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The afternoon after the climactic trial was a quiet one. The residents of 221B Baker Street had celebrated and made merry well into the wee hours of the night. As a result, most of the residents had slept in for longer than usual, even notorious early-birds Susato and Iris. Herlock had slept straight through luncheon, exhausted by several sleepless nights of frantic preparation. He slouched in his armchair now, well past his normal waking time, nursing a cup of tea and yawning hugely. Susato, Iris, Ryunosuke, and Yujin sat around him in various states of wakefulness and decorum. Susato and Iris were perky and well-turned-out as usual, while Ryunosuke looked like he’d been assaulted by a pack of Tobies. Yujin looked as tired as Sholmes felt, but he hid it better with his typical poise and good humour.
It was good to see his old friend doing so well for himself, Sholmes thought. Ten years was a long time to go without seeing each other. Their parting had been somewhat fraught considering the rushed nature of Yujin’s repatriation and the arrival of an infant Iris to the household. They had only had a month together before Yujin had had to return to Japan and most of that was spent on a crash course in infant care. They’d scarcely had a spare moment to themselves, let alone time and space to consider their relationship with one another.
They’d kept in touch over the years with letters and telegrams, but none of that made up for seeing the other in person. If only there was a faster way to traverse the seas… two months of sea travel was much too long to endure each time they wanted to see each other (which was all the time, for Sholmes). Perhaps he should track down that Harebrayne fellow… An instantaneous kinesis device was an outlandish idea, but who better to make the impossible a reality than the great detective himself? Hm, an idea for another time, perhaps.
Now, ten years later, something in his heart eased at seeing his partner hale and hearty. The moustache was going to take a bit of getting used to, certainly, but Sholmes rejoiced to see his friend much the same as he always was. Still as handsome as ever, with the grace and maturity that only time could bring…Sholmes sighed into his tea. Hopefully, he and Yujin could find some time alone later—
“—ley! Are you listening?”
Sholmes jumped in his seat, tea sloshing. “I’m listening! I’m listening.” He suddenly became cognizant of the many eyes staring at him. He chuckled weakly, hiding his embarrassment behind his cup (yes, contrary to popular belief, he did possess a sense of shame). “Er, mind repeating that? I’m afraid that my mind may have drifted a bit.”
“Oh, Hurley,” Iris said, shaking her head in exasperation. “You were a million miles away, weren’t you.”
“A mere hundred, my dear. A great detective’s mind is never still, as you well know!” Sholmes joked. “I was sailing across the English Channel, enjoying the ocean’s spray, when you recalled me rather abruptly back to boring old London.”
“So you were sleeping with your eyes open, got it,” Ryunosuke mumbled. That was rich coming from someone with the glassy eyes and furrowed brow of a lightweight suffering from his first hangover. The young lawyer was clearly wishing for a nice, dark room and his own bed. He squawked as Susato elbowed him none too gently. “What? It’s true!”
“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean that you should just say it, Naruhodo-san,” Susato scolded, voice low.
Yujin chuckled at the group’s antics. “Susato has a question for you,” he supplied mercifully, well-used to his partner’s erratic mind.
“A question? By all means, madame! I’m always happy to share my knowledge!” Sholmes replied cheerfully, taking a bracing sip of tea. God bless Iris and her special tea blends. After a cup and a half of her fatigue-fighting blend, he almost felt human again.
“Well, if it isn’t too much trouble…” The young judicial assistant said hesitantly. “Um, oh dear…I don’t know how to word this…”
“It’s alright, Susie! Whatever it is, Hurley won’t get angry!” Iris hurried to reassure her friend. “Hurley once asked a client how much she weighed, right to her face. Her face turned so red, I thought she was going to faint!”
“It was necessary information!” Sholmes protested. “I required her mass so that I could prove that she was in fact the culprit responsible for stealing the jewels from the store! I had no intention of suggesting anything about her diet!”
“So you asked her point-blank?” Yujin shook his head. “Oh, Herlock, you never change.” At Sholmes’ given name, Susato perked up. Her twinkling eyes tracked from her father to Sholmes, and back. Sholmes felt a burgeoning sense of foreboding in the back of his mind at her eager look.
“Anyways, the point is, you can ask Hurley whatever and he can’t get angry about it if he doesn’t want to look like a hypocrite,” Iris said, grinning irreverently like the traitorous child that she was. What had Sholmes done to deserve such a cheeky daughter? “So you can go ahead, Susie!”
“Well, alright then.” Susato aimed a thoughtful look at Sholmes. The sense of foreboding grew stronger. It felt as if her clear eyes saw right through him. “Mr. Sholmes, you and my father were partners back when my father studied in England, correct? Would I be right in assuming that you were partners in a romantic sense, as well as on a professional level?”
Sholmes’ jaw dropped in surprise, while Ryunosuke choked on his tea with a loud honk of shock. Iris squealed, clapping her hands over her mouth, eyes shining like gems. Yujin stared at his daughter like she’d suddenly grown two heads.
“Mikotoba Susato!” Yujin barked, a fetching blush appearing on his cheeks. “Just what are you insinuating?”
“Ah, I-I didn’t mean to offend!” Susato waved her hands in distress. “I was simply wondering, since you two had so many amazing adventures together and you shared accommodations for six years and, and…” A matching flush slowly flooded her face. “…You two have been giving each other such longing looks since you’ve reunited…”
“I’m pretty sure that’s just indigestion,” Sholmes called out, hoping to nip the conversation in the bud. He recognized a romantic when he saw one and he didn’t particularly care to find out what stories Susato had come up with in her head about himself and Yujin.
“Oh my gosh, you’re right!” Iris squeaked, ignoring Sholmes and jumping to her feet. “I thought I was just imagining it, but you see it too, Susie!”
“I should have known that you would have noticed as well, Iris!” Susato clasped Iris’ hands in her own.
“Noticed what?” Ryunosuke asked, looking completely bewildered. “What’re you two talking about?”
“The way Hurley and Mickey have been making eyes at each other whenever they think nobody’s looking!” Iris chirped.
“I must reiterate, that was indigestion!” Sholmes piped up, only to be soundly ignored once again.
“The way their hands brush whenever they pass by one another!” Susato interjected.
“The way Hurley keeps leaning up against Professor Mickey like Waggy on people’s legs!”
Ryunosuke raised his hand like he was in court. “But Mr. Sholmes does that to me all the time though?”
“It’s different when he does it to Professor Mickey! When Hurley does it to Mickey, it’s cuddling,” Iris pointed out. “When Hurley does it to you, it’s to use you as a convenient post to lean on.” Ryunosuke made a face at that.
Sholmes shrugged internally. It wasn’t his fault that Yujin put off heat like a furnace. It got cold in London! What was a poor detective supposed to do, not avail himself of a sturdy, well-built heat source?
Besides, Ryunosuke made the most hilarious faces whenever Sholmes dropped his weight on the lawyer. The look of consternation and annoyance he got whenever Sholmes propped an elbow on his shoulder or otherwise used him as a leaning post? Fantastic. What was a poor detective to do, not amuse himself?
“There’s also the fact that my father feels comfortable enough to use Mr. Sholmes’ given name in mixed company,” Susato said, stars in her eyes. “Without honorifics, even! The use of a person’s given name is highly unusual in Japan for anyone that isn’t a family member or a very close friend!”
“But they are friends?” Poor Ryunosuke looked more confused than ever. “Very close friends?”
“That we are,” Yujin agreed. “Perhaps we should put a pause on this discussion before the tea goes col—”
“It’s different!” Iris interrupted, insistent. “Come on, Runo, don’t tell me that you didn’t notice! There’s a, an atmosphere in Hurley and Professor Mickey’s interactions that’s different from friendship!”
Ryunosuke rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know, I think you might be reading too much into it. Those are just things you do with a good friend, aren’t they? There’s nothing inherently romantic about looking at or touching someone close to you, or even using their given name.”
“I’m your friend, Runo. Do you do any of those things to me?” Iris asked.
“Well, no…” Ryunosuke admitted, scratching the back of his head.
“How about me, Naruhodo-san?” Susato pointed at herself. “I hope that I’m not being too presumptuous, but I would consider us close friends. Do you get the urge to stare lovingly into my eyes or to hold my hand?”
“Er, n-no.” Ryunosuke fidgeted.
“How about Hurley?” Iris pointed at Sholmes, who impudently waved at the young lawyer just to remind everyone that he was still present.
“Definitely not.” Ryunosuke’s eye twitched at that. Sholmes decided not to take offense to his decidedly firm answer.
“Then you see where we’re coming from when we say that my father and Mr. Sholmes are quite obviously romantically involved,” Susato said.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s obvious,” Sholmes uttered sotto voce. As before, no one paid any attention to him. He pout—scowled. He did not pout, no matter what Iris said! Honestly, what did it take to get some attention around here? Did he have to immediately and passionately propose marriage to Yujin in front of all and sundry? …Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea…
“I don’t know what you’re thinking in that ridiculous head of yours, but kindly refrain.” Yujin returned Sholmes’ innocent look with one of completely unwarranted skepticism.
“I suppose, but, well…” Ryunosuke hesitated briefly before continuing with, “Kazuma and I use each other’s given names and he used to put his arm around my shoulders all the time, although sometimes that was to mess up my hair, and sometimes it would get crowded as we were walking down the street and our hands would touch at times, and…” He trailed off, eyes widening as realization hit. Sholmes watched in amusement as his face flushed bright red. Iris and Susato giggled, their mouths hidden behind their hands.
“Figured something out, did you?” Susato teased.
“Excuse me, I think that I need to talk to Kazuma. Right now. Immediately.” Ryunosuke abruptly stood, eyes wild, nearly sending his teacup to the ground before fumbling to catch it. He placed the teacup on the makeshift table and bowed to the room at large before almost running to the door.
“Don’t forget your shoes!” Susato called, catching Ryunosuke just before he plunged into the street in only his socks.
“Oh, right! Thank you, Susato-san!” The door thudded close. The remaining occupants of 221B Baker Street watched Ryunosuke dash past the window like a bat out of hell, face still red as a beet.
“Well! There’s one mystery solved, I suppose!” Sholmes laughed, puffing on his pipe. He got to his feet, stretching with a groan. “As entertaining as that little diversion was, I’m afraid that I must be off to work! A great detective is ever in high demand, especially after the debacle with Stronghart—”
“Hold it right there, Hurley!” Iris planted herself in Sholmes’ path, arms akimbo. “You can’t escape that easily! You still haven’t answered Susie’s question!”
Sholmes hummed, scratching his cheek while studiously avoiding Iris’ accusing glare. “What question would that be? I’ve quite forgotten.”
“You know what question! Are you and Professor Mickey in love or not?” Iris demanded, cheeks puffing out adorably in indignation.
“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Sholmes responded dismissively, trying to slip past Iris. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she proved to be as tenacious as a mule, blocking his every attempt at edging past her. Fed up, Sholmes picked Iris up and slung her over his shoulder.
Iris shouted, beating her small fists ineffectively against his back. “You can’t pull that on me! I have a doctorate in medicine so I already know all about sexual intercourse and things like that!”
“What?! Who taught you these things?!”
“I’m not telling you!”
“Well, whyever not?”
“Because you’re being mean!”
“Am I, now?”
“You are! Meanie!”
“My word, such language!”
“Dum-dum! Fluff-for-brains!”
“Alas and alack, to hear such cruel words from mine own bosom buddy! My heart cannot take it! Oh woe! Woe is me!”
“Noooooo, Hurley, stop! Don’t drop me!”
“If you’re both quite finished,” Yujin interrupted, clapping his hands to get their attention. Susato stood behind him, watching them delightedly. Sholmes froze in the process of dangling a giggling Iris upside down. Seeing that he had Sholmes’ attention, he smiled wryly. “I think that the jig is up, old friend. We might as well tell them before their imaginations run wild. Well, more wild then they already have, anyways.” At that, he arched a brow at his daughter, who at least had the grace to look embarrassed. Iris simply smiled like the cat that got the cream, cheeky girl.
“Miss Susato! What manner of salacious imaginings have you been coming up with?” Sholmes gasped, mock outraged.
“N-nothing!” The judicial assistant denied before pausing. Ever honest, she amended her statement: “Nothing indecent, I promise.”
“Susato…” Yujin sighed.
“I’m sorry, Father,” she muttered, red flags upon her cheeks.
“What has the youth come to these days? Coming up with stories about your very own father and brilliant, handsome, talented—”
“Don’t forget ‘humble’,” Yujin cut in.
“—and terrifically modest partner?” Sholmes couldn’t help but tease the young woman a little. “I can assure you, madam, that nothing untoward has occurred between your father and I. How could it, when we’ve been running all over creation finding witnesses for your case against that Asogi fellow?” He took a pull from his pipe. Hm, he wondered how Mr. Naruhodo was getting on with Asogi. Would he find the courage to confess his feelings or the wherewithal to do so coherently? Sholmes wished that he could witness it himself.
“Aha! So you do admit it?” Sholmes’ nosy daughter jabbed him with a finger.
“I admit nothing!” Sholmes posed dramatically while maintaining his grip on his daughter, making Iris screech. “You’ll have to drag it out of me, I’m afraid!”
Iris giggled evilly. “Don’t forget that I know all your weaknesses, Hurley!” She lunged at his unprotected sides, horrible gremlin fingers attacking them. Sholmes shrieked manfully.
“Are you two going to continue with this game or are we going to sit down and discuss this like rational beings?” Yujin sternly asked, looking increasingly exasperated.
“Erm, I…truly did not mean to bring up anything uncomfortable,” Susato interjected, fidgeting with her long sleeves. Her gaze skittered to the side nervously. “I was simply curious, that’s all. There’s no need to speak of the matter if you’d rather it remain private.”
“But I want to know!” Iris argued, still dangling upside down. “Hurley’s always been so lonely! He’s never courted anyone as long as I’ve been alive and…I just want him to be happy, that’s all. If Hurley and Mickey are in love, then that means that Hurley was always single by choice and not because of me.” The last part was said in a barely-audible whisper.
“Iris…” Susato murmured sadly.
“Oh, my dear,” Sholmes sighed, giving it up for a bad job. He really would have preferred a moment or two to talk to Yujin first before airing their laundry, as it were, in front of their daughters. Well, needs must and all. He couldn’t have his Iris blaming herself for something that wasn’t her fault. He gently set Iris onto her feet. “Alright, alright, I concede. Yes, Yujin and I were romantically involved when he was on his study tour, and yes, we are still together in the current day insofar as it is possible with such distance between us.”
Sholmes felt an arm wrap around his waist from behind as Yujin stepped up behind him. “We were going to tell you two eventually, but we haven’t had much time to ourselves these past few days and we wanted to discuss our situation before saying anything.” Yujin explained.
A look of dawning horror appeared on Susato’s face. “…But then I ruined your plans by being nosy. Oh no! I’m so sorry!” She dipped into a deep bow, her hair-loops flaring out from her haste. “Please, accept my deepest apologies!”
“It’s not your fault, Susie! I was being nosy too!” Iris grasped her friend by the shoulders and pushed Susato up, before darting in for a hug. She peered at the two men standing next to them, lip a-wobbling. “If you’re going to be mad at Susie, you have to be mad at me too!”
“We’re not mad at anyone,” Yujin reassured the girls. “Right, Herlock?”
“Mad? Hm, perhaps I am,” Sholmes hummed, placing his pipe to his lips. The girls tensed, worried. He smirked. “But am I angry? Not in the least!”
“Hurley!” Iris let go of Susato to stamp a foot in outrage.
Yujin shook his head in mock chagrin. “You and your horrible jokes.”
“Had you for a moment, didn’t I?” Sholmes chortled heartily before quickly sobering. “All jokes aside, I’m not mad. As my darling partner said, this was perhaps not how we planned on revealing our relationship to you, but such is life. Now that it’s out in the open, however, I imagine that you have more questions for us.”
“Oh! Me! I have a question!” Iris called out, hand raised in the air like Ryunosuke in court.
“Yes, you there, with the pink hair!” Sholmes pointed at her.
“Does that mean that Mickey is my daddy too?!” Iris asked, bouncing in place.
“Yes?” Sholmes answered slowly, puffing on his pipe. “We’re not married, but Yujin here did help raise you for about a while before he had to return to Japan. You could consider him a father in the same way that you’d consider me one, if you were so inclined.”
“Didn’t I say before? You’re my real daddy in every way that matters, Hurley.” Iris said, causing Sholmes’ poor, feeble heart to squeeze quite painfully. She took his hand and squeezed it, beaming. Sholmes squeezed back, marveling at the feeling of Yujin at his back and Iris at his side. He turned to look at his partner, who observed his own daughter with a look of concern. The young judicial assistant was frowning slightly, as if in thought.
“Susato? Are you thinking of your mother?” The older man questioned gently.
She jolted at her father’s words before bowing her head. “Yes…I…I know that you would never dishonour Mother, but…”
Yujin stepped away from Sholmes to embrace his daughter, who clung back to him. “I’m sorry, Susato. I did you a great disservice by leaving you so soon after your mother had been taken from you. I did you an even greater disservice by staying away for so long. I know that it doesn’t excuse my actions, but I promise you that I didn’t replace your mother with Herlock. I may have run away from my grief and my responsibilities to you, but I didn’t go to England just to throw myself into the first relationship I could find. I would never dishonour Ayame like that.”
“If it helps, your father and I didn’t enter a romantic relationship until his last year in England,” Sholmes assured Susato, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, eyes suspiciously watery. “And that was after we had a nice, long discussion about any previous relationships. Yujin here was actually quite reluctant to change our relationship from one of friendship, for fear of wronging your mother. It was I who encouraged him to do so.” He cleared his throat. “If you must blame anyone, blame me. I was the one to push Yujin into a more intimate relationship.”
Yujin swatted at Sholmes’ head lightly, causing him to make an undignified noise. “I am not currently, nor was I previously, a child, Herlock. I was and still am fully capable of making my own decisions. You couldn’t have pushed me into a relationship if you tried.” He dragged Sholmes into a group hug with an arm, making Susato giggle. Iris squirmed her way in, wrapping her arms as far as they could around everyone in the hug. “Didn’t you just mention the talk we had about prior relationships? We discussed our feelings like adults and came to a mutual decision. Stop trying to take on all the blame.”
Susato sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I’m not placing blame on anyone. I know that both of you are principled men. I was just being silly.”
“Don’t feel bad about feeling bad, Susie,” Iris comforted her friend. “It’s better to get it in the open instead of letting it fester inside, right? That…isn’t good for anyone, trust me.” Sholmes patted her head comfortingly. Had he ever given Iris cause to doubt him? Ah, perhaps…the Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript. He’d caught Iris eyeing him solemnly a few times after he’d forbade her from publishing the story.
Sholmes yelped as a little finger dug into his side. “I know what you’re thinking, Hurley. I understand why you didn’t want me to release that story now and I’m not mad or anything.” She suddenly gasped. “Oh my gosh, if Mickey is my other daddy, then does that mean that Susie is my sister?! Really and truly my big sister?”
“You’re absolutely right! That means that we are sisters by way of our fathers’ union!” Susato perked up, pulling away from the group hug to face Iris. “We’re not ‘just like sisters’, we are sisters!” Iris squealed happily before nearly knocking Susato over with the force of her hug. The young judicial assistant suddenly raised a finger in thought. “Oh, but that would make Mr. Sholmes my stepfather, wouldn’t it?” She put her hand to her chin in thought. “Hmm, it would feel strange to call you ‘Father’ after referring to you by your surname for so long.”
Sholmes shuddered. “Do not feel obligated to refer to me by a familial title, dear girl. It makes me feel old, hearing you call a sprightly young thing like me ‘Father’. ‘Mr. Sholmes’ shall suffice.” He adopted a thinking pose of his own, finger to temple. “I’ll even give you permission to refer to me by my given name, if you so desire.”
“You could always call him ‘Hurley’ like I do!” Iris suggested.
Susato made a face. “I’m not so sure I’d be comfortable referring to you in such a way. I think that I will continue to call upi ‘Mr. Sholmes’, if that is alright.” She cuddled Iris, a beatific smile on her face. “Aaaahh, I can’t believe that I get to call Herlock Sholmes himself my stepfather! I can’t wait to tell Mr. Naruhodo!”
“Runo’s going to faint dead away! “ Iris giggled. “Oh, but Runo’s my big brother so that means that Hurley’s his daddy too!”
Sholmes threw his head back and cackled. “I should love to see his response to that!” Privately, Sholmes thought of Ryunosuke as something more akin to a young brother than a son, but he didn’t have to know that. He was going to enjoy this, he truly was.
“Oh, Herlock. You never change, do you.” A bristly kiss met his temple as he was pulled back into Yujin’s welcoming arms. With the warmth of his most trusted partner at his back and the warmth of a family reunited at long last in his heart, Herlock Sholmes was content.