morning.
H lying in bed listlessly,
  thinking of regretted missed opportunity
  when he had had to keep W at a distance yesterday.
Wearily sad, until he hears someone coming.

Watson arrives to check up on him,
  having been concerned ever since H fainted yesterday.
Whatever they tried afterward,
  H was unable to consume much sustenance after three days' fasting.
W enters now and insists
  that H try to eat the soup that Mrs. Hudson prepared

half pouting
H would prefer to eat with W.
whispers "Why can't we breakfast together as we used to?"

a raised brow
  "I've eaten already."

"Surely not that much?"
  brushing the crumbs in W's mustache

W blushes.
"Even ill, you can analyse me.
  Very well, I just had a bit of toast and jam.
  I was in a hurry to come see you."

"Then don't be in a hurry to leave me.
  Linger.
  You have not spent much time with me lately."
(light sarcasm)
"--I had to be dying to even coax you to visit!"
traces W's jaw, blinking.
"Stay a while.
  Won't you share breakfast with me?"

"Well, perhaps it would be all right.
  I cleared out my morning especially so I could see how you were."
rises.
"I'll go downstairs and ask for breakfast."

"--A large one.
  A healthy one.
  I could regain my appetite just watching you.
  Eggs and rashers. Toast. Some tea.
  A little picnic for us."

laughing
"A picnic?"

"An indoor one.
  A private picnic, for us.
  Say you will."

W shrugs, repeating,
"I'll go downstairs and ask for breakfast.
  --Although I'll be damned if you make Mrs. Hudson annoyed at me."
smiles, leaving

H sighs alone.
thinks of him, wanting to be closer.
To welcome him to bed, unlike the day before,
  always having to keep W yards away.
H slides out of his clothes

W returns, backing through the doorway,
  carrying a tray and two folding tables.
is busy setting them up near the bed.
on the tray, he uncovers soup and a plate of toast.
"We'll see if you can manage just a little solid food."
W turns, noticing Holmes shirtless
"Are you well?"

"A trifle warm."
H sighs, blinks.
"Too long spent waiting in this stifling bed."
plays with the bed-clothes still bundled about
  and covering most of him

"Can you sit up?"
W props him against pillows

H loves W's touch,
wanting to pull him closer.

with a napkin ready,
W begins to spoon-feed H some of the soup.

H is focused only on W's eyes.
licks the spoon dry,
  more thoroughly than necessary.
suggestive.

W turns and reaches for a slice of toast
"Let's try--"

a knock,
  the maid bringing in a second tray of eggs, rashers, etc.

W rises.
helps set it down upon the second folding table

when she goes, H murmurs,
  "Lock the door."

"The door? Why?"

H shrugs.
"A whim.
  Our private picnic,
  alone and uninterrupted.
  To ensure your long stay, my dear Watson."

"I hardly think locking the door is necessary--"

H, lying back and pouting slightly
"You wouldn't deny the request of an invalid?"

"An inva--!"
laughing.
"One would think that you were feverish.
  As delirious as you feigned you were yesterday."

softly
"More so."

smiling, and locking the door,
  W comes back and sits near again.
He picks up the toast, tearing a bit,
  and feeds it to H

H pauses W's hand,
  holds it,
  and eats the bread off his fingers,
  down to the crumbs.
licking.

W pulls back.
"Um..."
uncertain.
"W-well, you do have an appetite then."
W turns away, clearing his throat.
"Do you need a little soup to swallow that down?"

H shifts, touching his arm against W.
"Won't you eat?
  Are you sharing breakfast with me,
  or just humouring my mood?"

"I--Certainly."
W uncovers the other tray
  and loads a plate with some of the tempting food.
he turns a little back toward H.
"You don't mind?"

H shakes his head,
  despite a puzzlingly hungry look in his eyes.

W suspects that H might be envious of the delicious breakfast
  that H is too weak to eat yet.
W feels guilty. "You're sure?"

H nods,
  then with a wavering smile and soft voice,
  "Let me feed you."

"Feed me?" eyebrows raised.

"I'd like to."
quiver of the lips.
"To return the favour."

"I--well, I suppose."
W brings the plate to H, sitting nearer.

H takes the fork and loads with some of the steaming eggs.
blows gently.
raises the fork as W hesitantly opens his mouth.
H slides it in and closes W's jaw.
smiles and withdraws the fork.
watches W chew and blink at him musingly.

W feels puzzled by H's concentration on him
  and the expression of something more than mere playfulness in his eyes.

H continues to feed him a few more forkfuls in silence,
  looking in W's eyes and faintly smiling,
  just to have him so near.
H says at last "Will you picnic with me often?
  Will you visit me, if only to do nothing more than this?
  I like to have you here.
  Just to see you.
  Have you near again."

"I would gladly come see you, Holmes,
  whenever you wish."
laughing "Even just for 'picnics'."
W touches H's hand and lingers.
  then W puts aside the plate and fork
  and comes near to feel H's head.
"Now are you quite sure you're all right? Are you still weak?"

H sighs. "Light-headed."
blinking, sinking against the pillows.
"Shall you examine me?
  I thought that you should want to check on my health."

"Well, yes."
W rises to wash his hands,
  then returns with his bag handy.
"How have you felt?" feeling H's pulse.

"Warm."
blinking.
"Dizzy."

"Hmm, well let me see."
W draws back part of the covers.
sees then that H wears nothing at all.
W halts.

H uncovers himself completely,
  stretching out languidly.
whispers,
  "I have been ready for you."
lies there, expectant.

"Of course."
W coughs.
"Of course.
Well, that's ... accommodating of you."
continues examining H silently,
  trying to ignore his surprise.
(usually H has to be wrestled just out of his shirt,
  doggedly coaxed into allowing any injury to be tended to).
W has a nagging feeling of tension,
  heightened senses.
listening to H's heartbeat, his breathing,
  W can feel his warmth, smell his scent.
is oddly aware of H's nudity.
all of his body being exposed,
  is somehow intensely different from examining any other patient...

H makes soft noises,
  sighs as W's fingers test the weakness of limbs,
  check and squeeze his varied muscles
--perhaps, he hopes, unnecessarily?

There is no need even of a reflex check,
  with how strongly H reacts to every touch.
W now traces his hands tentatively along H's thighs.
half knows that it's just because he wants to.
W strokes, half-pinching the skin

H moans, closes his eyes.

"Did that hurt?"
breathless

H sighs, drawing him closer.
W's body leaning inches over him.
H blinks and parts his lips.

"Does it hurt here?"
W touches higher, nearer sensitive flesh.
makes H gasp.
"And here?"
simply searching for an excuse.
is focused on the damp sweat arising on H's lovely skin.

H sharply pulls W's mouth to him.
a wet kiss,
  tasting him and trembling a little while W still caresses.

Mmm...
W sinks closer.
such a tempting, intense kiss.
the scent of H intoxicating W.

H tries to draw W's hands further.
slides back his sleeve.
moans sharply again.

W tastes H's neck.
hears H's faint whispers of "Watson, Watson..."

W pulls back abruptly,
  blinking and swallowing.
W drops H back against the mattress.
looks distraught. "What am I doing? What are we--"
pale, W gets up from bed.
paces around, upset.
"My God, I'm--I'm taking advantage... How can I--?"
W runs his fingers through his hair

H rises from bed, in covers, and follows him.
"Come back to bed.
  I want you to. I do.
  Please."

"But I was--was--"
W shuts his eyes.

"We were."
H insists, putting his arms around him

"We?"
W initially responds to his embrace.
turns, gazing in H's eyes.
W starts another kiss, but steps back again,
  shaking his head.
"No, we can't.
  We shouldn't.
  You-- I don't-- I'm not--"
W retreats further, sinking into a chair.
touches his ring, shaking.
"I'm married, for God's sake..."

H pauses
  then approaches slowly, kneeling near him.
He nods, speaks quietly,
"Yes, I forgot that.
  I've been trying to forget that."
looks in W's eyes.
"I thought ... that we might both..."

W pales again.
frowns from confusion and guilt.
tangled feelings.
W bites his lip.

H stops, sits back.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried.
  I just--"
he caresses W's lip.
"I just ... would like to, so much.
  If you wanted..."
then H catches his breath, becomes anxiously concerned.
whispers brokenly, "Will you never see me again?"
H clings to him. "Please tell me you won't leave me alone.
  Don't change your mind.
  Forgive me." blinking.
"I promise I won't try anymore.
  But let me still have our picnics.
  I need you here. I need to see you.
  Just to see you, sometimes."

W touches H's face gently, watches his eyes.
W slowly comforts H with a kiss.
murmurs, "Yes, I did promise, didn't I?
  I promised you."
W looks down. "I should."
softer. "I need to see you again, too."

H swallows.
relieved, but sad.
"Maybe if--you're ever...?"
cutting off, H shakes his head.
sits in silence.
"May I have one last kiss?"

W draws him closer.
"Yes."
tenderly, his arms around H.
encompassing and warm.
lovely