Most of the fandom seems to think the manga implies that Sherlock and William got into an established romantic relationship during their time in NY, do you agree with that? Not talking about the wedding vows, which even despite being very romantic... were not a love confession. At times it definitely looks like it, but at times it doesn't imo. In the last chapter Sherlock seems to worry of how Milverton being alive could change his relationship of atonement with William, which of course would never go "You didn't kill anyone so the vows don't matter", and it's absurd that Sherlock may be worried about something like that, it would be stupid even if they weren't in an established romantic relationship. (1/2)
Also, Sherlock told John about their vows, and yet he talks about their "friendship", and well yes this is a shōnen, but if they are romantically established then Sherlock did not tell him (odd?) *or they simply are not established. It's just that I look at what we got and go: How would it be possible for you not to get romantic after 2 years of living together? You flirted with eo on your second meeting... I'd be sad if you weren't...
There's...a whole lot in these asks.
Firstly:
I am very on record as saying that I think Sherliam are written as a romantic couple.
The exact details of this: when they fell in love, when they started "dating"...these kinds of things don't matter to me, or to the story. They are written as a couple that feels romantically toward each other. NYC is just the time with enough Fanfic Gap for it to make sense to place it there.
Secondly:
This is a Shonen Jump series. Yes, it's not WSJ, and it's for an older audience, so it gets a fair bit more leeway, but quite frankly: YuuMori is not a romance, we shouldn't expect it to be, and we have gotten a lot of very clear signs.
Thirdly:
You can be friends with someone you're in love with. It's okay. I give you permission.
Fourthly:
Most people aren't in love with their roommates (including Sherlock and John!), so I think that's how that would work. I'm not saying I think Sherlock and William's love for each other is entirely platonic, but like. The fact that they lived together for a couple years isn't really...
Fifthly:
In this particular scenario, being friends is in some ways (many ways) more important than any romantic love for each other. John supports Sherlock emotionally. Sherlock needs William's emotional support, too.
As far as this chapter goes: Sherlock is having a lot of Big Feelings, and he's not very good at that. And especially considering the ending tag also referenced their vows, i.e. it brought up the concept of William being Sherlock's lighthouse in the dark again, I think what we're really seeing right now is that Sherlock needs William in a way that he hasn't necessarily needed him before.
And I think it also says a lot that he's freaking out about how it might affect his relationship with William. Those vows are important to him.
You can feel however you want about Sherliam's relationship, but personally, it hasn't read ambiguously in a very long time. But I don't think a lot of the factors in this question really factor into that question.
Fandom: Moriarty The Patriot
Characters: Sherlock Holmes | William James Moriarty
Lee!Sherlock Ler!William
Summary: In a strangely tranquil London, Sherlock faces his greatest enemy: boredom. William then decides to distract him in an unconventional way, turning caution into provocation and revealing a vulnerability that Sherlock never intended to expose.
[Read also on Ao3]
Notes: Well, I'm obsessed with this anime, with these two characters, and especially with Sherlock, so I've written 9 short stories (for now). Eight with William and one with John, and I've decided to start posting them now.
They will be independent stories, there's no sequence or connection, just random scenarios I thought of and decided to develop.
This is the first one, which I wrote right after finishing the anime, so I was obsessed with "Lee Sherlock", which is why it's a bit long. I ended up extending it on purpose, since I hadn't yet written anything more elaborate to satisfy my obsession.
I also accept requests, suggestions, ideas, anything with these two characters or with Lee Sherlock (just Lee Sherlock, please).
And if you're interested in more intense stories, consider reading "Sherlock Between Reason and Tickles", which is also on my profile.
(The art doesn't belong to me, I found it on Pinterest)
The rain drummed against the windows of Sherlock Holmes's apartment, the sound constantly irritating. He was sprawled on the sofa, his legs dangling over the armrest, his shoes still sticking out, a pile of papers scattered on the floor, and an expression of pure annoyance on his face.
"Three disappearances that are just romantic elopements, two jewel thefts solved by drunken witnesses, and a cat that didn't disappear" Sherlock grumbled, sinking further into the sofa. "I'm being wasted"
William James Moriarty, who was calmly leafing through a book sitting in the armchair beside him, looked up like someone watching a spoiled child complaining about the lack of a new toy. "Perhaps the world is temporarily at peace, it's not exactly a tragedy"
"It's torture, Liam"
William sighed, closing the book with a soft snap as he stood up and approached with that restrained smile on his lips that made Sherlock suspicious. "Take off your shoes"
"...What?"
"Your shoes. And your socks. You're tense and irritated, I'll help you relax"
"That doesn't sound like a proven effective method"
"Trust me"
Sherlock narrowed his eyes. "Is this some veiled form of psychological experiment?"
"It could be" William replied, sitting elegantly at the other end of the sofa. "Or it could just be the gesture of a man who loves another and knows him too well to realize he needs a distraction"
Sherlock sighed dramatically, but yielded. He took off his shoes with a slight push at the heels, and, with some hesitation, removed his socks, feeling suddenly more vulnerable than he wanted to admit.
William took one of the feet in his elegant, cold, and meticulous hands, beginning to massage it with slow, precise movements.
"That's..." Sherlock tried to keep his voice steady. "That's more tolerable than I imagined"
"Was that a compliment or an insult? Are you trying to maintain your pride, is that it?" William smiled as his thumbs slid along the length of his sole, finding points of tension with almost surgical precision.
But soon something curious happened, a slight tremor ran through Sherlock's body, causing him to flinch slightly. William raised an eyebrow. "Ah... interesting" His thumbs slowly returned to that same region, the base and underside of his toes. "Sensitive here?"
"It's just... an involuntary response of the peripheral nervous system" Sherlock tried to maintain his composure, but the slight current of shivers that ran up his skin betrayed him.
William smiled and gently traced the arch of his foot, causing Sherlock to instinctively stretch his leg, almost as if trying to escape the touch.
"You find it funny, don't you?" Sherlock frowned.
"Just reflecting on how even the greatest detective can squirm with a simple touch" William said, circling the area again with a more delicate touch, provoking another sigh and a more visible shudder.
Sherlock was now torn between the desire to protest and the urge to simply close his eyes and let himself be carried away by that touch, as unusual and delicate as it was tranquilizing.
"Are you more relaxed?"
"I'm more... distracted, which I imagine was your goal from the beginning"
"Exactly. Sometimes, the best antidote to monotony isn't a riddle," William said, now holding and massaging the other foot. "It's remembering that you can still be surprised"
This time, Sherlock didn't answer, only closed his eyes, allowing himself a rare moment of silence and surrender.
William's fingers worked deftly on his left foot, exploring points of tension and relaxing the muscles. But gradually, the rhythm began to change, the pressure lessened, giving way to softer, almost too light touches.
Sherlock frowned, his closed eyes tightening even more. "Liam... what exactly are you doing?"
"Nothing more than the massage I promised" He replied, his voice too calm, the corners of his lips curving into a restrained smile.
But Sherlock soon knew something was different. The touches no longer seemed therapeutic, they were subtle, unsteady, almost playful, and were concentrating precisely below his toes. He let out an involuntary spasm and pulled his leg back slightly, but William held it firmly, though still gently.
His red eyes gleamed with something between curiosity and mischief. "I found this area particularly sensitive" William commented. "Perhaps we should explore it more thoroughly"
"L-Liam..."
"Yes?" He gave a cynical smile.
Before Sherlock could protest, his fingers began to move more lightly, tracing small circles and quick lines. He shuddered and let out a laugh that he immediately tried to stifle. "Hahahahahaha! Liam! That's childish!"
"And yet, effective"
Sherlock reflexively pressed the sole of his foot against the ground, biting his lip as he tried to contain another reaction. But William seemed delighted with the discovery, his touches now becoming more provocative, small rhythmic scratches with his fingertips, alternating between the arch and the toes.
"Hahahahahahahaha! Hey! You're having fun with this!"
"I'm absolutely fascinated" William said, now laughing genuinely, though more restrainedly. "You, the most analytical and rational man in London, affected by something as banal and irrational as tickling"
Sherlock tried to kick lightly, but William caught his ankle with calculated ease, keeping the sole of his foot exposed. The struggle between irritation and laughter was increasingly reflected on Sherlock's face, who closed his eyes in an effort to maintain self-control. "If you keep doing this, I swear—" He managed to say between laughs.
"Swear what, Sherly? Are you going to laugh at me or deduce my next move?" William said, now tracing his toes.
This elicited another contortion from Sherlock and a short, muffled laugh, as if he were being defeated by his own body. "Hahahahahahaha! Stop it!"
Finally, William slowly backed away, still smiling. "Boredom duly eliminated?"
Sherlock, breathless and with flushed cheeks, threw his arm over his eyes. "I'll never forgive you for that" He grumbled.
"Yes, you will. When the next case is as boring as lukewarm tea, you'll remember this moment with gratitude"
Sherlock sighed, but a slight smile escaped from under his arm. "Detestable... but effective" He said softly.
William smiled, still holding his ankle as he stepped back slightly, just enough to observe him. Sherlock had rested his arm over his eyes, trying to compose himself, but his chest still rose and fell with the remnants of laughter. The tips of his ears and his cheeks were slightly flushed.
That... fascinated William.
It was rare to see Sherlock disarmed. He was, most of the time, a wall of logic, sarcasm, and deliberate coldness. But now, for something as simple and human as tickling, he reacted with true, raw, almost innocent emotions.
William tilted his head, his red eyes fixing on his feet as if he had just discovered a secret piece in a complex puzzle. "Curious..." He murmured, more to himself than to the other.
"What is it now?" Sherlock's voice came out somewhat muffled.
"You" William smiled slightly. "The way he desperately tried to maintain control even when it had already slipped from his grasp"
"That's completely irrelevant" Sherlock adjusted himself, trying to regain his usual posture. "But now that your charade is over, perhaps I can—"
But he couldn't finish the sentence, as William ran his index finger with a provocative slowness across the center of the sole of his still-exposed foot, this time with more firmness.
Sherlock immediately flinched, letting out a short, surprised, almost nervous laugh. "Liam... d-don't you dare..." He stared at him, swallowing hard.
"Ah, but now I really want to understand better" He said, with a playful glint in his eyes. "There's a pattern here, a language your body reveals even when your mind wants to hide it"
And then he continued, more incisive this time, his fingers now more active and firm, beginning to explore purposefully. His fingers glided rhythmically along every point of Sherlock's sole, first the heel, then the center, then the arch, and finally the toes, alternating between lighter touches and precise pressures, studying every reaction, every spasm, every stifled laugh, every frustrated attempt to disguise it.
"L-Liahahahahaham! No, no! Stop it!" Sherlock tried, but he was already secretly giving in. "This isn't fair ahahahahahahahahaha!"
"Not everything in life is fair, Sherly" He retorted, clearly amused. "Especially when it comes to such an... intriguing discovery"
Sherlock was now truly writhing, trying to pull his foot back, but William held him firmly in control, never forcing, but enough to dominate the situation.
"You're a sadist" Sherlock gasped, with an involuntary laugh that stubbornly threatened to grow.
"And you are delightfully more human and sensitive than you pretend to be"
Sherlock finally chuckled, defeated, throwing his head back on the sofa. "Are you satisfied with your experiment?" He said, after nearly dying of laughter.
William gently released his foot and moved a little closer, resting his hands on the detective's knees, now visibly exhausted, but with a rare gleam in his eyes. "I'm still processing the results" His voice was now lower, more intimate. "But I must admit, seeing you like this was one of the most enchanting sights I've ever had"
Sherlock, still breathless, raised his blue eyes to him suspiciously. "This won't become a habit"
William just smiled. "Of course not. Unless you start complaining too much about your cases again"
Sherlock nudged him lightly with his foot, the same one William had tortured moments before, and they both laughed.
At that moment, no crime in the world seemed more urgent than the comfortable silence they shared.
However, that silence lasted too long. Sherlock spent the next two days in apparent serenity, no complaints about the cases, no bored escapes to the sofa, no acidic comments. William, as expected, immediately became suspicious.
That evening, in the Baker Street apartment, the detective prepared tea with almost ceremonial precision. His movements were too smooth for someone who usually moved with haste and impatience.
William watched him from the armchair, his eyes half-closed in analysis and suspicion. "You've been calm and controlled for too long, Sherly" He commented casually.
Sherlock turned around with the tray in his hands and a smile on his lips. "How rude, Liam"
A few minutes later, William found himself comfortably seated on the sofa, with Sherlock beside him, very close, close enough for anyone else to assume an intimate conversation. The tea was forgotten on the coffee table.
"You seem tense today" He said, his voice calm, almost gentle. "Perhaps I should allow myself to return the favor from the other night"
William raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering to massage me?"
"Something like that" And with that, Sherlock leaned in, surprising him by firmly grasping his ankle and sliding his hand down his lower leg.
William allowed it, calm and curious.
Sherlock, meticulous, began with gentle touches, mimicking the same technique he had received, but it was only the beginning of his revenge. In a few minutes, his fingers moved more quickly, searching for the points where involuntary reactions usually occurred.
However, nothing.
William watched him as one analyzes an intriguing spectacle. His expression remained serene and his body relaxed, not a single muscle reacted.
"Hm" Sherlock narrowed his eyes and redoubled his efforts. Now he explored the toes, the side of the ankle, even the top of the foot. He touched the ball with agility, with insistence, but William's calculated coldness didn't break.
"Disappointed?" He asked, in an almost provocative tone.
"You're made of marble!" Sherlock muttered, dropping his foot and leaning back, frustrated.
William smiled, leaning slightly, his eyes fixed on the other man. "Now that you've confirmed you can't hit me the same way, I think it's fair to return the favor"
Sherlock's eyes widened, too late. William had already gently pushed him against the sofa, mounting him. Before the detective could protest, he felt William's hands slide under his shirt.
"W-Wait, Liam, no!" But the fingers were quick to find his ribs and the reaction was immediate, he arched involuntarily, a muffled laugh escaping his throat. "Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Ah... here, then" William murmured, with the concentration of someone discovering a vital point. And there he began to truly explore. His fingers danced between the ribs, descending along the side of the belly, provoking spasms, suppressed laughter, and incomplete sentences.
"S-Stop it! Hahahahahaha! That's... unfahahahahahahair! Unfair!" Sherlock chuckled, trying to grab his hands, which moved with controlled and meticulous speed.
"Of course it is. But look, now you're in my hands" William shifted, moving the fingers of one hand to the back of Sherlock's neck, tracing slow circles, then quick ones, just below the hairline.
The detective tried to shrug, but he was already defeated again. "This is humiliating" He managed to say between laughs.
"No, this is cute" William smiled, his other hand finding its way to his armpit.
"W-WAIT! HAHAHAHAHAHA! NO, NO HAHAHAHAHA!" Sherlock arched away.
"Shhh, not so loud, Sherly, the neighbors will complain again" William smiled, maliciously this time, placing both hands there.
"YOU SCOUNDREL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT!"
The touches continued, now calmer, almost affectionate, fingers sliding along the collarbone, across the abdomen, as if marking territory. William watched him with a mixture of admiration and restrained desire, enchanted by that rare, intimate, human vulnerability.
"Have you finished torturing me?" Sherlock murmured dramatically, his face turned to the side, his hair disheveled, his cheeks flushed, and his breath ragged.
William smiled. "For now" He lay down beside the detective, his hand still resting on his waist, feeling his breathing gradually calm down.
And there, in the silence that followed, they both knew that this game of teasing was far from over.
I started reading/watching mtp in November of 2025, and I have accumulated a lot of thoughts that may repeat some things said before or may be new, but I still want to share them, hehe. Cause who can stop me except for my anxiety?
An amusing and somewhat ironic parallel between manga and anime I’ve noticed is the ‘telling the whole truth’ aspect, particularly when Sherlock is confused about the concept of not revealing the whole truth to a partner before marriage during ‘Sign of Mary’.
But now thinking about it, isn’t it funny that Holmes is actually aware of the concept of patience? Waiting for your partner to tell the whole truth? Because it is something we saw in OVA 1.
I know that it is only an OVA, and honestly, it's a bit sad, because it is a very cool addition to Holmes and Moriarty's dynamic. I specifically want to point out my favourite moment — when Sherlock leaves Liam be and does not torture him with questions about the past in the end. In other words, Sherlock waits for him to tell the truth himself. Doesn’t remind me of anything?
Okay, if I'm serious, I was shocked the first time I saw this moment. Of course, we explain Sherlock’s patience by the fact that he also wants to solve Liam’s mystery himself, but at the same time, he becomes patient with him, and truly happy even if he does not know the answers. He is excited about what Liam hides.
But — Sherlock is not planning to marry Liam in OVA. At least then.
And John is planning to marry Mary. Someone who is not telling the whole truth. And Sherlock is dissatisfied with that — the main conflict of the ‘Sign of Mary’.
I can conclude a few things after this:
1. Obviously, he is very worried about John.
2. He genuinely said, ‘If you marry, you should know everything about each other; otherwise, for what reason does the marriage exist?’ Combine this with his confusion and jealousy over John's decision to marry at all. And honestly, he is right: being transparent is important! Or you will find out your husband is lord of crime and get even more excited about him when you could be excited ALL ALONG.
3. Liam is a special interest to him that goes beyond a usual relationship to the point that he does not apply relationship rules to their relationship and does not apply what works in their relationship to others. And honestly, who will say he is wrong? I actually think a development of Sherlock’s perception of their relationship is sweet and soft — in OVA, he is still playing with Liam, only discovering him. Their relationship becomes more serious over time, as Sherlock becomes inspired by what John teaches him. Friendship is not one-sided. It is important to accept the other. And in the end — he does. He gets to stand with Liam on the same ground.
I swear I have a serious analysis of mtp I just wanted to start with something funny. (I relate to Sherlock on a personal level.)
Something about the non canon ships. Something about them being ambiguous. Not romantic not platonic but a third worse thing. Love that transcends time and space.
I know I know we love to ship them and if I go by the definition of shipping it is romantic but for me to ship two people it doesn't have to be anything romantic or platonic or whatever u name it. The two people just have to have a deep emotional connection or something of the sort going on between them. It just has to be love, intense love, the form doesn't matter to me, never did. And I'm sure it's the same for most people in fandoms
Now let's say sherliam. They aren't canon. But excuse me who in the right mind wouldn't ship them.
Now keeping that aside. Let's all be honest. They said they were each other's friend. Liam considers Sherlock someone who was the only one he thinks was able to understand him. Who he would've loved to get to know better and spend his life with (I don't remember the exact words so whatever meaning u bring out of this) had he had the time. I think they both were desperate for love, to be loved, to be seen, Liam especially? And you know what happens when you are love starved, right. When no one really understood you and yada yada. So when that one person finally did, what do you think will happen? Whatever emotion comes out of being seen and understood and knowing you are loved is so intense so fucking intense that you cannot help but ship the two people obvly. And I'm not against the ships, I ship them too, but you understand where and at what I'm getting right?
I think people underestimate how intense friendships can be. If I am able to give up my life for the love of my life(romantic) I can also give up my life for the love of my life (platonic). The difference is whether I want to or not. Whether my love is deep as to give up my life for them or not. We think of romantic love to be superior to platonic love. By the same logic friendships will always be seen as inferior to love in general. Both of which isn't true.
I think when the love is so as deep and intense, the line starts blurring. Thin line between this and that uknow? Romantic love/platonic love/love that transcends time and space/brotherly love/familial love/whatever love you name it. Love is love. It's all the same
Love so intense that you can't put a label on it. Can't categorise it into any category.
(some are evidently romantic, we are not talking about that here)
This line, "you weren't just some mystery for me to solve! I never felt that way, not even at the beginning," is one of my favourite things Sherlock tells William in the Final Problem arc, and I need to get my thoughts out about it.
Okay! There are two main reasons for why I love it so much:
First, on a meta level, the fact that the writers felt the need to include it is so important to me specifically because it would be so easy to interpret Sherlock's interest in William from this angle (and to this day, despite this, I still see people do it!) - quite frankly, it's a pretty no-homo solution to how romantically-coded their dynamic is, and framing Sherlock's interest as being a 'he's the biggest mystery I've encountered in my life' situation would've been an easy way out of the soulmate/romantic interpretation that could've come from of this. They could've just left this out and let it be read that way - William was someone Sherlock couldn't solve and so is therefore obsessed with him as a result. But that's not at all what their dynamic is, nor does it define in any way that special, special connection they both reference feeling the first time they met. And it's like the writing knows that people were itching to interpret it this way - it's an easy way to read a dynamic between a genius detective and his arch-nemesis after all - it's a very shallow read of the text and it doesn't take context into account, but it does make sense why a surface level interpretation of them being friends, or even just fascinated by each other might be read this way - but that the the writing deliberately goes out of its way to clarify that that's not it? That it's so much deeper than just their roles as detective and criminal? That it's down to just who they are as people in their purest of forms? Amazing, truly.
To take this 'mystery' angle even further, especially the idea of it being such an off-base interpretation of their dynamic, William as the Lord of Crime was really never much of a mystery to Sherlock, not in the sense of Sherlock having no clue as to his identity anyway - Sherlock 'knew' very early on that it was him, with virtually no proof (!). And yeah, it was a gut feeling and a 'I know in my heart that it's true and wouldn't it just be so amazing if it was?' vibe, but he still knew. And we know already that it was because of this abstract, magnetic connection they both felt that Sherlock wanted it to be William so badly in the first place. That's not to say he doesn't enjoy solving William's mysteries, of course he does, they're set up by the one person who knows him best, his true intellectual equal, why wouldn't he? But that's not why Sherlock likes him, why he's so drawn to him, and I love that this line essentially tells us had William never been a mystery to Sherlock at all, Sherlock still would've felt that magnetic connection with him, and he still would've loved him, just as much as he does now. Especially because I do think it's implied very heavily that William had it in his head - an insecurity, an anxiety - that Sherlock was only ever interested in him for the mystery he presented, hence partly why (among other things) he was so stubborn about not listening every time Sherlock told him that they were friends leading up to this confrontation.
And the second reason I love it so much, is that this line is said as part of the final intimate speech (when William's already jumped once and Sherlock's holding him by his arm) that Sherlock gives William before William finally 'Gets It' - that Sherlock does care about him and that his interest in William is a pure interest in him as a person, as who he is at his core, and not as the Lord of Crime, or a mystery to solve, or anything else. Sherlock tells William this: that he never thought of him as a mystery to solve, and then he talks about how the world William created will be beautiful, and that he should stick around to live in it too, with Sherlock. It's only after this that William says his iconic, "you didn't come here as a detective, you came as a friend" line:
Which I adore, because William's specific emphasis on Sherlock not coming as a detective calls back to the concept of solving mysteries, because that's what a 'detective' does (!), but Sherlock just told him that William was never a mystery for him to solve. It's like in this moment, William doesn't even hear the middle part about sticking around in the new world - just Sherlock's 'you were never a mystery for me to solve' and then it clicks that 'he's not here as a detective, but a friend, because why else?' It's this framing that has William finally realizing that it's the same feeling for both of them; William was never a mystery in the same way Sherlock was never a pawn.
Anyway! That's why I love this line so much, and why I think it's so criminally underrated in the grand concept of their relationship - not only is it an incredibly romantic thing to say in their specific context, while also serving as a key through-line that ties together and clears away any lingering misunderstandings that remain between them (not a mystery, therefore not here as a detective), but it also stands as a meta outreach in the writing that preemptively denies and heads-off any potential no-homo/less emotional interpretations that may attempt to dampen the pure meeting-of-souls connection that they are very explicitly written to have.
Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! ❤️
Hmmm my faves change over time and depending on my mood but if you told me to go reread five of my fics right now just for fun I think it would be these five:
I think it would be extremely funny if at some point Mycroft very casually and lightheartedly acknowledges Albert having outsmarted or bested him in some way, and does it in his usual way, just, "Ah, that's two to one in your favour, Albert." and Sherlock is just standing across the room throwing his hands up like "ex-fucking-cuse me?!"
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