Fic Rec: Cannot Help But Fall

[augustbird.livejournal.com]

Title: Cannot Help But Fall
Author: achray
Pairing: Sherlock/John, Sherlock/Original Male Character, John/Original Female Character
Length: 28,002
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John really hadn’t expected to come down for his morning tea on a normal Baker St Sunday and find a strange man asleep on the sofa.

Reccer's comments: This is a fic where Sherlock regularly sees a male prostitute to release pent up sexual urges and John gets increasingly more jealous. And if the jealousy trope wasn't enough to make me click, the latter 2/3rds of the fic involves a case that neatly ties into the entire situation.

I thought that the characterization in this fic was really well done and I wasn't expecting to like the original characters as much as I did by the end. Between the well-thought out case and the moments of extreme competence (seriously, I fall so hard for authors who actually make their characters earn their badass description rather than assume it), this was a fantastic and easy read with great pacing and action to keep me intrigued all the way through.

Fic Rec: Empty Skies

[girlonadragon.livejournal.com]

Title: Empty Skies
Author: Verasteine
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 5431 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Really, what he's left with in the end is a leg with a mind of its own, and it doesn't take kindly to being exploded at in a swimming pool. Or, how near-death experiences can change your life.

Reccer's comments: This is a character study of John, mainly taking place after the pool confrontation at the end of season one. It's beautifully atmospheric, as the author takes the time to focus on the little details, like the sounds of the city and the smells of chlorine and gunpowder. John's thought patterns are well realised, and there's a certain restraint and a subtlety that gives the whole piece an achingly poignant tone.

Excerpt
Then his arm is around Moriarty's neck and he's settling for his own death in exchange for Sherlock's, and he doesn't wonder, at all, about sacrifice and love and why.

A heartbeat later, he knows he's lost, lost the round, lost the game, lost this game, and sacrifice and love and why are startlingly clear as he thinks a second time, how could I have been so blind?