HEAR ME NOW
au where molly is deaf and sherlock has to get her attention when she takes her hearing aid out because it's too much for her. teenlock sherlolly
ps I immediately told myself no when I came up with this but here we are weeks later and I wrote it anyways.
Chemistry was the only time Sherlock really cared for what was going on in class. Science was an air of fresh air to him. The only thing that could potentially hinder him from focusing was the fact that he often had to have a partner. He rather work alone but this year in ways of partners he had to say he had pretty decent one.
His partner was a girl who kept to herself for the most part. He had already figured out that she didn't get on well with anyone else here. In a weird coincidence neither did he. It had been a good setup by their professor. He tried not to think too much about it at first.
Until today when they had another lab where they needed to work together.
Previously they would just work silently, neither of them speaking unless they needed to share something about the project or get something that was out of reach.
It was different now. He had had a bit of an issue getting her attention.
It wasn't as if she hadn't been paying attention when they were instructed to work with their lab partner. She seemed to have gotten that but shortly put her head down.
"Molly." He called once, twice before sighing.
He was against touching people normally. It had to do with his need for space but unless she picked her head up and told him something he would have to do something.
He decided before he got into that he would look her over again. Besides her head that was down there was something hanging just barely in his view.
He shut his eyes for a moment to think back. There was something about this that seemed familiar to him. It took him a minute and a half before he realized what it was. She had done this before. Not while they were doing a lab, but it was usually around a large number of people.
The noise.
That had to be it.
He frowned even more.
Well, he needed her so she would have to be okay with it for at least twenty minutes if they were quick about it.
He carefully reached over and picked up the earpiece and softly placed it on the shell of her ear. He couldn't completely wrap it around it because her hair would get tangled. He was trying to be as nice as he could about this.
"Molly." He repeated her name again.
She turned slowly, and reached out to secure the aid that he had gotten almost in. "Yes? Sherlock?" She spoke slightly loud.
He smiled at her.
"We need to work together."
She grimaced a little, and he frowned. Did she not like him either? He suppose he could be okay with that but he had figured she wouldn't mind him of all people. Was he wrong about that?
While he was stuck in his head Molly realized that she might have seemed a bit off reacting that way. She wasn't irritated with him, it was everyone else. Beyond their noise levels, a few had been a bit hard on her today. She usually tried to ignore it, and today she had done a good job of skirting pasts the few who were being unkind but it still weighed on her heavily. Even staying with her as she entered her favorite course.
In order to stop the upside down smile from growing deeper she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Not. You." She said before moving back and making a grab for the pages that they were supposed to be going over together for the lab. "Sorry." She added after a few seconds.
Molly could feel Sherlock looking at her but she stayed quiet as she read over the first few lines on the cover page that gave them a brief overview of what they were in for.
Sherlock smiled slightly before explaining what he had already figured out. Perhaps it would only take fifteen minutes now.
When Molly was getting ready to head outside to await her mum who walked her home she was met by Sherlock again. He surprised her causing her to nearly collide with him. He had speedy reflexes and managed to catch her by the shoulders before she could do so.
"Are you walking home?"
Molly massaged her right ear, something felt odd with her aids and as such she could barely hear him. She took it out.
"Sorry." She called out, turning her attention to the ear like device that she was supposed to wear at all times.
Sherlock grew concerned watching her inspect her 'ears' so intently. He knew she wouldn't be able to hear him so he moved closer to her as to get her to read his lips. He knew that she could do that. She had done it before they had gotten her fitted with her other 'ears'.
"Are you going to be alright?"
Molly blinked at him before nodding. She didn't move past him immediately unsure of whether he still wanted to talk to her.
"Good. I would hate to have to get another partner."
"What?" Her nose scrunched up as she looked up at his mouth.
A few students passed them whispering about the deaf girl who really must have fancied the Holmes genius. Sherlock just scoffed at them, before reached out for Molly's hand and pulling her out with him and down the steps where
Molly's mum was waiting for her looking frantic.
"Oh, Molly I was starting to get worried." She shared a glance at Sherlock.
"Who are you?"
Sherlock waved off the confusion. "Just her lab partner. Something's wrong with her hearing aids." He continued, taking the attention directly off himself.
Her mum frowned more as she took Molly's hand from Sherlock's. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her…." She trailed off.
"Sherlock."
"Sherlock, thank you."
He nodded before angling his head down to Molly's level. "I'll see you in the morning."
She nodded before her mum started to pull her down the steps. "He's nice."
She told her mum who was walking faster than usual.
Molly reached for the hearing aid and tried putting it back in again. It was a bit shotty. The sound kept going in and out. She yanked them out again because she rather not hear at all if that was the case.
When they got home her mum brought her the spares that they kept just in case. Once she had them swapped out. "They always are at first." She said continuing the conversation Molly had started on the walk away from the school, and away from Sherlock.
"He's good. Honest."
"If he's so good then perhaps you should study here together."
Molly stumbled, trying to find a reason why that shouldn't be possible.
"What's his last name? I might know his parents."
"Holmes." She mumbled softly.
"What was that? You'd think I was the one who couldn't hear."
Molly rolled her eyes at her mum, knowing she was just trying to be funny. It didn't work on her. "Sherlock Holmes."
"Oh, The Holmes family. They are nice folks. The boy does seem a bit of a trouble."
Molly just sighed. "I'll invite him over, if only to get you to be quiet since you don't like me removing these." She mumbled.
"You got that right, sweetie. How else will you know what is going on around you?"
I don't want to know, she thought as she headed up to her room.
The next morning when she got to school the duo of Molly and mum were greeted by Sherlock Holmes who looked much cleaner than the day before. Molly did her best not to smile at that, or think about what it could mean.
"Morning Mrs. Hooper, Molly." He greeted. He was holding something in his hands but made no move to put it in his pocket or anything.
"Hello again, Sherlock." Her mum eyes brightened as if she had a brilliant idea.
Sherlock continued smiling, his head tilted as he waited for whatever was about to happen. He was sure that something was. "So, Sherlock how would you feel about studying with Molly at home from time to time?"
He seemed to expect that for he answer quickly. "Sure, I'm sure she doesn't need any of my help but I wouldn't mind getting out from under my brother's wing ever so often."
"Great." She beamed before gesturing for Molly to go ahead and head inside. Sherlock didn't immediately join her.
He stretched his hands out with the papers.
"What's this?"
She unfolded the pages and read the top. "I already know about this. We don't have the money for it."
"My dad knows someone."
She shook her head. "Your heart's in the right place, kid."
The bell rung and Sherlock sighed. "I left the number on the back just in case."
He shot her a smile before dashing up the steps and going inside. He was already late but he didn't mind it today.
When Molly met up with Sherlock in Chemistry she finally asked him about the papers. "What was that about?"
"Something my parents wanted me to pass along when I mentioned you last night at dinner."
Molly's eyes were wide when he turned to look at her. "What?"
"You talk to your parents about me?"
He nodded. "Why," Molly asked.
He shrugged.
She didn't get a chance to ask him more because their professor came in but she did find out what exactly Sherlock had been talking about with his own parents.
A few days later, her mum had taken her out of school early for an appointment she didn't know she even had. It would all make sense later though, she had been promised.
After the operation was done Molly was surprised to find Sherlock sitting in her room with her. She opened her mouth to say something but he only shook his head and motioned with his hands about resting. She looked around the room and saw her mum on the other side of the bed. She was completely knocked out. She smiled at her before turning back to Sherlock.
He moved over to her holding a marker and a white dry eraser board, he passed them to her.
"I should thank you." She scribbled before showing it to him.
He waved his hand again. He took it from her and scribbled his own message.
His handwriting was less neat than her own.
"No. My parents send their well wishes. They set this up."
"You talked with them." She smiled at him as he read her message back.
He sighed defeated.
"Alright. You're welcome, Molly Hooper." He paused a moment once she had read it, before taking it back erasing it with his sleeve and scribbling something on it.
"Would like to come over and have dinner with us?"
She looked confused but he just smiled.
"They like to see good things happening. You're a very good thing." He rushed to write another sentence when he realized that that could mean something else.
"To them."
She laughed.
Nice save, Sherlock.
**the operation that Molly got done is the cochlear implant procedure. It's a fairly well known avenue so that's why I didn't directly say what it was. It is rather pricey, which also explains why Molly wouldn't have been able to get it on her own.
I do know of something I may write for a part two. People on Tumblr really seemed to like it and seem to think I should continue, so I may. It was really fun to write this. Let me know what you think please.
much love,
day