Hey, there! It's sunday, which means here's a new chapter for you :)
I just wanted to thank ChickaDelSol for the first (and so far only) review! I would really like to read more feedback to this in order to know wheter it's good or not and what might need improvement.
Anyway, just enjoy the chapter for now, please :P
Kats

Unexpected

"Sh...Sherlock... I..." he pinched his lips. After he had pinched his eyes, too, he finally found the courage to look up at Sherlock again and was immediately stunned by fascination over his worried expression. All his anger had vanished, there was just him and the long missed, who was looking at him intensely as well. Their eyes met and John thought he and reality were drifting apart. The tension between them was unbearable and the former army doctor was praying for the distance between them to be bridged – he wished for nothing more then getting a kiss from the detective. And be it only for a split second and a hardly perceptible touch. Since the kiss seemed to never come to him, the older began to speak again instead, tried to find new words for the unfinished sentence. "I... I-" further he did not get since his begs were finally answered. A pair of unbelievably soft lips pressed gently against his own and before he could realise what was happening he just let himself go to this intimate moment.

The kiss was pulsing with emotions – emotions, that John had never expected to find in Sherlock. In this kiss he felt the longing for closeness that was tried to be suppressed by an uncertainty and he felt the yearning that obviously was not felt by him alone in the last two years. Additionally he felt the two hands removing themselves from his body and embrace his face, taking the shape of his jaw by carefully placing themselves beneath his cheekbones. Finally he moved his hands, too. One stops at that prominent cheekbone – gently stroking it in apology for the punch – the other strokes some curls out of the other's face, getting lost in them immediately.

After staying this way for a while they freed themselves from one another slowly and gently, yet did not look at the other – eyes still closed, minds switched off and hearts still lost in the amazing moment.

Almost simultaneously they opened their eyes and looked at each other intensely. John was still stunned by the sudden emotional outbreak of his younger friend – could it really be, that Sherlock had been in love with him for a longer time and he didn't notice? Could it really be, that in the past two years his emotions had amassed so much that he couldn't contain them any more?

Once again the long, cold fingers ran over John's face, then he sat down and asked the older to sit down as well.

As they sat next to each other they remained silent for a while until John broke the silence:
"I, er..." he cleared his throat and scratched his head "... wh... why, Sherlock? What was that about?" he asked with a slightly shaking voice.

"I have been dead for two years and missed you.." Sherlock answered monosyllabic and monotonous as usual.

"Missed me... And do you kiss anybody you missed just like that?" he turned up his nose.

The detective turned his head to face John. However he didn't answer.

"I mean the others probably know it already, right? And did you... kiss them, too? Lestrade? Molly? Mrs. Hudson – more likely on the cheek there...? Your brother?"

"No." the deep voice answered.

/"No." - is that supposed to be it? 'No'?!/

"Molly was in on it because I needed her help. My brother as well." he went on unemotionally.

"Of course I missed Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson, too, but I had known them years before I met you and until then I had had absolutely no problems keeping myself from emotions." he said in a reproachful undertone.

"Well, you seemed pretty emotionless to me until just recently." /Painfully emotionless.../

The younger remained silent.

John found this situation unbearable. He wanted to talk to his friend. For too long he hadn't seen him, hadn't heard his voice and now this. The older felt as if his friend was trying to mock him and that was, of course, not really appreciated. He wanted clarity about everything that had happened.

"What is this, Sherlock? Do.. d-do you blame me for something? Then please, tell me now! I am really not up to jokes right now!" said John feeling the anger coming up again.

Suddenly Sherlock got up and walked to the kitchen without saying a word and made tea. After a while he came back into the living room with a teapot and two cups, poured some tea in both cups and sat down again next to a seemingly offended John.. He took a sip and continuously stared at the floor in front of him. Only now John realised, that his friend's expression didn't look cold, but rather disturbed.

He spoke to him again in a much calmer and caring tone. "Sherlock? What is it? Are you all right?"

The younger managed whispering a "Great, John. I'm great." then he swallowed hard.

"Do you remember what I always say about emotions?"

"They are just distracting, especially when one is thinking..." The words he had spoken aloud himself stabbed his heart like a thousand needles. This was the proof he needed. To Sherlock it wasn't serious or maybe it was, but if so it had just been an accidental outbreak. The kiss had meant no future to them because even if the ice in his friend's eyes was melted, he would do anything to keep his heart frozen.

"And do you remember what I always said about love?" John thought he had heard his voice shaking lightly.

"... You always said it to be a human error..." He was fighting his tears now, but in this situation, with having said what he had just said, he really wanted to avoid the shame of crying in front of Sherlock.

"Are you in love right now, John? Do you have a girlfriend?" John looked at the younger surprised.

"N-no, why?" he stuttered.

"Because I found an error inside of me. And I believe you are the trigger..." Sherlock said almost whimpering, still not looking up from the floor.

John's mouth opened a little. Did Sherlock just confess his love for him? He just stared at the younger.

"I am sorry, John, if my disappearance hurt you, but I just wanted to protect you. Your live is far more important to me than my own. I wouldn't have endured a world without you for long anyway and everyone else wouldn't have endured me without you, so I chose the path that would mean the least suffering." Sherlock stopped there as if he had written down the text and then learned it by heart. Of course. He probably did prepare those words while he was staying silent – he usually isn't usually all that emotional, after all.

"I..." he finally started moving again. His head was swinging to and fro between John and the floor. He was obviously indecisive. But then he snorted one time and focussed on John. "I love you, John. I do since the first case that you participated in. You always praised – in an honest way – you even worried about me without even really knowing me and you kept me from possibly killing myself just because I wanted to proof something to myself." he ridiculed himself. "You saved me from myself more than just one time and always accepted me the way I am. Of course you've had your difficulties in dealing with me – I would've called you crazy if not – but somehow you seem to understand me and show consideration for me, while others would've pushed me away long ago, or rather have." There was a warmth in his iced-blue eyes and at the same time there was an uncertainty that made John want to just hold him close, but he kept his control. He wanted to listen to Sherlock, talk to him, not to let misunderstandings come up in this. His anger was long gone and meaningless.

For a long while his storm-grey eyes just laid upon Sherlock, looking at his very uncertain expression in bewilderment. He didn't find the words and so he just did what he originally didn't want to do and embraced him in a hug.

Relieved by his beloved's reaction Sherlock replied with the same action. Their bodies were so close, John could feel the other's heartbeat.

"I love you too, Sherlock." he whispered to the pale nape and placed a gentle kiss on it.