Sherlock: His Enigma Called A

The Detective's Hope

They started walking slowly down the street together. He somewhat shyly offered his arm to her and she timidly looped her arm through his; they had to adjust a bit until they were comfortable. For the first several minutes they walked in silence, enjoying the relative quiet of the night.

Adelaide fidgeted with her purse every so often and her light blush was ever present, along with a tender smile that was mirrored in her eyes. Sherlock found that it was extremely difficult to stop smiling. He couldn't recall ever keeping a smile of any kind for longer than a few seconds. Granted it was a gentle smile, but he could not bring himself to wipe it off.

At the halfway point to her flat she cautiously shifted her hand and took hold of his own. It took him off guard as hand holding was not what he'd expected on their date. But he didn't mind and only smiled more as he gripped her hand a little tighter.

Another small blush graced his cheeks a few minutes later when she hummed, "Thank you for such a wonderful date, Sherlock."

"Thank you for agreeing to come, Adelaide. I am glad it went smoothly and that you enjoyed yourself."

"... Did you enjoy yourself too, Sherlock?"

"Yes, I did."

"That's good then," He hummed in response and they continued on their way. The brunette had little trouble ignoring his mobile. It buzzed in his pocket every five minutes until he finally reached in and powered it off, "What if that's important, Sherlock?"

"It's not. Therefore it can wait." He reassured, knowing it was John, Lestrade and Molly texting to ask about the date.

"Oh. Alright then," The rest of the walk was spent in silence. When they got to the bookstore Sherlock released her arm so that she could open the door, following her up to her flat. Once they got to her door she turned around and smiled warmly, "Thank you for walking me home, Sherlock, and for the date. I had a lot of fun with you tonight."

"You're welcome, Adelaide. It turned out better than I had hoped it would," Her smile suddenly faltered and she looked down at her feet. Worried about the change in behavior, he sobered, "I-Is there something wrong?"

She sighed and shuffled her feet, "... Why did you ask me out on the date, Sherlock?" Her blush faded, "I know that you don't believe in sentiment... So why?"

Sherlock's heart clenched as a surge of panic washed over him. Think quick!!

"C-Can I show you why?" He knew he would only make a fool out of himself if he attempted to explain with words. So he hoped a more direct approach would get the message across.

She nodded and looked up nervously, "Alright..."

Taking a short breath he cautiously stepped up and leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers and draping his arms around her waist. Unlike the other two kisses, he let this one linger and hoped that he hadn't come on too strong.

A few seconds later she lifted her hands to his head and kissed back. A gentle affirmation. Sherlock's heart rate sped up with the new sensation and for a lengthy minute, his mind was off duty and his heart took the lead.

When Sherlock finally peeled away from her he realized how red both of their faces had become. He breathed, "Is that a sufficient answer for you, Adelaide?"

Ta!!