Moriarty Brother oneshots

Train Scene Albert Edition

A/N- This is if Albert was in the train instead of Louis. Request are open!

Four days in Durham have left Albert unbearably restless. Though some part of him craves the peace of the countryside, he can never be away from the bustle of London for long without missing it. He loathes the dirt and the stench and the evil but ultimately prefers it to the meditative quiet of green fields and fresh air, where it is far too easy to think far too deeply. It's painful, as well, to watch William and Louis in Durham; how they thrive there, how Louis so naturally orchestrates all the affairs of the manor and takes such quiet pride in doing so, how William comes back from the university with a spring in his step and light in his eyes and stories of his students' cleverness on his lips. It feeds the coiling monster of guilt that sleeps always at the core of Albert's being. It is his fault, that the looming shadow of The Plan lingers always over whatever happiness his dear brothers carve out for themselves.

"Albert?"

He jerks his gaze up from his glass and his attention back to William as he is in this moment, smiling softly over the table of a dining car booth.

"Sorry, Will. What did you say?

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was thinking how nice it has been to see you in your element. You're doing wonderful work, with your students."

William gives him a speculative look, clearly not believing that was the extent of his drifting. Before the conversation can continue, however, there is some light commotion further down the car and then a body sliding into the booth next to Albert, an elbow banging down rudely on the table.

"Well hello, Professor. Lucky running into you here."

Albert shifts to consider the interloper. Even if he had not seen him from a distance on the docks or being interviewed by the press after the Drebber case, Albert would know Sherlock Holmes. He would know those deep-set, permanently tired eyes, the sharp turn of his jaw, the pen-sweep quirk of his eyebrows.

The elder wears them better.

Albert catches a moment of genuine surprise on William's face before he slips into seemingly effortless cool. This was not planned then; William had not intended to encounter Holmes today.

This should be interesting.

"Ah, yes. You're the consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. We met...on the Noahtic, wasn't it?"

Albert smiles into his sip of wine at the feigned uncertainty, then jumps into the conversation himself, spares William an extra moment to gather his thoughts

"We're just waiting on our dessert, Mr. Holmes. Would you care to order anything?"

"'So alright, thanks, I just wanted to get the prof's opinion on somethin' real quick."

"My pleasure," William's gaze meets Albert's, radiating calm, and Albert angles himself slightly into the corner of the booth and returns to his wine glass, content to simply watch the scene unfold. "we'd been looking for a way to kill some time."

"Right, so, I came to York to investigate a case, but it was just a dead end..."

"That's too bad."