Sherlock:

[[Test #4, SH-Admin. Admin will take Subject on "date" with identical parameters to those of Control "dates" (same location, same time, same date, etc.) and behave in sexually/romantically available manner. Hypothesis suggests Subject will react positively to such behaviours. (Personal Log: Indication from results of "date" and survey of Control-2, who was most similar to myself in typical behaviour and body language, cast some doubt on this hypothesis. -Holmes)]]

John:

When Sherlock asks me if I'd like to go to the Dorset after work on Monday night (and only Sherlock would consider a Monday night to be the appropriate time for a coffee date) I've already had six whole days to consider what I'm going to say.

Doesn't stop me from stammering out, "Oh! Um. Y-yeah. Sure. Yes. Okay." Ridiculous, I know. But when you're reasonably sure your flatmate is trying to work you up to…to…God even knows what, and you're still not sure how to feel about it…well, I think I've got a fair excuse, anyway.

I meet Sherlock inside, at the same table where I "interviewed" the other guys, and I immediately notice he's acting differently. He's already got me a coffee (and it's just as I like: no nonsense, black, nothing doing with all the mocha and caramel and low-fat soy skim whatever) and he actually smiles at me when I sit down.

And do you know what? Sherlock does a damn fine job of chatting me up. I'm serious! He's positively vivacious, witty, interesting…I forget within ten minutes that I'm being experimented on, that's how much fun I'm having. Cases being apparently off-limits as topic of conversation, we wind up discussing the surgery, some of the more amusing hi-jinks I encountered as a soldier, Bond movies (I've made a fan of him, it seems), our blogs. And yeah, okay, he's definitely flirting. Some of it is fairly hilarious (like when he tries to do the toy-with-the-shirt-button thing, which just isn't him at all) but some of it…well. Some of it…works. Like, when he holds my gaze for a beat too long, looks down at my mouth, then back up to my eyes…yep, that definitely works. It shouldn't, but it does.

At some point Sherlock seems to give his alter-persona a rest, and this is the part of the evening I like best. Things are normal; we're just John and Sherlock. And all the thinking I've done in the past six days? It all leads me to this: I like being John-and-Sherlock. I like it maybe more than I ever realized. And if Sherlock feels the same way…I don't know. I think it could be sort of brilliant.

Coffee spent and conversation lulling, Sherlock stands and stretches. "Shall we?"

I nod, stand. He lets me pay for the coffees (the rake) and then, as we're heading out the door, he puts his hand on my lower back. It feels strangely protective, and…and genuine. Really genuine. When I look up at him he doesn't look like he's play-acting, like he was earlier. He just looks like Sherlock. We walk like that the whole way home, him with his hand on my back and me leaning into him a bit. And it doesn't feel wrong at all.

When he kisses me- once we're back at the flat, both of us hanging about in the sitting room and putting off going our separate ways- that doesn't feel wrong either. Something clicks in my head; thoughts start to come together and make sense. Whatever this is, whatever Sherlock and I have, it's something I've wanted for a very long time.

Sherlock:

[[Conclusion. Data overwhelmingly in support of first half of hypothesis. Subject repeatedly reassures Admin of validity of second half of hypothesis. (Personal Log: Stop watching me type and go to sleep, John. If I wanted to talk to you out loud, I would have done. Shh. Yes. Fine. Ten more minutes. Okay, fine. -Holmes) Upon suggestion of repeated testing, Subject appeared to grow annoyed and said, verbatim: "No." Possible testing could be engineered, anyway. Subject's expression has just changed from soppy to irritable. (Personal Log: Yes, I do find that to be relevant, thank you. And would you kindly not watch me type? You're distracting me, John. This write-up is being done for the sake of science, and I'm already three months overdue on writing it. So: go to sleep. -Holmes) Further testing appears unlikely. (Personal Log: For now. -Holmes)]]

John:

Conclusion: Sherlock Holmes is an idiot, but he's my idiot.