Teen!lock John is at the school dance with his rugby mates and he spots a familiar mop of curls.

John leaned against the cement wall of his high school gymnasium. He was dressed in tight blue jeans with a black button down shirt tucked in them. It was his school's annual formal. Other kids were dancing to the horrible rap song that was blaring through out the whole room. He had only come because a few of his mates from the rugby team had wanted him to go.

John was still fairly new to the school. He had been going there for about four months now. He wasn't the best at making friends but joining the rugby team had been a popularity boost and he had found that more and more of the popular jocks talked to him. He wasn't particularly fond of these boys because they were rude and not all together smart. But he just wanted to fit in.

John scanned the room. His fellow peers all seemed so happy and joyous because of the occasion. His eyes fell upon the one sour face in the whole room. Sherlock Holmes. What was he doing here?

Sherlock Holmes was the mysterious boy in John's chemistry class that he would find himself staring at for a little longer than he should. The taller boy was always getting in trouble with the rugby boys because he would often say cutting remarks about them. John never was there for those times but he had been told numerous times that boy was "just a dumb faggot" and "freak". John hated them terms. He hated when they used them to describe the boy because John thought Sherlock was magnificent. He constantly wanted to talk to him and get to know him but those silver eyes and dark scowl always made him rethink the idea.

One of the rugby boys saw who John was looking and his face filled with a murderous grin.

"Hey boys, our favourite little freak decided to show up."

The other boys had noticed Sherlock now and they started to walk over to him. John stayed glued to his spot on the wall. He watch and prayed that they wouldn't hurt the unique boy. The music had died down into a slow quiet song so John could hear all the things that were being said.

"Hey faggot. What are you doing here?"

Sherlock kept his gaze on the dancers and replied with a long drawl of his baritone voice.

"Observing"

"What are you observing for? To see who you're gunna dissect next? Huh freak?"

Sherlock finally looked up to the boy. He stared blankly into his face.

"I am deducing things about everyone. I can tell that your mother is cheating on your father again with the mailman. Also that you have been having some gay thoughts about your history teacher."

The boy turned very red in the face.

"Thats not true. You're making that up you freak!"

The boy raised his arm and John knew exactly what was going to happen in the next second. John did the only thing he thought he could do to prevent the tall boy from getting hurt. John sprinted across to them and tackled the rugby boy.

All of the other boys began yelling at him and John and the other boy stood up.

"Oi! What are you doing Watson?! I was about the let this freak have it!"

John felt anger well up in him. He stood as tall as he could in front of Sherlock.

"Don't call him a freak! And if you put one finger on him I will send you home with a black eye. I swear."

The boys looked at each other and laughed.

"Oh protecting your boyfriend Watson? We had no idea you were a fag too."

John couldn't take it anymore. He pulled his arm back and delivered a rather impressive right hook. There was a loud crack when his fist met skin. The other boy fell to the ground clutching his face. The other rugby boys backed away so they wouldn't have a similar fate. One helped the bleeding boy up and they both retreated. As they walked away one of them shouted "I always knew you were a loser." Once John had thought they were far enough he finally turned to face the boy he had been protecting.

Sherlock looked at him with a calculating look. As if he was trying to read John's thoughts.

"Um hi"

The adrenalin of the fight was wearing off and John suddenly felt very awkward.

"Why did you do that?"

Sherlock crossed his arms waiting an answer.

"Well I just couldn't let them call you all those names. A-And I didn't want them to hurt you."

"What do you care if they call me a freak?"

"I don't think you're a freak. I actually think you are brilliant."

John's ears turned red at his last sentence. Sherlock narrowed his eyes.

"You're the one who stares at me. You never joined your rugby teammates in my taunting. You're not like the others."

John simply didn't know how to reply. He looked down at his feet and felt his blush deepen. After a few minutes a hand came into his vision. He looked up and saw that Sherlock was offering him his hand.

"W-What?"

"I am asking you to dance John. Obviously."

John smiled. He couldn't believe Sherlock Holmes was asking him to dance. He grabbed his hand and let himself be dragged out to the dance floor. They twirled around for several songs. They were having the time of their lives. John even saw a genuine smile come from Sherlock's lips. Something that he had never seen before.

The music evolved into a slow song. John hesitated for a moment. Sherlock took this moment to snake his arms around John's waist. John froze for a second but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around the taller boy's neck. They were chest to chest and swaying to the beat. Sherlock turned his head so that his lips were ghosting against John's ear.

"I don't think you're a loser"

John shivered at the words. He pulled back to look at Sherlock's face. He saw that his eyes were filled with honesty and a softness that he had never seen. He had some how melted the icy exterior that this boy constantly held. He smiled and so did Sherlock. John looked down at his plump lips as he had done so many times before in class. Sherlock noticed the glance and nodded just the slightest. John leaned forward and placed a small sweet kiss on his lips.

Sherlock's grip around John's waist tightened. He looked back at John and smiled so big that his face seemed almost unable to contain it. Just then the music changed back into a upbeat jazzy swing tune. John moved his arms to Sherlock's waist and picked him up and twirled him once around in the air. Sherlock's eyes widened with surprise. When John had put him down he took one look at the taller boy's expression and he burst out into a huge fit of laughter. Sherlock joined in after a few seconds.

After the laughter had subsided they both looked at each other with smiles still on their faces. Sherlock grabbed John's hand and pulled him back to the dance floor. They danced until the very last song and after that night the rugby boys never bothered Sherlock and Sherlock was never far from John's side.