A week had gone by since that night at the concert and neither of them had been able to say anything yet. John had talked to Harry three times in that week alone. Mycroft had talked at Sherlock every day. Both siblings had only one thing to say…

JUST TELL HIM.

I can't.

Don't be a coward, Sherlock!

John! You're a soldier.

They had been dancing around each other all week and John was sure that he was going to go mad…Every time they were together...and they were together a lot...he couldn't take his eyes off Sherlock, he had to keep fighting the urge to touch him and he couldn't sleep at night and...if things continued like this much longer, he might just explode.

Sherlock had never wanted anything as badly as he wanted John...he wanted to hold him and touch him and, well, all he could do was look and not too obviously at that...and he was starting to think that he would die of frustration…In the end it was all very simple.

...

It was Saturday afternoon. John had just got back home from the store. He was on the stairs when he heard it…the violin was making the most awful noises that he had ever heard. Sherlock was clearly in one of his moods and he seemed to be taking it out on his poor instrument.

It made John cringe to hear the Stradivarius being treated like that. He got up the stairs, dumped the groceries and went to his friend. Sherlock was standing at the window, scraping the bow across the strings. He looked lost…and angry.

John put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. Sherlock was surprised…John had never touched him before. He found himself oddly soothed by the contact. He looked at John...at that dear face that he loved so much and he found the noise in his head stilling.

"Stop doing that. It's not nice." John said as he gently took the violin and put it away.

He turned back to Sherlock and said, "What's got into you love?"

The endearment slipped out without his knowledge…He noticed the moment he said it though. Sherlock noticed too. He felt a jolt of pleasure in his heart and his face softened into a smile. Love, is it? Well maybe there is some hope.

"Do you know what you just said?" His voice was low and touch amused.

John was starting to get a bit red…time for JUST TELL HIM, I guess. Harry will be happy.

"You're blushing, John. Are you going to explain?"

John smiled, a small nervous smile, still unsure of how this was going to go...So he tried to stall.

"Do I have to? Can't you just look at me and figure it out?" he said.

"I can and I think I have, but I'd like to hear you say it all the same."

"..."

"John?"

"Okay…I'm trying…this isn't exactly easy and you're not helping at all."

Sherlock bent his head and kissed John lightly on his lips. "Does this help?" John felt like his heart would explode…the way it was thudding in his chest. Well, time to man up.

"I...I think...I'm in love with you." He said tentatively.

Sherlock didn't say anything. He just stood there looking at John like he was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. He had wanted this, he had wanted his so very badly...and now he was overwhelmed. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words just wouldn't come.

I was so sure that I would never find anyone who understood me, who would see past my defences enough to love me. But then how could I have imagined a John Watson...I am an incredibly lucky man. He thought.

He didn't trust himself to speak though, at least not yet. So he decided that actions would have to do. He leaned down and pressed his lips to John's once more. And then he kissed him with all the passion that he was capable of. Nothing in John's experience had prepared him for his…it was raw, needy, passionate and bloody brilliant…he was overwhelmed and he felt his knees give out. He only stayed upright because of the pair of strong hands that held him firmly…

They broke apart after a bit, gasping and clinging to each other, happier in that moment than either of them had ever imagined. "I love you so much, you crazy, beautiful, amazing man." John said and he pulled Sherlock down for another kiss. It didn't bother him that Sherlock hadn't said anything yet. He didn't have to. That kiss had told him everything he needed to know. I am one lucky bastard, he thought.

Then Sherlock dragged him over to the couch and made him lie down. Then he lay down with his head on John's chest and stayed like that for a bit. John lay there holding him and stroking his hair as he had been longing to do…those curls were softer than he had imagined. He understood that Sherlock needed a moment...he did too. So he was happy to lie back and hold him.

Sherlock sat up after a bit…he seemed to have composed himself…he kissed John again, softly this time…and said, "I don't deserve you, John. You are much too good for me. But I am nothing if not selfish, so I'm going to take you anyway. I love you."

And then he reached forward and kissed John again...his lips, his jaw, his neck and then his lips again...John felt like he was melting into the couch...he is insanely good at this, he thought. Then Sherlock reached under John's shirt and ran his hands over his chest and John gasped and moaned...I can't believe how much I want him. He thought.

He pulled Sherlock closer and gasped when he felt him undoing his belt. Sherlock stopped abruptly. He pulled back and looked at John, doubt written all over his face. John could only blink in confusion..."What...what happened?"

Sherlock lay down beside him and held him close. "I'm sorry, John. I know you've never been with a man before...I realise that you might want to take it slowly. I just..." he couldn't finish.

John had tensed at the "sorry", but now he smiled. He reached over and brushed Sherlock's hair off his face and he kissed him on his forehead. "That's considerate of you love, but look at me will you? Really look...Do I look like a man who wants to take anything slow?"

Sherlock took in the dishevelled hair, the dilated pupils, the heavy breathing and of course the very noticeable bulge in his trousers and had to admit that John looked very aroused indeed.

"See? This is new for me, sure. But I'm not uncomfortable. Not at all. I could never be, not with you. So will you please stop over thinking this and just give me what I want?"