Author's Note: requested by the lovely Bellarsam Chrisjulittle; I hope you enjoy it! p.s. if you want to know which lyrics from the song I associated with each section, you'll have to head over to my ao3. Same username.
It had been weeks since the events of Sherrinford. Sherlock and Molly were taking a walk through London, the cool night air surrounding them. Over the last seven years, Sherlock had kept whatever sentiment he felt towards her repressed, refusing to acknowledge the one thing he couldn't control: falling in love. But now, he welcomed the swelling of love in his heart for her. He was tired of hiding and honestly, Molly deserved the truth of his heart.
They stopped for chips at a vendor and continued to talk about anything and everything. Sherlock had been so terrified of losing her due to his sister's vivisection, he never once entertained the idea that the event would bring them closer. They had been inseparable since the phone call, spending time on rebuilding their friendship and working toward the romantic relationship they were now in. The best part of it was that they were happy; happier than they had been in a long time.
Molly had said that she had no expectations of him. She understood that relationships were not his area. Sherlock wanted to prove to her that he could be everything she wanted and needed. He had to be a stronger man for her. They were opposites in that she could easily express herself whilst he was still learning to sort out his emotions.
"I want to be better for you," he told her.
"I don't need you to change, Sherlock," she replied. "I love you just the way you are."
"There are some things I should do, though," he said. "For one, though I've been sober since recovering from the Culverton case, I plan to go back to the rehabilitation center as a precaution. I want to get better and make sure I never have another relapse."
"That's really good," Molly told him. "I'm so proud of you. I'll be there for you every step of the way. I believe in you."
"Thank you, Molly," he spoke softly, hugging her to him. "Thank you so much."
"For what?" she asked.
"Everything, darling," was his response.
Molly reminisced about the night of the phone call when Sherlock showed up at her door, disheveled and eyes brimming with tears. She had pulled him into her arms immediately and that's when the dam broke. He cried with his face buried in the crook of her neck.
"It's okay, Sherlock," she told him. "My darling, it's alright." Molly led him inside and into her bedroom. He was still shaken up a bit as she removed his Belstaff and suit jacket.
"Molly," his voice was hoarse. She turned to him, his spare pajamas in her hands. "I'm sorry. Truly. I never wanted to hurt you." His voice broke at the end of his sentence, tears falling down his cheeks.
"I know," Molly replied. "Don't you worry about a thing. Take these and change so you can be comfortable." He nodded and went off to the bathroom to change. She was in bed when he returned and she gestured for him to join her. They were facing each other and Molly wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Is this okay?"
"I don't mind," Sherlock answered. A few minutes of silence passed before he spoke again. "That's not the way I wanted you to find out."
"Well, I'm a firm believer in starting over," she told him. "You can always try again." Sherlock's arms encircled her, bringing her closer yet.
"I love you, Molly Hooper," he breathed. "It was always you."
"I love you too, Sherlock Holmes," she smiled. "I've always loved you."
Within the first couple of weeks of their healing together, Sherlock had a bit of a panic. He had tried to find every excuse in the book to not go forward with the relationship. He was terrified and he felt undeserving of Molly's unconditional love. She was in the lab when he tried to convince her to move on.
"You should find someone else, Molly," he had told her.
"Why on earth would I do that?" she asked.
"You deserve better and quite frankly, I don't deserve you," Sherlock admitted.
"Sherlock, what's gotten into you?" Molly questioned with concern. "You deserve the love I give you. Don't ever forget that."
"Do you really feel that I've earned it?" he asked with uncertainty. She took his face in her hands, stroking his cheekbones with her thumbs gently.
"Yes, of course," she answered. "Sherlock, you're a good man with a big heart; much bigger than you like to admit. You've always meant well and have never told me a lie. Your love for me is true. No one has ever made me as happy as you have."
That was the moment when everything changed. Sherlock Holmes started to believe in her love. He believed in her and he believed he was worthy; they both were. That was the day he made a vow to himself that he would marry her someday.