Chapter Text
Huge raindrops attacked the windows, pelting them with such ferocity that they roused Joan from the depths of sleep. Flashes of light lit her room in rapid succession, followed by explosive cracks of thunder. The wind buffeted the sides of the old brownstone, whistling in victory when it managed to push itself in through cracks and crevices. She felt the cold air on her face in stark contrast to her warmth beneath the thick blankets.
Joan sunk deeper into the soft recesses of her bed, adjusting herself closer to the warmth of his body. She didn’t want to wake him; a full night’s sleep was a rare commodity for him. But Sherlock, without truly waking, responded to her approach and with one movement on his part, she was soon snuggled up against his chest, tightly encircled in his arms. He drew a deep breath of contentment and adjusted his body to better meet hers.
Nights such as this when they shared her bed, the many rules and roles they and the outside world imposed were cast aside. Conversations that they would never have face to face in the light of day came easier when they were stripped bare, leaving themselves emotionally and physically vulnerable to the other. Oft times touch was substituted for words neither could say and they found solace in not having to verbalize and analyze - they just were.
The rain and wind and lightning continued its attack on the city outside but inside the brownstone, within her room, in their nest of sheets and blankets and entwined bodies, they slept peacefully, safe in each other’s arms.