Holmes:  Are we icons?

Watson:  I'm afraid so.

Holmes:  Did we mean to do that?

Watson:  I think it just sort of happened when we went public with our relationship.

Holmes:  Well, I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with it.  I don't know how loving one man qualifies me to represent an entire demographic.  Shouldn't one have to put in some time in the gay trenches first?

Watson:  What exactly are the "gay trenches?"  The sales floor at Abercrombie?  It doesn't matter, Sherlock.  We did something that was inspirational to a lot of people.

Holmes:  That's not why we did it, though.

Watson:  No.  But nobody who's really inspirational gets up one day and decides to go do something that'll be inspirational.  They do what they think is right as best they can, and it ends up being inspirational by default.

Holmes:  And if it had gone horribly wrong, would we be a cautionary tale instead?

Watson:  Probably.

Holmes:  Then perhaps people should look elsewhere for inspiration.

Watson:  Where?

Holmes:  How should I know?  Maybe they ought to look to themselves.  That's where I got mine, from myself and from you.

Watson:  ...

Holmes:  John?

Watson:  I love you.

Holmes:  See?  That's inspirational.  Gay icons, indeed.

[in which “Performance” John and Sherlock Answer Your Questions. Submit yours to the Askbox, click the tag for previous questions and answers.]