The breeze was quite chilly as it was the middle of February, but the sun was shining and embracing each and every person who was outside. The sun illuminated the surrounding nature, which was covered in a white gown and looked magnificent.

Sherlock Holmes took out a cigarette and began searching for a lighter when he heard footsteps approaching him.

“Need some light, Sherly?” That was William. Sherlock's eyes lit up immediately.

“Liam!” he shouted.

“No need to shout, Sherly,” he said with a wink. “I am glad to see you, too, my dear friend.” William leaned in to light Sherlock's cigarette and asked if he could join Sherlock.

“No need to ask. Please, Liam. There is always a place next to me for you,” he gestured with his hand, inviting the professor to sit down.

So, what brings you here, my dear detective?” William asked, intrigued by his presence in the park on a cold day. “A case, I presume?

You have a keen eye, Liam,” Sherlock answered, blowing out smoke and enjoying his cigarette. Then William looked at Sherlock's hand, where he was holding the cigarette holder that William had given him for Christmas, and spoke.

“I see you use it well.”

“And you as well, Liam. I notice you have the pocket watch I gave you for Christmas as a present.”

“Nothing goes unnoticed by you, I see.” William took the watch out of his pocket, looked at it with care, and continued with a sincere tone in his voice, “It's a cherished item of mine now.”

A silence fell around them. They didn’t need grand gestures to understand one another. For a moment, Sherlock looked at William with his genuine smile, and William, in turn, looked at the watch, appreciating each other.

Meanwhile, as they sat and talked on the bench, their attention slightly shifted to a nearby group of women who were glancing at their side. The women were observing two handsome men from afar, as if waiting and inspecting their every gesture, as if anticipating something more.

“Is it really William James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes sitting there together on the bench???” one of them whispered to the others. As the women continued murmuring among themselves, one woman from the group decided to approach them and see for herself if they were the real deal. Shyly, she approached the men sitting on the bench. For a moment, she hesitated to start the conversation, but when she gathered her courage, she finally spoke. With her trembling voice, she addressed the men.

“Excuse me, good men. But, maybe by any chance, you are William James Moriarty, the math professor, and the detective Sherlock Holmes?” William and Sherlock politely nodded. The woman regained her composure and, with her voice and face filled with excitement, yelled to the other women.

“They are the real deal! It's Sherliam right before our own eyes!!”

The professor and detective were confused for a moment. They looked at each other and said out loud at the same time, “Sher…liam??”

The women swiftly approached them and started asking weird questions at the same time.

“Are you two dating?”

“You look so cute together!!”

“Sherliam is our most beloved pair!”

“Could you do something delightful for us?”

“Maybe strike a cute pose together?”

The men were completely confused as their peace was disrupted by the women. They knew that where women are, there is not so much logic, and these ladies seemed hungry for something, which they didn’t quite understand... at least not yet.

One of the ladies from the crowd shouted, “Please, Lord Moriarty and Detective Holmes, sign a book for me!”

“What book?” They both exclaimed at the same time as they looked at the woman. Taking the book, they saw on the cover written, “Sherliam Short Stories.” Soon, the men understood that the book was filled with short stories accompanied by steamy pictures of them together. Then, they grasped the meaning of "Sherliam."

William blushed, looking with his big scarlet eyes at the pictures. He couldn’t believe what he saw and was at a loss for words, a rarity for him. Sherlock, on the other hand, seemed hyped and entertained.

William, whose demeanor is usually composed, couldn’t help but blush, his eyes darting through every page carefully while his fingers brushed against the paper. He inspected every page with great detail.

“Who writes and draws... these kinds of… ‘books’?” The professor pondered with astonishment.

Sherlock shouted while William inspected every page carefully with a thoughtful look and blushed, “Oh, look here, in this picture you are handcuffed by me.” Sherly looked very amused and immersed, while William was embarrassed.

“Sherly… you didn’t have to narrate that… I can see clearly…” William said nervously. He could feel warmth in his body, and his face became more and more crimson with every page he looked at. Then, he added in only a murmur with a nervous chuckle, “Oh, I see where this leads...” William closed the book and didn’t finish looking at it; he was too flustered.

“Oi William, there were some pages left which we didn’t check out…” the detective said disappointed.

William sighed and mentioned that he more or less knows how the content will end, so there is no need to look any further, trying to compose himself.

“Well yes, I understand where it will end too, but since we have the book in our hands, it is still interesting to peek until the end, and the art looks good. I look so handsome while you look cute,” Sherlock said with a glint in his eyes.

William chuckled at Sherlock's remark, seeming entertained by the book and its pictures.

“You are enjoying this, aren't you, Sherly?”

“So, this is what today’s women are into,” Sherlock said and laughed out loud. “Liam, we have a crowd to entertain,” Holmes said with a wink.

“I guess you are right, Sherly,” William replied, winking back and deciding to play along.

The women gazed at the two men who were interacting with each other, and they all shouted together, “sooo cuuuute” when William and Sherlock winked at each other. The women felt bliss from this small gesture, and they were all in awe.

For the sake of entertainment, Sherlock hugged William from the back and rested his head on William's shoulder. The women collectively started squeaking and expressing that they couldn't handle the cuteness in front of them. Some of the women placed their hands on their hearts as their hearts skipped a beat at seeing them so close. The women were delighted. Then, William smiled warmly at the women, surprised by the sudden embrace from his friend, the detective.

As the two men finally signed the books for the women, the ladies said their goodbyes and thanks to their beloved Sherliam pair. With content hearts, they went to a nearby café, still giggling and basking in the bliss of what they had just witnessed before their own eyes.

After all the "show," the professor and detective sat down again on the bench.

“Well, that was… unexpected,” William said to Sherlock while looking at the sky, a wry smile gracing his face. He added, “You know, the hug... was not necessary, Sherly.”

“I know, Liam, but they seemed to enjoy it,” Sherlock smiled at William.

“Well, I think you enjoyed it the most,” Moriarty chuckled.

And so, the two close friends decided to call it a day and went their separate ways, knowing that their paths would intertwine again.