Fluff & Stuff

Hope

"John, it's the only logical explanation-"

"No, it's not! You don't just take a bullet for a friend-" Sherlock winced at the word without John noticing. "-and then say it was just a favor!"

"Why is it so hard for you to believe it was just a favor?" Sherlock asked, an annoyed tone. She held her bandaged shoulder, rolling her eyes when John sighed and stormed towards her sitting form. She was sure he would just complain about the bullet and then storm out of the house like whenever they had an argument.

"Why did you take the bullet?" John growled, eyeing Sherlock as she lowered her head slightly.

"So you wouldn't get hurt." Sherlock said simply, crossing her legs. "Why has this bothered you so much? All I did was take a bullet. You had already risked your life for me plenty of times. I thought it was time I return the favor."

"I didn't want you to get hurt because of me!" John yelled, throwing his hands in the air. Sherlock was unfazed by all of this, already used to John's tantrums.

"And why not?" She asked. "You have wished many times to 'punch me in the face'. Your words, not mine." Sherlock glanced at John thoughtfully. "I don't understand why someone wouldn't want me to get hurt. Apparently, I'm very annoying to people so-"

"Because I love you, you idiot!" John yelled, his hands balling into fists as he forced the truth out.

Sherlock remained silent, her eyes wide in surprise. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to let out words, looking like a gaping fish. John stood there in front of Sherlock, panting slightly. A great weight was lifted off him, only to replaced with another. Would she react negatively?

Sherlock stood up from her armchair, standing face-to-face with John, her having to look up slightly because of the height difference. Sherlock looked at him in the eye, her eyebrows furrowing deeply. "...What?" Sherlock whispered disbelievingly.

"I. Love. You. Sherlock. Holmes." John said slowly, refusing to break eye-contact.

"Why?" She asked. John's face grew confused as he searched Sherlock's eyes for an answer. She remained the same.

"Why would anyone love me?"

John's face contorted into one of hurt, grabbing her hand and interlocking it with his. Sherlock made no move to pull away, sparking the little hope John had.

"Sherlock." John started. "You are the most clever and brilliant person I've ever met. When I'm with you, my mind races a million miles per hour to try and be the same level as you. You always remind me how good it is to be alive. You are the reason I wake up every morning. I feel complete when I'm with you and every time we aren't together is as if I'm being stabbed repeatedly. And I love you." John said, his eyes full of adoration. Sherlock's eyes were brimmed with tears, a shocked expression carved into her features.

Sherlock reached out shakily to feel John's pulse and gasped when she felt a quick beat. She looked up at his eyes and saw his pupils dilated. That meant he was telling the truth. And John knew she felt the same way, Sherlock's previous advice on how to know the feelings of a person seeming very helpful at the moment.

"You love me?" Sherlock whispered almost inaudibly. John moved his hand that wasn't interlocked with Sherlock's and gently cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Unabashedly." John responded. "Do you?" John's voice shook slightly, the hope almost tangible.

"Undoubtably." Sherlock answered before both her and John closes the gap between them with a deep meaningful kiss.