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"Sherlock..."
He gripped his cellphone tight shutting his eyes as if he were about to cry. He didn't want it to come to this. To act this way. Because of love.
"Darling, are you there?" Molly's voice filtered through his ears through the speaker.
"Yes." Sherlock replied "Yes, I am here".
"As I was saying...I'm going to stay with my Mum for a bit. Figured you need some time alone to work on your cases and...or...whatever else you're doing..."
"Alright. That's fine by me." He was sitting in his chair drinking a cup of tea. "I love yo-"
"Bye" she cut him off and hung up the phone.
Sherlock just sat there. 221b was now a museum of lingering ghosts of people who have once stayed. John's chair was still here. One of Molly's spare white lab coats.
He was stupid to deduce Molly as a fool. The type who'd stick around despite his weekly trysts with Irene Adler.
Although, he did expect her to find out and not make not such a huge fuss about it. Which what led them to this exact moment.
Molly had asked Sherlock to tell her the truth over dinner. He did it. So blunt and thoughtless in that Holmes way. She didn't even try to pick a fight. Molly soon started staying with friends but occasionally stayed at Sherlock's flat.
"Come to the bed, its cold here" Sherlock once requested seeing Molly try to make comfort out of the couch.
"Its okay. I'll be fine" she replied turning her back to him as she tried to sleep.
In the morning she'd be gone. No morning tea waiting for him complete with biscuits and a note saying "I love you".
This was Sherlock Holmes. This man didn't want or need love. That was a John Watson thing.
Irene Adler stuck around for a bit which made life without Molly a bit bareable but soon enough she went away too. Who wanted to play with a high-functioning sociopath who is obviously in love with somebody else?
Then came boredom in 221b. John would come over and the two would try to find a case to solve but Sherlock just didn't seem to find anything thrilling or worthy enough.
"She came over for tea a week ago" John mentioned "She seems fine. No new boyfriends if you wanted to know."
Sherlock looked out towards the window "Do you want to go to the pub with Lestrade and I? Have an old fashioned male activity bonding night?"
"Sorry, but I can't" John grabbed his jacket "Mary and I are going out for dinner. You know, you've been spending an awful lot of time with Lestrade..."
"I find George to be great company. Are you jealous, John?"
Watson smirked. Something was seriously wrong with Sherlock "Oh, I am just fuming with envious rage...and by the way, his name is 'Greg'. Ta."
Sherlock had bad dreams. Dreams in which Molly was captured and tied up, calling out his name and he failed to find her. He woke up worried but never picked up the phone just once to dial her number and check up on her.
Days went on, no cases to solve except for the one his head was so desperately trying not to accept. The case of the in-denial realization of falling in love.
He came back from the pub that night to discover Molly back at the flat. It made his heart jump a bit.
"Hello" she greeted "Just, uh...just came back for my things..."
This is it. Good night Vienna. Sherlock thought.
Molly picked up a few books, her spare lab coat, and the red scarf. Sherlock's eyes widened and then calmed.
"Goodbye..." she said walking past him carrying her shopping bag of things.
"Molly..." he called out.
She swiftly turned around with her pony tail swinging behind her "Yes?"
"I just wanted to say that..." meaning apologies weren't his thing. "I'm sorry. After all that's been said and done this measley apology probably couldn't fix much but I do mean it. I didn't mean to hurt you nor did I ever have any intention of hurting you..."
Molly felt a knot in her throat. She tried not to cry.
"Just be happy, Miss Hooper. You deserve it."
She sniffled a smile "Thank you, Sherlock".
"Take an umbrella. I think it might rain."
Molly did as she was told and didn't look back. Sherlock watched her out the window as she waited a bit on the front steps, opened the umbrella and went on her way.
Sherlock didn't have time for his mind palace to help solve this case. He ran after her. She almost made it to the end of the block when she heard "Molly!!"
"Molly!!" Sherlock called
Once he reached her, she dropped the shopping bag and umbrella and was met with a kiss.
Sherlock and Molly kissed in the rain. Holding eachother close not caring about anything else.