Disclaimer: I do not own the characters only the original story line

Lying on the couch, his fingers steepled under his chin, Sherlock continued to ponder the strange phenomenon that was his flatmate.

His response in the cab had been unexpected, to say the very least, and as Sherlock was aware, John had a penchant for the humorous – maybe he'd only been joking? He'd grinned hugely at the expression on the younger man's face, and then returned to his study of the passing scenery, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

And how could he possibly be who he said he was? Sherlock had never really had time for the theological; God and the Devil were created to keep the ignorant masses in line.

"That's not true, you know"

Sherlock looked up to see the vague outline of his flatmate standing in the doorway.

"What isn't?"

"Do I look like a figment of someone's imagination? Really?"

"You expect me to believe," the consulting detective asked "that you are some sort of…fallen angel?"

John laughed, his eyes lit with pleasure, and he walked towards the couch.

"Budge over" he said, sitting on the edge couch next to Sherlock's hip. His friend shuffled sideways to give him a little more space. "What did you expect, wings?"

As Sherlock looked a pair of wings, with midnight blue feathers, spread out from the other man's shoulders. He frowned.

"Not real." John grinned "I'm just messing with your senses"

Now that was intriguing.

"Can you 'mess' with all my senses?"

"All five and all at once if I wanted to…."

"But…?"

"Ah, you spotted that there, did you?" suddenly John was serious. "Truth is, Sherlock, I don't want to, not to you anyway."

"Why?"

"I sense many things, Sherlock, things that…well, that you wouldn't be able to. But then, you don't need to. You deduce much that I sense – take that first crime scene you took me to, Lauriston Gardens, I sensed the connection between Donovan and Anderson," he chuckled "You wouldn't believe how shocked I was when you just blabbed their whole relationship out, there, in front of everyone!" the laughter died, and his eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire. "I find you fascinating; you are so different to the others"

"Can you control people's actions, make them do things they wouldn't dream of doing?" The expression on Sherlock's face was one of extreme concentration, as if the answer were of high importance.

"Can I make you…? No Sherlock, I can't do that."

"Ah, I see." He seemed to be thinking it over.

"Are you alright with that?"

"I…yes, yes I'm alright with that"

"And you're a terrible liar, my friend" John leant forward, until his face hovered just above the younger man's face, his deep blue eyes looking into silver grey eyes, and when he spoke his voice wrapped itself around them both like silken ties. "I have not made you love me, Sherlock Holmes, but I have waited, quite patiently I think, for you to realise what was in your heart. Will you still deny it?"

"But you're not gay"

"No, of course I'm not gay, but then, neither are you"

Sherlock's mouth opened, but no sound came out. John took advantage of the moment and leant in closer, gently grasping the other man's full lower lip between his teeth and sucking it into his mouth, his tongue moving sensuously over the sensitive flesh, before pulling away.

Long, artistic fingers tentatively reached up to brush the older man's cheek.

"You knew, but you did nothing?"

"I wanted you willing, not coerced into a relationship"

"And…and if I'm not willing?"

"I'll go, if that's what you want" John's eyes never left Sherlock's "Or I'll stay, if you will let me, and we can carry on as before. I've enjoyed working with you, helping you solve the unsolvable"

"You want to stay? No-one ever wants to stay"

"I do"

Sherlock's smile lit the room like sunrise on a new day, and he wrapped his hand around the back of his fallen angel's neck and pulled him down for a kiss.