Downloading... [Sheriarty AU] {Completed - Edited}

Chapter Three: Cindy's.

Ah, the infamous lunch break at Bart's hospital. Two hours to put your feet up, relax, read a book, have a coffee, go eat at a nice café. It was bliss for the usually lively building. The long, hard hours of work certainly paid off when they got two whole hours to do as they pleased.

And where was Jim?

Sat on his spinny chair, of course, working still on a FedEx spreadsheet as he picked at a pot of pasta like he did most days (some days, the pasta wouldn't get picked at).

Yesterday's adventure into Sherlock's flat had been interesting. The flat itself was exactly as Jim had imagined. Chaos. It was so undeniably Sherlock. Yet Jim loved it.
What was even more interesting than the flat, however, was why Sherlock had asked Jim round.

The 'poorly' laptop had a virus that Jim knew Sherlock could have wiped himself very, very easily. When Jim had finished Sherlock had given an obviously fake gasp and an exclamation of "Ah, facile!" before he'd tried to pay Jim for the repair. Jim had flat out refused to take more money from the detective. That, of course, turned into one of their arguments that seemed increasingly common of late. In the end, Jim won and left with the same amount of money he'd entered with.

Now, Jim shakes his head at the memory. He clicks the mouse, refocusing on his work. He brings up his emails, eyes scanning the page before he sighs. His uncle seriously needs to hurry up and reply to his damn email. For the sake of his computers and humanity.

Moments later the door squeaks open and Jim spins in his chair to face whoever was here.

There's a shocked, and disappointed, gasp from the woman stood there. "Jim! You need a break" She tutts, entering the room.

Jim's too shocked to see her for a moment that he doesn't know how to response. So much for things being awkward between them.... She just had such a kind soul, too kind for her own good.

"You are coming to lunch with me" She demands, pulling Jim out of the chair and putting all the computers on standby by quickly pressing the button on the corner of each monitor.

"Molly, really, I'm fine. I have my pasta..." The words die as Molly picks up his barely eaten lunch and dumps it into the bin.

"Oops. Now you'll have to come with me." She smiles innocently.

Jim can't help but laugh at the woman. He'd missed her sarcastic comments and gentle nature. She almost forgot about how catty she could be.

"Let me go get my coat"

Within fifteen minutes, maybe not even that, they were sat in a cute little café called Cindy's and it was surprisingly not awkward considering everything.

In Jim's opinion Molly had every right to be upset with him. To shout, rant and get all her feelings out about how crappy it was of him to use her the way he did. That was what Jim had been expecting when Molly announced she'd 'asked' him to lunch for a reason. To his surprise, she'd told him that she didn't care about the whole ordeal because she could tell that even though Jim didn't feel that way towards her she could tell that he cared for her as a friend.

Something told Jim that Molly could really use a friend. So he'd smiled and agreed to come out to lunch with her more often and they'd fell into conversation so easily that anyone would think they'd been friends for years.

It was nice to have someone to talk to, sure, but Jim longed for his computers and the feel of a keyboard beneath his fingertips.

It was approaching an hour into their lunch break when the door chimed to announce there was a new customer. Neither of them paid any attention to it, having seen and heard the door chime many times by now.

They became aware of the newcomer, however, when he dropped into the spare chair at their little table. Jim had turned to ask the person what the hell they were doing but was stunned into silence when he realised it was a smirking Sherlock, clad in his usual coat and scarf.

Molly's eyes grew to the size of saucers and her cheeks turned an unmissable pink. Jim guessed she wasn't used to seeing her crush outside of Bart's.

"H--" She starts, only to be cut off by Sherlock.

"I thought you were gay?" Though it was a question, it sounded far more like an accusation as Sherlock's gaze fixed on Jim.

Jim frowns, silent. Molly speaks up, breaking the tension and answering the question Jim was obviously not going to answer. He seemed content just frowning t Sherlock - and he was.

"He is. This isn't a date"

Jim nods in agreement before he turns back to Molly, picking up the conversation where it left off and easily ignoring Sherlock (a task not easily done, actually. The man could be never persistent)

"So you were talking about Midnight's teddy?"

That distracts Molly from Sherlock and she beams at the mention of her beloved kitten.

"Yeah! He ripped it to shreds. It was beyond saving" She pouts after a small laugh escapes her.

"Dull.." The word rolls off of Sherlock's tongue like a greeting, clearly it was a word he used often.

Jim lifts a hand, as if physically batting the word away. Molly's face falls for a moment before she smirks at Jim's action and launches back into her story, knowing that Jim was listening to her no matter what Sherlock said to try and interrupt.

The conversation flows naturally, the topics changing constantly. Molly tells Jim about her cousins birthday party and how her new top ended up being covered in cake. Jim tells Molly about a site he visits often and how he speaks to people all over the world. She seems really interested so he writes the URL down for her and his username.

Eventually, Sherlock gets tired of being ignored and tries to insert comments into the conversation. Jim winks at Molly and it turns into a game of 'we should ignore Sherlock until he cracks'.

It was by far the best lunch break he'd had in a long time.

They do let Sherlock into the conversation when they all make their way back to Bart's. The detective complains and sulks for a few minutes before launching into a discussion about what he was doing in the lab right now and why he'd come to find Molly as he needed her assistance (in short, he batted his eyelashes to get her to wheel out some dead guy).

Jim hugs Molly goodbye when they get back and nods to Sherlock before disappearing back into his office.

He lets out a long sigh as he sinks into his chair. He sets to work again, that familiar feeling of belonging returning to him as he types away and does all that he needs to do.

When the time comes, he packs everything up and turns everything off before setting off home. On his way out of the building he passes the labs and sees Molly and Sherlock working inside.

He smiles sadly when he sees Molly chatting away and Sherlock openly ignoring her. Without realising, Jim had stopped at the door and was peering in, watching Sherlock work.

He was at the microscope again and was checking files and other such things. Behind him a machine was analysing something and occasionally flashing red. It reminds Jim of the first time he'd met Sherlock and how he had very nearly given Sherlock his number.

Two days after Molly had approached him and straight out asked if he was gay.

The memory causes him to wince. It had been wrong of him but all was forgiven now. Molly was right. He cared for her as a friend and that was clear.

Jim blinks and jumps back when he sees Sherlock looking straight at him. Jim's cheeks heat and glow pink before he quickly rushes away, embarrassed he'd been caught spying on them.

When Jim gets home he barely manages to shower and change before he collapses into bed with a yawn, fatigue taking over his body rapidly.

In moments he's dead to the world.