Mr Holmes and Miss Hooper - a Sherlolly Story

Chapter 16

As Mary walked in, Sherlock's eyes were fixed on her so intensely it almost made her jump. She ignored him and set her plate down so that she could settle herself into her seat.

"Now, now, Sherlock. It isn't nice to stare."

"You've spoken to her."

"And if I had that would be my business, not yours."

"Mary, please."

Mary lifted her eyes to him, his pleading face directly across from hers. His eyes looked like a jigsaw puzzle: partly sad, partly worried, partly terrified, but mostly full of concern for the person he (definitely) loved.

"Let's just say, she needs some time. And in the future, just be careful with how you phrase things. Okay?"

Sherlock's mind started racing at a hundred miles per hour. Everything he had said since the minute the two of them had walked through the door flashed through his mind like lightning in the sky above his mind palace. He scrambled through every sentence, every phrase, every word. He had to find what he'd done wrong. His eyelids were closed but the eyes behind them were roaming over pages and pages of detailed dialogue.

Then he saw it.

John and Mary shared a concerned look as they watched their friend drop his cutlery to the table with a bang. The harrowing sigh that escaped him made it seem as if he had been holding his breath that entire time. His face had paled and his mouth hung agape. John could hear him breathing.

"She heard me."

It wasn't a question, even if he did send the phrase in Mary's direction. She sighed shakily and looked at Rosie who was making a jolly mess of the plate of food in front of her.

"Heard what, mate?" John reached out to place his hand on Sherlock's shoulder and was shocked when he wasn't shrugged off. Instead, Sherlock shifted in his seat so that he was fully facing John, nothing but panic in his eyes before he put his head down.

"She heard us, John. When we were talking about my feelings."

John was confused, to say the least.

"But you said, you said you loved her?"

"Not until after I said I didn't."

John stuttered.

"B-but, Sherlock you didn't-"

Sherlock looked up at his friend, his face flat.

"I don't love her. I obviously don't have any feelings for Molly. I don't have feelings. She's just another asset."

John held his gaze.

"Shit."

"Shit, indeed."

Both men simultaneously turned their heads to look at the blonde woman on the other side of the table. She smiled slightly at their helplessness.

"Don't look at me. This is your mess, Sherlock Holmes."

Sherlock's face was blank. John's on the other hand was full of pity and urging Mary to help.

"Come on, Mary. Help the man. I know he can be a bastard, but this time he didn't mean to be."

"Thanks, John."

"It's alright, buddy. I got you."

Sherlock rolled his eyes as best he could in Mary's direction at John's ignorance to sarcasm. She had to press her lips together to hide her smile.

"I don't know, Sherlock. Maybe text her later to make sure she's okay. Show her that you still care but don't go running over there straight away to make some heartfelt speech that she's not ready to hear. Just, leave it for a little bit, okay? Promise me, you'll try?"