221B Recs

Title: Behavioural Modification LJ
Author: bendingsignpost
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 23,726
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Whatever it took, he was going to make this work.

Reccer's comments: “You do realize you’re prostituting yourself for tea, don’t you?”
This sounded humorous, an excellent, funny opening line, until I read on. The sentence echoed repeatedly in my head, as each new appearance of or reference to tea added to its weight and sharpness (a double-edged blade). From comedy to near-tragedy.

Homoromantic asexual Sherlock is my personal headcanon and best of all he is treated as a complex human being here, rather than a fetish object. John is not a one-dimensional savior, which does him justice as well. Their sex is sometimes sad, sometimes beautiful, but always represented with a refreshing air of reality.

bendingsignpost has nailed Sherlock, a brilliantly-voiced (unreliable) narrator, whose romantic and sexual past has twisted his notions of the proper way to conduct a relationship. Add to this a fantastic characterization of Molly, outstanding dialogue, a glorious passage of violin playing, and an ending that feels so well earned.

Note: If you love this, I enthusiastically recommend Ben's recent posting of the "AU of [his] AUs", AKA No Fixed Point. "Behavioural Modification" is one of the fics given the AU treatment. I'll say no more and leave it to the lucky recc'er who gets to do a formal rec of NFP...