Sherlolly Week Day 2: first date. This fic isn't really about the 'real' first date, but more about Sherlock's thought process and the planning that went into the proposal of the date. Please leave kudos or review if you enjoyed this fic! I'm back tomorrow with "I will go to you like the first snow", my 'first kiss' fic.
STUCK IN LOVE
How long had he'd known her? He guessed about 7 years. She was the first thing he'd noticed when he was at Barts for his first case. The young pathologist, standing so fiercely next to the body of the murder victim, was not something you could miss. He'd liked her from the moment they'd met, although he couldn't show her that. He needed to hold up a façade. A façade, a mask. He had to pretend to be annoyed by her worries that time when Moriarty tried to take him down when he really wanted to hold her close and tell her it was going to be okay. But Mycroft had forbidden him to do so. Because of her safety, or some nonsense. When he'd returned from his exile he was entirely sure this was the time to ask Molly Hooper on a date. Yet he found her engaged to some copycat when he returned to Baker Street. His heart was broken, and he prayed this copycat would soon disappear. His wish got granted, and Molly Hooper was single again. Flash forward to several more drug relapses, the discovery of a secret sister and the murder of a man, Sherlock found it was about time to ask Molly Hooper on a date.
The question was, how? He'd liked her for seven years, a simple text saying "do you want to grab coffee?" wasn't good enough. He wanted something extravagant. Not a single time the thought that he should keep it low-key since it was Molly, after all, crossed his mind. Sherlock was a man on a mission: he wanted to surpass Moriarty. He hated the fact that Moriarty had been once her boyfriend. Sherlock wanted to be a better boyfriend than Moriarty had ever been and thus he had asked for all the files on Molly and Moriarty's relationship. The facts didn't lie – Moriarty had been the king of the criminals and he'd treated Molly as his queen. He'd taken her on luxurious vacations, helicopter rides, he even went scuba diving with her on the Maldives.
"The Maldives?" Sherlock had asked Mycroft unbelievingly.
"We have the pictures," Mycroft showed him a couple. Molly was sunbathing in a cute white bikini with cherries, while Moriarty was getting cocktails.
"She was known as his queen for a while," Mycroft told him, "They broke up the minute Molly found out what his real profession was."
Sherlock turned around and left. He was standing like a dark, brooding hero in an ally nearby Barts. He'd opened the notes app on his iPhone and made a list. "How to ask Molly out on a date?"
So far, it had about three bullet points. 'Ask Molly out on a date by appearing on 'Good morning London'', 'Ask Molly by using the Barts intercom', 'Ask Molly by gifting her a puppy that carries the letter with the question'. They were all very Sherlockian ideas, and he decided to pick number one. He knew Molly had an early shift coming up later that week and that the doctors always watched it during their breaks. He immediately called the director of 'Goodmorning London', to ask if he could come on.
"Do you really want to come?" The director asked surprised, "The last five times we asked you hung up and tweeted about us on Twitter."
"I want to come," Sherlock said, "I'll be there on Thursday by 7:30." He hung up.
Sherlock went back home, plotting on how to ask Molly Hooper out on national television.
"Molly!" Mary came in, "Come on, it's time for your break."
Molly stood next to the slab, her apron bloody, holding a saw. "What? Now?"
"You've worked since six am, you deserve it," Mary took the saw and put it down, "Come on!"
Molly gave in; Mary went to the cafeteria. "Good morning London" was on. Molly sat down while Mary got coffee.
"And for the first time here on "Goodmorning London", it's Sherlock Holmes!" The host announced. Molly was surprised. Sherlock rarely spoke to the media.
"What do you want to talk about, Mr. Holmes?"
"I assume you would like me to talk about Jim Moriarty." Sherlock looked at the man. "Yes, I assume that would be the best case and leave the cheating wife alone."
"Cheating wife?" the host said, laughing the deduction away, "Yes, yes, I'd like to talk about Jim Moriarty, who framed you as a fraud."
"Which I am not, for the record," Sherlock answered, "But I am really here for another thing."
"What is going on?" Molly asked Mary.
"I have no idea," she answered, smirking.
Molly watched Sherlock anxiously.
"I'm here to ask Molly Hooper out on a date," Sherlock told the host, "I've known her for seven years and I think it's about time we started dating."
"You are serious? You got on our show to ask a woman out on a date?" The host asked. He didn't seem too impressed by this news. "Let's see if we can get Molly Hooper on the line."
Mary held her phone in front of Molly's face. "You're live now, sweetheart," she whispered.
"There she is," The host said, pointing at the screen next to him.
"Hey Sherlock," Molly mumbled. Sherlock was looking quite relaxed.
"What is your answer, Molly Hooper?" He asked.
"I will go with you on a date, on one condition. You won't ask me anything again on national television."
"Promised," Sherlock answered.
"Sherlock Holmes, everybody!" The host said awkwardly. There were some applause and Mary turned the phone off.
"Congratulations," she said.
Molly sighed. "Why couldn't he just text me?"
"It's Sherlock," Mary answered, and somehow, that was the only logical answer to this question.