Oh wow... I didn't expect this to take so long... Oh well. Hopefully this chapter is better than the *barely* one before it. So... yeah... oh! And I changed the crossover movie for future story development purposes ^^'

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the avengers, captain america or sherlock franchises. They belong to their respectful owners.


SITTING ON THE EDGE OF THE HOTEL SUPPLIED BED, A CERTAIN YANKEE WAS CONFLICTED. TO CALL OR NOT TO CALL, THAT WAS THE QUESTION… OR ALTEST TO HIM IT WAS. WITH A SIGH, HE LEANED OVER HIS TWIN BED AND REACHED FOR THE PHONE. PLUCKING IT FROM THE CHARGER IT RESTED IN, HE PRESSED EACH NUMBER WITH CARE. SHAKILY, HE HELD THE PHONE TP HIS EAR, SILENTLY WONDERING IF HE WOULD REMEMBER HIM AFTER 3 DAYS…

ON THE RECEIVING END OF THE CALL, BELLS CHIMED AS HE AWAITED A HUMAN RESPONSE. AFTER SEEMINGLY HOURS OF NOTHING BUT BELLS, A MONOTONE VOICE BROKE THROUGH, "UNDERRIVER DETECTIVE AGENCY, HOLMES SPEAKING."

"SHERLOCK! HEY, ITS ME, STEVE ROGERS!"

"PARDON?"

STEVES FACE FELL, FOR IT SEEMED THAT HE FADED INTO THE DARKNESS YET AGAIN. WITH A COUGH, HE RESPONDED, "WE TALKED AT THE COFFEE PLACE… YOU CALLED MY FRAPPUCCINO 'SUGAR-FILLED CRAP.'"

"OH YES, THE AMERICAN. WELL, SPEAKING SCIENT-"

"HOW'D YOU KNOW I WAS FROM AMERICA?!"

"…"

"HELLO? WELL, I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO KNOW IF IT WAS OKAY FOR ME TO COME OVER LATER."

"… DINNER STARTS AT SIX O'CLOCK SHARP. DON'T BE LATE." WITH THAT, SHERLOCK HUNG UP AND STEVE IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE CLOCK. HE HAD LITTLE OVER TWO HOURS TO GER READY. JUMPING UP, HE QUICKLY STRIPPED HIS CLOTHES AND LEFT THEM BEHIND AS A TRAIL TO THE BATHROOM. WITH A QUICK GLANCE INTO THE MIRROR, STEVE STOPPED. GOD AM I ATTRACTIVE! TOO BAD TONY WAS TOO STUCK UP TO REALIZE THAT… WHO NEED HIM RIGHT? WITH A REASSURING NOD TO HIMSELF, STEVE STEPED INTO THE SHOWER.

AN ARRAY OF GELS LAY TO HIS SIDES AS HE TURNED THE HANDLE TO LET THE WATER ESCAPE FROM THE PIPES. CAREFULLY CHOOSING A STRAWBERRY SENTED GROUP, HE MINDLESSLY LATHERED THEM OVER HIS TONED BODY. ADRENALINE RAN THROUGH STEVE'S VEINS; BETWEEN BEING A SOLDIER, FROZEN IN ICE, AND THE ASSHOLES CALLING THEMSELVES "EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROS", HE NEVER WAS REALLY GIVEN THE CHANCE TO MAKE FRIENDS. BESIDES, SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE COLD EYES SHERLOCK GAVE HIM EXCITED HIM, AND HE SHAMELESSLY ENJOYED IT.

STEVE SLID HIS BACK DOWN THE WALL, AND THE WATER CASCADE AROUND HIM, AS HE ALLOWED HIS MIND TO WONDER. I CAN'T MESS THIS UP… HE LOST HIS WORK BUDDY, JUST LIKE ME. WELL, EXCEPT TONY GOT WEIRDED OUT… ITS NOT MY FAULT NOT ASK, NOT TELL DOESNT MATTER ANYMORE! BUT MAYBE HE WONT WANT TO JUST JUMP INTO A NEW RELATIONSHIP… I NEED TO BE CAREFUL, TOO. LETTING GO OF THESE THOUGHTS AND TOSSED HIS HEAD BACK, RESTING ON THE WALL. SHAKING IT BACK AND FORTH, HE WHISPERED TO HIMSELF, "HE'S LONELY. WETHER HE ADMITS IT OR NOT, HE NEED SOMEONE… I COULD BE THAT SOMEONE." SCOFFING AT HIMSELF, HE MUMBLED AS HE GOT UP, "LONELINESS LOVES COMPANY, RIGHT?"

REACHING OUT AND TURNING OFF THE WATER, STEVE EXITED THE SHOWER. GRABBING A SOFT, WHITE TOWEL, HE PATTED HIS HEAD DRY AND WALKED TO THE CLOSET. SEEING HOW BRUCE RECOMMEND HIM TAKING A VACATION, HE DIDNT PACK MUCH IN THE WAY OF CLOTHES.

SLIDING OPEN THE DOOR, STEVE SIGHED. LAYING IN FRONT OF HIM, WAS A VARIETY FORMS OF BOXER SHORTS, A COUPLE CASUAL SHIRTS AND SHORTS/PANTS AND HIS 'HERO SUIT'. RELUCTANTLY, HE REACHED AND GRABED A BUTTON DOWN SHIRT, PLAIN BLUE BOXERS AND A PAIR OF JEANS. AFTER LAYERING EACH GARMENT OVER THE OTHER, HE GRABED A WATCH. IT READ 5:30, RUSHING TO PUT ON SHOES AS HE RAN OUT THE DOOR.

THE ELEVATOR WAS GOING SLOWER THAN HE WISHED, SO WHEN THE DOOR OPENED, HE PRACTICALLY SPRINTED TO THE INFORMATION DESK. "EXCUSE ME, BUT IS THERE A NEARBY FLOWER SHOP?"

THE WOMAN SNICKERED TO HERSELF AND GAVE GENERAL DIRECTIONS. QUICKLY THANKING HER, HE WALKED AS CALM AS HE COULD MANAGE TO THE SHOP. IS THIS A DATE? IF ITS NOT, IS IT WEIRD TO GET HIM FLOWERS? IS IT EVEN WEIRDER THAT I LIKE THE IDEA OF IT BEING A DATE?!

HE SHOOK HIS HEAD AND STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE SHOP. QUICKLY STRIDING IN HE HALTED BY THE IRISES. YELLOW, VIOLET, PINK, AND WHITE ALONG WITH MANY DIFFERENT BI-COLORS STUPED THE HERO. GLANCING ONCE MORE AT HIS WATCH, TIME FLEW TO 5:48. PANICKING, HE PLUCKED ONE OF EACH AND PAYED FOR THEM. ONLY THEN DID IT OCCUR TO HIM, THAT THE OVER ANALYTICAL SHERLOCK HOLMES MAY FIND IT WEIRD FOR ONE MAN TO BRING ANOTHER FLOWERS, AFTER ALL, NOT EVERYONE IS GAY.

CONTINUING TO EXCHANGE THE MONEY HE STRODE OUT ONCE MORE. 5:56, HE FRANTICLY LOOKED UP FROM THE WATCH AND SEARCHED FOR THE DETECTIVE'S SHOP. AFTER FINDING IT, HE SMOOTHED HIS HAIR AND TENTATIVELY KNOCKED ON THE WOODEN DOOR.

FOR WHAT WERE SEEMINGLY HOURS, STEVE STOOD THERE WAITING FOR IT TO OPEN. LOOKING AT HIS WATCH, AGAIN, HE KNOCKED. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT WOOD THAT GRAZED HIS KNUCKLES, BUT THE FACE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. FEELING THE DIFFERENCE IN TEXTURE, HE GLANCED UP AND PROCEEDED TO FLAIL AROUND.

THE DARKER HAIRED MAN'S EYES NARROWED. "THANK YOU FOR SPAZING OUT, BUT YOUR CONDOLENCES ARE NEITHER NEEDED NOR WANTED. PLEASE, JUST COME IN."

WITH A SHARP NOD, STEVE ENTERED THE BUILDING. BRUSHING PAST HIM, SHERLOCK HOLMES LED HIM UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. WHILE WALKING, STEVE NOTICED MANY DIFFERENT PICTURES DOTTING THE DARK BLUE WALLS. WITH RATHER ODD FASCINATION, STEVE TOOK A CLOSER LOOK.

EACH PHOTO WAS TAKEN OF SHERLOCK AND SOME OTHER MAN. (IT WAS THEN THAT STEVE NOTICED HIS HOST'S AWKWARD HEIGHT) THE SENERY DIFFERED IN EACH PICTURE, FROM AS PUBLIC TO A CITY HALL TO AS PRIVATE AS ONE OF THEIR PERSONAL HOMES. HE ALSO NOTED THAT SHERLOCK'S EXPRESSION CHANGED GREATLY DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF PRIVACY EACH PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN. "HEY SHER… WHO'S THIS GUY?"

UNKNOWING HIS GUEST WAS GONE FROM HIS SIDE, SHERLOCK BRISKLY WALKED BEHIND THE OTHER MAN. "WHO TOLD YOU IT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO CALL ME 'SHER'?"

"I DID. NOW ABOUT THIS GUY, WAS THIS YOUR OLD PARTNER?"

A STINGING PAIN RAN THROUGH SHERLOCK'S HEART. JOHN… WHY DID YOU GO? WAS I NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU? YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME AND YOU'D STAY BY MY SIDE FOREVER… I GUESS FOREVER'S TIME LIMIT HAS COME AND GONE…

WITH A COUGH TO CLEAR HIS THROAT, SHERLOCK REPLIED, "YES. JOHN WATSON… I EXPLAINED ABOUT HIM, LET'S CONTINUE."

"HOLD UP YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE EMOTIONS HERE. ARE YOU SURE YOU WERN'T MORE?"

"… IF I ENTERTAIN YOUR THOUGHTS WILL YOU DROP THIS?"

WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A NOD FROM STEVE, SHERLOCK SIGHED. "YES, HE WAS MY LOVER… THE DINING ROOM IS THIS WAY." SHERLOCK CURTLY SIGHED AND WALKED AHEAD.

JOGGING UP TO SHERLOCK, STEVE PLACED THE FLOWERS IN THE OTHERS HAND. "IM SORRY YOU LOST HIM, YOU MUST'VE LOVED HIM… I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPLETELY. IF YOU EVER WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, I'M HERE…"

SHERLOCK'S HEART SKIPPED A BEAT AND HIS FACE NEARLY BROKE INTO A SMILE. HOWEVER, THIS MOMENT LASTED BARELY A SECOND, WHEN SHERLOCK BARKED OUT, "IF I WANTED CONDOLENCES, I WOULD'VE STAYED IN THAT DAMNED TOWN!" THROWING THE FLOWERS TO THE GROUND, HE QUICKLY WALKED TO THE DINING ROOM. "AND GET OUT OF MY WORK PLACE!" THE SUDDEN OUT BURST OF ANGER LEFT STEVE DUMBFOUNDED AT THE SEEMINGLY CALM SHERLOCK HOLMES.


Yay slightly longer chapters! Please remember to review... or not... thats cool too. Thanks guys, see you in *Around* a week~