John didn't know why he was here. Well he did know why but not right now. "Sherlock, why are we looking at a retirement cottage?"
"You've just answered your own question John. Try again."
"Alright. Sherlock why are we looking for a retirement cottage when we are only averaging forty?"
"Forty point five but I will forgive the rounding. I have been reliably informed by a 'lowly' member of the British government that the housing market is going to experience some 'problems' and all the prices in this area are going to go up. I've had my eye on this property for quite a while."
John really could find fault in Sherlock's argument and from the smug look on Sherlock's face he knew it as well. "Well John shall we have a look around?" asked Sherlock heading towards the cottage not looking back at him. "The cottage is uninhabited so there is no reason for you to stand around like a statue. Unless you want to become one? I'm sure I could create a nice little display of tulips around you. With a water feature perhaps?"
"Prat." Muttered John under his breath as he raced towards Sherlock who was reaching the front door. As John reached him Sherlock pulled out a key from his coat and unlocked the door. The doors opened into a nice entrance way with plush red carpets and mahogany furniture. Hesitantly, John stepped across the threshold and made his way down the corridor and entered the first room on his right: the living room. The living room looked surprisingly like the living room in 221B with the wallpaper and the two armchairs facing each other but with a table in-between. In fact the whole room looked to be identical except for the fact there were no stains on Sherlock's chair. Or his for that matter. John looked around for Sherlock but he appeared to be missing "Sherlock come here!"
Sherlock came round the corner looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Yes?"
"Do you find it suspicious that the living room looks exactly like ours. Almost as if they knew who was going to be looking at it…As if it was designed for…." As John spoke Sherlock's face grew almost unnoticeably pinker. John would have noticed it if he wasn't so familiar with him. Comprehension dawned. "Sherlock…did you already buy this cottage?"
"Yes…Do you like it? "asked Sherlock his eyes on the floor "It's a commodious cottage with a spacious garden that included an apiary. You know I've always wanted to keep bees and the bedrooms are on the ground floor so when we get old we don't have to walk upstairs and there's a pub close by that you can socialise in."
John strode up to Sherlock and held his face until Sherlock looked him in the eye. "Sherlock it's perfect. Any home chosen by you would be. I'm practically certain you've debated showing me this for a while scared of my reaction. Haven't you? But I'm definitely certain I will look forward to growing old with you Sherlock Holmes."