The One Next Door

Playing the Overprotective Parents

They spent the rest of the day curled up on John's couch, Dudley asleep on Sherlock's lap, watching crappy television. It wasn't much, and it definitely wasn't the ideal date night, but it was just enough to be together, to be close, after all the time they spent denying it.
"Aren't we supposed to watch a movie with Molly?" Sherlock asked, lifting his head from where it lay on John's shoulder. Dudley woke up with the disturbance, his little tail starting to wag and his ears perking up.
"So what are we doing watching TV all afternoon?" John agreed.
"Should we go over there then?" Sherlock asked. John checked his watch; it was slowly starting to be five thirty.
"I suppose we should." He agreed. John got up from the couch, and Dudley jumped off of Sherlock's lap to join him. "I'll just take the dog out, maybe order a pizza to take over there."
"I'm sure Molly will provide us with food, she's annoying that way." Sherlock assured.
"Well, maybe I'll just bring some potato chips then." John decided, fixing a leash on Dudley's collar.
"I'll meet you there then." Sherlock decided.
"See you." John agreed, letting Dudley drag him out of the apartment.
"Should I lock it?" Sherlock called.
"Leave it open, no one'll come." John assured. So Sherlock left the door open and walked down the stairs to Molly's apartment, knocking once before the door swung open.
"Hello Sherlock." She said with a smile.
"Hi Molly." Sherlock sighed.
"I heard people yelling, I assume that was you?" she asked, stepping aside to let him in.
"Unless Mrs. Turner suddenly has a thing for scream music, yes." Sherlock agreed.
"Where's John?" she asked, looking around in the hallway as if John was hiding.
"He'll be here. We're not attached at the hip." Sherlock defended.
"Really? And now what were you doing all day?" Molly asked.
"I was watching TV." Sherlock insisted.
"And judging on the dog slobber caked onto your hair, I'm sure it was at John's apartment." Molly insisted. Sherlock looked around the flat, noticing things like a candle burning and a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table.
"You really made a fuss for just us." Sherlock decided, wiping a finger across the coffee table and finding not a dust speck residue.
"Well, um, it's not just you." Molly muttered.
"What do you mean?" Sherlock asked.
"Well, I was at the grocery store, and I bumped into someone I recognized, from the coffee shop, the shift after us." Molly muttered.
"Oh? And I'm guessing you two got all dreamy eyed?" Sherlock asked.
"Well, we got into a conversation, and he's coming over as well, so behave yourself." Molly insisted.
"Why the sudden urge to get yourself a love life?" Sherlock asked.
"Well, I thought, if you could do it, why not me?" Molly pointed out.
"Wow, that's really motivational." Sherlock sighed. "Would I know this person?"
"Doubt it. You only seem to notice one person in the coffee shop anymore." Molly shrugged.
"What are you saying?" Sherlock asked.
"I'm saying you wouldn't know him." Molly insisted.
"No, you definitely were implying something else, you're shaming me for liking John, aren't you?" Sherlock asked. Molly sighed, walking over to light another candle.
"I'm not shaming you for anything, I'm happy for you." Molly insisted.
"You're jealous, aren't you? You loved the idea of me getting together with him, but you never anticipated that it would actually happen. You're jealous because I've been spending all my time with John!" Sherlock decided.
"I'm not jealous Sherlock, that's a horrible thing to say! I just, didn't want to be alone any more than I had to." Molly defended, pushing past him and lighting a beach breeze candle. There was a knock at the door, and Sherlock groaned, finally.
"About time you got here, she's being an absolute..." he swung the door open, and some strange man was standing at the door, a bouquet of roses clutched in his hand. "...Delight." Sherlock finished hastily. "Hello, I'm Tom." He said with a smile, holding out his rose free hand for Sherlock to shake.
"Sherlock...Molly, you're...whatever he is is here!" Sherlock called, shaking Tom's hand very quickly and moving aside for Molly to great him.
"Tom, hello." Molly said with a smile, flattening her dress (since when had she been wearing a dress?) and walking over to the door. The Tom guy looked very clean cut, a nice and proper guy from what Sherlock could tell, with brown curls and a very boyish face.
"Hi Molly, you look lovely!" he said happily.
"As do you. I mean, not lovely, that's a feminine word, you look very nice." Molly decided. Sherlock made a very sour face and turned away to see Hell Spawn perched on the table, giving Tom the exact same look Sherlock was giving him.
"These are for you, even though I see that you have a vase filled already." Tom said, handing Molly the bundle of roses. She giggled in a very unMollyish way and took them thankfully. Sherlock felt a strong need to throw up. As the two love birds were talking, John came up behind him, looking very confused and carrying a wrinkly bag of potato chips in his hands.
"Oh, hello John!" Molly said happily.
"Hello Molly, and...other." John muttered, looking past them and giving Sherlock a very confused look. Sherlock just shrugged dramatically to show that he had no idea what was going on.
"I didn't know it was going to be a party." Tom said rather reluctantly.
"No, these are just my neighbors; we're all friends around here." Molly said. "John, this is Tom, Tom, this is John Watson, he just moved in down the hall."
"Nice to meet you John." Tom said, shaking John's hand and smiling pleasantly.
"Hello." John said, forcing a smile. "I brought chips." He pointed out, holding the bag up for Molly to see.
"Oh, I ordered a pizza; it should be on its way soon." She decided.
"Will the pizza man be staying as well?" Sherlock muttered, but only Hell Spawn seemed to have heard him, because the cat hissed, jumped off of the table and disappeared into the bedroom. Everyone moved into the apartment, John moving over to where Sherlock was standing and setting the chips down on the table with confusion.
"Who is he?" John muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"No idea." Sherlock admitted.
"I recognize you from the coffee shop as well." Tom decided, walking over and trying his best to mingle.
"Well, that's odd; I never really go there much." Sherlock shrugged, making John laugh a little bit.
"That's Sherlock's attempt at a joke. He works there as well, and John is a regular customer." Molly insisted from where she stood behind the counter, pouring four glasses of wine.
"Can't say I recognize you though." John decided.
"I work the shift after Molly." Tom explained.
"Oh, okay." John muttered, nodding slowly.
"So, you're um, I don't know how to small talk." Sherlock admitted.
"Do you like working at the coffee shop?" John asked quickly, elbowing Sherlock very obviously in the ribs.
"Oh, ya, it's great. Jeanette's a really great boss, and my coworkers make the whole thing a lot more bearable." Tom agreed.
"Yes well, you don't have Carl." Sherlock agreed.
"That poor man does nothing wrong, I don't know why you make fun of him so much." Molly insisted, coming around and handing everyone a glass of wine.
"He's awkward." Sherlock decided.
"So are you, but you don't see me complaining." Molly insisted. Tom was simply twirling his wine around in his glass, looking very awkward.
"So, what movie are we going to watch?" Tom asked, trying to make the atmosphere a little bit less tense.
"Oh, well, I've got a couple I'd be willing to watch." Molly decided, setting down her glass and going over to the TV to go pick out some movies. Tom followed reluctantly, leaving Sherlock and John alone next to the counter.
"What the heck?" John muttered.
"I have no idea; I do know one thing though." Sherlock decided.
"What?" John asked.
"I'm too sober for whatever it is." Sherlock insisted, and with that he downed the entirety of his glass of wine in one chug.
"You're a wreck Sherlock." John decided as Sherlock set down his empty wine glass.
"Yes, well...we're all in this together." Sherlock insisted with a little hiccup. They migrated over to the couches, were Molly was putting in some dumb romantic comedy. Obviously Tom was too nice to decline any movie with Channing Tatum in it. Molly sat down on the couch, and Tom sat very stiffly next to her. Sherlock and John sat on the other side of Tom (darn Molly sat on the end, checkmating them) so Sherlock was forced to sit awkwardly next to Tom, although he was leaning towards John. There were no cuddles during this movie, since there was knew clientele to judge them. As soon as the opening credits started, the doorbell rang.
"Ah, the pizza." Molly said happily, jumping up as if happy for an excuse to leave. She went to pay the pizza man and get plates and drinks, once again leaving the three awkward men alone to mingle.
"So, uh, have you seen this movie before?" Tom asked.
"I don't watch many dramas, no." Sherlock sighed.
"Ya, me neither." Tom admitted.
"Alright then, there's always more in the box." Molly decided, coming over with four plates with a single piece of pizza on them. What a plentiful meal. So, while some stereotypical pretty girl had a 'dramatic backstory' going on, Sherlock finished his pizza and scooted over a little bit closer to John, so that their elbows were brushing together.
"What, this movie too scary for you?" John asked with a laugh, just as said dramatic girl bumped into hot muscly yet emotionally soft man in the park.
"It's terrifying." Sherlock agreed. The entire experience was extremely awkward, especially when the two finally got to the kissing scenes. During said scenes, Sherlock tried his best to get as much space as possible between he and Tom, who he was sure was having a much worse time than he was. Finally, the end credits, with dramatic violin music in the background.
"Well, that was an Oscar worthy performance." Sherlock decided.
"I especially liked the part when she admitted her love with a stone cold, emotionless face." John decided.
"Shut up you two, so judgmental." Molly insisted.
"I enjoyed it." Tom said, as if those very words hurt him.
"You don't have to lie to make her feel better." Sherlock muttered, but either Tom didn't hear him or was pretending he hadn't, because he made no move to react.
"It was alright." Molly decided, getting up to take the disc out.
"If by alright, she means miserable, then yes, it was definitely alright." John muttered, and Sherlock just giggled a little bit.
"Well, I guess I should be getting home." Tom decided, getting to his feet rather awkwardly.
"Oh, alright." Molly agreed, sounding just a bit disappointed.
"This was fun though, a lot of fun, I'm up to do it again some time." Tom offered.
"Ya, it was, and I'd love to. Do you have my number?" Molly asked.
"No, I don't." Tom shrugged.
"Well, we can change that, can't we?" Molly asked with a laugh. Tom took out his phone and added Molly as a contact, and Sherlock and John exchanged rather disgusted looks.
"Alright, you're in there. Thanks for a lovely evening." Tom decided.
"Anytime, it was nice having you." Molly agreed.
"We'll walk him out." Sherlock decided with a friendly enough smile.
"Be nice." Molly warned, leading the three of them out the door.
"Bye Tom." She said with a smile.
"Bye Molly." Tom agreed, waving as Molly shut the door. That left the three of them in the hallway, and now that Molly was gone, the fake smiles were too.
"Since her father isn't around to do the proper warnings, I guess it's up to us." John decided.
"You don't have to warn me, I know the drill." Tom assured, looking very nervous, as if Sherlock and John were going to beat him up.
"Hurt her, break her heart, make her upset, let her down, do anything that would affect a negative feeling, and we'll find you." Sherlock warned.
"I wouldn't do that, I like her." Tom assured.
"And she likes you, and we'd like it to stay that way." John agreed.
"Well, as long as we're suspicious of each other, you two don't you know, have a thing with her, right?" Tom asked.
"No!" Sherlock assured.
"God no!" John agreed.
"Never." Sherlock insisted. Tom nodded, but looked relatively relieved.
"Alright then, well, good night I guess." He decided.
"Yes, good night." Sherlock agreed, and with that, Tom disappeared down the stairs. As soon as he was gone, Sherlock and John went into the flat where Molly was cleaning up, washing the plates and such.
"He's nice, don't you think?" Molly asked.
"Where did he even come from?" John asked.
"I met him at work a couple of days ago; we've always been on a smiling basis, so I decided to invite him over." Molly shrugged. "It's not like I need an excuse."
"Well, he is nice, and we delivered the warnings." Sherlock agreed.
"Ah, the warnings. I'm glad John was here this time, the last time you almost hung the one guy by the neck of his shirt, he never came back." Molly sighed.
"He was no good, come on, you must've seen that." Sherlock insisted.
"What was wrong with him?" John asked.
"He was wearing a leather jacket." Sherlock pointed out.
"So, it's a fashion trend Sherlock, it doesn't mean anything!" Molly defended.
"It means he'll take all your money and break your heart!" Sherlock insisted.
"As if you've had experience with a guy in a leather jacket." Molly muttered.
"I've seen enough movies to know what goes on!" Sherlock pointed out.
"Well, Tom's not in a leather jacket, so that's all irrelevant." John decided.
"No, he's not, so he's fine, do I have your approval?" Molly asked sarcastically.
"I don't know him well enough to give you my formal approval." Sherlock decided.
"Oh shut up Sherlock, he's fine, you know it." Molly insisted.
"Do you approve of me?" John asked, taking Sherlock's hand and leaning heavily into his shoulder.
"Yes, I've always approved of you." Molly insisted.
"And I didn't even get warnings." John laughed.
"That's because she knows I can take care of myself." Sherlock pointed out.
"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?" Molly asked.
"I'm saying that you can, but I won't let you." Sherlock insisted.
"Fair enough." Molly decided.
"Do you need any help with cleaning up?" John offered.
"I'll be alright, thank you for offering." Molly assured.
"No problem." John said with a smile.
"Well, I'm off to bed, goodnight everyone." Sherlock decided.
"Goodnight Sherlock." Molly agreed.
"Bye, loser." John said with a smirk.
"You just want to die, don't you?" Sherlock asked.
"No, I've got too much to live for." John insisted, and Sherlock just laughed, pressing a small kiss on John's forehead.
"See you tomorrow." Sherlock decided.
"See you." John agreed. So Sherlock left the apartment, unlocking his own door and walking into the very lonely flat. Tom was nice, and he put up with awkwardness and pressure almost suspiciously well, he'll be fine.

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