See I don't think Sherlock and Watson had much of a pining phase. I don't think it makes sense for them despite the raging homophobia and queer panic of the era they were active in. I don't think Holmes's 1) deductive prowess 2) autistic rizz would allow for a long period of gay pining.
Holmes knew from the get go that Watson looked at both men and women with admiration. He's got the greatest observation skills and deductive prowess of an era. It doesn't take much to notice Watson NOTICING EVERYONE with gusto, he's hardly subtle about his thirsty descriptions of men and women alike, even in his writing. He's a former army man. A significant number of his former associates from the army have decidedly "languid" (late 19th century queer coded) qualities. This dude, even if he has yet to partake of any homosexual activities himself, is no stranger and holds no medical objections. (Particularly if you think of him as being based on Doyle, who wrote some very sympathetic, very progressive medical things on homosexuality in his day.)
And then you have Sherlock. Of strange habits. Uncouth. Very direct and to the point Sherlock Holmes. He's not rude, not by any sense of the word, he's too kind by nature, but he doesn't brook any bullshit and has a low tolerance for artifice for artifice's sake. And he's DEFINITELY queer. (I did a whole academic presentation basically low key proving by the end Doyle KNEW what he was doing. That was a QUEER man Doyle was writing.)
This queer disaster, on a cocaine bender after not sleeping or eating for three days, emotionally disregulated in the wake of a case, will turn to the doctor Watson who is desperately and unsuccessfully trying to herd him into bed and feed him a sandwich simultaneously and say something along the lines of "My friend, your doting, as symptomatic of a larger altruistic nature, is one of your more attractive qualities. And I do find you devastatingly attractive, my dear Watson."
And, Poor beleaguered Watson, so distracted as he is by trying to get Holmes to eat and sleep before he actively collapses on the floor of their rooms (which he has done. Many a time.), doesn't pause to think about that before replying "And I'm absolutely besotted with you as well, good chap, but please can we discuss this OVER A GOOD MEAL after you've had a good restorative SLEEP, because damnit man are you TRYING to die???"
And the next morning they were in a relationship neither of them seems to consciously remember entering. Truly the dumbest brilliant gays.