Title: The Difference Between Love and Like
Characters: Sherlock & John
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Word Count: 221
Rating: PG
Warnings: Post-Coital
Spoilers: None
Summary: John and Sherlock express the way they feel about each other
***
"I love you sometimes, you know," Sherlock said, nuzzling John's hair, curled around him naked and sweaty.
"Only sometimes?"
"Sometimes you're annoying."
"I love you all the time."
"Really?"
"But sometimes I don't like you at all."
"Ah…is there such a difference between love and like?"
"There can be. I love my sister, but I don't like what she does, how she treats people. So I don't always want to be around her."
Sherlock's hand, which had been tracing lazy figure eights along John's thigh, stopped moving. "Do you sometimes not want to be around me?"
"Sometimes, and then I take a walk, go drinking. But you go off in a huff too. Hide at Bart's, wander London, creep back."
"I resent the implication that I either hide or creep."
John made a snorting noise. Sherlock sniffed but the fingers resumed their tracery, moving over John's thigh, now moving further so that they were closer to the inside of John's thigh.
"John…"
"Yes."
"Will you always come back?"
"I can't see why not."
"That's not really a promise."
"No. Will you always come back?"
There was silence but John knew that Sherlock hadn't fallen asleep.
"Sherlock?"
"As long as I'm able."
"That's not much of a promise either."
"No. But it's enough for now."
"Yes. As vows go, it's not bad."