Molly liked the rain. When she was little she would go out and play, not caring that she would get soaked to the bone. Her mother had always scolded her for doing so, always threatening that Molly could get pneumonia. She simply didn't care. She loved the rain.
But she absolutely loathed thunder. It scared her. Soft thunder was bearable but thunder that shook the house and boomed so loud your ears hurt made her want to hide.
So when a loud crash resonated through what felt like all of London, she ran. She had been in the kitchen when the first crack had sounded and by the time it quieted, she was already in the living room.
She had always been afraid of loud noises, always flinched even though there was nothing to move away from. She didn't know why, it's just how she is. When she was younger, she would hide under her bed, hands covering her ears, silently praying for the end of the storm. Then, when it was over, she would crawl out and go play in the puddles outside.
But Molly was too big to hide under her bed, now. She dashed through the house and opened the first door she could find. She practically dove for cover as another thunderbolt shook the house. She ended up under a desk, hands over her ears, and staring at a pair of perfectly polished shoes.
Mycroft Holmes had been in his study, spending the rainy day caught in a book. The thunder and lightening bothered him none, but the the fact that his girlfriend had run for cover under his desk did leave him a bit perplexed.
"Molly," He said, voice soft as possible. "What exactly are doing down there?" An amused smile briefly showed before going back to his default face. Molly said nothing, just drew her knees close to her body and squeezed her eyes shut.
The man wheeled his chair back and stood up. "Come now, I am not in the mood to play hide-and-seek." She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. When he realized she wasn't going to budge, Mycroft let out a tired sigh.
"I-I'm scared." She squeaked. And as if to prove her point, another boom made her jump and hit her head on the desk.
Mycroft held his breath for a second and then softly chuckled. "There is nothing to be afraid of. It's just thunder, nothing more." He waited for her to see reason. But she didn't.
"Molly?"
"Mhm?"
"I was reading before you came in. Would you care to join me? It is one of my favorites and I'd like to share it with you."
There was a moment of silence and then a scuffling noise. He smiled as he saw her peer out at him.
"What book?" She questioned, curiosity playing over her face. He raised his eyebrows and turned away. Molly crawled fully out of the little space and stood up, trying to look over his shoulder.
"A Separate Peace by-" He began to say but he was interrupted when Molly latched onto him, whimpering like a child as thunder crashed. "John Knowles." He finished, looking over at her.
He removed the woman form his person and gently pushed her away from him. He then proceeded to sit down in his chair and then smile at her. "Sit with me and read, hmm? Maybe then you won't think about the-"
She jumped back on him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Okay." She mumbled, shaking just a little bit.
Mycroft sighed. She made no sense at all.
"I went back to the Devon School not long ago, and found it looking oddly newer than when I was a student there fifteen years before…"