SwissMiss' Creativity Outlet

The 8th installment of my underrated Sherlock fic series comes at a time of sweeping changes in the series, in the fandom, and in social media platforms. *mourns LJ* Throughout it all, I continue to be impressed and amazed at the high quality of the creative effort put forth by fans. Including those who are less popular for whatever reason, whether lack of exposure, unlucky timing, subject matter, or readers just not being willing to give a new writer a chance. But if you feel like you've read everything and are still on the lookout for more excellent tales of Johnlock, I hope you'll find something here that clicks with you. And please leave kudos for the authors if you like their work!

Previous installments:
Part One from October 2013
Part Two from May 2014
Part Three from November 2014
Part Four from May 2015
Part Five from November 2015
Part Six from May 2016
Part Seven from November 2016

My qualifications for this list are:

- Fic complete
- Last chapter posted prior to April 1, 2017
- Fewer than 200 kudos as of this posting
- Earned a 'favorite' from me on AO3

And now, in descending order of length:

A Gothic horror story of Dickensian proportions, this is a dark and thrilling tale full of twists and feints that took me on a creepy, sobering, fascinating foray into late Georgian era London. With a terrific plot, luscious sex, history porn, and brilliant OCs. Why are you still here and not clicking over to it already?

All Things Will Die, Nothing Will Die (109661 words) by Holly Sykes
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: Time: January, 1831. Something suspicious is happening at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital: corpses are brought in and sold to the surgeons, but Sherlock Holmes suspects foul play. He’s not alone: at Guy’s Hospital, Doctor John Watson refuses to pay twelve guineas for a body that he fears has been tampered with. The lives of the two men collide one frosty winter night and from that moment on, they will never be torn asunder. A macabre AU story of grisly murders, passion, sex and mystery, with an unambiguous happy ending; inspired by the London Burkers crimes, by several short stories written around that period and by the book The Vampyre Family by Andrew McConnell Stott. Also, a very big help was the Italian Boy by Sarah Wise, which chronicles grave robberies in 1830's London.

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Despite the somewhat dreamy summary, this is a tense – and intense – post-series 3 fic chock full of conspiracies, tricks, and excitement.

Crimson Hymns (48982 words) by brilliantlyburning
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: He laid his head over John’s heart, eyes level with his silver-rough scar, and listened to the crimson hymns beating beneath the surface. He imagined flowers blooming in his own chest: veins weaving intricate patterns on petals of thin muscle engorged with blood, sinew for stems and tendons for roots—the flowers would be poppies, maybe (addictive) or foxglove (deadly yet useful)—twining gleaming blood-red around the porcelain bone of his ribs. In his mind’s eye the gruesome bouquet all tied together on the left side of his chest, the stems bound together in heartstrings and the flowers fed by the rhythmic contraction of ventricles. It’s yours, he imagined saying to John—from the vena cava to the mitral valve to the arteries it is yours. Or, the Love Song of W. Sherlock S. Holmes.

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This is such a cute fic, why does it not have more kudos/hits?!?? Seriously, rock-hard bodies flexing their abs, Ballet!lock turned Olympian, hardcore Johnlock flirting, Anderson faceplanting, clever banter, competitive tension, and the thrill of victory. It’s the perfect sports-themed romcom that should honestly rank up there with the best known sports AUs.

Sticking the Landing (44826 words) by SweetMandolinsRating: Mature
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: John Watson, Captain of Team GB’s gymnastics squad is confident and primed for his third and final Olympics. Disappointed in London with a shoulder injury putting paid to his Olympic dream, can he secure an Olympic gold finish before retirement? Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes has other problems. Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics is the newest Olympic sport, but a series of peculiar accidents both on and off the floor have taken out some of the competitors. Does something more sinister lurk under the spangles and spandex? Can Sherlock solve the mystery in time to deliver a flawless ball routine? And does something more valuable than medals await the boys in Rio?

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History, religion, conspiracies, politics, sex, and murder come together for a meaty and fascinating casefic. The story dazzles with a broad historicity while remaing fast-paced and filled with emotional and physical tension. Once again, one of the most underrated authors in the fandom.

The Sacred Bond (42394 words) by ampersand_ch
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: A series of mysterious deaths among priests puts John and Sherlock onto the trail of an ancient, secret brotherhood. Little do they suspect how deeply their own situation is tangled up with the case.

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This is a very cute, light-hearted fic with lots of sexperimentation fueled by Sherlock’s insecurities and John’s indulgence. Nothing too kinky or heavy, just fun and love and affirmation.

An Approximation to Perfection (22555 words) by TooSelin
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: Sherlock realises just how good the sex John had with his last girlfriend was. The solution is simple: he's going to do everything in his power to ensure that their own sex life stays interesting. Only that it's never quite that easy.

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This was a thoughtful, rather sophisticated take on the Potterlock genre with some ingenious original magic… and of course the magic that only John and Sherlock can make together.

Panacea (18556 words) by trickybonmot
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: Hogwarts student John Watson knows Sherlock Holmes exists, but he doesn't realize how important he is until they find themselves in seventh year Potions together. John is pretty sure he wants to be with Sherlock forever. Unfortunately, fate has other ideas.

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This is a fun, light-hearted adventure that kept me guessing throughout. A nice side of fluff, hand-holding, and some hubba-bubba behind the scenes round things off.

The Mole (18378 words) by ChrisCalledMeSweetie
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: Ten strangers — Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Martha Hudson, Molly Hooper, Jim Moriarty, Greg Lestrade, Sally Donovan, Philip Anderson, Mary Morstan, and Irene Adler — must work as a team to win money on a reality TV show hosted by Mycroft Holmes. The twist? One of them is a mole, hired by the producers to sabotage the game.

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This is my go-to rec for canon compliant post series 4 without Rosie (although she exists, she's off-screen for the entire fic). A very well done, entertaining and thought-provoking extension of the canon with a generous helping of “relationship realignment” (i.e. Sherlock and John finally getting it on).

The Night Riviera from Paddington to Penzance and Back Again (12918 words) by Iwantthatcoat
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Summary: Mrs Hudson has decided her boys need a little vacation together (after the events of S4) away from London and has booked them an inordinantly (per Sherlock) long train ride from Paddinton Station to Penzance.