Later that day, Jim and Sherlock are both sat on the sofa (dressed now) doing their own thing but still spending time together. Sherlock was reading a book, one of his leg's resting across Jim's knees and the other half tucked under himself. Jim was on his laptop and he had his baby resting on his lap in a way that meant there was still room for Sherlock's leg.

Jim was half-way through typing an email to his mum when Sherlock's words from earlier come back to mind.

He turns his head and watches Sherlock for a heartbeat before he speaks.

"Are you really not taking cases?"

Sherlock doesn't seem too startled by the question. He places his finger on the page in the book and closes it, using his finger as a bookmark.

He then looks back at Jim and shakes his head with a smile. "Like I said, I want to spend time with you."

Chuckling, Jim leans over and presses a kiss to Sherlock's lips. "It may seem great spending ninety percent of our free time together now but the novelty will wear off. You said John and Lee.. Lestrade?.. were trying to get you to do cases - you shouldn't neglect the work or your friends because of me"

"Well, when the novelty wears off, I'll take more cases."

Jim rolls his eyes. Stubborn git.

"If you haven't been taking cases, what do you do while I'm at work?" As he asks, Jim closes his laptop and leans forward to place it on the table.

Sherlock shrugs. "Experiments, mostly. I don't want to take a case and then be away from you longer than I need to."

"Sap," Jim accuses, but gives the man another kiss anyway because even though he won't say so out loud Jim thought that was rather adorable.

"Does it really matter I'm not taking cases? Or are you trying to get rid of me already?" He teases, poking Jim in the rib and effectively losing his page in the book because he used the finger he was using for a bookmark.

Jim laughs at the action when Sherlock pouts down at the book before moving both legs in front of him and placing the book on top of Jim's laptop.

"Idiot," Jim says, voice only expressing fondness.

He then moves closer to Sherlock, resting his head on his shoulder. He always loved how Sherlock was completely fine with how cuddly he could be. Last night, Jim practically became a kola bear after they'd lay down and yet Sherlock had still tried to pull him closer.

"So?" Sherlock prompts, right arm coming up to settle on Jim's shoulder.

Jim raises his head and gives Sherlock a question look. "So... What?"

"So, does it really matter that much I'm not taking cases?"

Jim frowns, thinking. "Well, yeah, it does. Before all this..." He gestures between them. "You always gave the impression that the work was your main focus and as much as I like being the centre of your attention, surely you miss it. Cases weren't exactly just a hobby for you."

Sherlock nods. "I do miss them. There's not all that many that are interesting, though. When John and Lestrade were reading them out, they were simple and I solved at least five just from being given an overview of the case through the client's message or email."

Jim hums before he leans forward to snatch Sherlock's phone from the table. He enters the pass code before opening up Sherlock's website and giving him the phone.

Sherlock blinks at him. "How do you know my password?"

Smirking, Jim shrugs. That was far more cool and mysterious than telling Sherlock he peeked over his shoulder one time.

Shaking his head with a laugh, Sherlock begins to scroll through his phone and being the nosy person he is, Jim peers over and reads with his boyfriend. He found a few interesting but going by how quickly Sherlock scrolled on after reading, Jim guessed they were all that to the stupidly intelligent consulting detective.

Just as Sherlock seems to take an interest in one - he let out a small 'oh' and stopped scrolling - there's a knock on the door. So, leaving Sherlock to it, Jim stands and makes his way over to the door.

He was expecting Sebastian, or maybe Molly but who he finds stood there shocks him.

Jim blinks. "Alex?" 

Alex blinks too, equally as confused. "Jim?"

"Um, how do you know where I live?" asks Jim, mouth in a seemingly permanent frown.

Alex may be sweet, but Jim wouldn't overlook stalking the same way he overlooks the fact Alex has a teeny crush on him.

"I didn't," Alex explains, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck before he points down at the floor. "I live below you"

"You do?" Jim was half guilty and half shocked. He'd never made a point of getting to know the neighbours and still only knew one or two by name.

"Yeah. I have for about two years... Didn't realise that we lived in the same building," Alex chuckles, his cheeks staining a reddish-pink colour as he meets Jim's eyes.

Jim laughs with him, feeling bad that Alex had this crush despite knowing Jim was taken. "Neither did I. Small world. Anyway, I guess there's a reason you knocked?"

Alex nods. "Yeah. I'm having a party and wanted to let the neighbours know that the music will be on till late and will probably be loud."

"Oh! Okay, then. Doesn't bother me. As long as you don't play crap music," Jim laughs again, almost throwing in a wink but stopping himself when he realised that was probably a bit too flirty.

Alex shuffles on his feet, awkward again. "I know we're not the most acquainted but, um, if you want to drop by then it starts at seven. I'm directly below you. Number one-oh-one."

A party?

Jim wasn't usually the type for parties but he hadn't been to one in a long time and it could be fun. Besides, it was Saturday night and he had nothing better to do.

"Yeah, okay. Why not?" Jim smiles, nodding.

Alex grins, almost jumping in excitement. "Great! Bring your boyfriend too, if you like! - I have to go warn some more neighbours of the noise so I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah" Jim nods again.

"Okay! Bye, Jim!"

"Bye."

The boy rushes off, waving at Jim until the door closed. Jim chuckles to himself. Alex really was a sweet guy. He was even warning half the building about the noise. Not many people now a days did things like that.

When Jim returns to the sofa, Sherlock is tapping away on his phone and so he sits without a word, not wanting to distract Sherlock when he was so focused. Ten minutes later, Sherlock turns to Jim who was on the laptop again.

"I have a case," He announced. "I'm meeting the client at half six, so in half an hour."

Jim grins "That's great. Dunno if you heard Alex, but he invited me - and you - to his party so I'll probably go to that."

Sherlock nods and smiles. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go now so I can meet them on time. I'll text you if I'm planning to come back later."

"Take the spare key, if you like," Jim places the laptop down before he stands and moves into the kitchen to get the spare key.

When he gets back in the living room, Sherlock has moved to the front door and is pulling on his coat and shoes. Jim moves over the detective and once he has his coat on, Jim gives him the key which he slides in his pocket.

Jim leans up, arching his neck, and kisses his boyfriend goodbye. "When you get back, I want to hear all about it, okay?"

Sherlock nods, grins and murmurs his farewell before planting another kiss on Jim's lips and disappearing out the door. Looking to the clock, Jim's eyes widen and he rushes into the bedroom.

He had less than an hour to get ready for this party!

In the end, after having a quick shower and blow drying his hair, Jim chooses his blue tartan button up and a pair of knee length denim shorts. He doesn't bother with a beanie seeing as it was inside and just pushes his hair back like he normally has it. Once all that's done and he's sprayed some of his favourite aftershave, Jim has just long enough to have a quick cup of tea before he grabs his phone and leaves dead on seven o'clock.

The music had started just as Jim closed his door and he hoped that was a sign he wouldn't be the first person to arrive.

As he rides the lift down and approaches Alex's flat, a bubble of excitement wells up in Jim. He'd never had tons of friends throughout his life (a choice he made, despite what many think) and the only parties he'd really been to had been the one's Sebastian held were the females outnumber the males 3-1.

As he knocks, a group of two guys and one girl also approach the door. He smiles at them, realising now that he was going to be much older than most people here.

The girl, a short blonde, chuckles. "Bit silly closing the door with that music, isn't it?"

She then steps forward and pushes a doorbell that Jim hadn't seen. Before he could agree with her statement and thank her for noticing the doorbell, the door opens to reveal Alex who now wore a red tartan button up and black jeans. His smile, which was already in place, widens at the sight of Jim.

"We match!" He laughs, pointing between their tops. Jim smiles.  Alex then looks at the people behind Jim and opens the door more than before. "Come in!"

They all enter and Jim was surprised to see a far amount of people already around. 

Alex's flat had the same layout as Jim's own and his use of the space was amazing. He had a long table set out along the far wall, one half of it covered in food and the other half covered in alcohol. Then he'd placed a massive stereo to side of his two sofas, which had been shoved in one corner. Alex had clearly moved things around because Jim was sure, even if he hadn't been here before, that Alex didn't usually have an empty space for people to dance around in the dead centre of his living room and that mini disco ball lampshade didn't seem like an everyday lampshade.

Alex, after saying hello to those who just arrived, turns to Jim. "Seeing as you don't know anyone, I'll introduce you to some people."

Jim nods. "That'd be great."

Three hours later, Jim's head is feeling a little fuzzy from all the alcohol and he's loosened up. Despite being introduced to quite a number of  people, Jim had chosen to stick with Alex and another boy that was Alex's BFF. The three of them had been doing shots and Jim had been trying to ignore the way there was a guy across the room staring at Alex. He didn't want to interfere but God, Alex was blind.

He nudges Alex's BFF while Alex himself goes for more shots. "Who's the guy over there in the white top with the cool black hair that can't keep his eyes off Alex?"

"Oh! That's Cameron, he came with Sophie. Do you think he likes Alex..?" The guy asks. Jim can't remember his name.

"No" Jim shakes his head. "I know he likes Alex," He then smirks. "Time for me to play matchmaker."

Alex's BFF chuckles as Jim pretends to crack his knuckles before winking at him and then making his way towards Cameron.

When he arrives by the taller boy's side, he waves a hand in front of Cameron's eyes which were still on Alex to get his attention. Cameron's face immediately explodes with colour at being caught as he looks to Jim.

"H-Hi" He clears his throat and nods. "Hi."

Jim decided to take a leaf out of his mother's book and gets straight to the point. "Stop staring and go flirt with him."

"W-who?" Cameron stutters.

Rolling his eyes, Jim replies "Alex. You've been staring at him all night, so go flirt with him."

Cameron bites his lip again and runs a hand nervously through his black hair. "What do I say?"

Jim hums, thinking. "Say 'do you know how much polar bears weigh?'" Cameron raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "Then say 'enough to break the ice. Hi, I'm Cameron.'" 

That makes Cameron break into a grin. "That has to be the worse pick-up line ever." 

"It made you smile," Jim points out. "It's funny. Alex likes funny."

That made Cameron's mind up and he nods, thanking Jim before he made his way over to Alex and taps his shoulder. Jim returns to his previous space beside Alex's BFF, accepting the drink he handed him.

"My work is done," He grins, watching as Alex bursts out laughing and hands Cameron a drink.

"What did you tell him to say? Alex is still laughing!"

"Ever heard the polar bear one about breaking the ice?" Jim asks.

Alex's friend nods and chuckles. "Yeah. Not surprised that one had Alex giggling."

Jim was about to reply to whatever-his-name-is when his phone starts to vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out Jim sees an unknown number flash across the screen. Jim points to his phone to show Alex's friend where he was going before he turns on his heels and head to the front door, answering the phone as he did.

"Hello?!" Jim half shouts down the line.

"Jim? Jim, you there? It's John."

Jim frowns, stepping out the flat. "John? What's wrong?"

"It's Sherlock. He's in hospital."