The pink and yellow human girl had taken his hand some time before they had reached the tiny cafe. It was still strange for him to not be on his own, and so he clutched onto that hand greedily, like if he let it go, he would be on his own once more. The Doctor looked over at Rose Tyler, contemplating her actions after the end of her planet. She was taking it surprisingly better than the Time Lord had the destruction of his own. But then again, she wasn't the cause.
She had told him that he wasn't alone, that he had her, but the Doctor wondered if she would still say that if she knew the true reason he was the last Time Lord in existence. No matter, he told himself, there wasn't time to think about this now, he had a human to feed.
Rose smiled at him and pulled him down to sit in one of the booths by the window. "Cheer up, yeah? Your planet wasn't just blown to pieces a few minutes ago. Let's enjoy some good old fashioned chips."
He ordered her favorite, vinegar and salt soaked chips, and they ate in comfortable silence. He studied the way that Rose ate, committing every detail to memory. Her back was straight, her fingers clutched a chip very carefully like she was eating a finger sandwich with the queen instead. She would lick her fingers after every couple chips, a pink tongue darting out to suck the vinegar off the fingertips. Sometimes she would close her eyes to enjoy the taste. Her mouth stayed perfectly closed, but her jaw worked in this weird circular motion, and he found himself fascinated by it.
Finally, she noticed him staring. "Doctor?" she asked. "Why are you starin'?"
Ah, she had noticed. What should he say?
"D'you know you chew with your mouth open?" he asked, even though that wasn't the case. No, not at all.
Rose's cheeks instantly turned the most pretty shade of blush. "Errr, no. S'pose no one's mentioned it before."
"Oh. Well, ya do." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably from lying to her.
Rose chewed on the chip some more in silence. Finally, she spoke. "Are you gonna just let those chips of yours get cold? We haven't got all day, ya know. Well, I s'pose we do, yeah? Oh, there I go ramblin' on." She sighed, her head in her hands.
The Doctor reached out to touch her hands softly, and felt a little buzz of electricity shoot through his veins like he did every time. "I like it when you ramble," he said sincerely. "Means I got less time to think."
Rose laughed, and oh, what a lovely little laugh she had. "S'pose you're real good at listenin' with those big ears of yours, yeah?" she teased, smiling that famous Rose Tyler tongue in teeth grin.
"Oi!" the Doctor protested, tugging on his ears. "They are not that big, Rose Tyler!"
"Whatever, you say, old man." Her giggle warmed his heart.
"That is it!" he announced. "Give me your chips."
Rose froze. "For what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"You don't get to eat 'em no more until you play nice."
"You really are an old man!" she exclaimed. "Takin' away my toys until I apologize? Is that what this is then?"
"Somethin' like that," he said roughly. "Hand 'em over."
"I don't think so," she said. "'sides I paid for 'em, didn't I?"
The Doctor's mouth hung open, no rebuttal for once. "I-"
"You're speechless, aren't you?" she teased. "Mark this down in the history books, mates! The day the Doctor has nothin' to say!"
"You little minx!" he accused, attacking one of his own chips savagely. The potato mashed around in his mouth, his teeth aggressively chewing.
Rose laughed, and he found whatever anger he had dissipating. Not that he'd ever tell her that. They leaned back into the booth seat chewing thoughtfully.
"So, where are we off to next?" she asked.
The Doctor couldn't help his face lighting up. "You mean, you're gonna stay?"
"'Course I am! Better with two, isn't it? 'Sides, my shop is blown to smithereens. Don't have much of a life to go back to, do I?" Rose asked.
"I'm glad you're staying with me," he said sincerely, and Rose's face tinged pink.
He smiled widely at her and she grinned back. The Doctor wiped his hands on his jeans, and stood up, offering a hand to her.
"Fancy a trip to see Charles Dickens?" he asked.
"More of an Austen fan," she told him, "but I s'pose if that's what you're offerin', we'll go there."
She took his hand and they swung their combined hands between them.
"I'll take you to see Jane Austen one day," he promised her. "But oh, Rose, you're gonna love Dickens!"