A/N: For the December 1st prompt - "Write about an invitation refused." Rated T.

Sherlock knew the response to his carefully-worded decline would come, he just wasn't sure when. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long – Molly stormed into the sitting room at Baker Street the same day.

"Sherlock Holmes, what in the bloody hell is this about?" she demanded, holding up his RSVP card. "Did you think it was funny?"

He smiled at her, not bothering to get up from his chair. "Hello, Molly. Actually, I was being completely serious."

Molly's continued glare told him she didn't believe him one little bit. She read aloud what he put on the card. "'I'm terribly sorry but I'm afraid I will not be attending. If I were, it would only be to marry the bride myself.'" She tore the card up. "You're lucky Tom didn't see this. I'll just tell him you're not coming, I doubt he'll be surprised. Couldn't you have just said no?"

He stood up and walked over to her, smirking. "If I had done that, you wouldn't have come all the way over here."

"You only wrote that so I would come over?" she asked, anger giving way to confusion. "I'm over here all the time."

"Yes, with your completely idiotic fiancé in tow," Sherlock said, rolling his eyes. "I needed to speak with you alone."

"Why, Sherlock?" she asked quietly, her eyes wet. "Why can't you just be happy for me? John and Mary are."

"John and Mary aren't in love with you," he said softly.

"What?!" she asked, staring at him, then she turned away, muttering, "No, no, no, this is not happening. You do not spend six years ignoring someone's romantic interest in you only to declare your love when that person is already engaged to someone else."

"Molly…" He reached out to grab her hand.

She whirled back around to face him. "Do not toy with me!" she bellowed, her fury back full force. "I refused to be manipulated by you again, Sherlock Holmes! What is this, some ploy to keep me single so I'll always have time for you?"

"It's a ploy to keep you single, yes, but only so you'll be available to marry me."

Molly looked like she didn't know what to feel. "I wouldn't marry you for all the tea in-"

She was cut off by Sherlock pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly. Once she got over her shock, she kissed him back eagerly.

He pulled back when they both needed air, grinning. "You were saying?"

"Shut up and kiss me," she murmured.

Sherlock was more than happy to obey. While she was distracted by his kiss, he took the chance to slip Tom's ring off her finger and replace it with his.

Years later, Molly found the torn pieces of his RSVP card in an old cigar box in their closet. When she asked him about it, he said it was proof of the most romantic thing he'd ever done.

Molly said that their four children were proof he was that romantic more than once.