“Welcome back to Falls Café, sir! The usual table is waiting! I’ll have your tea out in just a moment!”
Moriarty offered the hostess the barest of nods. He walked past her, in the direction of what was essentially his table, casually eyeing the other customers as he walked by. It was crowded today. Anyone else would’ve had to wait in line to be seated. Not him.
As a member of high society, there wasn’t much he personally had to wait for. What he wanted he got. Well, 99.9% of things, anyway. Moriarty shoved the thought aside. As much as he enjoyed calculating percentages, his mind was currently elsewhere at the moment.
He’d only barely sat in his favorite spot– the one that gave him the best vantage point of the place– when a waitress appeared and set down a mug in front of him. She practically oozed nervousness. How uninteresting. Moriarty didn’t give her the time of day. He simply opened the book he’d brought and picked up where he’d last stopped reading. Right now he just wanted to unwind a bit.
“Excuse me!” A cheery voice chirped.
Moriarty looked up from his book and blinked. Surely, it was a loud person at the table next to his. People didn’t approach him. Not just because of the aura he gave off, either. His face wasn’t what one might describe as friendly. To his surprise, he found that there was a stranger standing opposite him and grinning. Odd.
The man that stood there had a smile that seemed impossibly wide and what had to be the bluest eyes Moriarty had ever seen. As far as faces went, it was certainly an attractive one. His smile seemed to light up the entire thing. Not that Moriarty cared either way.
“Hi. Is this seat taken?” The stranger asked just as cheerily as earlier.
The sun itself seemed to shine in through the storefront windows and illuminate this man’s smile to a point that Moriarty was forced to squint. It was just too bright. There had to be a catch. He refused to believe that anyone could be that sincere.
It took his brain a moment longer than he’d care to admit to process the situation. Once it did, he looked back down at his book and said flatly, “I applaud you for your interest and boldness, however I just ended a serious relationship and I’m not looking for anything right now.”
“I totally respect that,” the stranger nodded, “but I was actually asking because all the other seats are full. Since I saw you had a free one, I figured it’d be a waste to leave when I’ve been meaning to try this place’s coffee.”
Moriarty was momentarily taken aback. It wasn’t often he was wrong in his assumptions. Not to mention it was even rarer that someone would call him out on it if he was. He looked around the café quickly. It was indeed full. Somehow he was the only one with a free chair at his table. Lesson learned. He’d have the hostess remove that next time.
After a brief pause the stranger tilted his head and hummed, “So what do you say? Mind if I join you?”
“Do what you will,” Moriarty sighed. He picked up his mug, took a sip, then set it down. His eyes never left the words on the page when he said, “Their Earl Grey is leagues better than their coffee.”
“Yeah? That’s what I’ll have then!” the odd one chirped. He flagged down a waitress and smiled the whole time as he asked for the same drink.
Moriarty watched the flustered way the woman giggled before she hurried off. Weak to a nice smile. How pathetic.
The man turned back towards him and smiled from ear to ear as he hummed, “Thanks for the seat and recommendation! I’m Charlemagne, by the way!”
How was it even possible for that grin to grow? Surely he was breaking some kind of record. Didn’t his cheeks hurt by now? He’d been smiling since he walked over. Moriarty was exhausted by proxy. Not to mention that was quite an uncommon name. And the way he pronounced certain words sounded a bit off.
The odd one thanked the waitress when she returned with his drink and set it down in front of him. An unnecessary thing to do. She was merely doing her job. Her thanks was in the form of getting paid to work. Moriarty’s expression never changed as he watched the other man take a sip of his tea.
“Hot! But good!” the man laughed. That smile returned as wide as ever. “Feel free to call me Charlie or Charles. It really isn’t a big deal to me either way.”
Now he was sure he’d heard what he’d suspected before. It explained why the guy didn’t know who he was. Unfortunately intrigued, he said, “James Moriarty.”
“Jimmy?” Charlemagne asked.
“Absolutely not.” He snapped.
Charlemagne chuckled and shook his head. “You’re so serious!”
“Your accent is faint, but I assume you’re from France?” Moriarty steered the conversation in the direction he wanted.
“Here I thought I didn’t have much of an accent when speaking English these days!” Charlemagne laughed. He held up his hands in surrender. “You caught me. Brand new to this country though I do know all about it from studies and stuff.”
“What are you doing in England?” Moriarty asked. Not because he wanted to know but it was just the flow of the conversation.
“Traveling, mostly. Enjoying the sights.” Charlemagne explained. His gaze shifted to meet the other man’s. “Meeting new and interesting people.”
“Quite.” Moriarty shut his eyes and sipped his tea.
There wasn’t really much else he wanted or needed to say to this man. Back to his book, it was. As he set down the mug, his phone chimed. Instinctively, he pulled it out of his pocket and checked the notification. He instantly regretted his decision.
“Oh boy, I know that look. Bad news, huh?” Charlemagne clicked his tongue.
“My– the person I just broke up with is hosting a grand masquerade in two months and sent me an invitation.” Moriarty said mostly to himself. Honestly, hearing it out loud didn’t make it sound any less ridiculous.
“Can’t you just say no?” Charlemagne asked.
“Anyone who’s anyone will be there. If I don’t show up my reputation will take a devastating hit.” Moriarty sighed through gritted teeth. Nope, it wasn’t getting any less infuriating the more he explained. The nerve of this guy. It was like he put a timer on how long they’d stay broken up this time. Moriarty grinded his teeth in irritation.
“I guess that’d be bad,” Charlemagne muttered. He sipped his tea as he eyed the other man curiously for a moment. “It feels like there are layers to this.”
That was surprisingly astute. Most would accept what they heard at face value. This guy seemed to be full of surprises. For some reason, that made Moriarty lower his guard enough to want to talk. Maybe he’d just been waiting for someone to give him the opportunity for a long, long time.
“What he and I had can best be described as a whirlwind of a relationship that was doomed from the start,” Moriarty explained. His guest didn’t respond but also didn’t take his eyes off of him, showing that he was indeed listening. Moriarty continued, “Ours has always been one of those addictive toxic romances that neither person could bring themselves to quit for long. I’d say we ended up more like notorious rivals than actual lovers in the end.”
“Sounds super intense,” Charlemagne hummed into his cup before he took another sip. He slurped up the last of it and then went ahh!
“It’s exhausting, really,” Moriarty sighed. “All I can say is that just because you loved someone once does not mean you’ll always feel that way. People change. Feelings evolve. We are inherently imperfect creatures.”
Charlemagne nodded. “That’s deep.”
As the other man started to ramble about a time when his old roommates set their apartment on fire, Moriarty had an epiphany. Charlemagne here was the kind of guy that neither he nor his ex would ever give the time of day. His borderline uncouth mannerisms, his lack of pedigree, not to mention his unbelievably relaxed attitude.
To put it bluntly, Charlemagne was the epitome of normal. Moriarty couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in the presence of someone like him. No haughtiness to be found. No desire to flaunt wealth or power or status. Charlemagne simply wanted to live his life how he saw fit. And it’d really get under his ex’s skin to know he’d been replaced by a guy like that.
Neurons fired in Moriarty’s brain in rapid succession. He put the tips of the fingers on his right hand against his lips. A plan formed in an instant. Yes, it’d work. Surely. The only potential wrench in the whole scheme was that he couldn’t guarantee how the other man would react to it. By his quick calculations he thought it was a good 70:30 in his favor. This guy was simply that agreeable.
Moriarty set down his book and slid it aside. He leaned his elbows on the table then threaded his fingers together. His eyes never left the other man as he said, “I have a proposal for you, Charles.”
“You make my name sound so regal with that accent of yours,” Charlemagne snickered. He sat back in his chair, relaxed as could be, then said, “Let’s hear it.”
“First, I’ll explain one thing about our relationship. It’s been on again off again for countless years. Each time we break up it’s a sort of contest to see who can get the other to suggest we pick up where we left off.”
“That sounds stressful,” Charlemagne said mostly to himself. “And manipulative.”
He didn’t even know the half of it. But that wasn’t what Moriarty wanted to discuss. This idea of his was unlike any other he’d tried before. It might not work because of it. Then again, that might be the reason it did.
“I’d like you to join me as my date at the masquerade.”
For the first time during their conversation, something other than a smile took over Charlemagne’s expression. He was shocked and there was nothing he could do to hide it. After a second he blinked, shook his head, then asked, “You want me to help make your ex jealous enough that he begs you to come back?”
“That’s the idea, yes.” Moriarty said.
“If he knows you as well as you claim, won’t he see right through that plan?” Charlemagne asked.
“That is exactly why we have to make the relationship seem legitimate until then,” Moriarty agreed with a nod.
“So you’re suggesting we fake date… for two months?” Charlemagne asked no one in particular. He scrunched his face as he thought about it. Finally, he looked back at the other man and said, “My trip isn’t scheduled for that long.”
“I’ll pay for your stay during the length of the façade.” Moriarty explained.
“Whoa, wait, that sounds crazy expensive!” Charlemagne yelped as he held up his hands and shook them side to side.
“Money is no obstacle, I assure you.” Moriarty replied. It was the opposite, in fact. He couldn’t seem to think of enough ways to spend all he had.
“O…k…” Charlemagne went silent as he considered his options. The gears in his head seemed to be working overtime. In the end, his smile returned and he hummed, “I guess France will be fine without me for two months.”
“Indeed.” Moriarty agreed. He had to hold back a smirk knowing that he was getting his way yet again. Too easy.
“So this ex of yours–”
“Sherlock Holmes.” Moriarty cut him off.
“Wait, you don’t mean the Sherlock Holmes?” Charlemagne gasped. He was impossibly wide eyed as he added, “The super rich and world-famous aristocrat whose infamous genius and reputation for bluntness is known internationally?”
“Unfortunately.” Moriarty sighed.
“Whoa.” Charlemagne slumped back against his chair. He was just thinking out loud as he asked, “If you could pull someone like that why would you ever look twice at someone like me?”
“That’s the entire point of this charade,” Moriarty confirmed. It was refreshing that he didn’t have to take the time to explain it himself.
After a moment for that to sink in, Charlemagne ended up laughing. He smiled from ear to ear, held up both hands in a shrug, and chirped, “Fair enough! Ok! Count me in! I’ve never had a boyfriend before so this should be exciting!”
“They’re not all they’re cracked up to be.” Moriarty said mostly to himself.
“Maybe before you met me,” Charlemagne declared. “Things will be different this time around, you’ll see.” He took his phone out of his pocket and held it up. “Starting with this! First meeting selfie!”
Moriarty barely had a chance to blink before the picture was snapped. Sheesh. He was sure all that before was crazy talk. Yet he found that grin on the guy’s face as he started to ramble about god knows what to be quite charming. Maybe even comforting. Fascinating indeed. He sipped on his tea and let the other man ramble to his heart’s content.
*
“Here we are,” Moriarty said as he opened the door to the apartment and stepped inside, “your home for the duration of your stay.”
“I still can’t believe you found a place so fast… it’s only been a couple of days…” Charlemagne muttered as he followed him past the threshold.
“You’d be surprised just what I can accomplish with my connections,” Moriarty replied haughtily.
“I bet.” Once inside, Charlemagne froze. He looked at the gigantic windows and high ceilings in disbelief. “It’s huuuuge!”
“The penthouse suite takes up the entire top floor,” Moriarty explained. “It has three bedrooms, two baths, as well as–”
“How many bedrooms?” Charlemagne yelped. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. “Jeez that wasn’t necessary…”
“I disagree.” Moriarty tsked. “I’ll need somewhere to sleep when I visit.” He paused. “In order to keep up appearances and make this entire song and dance seem legitimate.”
“You make a good point.” Charlemagne nodded. He looked around himself in awe for another second before he added, “You were technically shopping for yourself just as much as me. I get it.”
“Good. That saves time.” Moriarty wandered over to the large windows that looked down upon the city. “As for the location, it’s quite close to my home. I figured that would be easiest on both of us.”
“Sure, sure.” Charlemagne nodded.
After a moment of staring out the window, Moriarty blinked then added, “Pets are allowed if you’re so inclined.”
“Good to know.” Charlemagne replied. He tilted his head and blinked at the other man. “Are you a cat person or a dog person?”
“The question is irrelevant.” Moriarty replied.
“Hardly. I couldn’t go around having the animal you dislike in my home and expect you to want to visit me, now could I?” Charlemagne snickered.
“I have no strong feelings either way,” Moriarty finally said.
“Fish tank it is!” Charlemagne laughed.
Moriarty ignored the pointless conversation. He went right back to his explanation. “There’s a jacuzzi in the master bath. And there are two balconies, one off the master bedroom and one right in front of us, as you can see. All the furniture is top of the line and brand new.”
“Ok now you’re making me feel bad about the cost again…” Charlemagne mumbled.
“As I’ve already explained, that’s not a problem,” Moriarty sighed. He glared at the city below when he muttered, “What matters is convincing the wretched world that we are, in fact, together.”
“Speaking of, I had a bit of an idea about that,” Charlemagne hummed.
“Is that so?” Moriarty asked. He turned towards the other man and raised a curious eyebrow at him. “Do tell.”
“Selfies.”
“Selfies.” Moriarty repeated flatly.
“Yep. I think we should take and post them all the time. At the very least on every “date” we go on.” Charlemagne explained. “It will show our relationship naturally progressing. Then by the time the masquerade rolls around it will be undeniable that we’re serious about each other.”
“I see.” Moriarty said to himself. He rested a curled finger against his chin as he thought about it. “Not bad.” He paused briefly. “However, selfies aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”
Numbers he was good with. Give him any mathematics and he’d impress everyone in the room with his ability. Social nuances were a much more difficult thing for him to crack. In his opinion, selfie culture was a plague upon the earth. Though there was no denying that they might be able to harness its power and use it for their own personal gain if they knew what they were doing.
“Don’t worry, that’s where I come in!” Charlemagne exclaimed. He walked over to the other man, held up his phone, and shouted, “New apartment selfie!” Then he immediately started to speak aloud what he was typing along with the image. “I’ve extended my stay for dot, dot, dot personal reasons!”
“And post.” Charlemagne said to no one in particular. Almost immediately his phone began to chime as likes rolled in. He watched in real time as the number steadily climbed. “Sheesh. I didn’t even tag you.”
Moriarty huffed softly in amusem*nt. “You already posted an image of me from the café, remember? That put you on their radar.”
“Their…?” Charlemagne asked. He clicked his profile and was surprised by what he saw. “My follower count has exploded. When did…?” He blinked when realization struck him. finally, he looked at the other man and sighed, “They’re not even being subtle about the fact that you’re being watched, huh?”
“Subtly isn’t their thing.” Moriarty replied. No matter. It was out now that they were officially a couple. That was good. The plan was officially in motion now.
Charlemagne was busy staring out the window in awe. He seemed amazed by such an ordinary thing as a decent view.
“Our first real date is soon.” Moriarty said matter-of-factly.
“Is it?” Charlemagne asked. He finally looked away from the window to turn towards him.
“For dinner, yes.” Moriarty confirmed. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he asked, “Do you have a nice suit?”
“Not on me.” Charlemagne shook his head. “That’s not exactly what someone would pack for a vacation.”
Perhaps not in the circles which he frequented. Moriarty, however, knew people that’d never be caught dead without their custom made designer suits nearby. Though that felt like an unnecessary detail to share. He’d gotten the information he needed and could now act accordingly.
“I’ll have one sent–”
“It’s ok! I’ll go shopping for one myself!” Charlemagne cut him off. He smiled then said, “It gives me an excuse to do a little shopping for other things I may need at the same time, so I don’t mind.”
Oh? This was unexpected. Moriarty couldn’t recall the last person that turned him down when he offered to pay for something. This guy truly did zig every time he was expected to zag. He sure kept things interesting.
Moriarty nodded once. “Be sure it’s properly tailored and ready to wear in three days’ time. If anyone tells you that isn’t possible simply mention me by name. That should be enough to garner their cooperation.”
“Got it!” Charlemagne chirped.
Three days certainly did fly by in an instant. Moriarty figured there was a seventy percent chance that his companion for the evening was prepared. That was still a very high thirty that something had gone wrong. While Charlemagne had texted him saying he’d gotten the suit, there was always a chance that something unexpected happened.
The driver pulled over right in front of the apartment building as Moriarty had instructed. He’d sent Charlemagne a message when they’d left as well. In theory that meant the guy should’ve been waiting for him to arrive. As soon as he had the thought, the man himself stepped out of the building. And he looked… surprisingly good.
The driver quickly got out of the car and hurried to the other side to open the door for their guest. Charlemagne thanked him, polite as ever. He got into the car then turned towards him and smiled.
“Good evening, Charles.” Moriarty greeted him.
“Evening!” Charlemagne chirped.
Moriarty eyed the other man for a moment before he said, “You cleaned up surprisingly well.”
Charlemagne chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks! And you,” he paused, blinked, then continued, “always look amazing!”
Well that proved his eyes were in working order at least. Though he supposed it wasn’t so bad to accept a compliment every now and again. Especially from someone like this man who didn’t want anything from him in return. But that was neither here nor there. Moriarty turned to face forward as the car started to move.
They arrived at their destination and walked right up to the hostess. She didn’t need to ask his name. Few did. They were seated immediately, even as Charlemagne was still looking around himself and taking it all in.
They were handed the menus and left to consider their decisions. Charlemagne looked over the options in silence. His gaze only left the menu to glance at their environment. The air of smugness from the other patrons was impossible to ignore. There were so many forks on the table. The menu itself looked like it might have actual gold trim.
“This place sure seems… expensive.” Charlemagne said softly.
“While you’re not incorrect, I do get the sense that you didn’t mean that in a positive way.” Moriarty replied.
Charlemagne shook his hands and head at the same time. “No, no. It’s great. Really.”
“But?” Moriarty asked with a curious raise of his eyebrow.
“I just wonder how authentic others will think the date here is,” Charlemagne explained.
“This is the hardest restaurant to get into in the city,” Moriarty said haughtily. “If you don’t call months in advance, you don’t get a table. Simple as that.” He paused to eye his companion. “Unless you’re part of the elite, that is.”
“I think that’s part of the problem, actually.” Charlemagne said. He leaned in slightly so he could talk in a hushed but loud enough tone to get his point across. “If I even tried to take a selfie with you here, it’d be totally frowned upon. The environment is so cold. It’s the opposite of romantic.”
Moriarty motioned vaguely to the table as he replied, “I see candles between us.”
Charlemagne looked down at them. Fake. Because of course they were. He looked back at his companion, tilted his head, and asked, “Is that romance to you?”
“You tell me.” Moriarty said.
Charlemagne was quiet as he thought to himself for a moment. He finally reached a conclusion and blurted it right out. “I think this is a test. You want to see if I can be romantic.”
“Is that what I want?” Moriarty asked, giving no indication as to whether or not that was true.
“It totally is!” Charlemagne exclaimed. He quickly jumped to his feet and grabbed the other man’s wrist. “In that case, let’s get out of here!”
Moriarty barely had a chance to process what was happening before he was pulled to his feet then his hand taken properly. Charlemagne held his hand firmly as he hurried through the restaurant. All eyes were upon them. Glaring in disapproval, as expected. Moriarty felt like some runaway bride fleeing from the alter with their secret lover. While unconventional to say the least, he was curious as to where they’d end up, so he let the other man lead the way.
They didn’t stop running when they were outside. Charlemagne was like a dog that just caught sight of a squirrel. He hurried towards the next thing that caught his eye, which wasn’t too far away. When they finally stopped and Charlemagne let go of his hand, Moriarty took a moment to catch his breath. He really wasn’t made for sudden bursts of physical activity like that.
While he willed his racing heart to calm back down, Charlemagne chatted up a nearby flower vendor. After buying a single red rose, he waved happily and shouted “merci!” at the man. Then he trotted back over to his companion.
Charlemagne bowed slightly, offered him the rose, and said, “For you.”
Admittedly not very impressed by this spur of the moment “romance”, Moriarty took the flower anyway. At least the guy had made an attempt even if it wasn’t– where was he going now? Moriarty blinked as Charlemagne wandered off yet again.
He watched as the guy talked to a different person. Moriarty’s eyes widened when he watched his companion offer the other person a wad of cash. Interesting development. He did understand the value of money in the right situation, then. The question now was what could possibly get him to do such a thing? He was immediately knocked out of his own head by the sound of Charlemagne’s laughter.
After another quick trot on over to him, Charlemagne hummed, “Ok, we’re all set. Let’s go.”
“Where exactly?” Moriarty had to ask. Charlemagne’s smile widened and he motioned with his head to something behind the other man. Moriarty turned around to see something absolutely horrible. A freaking double decker bus.
Absolutely. Not. Happening.
“I do not ride the bus,” Moriarty said without attempting to mask the disgust in his tone. “Ever.”
“Maybe not with the common plebs, but I rented the entire thing out for the two of us,” Charlemagne explained. He held out his arms as wide as they’d go. “It’s a gorgeous night that’s still young so let’s give it a go!”
Moriarty glared at him. He was left to wonder if he’d made a mistake. Maybe none of this was worth it. Perhaps he should head back to the restaurant alone. That’d make social media for sure and he’d look like a complete fool. Basically that was his fate either way, it seemed.
He looked down at the hand extended in his direction then up at the other man’s face. How where Charlemagne’s eyes so big and full of promise? They practically shouted “trust me!”. Too bad James Moriarty didn’t trust anyone. He could only rely on himself, after all.
Unfortunately, he was reminded in that moment that this whole ordeal was his idea. His scheme. That meant he was indirectly responsible for where he was now. Talk about a proper miscalculation on his end. No, no. That wasn’t the way to look at it. He had to work on this.
True, he’d never usually be caught dead anywhere near the horrid vehicle known as a bus, but that was the point of this charade. It was what he’d seen in Charlemagne the day they’d met. A potential for opportunities that were quite unexpected. To shock those that assumed they were closest to him.
With that in mind, he ignored the loudest part of his own mind, and took his companion’s hand. Somehow Charlemagne’s eyes seemed to sparkle. Surely a trick of the light. Moriarty didn’t have a chance to dwell on it. He was immediately pulled towards the awful double decker. He unconsciously held his breath as he stepped inside.
Charlemagne didn’t pause to look around the first floor. He quickly headed up the stairs to the one above. At least there was actual air up there and Moriarty felt like he could breathe in the open section again. After two steps forward it was difficult to lift his foot, so he stopped.
Charlemagne turned back towards him then asked, “Something wrong?”
“It’s sticky.” Moriarty was sure he sounded just as disgusted as he felt.
“Nah, you’re just imagining it because you want to hate it,” Charlemagne assured him. He stepped aside and motioned broadly. “Go on and sit wherever you want!”
Against his own better judgement, Moriarty headed further onto the bus and looked over the side at those beneath them. Meanwhile, Charlemagne smiled and waved at those same people. He might never understand the guy.
Moriarty headed to the very back of the bus and finally sat down without a word. In all the years he’d lived in London, he’d never once set foot on one of these things. It was so weird. Almost forbidden in a sense. When the bus jutted forward as it started to move, Charlemagne wobbled on his feet. He quickly held out both hands to try and rebalance himself then laughed loudly and hurried to join him in the back.
The breeze tousled their hair haphazardly as their journey began. Next to him, Charlemagne was like an excitable puppy. He couldn’t seem to stop grinning or pointing out the sights. Moriarty truly couldn’t imagine being excited over such average surroundings. He was so familiar with the city that he knew just when to shut his eyes to avoid looking towards Baker Street when they passed.
When he opened his eyes again he looked down at the rose in his hand. It was de-thorned, which he understood was for customer’s safety, but that was a shame. To take away the dangerous part of the beautiful object seemed wrong somehow. They could be a package deal and still lovable. Probably.
“Wow this city is so vibrant at night! It’s totally lit up!” Charlemagne chirped next to him. he turned towards his companion. “When was the last time you just sat back and appreciated that?”
Never. Moriarty looked up and to his right. Sure, the buildings were lit and people hurried down the sidewalks in droves as they passed, but he couldn’t describe it as vibrant. In fact, they weren’t all that interesting in his opinion. Familiar. Boring. Not worth his attention. Charlemagne, on the other hand, was another story entirely.
He side-eyed his companion. The different lights from the buildings they passed seemed to light his smile in new and exciting ways. Brighter. Dimmer. Always just as wide and dripping with optimism. That was far more interesting to look at than a boring old city, in Moriarty’s opinion.
“Wow, it sure is pretty…” Charlemagne hummed softly.
Moriarty blinked. The sights. He was talking about the sights. Charlemagne was a moth drawn to the flames of the glowing city lights. Moriarty wondered why it was suddenly so warm on this bus. Perhaps because it had come to a stop and there was no breeze. He assumed they were at a red light so he didn’t think anything of it.
Charlemagne scooted into his personal space and exclaimed, “Let’s get a picture with Large Benjamin in the background!”
“You mean Big Ben.” Moriarty grumbled.
“I know, I was just making sure you were still with me.” Charlemagne snickered. He put his arm around the other man’s shoulders. “You must be if you can correct me at lightning speed like that.”
Charlemagne held up his phone with his free hand and smiled. He took the picture, leaving Moriarty very aware of the fact that his arm stayed right where it was around his shoulders afterwards.
Moriarty was momentarily surprised when Charlemagne leaned in very close to his cheek. It was almost as if he planned on kissing it. But he didn’t. He simply snapped another picture then pulled his arm away and checked out how they came out. After he muttered something about posting it he put the phone back in his pocket.
There were loud footsteps on the bus stairs and Moriarty quickly glanced their way. After a quick pat on his leg, Charlemagne stood then wandered over to the steps. Moriarty just barely saw the top of the bus driver’s head. The guy handed Charlemagne two to go cups and a small box then was thanked.
Charlemagne hurried back to his seat and offered Moriarty one of the cups. Then the bus began to move again.
“What’s this?” Moriarty asked as he took the cup.
“Romance.” Charlemagne replied with a wink.
Moriarty was sure he had no idea what that could’ve possibly meant. So he took a curious sip of the drink. Earl Grey. Not just that… clearly from his favorite café. Moriarty’s refined palate could always tell. He looked behind himself to see they were leaving that exact location behind.
The dots connected instantly. Charlemagne had completely distracted him on purpose. He’d lost track of their location just long enough for the bus driver to get them the same drinks they’d had on their first “date”. He looked down as Charlemagne opened the small box.
“Tea cakes?” Moriarty said to no one in particular. “That isn’t exactly dinner.”
“It’s better! It’s date junk food!” Charlemagne laughed. He grinned from ear to ear as he offered the box.
Moriarty took the one he knew he liked best. He took a bite then a sip of his tea. His companion followed suit, then made happy little noises. Honestly, this guy was full of the strangest surprises. Between this, the rose, and the whole bus to themselves, Moriarty had to admit he never could’ve predicted any of it.
He brought the cup to his lips for another sip, paused, then said, “I suppose you’ve earned a passing grade. On the assumption that there will be no more busses in our future plans.”
“Yeah, yeah, deal! This one will be our special one forever more!” Charlemagne snickered. He held both hands in the air excitedly and shouted.
That was when the strangest thing happened. Moriarty was hit with the nearly overwhelming urge to smile as well. He fought it, naturally, but still… what a weird feeling. Not something he could say he was used to. He side-eyed his companion. It was said that happiness was infectious, and this guy was exuding dangerous amounts. Maybe there was merit to that theory after all.
Their silly little bus trip ended when Charlemagne spotted a shady looking pizza place. They left the bus, much to Moriarty’s dismay – the irony was not lost on him – and headed into the hole in the wall. Moriarty was sure they were going to get mugged. Possibly stabbed. Both, even.
The looks they got when they entered were admittedly comical. The employees had never seen fabric as nice as what his suit was made of before, that much was clear. Charlemagne seemed completely aloof to the shock. After making sure to check that Moriarty had no allergies or aversions, he ordered them a couple of slices of the most popular choice.
The two of them ate their food on a bench outside. It was ridiculous. And yet. The way Charlemagne was absolutely glowing after the very first bite was beyond alluring. Somehow he made food that Moriarty would normally never let touch his precious palate seem tempting in a way he’d never have expected.
While the first bite he took was mostly out of curiosity, the second was for the pure pleasure of it. Who knew a place like this could serve something he’d consider to be good? Just add it to the list of firsts for Moriarty tonight. He took small bites to Charlemagne’s large ones, careful not to make a mess.
Truly opposite in their ways, there was sauce smeared on the corner of his companion’s mouth. Silly. Moriarty got his attention then when Charlemagne turned his way he used his thumb to wipe the corner of his mouth. He brought that thumb to his own lips, licked it clean without breaking eye contact, then got back to eating his own food.
Charlemagne was awfully quiet after that. Moriarty wondered if something might be wrong. When he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, he was surprised to find the guy’s whole face was bright red, his fists were clenched on his lap, and he was staring hard at the ground.
Pleased with himself for just how flustered his companion was over something so silly, Moriarty got right back to eating without a word. Now he’d proven that the other man wasn’t the only one who could do spontaneous things and get amusing reactions out of people.
*
It was quite unexpected how three weeks went by in the blink of an eye. Moriarty found that he and Charlemagne got along pretty well. While the cheery man was no match for his own intellect, that wasn’t an issue when they were together. The opposite was true, in fact. Charlemagne liked hearing about topics he didn’t have much knowledge about. It quickly became evident that he found lectures fascinating. Lucky him, those just happened to be Moriarty’s specialty.
Once, Moriarty droned on for over an hour about classical music simply because the other man let him. He’d honestly thought Charlemagne was sick of the subject afterwards, even if he was assured otherwise. Moriarty ended up with no choice but to believe him when he awoke the next morning to find the other man had fallen asleep on the living room couch while listening to a bunch of classical albums. It was rather silly. There was no need to go that far and try to understand his interests. In the end, that was just the kind of guy Charlemagne was.
Moriarty had started to spend quite a lot of time at the penthouse, as expected. Not just to get their selfie updates, either. It was easier to plan their next move when in the same location, after all. No data to be hacked. No walls with potential ears. Just two men discussing how best to proceed. He found that he preferred nights when they could spend time together before heading off to sleep in their separate rooms.
Once or twice his mind wandered to a place it had no business being. He might’ve considered accidentally wandering into the wrong bedroom late at night. But really, that kind of thing was beneath him. Frankly, he was sure his companion would see right through any attempt at a lie about why he was there. That didn’t mean he wasn’t tempted now and again.
Though it hadn’t even been a month yet, Moriarty realized that his initial assumption was incorrect. Charlemagne wasn’t normal at all. Far from it. He was sweet and kindhearted and caring. He was a good person without having to put in any effort at all. In other words, he was everything that Moriarty himself wasn’t. Practically all the things he was missing, Charlemagne had in droves.
It really begged the question, was he actually lowering his standards by them “dating” or was it Charlemagne that was getting the raw end of the deal here? Was Moriarty just taking advantage of the man’s inherit kindness? And why did he have a very strong feeling that the guy still would continue to humor him even if he’d come to that same conclusion himself? Good guys were simply built different.
As for their fake relationship, it was rather tame so far. It mostly consisted of dinner dates. Some at locations he chose, others Charlemagne did, and just a handful were in the penthouse itself. No matter what, they took a selfie together. In his opinion, that added a necessary variety to their selfie updates. His companion seemed to agree on that much, so perhaps he was getting a hang of them too.
Overall, Moriarty found that he was at ease when they spent time together. There was something comforting about that goofy smile of Charlemagne’s. Something so adorable about how his eyes sparkled when he was excited. They’d done quite a few touristy things that Moriarty never would’ve on his own. It was almost as if he was getting to see the city for the first time through the other man. Truly, it was an odd experience. But not one he hated.
Speaking of things he could potentially hate, today it was Charlemagne’s turn to decide on a date. The only thing Moriarty knew for sure was that the guy didn’t want to just go out for food. He wanted to make a day of whatever they did. That was fair, he supposed. If they were dating they’d probably want to go places together. He was just a bit wary of what kind of things his companion considered date-worthy.
He was sure the deadpan expression upon his face when they arrived at the zoo was comical. Of course Charlemagne was the exact opposite, grinning from ear to ear and in awe before they ever stepped inside. Moriarty didn’t complain. He’d realized by now that the guy always had a rebuttal for that no matter what. Plus they could probably get an interesting selfie here. Maybe. He was really trying to find a bright side about this.
As soon as they were past the entrance Charlemagne held his arms out and exclaimed, “Tada!” He waited. One heartbeat. Two. Then finally he sighed, “…you hate it, don’t you?”
“It certainly is… a choice,” Moriarty paused for emphasis, “to pick a location that stinks of feces for a date.”
“You’ll get used to it in a few minutes!” Charlemagne laughed. He took the other man’s hand in his and hurried off in a random direction. “Let’s see what we can find over this way!”
Fortunately, the zoo itself wasn’t overly crowded. Moriarty was sure Charlemagne planned for that. He’d chosen a day that there would be the least amount of visitors in order to lesson potential complaints. Fine, Moriarty could cross that off, but the list was much longer. He wouldn’t be outfoxed.
As usual, Charlemagne seemed to have an answer for everything. No matter the complaint he snapped right back with a laugh. Too hot? Let’s stop for smoothies. Too bright? Let’s buy some matching novelty sunglasses. Too smelly? Let’s hang out by the sweets vendor and inhale the saccharine scent. Quite a formidable foe, indeed.
In the end, Moriarty did run out of his short list of complaints. He’d come up with more soon enough, though. There was no doubt about that. At the moment he was seated at a picnic table with a ridiculous pair of sunglasses atop his head while Charlemagne went to buy them some junk food. All that sniffing made him want to actually try it. Because of course it did.
The spread of salty, greasy snacks certainly didn’t look appealing when they arrived. Moriarty was hesitant to put something so unrefined into his body. Charlemagne had no such qualms. He immediately dug in and made the most suggestive little grunt when he liked it. When he realized he was the only one eating he looked at Moriarty over the brim of his Union Jack themed sunglasses.
“Something wrong?” Charlemagne asked.
“I’m not hungry.” Moriarty lied.
Charlemagne chewed slowly. He finally swallowed the bite in his mouth then stood and walked to the other side of the table to sit next to the other man. He grabbed one of the fried balls of dough covered in some wild concoction of sugar and offered it to him. “Say ahh.”
Moriarty’s lips pursed together in a thin line. Feeding him like a child was certainly not going to solve a thing. Now he had even less of a desire to partake.
“Come on. For the selfie.” Charlemagne hummed as he held up his phone. “Ahh.”
Unfortunately, Moriarty wanted to make sure they put on a good show. He accepted the food as much as he was sure he’d regret it. He chewed slowly. The amount of grease in his mouth right now had to be criminal. Still, the way the sugar and dough tasted together was surprisingly delightful.
“Pretty good, right?” Charlemagne asked with a mouthful of food. “Have as much as you want. I can get more.”
Another probably wouldn’t hurt. Moriarty ate it unassisted this time. He picked up another one and said, “How strange that a place such as this would have a delectable dessert.”
“You’d be surprised!” Charlemagne laughed.
After far too many of the fried dough balls smothered in goo, they were finally on their way again. Most of the animals they saw were uninteresting in Moriarty’s opinion, but Charlemagne thought they were all great. If he’d been rating them this whole time they’d definitely all be 10/10. Ridiculous.
When their journey took them into the reptile house, Moriarty noticed that his companion seemed to be looking for something specific. It didn’t take him long to find it. A photo op. Well, that wasn’t surprising, those were all over the place. Or so he thought at first. Upon closer inspection it seemed this one was indeed not like the others.
For a small fee, they could pose with a python. As in a living, breathing, slithering snake around his shoulders. Charlemagne was adamant about this being the reason he’d wanted to come to the zoo on a special date. He held up his phone and grinned as he nodded.
Well. Moriarty certainly couldn’t say he’d done anything like this before. The employee in charge of this attraction explained what not to do and that there was no need to freak out. Not that Moriarty would. Once he assured them he was ready, he stood where indicated and waited patiently for the snake to be set down on his shoulders. The first thing he noticed was that it was a lot heavier than he would’ve expected.
He held up his hand by his face to pose and the snake took it as an invitation to slither over there. It flicked its little tongue out at him, which was quite comical from his perspective. His gaze shifted to Charlemagne who had his phone aimed at him and had been clicking furiously as he took picture after picture. So silly.
Moriarty’s gaze was half lidded and dripping with an air of smugness. He knew he’d gotten a great shot without ever being told. He looked back at the snake as he asked, “What do you think? Don’t I look positively villainous?”
“Yeah, it’s totally sexy,” Charlemagne replied. “The look suits you.”
“Naturally.” Moriarty glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and smirked. There was an unreadable look upon his companion’s face. If he didn’t know any better, he might’ve called it lust. Or at the very least an extreme attraction.
But that didn’t really make sense. Charlemagne never showed any interest in him like that since they’d met. Each time Moriarty thought he had, there was a logical explanation for it that proved otherwise. Right now, though, he wasn’t sure there was one. Moriarty pondered what that could possibly mean for a moment.
He was knocked out of his own thoughts by the employee removing the snake from his shoulders. Charlemagne was quick to thank them for the great photo op. Moriarty had already wandered off. Thanking people who were simply doing the job they were paid to do wasn’t his thing.
Charlemagne caught up to him quickly enough, though his eyes were glued to his phone. He finally looked up from it and asked, “Would it be all right if I post this one instead of the selfie?”
Moriarty looked at the screen. The image of him smirking while holding the snake. His companion had managed to capture his good side, well done. He was far too curious not to ask, “Why not both?”
“I don’t think my silly food stuffed cheeks belong next to this picture of you,” Charlemagne chuckled. He waved the phone and said, “Seriously, you look like a model in this.”
“You do favor a squirrel in that one,” Moriarty hummed in agreement.
“Hey!” Charlemagne couldn’t help but snicker once again.
After a moment of silence to think it over, Moriarty finally said, “I think both is a better idea. It shows that we can be whimsical and spontaneous or switch to serious.”
“You got it!” Charlemagne chirped. He immediately looked back at his phone and started typing.
The next place the two of them ended up wandering to was a bear enclosure. They were lazing around, enjoying their little pool on the warm day. Totally living their best lives and not caring about all the eyes upon them.
“Oooh they look so soft and cuddly, don’t they?” Charlemagne cooed. He was practically pressed up against the glass like a child. After a moment he added, “My buddy Astolfo once talked about wrestling with a bear and I’m only now realizing that it probably had nothing to do with the animal.” He paused. “Huh. Good for him.”
That was a whole lot of information that Moriarty simply hadn’t needed. He walked away without a word, quite aware of the little squeak before Charlemagne hurried to catch up with him. There probably wasn’t much else they had to do here. Maybe it was time for them to leave.
“Gift shop!” Charlemagne exclaimed.
Moriarty barely had a chance to turn and look before his companion scurried off. All right. One last stop, it seemed. He could only hope there were no more novelty sunglasses involved. He was in no rush to enter the store himself. By the time he did, Charlemagne already had an arm full of things. Oh boy.
“There you are! Check out this shirt!” Charlemagne shouted. He held it up as best he could while holding a hundred other things.
Moriarty’s gaze traveled over the bold letters of the word London. They were colored in with the Union Jack. So tacky. Only a tourist would be caught dead buying it. The tee was perfect for someone like Charlemagne. Moriarty barely acknowledged the other things his companion pointed out. It was rather silly being so excited over baubles.
It was actually surprising they got out of that shop with only a single bag stuffed to the brim. Moriarty was sure that wouldn’t be the case. Though he had convinced Charlemagne to put a few things down. That probably helped.
After that exhausting shopping spree, the two of them finally left the zoo. It was late enough that they decided to grab some dinner before heading back to the penthouse together. It felt like a night where he should stay there instead of go home. Moriarty headed for the shower first thing when they got back. He washed off the day’s grime and finally felt relief. Zoos were far too dirty for his liking. Though the experience had been an enjoyable one overall. He suspected that was more about his company than anything else.
When he finally meandered into the living room he found Charlemagne sitting on the couch. The other man looked towards him and grinned, then motioned for him to come over. Moriarty did so. He sat on the other side of the couch without a word.
“I got you something!” Charlemagne exclaimed.
“You did? When?” Moriarty wondered.
“Hold out your hand,” Charlemagne hummed.
Curiously, Moriarty did. Then Charlemagne placed something small in his palm. When the other man pulled his hand away he finally saw it was a little coiled snake figure. That seemed fitting for his personality, he supposed.
“It says on this card that came with the figure that on the outside, snakes seem balanced and calm, which is not the truth. They have passion that runs deep within them.” Charlemagne squinted at the tiny text. “Also that they can’t accept criticism and don’t really care much for other people’s opinions, but they are fiercely loyal friends to those that prove worthy of it.”
He set the card aside and grinned. “There’s more but I think the point is obvious. It suits you.”
Such words directed at him? It was odd. It made him feel like he should leave the room. Or at the very least squirm a little bit where he sat. Moriarty looked down at the little python in his hand and muttered, “No one’s ever given me anything like this before.”
“No? Then I’m happy to be the first.” Charlemagne hummed. “And I do hope to prove worthy of that loyal friendship of yours one day.”
Moriarty looked up at him. Charlemagne had already moved on to talking about something else he’d purchased. He was blissfully unaware of the way he was being stared at. Of how Moriarty clenched that small figure tightly. He hadn’t even thanked the guy. It didn’t seem like he was expecting it, either. Moriarty wasn’t sure if that was a sign of how bad his character was or how good Charlemagne’s was.
“Hey what do you think about one more selfie tonight?” Charlemagne asked out of nowhere.
“Is there something you have in mind?” Moriarty asked right back.
“Yeah, something that shows we’re lovers.” Charlemagne replied.
Moriarty’s eyes widened and he blinked. Certainly what popped into his head was not what the guy meant. It was probably best to wait for him to clarify.
“I mean –! Not in a weird way!” Charlemagne quickly shouted. “Just something to show others that our relationship has progressed that far!”
“I’m listening.” Moriarty said. He had to hold back a smirk. The guy was adorable when he was flustered.
He nodded as he listened to Charlemagne’s idea. It made sense, though he kind of hated it at the same time. Moriarty agreed to the idea then reluctantly went to change. When he returned he was wearing the god-awful tourist shirt Charlemagne just bought. He’d also taken the time to mess up his hair, which was not something he’d ever allow photographed under normal circ*mstances.
He sat on the other end of the couch once more, only this time he posed. The tee was half hanging off his shoulder, he had one hand in his disheveled hair, and one eye open, which was looking in Charlemagne’s direction.
“Sleepover selfie!” Charlemagne exclaimed as he took the picture. Upon review, Moriarty was the focus and only his own eyes and top of head were in view. Perfect. It looked like a shot he was trying to sneak then got caught snapping. He turned the phone so the other man could see.
It was suggestive, Moriarty would give him that. Still, he wondered if it was enough. There weren’t any bruises or anything visible on his neck. He was just thinking out loud when he asked, “Do you think the implication is clear?”
“With bedhead and bedroom eyes like that?” Charlemagne asked while he used two fingers to zoom in. “Heck yeah, people will get the message. I’ll post it now.”
Moriarty fixed his shirt then leaned his elbow on the arm of the couch and rested his chin on his palm. He stared out the large windows, sounding bored when he asked, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to have sex for real than try and fake it?”
Charlemagne laughed and said, “You’re really funny when you want to be. I’ll be right back.”
Moriarty turned to watch him wander off. He certainly hadn’t been trying to be humorous just now. Although he supposed there was a very real possibility that Charlemagne wasn’t even attracted to men. He had mentioned not having a boyfriend in the past. In that sense, his response wasn’t so outrageous. Oh, well. Not everyone could be gay. A shame. Moriarty went back to looking out the window.
Charlemagne returned a few minutes later, with a pair of wine glasses and a bottle in his hands. He sat back on the couch, set the glasses down, uncorked the wine, and poured it. He gave Moriarty one and took the other.
A glass or two of red wine was the perfect way to end any day, in Moriarty’s opinion. He sipped his and wondered if he shouldn’t thank the guy for the gift. Yeah, it was still on his mind. Surely, Charlemagne didn’t expect him to. Maybe he thought that was the conclusion he’d come to, so he did? Truly, no one else had ever been so puzzling to him.
The soft sound of classical music started and Moriarty glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye. “Gotten a taste for it?”
“I think so,” Charlemagne hummed. He sipped his wine and shut his eyes as he listened.
Moriarty took another sip as well. His eyes never left the other man as he did. He slipped the little snake figure into his pocket.
As the two of them conversed, one drink turned into two. Before either of them knew it, the bottle was gone. Moriarty’s head felt light as a cloud. He didn’t allow himself to get tipsy often but in his present company he felt it was all right to let his cognitive ability take the hit. Not in an insulting way. In a this-is-a-safe-space way.
With both of them on the drunk side, it didn’t take long for the sound of soft laughter to fill the room. Mostly on Charlemagne’s end, but Moriarty couldn’t help but chuckle a few times as well. Not even at anything in particular. Simply because his companion was laughing. It was as nonsensical as it was amusing.
Charlemagne had scooted closer to him sometime during all their uncontrollable laughter. He didn’t even seem to realize it happened and looked surprised when he turned and saw just how close they were all of a sudden. His cheeks were dusted pink with alcohol-induced blush as he smiled.
There was nothing but sincerity in his blue eyes when he hummed, “There’s something really special about you.”
“My mind, yes I know,” Moriarty nodded.
“No, besides that…” Charlemagne mumbled. “It makes me want to…” He put his hand upon Moriarty’s cheek and gently pulled it towards himself. When they were nose to nose Charlemagne let out a shuddering sigh and leaned in close. He paused suddenly, as if he hit an invisible wall.
Charlemagne pulled away and slapped a hand over his own mouth. He made quick work of putting some distance between them again. He cleared his throat before he muttered, “Sorry. I’ve had a little too much.” He shook his head then squeezed his eyes shut. As soon as he opened them again he stood. “I need some air.”
Moriarty didn’t say a word even after he heard Charlemagne’s bedroom door shut, though the living room balcony would’ve been much closer. He couldn’t speak. All he could do was sit there completely shocked. Did Charlemagne just try and kiss him? Was it the alcohol or perhaps did the guy find himself attracted to him after all? Moriarty was sure he had no idea. His mind just wasn’t functioning at full capacity right now. Damn you, alcohol.
The fingers of his left hand just barely touched his lips. He wasn’t against the idea of a kiss at all. End goal aside, it wasn’t like he was in a relationship at the moment. So logically, it couldn’t be called cheating. A kiss wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. Even as he had the thought, his drunk brain didn’t quite believe it. That was dangerous territory and he knew all too well that something so simple could cause a floodgate to burst.
Moriarty’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t liked the expression he’d seen on Charlemagne’s face when he apologized. Like he really regretted his actions. James Moriarty was no one’s mistake. That being said, he did understand the code of honor as it were. If Charlemagne thought he’d been betraying that by wanting a kiss of course he’d feel bad about it. And he’d make certain it never happened again. Moriarty leaned his head back against the couch and let out an exasperated sigh. That was a shame.
With just over two weeks left before the masquerade they were scheduled to attend, it was finally time to make sure Charlemagne had some of the basic knowledge those around him would. Proper etiquette was easy enough to teach and he’d been doing so slowly over the past few weeks. Right now, Moriarty had something else on his mind.
“Did you say dance lessons?” Charlemagne asked.
“Specifically the Waltz, yes.” Moriarty nodded.
Charlemagne rubbed the back of his head and muttered, “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I did think there would be a little more time, though.”
“I’m surprised to find you’re not more excited about learning something new,” Moriarty replied.
“Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to trying it.” Charlemagne explained. His shoulders slumped and he muttered, “It just rubs in the fact that our time together is almost up.”
Moriarty raised a curious eyebrow at him. “Pardon?”
“Nothing! Forget it! Sounds neat!” Charlemagne grinned. He put his hands on his hips and asked, “So when is the first lesson?”
“As soon as we get there. So get ready.” Moriarty replied. Afterwards he watched the other man scurry off to his bedroom to find a change of clothes.
When that door shut, Moriarty made himself comfortable on the living room couch. Yes, the masquerade was creeping up on them at what felt like an accelerated rate. No, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about that. He, too, was very aware that their charade would soon be no more. It was a shame. If only they’d met sooner, then… Moriarty’s brow furrowed. Then nothing. Literally.
If they’d run into one another at a different point in time than when they did meet, he wouldn’t have been single. Thus there wouldn’t have been need of any scheme. That meant none of this would’ve happened. Neither of them would’ve gotten to try brand new things they’d never dreamed of doing. They certainly wouldn’t have ended up bonding with one another. Moriarty didn’t even want to consider that.
Once Charlemagne was ready, the two of them left and Moriarty had his driver take them to the location of the private studio. They catered exclusively to highbrow clientele, a subsect of humanity that he fit into perfectly. Moriarty walked into the place as if he owned it, as most other clients probably did.
The instructor was an older gentleman. While Moriarty expected a stern expression and technique from him, he was rather friendly. In the kind of way that someone like his companion would totally let their guard down because of. Charlemagne saw a charismatic older man and chatted him up accordingly. Moriarty wasn’t fooled. The instructor wasn’t without his secrets.
In the end, he was paid to do a job and that was what he did. Moriarty was sure this whole thing would be tedious but it was simply necessary. He and Charlemagne partnered up and almost immediately his foot was stomped on.
While his companion was quick to apologize, that didn’t stop the instructor from berating him with a smile upon his face. Charlemagne’s shocked expression when the gentleman went off on him was priceless. Moriarty couldn’t help but feel smug about being right. No one in the world was who they seemed at first glance.
The lesson continued, with Charlemagne making sure to take the notes he’d received. To Moriarty’s pleasant surprise, he improved rather quickly. Fast learners were always appreciated in this day and age. Eventually Charlemagne stopped looking at the floor and held his head up properly, which gave the dance an entirely different feeling that Moriarty hadn’t been expecting.
Such a mundane task was surprisingly amusing when he could look at his dance partner’s joyous expression the entire time. Huh. Who knew? Moriarty found it fascinating. He simply couldn’t look away. They found a rhythm and he had no desire to break it.
Normally, Moriarty was one to lead in a dance. He did not like the idea of his partner potentially looking down on him, which was quite a problem when it came to a certain ex of his who happened to have the exact same mindset. In the end, he never really enjoyed dancing because of it.
With Charlemagne though, Moriarty felt no such thing. There was no haughtiness, no sense of superiority when they switched things up. The guy simply wanted to know how to lead as well, so they tried it. As Moriarty followed along, he found that he was quite content. No, more than that. He was having a good time. That was a shocking epiphany. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed dancing, never mind as the follower. No part of him could’ve predicted this outcome.
When Charlemagne surprised him once again by dipping him backwards without warning, Moriarty was sure they’d both end up on the ground. But that didn’t happen. The guy was stronger than he looked. Moriarty blinked at his dance partner. He was so close… and he smelled really good. Was that new cologne he was wearing?
Charlemagne’s gaze fell to his lips and for a brief moment Moriarty completely forgot where they were. Just then, he thought the guy would go for it. And he certainly didn’t have any plans of protesting. That didn’t happen, however. Charlemagne blinked before a big ol’ smile spread across his face, effectively masking whatever had just been there. He pulled Moriarty back upright and laughed as the two of them parted.
“Not bad, huh? I might be a natural!” Charlemagne chirped.
“Quite impressive, young man.” The instructor agreed with a nod.
After a moment to regain his composure, Moriarty shut his eyes and said, “You’re a lot better than I thought you’d be. We won’t need nearly as many lessons as I planned for.”
“Aww, but they’re fun,” Charlemagne whined.
“I’m sure we can find other fun things to do with the saved time,” Moriarty replied without missing a beat.
The instructor eyed the two of them suspiciously as Charlemagne chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.
Moriarty felt a little bit crazy for even thinking so, but he swore that the other man was blushing. Though he was probably flushed from all the dancing, his cheeks seemed pinker than they should’ve been. Good lord it had no right to be that appealing on the man. A very strange feeling felt like it blossomed in the middle of his chest when Charlemagne grinned in his direction.
Suddenly, Moriarty felt the crushing weight of the fact that their charade was indeed counting down to its end. Soon he’d no longer get to see that smile. He’d have no excuse to talk to the man again. His evenings that were now full of all sorts of unexpected surprises would turn into the usual mundane ones. The two of them wouldn’t even be in the same country anymore.
The sound of laughter got his attention and he glanced at Charlemagne to find him chatting up their instructor with his usual grin. The exact opposite of what Moriarty was thinking earlier, he was so genuine. What you saw was what you got with Charlemagne. He didn’t deserve to be tossed aside like he didn’t matter, even if it was agreed upon beforehand.
Because he did matter. More than he had the right to. More than a laundry list of others in Moriarty’s life ever would. His brow furrowed with his frown. He really didn’t like how any of that made him feel.
*
It’d been just under two months since Charlemagne’s arrival in England, and boy were they a whirlwind! From meeting Moriarty to suddenly deciding to stay in the country way longer than planned, Charlemagne was hit with unexpected experience after unexpected experience. None of them bad, either.
While their current arrangement started out as a silly thing that sounded like it could be a fun way to kill a little time, he’d grown to quite enjoy it. By “it” he meant the time he spent with Moriarty. Not just the big stuff like the dates, either. He’d come to cherish the little moments. They were what he’d hold close to his heart for a long time.
The way he felt about Moriarty was, well, complicated. He knew the guy was taken. His mind was on someone else the whole time they were “together” and Charlemagne didn’t hold that against him. Moriarty was straightforward about the farce being meaningless to begin with. That being said, Moriarty did put in the effort to spend time together. To get to know him, to let himself be known.
Charlemagne hadn’t expected that. He’d figured their relationship would be more like a business transaction where the other man just showed up to get their selfie proof and he’d be on his own for most of the time afterwards. He never imagined they’d fall into something that could be considered an actual friendship with constant visits and everything. At least on Charlemagne’s end, he was sure the other man had high standards for that kind of thing.
Even after all the assurance that the relationship was a means to an end, they’d ended up spending a lot of time together. Almost as if they were an actual couple. It was surprisingly addictive. Because the longer their “relationship” persisted, the more Charlemagne got to see the layers to Moriarty that he’d never have expected.
For someone who tried so hard to be edgy, the guy sure was a nerd at heart. Whenever he went off on some rant about a statistical probability for an undetermined amount of time, Charlemagne found himself entranced. Not only did he want to laugh at how adorable the guy was, but he just couldn’t stop listening. The man was far too charming for his own good. And he didn’t even realize it! Charlemagne totally understood how someone would fall for the guy.
Perhaps the one thing that caught him most off guard was just how attracted he was to Moriarty in a physical sense. While he’d been around the block once or twice, as the saying went, Charlemagne couldn’t say he’d ever felt that kind of thing about another man before. In this case it just felt so natural he didn’t even realize it was happening until it was too late.
He didn’t even know what it was that had him so hot and bothered, either. Moriarty’s choice of tight clothing? Nah, his buddy Astolfo wore things that were basically painted on. Including actual paint once, which got him arrested for twenty-four hours. And that got him a boyfriend for a few months. Basically, Charlemagne had seen it all.
If not Moriarty’s sense of style, then perhaps it was his slender figure? Charlemagne was sure that his waist was one of the smallest he’d ever seen. And those legs of his were so long. They’d easily be able to wrap around him and squeeze.
He felt something stir within himself at the brief thought of placing a trail of featherlight kisses from Moriarty’s ankle all the way to his inner thigh. What kind of expressions would he make? What noises? Just imagining those things made Charlemagne’s whole face start to burn.
He shook his head to clear it. That line of thinking was wrong. He shouldn’t allow himself to succumb. And it wasn’t like it mattered since it’d never happen, anyway. Moriarty’s type was apparently super geniuses. Charlemagne couldn’t even pretend to be on that level. Not that he had any reason to. There was a clear line drawn on the day they met that prevented anything like that. He respected it.
These days his pulse raced at inconvenient moments and it was all Charlemagne could do to laugh it off. Honestly, he didn’t remember the last time he got so close to another person so quickly. Other than his two best friends, it was only Moriarty.
All that aside, physical attraction wasn’t too big a deal in his opinion. It was something that didn’t last forever. Since that was all this was, he was sure it’d fade eventually. Someone else was bound to catch his eye at some point. So he was focused on building what was important– their friendship. There was a slim chance that could continue after this charade of theirs was all said and done. He’d like that.
Charlemagne jumped when his phone rang suddenly. The ringer was louder than he remembered. His eyes widened when he saw who was calling. This was a nice surprise. He answered, clicked the video button, then smiled when his pink-haired companion appeared on the other end.
“Bonjour!”
“Hey, Astolfo!” Charlemagne chirped.
Astolfo’s own grin widened before he hummed, “Comment vas tu?”
Charlemagne clicked his tongue then said, “Come on, you know you’re supposed to be practicing your English. If you don’t, you won’t be able to visit this country.”
“Mannn but it’s so complicatedddd,” Astolfo whined.
“Fine then, it’ll be your own fault that you won’t get to see the big clock.” Charlemagne sighed. Those were his companion’s words he was echoing.
Suddenly Astolfo’s face was as close to the screen as possible and he shouted, “What big co*ck! Tell me! Tell me!”
“I said clock and you know it,” Charlemagne sighed. He shook his head when Astolfo burst into a fit of giggles. After a moment to let the guy calm down, he asked, “How have things been going there? No more kitchen fires, I hope?”
“Only a teeny one,” Astolfo hummed, “and it was totally Roland’s fault this time!”
Astolfo yelped when he was shoved out of frame. Another man appeared instead. Blond this time. Roland was also quite a bit closer than necessary when he shouted, “He’s lying!”
Charlemagne shook his head. Everything seemed the same over there. As chaotic as always. Truthfully, he missed it just a bit. His smirk was audible when he asked, “Other than that are things good?”
Astolfo was back in frame again. Both of them were further back now. Astolfo nodded and replied, “It’s been pretty normal and stuff. I thought I fell in love at one point but that turned out to just be gas.”
“Yeah? How tragic.” Charlemagne huffed.
Astolfo shrugged and said, “ç'est la vie mon ami.”
Charlemagne fell quiet as he watched his friends get into an argument over something he didn’t even understand. His own mind wandered and his grip on the phone tightened. Love, huh? That certainly sounded nice.
“Oh, speaking of!” Astolfo shouted mid-shoving Roland. “Tell me about that hot goth girlfriend you got yourself! All your posts have been completely taken over by that hot piece of ass!”
“Don’t call him that.” Charlemagne said sternly. He was also on the verge of admitting the truth then and there. Moriarty wasn’t his girlfriend. Or boyfriend, for that matter. He wasn’t even sure if they qualified as friends in the other man’s eyes, though he did hope so. Charlemagne avoided looking at the phone when he sighed, “He’s not here right now but he’ll be back for dinner later.”
“Here where? Your place? Do you live together?” Astolfo asked in rapid succession. He left no time for a response before he let out a delighted squeal and shrieked, “You dirty whor*!”
Charlemagne shook his head at the outburst of laughter on the other end. There was no one else in the world who lived as carefreely as his best friends. He really did miss them.
Eventually, the laughter subsided, and Roland stepped closer to the phone. He asked, “Are you doing well there?”
“I am, thanks for asking,” Charlemagne nodded.
“Good. Spiritually, I’m as naked and unashamed as always.” Roland declared.
“That’s a super weird way to put it but I’m still glad,” Charlemagne snickered.
Their conversation continued for a little longer, with nothing interesting of note happening. Astolfo complained about having to put his dishes in the sink. Roland called him a slob. It was a nostalgic argument if Charlemagne had ever heard one.
His heart just wasn’t in this conversation, unfortunately. Maybe it was better to say it was his mind that wasn’t cooperating. It was elsewhere. Stuck on the thought that Astolfo had put there.
Love. What even was it? Probably not suffocation. It was more likely than not that it felt quite nice. Charlemagne was sure of it. And it absolutely wasn’t laced with regret. A notification popped up on his phone. A text from Moriarty saying he was on the way.
Charlemagne immediately perked up. It must’ve been noticeable because Astolfo asked who he just got a sext from without missing a beat. Charlemagne rolled his eyes, ended the call, then went to take a quick shower.
As he got dressed he was happy, smiling, and full of a special warmth that only his newest companion could provide. But that didn’t mean it was love. Charlemagne wandered into the kitchen for a quick glass of water to wet his dry throat.
When Moriarty arrived, he hurried to greet him in the foyer. The moment their eyes met, Charlemagne’s heart fluttered quickly and he found himself overwhelmed with the desire to embrace the other man. It was far beyond the mere fact that he looked absolutely incredible, which he definitely did.
His pulse raced loudly in his own ears. His face was hot. Most of all, he was extremely happy to see the other man after being apart for a few hours. It was then that he realized he had no way to rationalize this anymore. He simply couldn’t deny the truth of his feelings. Charlemagne was in love.
Damn. He’d really messed up.
“Is something wrong? Why are you making that ridiculous face?” Moriarty asked in his usual snarky way.
Charlemagne shook his head and yelled, “Nope, nothing! This is just my face!”
“True enough,” Moriarty sighed.
The two of them wandered through the apartment until they were in the living room. There they sat on the couch and Moriarty talked about preparations for the upcoming event. they were in zero hour now, and their scheme was either about to fail or be a success.
Charlemagne listened, nodded along, and totally wasn’t distracted by the other man’s outfit. A simple black number without any bells and whistles. Yet somehow it managed to accentuate just how slim the guy was. Especially that waist of his. It was practically begging to be grabbed. Charlemagne couldn’t tear his gaze away.
“What kind of selfie shall we post today?” Moriarty asked, knocking the other man out of his own thoughts.
“Makeup!” Charlemagne chirped.
Moriarty side-eyed him. “Meaning?”
“Do me.” Charlemagne said without thinking. He regretted it the moment he did. He stiffened, cleared his throat, then clarified, “I mean I want you to do my makeup for me. Like yours.”
“Why would you want something like that?” Moriarty had to ask.
“It’ll be fun!” Charlemagne laughed.
There was a brief pause before Moriarty sighed, “If that’s what you want then go ahead and grab my supplies from the bathroom.”
Charlemagne hopped off the couch and hurried to do just that. Moriarty was always like that, acting like he wasn’t into an idea then going along with it anyway. He was just like a cat sometimes. One whose affections Charlemagne would really like to earn. Scratch that. It was weird.
Perhaps the makeup idea was a slight miscalculation on his end. Charlemagne hadn’t considered just how close they’d have to be for the duration of it. He did his best not to stare but ultimately failed. It wasn’t like he’d gotten the chance to admire the guy from very close before.
And how could he be expected to look away when Moriarty had the cutest little scowl on his face as he concentrated? That perfectionist in him was hard at work while he carefully extended the liner downwards to a point. Charlemagne was enthralled.
Their eyes met only once during this time, when he was changing the eye he was working on. Neither of them said a word but Moriarty’s lips pursed together in a thin line afterwards. Charlemagne didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. But if he had to guess, the guy was probably annoyed.
Once his makeup was finished they made quick work of taking their selfie. Charlemagne was smiling from ear to ear in the picture, while Moriarty looked as serious as usual. He couldn’t help but laugh as he reviewed the image. At least one of them looked good, he supposed.
Charlemagne shook his head then said, “I guess I’m not made for this kind of look.”
“I don’t think it looks bad,” Moriarty disagreed.
“Wow, that was almost a compliment!” Charlemagne gasped. He’d take it. He grinned and scrunched his face at the other man when he was given a look.
Moriarty shut his eyes and inhaled. He let it out slowly before he finally said, “Something came up recently that requires my undivided attention, so I won’t be around for the next few days.” After a brief pause, he spoke again. “The next time we’ll see each other is the evening of the masquerade.”
“Oh...” Charlemagne found that extremely disappointing. He’d hoped they’d have more time together, not less. His voice was soft, a mere whisper as he said, “Ok.”
“Don’t look like such a kicked puppy.” Moriarty snorted. “If you miss my incredible mind that much you have permission to message me.”
That was most likely his attempt at humor to lighten the situation. Unfortunately, Charlemagne wasn’t very receptive right now. The guy’s mind was quite low on the list of things he’d miss. Still, this was never about him to begin with. Charlemagne plastered a smile upon his face and nodded. It was all he could do to be agreeable right now.
After getting used to having another person around so often Charlemagne found he was surprised by just how lonely the penthouse felt when he was alone. Sure they’d texted briefly, but Moriarty was busy so Charlemagne didn’t want to be annoying. And that was not a replacement for what he longed for, anyway.
Three impossibly long days crawled by. Charlemagne powered through. He did rely on talking to Astolfo and Roland a lot, though. They got suspicious about it and asked him if everything was all right. He merely told them he was feeling a little homesick. It wasn’t the truth, but it was fine.
Charlemagne looked at the clock on his phone. It was about time he started getting ready since the driver would pick him up soon. As soon as he started towards his bedroom he heard a knock at the front door. Curious, he headed over to answer it. There was no one there when he did. He looked down at the ground and saw a white box with a card on top.
Charlemagne picked the items up and looked around once more. No one. He brought the box inside, kicked the door shut behind himself, and wandered deeper into the apartment. He took the mysterious box to the kitchen, set it down, then opened the card.
As thanks for escorting me tonight.
-JM
Charlemagne blinked at the handwritten note. It was short and to the point. No words wasted with a guy like Moriarty. He set the card down and raised a curious eyebrow at the box. A gift really wasn’t necessary after everything he’d already done. Still, curiosity was about to get the better of him and he had to know what it was.
He opened the box, unfolded some tissue paper, and blinked. A half-mask? It was royal blue, with a gold filigree outline all around it. Charlemagne picked it up and inspected it. Beautiful. Truly. Much nicer than the one he’d grabbed on a whim. He set that aside carefully and inspected the other item in the box.
A tuxedo? Charlemagne removed the jacket from the box and held it up. Not just that, a custom one it seemed. Instead of the usual black, this one was white. It had the same royal blue detailing, including the liner of the jacket. The fabric was so soft to the touch, he was a bit surprised.
Normally he’d protest such an obviously expensive gift and say he already had a suit. But Moriarty did go through the trouble of having it made in what looked like his exact measurements, a sentiment that was a bit concerning on its own as he’d never given them to the man. That aside, he’d also made sure the tux would arrive right on time for him to get dressed for the event. For some reason, Charlemagne was reminded of a conversation the two of them had in the past.
“I apologize but I have to fix this before we leave.” Moriarty said before he started to adjust the other man’s disheveled shirt. Then he got to work tying the bowtie for him.
“You apologize? For what?” Charlemagne asked. “Wanting to look your best and have the person accompanying you do the same? You told me this restaurant was extremely fancy but I didn’t know how to tie the bowtie that came with this suit, so I welcome the help.”
Moriarty didn’t look up from what he was doing when he replied, “I’ve been told I’m high maintenance.”
“Sounds like that person simply didn’t want to put in the effort necessary to make a relationship functional. I’m different.” Charlemagne said with a smile. When Moriarty paused to look at him, he tilted his head and hummed, “I think your attention to detail is part of your charm.”
After a brief pause to search his eyes, Moriarty got back to work. His voice was soft when he muttered, “You really are a strange person...”
“That’s probably true!” Charlemagne laughed.
What a silly thing to think about for no reason whatsoever. This tuxedo was one last grand gesture that Moriarty was making so Charlemagne would wear it proudly. Though he’d wasted quite a bit of time standing around. Now he had to hurry. He grabbed the box and rushed towards his bedroom to get dressed.
It was a good thing he hurried because the driver arrived right on time. Charlemagne knew he would. He thanked the man as he walked by him and got into the car. Once the driver shut the door and headed back around to the front, they were on their way.
Admittedly, Charlemagne was kind of nervous. He hadn’t seen Moriarty in a few days and was absolutely looking forward to that part, but still. This was a big event for many reasons. He tried not to think about how it marked the end of their arrangement. Instead, he focused on his companion. This was and always had been about Moriarty, after all.
When they arrived outside of Moriarty’s mansion, Charlemagne hopped out of the car before the driver could. He hurried to the door to knock himself. He wanted to pick up his date properly, after all. He held his breath when the large door in front of him opened slowly to reveal a man in a black suit.
Charlemagne smiled at the butler. “Hiya. Is he ready to go?”
“What a silly question. As if I’d ever be late to anything.”
The voice came from inside. Charlemagne jumped at the sound of it. The butler opened the door wider, until the man within was revealed. Charlemagne’s eyes widened and he was sure he completely stopped breathing for a dangerous amount of time.
Not wearing a suit or a tux, no, Moriarty did things his way. What he had on was more like a skintight, white bodysuit. The whole thing was one piece and disappeared into a pair of black boots so long they reached his mid-thigh. Charlemagne hadn’t ever been jealous of an article of clothing before this moment.
The whole look was tied together with a long cape that draped across his shoulders. It was also white and had a royal blue lining that reminded Charlemagne of his tuxedo. His mask was the same as the one Charlemagne left in the car. Eye covering blue number with gold detail around the edges. The whole look was flashy and incredibly eye-catching. It was clear he meant to turn heads tonight. Charlemagne knew he would.
“Wow… you look…” Charlemagne let his statement trail off. There weren’t words. What could he possibly say? Ethereal. Stunning. Like the most beautiful creature on this planet. None of them were close to being strong enough to get his sentiment across.
“I’m aware.” Moriarty gave him a quick once over. “So do you.”
Charlemagne stiffened. His face immediately heated up. No way he could’ve been prepared for a genuine compliment from the guy. His voice cracked when he yelped, “Thank you for the tux, by the way!”
Moriarty huffed softly in amusem*nt then asked, “Shall we?”
“Yes!” it was all Charlemagne could do to scramble out of his way and let him pass. Wow, just wow. He followed like a man caught in a tractor beam.
To say Moriarty merely turned heads when they arrived would be the understatement of the year. From the moment they stepped into the building together all eyes were on him. Charlemagne totally understood why. Even he was having a hard time looking anywhere else.
They ended up going in separate directions as he wandered over to the refreshment table and Moriarty took the time to greet people. Charlemagne had a chance to really people watch from his spot by the snacks. Everyone was so gorgeous. Man, woman, it didn’t matter. They all seemed to glow with an aura he couldn’t explain. So this was the elite of London, huh?
He continued to look around, noting that he didn’t see anyone who matched the picture he’d seen of the man of the hour. Even if he wasn’t somewhere obvious, he was absolutely there. One didn’t throw a huge event like this and not show up.
After a few minutes of him enjoying all the expensive desserts, Moriarty wandered over to the table as well. He was just as stunning as ever. Charlemagne smiled from ear to ear. There was only one question on his mind, so he asked it. “Have you seen –”
Moriarty turned his head when the orchestra started to play a certain song.
Charlemagne immediately recognized it as one of the guy’s favorites. In that case, there was only one thing to do. He got rid of his trash then cleared his throat. When Moriarty looked his way, he offered the other man his hand.
After a second to consider it, Moriarty decided to accept. He took Charlemagne’s hand and the two of them made their way to the dance floor in the middle of the room. Many couples had already paired up and begun to waltz. Clearly the tune was a crowd pleaser.
The two of them partnered up and to Charlemagne’s surprise, Moriarty let him take the lead. He was determined not to disappoint as he stepped in time to the music. So far so good. Those lessons really had stuck with him. Even more than that, Charlemagne realized that Moriarty hadn’t looked away from his eyes once.
Something about that pulled him right in as well. The music faded around them to a soft background noise. They continued to dance, lost in their own little world. From the outfits, to the scenery, and the sparkling chandeliers overhead, it was quite a romantic setting. Above all that, however, was the fact that Moriarty himself was positively glowing.
That snarky attitude. The holier-than-thou gaze. His tendency to get lost in the mathematics of situations that didn’t necessarily call for such a thing. And of course that tiny waist. Charlemagne liked absolutely everything about this man.
Just being around him left Charlemagne so fulfilled. So warm inside. He hadn’t ever felt so strongly about anyone else before. And he wanted to shout that to the rooftops. He wanted to make these feelings that threatened to burst out of his chest known. As soon as this song finished and their dance ended, he’d pull Moriarty aside to finally tell him the truth. He just couldn’t take it anymore. The guy had the right to know just what feelings he stirred within him.
It was then that Charlemagne felt a tap on his shoulder. They stopped dancing and he noticed Moriarty’s eyes widen behind the mask. Charlemagne already knew what he’d see when he looked behind himself. The man with slicked back hair and a dark suit. Even with the mask on he could tell exactly who he was. The very guy he hadn’t been able to spot no matter how hard he looked earlier. Charlemagne felt a little sick.
“Mind if I cut in?” Sherlock asked.
It was a formality, he already knew the answer and stepped closer to Moriarty, effectively putting himself between the two of them. Charlemagne took two steps backwards. His smile never faded as the two partnered up. Moriarty turned to look at him but Sherlock put a single finger upon his cheek and pushed his face back towards himself.
When they started to dance, Charlemagne was slapped with a harsh dose of reality. His work here was done. There was no reason for him to hang around anymore. This event had nothing to do with him and he wouldn’t be missed if he wasn’t there. With his head held as high as possible during such a moment, he turned and headed for the exit.
Charlemagne paused when he reached the door and looked back one last time. Moriarty was still dancing with Sherlock. The dark-haired man leaned into whisper something in Moriarty’s ear. As he did, his right hand settled low on the small of his back.
There was a sharp pain right in the middle of Charlemagne’s chest. He smiled solemnly. He was glad Moriarty got what he wanted. It was a happy ending, after all. Charlemagne continued on his way. As he stepped past the threshold, he removed his mask. It slipped from his fingers and he couldn’t be bothered to stop and pick it up.
In his and Moriarty’s attempt to keep their relationship platonic they’d ended up bonding in an unexpected way. It was deeper than Charlemagne had ever experienced with another person. It allowed for feelings to take root that he hadn’t expected. They ran so deep within him now that there was no going back. No matter how far he ran, he knew he’d pine for the one man he couldn’t have.
It was over. His part of this story was finished. As a mere pawn, he’d always been a disposable piece. A sudden broken heart did feel terrible, but Charlemagne was a better person for having spent the time he did with Moriarty. That would always outweigh any negativity he might’ve felt about the situation. There was no way he could hold anything against the guy, he’d been totally upfront with him right from the start.
Charlemagne took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then stepped to the edge of the sidewalk. He watched for a taxi and attempted to hail it so he could head home. Two either didn’t see or ignored him. When the third one showed up, however, he managed to flag it down. The driver pulled over. Charlemagne opened the back door and was about to get in when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
“Where… are you… going…”
He turned around to see an extremely out of breath Moriarty. Charlemagne reached out to potentially catch the guy if he ended up fainting. His brow furrowed as he replied, “Home. More importantly, are you all right?”
“I’m too old… to be sprinting like that… in these heels…” Moriarty explained.
“You’re not even sort of old!” Charlemagne huffed in amusem*nt. He turned towards the taxi driver and asked him to go ahead and start the meter then wait just a minute. After that he shut the door. Charlemagne looked around. There was a free bench a few feet away. Convenient. He and Moriarty walked over to it and sat down.
After helping remove his companion’s mask and waiting a few moments, the guy’s breathing was back to normal. It seemed like his usual aura had returned as well.
“Better?” Charlemagne asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.”
Silence followed. Charlemagne wasn’t sure what to say. This felt quite awkward all of a sudden.
“The plan succeeded,” Moriarty explained, “Sherlock offered me the exact proposal I was looking for.”
“That’s great!” Charlemagne exclaimed a bit more excitedly than necessary. His forced smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was great. So great. The greatest thing ever. He absolutely didn’t feel the greatest urge to cry as his heart shattered into a million pieces. There was no way he could let on how he actually felt so he simply asked, “Shouldn’t you be getting back to him, then?”
“I turned him down,” Moriarty explained. “Permanently this time.”
“Why… would you do that?” Charlemagne asked softly. It’d be a lie to say that he didn’t have a tiny, hopeful flutter in his chest.
“Before I answer that I need to be sure about something,” Moriarty declared.
“What do you mpff–” He was caught totally off guard when Moriarty surged forward and kissed him.
Charlemagne was sure it was supercharged somehow. His whole body felt electrified. A shiver ran all the way down his spine and made his toes curl. His eyes fell shut, he tilted his head, and he leaned in. This was all he’d wanted for far too long. He didn’t know what chapstick the other man was wearing but it was now officially Charlemagne’s favorite flavor. Seriously, it shouldn’t have been possible for another person’s lips to be so soft.
When they parted Moriarty’s eyes stayed shut for a moment. He opened them again and muttered, “Just as I thought.”
“Hm?” Charlemagne could barely think right now. He didn’t know what the guy was talking about.
Moriarty put his hands on the other man’s shoulders. He squeezed firmly and looked him in the eyes as he said, “You can’t go back to France. You have to stay here with me.”
“Is this you being romantic or high maintenance?” Charlemagne asked with a cheeky little smirk.
“Must the two be mutually exclusive?” Moriarty asked right back.
Charlemagne huffed softly in amusem*nt. What a Moriarty answer to give. But that amusem*nt melted away as quickly as it appeared. He pulled Moriarty’s hands off his shoulders and avoided eye contact while he said, “I’ll never be him…”
“Thank god for that,” Moriarty snorted. He fisted both hands in Charlemagne’s shirt. “I turned him down because I don’t want him. I want you. Don’t be anyone else but yourself.”
What kind of face was he making right now! Determined yet vulnerable. Somehow unsure but positive he was correct. It was so cute! A direct blow to Charlemagne’s heart! He’d never survive!
“There’s something very important that you need to know now that our arrangement is no longer in effect,” Charlemagne said softly.
“What might that be?” Moriarty asked.
Charlemagne put his hand upon the other man’s cheek. He smiled warmly and hummed, “I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you and I want to date for real.”
Moriarty was kissing him again before he could even blink. The way his lips moved against his was desperate, passionate, and so full of unabashed emotion. It was practically overwhelming. Charlemagne surely wouldn’t survive a kiss like this for very long.
Moriarty pulled away just enough to whisper, “Me too. Let’s get out of here.”
“Sure, where do you want to go?” Charlemagne asked. Good thing that taxi driver hadn’t left. He’d earned a large tip.
“The penthouse is closer.” Moriarty said.
Charlemagne couldn’t help but smile a crooked half-smile at him. He took Moriarty by the hand and lead him to the waiting taxi. After a quick apology, he thanked the man for waiting. Then they both got in and he gave the driver the address.
At this point, Moriarty couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He was nearly completely lost to his desire and kissing anywhere he could reach on the other man’s face and neck. He was so into it that Charlemagne wondered how they’d ever make it to their destination without him losing his mind. That was so incredibly hot.
Speaking of, it was really warm in here already. Charlemagne managed to crack a window with his elbow as he embraced his companion. While they drove by, he witnessed a peculiar scene indeed.
“You there, passerby with the cheap shoes! What’s your name!” Sherlock shouted from the top of the stairs leading into the building.
“M-me?” Asked the random man in a hat. “It’s Watson, sir.”
Sherlock motioned for him to come up the steps then said, “Take my arm and smile like you want to be here.”
“Uh. Where are we going?” Watson asked nervously.
“I’m sure I have no idea what the final destination is,” Sherlock replied as he offered him the mask he’d picked up when he stepped outside, “but for now, we’re headed back inside. Onward!”
Would you look at that? The universe always provided when necessary. The window slid back upwards until it was shut again. Charlemagne barely had a second to realize that Moriarty had reached around him to close it. Clearly, he wanted all attention focused on himself.
Charlemagne was more than happy to oblige. He turned his head so they could kiss again. His hands fell to the other man’s slim waist and squeezed. Moriarty inhaled sharply through his nose before he kissed him harder. He seemed to really like that. Good. Charlemagne planned on spending the rest of the night giving the man as much attention as he wanted and more. He’d worship every inch of him just like he deserved. But not before he took one more selfie.
Charlemagne dug his phone out of his pocket and held it up. Moriarty paused to look at the camera. He kept the phone aimed at them as he used his other hand to grab the back of Moriarty’s head and pull him back for another kiss. The moment their lips touched, he took the picture. This was one selfie for his new personal collection, which he really looked forward to expanding upon in the very near future.
