The alarm went off, and John rolled over to hit the snooze button. When he sunk back under the covers, long arms encircled him, pulling him back into a warm embrace.

Chuckling, John put his hands down to stroke along those arms. "Sherlock, I need to get up." He wasn't eager to leave the cozy bed, but work was pressing.

"Boring." A low rumble near his ear pronounced, followed by some slow kisses down his neck. He shifted closer, pressing against John's ass.

John turned on to his back, smiling up at the sleep-rumpled man beside him. Pushing a hand into his messy curls, he dragged his head down for a deep kiss.

Sherlock moaned, shifting over John, things intensifying quickly.

Pushing a hand against his chest, John shook his head slowly. "I want to, but there's not enough time."

"But it's been ages." Sherlock complained, kissing along his jaw.

John scoffed. "Two days. You could come over before I'm asleep if you are gagging for it so bad." He sat up, rolling his shoulder to see how stiff it was this morning. Most mornings, he woke to Sherlock in his bed, usually not waking up when he arrived in middle of the night.

Large hands settled on his shoulders, massaging away the tension there. "Fine. How about I give you a hand in the shower?"

With a quick glance of the clock, and John nodded, dragging Sherlock with him to the bathroom.

...

"Could you tell Sherlock to be a little quieter when he comes over after 11 pm? There have been some complaints about him slamming the front door and running up the stairs." Francesca passed John another beer and settled on the sofa beside him.

He nodded as he took a long sip.

Janine accepted a beer from Francesca as well. "When are you two going to move in with each other? It's been months and things are going well, right?"

"Why do we need to do that? As you just said, things are going well, just as they are." John smirked back. It had been going great with Sherlock so far, much better than he had expected.

She gave him a look like he was an idiot. "Well, don't you want things to progress to the next level with him? Live together, maybe get married eventually?"

John shrugged. "The Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in houses beside each other with a bridge between their roofs. Do you think we could get something like that here?"

Now Francesca was also giving him a funny look. "You two care about each other deeply, I can tell when I see you together. And he seems to spend most nights here already. What's the problem?"

John sighed, picking at the paper label on his bottle as he gathered his thoughts. "You two still think of him as Frank, but Sherlock really isn't like that. You haven't seen his flat or the nature of his work. He basically has a chemistry lab in his kitchen, and works long hours. He truly is a genius."

"So...?" Janine prompted.

John flicked her a glance. The women were close friends, and he truly didn't mind discussing this with them, but he wondered if there was any way to really explain it. "We are men over forty with well established careers and lifestyles. I wouldn't want to live full time in his chaotic mess, and he would feel stifled living here, behaving like Frank. We are better off with our own living spaces. We would probably get frustrated and argue constantly if we lived together."

Francesca shook her head, putting down her empty bottle. "But part of being in a serious relationship is changing and compromising to be together. Supporting each other, sharing your lives."

"We have that, and things are working as they are. It may not look like a conventional relationship from the outside, but Sherlock is a far from conventional man." John took the last sip of his beer.

Janine let out a little huff. "So, you are settling for less than you deserve to be with him. Taking what you can get. It might work OK now, but I know you, John. You won't be happy with this long term."

Getting up, John gathered up the empty bottles and put them in his recycling bin. He came back to the living room, leaning against the doorframe. "I've had good relationships and opportunities to be with great people in the past, but something was always missing, Janine. It's Sherlock. He gives me what I need. Be happy for me, OK?"

Francesca got up, and gave him a hard hug. "I am happy for you, John."

Janine hugged him next. Her dark eyes searched his when she pulled back. "Yes, I do see that you are happy, happier than I've seen you for a long, long time. You deserve to be."

Ushering them towards the door, John felt relieved that they seemed to understand things better now. "Thanks for coming by, but I need to pop in the shower now."

Francesca smirked at Janine as she slipped on her shoes. "Ah yes, it's Saturday night. Sherlock always shows up, dressed to the nines, to take John out somewhere fancy."

"Really?" Janine chuckled, shooting John a teasing glance. "Date night, is it?"

Rolling his eyes, John yanked open the door and basically had to shove the smirking women out of his flat. "Get out, you damn harpies." He chuckled as he shut the door behind them.

Glancing at the time, he had to rush a little now. A quick shower, a careful shave, and dressing in a good suit. Being with Sherlock, he had indulged in some nicer clothes for nights like this, and found he liked it. Anticipation built as he got ready.

The knock on his door made him grin, and he walked over to open it. Sherlock looked fantastic, the deep indigo of his dress shirt bringing out his pale skin and making his green eyes seem darker.

John liked the way Sherlock was looking back at him, the appreciation making his earlier efforts completely worth it. "Where are we going tonight?"

Sherlock leaned in to steal a quick kiss. "It's a surprise. Somewhere we've never been before."

After locking the door, John wrapped his arms lightly around his waist. "Mmmmm... I like surprises."

Placing his hands on the door behind John, caging him in, Sherlock's eyes gleamed. "I know." He leaned forward, kissing John firmly.

As tempted as John was to pull Sherlock back into his apartment right now, with how good he looked and how well he kissed, he managed to duck under Sherlock's arm and tugged him towards the stairs. He wanted to see what Sherlock had in mind for the night.

…

It was a mild summer night, and John felt happy. Walking hand in hand down the street after a great meal, a date night like they had so many weekends the last few months. One of the few 'normal' things in their relationship.

They got back to Baker Street, and John still felt a thrill as they climbed the stairs. In the flat, Sherlock took off his suit jacket and laid it the back of a chair. John did the same, and loosened the tie around his neck. But before they could undress any further, Sherlock shoved a folded blanket into John's arms and scooped up a bottle of wine and two glasses. He smirked a little as he led them up the stairs in the hallway.

"Another surprise?" John asked as they stepped out on to the roof. The beds of clover were well established now, dense mats of low greenery, with occasional small white flowers.

Sherlock's eyes seemed almost aqua in the setting sunlight, gleaming as he tugged John over to a corner of the roof. It reminded him of that day a few months before, the emotions of that day still fresh in his mind. Sherlock set down the bottle and glasses, and took the blanket from John to spread out on the roof.

Grabbing John's shoulders, Sherlock leaned in the give him a light kiss, and then spun him around, hugging him from behind. "What do you think?"

Turning his head to glare playfully at Sherlock, John looked around them, and saw a plain wooden box, about a meter high. As he watched, a bee landed on the side of it, and crawled into a hole on the side.

"A bee hive? You put a bee hive up here?" John chuckled, looking back at Sherlock.

Shrugging, Sherlock turned him to show him the others, one on each corner. "I like bees."

"So, you can harvest honey?"

"Clover honey." Sherlock nodded, and explained the parts of the hive, gesticulating enthusiastically. John could only smile, loving to see this side of Sherlock. Happy, enthused about a new project. Sharing his interests with John.

Eventually, Sherlock sat John down on the blanket and opened the wine. John took a sip, enjoying the rich full flavor as Sherlock shifted to sit beside him. The sun was just setting, giving them a beautiful free show.

He turned to smile at Sherlock, only to find him already watching him closely. "What…? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sherlock's sharp eyes scanned over John's face, one of his more assessing looks. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he nodded to himself. "You seem a little distracted tonight. Like at dinner, we were discussing Paolo's family, and you didn't say much. Is something upsetting you?"

John shook his head. "No, no… not at all. I'm glad that there has been a positive result from everything. I admire your efforts, getting them all in for testing and treatment."

"I'm sensing a 'but'…"

Finishing off his wine, John set the glass down carefully. "Perhaps I was distracted during dinner, but it wasn't about Paolo's family." He paused, wondering if he should really bring up what had been on his mind. But it wasn't something that would go away.

"Francesca and Janine were asking me about how things are going…" John started, nerves making it hard to hold Sherlock's gaze.

Sherlock's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, you want to talk about 'us'. The 'relationship'." And he looked just as nervous as John felt. "You said we could make our own rules. Are they working for you?"

John nodded, reaching out to rest a comforting hand on Sherlock's arm. "Yes, yes…so well. But…do you think we should move in together?"

Dropping his gaze to John's hand on his arm, Sherlock was very still. John could tell he was processing things. He was still new to relationships, and felt out of his depth at times. He finally looked back at John, his expression probing. "Do you want that, John?"

Chuckling a little weakly, John tried to lessen the tension between them. "Um…I asked you first." Oh, great answer. Very mature.

Sherlock tipped his glass, drinking the pricey wine far too fast. He put his glass down as he turned to look out at the view. "The last few months have been incredible…"

John nodded. "Yes, I agree. We both have crazy schedules, and I'm surprised that we are able to see each other as much as we do."

Sherlock looked a little alarmed at that comment. "Are you saying I'm coming over to your place too much?"

Turning towards Sherlock, John grabbed his hand. "No! I love that you come over so often. I know it's because you truly want to be there, not just from obligation."

"I sleep best beside you these days. And these Saturday nights…" Sherlock started.

John gave a half-smile. "Come on, Sherlock. You hate these 'date nights'. It's too… I don't know…too 'regimented' for you, isn't it?"

After taking a deep breath, Sherlock just shook his head slowly. "I suck at relationships, John, but even I could tell you needed something stable to counterbalance how erratic I am. I can't commit to working a regular schedule and eating dinner with you most nights, but Saturdays are yours."

"You don't mind the potlucks?" John asked. They had alternated making plans each week, and John had taken him to a few building gatherings.

Sherlock gave a rueful smile. "I want to know your friends, since they really are your family. You know mine…Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade..."

John felt good that they were taking the time to discuss everything. To make sure they were still on the same page. "So…you agree we should keep things as they are? Not move in together?"

"I love the way things are, John. I love…you." Sherlock said, his tone soft.

The breath caught in John's throat at that, completely shocked at the words he had never thought he would hear back from Sherlock. He had come to accept him as he was, never pushing him for more than he gave freely. Knowing he wasn't a conventional choice, and loving him unconditionally for who he really was.

"I love you too, Sherlock. More than ever." John finally whispered back, his heart pounding as Sherlock leaned closer for a soft kiss.

Those sweet words echoed in John's head as the kiss deepened, Sherlock hugging him tight, pulling him closer. Lost in a world that just had the two of them.

Only drops of water hitting John's face finally pulled him out of it. He looked around, and it was a little darker out now. The wind had picked up, and it was starting to rain. A storm was coming in.

"We better go inside." John said regretfully. Their romantic interlude on the roof would have to be some other night.

Sherlock tilted his face up towards the sky, raindrops falling on his skin and running downwards. He turned back to John with a playful grin. "Says who?"

John laughed, and tackled Sherlock, unbuttoning his shirt as the rain dampened it. The storm picked up, and he traced the trails of raindrops over his chest.

Sitting up, Sherlock pushed his wet curls back from his face, and worked on John's buttons. Soon, their shirts were off and trousers undone, kissing while hands went everywhere. John arched up against Sherlock, finding his wet bare skin deliciously slick, and Sherlock echoed his rhythm with a moan.

A few minutes later, they were both lying on their backs, panting, as the rain kept up its deluge, washing them clean, drenching everything.

Chuckling, John finally got up and found his shirt in a sodden pile, a steady dribble coming off it when he picked it up. Sherlock did up his trousers, and lifted up their soaked blanket, wringing out most of the water.

He grinned over to John with a shrug. "Wanna jump into a hot shower?"

Picking up the wine bottle and glasses, John raced towards the door and down the steps, trying hard not to slip on the way. Sherlock was right behind him, his long legs making up the distance easily.

John put the wine on the kitchen table, laughing when Sherlock came through the doorway, already yanking his wet trousers down and kicking them off. He stripped as he went to the bathroom, and was soon under the hot spray with Sherlock.

…

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Sherlock! You left water all over the steps! Someone could slip and really hurt themselves!" Mrs. Hudson chided through the door.

There was no answer, and she turned the doorknob, opening it slightly to peer around the corner. Her eyes quickly saw the wet blanket and clothes thrown everywhere, and heard the shower running behind the closed bathroom door. Shaking her head, she closed the door with a sigh, a small smile on her face.

…

A/N: Thanks so much for reading this odd AU of mine! It's been fun imagining what the future could be like in thirty years or so, within our lifetimes. There have been some stories in the news lately that reminded me of issues that came up in the story, like how doping was handled at the February 2018 Winter Olympics, live Virtual Reality for 30 olympic events, and the water crisis in Cape Town. More info below...

-Frida Kahlo's house: Frida (1907-1954) was "a Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy... Kahlo was also interested in politics, and in 1927 joined the Mexican Communist Party. Through the Party she met the celebrated muralist Diego Rivera. They were married in 1928, and remained a couple until Kahlo's death. The relationship was volatile due to both having extramarital affairs; and while they divorced in 1939, they remarried the following year." (Wikipedia) From 1934-1939, they moved into a house in Mexico City made up of two smooth concrete blocks, independent of one another and linked by a narrow bridge that joins the rooftops. A block is red and represents Diego. The other is blue, representing Frida. The bridge that unites them is the bond of love between them. The bohemian residence became an important meeting place for artists and political activists from Mexico and abroad, including former Soviet leader Leon Trotsky.

-Virtual Reality at Winter Olympics 2018: Intel produced the VR version of the Olympics in partnership with Olympics Broadcast Service (OBS), and then distributed 360-degree videos to 10 broadcast partners around the world, including NBC in the USA. Over 50 hours of the Olympics showed live virtual reality of 30 events, including the Opening Ceremony. 'To make these more unique, Intel gave viewers the ability to switch seats in mid-broadcast and watch competitions from different angles, and in some cases also find perspectives that aren't available to viewers on TV, or even at the event, said Aufhauser. "We want to have our cameras in places that the audience can't go." '.

-Russian Athletes at Winter Olympics 2018: Wikipedia: 'On 5 December 2017, the IOC announced that the Russian Olympic Committee had been suspended from the 2018 Winter Olympics with immediate effect. Athletes who had no previous drug violations and a consistent history of drug testing were to be allowed to compete under the Olympic Flag as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia" (OAR). Under the terms of the decree, Russian government officials were barred from the Games, and neither the country's flag nor anthem would be present (the Olympic Flag and Olympic Anthem would be used instead).' This was from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reports in previous years that the RUSADA, the Ministry of Sport, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Centre of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia had "operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes" within a "state-directed failsafe system". "Due to doping violations, Russia has been stripped of 41 Olympic medals – the most of any country, four times the number of the runner-up, and more than a third of the global total."

-Cape Town Water Crisis: A drought began in 2015, resulting in a severe water shortage, and April 2018 was the initial prediction for Day Zero when municipal water supply will be gone. They have been able to reduce their water consumption by more than half, and have pushed Day Zero to 2019 now, but many residents are ignoring volunteer water restrictions. The city is prepping 200 emergency water stations outside groceries and other gathering sports, each serving about 20,000 residents. Already, there are water-theft patrols at natural springs where fights have been breaking out, and crack downs on people gouging with inflated prices for bottled water. Similar water shortages have occurred in Mexico City, Melbourne, Jakarta and Sao Paulo.