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Molly met Jim when he walked into the morgue, helping to wheel in a very charred body and looking absolutely green. There had been a fire in a nearby building and too many people had been caught inside. All hands were on deck to deal with the dead and injured, which meant that normal IT workers like Jim ended up rolling dead bodies down to the morgue because no one else could.
"Why don't you sit down," Molly suggested, guiding Jim to her desk. She was shy when off the clock, but when she was working she didn't have time to be shy or embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," Jim gasped.
"It's fine," Molly said, momentarily lapsing from her work mode to think just how adorable the man was. "These are really bad," she soothed. He offered her a very weak smile. In a weird way, he reminded her of her cat, certainly he had Toby's large kitten eyes, eyes that a very adult Toby shouldn't have anymore. Big brown eyes a grown man shouldn't have either.
"You must be very brave," the man said, still abashed at getting so sick from having wheeled in a very charred body.
"Not really. You can get used to anything," Molly said.
The man laughed, it was something like a guffaw. It reminded her of an Irish, adult version of Goofy. She snort-giggled involuntarily. She slapped her hand over her mouth instantly, more embarrassed than she could ever remember. She'd been able to control that stupid laugh of hers since she was a teenager. She didn't even let it out around Sherlock (something she was thankful to whatever god or gods may or may not have existed).
"Nah, don't hide it," the man said, grinning. He seemed to light up when he smiled. "It's adorable."
"No it's not," Molly said.
"Well, it certainly makes my stupid laugh seem less bad," he admitted, chuckling a bit in that same very Goofy-esc tone. He screwed up his face after doing it and Molly snort-giggled again. Once more she slapped her hand over her mouth. She felt a bit of fear pulse through her. She was completely out of work mode now, and she could see just how cute this man was, and she'd gone and done something so stupid sounding.
The man grinned and started to laugh suddenly, his stupid little laugh that was just so funny. Molly couldn't help herself, she started laughing too. To her, her laugh sounded like a braying horse. It must have sounded that way to him too because he just laughed harder, which made her laugh harder. They laughed for a good three minutes before they could settle down to just giggles and try to catch their breaths.
"You know," the man said. His voice was so lovely, deep and sweet with such a sweet accent. There was something so dopey about him, though Molly was sure he was a lot smarter than he seemed. No one who was as dull as this man seemed to be could make it at St. Bart's. "I never thought I'd be laughing around dead bodies."
Molly chuckled. "It's called gallows humor. You get very warped working around the dead so much," she said. "I've got to do a bit of work, you can stay here, make yourself a bit of tea, if you'd like," she said, indicating her electric kettle and supplies.
"Thank you… Dr…?"
"Hooper, Molly Hooper, but just Molly is fine," she said.
"Jim," he said, extending his hand. He just stood there expectantly until Molly clasped his hand back, His hands were so smooth. "Jim Moriarty. Hi!" His voice went up an octave and he waved at her. Molly giggled and he frowned. "What?"
"Come on, no one's this adorable without an act," Molly said, trying to hide her mouth with her hand. She couldn't remember giggling so much in one time frame.
Jim pouted. "Well, maybe I am."
"No way," Molly said, heading back to where the bodies were. Jim followed after her.
"Come on, at least let me prove it to you," he said, hesitating at the door.
"How?" Molly asked, pausing so he wouldn't have to go any further. A part of her brain tugged at her conscious. She felt like someone was whispering instructions in her ears, except it was her voice. He simply didn't want to be around the bodies, and she didn't want to force him to be uncomfortable. It wasn't like he was manipulating her to stay still.
"Dinner," he suggested.
"Really?" Molly asked, turning beet red. She never got asked out, ever.
Jim smiled. It was such a sweet, genuine smile. Molly felt that little tug again, but she ignored it. No one was ever interested in her. "Yeah, really. Is that a problem?"
"No, I mean, it's not… it's just, I don't know you or anything."
"That's the point of dinner," Jim said, grinning a bit. "You know… getting to know each other and all."
"You're a bit of a smartass, aren't you?"
"We aims to please, Madame," Jim said with another disarming smile.
Molly shook her head, letting her lips turn up in some kind of half grin. "What time?"
"How about after work," Jim suggested. "I work in IT… you can come up once your shifts over. I'll be around."
Molly glanced at the clock and then back at Jim. She wondered why she had to come up before dismissing it. It wasn't very manly for him to be squeamish about bodies. He was probably just trying to keep her from seeing him like that again. "Alright," she said. "Why don't you make yourself some tea in the mean time? They should have the bodies cleared out more by then and I can walk you out then, okay?"
Jim beamed. "Thank you Molly," he said. "You're really something else, you know that?"
"I doubt it," she said, waving off his praise. She just didn't know how to take such words, though she craved to hear more. Maybe she was a bit manipulative, down playing it in order to hear more kind words.
"No, I mean, not a lot of people can deal with death like you can. It's quiet amazing."
"Hardly," Molly said. "Anyone can get used to anything under the right conditions. If your choice was surviving or not surviving, you'd figure out how to survive."
There was a sudden keen interest in Jim's eyes, and Molly felt smug for being sure that there was more to him than his sweetness. "This is survival for you?"
"In a way… I'm… well, not very good with people. I think I panic under high stress situations. I'm afraid that I'll kill someone… it's just easier to work on people who are already dead," she explained. "I'm not good with people."
"You did okay with me," Jim said.
"Only because you're acting so adorable I can't even be scared," she said.
Jim frowned. "It's not an act," he said, a bit more edge in his voice.
"Your act is breaking," she said, grinning when he frowned. "Don't worry, I don't care… I kind of like that you're trying. It's like… I know this might sound insane… it's like you could see exactly what I wanted and tried to give it to me…" she trailed off, blushing a bit. "Sorry, I tend to babble a bit."
"No," Jim said, suddenly very thoughtful. It wasn't even normal thoughtful, it was Sherlock thoughtful. Molly felt her heart slam into her ribcage. It was fear and want and desperation. How she wanted that… a brilliant man like Sherlock, but one she was safe with too. It wasn't to be though and she felt silly for every thinking it. "Molly?"
"Yes?" she asked, blushing when the word came out sounding too loud.
"You don't sound insane… I'm just surprised you saw through me so fast."
"At all you mean," she said.
"Explain," Jim said, his eyes hard.
Molly frowned, seeing the coldness in the man who'd seemed so warm only moments before. She was even more curious about him now. "A… friend… of mind… Sherlock Holmes, he's like that too."
"Sherlock Holmes," Jim said, his large eyes getting even larger. "You know Sherlock Holmes?"
"Yeah… I mean, he comes in sometimes to use the lab," she said.
"Can… oh Christ, I'm such a big fan. I follow his blog all the time."
"Really?" Molly asked, shocked. She often felt like the only one.
"Yeah, really. I can't believe you know him. Are you really his friend?"
Molly suddenly felt really taken aback. "Well, as close as anyone gets to friends with Sherlock, I suppose."
"Wow!" Jim gasped. "Wow, I'm sorry, that's just so cool!" he said, looking like a kid at Christmas. Molly smiled a bit. He really was adorable.
"I've really got to get back to work," Molly said.
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," Jim said, taking a step back. He'd stepped out of her office when he got excited, but seemed very uncomfortable when he realized what he'd done. "So… dinner in a few hours, right?"
Molly smiled, just a bit. "Yes… I think I might like that."