#acd holmes fic

[maximsdeadwife]

I am your Watson, and you, my Holmes

Sherlock Holmes x Dr John Watson — 1.3k words

On AO3 here

∘₊✧ Summary: The end of another case denotes the end of Holmes being the (almost) sole focus of Watsons attention, but Watson knows just how to reassure him.

∘₊✧ A/N: This was written with Granada/ACD Holmes and Watson in mind but works for any victorian iteration of the pair. I wrote this off the back of finishing Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon, which took them away from London, and I just kept having thoughts every time one of them said something like 'I take it you're not coming to bed?'

∘₊✧ Content/warnings: nsfw, kissing, handjob/frotting, fluff, jealousy, end of investigation tiredness, Watson is married in this but Mary knows, written from Watson's POV in the style of canon and as such incorporates some Victorian words, themes and values.

∘₊✧─────────────────────✧₊∘

Holmes followed me to my room, and I wondered whether it had all been an act; whether the investigation hadn’t yet ended entirely, his reveal had been a ruse, and I was in for yet another wakeful night. I admit I wasn’t sure I would be fit for any more action, but as always I was prepared to do whatever necessary to aid Holmes in his endeavours.

We had only stepped through the threshold when I found myself lodged between him and the cold stone wall. Holmes pressed his soft, thin lips to mine and I sighed, relaxing into the comfort and passion of it immediately.

‘We will depart for London at first light in the morning,’ Holmes said, laced on a husky breath. ‘Let us enjoy some much deserved time to ourselves first, hm?’

He had that mischievous, plotting sparkle in his eye, and I, suddenly rendered incapable of speech, nodded dutifully. He chuckled darkly, as ever finding my ease in these encounters both endearing and amusing.

Closing in on me so that his lips were close to my ear and I couldn’t see his face, he continued, ‘You’ll be home with Mary tomorrow and no doubt she will require your whole affections. Allow me to be the object of them for just one more evening?’

Holmes would never admit to feelings of jealousy, while I could sense them a mile off. One area, perhaps, that I was quicker and more knowledgeable than he, having spent time with my fair share of jealous women. As such, I also knew precisely how to ease those feelings in my lovers, and employed that tactic easily, as what I was about to say to him was a whole truth.

My fingers grasped at his ulster to pull him before me. I then looked Holmes directly in the eye and whispered, earnestly, ‘Always, Holmes, not just tonight.’

His thin lips crashed back onto mine and he hummed delightedly. I could sense his euphoria in the way he moved against me, similar to when he leaped into action at the height of a breakthrough. Simply put, he needed me to be entirely his, and, for all intents and purposes, when we were together, I was. Mary knew this as much as I.

The kiss broke abruptly as Holmes began to shed his outermost layers, and following suit, I removed my own, although we didn’t manage to strip ourselves entirely before we were brought back together by sheer need, collapsing in a dishevelled heap together on the bed. I admit, I’d longed for one full night’s sound sleep here before waking for the journey back to London, to recover from hours of exertion and excitement, but this ending to our time away was too delicious to pass up.

‘I must say,’ Holmes interjected breathlessly against my lips as I caressed his sinewy frame, ‘this was a particularly thrilling investigation. Your willingness to play along, to undertake unethical practices in the name of my work… it was- ah!’

My hand wandered and I began to palm his manhood, soft and slow, the way I knew he liked it. I often wondered if he required such tenderness to counterbalance the rather more rough and fast pace of his mind.

‘You must know by now’ I spoke resolutely, ‘I’d walk over hot coals for you, Holmes; it’s you. It’s always you.’

He sighed so prettily at the sentiment I found myself rather lightheaded, my own root twitching in the confines of my breeches.

‘All those pretty young women you’ve relished in the company of the past few days,’ he panted as I unfastened his trousers and my own, ‘yet, you find yourself here with me again.’

‘Every time,’ I confirmed, unwavering. ‘You’re not just a brush. In your own words, I am your Watson, and you, my Holmes.’ Flirtations and frivolity with pretty girls who thought me handsome or interesting was one thing, but being the focus of Sherlock Holmes’s far-and-few-between affections was another feeling entirely, one which I was incredibly privileged to be the sole recipient of.

My fingers had made their way inside his inexpressibles by now, and Holmes lost his breath when I took his length and my own in hand and stroked us both simultaneously, keeping the steady pace I’d set previously.

‘Similarly,’ I added, unable to hold back a groan at the sensation of our combined seed lubricating my efforts, ‘I was rather taken with your enthusiasm pertaining to the perfect murder weapon. Hearing you talk like that… it stirred something in me-’

‘Your mind is as dark as mine can be,’ said Holmes, one corner of his mouth curling upward.

At that moment I kissed him again, losing myself completely in the intense emotion I harboured for him. It was one thing to know he found me useful, that he appreciated my company even in those times I was simply present while he fell into a deep, depressive silence. It was quite another to know the darkest annals of my mind were not just a burden to me, but a means of interest and excitement for him.

At this revelation, butterflies burst into life deep in my belly. Impassioned, I slipped my tongue along Holme’s bottom lip and he granted me entry instantaneously, allowing me to lead the languid dance of our tongues.

Holmes’ grip on my upper arms had become painful in the most pleasurable way, and while I was nearing my own release, I knew he was closer; another area in which I was well versed and he lacked was pleasure, and he was always pleased to allow me to take the lead here.

On pulling back for breath, I flustered at the sight of him; hair in disarray, falling in long strands over his forehead, cheeks flushed the most perfect shade of crimson, sharp eyes clouding with overwhelming bliss. He was always pleasing to the eye, those aquiline features, perfectly coiffed widows peak, all cheekbones and piercing gaze. But like this, mind switched off ever so briefly, he was soft. A side to him which only I would see. That knowledge alone was enough to bring me to my climax.

The bed rocked and groaned beneath us as Holme’s hips began to writhe in time with my rhythm. I could feel him throbbing, ready to come, and just then, as I predicted, his head snapped back against the pillows.

‘Watson!’ he cried, chest heaving, ‘Watson-’ quieter now, and he came, splattering a thick helping of blow up over his belly and onto his undershirt. A portion trickled down over my hand and through the gaps in addition, hot and sticky against my own pulsating shaft. As I considered how beautiful he looked in the afterglow of his release, my own came crashing relentlessly through my body, and with a shout I followed him into ecstasy, unable to tear my gaze away from his gratified features.

When I came to a moment later, Holmes had recovered somewhat and was smiling up at me. I smiled back and he began to laugh, giddily and heartily with the aftereffects of his intense pleasure. I followed, collapsing on the bed beside him to catch my breath as I chuckled.

We laid together in blissful silence and a tender embrace for the remainder of the evening – only after I cleaned myself and then him up, of course. Safe and warm in one another’s arms, our eyes, although heavy, were content to simply gaze at the other, fingertips gently tracing features and pushing through mussed hair, fingers interlocking, everything calm and quiet until sleep finally caught up with me. I’m not sure if Holmes slept at all, but he stayed by my side all night, holding me close as though he might float away without me to ground him.  =Somewhere along the way, the embers in the fireplace died and the eventual morning brought about our return to London.

[orelsemystery]

Holmes seduces Watson. But it's the 1880s and Watson is cautious, so he has a rule: one man, one orgasm. No ongoing liaisons. No romantic attachments.

Holmes follows the letter of the law and buries its spirit so deep even the world's greatest consulting detective would be hard pressed to find it again.

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Edging, Period-Typical Homophobia, Relationship Negotiations, brief canon-typical mention of drug use, Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Victorian pornography, oral stimulation, Masturbation, Erotic Dreams, Anal Plug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

--

Did you know that the missing grad student from Or Else, Lu, writes fanfiction? You can read it on Ao3! This is her ongoing WIP inspired by greywash's BBC Sherlock fic "build your wings"--i.e., it's about really elaborate and lengthy edging. It's just been updated for the first time in over two years...which is a long time to wait given that Holmes had just put an anal plug inside Watson. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

...and read Or Else as it updates weekly on www.orelsemystery.com!

[hattersarts]

a third old man yaoi has hit the lesbian

(acd canon dated, mostly based on granada series)

[not-equippedforthis]

forever mourning how granada holmes never adapted the three garridebs. diabolical. unbelievable, even. 'if you had killed watson you would not have made it out of this room alive' but in brett's frightfully intense and low, biting, hissing voice. the violent, wild stare versus the gentle hand on watson's knee. all of that precarious control getting flung out the window. the humanity of it. gritting my teeth can you fucking imagine.

[buckingham-ashtray]

Not Them still haunting me even on my hike.

More than one hundred miles away from home and I am still unable to escape Them. Not even physically.

I can't anymore. THEY WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE.

(keep away from my tags

[swamp-adder]

"Watson!"

I knew that voice, but the sharp note of alarm in it was new to me.

"Watson -- oh God." There were hands on me, shaking me lightly, causing a slight groan to escape me.

"It's all right, Watson. You're going to be all right." My friend was babbling the same kind of meaningless reassurances I had given to too many patients to count, though in a tone that suggested it was himself he was trying to reassure more than me.

There was a sudden pressure on my abdomen which sent another spike of pain through me, and I gasped.

"I'm sorry, my dear fellow, I know that it hurts, but I must try to slow the bleeding. Lestrade has gone to fetch a doctor, he will be back soon."

I was awake enough now to open my eyes and take in the image of my friend leaning over me, his face pale and strained. He had removed his coat and was pressing it firmly against the spot where the bullet had entered my body. Despite this attempt to stem the bleeding, the coat was quickly becoming soaked and my medical instinct told me that I was unlikely to survive long enough for Lestrade's doctor to arrive.

Accepting my own death in that moment was surprisingly easy, given the manner in which it had come about. I had taken that bullet deliberately, to prevent it from reaching Holmes. What better or more honorable death could I possibly wish for? I was proud to meet my end in such a way. I attempted in a somewhat halting manner to explain this to Holmes -- to reassure him if this was my time to go that I did not regret it for one instant.

"Nonsense!" he snapped, interrupting me. "Do not be such a romantic fool, Watson. Surely you realize that you are of far more use to me in life than in death? Really, Watson, I should be most disappointed if you were to allow yourself to succumb to so -- so trifling an injury!" The flippancy of his words was belied by the slight tremor in his voice as he uttered them.

By now any motion of my body seemed to send another wave of agony through me. Even drawing breath was growing increasingly painful, besides which I was beginning to grow dizzy from the loss of blood. My eyelids fluttered closed.

"Stay with me, Watson," Holmes ordered in his sternest and most commanding tone.

"I will… try," I managed to gasp.

"You will not merely try," he insisted. "You will do as I say. Do you hear me, Watson?"

It was beginning to seem as if would be easier not to try to breathe anymore.

"Watson!" That sharp tone, ringing with iron, was like a slap across the face. "I know that it is painful, but you must keep on breathing. You are not to give up. I absolutely forbid it. I have not given you permission to leave me, do you understand? I have not finished with you yet!"

I gritted my teeth against the pain and forced myself to draw another breath.

The voice immediately changed, became gentle and soothing. "That's right, my dear fellow. You are doing very well. You have never failed me before, and I know that you will not fail me now."

It was absurd to suggest that I had never failed him -- he had rebuked me for such failures often enough, as he ought to remember. Still, the power that warm praise held over me was quite extraordinary, and somehow in spite of myself I continued struggling for breath.

I had not closed my eyes, but my vision was fading to black in any case. My ears were ringing strangely and Holmes' voice sounded distant and hollow. Yet even as my strength ebbed, the pain itself was also receding -- instead I felt oddly warm and drowsy. If this is what death is, I remember thinking, then perhaps it is not so bad. I confess that at that moment I desired nothing more than to simply relax and allow myself to softly drift away… but he had commanded me to live.

And I would obey.

[calaisreno]

Victorian Edition, Part 2: Five Recs + 2

I promised a second part of this edition of RRR, and it looks like Part 2 won't be the last. I've read so many fantastic ACD fics that I'd like to share:

The Beginning of Always / @mydogwatson : John Watson wants to be a doctor. Sherlock Holmes wants to be a consulting detective. Most of all, they both want to be loved. Author note: The idea of using Joseph Bell [the inspiration, in part, for ACD in creating Holmes] came to me from @thegildedbee and I was excited to run with it. 

My note: If you're looking for well-written, fully imagined ACD stories, you could go to no better author than @mydogwatson. Mostly short stories, lots of Christmas ones.

Bad Dog by RatTale: During a hard case Holmes and Watson part ways after an argument, and now Holmes suddenly has more to worry about than missing children.

My note: RatTale has written a number of stories, all of them loved by me. This one was taken down for a while, but has recently been restored.

A Pertinacious Idea by @victorianpining : "I am compelled to admit that, having taken my pen in my hand, I do begin to realize that the matter must be presented in such a way as may interest the reader."

Summary: One wintry evening, Dr. Watson returns home to find that Holmes has rekindled their most longstanding disagreement by creating his own rendition of one of Watson's narratives. Braced for criticism, in reading Holmes' story Watson instead finds the one thing he had long believed Holmes to be incapable of giving.

My note: Go read this! Beautifully written.

Heaven and Earth by @a-candle-for-sherlock : At first, the wonder of his resurrection had blazed so bright that I saw nothing else. Joy, joy impossible had been returned to me; death itself had been undone. But as the miracle faded into everyday light I began to see that time had not been likewise reversed; time had done its implacable work. He was not the same as he had been. 

My note: tender, beautiful. I've reread this one a thousand times.

Rewriting History by rachelindeed ( @educatedinyellow): A correspondence between Holmes and Watson in the immediate aftermath of the Great War in which they discuss questions of history both public and personal.

My note: another one I've reread over and over. Developing relationship, Thucydides. That says it all.

Plus two of my own:

The Silence Between Us by @calaisreno : Watson is a proper Victorian man, a stranger to himself, unwittingly complicit in his own unhappiness. On a journey to London to see Holmes after ten years of silence, he tries to understand their broken friendship and his own grief.

My note: This might be my single favorite ACD story I've authored. This unhappy, conflicted Watson finally breaking down and realising he loves Holmes is one I cherish.

Bodyguard by @calaisreno : Captain John Watson, wounded in Afghanistan, is looking for employment. Sherlock Holmes is looking for something else. Fortunately, they can solve one another's problems.

My note: One of my oldest stories on AO3, this one doesn't get read much, but it's funny! A casefic, with an enthusiastically involved Watson (in drag for one scene) and an indulgent Holmes.

Thank you for reblogging! Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged.

@totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @helloliriels @keirgreeneyes

@redmondcollege @raina-at @7-percent @lhrinchelsea

@a-victorian-girl @ghostofnuggetspast @friday411

@meetinginsamarra @inevitably-johnlocked @copperplatebeech

[thegildedbee]

:: March 4 :: Selection for Week 10 of 2025 :: 🐝"a study in scarlet" (1887) from sherlock holmes: a year of quotes* 🖊️

"I never read such rubbish in my life." "What is it?" asked Sherlock Holmes. "Why, this article," I said, pointing at it with my egg spoon as I sat down to my breakfast. "I see that you have read it since you have marked it. I don't deny that it is smartly written. It irritates me though. It is evidently the theory of some armchair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in the seclusion of his own study. It is not practical. I should like to see him clapped down in a third class carriage on the Underground, and asked to give the trades of all his fellow-travellers. I would lay a thousand to one against him." "You would lose your money," Sherlock Holmes remarked calmly. "As for the article, I wrote it myself."

The first two chapters of A Study in Scarlet are a master-class in writing -- and although I've made desultory dissections of them multiple times, it seems that no matter how much I deposit into the dusty trunk in my mental lumber room, oddly enough, the interior space never seems to fill up. Hmmmm.

So, the appearance of this article, "The Book of Life," which sports a "pencil mark at the heading," occurs simultaneously with the curious incident of the flatmates at the breakfast table. What curious incident, you may ask? That Holmes was already ensconced at the table before Watson's arrival, when -- heretofore -- "he had invariably breakfasted and gone out before I rose in the morning." And yet, on March 4th, Watson arrives somewhat earlier than is his norm (some manipulation on Holmes's part?), and it seems likely Holmes lingered somewhat later than his norm, and there, placed to hand, the periodical in question, containing an article that not so subtly announces: "read me!"

You can see, no doubt, where I'm going with this :-) Watson has been fascinated by Holmes over the many weeks they've shared digs, and one of the objectives of his Sherlock-sleuthing has been the effort to fathom what in the devil his fellow lodger's occupation may be, reticent as he himself is to inquire straight off. I imagine Holmes has been equally fascinated by Watson, and fascinated by Watson's responses to Holmes's being, and has been deliberately mum on the topic of his lifework just to see how Watson proceeds in consequence. How likely is it that Holmes has ever had such an up-close and personal continuous opportunity to observe another individual? That in itself was likely an addictive circumstance. I find it hard to believe that Holmes was unaware of Watson's perplexity, and therefore had, for whatever reason, decided that March 4 was the day the question was to be answered, in a manner of his own choosing. So: in which periodical did "The Book of Life" appear? This is, admittedly, a tangential question and likely there is little to be gained by trying to posit a realistic option (and here I've no doubt made it obvious as to why it is taking me so long to process two (!) chapters). . . . Nonetheless :-) I reckon that the periodical would be a weekly, because that would allow Holmes, after however many weeks he and Watson had been not-answering the question, to be able to arrange for the article to appear at a non-too-distant time, once he had hit on the idea of using TBofL as his door-opener -- to the world, and to Watson. That is, I don't think it is a coincidence that this event happens when it does (and the universe would never be so lazy, correct? :-) After pondering and hunting, my candidate is Nature, which was founded in 1869, and in which it was not unusual for articles to appear without an attributed author. I think that the Proceedings of the Royal Society are unlikely as Holmes isn't FRS, and the dry exactitude of the essay rules out a general interest publication intended for entertainment. Nature seems to hit the sweet spot between these two poles. As editor Walter Gratzer notes in A Bedside Nature: Genius and Eccentricity in Science, 1869-1953, the journal was filled with material such as "leisurely ruminations on phenomena involving rainbows and lightning and the curious behaviour of ants and pet spaniels," and of reports from all over the globe, such as those of the Astronomical Society of Riga and the Montevideo Natural History Association. I propose, therefore, that Nature is likely to be a congenial home for the purported article.

And in taking a closer look at the period roughly from 1873-1891 (Holmes and Watson are held to have met in 1881), here are some indications of the potpourri of topics one would find within the pages of Nature: observations on how tuning-forks affect garden spiders; whether scorpions are suicide-prone; if sea urchins are capable of altruism; and a weighing of evidence that animals have a sense of humour. Surely there is room for a report within Nature's pages on how observations on "The Book of Life" might best be conducted?

But consider as well: there is an article by Francis Galton on the genetics of criminality; an article on the chemistry of cremation; a review of a work of geometry by Charles Ludwige Dodgson and his construction of an algorithm for finding the day of the week for any given date; reports on the physics of surface tension by Agnes Pockets, a German woman who had not been allowed to attend university and used her kitchen as a laboratory; and "The Remarkable Discovery of a Murder in Bermuda" (of a man who had killed his wife, weighted her corpse, and deposited it in the ocean, calculating "truly enough that the fish would very soon destroy all means of identification; but it never entered into his head that as they did their ravages, combined with the process of decomposition, would set free the matter which was to write the traces of his crime on the surface of the water"). I rest my case :-) Sherlock Holmes himself subscribed to Nature, and announced the arrival of the science of deduction within its pages! The readers of A Study in Scarlet might themselves have made such a comparative observation, underscoring -- between the lines -- a strong indication of Holmes's membership within the scientific community, broadly understood. And, for fun, two more examples of the congeniality of Nature's topics in this time period and the Sherlock Holmes stories: 1) the first is editor Norman Lockyear's stamp of approval for Jules Verne: "For in the author we have a science teacher of a new kind. He has forsaken the beaten track, bien entendu; but acknowledging in him a travelled Frenchman with a keen eye and vivid imagination--and no slight knowledge of the elements of science -- we do not see how he could have more usefully employed his talents." and

2) A rhapsody on the introduction of the Remington Typewriter: "The principal question which this beautiful and ingenious little instrument suggests to our minds is, whether it would not be better for every one of us to learn the Morse telegraph language, and employ it for writing upon all occasions instead of the cumbrous letters now in vogue." (Oh, and it was here that William Gladstone published his argument that Homer was colour-blind, which apparently excited much heated discussion!) [If you're curious about the question of color identification (and how blue and green figure into this in particular) here's a good place to start (in today's world): "The way you see colour depends on what language you speak." . . . And, guess what, I haven't even had time to consider the specifics of Watson's remarks! I am a slave of the digression . . .

...................................................... *Levi Stahl and Stacey Shintani, eds., U of Chicago Pr, 2019

& bespoke notifications as requested :-) [thanks for reading!]: @totallysilvergirl and @winterdaphne2 and @keirgreeneyes and @calaisreno

[bedheaded-league]

“Would your younger self be proud of who you are now?” You know what???? Yeah!!! She would!!! You know why??? I’ve written 7 completed fics and have a cumulative total of 2,091 kudos for a fandom I first got into in middle school!!! 12 year old me would be ecstatic!!! 12 year old me would fucking LOVE the fics I’ve written!!!

Fanfiction/fanart can seem so frivolous and silly sometimes but I really do think there’s so much to be said about using your hobbies and silly little interests to heal your inner child. Am I where I wanted to be as an adult when I was 12? No. But she’d be over the moon to see my AO3 account now.

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

The Adventure of the Telltale Flower

“What happened?” I asked him again, “Who hurt you?” My mind was racing. Had it been some thug in the street? A lover? The police?!

I received nothing but an abrupt headshake in return. Holmes was still pressing his hand to his chest as if he could make the flower disappear, and in the grimace on his face, pain and mortification mingled.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms

Relationship: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock Holmes)

Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Gay Sherlock Holmes, Bisexual John Watson, Gay John Watson, we don't actually know about Watson my friends all that counts is that he loves Holmes, Pining, Mutual Pining, Sherlock Holmes is a Mess, Sherlock Holmes is Bad at Feelings, Period-Typical Homophobia, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt Sherlock Holmes, Doctor John Watson, John Watson Takes Care of Sherlock Holmes, hints at Holmes's past, brief appearance of Mrs Hudson who is awesome, Holmes is scared of allowing himself to be happy so nothing new, He will figure it out eventually, Trust, Communication, Angst with a Happy Ending, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Getting Together

Please tell me if you no longer wish to be tagged! :)

@amypihcs @tyrannosaurusnacks @friday411 @keirgreeneyes @crowleyholmes

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@53rdcenturyhero @randomwholocker @plaidadder @huamirly @fruitviking

[weast-of-eden]

I've been thinking about how I could contribute to the ACD/Granada Sherlock Holmes fandom for a while, seeing as I'm neither an artist, a writer, or anything actually useful lol. But then I realized something I myself always treasure are curated fic recs, which I could actually do! I've read probably like 25% of all the h/w ACD and Granada fics on ao3, so I compiled a short list for anyone who is just starting out with the fandom. Without further ado, may I present

Eden’s Top Picks for Beginning ACD/Granada Fics:

(edit: i made a second list here!!)

The Adventure of the Doctor's Heart by mistyzeo 12k | Rated E Summary: Holmes has observed much of Watson's habits and tastes over time, which is why it surprises him when his friend objects strangely to a folk song sung at the conclusion of a case. Disturbed by the Doctor's unexpected display of emotion, Holmes becomes determined to lift his spirits by any means necessary, with mixed results. Notes: obviously if you're going to read canonverse h/w, you are going to read mistyzeo. this one is just so good and angsty and features music (!!). it's got some steaminess but it also has wooing. basically it has everything you ever need. this is my odyssey, my iliad, my hamlet, etc.

Cameo by what_alchemy 8k | Rated M | For Archive Users Only Summary: Holmes and Watson become embroiled in a case Scotland Yard refuses to acknowledge. A soulmate AU. Notes: i honestly skipped over this fic for a while, since i'm not the biggest fan of soulmate aus. do not make the same mistake i did, because this shit HITS. this fic has hit after hit: soulmate-mark based case for our main duo, angst, hiatus feels, MORE ANGST, and ofc a happy ending. ugh. read this fic if you enjoy being happy.

A Tide That Does Not Turn by tweedisgood 3k | Rated T Summary: Holmes is a very bad patient with a devoted doctor who adores him. Watson wishes it was safe to speak up, but his friend is a tide that does not turn. Notes: do NOT read this if you don't like angst... ok now i'm sensing a pattern. anyways this is the first hurt/no comfort fic i read for this tag and i literally have cried more than enough tears over it. poor, poor watson :( iconic author though, read everything they write!

The Adventure of the Glad Outlaw by radondoran 7k | Rated T Summary: While Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery of a student's disappearance, Dr. Watson is more puzzled by the changing dynamic between his flatmate and himself. Notes: cute pastiche! a nice little mystery and a nice little get-together. ahhhhhh.... this fic is like cotton candy to me, so sweet and fluffy. defo recommend

Hands by MinorObsessions (draculard) 1.4k | Rated T Summary: Naturally, there are some things Watson thinks about Holmes that don't make it into the books. Notes: i'm also in the star trek fandom, so if you know anything about that then you know that hands are kind of A Thing in both circles and ergo i now Have A Thing about hands. so this is a nice little ode to holmes' hands, featuring some doctoring by watson AND a nice reverse appraisal at the end. it's so sweet :)

Conductor of Light by ColebaltBlue  1.4k | Rated T Summary: A Victorian stiff upper lip won't prevent you from falling in love, but it might prevent you from realizing it. Notes: they finally get their shit together! honestly i would recommend this fic to anyone just starting out with h/w fics in any medium. the characterization and dialogue is A1, and their argument is really realistic to me, idk. also features the iconic HOUN quote for its title so props to that!

A (Mis)fortunate Man by sans_patronymic 1.5k | Rated T Summary: December, 1880. Watson writes a note which may be his last. December, 1899. Watson writes back. Notes: READ THE TAGS BEFORE READING. this was a gut-wrenching read but god i cried at the end for watson. don't worry, this one has a happy ending. ugh now i wish there was a second chapter where watson lets holmes read the letters. to sum up: oof, my heart

The Second Smartest Man in London by FairSinner 73k | Rated E Summary: Dr John Watson returns from Afghanistan to Victorian London, wounded, traumatised and alone. When he meets Sherlock Holmes, his life begins to seem worth living again. But Holmes is a man who despises sentiment and Watson cannot seem to expunge it from his heart. Notes: congrats, you've made it to the end!! so now i must confess that it's been a loooong time since i've read this fic, but the private note i left on my bookmark was just "holy shit", so i'm sure it's a banger. i'm also sure it has angst because i love angst and i love bookmarking angst so i can read it again and again and suffer infinitely. enjoy :)

anyways, now that i've put these all here i realized how much i enjoy angst and hurt/no comfort fics. if any of you guys have a favorite fic you want to link or want to plug your own writing, feel free to!

[haedraulics]

Do you know some fics about sherlock holmes that are not the BBC version that you would recommend?

yeah i've got a whole ton! i'm still working through bookmarking everything i've read, but you can find some of the fics i've enjoyed on my ao3 bookmarks tab. overall i've been really impressed by the quality and creativity of ACD holmes/watson writers!

in particular i've been captivated by Since First I Saw Your Face, which is one of the most heart-wrenching, technically astounding fic projects i've ever had the pleasure of reading from any fandom. the scope and depth of this series elevates it so much so that i consider it a full-on holmes adaptation, especially with the human depth it brings to both holmes and watson as characters. highly recommend!

another notable shout-out is One Week (rated E) which does a magnificent job of drawing out the tension between h/w while being witty, in-character, and shamelessly horny. speaking of shamelessly horny, an eternity in three weeks, An Unconventional Treatment, and His True Gift are all brilliant and their authors each have more lovely work on their accounts.

there are so many various scenes from ACD h/w fics that i want to sketch out or something because they're so tender and well-written, i appreciate the skill it takes to write prose and dialogue and old man sex in a victorian pastiche style! very excited to read more! :D

[sarahthecoat]

Missing Pages series by Plaidadder.

Doyle-era fic readers? Would you reblog with your favorite fic/fics/author? I need sweet gay Victorian Johnlock.

[v-thinks-on]

Morning came and, still unable to permit myself to linger, I extricated myself from bed, but Watson only shifted beneath the blankets, as if shying away from the sunlight. It was a hearteningly familiar sight; apart from his time in the service—now twice over—my dear Watson was a notoriously late riser.

As he dozed, I occupied myself with what had once been the peaceful routine of my retirement. Even though the war was over, the thought of when I might again be called to serve lingered ever at the surface of my mind. However, I could not go, even if the prime minister or the King himself begged at my door, on account of the man still resting in the other room even as day wore into evening.

I, perhaps foolishly, hoped that rest and time would be enough, as it had been for me, but as the days wore on and my dear Watson remained just shy of bedbound, spending the days more restfully than the nights, I began to fear that something more needed to be done, even if I was hardly qualified to prescribe it.

(Read More on AO3)

[stravinsky-naked-photos]

Dear Sherlock Holmes fanfic write, please, please PLEASE One of you write a fanfic about Watson and Sir Henry (the hound of the baskervilles). I've been shipping them since I've seen the granade episode. THEY HAVE CHEMISTRY I PROMISE JUST TRY WRITING THE FANFIC (please?)

[julienbakerstreet]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson Additional Tags: Post-Story: The Adventure of the Empty House, canon-typical drug abuse, Angst, prolonged discussion of addiction and feelings, everyone cries, copious use of latin poetry, the writer’s barely disguised classics minor, they're really going through it here

Summary: Having returned from the dead three years after Reichenbach Falls, Holmes wants to put the past behind him. Watson finds that he cannot.