She'd always hated appearing weak, and even more so in front of him. But, in turn, he was one of the few Rose would ever have allowed to see such a vulnerable side of her. He'd captured a piece of her, whether he'd meant to or not, and for that, she'd give him anything. If he wanted to see her vulnerable, he would, and much more on top of it. She'd already bared her innermost feelings to him; what else could he possibly ask of her?
It was wrong to feel so hurt and so loved at the same time. Who did that? How had he always been able to do that? She remembered being completely terrified of his newly regenerated self, and yet standing by his bedside, urging him to live because she knew how empty she'd feel with him gone. Since the moment she'd met the man, it had been that way. Always trusting him blindly, no matter what scenario they found themselves in.
One hand reached to rest tenderly against his chest, feeling the comforting beat of two hearts resting within him. The first few times he'd hugged her, she'd found the sound appalling. Now, it was the most reassuring feeling in the world. "But for how long?" she whispered. "The stars... I know it sounds crazy, but I knew you were the only one who'd believe me... They're going out, one by one, and there's no time to waste and we're here instead of there..." She shook her head before burying her face back into the warm safety of his chest. "And the worst part is that I almost don't care because at least here, you're with me." Maybe, in the end, she wasn't worthy of the title he'd given her. Defender of Earth, indeed. Defender of Her Own Emotions, maybe.