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“Are there any more boxes?”, William asked Sherlock, who set down a large cardboard box with a grunt.
“That was the last. Don't think I could carry another one. My arms feel like noodles.”
“It seems I acquired more belongings than I thought. For a moment I thought I needed to call Moran or my brothers for help.”
“I would have loved to see Mycroft do manual labor.”, Sherlock laughed. “Sitting behind the desk all day probably made him a limp noodle.”
“From what Albert implied, the opposite seems to be the case.”, William serenely said. “Your brother seems to take great care of his physique.”
Sherlock scoffed and William chuckled.
“You're being irrational. Your physique is far more pleasing.”, he purred and ran a hand up and down Sherlock’s arm, feeling the biceps tense under his touch. Sherlock preened and kissed William, but, much to the ex-detective's disappointment, William stopped before things could escalate.
“We have boxes to unpack.”, he reminded his husband, who pouted at the denial of further kissing (and any advanced intimacy).
“Fine, let's get this over with.”, he said and rolled up his sleeves. It would have taken the entire day for every possession of William to be in its new place and to clean the entire flat, were it not for Louis. William had been astonished when his brother suddenly stood outside the door. Apparently, Miss Hudson had thought the two could need an extra set of arms.
“Thank you for your help.”, William said and Louis smiled.
“It was nothing. I'm happy you're back, brother.”
“I'm glad to be back.”, William softly said and pulled Louis into a hug. Over his shoulder, the younger Moriarty threw Sherlock a warning glare. Sherlock simply snorted at the absurdity and Louis grimaced at the sound.
“Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?”, William asked and his brother shook his head.
“I would love to, but I'm afraid I can't tonight. Another time, sure. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“We will.”, Sherlock grinned and Louis’ face soured.
When the door had closed, arms snaked around William's waist and pulled him against Sherlock’s front, feeling his face press against his back.
“Sherly, don’t tease my brother like that.”, William gently scolded him, but received no answer. When William turned his head, he was shocked to see a tear running down Sherlock’s cheek.
“Sherly, what's -”
“I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just…happy. You're here with me, alive and unharmed, in our flat. And you're here to stay. After all the games and uncertainty, we can finally start a life together. I don't know, I think it just… sunk in. Sentimental, am I right?”, Sherlock said, voice choked with emotion. William turned in his grasp, his own eye dangerously glassy.
“Quite sentimental indeed, but I think it's the appropriate reaction. To have a reaction less emotional than that might be considered inhuman.”
This time, the kiss was soft, tasting of sweet love and gratitude. They were alive, were (unofficially) married and back home. New York had been dear to them, but both had missed their home country and, especially William, had missed their family. Sherlock had missed Mycroft too, even if he wouldn't admit it.
"Liam, Liam, my Liam.", Sherlock chanted, delirious on the love and happiness flooding him. It felt better than any of his drug-induced highs in the past.
"Sherly.", William mumbled against his lips, eye sparkling.
Sherlock hadn't expected Miss Hudson to have kept his flat empty. He could have kissed her when she - after a heavy scolding and under many tears - told him that he could continue living there. Since John was living with Mary, Sherlock and William were undisturbed and could build their domestic bubble.
Dinner was simple, since neither had much energy left to prepare a lavish meal. Once the plates were clean, Sherlock led William to their room. The single bed had been switched for a proper marriage bed and their first night together in 221b Baker Street was, although delayed, the most restful in a long time.
Sherlock was the first to wake, a novelty and rarity. He didn't know what woke him, since he was still a bit tired and it was still early. Though the sight of William in his arms was nothing new, his heart skipped a beat when he turned in his sleep and nuzzled against Sherlock’s neck. Closing his eyes, Sherlock soon fell back asleep, ignorant to the sun heralding the dawn of a new chapter in their life.