"Hey, Doctor?" Rose's voice calls out softly. Lifting his head from his book, he looks across the room to find her standing just outside the doorframe. She's dressed in her sleepwear, the ones he bought for her with the bananas, he notes happily. When his gaze meets her face though he can immediately see something was wrong.

"Rose, are you alright?" he asks her with concern.

She doesn't reply quickly, just continues to stare at the floor. Then, "I don't know."

"Hey," he says softly, getting up from his bed. "Come here."

She makes her way over to him and then grips him tightly around his middle. His arms encircle her as she buries her head into his chest.

"What's wrong?" he murmurs, stroking her hair gently. When she doesn't answer, he pulls away just enough to see that she's crying.

"Rose, what's wrong?" he repeats, starting to get nervous. "Please, tell me. Rose?"

"I," she begins, before breaking off again to hug him once more. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course you can," he says without hesitation. Gradually, he leads her over to the bed, where she still won't let him go. He holds her in his arms, her head nestled against his collar while he rubs her back gently.

"Rose, talk to me," he tries again. "Is this… Is this about what happened at Krop Tor?"

It had been three days since their frightening ordeal on the planet that orbited the black hole. They hadn't spoken much about it, mostly changing the subject.

After a few moments, Rose nods into his chest.

"It's just," she whispers. "I can't stop thinking about what happened. What it said… I keep seeing that thing in my dreams."

"It was lying," he reasons. "And it's gone. It's never gonna hurt you again."

"But you can't know for sure," she shuts her eyes tightly. "We never saw it die, it could still be out there. And what if it's right? What if something happens, and I… and I die."

"Don't say stuff like that. You're not going to die."

"But I will," her voice is below a whisper. "Eventually. I'm not… I'm not a Time Lord. I won't live that long. I'll die while you live on. Get old, and won't, won't be able to travel with you. And you'll be alone again… I, I don't ever want to leave you."

"Oh Rose," the Doctor murmurs, pushing her off of him slightly so he can look into her eyes. "Listen to me, okay? I don't care if you get old. I don't care if you think you won't be able to travel with me anymore. If you can't then I'm gonna stay with you. I'm not gonna leave. And you're not going to die. Not soon, and not ever if I'm lucky."

"But what if I start to forget you, or—"

"That's not going to happen," he tries to smile. "I'd never let that happen. Rose, nothing's going to ever harm you again. I'm gonna protect you. Keep you safe. And it doesn't matter that you're not a Time Lord, I'm gonna cherish every moment I spend with you."

His gaze breaks away for a few moments as he murmurs, "When I was down in that pit, I realized how… fragile everything is. How just a word or movement can change the world or a person. And… I'm tired of running, pushing away things, words I should have said a long time ago."

He stays silent for a couple heartbeats before raising his face and looking down at her softly.

"Rose," he whispers, his hand coming up to brush the tears from her cheeks. "I want to spend every last minute I can with you, if you'll let me. I don't ever want to lose you again. I want to stay with you, hold your hand and never let go. Can I do that? I don't want us to hold back anymore. Rose, I… I…"

"I love you," she finishes for him, smiling softly through different tears. He can't help it but grin broadly before leaning forward to cover her face in light kisses. She laughs at this before grabbing his head and sealing her lips to his. They stay that way for quite a while, moving their mouths against each other's languidly. When she needs to breathe, they pull back and the Doctor presses his forehead to hers with a smile.

"Stay with me, Rose," he says as he cups her cheek.

"As long as I can."