"So tell me, Sherlock. Once again you have a beautiful woman who loves you and you're throwing it away. Remind me again, why is that?" John was genuinely dismayed at Sherlock's continued habitual disregard for the women in his life who may show interest.

"You know why, John. I'm too… well, let's be honest, I'm selfish. I'm a selfish bastard, I always have been. I have tunnel vision when I'm on a case, you know that," Sherlock said. "How many times have I forgotten that you're even in the room? I was like that before we met, and I'm still like that. I go into my mind palace and I can stay there for hours with absolutely no awareness of my surroundings. Tell me John, what woman deserves a man who will disregard her even when he doesn't deliberately intend to do so? A man who will forget anniversaries and birthdays and all of those small moments in between. Who will probably forget even to tell her how much he loves her, because he is so self-absorbed that he actually believes he said it out loud." Sherlock sounded strangely calm, as if he'd put a great deal of thought into it, and was absolutely convinced, and was now reciting a monologue to his best friend.

"So, you love Molly enough to just… not even try?"

"My best efforts would never be what she truly deserves, John. She deserves someone who will be devoted to her, who has a far better grasp on human emotion than I will ever be capable of having. I'm an asshole… an utter cock and I doubt that will ever change. I love Molly Hooper, and I want her to be happy. I want what's best for her, not what's best for me, and that is quite possibly the most loving thing I can ever do for her. Doing that is what will make me happiest."

John shook his head and sighed. Sherlock had a point, there was no denying that.

Especially that part about being an asshole, and an utter cock. But, he thought, that was beside the point now.

"Right then. So what have you done, exactly?"

"Molly's head knows that we will never be together in that way, but her heart hasn't caught up yet. They need to meet in the middle. Once they've done that, she can move on. So I've… nudged them a little bit." Sherlock smiled for the first time since John had asked him why he was doing what he was doing to Molly Hooper.

"Right. Nudged. Any particular direction, then? Towards something, or someone?" John had no idea what Sherlock was up to, but he knew his best friend and he knew that whatever it was, he was doing it with only the best of intentions, even if his methods were a tad unconventional, not to mention a bit clueless.

"Yes, in fact. Towards someone who already loves her the way she deserves." Sherlock sat back, steepling his hands under his chin.

"Someone who already loves her… besides you, of course. Yes, well… oh…" John said, a smile forming as comprehension struck. "Greg Lestrade." John chuckled softly. "Sherlock Holmes, Matchmaker. Now I think I've heard of everything."

Sherlock only smiled back at John, and John thought he saw, for the first time in a very long time, a look of contentment in his best friend's eyes.