Molly Stearns (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
losttheright) wrote2014-11-29 10:50 pm
losttheright) wrote2014-11-29 10:50 pm
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These days, it's dark when she leaves City Hall, a change that, even after a month and having known it was coming, leaves Molly a little thrown. This is one of her favorite times of year, and in a few more weeks, she knows it'll feel normal, but for now, there's still something a little jarring about it. It's not enough to have had any effect on what routine she has, though. Heading out of work, she goes most days to the nearby bar, either by herself or with coworkers. As often as not, she runs into Lee there, and while they've been spending plenty of time together lately outside of such a public setting, she sure as hell can't object to that, and not just because it increases the likelihood of their leaving together.
She's sitting with a couple of friends, this time, when she sees him come in, engrossed in a conversation with Gabi and Nick about some family dinner Gabi had a couple of nights ago that went completely off the rails, until she glances up at the sound of the door opening. Molly smiles instinctively, then, catching his gaze for just a moment, long enough to hold up a hand as if to say that she'll be right over, before turning her attention back to the two people at her table.
"I think I'm actually gonna head over to the bar, but I'll see you guys tomorrow," she says, easy as ever, reaching for her glass to bring with her. The look the two exchange after that, though, one that seems knowing, amused, keeps her from standing up just yet, her brow furrowing and nose wrinkling a little in confusion when they look at her again.
"You know," Gabi starts, "you can always just invite your boyfriend to sit with us," and then Molly goes completely still for a moment. If there's anything she could have expected to hear, it sure as hell isn't that. She hasn't had a boyfriend, strictly speaking, in years now, and there's no reason she can think of that they'd assume as much about Lee. Okay, so she's been hanging out with him a lot lately, has done what she intended to do tonight more than a few times now, and she hasn't exactly made a secret of the fact that she's finally getting laid again. She's still never gone into details, and even if she had, there's a big leap between that and him being her boyfriend. He's never so much as asked her on a date.
That she thinks she'd say yes if he did is, as far as she can see, a non-issue here. She likes Lee, but she doesn't have any expectations here, isn't sitting around waiting for something that she has no reason to believe will happen. What they have suits her just fine. This sort of thing always has. It's irrelevant right now anyway, something that has nothing to do with what her obviously genius coworkers are trying to tell her.
Fortunately, she recovers from the shock of it quickly, looking at the both of them like they're crazy or have grown second heads or something, all the while trying to hold back a laugh. It's too absurd not to, really. "Who the fuck said he's my boyfriend?"
"Come on. Molly, it's pretty obvious," Nick chimes in. Molly isn't sure what's worse — that they've both somehow apparently reached this conclusion, or that they've clearly been talking about it. "The way you're always going over there, the way you look at him..."
"And, I mean, we're really happy for you," Gabi adds as Molly rolls her eyes, convinced that at least that last part is bullshit. "That you get to have that, after everyth—"
"Yeah, okay, but seriously, he's not my boyfriend," Molly replies, a little less amused now, not wanting to think too hard about what it is they're saying. No matter what points they might have to make, they're still wrong, whether they believe her or not, which it's clear that they don't. "We're just hanging out. We're not dating. I don't know how else to tell you guys that."
Gabi's expression turns skeptical. "Molly, you lived with him for like a week. You really want to tell me there isn't anything else going on there?"
It's a good point, something Molly wasn't expecting to hear, and it shows, if only for a moment. It's also one she has a quick comeback for. "Actually, yes," she says. "You wouldn't want to sleep alone, either, if you suddenly had to work with someone who looks like the man who tried to kill you."
For a moment, that shuts them up. "Alright," Gabi finally says. "Whatever you say. But you're still gonna —"
"Yeah, I am," Molly says, and she does laugh, this time, as she gets to her feet. "I'll see you guys in the morning. You should try to get your heads checked before then, it might do you some good."
Heading over to where Lee is sitting, she can't help but wonder if she should tell him, or at least if she should ask exactly what it is they're doing here. Both options, though, she quickly rules out. It wouldn't be worth bringing up just to be told that the thought is as stupid as she's just acted like it is, and she can't see why she should assume that anything else would be the case. The last thing she'd want to do is ruin a really fucking good thing just because her so-called friends put dumb ideas in her head. It's not enough to really faze her, anyway, and by the time she takes a seat beside him, it might as well be as if nothing ever happened.
She's sitting with a couple of friends, this time, when she sees him come in, engrossed in a conversation with Gabi and Nick about some family dinner Gabi had a couple of nights ago that went completely off the rails, until she glances up at the sound of the door opening. Molly smiles instinctively, then, catching his gaze for just a moment, long enough to hold up a hand as if to say that she'll be right over, before turning her attention back to the two people at her table.
"I think I'm actually gonna head over to the bar, but I'll see you guys tomorrow," she says, easy as ever, reaching for her glass to bring with her. The look the two exchange after that, though, one that seems knowing, amused, keeps her from standing up just yet, her brow furrowing and nose wrinkling a little in confusion when they look at her again.
"You know," Gabi starts, "you can always just invite your boyfriend to sit with us," and then Molly goes completely still for a moment. If there's anything she could have expected to hear, it sure as hell isn't that. She hasn't had a boyfriend, strictly speaking, in years now, and there's no reason she can think of that they'd assume as much about Lee. Okay, so she's been hanging out with him a lot lately, has done what she intended to do tonight more than a few times now, and she hasn't exactly made a secret of the fact that she's finally getting laid again. She's still never gone into details, and even if she had, there's a big leap between that and him being her boyfriend. He's never so much as asked her on a date.
That she thinks she'd say yes if he did is, as far as she can see, a non-issue here. She likes Lee, but she doesn't have any expectations here, isn't sitting around waiting for something that she has no reason to believe will happen. What they have suits her just fine. This sort of thing always has. It's irrelevant right now anyway, something that has nothing to do with what her obviously genius coworkers are trying to tell her.
Fortunately, she recovers from the shock of it quickly, looking at the both of them like they're crazy or have grown second heads or something, all the while trying to hold back a laugh. It's too absurd not to, really. "Who the fuck said he's my boyfriend?"
"Come on. Molly, it's pretty obvious," Nick chimes in. Molly isn't sure what's worse — that they've both somehow apparently reached this conclusion, or that they've clearly been talking about it. "The way you're always going over there, the way you look at him..."
"And, I mean, we're really happy for you," Gabi adds as Molly rolls her eyes, convinced that at least that last part is bullshit. "That you get to have that, after everyth—"
"Yeah, okay, but seriously, he's not my boyfriend," Molly replies, a little less amused now, not wanting to think too hard about what it is they're saying. No matter what points they might have to make, they're still wrong, whether they believe her or not, which it's clear that they don't. "We're just hanging out. We're not dating. I don't know how else to tell you guys that."
Gabi's expression turns skeptical. "Molly, you lived with him for like a week. You really want to tell me there isn't anything else going on there?"
It's a good point, something Molly wasn't expecting to hear, and it shows, if only for a moment. It's also one she has a quick comeback for. "Actually, yes," she says. "You wouldn't want to sleep alone, either, if you suddenly had to work with someone who looks like the man who tried to kill you."
For a moment, that shuts them up. "Alright," Gabi finally says. "Whatever you say. But you're still gonna —"
"Yeah, I am," Molly says, and she does laugh, this time, as she gets to her feet. "I'll see you guys in the morning. You should try to get your heads checked before then, it might do you some good."
Heading over to where Lee is sitting, she can't help but wonder if she should tell him, or at least if she should ask exactly what it is they're doing here. Both options, though, she quickly rules out. It wouldn't be worth bringing up just to be told that the thought is as stupid as she's just acted like it is, and she can't see why she should assume that anything else would be the case. The last thing she'd want to do is ruin a really fucking good thing just because her so-called friends put dumb ideas in her head. It's not enough to really faze her, anyway, and by the time she takes a seat beside him, it might as well be as if nothing ever happened.