Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sherlock BBC and/or Captain America.
Molly Hooper was too kind to blame anyone but herself for the predicament of her damaged phone. She was preoccupied with the idea of going to her friend's wedding without a plus one. Molly hoped Meena would not be matchmaking her with the groom's friends and the pathologist groaned inwardly at the mere thought of it until she hit a wall. Or at least Molly felt like she did.
"I am so sorry, Miss. Are you alright? Here, I'll help you up. I am really sorry, Miss." So it wasn't a wall the pathologist slammed into. With Molly's breath temporarily knocked out of her lungs, the wall, erm, man lifted her from the ground effortlessly. Molly brushed off the dirt as he waited patiently by her side.
It was after a few seconds later when the pathologist recalled that the man was still standing there. "Oh no, it's not your fault; my mind was somewhere else." Molly mumbled and looked at the man with a small smile. The pathologist's blush deepened as she stared into baby blue eyes which belonged to a man that embodied the term 'Greek god'.
Get a grip on yourself, Molly Hooper! And close your mouth before you swallow a fly!
When her soul finally found its way back, Molly then noticed that the screen of her phone was cracked. "Sod it." The pathologist frowned and the man was quick to say, "I'll compensate you, Miss. How much do you need to repair it?" Molly shook her head in response, she could not let him pay for the damage when it was only an accident and a light bulb went off in her head. "If you don't mind me asking, do you have any plans for tonight?"
It was an insane proposition but Molly's instincts told her that she could trust this man, superhero or not. He answered in a polite but cautious manner, "No, I don't have anything planned for tonight, Miss." So the pathologist decided to take the plunge. The worst thing that could happen was her self-esteem ending up like her phone's screen but chances were they would probably never see each other again so no harm in trying right?
"My friend's wedding is taking place tonight…and I was wondering if you would like to be my plus one? There will be cake, umm, food, wine and dancing! B-but if you don't like dancing or you are following a strict diet or both, you don't have to dance or eat or…you know what? Let's just pretend that this conversation didn't take place. I'm sorry for wasting your time; I'll stop holding you captive now…"
Molly was about to walk, no, run away from the utterly embarrassing scene when the man touched her elbow. "I rather like dancing and I'm not on any kind of diet. As a matter of fact, my friends would tell you that I have a big appetite. Uh, for food, that is but I assure you that I have good table manners." The man grinned sheepishly at her and she smiled back. "I'm Molly Hooper and thank you for willing to be my plus one." The corners of his eyes crinkled attractively, "I'm Steve Rogers and it's my pleasure to be your plus one, Molly."
Steve accepted her invitation for a number of reasons. One, he was on vacation. Two, even Bruce asked him to go out and meet new people. Three, how could he say no to that beautiful lady? Molly informed him that he only needed to wear a dress shirt and black trousers since it was a 'causal' wedding but Steve also wore a tie and blazer, better to be overdressed than underdressed. The pathologist waved at him and gave him a shy smile. "You look...nice, Molly." Great, of all the compliments he could pay to her, he told her that she looked nice.
"Thank you, you look nice too, Steve." An understatement, Molly thought. The moment they entered the venue, the Captain could see that the guests started to sneak curious glances at them or at him to be precise. Steve wondered if Molly also knew of his alter ego. Sensing his hesitation, the pathologist whispered, "If you are feeling uncomfortable, we can just stay for a while and go, my friend will understand." The Captain did not want Molly to leave her friend's wedding early because of him.
"There's no need for that, Molly. We will stay here as long as you want." In spite of his reassurance, while waiting for Molly to 'powder her nose'; Steve caught the pathologist secretly switching the escort cards and placing theirs on the table furthest away from the dance floor. He should give her a proper lesson on stealth someday, the Captain chuckled to himself. "Done! I mean, I'm back! Sorry to keep you waiting." With his enhanced hearing, Steve could pick up Molly's slightly laboured breathing.
The Captain chose to keep quiet about the little operation that she carried out and yet he could not resist teasing her, Tony was clearly becoming a bad influence on him, "You sure sound excited over powdering your nose, doll." Molly was surprised at her comeback, "That's because I know I have a date that every woman here wants, perhaps except Meena." Steve pretended to concur wholeheartedly and the pair tried to contain their laughter as they made their way over to the table.
"I think it's time to dance." The Captain stood from his seat and offered an arm to her. "We don't have to dance, Steve." He shot the pathologist a mocking glare, "Nonsense, who goes to a wedding and not dance?" She smiled albeit sadly, "The dance floor brought back some memories, that's all." Steve replied softly, "Me too." In an attempt to cheer both of them up, Molly hooked her arm around his and said, "Well then, I think it's time to face our demons, Steve."
The Captain held her hand and slipped his other arm around her waist as they danced slowly in the dim lights.
I…I love you. I love you.
Stop it, Molly. Stop thinking about it. You had the talk with Sherlock already; he only said it to save your life.
The pathologist felt the sudden surge of tears so Steve tugged Molly closer to him, enveloping her into a protective cocoon and she rested her head against his broad chest. When the pathologist saw flashes emitting from the phones of other guests, she knew that was the sign to leave the place now. Despite being the superior one in terms of physical strength, the Captain allowed Molly to drag him away from the wedding.
Steve took the Ironman's (unsolicited) advice quite seriously which was randomly thrown to him when Tony overrode JARVIS during one of the Avengers' meeting that the billionaire blatantly skipped, "Capiscle, I heard that you were gathering dating advice so here's one, never deny what a lady wants! Words of absolute golden wisdom!" And the message ended up broadcasting from the Stark Tower for all the New Yorkers to hear. Steve was not convinced at all that Tony 'butt-dialled' both the recording and play buttons but believed that he was in fact high from caffeine.
Steve wrapped his blazer around the pathologist's shoulders to shield her from the strong winds. "I hope I did not ruin your friend's wedding or what was supposed to be an enjoyable night for you." The Captain's face and voice were filled with guilt. "You didn't, Steve. I had a great night because you are a great plus one." Molly swung their clasped hands like a child. To her surprise, holding hands with Captain America was not awkward. It was…relaxing.
"Can I ask about her?" He did not pull away his hand so Molly was relieved to know that Steve was not offended by her forwardness. "She made me a better man and till today, she still does. I miss her, very much." The pathologist turned so abruptly that the blazer slid off from her shoulders. Molly hugged him as tightly as she could and the Captain returned the sentiment but he used lesser strength of course.
"You remind me of him, always feeling the need to protect others. It's okay to not always be strong or invincible; it's also okay to show pain or sadness, that does not make you any less of a superhero, you know. Just because you wear a mask does not mean you need to hide all of your emotions behind it." Steve placed his chin on top of her head and nodded with his eyes closed.
They sat down on the wet grass with his blazer acting as a makeshift mat, much to the Captain's insistence; he did not want Molly to dirty her dress. The pathologist folded her legs underneath while Steve laid on his back and propped himself up with his elbows. "Sometimes I thought to myself what will happen if I never met him." Molly took in the captivating scene as the stars twinkled in the sky. "Then maybe I will never know true happiness and sorrow."
The night was coming to an end as the Captain walked her to the hotel. "I hope you will find back your happiness, Steve. I know you are a 'certified' superhero but no matter what, please be safe. You are welcome to come and find me anytime you want." Even when standing on tiptoe, she could barely reach his cheek so her kiss landed devilishly close to his lips. "Thank you, Molly."
Alone in her room, Molly's phone vibrated and the cracked screen made it hard for the pathologist to read the message, especially the last sentence where the damage was at its worst.
When are you coming back?
Rosie observed that you were not present for her customary bedtime storytelling.
I miss you.
- SH
Her phone vibrated for the second time before she could make out all the words from the previous message.
Autocorrect.
I meant Rosie, she misses you.
- SH
Author's note: Yeah right, Sherlock.