Tonight he was going to dance with Rose, and forget.
Forget about the bombing going on just outside the TARDIS' door, and all the dangers that the earth was going to face. He'd forget about Daleks and Cybermen, and all the other things out there that the humans didn't know were waiting for an opening to invade. He'd forget about the Time War and all the people he'd lost in his lifetime. He'd try not to think about how very alone he really was, that his planet and his people were gone, and it was because of him. Tomorrow he'd have to deal with the reality of his existence again, and the pain and loneliness would come back, but tonight he'd dance with Rose and forget.
center***/center
Rose laughed as he twirled her around the console as they danced. She didn't see him this happy, this relaxed, very often. He pretended to be, he'd smile and make jokes, but she knew better. Rose knew things had happened before she met him, things he wouldn't talk about, things that had changed him.
She could see the scars as clearly as if they were marring his skin. He'd seen too much, done too much, and the effect had been devastating. She wished he'd talk to her; he was never going to heal if he wouldn't talk about it. But the dancing made him happy, at least for now, so tonight she'd dance with him and hope it would help him heal.
The end.