Book!verse Coming Out Fic

[ketchup-fights.livejournal.com]

This was an older fic, written a few years ago. Watson first-person POV.

It begins with a young woman coming to Holmes with a case, but Holmes deduces that she's just making the case up to get close to him and start a romance, and he sends her away in tears. Watson asks why he had to be such an asshole to her, and a discussion about sexuality ensues in which Holmes comes out to Watson. Watson is all "Illegal! Victorian morals!" but Holmes points out that Watson is cool enough with breaking the law when it's for a case, and Holmes isn't hurting anyone, and Watson is all "...."

It ends with Holmes asking if they're still friends, and Watson saying of course they are. And there's shades of UST, but it's all very subtle and Victorian?

(And maybe if you know any other good fics that feature Holmes and/or Watson coming out to the other/having a discussion about sexuality, in any Victorian verse, you could rec it my way?)

Comments

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

There's Winter In London by waid, but read the warning first.

http://w-a-i-d.livejournal.com/748.html

[ketchup-fights.livejournal.com]

I'm actually making my way through Winter in London right now! I agree, the sexuality discussion, like everything else, was beautifully handled. (I think that scene might be what jogged my memory to look for this older fic?)

I definitely second the rec to anyone who hasn't read it yet. It's heartbreaking, but lovely.

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

Oh god yes, it's a wonderful story. I think I might have to go and re-read it now!

[scemi.livejournal.com]

I haven't read this in a while, but I remember it was good:
http://beth-h.mrks.org/Fabula_Fiction/FabMedicalMan.html

It's a discussion of homosexuality, leading to some sexy times. Victorian-ish. Book-verse.

[ketchup-fights.livejournal.com]

Ooh, looks interesting! Thanks!

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Extremely belated and possibly obsolete, but did you mean this one (http://archiveofourown.org/works/43510)? Because I just went hunting through this comm for something else entirely, and this description felt, er, familiar. *cough*

[ketchup-fights.livejournal.com]

EEEEEE! That's it! Weirdly, I was just thinking about this fic the other day, and wishing all over again that I could find.

So obviously, not obsolete at at all, and thank you!

I've just reread, and you have an amazing command of the character voices, if I may say so. (And Holmes in deductive mode was downright Doyle-esque.)

Also, "Besides, it is not as if there is anyone to share my, as you phrase it so reassuringly, 'unnatural inclinations' with, anyway." Aghh. So much hinting and longing and bitterness and an entire unspoken story wrapped up in that line.

And I love that Watson tries to be all scolding Victorian doctor but he just can't sustain it in the face of Holmes's logic and his own loyalty, and the way the last line parallels The Sign of the Four... and just, yeah. Just a really well done fic. Thanks for finding it, thanks for writing it!