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“Big brother,” I exclaimed, running to the door after brother William stepped out the porch, while clasping a small handle. “You forgot your umbrella!”
His gentle smile caught my eyes as he clasped the brown drawstring’s handle. The sun’s yellow hue washed over my brother as he looked up at the skies, his hair glowing much brighter. He was very pleasant to look at.
“It’s likely not going to rain, Louis. I’ll be fine.”
**
He will not be fine.
After three hours without brother William’s presence, loud thunder roared amidst the conquest of the gray clouds over the bright sunny day from earlier. Strange enough, my brother's weather predictions were always right every time he went out to college.
Hence, the 30th of April will be declared as his unfortunate day.
I sighed, letting the eeriness from my system join the air. He’s a genius, I know that he will be alright. Yet I cannot stop myself from worrying about his well being.
My body slumped from couch to couch of our mansion while I thought of things to do. The assignments that were given to me were already accomplished two weeks before the deadline, the chores have already been taken care of even before both of my big brothers leave, and I can’t make the preparation of meals yet since it’s too early, leaving the food and drinks cold and untouched for hours.
I kind of hoped that I have school on Saturdays, too.
All of a sudden, I remembered sending Fred a message to play with me. I scrolled through my phone to find the messenger app, and pressed it when I found it. I opened a conversation with 'Fred the seener’— and I’m not surprised that he did not bother to reply to me, leaving me on read.
I gritted my teeth, suppressing the urge to run to his house and throw a rock outside his window. He should thank the storm for saving himself from my wrath when he forgot about me.
Now, what can I possibly do?
The doorbell’s ring passed my ears. Confusion fogged my head for no one has told me that there will be visitors; moreover, in the middle of the storm. There are no deliveries scheduled for today when I checked my notes app, while mailmen just drop letters by the mailbox.
I ran to the door and eyed the spyhole. My eyes widened when I saw big brother William, when he wasn't supposed to be home yet. His polo and vest were in a drenched mess, his blond hair were sticking all over the place. Just watching his lips move while his eyes were sideways, it seems like he wasn't alone behind the door.
"Big brother!" I opened the door and immediately looked where my brother's eyes were locked.
I was right.
"Big brother William, who is he?" I glared at the man with the same height as my brother, his blue hair had tangled waves whilst tied in a ponytail. They're both soaked from the storm.
"He'll be staying with us until the storm dies down," brother William said while he grabbed his drawstring that was strapped on the unfamiliar man's shoulder. "Give it to me."
"But we had a deal. You have to go inside first!" The tall man replied.
For some reason, he makes me feel something.
"Give big brother William his bag." After the words came out of my mouth, he yanked the bag on my brother's chest in a swift, his face in shock.
"Okay, okay. I did it," he replied, while my brother laughed. I quickly glanced on his wet identification card.
Sherlock Holmes.
"Come in brother. Quick, before you catch a cold," I said.
"Aren't you going to welcome me too?" Holmes asked.
"No." Even when I refused, he still walked inside our floors.
"I'll clean the floors, brother. Please feel free to go wherever you please."
"It’s fine. I'll do it, Louis."
"No, I'll do it," Holmes said.
"It's my job to take care of the house." My eyes darted at him as I threw my response at the unfamiliar guy. "I don't even know who you are."
His lips stretched for a smile when he raised his hand at me. He said, "Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes."
I gestured my hand in a way of staying stop before his welcoming hand. I replied, "I'll pass the handshake unless you dry yourself first."
"Alright then. Your room's at the second floor, second door to the left, right Liam?"
Liam? How familiar.
How does he even know his room? Just how much does he know about our home?
Brother giggled at the sight of me. He replies, "Yes. Go ahead. I'll follow you there in a moment."
When Holmes glided up the stairs, I looked at my brother, waiting for answers. Seeing the floor beneath him had marks from the beads of water from all over his body, I immediately grabbed a towel and placed it over his shoulders.
"Ah, I haven't even prepared a meal."
"That's why we went home early," he said, patting his face with a towel. "Sherlock and I will be cooking."
I frowned when I heard his words. I've never seen brother bring someone at home, and have such fondness and bond. Perhaps, he hasn't shared much about his personal life with me, knowing nothing about Holmes. That's probably why I feel such negativity.
"Let me make your tea, at least."
"Very well, Louis." Big brother went his way up the stairs. "I shall prepare Sherlock some clothes."
Wait… he's lending Sherlock some clothes? His clothes?
"W-wait," I ran at the first step of the staircase. "You can lend him my clothes instead."
"That's very kind of you, Louis, but your cloth size is smaller than mine, and Sherlock's frame is wider. If I gave him something from your closet, it wouldn't suit him any better."
I sighed, feeling defeated, remembering how all of our clothes were made at our correct fitting. "Understood. I'll be preparing the laundry."
Moments later, I asked, "How about big brother Albert's?"
"I haven't asked for his permission. Knowing our big brother, he rarely checks his phone."
"That's true," I said, sighing in defeat again while I walked to the laundry room, giving up.
I plugged in the washing machine. Hearing its gentle vibrating noises after I turned it on put me at ease, momentarily clearing my mind of whatever was bothering me. I gripped my yellow sweater above my chest.
Holmes makes me feel something unpleasant.
Ignoring these ineffable emotions, I jerked myself away from the machine and grabbed the purple basket made out of plastic. I walked again by the living room, then my mind was not just fogged, but flooded.
Holmes showed up while taking steps down the marble staircase with a mop, swaying his arms back and forth, getting rid of the slipperiness. His shirt— brother William's white shirt was close-fitting, showing his muscles. He must be adept in physical fighting or sports. The gray sweatpants are from big brother, too.
I should give big brother William baggy clothes in case this guy shows up again.
"Holmes, place your clothes here," I pointed at the plastic basket.
"Oh." He approached me. "I'll place it in Liam's room. The clothes are in his bathroom."
He stopped by the basket, his eyes searched me. My eyebrow arched as I asked, "What are you doing?"
He placed his hands on his pockets. "You fence, don't you?"
"Did brother tell you?"
"He hasn't said much about his brothers to me, so no."
"How did you know?"
"You also wear glasses."
He had my mouth open in surprise by his deductions. I haven't worn my glasses since my brother left the house. It may be because I still have a faint print of nose pads.
"Like Liam, you seem to be the sort to read a lot of books. So, your glasses are non-prescription and only have anti-radiation against blue light to use if you read online books, describing how you can see in twenty-twenty vision without them. Finally, your stance, along with your words, reminds me of Albert when I first met him, tall and firm."
He has met big brother Albert?
"You have a large number of friends on social media, and you're very famous at school, according to rumors that have reached the college level of Liam and I, and I saw you running for student council. I concluded that you want to be a politician like Colonel Lieutenant Albert Moriarty when you grow up because you spread your influence."
I am surprised. Closing my mouth to avoid him finding out that I think of his skill as outstanding, I nodded in gentleness. "Correct. Now, may I ask how you claimed that I fence?"
"Your build gave it away, and there's a sabre there," he said, pointing beside the couch. "Whenever it's Liam's free time, he'll always be found at the University's library, or working at the café; while Albert is always on the government, and that leaves you."
"Okay. How about your conclusion when it comes to my perfect eyesight?"
"Back at the door, I caught you staring at my I.D. and mouthed its contents in less than three seconds, which was my name because it was the only two words that were brazen enough to attract your attention first. You were lying when you said you didn't know my name earlier."
Under his welcoming smile and radiant vibes, I found this man very intimidating in the midst of being dumbfounded. To be honest, I mentioned that I had no personal knowledge of him. It was very frightening how much he resembled older brother William, almost to the point of becoming a replica— minus the goof and lack of elegance. I can see why my brother liked him so much.
Wait, no. We're not accepting it this easily.
His fruity laugh floated around the room, finally picking up the basket that I had asked him to do minutes ago. He smiled at me and said, "I apologize for my verbose side. I tend to examine people I've just met. It must've surprised you."
My face was flushed when I crossed my arms. "I wasn't surprised."
"You breathe heavily when you lie," he said with a smug smile.
How can he catch every single thing when I haven't noticed that my breathing changed pace? He’s quite ticking me off that my fingers dug inside my palms.
I shouldn’t be so foreshadowed, so I will use some of my deduction skills, too. My eyes checked his hands, searching for the tiniest hints, like how brother does it. I found one then shifted my eyes on his neck and found two purple marks.
“You play the violin. Your nails are short, and there’s an imprint from the instrument on your jaw and neck.”
His face brightened with a smirk, then said, “Hmm… what if the imprints didn’t come from the violin?”
The question was left unanswered. I can’t seem to comprehend what he’s been suggesting. For those short moments of silence, he broke a laugh.
“I was joking. You’re correct! The Moriarty family is indeed brilliant.”
**
Sparking sizzles flowed through the mansion along with the scent of scrambled eggs, German sausages, and buttered rice, filtering my mind away from brother William and Holmes' conversation, or lighthearted argument. My mind fixates on one objective at a time, and that is making the best tea in my brother's world, that no one can imitate. I made sure of that.
"That smells very nice, Louis!" Holmes exclaimed after I hid the ingredients away, while my face heats up as I turn my head away from him.
"Get back here or the eggs will burn," I heard brother William from the stove, calling back Holmes in his gentle voice.
When Holmes veered away to my brother, my brows furrowed. All that was in my head was confusion. I dislike Holmes, yet I get all flustered when he compliments me.
What's wrong with me?
I have always been weak when it comes to praise and nice words that were aimed for me. From my brothers, schoolmates, or even from people I've never met. But the thing is, I don't like Holmes; at least, that's the only thing I have gathered so far. Perhaps, it’s possible for my weakness to occur even from my rivals.
"Big brother William, all three drinks are ready-" I turned to see my brother's pink cheek getting stretched by Holmes.
I should've added a cup of salt on Holmes' tea, or I should've not made him a drink at all.
My nose scrunched at the sight. Harsh words to call off Holmes collided at the back of my closed mouth, knocking to be heard. Though, big brother William doesn't seem to mind his action, as if they've known for so long. I wouldn't want to meddle and get on brother William's bad side.
I'll just have to make him stop in an indirect way, then. I asked, "How did the University let you out, considering their strict measures when there's a calamity?"
Finally, Holmes' hand found its way to himself. He said, "We kind of used Mycroft. You would likely know who that is."
"Wait, I just remembered something." I placed the tray on the dining table. "Your father is Director Mycroft Holmes?"
Holmes laughed at me, his hands driving in his stomach. He replied, "Bold of you to assume that my brother has a wife. He doesn't even have a girlfriend."
Oh, he's his brother.
Whenever I take a stroll in big brother Albert's office, I tend to see Mr. Mycroft with him, and they have always shared a cup of tea or coffee depending on their mood. I have served Mr. Holmes my specialties before. Yet I didn’t know he even had a brother this bothersome.
"I called Mycroft and handed him over to Professor Rayfield and had him say that he'll pick me and Liam up. He believed it since it's Mycroft," Holmes said, picking the teacup's handle, then taking a sip. He hummed in delight.
Brother continued the story. "Then we ran under the heavy rain. It's a good thing that we had no important documents in our bags."
"I told you to bring an umbrella," I answered.
The both of them shared a laugh, turning off the stove. Holmes exclaimed, "Our weather predictions were both wrong."
"Hopefully, this will be unlikely to happen again."
After a short while, I felt embarrassed to be proven wrong in front of brother William.
**
"The eggs are well done," I said with a smile, chewing the creamy yolk. I scooped the yellow rice then bit it, letting the buttery taste melt in my mouth.
"Sherlock did well on them, for the first time." After brother William gave his response, I quickly gulped all the things in my mouth as they were water.
"Nevermind. My omelette is still so much better," I said in a gravelly tone.
"Do I look like a chef to you?" Holmes asked. Could he be any cheekier?
"Louis, your dishes will forever be my favorite," William said, smiling with sincerity. I looked up to Holmes, the pride that I felt causing me to gleam a smirk. He smiles, in a way of saying that he accepts the challenge that was ongoing in a while without brother William's knowledge.
"Your tea is amazing," Holmes said after he takes another sip. "You used black tea, then added a teaspoon of whole milk and a drop of honey instead of sugar. The choice of the tea's type was splendid, since black tea goes best when dairy is included in the mixture for its boldness."
A cold shiver reached my back. He might be able to imitate the tea that my brother loves, and he'll be able to pull him away from the household. In addition, his cunning insights were as sharp as brother William's.
He picks up on everything so quick, and I despise it.
I brushed it off, saying, "Such taste buds are able to determine the mixture, considering that you haven't landed an eye while I was making it-- since your attention was all showered to my brother."
"Excellent analysis, Louis. He seems unable to leave me alone." Brother's head moved to Holmes' direction and said, "Sherly."
Sh- Sherly?
My body flinched with surprise, my widened eyes looked at my brother.
"I heard that Louis got the highest grade in mathematics in all of high school."
"What?!" Holmes yelled, glazing at me with his dark eyes. "How did you do it?"
My lips stretched a smile, enjoying the demise of the future detective whilst in front of brother William. I said, "What can I say? I have the smartest brother ever."
Holmes glared at my brother after he gasps, as if realizing something. "You're teasing me."
Brother William's rich laugh glistened my mood. Hearing it for the first time felt so warm in my core, and for some reason, a bit gloomy as well. He laughs like this around Holmes?
"Man, we could've been valedictorians together back in high school if it weren't for my maths," Holmes ran his hand on his forehead.
I watched my brother raise his hand to Holmes, who was beside him, and snatched his hair tie away, letting his blue fringe lay low on his broad shoulders. He placed the knot on his slim wrist. Holmes didn't give any reaction, like it was a normal thing.
"We could not be summa cum laudes if you don't take care of your mathematics, Mr. Chemistry."
"Fine, but you're the one that has to tutor me."
Instead, I wanted to volunteer as his mentor, but I'm afraid I'll be the one with a headache after the session, and it won't be from mathematics.
If I'm being completely frank, my appetite has deteriorated since they returned home. I stayed silent while chewing on my meal, which I declined to praise. When I see how his crimson eyes gleam whenever Holmes is in his peripheral, I know he's having a good time. His gentleness fades, and his radiance grows brighter.
I don't understand why I'm not happy about it.
"Would you still like to play Geoguessr?" brother asked Holmes after he swallowed the last bite of his meal.
"Yeah, and I'm going to beat you this time," he answered, piling up the finished plates as they clink.
Brother William loves the game Geoguessr where you guess the countries of the given place. It was a game he genuinely spent hours upon, since he treats the game as a brain gym. He is very talkative through his headset when he plays. Now that I've met Holmes, he's the likeliest to be brother's duo.
That could be you and I, Fred, when you bothered to respond to my messages.
"Louis," my brother calls my name, snapping me away from going deeper in my head. "Do you mind if Sherlock borrows your computer?"
"Uh." It was the only word that escaped my lips.
Should you let an enemy borrow your things? The answer would be simply… no. If you do, then your enemy is not your enemy; however, I have to consider what brother William will feel if I didn't let his friend's hands on my desk, and leave unwanted prints on my own RGB keyboard from his fingertips.
"We can just team up and destroy everyone in the lobby instead!" Holmes exclaimed from the sink where he placed the used plates in an abrasive tone.
"I won't mind! Don't worry!" I yelled at him.
There is no way I'll let Holmes be cramped up together with brother on his desk. He might do something. I don't trust Holmes near my brother.
"Thank you, Louis." Brother William smiled at me again. I smiled back to let him know that it's fine, at least, on the outside. All of a sudden, his elbow slipped from the table, the tea splashed on his red shirt.
"Oops," he muttered, clanking the teacup back on the table.
"Brother!" I stand up. His palm raised at me and said, "I'm going to change clothes. I'll be right back."
"Be careful next time, Liam," Holmes said while he washes the dishes.
This can be the opportunity to do something about Holmes.
When my brother disappeared up the stairs, I approached Holmes with a butter knife I had taken from the kitchen counter. My wrist slashed up in his direction, causing the gleaming knife to be pointed at him.
"If you try something funny on my brother, I'll stick this up to you," I threatened him.
His back remained on my eyes. He said, "Has there been an incident where Liam had a bad experience with people?"
"None that I know of. I just don't want him to be hurt. I've never seen him with someone so close. Bearing that in mind, you can give him the most pain."
"I know," Holmes said, placing the last plate into the drying rack. "If you ask him, I have never hurt him once, and our arguments were never serious." He turned his body at me with a smile. "Obviously, we only fight about who has the better answers, and that doesn’t happen often. We always tend to team up against the world."
"Your claims fall under my observations. Though, you are as sharp as him that almost levels the same as brother William’s intellectual capacity and I don't trust that."
“I get that a lot,” he said, pointing his index on me. "Let's negotiate then. I will remain Liam's friend, but if I hurt him in any way, you may stick that knife wherever you please.” He crossed his arms. “You are free to use your sabre by the way."
Giggles of satisfaction escaped my smiling lips, and agreed. "Deal."
"I'm liking your protectiveness over our Liam but please place the knife down, you're scary as hell," Holmes said with lacing nervousness, his palms up in the air. Maliciously grinning, my arm pushed the knife closer at him while he laughed the word 'stop' multiple times.
"You seem to get along well. I'm glad." Hiding the knife on my back, I faced brother William with a scarlet hoodie made out of polyester. I felt Holmes' hand grabbing the utensil away from my grasp and placed it on the rack.
"Apologies. It took so long since I switched on the computers."
Holmes skipped to brother William who returned his hair tie with a blush. I watched them again, but this time, my eyes were darting at Holmes. He gazes at my brother with kindness and gentleness, and I believe that his eyes cherish brother William. His movements were very aggressive and strong, but the complete opposite near my brother. He's a lot gentler, yet his personality remains the same.
My hands rubbed against the tablecloth after I placed soap, recleaning before I mop it around the table. After squeezing the excess water, I set my mind to do the remaining chores: tidying the table and doing the laundry.
I heard two pairs of footsteps, one was much gentler, ascending the mansion's second floor. They're probably on their way to our study area, where we have our computers set up. Holmes is incredibly passionate about beating brother William.
Brother's last sentence that was last heard by my ear made me laugh.
"Beat me if you can, Mr. Holmes."
**
william's brother
Oi, Fred
Care to reply? I have a story to tell.
Fred the seener
*seen*
**
Fred doesn't care enough about me to reply. I sighed in the angriest way possible, threw my phone at the pillow beside me, and crossed my arms. I absolutely dislike him more than Holmes now.
Speaking of Holmes, I think Fred knows who he is. I grabbed my phone again and typed my message with a swift.
**
william's brother
Do you know Sherlock Holmes? He is in our household right now, and I don't like it.
Fred the seener
no way
hes related to the famous director of london right
please tell me you didnt pointed any sharp object at him just because you've never seen him near Sir William
**
After six hours, he finally replied. The burst of joy rushed my adrenaline, despite it being near my bedtime. I am so excited to tell him everything now that I have figured out the emotions I felt earlier while I was doing the last set of chores of the day.
Wait, I am mad at Fred, and I'll make it seem like it.
I turned off my phone, leaving him on read. On that very moment, Holmes walked downstairs, holding his phone. I noticed that he's now under the fabric of brother's blue hoodie which Albert gifted to him on his last visit.
"Liam fell asleep while we were playing."
"Is he alright? He falls asleep anywhere."
"I carried him back to his room. It was a bit of a hassle since he's the same size as me."
He slumped on the long couch beside the small one I'm sitting on and scrolled through his phone. I'm glad that he's able to carry brother towards his comfortable bed, avoiding aches on his body when he is left sleeping on his desk. I looked at his face. It was red.
"I thought you're going to sleep in his room," I started a conversation.
He laughed, dropping his phone facing the sofa. "You'll kill me first before I do."
"Well, we had a deal. If he gets hurt, that's when I plan to hide your body."
He blinks in a repetitive manner. Shrugging his shoulders, he said with confidence, "Even without the deal, Liam will be safe under my care."
That's right. As long as brother William's safety is secured, I would be very satisfied, even if his attention and compliments will not rain only on me anymore.
"You were fine with me sleeping with him? So," His elbows propped on his knees, his upper body forward.
"I have your approval on dating your brother, right?"
Is he joking or bluffing? My brows curled and my mouth was left open. Earlier events reminisced my head, and I recalled my thoughts of saying they're close. I didn't see it that way, but the signs were there, yet I dismissed it all.
This situation is unique in that I only found out about Holmes a few hours ago, when he was in his least presentable condition, while my brothers and Fred had known about him for a long time. I began to regard him as an adversary, not just because of his exceptional abilities, but also because he can do things that I can't, and brother will no longer need me. Then, out of nowhere, he asks for my assurance if it's fine for him to date big brother William-- all events took place in the midst of the storm. The problem is that I inadvertently steered the conversation in this direction.
"I was planning to discuss this with you in a more suitable time like what I did with Mr. Albert, but I can't miss this opportunity," Holmes said.
So that's how he met Albert, and from the looks of it, he got his approval.
My mind can't seem to find him as a friend, but it's my brother's feelings is what matters. I recalled William's flustered expression around Holmes, the way he's more vocal, and how expressive and alive he is. If Holmes is that person that brother William feels that his existence is acknowledged and cared for, then…
"Fine," I blurted out, then gave him a sharp glare. "But if you mess this up, I'll give you nothing but a butter knife in your system."
“Yes!” Holmes shouted. His face was bright red, and he smiled as he jumped so high, his arms shot in the sky. There isn't much negativity about my deductions in Holmes anymore. Even if it wasn't completely sincere, I made the decision to make things right-- all for brother William.
I extended my hand in a welcoming manner. "Louis James Moriarty. You may refer to me as Louis."
His cheeky smile widened even more. To my surprise, he raised his palm up and replied, "I'll pass up the handshake."
How dare he.
When I was about to take back everything nice I've thought of him, his arm went to his nose in a swift, then he turned away, letting out a sneeze.
He said, "You can refer to me by whatever you want. I'd love to accept your welcome, Louis, but you might catch my cold. If I stayed in Liam's room, he might catch it, too."
That explains his red face when he went back here in the living room.
I smiled at him, my hand falling at the edge of the couch to assist while I stand up. I said, "I appreciate your concern for my brother. I'll grab some medicine."
I went into the kitchen and looked for the medicine cabinet. Then, I grabbed the bottle of paracetamol after seeing it.
The sudden roar of thunder jolted my body, making me wonder if big brother Albert is doing alright. He would probably be safe, since he resides near the palace. Even if he hasn't seen any of them in weeks, I'll send him a text message.
I returned with a glass of water and a pill for Holmes, sniffing constantly. I went upstairs to get bedsheets for the guest room, which was right next to brother William's room. Placing a box of face tissues on the nightstand and a bin, I think that the preparation is complete. Afterwards, I went down halfway up the stairs and called Holmes. "The guest room is ready."
"Woah," He got up the couch and stretched his arms up. "The couch would've been fine though."
"Brother William wouldn't like it if you sleep there."
"Fair," he replied, following me to the room. Walking inside the room, he said before closing the door, "Thank you, Louis. Have a great night."
"Yeah.” I quickly turned my head away, my weakness seeps in again.
Walking towards another room, I grabbed a pillow so Holmes would have an extra one. In a short moment, his unanswered question flashed in my mind-- the one about the marks on his neck. It wasn’t really necessary to think about the possibilities, but…
Where else would those spots come from?
"Y- you little…" I growled, gripping the pillow. I ran back to his room and opened the knob. While he was busy on his phone, my pillow met his sick face. I let my realizations out in a yell, knowing that brother William won't wake up at anything when he's deep in sleep.
"You idiot! I just got the answer from your stupid joke!"
"It took you that long to realize?"
"How did you immediately know what I was talking about?!"
His room was filled with his barks of laughter, even after I left. My expression is clearly flushed, yet I came back to his room and yelled, "I'm going to ruin the surprise and tell big brother William that you'll ask him out!"
His laughter halted, then screamed, "Wait, don't! I'm sorry-"
I slammed the door and walked out, still enraged at him.
**
Fred the seener
hey
hey
hey
hey
update me
ok im sorry i will reply more
i want to know what happened
i am convinced that you actually killed him
it's been an hour you must be hiding his corpse
i will apologize to you on prison too just reply
*Fred the seener changed your nickname to yandere*
yandere
What is a yandere?
I'm still mad at you but I'm going to call you anyways. There are too many things to discuss.
Oh my god, this day made me so mad you better answer.