Summary: Mary couldn’t understand how John didn’t see it.
It was right there, right in front of his eyes, as plain as the sun in the sky.
Sherlock Holmes was desperately in love with Molly Hooper.
Rating: G
A/N - SAW3 Day Three - (Canon Compliant - The Empty Hearse) or (Non-Canon/Head Canon - Engagement/Wedding)
Isn't It Obvious?
Mary couldn’t understand how John didn’t see it.
It was right there, right in front of his eyes, as plain as the sun in the sky.
Sherlock Holmes was desperately in love with Molly Hooper.
Mary had to admit she almost missed it the first time. In her defence, she’d never even met Molly Hooper and had only known Sherlock Holmes for roughly forty-five minutes when he mentioned her name in Mary’s presence.
If she hadn’t paid attention to micro expressions and vocal cues (out of habit more than anything), she wouldn’t have noticed the way he sucked in his breath before saying “Molly,” or the slight change in tone. It wasn’t there when he spoke her full name seconds later. Honestly, she suspected he didn’t even notice the difference himself.
How many stories had she heard about the cutting remarks Sherlock had tossed at anyone he felt was his intellectual inferior? Yet she had heard Greg Lestrade talking about the Ripper hoax, and how Sherlock had brought Molly around to act as his assistant for the day. John had mentioned that Sherlock used to spend hours and hours at Barts, often with Molly popping in to offer her assistance for a bit. Sherlock never turned her down.
Knowing what she did about Sherlock, she thought it very telling that he wanted the pathologist around while he worked. Encouraged it, even.
The most damning evidence of all was Sherlock’s expression when Molly brought her fiancé to Baker Street for the first (and probably last) time. Everyone immediately latched on to the similarities between Tom and Sherlock (that was so obvious it was almost painful to witness), but Mary thought it odd that no one else seemed to notice the brief flash of betrayal on Sherlock’s face.
Suddenly Sherlock’s insistence on waiting before heading down to face the journalists and gossip mongers made sense. She understood what he’d been looking for as he stood at the window. He’d been waiting for one final guest to his “Welcome back from the dead!” celebration. And when she’d arrived, she’d been dragging a near carbon copy of Sherlock with her.
The idiot thought he’d been replaced in Molly’s heart, and he didn’t like that. Not one bit.
Admittedly, it wouldn’t have been much to go on normally, but with a man who kept the details of his personal life under lock and key it was tantamount to shouting his feelings from the rooftops.
“I’m telling you, John. He likes her.” Mary finished changing into her sleep shorts and vest.
John grimaced. “And I’m telling you, he isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Besides, Molly’s happy with someone else. She’s engaged.” He disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
“But for how much longer, I wonder?” Mary shook her head.
Did he really not see it?