Chapter Fourteen

Beep!

I rubbed my eyes.  Sherlock's phone had been beeping all day.

"Your phone," I said, turning my head up in my seat to Sherlock, who was standing behind me.

"Hmmm."

I cleared my throat.  "Answer it?"

Sherlock ignored me, and he started to go upstairs.  I felt like I needed to parent him.

"No, come back and answer it." 

Sherlock looked at me.  "Why?"

I groaned and reached for the phone myself.  "It's Lydia.  She wants-"

"Tell her in three days."  Sherlock nodded at me. 

"Three days," I repeated.  "What do you have planned?"

Sherlock pointed at the mobile.  "Three days!"  Then he ran up the staircase.

I typed "Three days" and sent the text.  Lydia didn't respond right away, so I put the phone down, and went to see why Sherlock was in my bedroom.

I found him playing with Scottie.  "Sherlock," I moaned.  "He's supposed to nap!"

"Sher funny," Scottie mumbled.  Sherlock nodded.

I let out a long sighed, and put my head in my hands.  I looked back up at Sherlock.  "He needs to sleep.  Leave him alone."

"But!" Scottie pleaded.  Sherlock widened his eyes.  He frowned.

"Scottie, go to bed.  Sherlock, get the hell downstairs!" 

"Yeah, get the hell downstairs," Scottie repeated me.  I saw Sherlock smile a bit.

"Scottie, don't say hell." I pushed Sherlock out of the room and closed Scottie's door.  "Lord!" I exclaimed. 

Sherlock put his hand on my shoulder.  "He's just a kid," he said.

"No! You can't do that! He'll never want to nap!"  I took a deep breath.

Sherlock shrugged.  He muttered, "Well, you made him say hell."

I looked up at him.  "I didn't make... It was an accident."

"You should be more careful-"

"No shit, Sherlock!"

All went silent.  I only then realized what I had said.  Sherlock stood in front of me, his mouth open a bit.  I felt a stab of regret.

"Sh-Sherlock, I... I didn't-"

"It's okay," Sherlock said.  He looked me directly in the eye, and I felt unusually warm and content.  "You were mad.  I understand."

Relief swarmed me, and I smiled at him.  "You are the best friend anyone could have."

Sherlock blinked and said, "Boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes.  "I don't care what you call me.  Do you want me to call you that?"

He looked thoughtful, and answered with a stern look.  "Only if you mean it."

That struck me hard.  Sherlock was accepting that I didn't love him back, but what if I did?  I didn't know at all what my feelings were towards him, but I wanted to make him happy.  I made up my mind in a blink of an eye, because he looked so cute, standing there before me.  I stared deeply into his eyes, the eyes that could be the colour of the ocean or an emerald pearl.

My brain raced and my heart began to beat faster.  What was I doing? I was going to ask.  I felt it.

"Sherlock, will you be my boyfriend?" I felt flushed.  Was I red? "My boyfriend for real."

I waited for a voiced response, but instead, I got a big hug.  Sherlock's head was in my shoulder.  His voice sounded frantic.  "Yes! Yes! Oh God, I've waited years!"

I was overwhelmed, and I eventually pulled Sherlock off of me.  Our faces both were scarlet.  Sherlock was really, really bouncy.  I concentrated on the lovely mole on the side of his sweaty neck.  "You have a strong grip," I finally said. 

Sherlock was slowly calming himself down.  He scratched his head.  "Thank you," he replied.  His eyes were sparkling, and we both stood perfectly still.

"Well, it's late," I said.  "I'm going to kiss Scottie goodnight, wanna come?"

"Yes," Sherlock said.

"And then we'll go to bed."

Sherlock nodded.  We went to Scottie's room, and we took turns kissing his soft head.  When we were done, we looked at each other, and all was well.

"Sherlock? I mean it. Do not try anything." I saw Sherlock nod in the darkness.  "I mean it though.  I think we should take it slow." 

Sherlock nodded again, but this time he said, "Promise."

I grinned.  As we walked down the long, dark staircase, Sherlock whispered to me, "If we get married, I get rights to that kid."

I laughed.