Sherlock

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This chapter has lots of fluffies. I won't be able to update for a few days seeing as I'll be out of town, so I apologize in advance.

Cheers!

-Lai


"Shopping. I need to go shopping," I said, pacing the floor. John was at 221b, sitting in his old chair and reading the newspaper. Ally and Mary had gone to lunch.

John looked up and said, "Shopping for what?"

I shook my head.

John gave me a peeved look and said, "Oh, so I don't get to know?" "

I shook my head again. "I have to go, John. Don't wait up."

Before he could reply, I grabbed my coat and scarf and swept out of 221b. I hailed a cab and got in, sitting on the passenger's side.

I needed to go shopping.

It had been two years since Ally and I had started dating, and I was super nervous. I wasn't entirely sure about this decision, but I knew that it would change my life forever.

I was going to ask Ally to marry me.

I had never thought so long and hard about a decision before. I had been debating it in my mind for an entire month now, and I finally decided to stop thinking about it and act.

I arrived at the jeweler's, and entered the store. "Hello, what can I help you with today?" called a saleswoman from behind the counter.

I balked for a moment, and then replied, a bit nervously, "I... erm, I'm looking for... erm... an engagement ring?"

The saleswoman smiled and said, "What kind of stone are looking for today?"

"Erm... Diamond?" I said, and then added hastily, "and emeralds." I fidgeted with the hem of my coat nervously, and the saleswoman smiled at me again. It was that same empty smile that all salespeople gave to clients.

She led me to a row of rings, and let me look through the case on my own for a moment. I took the lapse in our interaction as an opportunity to deduce her.

She was about 36 and single. She was the oldest of seven, and was estranged from her parents. She had a bagel for lunch, and wore prescription contacts. Her dad was an alcoholic, her mum just died, and one of her brothers was a meth addict. She was lonely, and used work as an excuse to get away from her home life.

"Deep in thought?" she asked, interrupting my thought stream.

"Yes, actually. I just can't decide which one Ally would like better." I said, pointing to two rings. One of them had a gold band, and had a medium sized, square diamond in the center with two emeralds on either side. The other one had a silver band, and a large, round diamond set in the center, surrounded by a ring of tiny round emeralds.

The saleswoman helped me decide between the two of the rings, and I walked out with the silver one. I tucked the ring box in my coat pocket, and hailed a cab. I rode back to 221b, getting more and more nervous.

I got out at 221, and went up the stairs. I could tell just by looking around that Ally was home, and that Mary was upstairs. John hadn't left yet. I would have to wait until later to ask Ally to marry me.

I opened the door to 221b, shrugging my coat off carefully and hanging it on the rack. I made a mental note not to forget that the ring box was in the inside pocket of my coat.

"Hello, Sherlock!" called John. "Where've you been?"

"Out," I said, joining Ally on the sofa.

"Out where?" asked Mary.

"Out shopping." I said. Geez, why was everyone so nosey?

"Why?" asked John. He was being really pestery today.

"Do you need to know?" I asked, and Ally slipped her arm under mine, reaching around my back so that my arm was around her shoulders. I didn't put my arm around her shoulders on my own volition very often, and she did this because of it. I wasn't a very physically affectionate person, and she knew that.

"I guess not. Mary, we should probably get going," John said.

"Okay," said Mary. "We'll see you two tomorrow, kay?"

"Kay," we both responded.

Once they had left, Ally got up. "God, I thought they would never leave," she said, joking of course. The Watsons were our closest friends, and we enjoyed their company. Well, for the most part.

She went into the kitchen, and I heard her start to make tea. Tea. She was always drinking tea. I rushed to my coat and pulled it back on.

"Sher, why the coat? We're indoors." she said, leaning her head back out of the kitchen and giving me a look.

I shrugged. "Why not? It's comfortable." She came back out into the living room and sat down on John's chair. I got up and moved to my chair, so we were sitting across from each other. "Ally..." I began, quite nervously. "I want to ask you a question."

"Fire away." she looked down into her tea as she said this, and when I didn't respond with a question, she looked up at me, confusion etched across her brows. "What is it, Sherlock?"

I cleared my throat, and reached into my coat pocket. I didn't pull out the ring box, I only turned it over and over in my fingers. "Ally, we've been together for two years and two months now."

"Yes...?"

"And I... I..."

"You what?"

"I... l-l-love... you." I took a big, deep shaky breath before continuing, and Ally gasped. I knew she was shocked that I used the 'L' word. "And I would like to be your husband, if you would have me. This is against every principle that I stand for, it is against the very essence of who I am, but would you please marry me?" I pulled out the ring box as I said all of this, opening it for her to see.

"Oh... Sherlock..." she whispered, starting to cry.

I began to panic. "What!? Why are you crying!?" She was crying. I did something wrong! I got something wrong!

"Of course... Of course I'll marry you."

I bridged the gap in between us and slipped the ring onto her finger. I then straightened up a bit, and cupped her face in my hands. "I still don't understand why you're crying." I stated.

Her only reply was to kiss me.  

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