Unfinished Business Part 1
John wasn't sure what to feel as he stared at the consulting criminal inside his flat, a man he had believed to be dead for three years. Something was telling him that fear was the correct emotion to feel in the situation, yet all he had was anger. Why? Why was this happening? He had just been on his way to meet his flatmate at a cafe when he decided to run inside 221B to grab a jacket. It was supposed to be a lovely day. Why was this happening?
"Dead..! You are supposed to be dead! Sherlock beat you!" The words were the first thing that came from John's mouth and as he stared at Jim through burning anger and shock, but Moriarty only grinned in return. This pushed John's anger further and his fists clenched. There was no doubt as to what the criminal's return meant. He would start up the game of wits against Sherlock once again to try and 'burn' him. And what made the doctor painfully sick was the knowledge that his best friend would have that deep desire and pleasure to continue playing with the psychopath just like he would get in the past. Sherlock could hardly hide that he was missing the man over the past few months when he made his own return from the dead.
"Surprised?" Jim chuckled enjoying John's reaction far too much. "Although, I was rather hoping Sherlock would be the one to enter through that door. Fetch him for me?" How anxious the man was for Sherlock was clearly heard in his voice and John gritted his teeth.
As if. At the moment, the only thing John wanted was for James Moriarty to be out of his life.
"Get... The bloody hell out of here! And leave Sherlock alone for Christ's sake!" John shouted but his frustration only seemed amusing to Jim. However Jim did not have patience for the ordinary flatmate. He had a consulting detective to reunite with and he didn't want to waste time bickering with a boring enemy. Even more, Jim had not told a single soul outside of a few clients that he was still alive. And now with John seeing him first, he wasn't sure how quickly word would get out.
"Don't worry, I'll leave. These weren't the circumstances I would want to see Sherlock anyways." Jim spoke too calmly for John's comfort and as the criminal walked to leave the flat, John snapped.
"I'm serious!" The doctor grabbed Jim by his collar, not hesitating to slam him against the wall. "Leave and never come back! Sherlock nearly died last time you were around!" John growled looking into the insane eyes of Moriarty.
"Oh?" Jim laughed his all too familiar chuckle. "So protective... Pointless!" The criminal sang as he pushed John from himself.
"Don't..." At this point John knew that there was nothing he could say to stop Moriarty, and his sentence was left unfinished. the criminal gave a twisted smirk as he brushed off his suit in a familiar fashion.
"Westwood." Jim smiled as he let the word be a memory of what John surely viewed as their unpleasant first encounter. The doctor briefly shook his head, searching his mind for what to do, how to keep Sherlock safe. But there was nothing as Jim casually walked out the door.
Sherlock Holmes left the cafe with a long sigh, straightening his scarf and stepping out the door. John was late, very late. The doctor had mentioned that he might not be able to make it to the cafe with the job, something he had gotten at the hospital during Sherlock's absence, running late, but he had still hoped that he would show up.
Dull. It all seemed so dull now.
"Taxi!" Sherlock called out, flagging down the passing cab with subtle boredom and disappointment as he got in. It was ordinary, and silence held still after telling the cabbie directions for Baker Street.
The Telly within the cab flickered on and Sherlock was instantly annoyed. But before he could open his mouth to protest, something caught his attention, and the jewelry infomercial that turned on was too familiar to ignore. It was the infomercial. The exact same infomercial that played when Jim Moriarty drove his cab.
"Jim!?" Sherlock jolted up to view the cabbie but to his disappointment, it was a complete stranger. The cabbie gave him a strange look as he continued on driving. Sherlock's attention was brought back to the Telly as it flickered again, and his eyes focused on the screen for any signs of the consulting criminal. Finally, two words flashed between shots of jewelry.
'Miss Me?' The words continued to flash and Sherlock slumped back in his seat letting the shock settle in. So Moriarty was alive.
"Jim..." Sherlock repeated in a murmur and it was then that he realized that the cab had pulled up to a hotel. The detective didn't put forth any questions as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. Examining his surroundings he saw he was at his own free will. No guns, no force, nothing. He didn't have to speak with the consulting criminal in fact he could leave right now and never come back without even setting foot within the hotel.
"Room 468." The cabbie spoke before driving off, leaving Sherlock alone with the decision on if he should meet up with his past enemy, or leave before things got messy.
"468..." Sherlock repeated the numbers, walking down the long hallway of rooms all in the 400s. If Jim Moriarty was alive and wanted to meet with him once again, then this was certainly the right thing to do. He didn't care if John wouldn't want him to be doing it, he needed to see his past enemy. "468..." The numbers came again as he stood in front of the single door. Sherlock considered knocking, but instead put his hand on the knob and turned. No surprise, the door was unlocked. The detective walked in without saying anything as his eyes fell upon a man sitting, relaxed and very much alive, at a small table. Their eyes instantly met.
"Sherlock... Would you have been ok with it? With how it ended?" Jim asked in a casual manor, leaning back in his chair. Sherlock didn't answer as he walked over to the table, taking a seat across from Jim.
"Now you are clever, aren't you?" Sherlock couldn't hide his smile as he stared at the man in front of him. "Very clever... You fooled the world." The consulting detective held a discrete smirk as he sat back and rested an arm across the table.
"As did you." Jim remarked with a smile as his fingers reached to gently stroke the back of Sherlock's hand in a caring manor. "I told you back years ago, my dear, we are made for each other. I couldn't leave with unfinished business."
Sherlock stared down to their hands, keeping a calm breath. He knew he had similar feelings that he couldn't quite shake, but that didn't mean they were right. This man was a master criminal after all.
"Jim... Dear Jim." Sherlock gave a subtle smirk as he softly took Jim's hand in his own. Deep inside he knew he wanted to be here with the man. But somewhere... Somewhere outside of his conversation with Moriarty, was John Watson. The doctor who he had made a close connection with and who he had called his friend for so many years. John had been so loyal ever since they first met, shouldn't he repay the favor? "Two men, both having enough clever genius to keep the other entertained." Sherlock chuckled. "It's been fun..."
"We need each other." Jim added, a soft smirk playing on his lips.
"It's been fun..." Sherlock continued while giving Jim full eye contact. "But it ended. Three years ago when things got out of hand." The pale face of the detective was serious, but the words didn't phase Moriarty.
"Nothing ever got out of hand. We're far too clever for that." Jim leaned forward with his forearms on the table, but Sherlock stayed unmoving.
"You wouldn't understand. Because you don't care how many lives you put in danger." The thought of John entered Sherlock's mind again, and he knew that ending anything involving Jim was the best for his safety. More than that, it was the best for the criminal's own safety. Moriarty was not a man to be trusted, even with himself. Perhaps he was better forgotten, no matter how painful.
"Doesn't matter." Jim whispered leaning closer to Sherlock. "You only need me." At that moment, the criminal leaned in far enough until the two soft pair of lips were touching. Jim closed his eyes, giving Sherlock a slow gentle kiss, waiting for the other man to reciprocate. It was a moment Jim had spent years waiting for, however Sherlock only closed his eyes for a few slow moments until pulling back.
"Hm. You only care about yourself." Sherlock murmured as Jim was still lingering a small space in front of him. "Boring." The detective stood from the table not bothering to make eye contact with the man he was leaving.
"Sherlock. You can't be serious!" Jim said in protest but his past enemy was already headed for the door.
"To answer your previous question, yes. Yes I would be alright with how it ended. And I would prefer it stay that way. Now please Jim, move on." Sherlock gave one last glance to Jim Moriarty, still leaning across the table unmoving, before slamming the door behind him. As soon as the door had closed Sherlock instantly felt flushed with emotions. How could he leave such a rare and intelligent man behind like that? His fingers reached to gently touch his lips where Jim had kissed him and he hated to feel when his eyes began to water in the slightest. But it had to end here, and Jim had to move on.
Jim was shocked. More than that, he felt heart-broken. Bluffing, he must be bluffing. But everything in his body was telling him that Sherlock Holmes would not be back for him.
"Sherlock!" Jim shouted moments after the door had slammed. But it was too late. After what seemed to be so long of dreaming of what they're reunion would be like, it all falls apart.
"I won't allow... I won't allow you to leave me like this." Jim muttered under gritted teeth and pricked tears as his eyes glanced towards the drawer where he always hid his gun. He wasn't going to live with Sherlock becoming bored with him and certainly not moving on. Something had to be done about this.
A/N: This was going to be a Sheriarty one-shot so it is rather fast paced but I decided to make it into a two parter. I'll post the second part as soon as I can!
Thank you for reading and reviews are always more than appreciated!