"I won't be like this forever, Jack," the Doctor admitted, and there was no small amount of worry in his voice. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not fixed."

If he was honest, he'd admit that he loved it. He loved that Jack loved him. He loved knowing that he was loved exactly for who he was and what he'd become. It was a little shocking, yes, because even the Doctor wasn't entirely certain why anyone would even look at him twice considering the things he'd done. But Jack did.

He reached out and took Jack's hand. He didn't initiate physical touches. Not frequently. It wasn't part of who he was, who he'd become.

"But I won't change. Not really. Not what's in my heart." He raised Jack's hand to cover his left heart, beating securely beneath his cold shirt.