It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

51 - Bliss

A/N - Bit of a shorter chapter guys!

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Elizabeth woke to the rays of sunshine in her face. She blinked slowly a few times. When her eyes opened, fully aware, her gaze landed on Sherlock, still sleeping. His curls were dishevelled, his cupid's bow lips slightly parted and his face was expressionless. But not the cold kind of expressionless, the peaceful, innocent, almost child-like kind. She felt the intense need to ruffle his dark locks but refrained.

There was still a foot of space separating the two. Her need to ruffle his curls was replaced by the want to get closer. So she did. Carefully, she slid herself under the blankets to be closer to him. She smiled, moving a stray curl out of his face. This was calmest she had seen the detective. The first time she had seen him sleep out of his own will also.

She lay a loving, chaste kiss against his forehead.

The relationships she had had in the past had been few and had never lasted long. They had always been quick, intense, forgettable experiences, only ever fulfilling a physical desire. It had been another downside to her job. But this - what she hoped she had with Sherlock - this felt different. It wasn't a relationship based on physical desire.

This felt more like love.

She felt like she truly loved the detective. Regardless of his harsh comments and often cold detective demeanor, she still loved him. Even after this past week, the hurt that she had felt when he had retreated mentally and emotionally from the world around him made her feel like saying, yes, this was what it was like to be in love. To have the realisation of 'you didn't know what you had until it was gone' really opened her eyes to that fact. Nobody's relationship was perfect. In fact, she was sure that one's partner had to get on the other's nerves even just a little bit. Lovers would butt heads sometimes - that was normal. The important part was to talk it out calmly after.

"If you take a picture it will last longer." Came Sherlock's alluring baritone voice, his eyes still closed.

"I didn't know you were awake."

He sighed, opening his eyes to give her a sleepy look, "So you're saying you would watch me in my sleep?"

She hummed a laugh, "Well maybe. You look awfully loveable when you do."

"And now you know why I don't sleep."

"Awh, because I'll call you loveable?"

"Yes. Or another variant such as 'adorable' and 'cute' which you have already exhausted on my physical description."

"You're so dramatic." She teased.

"It's a trait few finesse."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, a grin forming on her face. The detective found her smile contagious, mirroring her the shape of her lips with his own.

"We should probably get up."

The detective hummed in agreement.

Elizabeth sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, pausing to stretch. Sherlock still lay in bed for, already missing the previous moment. Once Elizabeth had stood up, she headed straight for the kitchen.

"Come on, lazy bones." She teased Sherlock again, "Want tea?"

"Please." He said as he sat up in bed, ruffling his curls.

Elizabeth had a feeling that today would be a better day.

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