Recs by Jane Elliot

Title: A Cure for Boredom by emmagrant01 (very, very NC-17)
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing: Sherlock/John (essentially)
Categories: BDSM, smut, drama, smut, angst, smut, smut, smut (can't really emphasize the smut too much), favorite
Length: ~81,000 words
Warnings: John has sex with a *lot* of other people (but it's really all about Sherlock)

Review:
Sherlock is bored and John is complaining about a lack of sex. So, Sherlock takes John to a sex club. As you do.

I can't believe I haven't recced this fic before, considering this is quite possibly the best BDSM fic I've read for people who (like me) rarely read BDSM. I'm deeply impressed with the way the author manages to build up an intense sextual relationship between Sherlock and John without actually involving any sexual contact between the two of them. Equally impressive is the way she writes John's gradual understanding of his own submissive desires, without altering his character or making hims suddenly want to be submissive 24/7 (at least no more so than he already is). And I can't forget to mention her skill in writing OCs -- John's sexual partners are an essential part of the story, but at the same time, they don't take the story over. That's a fine line that emmagrant01 handles beautifully.

The slow escalation of the Dom/sub relationship between Sherlock and John, the growing sexual attraction between the two of them, and the emotional impact as all of this drama comes to a head -- all of it comes together for one of the most satisfying fics I've read in years.

A Cure for Boredom

Title: A Slight Misunderstanding and Dangerous Assumptions by Coragyps
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Categories: angst, humor, hurt/comfort, drama, action, casefile, virgin (to gay sex), favorite
Length: ~64,000 words (combined)
Warnings: In A Slight Misunderstanding, there are three instances where John thinks of Sherlock as *Sher*. (*shudder* -- that was almost bad enough to turn this rec into a rant.) Fortunately it's all in one scene in Chapter 9. Unfortunately it kind of ruins the climactic relationship scene.

Review:
In which John accidentally convinces Sherlock that he's in love with him. Or, from Sherlock's POV in the sequel, how his plan to turn John from his Assistant into his Lover goes horribly awry.

These are both highly entertaining stories that cover essentially the same time frame, but from John and Sherlock's POV respectively (though the author says that they both stand alone, I strongly suggest reading Misunderstanding first). My personal favorite of the two is A Slight Misunderstanding, because it has one of the most interesting and engrossing plots I've ever read in Sherlock fic, namely how Sherlock Holmes would commit and cover up the perfect murder (the victim in this case is Moriarty). I found the entire process fascinating to read, even more so than John's baffled and winding journey from friendly mates to physical love with Sherlock. While John's journey is hugely enjoyable as well and is laced with plenty of humor to cut the angst, the plot is what earned this fic its 'favorites' tag.

Dangerous Assumptions is more of a character study of Sherlock than a true retelling of Misunderstanding. Coragyps has given an intriguing backstory to Sherlock that's a lot of fun to read, and Mycroft is hysterical as he tries to give Sherlock advice in the most vague and unhelpful way ever.

In the end, these two stories have the best of both worlds. If you're in the mood for a plotty fic with a silly (but entertaining) romantic subplot, A Slight Misunderstanding is perfect for you. If, on the other hand, you want an in-depth character study, check out Dangerous Assumptions. Either way, you're in for a great read.

A Slight Misunderstanding
Dangerous Assumptions

Title: Ain't Seen the Sunshine (Since I Don't Know When) by emungere
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: John/Lestrade (pre-slash)
Categories: AU, kid-fic, humor, drama, action, family, favorite
Length: ~26,500 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
Back from Afghanistan and struggling to make ends meet, John gets offered a very unusual job: nanny for a five-year-old Sherlock and a twelve-year-old Mycroft.

This one just makes me smile like crazy. I love Mrs. Holmes, who has decided (quite rightly) that surviving a war is perfect practice for being a nanny for Sherlock and Mycroft. I love John, who feels utterly unqualified but who loves his two charges immensely, even when they're being irritating. I love Lestrade, who is sweet and wonderfully calm under pressure. And I absolutely adore the young versions of Sherlock and Mycroft, who are unique characters all of their own though you can clearly see the seeds of the men they will grow to be. A brilliant AU that makes me smile every time I read it.

Note that there are sequels to the original fic. I'm not reccing them specifically (since they are more focused on the growing relationship between John and Lestrade and less on John interacting with the kids, which is my favorite part of the series) but they're enjoyable stories and the link to the series is below.

Ain't Seen the Sunshine
Sequels to Ain't Seen the Sunshine