Here it is, people- my first attempt at a mostly-romance story. I will attempt to put in as much goodness as I can. I've only actually been in love once, but I'm a romantic at heart. I think that, even if I don't do a great job, I'll still take pride in the fact that I worked hard on this story, which contains romance to the colors of the rainbow. This story is completely unrelated to What Happens In Quarantine Stays In Quarantine.
Red
Life travelling with the Doctor was fraught with danger. Even something as simple as going to an agricultural planet could be dangerous. The owner of an apple orchard had been having difficulties, to say the least, with a tentacled squirreloid creature attacking his employees. Six men had been killed. Rose, the kind-hearted type that she was, had convinced the Doctor to try to help the people. In the end, the large-eared Time Lord was actually able to convince the tentacled squirreloid creature that the farm hands were not, in fact, trying to invade its territory. With that misunderstanding cleared up, the orchard was, with the exception of an area designated the tentacled squirreloid's territory, running at capacity.
"There's no way I can thank you enough." the farmer said happily. "Now that the whatsit has stopped attacking my employees, the orchard can run again. Even with the area for the whatsit unavailible, we'll still have more than enough apples. In fact, help yourself to some. We have plenty."
Rose was overjoyed at the prospect of fresh-picked apples. The Doctor wasn't super thrilled since they weren't bananas, but when he saw how happy his blonde-haired companion was, he relented and grabbed a few empty baskets. The duo then headed into the orchard. The trees were heavily laden with the fruit, the branches drooping slightly from the weight of the many apples. The apples themselves were bright red, each of them at the peak of ripeness. Rose immediately set to work at picking apples. The Doctor stood back and watched his companion enjoy herself. Unfortunately, the lower branches only had so many fruit, and only one basket was full and another half-full. The young woman was having trouble reaching the rest. She turned to the Doctor and said, "Doctor, I can't reach the apples. D' you mind helping me?"
The Time Lord considered it for a short time before nodding. He walked over to the tree and started picking the fruit that Rose was unable to reach. A few more baskets were filled. Once they had four baskets of the fruit, the Doctor stopped picking apples. He looked at Rose, who was beaming at him. "Thank you, Doctor."
The Doctor was about to say something, but his eyes were drawn to her lips. She was smiling so brightly, so entheusiastically. He hadn't really noticed her smile before today. The Doctor offered up one of his goofy grins and said, "No problem, Rose."
The human female walked over to the basket and picked up one of the apples. She polished it on her shirt before bringing it to her mouth and taking a bite. There was a soft crunch as her teeth penatrated the crisp, juicy fruit. She let out a soft moan as her eyes rolled back, the perfection of the fruit tantalizing her tongue. She chewed, swallowed, and once again looked at the Doctor. She was smiling again. She wasn't smiling because the apple was delicious. This time it was all for him.
Orange
Once again, the Doctor and Rose had to rescue some people. This time, it was from a giant vampiric hamster. They had managed to keep it occupied until sunrise, which spelled the creature's doom when the sunlight reduced it to ash. The people couldn't really offer anything except their heartfelt thanks.
The Doctor had initially been confused when Rose had told him that he should start enjoying the little things. He was a bit out of practice regarding that. Still, he enjoyed watching her enjoy the little things. He decided that he would try.
It was autumn on the planet that they were on. The leaves on the trees were many vivid shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. The Doctor and Rose walked along the paths between the trees. Rose was certainly enjoying the sights and smells of autumn. The Doctor was having a bit less success, but he was trying and that had to count for something. A gentle breeze flowed through the air, dislodging some of the leaves from the branches. There were leaves that danced through the air, set in motion by the wind. The ground was decorated with leaves, some of them scattered and others raked into piles. Rose took in the sight of the many colorful leaves and asked, "Isn't it beautiful, Doctor? We're taking in the sights without having to run for our lives."
Rose stopped to look at a particularly beautiful tree. As she gazed at it from a distance, the wind picked up slightly. Her golden locks began to dance in the breeze. The Doctor turned to look at her and his breath caught in his throat. He saw the serene look on her face as the leaves blowed past her. The smile wasn't for him. It was for the tree that she seemed to find so beautiful. Still, it was strangely hard for him to breathe as he watched her. She was taking his breath away and she didn't even know it. When she started walking again, the Doctor finally started breathing again. As they continued to walk through the autumn woods, the breeze gradually began to pick up. Rose didn't stop, but after a while she began to rub her arms. She was clearly getting cold. When she exhaled the air in front of her lips fogged up. The Doctor hesitated for only a moment before removing his leather jacket and placing it over his companion's shoulders. Absent-mindedly, the Time Lord plucked out a leaf that had been blown into Rose's hair. Once again, the human smiled at him and once again, the Doctor's breath was taken away. This was definitely going to be a problem.
Yellow
This time, one of those 'little things' happened that was something the Doctor could appreciate and enjoy. He and Rose were at an alien market full of a wide variety of things being sold. Rose was off inspecting an embroidered hoodie, but the Doctor was currently in front of a stall that sold bananas and banana-based products. The Doctor was currently examining a basket full of bananas. He was definitely going to purchase them. As he was about to pay for them, he noticed one of the banana-based products. It was banana shampoo. The vendor allowed him a quick sniff of a sample of it. The Doctor's let out a contented sigh as the scent of bananas filled his senses. Immediately, thoughts of a blonde-haired human entered his head. He put the banana shampoo in his basket and paid for it and the bananas. The Doctor hid the shampoo underneath some of the bananas. He was inordinately pleased with himself at his thoughtfulness. Before they headed back to the TARDIS, Rose selected something for herself: a light green hoodie with a cluster of daffodils embroidered on it. The Doctor, of course, paid for that as well.
Once the duo had returned to the TARDIS, Rose immediately tried on the hoodie. It fit perfectly. When she looked away, the Doctor took the banana shampoo from its hiding place and cleared his throat loudly. Rose looked at him as if asking, 'what is it'. The Doctor held up the shampoo and showed it to her. The human grinned and asked, "Are you sure you haven't been in my mind?"
"Not lately." the Doctor replied.
"I was nearly out of shampoo." Rose opened the cap and inhaled the scent. "Doctor, you are wonderful!"
The Time Lord gave one of his goofy grins and said, "I am wonderful, aren't I?"
Rose rolled her eyes and said, "Don't let it go to your head."
"Can't make any promises there." the Doctor replied.
"Right." Rose said. "Anyway, I'm going to take a shower."
The Doctor nodded and Rose turned and walked away. About an hour later, Rose returned, clean as can be. She was even wearing clean clothes. Her hair was still slightly damp, but she looked content. The Doctor, with a mock serious look on his face, crossed his arms over his chest and said, "You forgot to say something when I gave you the shampoo, Rose."
The human smiled and said, "Sorry."
Rose then walked over to the Doctor and wrapped her arms around him before whispering, "Thank you."
With Rose pressed against him, the Doctor's nose was practically in her flaxen hair. Without meaning to, the Time Lord inhaled deeply. As much as he loved bananas, the shampoo just seemed to smell better on Rose.
Green
It had started out innocently enough. Rose and the Doctor were visiting a rather scenic rocky coach. Suddenly, from a crack in the base of the cliff, a slimy green humanoid appeared. It was surprisingly friendly. "It's been a long time since we have seen others." the slime-person burbled. "Come! Come join us in our revelry!"
Rose looked at the Doctor with a raised brow before curiosity got the better of both of them and they followed the slime-person into a cave. The cave led to several tunnels, one of which led to a large chamber. Inside the chamber, there were more slime-people. All of them were dancing to the beat of drums and wind instruments. It took Rose a while to acclimate, but she eventually turned to the Doctor and said, "Doctor, we should join them. Let's dance!"
The Doctor scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "No." he said sharply. "I don't dance."
Rose raised a brow at the Time Lord, but eventually sighed and said, "You're no fun. It's a party!"
"I still don't dance." the Doctor said insistantly.
Rose frowned at the Doctor before turning around and heading into the crowd. She began to dance to the music. She wasn't terribly graceful, but she wasn't a total klutz. She was just... average. The Doctor had, by now, come to realize that Rose generally wasn't average. This was probably one of the few thing about her that was. After twenty-seven minutes and four-point-six seconds of dancing, Rose stopped for a breather. She grinned breathlessly at the Doctor. He couldn't help but grin back. Suddenly, a deep voice burbled, "Bring the newcomers to me!"
The crowd parted, revealing a large slime-person sitting on an earthen throne. Rose looked at the Doctor before the two of them headed in the direction of the slime-person on the throne. The slime-person introduced himself. "I am King Mrglmrg."
"I'm the Doctor." the Doctor introduced himself. "This is Rose Tyler."
Mrglmrg looked directly at Rose and said, "You dance well for a non-slime, Rose Tyler."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Rose replied.
"And you," Mrglmrg addressed the Doctor, "you stand very still."
"I don't dance." the Doctor said.
"You will join the dance." the slime-king instructed.
"I don't dance." the Doctor insisted.
"Dance!" Mrglmrg ordered.
"No, I don't think so." the Time Lord replied.
"If you do not dance, then you will die." Mrglmrg snarled. "Guards, seize them!"
The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and dashed towards the exit. Not expecting them to put up so much resistance, the guards were taken aback, giving the human and the Time Lord a minor head start. Quickly, the slime-guards ran after them. Rose and the Doctor hid behind large rocks, dashing from cover when a guard looked away. Eventually, they lost them. Understandably, they quickly decided to return to the TARDIS. They made the long trek up to the top of the cliff. When they saw the TARDIS, they ran towards it. Suddenly, from around the back of the TARDIS, a slime-guard appeared. Brandishing his gun, he charged at the Doctor and Rose. Whipping out his trusty sonic screwdriver, the Time Lord pointed it at the slime-guard. The slime-guard made a loud bubbling sound before, seconds later, it exploded, covering the Doctor and Rose in copious amounts of green slime. The Doctor had a blank, unreadable expression on his face and Rose screamed in horror and disgust. The Doctor used his sonic to run a quick scan. He then looked at his companion and said, "Look on the bright side, Rose."
"What could possibly be the bright side?" Rose asked.
"At least it's good for the skin." the Doctor said with a goofy grin.
Rose couldn't help but smile back at him. When she smiled at him, the Doctor found that he was once again holding his breath. He also noticed something else. He still hadn't let go of Rose's hand and she hadn't let go of his. Suddenly, he felt all tingly inside and he knew that it wasn't because of the slime.
Blue
Since Jack Harkness had come onboard, the Doctor found himself perpetually sulking. The Captain had drawn Rose's attention and often made her laugh with his bawdy humor. Harkness' company caused Rose to smile at him. She should be smiling at the Doctor. Whenever the Doctor thought of this, his gut tightened with a clenching sensation. It was some emotion that he could not identify. He had felt it before, just before he had gotten Rose to dance with him onboard the TARDIS. He still couldn't quite identify it, but he knew that he didn't like it. For some reason, he desparately wanted to get Rose away from Harkness. It was because of this that the Doctor resorted to certain measures. He entered the coordinates before pulling a lever and taking the TARDIS to somewhere he figured that Rose would enjoy. He turned to the human and said, "Welcome to Blue Springs, one of the top five resorts in the Galactic List of Best Resorts! It has some very nice hot springs."
"Hot springs sound wonderful." a delighted Rose said.
"Ah, hot springs." Jack said with a grin. "Hot, mineral-filled water to soothe the aches away and women- and men- in swimsuits to soothe the eyes."
Rose rolled her eyes and said, "Right. I'm going to get my swimsuit. I've been looking for an excuse to try it on."
With that, the blonde human scampered away. Jack grinned and watched her rear as she left. The Doctor scowled at the pretty-boy lothario. When Jack saw this, his grin only widened. The Captain then winked at the Doctor. When the Doctor shot his most potent glare, a look that could- and had- cause various species to piss themelves, Jack quickly looked away.
A few minutes later, Rose pranced back into the console room. She was wearing a vest top and shorts over her swimsuit, so the Doctor and Jack couldn't see what it looked like. "Well," Rose said, "Let's get to those hot springs!"
It was a short trip to the hot springs. Jack had fallen behind on the way, having stopped to chat up a man with beige skin and brown stripes. That just left the Doctor and Rose. When they arrived at a hot spring, Rose began to disrobe. She took off her vest top and her shorts, revealing her swimsuit. The Doctor's jaw fell open. She was wearing a rather revealing TARDIS-blue bikini. The sorry excuse for a swimsuit offered an exquisite view of her rear. Quickly, the Doctor closed his mouth before Rose could see him gaping like a codfish. He changed his expression to stony indifference. Rose then walked over to the water and slid in with a contented moan. The Doctor was barely able to suppress a shudder that seemed to come out of nowhere. Rose looked directly at the Doctor and said, "Are you going to join me?"
The Doctor gulped. When he hesitated, Rose said, "Come on, Doctor!"
The human then leaned back against the side of the spring and said, "It's wonderful in here."
The Doctor gulped again and began to disrobe. When he had stripped down to his boxers, he entered the hot spring and sat down on one of the artificial stone benches near the edges. He had to admit that the water felt nice. Rose slid along the bench, scooting closer to the Doctor. When she was right next to the Doctor, she leaned into his shoulder. "Thanks for bringing me here, Doctor." Rose said gratefully. "It really is wonderful here."
"Yeah." the Doctor said, managing to keep his discomfort out of his voice as his hearts began to beat faster. "It's fantastic."
As they sat there, enjoying the water and each other's company, Rose slid just a little closer to the Doctor, took one of his hands in hers, and laid her head against his chest with a soft sigh. The Doctor hesitated for the barest moment before resting his chin on top of her head and clasping the human's hand. In that moment, everything seemed to slip away. It was just him and Rose. At that moment, felt like he didn't have a care in the universe. After a minute or so, Rose looked up at the Doctor. It was in that instance that he realized how close their faces were. His eyes darted down to her lips. If he were to lean down, just a little, he would be able to taste those lips. His hearts slowed down to a cautious gait. He was tempted. Would he be able to fight it. Maybe he shouldn't. Maybe he should do it. Maybe he should kiss her. Just a little kiss to savor the moment.
Unfortunately, that moment had to be ruined when Jack Harkness shouted, "Hey, Doc! Can I join?"
The Doctor groaned internally and mentally swore in every language he knew. He separated himself from Rose. The human female smiled at the randy Captain and said, "Sure, Jack! Come on in! Just keep your hands to yourself, all right?"
Jack pouted petulantly and said, "Aw, you're no fun!"
When Jack slipped into the water, Rose began to chat with him. The Doctor felt like the universe really seemed to hate him at the moment.
Violet
They were on a planet that was said to produce the best wine in six galaxies. He had been personally invited to a wine tasting by a vintner whose life he had saved some years ago. He didn't want to go, but Rose had insisted, and it was getting harder and harder to say no to her. That was why he stood there, wine glass in hand, sampling the reddish liquid. Rose seemed to be enjoying herself at least, and Jack Harkness was nowhere in sight. The Doctor had been rather relieved when he discovered that the Captain's interactions with Rose were limited to innuendos and flirting, which she did not reciprocate. After about an hour or so, he decided that he'd spent enough time at this place. "Come on, Rose." he said. "Let's get out of here."
Rose nodded and said, "I was getting bored anyway."
The Doctor set his glass down, took Rose by the hand, and left. He led her to the grape fields, which seemed to be quiet enough. Rose looked at him curiously and asked, "Did you really save his life?"
"Yep." the Doctor replied. "Attempted contract killing. His brother tried to have him killed for his money. It was some time ago."
Rose walked up to him and placed her hand on his cheek so he would look at her. She smiled and said, "I know you seem to deny it sometimes, but you really are a good man."
The Doctor looked at Rose and his eyes met hers. He felt his hearts begin to beat faster. She was so close to him now. So close. He finally closed the distance between his face and hers. He was kissing her. He was finally kissing her. When she failed to respond, he pulled back a little. He looked at Rose's face for any sign of rejection or disgust. Instead, her expression was one of wonder. She placed her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his. She let out a contented sigh as the Doctor took her in his arms. He gently ran his tongue across the seam of her lips. Without hesitation, she granted him access. He slid into her mouth, mapping the inside with his tongue. The kiss seemed far too brief when Rose finally separated from him. She placed her hand to his chest, feeling his twin heartbeat. The Doctor looked into her eyes. Neither of them spoke. Each of them could sense the other's unspoken confession. Rose brought her hand up to cup his cheek. Quietly, she whispered, "Doctor..."
There was an unspoken question. Rose nodded and breathily, quietly, said, "Yes."
The Doctor gently lowered her to the ground. Rose put her hands under his leather jacket and slipped it off of his shoulders. The Doctor made his move and slipped his hands under the hem of Rose's dress and slipped it over her head. She lay there, clad in nothing but her underthings. She looked at the Doctor and said, "No fair. You still have most of your clothes on."
The Doctor, amused, raised an eyebrow and slipped his sweater off. Rose sat up and leaned forward to work on his trousers. As she slid down his fly, the Doctor brought his arms around her back and undid the clasp of Rose's bra, revealing her breasts to him. Rose attempted to slide the Doctor's jeans down, but the position made it difficult. He adjusted his position and helped Rose remove them. He was clad only in his boxers and she only in her underwear. The human gave the Time Lord's near-naked body a long look before a look of approval appeared on her face. She then laid back down. There were some grapes on the ground and they no doubt burst when she laid down on them, crushing them with her back. The Doctor leaned over her before once again pressing his lips to hers. Their tongues battled for a short time before they once more separated. The Doctor kissed his way across her jaw before kissing his way down her neck and chest. He paused over one of her breasts before slipping a nipple into his mouth, capturing it with his teeth. He then released it and laved his tongue over it as Rose let out a strangled moan. He repeated the action with her other breast before kissing his way down her abdomen. He paused to swirl his tongue around her belly button before moving still. He took her underwear in his hands and slid it down her legs, exposing her to him. He took her thighs in his hand and pulled them apart. Rose leaned back on her elbows, raising herself enough to look at him. His eyes were darkened with want. Without hesitating, he lowered his head and ran his tongue along her sex. She let out a gasp and arched her back. The Doctor held Rose's legs apart as he devoured her. She cried out in pleasure, pusing her hips into face. When he left her, she let out a cry of dismay. When the Doctor began to slide up her body, Rose immediately became aware of what he was doing. She opened her legs once more as the Doctor took himself in hand. He looked Rose in the eyes once again. She nodded. Having recieved her consent, the Doctor slid into her with a groan. He then began to move. In and out of her he went, savoring the gasps and moans that flowed from her lips. When the Doctor gave a particularly hard thrust, Rose cried out and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gradually increased the speed and intensity of his thrusts. As the intensity of his thrusts grew, Rose's cries grew progressively louder and more frequent. She wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to penatrate her more deeply. They both wanted it to last forever, but everything must end. When Rose reached her climax, she screamed her release. The Doctor continued to thrust into her before he buried his face in her shoulder and emptied into her with a groan. Together they laid on the ground in utter bliss. Once more, the Doctor bought his lips to hers, only this time it was a more tender gesture. He rolled off of her and rested on his back. Rose rolled over and rested her head on his chest, contentedly listening to the Doctor's double heartbeat. The Doctor brought his arm around her and caressed her back. He felt something liquid on her back and, for a moment, he panicked, thinking that he had hurt her. When he lifted his hand to look at it, it came away purple. Right. There had been grapes on the ground. Rose giggled and said, "My back's purple, isn't it?"
The Doctor chuckled and said, "Yeah."
"Doctor?" Rose said.
"What?" the Doctor replied.
"That was fantastic." the human said with a grin.
The Doctor gave his own goofy grin and said, "Well, I am pretty amazing."
Rose laughed and swatted his arm before lowering her head back to his chest. As the Doctor lay there, stroking his Rose's hair, he knew that the universe most assuredly did not hate him. The Time Lord turned his head to look up at the stars before looking back at Rose's blissful face. In that moment, however long it might last, everything was as it should be.