Work Text:
Sherlock Holmes did not gamble.
He reasoned. He took calculated risks based on all available evidence.
But he definitely did not gamble.
There was just one exception:
John Watson.
After less than twenty-four hours, they were not only sharing a flat, but Sherlock was offering to share his Work. To Sherlock Holmes, the World’s Only Consulting Detective, Mr. Married-to-my-Work, this was the vulnerability equivalent of a “meet the parents” dinner.
He had never brought a partner to a crime scene before. He doubted if anyone — with the possible exception of Lestrade — truly understood what the Work meant to him.
Granted, genius needs an audience, but showing off to the Yard was enough to sustain him. They bullied him relentlessly, but the Work was satisfying enough to balance it. For the first time in his life, he felt stable.
So why was he disturbing that chemistry with this new element? What was he thinking?!
But there was something about this doctor. Something in his authentic interest and fierce eyes that made Sherlock dare to contemplate something more than “stable.” Safe, perhaps? Maybe even... happy?
In this fledgling relationship, there was insufficient data for a risk calculation — only a gut instinct that he could trust this man.
“Want to see some more?”
“Oh God, yes.”
And with that, Sherlock Holmes placed his bet.