Marriage and Mental Illness (Sequel to Tall Buildings and Pill Bottles)

The French Riviera

AN: This chapter will be using the f-word (the slur) once, an AN will appear before it. Please read the AN at the end too.

Sherlock's POV

We had managed to find the master bedroom before collapsing into unconsciousness. John's head was buried in the soft pillow, his breath even. I shifted so that I could look around the room, which I'd only seen in the online pictures. The right wall held a window, looking out into the sea below.

The room itself was a mix of seafoam green and pale pink, soft and sweet. I scooted closer to John, curling myself around him. Even in his sleep, he pulled me closer. I brushed a lock of hair off of his forehead, smiling contently to myself. I placed my head back down on the pillow, admiring my beautiful husband.

After a while, his breathing pattern began to change, showing he was beginning to wake up. "Morning, John," I said softly, letting him fully wake up. He grinned at me, entangling our limbs together.

"Good morning, Sherlock." He yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I pressed my lips to him, a noise of surprise coming from him. I pulled away, placing my head on his chest. His arms wrapped around me, and together we sat in silence, listening to the roar of the sea.

"So, a sea view, hm?" John jerked his head in the direction of the window. The condo had a path that led down to the beach, a more secluded area of the beach, not to mention.

"Yes. There's a path that leads down there, and the pool is out back." He raised his brow, a faint smile curling his lips upwards. "A pool and a beach. My dear, you spoil me!" I laughed at his playful tone, sitting up.

"Come on, why don't we look around. This is where we are staying here for nearly six weeks, after all. It's a lovely beach town, but we should have a look around here first."

He smiled, nodding. "That sounds amazing. It's all amazing. You're amazing." I leaned down, capturing his lips. "I know." I pulled him up from the bed, and he chuckled. A strong arm wrapped around my waist as I led him around.

The condo was very obviously built for a beach vacation, the back wall of the living room area was glass, revealing a beautiful view of the secluded beach and sea. The condo also had a rather large french style kitchen and a back porch that led to the pool and then down to the beach.

We walked around the place, finding all of the necessities for the day. We'd already decided to go into town to get groceries and the like tomorrow. Today, we could just enjoy ourselves in the condo, and on the beach.

John was standing in the living room, staring out the glass at the beach. It wasn't the first time I'd caught him staring out at the sea during our look around. "Our swimsuits are in the suitcase, how about I go grab them, and we can go down to the beach."

He turned, smiling faintly. "I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough for any of this, my love." I beamed, walking over to him. "I'll go grab those swimsuits then," I let my arm trail down his as I breezed past.

I found them quickly and handed John his to change. I kept a loose fitting t-shirt on, not comfortable exposing my back in public. John knew what my back was covered in, had even counted them once, but I wasn't quite ready to show that to the world. I don't know if I ever will be.

I felt John's lips at the back of my neck, his arms coming to wrap around me. "I love you, Sherlock," he whispered reassuringly, knowing the exact anxiety I was feeling. "I know," I replied. We stayed there, swaying back and forth in each other's arms.

I cleared my throat, and John pulled back, not letting go of my hands. "Are you ready?" I nodded, and together, we walked down the dirt path to the beach. Neither of us was wearing shoes and felt the transition from the dirt to the soft sand. It was white and warm, squishing between my toes with every step. The sea was clear as glass, waves washing gently up on the shore. John looked up at me, grinning.