Chapter 4

The clean, orderly laboratory was a pleasing sight for the detective. Even more so when his attention was drawn to the vials and folders on one of the desks.

"Oh, good, the victim's blood sample," Sherlock grinned and hurried over to the table to start puttering away with his equipment.

John followed the other man, absently picking up one of the files and leafing through it. He watched as Sherlock worked and after a couple long minutes he spoke up. "Sherlock, when did you last eat?"

"I had tea with you a few hours ago," the detective answered absent mindedly. He lifted on of the chemical tubes to the light, searching for a reaction.

"It is almost seven o'clock, Sherlock. You need to eat," John pressed. "Doctor's orders," he added with a smirk when he received no answer.

"You can eat, I can think." Sherlock didn't appear to be listening very attentively.

John sighed, Sherlock was in his element and he probably wouldn't get him to listen until he was finished. "After then?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," Sherlock said excitedly, looking through a microscope, "snakes. Just as I thought."

John wasn't sure if the detective had answered his request, but the man's words had peaked his curiosity. "Snakes?" he questioned, hoping for elaboration.

"It was a snake poison that paralyzed her. I need to do a couple more test before I make a final conclusion on the real cause of death."

"Well I'm going to get coffee. Would you like one?" John asked.

"Black, with some sugar, please. I'll be here." Was the curt response.

Leaving Sherlock to do his work, the doctor left the lab and walked through the halls. It wasn't that far a walk to the coffee machine, though the bland coloured walls and washed out lights made the hallways seem a bit longer than perceived. As John drew level to the coffee dispenser, he saw someone standing by it. It was Molly.

"Hello."

"John?" Molly looked up, seeming to be a bit startled.

"Long shift?" he asked with a gentle smile.

"I was just grabbing something to drink before I headed home. Are you here with Sherlock?"

For some reason the typical question made John rather flustered. "Yes, it's for a case. We have a new case. He's in the lab right now."

"Oh, so Sherlock kicked you out of the lab while he works? He used to do that with me," Molly said rather sadly.

"Ah, no. I'm just getting us coffee," John explained. "Although that could count as being kicked out," he laughed to lighten the mood.

Molly giggled at John's words, her smile growing and lighting up warmly. She looked for a moment like she was about to say something, but backed off at the last minute. "Well, I should get going. Say hello to Sherlock for me."

"Oh, alright," the doctor said, lifting his hand in a wave as the scientist left and leaving him to make the drinks. Making sure to add some sugar to Sherlock's he took the drinks in hand and made his way back to the lab.

The detective was right where he had been when John had left him, peering through the microscope. Every couple seconds he would turn to the laptop on the counter next to him and patter away on the keyboard. With a good natured smile on his lips, the doctor made his way over to the working man. "Molly says hello," he said as way of greeting.

Just as John was placing the cups beside the curly haired man, Sherlock let out a loud and very excited exclamation. "Of course! It's completely obvious!" It was so sudden it almost made the blond jump out of his skin and spill the coffee all over the evidence.

"What?" John blurted, his voice in between frazzled and annoyed.

Sherlock twisted in his seat, still blabbering away. "The snake poison that was in the victim's bloodstream comes from a certain species of rainforest snake. I did some research and I was right in deducing she was a rainforest biologist, I was also able to find out that she had a research partner and that they had recently had a rather rough falling out about one of their latest papers." Sherlock grabbed his coat, the movement fast and graceful. "Conclusion, the partner went over to see her and brought some snake poison from their laboratory. There was a small struggle and the victim hit her head, knocking her out enabling the research partner to administer the poison and stage it to look as if she had slipped in the shower and died from a blow to the head to throw us off. They even made two puncture marks just in case the poison was discovered to make the idiot police think that she had merely been bitten by one of her lab snakes."

"They did it to throw us off, but it didn't work on you," was all John could say, already thoroughly impressed.

"It is simply elementary," Sherlock shrugged on his coat, then noticed the cups on the counter next to him. "Oh, thank you." He grabbed one of the drinks and gave John a quick peck on the cheek. "Let's go catch our murderer."

John smiled at Sherlock's actions. "Some date," he mumbled to himself.

Xxxx

The flat was just as they left earlier that afternoon. John saw their half-drunk tea cups and chuckled. It was rather hard to finish any kind of refreshment in this house without something coming up. He noticed the case file he had brought home for Sherlock sitting on the table and snatched it up.

"Do you want to look this over?" he asked, holding out the file for the detective. "Or are you too tired after that last one?" he goaded.

"As if that case was difficult enough to tire me," Sherlock shrugged and leaned in closer to John, propping his head against the blond's. "The one you brought was dull anyway," he hummed. "It was the janitor."

"You haven't even read it," John argued. "You can't possibly know that."

"There was a copy of the file on Lestrade's desk when we went to tell him about the research partner. I had a quick look at it," Sherlock explained, nuzzling into his flatmate's short tresses.

"Then why did you want to come back here?" John asked, tossing the file back onto the table and leaning closer to Sherlock.

"Because we eat here, live here, sleep here," Sherlock muttered quietly, rocking back on his heels a bit.

John smiled, wrapping an arm loosely around the taller man. "Well, when you say it like that it sounds dull."

"It's not that dull it you're here," came a slightly grumpy sounding answer.

"Because me watching James Bond, blogging and making tea isn't dull," John joked.

"Well, yes that is rather dull," Sherlock agreed. "But sometimes you're not so dull, you can be unpredictable in some situations," he assured, moving his head back so that he could look John in the face.

"Why thank you, Sherlock. I think it goes without saying, but I do not find you dull at all," John smiled, a teasing tone in his voice.

"I do frown on living a pedestrian life after all," Sherlock huffed dramatically, going back to nuzzling John's cheek. "What shall we do now?" he asked after a while.

"I suppose we have to keep you entertained somehow," John sighed, raking his brains for ideas.

"Yes, it is very dangerous for me to get bored," Sherlock mused. The detective's words immediately brought images of bullet holes, failed experiments and other incidents to the doctor's mind.

He laughed. "I've noticed. Unfortunately I couldn't save my jumper from the wrath of your boredom," he stated in a playful tone.

Sherlock sighted in annoyance. "I have already told you, that was an accident," he frowned. "I also gave you a shirt to replace that one, which you still need to try on," he added with emphasis.

"Fine, I'll wear it," John conceded, then an idea popped into his head. Wrapping his arms around the other's neck, the blond brought Sherlock down into a chaste kiss. "But you have to help me."

"How?" Sherlock asked, puzzled.

John stared at the man in his arms. Dumfounded.

Rather put off by his boyfriend's stare, Sherlock slowly withdrew himself from John's arms and went over to where the shirt had been discarded earlier. He picked it up and walked back over to the blond, still feeling rather awkward. He held it out for the man.

"Here," he offered.

Although that hadn't exactly been what John had meant for Sherlock to do, the doctor decided to let it slide and took the shirt from the detective. As he took of his current jumper, Sherlock flopped down on the couch. John wanted to laugh at the man, he really was an overgrown child. Looking down at himself, John noticed his sleeves were a bit too long for his arms. It was still a nice shirt though. He joined Sherlock on the couch.

Wordlessly Sherlock opened his arms and John gladly went closer for a hug. It was a silent 'I love you' between the both of them. Eventually, Sherlock tipped his weight enough until they were both lying down on the sofa. "Now this is comfortable," he said softly.

John hummed in agreement, his head nestled on Sherlock's chest.

"Can we stay like this for a while longer?" Sherlock asked. "We didn't get much of a chance last time."

"I haven't a problem with that," John murmured, a quirk in his lips.

Arms tightened ever so slightly in comfort. For many long minutes they laid together, listening to their breathing and the sounds on the street outside. It was rather meditative and calming. Sherlock's fingers gently trailed across John's back in a mindless pattern.

"So what shall we do tomorrow?" the detective asked into the silence.

John's mind had slowed down in the calming atmosphere so it took him a moment to answer. "Sleep?" he suggested.

"Sleeping's boring," was all the other man stated. Absent mindedly, he nuzzled his cheek against the crown of John's head as he spoke.

Feeling this, John looked up and the two of them found themselves almost nose to nose. There was only a moment of hesitation on Sherlock's part before he leaned further into John and gently kissed his lips. With a content sigh, John pressed into the kiss as well, his eyes falling shut. Sherlock's lids soon fell too and he pulled them closer together, until there was almost no room for air between their bodies.

Trying to take it just a bit further, Sherlock deepened the kiss. His tongue gently running along the seam of John's lips, pushing softly. Though a bit surprised by Sherlock's actions, John opened his lips to the other with a quiet moan. Sucking lightly on the blonde's tongue, Sherlock responded with his own throaty moan, his hands fisting the back of John's new shirt.

John's hands began traveling around as well, making their way up into Sherlock's hair. When the deft fingers touched the man's scalp, Sherlock sucked in a quick gasp and pulled away from the kiss in favour of tilting his head into John's hand. Noticing the reaction, John tighten his grip ever so slightly on the man's locks. The following reaction was rather pleasing for the doctor as Sherlock let out another moan and pressed close to him. He smiled, but soon dropped the grin when the detective reinitiated their kissing.

Their motions were becoming more active as they pressed against each other. All throughout, their kiss remains unbroken. Soon John was beginning to feel rather light headed, but he ignored it. Sherlock was also feeling the burning from lack of oxygen. Not wanting to lose any contact, he took a sharp breath through his nose and was hit with the strong, hot scent of a certain army doctor. It finally became too much and Sherlock pulled away with a gasp.

"Needed air," he huffed.

John was also rather short of breath. "Yeah, wouldn't want to suffocate. Would we?" His words were breathy and short as his chest rose and fell at an elevated pace.

"How cruel," Sherlock sighed dramatically, "to be separated in such a cruel way."

Snuggling closer, John laughed. "I don't think that we will be separated anytime soon."

Underneath the doctor, the tension in Sherlock's body grew. His shoulder's stiffened and when he spoke, his breath sounded tight.

"What about Moriarty?"