JohnLock 3: Missing Sherlock

Bon Voyage and the Kiddies

The guardians trailed behind the canoodling couple, staying back a few feet to give them some semblance of privacy for this, their last hour or so together, before Locke had to go aboard the ferry to be transported out on the lake to the "Mariner."  Samson punched Adrian in the arm. "You lucky dog! I've never managed to have to attend a party, especially a big deal like this one."

"I'll be on duty, y'know."

"Sure, but the scenery is likely to be ver-ry, uh...interesting?"

"Yeah, and they'll all likely be flirting with Locke (...and added sotto voce as an afterthought...), like that would do them any good..."

Samson waggled his head back and forth in exaggerated sarcasm. "Oh, poor Locke!"

The two guardians gave each other a quick-take glance and laughed out loud. They quickly sobered up, so as not to disturb their royal charges.

John peeped up through his lashes at Sherlock. "I love you," he whispered so only Locke could hear.

Locke squeezed his prince's fingers. "Love you, too...I'm going to miss you tonight."

"Mm hmm...Going to be a lonely night." Locke dropped John's hand and slipped his arm around the prince's waist and pulled him against his side. They both had come to the realization that this would be the first time that they had been apart for a whole night since...since ever...John wound his arm around Locke's waist. They tugged at each other, causing walking to be a difficult exercise. They slowed to a bare crawl, trying to make themselves believe that slowing down would put off the inevitable.

They wandered in no particular hurry down to the castle's airy well-kept stables. Grooms and stable boys bowed, discreetly scattered, and melted into the shadows when the Prince and his Consort entered their domain. They tried, mostly unsuccessfully, not to stare at Sherlock's outfit. Noticing the stable crew's antics, Locke's lips lifted into a smile as his brows rose. He pulled John closer, his arm still draped around his prince's waist.

In just moments, their favorite mounts pranced into view, saddled and eager to get out of their stalls. Three more horses bounced around behind the royals' horses, just as eager to be ridden as their more pampered cousins. The guardians and a royal-liveried groom stepped around John and Locke and gathered up the reins of their respective mounts. Locke cupped his hands for his prince and threw John into the saddle. He swung onto his own big horse's saddle.

Sherlock, riding his white stallion Yeti, and Prince John, riding his mother's mare Persephone, trotted their mounts slowly to the docks, with their guardians and the royal groom following at a discreet distance. Sherlock reached across and grasped John's hand and held on tight for the short distance from the castle to the lake. Yeti and Persephone, sensitive to their riders' moods, skittered around a little, but were easily contained by these two expert riders. At the foot of the dock, with the grace of someone much-used to the saddle, Locke swung a long leg over his mount's back, slid off Yeti and nuzzled the big horse's neck, murmuring soft assurances to his much-loved steed.

The Prince slid off Persephone's back and gave her neck an affectionate pat, planning a special rubdown and an apple for both horses when he got back to the castle's stables. Turning to face Locke, the prince just stood with his arms at his sides, basking in the sight of his love in all his costumed finery. Locke stood facing the still-surfaced lake. Intuiting the prince's eyes on him, he turned back toward the castle and John.

They remained like statues a moment until Sherlock lifted his arms to John, who ran into Sherlock's embrace. They froze at the foot of the dock and just stood holding each other and gazing deeply into their love's eyes, each with tears shimmering on trembling lashes. Throwing his arms around Sherlock's neck, John pressed himself against Locke's chest. Sherlock enfolded his prince tenderly in his arms, and bending John over backward, kissed him slowly, deeply, fervently and long. The two became breathless and dizzy after a few too-short moments, as Locke lifted his lips. Glancing around them to others on the short pier, Locke realized that they were providing an unexpected show. They both blushed and slightly loosening the hold they had on each other, put a tiny distance between them.