The two time travelers had been through a lot over the past few weeks. First meeting up with The Doctor's old companion Sarah Jane, followed by a huge row incited by an incident involving France and a 51st century spaceship and then today they had managed to crash land in a parallel world amidst a plot by a psychotic business tycoon to dominate said world with an army of Cybermen . Although they had managed to foil his plans in the end, their celebration was short-lived by Mickey informing them of his decision to remain behind.
Rose could tell that The Doctor wanted to comfort her the minute she stepped into the TARDIS but at the time not only did she feel responsible for her oldest friend's departure, she was feeling extremely guilty for the way she had treated him and just needed to be alone for a while.
After a long hot shower she slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and made her way towards the kitchen hoping a cuppa would help her relax. Figuring The Doctor would most likely be tinkering, she decided to make him one as well and take it to him in the console room as an apology for brushing him off earlier when he'd tried to console her.
As she passed by the library, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. Curious, she quietly pushed it open and stepped into the room. The Doctor was sound asleep on the couch, the Dickens book she had gotten him for Christmas lying open across his chest. While it was true that Time Lords didn't need as much sleep as humans, it wasn't exactly a rarity to find The Doctor passed out after a particularly harrowing adventure either. Especially one like today.
Carefully; so as not to disturb him, Rose lowered herself down onto the edge of the couch and picked up the book, closed it and set it down gently on the small coffee table beside them. Turning back she couldn't help but focus on how gorgeous he looked. His features were calm and relaxed, dark lashes fluttering against fair skin, the smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks even more prominent in the soft glow of the firelight.
Smiling wistfully, she smoothed a bit of fringe back from his forehead and leaned down to brush a kiss against his cheek but just as she closed the remaining distance between them he inadvertently shifted in his sleep, turning his face towards her and she caught his lips instead. Rose froze, heart beating wildly in her chest and her face flushing. Oh this was so not good. Their relationship had been strained as of late and she definitely didn't need him thinking that she was trying to take advantage of him in his unguarded state. She pulled back slowly, trying not to think about how soft his lips had felt against hers and hoping beyond hope she wouldn't wake him but as his face came into focus, she was met with a pair of warm brown eyes staring up at her bemusedly.
Rose opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt to sputter out an apology but before she could say a word he reached up, threading his fingers through her hair and brought her lips down to meet his once more.
She let out a small squeak of surprise, her eyes widening in shock but as his lips became more insistent she began to melt into the kiss, her hand coming to rest on his chest between his hearts. After a few moments they broke apart and stared into one another's eyes.
"Hello." he said softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Hello." she returned with a bashful smile.
His grin grew even wider as his hand moved to cup the side of her face, his thumb stroking the apple of her cheek. "Not a dream then?"
Blushing furiously, Rose began to pull back. "Doctor, M' sorry. I didn't mean to um, I was jus'… but then you turned your head and…" she paused as his words began to sink in. "Wait, you been dreamin' about me?"
He shrugged, his lower lip jutting out playfully. "Might have done." Taking in her expression of utter disbelief, he chuckled softly and reached out to pull her down next to him, turning on his side so that they were facing one another and laced their fingers together.
Rose looked down at their entwined hands and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart as she attempted to process what exactly was happening between them and why the sudden change when his voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"I'm sorry about Mickey."
"Yeah." she said softly, releasing a shuddering breath as she watched her thumb stroke his. "I jus' can't help thinkin' that maybe he wouldn't have left if I had treated him better."
"Hey," he let go of her hand and placed two fingers under her chin, tilting her head up until her eyes met his. "Don't go blaming yourself for him leaving. Mickey's old enough now to make his own choices and besides if anyone's responsible for him wanting to go it's me." At her questioning look he continued. "I did sort of just come out of nowhere and sweep you away."
"Yeah, but you didn't exactly kidnap me. I wanted to go. I jus' wish I had handled things better. Even after we ended things, he was still there for me. Even helped me get back to you after you sent me home."
"So do you…?" he cleared his throat. "Do you wish you had stayed with him?"
She shook her head. "No. I still care about him, but there was a lot of truth in what he said earlier. S' not that I don't need him, 'cause he'll always be one of my closest friends, S' that my reasons for needin' him were selfish 'cause the fact is my life is here with you."
"I thought you might have been tempted to stay."
"What? Why would you think that?"
"Well, before everything happened and you found out your dad was still alive I thought maybe the idea of having a whole family would be appealing to you. You'd have both your parents and still be able to have your best friend by your side." He sniffed and looked away.
"But they weren't my real parents." she pointed out. "S' like you said, I couldn't jus' walk in there and expect to become their daughter. That Pete Tyler couldn't even acknowledge me when I tried to tell him who I was but it didn't matter anyway 'cause I've got my real mum here and she still needs me."
Threading their fingers together once more, he looked back up at her. "So you wouldn't have stayed? I mean, if that whole Cybermen thing hadn't happened and they had both accepted you, you wouldn't have stayed?" He looked so vulnerable as he waited for her answer.
Smiling, she reached out and cupped his cheek. "No, you daft alien. M' never gonna leave you."
"Rose, I…"
"I know." she said, placing her hand between his hearts once more.
"Do you though?" he asked, his eyes searching hers. "I know that this regeneration has quite the gob but sometimes the things that need to be said, the really important things don't always get expressed the way they should and I know that recent events have led you to start questioning those things and I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry, Rose and I can never stop apologizing for how reckless and stupid I was and I…"
Rose placed her fingers against his lips to silence him. "I know and I forgive you."
She moved her hand to cup his cheek and he nuzzled into it, placing a kiss against her palm before sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him.
Smiling at her squeak of surprise, he leaned in and nuzzled her nose with his own. Even at the thought of her leaving he was still afraid to say the words, coward every time, so he expressed it in the only way he could. "I do though, you know? So much."
"I do too." she said, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
His grin widened at that, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he shifted her onto her back. "How long you gonna stay with me?"
"Forever." she whispered wrapping her arms around him as he sealed his mouth over hers and proceeded to show her what he couldn't yet say.
A/N: Once again reviews are welcome!