Title: worth the risk
Author: Mary (
stillxmyxheart)
Rating: G
Genre: Mild AU, Drama, Romance
Word Count: 606
Characters: Rose/Ten
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize? Ain't mine.
Summary: If anybody's worth the risk, it's her.
A/N: Just some random "Doomsday" tweaking XD
He's made more foolish decisions in his life than he'd care to count and this one will probably come in very near the top of the list, but at the moment he doesn't care. At the moment her fingers are slipping little by little from the lever and he can hear her screams over the noise of glass breaking and the metallic sound of the Daleks and Cybermen crashing into each other as they're sucked back into the Void, which also awaits the two of them should they let go for even a moment.
Her eyes, wide and bright with fear, meet his and her fingers slip a little bit more and the rational part of his mind seems to leave him. He begins to unfold himself from his grip on his clamp, extending his right arm towards her clamp, his fingers stretching, reaching across the gap. He hopes with a dim, mad hope that he won't get smacked by a flying Dalek and driven into the Void and he grimaces as the power of the Void tugs and pulls at his body. The fingers of his left hand tremble as they struggle to maintain their tenuous grip on his clamp and then he finally lets go, flinging himself as best as he can over to her lever.
He bangs into her as he wraps one arm first around the lever and then the other around her waist, grabbing her just as her fingers give up their valiant effort. He pulls her up, straining as he fights the pull of the Void, and she wraps her arms around the lever. His other arm snakes its way around the hated lever and they hold on for dear life, arms tangled and legs banging together until the last Dalek zooms through and all at once it is over.
They fall to the floor, the sound of their breathing impossibly loud in the sudden and overwhelming silence. She trembles beneath him and he moves over, taking her arms and gently turning her towards him. Her arms go around his neck and she clings to him as though afraid he'll disappear, sobbing into his chest.
Later she'll yell at him for taking such a risk just to save her, what would have happened if he'd gone in as well?, and he'll yell back that it was worth the risk, because he can't imagine carrying on without her by his side, and later still they'll fall into bed together, breathless kisses and frenzied fingers stoking the fire generated between them. But all of that is later.
Now they are on their knees in the ruins of Torchwood, holding each other tightly, her tears wet on his neck and his hands fisted in her hair. The sound of sirens begins to drift up through the shattered windows, the city rising to deal with this new crisis, and still they sit.
A moment later a giggle bubbles up from deep within her and he looks at her, surprised. Her face is exhilarated, her cheeks rose red, her lips fuller than usual. Her eyes are still brimming with tears but a slow grin is blossoming on her face and his lips begin to curve upward.
There are sounds in the building now, people coming to gaze upon the damage inflicted on Torchwood by its own arrogance.
He kisses her fiercely, emotions tumbling over each other within him, chief among them a bright and rising euphoria, and they stand, hands clasped together as they slip out of the room like criminals.
Their feet hit the street and they begin to run, laughing all the way.