"Rose Tyler, welcome to Gempore Prime!"
The Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS with a flourish, a self-satisfied smile lighting up his face as he gestured to the vast expanse of whiteness beyond. Rose, meanwhile, was wrapping an over-long scarf around her neck, one she'd found in the wardrobe room next to a velvet frock and a multi-colored coat. The Doctor was inordinately pleased with her choice of winter accessory; it looked much better on her than it ever had on him.
When she was satisfied she was properly clothed for their next adventure, she took a tentative step outside the TARDIS. This was the one feeling she would never be able to get used to, no matter how long she traveled with the Doctor: that initial feeling of excitement and amazement upon stepping out onto an alien planet for the first time.
This time was no exception. She looked out at the landscape, her breath catching in her throat in a combination of the awe she felt and the frigid air. Tall, craggy, snow-capped mountains surrounded them on either side, reaching towards the sky that was a bright, pearly gray. A fresh blanket of snow sprawled out before them, as far as the eye could see. The air was crisp and cold, and burned at her lungs with every inhale.
"What do you think?"
Rose glance back and saw the Doctor leaning against the closed doors of the TARDIS, his arms crossed casually across his chest, a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. Rose felt her heart stutter at the warmth she saw in his eyes, as well as an emotion that went unnamed between them, but they both knew what he meant.
She opened her mouth to answer him, but instead cocked her head to the side when the faint sounds of music and voices met her ears.
"Is that singing?" she asked curiously. They appeared to have landed in the middle of nowhere, far away from civilization; it was disconcerting to hear voices in the air.
"Yep!" the Doctor said enthusiastically, pushing away from the TARDIS to stand beside her. "By my calculations, we've landed in the middle of this planet's winter festival. It's very similar to Earth's celebration of Christmas, with lights, and gifts, and family, and food. This planet has only got two seasons: the hot season and the cold season. According to their legends, there was once a pair of siblings charged with the duty of watching over and caring for this world. Twins, they were, a brother and sister. The boy was born with ice in his veins, the girl with fire. Individually, they destroyed everything around them, either burning it or freezing it. But together, they tempered each other, and were able to cohabitate peacefully, and allow for lifeforms to survive here. The people celebrate the twins in the middle of winter and the middle of summer, praising them for the delicate homeostatic balance they've created."
Rose listened fondly as the Doctor explained the local lore, twining her hand with his. She loved learning about the cultures and customs of other planets, and she loved listening to him explain it.
The Doctor grinned at her, but it slowly slipped as he scrubbed his free hand against the back of his neck, belying his apprehension about their destination.
"I know you haven't wanted to celebrate Christmas," he began carefully, "after Canary Wharf and the whole Donna incident, and quite right; it wasn't even Christmastime in your timeline. But, well, it is now. It's been an entire year since we last celebrated. But I didn't know if you would want to celebrate properly, not without Jackie, so I didn't land us on Earth, but this festival is similar enough to Christmas that I thought it would be something new and different, but yet a tiny bit familiar. But if you don't want to attend the festival, that's fine, too. There are other places to explore; there's a frozen waterfall just a mile or so that way. Or if you'd prefer we go somewhere else, that's fine, too. You know what, this was a bad idea, I'm sorry. We can go. I can land us somewhere warmer, more tropical. I still owe you that trip to Barcelona, how's that–?"
Rose lifted herself up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips against his cheek, effectively stopping his never-ending gob, which had gone into overdrive in his nervousness.
"S'beautiful," she said, hugging his arm to her chest and leaning her cheek against his shoulder. "I love it. Thank you."
The Doctor had been frozen since her lips touched his cheek, but he snapped out of it to grin brightly down at her.
They'd been in a kind of stalemate these last few months, ever since the Battle of Canary Wharf. After saving the day (saving the universe) and barely making it out alive, the Doctor had gathered Rose into his arms and had snogged her quite thoroughly. Neither of them mentioned it afterwards, what with being busy looking for a gap between universes so Rose could say goodbye to Jackie.
The Doctor desperately wanted to ask if Rose had enjoyed the kiss, or had even wanted it, and he desperately wished to know if that could become the new norm for them. However, he continued to tuck those thought away, unsure of how to broach the subject. He was more than pleased to still have his best friend by his side when he could so easily have lost her to the Void. He couldn't bear to lose her, physically or emotionally, and if friendship was all he could have, he would take it and be grateful.
"C'mon, Rose Tyler!" the Doctor shouted enthusiastically, pushing his anxieties away and twining his fingers through hers. "Let's go join the festivities!"
oooOoooOoooOooo
"H-how long is this s-storm supposed to last?"
Rose let out a vicious shudder and tugged the blankets closer to her chin.
They'd made it into the village safely enough, and had managed to enjoy several hours' worth of the winter festival. They sang along and danced to the native carols; they perused the local shops without much intent, neither of them mentioning that Rose now had no one to bring trinkets home to; they played in the snow with the local children, teaching them the Earth custom of building snowmen.
Just as they were about to take their leave and head home, sirens began going off all around them, and everyone was scrambling to find their belongings and their loved ones. Through the mayhem, the Doctor learned that a storm was headed their way, and everyone needed to take shelter instantly. The town was on a lockdown until the storm passed.
The Doctor had managed to find a room at an inn just in time. Unfortunately, all of the lodgings were made to accommodate citizens of Gempore Prime, whose body temperatures were at least four degrees warmer than Rose's, and were much more efficient at regulating their temperatures. The room was barely warmer than the temperature outside, but at least it protected them from the bitter wind and the stinging of snow and ice. The only source of extra heat in the room came in the form of a fireplace, which the Doctor had lit as soon as they'd checked in.
The Doctor's lips pressed into a thin, white line as he tucked the blankets closer to Rose.
"There's no way to tell," he said grimly, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Could be hours, could be days. I'm so sorry, Rose, if I'd realized…"
"Doctor, it's fine. I'm fine," she said unconvincingly as another shiver rippled through her body.
"Your lips are turning blue," he pointed out flatly.
Rose snuggled closer to the blankets, covering her nose and mouth from his view. Her eyes fluttered shut. Every shudder and chatter of teeth sent his hearts lurching. She was slowly freezing to death, and it was all his fault.
Mind made up, the Doctor removed his trainers and his suit jacket.
"What are you d-doing?" Rose protested, attempting to sit up yet stay bundled in the blankets. "You'll freeze!"
He rolled his eyes.
"My body is much better equipped to deal with this weather than yours," he explained, tossing his jacket onto a nearby chair. "And I can regulate my body temperature much more efficiently than you lot. I can get you nice and toasty in just a minute."
Rose's face flushed as she understood his intention.
"Well, go on then, shift," he said, shooing her to the side of the bed closest to the fire.
Rose dutifully moved to the other half of the bed, shuddering as she came into contact with the cool sheets. She felt the gentle weight and shift of the mattress as the Doctor lay down beside her.
The Doctor stayed absolutely still for just a moment, before slowly moving towards Rose. He cuddled up behind her, spooning her. Rose heaved a sigh of relief and scooted closer to his warmth. His body temperature was lower than hers, but it was much warmer than the temperature of the room, and she cuddled closer gratefully. His body felt stiff behind hers, and he didn't seem to know what to do with his free arm, until Rose twined her fingers through his and hugged it to her chest. His muscles unclenched, and he held her tightly to him, relaxing into her.
"I'm sorry, I am so sorry," he murmured into her ear, nuzzling her neck.
"Stop it," she commanded, her words slurring as her body began giving in to exhaustion.
"Sleep, Rose," the Doctor whispered, pressing his lips lightly to her shoulder. "I've got you."
Rose hummed and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the blankets, and into the Doctor.
He listened as her breathing evened out, the telltale sign she was asleep.
The Doctor listened to the storm howling just outside. He could feel the temperature of the room dropping as the night wore on. How could he have been so reckless, taking her to a planet her body wasn't equipped to deal with? He'd almost lost her to the Cybermen and the Daleks, but now he was so close to losing her to nature itself.
He let out a shuddering sigh, his mind's eye replaying that moment when he thought he'd lost her forever. Rose had barely maintained her grip on her lever, having let go of her clamp to fix it. He'd watched in muted horror as her fingers slipped, one by one, from her lever. Just when she'd lost her grip completely, the suction from the Void ceased, and she'd fallen heavily onto the floor.
Dazed and breathless with relief, he'd dashed over to where she had crumpled. He'd helped her to her feet and had immediately drawn her into his arms, willing his hearts to slow. He'd held her for several moments, needing the physical reassurance that she was okay, and she hadn't fallen, and that she was still with him.
With his face buried in her neck, the Doctor had been blindsided by his emotions, struck down by how deeply and completely he loved the woman in his arms. She knew he loved her, didn't she? She had to know. The desperation from the day had bled through his defenses, and he couldn't help by mash his lips with hers, overjoyed, relieved, and thankful that they were both okay.
That had been nearly three months ago. He wasn't sure how to bring up his impromptu kiss, and he didn't know whether she would be agreeable to any more snogging. He definitely was, and hoped she was too.
Presently, the Doctor pulled her more securely to him, and he felt his eyes grow heavy with sleep. He was so comfortable and at peace in their rented bed, with his best friend curled up beside him. Seeing as they were stuck there for the foreseeable future, the Doctor relaxed and hummed in contentment, and drifted off to sleep.
oooOoooOoooOooo
The Doctor awoke several hours later to a bright, clear light filtering into the room. The storm must have passed on, and daylight must have broken. He was aware of an inviting warmth in front of him, and of a pleasant tingling deep in his groin. He shifted forward, sighing as the pressure between his legs increased into something more urgent and insistent. He lazily rubbed his hard-on against the solid warmth in front of him for a few moments, enjoying the feeling and the friction, before his brain finally and completely woke up and alerted him to his current activities.
With a jolt and a mortified squeak, the Doctor sprung away from Rose and frantically began rerouting the blood in his body to a more appropriate location. He fervently hoped Rose was still happily sleeping, and had been oblivious to his behavior. Between his mental chastisement and embarrassment, as well as the jolt of turning away from Rose's inviting heat, he was able to make himself more or less presentable. He cast a quick look over to his companion, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully.
A thrill of affection and love shot through him as she made a noise of discontent in her sleep, and wriggled backwards to seek him out again.
He was tempted, so tempted, to cuddle against her once more, but he couldn't quite trust his body yet; arousal and want were simmering just below the surface of his control, as they always were these days. There was no need to embarrass himself before knowing yet if Rose wanted anything more with him.
Instead, he carefully crawled out of bed, shivering when the chilly morning air hit his sleep-warmed body. Rose shivered, too, and he carefully tucked the blankets around her securely, trying to trap in the heat they'd managed to generate.
She groggily turned around to face him, her eyes blearily blinking open.
"Doctor?" she asked thickly, still half-asleep.
"Shh," he murmured, brushing rogue tendrils of hair from her face. "Go back to sleep."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get the TARDIS and bring her in here," he explained. "I'll be back in a mo'."
Rose gave a noncommittal hum, and her eyes drifted closed again. He wondered humorously if she would even remember this conversation later on.
"Don't you disappear," she ordered sleepily, tugging the pillow he'd used closer to her chest.
Watching her snuggle his pillow and bury her face deeper into his scent sent a wave of love and possessiveness through him. But his hearts constricted when she told him not to leave her behind. Didn't she know by now that leaving her was an impossibility? Didn't she know that he loved her more than anything or anyone in the universe?
Tenderly, he stroked the side of her face and couldn't help but press his lips to her temple, shivering at the spark of electricity he felt there.
"Never, Rose Tyler," he whispered, too softly to wake her. "I'm never leaving you."
He shrugged off his long overcoat and draped it over her. His heart clenched pleasantly in his chest as he watched her pull it up to her chin, before she buried her nose in the soft fabric.
With that, he turned from the room and made the hour-long trek back to where he'd parked the TARDIS the day before.
It was slow-going, with the fresh snow having drifted in some places to nearly waist-height. But he finally made it, and had to dig out a bit of snow from the door so he could open it.
He took a minute to change into warm, dry clothes before setting the coordinates precisely to five minutes after he'd left Rose in their room. The groan of the engines and the solid thump that indicated he'd landed greeted him.
He walked out of the TARDIS, and was pleased to see he had successfully landed when and where he had intended. Rose was still in bed, but was beginning to slowly sit up, no doubt awakened by the landing of the TARDIS. She clutched the duvet around her body, staying nestled in her warm cocoon.
"You left," she accused groggily, rubbing the heel of her hand into her eyes.
His hearts melted at the sight; she looked absolutely beautiful, even with her hair mussed and her cheeks pink and a yawn cracking her jaw. The sheer amount of love he felt for this single human woman was overwhelming, and he couldn't help but smile at her.
"I just went to get the TARDIS," he said, gesturing to his ship. "No need for you to freeze to death hiking back up the mountain."
Rose gave a vague hum of appreciation, and finally threw the blankets off of her. She shuddered as the cold morning air bit at her skin, and the Doctor held out his hand.
"C'mon," he said, opening the doors of the TARDIS. "In you go, it's nice and toasty."
Rose clambered off the bed more quickly than the Doctor had ever seen her move in the mornings. He chuckled as she wrapped his long, swishy coat around herself and ran past him into the inviting warmth of the TARDIS.
After scanning the room quickly to make sure they hadn't left anything behind, the Doctor joined her, and quickly sent them into the Vortex.
Rose shyly shuffled up to him and murmured, "Thank you for taking care of me and keeping me warm last night."
The Doctor grinned brightly and was about to make a blasé reply when a pair of soft lips touched his own. They felt so familiar yet so foreign and forbidden, and his body didn't quite know what to do. Before his brain had a chance to catch up and kick in, the lips were gone, and he had to swallow a whimper of disappointment.
His body finally took control, and before he could think twice, he stepped forward towards Rose. He took hold of her shoulders, leaned down, and captured her lips between his, as he had longed to do for months, ever since he got that first taste.
Rose hummed into his mouth, and her fingers scraped against his scalp as she buried her hands into his hair. He suppressed a shudder and he wound his arms tightly around her back, clutching at the fabric of her jumper, desperate to get as close to her as possible.
It wasn't a beautiful kiss, not by any measure. It wouldn't be one of those kisses oft-illustrated in romance novels or films. It was full of teeth clacking and noses squishing and wet lips, but it felt fantastic. The universe could have imploded around them, and the Doctor wouldn't have noticed, nor would he have cared. The only thing he cared about was kissing Rose Tyler, as well as that thing she was doing with her tongue against his.
Finally, after several heated moments of exploring each other's mouths, they pulled away, panting for breath. Rose's cheeks were red, and for once it wasn't from the cold. Her eyes were bright and gleaming, and there was a hooded look that promised much, much more. The Doctor shivered, and worked at keeping his blood pumping to appropriate locations.
"This okay?" she murmured, licking at her red, swollen lips.
In reply, the Doctor pressed his lips to hers more gently, the desperation of earlier melting away into a more leisure exploration of each other's mouths.
He pulled back, and watched her eyes flutter open.
"Oh, yes," he whispered roughly. "This is more than okay. In fact, this is the most okay thing to have ever happened. It would definitely be okay if this became a habit. It would be even more okay if this would progress into–"
The Doctor's sentence cut off when Rose pressed her lips firmly to his, but she pulled back far too soon.
"Doctor?" she asked, her fingers toying with the buttons of his oxford. "Stop saying 'okay', and keep kissing me."
"With pleasure," he murmured huskily.
The Doctor walked her back against a coral strut and caught her lips between his again, sneaking his hand beneath her jumper to map out the skin over her ribs. Rose rewarded him with a sigh, and encouraged him to explore areas even further north. The Doctor pressed his growing hardness against her hip as his hands found her breasts, eliciting a sharp gasp from Rose. His thumbs traced her nipples as he squeezed and pushed and fondled the inviting flesh.
Things were moving quickly, too quickly, and the Doctor reluctantly pulled his hands from her shirt.
"Rose," he panted into her mouth, willing a moment of restraint and clarity so he could say what he needed to say. "I need… That's to say… Time Lords, we…"
The Doctor grunted in frustration as his gob failed him. It didn't help that Rose was scratching her nails down his chest and stomach. Even through the fabric of his shirt, it felt amazing. He caught her hands in his, and held them still for a moment. He pressed a soft kiss to her palms to erase the hurt, confused look in her eyes.
"Just, let me say this," he begged, and there must have been something more telling in his eyes, because Rose nodded and smiled softly. "Time Lords didn't have casual relationships."
"This isn't casual, not for me," Rose interrupted.
The Doctor chuckled lightly, thrilled that she felt that way and said, "Let me finish. Time Lords, by nature, didn't really do this, the whole physical side of relationships."
Rose's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but rub her hip into the tenting in his trousers. He bit back a groan and his hands tightened around hers.
"Obviously, I can," he panted, his eyes fluttering shut. "But there was more than that. We obviously could have sexual relations, but we could also have mental ones."
A spark of understanding flashed through Rose's eyes as she asked, "Because you're telepathic?"
He smiled and nodded; he knew she would get it, she was brilliant!
"How did that work?" she asked.
"Well, there were many different layers of telepathic contact," he began. "There was the generic presence of all other Gallifreyans, most strongly felt between members of the same family. But there was also the kind of telepathic contact that my people initiated to, well, to get the same kind of pleasure that sexual intercourse would give to a human."
"Mind sex?" Rose asked, a little taken aback, but very curious as to how that might feel. She felt her skin flush in anticipation.
The Doctor had grimaced at her choice of words, but said, "Yes, essentially. There were several types of that, too. There was the temporary connection, which could be entered into and exited with ease. But there was also something called a marriage bond."
Rose's throat dried at the implications, but she stayed silent, letting him continue.
The Doctor's mouth opened and closed for a few moments, before he looked helplessly at Rose, willing her to understand.
She took a deep breath, and reached up to cup his cheek. Her thumb stroked at his cheekbones as she asked cautiously, "Is that you want with me? Maybe not the marriage bond but the temporary–?"
"Yes," the Doctor blurted out, his eyes dropping to stare at his feet for just a moment before darting up to look her in the eye. Her knees felt weak at the depth and intensity of emotions she found within his eyes. "Both. I would very much like to bond with you. But if that seems too sudden, or too permanent, or too intense, we can try the temporary bond. It's fleeting, and we'll just be able to access the surface emotions. But if that also seems too much, we don't have to do any of it. I'm absolutely okay with keeping telepathy out of everything."
Even as he said this, Rose caught the flash of longing in his eyes.
"Hey, I haven't said no," she said softly. "I would love to know more about it all first, but I wouldn't be opposed to bonding with you. I love you."
Shock crossed the Doctor's face. His hearts seemed to stop with disbelief, before starting again and pumping warmth through his veins.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face into her neck as he whispered, "I love you, too."
He wanted to say more, because what he felt for her was so much more than three English words could possibly ever hope to portray. He hoped she knew the depths of which he loved her, and how he would to anything for her.
"I… You'd need to be absolutely sure," he murmured, pulling back to look at her. "A marriage bond is permanent. It's a complete melding of our minds; they'll be intertwined so tightly together that it can't be undone. A piece of my mind will live in you, and a piece of your mind will live in me, forever."
"Sounds beautiful," she whispered, a watery smile crossing her face.
He panicked for a moment before realizing they were happy tears, not sad ones.
He opened his mouth again to reiterate the permanence of a bond, but Rose silenced him with a gentle kiss that quickly grew heated and frantic.
"I would love to learn more about telepathy and bonding," Rose said, scratching her fingers across his scalp. "But later, yeah? I believe we were in the middle of something?"
She pressed her thigh between his legs, and his softened cock hardened quickly, sending bolts of need and desire through him.
"Oh yes," he murmured against her mouth, reclaiming her lips.
He could tell her all about bonding later, after he worshipped every inch of her beautiful body. Right now, he had more important things to worry about. The woman he loved was in his arms, and would be for the foreseeable future; he hadn't yet told her of the possibility that the marriage bond could tie their lifespans together, due to the pieces of themselves left behind in the other. He would be able to keep her with him forever. That thought alone was enough to build a lump in his throat, and he began clawing at her clothing desperately, wanting to feel her skin against his.
He was just about to lift her shirt up over her head when sirens began going off in the TARDIS, and he felt a pulse of annoyance from his ship.
He pulled back with a chuckle, and removed his hands from Rose's chest. She whimpered in protest, and rocked her hips insistently into his, drawing gasps from them both.
"The TARDIS doesn't approve of our activities here in the console room," he whispered breathlessly, his breaths puffing across her collarbone and making her shiver.
"Hmmm," Rose hummed when his lips latched on to the sensitive skin beneath her ear. "Bed?"
The Doctor pulled back with a wet pop, his teeth scraping against her skin as he did so.
"Bed," he agreed, attaching his lips to hers again as he began walking them towards his bedroom, towards their forever.