The Progress of Sherlock Holmes

by Ivy Blossom

Sherlock Fanfic
Sherlock is head over heels for John, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. First-person present-tense series of short scenes from Sherlock's point of view, borrowing heavily from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
Words: 62,006 complete

Genres: Fan Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

155 pages, ebook

First published March 27, 2011

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock's thought process is what won me. So sharp like flashes of input constantly running and evaluating--analyzing. It felt so comfortable and immediately understandable, it's how I think albeit with less medical biology as the filter. I can see how it might not appeal to some, but for me, it was like reading shorthand. Everything important revealed, bare-naked without the artifice of inconsequentials.

It was the hyper-close first person point of view that made it work. Literally, inside Sherlock and surveying as he would without extraneous data. Gorgeous character work.

My ignorance is as remarkable as my knowledge. Built of extremes.

Those things that Sherlock focuses on, obsesses over are wrought in stunning detail, utmost care in the admiration of their construct and whether it is John or a violin bow--it is an indulgence in sensuality. Gluttonous in comparison to the scant attention afforded everything else. Seriously, that bow scene with Sherlock and Mycroft is a joy I will reread.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was bloody fantastic. I have serious reservations about reading fan fiction of anything I really love because there's more chance of it pissing me off than me actually enjoying it. But that was so not the case here. This is a delicious glimpse into Sherlock's labyrinthine mind as he struggles with his attraction to Watson. There's no central plot other than the two of them trying to untangle the gordian knot that is their relationship; Sherlock's crime-solving happens in the background, so don't expect a mystery. A lot of the tension is lent by John's choices (and I'd rant about them, but I don't want to spoil it). Sure, there's a lot of angst, but it's Sherlock-flavoured angst, so it's awesome and self-aware. At first I was a little put off by the rapid-fire prose and gross overuse of parentheses, but then I started imagining it in Benedict Cumberbatch's voice and it was perfect. It would be just like BBC's Sherlock to think at the speed of light and have all these minutiae flit through his consciousness. I especially loved the anatomical detail and use of text messages. The secondary characters were represented brilliantly and the whole thing just felt so familiar and sincere. It'll have to tide me over until season 3.

[Irina Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd one out speaking here.

I absolutely love the way Sherlock's voice was rendered. The stream of consciousness in incredibly immediate and true-to-life, but never heavy or boring in any way. His thought processes are portrayed wonderfully - he thinks clever thoughts in this fic, and he's constantly analysing and dissecting things. This is what makes this SH believable.

The storyline is frustrating (in the good way) and sort of twisted when it comes to the trio of Sherlock, John and Mary. Nothing about it is really shocking, but it works - it's solid and satisfying.

Up to a certain point.

Because nearing the end, real conflict is avoided, and that is one of the things I hate the most.
I am a passionate, at times cruel arguer, and I want to see that in a story. It fulfills my inner monster's wishes - the one who feeds off anger and pain. (Shut up, you have one too.) That's 50% of what makes a story angsty for me, and if I don't have that, I will inevitably feel partly let down. The core of the events is there, the feelings and well portrayed characters are there, the high-impact resolution... is not.

I also had problems with Sherlock's saccharine sentimentality - I know, right? Just seeing that written down next to his name gives me shivers. The horrified kind.
It's not there all the time, but when it was, it punched me in the eye. It felt incongruous and just plain wrong.
Also, maybe due to the fact that Sherlock always talks about him in this saccharine, love-lorn way, John starts feeling a bit bland after a while. His occasional spunk is gone, and what remains is the "comforting", homey quality that I never really loved about him.

I'm left with an overall MEH feeling, especially since I was led to expect fireworks.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm 5-starring this for the excellent style. I felt like I had an open window into BBC's Sherlock's mind, complete with tiny notes and additions and details filed for clarification. Deductions, murders, instant analysis, compulsive research tendency, people believing him emotionless - this was brilliant.

The murder settings were quite well done, even if they were secondary to the plot. (I felt like saying, "a great eye for detail", but I'm not even sure whether I'd mean it about the author or about Sherlock.)

The relationships and their complications functioned great, too.

And the occasional humor is just the cherry on top of the cake.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Sherlock fanfic, I had to start somewhere and this was a great place to start. Very cleverly done and enjoyable.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 Re-Read:

I'm glad I read this one for the first time before I fell too far down the fanfic rabbit hole because nowadays I avoid first-person fanfics like they have Covid, and it sure would have been a shame if I'd missed out on all the agony and joy I've gotten from this story over the years.


2020 Re-Read:

I just keep coming back to this one.


Original 2018 Review:

At first I wasn't convinced, but the longer it went on the more enamored I became. I'll be reading this again soon, and it will undoubtedly make it onto my "re-read as often as possible" list. It's a story that will will only improve with further study.

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I love that he doesn't care what I think about it; he comes in because he needs to, because he wants to. Wants to see that I'm all right, cares whether I'm all right. John: he's like the sunshine pouring in. He feels like warmth sneaking into a cold place."

A very enjoyable read, loved the ending. ♥

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, isn't that a unique, interesting and utterly captivating writing style. Never have read anything like this, probably never will again.
Oh, the never-ending wonders of brilliant fanfiction.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated into five other languages. And it's not even published.

Sherlock's POV:
This kind of disjointed writing is really how Sherlock seems to think in the series, and holds terrifying attention to detail.
And the details in the details, the deductions from the details -- this is why I watched Sherlock in the first place, god that's amazing.
Love triangles are cruel to the reader and Mycroft is wondrous.


Quotes (online fiction, I can be as ridiculous as I want):

Deep breath; accidental (is it?) cough; wince from the pain. John’s hands against my chest, only the thin material of a t-shirt between us. Eyes flutter shut again.

Does he leave his door ajar like this on purpose? (Maybe he’s inviting me, teasing me, daring me.)
No, probably not. Nice thought, though. Too devious. Something I would do (not John). John doesn’t play that kind of subtle game. Feigning sleep behind a half-opened door in order to be watched, to be adored, to be desired quietly (and from a distance). Passive aggression isn’t his modus operandi.

His bed clings to him, holds him, soothes him. (I could do that.)

From this I deduce that in his nightmares he fights first, with his hands, then he runs. He runs because the fighting has failed, or because it hasn’t, and someone has died under his hands.

Curled up under the bedclothes. Right side of the bed. John’s bed. Feels so familiar. Comfortable. Perfect. All four of John’s hospital corners destroyed. His bed: a chaos of me. He should be delighted. I have brought him the gift of complete disarray.

Order around chaos. A revelation: he’s my order, I’m his chaos. Yin and yang. Needs me (need him). A perfect match, a perfect pair. Obvious.

He is warm, feels like he might be the source of all warmth. A sun that revolves around a cold planet like me.

“I...” I don’t have a vocabulary for this. How to gauge?

And just like that. All is forgiven. Relief (but something else accompanies it.) Disappointment. Suppose I didn’t really want to be forgiven. Can’t be folded and tucked under the mattress like every other bit of nightly chaos. But today, it seems, I will be. Smoothed over. No lasting damage.

Can’t even look at him. “Since you��re clearly both blind and deaf, play dumb as well.”

Lestrade is ordering Anderson off. He’s useless. More than useless; he gets in my way.

Well, I can guess: his paradoxical nature. The way he is coherently made up of exact opposites. His voice (strong, kind but ruthless, the voice of a man who’s killed (more than once) for all the right reasons, a voice tinged by a complex morality I will never have the skill or knowledge to entirely unravel or understand) against this backdrop (a body, a murder, evidence, a problem to be solved), his steady hands. His squared fingernails (always clean). His blunt force patience. The broadness of his shoulders as compared to his trim waist. (I don’t need to mention the muscles in his pelvis again, do I? Let’s leave the vulgar lustful thoughts out of it, for now; for now, we’re in public, it’s too much.)

He states the obvious in that voice of his, the same one he uses to tell me I’m amazing, I’m extraordinary, the same one that shouts in the night to the tune of his nightmares and asks me if I want a cup of tea in the mornings.

Red is also the colour of warning; signs, portside lights on ships, traffic signals. Red is the colour of blood, which is, in a way, another kind of warning: stop, you’ve gone too far, broken the skin, broken a body. Hearts look reddish when you first see them inside a body, but once cleaned of blood, they’re predominantly yellowish, like chicken skin. Children draw them and colour them in red, presumably because they have failed to learn this simple fact. Perhaps they have seen only living, beating hearts, seen open-heart surgeries on their relentless tellies (do parents let their children watch open heart surgeries on telly?) and failed to understand that the red around a heart is only the blood. Do parents want their children to imagine only bloodied hearts? Presumably so; live things are (apparently) more pleasing to people than dead things are. (Regardless of its colour, the heart is certainly not heart-shaped, which is an odd failure of the English language, and a bizarre and erroneous anatomy lesson for children. I suppose it’s like Santa Claus: one of the things adults lie to children about by default, with no shame or remorse.)

He leans forward and kisses me on the forehead again. It’s a safe spot in John’s mind. Safe, not sexual, not crossing the line. Affectionate. He wants. He wants to kiss me on the mouth, but he’s afraid. His jagged pulse. His fear makes me afraid. John fears nothing except this? Me? Kissing me? Being close to me? (Being cast off by me?)

My default reaction to flirting is to glare. Flirting is a form of manipulation, and I will not be manipulated. Insulting.

Taxi rides without John are familiar, but uncomfortable. Empty seat next to me makes the universe feel oddly canted to the right (the left is missing in action, awkwardly deleted): a constant reminder of loss.

Examine: do I want her to cheat on him, break his heart, leave him twisted and broken, so that he will come back to me and I can put him back together for the second time? Answer seems obvious, but I remain honestly uncertain. The stakes are too high. John’s happiness. At least with Mary I have John part time. With someone else, I might lose him altogether.

Address and name; search through the various databases for which I have passwords (oh Mycroft, your sad little security), and determine that he’s an estate agent, up market.

Needs can exist without being fulfilled.

I am besotted. Should spend the day in a swoon across the sofa.
You’ve turned me into a Victorian heroine. SH

It isn't as if he hasn't also hurt me. (He left me for her. For Mary. Before I had a chance. Before I knew anything. Before I could learn. Before there was sufficient evidence.)

Pause. Consider. (Should I say this?) “Well.” (Perhaps I should.) “You did.” (Should clarify.) “Leave me. For Mary.” It hurts to say (more than expected). Stab in the chest, opens up a store of painful emptiness. (You left me, John.) Think of John’s bullet wound: the entryway of a foreign object punching through flesh. Emotional open wound. Catch breath. That hurts.

“You left me.” (His singular selfish action.) It’s true. An objective fact. I was alone.

An attempt to mollify me? A balm on our brotherly rift? Whatever it is, no matter how expensive it is, I’m duty-bound as the (wronged) younger brother to destroy it instantly. He places the case on his lap and opens it. Turns it toward me.
A violin. A little worse for wear; the finish a bit rough in places, some nicks and cuts. Hasn’t been as well-cared for as it should have been. Some water damage. Wait: No. Not just a violin. (My God.) Italian. Amati. Seventeenth century. (Impossible.) A masterpiece. (I cannot possibly destroy it.) Nicolo Amati, grand pattern. A grand Amati. Incredibly rare. Amazing. (Priceless.)

[Day-thief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was so many things. There were laugh-out-loud moments (see my status updates), sad-sweet angsty moments, and a lot of exhausting moments when you follow Sherlock's 'manic, frenetic and near staccato train of thought' (that's how Akansha aptly described it).

I was awed not only by the obvious writing skills the author shows, but also by the ingenuity of it all. You weren't simply told that Sherlock has a brilliant mind and is highly educated, many little comments and details conveyed exactly that. It's also a perfect extension of BBC's Sherlock.

Also, different from that standard romance story arc which culminates in that ONE kiss/ or declaration of love after endless plot twists, the more-than-friendship between Sherlock and John is there from the start. But John is a jerk of epic proportions, because THAT...

“I understand, I mean, I feel it, there’s a pull there, I know. I think...” his hand has shifted from my shoulder to my neck, gently, softly, like his voice. Into my hair, onto my cheek. “Well, I never thought I’d feel that for a bloke, so you’re the exception. So we could, just for fun. To get it out of our systems. You’re not used to having people this close, I understand that. We could, but I think you’d regret it.”

...is the worst put-down ever.

So, we have to see Sherlock suffer and obsess for a bit longer, until he gets what his heart desires in one of the loveliest last scenes I've read in a long time.

Tea, tarts. Declarations. The immediate future. All will follow, in whichever order John chooses. But all will follow (eventually). For now I will play, with John listening (loving both the music and me). Only a minute (or so) left. And then it will begin.

[Vero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of the BBC series "Sherlock" and I just loved this slash fiction piece. The voice of Sherlock felt very much like his character from the TV series and I found the slow burn between Sherlock and Holmes very gratifying. It also had some dry humor and some sensuality. The crime plots were only touched very briefly, but I enjoyed the strewn in deductions.

What made this so great for me, was mainly the unique voice of Sherlock.

[NadiaN99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

یه جایی ته دلم باور‌ دارم خود شرلوک هولمز بیکر استریت اینو نوشته
انقد خوبه

[Sorana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delight to read. Sherlock's stream of consciousness, wonderfully written. Vivid images, strong character voice, I would read about mostly anything as long as it's from this character's perspective. The only thing I didn't like is that I felt the action kind of faltering at the end, the solution came too easily. But overall, loved it!

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly decent first venture with johnlock.

- Sherlock's portrayed personality is rather overly emotional, like a lovesick adolescent, which sharply contradicts his supposedly apathetic attitude, and slightly (strongly) appalls me. His incessant, flowery thoughts of John ends up grating my insides a bit. As the fic is told from his first person perspective, the writer manages to salvage the situation by creating a surprisingly believable voice, one that retains Sherlock's lightning sharp wit and cunning observance. The fragmented, choppy sentences that are Sherlock's assessments could be disconcerting at first, but they seem like the only way I could possibly imagine our brilliant genius thinking in.
- Mary proves to be highly interesting. Instead of describing her as a shallow, two dimensional unfaithful mistress and be done with it, the fic explores her mentality and brings depth and complexity to her characters. I would abhor her either way, but hey, brownie points from me.
- John is just an adorably sweet teddy bear that needs cuddles.

-The writing quality is satisfactory, bringing to the table something unique and original. Even with the inescapable typos and mistakes, the refreshing style is highly enjoyable, and at times, staggeringly beautiful.

-The plot is in faintly worse shape, however. As events are culminating to an explosive climax, everything suddenly deflates. No confrontations are to be have, just hidden changes of hearts and anti-climatic resolutions. Like two armies preparing for a slaughter ending up with one surrendering before any real fighting has begun.

Still, the pros make up for the cons, resulting in a memorable fic that is certainly worth the time.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blinding flashing (golden) FIVE (5) Stars!

I don't doll out 5 stars that often for regular published works that have been edited and reviewed professionally, so for a fan fic to get 5 stars means this is grade A perfection. This perfection comes from how in character Sherlock is. I love the BBC show and this is is a wonderful portrayal. I don't think someone who has not seen the show will fully appreciate the story but that goes along with a lot of fanfics. also its GFY :) (but we don't get a lot of info on that since we read from Sherlocks very Egocentric point of view.

[Apoorva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best fic from Sherlock's POV that I've ever read.
I loved the stream of consciousness that was delightful, intricate without being intimidating. Most of his thoughts felt like poetry. I reread it today and still loved it as much. The clenching of my heart. Ah.
And my baby Sherlock does have big heart that beats relentlessly for his John. Aww forever. :')

[peanut•m&ms · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conflicted relationships, the angst, the murder scenes, the characters, and the texting, through the mind of Sherlock, is fantastic.

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Told in the first person by Sherlock. Basically you are in his head and it is the absolutely believable stream of consciousness of an uncommon individual. Warmly recommended.

If you are into audiobooks, you can even download for free the fic narrated by cellardoor (7h 45', including an interesting introduction of some 4 minutes).

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember lamenting the fact that you can't rate fanfiction on Goodreads because those Reading Challenges are totally unfair if I spend every waking moment of my life reading fanfiction and then reading actual printed literature at all other odd times. I'm just happy this one will count towards my goal.

Disclaimer: this is my first serious Sherlock fanfic and I'm not even sure I ship Johnlock. They always seemed great to me as platonic BFFs but I also feel there is more to them as well (the chemistry or just the director toying with us, take your pick). There is really no resolution to this existential crisis of mine, not even with third season looming on the horizon.

That said, this was a great story. Written in Sherlock's first person, stream of consciousness voice, it should've felt disorienting but was magnificent. Because it is Sherlock and his thoughts are strange and twisted, intelligent of course, but mostly just brilliant. Ivy Blossom did an amazing job of not only conveying his voice accurately but also of doing it through masterful, poetic writing. Aside from Sherlock, John felt completely in character as well, if only you can get over the fact that they are in love with each other or more importantly, that they are attracted to each other. I guess that's the hardest part to sell me on in this pairing and I'm not sure I'm there yet (probably has something to do with the fact that John is straight and Sherlock acts asexually but well, when did such small details ever stop me from indulging in fanfiction?)

Sherlock's voice was so beautiful in fact, that I felt that backlash I always feel with narrators who claim they are not writers. SHERLOCK SHOULD WRITE POETRY. ABOUT HEARTS AND SUNSETS AND COLOR RED. IT WOULD BE SO GOOD.

Anyway, I did get a confused a few times about what Sherlock was thinking vs what he was actually saying but that's a small gripe. Also, I might have skipped a few steamy scenes because reading (or rather listening to it, did I mention it was a podfic read by amazing cellardoor?) on the subway is not the brightest idea ever, tbh.

[Kudrat Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love BBC's Sherlock - and this one truly made it seem as If I were seeing his mind for myself. I'm pretty sure Sherlock's thought processes would be the same. At first I was a bit skeptical - it was confusing and a bit hard to get used to but the story soon took over and I couldn't care less. It was so completely Sherlock (if that makes any sense) and I loved every bit of it.
*swoon* I truly loved reading this book and if anything I wish it was longer. The bromance on the show is pretty damn obvious - and now where we see how much in love he is with John - heartbreaking. Wonderful. Exquisite. This book makes me want to use more adjectives, words to express how I feel - and talk in a (probably awful) British accent - and I love it.

I recommend this to any and every fan of the Sherlock series. Haven't seen it yet? I suggest watching it before you start - it makes this one seem so much more authentic and believable because you can totally see it happening. Watch & Read

[Rose ^-^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitaba bayıldımmmm. Harikaydı.

Kitap bir olay örgüsünden çok bir durum kitabı ; Sherlock'un John'a olan aşkını okuyoruz kitap boyunca ama asla sıkıcı yavan ve ciddiyetsiz (?) bir şekilde değil. Sherlock'un aşkının derinliğini hissediyorsunuz. Ama öyle böyle değil, Sherlock'un kafasında sürekli John var. John'un her sözünün her hareketinin sürekli farkında.

Yazar harika bi iş çıkarmış, çok iyi yazmış, çok kalın bi kitap değil ama yazar çok dolu yazmış, hikayenin içine giriyor karakterleri tanıyorsunuz yani.


Çok iyiydi. Böyle kitap, bu yazım tarzıyla bir kitap özellikle M/M bir kitapta çok nadirdir. Okuyun okutturun.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - This is a fantastic piece of fan-fiction. Really well written, and the inner voice of Sherlock was captured perfectly! Plenty of angst, but also a lot of love too. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes were clearly made for each other ;)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather enjoyable.

[MaelleMaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock & John
Whoah. A truly original voice that stays in your mind. Powerful characters. Deep feelings. I really enjoyed this one!
🎻🔫🖤❤️🖤🔫🎻

[Seregil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interestingly written from Sherlock's POV. And with a very touching depth of feeling.

[Kinsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Rating Clarification: 4.5]

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god! I'm dying! Spoiler alert! Heheheh:

***He lays an arm across my shoulders. Weak, loose. Exhales. "Jesus." Invoked many times tonight. "That was..." Struggles to find words. "Where the hell did you learn...?"

Pause.

"Oh. God." What now? "Tell me you didn't stick your fingers into dead men's rectums to learn how to do that."

Of course I did. How else could I find a small gland, without any experience, in a place where I cannot see it? How else could I efficiently and effectively locate the proper spot inside the human male body in such a high-pressure situation? There's simply no substitute for first hand experience. (I can't make bricks without clay.)

"I sense that my answer to that question may not be the one you want to hear."***

I loved it! All funnies aside though there are lots of awesome feelings evoked and touching personal revelations. The quirky/wonderful/layered , and yes somewhat traditional Sherlock-y, storytelling made for a great read :D

[Milyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

So refreshing to read something and to like it! I can't seem to any of the books that I read these days :/

The summary of the fiction looked extremely familiar. I figured out why as soon as I started reading it. Turned out I "read" this fiction once. Well, more like I skimmed through most of it and read the ending.

This time I don't know what happened, but I really enjoyed the reading. I loved being inside of Sherlock's head. I like seeing how he thought, what he thought, why he thought that and so on. I'm so glad I reread this book.

Mycroft fascinated me. I wanted to read more about him and to get his point of view as well.

John Watson was the perfect companion for Sherlock. It took them a while to get where they were, and I was delighted to follow their journey.

[Sara W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique trip into the head of Sherlock Holmes.

Wow, this book was not easy to read. It's hard to follow Sherlock's trains of thoughts(Well, obviously), but, hell, it was worth all the trouble!
This is the ultimate Sherlock/John fanfic, so true to canon characters, never getting out of character for Sherlock, who is a really difficult character to handle.
And the silent love inside Sherlock is so sweet and so realistic. I love the way it is evident, when Sherlock notices little things about John that no one else would.
There's so much angst, sometimes I wanted shake John and scream, "Look, Sherlock loves you!", but the plot was really good, and I'm really glad I read this one.

[Josephine (biblioseph) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrote a fanfiction for a fanfiction. How meta.
(I promise no mushy stuff! or kissy stuff!)

Sherlock shows John something on the internet. An homage to the BBC show in the style of the original stories.