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"How much money would you give me for my secret?" Sherlock read aloud the question on the small piece of paper he had been handed. He found that it actually sounded even more odd when he said it. "I don't know, John, that depends on what it is."
"That makes even less sense. You are supposed to offer a certain amount in order to uncover the secret, you do not get to hear the secret and then determine how much it was worth. You would not hold up your end of the deal and that would defeat the entire purpose of the game."
Sherlock made a weird face at the doctor. "Then how would I know if I want or need to find out this secret? What if it is stupid? What if I already know it?"
"You don't. That is the whole point. Would you rather play Apples to Apples?"
"Of course not. That game is boring." Sherlock groaned.
"Yeah, especially for those that have to play the game with you. Every time you are a judge you refuse to pick a card as a winner." John muttered under his breath.
"What if I make tea in exchange for the secret?"
"No! Money or no deal. What do you say? Twenty?"
"Actually, Doctor Watson, I might just have something in mind." Sherlock stood up. He slid his hand down the front of his shirt, causing buttons to separate. The fair skin that had been exposed was completely marvelous.
John sat back and took in the long, flawless, minus a few scars that were unimportant, frame in his view. Sure, Sherlock had unbuttoned his purple shirt, but that was nothing compared to what was hiding underneath his new black trousers. It was only a matter of time before it was all his again.
"You are soo...fucking...beautiful," John whispered.
Sherlock crawled into John's lap. He placed both of his hands on John's face and pulled him into a soft kiss. John hurriedly began began unfastening Sherlock's pants, wanting them off as soon as possible. Sherlock was more focused on his lover's mouth.
There was a knock. It was Lestrade's knock. Sherlock jumped up and fixed his pants. Lestrade was such a buzzkill.
Lestrade walked up the stairs into the flat. He glanced over at John sitting in the chair with the union jack pillow on his lap. When his eyes met Sherlock, he lingered. Sherlock's hair was a bit of a mess, his shirt was unbuttoned, and his skin glistened with a weird sort of glow that Lestrade had never seen before.
"Maybe it is because I have been spending so much time around Sherlock, but I get the feeling that I am interrupting something," Lestrade told them.
Sherlock's eyes found the pillow in John's lap and then the dark focus from Lestrade. "John and I were playing a game. He had a secret and I was supposed to find a suitable payment in order to hear it. He wanted money."
"By the looks of it, you found something else entirely to pay him with. It might not be good business, but it is the oldest business." Lestrade said with raised eyebrows.
"I do not follow," John muttered, playing along with the idea that he and Sherlock were not lovers.
"Really? Because I happen to think that you do."
Sherlock just happened to catch that he had something in his left hand that would have been a dead giveaway. He had a thing about John's dog tags and always removed then when they were fooling around. Once John had realised it, he wore them more often. Sherlock did usually give them back, however this time he slid it into his pocket.
"What if he did follow? What business is it of yours?" Sherlock asked.
"That was defensive,"
"Come on, Lestrade, just tell us why you are here," John grumbled. It didn't matter anymore, the mood had been ruined, at least for now.
"Oh yes," Lestrade began fishing around in his pocket for something. "Do you remember the murder last month where the guy who thought he was a Vampire was killed by the woman wearing that silly pirate costume?"
"Perfectly," Sherlock replied.
"Well, the family of the victim brought you a gift. They dropped it off at the yard. There was a note about you really enjoying this particular piece." Lestrade explained, presenting Sherlock with a black diamond ring.
Sherlock was speechless for once. The only person that he had told about it was John. That ring had caught his eye the first time he had seen it, despite it being a useless piece of jewlery. The thing was beautiful. Now it was going to be his.
John stood up, no longer aroused and took the ring. "For safe keeping,"
Lestrade was even more certain that something was going on between them. On the other hand, Sherlock was mad that he couldn't have the ring for whatever reason John had determined, but he tried not to let it show. The fact that they both had the same expression on their faces was just a bit scary to the suddenly quiet doctor.
Sherlock's hands went over his stomach. The draft of cold air the DI brought in made the unsettling feeling of nausea a tad more prominant. He took a step closer to John, hoping he would be given the chance to tell him when he was going to do. The excuse to run to the restroom tugged on him even more. He needed Lestrade out. John could see the way he was acting out of the corner of his eye.
"I always had a feeling," Lestrade muttered. "I guess part of me had always known that Sherlock was a bum lover."
"Get out!" John shouted. "Get out!"
"Why?"
"There isn't anything going on and you are just making things more uncomfortable. Leave the deduction to Sherlock. Come back when there is a case, but for now...OUT!" John continued on, allowing his high blood pressured, hot headed side to come out.
Lestrade threw his hands up. "Fine. Fine. All fine." A wave of wickedness came over him, bringing along a smirk. "I'll see you lovers later!"
John lunged. Sherlock grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back. Lestrade quickly strode down the stairs, finally leaving them alone.
Even after he had left, Sherlock held on to his lover. He waited until John was in a much calmer state.
"Ugh! When did he get so bloody annoying!? And who does he think he is accusing us of being in a sexual relationship?! The nerve of that man!" John shouted angrily, though by now he was able to take a few deep breaths.
Sherlock pursed his lips for a moment, trying to come up with the proper response. He sighed at the former army Captain. "Lestrade has always been annoying, he does that, but he wasn't all that far off considering we are indeed a couple."
John nodded. "I'm sorry,"
Sherlock simply squinted his eyes in response.
"Ya know, it won't be too long before we cannot keep it a secret anymore," John added, eyeballing Sherlock's abdomen.
"It will not be long before I can no longer look down at my feet," Sherlock mumbled, replacing his icy hands on his stomach.
"My point exactly. Say, how's about we get back to our little game?"
"Right, I was about to pay for an undisclosed secret,"
"Awful thing is, you kind of already know about it,"
"Oh? I do?"
"Yes," John said smiling as he got down on one knee. "The fact that I had made sure you recieved this ring was part of it. My secret was that I want to marry you."
Sherlock's eyes enlarged. "You do? Why would you want to go off and do a stupid thing like that?"
"I don't know, Sherlock, why would someone want to do that?" John muffled a giggle. "Maybe it is because I have a vision of us being together for the rest of our lives. I want to give our growing family a stable life with two parents and a good home. The most important reason? Well, that one is easy: I love you. I love everything about you, even the parts of you that are blatantly inappropriate by all means. Your hair, your eyes, your foresaken cheekbones, and even your sociopathic tendencies...I've fallen in love with as well."
"Logically sound reasons,"
"I know. So?"
"So what, John?"
"Will you marry me?"
Sherlock blinked. There was a flutter in him that couldn't be controlled. "Yes,"
THE END?