A/N: This chapter is so long. Probably the longest yet. Hope you enjoy. I'm really excited about the next chapter so the wait will probably be short. Anyway, enjoy, please review!

They wait on the sofa, fighting over what to watch. They agree on a cartoon that makes them laugh so loudly that Clement has to exit his study to tell them to quiet down. After kissing both their heads, he returns to the study.

John picks Sherlock up minutes later, excited to take Sherlock to the arcade. Harry let him borrow her car, so he's even more excited about being able to drive them there. Since Declan is already with Ellery, they leave and go straight to the arcade.

Duke, Declan, and Ellery are already there when they arrive. They all happily greet, then go inside to eat before laser tag.

Harvey, Lily, and Olive arrive while they're eating. After they get their food, they sit to eat and talk with each other.

John and Sherlock hardly pay attention. Since they're reunited and free to do whatever they want outside of school, John holds Sherlock close and they share food. John feeds Sherlock chips, because he knows Sherlock won't feed himself; he even places one in his own mouth and Sherlock bites the other end of it.

"Is this what you two are like outside of school?" Olive asks, finally getting their attention.

John blushes.

"Yes!" Declan answers for them. "And it's disgusting."

The group laughs.

"I think it's sweet," Lily says. "You two are so in love, it's amazing."

"You two are quite a lot like my brother and his girlfriend," Duke adds. "Only slightly less disgusting."

John and Sherlock laugh.

"Dane didn't want to join us?" Declan asks. "Were they doing something nice?"

"Yeah, he was taking her to dinner. It would've been nice to see him today, though."

"Why?" Harvey asks.

"Because…" Duke pauses, visibly regretting saying what he had just said, but then he adds, "It's our birthday."

The group stops and stares at him in shock.

"It's your birthday?!" John cries.

"Dude, I didn't know that!" Declan says. "I'm sorry."

Duke shakes his head. "No, it's ok. Really. It's not a big deal."

"It is!" Lily says, hugging him. "We'll make it up to you!"

"You guys don't have to, really."

"We'll let you win a round of laser tag," Harvey says.

Duke smiles. "Ok. That's fair."

When they're done eating, they go to the laser tag area to rent their supplies. As they're strapping up their chest protectors, Declan elbows Sherlock and nods towards the entrance. Sherlock looks and sees Wyatt standing there looking terribly lost.

"Oh," Sherlock mutters. "I'll, uh, be right back."

Declan follows anyway, and they approach Wyatt before he turns around to leave.

"Glad you could make it, mate," Declan says, shaking his hand. "How are you doing?"

Wyatt shrugs. "Better, I guess, now that this isn't bothering me. I had been wondering for months if she was cheating on me, now it's…it's a bit of a relief to know the truth."

Declan nods in understanding. Sherlock stands there bored.

"Well, come on," Declan says, "We're about to start."

Wyatt follows them both. "Say, are you two brothers? You look alike."

"We're cousins," they both say at the same time.

They get back to the group and introduce Wyatt to everyone. Of course, most of them know him, and Duke tries to hit on him, but Wyatt quickly dismisses him. Duke just shrugs and enters the laser tag area.

Duke does win the first round, but not on purpose. Harvey and Lily hide away in one corner, John and Sherlock in another, Declan and Ellery in a tunnel, so really the game is between Duke, Olive, and Wyatt. By the end of the time period, Duke had shot Olive and Wyatt, so he was the only one who had a score.

"Alright," John announces at the start of round two. "We really play this time. No hiding away in dark corners to make out, that goes for Sherlock and I as well."

"Deal," Harvey and Lily agree.

"We weren't making out," Declan argues.

Sherlock steps close to him and examines his face. "So, you're the one who wears strawberry lip gloss?"

Everyone laughs, even Ellery.

Declan wipes his lips. "Shut up."

The kids spread out through the course and the time starts. This round, they play like they mean it.

John hides behind a large rock to wait for others so he can shoot them as they pass. He does shoot two people, he's not sure who, and a second later he's shot from behind.

He jumps when he hears his device beep indicating he's out, as he does so he turns to see who's behind him.

"Christ!" he whisper shouts.

Sherlock laughs.

"You scared me!" John cries.

Sherlock continues laughing while he presses a hand against John's chest, above his heart. "I'm sorry, John. I saw you and I couldn't help it."

John holds up his gun. "Well, I'll shoot you now."

"You can't, you're out."

John pretends to pout.

Sherlock holds up his own gun and shoots his own device. "Even?"

John smiles. "Even," he says, leaning over and capturing Sherlock's lips with his own.

Sherlock joins in quickly, pulling John closer with each swipe of tongue.

They part for breath minutes later. Sherlock squirms uncomfortably and John bites his lip to keep from putting his hands all over Sherlock. He knows there are cameras everywhere in the room, and it'd be embarrassing to get kicked out for stroking Sherlock off behind a rock.

To take his mind off of it, Sherlock talks about other things. "Remember last Valentine's Day?"

"How could I forget?" John states, dreamily. "You gave me a rock."

Sherlock chuckles. "The rock looked like a heart, John. And you didn't know I loved you at that point."

"Do you know how much time you could have saved had you just told me when you realized it?"

"Do you know how much time you could have saved had you just told me when you realized it?!" Sherlock repeats.

"Why all the emphasis on me?!" John cries. "You're the sensitive one. I didn't do anything because you were fragile. Besides, I realized it long before you did."

"When did you?"

John shrugs. "I dunno…"

Sherlock examines him. He knows John is lying. "You do know."

John sighs. "Yeah, I do know."

Sherlock nudges him. "When?"

John sighs again. "Well, remember the summer before last when—"

"The summer before last?!" Sherlock cries. "Christ, John, an entire year went by before you kissed me?!"

"See? A lot of time could have been saved had you made the first move."

Sherlock shakes his head in disbelief. "Ok, when in the summer?"

John shakes his head. "It's stupid."

Sherlock grabs John's hand in a comforting way. "Please, John? I'm very curious now."

John takes a deep breath. "Ok. Well, it was the summer before last and we spent the morning swimming, like we usually do. Then, we went inside to finish your experiment, but you fell asleep on your bed while I was sitting on the floor holding the beaker you needed. I turned around and your face was right next to mine and I just…" John shrugs. "I don't know, Sherlock. Something about that moment made me want to be with you as more than just friends. The look on your face as you slept was…it was almost angelic. So peaceful and my heart felt like it was going to burst. I'd never had that intense rush of emotion. I started tearing up, honestly."

"Why, John?" Sherlock asks, sad.

"I was upset. I didn't think you'd ever feel the same about me."

Sherlock frowns. "What did you do while I slept?"

"I touched your fingers."

Sherlock chuckles. "My fingers?"

John smiles. "Yeah. Touching you anywhere else felt wrong, so I touched my fingertips against yours and I just…felt you. And I convinced myself that this was alright. That nobody else ever saw you that vulnerable, and that if I got to be that person, even as a friend, that was ok. I got to be there for you, I got to be who you called when you were not tired or bored or needed to talk to brainstorm. And I was okay with that."

"Had I never said anything? What would you have done?"

John shrugs. "I don't know, Sherlock. I don't want to think about it, ok?"

Sherlock nods, then leans over and brushes his lips against John's. "I love you," he whispers.

John wraps his arms around Sherlock and holds him close. "I love you, too."

After a minute of silence, Sherlock asks, "Do you remember our first Valentine's Day together?"

John laughs and lets Sherlock go, sitting back up again. "I gave you a cricket."

"Not just any cricket," Sherlock says. "A cricket that spent all day in your pocket."

John laughs. "Romantic, wasn't it?"

"What about when we were ten? That was by far more romantic."

"Yes," John agrees. "I sat on the floor of the little boy's loo with you while you threw up from eating too many cakes."

Sherlock laughs. "See? Romantic."

"What about when we were twelve? That was true romance."

"Hmm? Oh yes, when we dropped water balloons on Mycroft when he was kissing that girl on the front step?"

John laughs. "And to think they didn't work out."

"I don't think that's why they didn't work out."

John laughs harder. "I guess you're right, love."

Sherlock smiles at him.

They check the timers on their chest pieces and find that the round is going to end in less than a minute.

"How is this Valentine's Day going for you so far, then?" John asks.

"Hmm…" Sherlock sounds, leaning in to kiss John lightly. When he pulls away, he says, "So far, better than any we've shared."

The timers go off on their sets and the lights turn on in the course, so they make their way to the start.

"We agreed to no more hiding away, you two!" Lily says as they approach.

"I shot two people!" John argues.

"I shot him," Sherlock says.

Lily shakes her head and leaves them to join Harvey.

They play one more round before taking a break, and that round Sherlock wins. He plays seriously that third round, hiding skillfully and shooting everyone who passed him. The game was complete before the timer rang, Sherlock shooting five people for the win.

When they break, John excuses himself to the restroom, but he really goes to the food counter. The girl working smiles politely, and asks what he needs.

"I was wondering if you guys have any sort of cake or anything. Cupcakes, maybe? It's my friend's birthday and we kind of didn't know. Plus, he's alone this Valentine's Day and we feel bad."

"Oh," the girl says, looking at the menu. "Uh, which one is your friend?"

John points to Duke. "That one there. His name is Duke."

She looks up to see him. "Mmm," she sounds. "Cute."

"And very gay," John says.

"Oh," she sighs, disappointed.

"My friend Wyatt is newly single, though."

"How newly?"

John purses his lips. "This afternoon."

She shakes her head. "Thanks anyway. Uhm, it looks like we can get you guys ice cream sundaes? How does that sound?"

"Amazing," he says. "There are nine of us."

"Great," the girl tells him. "I'll be right over with them."

John smiles widely, thanks her, then leaves.

Minutes later, they're served their sundaes and everyone sings to Duke. They apologize for not being more prepared, but he's extremely happy by it anyway.

After their dessert, they play four more rounds of laser tag, Sherlock winning two more of them for the most of the evening. Sherlock gloats and everyone pretends to be upset by it, except Olive who had been fighting with him the entire time because she wanted to win.

"Well of course I wanted to beat you," Sherlock finally tells her. "You went on a date with my boyfriend."

"For the last time, Holmes, I did not go on a date with your boyfriend! We went to one dance!"

Sherlock pretends to ignore her, but in the end they both start to laugh about it.

Since more people, mostly young kids, join the laser tag arena, everyone playing gets split into teams. The teams are random, and Sherlock and John get placed on separate teams.

Before the first round begins, Sherlock and John share a good luck kiss.

"You need all the luck you can get," Sherlock tells John. "My team is going to win."

"Oh, please. You may be good, but Olive is on my team."

Sherlock nods at a little girl tying her bright pink shoe laces feet away from them. "That little girl over there? She holds the high score for these games."

John looks at her. "No way."

Sherlock nods. "The initials on the wall outside are G.H.P. and the jacket she tossed into a bin outside says G.H.P."

John shakes his head. "Well, my team is going to win."

Sherlock just smiles, then kisses John one more time.

The game starts and the buzzer rings through the arena that players are shot quickly. Since every person's chest piece is attached to a number and hooked to a computer, an announcer comes over the intercom to call players out.

Sherlock remembers that John's number was just six, so when an announcer says, "Player Six, you're out!" Sherlock stands from his hiding spot.

"Who shot my boyfriend?!" he shouts into nothing.

"I did, sucker!" the little girl from earlier shouts back.

Obviously Sherlock can't shoot her, because they're on the same team, but he begins to follow her around to shoot everyone she has targeted before she can.

At the end of the game, Sherlock's team does win and Sherlock shoots four more players than the little girl.

When they get out the arena, the little girl walks right up to him and glares up at him.

"You bastard!" she shouts.

Sherlock's eyebrows fly up.

"I was going to beat my high score!"

"You shouldn't have shot my boyfriend."

"We were on separate teams, I was supposed to shoot him!"

"Well, you still shouldn't have shot him!"

"Alright, big guy," she tells at him. "Let's go, me and you for four minutes to see who can shoot more."

"Fine," Sherlock says, grabbing his gun. "Let's go."

They tell the guy in charge of the whole operation that they're going to play a round alone, so the guy sets the timer and announces for them to start.

Sherlock doesn't hide away like he had been in previous rounds, because if they're both hiding nobody will be shot. Instead, he wanders around to try to find her, listening closely for her footsteps and even her breathing.

She catches him first. She silently steps up behind him and shoots him in the back. She giggles and runs passed him, and he can't help but laugh and follow her.

The four minutes end with a draw at three. They step out of the arena, back to where everyone is waiting for them to finish, and she turns to him.

"Good job, Player Seven."

"And you, Player Fifteen."

"My name's Gabby," she says, holding her hand out to shake his.

He shakes her hand. "Sherlock."

Gabby smiles up at him, flashing her still-growing front teeth. "I like you."

Sherlock smiles. "Uhm, thanks."

"Nobody's ever come close to beating me before."

Sherlock nods. "Well, first time for everything."

She smiles wider. "Be my Valentine?"

Sherlock blushes and all of their friends laugh. "I, uh…"

"Wouldn't you want your Valentine to be someone to be good at laser tag?"

"Hey!" John cries, still laughing.

Sherlock chuckles awkwardly. "Uhm…"

"I'll be seven soon, and you're good at laser tag. And the boy in my class didn't want to be my Valentine. He said I was scary."

"I couldn't imagine why," Sherlock mutters.

Suddenly, Gabby wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him tight. "You'll do."

Sherlock pats her head. "Uh, ok, thanks."

Their friends continue to laugh. Declan snaps a photo.

Finally, Gabby pulls away. "Come on," she says, "Let's play again!"

She grabs Sherlock's hand and pulls him away as she runs back to the arena.

They play a few more team rounds, but the next few times they play, Sherlock and John are on the same team. Sherlock and Gabby are placed on separate teams once, and they compete to shoot only each other.

Finally, all the friends leave around nine, after many rounds of laser tag and a few fights from the couples over losing and winning. Everyone says goodbye and promises to play laser tag or get together doing anything else again.

"Thanks for inviting me," Wyatt says as they leave. "It took my mind off of things for a while."

"No problem, mate," Declan says. "Listen, if you ever just want to hang out, Duke and I get together pretty often. And Sherlock and I live together, so we're both available."

"I thought you said you guys are cousin," Wyatt says.

"Yeah…it's a long story," Declan says. He gives Wyatt his mobile number, then Wyatt thanks everyone and leaves.

Gabby catches Sherlock before he can leave. She gives Sherlock a stick that was in her pocket, and Sherlock takes it. It reminds him of the cricket John gave him when they were eight, so he hugs Gabby and promises to return to beat her at laser tag again. At this, she kicks his shin and runs away to find her parents. Everyone laughs at this while exiting the arcade.

John drives Ellery home, then Declan, then he and Sherlock arrive at his house. Dawn and Harry are already in bed, so he and Sherlock go right up to his bedroom.

Sherlock flops down on the bed, lying sprawled out as much as he can.

"Shove over," John says, yanking his shoes off.

"Make me," Sherlock replies, his voice deeper than usual.

John grins. He doesn't move Sherlock at all, instead he climbs on top of Sherlock and settles between his legs.

"Can I assume by this position that you're going to fuck me tonight?" Sherlock asks, wrapping his arms around John.

John kisses Sherlock deeply, pulling his t-shirt up to touch his soft skin.

"I'm going to assume that's a yes," Sherlock says as he takes a deep breath, then reaches up for another kiss.

They kiss for long minutes. There's no rush, they know that, so they take their time with lips and tongue and gentle touches. John finally sits back on his heels to tear his shirt off, and Sherlock sits up to do the same.

John rubs Sherlock's thighs as Sherlock unzips his jeans.

"Are you sure about this?" John asks, watching Sherlock's long, pale fingers work his fly open.

Sherlock eagerly nods. "Yes, of course."

John bites his lip, watching Sherlock pull his jeans down his hips.

"What?" Sherlock questions. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just…"

Sherlock studies his face and his mannerisms. The way John is gripping Sherlock's thighs and the pained look on his face, he's clearly worried about something.

"You're afraid of hurting me?"

John slowly nods.

Sherlock leaves John's jeans and reaches up to cradle his face. "John, I've had you how many times now? Did I hurt you?"

John viciously shakes his head.

"Then stop worrying about it, ok? You're not going to hurt me."

"What if I don't prepare you enough? What if there's tearing, or—"

"Well, the first argument against that is I'm pretty sure I'll be able to tell you if you're hurting me. Second, I've done this to you enough that I know what to expect. And third, I've, uh…I've practiced."

John looks at him. "Practiced?"

Sherlock blushes. "Yeah, I…I practiced."

John cracks a smile. "You touched yourself?"

Sherlock nods.

John leans over and kisses the embarrassment off of Sherlock's face. "Don't be embarrassed, babe. Honestly, that makes me feel better. And, to be even more honest, that's sexy."

Sherlock smiles. "It is?"

John nods and kisses him again, this time tackling him onto the bed at the same time.

Their jeans are lost quickly and John retrieves the lube. He coats his fingers as Sherlock coolly relaxes on the bed.

"Ready?" John asks.

Sherlock folds his arms behind his head and rests his head on his arms. He spreads his thighs and bends his legs at his knee, giving John easiest access to his hole as possible.

"You're like a wet dream," John mutters, circling Sherlock's hole for the first time.

"A wet dream?" Sherlock repeats, hissing at the sudden slight intrusion. He takes a long, deep breath and relaxes. "But I'm not your dream…" he groans when John presses his finger in further. "I'm here, I'm real…"

"Thank god, too," John says, circling inside Sherlock. He does it gently, of course, and Sherlock moans beneath him.

"Did you like it when you did it yourself?" John asks, working that finger inside Sherlock.

Sherlock shakes his head. "It didn't feel this good."

"Why is this different?"

"You," Sherlock pants, his skin feeling hot and prickly. "It wasn't you."

"Did you think of me?"

Sherlock nods, his arms moving so he can throw his head back against the pillow. "I did," he pants.

John adds a finger. Sherlock arches off the bed, making John's cock ache even more. He longs to be inside Sherlock, the need being more intense than ever.

Sherlock begins to beg when he's ready. "Please, John, please fuck me now. God, I need your cock, I need you John…"

John swoons with want. He coats his erection quickly and lines up between Sherlock's legs.

John bites his lip so hard he tastes blood when his cock first enters Sherlock. Sherlock bellows beneath him, that alone not helping the desperation in his own body.

"Are you ok?" John frantically asks. "Sherlock, are you?"

Sherlock nods. "Come on, John," he moans, digging the heels of his feet into John's bum and pulling him in.

John nearly shouts as he sinks all the way in. Soon, he's buried balls deep inside Sherlock and feels so good he wants to cry.

"This is amazing, oh my god."

"Move John," Sherlock demands, digging his feet into John again.

John rocks forward, only barely, and Sherlock cries out beneath him.

"Hard, John," Sherlock begs. "Fuck me hard..."

"No…" John sighs, barely pulling out and thrusting back in. "Easy…first time…I—"

"I've fingered myself more than I've fucked you, John, I'm ready for this. I need this."

John moans at Sherlock's words and barely thrusts again.

Sherlock stretches and scratches John's shoulders. "Hard, John!"

John gives in, pulling out of Sherlock so only the head of his cock is in, then thrusting back as hard as he thinks is safe.

"Oh, yes!" Sherlock shouts, "Just like that, John!"

John does it again and again, groaning loudly with each reentry. After a few thrusts, he sits back on his knees and pulls one of Sherlock's legs over his shoulder.

"Oh god, yes…"

John holds his leg and side, bucking his hips wildly. Sherlock claws at the sheets and his own skin, his erection slapping against his pelvis with each rough thrust.

John reaches down and takes Sherlock's cock in hand, and in seconds Sherlock comes with toe-curling relief.

With the sensation of Sherlock clenching around him, with the sound of Sherlock coming apart beneath him, with the knowledge of Sherlock doing these things because of him, John slams hard up into Sherlock's body and comes with a very, very loud shout.

John pulls out and falls back on his bed, Sherlock's leg across his stomach. He pets Sherlock's shin and thigh, and wipes sweat from his own forehead.

"Aren't you glad we did this, now?" Sherlock asks.

John nods. "I regret not doing it sooner."

"I offered."

"I know, I know."

Sherlock chuckles. "Well, I'm not moving ever again. My lower half has been utterly used."

John groans. "I'm sorry, babe. You told me to go harder, so, I—"

"It was perfect," Sherlock cuts in. "Perfect, love. Beyond perfect, honestly."

John smiles. "I like it when you call me 'love'."

Sherlock reaches for his hand and squeezes it tight. "I love that I can call you 'love' without any sort of issue."

"You can call me whatever you want," John says. "I just like 'love' the most."

"I'm going to call you 'Captain Sex'."

John snorts a laugh, but smugly smiles. "Ok, Sherlock. Whatever. I quite like it, actually. 'Captain' suits me. Sounds like a super hero."

Sherlock laughs. "Well, you're my hero."

John smiles at him.

"My sex hero."

John throws an arm over his face and blushes. "Ok, shut up!"

Sherlock chuckles, then sighs contently. "You want to come up here to sleep with me, Captain Sex?"

John laughs loudly. "We need a shower."

"Let's take a quick one, then come back to bed, Captain Sex."

"Ok, stop calling me that!"

Sherlock laughs. "You said—"

"I changed my mind!"

Sherlock continues to laugh. "Ok. Well, let's go then. I want to go to sleep."

John climbs off the bed and pulls Sherlock up, practically carrying him to the shower. They bathe quickly, then return to John's bed.

John holds Sherlock tight and closes his eyes. Sherlock lies on John's chest to hear his heartbeat.

"How was your day?" John asks, drowsy.

"Perfect," Sherlock kisses John's bare chest. "Yours?"

"Amazing. I'm glad you had fun playing laser tag."

"I had loads of fun. Can we do that again sometime?"

John runs his fingers through Sherlock's hair. "Of course, my love."

Sherlock smiles. "Great."

John leans up as much as he can and kisses Sherlock's damp head. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sherlock says, kissing John's chest once more. He then adds, "Captain."

John laughs loudly, just holding Sherlock close and closing his eyes.