Hurt!Sherlock Rec List: John/Sherlock, Part 2

[shadowfireflame]

Oops, this became too long for one post. What can I say, I adore the Sherlock whump. :)

This list has part 2 of my John/Sherlock recs with this theme; go here for part 1 and here for Gen and Other Pairings recs.


::: John/Sherlock, part 2 :::

• Needles (5,421 words) by kryptaria
  John/Sherlock, in which John is Sherlock’s doctor. This is such a wonderful exploration between the trust Sherlock has in John when Sherlock’s not at his best. I love that John recognizes that, too, and tries to make everything better for Sherlock, mindful of his past with drugs. (Plus I have a huge kink for doctor!John treating Sherlock, and this was fantastic.)


• A New Kind of Communication (10,201 words) by tartanfics
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock has a concussion, a bruise shaped like Germany, and a broken ankle, all procured during a mysterious mishap that he refuses to talk to John about, even though he finds new ways to communicate with John (like post-it notes and paper airplanes). I’m a huge fan of hurt/comfort, so I liked this straight off the bat, but the mystery here, the reasons Sherlock won’t talk about what happened, kept me totally fascinated. A great slow-building romance. Quote: John is special. He is the only person about whom someone could say to Sherlock, “I met a friend of yours,” and Sherlock would not be confused and suspicious.


• Nighttime Resonance (7,787 words) by Boeshane42
  John/Sherlock. On a case, Sherlock is kidnapped and brutally hurt, and John helps him recover and work through it afterwards. Oh my God, what an avalanche of emotions this story took me on. Because this is exactly how both Sherlock and John would react were something this awful to happen to them-Sherlock’s determination to not fuss and to move on, John’s protectiveness and love. Warnings for implied sexual torture and violence, discussions of drug abuse.


• Nor Ever Chaste (5,197 words) by justwolf
  Hints toward future John/Sherlock, warning for child sexual abuse, implied rape. In this story, both Sherlock and Mycroft are sexually abused by both their parents for their entire childhoods, and it’s about Sherlock growing up and trying to understand the true nature of love (with John’s help) and come to terms with what his parents did to him. Deeply disturbing content, but the writing style just sucks you in with Sherlock’s childlike vocabulary and naiveté. Quote: They're always together in the warm house with all the secrets on the floor. Simultaneously lovely and chilling.


• Objects of Affection series (12,506 words) by veronamay
  John/Sherlock. This series has adorable cuddling and hurt/comfort in the form of a delirious Sherlock and a worried John. And also elevator kissing and Sherlock in glasses (for a case, obviously, where he pretends to be a secretary).


• Observe, Control, Delete (9,331 words) by Chryse
  John/Sherlock. An examination of Sherlock’s past diagnoses (including OCD) and how he deals with being severely injured after a fall post-HLV. The medical details are fascinating here, but they’re overshadowed by the brilliance that is Sherlock’s characterization. His shifting attitudes toward food, sex, drugs, rehab, love, and life-and how crucial John is to Sherlock’s recovery-are lovely to read.


• One Long Night (5,484 words) by round_robin (tumblr)
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock doesn’t eat or sleep on cases, and they have one that lasts sixteen days. Cue massive hurt/comfort as a bamf!doctor!John first carries and then takes care of a starved and exhausted Sherlock, and Sherlock tries to take care of John as well. Oh, man, this story couldn’t hit any more of my kinks if it tried. And I love Mycroft here! Taking care of his baby brother-and John-from afar. Sexy and sweet.


• On Love Support (943 words) by deklava
  John/Sherlock. A short hurt/comfort piece where Sherlock is in the hospital recovering from brain surgery. The author really nails all the grisly details about going through surgery, which makes the story realistic and immersive. I also loved Sherlock's almost tangible relief at seeing Mycroft (!!!) and John again, that was lovely!


• Only Human by irisbleufic
  John/Sherlock. John realizes that Sherlock sometimes needs to eat and sleep, and sometimes he becomes ill. Ah, this story makes me all warm inside. The author has such a great handle on their characters. I love how John sees all of Sherlock’s weaknesses as endearing; I do, too. :) Quote: Sherlock hadn’t needed a flatmate. He’d needed a nanny.


• The Paradox series by wordstrings
  Sherlock/John. My summary for this epic, epic series: Sherlock is insane-like, really insane-and his relationship with John is probably unhealthy, but they make it work. Dark themes. So this is the first Sherlock story I ever read and what deserves all the credit for dragging me into fandom. I’ve read and re-read it, and it just gets better; the writing gets me every time. I love how everything in this series ties together so well, the little song lyrics, how well the author gets into Sherlock’s head, everything. How terrifyingly much Sherlock loves John; how much John loves Sherlock in return.


• Parallel by augustbird
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: There is a world where John is dead. There is a world where Mycroft is dead. Neither of those are real. God, what a fantastic idea, and the minimalism of the writing and repetition of the death scene really makes it work so well. I felt that the section where John is concerned that Sherlock's sleeping a lot and not eating was particularly poignant. Really beautifully done, and so painful.


• Physical (2,990 words) by lifeonmars
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock hasn’t had a medical exam in a decade, and Mycroft asks John to get on that (in more ways than one). Hnnnngh, how do I love this, let me count the ways. This fandom has given me a huge appreciation for Johnlock med-fet, and this is just perfect: Sherlock’s trust and John’s appreciation of how precious Sherlock is to him are beautiful.


• Physiotherapy, of a Sort (2,458 words) by mazarin221b
  John/Sherlock. John carries Sherlock out of a burning building, and then there is bonus wall sex. FUCK YES. This is my kink heaven.


• Premeditated (4,033 words) by mazarin221b
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: John and Sherlock are captured, tortured, and imprisoned - and eventually, they realize, there's only one way out. Really moving hurt/comfort, particularly in how John is determined that he will take care of Sherlock. I’m amazed at how well the author handled the darker scenes without making them overwhelming, and I adore how well the love between Sherlock and John really shines through. I suppose that, like fire, torture exposes our priorities. Warnings for suicide attempt and being very dark.


• Punctuality (15,732 words) by StoneWingedAngel (bamboo-door)
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: The five times John was nearly too late for Sherlock, and the one time he wasn't. I seriously adore Sherlock whumpage, and this story was like my heaven: five near-death scenarios that John gets to rescue Sherlock from, woo-hoo! Plus bonus cuteness. Very enjoyable.


• The Refractive Index (10,395 words) by NoStraightLine
  John/Sherlock. Like ACD Holmes, in this story Sherlock has little hidden places across London (“bolt-holes”), perfect for recuperating from injuries. Oh, and fucking. This story was basically my Sherlock hurt/comfort heaven, with various scenarios where John is a protective BAMF doctor, and also there’s tons of delicious sex and even some angst. And crossdressing! And role-playing! Yummy.


• Relax and Just Breathe by tiger_in_the_flightdeck
  Pre-John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: Sherlock tries to catch the attention of a gorgeous young lifeguard. He succeeds. Sort of... Yup, Sherlock can’t swim and determines to get rescued by lifeguard!John. Incredibly original and sexy take on the trope. :)


• The Road of Bones (18,895 words) by J_Baillier (jbaillier on tumblr)
  John/Sherlock, pre-slash. A very well-done, medically accurate idea of what might happen if Sherlock were diagnosed with an unruptured brain aneurysm. The author, who is a medical professional, takes us through Sherlock and John’s emotional journey, especially showing us Sherlock’s attempts at denial all the way to acceptance. Everything feels so real and emotionally satisfying. I especially love how the relationship between Mycroft and Sherlock is presented.


• Rustication (2,694 words) by SarahT (saraht on dreamwidth)
  Pre-John/Sherlock. After the explosion at the pool, Mycroft’s people take Sherlock and John to a safe house. Sherlock emphatically does not want to be there. A fun and action-packed little story. I love the characterization of Anthea in particular-and Sherlock uses Twitter!


• Safe, In Hand (1,350 words) by tiger_in_the_flightdeck
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock’s in the hospital after being hit by a car, and he and John participate in some not-hospital-approved sexytimes. :) Combining hurt/comfort with a very hot moment between them = my bulletproof kink.


• The Scars that Silence Carved (4,260 words) by dorothydonne
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock was raped as a child, and John unintentionally triggers him. This story has one of the best mood-changing lines (“John, I need-I need you to get off me,” Sherlock said suddenly.) as you realize why Sherlock was so hesitant during sex, so reluctant, fighting with himself, and as John understands that without meaning to, he forced Sherlock into something he didn’t want.


• Sick Fic (108,079 words) by LittlePippin
  John/Sherlock. I just can’t get enough of this fantastic author, who also wrote the fabulous hurt/comfort epic The ‘getting better’ series. As in that series, Sick Fic has a ton of wonderfully executed hurt/comfort scenarios wherein both John and Sherlock take their turn to get ill, shot, beaten up, nearly drowned, etc. But here’s the thing-even with all these fantastic scenarios, the author always manages to keep the story delightfully in-character and relatively light-hearted, with one of the most satisfying slow-building romances between John and Sherlock ever. I adore how Sherlock swivels between complaining he’s dying (of a paper-cut) and insisting he’s just fine (when he’s seriously injured), while John’s constantly pragmatic-at least when he’s not full of rage. Warnings for discussions of drug use and an eating disorder.


• The Skeleton Key by BeautifulFiction (truths-in-lies, beautifulfic on tumblr)
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock…gets…a tongue piercing (!!!). That’s pretty much all you need to know. There’s no way I can’t read something with that kind of premise. The result is some crazy hot sexual tension. And with this author, awesome plot (casefic!) and hurt/comfort elements never disappoint. I swear this author’s stories just keep getting better and better. Very meaningful and just hot. Quote: Annoying his sibling was not Sherlock’s intention with his body modification, but the look of horror on Mycroft’s face would be an added delight, and he did not want to spoil the surprise.


• Snow Falling on London by dakfinv
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: London is about to be buried in snow, and Sherlock is most definitely not ill, no matter what John says. Mmmm, a mixture of snowed in!John and Sherlock, hurt/comfort, and Mycroft being a good brother. My favorite!


• Staircase Wit (42,031 words) by splix
  Eventual John/Sherlock. Six times Sherlock gets beaten up because he just…really can’t shut up, can he? Not even to protect himself. It’s one of the things I adore about his character, but at the same time-poor baby, it gets him into such trouble. :( So this story is a beyond fascinating, comprehensive, and extremely plausible Sherlock backstory. The author waltzed in and gave me a delicious head-canon. Features some absolutely superb cases that had me on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen (Sherlock dressed in makeup as a ballet dancer! John doing rescue breathing! Younger Jim tracking Sherlock!), as well as great characterizations of Sherlock and the other characters who help him recover (Mummy Holmes-who smokes!-, Sebastian, Mycroft, Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson-and Mr. Hudson!-, Jim, and John). Plus, this story really catered to my hurt/comfort addiction, so this was a total treat for me. Halfway through it was already one of my favorites, and then I just never wanted it to end. I can’t praise this highly enough.


• Storms series (61,709 words) by Elvendork
  John/Sherlock. After a disastrous fall on the ice (in the first story), John and Sherlock are caught in a devastating car wreck that turns out to be more sinister than they had first imagined. Cue a ton of physical whump for Sherlock and emotional whump for John, as well as a very interesting casefic. The scene in the taxicab was so breathlessly tense, I’m amazed and in awe. Kept me on the edge of my seat with worry for Sherlock. The author portrays John’s heartbreaking concern so well. There are also some great characterizations of OCs (particularly Eduardo the taxicab driver) and of Harry.


• Strength in Numbers (20,734 words) by kate1521, translated by lasuen
  John/Sherlock (could be slash, could be just very intense friendship). A poignant story in which Sherlock is shot and gravely injured. Thankfully he has John to take care of him.


• The Susurrus of Gently Falling Snow (819 words) by iamshadow21 (iamshadow on dreamwidth)
  Pre-John/Sherlock. John nurses a very sick Sherlock. This was wonderful and very sensual. Sherlock being so weak and listless and John doctoring him is one of my bulletproof kinks; I can't get enough. :)


• Their Whole Life Through series (18,403 words) by eight-demands
  John/Sherlock, background Mycroft/Lestrade. AU in which Sherlock and John meet because John is Sherlock’s doctor. Or rather, Sherlock keeps showing up at John’s clinic with various injuries and demanding to see him (and only him). Okay, I’ll admit right out that this story basically is all my kinks rolled into one. Because I love Sherlock getting hurt, John treating him, John and Lestrade bonding over how hard to handle Sherlock is, all that. So I was all over this. But more than that, I love how in-character everyone is (and especially Sherlock). Breaking his fingers to stop doors that would have locked and let the criminal escape-yup, that’s Sherlock all over.


• To Light Another’s Path (128,654 words) by BeautifulFiction (truths-in-lies, beautifulfic on tumblr)
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock gets the flu while on a case, and he and John learn a balancing act together. Oh, man, a hurt/comfort Sherlock epic with a bonus great case and love story-exactly what I love to read. The author captures Sherlock and John’s relationship as viewed through the h/c elements here (and John’s sexy sexy possessiveness, hee)-I especially love John’s “I’m not trying to fix you. You’re not broken.” I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where John and Sherlock explicitly talk about ways to compromise between the Work, Sherlock’s brain, and his body before, and I very much appreciate the care and attention the author has taken to including it and having everyone be wonderfully in-character at the same time. (The scene where they seriously discuss the pros and cons of Sherlock becoming just a brain in a jar was great-“Your jar might get smashed. Then what would you do?” LOL!) This author does a great job of putting warnings for each chapter, but I’ll mention a warning for discussion of a past suicide attempt.


• Trapped and Upside Down on the M6 (4,256 words) by BootsnBlossoms (bootsnblossoms on tumblr)
  John/Sherlock. John, Sherlock, and Lestrade are in a horrible multi-car accident where each of them is injured. But John in the back seat of the police car is worse off than he lets show, and he and the other two are separated by the mesh grate. Tense hurt/comfort with gorgeous imagery that is so memorable. I love how stoic John is and how desperate Sherlock is to help him, even when Sherlock himself is injured. (Sidenote: no wonder Sherlock hates riding in police cars, if this is what could happen!)


• Two Points (2,619 words) by Speranza
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock realizes that he quite likes the moments when he gets injured and John takes care of him. This author’s writing, man, how fantastically they portray the inside of Sherlock’s head. It just makes me want to squee continuously. Wonderful.


• Two Two One Bravo Baker (114,574 words) by abundantlyqueer on dreamwidth
  John/Sherlock. It is sooo tempting to summarize this story as “John and Sherlock have sex under a Humvee. Your argument is invalid.” :) Actual summary: A massive and plotty thriller AU in which Sherlock and John meet while John’s still in the Army stationed in Afghanistan, then they solve a very complicated, multi-layered case together. What a brilliant premise, right? Oh, and did I mention the sex? There is a lot of sex, all of it mind-blowingly hot and romantic (and mostly bottom!Sherlock, which I adore). The attention to detail, especially of the war in Afghanistan, is incredible: I swear that this author must have been stationed in Afghanistan him/herself. I really see no other way around it, the story is so stunningly descriptive and believable, with some perfect OCs and some of the best characterization of John and Mycroft in particular I’ve ever read. It’s a delight while also being rather educational-a must-read. Sherlock is so in love with John that it takes my breath. And John-mmm, John is sexy and confident and delicious here. This quickly became one of my absolute favorites, and I’m constantly re-reading it on my Kindle.


• Up or Artistic Lush (8,223 words) by Speranza
  John/Sherlock, a delightfully clever story about John and Sherlock getting together complete with wonderful, wonderful puns and anagrams. Oh, and Sherlock getting hurt and drugged, so my inner hurt/comfort junkie loves this. But what I like best about this is how clear it is that they have fun with each other.


• The Urge to Write Poetry (2,719 words) by wesleysgirl
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: It’s just an average day until John Watson opens the bathroom door and sees Sherlock Holmes naked at the sink. Well, I certainly did not expect to find a story in which Sherlock shaves...down there to be so insanely hot, but it blew all my expectations out of the water. (Er, pun unintentional but amusing nonetheless, considering the story.) Plus a bit of h/c, my favorite!


• A Very Delicate Mission (5,359 words) by SarahT (saraht on dreamwidth)
  Gen, with hints toward John/Sherlock. Sherlock’s on a mission in Geneva, and a worried Mycroft sends John in to find out why Sherlock hasn’t come home yet. This was very angsty and moving as gradually more details about what happened are filled in. It kept me on edge wanting to know what happened between Sherlock and John and the mission and everything. Brilliantly remixed in A Very Delicate Mission (The Unreal City Remix) by ariadnes-string (which is firmly John/Sherlock).


• Vessel (15,695 words) by rhuia
  John/Sherlock. John gets diagnosed with cancer in his leg (the one with the psychosomatic limp), and Sherlock goes crazy trying to find cures for him. But something is not quite right. Guys, please don’t be put off thinking this is a depressing cancer fic. I mean, obviously it is that, but trust me when I say to stick with this story-the plot is brilliantly clever and effortlessly revised my headcanon. And Harry and Mycroft are lovingly characterized, which I always appreciate.


• Voice Like Thunder (4,907 words) by JezebelGoldstone
  John/Sherlock. There’s a thunderstorm, and John’s loving it. But because of the explosions in The Great Game, Sherlock’s scared. Cue some adorable and lovely hurt/comfort mixed with character studies and spooning! I just love how upset John is over how upset Sherlock is.


• A Waste of Breath (95,758 words) by Chryse
  John/Sherlock, Moran/Sherlock, John/OFC. So much happens in this story, and it all slots so neatly together. To John’s shock, while John’s in a relationship with a vegan, Sherlock starts dating Sebastian Moran (!!!), who is definitely not the best choice of partner. Meanwhile, there are a ton of tightly-plotted cases (based on ACD canon!) for Sherlock and John to solve, as well as the mystery of Sherlock’s previous sexual experience and John’s jealousy and what the hell Moriarty is up to. Oh, and the hottest wallsex ever, oh my god. I’m amazed at how well the author keeps all these story threads going and ties them all together with the progression of Sherlock and John’s relationship, as well as some gorgeous characterization: Sherlock being vulnerable, John being protective...*swoons* Warnings for dub-con, discussion of rape, drug use.


• What John Doesn’t Know (Won’t Hurt Him) (4,392 words) by blueink3
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: Five people who see Sherlock's scars before John Watson. But Sherlock's secrets were never something he could keep from his blogger for long. A really perfect imagining of everyone’s reactions to seeing that Sherlock was tortured post-Reichenbach, always ending with that question of “Does John know?” This was exactly the catharsis I needed after series 3.


• What Meets the Eye (8,251 words) by world-according
  John/Sherlock. Sherlock gets amnesia but hides it, instead deducing his old life-and decides that John, of course, must be his husband. What a premise, wow. Totally plausible-this is precisely what Sherlock would do, I’m sure. I’m completely in love with Sherlock’s characterization here, not telling anybody he can’t remember anything, fitting back into his old life as best he can. How John notices that Sherlock’s personality is slightly softer and misses the hard edges. Gorgeous writing on an incredibly romantic story.


• What Wouldn’t I Do For You? (8,196 words) by Lastew/laurtew
  Pre-John/Sherlock. Sherlock is caught in a random explosion and subsequently trapped in an airtight storage room, injured and running out of air. Cue a bamf!John (with a little help from Mycroft and Lestrade) to the rescue, calling on both his army training and his medical skills. Uh, could this story possibly hit any more of my kinks? I think not. :)


• Wherein There Is a Case, Several Mysteries, John Coming to the Rescue, and an Old Folk Saying (5,559 words) by parsnips
  John/Sherlock. In a very memorable story with a lovely, quirky writing style, the author outlines an absolutely fascinating case where Sherlock is hiding a family secret from John and the stakes keep getting higher. Sherlock is uncharacteristically silent; Mycroft is cryptic; there is a kidnapping. It’s a delight finding out what the big secret is along with John.


• Wit and Wisdom (1,746 words) by perhael
  John/Sherlock. Author’s summary: In which Sherlock has his wisdom teeth out and gets talkative, with some rather...interesting consequences. Really cute hurt/comfort. Sedated!Sherlock is soooo adorable. I love how John’s just trying to roll with it and be all matter-of-fact.


• Working It Out (111,828 words) by sideris
  John/Sherlock. How to summarize this epic, delightful, complex novel? I suppose the simplest way is: Sherlock and John work out their relationship issues while on cases. And there are a lot of issues on both sides. They’re in a sexual relationship, but because of an incident in his past, Sherlock’s not ready to move past kissing yet whereas John has secret desires, which leads to a ton of misunderstandings. Lots of awkward-but-still-delicious partially-resolved sexual tension while on various cases ensues (side note: the cases are really awesome and also help illustrate the theme!). This is written in a very interesting narration technique: strict third-person perspective from Sherlock, which really makes the story for me. His voice is superb, often inwardly panicking but outwardly clamping down on all emotion, and this causes the writing to be very much in the present and poignantly angsty. I also really enjoyed the subtle power-plays between Mycroft and Sherlock, described as very entertaining battles in Sherlock’s mind.


• Your Visible Ghost (22,142 words) by anactoria
  John/Sherlock. After Sherlock is gang-raped, John helps him on the road to recovery. Obviously, warnings for a brutal non-con attack, but where this piece excels is the way the author details Sherlock’s recovery process and his blossoming relationship with John. The author describes John’s challenges in knowing exactly how to show Sherlock how much he is cherished and adored, as well as how hard it is to tell what part of Sherlock’s behavior is him dealing with the aftereffects of being raped vs. Sherlock just being Sherlock. Very in-character, thoughtful, and respectful treatment of difficult subject matter. I found it rewarding to read.

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