Late Night Visit

Molly humphed in her sleep before rolling over onto her stomach. When she bumped into something warm and hard she jolted awake, blinking blearily at the dark form beside her.

"Mmmmppphhh … Sherlock! Why can't you just use the key I gave you instead of picking the lock?" she grumbled sleepily.

He let out a loud huff. "Because you always hear me when I use the key. I didn't want to wake you."

"Well … I'm awake now!" She squinted at him, trying to make him out in the semi-darkness. "What are you doing here anyway?" She reached up to scratch her head but he grabbed a hold of her wrist, turning it so that he could kiss the centre of her palm.

"I missed you," he murmured into her skin.

She sighed. "Sherlock, you were with me in the lab almost the entire day! And it's not even been two hours since you last saw me! Why didn't you just come home with me?"

He started kissing down the length of her arm. "I didn't want to appear presumptuous."

"And you don't consider this presumptuous?" she asked. "Showing up at my flat in the middle of the night?"

He sighed into the curve of her arm before moving to kiss the tip of her elbow.

"Sherlock, we don't have to keep sneaking about … everyone knows we're together. It's all right for you to come here with me, or for me to go with you to Baker Street. We don't have to hide anymore."

He hummed in agreement but still didn't say anything. He released her arm and laid down flat on his back. She could just make out his shifted so that she was laying on her side, her head propped up on her hand.

"What is it?" she asked. "Something's bothering you. You're never this quiet. Tell me. Or I'll figure it out on my own. I always do."

He sighed again. "You are the only one who can read my thoughts, Molly Hooper."

"Quit stalling."

He grumbled for a moment. "Fine! I miss the secrecy. I rather liked the, as you put it, 'sneaking about!' It was rather exciting, thrilling actually. I liked that it was just the two of us, that no one else knew." He turned his head and looked at her; she could see the faint light from the street shining in his eyes.

She smiled softly. "I liked it too Sherlock. It was fun. But we couldn't have continued on like that. It would have gotten exhausting. And eventually one of us would have gotten tired of it, and would have wanted out. That's not how a healthy relationship works. Maybe for a little while, but not for forever."

She could see him blinking, his long eyelashes fluttering.

"You would have ended it?" he said, his tone tinged with sadness. "You would have wanted out of our relationship?"

She felt her heartbeat sputter. She hadn't been exactly talking about herself, but the fact that he thought she was certainly showed something.

"I … I don't know," she stammered out. "I wanted to be with you for such a long time. I'm not sure I would have had the strength to end it."

He nodded his head, seeming satisfied with her answer. "All for the best then? I suppose it was bound to happen, that someone would find out. We were getting a bit … sloppy. I could have sworn I had locked the door. Oh well. I could have just been kissing you as a thank you, don't see as to why John had to instantly jump to such a conclusion. Rather surprised actually, a bit proud too. Usually his brain works so slowly."

Molly shook her head. "Sherlock, you had your tongue in my mouth and your hand down the front of my blouse. It was quite clear what was going on."

"Welllllll …"

"No. It was."

He crossed his arms over his chest. She could just barely make out his pout. They both were silent for a few minutes. Her arm started to go numb so she laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

The deep rumble of his voice broke through the silence. "You're sleeping naked again."

"Excellent deduction. Bravo."

She could practically hear him roll his eyes.

"That actually didn't require any deduction skills," he stated. "I could see the hard points of your nipples through the sheet. OOMPH!"

She hit him with her pillow.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Dunno, just felt like it."

He tossed the pillow back at her and she caught it.

"Yes, all right. I'm naked." She poked him in his arm. "And you have on far too many clothes."

He was wearing his staple black trousers and button-up shirt. What colour the shirt was she couldn't make out.

"Solve that problem, will you?" she said.

He chuckled before slipping off the bed, facing her as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. She resumed her previous position: lying on her side with her head propped up. She was rather enjoying the view. It was interesting to watch someone disrobe when you could barely make out their face in the dark. He pulled off his socks, trousers and pants before returning to the bed. She smiled at him when he moved closer to her, pushing the sheet away. Her body was exposed to him now. He pressed himself against her and she hummed contentedly.

"That's better," she whispered.

He captured her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. She sighed into the kiss, hooking her leg up over his hip, her ankle coming to rest at the small of his back.

"Mmmfff … you're tired Molly, you should get some sleep."

Normally she would have spat out a rather bitter retort, but she was in fact rather exhausted.

"Well … you did wake me up from a rather enjoyable deep sleep." Suddenly she lifted her hand up and smacked his chest. "Not fair Sherlock! You can't just come here like this, looking all sexy, and then get in my bed naked and not expect me to want you!"

He chuckled rolling onto his back and pulling flush against him, causing a soft whimper to escape her lips.

"You're the one who told me I had too many clothes on," he noted.

She snorted derisively. "It was true!"

He splayed his hand over the small of her back, bringing his other hand to brush her hair away from her face. "Go to sleep Molly. By morning you should be suitably rested."

She pressed her forehead into his chest. He knew by her sigh that she agreed with him. He kissed the top of her head, reaching out to grab at the sheet and pull it up over them.

"Go to sleep and I'll give you breakfast in bed," he said.

She lifted up her head and looked at him. "You never make breakfast! Oh … Ohhhhhh!" She started to giggle as the realization of what he meant hit her. He simply let out a sigh in response. Laying her head back down on his chest, she snuggled into him, her legs falling on either side of his hips. "You should get some sleep too Sherlock. You'll need to have your strength."

His chest beneath her rumbled with his laughter. "I think I need to start coming home with you …"

"Mmm … yes, you do. No more of these late night visits."