A/N: Well, its been a while hmm? I'm so so sorry for not updating in like what... holy shit a month :|

its just been hectic for me. i've had mocks, then real exams, then my drama commission, then science coursework... all of which seemed to happen in the past 4 weeks :/
This would of been uploaded last night but then it decided not to let me log in, the bitch -.-

Anyway, i'm quite proud of this one... my longest one yet ;) A bit of smut as promised but there seems to be a lot more fluff :') don't know how that happened but ahh well, its nice :D
So please review and let me know what y'all think :D x
Review replies at bottom per usual.

"CARD REJECTED. PLEASE TRY AGAIN OR CONTACT YOUR CARD PROVIDER"

Again? John screamed mentally. When would there be a day when he could just buy milk and biscuits without having to fight with a machine.

He tried the card once more and when the same message repeated itself he decided enough was enough. Leaving the items on the self-checkout scanner, he began to walk out of the store empty handed, before the robotic voice of the machine rang out once again.

"THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT TESCO. PLEASE COME AGAIN."

Still with his back towards the machine, a vein on John's head threatened to pop.

"Oh Fuck Off!" He shouted back at the scanner before continuing to the exit.

As he neared the automatic doors, John couldn't help but notice how people had decided to stop shopping and watch his little 'display'. Pulling up the collar of his coat so it covered more of his ever increasing flushed face, he hurried out of the shop to hail a cab back to Baker Street.

Next time Sherlock really was doing the shopping.

"Sherlock, I'm ho- back!" John stopped himself from saying the word home. Although it was technically his home, it seemed wrong to say the infamous phrase to someone who he wasn't even sure thought of him in a way that went beyond a form of release.

"Ahh, John good. I've collected all the possible data I could find involving both the victims. I've cross referenced every little detail and with a little bit of Mycroft's help" John couldn't help but silently chuckle at how Sherlock's face scrunched up with disgust with the very mention of asking his brother for a favor. "I can literally tell you everyone who both of them has ever met, and do you know what I found out John?"

"I'm going to go with noth-"

"NOTHING JOHN, THAT'S WHAT." The doctor took a step back as Sherlock jumped up from his seat and started pacing the area in front of the fireplace. "I just can't fathom why he would go to all the trouble of killing her if they hadn't even met. It's clear from the letter that he regretted it so why? Why would he go way out of his comfort zone to kill someone he had never met?"

He paused then, taking a deep breath.

"Oh, unless… Oh, John I have been so ignorant."

John stared, expression blank as it tended to do when Sherlock went off on a tangent. He sighed and sat down in his armchair, lifting the strain off his leg. "I'm listening."

With a smile the detective jumped onto the opposite chair from John, sitting on his ankles in a crouched position, hands folded under his chin. "Good to know, even if you are a tad less responsive than the skull."

"EXCUS-"

"Shh John, your voice is not needed at this moment in time." Sherlock quirked, putting a finger on the other mans lips.

Remembering the games he and Harry used to play, John stuck his tongue out and licked the offending digit, keeping eye contact with Sherlock. He vamped up his style however, slowly licking up from the bottom knuckle to the fingertip, his eyes narrowing in a, what he hoped, sultry style. He gave himself a mental pat on the back when Sherlock slowly retracted his hand and held his index finger in front of his eyes studying the thin layer of saliva that now graced it, a light blush on his pale cheeks.

"Yes, well… that's also not needed… not right now anyway..." He trailed off, his eyes glazing over as he took in John's body language. Later he promised himself as his body once again fought with his mind.

Jumping back into his original position, he began to explain his theory.

"First victim didn't know her killer however she knew she was being followed, the chain had been slid across on the hotel door preventing access. No-one actually does that unless they don't trust the hotel area or if they are feeling a tad paranoid. She was staying in a high class area as it turns out so my guess is the latter."

"Second victim, also the murderer of the first, didn't know the victim as his letter clearly shows. He wasn't of a well-off background and neither was he intellectually gifted, so he must have had help getting into the hotel AND then getting physically into her room unnoticed by other residents. We know he was working for someone else from his letter, of whom is most likely of a higher status."

Sherlock paused, letting his mind take in what he was saying. That's how his brain made sense of the facts most of the time, speaking them aloud. This was how he had justified why he needed to have a human skull in the flat to Mrs. Hudson.

"Moriarty?" John whispered, his voice trembling a tad as he did. Neither man had talked about what had happened that night, nor had they talked about the man behind it all. However this did seem to have his evil genius mind written all over it.

Sherlock's head shot up, his brain calculating this new knowledge. John could have sworn he heard something click in his companions head before he began to answer the doctor's question.

"No, no it isn't… Moriarty. He'd make his mark more known; let us know it was him from the beginning. His mind doesn't need secrecy John, its needs an audience. No. I can confidently say we are dealing with a new individual."

"Surely you mean a group Sherlock? It sounds like an organization…"

"I'll admit that's what I thought at first but now, can't you see where I went wrong John? No, of course you can't." He carried on, ignoring John's glare. "While it isn't Moriarty, they are using his methods. Not getting involved, yet providing the murderers with information. HOWEVER, William did not know Eva. That much is obvious, so this individual is also providing the murderer, now if my theory is correct, William was hired to kill Eva, and someone else was hired to kill William."

He sighed before continuing.

"I am afraid we will have to wait for our second murderer, to be… well, disposed of so to be speak, before we can make any concrete accusations. So unfortunately this has turned into a waiting game. Of which I can deal with naturally, I've played enough of them in my time to tolerate them."

Sherlock looked up at John then, actually properly looking at him for the first time since he got in.

"Although there is something that is bothering me John."

John took a moment to reply as he'd been writing down what Sherlock had been dictating in his notebook. It made things much easier to remember once he got around to writing his blog if all the information was there ready for him.

"Hmm, what's that then?"

"It the curious case of the missing bags." Sherlock replied, as an eyebrow rose, studying the area around John.

"The missing bags? Oh…" John said, almost in a whisper, his face flushing slightly under the detectives gaze.

"Another fight?" Sherlock chuckled, his hand reaching out to caress John's cheek and it's still growing blush.

John lightly slapped Sherlock's hand away before standing up and making his way over to the drawer where the taller mans credit card was stored. "They don't like me Sherlock, they plot against me, I can tell."

"John, a machine is not capable of 'plotting', especially a self-service checkout one." Sherlock once again chuckled, following John over to the drawer before looping his arms around the smaller mans waist and leaning his head on his shoulder.

"They are. You know they are. What did we need again? Bread, milk, beans, eggs…." John asked, trying to disguise his fatigue. He leant back against the hard body behind him, letting his head fall back against Sherlock's shoulder as the taller man begin to pepper his neck with light kisses.

"You're not going out again are you? Not now, it's late… You could always just go tomorrow."

John was having a hard time finding reasons why he should get the shopping done tonight, until he realized this was the third night when Sherlock would have stopped him from getting it done. Reluctantly he pulled away from his partners embrace, grabbed the card in one hand and slowly made his way towards the stairs.

"I'll be back soon. While I'm gone… at least try and tidy up yeah?" John said while checking his list. Without waiting for a reply he made his way downstairs towards the front door.

"Be careful."

John barely heard Sherlock's voice as he took his first step out of 221b, but he did, and so, with a smile and a slight spring in his step, he headed back off down to Tesco's for round 2.

He hadn't risked visiting the machine again, it was getting rather late and the store would be closing soon so the last thing he needed was to be waiting for another hour while customer services helped him buy some milk. Never again he thought while walking down a dimly lit street, a white carrier bag in one hand.

John turned left into a dark alleyway. Yes, he'll admit not the safest option but when it saves you nearly 10 minutes on your journey, you take the risk. Especially seeing as John wasn't some young defenseless woman about to be attacked… hopefully.

He was about half way into the alley when he first heard his follower. John felt a familiar wave of déjà vu pass over him as he realized he'd been in this situation with Sherlock not a few days before.

He carried on, slowing his pace ever so slightly as he began to assess his problem. A heavy man judging from the thud each footstep made. Hopefully fat and not muscle John voiced in his mind just before he got his answer.

With a resounding CRACK, John's head hit the brick wall while his pursuer grabbed his arm from behind and twisted it up his back. He could feel the telltale sign of a gun pressing into his side, just above his hip.

Army training had taught John to remain still in this position and wait for an opening; any sharp, sudden movements could cause serious damage to his arm, not to mention that the shock of moving could startle the man into pressing the trigger. Even taking into consideration these facts, it did take a lot of mental strength to stay passive while feeling blood trickle down his forehead from the newly cut wound on his temple.

"I was told there would be two of you. Where's the other?" the man ground out, his voice rough and deep.

"If my friend's theory is correct… I'm guessing you're our man who killed William?" John muffled, congratulating himself that his voice still managed to sound forceful even though half of his face was being smothered by bricks.

"Wha- How did you- I mean… SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The main boomed, his voice shaking even if he was trying to sound threatening.

John saw his opening as the attacker pulled him up from the wall slightly, most probably just to shove him back down onto it.

He shoved one leg backwards, his heel colliding with the other mans shin. As John's arm was released from its restraint, he swung, wincing slightly as his knuckles collided with the man's jaw.

The attacker stumbled backwards and fell onto his back as his trouser leg got snared on a small rock, both men watched as the small handgun slid across the ground, closer to the other man than John.

Sensing this, the ex-soldier pulled his leg back and gave an almighty kick, right into the man's guts. He watched as the attacker curled in on himself, clutching his stomach before John kicked the gun out of the man's reach and ran towards the end of the alley.

It wasn't until he was back in the safety of streetlamps and cars that he remembered his bag of shopping, seems like tonight's another night without tea then, he thought, before reluctantly making his way back to 221b.

He was so lost in his own thoughts about how to explain the ordeal to Sherlock that he didn't register the faint gunshot in the distance, coming from where he had just left.

"You took your time!" Sherlock shouted as he heard the front door downstairs open and close.

"SORRY! I got a bit held up." John replied as he took off his shoes and hung his coat up on the rack.

"Not another fight John, you poor thing." The detective cooed as he heard his partner slowly make his way towards their living room.

"I'm afraid so, only at least this time it was with a real person, so bonus point for me eh?" John laughed nervously, slowly walking into the flat, eyes not reaching the detectives.

"JOHN!" Sherlock jumped up from his seat immediately and ran up to his friend, eyes scanning him and fingers prodding, checking to see if there was more damage to John's body than just the cut.

"I'm fine Sherlock, really."

The prodding didn't stop.

"Honestly Sher. Hey, if you think I'm bad you should see the other guy." John chuckled then nut abruptly stopped as he registered the look in his 'doctors' eyes. Pain. It was rare to see this in the silver orbs, and he had only ever seen it twice. First when Sherlock had been practically ripping his booby trapped clothes off at the pool and secondly, now.

"Go upstairs John, your bedroom. Take your shirt off and sit on the end of the bed."

Usually John would have argued at being ordered around by the other man, but the pure authority and no nonsense tone made him think twice.

Without hesitation, John shuffled past Sherlock, slowly making his way upwards towards his room.

"Honestly John, I tell you not to take that shortcut anymore, ESPECIALLY in the dark after what happened last time we were in one. And do you listen? No, of course you don't, because you're John Watson" Sherlock said in a mock tone whilst dabbing antiseptic onto John's temple.

It took great discipline not to laugh at the detective, as he was reminded of the time when he had said nearly the same thing about Sherlock during the case of the 'Blind Banker'.

"I don't know how many more times I have to tell you Sherlock, I am fine. Now can you please finish off with this unnecessary process so I can have a shower? I may be ok but I still feel awful" John said with a playful gleam in his eyes.

Without a word, Sherlock rose and made his way into the bathroom. He heard the sound of the shower being turned on and then the faint rumble of clothes hitting the floor.

"Coming John?" Sherlock shouted in a sing song voice.

"I bloody well hope so!" John replied, stumbling as he ran to join his companion.

"Sh- Sher- Sherlock please!" John panted, head thrown back against the shower wall, mouth wide open and gasping for air.

"Mmmm?" Sherlock replied, humming around the long, hard, flesh in his mouth.

The vibrations drove John crazy. Both hands that had been supporting him on the wall flew round to grasp the detective's unruly hair. He shuddered and arched as his back now connected with the freezing cold, moist tiles.

The dark haired man repressed the need to gag as John forced himself fully down Sherlock's throat and began to thrust erratically.

Sherlock trailed one hand up to pinch at a hard nipple and smiled as it elicited a groan from the man above. His other hand was below him; stroking his own erection to the timing that John had now set his head to go at.

It wasn't a slow and gentle pace, with these two it never was, no, it was fast, hard and SO good. John could swear, hand on heart, that no man, or woman for that matter, could experience a greater pleasure than sleeping with Sherlock. His mind deducted every erogenous zone on your body in 5 minutes flat, as John knew. He'd been an all too willing subject to that experiment.

"God, please…." John trailed off, his head thrashing from side to side, hands pulling Sherlock's hair roughly.

The detective pulled off John and brought the hand down from the smaller mans chest to wrap it tightly around John's member.

"Please what John? Come on now, it's not like I can read your mind…" Sherlock teased, pulling sharply on John's cock.

I bet you could if you tried…John said to himself.

"Please, let me come! I need it, I need you, I nee- AHH" John was cut off as Sherlock dived back to where John needed him most, sucking more harshly and with much more vigor than before.

The detective was nearing the end himself, so with one last breath he took all of John in, until his noise was touching the rough curls on his groin.

"AHH FUCK!" John practically screamed, his vision going white as he convulsed into Sherlock's hot wet mouth.

Sherlock practically milked him dry, swallowing all of the white liquid John gave him. He didn't give in to his own pleasure until he was sure John had fully ridden out his orgasm, then with a last harsh tug to his own member, he too came, just as hard and as violently as his partner.

Both men slid to lie on the tiled floor, basking in the afterglow. Sherlock wrapped his arms around John and pulled him up onto his body and placed his face into the shoulder where the offending scar dwelled, caressing it with light kisses and an affectionate lick.

"I'm glad you're ok John" Sherlock whispered into John's ear, smiling when he felt a smirk on his collarbone from the other man.

They stayed there for an age, not bothering to move when the hot water ran out and they started to shiver. And they definitely did not move when they heard Sherlock's phone ringing from the living room.

There's been another, come quickly.
Need you.

Lestrade.

A/N: Once again, thanks for reading... if you still are that is. hopefully too many of you didn't lose interest over my hiatus period... :/ i'll try and not let it happen again, definitely not without warning!
I hate asking for reviews, but they really do help my work. So if you read something you like, something about my style, let me know... and i'll keep it up. Don't like something? I'll need to know to be able to change it :) Thanks in advance x

Review Replies:

FRANKENSTINWENTMAD: - Nice name change ;) i spent an age trying to work out your LMAO's ... i failed :( please enlighten me :L unless they were just random asdfghjkl's :') Yuhup! same, dom! John is better than sub! ... although in my mind both are dom's! so... steamy fighting smut is most often the case! thanks for reviewing! :D

XMillieX: - Molly is awesome (when you don't pair her with Sherlock or John), she deserves some fangirlship. Haha, im guessing people like dom! john? good cause i was planning on keeping him :L Thanks for reviewing :D

Yuritwl: - He's a bad ass mother fucker in a jumper. fo' sho'. ;) Thanks for reviewing.

The following replies are for their last two reviews...

Azaelea: - Chapter 5. - Hey, wow wow you want to kill school? sign me up good buddy, thats the reason this is so fricken' late -.- ... :') You can marry it if you want, people have been married to stranger things :| ... A MEDAL? can it be chocolate? :D Thanks for reviewing, made me smile ;)

- Chapter 6 - Benedict is in his box and on his way. Please return in full condition. BAMF John, for the win. *joins in jig* Ahh well, sorry about that... its here now though right.. so everythings good? Thanks for reviewing! :D

OryonUK: - Chapter 5 - You...got...to...watch...a...nakkid...cumberbatch? STFU GTFO. -.- *salutes you on pun* ;) well done friend, well done! Ahh slash, the Saviour of all fanfiction writer delays :D Hopefully fluff suffices as well? *kneels in prayer* YOUR FROM YORKSHIRE! ... one question... do you like gravy? :D

- Chapter 6 - If i can turn someone's face into a perfectly round 'o' then my work is complete ;) Oh, good question... umm i'd become the cabbie... *subtle hint time* ;) Your presence in the fic will be 100% welcome.. however not needed as both men are dom's! in my world of fic... so they both will be fighting it out ;O Saying that though... Sherlock is going to be a top from the bottom if you catch my drift... ;) Eeeeee, you never fail to put a smile on my face with your reviews. THANK YOUUUUUUU. Hope you enjoy! ;) *waves*