preserved_ginger

Title: Second Chances
Rating: PG-13
Setting: post-reunion
Character(s): Ten. Rose.
Pairing(s): Ten/Rose
Spoilers: None
A/N: A missing scene from Never Say “Never Ever”, set between Chapter Two and Chapter Three.
Summary: He’s caused her enough pain in all the years they’d had together.

Rose tried to move back away from him, more a reflex action than actually wanting to be apart from him. But he was unwilling to let her go even that far away from him so soon, and he tightened his grip around her waist. Rose then seemed to change her mind about moving and instead chose to rest her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist to hold herself up. He moved his other hand to settle it at her waist, giving him the opportunity to hold her tightly to him.

He would not let her go, now he had her back. Would not willingly ever be parted from her. Looking down at Rose in his arms, he felt a sudden urge to weep for sheer joy. But he didn’t, for fear it would be misconstrued by Rose and cause her pain. He’d caused her enough pain in all the years they’d had together, and in all the ones they’d spent apart.

Enough.

He let his eyes flutter closed again as he buried his face in her hair and wallowed for a while in just how wonderful it was to have her in his arms again, to be able to touch her. It felt so good; better, even, than he remembered. The pain he had suffered through since losing her was worth it, almost everything he’d gone through since was worth it, if it meant that he could be here right now with the woman he loved so much. And this time, this time, he was determined not to waste the priceless opportunity he had to let her know for certain what he felt for her. He’d been given – him, the man who gave no second chances, particularly to himself – the elusive second chance he’d longed for, ever since he’d lost her. He mustn’t waste it, and he didn’t intend to. But neither did he intend to broadcast it wholesale; what he had to say was, at least to begin with, for her ears alone.

He just needed a little more time to think …

He found himself with a surprisingly strong impulse to kiss her again, having discovered a liking for it earlier, and he could think of no reason why he shouldn’t. To think of it was to act, and he moved one of his hands from her waist up so that he could tilt her face towards him so he could kiss her again.

The kiss was sweet and soft as he brushed his lips gently over hers, and his only thought was that he couldn’t mess this up.

He had to get it right.