DRABBLE AHEAD!

BTW: This will ignore Moriarty's return and also Mary's pregnancy.

…

Mrs. Hudson

…

Martha Hudson had known Sherlock for a long time. He'd helped her with the conviction of her husband in his early 20's, and then moved into 221B right after. And, though he was quite recluse, she managed to get to know him after a while.

He was an odd fellow- she knew that from the beginning. He had a variety of strange visitors, and it wasn't uncommon to walk in on science experiments of all kinds. Every once in a while, she could swear she heard gunshots, but always decided it likely wasn't worth investigating. It was just Sherlock being Sherlock.

One thing Mrs. Hudson noticed most was how alone Sherlock always seemed to be. It wasn't just that he avoided other people or preferred to be by himself, it was like he couldn't understand them. Sherlock looked at other people the way she looked at Sudoku puzzles. It was sad to her that he couldn't connect with anyone, not even his own brother.

You can imagine her shock when she first met John Watson.

Sherlock has mentioned a week or so earlier that he was thinking of getting a flatmate, but Mrs. Hudson later thought she'd imagined it. She wasn't sure exactly how Sherlock made money, but he always remembered to pay the rent on time and never appeared to be struggling financially, and she couldn't think of any other reason for him to want a flatmate.

Mrs. Hudson was absolutely baffled when she discovered Sherlock had, in fact, gotten himself a new flatmate. Having no other explanation, Mrs. Hudson has to assume they were involved romantically. Then, having met him, and seeing the way Sherlock looked at the doctor, she was even surer of that. She'd never seen Sherlock look at someone the way he looked at John. It wasn't love, exactly. She didn't think Sherlock even knew what love was. It was something more like deep fondness, which was a big step for someone like Sherlock. John seemed rather fond of Sherlock as well, and even surprised, as if he hadn't expected to like him so much. Besides, why else would Sherlock invite John to move in with him?

Except that, over time, Mrs. Hudson began to realize all was not as it seemed. Sherlock and John, she could tell, had grown close quickly. But they saw each other differently. Sherlock cared about John more than he'd probably cared about anyone. His feelings ran deep, and were clearly etched into his face whenever he and John were together, or whenever he talked about his flatmate. John, on the other hand, seemed to care about Sherlock a great deal, but perhaps not in that way. He brought his new girlfriends around quite often. Once, Mrs. Hudson got a glimpse of Sherlock's face while John's current girlfriend was around. He seemed a bit confused, perhaps because he couldn't see what John liked about the girl, or perhaps because he was feeling something foreign, something like jealousy.

When Sherlock supposedly died, everything came crashing down. John seemed most devoted of all. Mrs. Hudson wondered if he had known before how much Sherlock meant to him. She checked on him regularly, making sure that he ate and slept regularly, both things he seemed to forget that he needed to do.

Finally, John moved out. He said he couldn't take it anymore, it was all just too much. It was too difficult for him to live in a place where he was constantly reminded of Sherlock.

He told Mrs. Hudson to sell the flat, but she couldn't bring herself to. She missed Sherlock too, and she wasn't ready for someone else to live in his flat. She kept it the way it was, coming in every so often to clean up a bit. She kept wishing she would walk in and see him in his chair, but he was gone.

Then Sherlock reappeared, and Mrs. Hudson was overjoyed. Everything would go back to the way it was.

Except it didn't. John was angry and hurt, and he'd moved on. They became friends again, but it didn't seem the same. Then John got married. And Mrs. Hudson saw the light in Sherlock's eyes begin to dim. She heard him composing tragic songs on his violin late at night, and she knew what had inspired him to do so.

She went to the wedding, and it was all the more evident that Sherlock's heart had been broken. He hadn't known love before, but it was evident he'd learned what it felt like. Mrs. Hudson was happy for John, so she tried to focus on that instead of the pain in Sherlock's eyes.

John's marriage lasted about a year. After that, it fell apart somehow. Mrs. Hudson didn't ask for specifics, as she didn't want to pry into their private lives. John moved back into 221B with Sherlock, and a few months later, he and Mary divorced.

Sherlock was obviously happy to have John back, and John appeared to feel better after the divorce as well. He seemed liberated.

It was another year after that when Mrs. Hudson first found them together.

It had been quite a while since she'd believed they were together, and though she was still certain Sherlock had feelings for John, she wasn't sure John returned those feelings. She liked to imagine that they were mutual, as she was fond of both boys and wanted them to be happy. However, other than in her own imagination, she didn't really think anything would happen.

But then, on a perfectly average day, a package came for Sherlock (she shuddered to think what might be in it), and he didn't answer the door. The poor deliveryman was left outside. Mrs. Hudson went to let him in, and led him up to 221B.

When there was still no answer, she simply unlocked the door so the package could be left inside. When the door swung open, her eyes were immediately drawn to swift movement on the couch. John's eyes looked panicked, like a deer caught in headlights. Sherlock, however, looked quite pleased. Both men seemed to be breathing heavily, and Mrs. Hudson noticed their rumpled hair and halfway-unbuttoned shirts.

She stifled a giggle. No wonder he hadn't been interested in answering the door.

Over the next two months, she started seeing them grow comfortable with each other, with being together. They would hold hands sometimes, though not out in public, and she'd see stolen kisses in taxicabs as John left for work.

Then someone got one of those kisses on camera and all of London started talking about it. For a few days, neither man left their flat. Then, when the swarm of reporters at the door died down a bit, Sherlock went down.

She didn't hear what was said then, but she saw the interview later.

Reporter 1: There's a picture floating around of you kissing your flatmate, John Watson. Is that a legitimate picture.

Sherlock: Yes.

Reporter 2: Are you and John Watson currently in a relationship?

Sherlock: Yes.

Reporter 3: So then, are you…?

Sherlock: I can answer a question you haven't asked.

Reporter 3: …gay. Are you gay?

Sherlock: Yes.

Reporter 2: Is John Watson gay?

Sherlock: No.

Reporter 2: Bisexual, then?

Sherlock: Yes.

Reporter 1: Why have you two been huddled up in that flat for the past couple days? Why choose to come out now?

Sherlock: We didn't want to be bombarded with a thousand questions all at once. This is much better. And we're out of jam.

Reporter 1: Out of jam?

Sherlock: You asked why I'm out now. Well, I need to buy jam.

Suddenly, John surfaced at the door.

John: Oh, hello. If you'll excuse me, I've got to go buy a ring.

He walked off without answering any further questions, and all eyes turned to Sherlock.

Sherlock: Oh, that. We also got engaged this morning. John insisted on getting the rings right away.

Reporter 2: I thought you said you came out to buy jam.

Sherlock: I did. I'll be doing that first. Then I suppose I'll go buy a ring for John, though I personally don't think it's necessary. It's not as if either of us will forget we're engaged.

Reporter 3: So, how long have you two been together then? Who proposed to who? When's the wedding?

Sherlock: Whom.

Reporter 3: What?

Sherlock: It's who proposed to WHOM, not who.

Reporter 3: Alright, then who-

Sherlock: I hate to leave, but I really have to be going. John will be angry if I take too long, and I still have to get that jam. Goodbye.

With that, Sherlock sauntered off, leaving the reporters speechless.

When the two returned, they came to tell Mrs. Hudson about their engagement right away, though Sherlock grumbled that he didn't see the point, as she'd see it on the telly later.

Their wedding was not much of a wedding. John finally gave up trying to get Sherlock to agree to a traditional wedding, so they married at the courthouse with just a few guests- John's parents, Sherlock's parents, Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Molly Hooper, and Mrs. Hudson of course.

After the wedding, they took a brief break from detective work and honeymooned in the United States, though Mrs. Hudson found out when they returned that Sherlock had found them a few cases there anyway.

Still, they were happy. Very happy. Sherlock still wasn't the best at talking to others or understanding even basic human emotions, but he certainly loved John. And John loved Sherlock.

And Mrs. Hudson, for one, had to wonder why on earth it took so long.

…

REVIEW!

P.S. I'm really sorry I didn't update last week. I've been really bogged down by homework, and wasn't able to write at all last week. Unlike my other stories, I don't have any chapters of this saved up in case of a bad week. Anyway, this week is finals week, so you don't have to worry about that happening again. I'll have plenty of time to write between the end of my last final and next Sunday.