Chapter Text
As promised, we stayed long enough for one dance. Luckily Ellie wasn’t to be seen. To Sherlock’s credit he was contrite and meek as we said goodnight to my friends, basically the human version of a dog after being found surrounded by a pile of foam sofa filling. It made it slightly more tolerable but only slightly.
We arrived back in the room and Beth proceeded to get ready for bed in silence while I sat in the rooms only chair and feigned being in my mind palace. Once she was in the bathroom I slipped from the room with my phone and placed urgent calls.
“Hello, why are you calling? You always bloody text. Anyway, I thought you were at that wedding? Don’t…”
“Shut up, I need Mary,” I interrupted.
“Why ring me then?”
“She didn’t answer.”
“She’s putting Rosie to bed.”
“Swap, I need her now.”
“No, but luckily for you she’s on her way down now.” There followed a brief period of hushed voices as they spoke to each other and then Mary’s voice spoke.
“Sherlock, what’s up?” It was clear that the call was now on speaker, but I didn’t have the time to berate them for it, and it wasn’t worth the bother as they would share whatever I told one with the other.
“Why do I care?” I asked biting the bullet.
“About what?” Mary’s puzzled voice responded.
“I upset Beth, why do I care about this? I barely know her. More importantly what do I do about it?”
“I need more information to help you with this Sherlock. What did you do?”
“I made an assumption that she knew why I was here and have embarrassed her apparently.”
Mary didn’t need anymore information than that to be able to understand what had happened, it was the key reason why it had to be Mary I asked, it would have taken far too much time and awkwardness to go over it with John.
“You need to apologise.”
“I have, she is still not talking to me.”
“Don’t be factual about it, explain that it upsets you that you have upset her. Tell her how you feel about it. Sherlock, I think she understands that you find this difficult, she will most probably be willing to explain why she is upset. Ask her what she would have preferred you to do and listen to her answers.”
What Mary said made sense, and Beth did understand, even when she was in midst of her upset earlier, she had begun explaining why. With a plan in his head, he hung up the phone without saying another word.
He did read the text message he got 30 seconds later though before putting the plan into action.
- You care about upsetting her Sherlock because she is your friend at the very least. Mary x
When Beth came out of the bathroom, she found the room lit by only the bedside lamp closest to Sherlock who was already in bed, but unlike normal he was neither already asleep nor on his phone. She put her own bedside lamp on, and he remained where he was, sat up against the headboard, legs under the duvet. She was aware of him watching her as she put bits and pieces away. He remained silent until she had got into bed beside him, instantly turning on her side facing away from him. She felt him move slightly and his light was turned off then he settled himself on his back. The room was quiet as they listened to the dulled noise of the party still going on below.
Just as she was about to turn off her own lamp he spoke. His voice as he talked wasn’t emotional, it was perfectly steady, but it was missing its normal self-assurance, his talking pace slower than the normal stream of consciousness she had grown to expect from him. He was choosing his words carefully; it wouldn’t have been noticeable if you were unfamiliar with his normal cadence.
“I am sorry. It was never my intention to go back on our agreement. I was short sighted, I made assumptions that you understood, which on reflection were idiotic as I had in no way even implied what my plan was.” At this point he paused turning on his side so that he was facing me and placed his hand gently on the top of my arm before he continued.
“I feel stupid that I didn’t pause to fully appreciate how this situation would be embarrassing and upsetting for you,” again there was a slight pause before he continued. “I find understanding others emotional responses difficult sometimes. You began explaining to me earlier but I would like to fully understand at some point in the future so I can try and not do the same again.”
I was not expecting an apology in which Sherlock called himself idiotic and stupid. I was thrown not quite knowing how to respond. The issue was complex, embarrassment in front of my friends was a large part of it and one that I had no problem in explaining to Sherlock. But this was compounded by the fact that it had been Ellie’s leg he was running his hand up, and more importantly, and secretly, that I wished it had been my leg.
“Thank you for apologising Sherlock.” I turned and went to give him a kiss on the cheek. I don’t know how but instead of his cheek I glanced the corner of his mouth and that was all it took for the jealousy and longing that I had been containing to come spilling out. Rather than pulling away I slid my lips to cover his more fully.
They had shared kisses before, this felt infinitely different, somehow tender but unyielding. A demanding of response from each other that slowly deepened. Sherlock's response was instantaneous, gently surging up so that what had been initiated by her was now controlled by him. When need for oxygen forces them to draw away, he doesn’t move further than he needs to be able to see her face. By the light of the solitary lamp, they study the other, and without a word they both surge back together.