Disclaimer: Fan made by fans for fans. I do not own these characters. Please don't sue.

Summary: Sherlock pulled Molly to him and slowly danced them toward the doors. But when the guard he had seen earlier came dangerously close, Sherlock knew they would be caught.

A/N: HLV spoiler. Takes place after S3.

Just A Simple Drop

-x-x-x-x-

Sherlock Holmes quickly made his way back to the ballroom. He hoped the stray guard he had passed would assume he was looking for the loo and not suspect him of his true purpose: the drop he had just completed with an informant in the study. But when the man started to follow him, Sherlock casually picked up his pace. Once he was in the crowded ballroom, he removed his moustache and ruffled his gel slicked hair, releasing his natural curls. Finally, he put on a pair of spectacles. He hoped these small changes in his appearance would be enough to lose the guard.

Looking around the room, he spotted Molly Hooper by the open bar. Sherlock had wanted to bring Mary Watson as part of his cover -the ex-assassin had experience in these situations after all- but she had backed out at the last minute and offered the side job to the Specialist Registrar instead, convincing both Molly and Sherlock that it was just a simple drop, it wasn't at all dangerous, Molly would just be a part of Sherlock's cover, and that nothing could possibly go wrong.

Catching Sherlock's eye, Molly politely excused herself from the elderly woman she was chatting with and made her way to the detective. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Unsure. I think the guards might suspect something. We should leave." Noting the subtle arrival of more security, Sherlock placed his hand on Molly's lower back, leading her to the dance floor. As they walked, he trailed his hand up along Molly's spine, then pulled the pins out of her soft chignon, letting her straight, brown hair fall down her back.

"Sherlock, what are you doing?" Molly whispered.

"Altering your appearance, just in case," he answered quietly. He then took her thin, black shawl and wrapped it around her waist, tying it into a bow. "There. That should be sufficient."

Once on the dance floor, Sherlock pulled Molly close and bent his head into her hair, hiding his face. He took occasional scans of the area and slowly danced them toward the doors on the other side of the room, carefully avoiding any guards. But when he spotted the man he had seen earlier come dangerously close, Sherlock knew they would be caught.

"Forgive me, Molly," he murmured before kissing her.

Molly stiffened under the kiss, obviously shocked by Sherlock's behaviour. She never thought anything like this could happen -Sherlock didn't have 'feelings' for her, or anyone for that matter- but Molly trusted him and quickly relaxed into the kiss, her eyes fluttering closed, her lips softening and parting under his.

Unfortunately for Sherlock, the kiss affected him in a completely unexpected way, causing him to wage a split second war between his mind and his body. The touch of Molly's lips had electrified him, sparking a fire he had not felt since his drug addled university days. His hands wanted to tighten their grip on Molly's slim waist. His body wanted to wrap itself around her soft body, engulfing her. His tongue wanted to ravage her mouth and taste every delicious bit of her neck, collarbone, shoulders, every inch of exposed skin available. Sherlock wanted to consume her until they were both sweaty and spent, breathing as one.

But his mind screamed, "We mustn't get caught! We're on a case!" It took everything Sherlock had to keep the kiss soft and sweet; to not lose himself; to not lose control; to pay enough attention to watch the guard discreetly look away and pass the dancing couple by.

Sherlock pulled away and buried his head in the crook of Molly's neck, avoiding her befuddled gaze. "A guard was getting too close," he whispered. "Most people are uncomfortable around public displays of affection and will look away."

Molly nodded her understanding, trying to accept the kiss as it was, a part of their cover and nothing more. They continued to dance slowly, keeping their heads together and pretending to smile like a couple in the throes of their newfound love, neither of them noticing the other's nervousness, both too wrapped up in themselves, trying to quiet their own inner turmoil. And ten minutes later, when Sherlock deemed it safe, they collected their coats and left the party.

-x-x-x-x-

Sherlock parked the hired car in front of Molly's building then stepped out to open her car door.

Fiddling with her clutch and keys, Molly said, "Thank you, Sherlock. I've had a lovely time." As they stood on the sidewalk, she added with a wan smile, "I'd ask you up for some tea but I know you have things to do."

Sherlock merely nodded before saying, "Good night, Molly" and headed back to the car.

Molly was almost through the front door when she heard Sherlock say, "Ask me if I'd like to have coffee." She turned to find him standing on the stoop, appearing as calm as could be, with only the scared, almost wild, look in his eye betraying his confidence. It was then that Molly knew she wasn't the only one affected by the night's events. Her eyes shined and her smile grew as she repeated the question she'd dared to ask all those years ago.

"I was wondering if you'd like to have coffee?"

Sherlock's fear and insecurity fell away, a relieved smile appearing on his face. "I'd love to," he replied before leaning in for another kiss.

A/N2: This is just a shameless excuse to make Sherlock and Molly kiss. Inspired by the Stevetasha/Romanogers kiss in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier