Chosen for Fate

Epilogue

The smell of the sea matched John's perfectly sandy hair thought Sherlock contently looking at his partner as he played in the water with Hamish. The 6 year old giggled in the water as John was pretending to be a sea monster, flailing his arms and snatching the wet boy from the waves then throwing him over his shoulder, triumphantly walking over to his partner sitting on the porch. The house had been a gift, left to the couple by John's mother when she passed away a few years back, after Sherlock helped her leave John's father if corse. John maneuvered his still rather toned frame into the rocking chair next to the ever slender Sherlock, still pale despite being in the sun for three days. He quickly leaned over to catch a quick peck on the wet ex soldier and ruffle the boy's brown curls. John leant back in his chair and slowly rocked back and forth, clearly exhausted from trying to catch the rambunctious (very Holmes indeed) boy. Then Sherlock broke the comfortable silence with his beautiful baritone voice that still drove John wild after all these years.

"Hey John?"

"Hmmm?" John responded, quirking a brow at the detective.

"Um, well, ... " Sherlock tried to stammer, rapping his clearly nervous foot on the porch.

John's eyes quickly snapped open on full alert and he sat up slowly in an attempt to not wake the sleeping Hamish curled up against him. "Sherlock," he began slowly looking deep into the grey eyes across from him. "What is it?"

"Um, erm, Mycroft did some snooping at the government office and he is so annoying the twit but anyway he was overseeing choosing partners and he saw Hamish's name and he knows who Hamish's partner is and he emailed it to me but I don't want to check because would that spoil things? Do I really want to know? John?" Sherlock looked up panting and out of breath as he completed his run-one sentence, his eyes full of worry and befuddlement on what to do. John's features visibly softened, the worry lines in his forehead disappearing as he stared back at his partner. He then leaned across the arm rest of the chair and planted a sweet kiss on his worried partner's lips.

Sherlock moaned and leaned forward for more, knowing that John always somehow knew what to do to help him but the salty lips pulled away leaving a disappointed Sherlock.

"Later." John smirked mischievously, "When this one is in bed." He said as he stroked the child's hair. Both of them stared off into the ocean, taking in the startling blues and greens that mixed so perfectly with the pinks and oranges of the setting sky.

"Let's not worry about it now Sherlock. As long as he is happy okay?" John said looking over at Sherlock, his face full of worry anyway.

"Okay," Sherlock replied as he continued to stare off into the endless colors, knowing the conversation would be continued later.

"Sherlock?" John said soothingly, adding to the sound of waves breaking against the shore.

"Yes, John?" Sherlock said, his eyes closed and leaning back in his chair. John's stomach did a flip, just the same as whenever Sherlock said his chosen partner's name.

"Will you, um, deduce the woman walking on the beach for me?" John said, a slightly embarrassed blush creeping around the corners of his neck. Sherlock sat back up and sent a smirk at his partner. With a twinkle in his eye he always got when he deduced he responded, "Of course." And he smile again making John's insides do another flippy thing that made him see spots. The tall man leaned forward in concentration of the teenager walking a long the beach. John couldn't help but stare in fondness at the man he loved. The beach's sun rays making his soft curly hair turn different shades of deep brown, and the lights making his angular cheekbones cast shadows on his face that seemed to make him all the more high definition of pure "beautiful" John whispered before he could stop his train of thought.