Applied Research (Sherliam)
Fandom: Moriarty The Patriot Characters: Sherlock Holmes | William James Moriarty Lee!Sherlock Ler!William Summary: A simple search on reflexology leads William to conduct an impromptu experiment on Sherlock. What he didn't expect was such an intense and amusing reaction. Thus, while William documents each response with scientific interest, Sherlock struggles in vain to maintain his dignity. [Read also on Ao3]
Over the years, Sherlock Holmes had developed a very specific instinct. It didn't help him solve crimes, nor predict ambushes, for that, he already had his own brain. This instinct served a more important purpose: identifying when William James Moriarty was about to do something potentially problematic. And, that night, the instinct was screaming.
William sat on the sofa, his posture as impeccable as ever, an open book resting on his lap. Three others were stacked beside him, aligned with excessive precision. There was no tea, no music, just absolute concentration. Detailed diagrams of human feet were scattered across the pages, with fine lines indicating nerves and sensory endings. It had begun like many other things in his life: pure intellectual curiosity.
"May I ask," Sherlock began, approaching slowly. "why are you studying feet?"
William calmly turned the page. "They're pressure points" He replied. "More specifically, the concentration of nerve endings in the sole of the foot and their reflex responses"
Sherlock leaned over the back of the sofa, analyzing the diagram. "This looks dangerously close to medieval torture"
"Actually, it's quite commonly used in modern therapeutic practices" William corrected, unable to help but smile. "Reflexology, acupressure. There are records of interesting involuntary neuromuscular responses"
"Interesting in the scientific sense or in the William Moriarty sense?"
William carefully closed the book and raised his eyes, finally meeting Sherlock's gaze. "I need a volunteer"
He smiled nervously. "Of course you need to..."
Minutes later, Sherlock was stretched out on the sofa and, without any ceremony, rested his bare feet in William's lap, as if it were the most natural place in the world.
"Let me know if you feel any discomfort" William said, opening the book again beside him.
"I always feel uncomfortable when you start sentences like that"
The first touch was technical. Two fingers pressing with moderate firmness near the arch of the foot.
Nothing.
"Hm" Sherlock commented. "I confess I expected more drama"
"Not all points produce perceptible responses" William replied, moving his fingers a few centimeters. "The sensory map varies from individual to individual"
"Fascinating. Can I sleep while this is happening?"
William then slowly slid his fingers, almost distractedly, following a specific line of the diagram.
Sherlock's foot moved on its own. "A-Ah"
William stopped. "What did you feel?"
"I can't quite explain it" Sherlock replied, letting out a short laugh. "It was as if someone had poked a part of my brain"
William tilted his head slightly, genuinely curious now. "Interesting"
Sherlock narrowed his eyes. "I didn't like your tone..."
He then repeated the movement, this time a little slower, more attentive.
The reaction was immediate. "A-Ahahaha, wait!" The laughter escaped before Sherlock could contain it, his whole body writhing on the sofa as he tried to pull his foot back. "That tickled!"
William stopped, surprised. "Tickled? But the pressure was minimal"
"That's precisely why, I think"
William touched it again, now deliberately.
"Hahahaha! Hey, wait a minutehehehe!" Sherlock squirmed, now trying to kick the air as his feet betrayed any attempt at dignity.
"Fascinating" William murmured, completely absorbed. "The response is disproportionate, immediate, and emotionally intense"
"This isn't a report!" He managed to say between laughs.
"There's a heightened hypersensitivity here" William continued, as if giving a lecture. "Possibly associated with your nervous system—"
"YOU'RE TORTURING ME! HAHAHAHA!"
"Technically you volunteered, Sherly" William couldn't help but laugh, finally pulling his hands away as Sherlock nearly slipped off the sofa, laughing breathlessly.
"You're a danger" Sherlock sighed.
"I'll write that down" William said, picking up a sheet of paper. "Stimulation of the lateral points on the sole of the foot provokes intense involuntary laughter in a hypersensitive subject"
Sherlock turned his face towards him, still catching his breath. "I'm not a hypersensitive subject!"
"Alright, then tomorrow we can test our hands"
"No way!"
William let out a short laugh, observing Sherlock for a moment, his chest rising and falling from the remnants of laughter, his eyes shining with involuntary amusement, and the smile persisting even as he tried to appear offended. "Interesting" He said slowly.
Sherlock immediately narrowed his eyes, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Stop using that tone with me!"
William didn't answer, only adjusted his position on the sofa, better accommodating Sherlock's feet in his lap. "Just one more check" He said calmly. "This time, intentional"
"That sounded like a threat..."
William's fingers touched the heel first.
Sherlock gave a short, confused laugh. "Don't start!"
"The heel has a lower density of sensory nerve endings" William commented, lightly running his thumb over the area. "The response is more restrained"
"I didn't say you could test me like that—!" William shifted the point, moving a little higher, still on the heel, but on the side. "Hahahaha! No, no, that tickles too!"
"Noted" Said William, genuinely satisfied. "Moderate lateral sensitivity"
Sherlock tried to pull the foot back, but William held on firmly enough to keep it there. "You're having fun with this, aren't you?" He accused, between laughs.
William didn't respond immediately, only slid his fingers to the middle of the sole.
"Hahahahahaha! L-Liahahahaham no!" Sherlock threw his head back, writhing on the sofa again.
"Intense, immediate, and difficult-to-control response, right?" He commented, tracing slowly, observing each involuntary spasm.
"Nohahahahahaha! You're studying this as if I were a lab rat!"
"An extremely expressive rat" He corrected, amused.
The next point was the arch of the foot, and Sherlock was already laughing before the touch was even complete.
"No, nohohohoho! That's enough!"
"Anticipation of the stimulus increases the response" William observed. "Fascinating" The fingers then pressed with calculated firmness, following the extent of the arch.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOAHAHAHAHA!" Sherlock writhed so hard he almost fell off the sofa again, covering his face as he laughed uncontrollably.
William felt something very close to satisfaction watching this. It wasn't cruelty or sadism, just enchantment. "Your reactions are extremely honest, there's no real attempt at control"
"HAHAHAHA! AS IF I COULD HAVE ANY CONTROL!"
Finally, William reached his toes, hesitating for a brief second, allowing himself to breathe as well.
"Liam..." Sherlock warned, laughing nervously. "You don't—HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOT THERE!" The laughter came loud, uncontrolled, almost hysterical, interrupting any attempt at warning. He kicked the air, completely defeated, his body trembling as he tried in vain to move away.
"The toes exhibit the greatest sensitivity" William concluded, now smiling openly, without trying to hide it. "The answer is immediate and impossible to suppress"
"I DON'T WANT TO KNOW! HAHAHAHAHA!"
He finally pulled his hands away, watching Sherlock gasp, still chuckling softly.
There was a brief silence. Then Sherlock turned his face, staring at him. "You are cruel and treacherous"
"And you are extremely susceptible and easy to provoke"
Sherlock pulled his feet away immediately. "You'll never get near my feet again!"
William smiled. "So you mean I can test other areas?"
Sherlock's eyes widened. "What? No!"
William laughed more openly this time. "We'll see, Sherly"
