Notes - Inspired by the song of the same name by Alanis Morissette. Originally included the lyrics in strategic places, but don't like that, do they? Oh well, here it is. Almost mindless fluff of the 9-Rose kind. (Don't we just miss that?)
Summary - In which our favourite couple act like teenagers. Mindlessly fluffy, light in places, serious in others with touches of the new series. 9Rose.
Head over Feet
Rose was smiling.
Not that this was an entirely rare event – the young blonde in her late teens was usually joking and cheerful, even after being caught in yet another death-defying situation. In fact, it was quite usual. Though, there was usually a reason.
Today – she stepped outside into the warm sunshine, the fresh breeze accentuating the lush natural feel of her surroundings. Rustling branches with leaves that rang like gentle bells, the grass an unbelievable green though the almost fruity scent of it drifted up to tickle her nose.
"Not bad, eh?" he asked with his usual smug grin, and she turned to face him. He was leaning against the TARDIS door, looking weird without his heavy leather jacket. Good weird though, she decided, her eyes twinkling.
"Hmmm," she pretended to think it over. "I dunno – reckon we'll have to have a look around first…"
"You're fussy you are," he mock complained, as if he hadn't set up this peaceful, beautiful day up for them specially. "I'll grab my jacket."
"Don't bother," Rose replied a little too quickly. When he flashed her a glance, she grinned mischievously. "I've already got the sonic screwdriver…"
Lifting said precious item from her pocket, she waved it at him teasingly. The Doctor rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and when she set off at a run across the pasture, he followed her.
When he caught up with her, she leaning breathlessly against a tree, grinning as she defiantly clutched the screwdriver, he slowed to a halt.
"Come on, give it back…"
"Shan't!" she replied childishly, sticking out her tongue. Momentarily filing away how cute that expression was, he tilted his head on one side, a grin playing at his lips. "Make me."
"Really?" his eyebrows rose. "Hmm - not a bad idea…"
Leaping forwards, he pinned her against the tree and –
- proceeded to tickle her mercilessly.
Five minutes later, the screwdriver was back in his trouser pocket, far away from Rose's prying hands, and they both sat side by side, their backs against the old tree.
It took him another five minutes to realise she was giggling.
"What?" he asked, mock-offended.
Rose just giggled, flashing a spirited gaze at him, then at his head.
He looked up. Nothing. But Rose was still giggling…
"What?" he asked again, more confused.
In reply she raised her hand and gently brushed his head, a handful of small petals falling and dancing in the air as gravity dragged them down. Looking down at them both, he realised they were rapidly becoming covered in a veritable snow of tiny white petals.
Smirking to himself, he deftly grabbed a handful of the strangely hardy little flowers in one hand and stood up. Then, nonchalantly, he reached across and, quick as lightning, stuffed the handful down the back of her top.
"Oi!" Rose yelped, startled by the sudden movement and tickled by the cold feel of flowers against her skin. She mock-glared at the Doctor. "Right, you're in for it now…"
Scooping up more of the flowers, she leaped up and dashed forwards, moving with all the agility and speed of one used to such pranks.
Needless to say, they both ended up yet again covered in tiny petals. Though, admittedly, the Doctor spent another ten minutes trying to pick them out of his jumper.
As the Doctor fussed over his clothing, Rose sat down on the grass, admiring the sun's warmth on her skin. She forgot, sometimes, between all the spaceships and space-stations and the TARDIS, how good it felt to have sunlight – any sunlight on her skin. Relaxing in the grass, she plucked a few blades and sniffed. Strangely, apple?
"You missed a bit," she called out, shading her eyes to get a better view of him.
"Well, maybe if someone hadn't decided to shove them all down my jumper…" he grumbled, his grin defusing the words.
"You started it!" she replied, standing. "Here," she brushed the petals away with her hand and scrutinised his appearance. "All gone."
"Thanks," the Doctor replied warmly – a shade too warmly for a simple flower-cleaning, but she shrugged it off lightly.
"Where are we off to next then?" Rose asked a little later as they lounged around in the sun.
"Wanting to be off already?" he replied, sitting up a little.
"Nah, just curious," she reassured him.
"Dunno…" he trailed off thoughtfully. "There's a nice place, ooh, not too far from here. They do a mean chip butty."
"Is food all you men ever think about?" Rose retorted playfully, swiping his shoulder. "How about somewhere cultural, with aliens and space ships and things?"
"Well, Jacurion is quite good if you want to go 'techie'," the Doctor replied. "Think big blue aliens and spaceships shaped like teardrops. Or we could try the Barias Cluster – they have this huge, planet-wide music festival every year…"
"That sounds good," she agreed.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "As long as you don't mind going naked."
"What!" Rose exclaimed, sitting up. She stared disbelievingly into the Doctor's deadpan gaze. Fortunately, the deadpan broke a second later, and he grinned.
"Nah, I'm only kidding."
Lying back down, her head resting on her hands, she studied him out of the corner of her eye. He had a slightly different jumper on today – soft grey, and currently rolled up at the sleeves, probably in deference to the summery weather. Lying on one side, his head propped up on one hand, his other playing with tufts of grass, he could've been about fifteen. The thought made her smile – the Time Lord was going on for nine hundred, or so he said. Seems men really never grew up.
The other thing that drew her attention was the way his jumper had ridden up at the waist to reveal a sliver of skin. But, shaking herself mentally away from those thoughts, she realised he had moved slightly, and was now collecting up little red flowers.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he forked the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and fiddled with the settings.
A few adjustments and attempts later, and she laughed out loud.
"A daisy chain!"
Grinning, but keeping his eyes studiously on his work, he finished the makeshift collection of flowers, joining them together seamlessly with some obscure control on the tool.
Then, chain complete, he scooted up into a more stable position and carefully lowered it over her head, where the tiny, almost sparkling blood red blooms rested against her skin and the soft cream of her strapped top.
"There, much better."
"Doctor?"
"Yes, Rose?"
She sat up to glance across at him. Since finishing her 'daisy' chain, he had fallen onto his back to stare at the sky.
"Have you ever fallen in love?"
Understandably, the question startled him, and he glanced across at her with confusion.
"Why?"
"I just – I was thinking about Mickey…" Rose trailed off, biting her lip. "The thing is, I thought I loved him, you know? I'd known him since forever, and I think he wanted me to marry him someday…"
"I think I hear a 'but' coming in there," the Doctor commented, turning his head so that they could talk properly.
"Yeah, I guess. 'But', then," she flashed him a small smile before continuing. "I just left him, really. Didn't even think about it first time… then again after that thing in Downing Street. If I loved him, would I have left him?"
"Well," the Doctor replied slowly, obviously thinking it through. "I think you loved him, and maybe you just wanted to see something before you settled down."
"Like a gap year before university?" Rose snorted. "No, it was different. I kinda knew that it was over – really over – the first time I left him, and I didn't mind." She paused to think. "I guess I just abandoned him. Does that make me a bad person or something?"
"My, we are into serious conversations today," the Doctor remarked lightly. "If you want me to tell you that what you did was right or wrong, I won't do that. It was your decision to make and you made it. But making a decision? That doesn't make you a bad person, Rose, unless you did it to hurt anyone, or if you knew your actions would hurt anyone."
"It hurt Mickey," she pointed out, sounding slightly subdued.
"But what about you?" he asked softly. "If you had stayed on Earth, what would you have done? I don't claim to know how you were before, but," he shifted, seeming slightly uncomfortable, "you seem happy enough out here."
"I am happy here," Rose reassured him emphatically. "Seeing all this, space-ships and aliens and a new way of life – I feel so-; like I'm happy and healthy and the best I can be. I guess if I'd stayed home, I don't think I'd have ever felt this way."
"So your decision helped your life," he stated seriously.
"Yeah, I guess." She flashed him a grin. "And I only have you to thank." She sobered slightly. "Thank you."
"I thought that was my line?" the Doctor teased.
Rose swatted his arm lightly.
"You know, when you're not being egotistic, you can be a really good listener."
He bit back his light-hearted reply in favour of rolling his eyes.
"I meant it though," Rose said softly a few minutes later. The sun was starting to set by now, and though the afternoon was loosing none of it's warmth, the breeze felt fresh in a slightly-chill way, and the sky was starting to streak with beautiful shades of azure and orange-yellow. "I've never felt this way before. So, happy."
She turned to face him, not surprised that he was already regarding her with that inscrutable, unreadable expression he favoured sometimes.
"You make me alive, Rose," the Doctor said with a small soft smile. "And you make me, me."
She smiled in return, and then on a whim, Rose reached up to stroke his cheek.
"So lonely, and so shadowed," she said quietly. "I wonder if I can make them light…?"
Without being aware she had moved more than a few inches, she felt her lips brush his.
"Always, Rose," he murmured against her lips, before taking them in the most beautiful kiss Rose had ever experienced.
And what was better, it promised more. Many more.