AN: Hey guys so here's my entry for letswritesherlock challenge 5 and the prompt that i took was 'trapped somewhere waiting for rescue'. And this is what happened. I think this might be one of the weirdest pairings yet but i do love Greg/Henry for some reason. I do hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story.

Dare to Love

Greg Lestrade is one of the cool and popular kids in his school. He's always been able to get out of trouble, always been able to get his way with the other kids at school and always been known to take risks. In fact, Henry blames him for being stuck here in the secret room of some godforsaken old house in the thick of the forest with no one for miles and with no means of contact, all because of a stupid dare.

"You just can't say no to challenges can you!" Henry accused him as he paced the length of the small room, wringing his hands, blowing on them to keep warm. The house was old and drafty, if only they knew how to get out of this secret room apart from the stupid jammed revolving bookcase.

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't expect to get stuck in a bloody secret room with no way out," Greg muttered as he picked at the floorboards. He glanced up to see Henry pacing and shook his head. The boy was always nervous and now more so since they were trapped here on a cold night. They hadn't been close before even though Henry was in his class. He didn't associate with people like Henry Knight, mousy, small, quiet, easily scared and always being bullied. In fact it was people like him that he bullied. "You didn't have to come along with me if you got scared easily," he stated as he stood, brushing off his hands now as he moved over to the heavy mahogany table in the small room, dumping his backpack before sitting down on it.

"Sally Donovan made me do it. She made me follow you up to this old house, said she wouldn't bully me any more if I did. And I'm not scared," Henry muttered as he stopped pacing now, leaning back against the wall, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket as he studied Greg in the dim light that filtered through the only window in this secret room, it was small and dirty and the light it gave was little, close to none.

Greg chuckled, of course Henry was scared, he could tell, "She's one who doesn't stick to promises, even if you came out of the house alive she'd still be kicking your ass."

Henry glowered. How could he have been so stupid? 'You just wanted to be stuck with Greg alone. Gay boy,' came the voice in his head. He had already known that it might not have worked, getting Sally off his case with this dare. But still he had gone along with it only because Greg was in the challenge itself. Henry had liked him for quite some time now, he'd admired him from afar, he'd never worked up the courage to talk to him much. In fact this was the longest conversation that he'd ever had with Greg.

"Why'd you do it?" Henry asked him, raising his eyes to look at Greg.

"Why'd I decide to come on a quest to stay overnight at the haunted," he said that on purpose seeing Henry shudder at the word, "Elderry House? It's a dare I took on I want to prove to everyone that I'm just as good as Sherlock Holmes."

Henry cocked his head, "Sherlock Holmes? He's in the straight A's class isn't he?"

Greg sighed, annoyed, "Do you need to mention that fact?"

"Sorry…" Henry murmured, averting his eyes now. He didn't understand Greg's need to be like Sherlock. He knew the dangers that the younger Holmes' boy had gotten into. That boy had conquered Elderry way back; he'd also conquered the haunted Rudd Mansion just the year before. He was a legend that all the boys in their school looked up to. He was smart, good looking and rich. But he was the most anti-social creature in the whole school. He had no friends and he didn't care about having any friends either. Henry didn't want Greg to become like that.

"You don't need to be like Sherlock Holmes you know," Greg heard him say and he looked at the other boy, fixing him with a hard stare.

"Henry Knight, you have the weirdest notions," he mused, standing as he moved over to Henry now, "Who are you to tell me what to do anyway?" he asked Henry.

"I was just saying," Henry said looking up and meeting Greg's eyes now. The other boy was standing just a little ways away from him, looking stern.

"Well I don't need your opinion on what I want to do," Greg said, shaking his head. He looked around the room now. It was bare save for the bookcase that led out of here, which was now jammed leaving a small little slit, the mahogany desk, a covered settee and a fireplace that was dusty. "It's fucking freezing in here," he cursed as he looked to the dusty fireplace, there was no wood to start a fire but they could burn the books on that bookcase.

"Don't you have matches in your pack?" Henry indicated the bag that Greg had left on the mahogany table, noticing that he had an idea.

"Oh right!" Greg lit up almost immediately as he rummaged through his pack now, the hope for a fire helping to diminish the cold for a few seconds.

Henry crossed the room to stand beside him, setting his own pack down on the table, "I've got blankets…I brought them since we were going to stay the night."

"Fuck. I don't have matches, I didn't bring them."

Henry raised a brow to the taller boy, "So what did you bring?"

"Food, beer. A scarf?"

Henry began to panic now, "We've got no signal on our phones, the night is cold and we've only got some food to go on, how long are we going to last, stuck here like this?"

"Relax Henry," Greg murmured, "We'll only be spending one night here. As soon as they discover that we're missing they'll send the police out to look for us. Sally and Mycroft both know where we are, they'll tell the police. We'll be rescued come tomorrow morning."

"And…what about the…ghosts and all?"

Greg gave an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes heavenward, trust Henry to actually believe in such stories; "There is no such thing as ghosts. The house isn't even haunted. You just have to not think about it. Besides you've got me here, it's better than being stuck out here on your own now isn't it?"

Henry nodded. Greg did have a point there. Had he been trapped alone in Elderry House he would probably have had one of his anxiety attacks and passed out and frozen to death.

"Alright. Now we'll have some food and beer and then we can take the covers off that settee and we'll have somewhere other than the dusty old floor to sleep on," Greg said as he handed the boy a sandwich and a can of beer.

The two sat on the mahogany table eating in silence now. Henry nibbled on the sandwich, constantly looking to Greg who sat beside him. How can the boy be so calm in such a time? "Aren't you ever scared of anything?" he asked as he took a sip of the beer, it seared down his throat, warmth flooding through his body now.

"Not really. No. I just have to tell myself not to be afraid."

"But doesn't it hurt when the teachers say all those mean things to you?" Henry asked. He remembered the teachers always calling Greg 'worthless' and 'stupid' and telling him that he would grow up and go no where. Such hurtful things they said, didn't Greg get scared of the teachers?

Greg let out a bitter laugh, "They're just words. They won't hurt me. But…sometimes it does hurt…sometimes those words break through my armor."

Henry felt a small smile on his lips. He would bet a hundred pounds that Greg had never told any one that.

"Don't you dare tell anyone that okay?" Greg added seeing Henry smiling to himself now.

"I won't. I promise, my lips are sealed," Henry said miming zipping his lips before he locked it and threw the key away.

Greg laughed a little at that, "Good. You'd better keep it that way," he said finishing up his can of beer now as he crushed it, "So what about you? Why're you always so afraid of everything? I mean I've never really known you until now but…I can tell being here has your nerves on end and back in the hallways every little sound made you jump."

"I guess I grew up like that. Always afraid, I don't have the courage. That's why I don't stand out with people like you and Sally and Sherlock. All brave and never scared."

Greg shook his head if only Henry knew, "Come on, help me get the covers off the settee."

The settee had been saved from all the dust thanks to the cover, the two boys shifted it so that it stood in a corner of the small room, away from the worst of the winds. Greg immediately fell into the soft cushiony settee letting out a contented sigh as he lay there eyes closed.

Henry stood looking at Greg laid out on the settee, the boy was lanky, tall and already filling out with muscles. He bit his lip, holding onto the blankets. He wasn't going to sleep there was he? His cheeks coloured with blush, flustered now. Greg opened his eyes and looked to him, "Well? Aren't you coming to bed?"

"I-I…yeah, I was just getting the blankets," he stumbled over his words in his flustered state. He walked over to the settee now and opened up the two blankets, laying them over Greg.

Greg held the blankets back now as Henry settled down beside him. He noticed the way Henry was cautiously avoiding any form of bodily contact between the two of them. "Henry, you're supposed to share body warmth in these sorts of situations or you'll freeze," he murmured and took the initiative now as he wrapped the blankets over them, letting his arm slide around Henry's waist as he drew the other boy closer, their bodies pressing together. Henry's back against his chest.

Henry gasped softly at Greg's touch around his waist. He couldn't even begin to comprehend what or why the other boy was doing this. Henry was sure that Greg wasn't gay, yet the way he held him now with his breath feathering softly and warm on the back of his neck.

"You know Henry…there is something that I'm afraid of," Greg murmured as he pressed himself closer to Henry, closing his eyes tight as his nose pressed into Henry's hair, breathing in the boy's scent.

"What's that?" Henry asked as he relaxed in Greg's arms, eyes still open as he stared into the darkness of the room, warm beneath the covers beside the body of the other boy.

"That I'm not loved…" Greg murmured, "My mother…died when I was little and my father is an abusive alcoholic."

"I'm sorry," Henry whispered, his hand covering Greg's now, pulling the boy's hand up to his chest now and letting it rest over his heart. 'I like you though…' he thought but he wouldn't say it.

"I get beaten by him a lot. I just never tell anyone…" Greg murmured feeling Henry's steady heartbeat beneath his palm, it was comforting, "I fight and act tough because I'm actually afraid of getting hurt. I'm not that brave."

"I think you're brave," Henry admitted.

Greg smiled, "I'm braver than you, yes."

"And conceited," Henry added as he laughed.

"Very much so, I'm afraid."

"Will they really come and find us?" Henry asked as he closed his eyes now, letting his fingers twine with Greg's.

"No," Greg muttered, "we'll be stuck here forever. Just me and you," he said, a smile on his lips. It was a joke. But really, Greg thought it wouldn't be so bad if they were to be stuck here in Elderry House with more food to last them a lifetime. He had come to realize that he enjoyed Henry's company; quiet little Henry whom he had barely known until now.

Henry was silent before he played along, "Yes, just the two of us together forever," he muttered then added "I don't think I would like that very much though," for precaution.

Once again Greg laughed, "I don't think you would either."

And Henry's heart fell. He did enjoy Greg's company immensely and he wanted to be there to comfort him, to give him the strength that he needed but Henry knew well enough that a popular guy like Greg would never be gay. It would be too much for his reputation. It would cost him his friends.

Silence fell between them and Greg thought that Henry was already asleep, "Goodnight Henry," he whispered hugging the boy close to him, Henry's scent calming him and lulling him to sleep. His heart fluttered at their contact and Greg knew that there was something about the quiet boy that he liked. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, he would just have to find out what that was another time.

-FIN-

AN: So that's the end of the story. Do leave me a comment and tell me if you would like a continuation because I have something in mind to continue this story. Thanks for reading guys!