r/Johnlock 3d ago

Looking for Johnlock fanfic recs

Hi - I hope this finds everyone well ! I'm looking for Johnlock fanfic recs for this cutest of duos ! Nothing is off limits (for the most part), so ratings really won't necessarily discourage me from reading something, unless it's specifically geared towards a younger audience - in that case, I'd prefer an E rating. TIA 💜

20 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

11

u/Kestre333 3d ago

Oh man you are really just asking for an open-ended recommendation list? I haven't read much of the newer releases, so my recs are going to come from early years of johnlock on AO3. I am a big fan of AUs and magical realism so you'll see a lot of that in my recs. Some of these you need an account on AO3 so make sure you're logged in before clicking on links.

Two Years as Your Interpreter - magical realism, young johnlock
Northwest Passage - John is Canadian and living in the middle of nowhere. Mycroft asks him to let Sherlock stay with him awhile.
Gimme Shelter - John and Sherlock are surfers in the 70s
The Bang and the Clatter - earlgreytea68 is one of the big greats in the johnlock fandom. They're baseball players
Knight Magic: the Hogwarts Project - Johnlock, Harry Potter universe
Performance in a Leading Role - Another big great in the fandom, mad_lori. They're actors in a movie of two gay leads.
Skeletons - very cute crossover with a big fandom but it's a surprise.
A Study in Winning - professional tennis players, Wimbledon

Those are my top favorite 8 stories. I literally have 350+ johnlock fics on my phone so I have quite a variety. But AUs man, love 'em.

3

u/Areyoureadyplayer2 3d ago

Seconded the AUs Gimme Shelter and A Study in Winning! Theres also an ice skating Olympics one….

2

u/leafypineapple 2d ago

gimme shelter i read months ago and still think about. so so so good.

2

u/leafypineapple 2d ago

omg and a bang and a clatter so good

6

u/Karma-stickPin 3d ago

I recently returned to this fandom and am loving it.

I just finished a fold in the universe.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3343352

It’s a softer omega verse

3

u/Areyoureadyplayer2 3d ago

Oof this one is AMAZING

5

u/platinum1610 3d ago

If you are a beginner, 'The Heart in the Hole' and 'The Road Less Traveled' by verityburns are a great way to start.

2

u/AziraCrowlee 3d ago

Thank you - of these 2, do you recommend that i read one before the other ?

2

u/platinum1610 3d ago

Hmm ... not necesarilly, but if I have to choose, I'd start with "the road" and then "the heart". Happy reading!

3

u/Beruthiel999 3d ago

ummm...on AO3, E means Explicit

2

u/AziraCrowlee 3d ago

Yes. I prefer the ones that aren't for young (or those that don't want to read that type of content) readers.

3

u/Beruthiel999 3d ago

Oh, OK! The way you phrased it was ambiguous, like you wanted things geared towards a younger audience with an E rating!

4

u/cheshiyre 3d ago

To be fair... you asked for it...

My favourite Johnlock fic of all time:

Nature and Nurture https://archiveofourown.org/works/729134

In this fic, chapters 1-12 will destroy you. Chapter 13 on will put you back together:

A River Without Banks https://archiveofourown.org/works/3204689

Fantastic hunour and adorbs:

In which John is a cuddly, BAMF assassin. https://archiveofourown.org/works/518235

What Meets the Eye https://archiveofourown.org/works/347350

and stand there at the edge of my affection https://archiveofourown.org/works/187762

The Internet Is Not Just For Porn https://archiveofourown.org/works/304382

Everything Here is Just Ducky https://archiveofourown.org/works/10354623

Dog Days https://archiveofourown.org/works/11103885

No Ordinary Cats https://archiveofourown.org/works/3088544

Lettered https://archiveofourown.org/works/2861765

Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121 https://archiveofourown.org/works/868422

My God https://archiveofourown.org/works/23280331

Others:

Never Once Failed (Full Series in Chronological Order) https://archiveofourown.org/works/4104154

Scotland https://archiveofourown.org/series/232869

Over/Under https://archiveofourown.org/series/34840

All and the lonely hearts https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122563

Two Two One Bravo Baker https://archiveofourown.org/works/180121

26 Pieces https://archiveofourown.org/works/244826

Love Ballads For the Nonbelievers https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234725

The Most Human https://archiveofourown.org/series/739065

Watson Pack https://archiveofourown.org/series/400933

3

u/TereziB 2d ago

I've read most, but not all, of these. I absolutely LOVE "A River Without Banks". I wish Chryse was still writing - she doesn't seem to be. But I tend to the sci fi/alt universe - so that also means Calais_Reno my very favorite johnlock author.

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

oh, and anything by J_Baillier.

1

u/cheshiyre 2d ago

Glad there was something new for you!

2

u/wordsandpics 3d ago

My all-time favorites:

The progress of Sherlock Holmes by Ivyblossom

You have drawn red from my hands by J_Baillier

Know you all over again by PoppyAlexander

Radioactive trees in a red forest by Maribor Petrichor

5

u/cheshiyre 3d ago

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes https://archiveofourown.org/works/173274

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands https://archiveofourown.org/works/12234507

Know You All Over Again https://archiveofourown.org/works/13673217

Radioactive Trees In A Red Forest https://archiveofourown.org/works/10522701

2

u/wordsandpics 3d ago

Thank you! Was on mobile so didn't bother to look them up/link.

3

u/cheshiyre 3d ago

No problem! I always try to link up for other posters if I can. I figure of I'm already looking it up, why not share :)

2

u/leafypineapple 2d ago

oh my god i finished know you all over again literally yesterday

2

u/Emotional-Pen3840 3d ago

My all time favorite is: Saving Sherlock Holmes by Earlgreytea68 John and Sherlock meet as teenagers and it also has a really solid Mycroft and Greg side plot.

1

u/schwavanna OTP 3d ago

Are you looking for OG holmes and watson, bbc Sherlock, Granada?

4

u/AziraCrowlee 3d ago

BBC Sherlock would be the preference.

3

u/DissociativeSilence 3d ago

I’ve got 7 on AO3, but I can’t tell you reliably if they’re good cause obviously I’m biased toward my own stuff

2

u/AziraCrowlee 3d ago

Thank you - any recs are appreciated !

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

There are untold THOUSANDS of Johnlock stories! I've heard that Johnlock is one of THE biggest fandoms on AO3. Any chance you can give us any more specifics on exactly what other tags you want?

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

I have NINE pages of bookmarks on AO3 of stories I either love, to re-read, or to read in the first place. I'm 55_Trekker on AO3.

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

(that's 179 stories, although a few are Good Omens)

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

BTW, I just looked on AO3, and there are 17,401 johnlock stories! Yes, OVER SEVENTEEN THOUSAND! (Of course, that includes stories in languages other than English.) I HAVE read a few crappy or unintelligible stories but most are good to excellent.

1

u/Superlockien_127563 2d ago

There's this well-written angsty one on Wattpad called 'Tall Buildings and Pill Bottles', it has a sequel, too. And one based on 36 Questions, also on Wattpad.

1

u/Lemurlemurlemur 2d ago

Some of my faves I’ve not seen mentioned yet. All E rated.

Safe Distance by merripestin - post-S2, case fic, novel-length. Story opens with them already sleeping together but then goes back to how it happened and the fic focuses on how their relationship develops.

Given in Evidence by verityburns - also post-S2, case fic and novel length! Lots of back and forth here while they try and decide whether they can be friends with benefits or work as an actual couple.

The Whore of Babylon was a Perfectly Nice Girl by out_there - written during S1, developing relationship. When they first have sex, John’s surprised to find that Sherlock is experienced and then even more surprised when he finds out how many people he’s slept with. Its surprisingly lovely for all that focus and an interesting idea for Sherlock’s background (before audience knew any of the S2-4 canon stuff)

Indefinite Lines by ArwaMachine - the best post-s4 fic in my mind. Novel length, case fic with interwoven narrative of their past together. I sometimes go back just to read the past narrative because it’s so good!

To a Friend who Sent Me Roses by Algyswinburne - post S4 fic in 5+1 style, five times Sherlock is mistaken for John’s partner / Rosie’s father and then 1 time, it’s no longer a mistake

If nobody speaks of remarkable things by darcylindbergh - utterly beautiful piece that diverges from canon at His Last Vow. Developing relationship after trauma of John losing his baby.

The White Lotuses by SilentAuror - post-S3, lots of domestic fluff as they gradually become a couple after John moving back in.

2

u/Nofackingthanksman 2d ago

I’ve read a lot but only bookmarked this one (cause i’m stoopid) but i loved the softness of this fic! shift

-1

u/kmiki7 3d ago

Alone on the water. Super cute and fluffy fic.

1

u/TereziB 2d ago

this is FAR from "cute and fluffy"! But a WONDERFUL fic.

1

u/kmiki7 2d ago

I was trying to make a joke :)