The sentimentality of returning to Angelo's was, indeed, perfect. John and Sherlock were seated at the very same table next to the window that they'd sat at the first time they'd shared a meal together. This time Sherlock was staring into John's eyes instead of gazing obsessively out the window and this time the romantic candlelight fit the occasion. Sherlock smiled across at John, perched on his seat and placed his palms together in a thinking posture, piercing John with his blue eyes. John grinned in return and began to fiddle nervously with his empty wine glass. Sherlock reached forward and stilled John's nervous hands by taking them in his own.
"I seem to recall you rebuffing me here," John grinned, "Something about being married to your work?"
Sherlock laughed, "Well, I did consider myself so before you captured my heart. I'll need to learn to balance the two of you from now on."
"I suppose I'll be the entertainment between cases. Balancing the two of us might prevent you from becoming bored." John answered with a friendly smirk.
"I do hate being bored..." Sherlock replied with a grimace.
"Is it wrong that I'm proud of winning you in spite of your marriage to your work?" John mused, "It seems like an achievement in the circumstances."
Sherlock laughed as he ran his thumb in circles on John's hand, "Not at all. I can't imagine anyone else accomplishing it. I didn't think anyone ever would."
Just then they were interrupted by Angelo himself bearing a bottle of red wine, a basket of bread and a request for their order. After a hurried glance at the menu and ordering their mains the two were alone again, both sipping on their wine. Sherlock coughed, "So, John, how does this communication thing begin?"
John smiled, "Well let me start. I'm guessing that you haven't been in too many relationships."
"An excellent deduction," Sherlock replied, "There's hope for you yet. In fact, this would be my first relationship."
John nodded thoughtfully then frowned as an idea occurred to him, "But you've ah...I mean you're not...though it is okay if you are..."
Sherlock frowned, "I've had sex, yes, John. A fair bit of it in my youth as I recall. But I've never had an actual relationship as such. Of course, I've considered myself married to my work for a number of years now."
"Well, I guess compared to most I haven't had that much experience with relationships myself." John answered.
"I know," Sherlock replied, "You've had one truly long-term relationship, haven't you? A nice, young lady while you were in medical school. I'm guessing a fellow medical student or a nurse..."
John shook his head at Sherlock's amazing ability to see into his past, "Another medical student, actually, she's a paediatrician now I believe."
Sherlock continued, "It seemed quite serious for awhile. There were those who expected you two to settle down and marry. You seriously considered it but in the end there was no spark. The relationship bored you. You ended it and instead chose the adventure of enlisting."
John frowned, "The break up was mutual. Anna was a good person, a lovely woman in fact but we weren't right for each other. How do you know all of this?"
Sherlock shrugged, "You've talked about your student days before."
"But I never mentioned Anna," John countered.
"True, but the details you did discuss made it quite obvious that you were in a serious relationship at the time. You aren't in the relationship now so you must have broken up. So, why did it end? It wouldn't be adultery, you are simply too moral for that and if she'd have cheated on you I would have picked up on some resentment I think. I know that you enlisted after medical school. You must have enlisted to fulfil a craving for adventure because you already had a stable career as a doctor. Of course, your willingness to quickly partner up with me shows your dispositional desire for adventure. So, most likely, you simply grew bored. You didn't want an ordinary life so you broke up with her."
"The break up was mutual," John repeated with slight annoyance.
Sherlock shrugged again, "If you say so. Since then you've had a few short-term relationships but nothing very serious."
"True," John answered.
"With women," Sherlock stated then paused thoughtfully before adding, "But you have had sex with men."
John nodded, frowning, "And how do you know that, dare I ask?"
"John," Sherlock replied, "That really was obvious. We just shared a kiss. If that had been the first time you'd have kissed a man I'd have detected a degree of apprehension. No, you clearly knew your sexuality before we kissed. Yet, you also clearly haven't come out as gay or bisexual. It couldn't be that you are ashamed of it as you aren't the least bit homophobic. So, you must not have been in a relationship with a man and thus have had no reason to announce your bisexuality to the world."
"Well," John replied, "I suppose that does sound rather obvious. You are right, of course. All of my experiences with men have been very casual. It just worked out that way."
Sherlock nodded thoughtfully, "Well this is a first time for both of us then."
Angelo remerged with their main meals, a chicken risotto for Sherlock and the lasagne for John. They continued to talk as they ate.
"You said you only realised you had feelings for me after the pool bombing thing?" John asked.
Sherlock nodded, swallowing a mouthful of risotto.
"When do you think your feelings began?" John asked curiously.
"Undoubtedly they began much earlier," Sherlock replied, "In fact, I suspect I began to fall for you when you shot that dreadful cabbie for me."
John laughed heartily at this, "I suppose I was your knight in shining armour in a way. He was an awful cabbie."
Sherlock continued, "He was a dreadful cabbie but I'm quite serious and it isn't the fact that you saved me. There are very few men who could have done what you did. You were so calm about it afterwards too. So certain you'd done the right thing, so sure you'd done what needed doing. You have a moral fortitude, John, that's very rare. I realised then I'd met the perfect partner. Of course, I was thinking of how you could help me in my work at the time but really, I'd met the perfect partner in all ways."
John grinned in delight at this and reached across the table to stroke Sherlock's hand, "Thank-you."
Sherlock smiled in return and then continued, "Now, your feelings on the other hand I think were there from the very beginning, all of that admiration for me and my work when most people simply tell me to piss off. I think it took you awhile to recognise that the attachment was romantic though."
John shook his head in resignation to Sherlock answering for him, "You are probably right. I think it was actually your rebuff that first put it into my head that my awe at you could be a bit of a crush. Though, I continued to deny it at the time."
Sherlock smiled gently, "Well I'm glad I rebuffed you then."
"I think it is your turn to ask a question, Sherlock." John proposed with a smile, "Otherwise we'll continue all night long with me asking all of the questions and you answering for both of us."
Sherlock frowned contemplatively, "It's difficult to think of something I don't already know."
John laughed, "Oh C'mon. You are amazing, Sherlock, but even you don't know everything".
"Ah, you are right. I've thought of something." Sherlock's blue eyes began to gleam, "There is something I dearly want to know about you."
"Well, then fire away," John answered taking a sip of wine.
"When you masturbate," Sherlock began in a strong, steady voice, "and you are thinking about me, what exactly am I doing?"
John choked on his wine and flushed, "Sherlock, we're...we're in public."
"Oh really?" Sherlock replied with curiosity, still speaking at a normal volume, "I hadn't picked you for having an exhibitionist streak."
"No," John answered in hushed tones, "I'm not. I mean I don't. I don't have an exhibitionist streak. What I'm saying is that we're in public now."
Sherlock frowned, "What does that have to do with my question?"
"Sherlock, this really isn't something we should talk about in public." John whispered.
"Really, John," Sherlock replied raising an eyebrow, "You're a medical man. There's no need to be embarrassed. Though you are rather attractive when you blush and I do suspect that you kind of enjoy being embarrassed by me..."
John's blush deepened and Sherlock smirked, "I'll take that as a yes. But don't worry, John my dear, you are clearly uncomfortable and I have no desire to cause you discomfort. We can continue this conversation later. For now, let's move back to tamer topics. Now, we've already discussed our past and our feelings for each other. So now we should discuss our plans for the future I suppose. My plans are, naturally to continue with my work. Do you have any specific plans, John?"
John coughed trying to shift his own embarrassment, "No, not really." He sighed, "Sherlock, why don't you tell me about some of your early cases?"
Sherlock's eyes lit up and he began to regale John with his stories. From a lively discussion of Sherlock's early cases they moved to discussing recent cases, the conversation flowing naturally with much laughter and hand-holding. Before they knew it they had both finishing their dinner and their wine and it seemed the right time to head back to 221B Baker Street.
