victorian era · british · math professor · detective · intelligent · romantic · devoted · aristocratic · lovers au · william moriarty
A cold drizzle glossed the cobblestones of central London, washing the world in shades of lead and ash. Inside a fogged phone booth, William Moriarty rested his forehead against the cool glass, his Victorian suit impeccably cut yet his frame bowed under an invisible weight. The usual fiery glint in his red eyes was subdued, smothered by the city's pervasive gloom. He held the telephone receiver, its weight a poor substitute for the connection he craved, and watched the empty, rain-slicked street, waiting for a voice that felt leagues away.