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Sebastian knew from experience that if he didn’t tell Molly Hooper how he felt about her within 24 hours that Jim would tell Molly for him. He also knew that Molly would be coming over early to cook dinner for Jim, and so Sebastian would have a few hours with her. He’d make the soup, she’s toss the salad. He’d make the dessert, she’d make the main course and it was some good ‘alone time’. He just hoped his own tongue didn’t betray him.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so nervous. He hadn’t had a girlfriend since it became very clearly that he couldn’t hold onto a relationship and stay employed (and therefore alive). He’d always picked Jim over any woman… but Molly would also pick Jim over any man, and as such it couldn’t be more perfect. Each would understand having to leave the other for Jim, because Jim was the center of their universes.
But it was still so odd, telling a woman that he liked her (he’d be avoiding the big ‘L’ word for all time if he could help it) and that he wanted to have a relationship with her while she was in a relationship with his boss, and that his boss was okay with it… it just wasn’t done. Yet Jim did a lot of things that just weren’t done, and Sebastian just had to pray that Molly Hooper would be open to dealing with one more thing. Either that or Sebastian would lose her completely. Well, he’d just have to see.
Sebastian imagined that he’d have broken his hands from how hard he’d wrung them… if he indulged in such things. Instead he worked on making a rather complex stew because it could keep his hands busy while he waited.
“Oh, sorry, I’m late!” Molly gasped when she swung into the kitchen. She had already left her coat and shoes in the hall where they belongs and was rolling up her sleeves. “You started already,” she said with a smile, getting the things out of the refrigerator that she had bought the day before to make dinner for Jim.
“It’s fine, the chances of him being on time are pretty slim,” Sebastian pointed out.
“Yeah, but I like being on time,” Molly said.
“Anything interesting at work today?” Sebastian asked.
Molly sighed heavily. “I got invited to a Christmas party at Sherlock’s flat,” she said hesitantly. Sebastian’s heart stopped for a moment. Sherlock Holmes was a taboo subject with Molly. Neither Jim nor Sebastian believed for a second that she still wasn’t in love with Sherlock Holmes.
“I see,” Sebastian said simply. He didn’t want to talk about it, but clearly neither did she. They didn’t speak of it again as they worked.
“You already have the cake in the oven,” Molly said as Sebastian was taking it out. The soup was done at that point, the salad was made, and Molly was working on finishing the fish.
“Everything’s ready then,” Sebastian said. His stomach was tied in knots. He didn’t feel hungry at all.
“Colonel, are you okay?” Molly asked. His stomach clenched.
“Just wait till you’re done. I don’t want you to burn yourself,” Sebastian said.
“I have more control than that,” Molly said, sounding miffed.
“Just… trust me,” Sebastian said.
“Okay, but you can’t make me wait all night, I’ll get nervous,” she said.
“Okay, I swear,” Sebastian said. He helped her get the table made as she finished with the fish. Jim flounced in right when Molly finished and Sebastian didn’t have even a second to talk to her. Jim clearly noticed that Molly didn’t know yet and seemed hum happy the whole evening, though neither Sebastian nor Molly ate much (nerves did that to a person).
“You two love birds clean up the nest while daddy goes to make a phone call,” Jim called as he flounced out. Sebastian understood: this was his last chance or Jim was going to tell Molly himself.
“Well?” Molly asked, seeming to understand the underlying message of Jim’s words as well.
Sebastian sighed and turned the water on in the sink as Molly started to put the leftovers away. “Well,” Sebastian said, not wanting to say it. “I think…. I rather fancy you.” The second the words were out of his mouth he stared it horror. What had he just said? I fancy you? What the hell? Had he just dropped out of a Victorian romance novel?
“Excuse me?” Molly asked with a snort, clearly either too amused to notice what his words meant, or simply not believing it because it sounded so stupid. “You what?”
“I uh… fancy you,” Sebastian said, wincing. “I like you, I find you very attractive Doctor Hooper. I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t even sleep anymore when I’m lying next to you because I can’t stand that you don’t think of me like that at all.” Sebastian’s teeth clicked together with the force he used to shut his mouth. He couldn’t keep babbling like that.
Molly was staring at him, seeming horrified as well. Her eyes flicked out to the living room where the ebony wood door of Jim’s study stood. “Are you mad?” she hissed. “Why would you tell me that? Are you out of your mind?”
“He… um, he already knows,” Sebastian said.
“How are you still alive?” Molly hissed, not believing him. She was angry at him… well, he hadn’t expected that. She was angry because yes, it was terribly stupid for him to tell her, especially since she was Jim Moriarty’s woman.
“He um… told me to tell you.”
“Why, to test me?” Molly snapped, fire growing in her eyes. “Jim, I know you’re not on a phone call!” She shouted. To Sebastian’s surprise Jim ripped the door open, grinning like the snake he was. Of course he’d be listening. Hell, he’d probably taped it!
“Really Seb? ‘I Fancy you?’” Jim asked, snickering as he strolled into the kitchen. Sebastian felt his ears getting red.
“It’s not funny Jim,” Molly said, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s not funny to test me like this.”
“It’s cute how you think I spend my time thinking up ways to bother you, but Sebby here is being genuine,” Jim said, rolling his eyes.
“He… you… I mean… what?” Molly asked, looking between them. The color in her cheeks (which had become rapidly red with anger) was now rapidly draining down to white. Shit, this was the last thing Sebastian wanted. He couldn’t stand it if she became afraid of him. Would she think he was an animal who couldn’t control himself? He’d heard that enough in his life. She’d never say it out loud, but he didn’t want to read it in her eyes.
“Colonel Sebastian Moran has an adult man crush on you,” Jim said, locking his fingers behind his back and beginning to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet.
“You meant it?” Molly asked, her eyes turning to Sebastian, who couldn’t meet her gaze.
“Yes,” Sebastian said, looking past her. Why did Jim was to witness this?
“Am I supposed to pick between you? Jim, this is heinous!” Molly snapped, but her voice still sounded weak. Sebastian was surprised she could get any force behind her words at all. Heinous? What did she think he couldn’t stand the rejection.
“No, Molly Dear,” Jim purred, reaching out and patting Molly on the top of the head in the most patronizing way possible. “You, my dear, have just won the lottery. You get to fuck both the world’s only consulting criminal, and the world’s best sniper,” he said with a cruel smile. Molly turned bright red. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“Sir,” Sebastian said. “Can you please go back to your pretend phone call?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Temper, temper,” Jim said, but obliged. He probably hoped to be able to record another great line like ‘I fancy you’.
Sebastian let out a breath, but still didn’t look at Molly. “I like you very much, Miss Hooper, but I won’t act on it at all if it bothers you.”
“And if it doesn’t bother me?” Molly asked. She wasn’t admitting anything, just asking for options. Still, her words jolted painful hope through his body.
“Then,” Sebastian said, licking his lips. His whole mouth felt dry. “I hope that you would do me the honor of having coffee with me later this week.”
“Coffee?” Molly asked, looking down at her feet. Sebastian could see it, but he could hear the smile on her voice. “That’s it.”
“For now,” Sebastian said.
“Then… may I request that I be given time to think about it… until coffee… Wednesday,” she added.
“Coffee on Wednesday sounds fine… just coffee and maybe a sandwich for lunch?” Sebastian suggested.
“Yes, there’s a nice café near the hospital,” Molly said. “Um… so, until then, I suppose,” she said and walked to Jim’s study. She knocked on the door as she passed and then went to his room. Jim came out a moment later and went to his room as well, not so much as casting a glance at Sebastian. Sebastian went back to cleaning up the kitchen.