I've just started rewatching series nine and this idea came to me. I have rewritten it so many times but I still hate it so decided just to post it.

Ruth was leaning over the fence in the graveyard next to Harry. They had just said goodbye to Ros and the sadness felt heavy for both of them. Ruth was silent, deep in thought when Harry turned to her.

"Marry me," he whispered. Ruth turned to him completely in shock. This was not the way her own thoughts had been heading and she was completely bewildered that this thought had occurred to him.

"You're not thinking," she said before anything else could make its way from her brain to her mouth.

"I am," he replied sincerely.

"But… why? Why now?" She couldn't bring herself to look at him but she could sense his closeness to her. She knew he was looking at her more intensely then ever before.

"Because I love you."

"I can't do this now," Ruth said quietly. "I have to go." She turned and went to leave but Harry held tightly to her arm.

"Ruth," he said in the way that stopped her heart. In the way only he could. That was enough for her to look into his eyes for the first time since this emotionally charged conversation started. She saw so much feeling there. Everything he usually hid from the world was displayed for her to see. Vulnerability and passion were absolutely at the forefront and she could only say one thing.

"I need to think," she said slowly. She looked at his hand on her arm and he reluctantly let go. He watched as she walked away from him and vaguely wondered why he had opened his mouth like that. He hadn't even kissed her for years and he just proposed like that? What the hell had he been thinking. No wonder she looked for an escape route as soon as possible. He buried his face in his hands and he stayed that way for a long time.

Ruth had been curled up on her sofa with a bottle of wine for hours. As soon as she had got home she had got changed out of her funeral clothes and into her favourite jeans. She never went out of the house in them and it was to combat the rising temptation to go and find Harry and say things she might regret. Or at the very least, say something she hadn't completely thought through.

She tipped more wine into the glass and realised that she had drunk almost the entire bottle. It wasn't exactly giving her a sense of clarity. She put her glass down on the coffee table without drinking any more. Had today really happened? Had Harry really proposed to her? Had that actually happened? And she had just walked away. Why had she done that? Okay, yes it had been a shock to her but being with Harry had been a dream of hers for so long, why had she hesitated? She didn't know what to do. Ruth looked at the clock and realised that her day had been entirely unproductive. She picked up her glass and took it through to the kitchen, pouring the wine down the sink before going upstairs to bed. She was on the bottom stair when her doorbell rang. She had a nagging suspicion it would be Harry but she didn't have the energy to pretend she wasn't home.

Ruth opened the door without looking at him and let Harry follow her through to her living room. They both sat down before she looked at him. "I'm sorry," Harry said to break the silence. "Proposing to you at a funeral was not exactly my best moment."

"Did you mean it?" Ruth asked quietly. "Not just on the spur of the moment I mean. Did you genuinely… mean it?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "I've wanted to tell you how I feel so often. Today just made me see that life's too short." There was a pause before he continued. "I wanted to see you. To apologise for what I said."

"You're taking it back," Ruth said feeling her heart sink. It wasn't until she said that aloud that she realised how much she wanted the option. It wasn't until then that she realised she was going to say yes.

"No, I don't want to take it back," Harry said. Ruth's eyes found his and in that moment he seemed to read what she was thinking in that glance. "Do you… Are you…?" he whispered, unable to finish those half sentences.

"Yes," she said simply. "Yes I think I am." Harry got up from his chair and pulled Ruth to her feet very quickly.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he questioned. He had to ask before he got his hopes up too high.

"Yes," she replied. She smiled and it changed her face completely.

"You don't smile often enough," he told her as his hand caressed her face ever so softly. He leaned closer to her but paused, a mere centimetre from her lips. It had been far too long since the last time he had kissed her and he intended to enjoy every single second. He touched her lips with his but only for a second before he drew back. "You've been drinking," he said feeling his heart sink. "You don't mean what you're saying."

"Oh no. You don't get out of it that easily," Ruth said grabbing his arm and making him face her. She could feel fire running through her veins and she was angry. "I have been sitting a home all day running over in my mind what you said to me. The wonderful things you said to me. Yes, I've had a drink. Fine. So what? It doesn't change how I feel. Do you really, honestly think that tonight is the first night I've spent thinking of you so much that I can't sleep? That my mind keeps thinking of you so badly everyday that I haven't had a good nights sleep in years! I can never turn my brain off. You know that better than anyone else. Its awful when your mind keeps replaying the same thoughts every single night when… But I was never brave enough to ever do anything about it! Do you think…" she never got any further.

Harry had pulled her in for a long and deep kiss. There was a moment of surprise from her when she froze but that quickly faded away. She pressed her body as close to his as she could while his hands caressed her back lovingly. It lasted for long minutes, minutes which felt like blissful hours. Ruth wasn't the one to break it off and she was breathless by the time something was pressed into her hand. She looked down and gulped.

"You got a ring." It wasn't a question. She couldn't open the small jewellery box for so long. Harry just stood there waiting for her to do it in her own time.

"I got a ring," he said quietly. "I've had it years." Ruth looked down at the same time as she felt Harry's hand on her waist. Slowly she flipped the box open, allowing the silver band to wink in the light. There was no stone on it at all which surprised her. It was so simple and beautifully elegant. She took it out of the box and had a closer look. It was engraved with their names. And that made it more special to her than any gemstone ever could have.

"Its perfect," she said quietly. Silently he took it out of her hands and slid it onto her engagement finger. They both looked at her hand for countless seconds. She looked up at Harry's face and leaned closer to kiss him again. She never wanted to stop.

Y is for yes... Any Z suggestions will be welcomed. Please review!