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                         Sherlock, though intelligent, can be incredibly dense. This is especially true in regards to relationships and emotions. Irene had seemingly entered his life out of nowhere – he wasn’t prepared for it, didn’t think he EVER wanted anything close to what he has with her… allowing yourself to be vulnerable with another person… monogamous. Nothing he is comfortable with and yet HE is the one who had pursued her and ever since she took a chance and allowed him to show her the underground he’s never looked back. Love is an understatement – he would die for her, truly, which speaks volumes for a relatively selfish man such as himself. 

                         Sherlock dropped his gaze to meet hers, expression ultimately soft though traces of lingering hesitation remained, undertones of panic present also. This was the first time he’d ever expressed any deep feelings let alone LOVE. Brows furrowed, lips pressed into a firm line, until she calmed him with the kiss which in turn calmed his expression. Lips parted – he waited a few moments, breath slightly audible, before he kissed her once more, deeply this time. It was brief however… pulling away, though his arms remained comfortably around her waist. 

                                     “I didn’t either. I feel a bit sick.”

his kiss was warm and welcoming, deeper than her own but just what irene needed. she was more than happy to kiss him back, to press in closer until he pulled away and she relaxed herself. biting her bottom lip gently, she smiled gently over at him. well, she was starting to believe that she was taking this far better than he was - even if he had been the one to say it first.

“if you are going to throw up, i would recommend facing some other direction. vomit isn’t a stench i love,” she teased lightly. one hand reached up, gently running her thumb over his cheek. “guess that surprised us both. i suppose... that’s maybe better. it was great to hear.”

honestly. though it had surprised her, almost scared her, hearing his words had just been one of the best things ever. she’d known part of how she felt for some time, knew that their connection was deep and more meaningful than others she had made previously. but just hearing him say it aloud seemed to make it more concrete. there was no escaping it now.

                          SHERLOCK HOLMES has always strove to minimise his attachment to others. He’s had quite a bit of experience regarding women… but not like this. Never anything like this. He has never been in a relationship before and nor has he ever felt particularly warmly towards anyone he’s used in his energetic pursuits. Irene however… she scares him – because she makes him vulnerable. Emotional. He didn’t understand what was happening to him until it was too late, and now he can’t see himself WITHOUT her. He’s in love. 

                                 And now he’s told her in a moment of madness and he looks absolutely mortified – though he takes a good few seconds to realise the gravity of what he’s just said. Chest heaving from panic, he blinks a few times, eyes on her… lips parted slightly. He’s absolutely panicking. Usually Sherlock can’t shut up – but now, he can’t seem to get his words out. 

                                 The fact that she shows him physical affection calms him slightly ( because that’s a good sign, right? ) but hearing her return his sentiments actually floors him. His eyes scan her face, her expression, brows furrowing slightly… speechless. He remembers himself soon enough and simply nods a few times, his arms moving to wrap around her waist. 

                                   uhm,” he pauses and takes a moment,                                  swallowing, eyes moving downwards, “yes.” 

perhaps he was just as surprised to hear those words as irene was. from all the little things - from visiting his home, to a few more gestures of physical contact - irene had gathered he cared. and though it had surprised her, irene found herself adapting to him. she was stubborn, and though she liked her art to be expressive and creative when it came to normal routines she was mostly set in stone. and her routines didn’t include others for more than a one night stand. yet he’d managed to sneak past any defences that she had. and she loved him. what a beautiful and scary concept.

her hands pressed lightly on his chest, she didn’t move away from him after the kiss was broken. a smile curled up the corners of her lips, head tilted back just a little to peer up at him. was this the first time he had ever said those words in a situation like this? from his reaction just now she was inclined to think yes, but there was still a fair bit of his past not yet open to her. they were getting there though, piecing things together and letting one another on a bit at a time.

ah, she sort of wished she could have taken a picture of this moment, just to capture that look on his face.

irene didn’t know what to do, or say, for a moment. SPEECHLESS. that didn’t happen often, what a strange knew feeling. irene was silent a moment, letting the words sink in and play around her mind. she didn’t reply at first - not because she didn’t care for him, she did (a GREAT deal). but no one had ever… said that to her before. not like he just had.

    she didn’t doubt it was the truth. irene didn’t think this at least was something he would say without it having some meaning. and from his expression, irene was quite sure this was a BIG DEAL. something he would have thought over or tried to work out a lot (but judging from his expression, she thought perhaps not as much thinking had gone into telling her this NOW). stepping forwards, her hands moved to his shoulders before wrapping around them as she leant up on her toes to kiss him. pressing her lips to his gently.

irene broke the kiss briefly, and stated, “i know. i love you.” a grin passed over her features, bright and unabashed. genuine. it felt… strange to admit such a thing out loud. she had little experience in expressing love for people. she cared for people, of course. but expressing it? and LOVE? well, that was rather new.

“thank you. for saying it. though maybe next time you’ll be more certain than just thinking it.” 

she was tired. it had been something of a long week, and not as many of her plans had come together as she might have liked. it wasn’t the end of the world, or anything like THAT. but it was annoying. and when things didn’t come together, it just left her a little bored. with jamie, her mind was always going a mile a minute, so boredom was practically the worst feeling for her.

bars weren’t the type of place she normally made for when she bored but well, it would pass the time. plus bars often held interesting people. ...well, occasionally held interesting people. jamie supposed most of the time bars were filled with people who didn’t have anywhere else the fuck to go. but if someone caught her eye, she could sort that out. give them a place for the night.

headed into the bar, she made straight for the bar. she gave the place a cursory sweep over, nothing really interesting catching her eye for the time being. jamie ordered her drink, just going plain and simple with a double vodka and coke. it wasn’t until she was leaning against the bar, waiting for her drink that she noticed him. and okay, maybe now she felt a slight hint of amusement. he wasn’t looking quite the same as when she last saw him. but then again, he was in his ELEMENT when making negotiations, she had learned. no one looked the same as that in a bar.

with drink in hand, she moved away to the end of the bar and placed her glass beside his. “so, does the painting still suit your taste? lighten up the room?”

so i’ve been away, a LOT, lately and lost a fair bit of muse. but the muse is slowly returning, thankfully. i apologise to EVERYONE but unless notified otherwise i’ll be dropping all threads. since i lost all muse it’s been difficult to reply to older things.