#john and sherlock being romantic

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Broke (2016): BBC Sherlock is a phenomenal piece of media and anything that seems like a flaw just hasn't been fully explored yet

Woke (2020): BBC Sherlock is an incredibly flawed series run by an egotistical writer, it never deserved the hype and is actively bad on so many fronts (especially representation)

Bespoke (2024): BBC Sherlock is flawed and bogged down by increasingly poor writing, which many fans refused to see while it was airing, leading to hugely misplaced expectations (particularly for the final series), AND it has the seeds of some compelling characterizations and portrayals, some genuinely solid performances, and touches--albeit imperfectly--on complexities that are still being discussed today (particularly as it relates to the relationship between Sherlock and John). The huge cultural impact of the show has created a massive pendulum effect in its public perception, leading to most people today remembering a caricature of the show (whether positive or negative) rather than appreciating its nuanced merits and failings...that being said Season 4 sucked

[queeringclassiclit]

Philip Lombard

from And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

submitted by anon

[arthurtaylorlester]

i'm so conflicted my brain is saying yeah mariana and john are having a romantic arc set up and my heart is saying john literally fucking didn't go on a trip with his friends to WORK on CHRISTMAS with his roommate sherlock holmes

[antirepurp]

i think some folks may need to have the word "queerbaiting" revoked from their vocabulary until they learn what it means. perhaps

[lestatslestits]

Good Omens S2 is giving me a weird nostalgia that makes me miss my most toxic situationship from college and like. Bestie do NOT message him.

[thedanceronthestreets]

I think part of the problem with making johnlock canon is that (straight) writers think it needs to be this grand, heteronormative romcom story arc when most johnlock shippers literally just see the dynamic they already have as romantic. Especially in podlock's case of sherlock being audhd, OBVIOUSLY a romantic relationship wouldn't necessarily look the same as a quote unquote cishet neurotypical relationship. They would just carry on like they have. They're already living that dynamic. Only difference might be that john pops a kiss on top of sherlock's head as he passes him by, or sherlock just follows john around the house for no reason and sits waayyy too close to him (these things already happen lol), or cherry on top they say love you to each other before leaving the house. It would NOT BE A BIG DEAL. It would hardly change the way they speak to each other, and not at all how they interact with mariana or their professional relationship. Because that is just who john and sherlock already Are to each other. It's lichrally just about one day a writer finally caring enough to give it this ""new"" perspective.

[xgraavyx]

I feel like a lot of people ignore Mariana's role in Sherlock and Co. I understand that the bond between Sherlock and Watson is a heavy focus in the original acd books, but Sherlock and Co is it's own thing. Mrs Hudson may not have played a large role in the books, but in Sherlock and Co she is one of the main characters. Ignoring her prominent role in their dynamic just so you can focus on Watson and Sherlock's dynamic is strange. You can still talk about their dynamic without ignoring one of the main characters. In Sherlock and Co I have always seen them all three as being like a family. Regardless of how you percieve their relationship, you cannot ignore the fact that Marianna is important to both of them. People shit on those who ship John and Mariana bc it "gets in the way of sherlock and watson" but that is such a stupid reason to hate a character. People can ship Watson with whoever they want. It isn't hurting anyone to have people ship him with Mariana.

Watson has a very lovely dymamic with both Sherlock and Mariana. I've seen people genuinely angry to see the podcast focus on Mariana and Watson for even a second. Sherlock and Watson have also had many one on one interactions. They've had a lot of focus on their dynamic and how it is built throughout the podcast. People being mad that Mariana also gets those growth opportunities despite her also being a main character is WILD. A man and woman can be platonic friends without being a threat to the "main ship" This reminds me of what happened to Mary in bbc sherlock. While I agree that Mary is a poorly written character, people give her way too much hate. Hating a character is fine, but hating a character just because she "gets in the way" of your ship is dumb. I don't like Mary in bbc sherlock. I think her being a spy was weird. Her death was only there to kickstart sherlock and watson's discord and I think that is a stupid reason to kill off a main character. It had no proper impact to the story and she only existed to contrast with Sherlock. Those are valid reason to hate her, but I don't just ignore her existance. She was still a part of the bbc sherlock canon regardless of how buchered her implimentation was. Mariana is a fun character and a lovely addition to sherlock and co. She has been given the same if not less focus than Sherlock and people still rarely include her in fan content. Yes Sherlock and Watson have a very interesting dynamic but I'd love to see more love for Marianna. She is a part of their family. Regarldess of if you see the dynamics between characters as romantic or platonic Marianna is still an important person to both Sherlock and Watson and I would love to see more of her. She is like the "straight man" of their dynamic. She handles the business aspect of their organization. She canonically eats with them at 221b very often. So much so that she doesn't even have a dining table in her flat. I love seeing different interpretations of her design. She is such a fun character and her personality flows very nicely with the others. Tldr I want to see more love for Mariana, and people who hate her unjustly get on my nerves lol. You can ship two characters without ignoring or hating on the girl character.

[benzedrine-calmstheitch]

Gonna jump right on the back of this to say : my favorite aspect of Sherlock & Co so far has been, surprisingly, the plots! I think how Emery has updated the stories to very, very contemporary times has been very adept, and it’s really fun to see the parallels he draws from the original context to present-day society. A lot of times I have thought about the stories and thought “well there’s no way this would work now for XYZ reason;” hearing how Emery has addressed those challenges so far has been really enjoyable. Also the theme song is a fuckin banger.

I also want to point out that one adaptation previously has done every story, and that’s the BBC radio series on which Bert Coules was the head writer, starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. You can find it on the internet archive and it’s great, and I bet listening to it in conjunction with Sherlock & Co. would be pretty neat.

does sherlock & co have shippy vibes? 🔎

This is a tricky question, anon! The writer, Joel Emery, was mainly inspired by the Guy Ritchie films and BBC Sherlock, so I would be surprised if it turned out not to have shippy vibes on that basis. But also, he's specifically said that he's aware that his podcast has three main audiences: Sherlockians, johnlockers, and the general public (who don't really know Holmes very well). The way he talks about it suggests (to me.) that he wants to leave room for people to ship them if they want. He's also mentioned that he plans for John stay in 221B for the run of the series, rather than marry and move out to open a medical practice, as in the stories. So, yknow, it's pretty easy to ship them with all this context.

But is the plan to have them become a couple? I have absolutely no idea. For my part, I plan to listen and appreciate the series for what it has to offer. It's entertaining, it foregrounds John and Sherlock's relationship (whatever that ends up being) and I like that Emery wants to adapt every story in the canon, which no one has done before. If you're interested in Sherlock Holmes, it's hard to imagine *not* listening to it, to be quite honest.

[a-ikuoliver]

*the examples aren't the only ones obviously but with some genres being so similar i wanted some examples to differentiate each (eg. a lot of period pieces are romances) ALSO this can be into any medium you imagine — movie/show/anime/manga/novel etc.

[ace-sher-bi-john]

While I absolutely love both BBC Sherlock and Sherlock & Co, Sherlock & Co definitely depicts a more healthy relationship between Sherlock and John.

For starters, on BBC Sherlock, Sherlock and John are both co-dependent on each other. John was implied to be suicidal before he met Sherlock. Sherlock relapses without John by his side. Even with Mary to substitute the void in his heart and help him find purpose again, John would never move on from Sherlock. If anything happened to John, it wouldn't end well for anyone, especially Sherlock.

On Sherlock & Co, one of John's only problems after returning home from Ukraine was that he couldn't afford a flat on his own. He seemed to be very excited about life, going on dates, couldn't wait to start his podcast. He was genuinely happy to see Mike.

Sherlock could easily manage on his own without John. He doesn't need to be reminded to eat, he doesn't need an assistant for cases, he doesn't need someone to take care of him. His only problem is that he needs a flatmate.

Although John and Sherlock both need each other to afford rent, they don't need each other for anything else. They want each other's company, they don't need it. They aren't two halves of a whole, they are two wholes coming together. That's how it should be with all healthy relationships, platonic, romantic, queerplatonic, or otherwise.

It also helps a lot that Sherlock isn't a complete jerk on Sherlock & Co. He genuinely treats John and everyone else with a kindness that while I believe BBC Sherlock is capable of it, he rarely showed it. When John's PTSD is triggered, Sherlock asks John if he'd rather sit out that case. He then asks John if he wants to hold hands and discuss his feelings. In part one of the Blue Carbuncle, Sherlock complimented, actually complimented John. That kind of scene just never happened on BBC Sherlock. John was doing his "That was fantastic! You're amazing!" and Sherlock said, "You flatter me, Watson. But you did awesome too! You should have seen the way you did that! It was brilliant!"

John seems like a much more well rounded happy person in general. Just listen to any of his viewer discretion warnings. "Greetings you handsome devil! This episode will contain a bit of the old swearing, a bit of violence, some drug use. Oh and a bit of duck poo!" I hate to make this comparison, due to how much it will sound like an insult. But he acts like the quirky Disney Princess personality that every Disney Princess from the 2010s has and I mean that in the best possible way. It's my favorite thing about him. He's so adorable.

In the Blue Carbuncle, John has a moment similar to ones that you've seen many times before on BBC Sherlock. John has plans that mean he won't be able to help with the case. He is going to Berlin to spend Christmas with his old army friends. It's going to be his first boys' trip in years. But then he gets so sucked into the case that he's almost late for his plane and decides to just stay with Sherlock anyway because the case is just so fascinating he can't leave. On BBC Sherlock, John has abandoned his plans, his job, his girlfriends, for a case because he couldn't stand to be without Sherlock for so long. Also because Sherlock would often crash is dates, ruin his relationships, just so that John could assist him on cases. On Sherlock & Co, Sherlock was happy for John that he was going out with friends, even though it would mean spending the holidays alone. And Sherlock LOVES Christmas, so it's sad to think that he would have to spend it alone.

Where BBC Sherlock would manipulate or guilt John into staying, Sherlock & Co Sherlock let John go and was genuinely fine with going it alone for a week or two, even if it meant being all alone on Christmas.

I love BBC Sherlock, toxic co-dependent relationships and all, and I always will. But Sherlock & Co gives a little something different and I am happy that my boys are happier.

SH: *laughing* What's so funny Watson? JW: *laughing* It's just hearing you say "bell end" SH: Lovely and jubbly

[leosficlist]

Parentlock Rec List (so far)

This trope is my biggest weakness, so you can expect to find fluff galore, lots of Sherlock being called “dad” for the first time, love confessions and guaranteed happy endings. Mixture of lengths

Parentlock 2, Parentlock 3

A Case for Domestic Propinquity by SilentAuror 32k words

Author’s Summary: As Sherlock and John renovate Baker Street with Rosie underfoot, Sherlock can't help but wondering how he could possibly convince John to just stay indefinitely...

Notes: The way this fic ends is genius, and one of my favorite concepts that I rarely see.

Iris by Slashscribe

Author’s Summary: Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness. 12k words

Notes: Sherlock falls in love with Johns daughter (named Iris in this), and John falls in love with Sherlock as he watches.

Small Sacrifices by Fandaround

Author’s Summary: Five times that Sherlock made small sacrifices for Rosie and the one time that John realized it was all for him. 3k words

Notes: soft and sweet, sherlock adjusting his life for his favorite people

Family Matter by FaithfulViewers

Author’s Summary: A little girl calling them both her daddies is all it takes for John and Sherlock to realize the obvious: they're a family now. (Parentlock.) 3.8k words

Note: Gen, no kissing or romantic vibes, still lovely and heartwarming

The Dilemma of the Watson Bedroom by Jemariel

Author’s Summary: Sherlock hates the name Rosamund. John wanted to call her Katherine. Sherlock thinks it suits her. Meanwhile, he and John are orbiting ever closer together. Sherlock tries not to wonder how long he will have them here, all three of them together in 221B. 7k words

The Stroke of Midnight by aqueliaofthelonelymountain

Author’s Summary: With asking John this one question, he might induce John to ask other questions himself. Like: Since when are you interested in college reunions? Or worse: You know that most people bring their significant others to college reunions, do you, Sherlock? Like spouses… 9.8k words

Notes: Sherlock thinks John is simply playing along to help him save face, but this is cleared up by the end of the night.

Lines In The Sand by JRow

Author’s summary: "He examines the plain white box, which clearly holds a new mug. John must have purchased it and he’s written a note on the top. “First time for everything. – J” Sherlock smiles and feels excitement as he opens the box. As expected, it’s a mug. It appears to be a boring, white mug. Sherlock pulls it out of the box and his breath hitches as he sees the image decorating the side. It’s not boring at all." 3k words

Notes: John is sappy and open, Sherlock is cautiously hopeful. getting together.

Beautiful Pictures by JRow (again!)

Author’s Summary: An adorable (but unacceptable!) photo of Sherlock and Rosie on the Mail online, a stolen Picasso, and a slip of the tongue force John to re-evaluate his long held assumptions 28k+ words

Notes: casefic, raising rosie together while pining, felt like a quick read, vulnerable sherlock, sherlock calls john when offered drugs, sherlock devotes himself to rosie, john takes a pre kiss walk

What Remains Unsaid by ScullysEvilTwin

Author’s Summary: “Sherlock,” he says quietly, shifting over beneath the now-ruined quilt. “Do you want children?” Sherlock stares at the ceiling, makes no indication that he’s heard John at all, but after a moment, he turns his head to meet John’s gaze. “Look at our lives, John. What a preposterous notion.” [] “Our lives are insane, yes, but you didn’t answer the question, did you?” 5.5k words

Notes: Established relationship, John sees Sherlock interacting with children a few times and decides they should consider their options.

Swan Dive by HitLikeHammers

5+1 Sherlock has definitely leapt blindly into worse things. Or: Five Times Sherlock Acted as a Parent, and One Time He Didn't Have Any Reason for Acting at All. 8k words

Notes: Little scenes from Sherlock raising rosie, absolutely heartwarming

Three Of Us by Salamboo6

Author’s Summary: He leans in as soon as he’s close enough, kissing Rosie’s forehead softly, murmuring a quiet “Morning love” as Sherlock goes into more detailed facts about Rosie’s sleeping habits. John isn’t sure what happens next, but without thinking twice about it and actually feeling like it’s the most natural thing in the world to do right now, he leans in towards Sherlock and kisses his temple with a smile. 2.8k words

Notes: starts with a sleepy kiss, end with getting together

Love Comes Softly by SHERLOCKED79

Author’s Summary: After Mary’s unexpected death leaves John alone to raise a months-old Rosie, the doctor tries to sort through the wreckage of his new life. Thankfully, Sherlock is there to pick up the broken pieces and put them back together. / A short, endearing fic in which it takes John Watson over half a decade of raising Rosie together with Sherlock to finally realize he’s absolutely in love with the man. (And in which John is the only one who doesn’t realize this.) 29k words

Notes: So fluffy I thought it must be a prank, but the love never stops ♡

Love Like Ours by Berty

Author’s Summary: In a moment of madness, John tells Sherlock that he loves him. He had not anticipated where the ensuing conversation would take them. 6,5k words

Notes: Lovely heartfelt, in character, love confessions and clarifications, John catching Sherlock being lovely with Rosies as.

[wheeloffortune-design]

'You need to understand,' I tell my brother with a manic look in my eyes, 'that, as a community, we were used to queerbaiting. We were used to crumbs. If a show had two semi-attractive male leads with a minimum of chemistry, we shipped them. Yeah, sure, it could be cringe, but it's not like we had a lot of queer characters to obsess over.

'And most of us were girls, right, or at least were subjected to media aimed at girls all our lives, and we were trained to recognize romance. We know the story beats, the dialogue, the framing, the language used in media that says this is a romantic scene. And then, there was a decade or two where all the stories were about male friendship (but let's be honest all the stories are about male friendship since bloody Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but don't get me started on that)-- and anyway, they kept using all those framing devices for romance to talk about friendship. The silences, the stares, the jokes, the sacrifices and promises and-- you get what I mean. So of course we shipped the hell out of these guys.

'And if they really wanted us to ship straight couples, maybe they should have given bigger roles to women, huh. But that was the scene: great shows with a male lead and his best friend, and they were all interesting and handsome and they faced adversity together, and overall had the most romantic story arcs without being romantically together. Yeah, I know you've seen the Winter Soldier.

'So we were pretty okay with crumbs. We made mountains out of crumbs. It was fine, relatively speaking.

'And then there was Sherlock,' I say, waving at the tv, where episode one is on pause on a frame of John Watson licking his lips while he asks Sherlock if he has a boyfriend. 'That show brought it all to eleven. The handsomeness, the chemistry, the drama, the stares. The jokes about them being a couple, so many jokes. You know that haha are you a married couple is a romance trope, right?

'The actors made acting choices that hinted at attraction, and the directors kept those choices and framed them in images and music and timing-- because everything in a show is a choice. Those are the choices they made.

'So of course we went crazy.

'And the people who made that show loved the attention. They had fun with us, until it was too much for them. And then they started making fun of us.

'I think it kinda broke us, as a community. Because we loved the show, and the characters, and the actors, and the writers. And the show kept framing the story in a way that said "You're right! This is a romance!"

'And then the interviews went from hinting at romance to plainly mocking us. Haha those silly fangirls, they see gay stuff, but Shelock Holmes isn't gay, what are they thinking, huh. Silly little girls.

'I'll be honest, it hurt. And it's not like there was a lot of queer media to focus on either, at least not mainstream, well produced shows like that. It took many years after that whole debacle to get canon queer characters. We're still all surprised that Our Flag Means Death had a real kiss.

'So yeah,' I sigh, looking at the paused tv, 'imagine, in an era where queerbaiting was the norm, to become the one show that became synonymous with queerbaiting.'

I unpause.

"It's fine, it's all fine," says the tv.

'Yeah right,' I scoff.

[featuresofinterest]

sorry but john telling sherlock that a romantic relationship would "complete him as a human being" is still so fucking crazy. like did you see that shit!!!

[fogdraws]

A Softening of The Brain

A Sherlock Holmes fanfiction based in "The Valley of Fear"

“John.” The sound of my first name stopped me on my tracks; Holmes never used it, as did the costume go. “Would you be afraid,” he whispered, “to sleep in the same bed of a lunatic, a man with a softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?” This could have so many implications, so many ways to interpret it, but no matter what sense I made of it, there was only one answer. “Not in the least,” I said with some difficulty, regaining the breath I had lost before. “Sherlock, I'd never leave you.” That, I turned to regret just after it came out of my lips — too revealing. Or... what if that scene from the canon had another meaning? One that's more... romantic.

Or... Read it down here! vvvv

It were odd times, the days I'd passed at Birlstone, investigating the murdering of Mr. Douglas. Odd would not suffice; I had witnessed some things that I would really rather not.

Now the moon was high and I laid down in a double-bed — the best we could find in this small thing they call town — with a book resting on my lap, its words stubborn to be read. My mind, nevertheless, was still racing, taking every chance to turn to Holmes’ being: what would the man be doing right now?

It is of Holmes' doing, this disappear-first-explain-after situation that keeps doing numbers to my heart, as much as it is of my doing to let myself worry about him. How could I be tranquil when I don't know of his well-being?

The detective had gone out after saying something very sparse about the case — mysterious and dramatic, just like always. Maybe he'd come back today, maybe tomorrow, maybe a week from now. No one knows; sometimes I think that neither does he.

I had just put the book onto the bedside table when I heard Holmes’ shoes hit the ground: slow and light, much like he does when he knows I’m supposed to be asleep. Of course, he knows I’m not. He knows pretty much everything — lying is not an option really, but you can make do with omitting half of the facts and hoping he’ll buy it.

Accepting the false as truth for your own self, sometimes, serves as a better lie than conjuring anything new. Protecting it, controlling yourself where you can, and letting yourself when it’s convenient to do so. That, I should say, I have acquired quite the ability to do since I’ve come to live with Holmes.

The old door clicks open and Holmes’ face pops out of the slit of light that comes out of it. His thin aquiline nose is beautifully contoured by the dim illumination, making his face look absolutely otherworldly against the brute finishing of the inn’s walls; I ended up staring for more than would be adequate. The world was still hazy from my tiredness, and the words, hard on my tongue.

“Hey, Holmes”, I started, “have you found anything out yet?” His tall, lean figure turned away for a second, sending my mind into a rush, longing for his gaze: I hadn’t seen him enough, observed him enough. The excuse I created then was that I worried only for his well-being, that I’d felt the need to look over for any wounds as is the first instinct of a proper doctor. That would be set to be a doubtful truth for me and for the world.

My eyes are startled as a dim candle is lighted by those delicate, though strong, fingers of Holmes’, sending me flinching slightly, the sleep still washing out my mind and senses. All of the sudden, he is coming closer to me; I sit up.

Now, I’m wide awake — his head is so close to mine that I can feel his controlled breathing. Holmes certainly doesn’t feel mine, for it had stopped completely at some unknown point, out of some feeling I couldn’t acknowledge without it becoming too evident.

I take in his face, his smell, his heat: no one would look at him from a distance and think Holmes a man of such comforting ways. As little as his sole presence was enough so that you could relax and feel like yourself again. This man really is majestic.

“John.” The sound of my first name stopped me on my tracks; Holmes never used it, as did the costume go. “Would you be afraid,” he whispered, “to sleep in the same bed of a lunatic, a man with a softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?”

This could have so many implications, so many ways to interpret it, but no matter what sense I made of it, there was only one answer. “Not in the least,” I said with some difficulty, regaining the breath I had lost before. “Sherlock, I'd never leave you.” That, I turned to regret just after it came out of my lips — too revealing.

“Ah, that's lucky,” was the last thing any one of us uttered that night. Maybe both of us were afraid of what could come out of further conversation. I, certainly, was.

In the most absolute silence — Holmes had this kind of disturbing ability to do little to no noise — and in almost pure darkness, he started undressing himself slowly, until only the boxers remained. This inn of ours, see, had the worst bathrooms any of us had ever seen (and that says a lot, considering that we both had our fair share of doubtful stayings), which made changing inside them virtually impossible.

That meant we had to change in the room, something that wasn’t really a problem before, since we made the effort to be alone while doing so. But now, I deduced, it was too late at night. And we were tired. And we weren’t seeing much because of the darkness. And we were friends, for god’s sake! Two men, just that. Partners, only at work.

A nightgown was put over his long body. I turned my face towards the wall: allowing myself to such temptation was not an option. To Holmes, probably, this was an act done with no ulterior motives, but to me, oh, to me, it was torture! A display of everything I could never dream to have, right in front of my nose. Sherlock seemed embarrassed too; the whole ordeal was done quickly, and I am grateful, for if it was to go on for longer still, I would bear it no more.

The bed was a double one, but still rather small. I’d suggested that I sleep on the floor, but Holmes refused, claiming that the hard floor would cause my shoulder to hurt. Then, he said he’d do it instead, but I also didn’t let him. We had stared at each other for some seconds, before going back to whatever we had been doing before; the decision was made, and there was little to do but accept it.

The candle was unlit: we were now in complete darkness.

A newly-familiar weight settled just beside me on the bed, moving the covers until they covered us nicely. The atmosphere was cold, but in this old small place — full of cracks and pests and whatnot, the air dusty with misuse — I felt more than sufficiently warm. Comfortable. Cosy. Holmes' knees gently touched my sides, and somehow his hand ended up close to my arm, knuckles barely touching my bare skin; I dared not to move.

When I woke up, Holmes was closer, much like we gravitated towards each other during the night: just enough that I could feel his breath on my shoulder, his hand laying limp on my chest and moving with the rise and fall of it. It was impossible to say which one of us did it. Maybe both.

Laying very still, should I wake him up, I admired the mess of strands that was Holmes' hair. Dark and flowy, they framed his face nicely as if each one of them were just meant to be there.

I dared to push a loc off of his eyes. At that, they opened, causing me great panic — which I would not dare to show — grey irises barely visible before closing again in a lazy motion. Holmes' slumber is light, I should've remembered. The palm of his hand stiffened and was swiftly removed from where it laid.

Minutes later, the detective jumped off the bed and went on to his day, like nothing ever happened this last night. I accompanied him, as I always do, and it was a great day with great discoveries, as it always is with him. But I would not let it be.

I got in the room first; Holmes had gone on another errand I'd never hear the resolution. Sat upon the bedsheets, I awaited his presence in uncontained anxiety, mind trying to make sense of what I had heard yesterday. What had he meant with it? My thoughts kept turning to improbable possibilities, which I quickly shut down, only for them to arise, once again, minutes later — things that were but figments of my fierce imagination. Images of bare shoulders, parted lips and thin hands aroused my mindscape at every opportunity; this man, Holmes, tested all and every one of my limits without even knowing he was doing so.

After what seemed an eternity, Holmes' figure entered the room with an unprecedented heaviness. Living with the detective had its advantages: since staying at Baker Street, I had become more observant, and did as much as picking up some skills from him. As my heart raced, I looked up and saw his face go through a plethora of emotions when spotting me, like his did the very same. “Are we not discussing what you said yesterday? At night.” I said, words hard to find in an aching throat.

Holmes gave a violent start. “I did not mean anything by it, for I didn't think before talking.” The detective finished his point with the clink of metal on wood, putting down the candle he held with force. It almost went out. “It's best you forget it ever happened, Watson.”

“No, we are not letting this pass. Holmes, hear me. No one says something like this with no end in mind. You must be aware I'm here for you. Always. Forever.”

“Do not press your head to this matter, Watson. It isn't worth your time.”

“Was it about the way I write your character in The Strand? I do not think you of any bad. I am not leaving you, no matter which kind of insane you must think you are. What would be so dire that it’d make me flee?”

“Please, John.”

“It's only for the public! You know that. You've said it yourself: I romanticise everything, see facts that aren't there; make up thoughts I didn’t have. Omit the ones I have, even!”

There was a pause; silence. Silence, only in words, for his mind seemed ever so active, and he made it as to go away, exit the room more than once, never going through the action of fully turning around. Holmes’ lips parted a few times before he was able to direct his speech at me again.

“It's not that, Watson.” A pause. “It is that I am no normal person. Should anyone see me as myself, I would be promptly dead, and my reputation, ruined. You needn't have any more preoccupation than what you already have with this case.” At that, Holmes turned his head around to face anything but me.

“Then I don't know what to think anymore. Is this what you want of me? Confusion?” My voice cracked in distress. I didn't notice when I had gotten up, nor when I’d placed myself so close to Holmes’ figure. The candle flickered, encasing him in periods of light and shadow; but never taking away those eyes, that mouth, that nose, all features as though they were sculpted by the most skillful of artists.

“No! It is, John, that you matter so much to me, that you make me sick of the heart, of the brain and of the body.” That forced a breath out of my ribcage; my mind raced with no ending line.

“I… what?”

Holmes seemed physically struck with the realisation of what he had really professed, the gravity of his words. For a man whose whole ordeal was calculating the possibilities — the words — before doing — saying — anything, he sure did look surprised by his own self, eyes darting all over me in a panicked frenzy: deducing what I would say or do next. Holmes had told me, before, that I was one of the few people he couldn’t read all that easily. That made me interesting, according to him.

What I would say next was, indeed, a good question. I, myself, had no idea what to think. Blood pumped through my veins quickly, and I felt hot all over — had Holmes meant what I thought he did? I took one, two steps closer to Holmes' figure; our hands brushed slightly, sending chills down my spine. “Sherlock.”

Holmes backed away slightly from me. “This is wrong,” he warned in a sorrowful tone, much like he mourned something that could never be his. Something I also did for the longest while, since meeting the detective; discovering we both felt the same agony, over the same problem, was positively soothing.

I glanced at Holmes lips — thin, but almost welcoming, as if they were meant to meet mine. “I know.”

“You're staying?”

I placed both hands on Holmes’ clothed chest; it rose and fell erratically, almost in synchrony with the beating of the heart that lay inside it. Mine must’ve been doing the same.

“Only if you want me to.”

Holmes’ lithe hands moved to cover my own, holding them tight. We were close, closer than we had ever been, as the detective inched forward and did what I had yearned for so long: our lips met and gave way to a chaste kiss, leaving me breathless and desperate for more.

“Oh, I surely do,” Holmes answered before pressing his lips against me again, this time more passionate. I let mine part, allowing his tongue to slip inside, and kissed back. It was better than anything I could ever imagine, heat surging deep in my body as we moved in unison.

That night, we went to bed early, but not to sleep.

[thalialunacy]

[for the @calaisreno May Promptasmagorah; cw for schmoop like whoa.]

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) 22: (k)night (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31)

John, for a split-second, thinks he's hallucinating. He's knackered to the point of swaying on his feet from a double shift followed by-- because apparently he'd been a bastard in a past life-- a bloody 'morale building' staff meeting that had made him want to gouge his eyes out.

Alright, he also might be a bastard in this life. But the point is, he hears Sherlock's voice despite there being no Sherlock in the room.

'Ibn is a rather naughty horse, isn't he?'

The sound is tinny but discernible, and John fwumps down into his chair to eye the baby monitor. The camera is aimed at Rosie's cot, of course, so it's mostly Sherlock's shoulder as he leans over with a book. John's tired brain flips through the rolodex of bedtime stories until it hits upon the one with a big white horse named, of all things, Ibn Rafferty.

'But he is fun to ride, and nice to everyone while being ridden.'

He hears Sherlock pause. 'Do you know, Rosamund, that's arguably the first definition of chivalry.'

John blinks. Not where he'd thought that was going, but all right.

'The word "chivalry" is derived from the Old French term "chevalerie,"' Sherlock continues. 'And it was meant to describe soldiers who fought on horseback.'

John snorts. His daughter is brilliant, obviously, but there's not a chance in hell she's understanding this. Unless Sherlock is drawing some truly impressive illustrations off-camera. Which, he supposes, is disturbingly plausible.

'These soldiers became standards of good behaviour, you see. On a horse, you're much taller than everyone else, aren't you? And horses can kick, or be otherwise very rude. So, the guideline for chivalry became, essentially, don't be rude to people who don't have a horse.'

'Don't be rude,' Rosie echoes, and John supposes that's what he'd want her to get out of this lesson, really.

But Sherlock's not finished. 'It had many iterations, of course, but eventually became a ritualised outlook on romantic love.'

John's brows shoot up. He'd've thought this subject to be one Sherlock would delete. Courtly love will likely never solve him a case, after all.

'One of the rituals, for example, was the High Minnie.'

Rosie is interested enough to ask through a yawn: 'Minnie Mouse?'

Sherlock chuckles. 'No, m-i-n-n-e. German. "Hohe Minne" colloquially means "high love."'

Yeah, clearly Sherlock is aware John can hear him. Even he's not going to use the word "colloquially" for the benefit of a toddler.

'It's when a knight-- the person on the horse-- goes through a series of trials to prove their love to someone. For instance, being willing to sacrifice themself to save the person they love. Making a long journey fraught with peril and hurt. Taking on a mighty monster.'

John's tired old heart clenches in his chest. Sherlock knows he's listening, all right.

'Now,' the detective continues, 'in the stories, after all these trials fail to win their beloved's heart, the knight finally accepts that their love is unrequited.'

He pauses. Rosie, John can see in the monitor, is languid with sleep, caught by Sherlock's rich voice and about to go under.

'And when love is unrequited, it can hurt very badly. But the knight knows those sacrifices were worth it, in the end, regardless. Because that's simply what love is, sometimes.'

John rubs absently at his chest. It's too much, he's so tired and so in love that it's almost too much.

On the monitor, Rosie's little brows seem to scrunch together, and she moves, rolls a little towards Sherlock. Who chuckles, wry but warm, as he rubs her tummy. 'It's alright, little bumble. Sometimes the knight does get their love, in the end. And it's the best reward in the world.' The shape of him on the screen leans in and kisses Rosie softly. 'Especially when it comes with little girls named Watson.'

John finds he has to look away from the monitor. His eyes are stinging, and now it's not just from exhaustion.

'You're a menace, Sherlock Holmes,' he calls quietly as he hears the stairs creak faithfully under Sherlock's socked feet.

'I know,' the detective says as he crosses the room. He leans on the arms of John's chair and kisses him briefly, their mouths clinging. 'But you found me worthy, in the end.'

'In the end, in the beginning, in the middle,' John counters. Sherlock raises an eyebrow. 'Alright,' John concedes. 'Maybe not in the middle, there, for a bit.' His smile is slow but genuine. 'But you prove yourself with every nappy, every boring case, every time you think before you throw yourself to the wolves.'

'I do try,' Sherlock deflects, his skin heating up. They've both about reached their limit for sentiment for the evening, John thinks.

'Then shut up and try this, you bastard.' And he pulls Sherlock down once more.

[❤️]

[I did mediaeval re-creation for 15 years, so this is where my brain went when I saw the prompt. The book Sherlock's reading from is 'Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm' by Alice & Martin Provensen. I learned of hohe minne in Leverage 4x15, 'The Lonely Hearts Job.']

[shall-we-die]

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{Love Confession}

How would they confess to their s/o?

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↬[Fandom]•⊰ {Moriarty the Patriot}࿐

↬[Warnings]•⊰ {None}࿐

☰[Main list]•⊰ ────┈┈{0047}┈─╮

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╰┈➤Likes/Reblogs are appreciated࿐

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↬|Wlliam|

• When William confesses his feelings to his s/o, he will probably do it in a very direct, matter-of-fact way.

• He might not even use the word "love" and instead just explain how much he values them and cares for them.

• He might also be very honest and admit that he finds them physically attractive.

• He won't be overly dramatic or make it a big deal; he'll just calmly express his feelings for them.

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↬|Albert|

• Albert would confess his love for his s/o through a big, romantic gesture.

• He would plan an elaborate and romantic date, filled with flowers, a nice dinner, and even a fancy box filled with chocolates and presents.

• At some point during the dinner, he would confess his love for his s/o and tell them how they were the one person who made his whole world.

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↬|Louis|

• Louis is shy and introverted when it comes to discussing his feelings.

• He would likely be hesitant to confess to the person he loves, as he feels embarrassed and afraid of being rejected.

• However, if he were to take the plunge and confess, he would likely do so via a handwritten letter explaining how he feels, while also including a small, thoughtful gift.

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↬|Sebastian|

• Sebastian would confess to his s/o in a romantic setting. He might take them to a special place, like a secluded garden or a scenic overlook, and there he would pour his heart out to them.

• He would tell them how much he cares for them, and how much they mean to him.

• He would also express how he sees a future together with them.

• Sebastian would be sincere and emotional in his confession, and would hope that his s/o would reciprocate his feelings.

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↬|Sherlock|

• Sherlock would likely create some grand and elaborate scheme involving mystery, intrigue, and adventure in order to reveal to his s/o that he is in love with them.

• He would use his genius deductive abilities and skills of observation in order to discover the thing that his s/o desires the most, and then create a perfect and personal confession.

• Sherlock would likely use a combination of logic and emotion in order to convey his feelings to his s/o, explaining why he has feelings for them while also using his words to paint a picture of how much he admires and cares for them.

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↬|John|

• John would likely stumble and stammer over his words in an adorable way when confessing to his partner.

• He would probably start by saying something like "Listen, I know we don't talk about our feelings much, but I have something to tell you that I've been meaning to say for a while... I think I love you."

• And as he waits for a response, he would likely wring his hands together in a nervous mess, occasionally stealing a glance at his lover to see if his feelings have been reciprocated.

||[��ove Confession]||

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