For Day 4 of SAW 2022: "What was today about?" Rated K+. Many thanks to Nocturnias & Broomclosetkink for reading it over for me! Some of dialogue and blocking were taken from Ariane DeVere's fantastic transcription of TEH on livejournal.
"What was today about?"
Molly gave Greg a quizzical look. "To say thank you, I guess? For being such a good friend and not, well, jumping down my throat for lying to you about Sherlock being dead and all." She gave an awkward laugh, and both of them carefully avoided mentioning John Watson's name. The man truly did have some major anger issues. Good thing he was both engaged to a woman who wouldn't put up with his bullshit and back in therapy for said bullshit.
Of course, nearly being burned alive in a Guy Fawkes bonfire certainly hadn't helped. And honestly, John had been much nicer to her recently, which was part of the reason she'd so impulsively offered to help Greg pick out an engagement ring for DI Hawkins. The two worked in different divisions so no one had raised an eyebrow when they'd started dating, and Molly was just thrilled that another one of her friends had found the person they wanted to marry.
Greg was grinning back at her while she gathered far too much wool, and gave her a brotherly hug, mindful of the ring box so carefully held in one hand. "She'll love it, you found the right one a lot more quickly than I would've! An' I knew it was the right one as soon as you showed it to me!" He chuckled. "The clerk wasn't half confused when I said I knew Stella'd love it! Thought you were the bride to be, didn't even clock the ring on your own finger!"
Realizing what he'd just said might be construed as some kind of criticism, he hastily added, "Guess she was just the unobservant type."
Molly waved his unease aside. "It's fine, Greg. This is just my everyday ring; I wasn't planning on changing it out till tonight." She opened her handbag and rummaged around a bit before pulling out a small ring box of her own. "Wanna see the real deal?"
He nodded and she opened it, Greg giving a low whistle at the expensive bit of bling she slipped onto her finger so he could get the full effect. "Antique, innit?" he inquired, inspecting it admiringly.
Molly nodded. "Edwardian, a family heirloom. You can see why I'd rather keep it for special occasions!" She carefully exchanged the two rings and put the box securely in the bottom of her handbag.
He nodded. "Oh yeah! Like tonight, I reckon." He pulled a face. "Too bad Stella's working late; she'll miss the whole shindig. But I browbeat Sherlock into coming for dinner one night next week so he'll get to meet her then and deduce her to his heart's content in private." His expression turned a bit grim. "An' he'd better be prepared for an actual beating if he goes too far!"
"I'll be sure to warn him," Molly assured him. "He might take it more seriously coming from another person," she explained when Greg gave her a surprised look. "Like when John was calmer and more willing to listen to Mary rather than Sherlock after his, uh, big reveal."
They traded knowing glances before setting off in opposite directions to prep for the evening's get together. "Looking forward to meeting that fiancé of yours!" Greg called after her as she started down the stairs to the Tube station.
"Don't worry, he'll be there!" Molly assured him, hiding her uneasiness as he turned away.
Was she making a mistake? Was this the right moment for such an important introduction? She waved her doubts away. Yes, it was absolutely the right time. Stop being a ninny, she silently scolded herself. The decision's already been made, there's no turning back now.
Thus (slightly) reassured, she stepped onto the train car ("Mind the gap!") and headed home.
Two Hours Later
Greg fidgeted a bit with the box in his pocket. He hadn't wanted to leave it at the flat in case she accidentally stumbled across it. Not that his life was a bloody RomCom but it would be just his luck to have the surprise ruined. And he wanted it to be a surprise; that was the whole point of proposals, wasn't it? Otherwise why not just casually ask, "so when do you want to get married" and get it over with? He'd known several couples who'd done it that way and yeah, it had been fine for them but this was his second attempt at marriage (not counting the multiple breakups-and-reunions with the ex) and he wanted to set the tone right from the start.
To let her know he wasn't entering into this casually, that he wasn't taking it lightly.
Glancing around the room, he noticed that Sherlock, the bloody peacock, was still in his bedroom changing for the press conference. John had just gone down the hall to get him, but when they returned it was obvious Sherlock wasn't ready to indulge the members of the Fourth Estate just yet.
Maybe, like Greg, he was eagerly looking forward to finally meeting that fiancé of Molly's? Naw, he decided as he watched the younger man wandering around the room, he just wanted to make a bloody great entrance, like always. Make 'em wait til they were just about ready to leave, then throw open the door and step onto the pavement. Probably wearing the hat, too. Smart suit, stupid hat. A mass of contradictions, that was Sherlock Holmes in a nutshell.
He took a seat near Mary and Mrs. Hudson, John quickly joining them. Wonder when he'll be redoing the proposal, Greg wondered idly, only to have that very subject come up. John made a snide remark to Sherlock about the interruption of his first proposal attempt the night of his return from the dead to which Sherlock responded by ignoring him. Typical.
Mrs. Hudson, meanwhile, was asking Mary about wedding dates. After answering her, she called out, "You will be there, Sherlock?"
"Weddings – not really my thing," he replied, then looked across and winked at her. Oho! Greg thought gleefully. He likes her! Good thing, too, or he'd end up with another bloody nose - and not necessarily from John. Mary had spunk and was a good looker to boot, but then John always did have a good eye for the birds.
In response to Sherlock's cheeky little wink, Mary smiled. Then Greg's attention was caught by the sound of the door opening, and there she was, the missing person herself. Molly gave a little wave and a smile as she came in, looking somewhat nervous and awkward. "Hello, everyone!"
John said hello in response, and Greg smiled, but inside he was frowning a bit as he cast a glance over her shoulder. "The fiance couldn't make it?" he asked, sympathetic and disappointed at the same time. He'd been looking forward to finally meeting the bloke; it was nice that Molly had been able to move on from her painfully obvious crush on Sherlock Of course, she hadn't introduced the bloke to any of them, either, but as he usually saw her while working it was unlikely the fiancé would be hanging about the morgue.
Sherlock quickly walked up to her. The room went utterly silent as he placed an arm firmly around Molly's shoulder and proceeded to kiss her. Not a kiss to the cheek or forehead; oh no, a proper kiss on the lips, a lover's kiss if he'd ever seen one.
"The fiancé," Sherlock said proudly as he held up Molly's hand and showed off the expensive family heirloom she was wearing, "is already here."
The self-satisfied smirk he wore as pandemonium erupted made it clear that was exactly the reaction he'd been anticipating.
The git.
Once he'd gotten his own shock under control, Greg found himself crossing the room and pumping Sherlock's free hand in congratulations, then kissing Molly on the cheek and exclaiming delightedly, "Any time you want a job with the Met, Molly Hooper, it's yours! I wish half the people I work with could keep a secret the way you do!" He shook his head and turned to Sherlock. "No wonder she was so cagey about this bloke. 'Met him at work,' she said, and well damned if that isn't the literal truth!"
Behind him, Mrs. Hudson was half-laughing, half-crying as she clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Oh, how wonderful! I knew you'd eventually have to move on," here she cut a quick look at John, "but I never expected-! Oh Molly, congratulations, oh, let me see that ring!" She was on her feet and beaming happily at the pair of them, offering Sherlock a kiss for which he gravely lowered his head to to receive, then doing the same to Molly as she exclaimed over the sapphire set in pearls and white diamonds.
John, whose face had visibly darkened at yet another secret being so casually revealed to him, said nothing as Mary whispered into his ear. Then his expressions lightened, became sheepish, and then he was on his feet, too, striding over to take Sherlock's hand in a firm clasp, then giving Molly a congratulatory peck on the cheek. "Always knew he had a heart," he told her. "Just glad he found it in time to give it to the best person to keep it safe."
Sherlock gave Molly a slight squeeze as she blushed and stammered out her thanks. "Molly always keeps me safe, John," Sherlock said simply.
The two men exchanged measured looks; John gave him a solemn nod, then Greg decided it was time for a toast. Handing round champagne to everyone, he declared "To the bride and groom to be!"
"To all of the brides and grooms to be," Sherlock corrected him, with a cheeky wink and a nod to his jacket pocket. Greg rolled his eyes but drank all the same.
Leave it to Sherlock to notice that slight bulge and correctly deduce what it meant!
