A/N: This was inspired by my former neighbors. Therefore, I dedicate it to whoever their neighbors are now, the poor souls.
Molly Hooper woke to the sound of her across-the-hall neighbors' dogs barking. The larger dog's deep barks seemed to reverberate through the building, while the smaller dog's yips added insult to injury. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand.
11:34 PM
Bloody hell… She tried to get back to sleep but the dogs kept barking. Just as she was dozing off again, she heard her neighbor's front door slam.
"Shut up!" the neighbor yelled at her dogs. The dogs continued to bark.
Molly buried her head under her pillow.
The next night, she woke up once again to the dogs barking. That's it, I've had it! She got out of bed then pulled her bubble gum pink silk dressing gown on over her David Bowie t-shirt and plain white knickers. Not even bothering to turn on the lights, she walked through the small flat and opened her front door just as a man was about to knock on her neighbor's door.
He turned to look at her and Molly felt like she'd been hit by a bolt from the blue. Tall, Dark, and Oh My God, where did he come from? He was just over six feet, with disheveled black curls that Molly was getting desperate to muss even further, blue-green eyes that looked as surprised as she felt, and if those lips weren't specifically made for kissing, then I'm the Queen. He wore an open royal blue silk dressing gown over flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt.
"Um, hi," Molly managed to say. "Are you the new person in 221B?"
The too-attractive-for-his-own-good man blinked a few times then nodded. "Yes, right above this one," he stuck his thumb out at the door behind him, "unfortunately. I've only been here for three days and those dogs have disturbed me twice."
"I don't think there's much that can be done," Molly said regretfully. "I've complained several times but this woman doesn't care and frankly, neither does the apartment manager. As long as this building allows dogs, apparently we just have to put up with them barking."
The man didn't say anything at first, his sea-colored eyes assessing her. After a moment, he gave her a sly smile as he held out his hand. "Sherlock Holmes."
She took it, giving him a shy smile of her own. "Molly Hooper."
Sherlock moved closer then leaned to murmur in her ear, "Now that that's out of the way, what do you say to us finding a way to distract ourselves?"
I'm dreaming. I absolutely must be dreaming. "What … what do you suggest?" she whispered.
The things he murmured in her ear convinced Molly that not only was his hair definitely going to be more mussed, they were not going to go back to sleep anytime soon.