Lo Stesso Tempo (Sherlolly)

Chapter Fourteen

Present

Molly had hoped but she hadn’t expected Jim to be as nice as he was. He’d brought coffee up to the morgue every morning for the last week and somehow he always made it just right. He never insulted her style of clothes and he laughed at her jokes. He even asked her about what she was working on. That was probably one of the bigger things she liked about him. She’d run so many men off with her stories about work. It was a relief to have someone who actually listened.

And he didn’t mind when she was angry over something Sherlock did. He actually asked about the detective a lot and she’d promised to help him meet Sherlock.

“I’ve got a little puzzle for him to solve,” he said over dinner. He speared a shrimp and looked up at her with a smile. “I think he’d like it. Took me a while to think it up.”

“Really?” She asked, swallowing her pasta. “What is it?”

He grinned. “It’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and sipped her drink. “Well, I’m sure he’ll be able to solve it.”

**

Molly opened the door just as the sample matched to a known substance. “Any luck?” She asked.

Sherlock sat back. “Oh, yes.” She smiled at the excitement that lit his face. She turned to have a look when the door squeaked open.

“Oh, sorry…”

She looked up. “Jim! Hi!” He started to edge out the door but she waved him in. “Come in, come in.” He closed the door gently and moved to stand beside her. “Jim, this is Sherlock Holmes.”

“Ah!”

“And uh…” She grimaced, unable to remember his friend’s name.

The man sighed. “John Watson, hi.”

“Hi.” Jim clapped his hands together and shifted nervously. “So you’re Sherlock Holmes. Molly’s told me all about you. You on one of your cases?” He walked to the other side, peeking to see what Sherlock was working on. The detective didn’t reply.

“Jim works at IT, upstairs.” Molly explained. “That’s how we met! Office romance.” She laughed nervously as Sherlock looked up slowly.

“Gay.”

Her stomach dropped. Oh god, he was doing it again. Just like Harry and Ben and Andrew and Peter and oh god… She frowned. “Sorry, what?”

Sherlock hesitated and then looked up again. “Nothing, um… hey.” He smiled and nodded. Jim smiled and shifted, knocking petri dish to the floor. He scrambled to grab it.

“Sorry!” Placing it on the table, he rubbed his arms and grimaced. “Well, I’d better be off. I’ll see you at the Fox? At six-ish?” Molly put on a smile and nodded. “Bye… was nice to meet you.”

Sherlock ignored him. John looked up. “You too.” He nodded.

Molly waited until Jim hurried out. “What d’you mean gay? We’re together!”

Sherlock looked up finally. “And domestic bliss must suit you Molly, you’ve put on three pounds since I last saw you.”

Oh he was going to play that card again, was he? “Two and a half.” And only because they’d been eating out a lot!

“Mmm, three.”  He turned back to the microscope as John muttered his name.

Oh, speak up Molly! “He’s not gay! Why do you have to spoil – he’s not.”

Sherlock huffed in amusement. “With that level of personal grooming?”

John rolled his eyes. “Because he puts a bit of product in his hair? I put product in my hair.”

“You wash your hair, there’s a difference. No, no. Tinted eyelashes, clear signs of taurine cream around the frown lines. Those tired clubber’s eyes. Then there’s his underwear.”

Molly frowned. What the hell? “His underwear?”

“Visible above the waistline, very visible. Very particular brand. That, plus the fact that he just left his number under this dish here, and I ‘d say you’d better break it off now and save yourself the pain.” He held out the piece of paper. Molly looked between him and the paper before hurrying out. He couldn’t see her cry, not over another one. The door swung closed behind her and she rushed to the bathroom, slamming the stall closed and leaning against the wall.

She took several deep breaths, silently cursing him as they came out more and more ragged and choked. She wiped her eyes furiously. Why did he have to be so observant?! Why couldn’t he just keep his perfect little mouth shut and just let her be happy for once! Just once, she’d like to hold on to a boyfriend without the great Sherlock Holmes pointing out everything that was wrong.

Oh, who was she kidding? They would have broken it off sooner or later. She couldn’t keep a boyfriend with or without Sherlock being an arse. And if Jim was gay, it definitely wouldn’t have lasted long. She sighed and pulled her phone out, calling Jim. He didn’t answer.

She texted him to say she just wanted to talk but of course he didn’t answer again. She sighed and moved to clean herself up before going back to the morgue.

**

Jim hadn’t been to work in days. He wasn’t answering his phone. She’d even left him a message on her blog but he hadn’t replied. She fell back against her sofa and sipped some wine, deciding to just give up already. It was officially ruined, thanks to Sherlock. Toby rubbed against her leg and she rubbed him lightly.

“What are we to do now, Toby?”

**

Sherlock set his tea down as John headed upstairs with a mumbled goodnight. He sat back and rubbed is hands down his face. A small grin lit his features. Jim Moriarty… Fascinating. Tonight had been exhilarating to say the least. For a moment, he had thought John had been playing him all this time. But the doctor blinked SOS in morse and unzipped his jacket and then things got interesting. Jim Moriarty… Jim from IT.

And then he’d thought of someone else. Someone with long brown hair and much too small lips and a horrible sense of fashion. Someone who came very close to getting caught up in this. The thought of what Moriarty could have done to her, had done with her infuriated him. But only for a moment. He took a breath, deleted the thought, and focused on the matter at hand. The game had only just begun.

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Thoughts?