I've recently been back in my Sherlock phase so here are a couple of (more or less known) fics that I really liked!
Hello You by @weeesi [21k / T / Different First Meeting / Humor]
John kind of can’t believe he’s doing this and kind of can’t imagine doing anything else. He dips his head, heart pounding.
So funny and awkward and immersive all at once. A real gem for all the fans of Different First Meeting AUs, and those who are yet to discover their joys.
Three Impossible Things by @snowfilly1 [6k / M / Magical Realism / Angst]
John Watson is a telepath. John Watson is a telepath and all he hears is I love you.
Heartbreaking and tender; will absolutely leave you in a mushy melted state, clutching at your phone - as all the best fics aim to do.
Missing the (Fixed) Point by @discordantwords [8k / T / Different First Meeting / Humor]
John doesn't know Sherlock. Sherlock doesn't know John. The universe is not so easily dissuaded. Or, five times Sherlock interrupted John's plans, and one time John interrupted his.
The tastiest morsel with the most genuinely perfect Johnlock dynamic around - had me kicking my feet in glee! Also, is it obvious this is one of my favourite tags on AO3?
Could Be Dangerous and the sequel Unintended Consequences by @breath4soul [57k / E / Canon slightly to the left - BAMF!Johnlock]
Ex-soldier John Watson knew from the very first moment he met the tall, dark haired stranger that this could be dangerous. He soon finds himself drawn into the enigmatic man's gravitational pull as the threat and mystery keeps increasing.
This had me hooked from the very first chapter! If you're a fan of reimaginings and what-ifs this is the one for you - thrilling and gleeful and tense in all the best ways.
Breathe by @lololollywrites [9k / T / HLV Fix-it / Angst]
In which Sherlock's death is announced a bit... prematurely in HLV. Things spiral from there.
I noticed I have a bit of a thing for loved-one-stuck-in-the-waiting-room fics and this one is just so so good! John is so concerned and frantic and paranoid and there's really nothing more delicious than that!
Waiting for Godot by @raina-at [26k / E / S3 Fix-it / Hurt/Comfort]
Try. Fail. Try again. Fail better. Sherlock came back from his time Away a changed man, a better man. With John's marriage collapsing in Magnussen's penthouse, can both men put what they've learned into action to finally move forward?
There is a certain genre of things you reach for when you want to feel something, when you want quiet rumination and a slow-burn in just the right size to swallow it whole. I read this in one sitting and it sat in my stomach the whole afternoon.
Tattered by @srebrnafh [16k / M / Wingfic / Hurt/Comfort]
John visits Baker Street without any warning and gets an eyeful.
This fic feels like a warm hug! The best hurt/comfort fics feel as if you yourself have been hurt and are now comforted by the words, and this one is definitely like that. Quiet and sweet - self-indulgent like a warm cup of tea.
Unthinkable by @bakertumblings [45k / T / Post-canon / Hurt/Comfort]
When Rosie is injured in a motor vehicle accident, John and Sherlock navigate a crisis that changes things.
This fic has me in a chokehold! Possibly the most underrated fic on this list because to me it has 20k kudos. There's a very frantic energy about this fic but also when I read it, I felt like the time slowed down. Every movement, every touch in this fic felt dialed up to eleven in its intensity. Perfectly domestic, perfectly clued-in. Both a character study and a getting-together. Just 10/10. Perfection!
Kaleidoscope by @totallysilvergirl [61k / E / S3 Fix-it / Angst]
While Sherlock’s recovering from being shot, John has to work out what the hell happened. Why did Mary turn up in his clinic in the first place? Why is Sherlock lying about her “surgical” shot? Why is Mycroft protecting Magnussen? For that matter, what's to be done about Magnussen? Since John can’t trust any of them to tell him the truth, he’ll have to play them all against each other.
Addictive! I'm a sucker for multiple POVs, limited POVs, playing with the reader's perceptions and all that and this fic takes you on such a ride that you come out of it dizzy and itching for more! An amazing exploration full of tension and high stakes and great characterisation - a must read!
The Adventures of a Single Girl in London (Plus a Consulting Detective) by @earlgreytea68 [33k / M / HLV Fix-it, POV Outsider]
Sherlock Holmes keeps choosing flatmates who fancy themselves to be bloggers.
I feel like I'm the last person to read this, but if you haven't already I highly recommend it! Janine is such a fun character in this and this fic does an amazing job of playing around with late S3 plot with seriousness needed to write a good Fix-it while also keeping up the levity that makes fics about Sherlock's friendships such a joy to read. Loved it!
I'm still totally devouring every Sherlock fic that's been on my TBR for ages, so I'll try to keep up this reccing business because there's never enough recs in any fandom and our dear writers deserve to have a million people hear us shouting about their amazing works!
So, until next time, happy reading!
