An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Word count: 36,464
Chapters: 12/12
Fandom: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Angst and Feels, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Established Relationship, top!John, Bottom!Sherlock, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Original Character(s), Power Dynamics, Rough Sex, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Switching
Series: Part 24 of Unwind
Summary:
John views his past through a new lens when he finds his relationship with Sherlock on thin ice.
Rec: At times very uncomfortable, this confronts both internalized and overt homophobia from several perspectives. I especially liked that different voices are given honest and due consideration in this complex issue. The nonlinear timeline affords additional depth as it skips back and forth between the “present” (about 2 years after series 4), the years of the aired episodes, and even further back to John’s time in the military and his childhood. It’s a terrific picture that is built up skilfully through many layers as we see both how John’s identity was shaped and how it is now shifting and re-settling.
I think I’m making this sound too philosophical; although it is an issue-driven story, it’s really basically about John and Sherlock figuring things out, fighting and loving each other throughout, and trying to make a life together. And written in a very mature and skillful way.
This is part of a much longer series, and the author suggests reading one of the previous parts for context. I think it can be read alone as a post-series 4 established relationship, albeit with a longer history; the relevant points are summarized sufficiently within this story. (Although I also recommend the entire series, it’s really excellent.)
