William's Birthday [Moriarty the Patriot Fanfiction]

William returned from his afternoon walk. He knew that today is going to be hard for Louis. He will need to find a way to make it up to him. But for the sake of Louis' future, he could not waver here. This is what he was thinking, as he made this way to his room.

When he opened the door to his room, he noticed that they was already a fireplace stroked. The next thing he noticed was Albert sitting in the chair next to the fireplace. He looked up and stood up.

The next thing, he has a person hug him. Louis was clinging to him with all his strength.

"Louis?" he asked his brother. He looked down, but he could not really see Louis face from his vintage point. "Is everything alright?"

Louis only hugged him even stronger. William was only half aware of the doors closing behind him, which allowed him to locate Albert.

He looked at Albert, but all he got back was an amused smile. "Louis, you should let him breath."

William looked back at Louis. He released him and took a step back to look at William. There was some worry still visible on his face. But most of it was just one big smile.

"Happy Birthday, brother." Louis said.

William looked down. He knew, that he should be putting a stop to it. He mentally prepared himself to do it.

"I brought scones." said Albert.

William looked at Albert with thees words. He wanted to say something, when he was stopped by the big bag. He opened it scones there. William counted them.

"Why 20 scones?" William asked instead of what he was trying to say.

But instead of answering him, Albert turned to Louis. There was a amused smile on his face. "So it was a prank?"

William was now looking between them with a questionable look. What is going on here?

Albert must have noticed it, since he started to explain, as he put the bag on the table. "Louis said that scones are essential part of the birthday celebration." He shook his head, but there was a smile there and no ill will. "When I brought them, he started laughing. So I am assuming this is some sort of the prank?"

He then turned to William. "It is your birthday today, right?"

"No, it's..."

"Yes, it is."

Louis affirmation was louder than William's negation. William then turned to Louis, hoping to make him understand.

"Louis, we talked about it. In order for our plan to work, nobody can suspect us. Please, let it go."

William grabbed Louis' hands to try and make him understand. He needed this. He needed this plan to work. He needed a break with his past. He needed to not be reminded of it.

"It is true, that we will never be able to throw you a proper party on this day." said Albert. He seemed like he was struggling with something, but he was getting better and better at hiding it. "But you do not have to pretend with us, Will..." It sounded like he stopped himself, and it seems he was deciding something.

"Don't say that name." William said, closing his eyes. "I am William." He said, quieter. He did not want to deal with his. He is no longer this person, he escaped that.

"William." He felt somebody gently lead him to the chair, and sat him down. "I am sorry, William."

William felt a glass bring put in his hands. He looked at it and it was full of water. He slowly drank the water. He took a deep breath and exiled. He then looked up.

Louis was kneeling in front of him. There was worry and regret on his face. Behind him Albert was hovering and he had a sicken look.

Louis took an empty glass of water. When he tried to reach the table from where he was, Albert took in and put it there.

"I am alright." said William, as he looked at Louis.

Louis was searching his face, but after a long moment, he nodded.

William looked at Albert. He knew that he would want an explanation. But William really did not feel up to it. He really did not want to remember. He opened his mouth. Looked down. And the closed his mouth. He did not even know how to even start.

"Is the name William James Moriarty really good enough for you?" Albert asked.

William looked back up. Albert's face was unreadable to him right now. He also did not understand the question. But honestly, it was the distraction William desperately wanted right now.

Albert looked away. "I mean, it used to be his name. Also, Moriarty is not exactly a... " He trailed off, not finishing.

William was surprised. It made the next part adding easier. "It is proof of the new life brother Albert gave us." He then grabbed Louis' shoulder and looked at him. "And I have everything I wanted to keep from my old life right here."

Louis had become redder. William liked seeing his, but he also wondered if Louis will ever accept his appreciation as given. It as a matter of course for William.

He looked at Albert, who still had quite a serious expression on his face. It reminded William, that this was all just a distraction. He still needs to give an explanation.

"Back then..."

"William." Albert interrupted him. "You don't need to explain anything."

William stopped. He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. But he wanted to take the advantage of this right now, so he did.

He leaned forward, until his forehead touched Louis' shoulder. He is going to allow himself this much.

Albert murmured. "I guess one needs to first experience an enjoyable birthday in order to organize one." It was clear to William, that this was meant for Albert himself and not to the two of them.

"When you did not celebrate your last birthday, that was not just for show?" Louis asked, as he craned his neck to look at Albert. William was secretly pleased by Louis' action to not disturb him right now.

Albert seems to be thinking for a long moment, but he did not turn to them. Then he shrugged. "Birthday parties were always more about advancing social status of a family then anything else." He picked the bag of scones. "Maybe I should ask the staff, if they want any?"

"Which one is your favorite?" asked William. He leaned back from Louis.

"Favorite?"

William nodded. "It seems that they were all of a different variety? So out of these ones here, which one is your favorite?"

Albert looked in confusion for a moment, then went along anyway. "The rum and raisins one?" He said.

William extended his hand in the gesture to give it to him. He smiled, when Albert complied and passed him the scone, even though his face still showed a big question mark on it.

William took it. It was fresh and moist, so at least they will not be making much of a mess. He started splitting the scone on three parts.

"For our birthdays, Louis as I would buy and split a scone to celebrate it. The person not having the birthday would pick the taste."

He passed the three pieces to each person. First Louis, then he took one and passed the last piece to Albert. He then looked at Louis. He smiled. "I think it might be alright to keep this tradition."

Louis smiled and William had the feeling it lighted the entire room.

Louis then turned to Albert, who was looking at them in perplexed fondness. "Before you eat it, you should make a wish."

"A wish?"

William nodded together with Louis. William wondered what Albert would have wished for.

Louis started. "I wish I could stay with my brother forever." he said, as he ate his part of the scone.

William felt a ping at a conformation of what Louis was really worried about.

Albert was looking at the scone in his hand. "I wish I had the strength to make sure you to are safe and happy." he eventually said.

Both Louis and William widen their eyes. Both Albert missed this, as he did not look up at them at all, as he ate his part.

"Right, my turn." William said, as he looked at his part. He though back on the wishes both his brothers made before him. He seated on "To repeat this in one year on my next birthday." He ate his part.

William then looked up to share a look with Louis. He had an idea forming in his head, but he was not sure if Louis is going to be alright with it.

But Louis seems to know what he was thinking, as he turned to Albert. "You told me, that for their birthday, the person of honor gets to make the rules."

Albert nodded. "It is one of the games played at the birthdays parties."

William leaned his head, indicating that Albert show lower himself down. Which he did. William then took a pillow from the chair and offering it to him. He put the hand on Albert's chest, indicating that he should lie down.

There was a question in Albert's eyes, but also complete trust, as he did exactly what William wanted. William knew how dangerous this could be, but it was also intoxicating. A topic, he might need to ponder at another time.

Once Albert was lying down, with the pillow behind his head, William cuddled next to him. He put the head on Albert's chest. "Let me stay like this for a bit."

"Us." Louis corrected, as he cuddled on the other side.

"Us." William corrected, as he smiled. He extended one hand to grip Louis'.

Albert slowly moved his hand around both of them. William will take this as positive answer.

"Also, I still don't understand why there were 20 scones?" William said. "Did you expect more company?"

"I didn't know which ones you liked. So I brought one of each kind just in case." Albert said.

"I did say a scone." said Louis.

"You did." Albert agreed. There was an amusement in his tone. "But one did not seems enough. Plus, what if I brought a wrong one? You were worrying quite a lot in making it perfect."

"We are not picky." said Louis, but the smile could be heard in his voice. "We would eat any."

"Grapefruit." said William as a response. He felt a need to goodheartedly tease Louis a bit.

"I don't think the grapefruit scones exist." said Louis.

"Actually, I think I saw them once served at the tea party." Albert said.

Louis actually raised his head. There was a horror there. "Why would anybody decimate an otherwise perfectly good food?"

"Louis hates grapefruit." William said as an explanation.

"Noted." said Albert in the response. "But I did not ask if there was any in the mixed fruit ones." There was a troubled note in his voice.

"We could taste all the ones you brought. It would be a shame to let them go to waste." William said, as he looked at Albert. "And I do wonder which ones do you prefer?"

He was met with the smile, and a positive answer. "Sure."

I got the idea from the Tumblr post about William's birthday. More of a fix-it for that version, because I while I like seeing them be depressed and anguished, I also like seeing them help each other through this even more.

Originally, there were going to be cupcakes, but I could not figure out if cupcakes existed back then. Scones did, so I substituted this. And yes, according to search engine results, grapefruit scones do exist. But not sure if they did at the time.