Rose suggests that they should play board games out in the park, taking a whole day off from dull Torchwood paperwork to kick back together and lie lazily in the sun. This isn't quite what he thinks he's been led to expect, though.

"There's no such thing as strip Monopoly," he insists.

"There so is, in this universe anyway," Rose counters.

He can't really dispute that, since the Doctor hasn't yet been in this universe long enough to know everything about it (which he finds completely frustrating, since it means he's no longer able to lord his superior knowledge over others in quite the way he's used to when he knows they're being particularly stupid).

"Even if there is," the Doctor says, "we're in public. Well, semi-public. What if someone sees us? Someone could bring their five year old here to play. Think of the children, Rose!"

Rose looks pointedly around the tiny little private park attached to their block of flats. It's completely deserted but for the two of them, as they're both aware it often is. "Have you actually seen anyone out here at this time on a weekday? Ever? Anyways, there aren't even any kids who live in this buildin'."

The Doctor sighs. He hates it when she manages to out-talk him, especially when he's so very good at the whole talking thing.

He thinks that he could probably get her to give up and play proper, fully-clothed Monopoly with him instead if he just admits the truth behind his reluctance to her. She's hardly about to force him. However, he knows that she'll laugh at him even as she capitulates.

Still, not wanting to admit it doesn't erase the fact that the idea of shedding the clothing he wears like armour in front of anyone, even her, is somehow terrifying to him.

Although, on the other hand, the thought of her slowly stripping out of her shirt, with the sunlight behind her outlining her bare skin like a halo and the Doctor's eyes able to freely trace the edges of one of those lacy bras he hasn't been able to stop thinking about since he saw them in the laundry pile that one time...

Well.

He supposes there's a solution to his problem other than not playing the game. He could always just make sure he wins.