The Assassin of Madness

Chapter 15

Rose woke up late in the night to feel the Doctor curled tightly around her back, his face buried in her hair.  He was clinging to her, as though she was going somewhere.  She settled back against him and let her eyes flutter closed.  Of course, she wasn't going anywhere.  And not just because there were in prison. 

She stroked her fingers along the arm that was wrapped around her waist, hoping to comfort him, if something was going on with him.  She knew he was upset that he'd gotten her into this, and she was going to do everything she could to reassure him that he was not the villain he often made himself out to be.

He started to wake up behind her, she could tell because of the way his breath changed.  He pressed a kiss to her hair and snuggled in again, and she immediately knew that he thought she was asleep.  His nose rubbed up against the base of her neck and he gave a little contented sigh. 

Rose felt her heartrate increase at his gentle sighs against her skin.  He shifted back up again into his position of nose-in-her-hair but his breathing still advertised awakness.  Her fingers stroked along his arm again and he stiffened.

"Rose, are you awake?" he whispered, his breath against her ear. 

She hummed softly and scratched her nails across his arm.  He shivered and pressed closer to her.  He seemed to realize what he was doing and scooted back from her suddenly.  Rose tugged on his wrist.  "No, come back, s'nice."

He let out a shuddering breath.  "Rose," he said in a warning tone. 

She rolled her eyes.  "Fine."

"No, I just-" he made a frustrated sound. 

Rose pressed her lips together and tried not to say exactly what she was thinking.  How she wished he'd just roll her over and kiss her and hold her and make her feel safe.  Well, at least he did one of those things.  As much as he thought that he wasn't keeping her safe, she only felt safe when she was with him.  

She turned her face further into the pillow and he followed her, cuddling into her. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered, the earnest feeling coming easily out of his voice. 

"You're not," Rose replied.

His hand on her stomach moved to stroke up and down her side. "Believe me, Rose, I am," he said lowly. 

"Show me."

He rolled as far onto his back as he could, away from her.  She felt bereft of his warmth, her back cold.  She sighed heavily and closed her eyes again, resigning herself to the fact that he was never going to admit that there was anything between them.  Every stolen moment she thought was leading to somewhere, every hug that lasted a little too long, none of it meant anything to him.  How dreadfully human of her to think that he would care for her. 

She heard him move around and take the sonic from where it was at the back of her head.  He scanned it gently over her scalp, his fingers running along after it.  "Your concussion is gone," he said softly, shutting the sonic off completely and set it down on the floor next to their bed.  

"Alright," she said softly.  "Goodnight, Doctor."

"Rose, I don't want you to think that-"

"Shh.  We have a TARDIS to catch tomorrow."

The Doctor huffed behind her and settled close to her again, his arm wrapped around her.  His breath hitched, as though he was going to sat something, but instead he leaned over and pressed a slow kiss to her cheek.  It was lingering and made her stomach clench with possibilities of things that would never be.