Doctor Who

'Moments'

Author: Irlanda Anima
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters and storylines. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not meant to offend anyone.
Spoilers: The Christmas Invasions
Summary: The Innocence of the moment is all he could think about…and nothing else mattered but Rose.
Warning: None
Author's Note: The first snapshot in a series running from the beginning of season two to…well you'll see.

Innocence

Rose was asleep now, curled up into his side and clutching the front of his jacket in her left hand. He didn't mind, enjoying the fact that she wanted to be this close to him. After his regeneration, he hadn't been entirely sure that she still wanted to be around him. She'd taken it pretty hard and for the last few weeks had been fairly distance from him, even though he'd tried his best to explain everything to her and make her as comfortable around him as possible. It was only in the last few days that any real improvement had been made and he thought that had to do mostly with the fact that they'd been stuck here in this cave system, trying to find their way back out and to the TARDIS.

She shifted slightly, mumbling in her sleep, her head burrowing further into his chest. He held her close, rubbing a hand up and down her back, kissing her gently on the forehead before he rested his head against hers.

This is what he'd missed, having her this close. She'd gotten under his skin like no companion before her and not long before his regeneration, their relationship had developed into something more then just friendship. They hadn't slept together or anything like that, but they had exchange kisses, mostly in moments like this when it was just the two of them, and they'd always ended up sharing a bed a few times.

He loved that. Loved being able to be that close to her as she slept. She had a tendency to do what she was doing right now; cuddling so close into him it was like she was trying to merge herself with him. But since his regeneration, that had all but stopped. He'd been lucky that she'd at least allowed him to hold her hand.

Looking down at her now though, he couldn't help but marvel at her. He hadn't thought she'd ever let him get this close again, had begun to think that he had truly lost her. But over the last few days, she'd finally begun to open up to him again, telling him about how she felt in regards to his regeneration, how she felt guilt every time she allowed him to touch her because she felt as if she were betraying the old him. And while this had hurt to hear, he had been able to help her through it. It had evolved getting up close and personal with each other's minds, but Rose seemed to relax back into herself after it was all over. He'd just had to show her that he was still the same person, just with a new outer covering and it seemed like she was finally beginning to except that.

He gazed down at her, raising a hand to gently stroke her hair away from her face and she sighed in her sleep. She looked so completely peaceful now, so innocence and vulnerable, very much looking like the young women she was. It was times like these that he was reminded of how young she really was and he couldn't help but feel as though he was causing her more harm then good in keeping her around. But then she'd smile at him or just grab a hold of his hand and he was lost. He was beginning to discover that he couldn't live without her anymore and, though he knew how very dangerous it was, he couldn't help but let himself believe in her, believe in them. He wanted her to stay forever and if her behavior was of any indication, she wanted to stay with him forever as well.

He closed his eyes, resting his head back against hers and allowed himself a few precious moments just to dream. To imagine what his life would be like if it always had Rose Tyler in it. And soon her convinced himself that this was real, that this could work. He could have the life that he'd always wanted and he'd found it in the hands of a nineteen-year-old shop girl. Life couldn't be any better.

He drifted off to sleep with these thoughts, holding Rose to him just as closely as she held him, and for once he was innocent of the outside world that threaten them. Right now it was just him and Rose and that was what really mattered.