OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
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After Sherlock risks his life again, something snaps in John, and he walks away in an act of self-preservation. He leaves 221B and Sherlock behind to start a new life. It does not go well.
Sherlock realizes that this time, John is not coming back, and he is alone again. He tries to cope in an act of self-preservation. It does not go well.
How much harder is it to live for someone than to die for them?
NOW COMPLETE
Series
- Part 1 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 1 of OLTAB action fics
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When a case forces John and Sherlock to pose as a couple, the plan seems simple—until a miscommunication leaves Sherlock hurt and John scrambling to make things right. Through shared memories, quiet gestures, and a moment under the stars, John learns that the best-laid plans often go awry, but sometimes what happens instead can lead to something far better. A story of missteps, unexpected confessions, and the first steps toward something new.
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- Part 2 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
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John once said that if Sherlock ever felt the need to use drugs, he could call him. Sherlock never imagined he’d actually do it—until Victor Trevor’s years-too-late funeral leaves him reeling. For the first time, Sherlock reaches out, and John is there to help him navigate the memories, cravings, and emotions he can no longer ignore. In the aftermath, Sherlock begins to realize that asking for help might be the first step toward something he never thought possible: A future built on connection, trust, and love.
Post Season 4. Only the barest fleeting mention of Rosie.
COMPLETE
Series
- Part 3 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
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Sherlock thought John knew him better than anyone - that he understood the parts of him others never cared to. But after an ill-conceived attempt by Greg and John to set him up with someone, Sherlock is left feeling betrayed, misunderstood, and deeply hurt. Old wounds resurface, and the trust Sherlock has in John fractures under the weight of assumptions. As emotions spiral out of control, Sherlock must confront his fear of rejection, while John struggles to repair the damage he didn’t realize he’d caused. After quite the shouting match, they finally realize that all they ever wanted was each other.
Complete!
Series
- Part 4 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 3 of OLTAB asexuality spectrum fics
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A brutal case reawakens the trauma of an encounter Sherlock thought he’d buried—Magnussen’s unwanted visit to his hospital room years ago. When the memories resurface, Sherlock finally tells John about what really happened that night, revealing the fears and vulnerabilities he’s kept hidden. John’s response is filled with fierce protection and unwavering care, leading to a night of comfort, shared confessions, and the first steps toward something neither of them had dared to hope for.
Complete!
Series
- Part 5 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 6 of OLTAB action fics
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Starving at the Feast by ohlooktheresabee
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock (BBC TV 2010)
18 Oct 2024
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Sherlock Holmes hasn’t touched drugs in two years, but sobriety isn’t the end of his struggle. As he fights an escalating case involving an international smuggling ring, old cravings begin to resurface—fueled by suppressed emotions and the proximity of the one person he’s sworn to protect at all costs: John Watson. When John uncovers the truth, their relationship is tested in ways neither of them expected. What begins as a desperate attempt to stay afloat becomes a journey of mutual healing, love, and the painful realization that sometimes, the hardest thing to do is let someone in. This story is a realistic depiction of how cravings can take hold, of the lengths we will go to protect those we love, and of what it means to face your demons with someone by your side.
Post-season 4, only brief mentions of Rosie.
COMPLETE
Series
- Part 6 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
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Summary
Sherlock and John finally make the leap from friends to lovers, but skip the discussion beforehand. That’s what makes it fun and sexy, right?
WRONG.
Both eager to please the other, but both making too many assumptions, Sherlock and John make a few missteps before they finally manage to reach an understanding.Or:
An exploration of navigating relationships and intimacy when you're asexual, but don't know what that means... YET.NOW COMPLETE.
Series
- Part 7 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 6 of OLTAB asexuality spectrum fics
- Part 3 of OLTAB queer themes focus fics
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Consulting for Christmas by ohlooktheresabee
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
24 Mar 2021
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COMPLETE!
The Louvre Museum in Paris is planning to host the celebrated Winter Fabergé Egg for its winter exhibition - quite the feat as it has not been on public display since 2002. However there is a snag: whispers of a world-renowned master-thief with his eyes set on the valuable prize. The curator has asked the famous Sherlock Holmes to consult on security, but the detective needs a lot of convincing: he is after all a bit busy with trying to woo a certain clueless ex-army doctor…At the same time, John is attempting to balance work, missing Rosie who is off on her gap year, a volunteer gig at a local London orphanage, and seething jealousy upon the arrival of an apparent old friend of Sherlock’s. Attempting to foil the heist of the century while remaining friendly and objective might just be a step too far...
A Christmas crime caper packed full of misdirection, miscommunication and mistletoe, set against the romantic backdrop of London and Paris in the winter. Thrown into all this, will our two idiots finally manage to see what has been right in front of them all along?
Chapters 1-3 are the complete fic, chapters 4-6 are the accompanying ARTWORK from the amazing alifetimeaheadtoprovethat!
Series
- Part 9 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 5 of OLTAB action fics
- Part 3 of OLTAB laugh out loud fics
- Part 1 of OLTAB holiday specials
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Summary
Sherlock and John are living together at 221B with Rosie, both assuming that their friendship and found family is as much as they can reasonably expect from the other. This would have continued, had Sherlock not gone missing, and had the scrappy black stray cat not appeared under Sherlock's bed.
As Greg and Mycroft continue the search for Sherlock, John and Rosie get to know their new pet, coaxing it slowly into accepting care and affection. But as Christmas approaches and John misses Sherlock more and more, he resolves that when he finally gets him back, he won't ever let him go again.
COMPLETE!
Series
- Part 10 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 2 of OLTAB AU fics
- Part 2 of OLTAB holiday specials
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Forward Momentum by Bluebuell33, ohlooktheresabee for LittleFluffyClouds
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV)
07 Aug 2022
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After the events of Sherrinford, the Holmes family is forever altered. Mycroft no longer has anything to hide, but instead must find a way to win back his brother's trust. Sherlock is faced with truths about himself long-buried, and both of the brothers Holmes realize that their positions in the world are no longer as fixed as they might have seemed.
Along with these realizations come new opportunities. Mycroft finds himself drawn to Inspector Lestrade, and now that all his secrets have been laid bare he finds he doesn't want to hold back anymore. Sherlock too begins to find it harder and harder to remember why he has been repressing his desires - especially when he is around his best friend, John Watson.
The past is a dark and melancholy place, and neither Holmes wants to return there - so it's time now to push forward, and take a chance on something brighter.
NOW COMPLETE!
Series
- Part 11 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 9 of OLTAB fluffy fics
- Part 1 of OLTAB queer themes focus fics
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Summary
All flatmates need to work out domestic matters between them - who does the dishes, who takes out the rubbish, how often does the carpet need to be vacuumed - these are part and parcel of sharing a living space together.
However, when you’re an elf and your flatmate is going to be a human you just met, this rather complicates things…
Very loosely inspired by 'The Elves and The Shoemaker' by The Brothers Grimm.
ARTWORK by marinette-edhel
Series
- Part 3 of OLTAB AU fics
- Part 12 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
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To Be Human by ohlooktheresabee
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
23 Feb 2025
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There is a serial killer on the loose with a penchant for collecting the brains of his victims. Sherlock, John and Scotland Yard are on the case, but something about the chosen victims has Sherlock on edge. While they piece together the clues that will lead to the killer, John begins to realize that the way his best friend thinks may sometimes be more a hindrance than a help….
Set after HOTB, but doesn't reference canon particularly.
***NOW COMPLETE***
ARTWORK by procoffeinatingRussian translation by Little_blueberry available here:
Быть человеком
https://ficbook.net/readfic/10270172Series
- Part 1 of It's Almost Unreal
- Part 13 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 7 of OLTAB action fics
- Part 1 of OLTAB asexuality spectrum fics
- Part 1 of OLTAB neurodiversity fics
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Summary
After cracking a high-stakes case, Sherlock and John face the press for a victory lap. But the glare of cameras and relentless noise push Sherlock past his limits, sending him spiraling into sensory overload. For John, the moment becomes more than just damage control; it’s a stark reminder of Sherlock’s humanity—and a test of the tentative trust they've rebuilt since his return.
Something of a fix-it for John's daft "Aspergers?" comment in THOB.
Series
- Part 14 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 4 of OLTAB neurodiversity fics
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Summary
NOW COMPLETE!
John Watson has always thought himself to be quite basic: straight, white, cis British male, who will probably one day settle down with a nice woman his parents might have liked, and have a couple of kids. That's what men like him do, after all.
If he's occasionally looked in the mirror (or over at his eccentric flatmate Sherlock) and thought that something might be missing from that description, well... everyone has those thoughts sometimes... right?
Sherlock and John meet a new police officer who turns their lives upside down. When presented with people who live their lives loudly and authentically, will the detective and his blogger be able to look at themselves, and say the same?
Series
- Part 15 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 6 of OLTAB neurodiversity fics
- Part 2 of OLTAB queer themes focus fics
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Summary
As Sherlock and John uncover the sinister motives behind a spate of kidnappings, they find themselves facing rogue government agents and mad scientists who believe certain minds hold the key to humanity's next great leap forward in evolution. With lost children caught in the crossfire and a shadowy conspiracy closing in, Sherlock and John must navigate trust, power, and the dangerous boundaries of human potential - boundaries that could either elevate or destroy them.
Sequel to "To Be Human."
COMPLETE
Series
- Part 2 of It's Almost Unreal
- Part 16 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 8 of OLTAB action fics
- Part 2 of OLTAB asexuality spectrum fics
- Part 2 of OLTAB neurodiversity fics
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Summary
Someone spray-paints a homophobic slur over the door of 221B. John realizes just how wilfully ignorant he has been all these years, and how he might be able to make it better.
Complete!
Series
- Part 17 of OLTAB angst with happy ending fics
- Part 4 of OLTAB queer themes focus fics