Sherlock was a genius. He knew this because it was a fact, and also because people told him so, frequently. One of those people was John. In fact John was extraordinarily vocal about his admiration for Sherlock's brain and used a wide variety of complimentary adjectives to describe the thoughts that came out of it – often in public, in front of witnesses.

So Sherlock couldn't understand how John thought that Sherlock wouldn't notice the seduction routine John was currently working on.

It had started with the violin concert and dinner the previous week when Sherlock had taken the last version of his formula. After that came the little things that could be reasoned away as kindness, and the things friends did for each other. Things such as John bringing Sherlock home a copy of a medical journal from the Surgery because there was an article in it he thought Sherlock would enjoy (he did). Things such as doing the shopping without complaint or pointed comments that surely it was Sherlock's turn this week to buy the milk? Not only was John doing the shopping, but bringing back little treats for Sherlock each time such as his favourite biscuits or a punnet of berries (which he pounced on as soon as John unpacked them, and ate with relish).

However, that wasn't all that Sherlock noticed. There were the subtle changes to John's appearance – his newfound habit of wearing his most flattering jeans and soft shirts around the flat, the hair cut, the frequent splash of cologne (Sherlock couldn't help but flick his eyes down John's profile admiringly whenever he came into view when he wore those jeans).

Finally there was the increase in physical contact. The two men had very little requirements for personal space between them at the best of times. Too many stakeouts in ridiculously close quarters had put paid to that, plus Sherlock's habit of asking John to hunt in Sherlock's pockets for his phone. Even so, the casual touches and physical closeness had increased to a point that even Sherlock wondered if it might be a touch obvious to other people (not that he cared, he rather liked it when John helped him into his coat and allowed his hands to linger on Sherlock's shoulders for a moment longer than necessary).

There were also the physical symptoms that John displayed all the time now, although Sherlock was less sure that the Doctor was even aware of these, and certain he wasn't consciously exhibiting them. Not that Sherlock could comment really – he was fully aware his own pupils were blown when he caught himself looking at John in the living room when they had a quiet evening in together (not to mention the time Sherlock came out of the shower without realising John was outside and nearly walked into him clad only in a towel. From the flush both men displayed Sherlock was sure John's heart had been pounding nearly as fast as his own).

So what was to be done? Sherlock oscillated between amusement at John's softly-softly approach, and annoyance that John didn't just come out and say what he wanted so Sherlock could accept and end all this dancing around. The Detective took a couple of days to think about it, running various scenarios through his head before he came to a decision: If John thought seduction was the way forward then Sherlock could do that.

Only now it was going to be Sherlock seducing John.

This has gone on for too long for me to be subtle, thought Sherlock, I'm going to have to do something radical. There is still a variation of the formula for the Warwick's to be tested as far as John is aware, thanks to my comments after my own brush with the experiment. That gives me the opportunity for a quick resolution… Sherlock frowned, aware of the issues with that approach, no drugging him though. If I get him to admit he wants me he has to be completely aware of his own mind – no forgetting about it like he did that night in the club.

It took a number of iterations but finally Sherlock had a plan that he thought might just be cunning enough to trick John into admitting the truth about his feelings without jeopardising Sherlock's chances of progressing things past that point.

Now to put it into action.

oOo

"John."

…

"JOHN!"

John came down the stairs slowly, yawning, trailing his dressing gown behind him. Muffled slightly by the bone-cracking stretch he allowed himself as he reached the kitchen door, he answered Sherlock sleepily, "'m here Sh'lock. What do you want?"

"I think this is the final version of the formula. I need to test it today – this iteration of the compound is unusually unstable and it won't last for long before it loses its effectiveness."

John frowned, too sleepy to really work out what was going on. He walked over to the kettle, filled it and switched it on then sat at the table. If he was going to have to have a proper conversation with Sherlock at such an early hour of the morning he would need tea.

Ordering his thoughts, he tried again. "Ok, so you have another version of your Love Potion to test. What's different with this one? What am I letting myself in for?"

"Really John there is absolutely no need to be alarmed," Sherlock replied dismissively, "This is perfectly safe and no different in effect to the one I took the last time. Only I've worked on making it seem completely natural. You should find the taste barely noticeable this time and the effects very subtle. In fact, you might feel as though you haven't taken anything at all compared to the previous versions."

"Hmmmm…" John pondered, wondering what the catch was, "I suppose that would be ok."

Sherlock looked up at John, a crafty look flashing through his eyes, "I'm so confident of the outcomes of this version John that I'll offer you a second option if you want."

"Oh?"

"As it should be the last one, and as the effects are already known to us both and therefore will not require significant analysis... This time we both take it."

John's head said bad idea – this is a really bad idea but he had never been one to avoid danger. So instead of politely declining, or suggesting that surely for the sake of science one of them had to be unaffected, he nodded and told Sherlock that he thought that was an excellent idea.

A cup of tea and three drops of the tasteless (as promised) formula each, and John was back upstairs getting dressed for the day wondering what had happened. He couldn't help but recall the blaze of triumph that Sherlock hadn't quite been able to conceal when John had agreed to them both taking the formula…

What on earth have I done? thought John, I'm drugged and so is Sherlock. Now neither of us has the wherewithal to say no. He sighed, thinking back on his attempts over the last week or so to encourage closeness between the two of them, unable to make himself take the next step and tell Sherlock how he really felt. I get the distinct impression that one way or another, what happens today is going to change things around here for good.

His last thought as he shut his bedroom door to head back into the shared lounge was accompanied by a swarm of butterflies in his stomach:

I just hope they change the way I want them to.

A/N – apologies folks for keeping you waiting – real life had been ridiculously busy. Still, this story is now officially well-travelled as I write this from Vancouver instead of from home in the UK!

There are probably two chapters to go now as they test Love Potion number 9, so not much longer before we reach the ending (sigh).

As always thanks to everyone who follows and reviews – I love feedback and feel honoured so many of you are reading this x