John sat down at the table with Sherlock carefully placed his steaming cup of coffee around what looked to be yet another late night experiment. They sat at this table as they had on all the days where business was slow and there was nothing to do. The way they sat was always the same, Sherlock's long legs stretched out underneath the table touching the tips of John's toes, and John sitting up straight and while he read the newspaper.
He had always liked that, watching John read the paper, studying his every feature hoping that he would never forget and at the point when John would realize what Sherlock was doing Sherlock would flash a wide smile and John would too shaking his head and laughing slightly. This was the life only they would ever know; only they would ever understand their love.
John finished his coffee and set down the paper. "I'll be right back" he said softly as he walked passed Sherlock and gave him a kiss on the forehead. John returned only about a minute later with the post sorting through it as he walked. He kept flipping through placing one at the bottom of the pile until one letter caught his eye.
He glanced at him with a confused look, "what is it?"
"Not sure" He paused for a second before opening the envelope the, his eyes skimming over the word, "It's an invitation to one of my old friend's wedding."
"When is it?" he asked before taking another sip of his coffee.
John gave the letter a second glance already forgetting the date, "Tomorrow."
Sherlock's eyebrows lifted in surprise "short notice."
"Very!" he let out a small chuckle "but come to think of it he never was the most organized man. Never actually thought he would get married" with that they both were smiling and kind of laughing.
"So are you going to go?" inquired the detective.
"Maybe"
He finished he coffee and stood up to place it in the sink to be washed later "You should it would be fun."
John smiled with a touch of mischief in his eyes, "yeah I guess it would be fun," he said slowly walking towards Sherlock until he was standing right next to him, "but that would mean I would need a date."
Sherlock smiled, "and who would you ask?" he questioned playfully.
Rolling his eyes and sighing, "Well I was going to ask you but then again-"John started to walk away from him but before he could get too far Sherlock grabbed and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He pulled away just far enough so that he could look into Sherlock's swirling sea of green and blue that was his eyes, "so I'll take that as a yes."
Sherlock nodded with a smile and kissed him again. Of course it wasn't until later that day that he realized what he had just gotten himself into. Since he agreed to this wedding he would need to show up with John as his date. Sure they had already been together awhile but this would be their first big outing. What would people think of them? Were they ready for this sort of a date yet? How would people react? What would they do? These thoughts danced though his mind palace all day and all night until it came time for them to leave but even then he felt anxious and worried that he could barely speak.
When they were finally in the cab on the way to the party from the church John stated to notice anxiety in Sherlock's behaviour. "Sherlock? Are you alright?" he asked him quietly.
"I'm good" Of course he didn't want John to know how worried he was about this day so that was how he answered.
Of course John could call the lie right away "Are you sure you look little tens?"
"Yes John I'm fine" when he said it this time he added a smile at the end to possibly enhance the lie and make his partner really believe he was okay.
John again knew he was lying but decided best to drop it before it got out of hand.
When they got location of the dinner and party Sherlock had become even more stressed and as a way of trying to calm himself down he started to deduce people in his mind in hopes of distracting him from the real his nerves. Sherlock had been standing alone for quite some time while John had went up to all of these people he never really liked but still said hello to because he hadn't seen them in years.
Sherlock looked around for his shorter partner and when he finally located him it seems there was another man following closely behind him. Sherlock deduced him as a single, lonely, porn addict, with a heart condition. He didn't see how a man like this could ever know John Watson, not his John Watson.
"Sherlock this is David one of my friends from back in the day," he said with a chuckle "and David this is Sherlock my b-"but Sherlock cut him off before he could continue.
"Friend" he said grabbing his hand and shaking it quickly with an all too fake Sherlock brand smile then turning away before there could be anymore conversation.
"Well it was nice seeing you again David" said John after the brief awkward silence.
"Yes it was nice to see you too" David smiled as he heard someone called his name from the far end of the room and started to walk off toward the voice calling him.
An announcement rang through the large ballroom that the bride and groom would share their first dance soon. The song drifted through the large ballroom like a breeze of summer air and they watched as the bride and groom seemed to float across the floor.
John leaned toward Sherlock and tried to grab his hand but as soon as doing so he shook it away and walked off. Sherlock's long strides took him straight to the bathroom where he thought John might leave him alone for at least a little longer. He didn't mean to be rude like this to John, in fact he hated himself for doing this to him but he was just so nervous about the thoughts and judgments of all the other people standing in that ballroom. He loved John with all his heart but social situations were bad enough on their own when it came to Sherlock Holmes.
"What was that?" a familiar voice harshly asked. Of course he knew exactly who it was.
"John I'm so-"
"Just answer me this Sherlock. Why are you doing this?" his voice was harsh and angry but underneath that entire voice he could hear the pain that he had caused. Guilt ran through his body as if it were in his veins.
"I was just don't want people to know yet" Sherlock said quietly.
"Sherlock we've been together for nearly four months now I don't see the problem with telling people"
"The problem is telling people!" He hadn't meant it to sound that harsh but it did and he saw the slight hurt flash on John's face. He let out a sigh and glanced up from the floor into his lover's eyes before continuing, "People judge they're programed to do so and it's impossible for them to stop. John I love you but I just really don't want people to know."
John looked at his partner sympathetically and said quietly "I know it's scary, believe me I'm scared for what might happen if we go out there again together" as he spoke he slowly start to walk toward Sherlock until he was right in front of him, "but you know what?"
Sherlock shook his head allowing a mess of dark curls to bounce around on top of his head and in his face.
"I know that we are going to be alright because we have each other and nothing can stop us when we are together" John whispered in his ear then moved his mouth from Sherlock's ear to his cheek and gave him a kiss.
A smile crept onto Sherlock's face and he leaned in and kissed him perfectly on the lips.
John pulled back and grabbed Sherlock's hand intertwining his fingers with Sherlock's much longer and thinner ones and just like that they did it, they walked out together hand in hand and side by side.
The song had changed since they had left and everyone else had joined the dance floor. A raspy voice sang in the back ground
"Got a pinch of tobacco in my pocket
I'm not gonna roll it no I'm not gonna smoke it
Til we're staring at the stars and the rockets
Twinkling in the silvery night"
Sherlock smiled and let go of John's hand "would you like to dance with me?"
"Yes" he answered barley containing his happiness.
So Sherlock took his hand and they walk out to the dance floor and rapped their arms around each other and gently rocked as if it were the music itself pushing them. The lyrics continued to sing out through the room,
"And though the sand may be washed by the sea
And the old will be lost in the new
Well four will not wait for three
For three never waited for two
And though you will not wait for me
I'll wait for you"
"I really like this song" Sherlock whispered in John's ear.
"So do I" he whispered back and Sherlock could practically feel him smiling. "This can be our song."
"And three words on the tip of my tongue
Not to be spoken nor sung
Or whispered to anyone
Til I scream them at the top of my lungs again
And though the sand may be washed by the sea
And the old will be lost in the new
Well four will not wait for three
For three never waited for two
And though you will not wait for me
I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you
And I'll wait for you"