Giveaway

Throughout the next week Danny continuously considered either quitting the crime lab or suicide. The cold shoulders, the snide remarks, the lost friends, yes he deserved it all but that didn't stop it from hurting. He dragged himself through life, having crashed at a hostel, he went out every night he wasn't working, sleeping with any man who crossed his path, gradually realising that he was going to have to accept that he was gay. This particular day was dreary. There was no sun but it was humid and heavy with grey clouds refusing to disperse. Danny walked through the lab with his head down as he did these days, avoiding looking anyone in the eye and slipped into the locker room where he swung his bag onto the bench with a groan, and sat himself down with another broken groan. He put his hands over his face then through his hair, as he did he turned his head slightly and stiffened as he caught sight of Sheldon leaning against the lockers looking gaunt.

"Sheldon?"

Sheldon was the only one who was talking to him normally, almost sympathetically, and although they never discussed what Danny had done Danny could feel Sheldon pitying him, and he never knew if that made him feel grateful that someone still cared or angry that Sheldon wasn't punishing him as the rest were. But now, Sheldon looked half dead.

Danny got up and walked over to Sheldon's listless figure. He sat next to him, leaning against the lockers, wondering if Sheldon had been crying, and if he had, who the bastard was who had caused that.

"Sheldon? Buddy, what's wrong?"

The only movement Sheldon made to acknowledge that he'd heard Danny was to shut his eyes. He pressed his lips together tightly, drawing in breath then exhaled, trembling slightly, still with his eyes shut.

"Let's just say," he whispered, "that I know how Lindsey feels right now."

Danny was unsure how to reply, if at all. Was that a dig at him? Had he done something? Or was it…

"Did Jacob…?"

Sheldon took a breath again and this time opened his eyes, barely holding back tears.

"It turns out," he said quietly, almost as if he didn't want himself to hear, "Jacob's been back in the US for 3 months more than he said he was." He looked Danny in the eye. "You know why?"

"He was cheating on you."

Sheldon nodded slowly, looking away. "With a woman." He turned his brown eyes back to Danny. "He always said he was gay. See, it's almost like you and Lindsey."

Danny swallowed, watching the floor. "Do you know her?"

Sheldon shook his head and took a deep breath. He got up and as he paced he told Danny what had happened.

Sheldon picked up his mobile as he pulled on his jacket.

"Hawkes?"

"Hey baby, you working tonight?"

"No, I was just about to come home."

"Oh good, I got a surprise for you. Meet me outside the Tick Tock Café in fifteen?"

"Tick Tock?" Sheldon smiled as he walked out of the crime lab. "The place we had our first date? This must be special!"

"You've no idea sweetheart. See you soon yeah?"

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you too."

Fifteen minutes later Sheldon arrived at the tiny bohemian café to see his boyfriend dressed smartly at a table in the window. He waved as he entered. Sheldon slid onto the cosy sofa next to Jacob.

"You didn't tell me we were dressing up." He accused as he took off his jacket. Jacob laughed.

"I wasn't expecting you to, but you always say I look scruffy so I thought, seeing as this is a special occasion, that I'd tidy up a little." He leaned forwards and slipped an arm around Sheldon's waist to draw him closer for a kiss. After they broke apart Sheldon smiled, then frowned as he tweaked Jacob's tie.

"So why is this so special? It's not our anniversary."

"No," Jacob reached into his pocket, "it's, hopefully, a little more special than that." He brought out a rectangular black velvet box and opened it to reveal a gold wristwatch.

"Wow!" Sheldon was speechless. "Jacob….what's this for?"

"Well," Jacob seemed nervous, "I was going to get a ring but I thought a watch was more manly…." He gazed at Sheldon as Sheldon started to understand.

"Jacob…"

"Sheldon Hawkes," Jacob presented Sheldon with the watch, "will you marry me?"

Sheldon took the watch off his wrist as he lay in bed after an extraordinary round of sex with Jacob. He gazed at the white face with gold hands, running his thumbs over the glass in front. He felt something on the back so he turned it over. The back was brightly burnished gold as was the rest of the watch but after years of working at the lab Sheldon could see immediately that there had been something engraved on the back of this watch, and it hadn't been entirely removed. He frowned and looked over at Jacob who was snoring. He got out of bed quietly and pulled his trackies on. He wandered into the kitchen and placed the watch on the table, thinking. Finally he went into his study and returned with a soft graphite pencil. He rubbed the pencil over the back of the watch, watching carefully as the graphite flakes fell into the lines that were still there.

Jacob was awaken by something hitting him hard on the head.

"Jesus Christ!" he rubbed his forehead and saw that it was the alarm clock that had hit him. "What the hell?"

"What's this Jacob?" Jacob looked up to see Sheldon fully dressed holding the watch up so he could see the back where the graphite was clearly showing the words, To My Darling Christina. When Jacob didn't answer immediately, Sheldon lost his temper for the second time and flung the watch at him, then asked in a dangerously soft voice "Who the hell is Christina, Jacob?"

"She's no one! Sheldon, baby, she's no one-"

"Then why did you give me a watch which you had originally intended for her?" Jacob rubbed his forehead again, trying to find an excuse. Sheldon climbed on to the bed and grabbed Jacob's chin roughly so he was looking directly into his eyes. "Who. Is. She?"

"She's just someone I knew in the army, the watch was a joke for her, we used to joke when we were in Afghanistan that we were married."

"It's a very expensive joke." Sheldon pointed out dangerously. Jacob reached up and stroked Sheldon's cheek.

"I swear, it was a joke, that's all it was." Jacob's mobile rang. Sheldon glared into his eyes then shrugged him off, going into the lounge. "Sheldon! Shit." Jacob got up as fast as he could, desperate to get to the phone before Sheldon did. He raced into the lounge only to see Sheldon pick up the phone.

"It's Christina." He said.

"Sheldon…." Sheldon flipped the phone open and put it on speakerphone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jacob honey is that you?"

"Yes." Sheldon replied.

"Listen honey, I've been thinking, I'm sorry how I reacted and everything, I was just kinda shocked, I mean we've only known each other properly for a year, and we've only, you know," she giggled "known each other intimately for six months or so, right? But, well, is it too late to say yes?" Sheldon looked directly at Jacob who was speechless and frozen. "Jacob?" said the voice, "honey?" Sheldon shut the phone and threw it at Jacob.

"Fucking asshole!" Danny was furious. "What fucking right does he have?" he was on his feet now, appalled at how Jacob had treated Sheldon. "What fucking….Fuck!" Sheldon was leaning against the far wall by the window with his hands in his pockets. He shook his head, biting his lip.

"I just wish I'd found out sooner. I feel like such an idiot, saying I'd marry him when he'd been cheating on me and intending to carry on after we were married."

"Seriously?" Danny was incredulous. "He said that?"

"He said he didn't know which of us he loved more and he hoped that proposing would show him which of us loved him more, so he could make a decision." Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "I'm such an idiot"

"No," Danny walked over to him and put his hands on Sheldon's shoulders. "no you're not, he's the idiot. At least you're rid of him now, you can move on."

"Yeah…" Danny put his arms around Sheldon and Sheldon put his arms around Danny's waist. They stayed like that for a while, Danny knowing Sheldon needed the hug, but unable to stop his heart from pounding in his chest.

love you alllxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

p.s crossover coming soon ;)