Chapter Text
"I'm looking for a flatmate."
Huh, what a coincidence. Mike thought, smiling slightly at his old friend. Two people have said that to me today. "Hopefully the search goes well." he responded, looking around rather awkwardly as the conversation stilled. "Hey, there's this guy who... Well I'm not sure you'd like him." he waved off his comment, but seemed to wave his coffee around a bit too much, considering that some of the hot brown liquid splashed out and onto his hand. "Shit!" Mike swore. "Sorry John - got to run and clean up. I'll call you at some point and we can catch up properly." Mike stammered out before running off.
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"What am I meant to do? I haven't been in London for... well ages. Everything's changed, Harry."
John was on the phone to his sister for the first time in years. He really didn't want to talk to her, considering that the probability of Harry picking up the phone drunk was a bit too high for John's liking. But hey, at least she was sober this time. Though the sound of a bottle being knocked over as she answered the phone wasn't too reassuring.
"Hey Johnny, why don't you visit that nerd hospital you used to go to?" Harry replied with amusement clear in her voice.
"Barts?"
"Yeah! That's it! You never shut up about that bloody hospital; you drove mum insane." she snorted.
"No I - well okay maybe I did, but I'm not sure they'd want me to return. I wasn't exactly very popular." he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
Harry scoffed loudly. "Well duh! You were really smart though. Annoyingly smart. Even the professors hated you."
"No they didn't!" John replied defensively.
"Oh yeah they super hated you. Remember when I hooked up with your hot classmate? She told me that all the teachers had a nickname for you."
"Well, that doesn't matter - going to visit St. Barts is a great idea. Thanks Harry."
"No problem. Remember to visit me soon, dumbo!"
John laughed. "Will do!"
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"H-Hello, Mr. Watson?" A young woman of about 30 approached John, clutching a clipboard to her chest. "My name is Molly, and I'll be taking you for your tour today." she informed him, thrusting her hand out. "Hello Molly; please call me John." the ex-army doctor replied with a (dazzling) smile. "If I'm honest, I don't really need a tour. I used to study here before I joined the army. But they insisted, and I appreciate the company." John rambled slightly as they started on their way around the hospital.
"You used to study here? I did too! Except I never left." she responded, ending her sentence with a nervous laugh.
"I have a feeling I'm a bit before your time." John replied, grinning at Molly.
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Half an hour later, John and Molly had almost completed their tour. "-and that's how I won the school talent contest!" Molly finished, her face flushing as John laughed at her anecdote. "Really? Wow, wish I thought of that!" he replied in between laughs.
"Erm, John... Do you-Could we maybe go out for-"
"MOLLY." A booming voice from inside one of the labs called out. The young scientist seemed to visibly sag after hearing the call, and reluctantly opened the door to reveal a handsome young man in a suit, bent over a microscope. The mysterious man looked up to reveal a pair of striking blue eyes. "Ah, Molly. It was your stuttering I heard. Hand me your phone, please." he held his hand out and resumed his work.
"Ah! W-Well I would, but it's out of charge." she stammered nervously, flinching as though she was bracing for an attack.
"Here, borrow mine." John volunteered, reaching into his coat pocket and placing his phone into the stranger's hand. Which, upon reflection, probably wasn't the smartest move.
The man looked up and made eye contact with John. With lightning meeting cobalt, he responded: "Afghanistan or Iraq?"
And that's how it started.