Haunted Holmes ➳ Sherlock x Reader

With or Without

❤

When Sherlock returns with some tea, I smile at him.

"Tea solves everything." I mumble, as he hands me a porcelain teacup filled with a smooth English Breakfast brew.

"Mm, except murder cases." He corrects me, taking a sip from his own cup.

"Ah, yes...Sherlock Holmes does that." I smile, before taking a sip of the soothing tea.

I crack a small smile out of him, as he takes another sip of his tea, and find myself gazing at him. His eyes.

You can never grow tired of staring into those bright blue irises.

"Y/N." He snaps me out of my gaze.

"Hm?" I blink a few times, gulping down some tea in a flustered manner.

"I just...I don't know what to do now." He tells me.

I'm a bit taken aback by his statement, but it doesn't matter, because I'll always do my best to ease him, just as he did numerous times to me:

"We'll just continue where we left off. You can continue solving crimes with John...I'm sure we can straighten up 221b into an appropriate living environment for William."

He shakes his head.

I tilt my head in confusion as he elaborates, quite painfully:

"I can't start a family with you, Y/N. It's too dangerous. I could never forgive myself if either of you got hurt."

"So, you wanna just leave...like that? After all we've been through, you wanna leave now?" I bite my bottom lip.

"No...Y/N, never...I will always love you. I'm just saying that we can't live together." He sets his teacup down and rests his hand on top of my own, grasping it lightly.

"We've already started a family, Sherlock...William needs to be with his father." I set my cup down as well, staring at his, now sad, eyes.

"He will be with his father. Just...n-not all the time." He stutters, and I yank my hand from his light grasp.

"We can protect him, Sherlock. I'm not weak. I was trained by London's Consulting Criminal." I argue.

"No, Y/N we can't risk it." He sighs.

"So, you think I am weak?" I raise a brow.

"I never said that." He says sternly, becoming irritated with me.

"Then?" I cross my arms and stare expectant daggers at him.

He stares at me silently with furrowed brows, before replying:

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Because I love you." I say quietly, as my expression saddens by accident.

"I love you too, but you need to understand, my darling..." He whispers, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

"No..." I shudder a little, shaking my head.

"We'll still see each other...I promise, love." He pulls away and strokes my cheek.

"But, w-why? We're safe now...Moriarty's dead, I-It's all over!" I protest, as my eyes sting with urge to release tears.

"I don't care, Y/N I can't risk putting you through something like that again...I just can't." His voice is weak when he speaks.

"Will you continue to be with me, or not? There can only be one choice." My voice cracks as I regret my statement just a little after saying it.

But I still have hope.

There's a small pause of tension-filled silence before he replies, quieter this time:

"No, Y/N."