A/N: Hi Darlings. Here it is, John and Sherlock's first date at their second try. I'd say something witty, but let's be honest I'm tired so I'll let you read. Enjoy.

xXx

Sherlock was pacing nervously outside Angelo's, John was 10 minutes late. He wondered if the short blonde had changed his mind. Sherlock was put at ease when he came jogging towards him.

"Sorry, I got held up at work. I hope you weren't waiting long." John apologized, slightly out of breath from rushing to get there.

"It wasn't a problem." Sherlock replied smiling.

"Shall we go inside then?" John asked returning the smile. Sherlock nodded and held the door open for the shorter man.

"So why didn't you wait for me inside?"

Sherlock opened his mouth to answer when Angelo boomed across the restaurant "SHERLOCK!"

"That's why." Sherlock replied quietly. Angelo quickly crossed the room and swept Sherlock into a big hug.

"Sherlock, my friend, I thought you were dead. Why didn't you tell me you were alive?"

"Don't worry Angelo, he didn't tell a lot of people he was alive, me included." John piped in. Angelo let go of Sherlock and noticed John next to the tall genius.

"Oh you're on a date, sorry. Take that table over there and order whatever you want, it's on the house." Angelo apologized, pointing to a table near the window.

"Angelo, you need to let us pay every once in awhile. It must cost you a lot of money to let us eat for free." John insisted.

"Nonsense, I still owe Sherlock for keeping me from jail." Angelo replied.

"You still went to jail, just not for murder." Sherlock added. Angelo waved his hand and the two men took it to as a sign that they weren't going to win the argument. They sat down at the table Angelo had indicated, John looking over the menu.

John was still looking at the menu when Sherlock noticed Angelo coming over with a candle and some wine. Sherlock quickly got up and intercepted the man. He hurriedly told him to make sure no alcohol was served near their table. John looked up to find Sherlock gone and swept the room to find him carrying on a hushed conversation with the other man. Seeing the bottle of wine in Angelo's hand, John realized what Sherlock was doing and was grateful.

As Sherlock turned to go back to the table, John looked back down to the menu, pretending to still be deciding what he wanted to eat. He looked up as Sherlock sat down, a soft smile lighting up his face.

"Thank you Sherlock" John decided that he wasn't going to hold anything back. The last time they had tried for a relationship, they kept things to themselves and the end result was devastating and if they were going to try again John didn't want to repeat the mistakes they had already made.

"Anything for you John" Sherlock replied smiling. Angelo was back with some Italian lemonade and a candle. John ordered his food and Sherlock told Angelo to make him whatever. The man removed the menus and left the two alone.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, John not quite wanting to ruin the evening with some of the things he wanted to ask Sherlock and Sherlock content just to be in the company of the man he loves.

"So, I haven't seen Natalie at work lately." John stated, deciding that a case was a safe topic to discuss.

"Ah, yes. Natalie was the person we were looking for. With the DNA evidence she'll be convicted, although if her lawyers prove that she suffers from DID they'll have a strong insanity plea."

"Hmmm" John hummed whiling nodding his head. "So what have you been doing since you got back, was this your first case?"

"No this wasn't my first case; I've worked a few cases with Lestrade and Dimmock even. I haven't worked a private case though."

"How is Greg? I haven't really talked to him since- well since your return."

"He's better now that he and Mycroft are back together" Sherlock stated as their food was placed in front of them.

"Wait they had broken up?" John asked shocked.

"Yes, I suppose it's my fault really. Greg was upset that My didn't tell him I was alive and wondered if My had lied about everything else."

"So what prompted them to get back together?" John asked, a little surprised Sherlock had taken responsibility for something that he normally didn't.

"I decided to fix it and told Greg that My only kept the secret on my insistence."

John sat there staring at Sherlock as he ate like it was no big deal. The blonde man didn't quite know how to process the maturity that Sherlock was displaying. Finally he decided not to point it out to the genius and started eating his own food.

"So have you only been working cases?" John asked between bites of food.

"Yes. I haven't really felt like doing any experiments" Sherlock said setting down his fork. "To be honest, I've been a little lost without you."

John swallowed the food he'd been chewing and set down his own silverware. He bit his lip as he looked at Sherlock, not knowing how to reply to the genius' statement.

"I'm sorry John; I should have told you I was alive. I thought I was protecting you by keeping you in the dark, but I realize that was a mistake. I know you might not forgive me now, but I hope you can eventually."

John was once again taken aback by the level of maturity Sherlock was showing. He was wondering what happened to the genius in the past year that had caused this change.

"Sherlock, I do forgive you."

Sherlock brightened; he hadn't expected John to forgive him so soon. He wondered why but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. They went back to eating in silence, happy just to be with the other after their time apart.

When they were finished, Sherlock decided to ask about something that was bothering him.

"When did you decide to grow a beard?"

John scratched his jaw; when he had run into Sherlock at the hospital it had been scruffier, he had trimmed it earlier in the day to make it more presentable for a date.

"When you were gone I stopped caring about my appearance and well when you stop shaving this is what happens." John replied chuckling. "Honestly I've been thinking about shaving it."

"Oh, that's good." Sherlock said absently. "Not that you don't look good with a beard, it's just…." He added quickly.

John started laughing as Sherlock scrambled to apologize.

"It's alright Sherlock, you don't have to apologize."

Sherlock smiled sheepishly, he felt like he was walking on thin ice. After John walking away from him almost two months earlier, he didn't want to give the blonde a reason to do so again.

The month and a half of not seeing John and not knowing if he'd ever see him again had been torturous. When he wasn't working a case, Sherlock had spent most of the time sitting in his chair staring at John's wishing the former army doctor was there. In his darkest moments Sherlock had even been tempted to call his former dealer, but what stopped him every time was the memory of the look John had given him when the other man first realized Sherlock was a recovering addict.

"You want to go for a walk?" John asked snapping Sherlock out of his thoughts.

"I'd like that." Sherlock replied. John got up and Sherlock followed suit. The former army doctor looked around to make sure Angelo was nowhere in sight. Satisfied he placed down a large tip; the man may insist that their meal was free but John wasn't content unless he left some kind of compensation.

Sherlock smiled at this and followed the short blonde out the door. It was a cool spring evening that was perfect for a walk. John started walking in a random direction, Sherlock easily keeping pace. They didn't pay attention to where they were going and ended up in front of 221 B.

They paused awkwardly outside of the flat, John looking up at the windows, echoes of longing in his expression. He cleared his throat and looked to Sherlock.

"I probably should be going; Harry gets worried when I'm out late." John stated. "She's finally acting like the older sister she is."

"Oh" Sherlock replied a little disappointed. He didn't know how he expected this date to end but he was sad that it was ending so soon.

"I would like to see you again. We could get lunch sometime next week, if that's alright with you."

"I'm not adverse to that" Sherlock replied. John nodded his head and turned to leave but paused. He surprised Sherlock by standing on his tip toes and placing a soft chaste kiss to the genius' lips. Sherlock returned the kiss without thinking, the feel of John's lips against his intoxicating.

John pulled away a few moments later with a smile.

"Goodnight Sherlock." He said before walking away towards the tube station.

"Goodnight John" Sherlock said softly, watching the former army doctor walk away before entering 221 B.