#holmes fluff

it’s quiet in the border. nobody is really in the mood to talk after losing two servants over the span of barely two days. it’s exhausting, the mood is stifling, and while chaldea waits for safety in order to return to the indian lostbelt, you find comfort in the arms of one man.

sherlock understands your pain. he panicked at the thought of losing you earlier, something that was quite uncharacteristic for a man like him. he holds you close, lets you sob and grieve, lets you feel.

he may well be the tether that’s keeping you grounded and sane.

“master,” he murmurs into your ear, his voice soft but his accent somehow sends shivers down your spine all the same. “it’s alright.”

he might be trying to convince himself. his arms hold you just a bit closer to him.

“b-but…” your voice cracks and you have to swallow. “but… karna…”

“karna knew the risks,” he says gently. he’s not scolding you, he’s reminding you of the duties of a servant to their master. “he made a choice to protect that which is most important.” he might be talking about Chaldea, or about you. “just as I would.”

“no.” your voice comes out harsher than you intend it as you look up at him. he looks surprised, which is a feat in and of itself. “no, you can’t.”

“master, if it was a matter of protecting you-”

“you CAN’T,” you cut him off, or maybe the tears in your eyes do. “i… I nearly lost you once…”

you bury your face into his shoulder again as holmes realizes how foolish he’s been. his bad arm twinges, not from you, but from a feeling more akin to realizing just how lucky he had been in scandinavia. he brings a hand up, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out of place behind your ear.

“Ii’m sorry,” he says, and you look up at him. the emotion in his expression is that which you’ve never seen before. “i should have considered your feelings before i spoke. forgive me…”

you wipe at your eyes and draw him close before pressing the softest of kisses onto his lips. the message comes through loud and clear: