A small, deep chuckle comes from Sherlock as he hears that, closing his eyes for a few moments. "That's a great deal more flattering coming from a man like you, John, than it ever was from a woman like Irene Adler." He says with a small smile, listening to John's heartbeat for a few moments.
"I was jealous of her, you know. I didn't realize it at the time, but I can recognize it now." John admits, fingers still drawing meaningless designs on Sherlock's bare back. "The way you looked at her and reacted to her. The way you got flustered around her so much you tripped over your own tongue trying to form words when she was around that first time. Though I will give you credit for not ogling her when she was naked." he says with a small frown, sliding his hand into Sherlock's hair and tightening his hand in the curls, giving them a slight tug.
"You're a jealous man." Sherlock says quietly, amused. "Jealous and possessive, I imagine. You're already protective of me. What will you do to those poor people that flirt with me? I am a rather attractive man, you know." he says casually but with a slightly playful tone to his voice.
Just the thought of anyone trying to get this close to his detective makes John feel very possessive, and he swiftly rolls them over so that Sherlock is pinned beneath John's body. He also pins the detective's wrists on either side of his head. "They can't have you." he nearly growls, voice stronger and more confident as he dominates the younger man.
Too surprised to do anything about it, Sherlock ends up on his back, a little surprised as he looks up at John. "Yes, very possessive.." he says with a little smirk, not trying to free himself, just looking up at his doctor. "I wouldn't want any of them, John. Only you can put up with all my eccentricities, my attitude. Only you can make me feel like this John." He reassures with a little purr in his throat, leaning up to capture John's lips in a reassuring kiss. Slowly, the detective arches his body into his flatmate's, enjoying the feel of the soldier's more solid, muscular body against his, and the appreciative noise the other makes.
The kiss starts to become a little deeper, and John's hold on Sherlock's wrists gets a little more gentle until his thumbs are stroking up and down against his skin. Finally, the doctor pulls away from the kiss, smiling a little. "Well, if that's the reaction I get every time I become possessive, I get the feeling you like it." He says quietly, releasing Sherlock's hands before settling down against him, giving him a few more soft kisses. "How long did you know, how you felt about me?" he asks as he looks into those quicksilver eyes.
"Before I came back." Sherlock says honestly. "I thought you were just my best friend, my only friend. You were absolutely a conductor of light, you always asked the right questions. But when I lost you., I found out other things. Like how I kept talking to you when you weren't there because I wished you were there. I kept doing that, you know. Taking to you, but you were never there. Never as surprising and clever as you. You weren't there to make me eat, make me tea. I missed you. more than I thought I would. And as I thought about.. who I did this for, you were at the top. Lestrade, yes. Mrs. Hudson, of course. But you.. you were important in a different way. I was in Italy when I figured it out." he says as he looks up at John. "I should bring you to the hotel I stayed at, sometime. It's got a beautiful view, it's close to the beach, but it's discreet." he says with a little smile, then he sighs. "When I checked in, I immediately thought that you would like it. And it's then, watching the couples, that I realized for the first time in a decade, I wanted to do those things with you. I wanted more than just friendship from you. But you were straight. You said so. Repeatedly." He points out, smirking a little. "I tried to bury those feelings when I came back. So that things would be the same between us. I'm very glad they changed." The consulting detective admits, slipping his arms around John quietly after his hands are released.
"Of course you did." John says with a little laugh. "You're always so far ahead of everyone." he says affectionately s he looks down at the man under him. "I have a feeling our entire relationship is going to be like this. You and me, fighting for dominance, sometime giving it up to the other before trying to get it back." John admits, grinning as he looks at the other man, kissing him lightly again.
While John is distracted with the kisses, Sherlock takes advantage and flips them over again, maintaining the kiss for a few moments before he pulls away, looking smugly triumphant. "Perhaps." He says before he sits u pa little. "I got you presents." He says in a swift change of subject. "One was too big to bring here with us. Well, it's something for me to use, but it will benefit you.. I was told it's not nearly as selfish as it sounds." he says before he takes a deep breath. "The other two I brought with us, but I want to give you one of them tonight. It's more sentimental, I'd rather give it to you in private." he says as he starts to disentangle himself from John and sit up, looking at his flatmate nervously.
It takes a few moments for the emotional whiplash to clear and John understand what Sherlock said, then he smiles, sitting up and reaching out to touch Sherlock's cheek. "Alright, then. Only if you open one of mine." He says with a little grin as he watches Sherlock. "My family used to do this when I was young. We were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve. Usually it was one that we picked out, but this works as well." John slips off of the bed and he smirks as he walks over to the bag of presents he bought, "No peeking, I don't want you deducing what you're getting." he says in a firm tone.
Sherlock grins brightly for a moment, seeming childish as he hops up out of bed, going to his own present hiding place and bringing back a rectangular box, looking to be some sort of clothing box, which is wrapped neatly in Christmas paper. He puts it on the bed, sitting down and then waits for John to pull out the present he wants Sherlock to have.
John feels kind of silly about the presents that he got, but he finally chooses the one that for him has the most sentiment. He considers the box for a few moments before he turns and heads back to the bed, putting his box on top of the one Sherlock left there. "You first." he says quietly, sitting on the other side of the boxes from Sherlock and waits eagerly.
Picking up the box, Sherlock examines it closely for a few moments, shaking it before he starts to open the wrapping. When he gets to just a plain white box, he looks a little disappointed and shakes his head at the elaborate wrapping. Opening the box, he stares a little at what he finds inside, pulling out the leather bound book, the pages inside substantial, the dark brown binding having silver letting and embossed ivy patterns around the edges. The title of it reads 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'. Confused but intrigued, Sherlock slowly opens the book and he flips through the first few pages, staring a little as he sees the title to the first chapter, which reads 'A Study in Pink'.
"It's the cases. Our cases. I... wrote them up properly. Not just for my blog. I put in the details, everything I could remember about every case we worked, before your Fall." John explains as he looks at Sherlock. "I had to go through your notes to remember everything, but it's all there. Everything I could remember from every case we'd been on. I wanted you to have a physical record, to show you how amazing you are and how many people you've helped, in case you ever doubt it." The doctor explains as he looks at Sherlock nervously, not sure if it's too sentimental. "I talked to the man who made it for me, if we want to put more in it, we just have to write everything up and take it back to him, he can put more pages in it." he says with a small smile.
Sherlock just stares at the book, closing it slowly and running his hands over the front. "John.." he whispers, throat closing up for a moment and he swallows past the sudden lump in his throat. "This is perfect. Thank you." He says with a small nod, not knowing what else to say. Only John knows how proud he is of his work, how much he likes to show off sometimes and be clever. Only John would think to have a permanent record of his triumphs, just for him. "You forgot something, John." he says as he looks at the title. "These aren't just my adventures. It should say 'The adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson'.." he says as he looks down at the book. "We'll have to have it altered." he says casually with a small shrug. Not letting go of the book, he pushes the other box across the bed toward John.
Grinning like a fool, John leans across and pulls Sherlock close to give him a thorough kiss. "After the holidays." he promises, before he leans back and opens his present, less meticulous as he rips off the wrapping and pops open the box. Confused, John reaches in and pulls out a black jacket, made of what appears to be a thick canvas, waterproofed if the slightly slick feel to it is any indication. His old jacket had been getting quite worn out and a few weeks ago had become victim of a fire that they were trying to make their way out of. The coat in front of him looks to be of good quality, slightly thicker than his old one. Sherlock had thought about how he hasn't entirely adjusted to the cold of London again, and the fact that the cold makes John's shoulder ache if he's exposed to it for too long. He examines the jacket, noticing the inside pockets, doing a double take. "Sherlock... did you have one of these pockets modified into a gun holster?" he asks in shock.
Looking a little sheepish, Sherlock nods slowly. "Yes. It's designed so that it's nearly undetectable. Even to someone like me, I saw it demonstrated." He says as he looks at the older man in front of him. "Also.. there's an experimental bullet resistant fabric sewn into the lining." He mumbles, sounding a little more embarrassed about this.
John looks a little surprised, examining the jacket. "Thank you, Sherlock.. this must have cost a small fortune.." He stares at it for a few moments, and then looks up at the detective's anxious face, slowly grinning. "I love it." he reassures, leaning in for another kiss before he gets up and slips the jacket on, zipping it up before he flexes a little in it, swinging his arms and twisting to see how it moves. "It's perfect, Sherlock." he says with a small nod. Plus he looks quite smart in it, the way it's tailored, it compliments his wide shoulders and sturdy frame.
"I knew it would look good on you." Sherlock fairly purrs from the bed, shoving the boxes and wrapping paper off, putting the book on the bedside table. "Take it off and come back to bed, John.." he says as he stretches out on the bed, putting his arms above his head. Maybe he's showing off a little, knowing that when he's stretched out on the couch is when he feels John's eyes linger on him the most.
With a small smirk, John slips out of the jacket and hangs it over a chair, looking at it for a few moments. He's touched because it means that Sherlock was thinking about his safety, comfort, and his appearance. It's truly an amazing gift coming from Sherlock Holmes. When he turns around he sees Sherlock splayed on the bed and his jaw drops a tiny bit before he licks his lips slowly, admiring the lean line of his body, the way his muscles stretch and the long line of his neck that just begs to be kissed and sucked and marked.
And this beautiful creature, this amazing genius, is all his. This man has chosen John Watson to be with of all people.
"Bloody hell, Sherlock, you're breathtaking. I am a very, very lucky man."
What do you guys think? Good presents? :) If anyone has any ideas for what their more 'public' presents should be, please let me know!
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it makes me very happy to see those in my inbox. :) If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please feel free to message me, or leave a message on a review and I'll get back to you ASAP. I hope you all are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing this. :)