There was a chill in the air, not only from the snow, but from the cold shoulder Molly had given him. He had invited her to spend Christmas with him and his family but what he didn't expect was for her to turn him down. His plans had failed before they even began. If she didn't want to spend the holiday with him, then obviously she wouldn't want to marry him. At least, that's what he thought as he added another nicotine patch on his arm. Sherlock felt his heart breaking, not for the first time that year.
As Molly stormed inside her flat in distress, she threw her keys on the counter and buried her head in her hands. She hated fighting with Sherlock; despite their friends' expectations, she and him didn't fight very often. It's not that she didn't want to spend Christmas with him—she definitely wanted to more than anything—but it was the fact she still couldn't get that one Christmas out of her head; the very one where her first attempt at giving him a gift had fallen apart with his cruel deductions. For a moment, she thought she had some sort of mild PTSD about Christmases and Sherlock, but soon found it to be a silly notion. But still, what if she did?
"Mummy?" Sherlock began over the phone. "She's not coming." He sounded so defeated.
"Did you two have a domestic?" Lydia Holmes asked.
"A bit of one, yeah," he replied. "There won't be marriage in my future yet." A silent pause, then, "or ever."
"Now don't you worry, you two will work it out before Christmas," she assured him. "Molly's crazy about you. Just give her some time."
"Alright," he agreed sadly. "Regardless of what happens, I'll still be there by Christmas Eve." When the call ended, he sent a text to Molly.
I'm sorry that we fought. If you truly don't want to come with me, I understand. Take some time for yourself, darling. Just know that I'll still be waiting. I love you. –SH xxx
Molly had tears running down her face as she read the text from her love. She never meant to hurt him, but if she was to spend Christmas with him, she needed to get herself in a better mindset. After all, the last few times, the holiday ended in tears for her.
Author's Note: Molly's scared, naturally, of spending another Christmas with Sherlock. I'd be a bit anxious about it too after the disaster of the one at 221B.