Finding one another (A Benedict Cumberbatch Romance)

The Pub

His hand was on the door and while I saw it, I was a little late to react and nearly crushed his fingers in the door frame. „Oh my god, are you okay? Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so, so sorry!“, I yelled, nearly hyperventillating from the thought that I might have crushed the fingers of the man I'd looked up to for the past few years. „God, please tell me you're okay!“; I said. I was getting more and more anxious, until I forced myself to look at him. I noticed that his beautiful lips were parted to a wide, charismatic smile. „Oh, don't worry. I think I'll live“, he said. „But you know what, a drink would be lovely right now.“

Yet again, my heart stopped. He did NOT just say that. He did not did not did not..My thoughts went in an endless circle. I stared into the air, then at his hands, and then noticed that I hadn't even hit his fingers. Clearing my throat yet again, I said, „Well, that wound could certainly use some desinfectant. We'll just order the alcohol and pour it over your fingers.“ I was wildly grinning by now, and his chuckle made me feel lightheaded. I carefully sniffed the air to catch his scent, and when I did it was the sweetest thing I had ever smelled in my life. He had his hands at his sides, his nails carefully groomed. My eyes took in this wonderful man. He was wearing a dark grey scarf and a typical long coat, black pants and black leather shoes, his dark hair a little unruly, no doubt because of the winter wind outside. His cheeks were pink from the cold. I then noticed his intense stare. Again, it must have been sometime that noone said a thing. „What about your scedule, Mister Cumberbatch?“, I asked, deciding to stick to formalities for just a while longer.

 „I was going to prepare a scene from a new script I recieved, but I believe a few hours more or less will hardly make a difference“, he said, looking at me and giving me his best Sherlock wink. „How could I resist...“ I trailed off and went to get my coat and shoes. I took my time, dreading to make him wait, but also not wanting to seem too eager. I took a quik glance in the mirror and straightened my hair, and then, taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my room. I didn't notice then that I left my phone on the bed, and I wouldn't have cared if I had. Don't get dizzy. Breathe. Think. Right foot. Left foot. Breathe. I repeated those words like a mantrum, scared that I might forget to walk if I stopped.

 „Where are we headed?“, I asked, trying to counteract the silence that had spreaded between us when we'd left the hotel. „Please, nothing all too fancy. I really don't have 100 pounds for a drink“, I joked. He just smiled to himself. „You don't really believe I'd let you pay for the drink I invited you to, do you? Oh, don't give me that look. It's got nothing to do with me being a gentleman. If it were you that invited me, I wouldn't mind you paying, but, lucky me, it was the other way around“, he explained himself. „But Mister Cumberbatch, I invited you first!“, I complained loudly. „Why, yes you did... and I declined.“ I looked over to see him grinning sheepishly, obviously quite enjoying himself. „Oh, the Sir outsmarted me, he did“, I said, „prepare, for this was the last time!“ He just laughed and walked on. Knowing that asking again wouldn't get me an answer to where we were going, I did my best to keep up with his much longer legs.

Finally, after a quarter hour of walking through the blistering cold, we stopped in front of what looked to be... a normal pub. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a pub in the middle of London, with the rather generic name „The Pub“. „The Pub, is it. I can imagine the conversation. „Where you at, honey?“ „The pub!“ „What pub?“ „THE PUB!“. Or something like that“, I said, grinning. My cheeks were already starting to hurt, partly from the cold and partly because I was not used to smiling so much. He looked at me sideways, a smile tugging on his lips. I saw they were chapped from the cold. He then pushed the door open to let me in, gentleman that he is, looking down on me with his stunning eyes. „Well, get in this bloody pub, will you, it's cold outside!“, he said, and suddenly I noticed that I had drifted off again, staring at him.

„I'm sorry. I'm always dreaming off“, I said as I walked past him. „You don't say“, came his response from behind me. „Coat?“, he asked, while stretching out his hands to help me out. „I can undress myself, thank you very much!“, I answered. „Well... Please do“, he said, smirking. Taking off his scarf and coat, his bemused look was burning on my back. „Oh, I'm sorry, Mister Cumberbatch. It's just, I've been taking care of myself for so long, I don't enjoy it anymore when someone else tries to.“ My cheeks were burning hotter than I ever remembered and I was a little ashamed. „It's quite alright, Lily. But before we sit down, I have a favor to ask of you“, he said, looking at me expectantly. „Go on..“, I answered, curious as to what it might be that this man wanted from a girl like me. „For the love of god, Lily, stop calling me Mister Cumberbatch. Please, call me Ben.“