In the mornings over newspapers, in the afternoons over medical journals, in the evening over corpses…

The Sweetest Taste In The World by crossroads 3.1k words

for the prompt: The sweetest taste in the world is rarely ever the easiest to come by.

notes: jealous Sherlock interrupting John's date, bickering before first kiss, anywhere you want in canon

six points of contact by simplyclockwork 3.3k

touch can be a terribly powerful sense.

notes: fluff, some hurt/comfort, first kiss

Three Little Words by siennna 3.5k words

"Raptly, Sherlock watches his lips move as he forms the words, listening carefully to the sounds the consonants make when they tumble off his tongue. It's a decadent phrase that spills forth like dark chocolate and red wine and liquid gold. It leaps past his lips and grows larger and larger in the ensuing silence, until it's so big that it fills the entire room.

'I love you, John,' he tells his reflection. 'I love you.'"

notes: Sherlock-focused, bickering before love confessions

Closer by FinAmour 5.1k words

—in which John teaches Sherlock about human touch.

 John releases a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding, a satisfied sigh of relief, and he presses his own face into Sherlock’s smooth, thick curls. “Good,” he says. “That’s good.”   “Yes,” Sherlock agrees, relishing the scent of John’s aftershave. “Very good.” And he means it.

notes: lots of consent, slow, from first touch to first kiss

Telling the Bees by siennna 5.1k

It took a beat of silence for the words to settle in, before both of them realized what John said.

"You—" Sherlock started.

"I—" John said at the same time.

"Love me? You love me?" Sherlock asked faintly.

notes: gift giving, Sherlock rambles about bees, getting together over a years’ time, love confessions

5 Times Sherlock Observed John and the 1 Time He Told John His Observations by AngelZash 6.4k words

Sherlock thinks John is brilliant in every way.

notes: getting together, feels early in bbc canon, love confessions, first time, body worship for John

Keep The Holmes Fires Burning by prettysailorsoldier 6.8k words

Prompt: Can you have it have something to do with cookies? Making them or buying them or eating them or something like that? - merlynnllwyd

Waking up to a fire alarm on Christmas morning is rarely a good thing, but, when spending Christmas with the Holmes', it's the least of John's worries.

notes: Sherlock & John are childhood friends/roommates spending Christmas at the Holmes', hints of Jealous Sherlock, no mention of John going to the army, they're university age, Sherlock bakes cookies as a romantic gesture

Evidence by JezebelGoldstone 7.6k words

Sherlock steals evidence. Lestrade threatens to cut him off murder cases unless he gives it back. Faced with a severe blow to The Work, Sherlock grits his teeth and offers a compromise: he'll tell Lestrade why he stole each and ever piece of evidence, and Lestrade can then decide if he gets to keep it.

notes: funny and fluffy, Sherlock having to face his feelings, love confessions

The T-Shirt Thief by watsonsherlocksuniverse 7.9k words

Request: Sherlock steals John's t-shirt from the laundry. John catches him wearing it one evening, fluff ensues with an endeared yet teasing John?

notes: Sherlock pines so hard he wallows in lovesickness, feels almost like a sickfic with how down bad he is

An Experiment By Any Other Name by adventureofthedancinggirl 21.8k words

Sherlock conducts an "experiment" that involves giving John a rose every day. The results could change the dynamic of their relationship forever.

... and the one time John held Sherlock. OR, The five times John saw and the one time he observed.

notes: sweet, short tale of times Sherlock comforted John

And In Your Arms I Figured Us Out by eragon19 @loveinthemindpalace 2.8k

John had figured it out ages ago, but it takes a chase through an airport, an overly cheerful EMT and a trip to the hospital for John to finally do something about it.

notes: fluff, hurt/comfort

On a Miserable Winter's Eve by belovedmuerto @belovedmuerto1.1k

John comes home to an empty flat. He falls asleep on the couch.

Stolen Kisses by ofsummerstars 6.1k

Sherlock takes it upon himself to kiss John at seemingly random moments, leaving John to decipher what this newfound affection means.

notes: together before they realize it

A Mirror Image by IntoTheSkyUntil 2.9k

Sherlock learns how to kiss the same way that he's learned how to give a compliment or say thank you: by mirroring John Watson. Shameless, shameless fluff.

Never Knew by smutmuffin 1.4k words

Written for auburnbatch, who won my promo giveaway and asked for a fic with Johnlock cuddles and some kissing on the sofa. The prompt included Mycroft saying something that hurt Sherlock and John snuggling him to make him feel better. My muse ran away with this and demanded a first kiss / friends to lovers scenario. (who am I to argue).

Fluff by loveanddeathandartandtaxes 535 words

At first, John wonders if there's something wrong with their washing machine or dryer. Then he wonders if it's his eyesight that's going.

Now by stopthat 1.2k words

John has only caught glimpses of it before.  He’s seen flashes of it, in Sherlock’s less guarded moments, only to doubt it all completely once it’s been carefully shuttered away. But Sherlock is not hiding now.

A Lifetime Together by LondonSpirit 8.8k words

John and Sherlock falling in love.

notes: a bite sized slowburn, lovely and heartfelt

Alright by evesbeve 4.1k words

Sherlock knows it's selfish to want John to take care of him, but it's entirely John's fault for offering to dry Sherlock's hair. After all, that's what flatmates are for... Right?

A Study in Paws by Strange_johnlock 6.5k words

"What do you need the milk for?” “I don’t need it. The kittens do.” As if they knew they were being talked about, the quiet room is filled with high pitched, tiny meows. John is right next to Sherlock within a few steps, and there, on his chair in a small box, are three of the tiniest kittens he has ever seen.

3 Kittens move into 221B. It's as simple as that. Oh, and John and Sherlock are in love, but they are also idiots.

With my eyes closed and my head resting on the padded back of my armchair I let the haunting, lilting music of Holmes’ violin wash over me. The exquisite sounds he drew from the violin and the warmth of the fire lulled me into a gentle daydream. Even when the music drifted into silence I stayed still and quiet, basking in my cocoon of contentment.

notes: ACD/Victorian Holmes

Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b

Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing.

They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you're living to find the life you want.

notes: the first retirementlock fic I ever read, have reread it many times when in need of some happy ending loveliness

In Dreams by orphan_account

Every once and a while, the dark makes it easier to see.

notes: sleepy bed sharing, sherlock being himself (irritating) while confessing his feelings

Bread and Wine and Curry Once a Week by cwb 8.7k

"I am not agitated. I'm just tired of it. The insinuations, the comments, that I have no... no interest in relationships, or sex."

"Oh. So you do, then?"

"Maybe."

"Which? Relationships, or sex, or both?"

notes: love letters, love confessions, first date, first time

Five Times John Noticed But Didn't Really by ScandalousMinds 6.3k words

5 times John (thought) he noticed something peculiar about his and Sherlock's relationship but really missed the obvious.

notes: fluff, getting together, misunderstandings, insecure sherlock

What Sweeter Music by englandwouldfalljohn 917 words

Mulled wine. That was the ticket.

After the 221B Christmas Party, a relaxed Sherlock takes one more request on his violin... and finds more than he hoped for under the mistletoe.

notes: Sherlock speaks without realizes, confessions, violin, first kiss

Notes On A Love Story by A_Candle_For_Sherlock 4k words

Watson finds a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray in Holmes' room. Or: what happens when a queer novel upends Baker Street.

notes: lovely, honest and sweet, ACD getting together

Laundry Day by Tysolna  1.1k

Habitually, every Tuesday without fail, John goes and does his laundry. Sherlock had developed a habit of his own: He would put small handwritten notes into the pockets of John’s trousers. Notes containing small things, mundane things, calm little asides in the usually hectic and turbulent life in 221B.

notes: could be anywhere you want in canon, sweet, notes and love notes

4+1 (Four Times John Touched Sherlock's Hair, And 1 Time Sherlock Understood Why) by Stressed_Depressed_Lemonzest

Fact: John touched his hair Fact: It felt impossibly wonderful Fact: Sherlock had no idea what to do with this information Sherlock hated feelings. They were illogical, pointless and made no sense. Feelings about John were double that. But they were also pretty wonderful.

notes: set around S1/2, fluffy fluff, gen

But a Flesh Wound by scullyseviltwin 2.4k

John has an accident while making dinner and Sherlock... overreacts.

Five Times Sherlock Fell Asleep in John's Arms by Accident and the One Time He Did It – Accidentally – on Purpose by WillowGrove 7k

How is it that nobody has ever taken him by the collar of his ridiculous coat, pressed him against a wall, and kissed him, firmly and soundly? How is it that nobody in the universe has learned the flavour of his tongue, or felt the soft hum of his enthusiasm against their lips?

It’s quite the injustice, and it’s driving John mad.

notes: jealous john, first kiss

Succulent by FinAmour  8.8k words

“You look nice tonight,” John says, and it all goes downhill from there.

notes: flirty John, overwhelmed Sherlock, unique gifts, love confessions

Moonlight by ConsultingPurplePants 2.2k

Sherlock is standing near the door, wearing, for what John thinks may be the first time in their acquaintance, jeans and a jumper. John drags his eyes away from the way the jeans cling to Sherlock’s just-muscled-enough legs to notice that Sherlock is wearing his own backpack, and is also carrying a collapsed tent.

John’s jaw drops open. Is he about to go camping with Sherlock Holmes!?

notes: skinny dipping and kissing and some smut

Smoke by lifeonmars 4.8k words

Sometimes time and space collide to show you something you've been missing. Sherlock's pipe helps.

notes: John has a hard evening, Sherlock is a good friend, they get a little high together

The Refractive Index by NoStraightLine 10.3k words

AKA: Five times John and Sherlock fuck in a bolt-hole, and one time they don't.

notes: it's about sex, until its about so much more. “You said mine, in Chelsea. You said love, in Harrow, in the rain.”

The Adventure of the Swinging Hips by susandwrites 14.8k

John has impeccable taste in music and Sherlock has a habit of swinging his hips without notice. So John decides to conduct his own experiment on those hips with the use of a carefully-curated playlist.

notes: flirty fun, est relationship, john watching sherlock adoringly

Apologies by Sherlock Holmes by ad0rably_0rdinary 1.5k words

Sherlock sends John off with harsh words, and Sally points out that if he keeps it up, John could leave him. Worried Sherlock ensues, and he blunders his way into a cuddly apology.

notes: gen, could be pre/slash

The Quiet Moments by belovedmuerto 4k words

Cuddling. Lots of it.

notes: getting together slowly and softly, gen-ish, seeking each other for comfort

in the interest of honesty by svpportive 1.8k words

"Why, Watson,” he began, somewhat muffled by his head buried as it was by the pillows, “do people not merely trust their spouses?”

on open communication and good sense.

notes: ACD

Acceptable Behaviour by bbcatemysoul 3.4k words

Sherlock isn't really sure why John wants to shag him, but he's certain that if he's careful to behave properly about it, John can be persuaded to keep doing it.

In other news, John is a good boyfriend and Sherlock is an idiot.

notes: insecure sherlock

Objectivity by EmmyAngua 2.5k words

The first thing John remembers is that he talked a great deal about Sherlock’s eyes last night. What he doesn’t remember is that he said a great deal more about them on camera.

And Sherlock stands there, in the middle of a Christmas market as John hums along to Silent Night, John’s hand warm in his with fingertips a little gritty from the cinnamon-sugar doused churros they’d shared, and thinks, oh, that’s–that’s an idea, isn’t it?

For Christmas this year, Sherlock wants to get John something special: something every fairytale deserves.

notes: written for a 25days of ficmas, has 26 chapters, proposals

Of Small and Unexpected Things by wearitcounts 1.2k words

It’s by accident, the first time John sees them

notes: not quite fluff but not quite angst, john sees sherlock’s scars from his time after the fall

Feel your breathing by Mixxy @mixxtapej 2.1k words

And he was numb yet feeling far too much, he was back on that pavement, and his mind was buzzing far too hard, whispering you didn’t do it in time, Mrs. Hudson is dead, Lestrade is dead, your John is dead dead dead-

And then John’s hand was around his wrist, thumb rubbing over his pulse point, and Sherlock’s not sure if it was to comfort him or John but either way it worked

14 Days by a_4_patch_problem 5.9k words

And then Sherlock looked at the calendar, noticing the sickly cheesy red heart around the date, two weeks from then.

Valentines Day.

notes: Sherlock writes John lovenotes.

Let You Kiss Me (So Sweet and So Soft) by out_there 8.6k

The first time Sherlock kisses him, John keeps his eyes open, and so does Sherlock, and mostly, he wonders what Sherlock could possibly be up to. There'll be some logic to this. Some ridiculous experiment about body warmth or respiratory rates or testing a new way of picking pockets. Sherlock does the unimaginable for bizarre reasons, but behind it, there's always logic and curiosity. Sometimes, it just takes him a while to explain it to John.

notes: Sherlock trying to get John to stay

29 Days by naughtyspirit

For the prompt "John bets Sherlock that he can’t compliment someone every day for a month. It ends up many of these compliments are aimed at John and it leads to them kissing/confessing or whatever."

Of Midnight Moments and Mistletoe by huddersandhiddles (LeslieWrites) 7.6k

John and Sherlock are throwing a Christmas Eve party, and the flat is all strung up with mistletoe.

notes: first kiss, getting together during a holiday party

Honeybee by Ireallydontcare443 1.9k words

Watson experiments with nicknames, hoping to find one that will make Holmes' knees go weak.

notes: ACD

Thirty Blue Toes by Itsallfine 1.3k

John Watson had seen a lot of unexpected things upon entering 221b Baker Street. Somewhere along the way, he’d ceased being surprised.

Then he walked in on Sherlock having his toenails painted by an 8-year-old.

notes: Sherlock babysitting Lestrade's kid, not overtly johnlock, sweet

The Oolong Disaster by unicornpoe

John has a beard. Sherlock has a panic attack.

notes: frustrated Sherlock, loving wonderful John

Hypotheticals by ArwaMachine

John finally manages to confess his love to Sherlock.

Sherlock, of course, has questions. Lots of questions.

notes: insecure sherlock but this is fluff

The deepest Fear by Schattengestalt

Sherlock fears that he will lose John someday and he despairs when he believes his worst fear has come true.