To Make Life Worth Living

~22.Final Chapter~

They were in another swanky restaurant that made John just a little bit uncomfortable. Patrons on nearby tables were glaring at them with judging eyes, or at least that's what the doctor's paranoid mind believed. He took a gulp of his wine in an attempt to steady his jittering nerves. Grey eyes scanned around them.

Suddenly, Sherlock regained his attention by leaning forward until their eyes met.

"John?" The detective looked concerned, two small lines creasing in between his brows, "Are you okay?"

John desperately tried to guess what Sherlock had been talking about while he was glancing around the room in a paranoid nature. He opened and closed his mouth as he searched for the correct words.

"I'm fine." The doctor said feebly, "What were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you didn't like your food?" He looked worried.

The ex-soldier peered down at his plate to notice almost his whole meal was still sat there getting colder by the minute. He quickly picked up his fork, embarrassed.

"Sorry, my mind wandered a little." He mumbled just loud enough for the other man's ears to pick up. He blushed as he stuffed some of the roast salmon between his lips.

There was a few moments of tense silence as Sherlock assessed the situation, "Okay. What I was really talking about a minute ago was us."

John froze with his mouth open and the fork a few centimetres away laden with food. His eyes darted around in a panic.

"What about us?" Was this Sherlock stopping the beginning of whatever they'd be developing? What this Sherlock outright refusing him? The doctor swallowed thickly, returning the untouched morsel to his plate.

"Did you- Do you want... John, I know we haven't known each other long but I was wondering if you wanted to make it official? Can I call you my boyfriend? My partner?" He stuttered and stumbled until he'd forced the sentence from his mouth. He sat stockstill afterwards analysing the movements of John Watson. However, the man didn't move much; he only breathed.

Sherlock sighed after moments of silence, "Don't worry. I understand. It's so okay. I think-"

"Yes."

Sherlock recoiled, "Wait! What? Really?" His smile grew and grew until it was a dazzling grin.

John took a steadying breath and nodded, "Yeah. I'd like to call you my partner, Sherlock." The doctor blushed and scratched at the back of his neck.

The detective wanted to leap from his seat. His whole life he had been too scared to connect with people but when he finally finds that one person who makes it easy the man likes him back! His heart skipped inside his rib cage. It thrummed like a drum.

"Thank you, John." His cheeks ached from smiling so intensely.

-//-//-//-//-//-
6 months later

"This could be nice." The doctor dropped the cardboard box onto the kitchen table and peered around, "This could be very nice." It wasn't massive inside 221B but just big enough for them to live comfortably. It have them more space then the doctor's old apartment.

Sherlock placed one of his own boxes beside John's, "I knew you'd like it. Will Hamish be okay upstairs?"

John nodded, "He'll only sleep up there."

They'd began to pull things out of the boxes and fill the shelves when John finally spoke. The detective glanced over his shoulder at his partner as the words slipped from his lips easily.

"I can't believe we are here. I can't believe we have our own flat." The ex-soldier grinned, the excitement shown clearly on his face.

Sherlock moved behind him and looped his arms around the small man's torso. The detective placed a soft kiss to the doctor's head.

"I'm so proud of us. I can't wait to see what we do next!"