I love when the Universe sets about to humble me.

Here I was, browsing through stories about Sherlock, complaining that it was all getting bogged down by countless Sherlock/John romance stories. (I hesitate to use the term slash, since slash is more specifically sexual and they weren't all sexual.) I was complaining about how fans have to make the male leads of *every* show into a romantic couple and that it was getting tiresome.

...and then I find this. Literally *right* after I tweeted my complaint.

And now here I sit, tears streaming down my face, finding myself deeply humbled. This here is a story about two people in love done *right*. No overcooked sentimentality, just simple, raw emotion that is restrained as only Sherlock and John would do it.

This was moving, painful, inspiring, and just plain perfect. Bless you.

There has never been a fanfiction that has made me cry. This one has. I stumbled upon it by it's many videoes on YouTube, and I thought I ought to take a look. I'm vaguely new to the Sherlock fandom, and I'm only starting to understand and accept the relationship between John and Sherlock.

This has nearly pushed me over the edge. I have cried reading stories before, yes. I am an emotional person. But never before has a fanfiction pushed me to tears.

This was incredible. Beyond incredible. You captured each character perfectly, and it is beyond wonderful. Thank you so much for writing this. It is spectactular.

-Doc

I saw how many reviews this got for a one chapter fic and thought this must be damn good. Jesus christ it earned all the reviews and deserves a thousand more. I'm sure I won't be reading anything as amazing as this for a long while.

i can't stop crying. This is the most beautiful fanfiction i've ever EVER read, and i read fanfiction for 6 years.

Oh my gosh. I guess im not so heartless after all. I actually shedded a single tear. A tear. If you would know me you would honestly consider me heartless. I love reading character death, depression, angst, torture, and I never even get misty eyed. I actually squeal with glee. You should consider this an honor getting a tear out of me, eventhough I might've been a little happy. ;D Now, onto your wonderful story! It was magnificent, marvelous, awesome, really awesome, and it played with your heart manipulating it to make you feel like you lost someone you love. I can honestly say this is one of the best, if not the best, Sherlock story on all of fanfiction! I love How you had the last goodbyes to Sherlock given and had Sherlock take his life so he wouldn't have to suffer. This was a awesome story that is worthy of all the reviews you have, and now has one more. ;)

(;_･) what I'm not crying! Don't you dare say such an insult to me. *huffs while furiously wiping away the tear* Stupid sadness...

D.O.P

I've never cried at a fanfiction before. I bloody cried. Please, dear author. Become a writer. I swear I would buy your books.

Ouch. My heart. ;O;

Forever sobbing.

This was brilliant! And I will never stop crying.

So, my whole face is wet from the tears. This was horribly, beautifully poignant. You captured the characters fantastically. I kind of can't stop crying. That (goddamn) last line. 'Still the only one in the world'. Christ. It took me far longer to write this review then normal, since I kept having to stop and wipe away my friggin' tears. Well done. It's not often you come across such brutally emotional fics. Definitely favouriting it. :)

I was on tumblr where someone was looking for Sherlock recs. They mentioned they'd already read Alone on the Water. I realized right away I'd read this before, I remembered the twist at the end and how sad it was. I didn't realize I would cry again. You've really contributed to the fandom. Thanks

I heard a lot about this fic, but never got round to reading it. I feel like an idiot now. Thank you. Dear God, thank you.

I'm crying. Literally crying! And no story has ever made me cry before.

It was so worth it. You are extremely talented, dear author. I honestly felt like I was watching an episode of Sherlock and this was happening.

Speechless. Just tears trickling down. This is beautiful. I was about to stop after a few paragraphs because it seemed sappy, but I couldn't. I read it closely and I surprised myself. Inexplicable. Love it.

Pure artwork of indefinable, thus heart-wrenching, beauty.

This out of the way, three more considerations, a general one and two more personal ones. First: charachter death stories are ten times easier to write than to read. Never written one myself, but I've come close, only leaving out the actual demise scene, and it felt extremely intense on an artistical level. You know, like a writing experience of sorts, and nothing more than that. My readers, they were distraught by it. This discrepancy makes me smile now, because one would assume it's really the author who'd feel the strongest about their works no matter what, while it turns out that exceptions exist. I felt like sharing this simple observation with you, since I had never thought about the specifics of this until your story came around.

Second (but it relates strictly to everything I've just said): I. Do. Not. Read. CharDeath. Fics. Like, ever. Because they go against some of my author principles, but mostly because I know myself, and I can tell good writing, and I am painfully aware of the tricks good writing can pull on the likes of me. Namely, it breaks my heart every time. Bu-uuuh. çwç

Third: of all the indescribable, marvellous dialogues you gifted us with, one sentence stood out before the eye of my mind, and since I'm afraid I'm going to obsess quite a bit over it for a while, I might as well let you know what you did, you devilish being. And here goes the line that'll plague my dreams for who knows how many nights to come: "Don't try to hang on", John says to Sherlock as the latter is straining to look at him for the last time. Me reads that and, bam. Breaks down spectacularly. I stopped mid-reading to extract the phrase from its context and ponder it, only to find that the verb, "hang", is what really undid me. You could have easily used, "don't fight it", or "let go", or whatever. It'd have had just about the same meaning, but not quite the same effect. This speaks volumes about your knack for witing, I believe.

Honestly, is there anything more I could say to compliment this story that you haven't been told a thousand times already? Doubt so. Hence I'll bid you goodbye now and crawl back to my little dark corner of pent-up tears to lick my beautifully inflicted wounds away.

Thank you for sharing your precious talent with us.

Beautiful.