There wasn't much warning - one moment Sherlock was standing, the next he was listing sharply to one side and John had to do some fancy footwork to catch his flatmate before he fell and took them both down. He guided Sherlock to one end of the now-vacant sofa and hovered just long enough to ensure Sherlock wasn't in danger of falling off, then retreated to the other end and settled in for the inevitable angry diatribe.
The vitriol didn't come, though. Sherlock stayed huddled in a bony pile of limbs for several minutes, far longer than John had expected. Sarcasm and insult was usually Sherlock's way of dealing with anything he didn't understand, anything that challenged his worldview, and it took forever for John to recognize the truth: Sherlock was scared.
"So you're gay, then." It was something to say, something stupid, but at least if Sherlock insulted his intelligence they'd be back on more familiar ground. Sherlock just swallowed and kept his eyes on the expanse of cushion between them.
"You never have talked about it," John pressed, "but it's not like it was a complete surprise. I always kind of wondered."
"It's just transport," Sherlock said quietly.
Of course. "The sex, sure," John answered. "Although it can be nice, with the right partner. But there's nothing shameful about wanting someone, Sherlock. There's a lot more to a relationship than just sex. And even that can be pretty damn fulfilling on a not-just-transport level. The fact that you prefer your relationships to be with men doesn't change that."
"He was right, though," Sherlock said. "It's still all theoretical to me anyway. No point in investing brainpower daydreaming about something I'm never going to have."
"So that was . . ." John paused, sorting out what exactly he could say. The fact that Sherlock would deign to talk about such an emotion-laden topic was a minor miracle in itself - there was approximately zero chance he'd ever discuss it again. "I assume you don't have a lot of experience with that. Sex. Relationships. Not really your area, you said once."
"What can I say?" Sherlock pulled his knees up tighter under his chin and wrapped his arms protectively around his shins. "The concept of sex usually requires a willing partner, and you're the only man I've met who can stand to be around me for long enough to finish an entire conversation, much less anything more."
"There's Lestrade," John pointed out.
"Tolerates me because he has to."
"No one else? Ever?"
Sherlock fixed him with an exasperated glare. "You've met me, John. Would you want to-" He snapped his mouth shut and turned his head away.
That's the question, isn't it? If someone had asked John a month ago - hell, an hour ago - if he'd ever consider shagging his flatmate, he'd have told them to piss off. John Watson was straight, thankyouverymuch, and while the whole gay thing was all well and good for some blokes, he wasn't one of them. He would have believed himself as he was saying it, too.
And it would have all been a load of shit. Because knowing that Sherlock was gay - hell, knowing what he tasted like mid-snog - that changed things. And yeah, John had to admit that being the knowledgeable one for once had a teeny bit of influence on his stance in the matter, but really. Sherlock. Fucking. Holmes. Fucking Sherlock Holmes. God, that did sound tempting.
"I would, actually," John said aloud. His voice didn't even tremble. "I mean, if you were offering. Theoretically."
Sherlock's attention snapped back to John's face at that. "But you're not gay."
"That was before I knew what kissing you tasted like." Christ, I'm flirting. With Sherlock. Bloody hell.
"I . . ." Sherlock looked completely flummoxed. "John?"
"Of course, more data would be better. If you were inclined to kiss me again." Please.
Sherlock blinked. "But you kissed me."
John shrugged, not bothering to hide his smile. "Semantics."
Sherlock just sat there, though, wrapped in his bloody dressing gown with his bloody long legs drawn up and forming a physical barrier between them, and stared. He licked his lips, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He was obviously fast approaching the point at which his poor giant brain would shut down completely, so John took pity on him and stood.
"I never did make tea," he announced, "so I'm going to do that. Think on it as long as you want, though."
Sherlock stared after him the entire way to the kitchen. John got out two cups, poured the still-passably-hot water in each, and pulled out the box of PG Tips. Sherlock preferred some expensive brand Mycroft had given him as a gift one year - when he deigned to make tea, which was never - but John was perfectly happy with something simpler. He set the timer and turned, only to find Sherlock hovering in the doorway.
"I don't understand."
John knew how much it cost him to admit that. Sherlock hated not understanding, especially when it came to things he cared about. Apparently sex and relationships were now on that list.
"Tell me," John said.
"You want to kiss me." Sherlock's grip on the doorframe tightened. "You kissed me before to defend me in front of Mycroft, but now you want to kiss me again and you're offering . . . sex? A relationship? Why, John?"
"You really can't deduce it?" John drew closer, close enough he had to tilt his head up to look Sherlock in the eye. "You are the most bloody brilliant man I have ever met, Sherlock Holmes. You're gorgeous and amazing and yeah, once I got my head around the whole 'not gay' thing, I decided I'd like to do some delightfully sexual things with you. I hate that everyone else doesn't see what I see in you. Everyone else is an idiot."
"I've been saying that for ages," Sherlock said.
"Then again," John continued, "if everyone else was thinking the things I'm thinking about you right now, all of London would grind to a halt and nothing would get done."
"John." Sherlock was frozen, just staring at his lips-
"Kiss me, you daft git."
And - after a long pause in which John began worrying he may have pushed too far - Sherlock did.
Note: If you like your Johnlock T-rated, you can stop with this chapter. Then again, I'm going to assume you wouldn't be reading my fics if you didn't like smut, so stay tuned for some awkward first-time sex and assorted nonsense in the next installment :-P