Fic: Before The End
Title: Before the End (1/1)
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Rose. Ten/Rose.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Age of Steel.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Anything you recognise isn't mine.
Summary: One day he would lose Rose and he needed to give her what he could while she was still here.
Author's Note: Written for the Time in Flux ficathon at doctor_rose_fic. Beta-ed by the absolutely wonderful wishiknewwho.
They were hiding and Rose was close to him. Very close. She was gripping tightly on to the hand of a man who wasn’t quite her father, but he could feel her near and it still warmed him. This was more than he was prepared for. Cybermen. But Rose was with him and her hand in his reminded him just what he was fighting for, reminded him why he kept going, why he kept fighting back. Hundreds of times, them all surviving; Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans. Creatures he fought again and again, never giving in, never giving up... and this was why. For humans like Rose, for those species that couldn’t or wouldn’t fight for themselves, so that they could go about their day and watch rubbish television and eat chips and fall in love.
It was thoughts like that, thinking about falling in love, that was the sort of thing that would distract him from what he should be doing. But the sound of the Cybermen was growing closer and they weren’t alone and now wasn’t the time. He raised his sonic screwdriver and soon they were all on their feet, moving away from each other and Rose’s warmth was gone. He could hear her behind him as they ran, but he couldn’t feel her close. But he didn’t forget why he was doing this, why they put themselves in situations like this.
Even pushing those thoughts from his mind, he couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy he felt when Rose embraced Mickey upon their reunion. He told Jake in a firm voice that they could mourn Ricky when the city was safe, and as he did, he silently reminded himself that he could play the jealous not-boyfriend when London was safe, too.
As they watched the factory Rose's hand slipped into his for a moment and he forgot his own warning to let his emotions lie. As he spoke to Mickey, he squeezed Rose’s hand and said nothing to her. There would be time when this was all over, and he would do it then. Talk to her, tell her. Because the Cybermen were just another reminder of his past. Another reminder that people didn’t live forever and that he should take his chances while he could because one day he would lose Rose and he needed to give her what he could while she was still here, with him.
And there she was, risking her life for a woman who wasn’t quite her mother and he knew better than to argue with her, but he knew, too, that this might be the time he lost her and as they embraced, he had to hold in the urge to whisper the words he needed to say. Instead, he wished her luck. There would be time for talking later.
He approached her when it was all over. Mickey and Jake were taking the Zeppelin somewhere they could land and Rose was standing to one side, watching Pete Tyler and looking like she needed a hug more than anything in the multi-verse. He stepped towards her, intending on taking her in his arms, but he found himself frozen. Feeling like a thirteen year old boy with his first crush, his mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty.
But it didn’t matter because she was stepping towards him, wrapping her fingers around his unlaced bowtie. Her movements were tentative as though she was picking up on his emotions. Her hand fell from the bowtie and her arms came about him and they embraced, quietly and closely and he took his moment, pressing his lips to her hair and whispering into her ear. Making a promise, telling her they were safe, not quite saying what needed to be said, because he was the Doctor and he had ten billion languages and all the words the universe had to offer, but never the right ones.
Rose though, Rose was wonderful and knew everything he didn’t manage to say and she pulled him from the room, away from the others. She leaned up then and kissed him quickly and fiercely and without warning and he let her, kissing her back and revelling in it, knowing he didn’t have to say the words because she was Rose and she was wonderful and she knew.
When they broke apart, breathless and grinning she wound her arms back around him tightly and told him they were safe. He whispered it back to her before capturing her lips with his own once again and enjoying the taste and the feel of her and, really, this was why he kept fighting. A spark of beauty in all that horror, all the misery in his life before, overshadowed by this human girl and her beautiful eyes and a smile that lit up his whole world.
Later, when they’re back on the ground and ready to go, Mickey tells Rose that it’s just the two of them. Just Rose Tyler and the Doctor, in the TARDIS. And Rose can’t argue with that, not really. Because it is, now more than ever. And , really, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Rose. Ten/Rose.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Age of Steel.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Anything you recognise isn't mine.
Summary: One day he would lose Rose and he needed to give her what he could while she was still here.
Author's Note: Written for the Time in Flux ficathon at doctor_rose_fic. Beta-ed by the absolutely wonderful wishiknewwho.
They were hiding and Rose was close to him. Very close. She was gripping tightly on to the hand of a man who wasn’t quite her father, but he could feel her near and it still warmed him. This was more than he was prepared for. Cybermen. But Rose was with him and her hand in his reminded him just what he was fighting for, reminded him why he kept going, why he kept fighting back. Hundreds of times, them all surviving; Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans. Creatures he fought again and again, never giving in, never giving up... and this was why. For humans like Rose, for those species that couldn’t or wouldn’t fight for themselves, so that they could go about their day and watch rubbish television and eat chips and fall in love.
It was thoughts like that, thinking about falling in love, that was the sort of thing that would distract him from what he should be doing. But the sound of the Cybermen was growing closer and they weren’t alone and now wasn’t the time. He raised his sonic screwdriver and soon they were all on their feet, moving away from each other and Rose’s warmth was gone. He could hear her behind him as they ran, but he couldn’t feel her close. But he didn’t forget why he was doing this, why they put themselves in situations like this.
Even pushing those thoughts from his mind, he couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy he felt when Rose embraced Mickey upon their reunion. He told Jake in a firm voice that they could mourn Ricky when the city was safe, and as he did, he silently reminded himself that he could play the jealous not-boyfriend when London was safe, too.
As they watched the factory Rose's hand slipped into his for a moment and he forgot his own warning to let his emotions lie. As he spoke to Mickey, he squeezed Rose’s hand and said nothing to her. There would be time when this was all over, and he would do it then. Talk to her, tell her. Because the Cybermen were just another reminder of his past. Another reminder that people didn’t live forever and that he should take his chances while he could because one day he would lose Rose and he needed to give her what he could while she was still here, with him.
And there she was, risking her life for a woman who wasn’t quite her mother and he knew better than to argue with her, but he knew, too, that this might be the time he lost her and as they embraced, he had to hold in the urge to whisper the words he needed to say. Instead, he wished her luck. There would be time for talking later.
He approached her when it was all over. Mickey and Jake were taking the Zeppelin somewhere they could land and Rose was standing to one side, watching Pete Tyler and looking like she needed a hug more than anything in the multi-verse. He stepped towards her, intending on taking her in his arms, but he found himself frozen. Feeling like a thirteen year old boy with his first crush, his mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty.
But it didn’t matter because she was stepping towards him, wrapping her fingers around his unlaced bowtie. Her movements were tentative as though she was picking up on his emotions. Her hand fell from the bowtie and her arms came about him and they embraced, quietly and closely and he took his moment, pressing his lips to her hair and whispering into her ear. Making a promise, telling her they were safe, not quite saying what needed to be said, because he was the Doctor and he had ten billion languages and all the words the universe had to offer, but never the right ones.
Rose though, Rose was wonderful and knew everything he didn’t manage to say and she pulled him from the room, away from the others. She leaned up then and kissed him quickly and fiercely and without warning and he let her, kissing her back and revelling in it, knowing he didn’t have to say the words because she was Rose and she was wonderful and she knew.
When they broke apart, breathless and grinning she wound her arms back around him tightly and told him they were safe. He whispered it back to her before capturing her lips with his own once again and enjoying the taste and the feel of her and, really, this was why he kept fighting. A spark of beauty in all that horror, all the misery in his life before, overshadowed by this human girl and her beautiful eyes and a smile that lit up his whole world.
Later, when they’re back on the ground and ready to go, Mickey tells Rose that it’s just the two of them. Just Rose Tyler and the Doctor, in the TARDIS. And Rose can’t argue with that, not really. Because it is, now more than ever. And , really, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.