In-Flight Conversations

Pairing: Tentoo x Rose

Rating: Mild Teen

Words: ~3600

Summary: Where better to have deep, existential life talks of one's future than the floor of a zeppelin?

Notes: This is my very first attempt at Doctor Who fanfiction. Enjoy!

Rose flopped down in the faux-leather seat rather ungracefully, and let out a huffy sigh. She was exhausted, and she ached all over. Her muscles were sore and tired, and she had half a headache coming on. Her skin felt all tingly and buzzy, the after-effects of jumping dimensions that she knew would last a few hours more. All she wanted was a long, hot shower and the seclusion of her bed. Yet here she was, on a Norwegian zeppelin, in the universe that always felt just that little bit off. She heaved another sigh as her eyes slid shut.

They snapped open when she felt someone plop down in the seat beside her. The Doctor flashed her a bright grin as he settled into his seat, looking as excited as ever at the prospect of this new adventure.

She felt an automatic wave of fondness and affection for this man. So maybe this wasn't quite what she'd had in mind when she began crossing the multiverse, but she could adjust, if given time. And, really, with no more cannon jumps needed, she had nothing but time. If he really was the Doctor, then she had no doubt everything would work out just fine, eventually. They were always alright, her and him.

But then again, if he really was the Doctor, how would he take to being stuck to one planet in one time. He always turned tail at the slightest hint of anything domestic, and the situation they now found themselves was just about as domestic as they could get.

She sighed. No use worrying about it now. One day at a time.

Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, hugging his arm to her chest, preparing to sleep through the two hours it would take to get to Oslo, where Pete was meeting them with the Vitex jet.

These seats weren't half comfortable, and the Doctor always did make a good pillow. She heard him make a pleased, humming noise in the back of his throat as he angled his body to accommodate hers. And did he just kiss the top of her head, too? That was definitely something she could get used to, she thought with a happy sigh.

She nestled in further, and closed her eyes. The zeppelin was flying smoothly, and the gentle humming of the engines was lulling her further and further into unconsciousness. The familiar smell of the Doctor was comforting and reassuring – the Doctor was right here; she'd found him – and tendrils of warmth coiled from her chest into her stomach. Her body slowly relaxed from the day's events, and she was almost asleep…

…When her pillow started moving, shifting around restlessly and bouncing slightly.

Rose frowned a bit and scooted closer. The Doctor stilled immediately, as though realizing his movement was disturbing her slumber, and wrapped his arm around her, mumbling an apology into her hair. She, in turn, tucked her arm around his waist – God, was he always this skinny? – and buried her face into his neck as she tried again to fall asleep.

The sound of his singular heartbeat echoed in her ears, and rather than sounding foreign and strange, Rose found it very soothing. She pressed herself closer, thanking any and all deities for this life she never thought she'd get. This truly was a precious gift, she was soon realizing, and she refused to throw this away. How could she ever have been even remotely disappointed in being left with him?

She snuggled in deeper.

Suddenly, Rose felt the Doctor's heartbeat increase slightly in tempo. It wasn't much, but just enough to catch her attention. His breathing was also becoming shallower and more rapid, causing his chest – and consequently, her head – to rise and fall more rapidly. He was bouncing his knee and tapping his fingers against the small of her back.

She should have guessed: the Doctor was always restless.

Rose inhaled deeply and opened her eyes to look up at him. She frowned at what she saw. He was more than a little restless. His eyes were just a little too wide, just a little too manic, and his jaw was clenched, nostrils flaring. The hand not wrapped around her was clenching and unclenching on his thigh. No, the Doctor was not restless, he was on-edge, border-line panicking.

She reached over, covering the hand that was currently fisted, and smoothed it out.

"Hey," she said softly. "Relax."

His head snapped down to look at her. He gave her a sheepish smile, and stopped bouncing his knees, but the wild look in his eyes had yet to disappear. An overwhelming surge of love flooded through her. The expression he was currently wearing was one familiar to the Doctor. This man was somehow, inexplicably, remarkably, her Doctor. She was still unsure of the details of how he was, but he was, and right now, he needed her.

She stood up abruptly, and she felt his fingers brush her hip as he reached for her. However, his hands quickly dropped to his lap, where he wrung them awkwardly as he mumbled, "Sorry. Quite right. I'll just…stay here."

Rose rolled her eyes at her daft half-alien and she laughed softly at him. He looked up at her in confusion.

She held out her hand for him, wiggled her fingers, and said, "C'mon."

His eyes brightened and he smiled up at her, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together as he stood up behind her. The Doctor followed as she led him out of the passenger's cabin and through the belly of the zeppelin.

There weren't many passengers on the aerial vehicle, nor did they come across many official staff members as Rose eventually led him down a secluded flight of stairs and to the lower deck of the zeppelin. This seemed to house all of the mechanics and engineering that powered their transport. The Doctor paused for a moment to look around, utterly enthralled. Rose gave him a moment, smiling gently, before tugging him along.

"Rose, where are we going?" he asked.

"You'll see."

She led him to another flight of steps at the end of the engine room, as Rose had dubbed it in her head. These were more secluded and steeper, and tapered off into a step-ladder. They finally emerged in a small room. It was no more than ten meters long by five meters wide, and was slightly curved, as though ovular in shape. The floor and three of the walls were made of some sort of sturdy, durable material. The front of the room, however, was encased in a completely transparent viewing window.

Beyond the window, the Norwegian landscape drifted by. Below them, trees and houses and lakes dotted the countryside. Above them was a pearly gray sky. The Doctor dropped down into the room beside her, and looked around in amazement.

"Good, huh?" she asked, bumping her shoulder against his.

"This is brilliant," he whispered. "How did you know this was here?"

Rose shrugged as she said, "I never much liked travelling by zeppelin, but had to do it quite a bit, for Torchwood and Dad's Vitex events. So I often found myself wandering, and I eventually found this place. Most zeppelins have one, but hardly anyone knows about it. This is actually one of the better ones I've found. Not many have a whole wall made of glass… Anyways, I'm not sure what its actual purpose is; I think it's an observation deck or something."

"It's brilliant," the Doctor repeated.

"Yeah?" she asked timidly.

"Oh yes," he answered, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together tightly. "Thank you."

He pulled her to his side, twining their fingers together, as he stared out at the view. They were low enough that they could still make out most of the general landscape, but were high enough that the occasional low-lying cloud would wisp around them in a pool of white.

They weren't moving fast enough to give motion sickness, for which Rose was grateful. Her headache was starting to come back with a vengeance. It was a dull throbbing behind her eyes that seemed to reverberate in her ears. How long had it been since she'd last slept? Or eaten? Or even rehydrated? She couldn't remember; too long, apparently.

Her body was finally giving into the exhaustion as well as the dehydration, as much as she tried to fight it. She kneaded her eyes roughly with the heel of her hand as her vision began to go blurry and spotty. And why was the zeppelin rocking so much?

"Rose, you alright?" the Doctor asked, noticing that her hand was tightening around his.

He looked over and saw her face had lost most of its color. Her eyes were glassy and she was swaying unsteadily on her feet.

"Rose?" he now asked in concern, turning and gripping her shoulders tightly as her eyes grew more and more unfocused. "Rose, love, talk to me. What is it?"

"M'okay," she mumbled, patting one of the hands on her shoulder. "Just need to sit down a mo', I think."

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she collapsed.

"Rose!"

The Doctor managed to brace her fall, cushioning her upper body so that it didn't receive much of the impact. He gently laid her on the floor on her back with her head cradled in his lap as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. He knelt over her and checked her pulse. It felt steady enough, if a little slow. He pressed his lips to her forehead; no temperature, but she felt a little clammy.

"Rose?" he asked helplessly, stroking her cheek.

He ran his hands over her frantically, searching for an injury he knew she didn't have. She was still breathing steadily; all of her bodily systems seemed normal. He cursed his newly-human self for its diminished analytical capabilities. Once upon a time, he'd be able to tell everything about her body's chemical balance with a lick of her wrist. Now he was just useless.

His breathing increased as he raked his fingers through his hair in agitation. They'd only just begun. They hadn't even had twenty-four hours yet together. She couldn't leave him now; he just got her back. She promised him forever. He promised her forever. They were supposed to grow old together. That was the deal. What if she was seriously hurt or injured or dying or…

He was just about to run for help when she gave a low moan, and his heart leapt into his throat as a spark of hope ignited in his belly. He ran his fingers through her hair and caressed her cheek as he asked, "Rose, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes for me?"

Her eyes danced beneath her closed lids before they slowly started to flutter open. The Doctor let out the breath he'd been holding in a whoosh as her eyes instantly found his. She smiled, and his heart resumed its frantic hammering.

"Hello," she greeting.

He chuckled in relief as he replied, "Hello."

She looked around in confusion, having finally noticed her position on the floor, with her head rather close to his newly-human Time Lord bits.

Her face flushed red as she asked, "What am I doing on the floor?"

"You passed out on me, Rose Tyler!" he chastised, half teasing, half scolding.

She smiled sheepishly.

"Whoops?"

Rose struggled into a sitting position, closing her eyes against the lightheadedness and threat of nausea. The Doctor placed his hand on her back and soothingly rubbed circles as she breathed deeply.

"Rose?" he asked nervously, his poor heart speeding up in agitation again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, waving a hand at him dismissively. "Haven't eaten in awhile, is all. Or slept. The jumps always take it out of me. I'm gonna go find water. Just a tick."

Rose was about to push herself up, when the Doctor pushed her back down with a noise of discontent. She made a noise of protest in return, claiming she was completely fine – sort of – but quieted when she saw his stern glance and that he was rooting around in his pocket.

"Ha!" he crowed cheerfully as he procured a bottle of water. "Sip slowly."

He handed it to her, watching carefully as she followed his instructions. Before long, she'd polished off half the bottle, and he noticed with relief that some of her color had returned. He pulled her against him in a sideways hug and kissed the top of her head.

"You scared me," he murmured.

"M'sorry," she answered softly, leaning into his embrace and placing a hand on his knee. "Didn't mean to. I'm fine now. Promise."

Her stomach chose that moment to growl rather loudly and let them know of its displeasure. The Doctor smiled into her hair as Rose sheepishly asked, "You haven't got any food in those pockets, have you?"

The Doctor rooted around, feeling various bits and bobs, until he finally found the items he was interested in. He placed before her a pack of dried fruit, a pack of assorted nuts, and a banana.

"Eat up, Rose Tyler," he said. "Don't want you collapsing on me again."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully, but grabbed the dried fruit and dutifully nibbled on them.

"I may just keep you yet," she teased, resting her head against his shoulder as she polished off her fruit and moved to open the nuts, nudging the banana towards him.

She'd expected him to make a witty comment in return. Instead, he tensed beneath her and his expression closed off. She looked at him in confusion, but he was staring pointedly at the banana, taking great care to peel the fruit.

"Doctor?" she asked, touching his forearm lightly. "I'm sorry. I was just teasing."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and quirked his lips up in a quick, half-hearted smile before biting into the banana. His posture didn't loosen, nor did he contribute much to her idle chit chat as she tried to draw him out of whatever funk he seemed to have suddenly fallen into.

Rose stared at him with furrowed brows. She had no idea what happened. He'd been completely fine a moment ago. He was usually fine with her teasing. She'd made worse comments to him before. Hell, he'd made worse comments before. Calling her and her species stupid apes used to be a favorite of his, once upon a time

Unless…

Oh, God, she was an idiot…

"Doctor, you do know that I'm happy you're here, right?" she asked softly, tentatively touching his shoulder.

That had done the trick. He perked up immediately and turned to look at her with confused, wondering eyes that burned with the beginning embers of hope.

"Yeah?" he asked quietly, sounding so unsure that it nearly broke her heart.

Rose hated that he doubted her love for him. She hated herself more for not taking care to reassure him that she loved him and wanted him. Because, sometimes, it really did need saying.

She launched herself at him, gathering him in her arms and holding him tightly to her.

"Of course, you daft alien," she mumbled into his shoulder. "Forever, remember?"

He clutched at her just as tightly, as though she might disappear on the spot. After a moment, the Doctor maneuvered her so that she was sitting more comfortably in his lap. She kissed his neck, delighting in the way it made him shiver. She pulled back slightly and cupped his jaw, caressing his cheekbones with her thumbs.

"Doctor, I need you to listen to me very carefully," she said seriously. "I love you. I love you so very much. And I'm so sorry you ever doubted that. I don't ever want you to from now on, okay?"

He nodded against her palms, his eyes shining brightly and intensely, radiating openly with love and devotion. She'd never seen so much emotion in his eyes or on his face before. At least, she'd never seen it expressed so openly before. She felt so honored and humbled to be allowed to share in this experience, to have this with him.

As the Doctor reached up and traced her facial features, her eyes fell shut. His fingers danced lightly over her cheek bones, down her jaw, and brushed over her lips. She shivered and parted her lips involuntarily, but his assessment didn't stop there. She felt his thumbs brush over her eye lids, and eyebrows, and he even traced the outer shell of her ear. She squirmed at that and opened her eyes. He was looking at her in part fascination, part amusement.

"Sorry," she said bashfully. "Ticklish."

He grinned at her and said, "That's nice to know."

Rose rolled her eyes and swatted at his arm good-naturedly, burrowing back into his chest. It felt nice just sitting in his lap with his arms around her. They'd always been rather physical with each other, but it had always been innocent. Knowing that they were free to cross whatever boundaries they pleased now was quite liberating, if not just a bit intimidating.

But for now, she was content to snuggle with him for the next hour until they reached Oslo, and probably even for the two hour jet ride back to London.

"I was worried you might not want me," he said suddenly, breaking the cozy atmosphere they'd created.

Rose snapped her head up to look at him. He was studiously ignoring her and was instead inspecting her fingers, which he had cradled in his own hand. His thumb was brushing over the back of her hand, tracing over her knuckles.

"I mean, I wouldn't blame you," he said, feigning an air of nonchalance, but she saw how his Adam's apple bobbed thickly in his throat. "Wouldn't want you to be stuck with a half-human copy of a Doctor impersonator, or anything. Y'know. After all you'd done to get back, you're stuck back here, with me. Don't think you have to keep me, or anything. It's just, if you want me, I'm here. Whatever you want."

Rose lifted her hand and placed it over his lips to stop the incessant babbling. His cheeks flushed pink when he realized how much he'd said, and she smiled. The fully Time Lord Doctor never blushed. It was very endearing to see this one turn red.

"Doctor, I don't care that you're half-human, you're still the Doctor," she said gently. "Wait. You are the Doctor, aren't you? Because that's what you said, the two of you, on the beach, you said…"

"Yeah, yes, yep!" the Doctor quickly affirmed, his eyes going wide as he nodded quickly. "I'm the Doctor! As Doctory as the Doctor can get! You and me, Rose Tyler, we did it all together: the Slitheen, the Jagrafess, Queen Vicky and the Werewolf, and remember that one time in Ancient Rome…"

"Okay!" she interrupted. "I get it. You just scared me, is all."

He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Anyways," Rose continued. "As I was saying. You are the Doctor, yeah? And I love you. And it doesn't matter to me that you're part human, so don't you dare let that matter to you. If anything, that makes you even more special to me, because we can now truly have our forever, together, without me having to give up my family, and without you having to watch me wither and die one day, leaving you behind. You are the most wonderful, precious gift, and I love you."

She pulled him in for a searing kiss. His lips were soft and pliable under hers, and her hands flew to the nape of his neck, twining into his hair, securing him where he was. As if he would leave. She felt his tongue tentatively trace the seam of her lips, and she all-too-willingly granted entry. His tongue traced hers, as hers traced his back, both of them mapping out the brand new terrain.

His hands scrabbled at her back, seeking purchase on the sleek leather of her jacket. One hand migrated north to tangle in her hair while one migrated south to her hips. His fingers felt the edge of her vest top, and he snaked them under until he was tracing the soft skin of her lower back. She rocked into him and pressed herself more tightly to his body.

Not wanting to be an idle participant, Rose scratched her nails lightly at his scalp, and shivered when he moaned into her mouth. Liquid heat pooled deep in her belly. She filed that response away for later as she sucked his plump bottom lip between her own.

They continued exploring each other's mouths for several minutes until they finally broke apart, flushed and slightly panting. The Doctor willed his racing heart to calm, as well as other excited areas of his anatomy. His fingers idly traced circuits up and down her sides as he rested his forehead against Rose's and waited for the tightness in his trousers to abate.

"That was rather brilliant," he said brightly, beaming up at her. "We should definitely give that another go when we get back to London."

Rose chuckled at her daft alien and nuzzled into his neck. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him. He pressed soft, butterfly kisses into her hair, her temple, everywhere he could reach.

"I love you," he murmured softly.

Rose grinned into his collarbone, elation and joy flooding through her at the words.

The two remained on the floor of the observation deck of the zeppelin until it docked in Oslo, where they took the first step towards their new adventure of forever.

fin.