#sallock

She managed to get a proper date out of Sherlock Holmes and by God she’s going to get Sherlock to stop texting for once. 

"Sherlock."

"Hmm?" Sherlock barely lifted his eyes from the screen. 

"You know what to order?" She pointedly glanced at the menu on the table that Sherlock didn’t even touch.

"Uhhh…" Sherlock’s fingers danced rapidly to send a text before he flashed her a wide and fake smile, "You know what to order for me." And with that he went back to his phone. 

The waiter who came to get their order gave Sally a sympathetic smile when he saw Sherlock thoroughly ignoring the world around them, including his date. Sally smiled back at him resignedly as she told him their order. 

Moments later the same waiter returned with two glasses of wine, on the house. “Thank you.” Sally smiled gratefully. Sherlock spared a glare at the retreating waiter and didn’t even touch his wine. 

Sally nearly finished hers.

"So…" She started after she had drunk her liquid courage, "Who are you texting so intently?"

"John." Sherlock answered instantly

"Oh." Sally made a small sound of understanding, "And it can’t wait for half an hour, an hour?" 

"No. I’m conducting an incredibly important and incredibly time sensitive experiment and I need John to do exactly as I instructed." Sherlock said matter-of-factly.

Sally made a soundless “Ah.” and pegged it as a lost cause. Blame her for trying to have a normal date with her boyfriend like all normal people do.

She finished her wine and reached for Sherlock’s untouched glass. 

Halfway through Sherlock’s wine, their food arrived — Sherlock’s chicken pasta and Sally’s carbonara. Sally smiled her thanks which the waiter reciprocated.

"Sherlock." Sally said chidingly, "Eat your food. Just finish it and we can go home to… your experiment or whatever."

Sherlock complied and lifted his fork although his eyes were still glued on the screen. 

Sally sighed and did the same. As she did, she noticed a scrap of paper under her napkin. She eyed it suspiciously. It seemed to be a string of num—

Before Sally could make up the note, Sherlock snatched it from her hand and inspected it. “Hey!” Sally said, annoyed. The one time her date actually took his eyes off his phone screen was to inspect a mysterious note. Figures.

"It’s a phone number." Sherlock supplied, his eyes narrowing at the offending piece of paper.

"Yes, thank you genius detective. Bravo." Sally rolled her eyes. She would’ve reached the same conclusion if he hadn’t snatched it so soon.

"Do you want it?" Sherlock continued, looking at her for the first time in the date.

Sally was confused for a moment, “Well, no…”

"Excellent." Sherlock smiled again as he casually set the paper ablaze with the candle on their table. His eyes returned to his phone promptly after the paper burned to ashes in the candle fire.

"Sherlock!" She hissed, "Was that necessary?"

"You didn’t want it so I disposed of it." Sherlock replied easily, pointedly forking a chunk of chicken and eating it. 

Sally shook her head disbelievingly and continued her meal. This wasn’t working, she was fed up, and now all she wanted to do is go home, have a long nice soak and finish her book. She supposed wanting a normal date with Sherlock was too much to ask in the first place. She knew that, she really did. Only sometimes she wished…

"Sally? Sally Donovan?" A familiar voice called.

Oh good Lord in the highest heavens, why today of all days?

Sally schooled her expression even though she really wanted to give the owner of the voice her best bitch face. “Jerry.” She greeted cooly. 

Sherlock glanced away from his phone when ‘Jerry’ approached their table. ‘Jerry’ was a tall and fit man, not overly muscular but not slender either. He had a mop of brown hair and eyes in the same color. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit and a blue tie with a hideous pattern. What annoyed Sherlock the most was the cocksure grin on his face as he talked to Sally and ignored Sherlock.

"Sally Donovan, beautiful as always. Long time no see!" Jerry didn’t seem to be deterred when Sally didn’t even get up to greet him. Sherlock narrowed his eyes when Jerry placed a hand on Sally’s shoulder. Sally slapped the hand away. 

"Yes, yes. Quite." She turned to her glass and dismayed to find it almost empty. 

Sherlock noted that ‘Jerry’ was also incredibly thick skinned and didn’t know when he wasn’t welcome. “Still working at the Yard? Cuffing up criminals, keeping our lovely city safe—”

"Yes. By the way, Jerry. This is Sherlock " Sally cut in, hoping Sherlock would be rude enough to chase off Jerry. 

"Oh, hello. Yes, I know you." Jerry turned to Sherlock with a smile, as if he just realized he was there and wasn’t thoroughly ignoring him. "The detective in the news, right? You’re here on a case then?"

"No," Sherlock replied primly and smiled that smile that didn’t reach to his eyes, "We’re on a date."

Jerry scoffed, “You are? Well, could’ve fooled me.”

"It doesn’t take a lot to fool you, I agree." Sherlock said cooly. Sally tried not to rejoice so openly that Sherlock didn’t fall short of her expectation.

"Excuse me?" Jerry said incredulously.

"You are excused." Sherlock smiled widely, "Is there something else we can help you with, Jerry? Wouldn’t want to make your mistress waiting."

Jerry’s face turned a shade of purple. “My what?”

"Your mistress, the one sitting on that table over there." Sherlock said nodding to a table where a lady in purple sat, flirting with the waiter. "Better be wise with how much you’re spending on her, Jerry. Your company is not doing so well recently."

Jerry looked like he was this close to punching Sherlock on the nose before his phone rang. He looked like he wanted to say a thing or two but another ring interrupted him. “That will be your wife. You probably should not tell her you’re meeting your mistress in the restaurant where you first met her.” Sherlock said with a smile, “Let’s not keep her waiting, shall we? Nice to meet you Jerry.”

Jerry stormed off angrily and Sally laughed until her shoulders shook, “That was rather brilliant.”

Sherlock preened for a moment before he scowled. ”Honestly, Sally, I can’t believe you ever dated him.” Sherlock scrunched his nose, “It offends me a little.”

"Oh sod off, we all have our bad decisions." Sally kicked him lightly as she finished the last of her pasta, "And I think I made another one tonight." She sighed, "Are you finished?"

Sherlock only ate half of his plate and pushed it away, “Yes.” He let Sally signal the waiter to get the check. 

He placed a couple of bills on the tray and he caught the waiter as he was about to leave. 

"Oh, and by the way. Here." Sherlock handed him a napkin with a phone number scribbled on it.

"I don’t want your number, mate." He grimaced in disgust, glancing at Sally.

"Oh, that’s not my number. That’s the number of a good financial consultant whenever you want to talk about the debt from your gambling addiction."

Without waiting for his reaction, he took Sally’s hands and walked out of the restaurant.

The walk home was fairly pleasant, filled with light banter and comfortable silence. Sally rested her head on his shoulder a few times and her hand was warm in Sherlock’s and she was thinking maybe this wasn’t such a bad decision. 

They stopped in front of Sally’s flat, Sally taking three steps to the entrance and Sherlock stopped at one. It left them with the same height and they could see eye to eye.

"I didn’t have a completely awful time." Sherlock allowed as he rested his hands around Sally’s waist.

"Thank you? I think?" Sally laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "As far as Holmesian date goes, that wasn’t completely awful I suppose."

Sherlock quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe enough to earn you a kiss.” Sally considered. “Maybe.”

Sherlock tilted his head in a quiet request and Sally obliged for once, meeting his lips with a gentle kiss. Sherlock’s hands were warm on her hip and the moon was beautiful that night so Sally allowed a second kiss. Perhaps a third, because all good things come in threes.

"I was wondering if perhaps tonight I may stay with you." Sherlock said a touch uncertainly, turning his puppy eyes beseechingly at her. She knew it was a trick of his and he knew she knew it was a trick, but she smiled anyway. 

"What about your ‘experiment’?" Sally asked teasingly as she bumped her forehead to Sherlock’s.

"It’s not important." 

She laughed brightly and kissed him again. 

__

Tell her she looks beautiful -JW

Ridiculous. She knows that already. -SH

Just DO it you mad dolt -JW

That’s highly uncharacteristic of me. She’s going to suspect something. Really John, don’t you have an advice that I can actually use? -SH

Did you at least hold her hand? -JW

Of course. -SH

She held yours, didn’t she? -JW

I find whomever did the holding irrelevant. -SH

SHERLOCK. 

Hold on. -SH

The waiter gave her his number. -SH

Oh. Well, that’s what you get for ignoring your date. Other blokes are going to think they have a chance. -JW

Ridiculous. Never mind, I took care of it. -SH

Better step up your game, Sherlock. With a girl like her you’re going to have competition. -JW

I know that and that’s why you need to give me an advice that actually WORKS -SH

I don’t know why you’re so worried. She dealt with all of your quirks and still wants to be with you. Bit late to be worrying about making good impression in dates. -JW

Which you already failed, by the way, judging from how often you had to text me. How do you even talk to her if you keep texting me? -JW

Sherlock? -JW

Her ex is here -SH

Fuck.

Well at least try to be civil, all right Sherlock? -JW

GOD DAMN IT. SHERLOCK? -JW