. . . . . ╰──╮'*•.¸ ✿ ¸.•*'╭──╯ . . . . .
Inside of the famous Moriarty mansion held a group of both highly respected nobles, and highly feared assassins.
You, Y/n L/n, happened to be among them, visiting the estate in order to see your close friend, William James Moriarty. You happened to be politically well-known, and held the same ideals as William.
And so, you had agreed to partake in his master plan in order bring peace to London, and destroy its corrupted society.
It was a peaceful afternoon, as the bright sunlight beamed warmly inside of the room which you and the others currently resided in, listening carefully to William's instructions. It was soon time for the next phase of his plan to be executed, and so, it has been discussed since the beginning of your visit.
Jack and Bonde listened intently, whilst Fred and Moran were more lax, assuming that this task would be as easy as the former ones. Albert himself was seated across from William. Next to you, in fact. He rested his face inside of his palm, legs crossed, as he had this sly grin spread across his lips. He was enjoying his usual treat of his favorite wine.
Louis, however, insisted that he make tea for everyone; and so, he was busy moving about the room, serving each and every individual, as they muttered a quiet "thank you."
As he finally reached to where you were seated, all of a sudden he leaned over and whispered something into your ear, taking care to hide his face with his hand so that no one else heard his words or read his lips.
A light shade of pink had instantaneously brushed across your face.
You shot a worried glance at him, clutching your dress inside of your palms ever so slightly. Albert seemed to have noticed your troubled expression, as he was quietly observing you from the corner of his eye. He then gave a light chuckle of amusement, before you elbowed him in the rib. William took note of your flustered behavior and raised a brow of curiosity.
Clearing his throat, he caused the three of you to immediately turn in his direction, and instantaneously fall captive to his intense fiery crimson hues.
"Is there something of utter importance that must be discussed at this very moment?"
He smiled sweetly as he spoke, but the threatening tone of his voice had caused a slight shiver to be sent across your spine.
"Why, not at all. Please continue, Liam." You responded politely, praying that your colored cheeks no longer showed.
"I see."
His eyes subtly narrowed, as his gaze remained interlocked with yours for a brief moment.
However, he decided to leave the matter alone, as the blonde noble turned his head towards Colonel Moran and the others.
"That will be all. I expect for you to swiftly execute these actions and complete your tasks with excellence, as always." He proceeded to raise his cup to his lips and take a sip of the warm beverage, holding the small plate underneath.
Immediately afterward, the others nodded in understanding and made their exit, one by one.
Everyone, except for Albert and Louis that is.
William evidently paid it no mind, as he took a nearby paper and took the liberty of reading it, crossing his legs as his eyes scanned the black lettering.
You, however, were on the verge of falling apart. You kept your orbs focused on any type of object within the room, trying your best to avoid eye contact with Albert and Louis. This was far too abrupt, and had most definitely caught you off guard.
The amount of tension that was wrapped inside the silent room was practically too much to bear.
"Well, then," All of a sudden, Albert decided to shatter that tension and rose from his seat, readjusting his coat; placing his half empty glass of wine onto the small table to his right. "I have important matters to attend to. So, if you will excuse me, Y/n."
You wanted to wipe that smug grin off of his face, has he took the time to give a quick bow, before making his exit.
"See you later tonight then, brother." William nonchalantly responded, clearly invested with his paper.
Now, it was Louis' turn.
Pushing his glasses into place, the blonde flashed you a reassuring smile as he gathered the empty cups onto his tray.
"I believe I will take the time to tend to the garden, brother. I hope you enjoyed the tea, Y/n?"
"It was delicious." You rolled your eyes at the innocence of his voice, wishing that you could hate him for it. Nevertheless, you made it a point that The Lord of Crime in front of you did not notice your annoyed behavior towards his brother.
"Take care, Louis."
Louis hummed before making an exit of his own, tightly shutting the door behind him.
Now, all that was left was you, and William.
You started muttering heavy insults towards the two Moriarty brothers which had set this up. You had distinctly told them that you did not want them to initiate anything; and yet, here they were, seizing the opportunity to leave the two of you together alone.
However, it was no surprise that your friend thought nothing of it. You watched as he calmly took another sip of his tea.
A considerable amount of time had passed. Neither of you initiated a conversation, as breaking the silence would have felt out of place. Instead, all you did was admire William whilst he was distracted. He was most certainly a fine young man, even when he was just simply relaxing. The way his eyes beautifully reflected the light, and the way his lightly colored bangs fell across his face. He always looked so elegant, no matter what he may be doing.
And he seemed to have noticed your eyes locked onto him, as he immediately dropped his paper with a smile plastered onto his face.
"It seems like you do have something that you would like to discuss with me." A chuckle preceded his words.
Averting your eyes from the blonde, you clasped your hands together and nodded. "Yes, that is correct. However, my preference was for us to be alone, and so, I patiently waited for the correct moment." You admitted.
"Well, here we are alone. What might be on your mind?"
After a brief moment of consideration, you held your head high and gazed at him intently, leaning forward with gathered confidence.
It was now or never.
"I believe that I am in love with you, William."
You seemed to have caught the Moriarty by surprise with your sudden claim, as he nearly dropped his cup of tea, eyes widened ever so slightly.
Had he heard correctly?
Clearing his throat, he attempted to retain his composure.
"'Love is a very strong word. Do you stand by that claim, Y/n?" His mannerisms were seemingly calm as he inquired your statement.
"I do."
A smile remained imprinted onto his face, however, your confirmation caused him to flinch, quickly shifting his gaze to the large window beside him.
Love, huh?...
"...I see. However, judging by your choice of words, it remains as a simple theory."
Hiding his face behind the newspaper which he had already finished, he uncrossed his legs and leaned back into his chair.
"Would you care to give an explanation as to why you believe that you feel this way towards me?"
You made sure to hide your smirk, as you expected this type of reaction and question from your dear friend.
And you were completely prepared.
"First of all: my actions and body language." You calmly replied.
"I have taken note of them myself, and I've also recieved confirmation from both Albert and Louis." You held your right hand in the air, putting a finger down each time you listed a point.
"One: I generally sway my hips as I walk whenever I am near you. The pitch of my voice is also slightly raised, indicating that my brain is subconsciously emphasizing my feministic features in order to impress you.
Two: I tend to lick my lips and maintain firm eye contact whilst speaking with you. This also includes me learning further towards you, as well as adjusting my clothes or hair.
Three: Regarding lips, I simply cannot avert my eyes from your own. Especially when you are speaking. In fact, I find my gaze glued to you more often than not."
If William had reacted in any sort of way, it was extremely difficult to tell; as he hadn't moved even a muscle.
"Those are signs of attraction, not love." He simply stated.
"Alright, then consider my second list of points." You refused to back down, as you now spoke with sincere boldness and confidence.
"The emotion of euphoria, and the release of chemicals in the brain — including dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine — can make falling in love feel as if it is an addictive rush.
Dopamine is the pleasure chemical.
Adrenaline increased blood rate and circulation, as well as breathing.
Norepinephrine emphasizes alertness, as it increases your heart rate while paired with adrenaline.
"I have taken the time to consult a doctor and recieve confirmation of me experiencing these chemicals and hormones. Particularly, because of you."
The Lord of Crime said nothing, as he allowed silence to fall inside of the room. The neglected feeling of uneasiness seemed to have caught up to you, as you bit your lip in anticipation, waiting for some type of response; physically, or verbally.
Finally, he set aside his newspaper, as well as his dish and cup. His lips were pursed, as he placed his elbow atop of the armest and covered his mouth with his hand, turning to the side as he gazed outside the window before him.
He seemed...agitated.
You patiently waited several more moments, before you heard him exhale deeply. Straightening your posture, you clear your throat.
"However, if you do not feel the same, I understa —"
"I feel deeply troubled." He interrupted.
Your eyes meet the carpet underneath you, your shoulders slumped.
"...Is that so?"
"Yes.
Because, it seems you have ruined my perfect plan."
You lift your head in order to face him, a genuine apology resting at your lips. You had hoped that this would not be the outcome, to destroy the lovely relationship which you had with him and his brothers.
However, you held your tongue, as you took note of the warm color which had spread across his face.
Was he...blushing?
" 'Ruined' your perfect plan?" You repeated.
The red coloration of William's face appeared to have deepened, as he fidgeted inside of his seat and cleared his throat.
"You see, the both of us being completely infatuated with each other was most certainly not part of my master plan."