I Am Sher-locked

5. With You

[This chapter has sexual content so I'm warning you beforehand]

"Because you should have taken my pulse as well..."

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Suddenly his words caused tears to flow from her eyes, tears that made her ache much more than she imagined.

"Why does love hurt so much?", she wondered mostly to herself but he heard her.

"I don't know much about love...", he said.

"Neither do I", she wipped the tears from her face and only then she realized that the locket was wrapped around her fingers. She took a good look at it and a smile crept up her face. "It's so beautiful...", she mumbled.

"It's my mother's", Sherlock said. Naturally, he knew what she was referring to. "She used to keep two photos in there. One was with me and Mycroft, the other one was my sister. I had never seen this locket until I found out I had a sister. My mother gave it to me, I still do not understand why. Maybe she thought I would give it to my sister but when I presented it to Eurus she smiled enigmatically and told me that the locket was for another woman, not for her..."

Irene smiled softly. "Maybe your mother hoped that if you ever found the woman of your life, then new photos would fit in the locket, those of your future children or maybe yours and your wife's..."

"Then why not give it to Mycroft?", Sherlock exhaled. 

She chuckled softly. "Let's face it, Sherlock. Your brother has no chance to fill the locket with the love of a woman or a family with children. Either way, your heart is more welcome than that of Mycroft. You feel everything on a larger scale than he does. You hate more intensely, you rejoice more intensely, you love more intensely."

"Are you sure you're talking about me and not about John Watson?", he sounded confused. "Sentiments are not my area, Irene."

"Behind the facade of the cold, heartless detective hides a wounded heart that is afraid to free itself from the shackles of the past", she said but then a sudden realization hit her. "Sherlock?", she gulped nervously. "Why did you give me the locket?"

Silence. Oh, that was disturbing. 

Irene pulled herself up from the floor and quickly unlocked the door, opening it widely. She found Sherlock by the door, sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. He didn't even look up at her. He had his elbows resting on his bent knees. 

She knelt before him, placing her hands on his arms. "Tell me...", she encouraged him. "Why did you give me the locket?"

Sherlock raised his blue-green gaze to her, his moppy curls were slightly disheveled, his gaze intense. 

"Because you possess what's mine", he responded, expressionlessly. 

Her heart jumped inside her ribcage. "We're broken...", she let out a cold chuckle. "We're so broken...", she murmured and pushed his hands away, sneaking in between his slightly opened legs and snuggled in his arms. 

He did not hug her though. She rested her head against his chest, her delicate, petite figure fit perfectly. The sound of his heart beating rhythmically calmed Irene.

"I am your present...", she murmured. "Take it or leave it..."

Sherlock finally wrapped his arms tightly around her with a long sigh. "We're indeed broken", he said softly, placing a kiss on top of her head. 

Irene tilted her head back, resting the back of her neck on his arm and looked deep into his eyes. She looked at his strong features, his sharp cheekbones, his beautifully formed lips, his expressive eyes.... until he leaned down and desperately claimed her lips.