A/N: A short fic I wrote for my Moriarty on tumblr (captain-moriarty).
Richard/Sebastian and Jim/Sebastian.
Set during The Reichenbach Fall episode.
Warning for character death. But not what you're expecting.
Fumbling with his keys, Richard finally let himself into the flat and closed the door behind him before entering the living room. Sebastian was sitting on the sofa, his hands clasped in front of him as he stared thoughtfully at the floor. He didn't look up as the other man approached, but straightened slightly.
"Do you think that was funny?" Sebastian asked after a pause, as Richard was still hovering near the doorway nervously. "I was worried sick when you didn't come back on time and then, surprise! You're in the paper! For a robbery!"
Standing up, Sebastian finally looked over at Richard, his eyes glaring daggers into him. Richard flinched visibly and looked away as his fingers twitched around the keys he still held in his hands.
"This is all just a big joke, right?" Sebastian asked harshly.
"I can explain it all!" Richard said weakly, taking a small step forward only to have Sebastian step back again and shake his head.
"It has to be a joke, of course," Sebastian continued almost to himself. "Nobody could actually break into such a place and get away with no sentence. But how did you do it? And why the sudden interest with bringing Sherlock Holmes into the mix? Don't forget the fact that apparently your name isn't even Richard!"
"Please, Sebastian," Richard interrupted him, dropping his keys to the floor as he moved forward again and grabbed the other man's arm. "Just listen to me, please. I can tell you everything now… I'm sorry I couldn't before. This- this is a job I've taken."
"A job?" Sebastian shook his head with a laugh. "You're robbing places now, are you? Are we that low on money, is that what you're saying?"
"No, no, no Sebastian! That's not… just listen!"
Sebastian turned away, shaking his head in disappointment as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say next. He had felt so confused and worried when he saw Richard in the paper and on the telly. But Richard could never have broken into a place like that without help. So something bigger had to be going on.
Seeing that Sebastian had fallen silent for the moment, Richard seized the opportunity. "Sherlock Holmes is paying me to be his enemy," he said quickly, thinking the best idea would be to give as much information as concisely as possible right away. "So people will think he's clever. It's… this whole thing has been him and me. All those cases in the paper that he set up… he got my help on them. I was… he paid me to kidnap his flatmate and strap bombs to him. Sebastian, I know this is crazy but it's the truth-"
Falling silent as Sebastian suddenly turned to face him again, Richard swallowed and wiped the palms of his hands on his trousers.
"He's paying you to be a fake criminal?" Sebastian asked slowly, frowning in disbelief. "Why the hell would anyone do that?"
"He's insane!" Richard exclaimed. "He contacted me at first and just asked if I'd like some acting work, so I said yes, but then he blackmailed me into doing all these things and… and… I've killed people! I… Sebastian I'm so sorry. He said he'd kill you if I didn't do as he said. I had to!"
"What?" Sebastian's face paled, the anger fading to be replaced with worry as he moved to Richard, gently cupping his face in his hands. "Rich, no. Tell me you're lying. Why would he do that? Sherlock Holmes solves crimes and brings justice!"
"He's a fake," Richard mumbled, breaths coming shorter as he tried to keep himself under control. It had been so difficult keeping all of this from Sebastian and it was such a relief to finally let it all out. "He's no different than the rest of us, except he's sick! He's had me kill people just so he can make the world think he's a genius."
Sebastian pulled Richard into his arms properly, holding him tightly and rocking him gently to try and calm him.
"It's going to be okay," he said quietly, rubbing Richard's back and trying to process everything he had just been told. "Does he want you to do anything else, now? Or was the break-in the last job?"
"There's…" Richard sniffed, his hands clenched into fists around Sebastian's shirt. "There's one more thing he wants me to do."
"Tell him no," Sebastian said firmly, pushing Richard back slightly so he could look into his eyes. "We'll work something out. We can leave, right now. Let's just go. Tell the police! Anything, Rich, we can do anything. You don't have to do anything he says anymore."
With a sad smile, Richard shook his head. "I do, Sebastian. I have to do as he says. I'm not strong enough to fight against him." Pausing, he then leaned up and pressed a kiss to Sebastian's lips, lingering there longer than necessary as he slipped one hand behind his back.
"I love you, Sebastian," he murmured as he moved back, eyes closed firmly. In one swift movement he brought his hand forward and slammed the knife he now held up between Sebastian's ribs and into his heart. The taller man barely knew what was happening before he crumpled to the floor.
Dead.
James kept his eyes closed and his hands open, trembling, as he stood in their shared flat.
"You won't be alone for long, darling," he whispered to the room.