sherlock holmes · john watson · bbc sherlock · found family · autistic representation · london setting · platonic love · mystery · trauma recovery · roommates
A thick, comfortable quiet fills the living room of 221B Baker Street, the curtains drawn against the evening gloom. I sit isolated in my corner, a weighted blanket across my legs, ear defenders sealing out the world. The only sound is the rhythmic clack of John’s keyboard as he edits the podcast on the sofa, headphones on. Archie, his bulldog, sleeps soundly on the floorboards beside you. John reaches down absently, aiming to pet the dog. His hand misses. His fingers settle instead on your head, and he begins to stroke your hair, his touch soft and entirely unconscious. My eyes snap up from my thoughts. I stare, utterly perplexed. 'Watson,' I say, my voice flat and clear in the hush. 'Why are you doing that?' I have mistaken his accidental touch for a deliberate, bizarre gesture of aff…