Fic Rec: You've Begun to Feel Like Home

[swissmarg]

Title: You've Begun to Feel Like Home and epilogue: Where Hearts Are Sure
Author: yalublyutebya
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 24,677 words + 3,197 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock Holmes is everything Father John Watson should probably disapprove of. He's an atheist, a rationalist, an addict, and gay. But none of those things is enough to stop him from being the most fascinating person John's ever met.

Reccer's comments: This is an AU in which Sherlock is still a consulting detective, but John is a Catholic priest. The story follows their relationship over the course of fifteen years, starting when they meet (Sherlock is fifteen, John is twenty-eight; but don't worry, there is no underage sex).

There are bits of canon (and new) cases worked in, including the famous pool scene from The Great Game, but John never becomes Sherlock's investigative partner. Instead, their paths cross both coincidentally – in hospital, at a crime scene - and when Sherlock seeks John out at odd intervals for medical attention, moral support, and simply friendship. They sometimes go years without meeting, but they have a connection that ignores space and time, and whenever their lives intersect again, it only deepens and strengthens their bond. What is so special is that we see how their relationship grows, while each man separately finds himself and figures out what is most important to him in life.

One thing I especially liked was how sensitively and sympathetically the topic of the church institution was dealt with. This is not a church-bashing fic, although the social and moral difficulties they face due to John's vocation are dealt with in an honest manner.

This is really a beautiful story of friendship and love. It does end up with them falling in love and consummating their relationship physically, but it is done with great thought and care, both on the part of the author and the characters. This is one of those stories that has you thinking about it for days afterwards and wishing that it could have gone on longer.

Edit 18 June 2012: There are now several sequels, turning this into a series: Too Close to Home (John/Sherlock, Mature)

Comments

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

This looks interesting. It'll be refreshing to read a fic that deals with religion in a non-bashing manner. Thanks for the rec!