#john and sherlock being romantic

[arthurtaylorlester]

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

[antirepurp]

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

[lestatslestits]

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

[ace-sher-bi-john]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[featuresofinterest]

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

[thalialunacy]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[❤️]

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

[shall-we-die]

╔‌‌‌‌•°⚘༄•°══════════•⊰•°༄༚

{Love Confession}

How would they confess to their s/o?

╞•⊰❖⊱•═══•༻💐༺•═══•⊰❖⊱•╡

↬[Fandom]•⊰ {Moriarty the Patriot}࿐

↬[Warnings]•⊰ {None}࿐

☰[Main list]•⊰ ────┈┈{0047}┈─╮

╭──────┈┈┈┈┈───────╯

╰┈➤Likes/Reblogs are appreciated࿐

╚•°⚘༄•°══════════•⊰•°༄༚‌‌‌

↬|Wlliam|

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

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

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

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

┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━┅┅┅┄┄

↬|Albert|

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

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

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

┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━┅┅┅┄┄

↬|Louis|

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

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

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

┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━┅┅┅┄┄

↬|Sebastian|

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

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

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

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

┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━┅┅┅┄┄

↬|Sherlock|

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

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

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

┣━━━━━━━━━━━━━┅┅┅┄┄

↬|John|

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

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

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

||[🄻ove Confession]||

━●━━━━━━────────

     ⇆ㅤㅤ◁🄺ㅤㅤ❚❚ㅤㅤ🄼▷ㅤㅤ↻

[raina-at]

Experiments in Compatibility

When Sherlock is 16, he decides he needs to find out what the fuss about kissing is about. So he decides to conduct an experiment. 

He can’t imagine kissing a total stranger — the practice sounds slightly disgusting and unhygienic with someone he knows, let alone someone who might never brush their teeth — so he decides to try it out with Victor, his one and only friend.

It turns out to be a grievous mistake. Sherlock likes the kissing fine, he also likes Victor fine. But Victor takes his academic interest in kissing and his non-hatred of Victor’s company as meaning that they’re in a relationship now. Which is fine by Sherlock up to the point Victor tries to stick his hand down Sherlock’s pants, and then it becomes decidedly not-fine very, very fast.

Victor is obviously hurt by Sherlock “leading him on”, but to his credit he tries to get over it when it becomes obvious that Sherlock wasn’t so much leading him on so much as their assumptions about their relationship just didn’t align at all. Also, they’re both sixteen and have no earthly idea what they’re doing. 

But Sherlock learns two very important lessons from this. One, experiments with sex don’t mix with friendships you want to keep. Two, friends are harder to find than lovers, so prioritise the friendship.

*-*

All through his twenties, Sherlock only has sex with people he doesn’t give a damn about. He also has enough of it to decide that it’s not for him. The list of things he enjoys is very short, and most people he has sex with have expectations he can’t or doesn’t want to meet. 

The few times he’s attracted to someone, the attraction never survives the first sexual encounter, and the process often leaves him either bored, annoyed, disgusted or all three. 

By thirty, he decides romantic entanglements are more trouble than they’re worth and any bodily needs he can meet more efficiently by himself.

*-*

John Watson is an asteroid strike right into the center of his carefully crafted self-image.

The attraction is immediate, but he can ignore that easily. If only John wasn’t this… interesting.

John is nice and kind and lonely and abrasive, he’s a killer and a healer, he’s a loner who craves company, a soldier who defines himself by service to a higher good, whatever that may be, whose self-esteem is tied to being useful. He’s a deeply damaged, very intelligent, exceptionally capable man, wearing the skin of the everyman, deeply vulnerable yet outwardly stoic, the very embodiment of the stiff upper lip. He’s reliable and unpredictable, angry and calm, he’s the immoveale object to Sherlock’s unstoppable force.

Sherlock loves him. It’s as simple as that. He falls in love with John gradually, helplessly, with opened eyes and fully aware of what’s happening, yet entirely incapable of stopping it. He loves John intensely, honestly, deeply and — unfortunately — passionately. 

He loves the colour of John’s eyes and the smell of his hair and the fine golden hairs on his arms. He loves John’s ugly jumpers and his compact strength and the shape of his toes. He loves John’s kneecaps, his capable hands, the economy of his movements, the expressiveness of his face. It’s ridiculous, and highly inconvenient, and frankly distracting.

He doesn’t know what to do about it. He has several options. He could ignore it and hope it goes away, which doesn’t seem very likely to happen. He could end his association with John, but the mere thought makes him nauseous. He could, to use a popular phrase, ‘make a move’. He’s almost sure that he would be successful — John spends a lot of time staring at Sherlock’s lips, chest and arse — but what then? What if he doesn’t like it? What if he loses interest? What if it ruins their friendship? What if John leaves?

And the worst thing about all of this is that he will never know if he doesn’t try it, but trying and failing could have catastrophic consequences, and not in the usual way his experiments fail. A kitchen fire is inconsequential, even mild chemical burns are of no consequence, but he could end up losing everything.

So Sherlock thinks, and broods, and sulks, and does nothing.

*-*

“You want to tell me what’s bothering you, or do I need to guess?” John says one evening, sitting down next to Sherlock on the sofa. He’s sitting far too close, and he’s wearing a patient expression and holding out a cup of tea.

Sherlock spent the last three days turning around the John Watson conundrum in his mind and is frankly running out of patience. So he snaps, “I’m trying to figure out whether sex with you would ruin our friendship. Thoughts?”

John blinks once. Blinks again. Sets down the tea very deliberately. Blinks a third time. “Come again?”

“Bang on the money, John, yes, we’re talking about coming. Sex. You and me. Having it.”

“I can’t believe you just made an orgasm joke,” John says, apparently still trying to process what else Sherlock just said. “So.” He blinks again. Wets his lips (definitely interested, then). “You… want? To have sex with me?”

“Obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t have a problem!” 

“The problem is that I don’t actually like sex all that much, and you obviously love it, given your reputation and the number of imbecilic girlfriends you’ve dragged in here,” Sherlock grinds out between clenched teeth, the frustration of the last few months spilling over in anger that’s probably misdirected at John.

“Um…” Again with the blinking. Sherlock hates himself a bit for finding it adorable. “What’s the problem, exactly? Because you want to, and I definitely want to, so…” he makes a 'fill in the gaps for me’ kind of gesture.

John, fortunately, seems to be extremely flattered and keenly interested in getting into Sherlock’s pants, and is apparently prepared to take his irritation in stride in order to get there. “Okay. Um. So. I think… so you don’t like having sex at all?”

“I like some things fine, others not at all,” Sherlock says, suddenly very aware of how close John is sitting to him, how much of their thighs are touching, and that John’s taken his hand and is rubbing his thumb over Sherlock’s finger knuckles in a very distracting way.

“Let’s start simple,” John says, and there’s a small smile playing over his face, his voice is low and he’s watching Sherlock with an intensity that’s both sexy and somewhat intimidating. “Kissing?”

Sherlock nods, suddenly beyond words. 

John leans over and presses his lips against Sherlock’s, soft and tender and oh so good. Sherlock kisses back, and before he knows it, they’re snogging. John’s really good at this, alternating deep, toe-curling kisses with soft, teasing kisses and gentle, tender kisses. Sherlock immediately loves it, wants more, knows he’ll never get enough. 

After an indeterminate time, John draws back and smiles. “I think we can work with that, what do you think?”

“But what if I don’t like it?” Sherlock mutters, unsure and hating that it shows.

“Then we won’t do it.”

“But what if I don’t like any of it?”

“Then we won’t do any of it,” John says, matter of fact, as if it’s that simple. 

Sherlock’s scepticism must show on his face, because John gives him a reassuring smile. “Look. I know it’s not easy, but do you think you can trust me with this, just a little?”

“Well, since I’m inconveniently in love with you, I suppose I’m going to have to,” Sherlock says, 

John grins at him, and Sherlock wonders how he can be this happy when Sherlock is this much of a mess. “Well, I’m inconveniently in love with you too. I think with a bit of experimenting, we can figure the rest out.”

“But you don’t like it when I experiment on you,” Sherlock points out.

“This isn’t you experimenting on me. This is us, experimenting together. Big difference.” John pushes a strand of hair out of Sherlock’s face, a gesture so unsexual and yet so tender it makes Sherlock’s heart melt. “I get that you’re scared. Believe me, I’m scared, too. This is big, and there’s little room for error. But the reward is definitely worth the risk, don’t you think?”

Sherlock considers the logic of what John is saying and decides it’s sound. “You make a good point.”

“Wow, Sherlock Holmes agrees with me. Truly a special day.”

“Shut up and kiss me again,” Sherlock says, already looking forward to using this technique every time John berates him about setting the kitchen on fire.

“As you wish,” John says with a soft smile and complies.

Thanks for the prompt, @calaisreno! Written for the prompt Experiments.

Tagging a few of the usual suspects: @meetinginsamarra @lisbeth-kk @jrow @helloliriels @fluffbyday-smutbynight @topsyturvy-turtely @catlock-holmes @thetimemoves @discordantwords @the-reading-lemon @khorazir @hotshoeagain @keirgreeneyes and whoever wants to play!

[henrythepug]

ok but can we like actually talk about the swimming pool scene??? (i just finished sherlock season 1)

but the fact that the scene itself is not innately romantic at all. i mean think about the circumstances, john was literally wearing a whole ass jacket and a shirt under the bombs. all sherlock took off was the puffer coat and the bombs. and yet john describes it as “ripping off his clothes in a darkened swimming pool”. when all sherlock was doing was saving him from being blown up. he was removing literal bombs on top of john’s shirt and jacket. the intent of the act was to save john not to take off his clothes.

what i’m saying is john is the one who brings up any implied romantic or sexual tension, which sherlock basically agrees with. i think that says more about john and sherlock’s feelings for each other than the people who would supposedly talk about it.

[rey-jake-therapist]

Today I'm feeling strongly for Sherlock Holmes. Poor man, he just wants to spend a sexless life solving crimes, but nobody will let him do that like, ever. Neither his best friend or the fandom. They won't just leave him alone.

The last thing Sherlock wants is to go through the ups and downs and all the dramas of a romantic relationship, maybe because he's been there already or sees what it does to everybody around him idk, he keeps repeating "I DON'T WANT THAT!", but wether it's John, or Mrs Hudson, or even that guy Angelo who owns his favorite restaurant, or of course the Sherlock fandom, they're all telling him, " nahhh you're in love with John you're gayyyy!", "nah you're in love with The Woman you're straighhhht bisexuaaaal", "nahhhhh what you really are is in love with Molly!", "nahhh I have no idea why I say that but you're a whore!".

Why can't people just accept the fact that some of us just don't want these things? or that we don't want them anymore? And that it's even truer regarding fictional characters who were literally written not wanting these things?

Seriously, it often feels like asexual and aromantic characters (and by extent, real people too) are a threat to the "majority", because they don't"fit" in boxes 😶. I feel it in my every day life but I even feel it more in an environment like Tumblr, where even headcanoning a character as aroace seems impossible unless you're ok with being an outsider and talking with yourself.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi!

In the latest update about frustration™ about canon (subtextual) Johnlock:

JOHN DIDN'T HAVE TO GRAB SHERLOCK'S NAPE SO SOFTLY IN THE SIGN OF THREE AND THAT TOO RIGHT IN FRONT OF MARY WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS DANCING AFTER THE RECEPTION!!!

*exhales* I'm fine now! (Really not.)

(I mean, he might as well touch his forehead with Sherlock in that scene, why didn't he? I've yet to see a nape grab happen in fiction outside of the romantic context, that too if the grabber has been recently married, with the wife standing right there, but whatever.)

Bye bye!

LISTEN I haven't been okay since that episode aired. I mean it wasn't just that one either...

Like this whole episode fucked me up so much. Like, this is the episode that MADE TJLC a THING. This was a wedding episode that SHOWED NO WEDDING.

It showed a "best man ask" that looked like a proposal.

It showed the groom and the best man DRESSED EXACTLY ALIKE LOOKING LIKE A COUPLE greeting guests.

It showed Sherlock being the one shown giving vows.

Every time they cut back to wide shots of the head table, John and Sherlock are ALWAYS front and centre, and contrasted SO MUCH against the background that the bride and maid of honour are washed into it.

This whole episode Mary was a bloody afterthought. A wedding is traditionally thought of as "the bride's day" but like... The whole reception is about John and Sherlock.

Like, what did Mofftiss THINK the audience would think??? Why WOULDN'T we think S4 was queerbaiting after THIS being a midpoint episode in the entire series and NOT have these two TOGETHER at the end AS the couple?

It's frustrating because TSo3 is one of my fave episodes, but it's hard to not see it as one giant "gay joke" after S4. I'm glad I love this episode to bits that it overrides that thought.

[dapetty]

Like A Virgin

“John. I brought you some tea.” Sherlock said, sitting a cup of tea next to John’s already existing cup of tea - which was still somewhat hot. John folded his paper and placed it on his lap.

“Clearly I already have tea. Have you drugged another cup especially for me?

“Why would I do that?” Sherlock said innocently.

“I dunno. Why did you do it the other times.”

“That was different and I’ve already apologized for those one or two…possibly three, times.”

“Three times?! Wait?! When was the third time?” John asked, getting angry all over again.

“I’ll just dump this tea out since I didn’t realize that you already had tea,” Sherlock said, grabbing the teacup and backing up.

“Oh no you don’t. What’s in it this time? And for the love of god, why? You promise you won’t poison me and here we are - again.”

“I was thinking that we could role-play,” Sherlock said, backing into the kitchen with the tea. 

“What does drugged tea have to do with role-play?”

“I uh, thought you’d be thirsty while we talked about it,” Sherlock said, quickly dumping the tea down the drain.

“You making me anything is suspicious and you know it,” John said, placing the paper on the table and standing up.

“Out with it. What are you up to?”

“Iwanttobeavirginagain,” Sherlock said, smashing all the words together in a hurry to get them out.

“You what?” John wasn’t sure that he heard what he thought he heard.

“I miss being a virgin. Being innocent and everything’s new. We’ve been together for a while now and…not that I’m complaining, mind you…,”

“Oh no, you’d never,” John interrupted.

“But I’ve been reading about ways to spice up our sex life and one of the suggestions was role-play,” Sherlock said, nervously playing with a dish towel. 

“You’re bored?” John asked, a little hurt.

“I never said that I was bored. I’ve just been reading about ‘spicing up your love life’ and role-play was mentioned and I found it intriguing. That’s all.” Sherlock said, picking at a non-existent loose thread on the dish towel.

“And when would this role-play take place? And is a candlelight dinner involved because that’s fine if it is.” John smiled.

“You know I don’t care about eating.” Sherlock said, exasperated. John was being willfully obtuse. This was never going to happen at this rate.

“Tea. Tell me what was in the tea.” John asked again.

“Oh, fine.” Sherlock threw himself down on the couch with a put upon huff.

“An aphrodisiac. Yohimbe. It’s an herb. Many doctors prescribe it for their patients who take drugs that interfere with their ability to become…interested in, umm…What?” Taking in the look of astonishment on John’s face.

“You think that I need an aphrodisiac in order to have sex with you? Have I become inadequate somehow? Why is this the first time I’m hearing of it? And why the trickery? I’m pretty sure…yeah, I’m offended.” John asked, standing up.

“It was just in case you weren’t interested in the role-play. I wanted to make sure that I was irresistible.”

“So you thought you’d drug me? Again? And you wonder why I don’t trust you.”

“Well, this is just an herbal supplement,” Sherlock said in his most reasonable voice.

“I know what it is and I’m not taking it. Since when have I turned down a chance to fuck you?” John asked bluntly. He walked over to where Sherlock sat, looking anxious.

“Perhaps if you didn’t talk so much during…”

“I have questions and instructions!” Sherlock exclaimed, now becoming insulted. 

“Yes. I know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just, forget about it. So when is this romantic moment supposed to take place?” 

John was starting to get into the idea. He didn’t want to let Sherlock know yet. No one crowed as loudly as the man that he loved when he was confirmed to be right.

“You love hearing me talk.”

“It’s true. I do. Why don’t we talk now?” John said, sitting down next to Sherlock close enough to touch.

“Is this it? Are we doing it now?” Sherlock asked eagerly. 

“Yes. We’re doing it now.” John said and sighed. This could be fun or a disaster. Only one way to find out…

“So,” John asked, “Come here often?”

“What? I live here. That doesn’t make sense…”

“You’re a virgin who lives with me? Maybe you’d better tell me the plan so that we can continue uninterrupted.” John wasn’t too hopeful about this. Sherlock couldn’t turn off that big brain of his for and John knew that the plan was going to go off the rails fairly quickly. He was game, though so he waited to hear what Sherlock had in mind.

“Well, I hadn’t gotten that far. I didn’t think you’d say yes.” Sherlock admitted somewhat shyly.

“So you were going to drug me without a plan? Typical.” 

“I would have figured something out and it’s just an herbal remedy…”

“So is Nightshade.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, John. I’m not trying to kill you.”

“Couldn’t prove that by me. So, where were we…you have lovely hair.” John said, running his fingers through Sherlock’s hair and watching as the curls wrapped around his fingers.

“Are we doing it now? Have we started?”

“Yes. We’ve started. Your turn.”

“Thank you for mentioning that. I wanted to look nice for you tonight.” Sherlock said with a timid smile.

“I like what you’re wearing. It’s very becoming.”

“Why thank you. I was hoping you’d like it.” Sherlock said, running the satiny hem of his dressing gown through his fingers.

“I wasn’t sure whether or not you’d think it too forward of me.” Sherlock look up through his dark lashes at John. 

“You’re adorable. You could never be too forward.” John said, barely controlling the roll of his eyes.

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course I do.” John slid closer to Sherlock on the couch until you couldn’t see where one man began and the other one ended.

“Do you mind if I kiss you? It’s all I’ve been thinking about since I first saw your gorgeous lips.” John continued.

“I’d like that.” Sherlock said, leaning forward.

John’s lips met Sherlock’s plush lips with the lightest caress. Barely a meeting of the lips but they both felt a thrill of electricity go through them. John deepened the kiss and before either of them knew what had happened, they had their arms wrapped around each other, John raising a hand to run his fingers through Sherlock’s curls watching as they seemed to wrap around his fingers of their own accord. 

Sherlock sat back and took a shuddering breath.

“I’ve never been kissed like that before.”

“Never? You deserve to be kissed and often. Your lips are irresistible. So soft and supple. How is it possible that you’ve never been kissed properly?” John asked, placing quick, lite kisses on Sherlock’s face and lips.

“I haven’t wanted anyone to kiss me before.” Sherlock said, looking at John’s lips. 

“I never knew that it could feel like this.”

“Is this ok?” John asked, running a hand down Sherlock’s arm.

“Very.”

John reached the sharp curve of Sherlock’s hip and stopped.

“Is this ok?” John asked, looking for permission to continue. He wasn’t sure how serious this game was. He didn’t want to move too fast for whatever Sherlock had in mind. It could be anything. One touch that would normally be fine, could be out of bounds in this scenario. John didn’t know and he didn’t want to set Sherlock off. This seemed like a harmless enough idea - if he stayed within the parameters that were as yet unspecified. That meant asking questions to make sure that he wasn’t too fast. John was actually beginning to stress himself out. Ridiculous. It was just a game. Right?

“I think it’s ok.” Sherlock said hesitantly.

“I don’t want to move too fast for you. If I do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, let me know and I’ll stop right away.” John said sincerely.

“I’m sure that you wouldn’t do anything untoward, John. I’m just a little nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.” Sherlock said, looking down at his hands.

“There’s no hurry. We have all the time in the world.”

“That’s impossible, John.” Sherlock said, coming out of the role-play briefly. 

“I’m just saying that there’s no rush. We can move as fast or slow as you’re comfortable with. Make sense?” John asked.

“Oh. I see. Alright. Carry on.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course.”

“You said that you’ve never done anything like this before. Are you saying that you’re a virgin?” John had to admit to himself that the thought gave him a little tingle and his cock was definitely becoming interested in the game. 

“That’s what I meant by saying that I’d never done anything like this before, John. Are you being purposely obtuse?”

“No. No. I’m just trying to understand how to proceed. I don’t want to alarm you.” John looked at Sherlock, hopeful that he’d get what John was trying to say.

“Sex doesn’t alarm me, John. If anything you do bothers me, I’ll will let you know immediately.”

“Ok.” John said, leaning over to kiss Sherlock again and was relieved when he just melted into him. Maybe this would be fun. It certainly wasn’t going to be work.

TBC on AO3

@ohwhataniight @bs2sjh @totallysilvergirl @calaisreno @msladysmith @malevolent-muse

[childofhypno]

just some thoughts from sherlock and co. Mailbag episode

honestly I did this to myself and at 3am no less.

In an mailbag episode on the sherlock and co. patreon, answering a question on their favorite musicals, John answered Les Misèrables. And being the romantic we know our loveable doctor to be, I was perusing the songs from the 2013 movie album and came across On My Own.

Sung by Èpoine about her unrequited love for Marius. And that is sad in its own regard, there's a reason it's one of the musicals most popular songs and Samantha Barks does a great job of that crushing emotional weight of being so wrapped in someone, so ultimately dazzled by them and wanting to be near them. But knowing they will not look at you the same, will not place the same value on the time and proximity you share. And that is not their fault and it is hard to love someone and desire to be close and yet have them be the source of your greatest pain and rejection, even though they may wish you no harm.

It's been hinted at and out right stated (by Sherlock) that John wants to be liked. And given what we've heard about John's last relationship (the one whereby he gained ownership of Archie after the split) and perhaps some insecurities there, insecurities in his own capabilities, comparing himself to others, its understandable to read John as something of an insecure man. Not in a toxic manner but John definitely has a lot of self doubts about himself and his place in the world and what he can offer to others. Despite him so naturally being able to attune to people and their needs and being quite bloody smart and intuitive. All round just a decent person.

And John, as much as anyone, marvels at Sherlock Holmes. This almost mythical figure. John admires Sherlock and maybe envies him on some level. I think not in Sherlock's deduction skills or specific knowledge skillsets but maybe in Sherlock's apparent surety in himself and where he is in life and what he wants from it. Sherlock is plainly himself, even if it means not "fitting in " John often tries to mould himself to what others might like, and hey, as a people pleaser, oh boy do I understand that. Almost becomes like muscle memory.

Sherlock in turn, I think admires John's social prowess. His ability to express the complexity of emotions. Just because someone doesn't emote the typical way doesn't mean they don't feel the emotions. And that can be incredibly frustrating when you want to communicate with others. Sherlock cares about people. He's interested in people. And he can't always express or connect with them in the way he wants. Like a language barrier he mentioned in another mailbag episode. That is why Sherlock and John work. They draw out in each other and supplement for the qualities they lack or yearn to have more of. They're a balancing act. A good one. And I'm not the first to point that out.

All this to say, imagine when that act is separated. The Fall. Grown so comfortable to have the other's support, always by each others side and then, suddenly the other person isn't there. And you have to remember how you functioned without them before. But you can't go back. You're not the same person you were. But if they aren't there to remind you, to encourage you, it's easy to fall back into old habits.

And so the song. On My Own. From John's perspective, watching the man the myth the dazzling legend that is Sherlock Holmes, getting swept up in the adventures, feeling totally out of place but thrilled be along for the ride, participating, maybe growing in confidence all because of coincidental flat share with possibly the most brilliant and bizzare man he's ever met. The world is changing for John Watson. And Sherlock is seemingly at the center of it all. He's found purpose. Friends. A home. Maybe more. But John is as fallible in his assumptions as any of us are. And Sherlock appears to have no interest in such relationships and John, not confident enough to make the first move. So he can daydream. Of what it would be like to be with Sherlock. And what it would be like be without Sherlock.

And then the Fall. And he truly is without Sherlock and his world has dulled and greyed and blurred. The city has lost its glimmer. The flat is quiet. The words are meaningless. And John sits with his what ifs.

Don't think of John hearing this song. Of the heartbreak of knowing that you can ever be with the one you love. And knowing that taste of what brilliant technicolours the world is when you were with them, full of stimulating twinkling lights. And thinking it could never be that way again. Don't imagine John, sat in the flat, in the achingly quiet flat, as a woman sings for her never was love, head in his hands, Archie resting his head on John's knee. Don't think of John cursing himself for not being sure enough to tell Sherlock how he felt, for not being good enough again to save his friend. Don't think of John Watson, once again, on his own.

[jay-wasreblogging]

What if after the Reichenbach Falls in their grief and mourning John and Mariana kind of get together?

There's no company anymore not when Sherlock's absence has left such a vast hole, not when John can't even log onto Spotify without crying looking at all the cases they went on and not when Mariana can barely pick up client's phone calls without feeling sick.

So there's no inappropriate workplace romance happening cause there isn't even a workplace anymore.

Mariana and John don't talk about Sherlock much, it's too painful and they certainly won't speak about their own personal feelings about him either, why would it matter anyways? He's dead.

They don't talk about it. They don't talk about how they still buy and stock up on Sherlock's pasta sauce when they go grocery shopping. They don't talk about Sherlock's room, about it being empty, about cleaning it out, about the fact that the man that occupied it would never come back. They don't talk about his last chemical experiment and equipment still on the kitchen table, untouched and unfinished. They don't talk about it. They just don't. Not even months after he's gone and won't. Ever.

Then the impossible happens, Sherlock comes back from death just casually strolling in to surprise them both. And afterwards Mariana has to help John after he fainted and then Sherlock after John punches him.

And John and Mariana are so full of happiness and relief! The three share kisses and hugs. But...what now though? They go from struggling with his lack of presence, the new routine of just the two of them and mourning Sherlock's death to now having not only him back but their routine and business.

And with everything seemingly being back to what it felt like, the want of what once was comes crashing down - Mariana and John break up to go back to a time before Sherlock's death, even though Sherlock doesn't agree (he just finds out) and tells them that they can only go forward.

Cue the angst of Mariana and John's breakup, John's unresolved feelings for Sherlock that he now has a chance to resolve, Mariana's lingering feelings for John and new found ones for Sherlock, Sherlock confronting his own feelings of jealousy and confusion towards Mariana and John starting a relationship when he was gone (and without him? If he didn't 'die' would they have asked him into the relationship? What about now? He wanted them both but did both want him? What does want even mean?? Does he want a platonic or romantic relationship with them? What even is the difference? And etc etc etc).

And then they got together somehow and all retired on a bee farm where Mariana sells their honey at the local farmers market, Sherlock tends to the bees and John is just a house hubby.

[pbjelly90]

I haven’t really gotten into the swing of blogging here and I probably have like 2 followers who aren’t bots 😆 but I’m rewatching BBC Sherlock and feeling an inkling to reread the original stories and it just has me thinking and wanting to ramble about Sherlock media and put it somewhere. What I’ve really grown to appreciate all these 20ish years of being a Sherlock fan is seeing every new adaptation put their own spin on Sherlock and all the characters in the canon. Some I’ve loved, some I’ve been displeased with, but it’s always fun to analyze and revisit and see what parts delight and what disappoints or leaves me wanting more. More thoughts below because apparently I had a lot to ramble about on this topic lol.

BBC Sherlock probably has one of my favorite Watsons, and he gets more focus here then a lot of other adaptations, and feels truer to the character to me than many others. Old adaptations like Basil Rathbone with Nigel Bruce used to have him be a bumbling fool type and I’m glad that’s in the past now. I also enjoy Lestrade in the BBC version and tend to prefer adaptations that get him along this vein, a trusted person on the force, exasperated with Sherlock and his methods a lot of the time, but also one of the most willing to put faith in him and believe in his abilities (and his integrity when it matters.)

Irene Adler adaptations like the BBC show or Robert Downey Jr movies are usually hit or miss for me, and generally I find they put too much emphasis on making her have romantic feelings for Sherlock for my liking. I applaud how they want to make her a more prominent character than one who only appears on page in one story, but romantic tension/interest feels so limiting as the way they choose to do it. There’s some merit to showing how she has to weaponize her beauty/sexuality in that time period at times, but they rarely dig deeper than that or give her more of her own storyline.

I’ve also found most Moriarty adaptations pretty lacking. BBC Sherlock’s became very popular, and Andrew Scott is a wonderful actor, but he always came off as far too gleefully chaotic and evil for evil’s sake to be that interesting to me as Sherlock’s foil. I feel like they went with a Batman versus Joker sort of dynamic there, emphasizing shock value, and I much preferred the mystery of him throughout the early seasons versus the reality post reveal.

Moriarty in the original canon only gets hinted at very late when Conan Doyle is setting up what he believed to be the end of the stories (before public demand and personal debts changed those plans), and therefore he’s always been more a mystery figure than an actual developed character in the original stories. But the building blocks are there for adaptations to take and mold and I hope we get to see more creativity here. Robert Downey Jr faces off against a version of Moriarty in the movies that I’d call Moriarty classic. Serviceable, but nothing new there really. Math teacher, formidable, crime lord, older, genius, check, more or less straight from the books.

BBC Sherlock was also missing Moran who I’d been highly anticipating, and fans kept speculating some unnamed sniper was him, but we never got confirmation. To me that was such a huge missed opportunity, for an adaptation that really highlighted the bond between Sherlock and Watson, how could you ignore the bond between Moriarty and his own “dark” version of Watson?

So cue Moriarty the Patriot, which felt like a series made just for me to fangirl over. It nails Sherlock and John, even if they’re not as much the main focus here as other series, and that’s just clearing the bar for me, my first criteria for any Sherlock media being “do they get John right?” They introduce a younger version of Miss Hudson, whom I also loved in BBC Sherlock, but this brings a fun new dynamic where she feels more like a loving sister to our boys rather than a favorite aunt like in the classic take. Still long-suffering, still the heart who keeps them in check and cares for them, and until John comes along, the only person really in Sherlock’s confidence. I hope we see more of her backstory in MtP (BBC nails this quickly with the mention of Sherlock helping to put her shitty husband in prison.)

Then there’s the MtP version of Irene, who’s the most creative take on the character I’ve ever seen. Is there some potential romantic tension with Sherlock still? Sure if you’d like to ship it, but thats far from her main storyline, she has so much MORE going on. Her own wants, her own goals, her own mistakes, her own plans, that whole first plot of hers is still one of my favorite arcs in the manga and a time when it truly differentiated itself for me from any other adaptation. And that’s not even getting into the Bond material yet, which as a Bond movie and book fangirl as well, was this series actually custom made for me?!?? Ya’ll really were deep into my brain for this one, combining M with Albert, bringing in Moneypenny, all of it. The manga blew me away with all of this and how it was handled. Moran, you better never betray Bond as agent 006 Alex Trevelyan a la Goldeneye. 😆

Before the meat of this, I want to take an aside to also say I love MtP’s take on Mycroft. BBC gives us our first more active Mycroft on-screen that I can recall, not just lounging in the Diogenes Club per canon, orchestrating everything at a remove, but more involved in looking after his brother and meddling when he feels necessary. He’s a huge drama queen in the first episode and I’m looking forward to rewatching the seasons again and seeing the brothers’ dynamic grow. But MtP takes this and instead of having our first encounter with Mycroft be with John alone, more removed from his brother still, we see the two fighting and squabbling and I just love them, your honor. I would like to see someone handle their parents better than the BBC version did, and idk if we’ll ever see them in MtP, but I do enjoy the tidbits we’ve gotten like Sherlock’s working class accent. They already used the name Sherringford/Sherrinford for their ancestor, so curious where they’d go with this. But Mycroft in general, his parallels with Albert, his guilt over their ancestor and role in the government? His relationship with his brother? Nailed it, more please.

Brief shoutout to Enola Holmes, she’s a bit Mary Sue/wish fulfillmenty, but I enjoyed her and her dynamics with her brothers vastly more than the sibling they shoehorned into the last season of BBC Sherlock. If you’re going to give the boys a sibling, that was a fun way to do it. Henry Cavill looks NOTHING like Sherlock is usually described, but he was fun and quite nice to look at lol.

Now onto the main thing I want to ramble about: MtP has the single best adaptation of James Moriarty that I have ever seen in writing or on screen. It’s no coincidence that this is the first adaptation I’ve seen try to dive into his backstory, figure out what’s the deal with his brother(s), which was a genius move taking that inconsistency with Doyle’s descriptions to make there be three James Moriartys total, and to give us a compelling reason as to WHY he does the whole lord of crime thing. Like fine if it’s just for money, control or power, and I can read/watch that story if well done, but this is the first time I’ve really seen a series take the building blocks Doyle laid out and really turn them into something more, to create something original and compelling. William and his brothers 100% deserve their main focus in the series, and its all the better for that perspective flip, as much as I love Sherlock and John. Sherlock and John are fleshed out already, most modern adaptations can get them right, but the Moriartys? That was brand new.

Not to mention, they gave William James Moriarty his Sebastian Moran, and nailed that dynamic as well. Normally I’d think if we finally got Moran he’d be my main ship for Moriarty, just as John was always my main ship for Sherlock, but somehow MtP gets me shipping them, but also William x Sherlock, Mycroft x Albert, Moneypenny x Moran, Irene x Hudson aaand I could digress for way too long here so I’ll leave it at that. Note to anyone writing future adaptations, GIVE MORIARTY HIS MORAN.

All of these MtP versions of the characters are so good that now they’ve ruined me for other Sherlock related media, I’ve found. I watched Ron Kamanohashi and loved it, but as soon as elements of Sherlock and Moriarty were introduced, I found myself badly wanting MtP to be the original canon they were drawing from and see those storylines reflected in the modern day setting of Ron’s story. That is now 1000000% my headcanon. Can we somehow get future Sherlock media to adapt some of the new ideas MtP introduced moving forward, and keep expanding on those concepts? Be inspired by them to keep exploring more of the characters once you’ve gotten the mains right? Maybe not, but a girl can dream. It’s a fun time to be a fan of Sherlock related media.

With all that rambling said, has anyone got any recommendations for other Sherlock books, shows, manga, etc? I remember The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a very influential AU book back in the day for Sherlock fans and is supposed to present an alternate telling of the Holmes and Moriarty dynamic, so I may read that. Sometimes I branch off into Lupin media and I’ve read some of Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes as well. 😆 I enjoy silly Herlock in The Great Ace Attorney games although he definitely feels like a goofy AU version.

—

TLDR: If anyone has skimmed this giant post and has any other Sherlock media suggestions, let me know! Looking for some more unique takes on the characters and story.

[seeingteacupsindragons]

I've just found your (most recent) answer about Louis being ace, where you mention that you believe both William and Sherlock are aro/ace, and I'm overjoyed that there is another person who holds the same beliefs! I thought I was the only one! I mean, there are plenty of people who simply don't ship them, but it's not the same thing. Could you please elaborate on that? It's ok if you don't want to, but I would really appreciate learning your thoughts on that.

I think actually a lot of people think this and don't have the vocabulary to articulate it!

Because, well, I think they're aro ace, but I ship them, and I have many meta posts about how they are, textually, canonically written as a romance in many, many, many ways.

To start, I think they're both ace-spec. That link there is to a brief explanation of where, exactly, on the spectrum I think they fall. My reasoning for this is not just that I like thinking of characters as ace (although I do, to be fair), but really the way their relationship to each other utterly floors them. It's not really the reaction someone would have if they had ever been attracted to or interested in someone else. This is clearly something very new and unique for them both, and neither of them has any words to describe it or name it or any idea what to do with these feelings.

And damn if that's not ace-spec.

My arguments for aromantic-ness came a bit later: when Sherlock was asking John why a person would want to get married in The Sign of Mary, and The Final Problem for William. Because, I mean, Sherlock is just like, "I get that logically you match up and could hit your list of qualifications, but this desire to have a romantic marriage partner is what I don't get," and. Yeah. That's an aro boy right there. He just don't understand because he'd never been in that position or thought about it. Because it had never occurred to him.

For William, it was largely about the way he basically described, "I want to die in your arms alone and be reborn at your side," and, "And we're friends!" William, shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about, but what you described is not friendship. I have many deep, powerful friendships and have never felt that way about any of them. That's a fucking completely out of pocket romantic desire, and you clearly don't even know that you stupid fucking dumbass.

So I think a lot of it lies in the newness and puzzlement of the concepts of romance and sex to me. It feels very ace-spec, like they'd never before even contemplated and it had never even occurred to them that it might affect them--presumably, because they'd never been attracted to anyone before.

It's also in Sherlock basically grimacing when John was like, "Wow, you're really old enough to be getting married, bro," and William being like, "Siiiiiigh my college students are all so horny," and William begging for help when a lady hits on him and he doesn't know how to respond, and it's just in the way they interact with life.