what I'd call parent material back then but I didn't leave because... Well, I did. But that... was a more minor worry of mine. Being unsure of how good a parent you'd be didn't drive me to leave... It contributed a bit but if that was all there was, I'd have stayed..." John sighed and pulled one hand away from Sherlock's to rub his neck.

Sherlock sat silently, watching intensely as John spoke. He decided to remain quiet, caught in the tension of such a powerful moment. When John rubbed his neck, he pulled his hands back to his side of the table, intertwining them, not because he wanted to lose the all-consuming contact but because he recognized that they both needed a bit of breathing space. Such deep emotions were being expressed and they needed to be done in their own time, in their own way, on their own before they could reunite as one once again.

"Well, uh, I'm not sure how to say it without it sounding..." He waved his hand around slightly, struggling to explain. He still hadn't met Sherlock's eyes, shamed of himself. "Um... Well I suppose you could say that I... I didn't want to be your Omega... For as long as I can remember I've never wanted to be anyone's Omega. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Sherlock repeated John's words inside his head, really trying to understand what he meant. He thought that all omegas wanted to mate, it was their natural instinct after all. But he could see where John was coming from. He had never wanted to mate. When he was young he thought that it was stupid and pointless. Until he met John. Then his view on the whole thing changed.

"Yes, sort of but not completely. I just...." Sherlock sighed. "You know I wouldn't ever treat you like I owned you. Never. I wouldn't make you wear a collar or anything like some alphas do."

"God, Sherlock, I know. I know you wouldn't but..." John sighed. "If I stayed, there's no doubt in my mind that we would have bonded. Which means the rest of the world would no long see me as John, that independent Omega that works hard for all Omegas. I'd just be Sherlock's Omega. Not John. Just that silly Omega that wanted to change the world and ended up pregnant and bonded like every other Omega."

There was nothing that Sherlock could say to that. It was true. Most of the world still believed in the old ways; that omegas should be owned and bred. A lot of the time, especially with rich families, Omegas would be bought for the Alphas of the family when they became of age and they would bond during the omega's second heat. Omegas as young as 9 would be bought because in their world, age didn't matter, only the matter of sexual maturity mattered.

So, for Sherlock it made sense for John to feel this way but he wished that he didn't. John would never be Sherlock's possession. He had always been taught that bonding was the joining of two souls in the most intimate way possible and that was never to be taken for granted (which had sounded ridiculously disgusting at the time).

Anyway, Sherlock knew that John was better than all the social rules. John could do whatever he wanted to, after all he had set up the omega clinic which was doing so well for itself despite people believing that John's secondary gender would stop him from doing anything useful with his life.

"Well you didn't end up bonded and pregnant... well you did end up pregnant but you know what I mean. You managed to set up a successful omega clinic and keep it running for 10 years all whilst looking after a young child all by yourself. Before that you became an amazing doctor and after that you were in the bloody army, getting shot at. That's pretty impressive in itself. You aren't anyone's omega. You are just yourself, John Watson who happens to be an omega also."

John sighed and nodded. "Yes, I am. At the moment. It doesn't take a lot for society to look at you differently. I mean, imagine how this is going to look... Dating the Alpha that won me at an auction. That doesn't exactly go with the way I've been saying Omegas don't want to be owned and aren't desperate for any Alpha. Yes, you're the father of my child but that's not what'll be focused on..."

"Does it really matter what people think? I have been called a freak all my life, yet do I care? No, because I know they are just jealous." Sherlock took a few deep breaths trying to calm down slightly. He was getting annoyed with every word that John said, wanting things to be easy just like he found it easy to love John. "Just like people are jealous when an Alpha and Omega bonds because they know that they may not ever be able to find their other half."

"They're jealous because they think I'm owned by you while they have no one to know. I want to make the world realise how independent omegas can be, of course it matters!" John ended up hissing the last part, feeling as though Sherlock wasn't really listening to what he was saying. "None of you Alpha's listen to us." He added before paling.

Oh, God. He regretted the words as soon as they're out. He didn't think Sherlock was the same as all those arsehole Alpha's out there... He didn't, yet he still didn't want to take the words back even if he regretted them because he does think that Sherlock doesn't listen all the time.

"Well its good to know that you pack all us Alphas into the same box." Sherlock sighed, annoyed with himself and John because they should be making up, not fighting. "I honestly don't know what you want me to do if you think Alphas are so bad. You don't want an Alpha, so don't get an alpha, just be honest about it right from the start so you don't let someone get hurt." Sherlock stood up, leaning on the table looking at John before turning around and began to exit the premise.

"Sherlock!" John called and stood, facing the other man. "I... I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to. You weren't listening to me, not properly and I just - I just got angry. Please... Just sit down so we can talk. Please. I don't want you to go."

He balled his fist tightly and breathed faster than he should, almost hyperventilating, scared to death that Sherlock was going to walk out the door. John didn't blame him if he wanted to. It was probably what John deserved after all this (and he doesn't just mean tonight) but he didn't want Sherlock to walk away. It might break his heart if he did...

"Please..." He said again, voice much quieter now as he closed his eyes.

"I just... I don't understand what you want. One moment you say that you don't want an alpha because of what other people will say and the next minute you do." Sherlock turned around, saying in a much quieter voice, "You know I don't understand emotion that well. I just don't get how you feel about me. How you feel about us."

"I... It's because I want both and have no idea how to have both." John said and took a step closer but only a step. "I want to carry on being an independent Omega and have the world view me that way but I also want... I also want you. I just don't know what I want more. I don't know how to choose. I love you, Sherlock, I haven't stopped loving you for the past twelve years, but I've poured everything into making a stand for Omega's..." John let out a small whimper and pressed his arms close to his body.

He felt pathetic. He wanted Sherlock to hold him. He wanted to be wrapped in his Alpha's arms, to be protected and cared for. At the same time, though, he didn't because it went against everything he had worked for.

Sherlock walked closer to his upset omega, the alpha in him wanting to protect him from any pain. However he knew that John wouldn't appreciate it so he just placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping it would calm him somewhat. "We just need to think of a solution, a way that we can sort things out between us and rebuild our relationship whilst you can get through your issues with being bonded so that one day, we can be happily bonded, living together with Alex."

John nodded, looking at Sherlock with glassy eyes. He felt so weak. Where was the John Watson that stood on stage earlier and happily told the Alpha's in the room what to do without batting an eyelid because that was his event and his secondary gender didn't matter?

"I just don't see how I can be with you properly, the way we both want, without losing all the work... Of course, many people will stick by me but those that don't are those that'll be listened to... And I know I'm only barely scraping a difference locally but..." John just shook his head, too close to crying to carry on. He was not going to cry in front of Sherlock. He refused to.

"Surely the only people that matter are the people at work. If the people at work support you then you can all stand up against all the prejudice that omegas get. You can show everyone, with the help of your friends, that just because you want to be with an Alpha, doesn't mean that you are weak nor that an omega has to be with an Alpha to be happy." Sherlock said, choosing his words carefully so not to upset John again as he was clearly already agitated.

"We can take our time. Date. Properly, with no one knowing, if that's what you want. We can take some time and build up our relationship until it is strong enough to stand against any idiots that think otherwise."

John bit his lip and looked down, nodding. He wanted to ask Sherlock to hug him but his pride stopped him from doing so and instead, after a moment of consideration, John fell against Sherlock's chest to show the other man he wanted to be held.

"O-Okay." He answered quietly. "Taking it slow and not telling people for a while. If you think that'll work... Then I trust you, Sherlock."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John, holding onto his lower back and shoulder blades in a protective manner. He was overjoyed that John had agreed, giving him hope that things will improve. "It will also annoy Alex for a while." Sherlock admitted, smiling weakly.

John bit his lip and looked up at Sherlock. "Does it make me a bad parent for liking the idea of getting payback? For all the lies and secret she's told and had, I mean..."

"No, it definitely doesn't. She's been trying to get me to ask you out for months- practically ever since I found out she existed." Sherlock huffed, laughing about it now. "It's a win-win situation. We get some time to improve our relationship and at the same time, Alex gets payback."

John smileed a little, not surprised that Alex had been bugging Sherlock to ask him out.

"Well," He laughs. "She's been trying to get me to call you for years. Hopefully, after we tell her, she'll calm down a little but, well, she's like you." John grinned. "A bit of a drama queen."

Sherlock laughed, not caring about the drama queen comment. He let go of John, steeping back a little just to give them both some space to breath because they still had the next part of the date... "Come on, I have something to show you."

John smiled, glad that Sherlock hadn't been offended. He raised an eyebrow at Sherlock wanting to show him something but he nodded and laced his fingers with Sherlock's so the Alpha could lead him to wherever this thing he needed to be shown was.

Sherlock lead John back outside, thanking Angelo on the way out (slipping an envelope full of cash into Angelo's hand without John noticing). He hailed a cab, whispering the address into the driver's ear before leading John inside. Then he took the tie that he had put in his pocket early and held it out to John. "I need to tie this around your eyes. I want it to be a surprise."

John hesitated before nodding and turning around, allowing Sherlock to put the tie around his eyes to prevent him from seeing anything.

"O-Okay." He stuttered. "I trust you." He was not sure if he was reassuring himself or Sherlock.

"It will be fine. We will drive around for about 10 minutes before we arrive at the location." Sherlock whispered into his ear, taking hold of his hand again in an attempt to keep him calm and just because he could.

They arrive at the destination fairly quickly and Sherlock lead John out of the cab, instructing him exactly where to put his feet as he got out, paying the driver afterwards. Then he dragged John over to the place, stopping exactly where he needed him and smiled when he saw it, happy that he remembered this place.

John stared around with wide eyes before he leaned against Sherlock, smiling and resting his head on the Alpha's chest. "It's perfect...." He whispered.

They were standing at one of the most important crime scenes for them as a couple but this time it was decorated with nightlights and lanterns. Here they had had their first kiss.

At the time it had taken Sherlock a few minutes to solve the case, but it was mainly thanks to John. John had given him medical knowledge that had brought the spark to life. It was then that he kissed him. At first Sherlock didn't even know what he was doing, for once his body working before that brilliant mind of his. But once John joined in, his lips sliding against Sherlock's, his brain finally jumped up to speed and he finally realized how long he had liked John in more that friendship way.

John smiled as he continued to look around and absorb the way it was decorated. Once again, John was hit with the fact that Sherlock had no intention of losing the auction earlier. He had always intended for them to go on this date.

John turned to look at Sherlock, a smile on his lips and his eyes glassed with tears.

"You can be stupidly romantic, you know?"

"Yes. Alex told me that when I showed her." Sherlock winked at the man, taking in the surroundings again as it always took his breath away when he did. It reminded him of so many memories, so many happy moments together and the hope that there would be more to come. Lots more to come.

"Still no good at choosing when the right time to kiss me is, though." John laughed and pulled Sherlock to him, once again on the Alpha's neck as he brought their lips together.

Sherlock spent every moment of the kiss, taking in every detail of the kiss, needing to remember every detail of it. It was similar to how they used to kiss but rougher, more real. "I was trying to be a gentleman." Sherlock muttered, his hand cupping John's smooth cheek gently.

John snorted but smiled. "I don't want you to be a gentleman. I want you to be yourself, Sherlock."

His arms went up and around Sherlock's neck as he looked up at him. His fingers played with the hair at the nape of Sherlock's neck and he licked his lips with a slight frown.

"Sherlock... Are you wearing strawberry flavoured lip balm?"

"But... I thought it was good to be a gentleman. All omegas want a gentleman..." Sherlock looked at John confused but when he heard the lip balm comment he started to giggle. "maybe..."

"If I wanted a gentleman, Sherlock, you think I'd have ever got with you?" John teased him. "And don't wear the lip balm next time. I prefer the way you taste."

His fingers continued to play with the curls at the nape of Sherlock's neck. It was one of the things he'd missed the most. John remembered the first time Sherlock got a haircut after they got together. He hated not being able to play with his curls.

"I suppose not and about the lip balm, I wear it because my lips keep getting chapped and that just ends up getting in the way of the Work." Sherlock continued to stroke John's jaw, the lack of stubble, allowing his fingers to flow elegantly across his skin.

"Then wear one that doesn't have a flavour from now on." John smiled. "If you don't mind... I mean. I'm not trying to tell you what to do just because we've just got together..." He started to panic. "I don't want to seem pushy!"

"Its fine, John." Sherlock quickly added, not caring about the comment. The only reason why he chose 'strawberry' flavored lip balm was because it tasted nice when he accidentally licked his lips.

John relaxed and nodded. "Okay, good. I mean, it tastes fine. Nice, even. But you taste better." He smiled and leaned up to peck his lips to prove his point and just because he could.

"Really?" Sherlock blushed, looking down at the floor in an attempt to hide it.

John grinned at the way Sherlock blushed and lifted his chin so he could see the other man's face properly. In the olden days, Sherlock had never blushed, remaining reserved every second of every day. His mask had only been removed during sex when emotions were running high. "You're beautiful, Sherlock... I feel like a right idiot. I could've been watching you blush like this for the all these years..."

Sherlock bit his lip, looking at John through his eyelashes. "Well we can make up for all the lost time, there is no point in dwelling on the past."

John nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It's pointless." He paused before smiling. "Kiss me again."

Sherlock leaned in slowly, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips before they glided into contact with John's, molding around one another. At first it is simply a chaste kiss but Sherlock parted his lips and took John's top lip between his own, changing the dynamics of the kiss until it was passionate and became out of control.

John hummed against Sherlock's lips as the kiss picked up, pressing himself against the other man. His hands rested on Sherlock's back, ensuring that they stay close even though he was pretty sure Sherlock wasnt moving away anytime soon.

John was positive that he'd never forget the feeling of properly kissing Sherlock. He had, though. After all these years, he'd forgotten just how amazing it felt. They've kissed a few times since they've been reunited but nothing like this. Those kisses seem like childish compared to these kisses. The raw emotion of it and the way they just aren't holding back at all makes it utterly perfect.

"Sherlock..." John murmured his name when they separated for air, both short of breathe.

"I know. I know, so much." Sherlock closed his eyes trying to contain all his emotions that were flying about. This wasn't something he could control. It was too pure and rough and Sherlock wasn't used to it at all, not even when they were together before. Previously, they were too dumb and young, not making the most of the time they had together but after all the time away from each other, it made them appreciated each other so much more.

Sherlock gripped onto John's neck, his fingers threaded through the hairs at the base of John's neck, never wanting to let go of him. He muttered sweet promises into John's skin, pressing kisses onto every inch of John's face.

John nodded, agreeing with Sherlock and leaned into him as kisses were pressed to the side of his head. He raised his head and chased Sherlock's lips for a few moments before kissing him again, hands moving just a tad lower so they were resting on Sherlock's waist. Normally, John would hate having someone hold his neck but he was enjoying the feeling of Sherlock pulling his head closer and touching his hair. John was keeping his hair just a little longer for now but that centimetre really made a difference when it came to having a hand in his hair.

"You're wonderful." John whispered, blinking his eyes open and meeting Sherlock's own eyes.

Sherlock looked up suddenly and stared into the wide eyes of John. "No. No. You are wonderful. Completely and utterly." Sherlock moved one of his hands so that it was gripping onto both sides of John's chin. "I love you so much."

John could feel himself tear up at those words. He knew already that Sherlock loved him. He had been told a number of times already over the past few weeks but now it really got to John. It was the perfect time and place and John couldn't be happier right now.

John kissed him again. "I love you too, Sherlock. I always have."

Sherlock sighed, relaxing into John's warm body. He was so happy to be in this position once again, after years of not thinking that he would ever see John again, let alone touch him. He could feel his alpha side hum in happiness, content with being in such a good position.

"Do you want to go and get a coffee. There is a lovely coffee place down the road." Sherlock said, smirking as the coffee shop down the road was the one that they had visited when Sherlock had first found out about Alex.

"Coffee sounds great but we can't exactly sit in the café and cuddle. I want to stay close to you right now, I don't think I can just sit around and not be cuddling or kissing you..." John admitted with a blush, laying his head on Sherlock's chest to hide his blush as best he could.

"So..." Sherlock said the next bit slowly, not wanting to upset John. "You... you wouldn't mind coming back to Baker Street?"

John nodded and peeked up at Sherlock, still blushing. He doesn't want to his the wrong impression but he wanted to be close to Sherlock. He had missed the cuddles and kisses. They had never been the cuddliest couple in the world but right now, John needed to be close to the other man. His emotions were all heightened and Sherlock was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"Yes, I'd like that." He smiled and pushed on his toes for a second to peck his lips.

Sherlock smiled brightly, his arms falling to wrap around John's body, holding him close. He was so ecstatic that John hadn't taken it the wrong way. Of course Sherlock would love to take john to bed, yet realistically he understood that they needed more time to get used to each other again before they had sex. And when that time came, Sherlock knew that it would be hot and passionate. "Are you sur-"

John kissed Sherlock again to shut him up. He was sure and he didn't want to hear uncertainty from Sherlock. It wasn't like they were complete strangers, having already done this so many times that they probably knew each other's bodies as well as they knew their own. He wanted Sherlock to know that John wanted this just as much as he did. He was just not so good at showing it...

"I love you, Sherlock. I'm sure. Let's go back to yours. We can just cuddle on the sofa or whatever you want. I just need to be close to you. Please." John clutched Sherlock's shirt, meeting his eyes.

"Ok... yes." Sherlock agreed happily, already pulling John away to get a taxi. It didn't take a moment for Sherlock to hail a taxi with ease (shocking John once again) and to get in, giving the driver the address. The roads passed by, colours flying around like the colours in one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings and soon they arrive at 221 B, the lights still on despite it being dark outside.