Mr Holmes and Miss Hooper - a Sherlolly Story

Chapter 19

Molly stopped dead. She didn't turn. She didn't breathe. He spoke again.

"I am in love with you, Molly Hooper."

His deep voice sounded so sure, so true. She heard him moving and felt his presence behind her before she turned to face him. He looked directly into her eyes with those mesmerising blue orbs of his, flecks of hope and affection floating around in them. She was still frozen. He smiled kindly and took a deep breath. Her mouth was open but no words came to her.

"You don't have to say anything, I just needed to tell you that." He reached for her hand and when she let him, he squeezed it affectionately. "Molls, what you heard yesterday, it wasn't my true feelings. It was what people expect me to say, what the public would expect me to say. People think I'm this machine, this robot of moving parts without a heart or soul. But you see me, Molly Hooper. You see me and my heart clearer than anyone ever has. And I love that about you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I hate that I hurt you, and I hope you can forgive me now that you know the truth. I'm sorry for going to Loo behind your back, I just needed to know you were okay. I know that's no excuse." He took a step back, running his hand through his curls. "Thank you for hearing me out, I'll give you the time and space you need."

He pursed his lips then and nodded, moving past Molly and leaving her stunned as he opened the door of the office and went back into the lab. He had told her the truth and that was that. What happened next was up to her. Molly recognised this. Sherlock was putting the ball in her court. He was relinquishing control of the situation to her once again, and she could only imagine how hard that must be for him. She shook herself back to life. Her mind was racing with his confession. She replayed their moments together, the sequence of their companionship flashing before her eyes. Of course, he hadn't meant those heartless things he had said yesterday. How could she have let herself believe that? They had been through so much in the time they had known each other. It can't have all been fake. She shook her head, she felt so stupid. Of course, he loved her and of course, she loved him too. He was brilliant, utterly brilliant and it broke her heart to know that some people think such horrible things of him. Sherlock Holmes was one of the greatest people she had ever met, one of the kindest and with the biggest capacity to care she had ever seen. He was almost too good to be true in his own way. She smiled, how lucky she was to have found a man with both a brilliant mind and a brilliant heart.

She turned to see him heading for the morgue door. Again, she opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She berated her inability to speak. She couldn't just let him leave now, not without telling him how she feels too. Sherlock paused with his hand on the door, he took a deep breath through his nose and resigned himself to the knowledge that she would speak to him when she was ready. He heard her feet move quickly before he heard her speak.

"Sherlock, wait!"

He had barely had the chance to turn around before her lips were on his as she tackled him into the door frame. It took him by surprise but it only took mere milliseconds for him to respond to her lips, his arms curling around her small frame as she wrapped hers around his neck. It was glorious. The feeling of her in his arms, kissing him and running her fingers through his hair was one he never wanted to forget. This kiss was different, it was weightier, more meaningful. It was full of the knowledge that he loved her, a fact both of them now knew. Her lips moved with his perfectly, she completed him and he felt whole for the first time in his life. Molly could barely keep herself on her feet, her feelings overwhelming her so much that she practically fell into him. He lifted her from the floor with ease, and she quickly wrapped her legs around him. She was weightless to him and she barely felt him making his way across the lab. Her mind was too focused on kissing him, on his lips and his tongue and the beautiful feeling of his body against hers. She gasped a little as her bum met the cold steel of the lab table. Sherlock took the opportunity to deepen the kiss even further, pulling her closer to him and sliding his tongue into her mouth. Their bodies fit together like two halves of a perfect whole and she hummed into his mouth, eliciting a deep groan from him. This was pure bliss. This was heaven. This was all either of them had wanted. He melted into her shoulder when the need for oxygen became too great and the kiss had to be broken. He peppered sweet kisses onto her neck as she breathed heavily. Her mind was fuzzy and her heart was beating at a million miles an hour, but she knew she still had to tell him. She guided his head to hers, cradling his cheeks in her hands before pressing a soft kiss to those beautifully swollen lips. It was short but full of promises and her affection towards him. She looked straight into his eyes when she spoke, making sure her face portrayed exactly what she was about to say. She didn't want him to find any perceived hidden doubts in his endless searching of her face. She had no doubts, she had no fears. She just had love for this man.

"I am in love with you too."

His responding expression was of pure love and such gratefulness that Molly couldn't help but smile. Tears filled her eyes as he raised his own hands to hold her face steady, wiping her tears away like he had wanted to earlier. She leant into the strokes of his long fingers before resting her forehead against his. They breathed in sync, taking in the moment. He relished in the feeling of having his Molly before him, all of their walls down and two hearts bared. It felt like a dream.

"Not a dream, Sherlock." He blushed slightly, he must have aired his thoughts aloud. He rarely allowed himself to blush, to openly express his reactions in his features but with Molly, he simply didn't care. She could see him however she wanted to, and he would present himself to her with every honesty. He didn't want to hide things from her. He didn't want any secrets or any suppressed emotions. He just wanted him and her and love. She looked at him, she had perfected the act of really looking at him.

"I love you." Her endearing expression morphed into worry as tears suddenly filled his eyes, he took a shuddering breath and it was her turn to wipe a drop of water from his cheeks. "Sherlock, what is it?", he shook his head almost imperceptibly, "What's wrong?"

He sniffled trying to find the words, it was all catching up to him now. The very real possibility that this could have ended very differently knocked the wind out of him.

"I-", his breath caught in his throat and he had to cough a little before he could get the words out, tears now threatening to fall faster. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd lost you to my own failures."

She felt her heart break for him, he looked so lost. This had destroyed him as much as it had destroyed her. She grappled to touch more of him, to transpire more of her love into him through her touch, through his clothes and his skin. She pulled him as close as she could and guided his head back down to her shoulder. He shuddered a bit as he sniffed back tears.

"Oh, Sherlock." She felt herself tearing up again. "I'm so sorry. You didn't fail. It was just a miscommunication. It wasn't anyone's fault. Especially not yours." She caressed his head and his back as he took a trembling breath against her. She had a feeling he didn't let himself cry very often, even slightly, it seemed to make him so heavy. "It's okay, I'm here, Sherlock. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

He took a deep breath and composed himself enough to pull back and look at her, immediately missing the feeling of her small hand stroking his hair. He wiped the last of his traitorous few tears away and stared straight into her eyes.

"Promise?"

She breathed out a little laugh and smiled.

"I promise."

They smiled before he leaned down to kiss her again. He would never get enough of her kisses.