#dark!sherlock

Alternate Universe/Crossovers

Performance in a Leading Role - madlori

Explicit. 156,714 words. 21 chapters.

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

A Moment’s Surrender - anchors

Mature. 64,272 words. 10 chapters. 

Sherlock tours worldwide with the English National Ballet. John dances the Lindy Hop competitively all across the globe. That they would meet, then, by the slimmest of chances in one lonely city, is pure coincidence. The whole 'dancing together' bit is a little more planned. Dancer!AU.

Love or What You Will - miss_frankenstein

Teen and Up. 31,987 words. 11 chapters.

John is an English professor who specializes in War and Post-War Literature and Sherlock is the brilliant yet impossible Ph.D. student assigned to be his TA because no one in the Chemistry Department is willing to put up with him. And - somewhere between Waugh and Plath, e-mails and takeaway, novels and villanelles - they fall in love.

Two Two One Bravo Baker - abudantlyqueer

Explicit. 114,574 words. 27 chapters. 

Captain John Watson of 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, is assigned to protect and assist Sherlock Holmes as he investigates what appears to be a simple war atrocity in Afghanistan. An intense attraction ignites between the two men as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve ever known, but Sherlock is as much hunted as hunter, and everyone close to him is in deadly danger. Can he solve the case in time to save himself and John?

The Jewel in the Tower - PoppyAlexander

Explicit. 207,079 words. 39 chapters.

"Xie [...] had invented an entire pleasure-industry by combining superior visual aesthetics with impeccable personal attention. Drasha salons were by that time a feature of any even half-decent house of repose in every pleasure district in the British Isles, but once upon a time, when Xie debuted, there had been only one, and Xie had named it: the Icehouse."

* In a contemporary dystopia, Unity is peace--despite the fact unsanctioned information, illicit currency, and every sort of danger flows unchecked in the world's pleasure districts.

John Watson, a weary hired gun, is assigned by the mysterious Mentor to investigate a subversive element lurking in the Icehouse, the world's most famous House of Repose. As accustomed as he is to dealing with the unexpected, John is nevertheless woefully unprepared to meet the gem of the Ice house, Xie, the world renowned "drashaskaya," the living work of art after which all other drashas are modeled.

In sumptuous suites, amid trailing puddles of silk and fervent whispers in the night, John soon learns that nothing is as it seems in the floating world of London's pleasure district. *

Modern-day dystopian/one-world government/espionage/geisha!lock AU

The Loss of Flesh and Soul - deuxexmycroft

Explicit. 60,000+ words. Unfinished.

Five years after John Watson puts the murderous Sherlock Holmes behind bars, a vicious copycat killer emerges. A reluctant John is pulled out of retirement to seek the expertise of the only man who can help, a man who has developed an unsettling obsession with John himself.

Crossover with Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs

Simplyclockwork note: Not fully finished, but an alternative ending was posted. Still worth reading without a full ending.

I wake up and I wake up and you’re still dead - thisprettywren (memento/Sherlock crossover)

Mature. 24,226 words. One-shot.

Sherlock isn't the only one who's lost.

The Sinking of the Titanic: Sixty Years Later - flawedamythyst

Teen and Up. 15,340 words. One-shot. 

John Watson is interviewed for a documentary being made for the sixtieth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The story he tells is not the one the interviewer was expecting.

The Bachelors’ Handfasting - Jberry

Explicit. 30,624 words. 20 chapters.

After her son is caught in a compromising position, Victoria Holmes must make arrangements for a quick marriage between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

Simplyclockwork note: Kilt!Lock and Soft Bab Sherlock (but of age)

Just to Hold You Close - sussexbound

Explicit. 70,841 words. 18 chapters. 

When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

Summit Fever - J_Baillier

Mature. 78,867 words. 18 chapters. 

After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he's a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover's trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I — the most lethal of all the world's highest mountains — shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

The Last Companion - standbygo

Explicit. 34,101 words. 14 chapters.

Thirty years after the Miranda Wars, there is peace, both on the Rim and the Core planets. There are a number of old social mores still in place, such as the Order of Companions, but there is a sense that even such respected practices are coming to an end…

Sherlock is a Companion - the best Companion on Persephone. With a bit of detective work on the side, of course. Then he meets a man named John Watson, encounters a series of bizarre cases, and finds his world is getting turned upside down.

Simplyclockwork note: Sherlock/Firefly AU!

Out There - DiscordantWords

Teen and up. 131,695 words. 10 chapters.

FBI Special Agent John Watson, medical doctor and army veteran, is assigned to assist eccentric genius Sherlock Holmes with paranormal investigations on the X-Files project.

This is a fusion with The X-Files, written for the Fall TV Season Challenge.

Say You’ll Stay With Me - justacookieofacumberbatch (buffyholic)

Explicit. 63,349 words. 21 chapters.

It was just supposed to be an ordinary business trip, but when John's car stalls out on Hollywood Boulevard, he meets someone who just might change his life.

Simplyclockwork note: Pretty Woman/Sherlock AU.

Gimme Shelter - SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John

Explicit. 159,368 words. 21 chapters.

All John Watson wants is the feeling of a freshly waxed surfboard under his feet and the hot California sun baking down onto his back. To finally go pro in the newly formed world of professional surfing and leave the dark memories of his past behind him as he rips across the face of a towering blue barrel. To lounge beside the beach bonfire every evening with an ice cold beer tucked into the cool sand beside him and listen to Pink Floyd and the Doors while the saltwater dries in his sun bleached hair.

That's all he wants, that is, until the hot young phenom taking Oahu and the Hawaiian shores by storm steps up next to him in the sand in the second round of the 1976 International Surf Competition.

Apokalypsis - songlin

Mature. 12,125 words. 4 chapters.

There were things I never told you because I thought we had time. There is no time left in the world anymore.

Sensory Science - sussexbound

Explicit. 80,017 words. 24 chapters. 

John Watson has been invalided home from Afghanistan and is struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD and insomnia, when an old friend from med school recommends something that might help: An ASMR YouTube Channel run by a friend.

One session in and John is hooked, not only by the way the ASMR seems to calm him after nightmares, and help him sleep, but also by the mysterious man who runs it.

Comparative Literature is for Idiots - lookupkate

Explicit. 8,173 words. 4 chapters.

Sherlock thinks he's very bohemian, smoking cigarettes and wearing patchouli oil and writing poetry in the attic. In truth he's just your average seventeen year old, not showering enough and being hit particularly hard by his continued path through puberty.

John is getting his masters in literature. He's the TA for comparative literature and yearns for romance. Romance has other plans, plans that require him to go without for at least ten more years. Plans that put in front of him the exact man he'll finally fall in love with, but in boy form.

When Sherlock happens to see John reading poetry at a coffee shop he is immediately smitten. John holds him at arm's length because he's a bloody child.

How will ten years and miles apart change that view, and will John be able to understand how he's fallen in love with someone he doesn't ever get to see?

Stay tuned for puberty hi jinx and the passing of time to find out. And yes, there will be love.

An Everlasting Inferno - thatawkwardfriend

Explicit. 108,389 words. 15 chapters.

Sherlock and John are both men who operate outside the law. John works for Mary and her hitmen in order to keep a roof over his head. Sherlock does anything his drug dealer asks of him in exchange for free drugs and housing.

They meet one night in a darkened garage to negotiate a deal. But they soon find out that neither of their bosses are being entirely honest with them about their goals or motives. With a little poking around, they stumble upon something much bigger than themselves and discover that perhaps, it might be in their best interests to work together.

(Loosely inspired by StartUp and Little Favour)

Only To Be With You - SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John

Mature. 40,768 words. 4 chapters.

I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black.

I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

You Give Me Fever - michi_thekiller

Explicit. 16,122 words. One-shot.

Thou givest fever when we kisseth, fever with thy flaming youth Fever I'm afire; fever, yea, I burn forsooth "He's the kind of boy you want to take apart."

Gratuitous Greaserlock. It's essentially 16k of mostly-porn. Warnings for underage sex between teens.

OmegaVerse

The Gilded Cage - BeautifulFiction

Explicit. 326,887 words. 31 chapters.

In a world where Omegas are the property of the elite Alphas, locked away and treasured by those wealthy enough to buy them, John never questioned his flatmate's secondary gender. Sherlock Holmes was an Alpha through-and through.

Wasn't he?

A chance discovery turns the world on its head, and John is left grappling to come to terms with Sherlock's past as events conspire to threaten their future.

Relative Incandescence - orphan_account

Explicit. 35,486 words. One-shot. 

Two musical notes: Every parrot and every construction worker knows them. Shrill and salacious, so Sherlock will remember: You are on display. It’s supposed to be a compliment. Supposed to make him feel good, that they have laboured to remind him.

It makes him feel like a package of meat, set down into the cooler, raw and waiting to eaten.

Supernatural/Fantasy/Magical Realism

Graceless - Belladonna_Q

Mature. 1,296 words. One-shot.

He spins and throws blindly, and another soft whump, that comforting scent of home vaporizing before him. A single raven coloured feather seasaws through the air.

“God damn you, Sherlock!” He shouts, he screams, and there’s nothing in the space he can strike. Nothing he can grab and heave into the darkness.

Beneath the Silver Moon - SailorChibi

Explicit. 85, 993 words. 73 chapters. 

After being bitten in Afghanistan, John was invalided home. Being a werewolf was new to him, and he wasn't interested in any of the help or orientation that the Centre had to offer, but even his wolf knew better than to enter territory that had been marked. Until his first outside change, when he met a strange alpha wolf that wanted John to follow it home into pack territory. John's initial refusal became a challenge for the curious alpha... one Sherlock Holmes.

All Things Inherit - BeautifulFiction (@the-pen-pot​)

Explicit. 53,682 words. 6 chapters. 

"For John, it's not a bullet that throws his existence into disarray – it's a bite."

In a world where twelve percent of the population are Mactiri - people with the ability to turn into wolves at will - John finds himself struggling with a new and horrifying existence. The victim of a shocking attack, he is discharged from the army and sent home, determined never to acknowledge what he can now become.

However, when his health starts to fail, it is up to his enigmatic new flatmate to show him that perhaps his life is not the nightmare John believes it to be.

Inexplicable - emmagrant01

Explicit. 34,664 words. 6 chapters.

So what was in that matchbox, anyway? John and Sherlock find out, the hard way.

Simplyclockwork note: this fic ripped my heart out in the best way.

Riptide Lover - jinglebell

Explicit. 114,090 words. 20 chapters.

The year is 1866. When John becomes swept overboard, he never expects to encounter a living creature of myth. When the merman absconds with John, the lost sailor must use every tool at his disposal to convince Sherlock not to kill him. But it seems that killing John Watson is not what the deadly, beautiful creature has in mind at all...

Victorian mermaid AU. Heed the tags. Complete!

John Watson’s Moon - patternofdefiance

Explicit. 11,314 words. One-shot

“You’ll let me see it, of course.”

It takes John no time at all to realize what is being asked, to stiffen with indignation, but he asks, “See what?” nonetheless.

The look those grey-green eyes level at him says please don’t actually be that stupid far more eloquently than should be possible. “You are loup garou, recently infected under traumatic circumstances and subsequently discharged from military service, most likely from a post in Afghanistan or Iraq. Your wounds would have healed with the passing of the initial fever, so whatever lingering effects you are suffering are likely psychosomatic – and severe enough to bar you from the one occupation where being a ruthless hunter is seen as a qualification rather than a detriment.” Those eyes flick back up from their cataloguing of John’s limbs and body to meet his eyes. “When I say you’ll let me see it, I am then, of course, referring to your wolf form.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Potential flatmates should know the worst about one another.”

Hellfire - PrettyArbitrary

Teen and up. 2,966 words. One-shot.

John learns, with clawing, bloody slowness, how to fend for himself. He learns the capacity to love wasn’t taken from him, or the need for it. He learns what it is to starve. To need things that aren’t given to him.

A prequel to Graceless.

Full Moon - sommerprosson

Explicit. 5,151 words. One-shot.

Sherlock rather wishes the man hadn’t woken. Now, he has to talk to him before he bites his throat during the night.

Tedious.

The Curious Wine - songlin

Explicit. 15,095 words. 8 chapters.

"I want to watch you kill, because I want to see you lose that tiresome battle against your baser instincts. I want to drink from you, enough that you go weak and breathless and can’t stand properly, but I don’t want to kill you, because then you’ll be gone and the thought of never being surprised by you ever again makes me want to go naked into the sunlight and wait until it burns me into ash."

Blue Blood - You_Light_The_Sky

Teen and up. 963 words. One-shot.

"I know you're here," John shouts into the darkness.

The Autumn Moon is Bright - barrowjane

Mature. 23,935words. 3 chapters.

John has two secrets he keeps from Sherlock - he manages this, he thinks, only because Sherlock would find the idea that John is attracted to him just as unlikely as the idea of John being a werewolf. He's not sure what it says about his life, that love and lycanthropy are considered equally impossible events.

The Stars Move Still - BeautifulFiction (@the-pen-pot​)

Explicit. 96,022 words. 5 chapters.

"What could I want so desperately that would make me sell my soul? What could possibly compel me to surrender the part of myself that makes me who I am: the source of my magic, my self-control, everything?"

Say That Again, But In English This Time - janonny

Explicit. 15,842 words. One-shot. 

Lestrade was calling about a new murder, Sherlock was acting strange even for a consulting detective-werewolf, and John was missing blood from the fridge. Just another day in John’s life. (Alternate Universe where Sherlock is a werewolf, and John is a vampire. Everything else is exactly the same.

Darkling, I Listen - You_Light_The_Sky

Teen and up. 73,254 words. 8 chapters.

No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse...

The Bite - Laur

Explicit. 48, 214 words. 16 chapters.

Sherlock gets it wrong.

Days, months, even years in the future, Sherlock’s oversight during the Baskerville case will continue to torment him, but nothing about that night will ever be as painfully vivid as the memory of John’s screams.

This is how it begins.

Dark!Sherlock/Dark!John 

Hollow Hands Cling series - misanthropyray

Explicit. 17,718 words. 2 works.

Written for a prompt on the kinkmeme: "John breaks up with Sherlock and moves out of Baker Street. Hurt, angry, and heartbroken, Sherlock implicates him in a murder."

The Most Dangerous Game - gestalt1/chi-chi-chimaera

Explicit. 26,179 words. One-shot.

Written for a prompt on BBC Sherlock Kink Meme : I'd really like to see some secret!serial-killer!Sherlock, either because he's finally gotten bored of solving regular crimes, or he's been doing this all along and framing other people for it.

Extra Dark!Watson would be much appreciated. Maybe he's just seen so many people killed, and killed himself, that it no longer feels like much to be concerned about.

Skinful Canvas - You_Light_The_Sky

Teen and Up. 9,360 words. One-shot.

A person’s sins gets marked on their skin in such beautiful ways. Sherlock has no such marks and yet his hands are the bloodiest of all. He would so like to mark John in etchings of his own… Serial-Killer!Sherlock

Training Dr. John Watson - angelblack3

Explicit. 57,917 words. 30 chapters.

In this universe, Jim got a hold of Sherlock way before he ever met the ones that were meant to save him. Now, they're happy business partners. Though, according to Jim, Sherlock isn't nearly as happy as he could be. He should find someone like Jim found his dear pet Sebby. Sherlock is skeptical, until he finds an army doctor with a psychosomatic limp in a twisted sense of fate.

Simplyclockwork note: Very, very dark. Rape and non-con. Read the tags! 

Post-Reichenbach

One Day at a Time Series - KeelieThompson1

Mature. 35,137 words. 2 works.

Sherlock always had an influence on John, so when he "dies" and John finds his secret stash of cocaine, one thing leads to another. And John is far too proud to admit just how far he is falling or ask for help. Afterall, who is there left that he can really ask?

The Burning Heart - May_Shepard

Mature. 119,150 words. 21 chapters.

When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men.

Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Quiet Man - ivyblossom

Explicit. 157,369 words. 58 chapters.

"Do you just carry on talking when I'm away?"

Ford - theshopislocal

Mature. 31,744 words. 5 chapters.

He turns back round then and looks down at me, eyes curious. “Your name, W.S.S. Holmes.” That’s not my name. “Is it Walter? Or Wilbur? Maybe something really awful like, er,” he smiles wryly, “Willoughby? Winchester?”

I feel my face go blank as my body numbs over. “Scott,” I say, voice devoid of emotion. “My name is Scott.”

The Imposter - PoppyAlexander

Mature. 9,802 words. One-shot.

Sherlock has been rescued by his brother and is ready to reclaim his life, his work, and--of course--John Watson.

But John Watson let it all slide in the wake of Sherlock Holmes' death and is living on the streets, drinking, dissociated from his previous life and even from his own name.

Sherlock will have to convince him that he really *is* Sherlock Holmes.

Synapses - theshopislocal

Explicit. 52,725 words. 9 chapters.

“Thrice.”

“Yes.”

John blinks. Shakes his head. Blinks again. “Thhhhrice.”

“Yes.”

Is my mouth moving right n- “Thrice in your entire life?”

“Yess, John,” Sherlock growls, hissing like a snake grabbed by the tail. “Thrice, three times, twice more than once and once more than twice, a veritable triptych of onanism. Thrice.”

Of Nightmares and Memories - @annecumberbatch

Not-Rated. 220 words. One-shot.

Stream of consciousness poem of fragmented thoughts after Sherlock leapt to his death and John tries to continue life without him. -------------

I grab at a stranger

Pulling them out of their life

Trying to pull you back into mine

It left me with empty hands

Ten Days - @engazed

Explicit. 137,212 words. 31 chapters. 

Sherlock Holmes has been dead for forty months, and John is at last beginning to live his life again. But just when he believes he might be happy, his world crashes back down around him.

John is named a missing person. Someone is pointing DI Lestrade in the wrong direction. And as the days pass, his situation only grows more dire. It seems like the disappearance of his best friend is the only thing that can bring Sherlock Holmes back from the dead.

Simplyclockwork note: Intense torture and non-con. Read the tags!

Slow Burn/Pining/Unrequited Love

Drawn to Stars - silvergirl

Explicit. 100,000+ words. 56 chapters.

“Romantic entanglement, while fulfilling for other people—” “—would complete you as a human being.”

After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being.

Thermodynamics series - entanglednow 

Teen and Up. 16,300 words. 4 works. 

In which there's no heating and there's a dead owl in Sherlock's bed.

the knife I turn inside myself - polyommatusblues

Explicit. 11,307 words. One-shot.

There are a million parallel universes out there in which Sherlock and John are happy—universes in which Sherlock never jumped, John never married, and things never went to hell. Sherlock knows that this is not one of universes. It could have been, he imagines, but it’s not.

They make do.

Ease Your Way into Occupied Spaces - joolabee

Explicit. 11,091 words. One-shot.

One thing’s certain: this wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen.

The Real Meaning of Idioms - feverishsea

Teen and Up. 21,691 words. 13 chapters.

After two weeks away, John finally texts Sherlock. He doesn't expect Sherlock to respond. He doesn't expect Sherlock to keep texting him. And he really doesn't expect things to spiral out of control so rapidly.

The Symposium - orphan_account

Explicit. 2,542 words. One-shot.

"You're going to regret this," Sherlock manages while John sucks on his neck, "Whatever you're doing, I'm not going to stop you, and you'll regret it." He doesn't want to be that, some guilty secret John carries about. Sherlock might not have much in the way of qualms in general, but he does have some standards.

"I'll just add it to the list then, shall I?" John's voice is rueful, bitter.

White Knight - discordantwords

Mature. 69,840 words. 13 chapters.

Green.

The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience.

Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it.

Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes - ivyblossom

Explicit. 62,006 words. 25 chapters.

“I had,” he said, “come to an entirely erroneous conclusion, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data.”

-- Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band

Angst/Hurt and Comfort/Sick Fics

The Vapor Variant - 88th Parallel (CanadaHolm)

Mature. 72,684 words. 18 chapters. 

They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril.

They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear.

Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”

Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods.

Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

kiss me on the mouth & set me free (but please don’t bite) - crysanthemumsies

Explicit. 18,743 words. 6 chapters.

Five times John got drunk and slept with Sherlock, and the one time Sherlock got drunk and couldn't do the same.

Control, Alt, Delete - MirithGriffin

Explicit. 75,196 words. 28 chapters.

If you could delete everything except what was really important, would you? Sherlock and John explore the question and each other. 

Lacuna - coloredink

Explicit. 15,607 words. One-shot.

God, it must have been terrible, to think that he would never have this again.

Second Waltz - Atiki

Teen and up. 6,685 words. One-shot.

"The night I died, you wished I could wait for you."

The Haunting of 221B Baker Street - earlgreytea68

Mature. 10,388 words. 2 chapters.

In which Sherlock Holmes is a ghost.

Warm Me Up - halloa_what_is_this

General audiences. 5,357 words. One-shot.

For days, it’s like living with a sick toddler craving for attention and entertainment. Sherlock stays close to John the whole time, climbs on top of him or next to him every time he sits or lies down and sleeps with his head buried in his stomach every night.

This Time No (Forgiveness) - AtlinMerrick

Explict. 29,464 words. 11 chapters.

It was Sherlock's fault. It usually is. And though he'll ask forgiveness for what he's done, for the very first time John will say, 'This time no, Sherlock. This time, never.' And maybe, just maybe, John Watson is going to mean it.

Electric Pink Hand Grenade - BeautifulFiction

Explicit. 67,718 words. 13 chapters.

"If Sherlock's brain is a hard drive, then these attacks are an electro-magnetic pulse." Sherlock Holmes does not do anything by half, not even a migraine. It falls to John to witness one of the greatest minds he has ever known tear itself apart, and he must do his best to help Sherlock pick up the pieces.

Already Gone - AnneCumberbatch

Explicit. 3,649 words. 7 chapters.

“Sherlock…” John smoothed Sherlock’s shirt out over his chest. “I’m not a good man. I’m not.” “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit, John.” Sherlock shifted his hands to hold onto John’s shoulders. “I think you give me too much.” “John…” Sherlock ducked his head towards John and stopped, hovering above John’s lips. “Please. Kiss me again.”

Emails from the War Zone - trajektoria

Mature. 1,872 words. One-shot.

John returns to Afghanistan for a month to be an army doctor once again and Sherlock is left alone in the flat. The only contact the men have with each other is via emails. Sometimes it's easier to write something than to tell it face-to-face...

carrying up his morning tea - darcylindbergh

Explicit. 34,504 words. 5 chapters.

His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands - J_Baillier 

Teen and up. 67,085 words. 17 chapters.

John getting injured leads Sherlock on a path of guilt and revelations.

Alone on the Water - Mad_Lori

General Audiences. 7,725 words. One-shot.

Sherlock Holmes never expected to live a long life, but he never imagined that it would end like this.

Simplyclockwork note: This fic has Major Character Death in it.

The Wisteria Tree - SilentAuror

Explicit. 29,773 words. One-shot.

Sherlock wakes up from a month-long coma only to discover that he has no memory of the previous six years to his own shock as well as John's...

Without Words - allonsys_girl

Explicit. 12,492 words. One-shot.

John and Sherlock have been together for six months and Sherlock still hasn't said "I love you". Then John gets hurt, and Sherlock expresses how much John really means to him.

When a Man is Wrong - plantsareneat 

Mature. 70,000+ words. Incomplete. 

After the events of The Lying Detective, John and Sherlock attempt to rebuild their friendship, and John struggles with life as a single father. He discovers he is not fully in control of his anger and behavior, and spirals into depression. Follows John through this dark period, and through the healing process he needs to make both for himself and for Sherlock, who has stood by him throughout.

Author Note: *Trigger Warning: pretty graphic depiction of deep depression and suicidal thoughts, including a (non-successful) attempt. Later part of the story follows a hospitalization and healing process coupled with developing/realized romance. Please take care of yourself, dear reader; if this subject is triggering for you, choose another story!

Simplyclockwork note: incomplete but still actively being worked on I believe, very worth the read even unfinished.

Open Your Eyes - AnneCumberbatch

Mature. 4,385 words. 6 chapters.

Sometimes you don't know what you could have had until you lose it.

Winner of the Fall 2019 #keepjohnlockalivecompetition by sherlockswolmes on Tumblr

The Heart in the Whole - verityburns

Explicit. 101,650 words. 21 chapters.

Events after 'The Great Game' leave Sherlock dependent on his best friend and colleague. But John has a secret of his own...

The Emergency Contact Series - blueink3

Mature. 11,763 words. 2 works.

The first time John Watson’s emergency contact is called is the first time Sherlock Holmes finds out that he has the job.

Rebuilding Rome - SilentAuror

Explicit. 94,000 words. 15 chapters.

When a case unexpectedly forces John to acknowledge some difficult truths about himself and his life, he spirals downward, leaving Sherlock to do his best to rescue him from his own darkness and somehow try to build something new on broken foundations.

Radioactive Trees in a Red Forest - Maribor_Petrichor 

Explicit. 280,226 words. 73 chapters. 

John Watson is what happens when a man can no longer see a reason to go on.

John Watson is what happens when a man starts to let go.

"It is what it is."

John Watson is what happens when what "it is" becomes too much to bear.

This is a story of the life, death, and resurrection of John Hamish Watson.

Sink Like a Stone - pennydreadful

Teen and Up. 4,348 words. One-shot.

After defeating Moriarty at the pool, life isn't quite the same around 221B Baker Street...it's more peaceful. And stranger.

Dissolution: Our Plague Days - PoppyAlexander

Teen and up. 6,663 words. One-shot.

The bees have been dying for years. A mysterious pandemic has the people of Great Britain quarantined and terrified. Sherlock's solved it; now John must save them.

Evidence of Human Life - thesardine 

Explicit. 16,906 words. One-shot.

Sherlock's sanity deteriorates while he and John are stranded on a deserted island.

Canon Divergent/Fix-It Fics

The Internet is Not Just for Porn - cyerus

General Audiences. 1911 words. One-shot.

John is Sherlock's internet boyfriend - from CANADA.

No one thinks he's real.

Nature and Nurture - @earlgreytea68

Mature. 203,273 words. 57 chapters. 

The British Government accidentally clones Sherlock Holmes. Which brings a baby to 221B Baker Street.

Of Course I Forgive You - allonsys_girl

Explicit. 10,735 words. One-shot.

What if things had gone differently on that train car?

The Pieces That Fall to Earth - Itsallfine

Mature. 49,513 words. 84 chapters. 

John and Sherlock have hit rock bottom, but with all their armor stripped away, they can finally speak honestly, seek healing, and find the truths that matter most.

An epistolary post-s4 fix-it fic. Now complete.

The Unfinished Letters - SilentAuror

Explicit. 37,391 words. One-shot.

A fire at Baker Street leads John to read something he was never intended to see: a notebook of half-written, unfinished letters Sherlock wrote during his time away...

Don’t Leave Anything Out - lookupkate

Explicit. 27,422 words. 24 Chapters.

The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock's hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not.

What do you do when you find out the person you're in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are?

What do you do when you're the one who lied?

How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

Equilibrium - augustbird

Mature. 12,351 words. One-shot.

At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself. Flowers for Algernon fusion.

He’s Not Paid Enough to Deal With This Shit - janonny

Teen and Up. 9,829 words. One-shot.

One of the first things John did was to write up step-by-step instructions on how to conduct a proper job interview before handing it over to Mycroft for his perusal. There were no kidnapping, deserted car parks or stolen therapy notes anywhere on that list.

(Or the one where John returned from the war and ended up working for Mycroft as his personal assistant slash doctor on retainer. Everything was fine, until he was sent to post bail for one Sherlock Holmes.

Play for Me - orphan_account

Explicit. 6,105 words. One-shot.

"John had shown up at Baker Street only one day prior, an army duffle slung over his shoulder, the expression on his face like a cracked and ruptured fault line. Sherlock stood aside, holding open the door, and let John ascend the stairs in silence, asking nothing of Mary, asking nothing at all."

The Bee Charmer - dreadpiratewatson

Mature. 3,314 words. One-shot.

Greg goes to 221B to check up on Sherlock after a strange phone call pulls him away from an important case, and is stunned to find himself in front of a gun brandishing soldier with a sleeping Sherlock on his chest.

John Watson is a doctor, a war hero, a husband, and the only one in the world who can soften Sherlock's heart.

Whisper Game - astudyinrose

Explicit. 11,705 words. One-shot. 

John is on his stag night at a gay club a few weeks before he ships out to Afghanistan…when he meets Sherlock Holmes.

Wild Nights, Wild Nights - cassy1

Mature. 32,047 words. 15 chapters. 

If Sherlock had never met John, would he still be on the side of the angels? On his return from Afghanistan, John takes a job working the night shift at a high secure psychiatric hospital, but when the infamous criminal mastermind Sherlock Holmes is admitted as a patient, John begins to suspect that all is not as it seems.

Gone is My Past - cyerus

Teen and Up. 7,800 words. One-shot

John is an army bomb detection dog who has been turned into a human. Angst. No, really, angst.

Illusory Correlation and Confirmation Bias - VanillaBroompolish

General Audiences. 10,448 words. 6 chapters. 

Looking back, there were a few things that should’ve tipped Greg off long before that night at the pub. A few things Sherlock left fairly obvious, that on reflection, made Greg question how he’d gotten his job in the first place.

Unilock/Teenlock

The Awakening - Popcornjones

Explicit. 34,166 words. 9 chapters.

Sherlock is a University student and he's in trouble - good thing a handsome rugby player comes along...

Unilock with a twist.

Simplyclockwork note: this is a really complex fic. It’s unilock, and canon-divergent, and angst, and there’s brief major character death that isn’t permanent. Read the tags! 

Up to Speed - prettysailorsoldier

Explicit. 13,364 words. One-shot.

John doesn't know what he did to deserve this, but, whatever it takes to atone for it, he is more than willing to try, because, if he has to spend one more second with Sherlock Holmes, he might spontaneously combust. Or strangle him. He's currently undecided.

Feeling Seen - jadztone

Explicit. 30,177 words. 9 chapters. 

Rugby player John is starting over at a new university, with the help of friends Molly and Bill. Few people know that John is demisexual, but ballet dancer Sherlock Holmes deduces right away that he has no interest in sex unless he’s fallen in love. John finds this strange genius intriguing and would like to get to know him, but Sherlock has a self-cultivated reputation for only wanting casual sex. John has reason to believe that’s not really true, but he’s not sure he wants to risk his twice-fractured heart to find out.

Invite Me Over - testosterone_tea 

Explicit. 8,443 words. One-shot.

Sherlock lives in a crappy, run-down flat during his grad studies in chemistry when an attractive med student moves in next door. Unilock.

Happy Little Accidents - weneedtotalkaboutsherlock (Paradoxe1914)

Explicit. WIP. 

John had never really thought about art before the man dropped his dressing gown to the ground. Even then, art took a moment to manifest itself in John's mind, for his thoughts had gone as bare as the model in front of his seat: entirely. 

Transition Game - emmagrant01

Explicit. 33,258 words. One-shot.

Sherlock Holmes is a chemistry grad student and a TA for Dr. Stamford’s Forensic chem course at Greenview State University. One fall semester, John Watson, captain of the hockey team, takes that course. (Unilock + hockey AU)

You’re On the Air - prettysailorsoldier

Mature. 20,616 words. One-shot.

The Consulting Detective and The Woman dominate the airwaves of their university radio station, doling out advice on everything from meeting the parents to sexual positions. When their ratings start to dip before the holidays, however, manager Mike thinks it's time for some fresh blood, and who better to fill in the gaps than rugby captain--and notorious flirt--John Watson?

Let me Touch you (The First Summer) - Shay_Fae

Mature. 18,536 words. 14 chapters.

Seventeen-year-old John is spending the summer at Sherlock's country house. Sherlock can't imagine anything worse.

Especially since he may be falling in love with the boy

Case Fics

Midnight Blue Serenity - Beautiful Fiction

Explicit. 151,907 words. 19 chapters.

“This was like nothing John had ever thought to associate with Sherlock: stubble, skin-tight jeans and three small silver rings gleaming at the crest of one ear. It was unbelievable, like stepping into an alternative universe, and John couldn't stop staring.”

When Sherlock infiltrates a club in order to track down a serial killer, his altered appearance is enough to make John question his assumption that Sherlock is beyond his reach. However, is he the only one who appreciates his flatmate's charms, or is Sherlock at risk of becoming the next victim? (Warning: reviews may contain fic spoilers)

The Thing Is - TSylvestris

Explicit. 56,743 words. 21 chapters.

The problem with living with Sherlock, John thought, was that you never, never, ever knew the significance of anything. Like your flatmate's nose buried in your hair. Whilst you're in bed.

Smut 

To a Tee - lookupkate

Explicit. 15,321. 14 chapters.

Sherlock receives a text from an unknown number. The man is under the impression that he needs a sugar daddy. After careful consideration...well, he could be right.

Coin to Travel Twice - entanglednow

Mature. 1,997 words. One-shot.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone pretending to be dead with such relish before."

Closer - michi_thekiller

Explicit. 8,516 words. One-shot.

You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you You let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you "Sherlock cupped John's face between his trembling hands, the two of them so close together that they shared the same breath. Oxygen and carbon dioxide passed from one set of lungs to another, and he couldn't hear over the pounding of his own heart, and he said, 'I need you.'"

Pentadione, Damascenone, Furanone, Vanillin - peevee

Mature, 2,242 words. One-shot.

Sherlock takes his work very seriously, whatever the job.

Every morning he catalogues. He wants to distill the very scent of John’s skin, his hair, his sweat.

Whisper Game - astudyinrose

Explicit. 11,705 words. One-shot.

John is on his stag night at a gay club a few weeks before he ships out to Afghanistan…when he meets Sherlock Holmes.

Curious Case - Cleo2010

Explicit. 44,653 words. 11 chapters.

After burning his hands, Sherlock's unable to release his 'tension' in the usual manner. Who should he turn to? His totally, completely straight friend and flatmate who's totally not into Sherlock or his boy parts at all. Definitely.

Just a bit of fun that's PWP with a hint of plot, all the way through.

Exquisite - SoftTae

Explicit. 4,755 words. One-shot.

Sherlock and John have been together for a while now, but everytime they get start to get intimate, Sherlock pulls away. What happens when Sherlock stays and John finds out his secret?

Say My Name - mistyzeo

Explicit. 2,611 words. One-shot.

John Watson, my dear partner, faithful friend, eternal confidante, and enthusiastic lover, is the quietest man in bed I have ever known. ACD.

Best of Three - SilentAuror

Explicit. 17,473 words. One-shot.

“You want to have sex with me,” Sherlock announces one evening about a year after John's divorce. John's vigorous denial sparks a three-day wager wherein Sherlock is determined to prove his point, and John is determined to hold onto his heterosexuality. Set well after HLV. (Canon-compliant). PORN. With feels.

Distractions - allonsys_girl

Explicit. 9,677 words. One-shot.

Sherlock's on a stakeout and John's very pretty - distractions ensue

High Voltage - thedeadparrot

Explicit. 2,018 words. One-shot.

John. Sherlock. A gay club.

Not Your Doctor, Not Your Captain - weneedtotalkaboutsherlock 

Explicit. 8,645 words. One-shot.

Daddy Doctor John/Barista Sherlock 

In So Many Words - Mazarin221B

Explicit. 2,613 words. One-shot.

Wine and a post-case high lead to some an interesting conversation and even more of an interesting night.

Oh God, oh God, he should say no, he should, but Sherlock is intense and aroused and John hasn’t been laid in months, too damn busy cocking about with Sherlock and brandishing a weapon with enthusiasm. Oh, fuck it. “Yes. Christ yes,” he says, and the words are lost against Sherlock’s mouth.

In Good Hands - penumbra

Explicit. 1,619 words. One-shot.

John gives Sherlock a hand. 

Nothing ever happens to me - PlainJane

Explicit. 5,575 words. One-shot.

John Watson is a very bored member of the UK Border Agency, assigned to Heathrow. Sherlock Holmes is a very rude passenger who smells pretty interesting to the sniffer dogs. Someone needs to be searched...

I Think It’s A Dare, Johnny - lookupkate

Explicit. 2,110 words. One-shot.

John gets teased by his army buddies on his 40th birthday. They dare him to try to bed a much younger man at the bar. Seeeeeexxxxxxxx.

Best Seat in the House - wendymarlowe

Explicit. 5,014 words. 3 chapters.

AU where John gets a new job bartending at a gay nightclub. He takes the job for the money, but he keeps at it because he loves watching Sherlock dance. Until one night, when Sherlock suggests they make it something rather more.

The Perfect Specimen - Cleo2010

Explicit. 16,066 words. One-shot.

After seeing John undressed for the first time and making certain observations, Sherlock quickly becomes obsessed with a certain body part belonging to his flatmate. This is the story of how that first sighting came to be and the following attempts to learn more. An unashamed masturbation-fest, first person and very detailed. It's rated explicit for a good reason!

Evening Ride - LapisLazuli

Explicit. 8,832 words. One-shot.

John has a series of unexpected meetings with a stranger on the Tube.

Just Browsing - bendingsignpost

Explicit. 3,869 words. One-shot.

“I’m a good kisser,” John says.

Another eye roll. “Everyone thinks that.”

“Everyone? Blimey, someone’s been kissing and telling. Had no idea I was so famous.”

Sandy Toes and Chafed Arseholes - CatieBrie

Mature. 5,506 words. One-shot.

And it all would have gone great, John getting a leg over and Sherlock being the devious whatever it was he was being but they had forgotten one disastrous component of sex on the beach.

The sand.

Or: A cautionary tale against sex on the beach

Perchance to Dream - dorothydonne

Explicit. 7,213 words. One-shot.

Sherlock has been the voyeur to people's dreams for as long as he can remember. It's why he hates sleeping.

That is, until he stumbles into one of John Watson's dreams. Then suddenly sleep isn't so unwelcome.

Fake Relationship(s)

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles An Hour - what_alchemy

Explicit. 30,568 words. 5 chapters.

“You love your mother, Sherlock?”

John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.

“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”

Reunited - write_for_your_life

Teen and up. 10,880 words. 11 chapters.

Sherlock wants to go to his high school reunion, but needs someone to pretend to be his spouse to attend.

His not-so-platonic flatmate is more than happy to play along.

Funny/Crack/Weird

Revolting Resolutions - PatPrecieux

Mature. 2,793 words. One-shot.

Resolutions for the new year are a good thing EXCEPT when Sherlock is the one making them.

Sherlock Discovers Smarter Investing - buttsnax

Explicit. 1,057 words. One-shot.

John is worried about his financial future, and why shouldn't he be? Like millions of others he finds the treacherous landscape of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds overwhelming to navigate. Fortunately for John, Sherlock--with the help of Morgan Stanley Financial Services--is there to show him the way in the only manner he knows how: with his big, throbbing cock.

The Newlywed Game: Johnlock Edition - patternofdefiance

Explicit. 9,020 words. 7 chapters.

What it says on the tin: John and Sherlock pretend to be married in order to be contestants in a Newlywed Game. Of course it's for a case. Of course it doesn't stay that way.

Survey Says - involuntaryorange

General audiences. 9,048 words. 9 chapters.

Sherlock, John, Mycroft, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson wind up competing as a team on Family Feud. Somehow.

Pranking Sherlock - Random_Nexus

General audiences. 600 words. One-shot.

Sherlock's rudeness about interruptions prompts a reprisal from John.

Dear Umbrella - Jberry

Explicit. 13,027 words. 63 chapters.

Mycroft Holmes has a crush on Greg Lestrade, but he thinks it won't be reciprocated. He joins an anonymous dating website. His handle is limo_to_the_prostate. He starts chatting with Umbrella. Not realizing that Umbrella is really Greg Lestrade.

Obvious; Or, Greg Lestrade is Good At Detecting and Has Five Pounds to One That Sherlock and John Will Shag - the_arc5

Teen and up. 2,269 words. One-shot.

Lestrade isn't the reasoning machine Sherlock is, but that doesn't mean he's blind. And it's obvious to him, if nobody else, that a certain dynamic duo could use a nudge in the right direction.

Boat Chase! - shamelessmash

General audiences. 14,347 words. 6 chapters.

Sherlock, John and Lestrade are on a case that lead them to Brooklyn, NY. Reluctantly, Sherlock accepts the 99th precincts offer to help with the legwork.

Welcome to this Sherlock/Brooklyn 99 crossover, where everyone ships Johnlock, and the case doesn't matter.

I Just Had Sex - pennydreadful

Teen and up. 916 words. One-shot.

Sherlock just had sex and he's going to make sure everyone knows.

He Who Watches - buttsnax

Not Rated. 4,272 words. One-shot.

"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)

Simplyclockwork note: this fic is WEIRD, and funny, and dark. 

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things - cyerus

Mature. 5,581 words. One-shot.

The explanation for John "Three Continents" Watson? Jack Harkness is his father.

Sherlock doesn't know whether he's going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

Fluff

Five Times Sherlock Holmes and John Watson Hugged, and One Time They Didn’t - longwhitecoats

Unrated. 2,746 words. One-shot.

They're sitting in the living room one night after finishing their curry takeaway when Sherlock looks up from his violin. "John," he says, "would you come hug me, please?"

Quiet - orphaned_account

Teen and up. 4,026 words. One-shot.

"It all comes down to this. John knows Sherlock. Not in his details but in his entirety."

Bed-Sharing Between Flatmates - testosterone_tea

Teen and Up. 5,053 words. One-shot.

5 times Sherlock had an excuse to share John's bed, and the one time he didn't need one.

subtleties that we are not aware of - belovedmuerto

Teen and up. 1,657 words. One-shot.

The first time Sherlock kisses John; the first (and second) time(s) John kisses Sherlock.

But Love Is A Voice On The Wind - Snow

Mature. 1,832 words. One-shot.

From the prompt: Sherlock keeps getting texts from Mycroft with tips on wooing John.

"Take his arm. MH"/"Tell him about the sugar cubes. MH"/"Let him catch you looking once in a while. MH"

Sherlock resents this (I don't need your HELP, Mycroft), but does them anyway.

Other Pairings & M/M/M

Joltolock

Sherlock Holmes Has Two Soldier Boyfriends Series - greyscalemuse

Explicit. 56,632 words. 8 works.

Sherlock Holmes goes to Afghanistan for a case. He meets John and James for the first time and the sentiment of sparks flying is by far an understatement.

Soldier Sandwich - orphan_account

Explicit. 1,099 words. One-shot.

Joltolock is good and pure and we desperately need more of it!!

Morning Cardio: A Joltolock Workout - Smirkdoctor (orphan_account)

Explicit. 5,324 words. 3 chapters.

What if Sherlock Holmes stumbled onto a boot camp class being taught by the sexy-as-fuck couple of John Watson and James Sholto? And what if they wanted a third, and worked *really* hard to recruit their new student?

Happy Birthday, John - stravanganza 

Explicit. 9,350 words. One-shot.

It's John's birthday. His wife, Mary, has the perfect gift for him. After all, she has always known that his husband isn't 100% straight... So, she set up a fun night for him. "He still didn’t know how he had let Mary convince him to do this, without even speaking to him. Nor did he know how she had found out about his inner desires. But the fact remained that she had, and that she had decided to take advantage of it to ‘surprise’ John. And what a damn surprise it was."

Johnstrade

M/M/M

Self-Service - Calico

Explicit. 9,478 words. One-shot.

Gratuitous porn, remixed as a favour from another fandom's double penetration prompt. Yeah, I'm not sure what the redeeming feature is either...

You: Maybe he shouldn't have asked for the blanket, Sherlock was taking a while to reply and it made him anxious. Shit, he didn't want to make him angry. He was probably going to say no. He chewed on his lip and curled in tighter, maybe it would be better to just die here.. he wondered if Sherlock would even care. He didn't even know what the other man was thinking, he could no longer read him and everything he had previously said all felt like a lie. He had cried too much about the past while being here, he had gone through every emotion and now he just felt numb. He gripped at his trousers and then at his jumper, as if that would help the cold or all these feelings at all but they did. He felt so scared and unsure about how he could get out. He didn't know what he could do to escape and that hurt. He hated all of this, he hated Sherlock more than anything. He wanted to hurt him like he had been hurt, he wished he could just grab him and hit him until he felt better. But he knew that Sherlock wouldn't come anywhere near him, he was never going to be let out, he desperately needed a shower too but ther was no chance of that. Finally, his phone lit up in light of a message and he took in a breathe of relief as Sherlock had agreed to give him one. Thank you, thank you. I really appreciate it. I'm so cold, I can't feel my feet right now. JW

Stranger: Sympathy. Was that what John was trying to get from him now? It had to be, otherwise he wouldn't be complaining about just how cold he really was. Sherlock hated him for such a poor excuse of trying to get him to crack. He hated him even more for the fact that it might actually be /working/ too. He'd known for a while he had gotten too close to Doctor Watson, but this was simply ridiculous. Why should he care just how cold John was? The basic necessities. That was all that John needed. No, that was all that John deserved for that little stunt he pulled. Sherlock couldn't help but wonder if John was doing this to him on purpose. Surely he had to know the effect that he had on him, and here he was trying to take advantage of it! It was like he was taunting him with yet another reminder that not only was he not able to kill him, but he could barely keep him properly kidnapped either. He was half tempted to retract the offer of the blanket just out of spite but eventually thought better of it. Instead, despite his better judgement, Sherlock found himself replying with perhaps the very worst thing he could possibly say to John at the moment. He could barely even type the message out, deleting it only to retype it again several times until finally he forced himself to settle on sending it to him. What else do you need? SH

You: John didn't really know what he was doing, he barely even knew what he was thinking these days, his head was spinning and all he knew is that he wanted to get out of here. He wanted to stop thinking too, he wanted to stop caring about what Sherlock felt and what Sherlock wanted. He had seen the man cutting someone up in their living room, how could he still care about this man? But yet, he couldn't stop it. He wondered if Sherlock felt the same way towards him. The text that he recieved seemed to suggest that maybe Sherlock did feel the same, that he did care.. It took him back a little and he rested his head against the wall as he thought about what he needed. He had a long list of things that he needed but he didn't dare say all of them because he knew it would make Sherlock angry and in order to stay alive, the situation needed to be calm. He no longer knew what Sherlock was capable of. He hadn't even seen the other for a whole month, the image of him was starting to fade a little, it was concerning. A shower? A change of clothes? Some company.. anything. JW

Stranger: Although he hated to admit it, Sherlock felt a rush of anxiety as he waited impatiently for John's response. It had been a ridiculous thing to ask of him and he'd known of it. What did he think he was doing, asking John what he needed? John should just be happy with whatever he was given and grateful that Sherlock was letting him live for now. Honestly, did he even know how much trouble it was keeping him alive? He had to fabricate everything perfectly so that no one would suspect anything amiss with him. Not to mention the fact that he had to keep anyone from going anywhere near 221C, which wasn't particularly difficult to do, but he had been nearly caught going there on at least two separate occasions by Mrs. Hudson. Being this careful was...annoying, to say the very least about it. But he'd convinced himself that it was worth it to keep John alive for the moment. When John finally did reply to him he could feel his heart skip a beat in his chest and he forced himself to swallow down a heavy lump that had formed in his throat. Showers were certainly out of the question, but perhaps he might be able to arrange for a bath if he brought down enough water...though that could only be done while Mrs. Hudson was away, of course. He made a mental note to work out the details for that later...it was a privilege he could consider giving John, at least. A change of clothes could be fairly easily done, even if it wasn't strictly necessary. Possibly once every week or two. But company...? Well. That was what was really sending Sherlock's heart racing. Did John know just how much Sherlock wanted to see him again? Surely he couldn't possibly feel the same way. No. More than likely it was just a plan for escape...but even so, Sherlock found himself struggling to resist the temptation to see him and speak to him face to face again. It was enough to make Sherlock chew his lip in thought, though eventually thought it best to just ignore that request outright for the time being. No showers. Changes of clothes can be provided periodically. SH

You: The reply wasn't reassuring, it had ignored the part at the end.. he was desperate for someone to touch him and that was the worst part. He wanted to be held, to be comforted, he had never gone this long without just seeing someone or touching someone. It was hard, he had always been someone who needed company and to be stripped from it completely was painful. He forced himself up from where he was sittjng and paced the room a little, his hands constantly scratching at his skin and going up to his hair. He had almost forgotten about the text until he saw his phone and he knelt down to grab it again. Okay, thank you. JW He sent the text before he sat back on the floor and tried to think. He just wanted to see Sherlock again, he wasn't even thinking about escaping anymore, his brain had apparently gone of on a completely different tangent that he was no longer in control of. It was one that was scary and strange. Why was he doing this? Why did he want to see Sherlock? The man who was a murderer and a liar and everyhing he hated. But yet, all he could think about was Sherlock coming down here and wrapping his arms around him. He chewed on his lip as he wrote out the text, a stream of thoughts just being typed out and being sent without thinking. I'm just lonely. Incredibly lonely and it hurts. I haven't seen anyone for a month, not even you, just want to see your face. I think I'm forgetting how you look. I just want to be touched, I am going insane I swear. JW

Stranger: For several minutes, Sherlock let himself relax with the belief that this would be the end of that particular conversation and that John wouldn't try to push him any further than he already had. It would certainly be the smartest thing to do in John's situation, Sherlock thought. But then again, he could never trust John to make the most logical decision. He'd always been a man to let his emotions take hold over logic, something that Sherlock hated equally as much as he admired about him. He'd never anticipated, however, that this would rub off on him. But as he sat there aching to see John once again he couldn't help but come to the conclusion that John had had more of an effect on him than he'd realized. By the time that John did reply Sherlock had just been about to get to work on his latest experiment - unable to help but hear John's voice scold him for leaving body parts in the fridge. Again. But Sherlock was surprisingly quick to drop what he was doing to read what John had to say, and almost instantly regretting doing so. His breath hitched in his throat as he reread the message several times to himself as though searching for any hidden meaning within it. Surely...surely John couldn't be asking him to visit just because he was /lonely/. He must have ulterior motives. Yes, of course he did. And yet, Sherlock couldn't seem to find himself able to care about that. The idea of seeing John again...the idea that John was asking specifically to see /him/ again sparked a certain warmth in his chest that refused to die out. Maybe...was it possible that John really did care? That he truly did just want to see him again? It wouldn't be the first time that John had surprised him, but he had to admit that the odds were unlikely at best. Impossible, even. And yet, here he was, unable to stop himself from practically pouring his heart out to John. It's been lonely here without you too, John. I've missed you. But you know I had to do this after what you did. SH

You: Sherlock missed him, Sherlock was lonely too. He could barely breathe for a moment as he continued to pace, clutching the phone in his hand as he tried to stay warm just by walking the room. It wasn't really working and he was looking forward to getting that blanket. He needed it. The last part of the text was playing in his mind too, he hadn't done anything, it wasn't his fault that he had come home early from work that day. He hadn't felt great and Sarah suggested that he went home and had a lie down. It was a massive mistake, everything would be different if he had just stayed at work that day. He could work with this though, he could get Sherlock down here and into his arms if he tried harder, if he begged more. He wasn't ashamed of it, he wasn't ashamed of his feelings or his emotions, especially not now. He knew that they would haunt him and come to constantly fight with him. He was going to let them win this time, so maybe Sherlock would just come and sit with him, talk with him, would that be enough? Would that help? What the hell was he thinking? He wanted to throw the phone across the room and watch as it smashed into pieces but then he would have nothing. I know and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I walked in on you.. I wish I never had. I wish I could turn back time. I just need.. to talk, to be with someone, I can barely feel anything anymore. JW

Stranger: There was no denying that Sherlock couldn't let John go now, not after everything he'd seen. But that didn't mean he couldn't be tempted to forgive the man for his mistakes. It shouldn't be so easy, Sherlock knew. The effect that John had on him was one that was thoroughly unfair. Just a few simple words of apology and he was tempted to rush into his arms and forgive him for everything he had done and all the pain that he'd caused him over this past month. Somehow, there was absolutely nothing he wanted more than to forgive John and assure him that it was alright. Not that it would change anything about his current situation, of course, but perhaps it could relieve some of the guilt John had to be feeling about walking in on him like he had. I know you are. SH Sherlock paused for a moment, considering his next response to him carefully. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to see John again and that John's request and apology was just the encouragement that he needed. Yes. Apologies and good behaviour and what not really ought to be rewarded, shouldn't they? And if company was what John was asking for...it wouldn't be so hard to give him that, would it? It couldn't hurt. Even if John tried to escape he was undoubtedly weak from cold and a little bit of hunger at this point. Sherlock would easily be able to overpower him if he had to. The only real trouble was coming up with a time when it would be safe to visit him. So long as Mrs. Hudson was out of her flat for the majority of the day and he didn't have a case, however, Sherlock supposed that it couldn't hurt to visit John for just a few minutes... We can talk the next time I bring you down some food and your blanket. SH

You: The response was far from unexpected and he found that his hand clasped at his mouth and a small sob left his lips. He was that desperate for something that he could barely even handle this, how would he cope when Sherlock actually came down and he could actually see him. He would be a mess, he curled back on the floor and tried to get himself back to some sort of calm, he needed to get a control of everything before Sherlock came down. Food and a blanket and Sherlock. Perfect. He grabbed his phone and smiled to himself as he wrote out a reply. Great, thank you. I really appreciate it, you have no idea. JW Placing the phone on the floor, he sighed a little and wiped his eyes again before he closed his eyes and moved to lie on the floor. It was hard and every bone in his body hurt from sleeping on the concrete floor but it was all he had, at least he would soon have a blanket to cover himself with too because the floor was even more cold. He shivered a little but tucked himself up as tightly as he could and tried to settle, he was apparently tired because he fell asleep before he could even think anymore.

Stranger: There were a number of things that Sherlock thought that John ought to appreciate, the fact that he was still alive being one of them considering the fact that it would be so much easier for Sherlock to just kill him. Yet, here he was, keeping John alive and making sure he was /comfortable/. Definitely something that John really ought to appreciate from him, but this was as good a place to start as any. Determined not to tell John anything more than he already had, Sherlock resolved to set his phone down and continue working on his latest experiment. Unfortunately, his thoughts were frequently distracted by images of John flashing through his mind. John, who just might be happy to see him as he came downstairs baring food and a blanket for him to sleep with. Maybe even two, if he was feeling generous. If this visit went well, he might even consider giving him something to do...a couple books to read to occupy his time, for example. There wasn't too much damage that John could do with books after all, apart from perhaps giving himself a papercut. But that really would depend on just how well his visit to see him went. He couldn't just give him such things for doing absolutely nothing, after all. He'd have to earn them from Sherlock, though Sherlock suspected that at the moment he seemed up for the task. John was still quite desperate right now, after all. If he wanted to make visits a regular occurrence he'd have to make a point of ensuring that John continued to stay that way. Best for him to think that he didn't stand much chance of escape - which he didn't, of course. Sherlock was still doing a perfectly good job making sure of that. Thoroughly distracted by his eager thoughts about seeing John again, his head swimming with ideas about what he'd say to him - and reminding himself not to be too harsh on him - Sherlock all too quickly abandoned his experiment on the kitchen counter and instead chose to pick up his violin for the first time since that fateful evening. It always had helped him think, after all, and he was certainly going to need all the help he could get with preparing what he'd say to John.

You: John slept for a while, he had lost all sense of time so he no longer knew when the right time was to sleep. He guessed that food came around abouts dinner time, so early to late evening but even then that was just a pure guess. Sherlock could easily be just giving him the food to have whenever regardless of time. But that's what he generally took as being evening so he would often eat and then sleep properly until he naturally woke, hoping that maybe his body was aware of the time more than him. He often had naps too, mostly because he had nothing else to do. He was tired a lot also, he guessed the lack of food didn't help and made his energy run extrememly low. His mood also wasn't great either which made him feel more exhausted. When he woke, his thoughts went straight to Sherlock and he realised that he had no idea what he was going to say. He felt worried about it suddenly. What could he say really? Maybe he would just let Sherlock take control of the situation, that seemed like the most ideal thing to do and therefore he couldn't take a step wrong. That was the last thing that he wanted to do. He didn't want to upset Sherlock or make him angry so he would le thte other lead. He paced the room a little, it had to be dinner time soon, his stomach was growling in hunger and he felt desperate as he waited. It felt like forever. Eventually, he curled back in the corner and tried to stop feeling so hungry and anxious, chewing the inside of his mouth till he tasted blood.

Stranger: Although Sherlock did make an effort to be consistent in regards to the time of day that he would give John his meals there were times when he would provide him with them earlier or later than usual. Given how eager Sherlock was to actually see John again, it was of no surprise that Sherlock decided that today he would bring food down to John earlier than usual. Not to mention the fact that it conveniently lined up with the time that Mrs. Hudson would go to visit Mrs. Turner today. So, it was only a little after midday that Sherlock found himself prepared with a plate of some leftovers of the food Mrs. Hudson had made for him yesterday and two blankets to bring downstairs. As eager as he was to see John, he couldn't deny that he was also just a little bit anxious...he had to be prepared for anything, after all seeing as John might react unpredictably to seeing him. But that was something to be worried about when the time came. For now, Sherlock just tried to remain excited about the fact that he'd be seeing John today. He'd even added a bit more than usual to John's plate of food for the special occasion, something which he hoped wouldn't slip past John's notice. Once he felt like he'd steadied his nerves enough, Sherlock began to make his way downstairs, keeping quiet out of habit. It was only out of politeness that Sherlock gave a small knock on the door before entering and quickly closing the door behind him. He blinked and squinted, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness in the room before his eyes fell upon John who had tucked himself away in a corner. All thoughts of what Sherlock wanted to say to him, everything that he had prepared seemed to vanish from his mind in an instant as his throat clenched at the sight of the man he had once called his friend in such a pathetic state. He did his best not to let his features betray any of his emotions, however, and instead hesitantly cleared his throat as he set down the plate of food, blankets, and change of clothes he had brought for him.

You: John heard the familar sounds of footsteps outside the door and his eyes opened wide. He stayed still though, almost like he was stuck to the floor. Instead of the food being pushed through the flap, the door open and he watched as Sherlock walked in. He stared at him, unable to even look away because this was real and Sherlock was here. He wanted to run into his arms, smell his shampoo and the shower gel that he knew so well. He wanted familairity and comfort, it was almost all a little overwhelming as he watched Sherlock. He knew he probably looked disgusting, his clothes were dirty and dusty from lying on the floor, his hair a mess and a lot of stubble on his face and he had already lost a lot of muscle, making him look more boney even under his usual jumper. He watched as Sherlock cleared his throat and set down the items, he didn't know what to do first, he just glanced across them all before he began to pull off his clothes. He didn' want to be in the dirty ones anymore now that Sherlock was here, why did he want to look nice for him? He pulled on the new clothes before he took the plate. "Thank you." He eventually managed to get out, his voice sounding odd as he realised he hadn't spoke out loud for a month. "Thank you, Sherlock, for coming here.." He added, he wanted to ask him to touch him, to hold him but instead he moved back against the wall and began to eat, noticing that there was a bit more food then usual and he looked up to smile at Sherlock. "It's good."

Stranger: The flat that he was keeping John in didn't offer much in the way of privacy - not that he really needed privacy since he was the only one here, of course - and so Sherlock did have the decency to cast his gaze elsewhere while John hastily changed out of his old clothes and into the new ones. That was just about the only time that Sherlock dared to look away from him, however. His gaze was quick to land back on him and follow his every move, equally as curious as he was suspicious about what John was planning on doing next. But now, John just seemed to be interested in eating....which he couldn't really blame him before considering the weight he had seemed to lose over the last month. Silently, Sherlock made a note to himself to try to feed John just a little bit more often than he was. A meal once a day when he could, at least. The genuine smile sent in his direction was enough to catch Sherlock's completely off guard. He blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment as he shifted his weight from one foot to the next, not particularly interested in sitting down on the floor. "Mrs. Hudson made a good supper last night" Sherlock agreed with a small nod of his head before falling silent again, momentarily unsure of how to continue the conversation and instead decided to just let John finish eating before moving on to properly talking to him.

You: Mrs. Hudson's cooking was always good but this was incredible, maybe he was just overly hungry, with the lack of cultery, he ate with his hands but he didn't mind. He didn't really care, he was that hungry that he basically shoved the food into his mouth but trying not to rush. He knew if he did so, it could cause issues and might make him sick which was the last thing he wanted. When he had finished the plate, it completely wiped clean, he placed it down on the floor and smiled again as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "That was very good, thank you for the extras too." He spoke softly. He shifted then and moved to take the blankets, almost gasping a little when he noticed that there was two. Two was perfect, he could lie on one and use the other to cover him. It would hopefully make sleeping a little more comfortable than it did right now, although he had got used to it a little. "Thank you." He said again as he clutched at the blankets, bringing them to him to sniff, they smelt a lot like Sherlock and the flat. It was comforting. Oh, he needed to touch Sherlock so badly. He put the blankets down and used the wall to get to shaky legs before he smiled. "I am.. so glad to see you."

Stranger: Sherlock's lips twitched into a hint of small smile as John finished eating and specifically thanked him for the extra helpings too. Of course, this was probably something John really ought to notice, but Sherlock couldn't help but be flattered by the words of thanks. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that John was just doing this to be kind, possibly to get on his good side so that maybe he'd do things like give him larger portions of food more often, but he did try his best not to think about that for now. Instead he focused on watching the way that John's eyes lit up at the discovery that he had thought to bring him two blankets in the absence of a bed. It was only when John stood to his feet that Sherlock found himself moving towards John, cautious of not approaching him too quickly before, despite his better judgement, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. "I'm glad to see you too" Sherlock admitted softly, unworried about keeping John pulled close to his chest when he didn't have anything on him that might be capable of being used as a weapon against him. Instead, Sherlock allowed himself to become lost in the embrace, one hand lifting upwards to push some of John's growing hair back from his face so he could look at him properly.

You: The arms around him shocked him a little and he felt himself flinch a little under the touch, just from the shock and the way that his skin seemed to buzz underneath the others as he was touched. It felt so good, just to be touched.. to be held and his hands wrapped around Sherlock's too, letting out a soft sigh as the other said he was glad to see him. Oh, he had missed him. His nose nuzzled to his neck for a second, taking in the scent of his shampoo and shower gel, just like he had imagined. He let Sherlock pull away a little and watched as he moved a hand to brush away from his face and he bit his lip a little, trying to stiffle the small noise that left his lips from being touched so intimately. It was nice, it was better then nice and his legs felt weak at the small touch that he recieved. "Sherlock.." He whispered but he wasn't sure what he wanted to say so he didn't say anything else but just stared at the other, his hand reaching to touch Sherlock's and stroke up and down it with a soft sigh leaving his lips. Sherlock skin felt good, soft..