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Everything started on a random Saturday morning in the UK, about to be 10 am when an instagram notification popped in multiple smartphones around the continent and overseas.
'Sherlock made a new post'
Sherlock Holmes.
The definition of rockstar, a guitarist that sings lyrics full of sexual innuendos, long dark hair, a cigarette in his mouth at all times, arms and torso covered in tattoos, constantly having people throw themselves at him and drug scandals around every eight months, even though he's been clean for the last 4 years.
Some didn't pay attention to said notification, but most of his fans were eager to see what their idol wanted to share.
There were three pictures in the post, a selfie still in bed, hair spilled in the white pillow, left hand resting lazily in his forehead and the sleepiness still present in his eyes. Followed by another selfie, still in bed but lying on his side, the lower half of his face and upper torso covered by a fluffy cat's back legs and tail. Lastly, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, smartphone in his right hand, teeth brush hanging from his closed mouth, long hair falling over his shoulders and torso covered in a white tank top, left hand holding the same cat seen in the previous picture, this time its face was visible, showing a pair of bright blue eyes and a luxurious looking collar with a big red jewel.
After the initial excitement, most of his fans became confused.
Sherlock didn't have pets.
A group in specific was quick to recognize said cat, being none other than Juliet Ophelia Meowriarty, whose owner was none other than another famous singer.
William James Moriarty.
The perfect representation of elegance on earth, music prodigy, renowned by his melodious voice and the angelic appearance his blonde hair and pale skin gave him, accompanied by his lyrics comparable to poetry.
No one would believe a singer known for his beautiful ballads would associate with someone described as a mess in the industry, yet for some reason Sherlock had William's beloved cat daughter.
No need to mention, the entertainment circle was shaken to its core, quickly flooding social media with the controversial pictures.
@holmessick: WHY DOES SHERLOCK HAVE HIS CAT??? AND MORE IMPORTANT WHY WOULD ANYONE TRUST SHERLOCK WITH A CAT???
@moriartistry: WYM JULIE IS WITH ANOTHER MAN??? DOES WILLIAM KNOW ABOUT THIS??? DO I CALL THE POLICE???
@shsh16: how are people so sure that cat belongs to that guy? they probably don't even know each other for god's sake
@willuloveme: That's definitely Julie nonoomf, she's a celebrity atp and that collar was custom made for her in collab with swarovski around 6 months ago
@intergalactic_racoon: damn that cat has more money than i do...
@detectivesherly: never knew i needed to see sherlock with a cat, my eyes have been blessed
@yamicub.2434: William said she's afraid of strangers but Julie looks really comfortable around Sherlock, even to let him hold her!!!
@williamspinkytoe: Will usually leaves her with his brothers when he needs to travel, even if they are busy, he has friends and pet hotels available, why Sherlock Holmes of all people???
@sherlocksleftnipple: I love him to death, but i would NOT trust his ass to take care of anything, not even himself *crying emoji*
@wwx.defender: ok but can we talk about how hot he looks???? i would pay good money to hear his morning voice rawr
@duckyduck: what if they're soft launching? no? anyone? ok
@ivanisalivefr: Has William said anything yet? That's his daughter, ain't no way he isn't part of this
Right as everyone was starting to spiral into feline kidnapping conspiracies, there were three new instagram notifications.
‘William left a comment in Sherlock's post: That is such a cute cat, she looks lovely <3.’
‘Sherlock answered William's comment: Thnks, she scratched the couch and left a dead bird on my shoes’
'William made a new post.'
The amount of people rushing to William's instagram was enough to almost make the app's server collapse.
A three picture post, the same amount as Sherlock's. First was a regular selfie, head just a bit tilted to one side, blonde hair down, slightly covering a pair of ruby eyes and a soft smile adorned by sunrays. Second was of a dark coffee table next to an open window, a vase with white and red roses adorning its center, surrounded by a dark green book, a stradivarius violin and a steaming cup of coffee. Third and last, in front of a body length mirror, casual clothes consisting of a white shirt, beige trousers and bare feet, left hand hanging from the front pocket while the right one was holding the smartphone, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the silver skull ring on his right hand accentuated by the dark red phone case.
‘Sherlock left a comment in William's post: Nice ring, cannot find mine for some reason’
‘William answered Sherlock's comment: Thank you, if you need help looking for it feel free to ask.’
Once again, the recent post and interaction was quick to get the people's attention.
@holmessick: THOSE ARE SHERLOCK'S RING AND VIOLIN U CANNOT GASLIGHT ME
@anythingforwill: i just woke up and the first thing i see is his cute face and feet? for free? in this economy? THANK U JESUS
@sun.hyucks: their comments??? sherlock has julie and william has his ring??? what's happening???
@meowriarty: A chemistry book and a violin but hE'S A MATH MAJOR AND A PIANIST OH I'M GETTING SICK
@madein221b: they're clearly pranking us, are they collabing? is it just for fun? WE NEED ANSWERS
@_moriart: this has to be a publicity stunt, the label must be trying to increase sales or smt
@sajatrix: Wait, their brothers work together don't they? Maybe that's why they know each other
@hualian_believer: are they flirting? it feels like flirting for sure
@detectivesherly: guys, what if the duck is right...
@lizzjm: NO WAY they're complete opposites even on music, how would they work as a couple??? what would they even talk about???
@willuloveme: They're both opposites yeah but they're also geniuses, at different subjects but hella smart at the end of the day, so the duck may be cooking
@shsh16: i can see it on the other guy, but y'all really believe someone like sherlock is gay? it's disgusting how many of u project your fantasies onto him
"Seems that our fans are starting to catch on, Liam." Sherlock Holmes, the same one whose name was trending on every social media, was sitting lazily on his living room couch.
"Indeed, their theories are quite fun to read." William James Moriarty, whose name was also going viral, was peacefully sitting next to the rockstar, a tattooed arm around his waist and a ragdoll cat sleeping on his lap while was scrolling through Twitter on his phone.
Truth is, despite being complete opposites in almost every aspect of their lives, they found in each other an equal, another brilliant mind that not anyone can keep up with, someone who could truly understand them, who can see the person behind all the money and fame.
Their first meeting was during one of their label's parties, one month before Sherlock's debut, at that point William's career had been secured enough that he didn't need to participate in such events anymore, yet that day he felt like going, not knowing the newest addition to the company was going to approach him with an unserious bet to impress some ladies he had little to no interest in actually knowing.
They've been around each other ever since, whether with a quick greeting in the hallway, elevator rides together and even sitting together in company events. All concluding in a relationship four months later, kept private for multiple reasons, only letting their family, close friends and managers on the shared secret.
Three years later, their careers are well established and their relationship stronger than ever, even after coming home late at night just to leave at dawn, overlapping schedules, months without seeing each other aside from facetime, fake relationship rumors with other celebrities and scandals created by the press.
So why not make it public?
The idea was first brought up a year before, but it was quickly put aside since their brothers' wedding was coming up at that time, they didn't want to be in the spotlight and risk paparazzi following them to the private event, which was peaceful and successful aside from Bond and Moran getting a bit too drunk in the reception and trying to go skinny dipping in the venue's pool.
After said wedding, they went back to their overflowing schedules, their idea of coming out as a couple left forgotten for months until last week, in the boredom of a movie that didn't meet their high expectations.
"How do you feel about going public, Liam? Our relationship, of course." They were together on the couch, neither actually watching what was happening on the TV in front of them. A cozy blanket covering their entangled legs, Sherlock's arm draped over the back of the couch behind William, long fingers caressing the blonde's shoulder while he was snuggled at his side.
"You know I don't mind, Sherly." William lifted his head from his lover's shoulder to speak face to face with him. "We talked about it before, I love you too much to care about what the tabloids would say."
"It's not only about the press, love." Sherlock's hand moved from William's shoulder to the back of his head, gently combing the blonde strands as he pressed a kiss to the other's temple. "The fans, sponsors, even the company, we don't know what could happen."
Ruby eyes slightly widened at seeing how his partner tried to hide his vulnerability, not a rare occurrence coming from Sherlock, but he quickly understood the insecurities were talking for him, of course he would put William's career over his own, after all, his image was pristine and could take a bigger hit than Sherlock's messy rockstar persona, and even the smallest possibility of losing everything they've worked so hard for was not something to take lightly.
William smiled softly, Sherlock's image was always full of smug confidence, an egocentric capable of anything and everything he set his mind to, but he was still human, an introvert that would rather chemically explode his flat than going to a party, avoided interviews like the plague and only showed that side to his most trusted ones.
He moved to better embrace his lover in his arms, leaving a quick peck on his cheek. "It also scares me how things could turn out, but as long as I'm with you, I'm confident we'll be okay." His hand moved to Sherlock's face, gently tracing his sharp jaw and down his long neck. "Would you like to go public, darling?"
Sherlock's blue eyes sparked under the LED light from long forgotten TV, his smile rising to adorn his face, his hand catched the blonde's one to give it an audible kiss. "I'll be lying if I say I didn't, love. I've been dying to show you off, to let the world know I'm the one who gets to be with you."
William couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his mouth, his brilliant lover always became childish when it comes to him. "Since your possessiveness is so eager, let's schedule a meeting with the higher-ups, just to let them know what we're gonna be doing."
"You just read my mind, as always, Liam." The both of them smile and giggle as they leaned forward to join their lips in a kiss that quickly started to become heated, tattooed hands traveling down the other's back.
But just as the dark haired man was approaching below that slim waist he loved, from the door frame could be heard how someone loudly cleared his throat. "Careful with those hands, Holmes."
"Silent as ever, Louis." Sherlock groaned as his boyfriend didn't waste a second to get off his arms and go to his brother's side. Saying his younger brother-in-law was his biggest turn off would be an understatement, not only did he, allegedly, hate his guts, but Louis also had the life mission of annoying Sherlock every time he got the chance to. "You could also knock instead of using the spare key we gave you for emergencies."
Louis left the bags he was holding in the kitchenette before leaving his coat on the hanger next to the entrance, annoyance never leaving his expression. "I did knock and text beforehand in the family chat that I was coming, walking on you both once is more than enough, thank you."
William embraced his brother in a hug, a hand lovingly staying on his shoulder after pulling apart. "I completely forgot about it, I'm so sorry, Louis."
He smiled softly, his demeanor changing completely once he was talking to his dear brother instead of Sherlock, voice all soft and affectionate. "Don't worry, brother. I brought lasagna from the restaurant that you like."
Seeing as both Moriarty left him completely ignored, Holmes resigned and sank even further in the couch. "I'll text Lestrade then."
And just like that, days later, they had a rather quick meeting with the executives that had no other option than to agree to the passive-aggressive threat from their top moneymakers of leaving the company if they didn't support their relationship and coming out announcement.
What did take time was deciding how to do it, because someone as melodramatic and performative as William wasn't going to settle for a boring article in a random magazine or holding hands on a red carpet. After what felt like a decade, they settled on a simple instagram post each, but not a basic 'We're dating' photo, which led to the present moment, something discreet that had led their fans to analyze every single possible hint to decipher what the singers were planning.
Little did the fans know that two hours later, there would be, once again, a new update to their accounts.
'Sherlock made a new post.'
'William made a new post.'
Both had posted the same picture of them smiling while holding hands in what seemed to be a restaurant table, not looking aware of the camera capturing the moment. The difference was in the pictures that followed. Sherlock had the blonde playing the piano, cutting peppers in the kitchen, searching in a bookshelf, solving math problems and brushing his long hair for him, meanwhile William had Sherlock playing the violin, mixing ingredients in a bowl, cuddling a tiny ball of white fur, playing with chemicals and looking for clothes through a closet, both of them finishing with what seemed to be an old picture, based on Sherlock's short hair, of them sitting together in a ferris wheel, the Big Ben as their background.
The posts caption?
'Let's share our worries together'.
@moriartistry: OMFG SHERLOCK U LUCKY BASTARD u better take care of him or i'll find where u live
@holmessick: YALL ARE SEEING WHAT I'M SEEING?!($&/
@willuloveme: OMG I'M SO HAPPY FOR THEM!!! Congrats on your relationship <3
@madein221b: all those homophobes are dead silent rn huh
@anythingforwill: oh damn that last pic is at least from 3 years ago, if they've been together for so long how tf didn't we notice before???
@detectivesherly: no way the duck was right...
@meowriarty: i mean yeah but this launching was anything but soft *crying emoji*
@duckyduck: vindication
Least to say, they were about to be in the headlines for at least 2 more weeks.