Pairing: 10/Rose
Summary: There are times he almost breaks.
Setting: Doomsday

Almost

There are times he almost breaks. Times he wishes he were human, just so he could be with her until the end of his life, never fearing she would end up leaving him. They would settle down and life could be so very wonderful.

There are times he almost kisses her. The tension grows thick between them, they are standing far too close and her lips are red and they look so very soft, and he longs to lean forward to see if they are. Then something happens and the kiss remains in his thoughts and dreams.

There are times he almost says it. When he looks at her and sees her smile, the sparkle in her eyes and how alive she is. And he almost says it, he almost forgets about his curse. How, in the end, he will have to watch her wither and die and live the rest of his life alone with broken hearts. His mind catches up with his hearts and the words remain unspoken.

There are times he almost loses her. When he knows she was almost gone, and all he can do is hold her and reassure himself that she is here with him. And he wants to kiss her and tell her the exact depth of his feelings, but he does not. Because for once the universe is being kind and tomorrow she will still be there, right beside him as she should be.

Until she is not. Until he runs out of time with her. The storm sweeps in and takes her with it, leaving him so very alone in its wake. He leans against the wall, almost feeling her at the other side. Feelings of regret rise within him. All those times he wanted to kiss her, all those times he wanted to tell her, he should have.

He is the Time Lord who ran out of time and in that moment, he feels himself shatter into pieces.