Disclaimer: The characters of Sherlock do not belong to me. I'm borrowing them for a very short period of time.
Note: (Very) Short and Sweet. Once again this was the result of procrastination and being up late one night, I don't have the brainpower to fix anything.
"Somebody loves you! If I had to punch that face, I'd avoid the nose and teeth too" – Irene Adler 'A Scandal in Belgravia'
A quick glance and her mind playing tricks was all it took for Irene Adler to dance with the idea that maybe she needed more rest.
Two days later a sound from across the room made her contemplate having her hearing checked.
Three days after Irene Adler started to think that maybe she was going insane.
Exactly a week from that day the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find a supposedly dead man standing on her doorstep looking tired and aged but unmistakably Sherlock and unmistakably smug.
They stared silently at each other over cups of tea as the awkwardness skyrocketed. Irene resisted the urge to launch herself over the coffee table and smack Sherlock Holmes in the face. They both continued to take long, drawn out sips of earl grey and avoid the elephant in the room.
Eventually there was no tea left and with nothing to do short of reading the tea leaves Irene finally caved and was the first to speak.
"You're dead."
Sherlock looked stunned and disappointed all within a matter of seconds before calmly checking his emotions and rolling his eyes.
"Really Irene, I was expecting more from you."
"I was expecting more from you, and I guess you did deliver in the end. I had my doubts about your death, kept on waiting for you to pull something spectacular but then you didn't. So in the end I came to the same conclusion everyone else did. The great Sherlock Holmes really was dead and buried. Now it appears you are not."
"Don't tell me you missed me?"
All it took was one sarcastic question from the detective and Irene Adler did punch him in the face. She would never speak of the loss and sadness she had felt when she had thought him dead or any sentiment she may or may not hold for him. But Sherlock Holmes was keenly aware that as she punched him, she avoided his nose and teeth.
The End