It did need saying. It more than needed saying, this time more than ever. Because this Rose had been through the end of the world...more than once. And she'd been through hell. Literally. In so many ways, this wasn't that girl who had fought Daleks by his side, who had put everything on the line to stay with him. But she knew even now she'd do it all over again. Even if this specific scene had played itself out over and over again in the Cage and every time it ended with her losing him, and more often than not dying for it.
His words took a moment to sink in. It had been so long she'd given up hope of ever hearing them from his lips again. A part of her didn't want to believe it because it would just end badly, it always did. And she didn't know if she could take it again.
But he did say it, he forced her eyes to his and hers filled with tears when they met his. "I've changed," she warned him, though her hand reached up to settle on his chest. Two strong heartbeats raced underneath and the rhythm was so familiar she knew she'd fight for this. "I'm...different now. I'm hardly a good person to be around. I still have nightmares and some days it feels like I'm falling apart and you don't have to do this. Even if you do love me, and god it feels good to hear you say that again, I won't force you to deal with all of that."
Guy had promised to. And he'd done so, for a time. Then it started to feel so distant with him and she thought maybe she knew why. The reason was currently holding her face in his hands, searching her expression imploringly.