A Sign Of Two

13 - A Disadvantage

(((ELIZAS POV)))

The smell of antiseptic lingered in my nose and I was greeted by a blinding white light as I opened my eyes. I was in a white bed, in a white room, wearing an ugly white gown. As I looked down at myself I saw a profusion of tubes and wires coming out of me from all directions. 

A hospital, of course.

As I took in my surroundings, I noticed something that didn't match the ongoing 'white' theme of the hospital room.

A tall man, wearing a black suit with a long black coat over the top with the collar turned up, pale skin and high cheekbones, and a head of curly brown hair.

"Good morning" Sherlock smiled down at me softly, his gorgeous baritone voice was gentle and filled with relief.

Although he was smiling, his eyes were red rimmed and tired and his skin was slightly paler than usual. He managed to fool everyone with his 'I don't have a heart' act, but he definitely didn't fool me. 

And then suddenly it all came back to me. My ordeal at the abandoned parking lot, Sherlock bursting in, me getting shot, Sherlock shooting my kidnapper and killing him. My eyes widened and I felt short of breath for a second.

Sherlock being Sherlock, noticed.

He crouched down so that he was on my level, his face was extremely close to mine. I could smell the tobacco on his coat and I could feel his breath on my face. Even though he'd just blown someone's brains out, I felt extremely safe with him so near to me. 

"You're okay. You're safe now, you're gonna be fine..."

"You killed a man Sherlock, you shot him in the head" I whispered.

Sherlock looked at me, worry and hurt flashing across his expression. He moved a little further away from me, creating some distance between us, but he stayed crouched down.

"Do you...Do you want me to leave?"

Sherlock tensed up and it looked as if he was preparing himself for whatever I was going to say next. Preparing himself to be hurt. When I didn't answer, he carried on speaking:

"If you want me to go I can get-"

"No"

Sherlock's eyes met mine

"What?" he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"I don't want you to go anywhere you idiot. You saved my life"

Sherlock breathed out, relieved. "I did just murder a man, you said it yourself"

"Yeah, but he was going to murder me"

Sherlock smiled softly, seemingly glad that I didn't now think he was some sort of monster. But how could I? I'd probably be dead now if it wasn't for him, or worse, I'd still be being beaten to a pulp in that parking lot.

I had so many questions for the detective. Questions that I was too scared to ask. 

Why me? Why go to all that trouble to save me? Why risk your life coming alone when you could have called the police?

I tried to sit up and winced as I was suddenly made aware of all the cuts and bruises that littered my body, not to mention the gaping wound in my leg that was throbbing endlessly.

"Woah now..." Sherlock chuckled at me. "Lie back down, you're in no state to be walking around"

"I just wanna sit up" I scowled at him.

"Well..." Sherlock picked up a small remote control from my bedside table and pressed a button with a small arrow on it. As he pressed the button, my bed made a funny noise and the top half of it began to tilt upwards. Before long I was sitting upright.

I gaped at Sherlock. "Woah"

"You've never seen one of these beds before?" Sherlock grinned.

"Nope" I said, amazed. "This is so cool. Next you're going to tell me it has a hidden drinks dispenser or an ice cream machine"

"I'm afraid not" Sherlock laughed, before his expression turned a bit more serious. 

"Listen Eliza...there's something I've been wanting to say to you..."

"What is it?" I looked at the detective. He looked nervous. 

He ran a hand through his curly hair and I made a mental note that it was really sexy when he did that.

"Well, I've been thinking, not just thinking, I mean I've been thinking about you, but not in a creepy kind of way I've just been thinking about you a lot and-"

I laughed at the detective, seeing him in an anxious state was something that was new, and quite amusing, to me.

"Spit it out Sherlock" I smiled at him.

His blue eyes met mine. Time froze. 

"I think I'm in love with you"

My jaw dropped open. It took me a few seconds to process what he'd just told me. Before I even had chance to think, Sherlock had carried on talking.

"Eliza, being around you has made me realize what I've been missing all my life. I've always said love is a disadvantage, and I still believe that...But for you that's a drawback I'm willing to have"

My shocked expression turned into one of happiness, and suddenly the pain from the bruises and the cuts and my leg all disappeared. A few hours prior I was shot in the leg, and with only a few words, Sherlock Holmes managed to make all the discomfort go away.

Any man that can make the pain from a gunshot wound disappear is welcome by my side. 

"Sherlock...are you asking me out?"

Sherlock looked at the ground for a second, then looked up at me again, his face slightly red.

"Yes...Yes I am"