Marva wrote:

As to the extend of which Sherlock's feelings for John are reciprocal I am not sure yet but I'd like to quote MadLori's tumblr post on that, as she can put things much better into words than I can:

"Okay I just rewatched that goodbye scene, and…

I think it plays as nothing more than John working very hard to keep himself in check.  He can barely look at Sherlock.  He keeps looking away, looking around.  It also strongly implies that John doesn’t know Sherlock doesn’t think he’ll be returning.  It’s Sherlock who says that they’ll never meet again, but up to that point, John was like “so what then?” as in “when will you be back?”

When Sherlock offers his hand, John just stares at it for a moment, fidgeting, like “really?”  But he takes it, he accepts the mercy shake.

This entire series has been one long guilt-ridden apology from Sherlock to John, and one long quest by John to protect himself from having his heart broken again by Sherlock."

(http://madlori.tumblr.com/post/73171672938/okay-i-just-rewatched-that-goodbye-scene-and-i)

Exactly mirrors my thoughts on the 'goodbye scene' upon rewatching it. Beautifully put, thanks for bringing this to our notice!
John is on soldier mode at that moment, doing his best to keep his emotions in check.
When Sherlock says to Mycroft that he wants to speak to John alone, since it is most likely the last conversation they are ever going to have, John first looks distressed and then swallows hard.

 

Last edited by the_dancing_woman (January 14, 2014 11:42 am)

This is beautiful. I think am just going to have a cry in the corner. Thank you so much, Solar. 

There are so many beautifully written metas that dissect every second of interaction between John and Sherlock out there. Couple of my favourites have been posted here already. I feel really sorry for the people who don't see it. As I've said before,you need to put that show through the Subtext Translator.
Kudos to actors for showing that subtext.

Ozma wrote:

Agree. Agree with all of you.

And especially this:

Marva wrote:

This entire series has been one long guilt-ridden apology from Sherlock to John, and one long quest by John to protect himself from having his heart broken again by Sherlock."

(http://madlori.tumblr.com/post/73171672938/okay-i-just-rewatched-that-goodbye-scene-and-i)

I am, actually, crying. Think I am going to go hide in the loo.

Have to watch it again later. Concentrate on the details much more.

SolarSystem wrote:

SusiGo wrote:

This is beautiful. I think am just going to have a cry in the corner. Thank you so much, Solar. 

And I think I need to print this out and stick it onto my fridge door.

Good(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) idea!

SolarSystem wrote:

I just found this on tumblr and it almost made me cry...


everyone on my dash is screaming “HE WAS SO GOING TO SAY HE LOVED HIM” , but he did say that, weren’t you paying attention?
Sherlock and John don’t communicate the way “normal” people do - how could they? One is an adrenaline junkie who seeks out bullets even after one left a web of dead cells on his shoulder and the other introduces himself as a “high functioning sociopath” to protect himself from his own emotions (because his childhood pet died - I’m crying into eternity over that.)
So what did we see?
He took his glove off when he shook John’s hand, he offered his name, full name, to be theirs - remember how John hates his name, but “gives” it whilst Sherlock is, to his eyes, flirting with Irene? 
He shot a man. He shot a man. In the head. Point blank, no regrets. He shot a man for John Watson. He jumped in a fire for John Watson. He jumped off a roof for John Watson. 
He helped pick out the colour for the bride’s maid’s dresses for John Watson. He wrote that best man’s speech for John Watson. He saved “the most unsociable man he’s ever met” for John Watson. 
He moved John’s chair because he couldn’t bear to see it vacant. (or for Janine to sit in it? It’s John’s after all.)
He got bloody engaged to ensure John’s wife was fine.
He relapsed.
He fucking bought himself back into consciousness with the thought “John Watson is in danger” after being shot.
He let John choose if he wanted Mary to stay. He only told John “six months”, so he wouldn’t worry him, because that’s not on - John can’t worry, because John Watson is his top priority. 
He knew he was going to his death so he made that joke about his name so he would see John Watson smile.
He did all that fully knowing that while John is his pressure point, he is not John’s. 
If that’s not an “I love you”, than, my dear fandom, I don’t know what more do you want.

(http://dudeufugly.tumblr.com)

^ THIS!

*curls in a corner to cry* 
 

besleybean wrote:

He was not going to say that.

what?

How can you be sure?

I think Sherlock is in love with John, love in all its different meanings. It doesn't have to be anything based on sex, but I do believe that there is room for romantic love .
And what breaks my heart is that the more human Sherlock gets, the more confident and vulnerable (as we have seen this season); the colder John Watson is ('cause he's bracing himself, or that I thought at the beginning). He said "nothing will change" and did not see Sherlock in a month. When Sherlock tells him abour Mary we can see Sherlock going up the stairs in 221B, clearly to faint, and John doesn't even look at him. 

So we 've gone from the last thing John says before he dies being "of course I forgive you" to an insensitive "we're losing you" and "I really cannot think of a thing to say." I know John does not love Sherlock back, not even close to. I also believe that Sherlock knows that it's John, it will always be John, but cannot fathom "why".

And. John. If you accidentally marry a murderess that intentionally shoots your best friend in the stomach in cold blood, and kills him (as he only survived thanks to mental effort) and then your best friend sacrifices his life to save all of you, the woman who shot him in and your unborn child to make sure you and your family escape the mortal danger that she has put you in, you really might want to think about his motivations.

Not a handshake and problem solved.

But he'd already told him he loved him at the wedding.