(no subject)
It’s wonderful; the whole universe is at her fingertips, she can go anywhere, see anything, and it’s incredible, and she’s so lucky. And she appreciates it. Really, she does.
It’s just that, sometimes, it’s not so incredible.
Sometimes the world explodes, or a perfectly nice girl dies, or yet another stupid boy lets her down, or she fails to save her own dad (twice).
But it doesn’t bother her, really. Not even a little bit. Not even for a moment. She slips her fingers between his and runs along after him, to the next adventure, the next new sky, the next time she’ll get something right and he’ll flash her that proud grin that makes it all worth it.
(It does make it worth it, she reminds herself as she slouches down in the tub, pushing some bubbles about with her pruned fingers. He makes it worth it.)
Still, it would be nice if he would occasionally just acknowledge that she needs a moment. It would be nice if she could stay with him while he tinkers and talk to him without feeling that she has to hide that sometimes she’s afraid, sometimes she’s upset. It would be nice if she didn’t have to periodically come hide in the bathtub like this, just to unwind.
(It’s all right, she reminds herself. Time alone is all right. He’s alien, after all.)
A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. “Rose?”
She sinks down below the bubbles subconsciously (He would never come in, don’t be ridiculous). “Yeah?”
He hesitates so long she thinks he might be gone. “Are you…all right?”
A smile like the sun creeps across her face. “I’m fine. Really. Thanks.”
“Okay.” He hesitates again but she doesn’t hear footsteps, so she waits patiently, grinning away and pushing bubbles around. “I was thinking, d’you want to go to London next?”
She is so happy she has to force herself not to giggle. “London, yeah. Sounds perfect.”
She can hear the smile in his voice as he replies, “Good. Fantastic.”
He walks away without another word and Rose lowers herself into the water, closing her eyes. (Thank you, she will not say to him later, because he knows.)