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Louis had never felt this confused before. He just wanted to run away, didn't want to stay still. His heart rebelled so he stayed behind to seek the truth. On the other hand, some concerns say if he is actually hurt because honesty never brings good news to anyone, in this case, it often happens to those closest to him.
"Umh.. Louis, so sweet," he muttered under his breath, bringing a blush to his pale cheeks. His heart was beating wildly, his palms were also sweating from nervousness.
But a hard slap reminded him, "he is drunk, and you saw how much he drank, and you also clearly know why he is drunk."
Himself, Louis, knew too much. The figure in front of him 'fell to sleep' because of despair that his love was not reached. He said it. And Louis was more certain than he had guessed, who it was.
"I have no hope."
***
The false morning starts the day which is considered monotonous. Wake up then prepare breakfast along with the needs of his two brothers. Once or twice a week he would go out shopping for their necessities. When he returned home, he immediately cooked lunch and continued to do household chores or help take care of the administration, his job as a nobleman. The rest is to make dinner, join the meeting, then sleep. Tomorrow will be the same.
But today is different. While he was out meeting their logistical needs, he met someone. A figure he had never spoken to before. People who were close to him but never once spoke to him.
After their meeting on the train, even in the baths of the city of Bath, they were greeted with a small greeting of 'forgotten'.
So what does destiny say now? Made him meet in a pretty random place, the market. With quite a lot of luggage, the two exchanged glances with each other. The person greeted him first, and he replied coldly, curtly.
Hey, don't blame him for that one habit.
"Mr. Moriarty! I didn't think I would meet you in a place like this."
'I should say so,' "Doctor Watson, good morning. You seem to enjoy shopping a lot?"
His heart and mouth are very conflicting.
"This? Ahaha, Sherlock just happened to get a lot of severance pay and we managed to pay half the rent to Miss Hudson. So the rest will be used to buy daily necessities," his head that wasn't itching was scratched nervously, their luggage was being placed on the ground don't worry. This attitude was one that he had memorized from the habits of the Watson men.
"The work must be hard to pay this much," 'do you rarely shop? How about your food and sleep? Has everything been okay so far?'
Many things can make their conversation long. Only Moriarty's youngest mouth was happy to 'forbid' long talk.
"To say it's difficult may be true for others. But Sherlock finishes quickly, in the end, we get a bonus too."
A nod is the answer. Louis seems to have to learn small talk with his brother later. "Mr. Moriarty himself? Do you shop here often? I don't think the royals are directly involved in shopping for their necessities."
"Most of it isn't it? I'm enjoying this shopping time."
There was an awkward pause between them. "I-I see. Ah, are you done?"
"Just buy one more thing. What's the matter?"
The cheerful smile radiated even wider, "Would you like to accompany me to get a cup of tea? I'll treat you today!"
Louis was silent but did not refuse the rare invitation.
***
A shop with a building that is not so brushed by the two of them. It's simple, and it contains a lot of antiques. Peaceful atmosphere that fits with a glass of warm tea and some sweet cakes.
"I didn't know the Doctor had a place like this," he took a sip of the teasing aroma of tea, tickling Louis to guess what was used in a teapot.
"Incidentally when I was dropping off a client, she asked to stop here," said John drinking slowly the tea in his cup, not noticing the dark face of the young man in front of him.
"You seem to enjoy pampering all the clients."
"Haha, not really. Usually, they ask us to be accompanied."
"Really? Mostly girls?"
"That's it," again, John didn't see the small crack in the hilt of the cup Louis was holding.
After that, he gave no more answers. His mood suddenly dropped drastically, and Louis didn't understand or pretended not to, what was happening to him.
Averting his gaze, Louis found one of the items that caught his attention. He stood up, inviting a question mark from John. Slowly he approached the object, a bottle stuck hard from fifty years earlier.
"You have a good eye for judging things," the shopkeeper's cheerful voice greeted him.
Louis himself wasn't a drinker like his eldest brother or any of his colleagues, "I'm just used to seeing things like this, maybe it's a reflex?"
"Even so, this is one of my recommendations when people ask." The man who owned the shop approached him, took the alcohol, and handed it to him, "Take it. I'll give you a special discount for young couples," he blinked at the end of the sentence.
Suddenly, his once pale face turned bright red. Louis stuttered to accept the bottle, "w-we're not a couple."
"Hey kid, there's a story about the bottle you're holding," he paused, pointing at the bottle in Louis's hand. "It is said that people who drink it with their loved ones sincerely will immediately express their feelings honestly."
Alright, that sounds a little weird. It's usually true when drunk people said something, isn't it?
Again Louis didn't think of getting there, his mind was filled with nervousness because of the shop owner's 'bribe'. A heavy tap on the shoulder woke him up. The old man smiled broadly as he pushed him back into their seat.
"Today is a treat! Have fun, you guys!"
"Eh!?" John in the end just stared confusedly at the 'suspicious' interaction of the two people in front of him.
And unconsciously, he clenched his fists, with a tight feeling in his chest.
***
Then evening came. The rain fell, and the two of them ran quickly to the house closest to them.
Apartment 221B, Baker Street.
"Sorry for the mess Mr. Moriarty. Sherlock will be staying at Scotland Yard today, Miss Hudson is also out with her friends and just returned the day after tomorrow."
"No problem. I should be the one apologizing for troubling the Doctor," he put his long jacket on the gallows. His hand accepted the towel John had given him after thanking him.
The atmosphere of the second-floor room was darker than usual. Heavy rain is one of the reasons. The burning fireplace didn't help warm their rainy bodies.
I don't know what kind of demon was visiting in his head, "Doctor, wants to try the alcohol bottle earlier?"
John slightly widened his eyes, surprised at the first invitation from the noble youth. "Mr. Moriarty? Is it fine?"
'Ah, what have I said,' he thought a little sadly, "sorry I didn't mean to be rude like that before."
"No, there's no need to apologize. I would love to have a long conversation with Mr. Moriarty—"
"Louis." He cut. "Louis will be enough, Doctor Watson."
Right after that they opened a glass bottle that had a luxurious decoration on the seal, poured it into two small cups, and enjoyed a bitter but throat-scorching sensation. Unique and one cup was not enough for every five minutes.
Their conversation is not far from everyday life. From the mundane to the outlandish, Louis was too happy to forget that he hated small talk.
"Louis," said the man in front of him and began to ramble. The shop owner's words echoed in his head again.
"It is said that people who drink it with their loved ones sincerely will immediately express their feelings honestly."
Maybe Louis should be grateful that his alcohol resistance was pretty good even though he had drunk three glasses. "If you start to feel blubber just stop. Don't force yourself to keep drinking, Doctor Watson."
"Ahaha, I'm still strong. If Louis doesn't believe it, do you want to try it?"
"Trying what— uwah! Doctor! Put me down!"
Having said that, his hands were already tightly wrapped around the young doctor's neck. Slow footsteps echoed, and the sound of the door being dragged open from his feet alerted Louis that they had entered John's private room.
The dim light enhanced the atmosphere even more. The squeaking of the bed due to the weight of two people being forced up one time made their heartbeats very fast. The blushing face of the young man under his confinement looked beautiful, even though Louis wasn't drunk at all.
"Do-Doctor," Louis' low squeak woke him up more or less. Telling him this wasn't him, slapping him hard for selfishness, reminding him that Louis was never his.
His head rested on Louis' small shoulder. His breath tickled, but Louis remained silent. He reciprocated hugging the big body that felt pathetic, in the sense that they were both cowards.
"You're so sweet, Louis," he just hoped the facts he knew were held back by his selfishness.
'He already has a fiancé, Louis. Be aware! You see the neatly arranged suitcase and the dress hanging in front of the closet,' a sinister smile formed on the face covered in long hair. 'You pathetic Louis.'
"I like you."
Look? Louis was cheating on letting the man get drunk just because he wanted to hear.
'After the morning, after the clock strikes and the birds start their chirping, I promise to push this memory behind my last memory. Because of that,' a sob came from the caresses on John's big back, comforting him until the autumn bead was completely closed and drowned in the cradle of dreams.
"I like you too, John."
Little did Louis know, that the man in his arms was no longer drunk. His sincere statement was considered a mere hoax.
That's them. Reality is too bitter that dreams and delusions are considered bad by both. Louis and John were too fed up with what fate had given them, to the point of wanting to rebel.
And of course not done because of love for those closest to them.
Therefore, whenever there is an opportunity for both of them to hallucinate and fantasize, that's where they will take advantage of it, so that the tightness in the chest disappears a little, even though it is only a mirage of their creation.