Disclaimer: I do not own any of the wonderful characters depicted in this story. But I would hope that this obvious to anyone else reading on this site.
One Tuesday Morning
"Sherlock, I have to go into work. I don't have time to go down to the shop and pick up food for the week." Molly sighed as she walked over to grab her scarf from the coat hook.
"I obviously cannot go out of doors yet." Sherlock replied and scrunched up his nose. "I'm supposed to be dead, remember?"
Molly turned around to stare at him. How could she forget that he was supposed to be dead? She was the one who helped him with it. Without her input and help, it is unlikely that the whole thing would have been pulled off as successfully as it was. She was the one to supply all of the false medical records for the investigators and put her professional reputation at stake hoping that no one would look too closely at them. She went to St. Barts every day and had to pretend that she didn't know Sherlock was alive. Walking around the morgue and the lab, she would even find herself thinking that there's actually a body under the gravestone. Such thoughts almost turned her tears from forced to genuine.
"Believe me, I don't think I'll ever forget that you are dead. I probably know that truth better than you." She said.
"Oh really. I wasn't aware that we had changed roles." Sherlock sneered as he straightened his blue dressing gown over the crisp, white, button down shirt.
"That is not what I meant-" Molly began before Sherlock cut her off with a snort.
"I can't stand being stuck in this small flat all day. The cat is irritating, and the crap programs on the telly make me long to spend all day talking with Anderson just to improve the overall intelligence of the conversation. I can feel my neurons starting to lag and that can't happen. My brain is what and who I am. And my brain is bored." Sherlock said as he started pacing around the room while running his hands through his dark curls.
"If you are so bored, then maybe you should just find somewhere else to stay that would be more accommodating." Molly said as she finally looped the scarf around her neck. Maybe it would be for the best if Sherlock did move on from her flat. Molly missed her privacy. She missed her clean living area and a kitchen table free of test tubes and beakers with chemical solutions mixing in them. It would be nice to be able to relax on her own couch, eat chips, and watch the telly programs that she found interesting. Really, she now fully understood what John Watson had been complaining about all of these past months.
The more that Molly thought about all the ways that her life would be better if Sherlock moved out, she couldn't help but feel as though she was just going to end up heartbroken. This thought made her pause. Was it truly possible that she was still in love with him? Could she have a running list of 'Reasons Why Sherlock Holmes is Ridiculous' and still desperately want to run her fingers though his hair [something he did often enough himself] and kiss him with everything that she is worth….
As Molly looked at the calm façade that came over his features, she realized that it was probable and, most likely, pitifully accurate.
"Don't be so absurd Molly. You know that I can't go anywhere else." Sherlock finally broke the momentary silence.
"Glad to know that you acknowledge it." Molly replied as she spurred herself into motion. "Well, I really must get going. It is likely that I'm going to be later than I wanted at this rate."
"Perish the thought." Sherlock replied as he went to pick up his violin and walk over to stand by the window.
"Right." Molly sighed as she turned to walk towards the door of her flat. She didn't want to start another disagreement with Sherlock right now. It was exhausting debating with him, and she had a full shift at the morgue ahead of her today.
"Molly." Sherlock called as she had just turned the knob on the door. He had stopped playing the sonata just seconds earlier, so that meant the comment was going to be important.
"What?" She apprehensively replied, wary of what he was going to say.
"Do pick up some new skin samples from the morgue for me today. I need to continue the testing the I'm working on." Sherlock requested without even bothering to turn around to address her.
"Really, Sherlock? I have more pressing things I need to get accomplished." Molly rolled her eyes, just thinking about the mountain of tasks that lay before her today.
"Nothing could be more important than helping me." He responded with the arrogance that she knew he was now accustomed.
Rather than point out the glaring narcisstic attitude behind that line, Molly couldn't stop herself from a different reply. "You really shouldn't take advantage of me, Sherlock. It's quite horrible of you". Her voice came out sounding softer than she had intended.
Not wanting to hear the remark that she knew would follow, Molly quickly stepped out of the door and quickly closed the door behind her. She wished that Sherlock would not say such things to her even as she fully realized that those wishes were futile.
Molly walked down the flight of stairs that went from her flat to the street level. She was definitely going to be late to work now. Just another lie that she would have to cover for now that she had a consulting detective living with her. Molly had never been late a day in her life before the previous month, and it seemed like her record wasn't going to be restored any time soon.
Just as she was about to reach the door that led out from the stairs to the sidewalk outside, she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She spun about in surprise at the sudden contact only to be more shocked at the sight of Sherlock standing behind her.
"What?" Not knowing what else to say, Molly decided that this was as good as it was going to get.
"Molly, please don't think that I ever take you for granted." Sherlock stated while looking directly into her eyes.
Unable to hold the intense gaze of his blue eyes, Molly tilted her chin down to break the contact. When he looked at her so closely, it was hard to keep her romantic feelings from the surface. She didn't want Sherlock to know because then he would pity her as if she were a drowned puppy. The last thing she wanted was his pity.
However, it seemed that Sherlock wasn't having any of that because after only a second he brought his finger to her chin in order to lift her eyes up to him again.
Molly couldn't read the expression that was playing at the corners of his mouth. She thought he seemed distressed and so she decided that she would do her best attempt to restore equilibrium. "Mhmm." She nodded and bit slightly into her bottom lip.
She noticed Sherlock gaze thoughtfully down at her mouth for a couple of moments. Before she had any time to make a comment, his face was approaching hers. She didn't have the option of pulling her head away since his fingers were holding her chin more purposefully so she could only wait to see what happens next.
Sherlock didn't understand how this shocking creature could possibly think that she didn't hold a lot of meaning for him. He cursed his past self momentarily for causing her to have such doubts. The bewilderment in her eyes was enough to tell him that she wouldn't understand him if he explained with words. "My pathologist" he whispered softly before doing the one thing that he knew would clear up any lingering doubts that she might have.
He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against hers. Molly's eyes widened but otherwise she remained very still. She didn't believe that this could possibly be happening. Sherlock kissing her was something that only happened in her silly romantic fantasies.
But as the seconds were passing and Molly still wasn't appearing to respond, he moved the hand that was on her chin over to her neck to feel for her pulse. However, the movement spurred Molly into action because she moved her head to the side and effectively broke off the kiss.
"Sherlock, I don't know-" Molly began before Sherlock cut her off again this time with a finger from his other hand placed against her lips.
"Molly, I know that you have no reason to believe this, but you are very important to me. I trust you and respect you. I think you are less average than most everyone else. You did help me when I needed someone the most. And for that, I suppose normal people would say 'thank you', but I'm not normal. Normal baffles me. I would rather be extraordinary and, therefore, I will not say thank you." Sherlock stated.
"Sherlock, that whole speech still didn't explain what just happened here" Molly replied suddenly more puzzled than before.
"You really are terrible at deduction, aren't you?" Sherlock teased.
Molly didn't even bother honoring that comment with a response.
"Molly, since living with you, I've learned that there is more to you than initially meets the eye. You are braver and quite stronger than most would give you credit. I think you are fascinating and I just couldn't think of any other way to let you know of my growing sentiment." Sherlock confessed while stroking her neck causing her pulse to beat even faster and harder than it was previously.
Molly felt as though she were dreaming. She terribly wanted all of this to be real, but the Sherlock standing in front of her seemed to sentimental to be true.
When Sherlock saw the clouds of doubt start to creep back into her previously joyous brown eyes, he decided to take matters into his own hands again. This time when he leaned down to kiss her; he knew that it wasn't going to be as unsure.
When his lips had been softy brushing his again for a good amount of time, Molly decided to believe that it was actually happening. Frustrated with herself for not doing anything sooner, she dropped her back to the ground next to her and decided to become an active participant. She kissed Sherlock back and started to tread her fingers through his dark curls.
The change was immediate and Sherlock noticed. It was much more pleasurable to be kissing someone who was showing how much they were enjoying it. He moved his one hand from her neck to the back of her neck so that he could better angle her head. Molly seemed to find this new angle more pleasurable because she moved her other hand to rest on his shoulder.
Sherlock was surprised when he felt Molly's mouth lightly tug at his bottom lip. The sensations that he was feeling left him in disbelief that he had ever thought her mouth too small. She had just the perfect mouth for him to kiss, and he wasn't going to forget that ever again. He pressed his other hand onto the small of her back.
Molly didn't notice that Sherlock had slowly started to pull her towards him until she felt her chest being pressed against his own. His clean smell was overwhelming and she sighed very softly before leaning further into his embrace.
Taking advantage of the slight opening of her mouth, Sherlock smoothly let his own tongue slide gently past her lips. After a few moments of caressing her mouth, she finally decided to slide her own tongue against his briefly.
Both of them quickly decided that they enjoyed this sensation and proceeded to deepen the kiss rather quickly after that. Sherlock and Molly were pulling each other closer as the movements of their lips became stronger as well.
When they both finally broke apart for some air, Molly gazed up at Sherlock who had a content expression on his face. Instead of making a silly remark like she thought he might, Molly was surprised when he calmly picked up her bag and handed it to her as he stepped away.
Without too many words, Sherlock simply said, "see you after you get home from work", smiled and turned to walk up the stairs.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned. "Please don't stay there any longer than they absolutely need you." Sherlock added with a quick wink and a smile before continuing up the stairs.
It wasn't until Molly heard the violin music once again start from up the stairs that she finally headed off to work with a smile on her face. Yes, she most certainly was going to try to get off early if it was at all possible.
Author's Note: Hello! It has been a long time since I have felt the motivation to write something, so I guess you could call this my debut. I'm writing for a new fandom this time: one that I have come to grow and love since watching the show in May 2013. I hope that this has been a treat for you, my dear readers who love Sherlolly as much as I do. As usual, I would love to hear your thoughts on my story. I read every single one I get.
Best Wishes, Ally XXX