I don't own anything but the plot.

17:58

Molly still wasn't sure if she should meet Jim at The Fox for dinner at six. Could she sit there and ask him if he was gay? Could she ignore what Sherlock had told her and wait what Jim would do now? Maybe he would tell her himself that he was more interested in Sherlock than Molly. Could she bear to hear that? Wasn't it bad enough that she had been humiliated by Sherlock in front of John. But on the other hand maybe Jim would explain why he had given Sherlock his number. This way Molly would at least get some closure. It was really the worst luck that she had with men. After thinking things through one last time Molly was sure that she would definitely need to have the closure after one last talk with Jim, let him tell her why he used her. Did he really use her? "Yes, of course, he did.", she answered herself sternly. No false hope that this might work out.

18:15

Molly entered The Fox and instantly saw Jim in the corner of the pub in a booth. He sat at a table that screamed "romantic". Molly took a deep breath and slowly walked over there. Halfway through the pub Jim saw her and jumped to his feet, a big smile on his face. "Hi.", he said, kissing her lightly on the lips as she approached. Molly let him do that, even managed a weak smile, even though she never really looked at him and then slid into the booth. "What's the matter?", asked Jim, the concern evident in his voice. "Yu seemed fine this morning. Has something happened?" Molly had laid her hands on the table when she sat down and now Jim had covered them with his right hand, squeezing lightly. Molly made a small noise. The she summoned all her courage and decided to ask Jim the question that had plagued her all day. "Jim," she started and looked at him for the first time since she arrived. He was watching her carefully. Molly's pulse starting to pick up. "Why did you give Sherlock your number?", she suddenly blurted out.

Something in Jims face changed. Now he did not look mildly concerned any longer but guarded. The look he gave her was not really intimidating but nonetheless she was sure she better had not asked this question. Well, too late now. "Well, Molly darling, are you absolutely sure you want to know the truth about the meeting of Sherlock and I?" Jim's voice had changed drastically. He sounded posh and tense and not at all like the Jim she knew. Lost was the Irish accent that sounded so nice on his tongue. This moment Molly realized there was a lot that Jim had not told her about himself. But it seemed that she now got the chance to see who her date really was. "Yes, I want to know.", she underlined this bold statement with a determined look at the man sitting next to her. He raised his eyebrows. "Sure, darling?" Jims grin was getting slightly terrifying but Molly was determined not to look scared or back down. Jims grin got wider as he watched her. "Well, well, well. Not so mousy anymore, our little Molly. I must say it is surprising." To Molly it seemed that Jim found that quite appealing. She took another deep breath and looked him right into the eyes. "Are you going to tell me? Or are you going to keep being surprised about my behavior, even though you don't know me?" Jim laughed. "Feisty." Molly, however, wasn't amused. Right as she was standing up to leave, Jim stood, too, and laid his hands on her shoulders, pushing so that she was forced down again. However, he was doing it gently, without too much force. Just enough that Molly got the message.

"So impatient. You sure keep surprising me today." Molly tried to keep her face impassive. Right now she did not know how to handle this man that was so different from the one she had spent all this time with. " I can see you now realize that Jim from IT wasn't the real me." Jim started his explanation. He was sitting close to her, both in the corner of the booth. Molly guessed that for an outsider they looked like a couple wanting to get as close as possible. "My name is James Moriarty and I'm a criminal Consultant. The only Criminal Consultant." whispered the man. His mouth was right next to Molly's ear and she could feel his breath on her neck, making her sigh softly. "But, honey, you can call me Jim." He did not move away from Molly but he moved his face in front of her so he could watch her reaction to his words. "Are you scared now?" This last sentence came out in a sing-song, Jim's - Moriarty's - grin widening. He was sure Molly would be scared, one could see that he was waiting for this reaction. That was why Molly tried her hardest not to look scared. "That still doesn't tell me why you gave Sherlock your number, does it?" asked Molly, praying that this wouldn't be her last words. But he had seemed to like being surprised by her, maybe if she would not do what he expected this would end well. Or at least not in a total disaster. She hadn't even finished her statement that Jim kissed her. It was a quick kiss, only a peck, really, but Molly was perplexed."Oh, Molly, Molly, are you jealous?", asked Moriarty. Molly had quickly realized that James Moriarty liked playing. If he wanted to play, she could play along. "I'd prefer not to have a threesome with you, me and Dream-Sherlock. I might reconsider with the real one." She told him cheekily. Moriarty barked a short laugh. "Very well."

He put his hands together in front of him, thinking. Then he looked at her carefully. "I am not gay. This I can tell you." Molly nodded. This made sense, he did not seem gay, at least not the Moriarty that was sitting in front of her. But before she could react further or say anything Moriarty continued his speech. "I've got two options for you. One: you will leave now, go home and forget everything I told you. I will do the same and we will never meet again. I strongly advise you to this option." James Moriarty watched Molly's face for any reaction to his words. She had surprised him today, which was why he was being especially kind to her. Letting her go was the kindest thing he had done in a long time. "What's option number 2?" asked Molly. She knew that she should just up and leave, her brain screamed at her to just go, but something inside of her wanted to stay. James Moriarty was strangely fascinating. He had nothing in common with Jim from IT but she was thrilled with this part of his personality. Molly thought she better not think what this said about herself. "Option number 2 is we order take-out and go to your flat. We will play a game. I tell you some of my secrets – Meeting Sherlock for example – but you have to play, too." Moriarty had a gleam in his eyes that might make some people run but Molly was intrigued. "Secrets of my own?" she asked him, because surely that was not the plan? "Oh, no." Moriarty replied in a flat tone. The he sing-songed his next sentence. "Figure it out yourself." "Then we should order our food, I think." Molly replied. She had decided that she rather have one night of excitement with this James Moriarty than another dull evening at home, mourning yet another unsuccessful try at a relationship. This cannot end well, her brain said, but she ignored it. Moriarty's grin widened at her words and he gestured to the waiter.

19:15

Molly felt strange having James Moriarty sitting on her couch, packing the take-out onto the table while she found cutlery for them. Jim had been in her flat already, they had watched TV, which meant that he had already been on her couch, in the exact same spot, but now it seemed different. His whole appearance seemed different even though he still wore the same clothes from this morning, the grey t-shirt and the low, brown jeans. Molly used the moment coming from the kitchen to observe the man sitting in her living room. Since his reveal of his lie she hadn't had a moment to think things through. Even in the cab ride over he had made small-talk with her. James Moriarty was really something special. First telling her he was a criminal, then suggesting a game for secrets and afterwards taking about the weather and Toby, her cat. He looked up and saw Molly standing at the entrance to the living room and smiled. "Good, come on over, the food is prepared." His hands made a gesture to show her all of it on the table. Molly thought about the difference between the Consulting Criminal that seemed eager to eat and the Consulting Detective who never acknowledged the fact that he might need food. But as soon as the thoughts of Sherlock popped into her head she banished them. Better keep focused on the man sitting next to her now. They had both only taken the first bite of their food when his ringtone interrupted the silence and Moriarty frowned. "Excuse me, I have to take this." he told her, but with an apologetic smile. "I thought I would be free already at this time. You changed my plans for the evening." This was said with a big grin, like he was happy about the change and Molly couldn't do anything but smile back. He wasn't the only one whose plans for the evening had turned out differently than expected. Moriarty had answered his phone and then walked away into the kitchen so that Molly could not listen in. Molly continued eating. No way would she let the delicious food get cold just because her companion was on the phone.

5 minutes later Moriarty came back. He rolled his eyes while he sat down again and told her: "Business. Always so tedious these people." Molly smiled slightly "I wouldn't know. My clients are silent but interesting. Mostly." One can envy you that you only have to handle dead people." Moriarty said between two bites, and he sounded honest. The next minutes Molly and Moriarty ate in silence. Only when the food was finished, Moriarty leaned back and relaxed. "Still sure that you want to play the game?" he asked grinning. Molly had stood up and tied up the table. The question made her look at the man on the couch in surprise. "I can still have an out?", she asked perplexed. "I liked your company with dinner so I'm being generous. If you want me to leave now, I will do as you say." Molly grinned now, too. "And if I say something different, will you do as I say then, too?", she asked cheekily, biting her lips and watching him from hooded eyes. Moriarty's mocked a scandalized look. "Molly Hooper.", he said. "Tststs." Molly looked innocently at him. "Technically this is our third date and we already had dinner." she explained. Then she moved to the couch again, kneeling next to Moriarty and whispered into his ear. "How about we skip the game you planned and play in the bedroom instead?" She had barely finished this proposal that Moriarty had clutched his hands around her hips and had pulled her into his lap, his mouth covering hers in a passionate kiss. Molly whimpered. God, he could kiss. The man might be bad but his kissing ability definitely wasn't. If he continued this way, the evening would be more than satisfactory.

Molly shifted so that she was now straddled him, still kissing. His hands gripped her hips tightly but only for a short moment then he moved his right hand under her shirt, letting it wander up her body, caressing her. Molly moved her hands behind his head, playing with his short hair, the left hand stroking his jaw. She could now feel that Moriarty was more than excited by her. He was hard, thrusting up every time she gave a strangled moan. His one hand had found her breasts; the other started to remove her shirt. Molly was more than willing to let that happen, tugging at Jims t-shirt herself. "When had he become Jim again?" Molly thought for a moment, but then dismissed this thought, instead enjoying the moment. They parted for a second, both slipping out of their shirts, but then their mouths found each other again. While still kissing her, Moriarty started to undo her bra and left Molly bare from the hips up. Then he stopped kissing her, using the time to just look at her, admiring her body. Molly felt a little self-conscious but Moriarty did not let her. "You look amazing, darling." said the husky voice of the Consulting Criminal. "Bet you will look even better totally naked." He grinned at her but this time it was in no way intimidating or scary. Molly smiled back. "I bet you would look even better naked on my bed.", she told him. As fun as this was, she wanted to move things along. As it was, Moriarty was not against her wishes. "Lead the way, honey."

21:00

Molly and Jim – definitely Jim now, not Moriarty – were lying in Molly's bed, breathing hard, spooning and coming down from their high. Jim held her to his side, their fingers of the left hands entwined. This evening had taken a turn for the fantastic instead the dull post-breakup couch-snuggling Molly had expected. "Now I know Sherlock is not right all the time." she said happily, but then bit her tongue. She better had not mentioned Sherlock, while lying in bed with the Consulting Criminal Moriarty. She closed her eyes and waited for the night to turn sour. But she only felt a slight rumble in Jim's chest - still pressed to her back - that was a quite chuckle. "I told you already, darling, that I am not gay." "You lied to me about being Jim from IT I just wanted to make sure." Jim growled and bit lightly on her neck. "This was business to you? That won't do. We have to do it all again just for the fun of it." Molly smiled and turned so that their fronts were to each other. "If you insist." Just as they had started kissing again, Jim's phone rang in the pocket of his trousers. "Bummer." Jim said but stood up and answered his phone. "Speak." Molly admired his physique, standing there giving her a wink and walking off, letting her admire his butt, too. While she relaxed in her bed Molly had the time and peace to think about all she had learned about Jim Moriarty this evening.

Definitely not gay, but wanted to appear that way to Sherlock. (Why?)

Consulting Criminal, whatever that entailed.

Is quite busy but also found the time to play Jim from IT. (Why?)

Like Sherlock he needs to be surprised and entertained by people. (In contrast to Sherlock she can do that with Jim, she is not stuttering and blushing and fumbling with him.)

Molly couldn't predict how he might react to any given situation but that made him also quite fascinating and exciting and Molly realized that she needed that. The boring, normal men had all been disappointing this far in her life. Maybe she needed someone not quite normal. This would also explain why she let Sherlock walk all over her, hoping he would notice her one day. "Well it seems as if I don't just found out a lot new stuff about Jim but also myself tonight." Molly thought, still lying there, eyes closed and relaxing. If only Jim would come back to snuggle up, she would be asleep in a minute.

6:07

Molly woke up because the sun shone on her face. "Why does the sun shine? Doesn't she normally close the blinds so this won't happen?" Then the evening before came back to her and she realized that she was alone in bed but still naked. Well, that was not how she imagined the evening would continue. A bit disappointed Molly got up; she had to work that day. Good thing the sun woke her up. Molly went into her kitchen where she found a note on the table. She smiled because at least he did not leave without saying goodbye.

Darling, excuse my leaving but I could not stay.

We did not play my game but I tell you one secret anyway: I wanted to see if Sherlock was as easy to manipulate as I thought.

Thank you for the lovely evening, Jim.

"That does not sound like I will see him again." thought Molly. This only furthered her disappointment. But then her rational side remarked that she should be grateful the evening had ended this well. Jim was a criminal, and if he went against Sherlock he was probably way more dangerous than he let on yesterday. But it was a shame. Jim had been fun and Moriarty even more. And that sounded so wrong. One person, two personalities, that was the absolute worst kind of scenario for a peaceful relationship - that practically spelled danger. Molly was still standing in her kitchen, note in hand when she let the rational side of her brain win this argument. Bette be happy that this threat is out of your life! This was the final statement on Jim Moriarty. Well, for now. Maybe she would let herself mourn another failed try at domesticity tonight. But not Jim himself but only the option he had provided. Yes, this was okay, Molly decided, knowing full well she was deluding herself. Whatever!