Hello! This was a one-shot idea (shamelessly) inspired by the song 'A Thousand Years' This is ALSO the beginning of a one-shot series being started by yours truly! Simply leave a prompt in the review section, and I will try my best to write something up for it. What kind of prompt? It could be a song that you think fits two characters really well, snatches of dialogue, AU, it's all good! The lengths of the stories will vary, as will the characters, so be sure to read the author's note at the beginning to see what the fic is about! That's about it from me, happy reading!
Rose giggled and pulled The Doctor in for a hug, letting herself be completely content and in the moment. He hesitated before wrapping his strong arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. The cool wind rustled his brown hair, the bench cold beneath them. This was one of the first times Rose had ever knowingly come into contact with him. Things had been awkward between them as they both knew he wasn't the real Doctor, just a copy. She had distanced herself from him at first, shooting him sideways glances when she thought he wasn't looking. He didn't blame her for her feelings. He knew he wasn't the person she had loved, but he decided to hope that he could be someone she could grow to love. Then they had begun talking. Not much at first, just a few words of greeting, mixed hellos, and small talk. But as she began to trust him, they had started walking together. Short strolls around the block became long gallivants around London, the two of them together without a care in the world. This particular expedition had led them to a quiet park, practically empty save for themselves and a couple of mixed dog walkers. "This is nice." Rose whispered into his ear, leaning a little bit closer. He smiled, feeling his heart warm up.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." They sat in contentment, just enjoying each other's quiet company. Rose suddenly started to shiver slightly, though she seemed to be trying to hide it. The Doctor gently pulled her to her feet, a lopsided grin creeping onto his face.
"Bet I can beat you to that building over there!" He pointed to an apartment that looked to be a moderate distance away. Rose smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Running again, are we? Just like old times." He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Ready?" Rose nodded and got ready to sprint, clearly wanting to win. "On three." The Meta-Crisis readied himself as they counted together.
"One!"
"Two!" Both him and Rose took a deep breath.
"THREE!" They shot down the street like lightning, the lead position fluctuating between them as they pressed onward. Rose was quick to notice that The Doctor was purposely taking smaller steps, and that he wasn't going as fast as he normally did. She put on a burst of speed and shot ahead of him, panting hard, knowing she couldn't keep it up for long. The Doctor pulled up alongside her, not passing her yet. Rose started to slow down, her heart racing like it would burst right out of her chest. The Doctor grinned and dashed in front of her before turning and starting to run backward, cheering her on as he went. He expertly wove between lamp-posts, trying his best not to fall. Rose suddenly tripped and fell, sprawling across the damp pavement. She heard The Doctor double back, now running his fastest.
"Rose!" She groaned as she felt The Doctor's hand on her back, and she turned to face him. "You alright?" He asked gently, his freckled face riddled with concern. She tried to get to her feet, but was stopped short by a pain in her ankle. She sank back to the cement in defeat, still breathing heavily. The Doctor offered her his hand, and he slowly pulled her upright. She gasped as her ankle gave out on her, falling against The Doctor's side with a yelp. He caught her in his arms and guided her to the side of a building so she could properly steady herself.
"Well, that's just great then, isn't it?" The Doctor considered his options carefully before speaking.
"I could carry you back..." He offered, shuffling his feet as he spoke. Rose looked at him thoughtfully.
"Could you actually manage to get me back to the flat?"
"Only one way to find out!" Rose hesitated before stepping towards him, motioning for him to bend over. The Doctor obliged and she took a quick breath before leaping onto his back. He jumped slightly to re-position her before starting to jog, slowly at first, gaining speed as he went. Rose leaned into his back and let her eyes drift shut, just listening to his steady heartbeat. She didn't notice that she had fallen asleep until she felt The Doctor gently nudge her in an attempt to wake her up. She moved a little as he sighed deeply before slowly sliding her off his back and onto the couch, being sure not to bump her. She blinked blearily, feeling the softness of the cushions around her. The couch squeaked as The Doctor sat down next to her, stretching his legs as far as he could. Rose sat up and wrapped one arm around his shoulder, drawing him closer to her. The Doctor didn't resist, letting the blonde use him as a source of heat. She put a hand over his heart, feeling each pulse in her fingertips. The Doctor blushed beet red, and his heart started beating in double-time. She gave him a peck on the cheek before also turning red and refusing to meet his eyes. He leaned back with a sigh, letting his back rest a little. She played with his hair, entwining her fingertips in his spiky brown locks. She put her arms around his shoulders and hugged him to her body, letting his warmth and breathing lull her to sleep. The Doctor smiled as he heard her breaths become even, and he let his eyes close. "G'night Rose..." He whispered, and for the first time in a long time, the nightmares left him alone.
They awoke in a tangle of limbs, both holding each other as a bright light filtered through the curtains. He stifled a yawn and tried to move, but was stopped short by the weight of Rose on his chest. He smiled sleepily, unsure if he should wake her. He knew for a fact that she wasn't a morning person, and that she wouldn't take kindly to being woken up. He slowly slid out from under her, resting her head on the arm of the couch. She groaned slightly and stretched herself out, yawning as she did so. He gently draped his coat over her shoulders, and she smiled slightly when he did so.
"Morning already?"
"It would seem so. You can stay here if you want though, no rush or anything." She rose to her feet, trying to tame her blonde hair without much success.
"Nah, lemme cook something up. Pancakes sound alright to you?" The Doctor nodded enthusiastically.
"That, Rose Tyler, would be brilliant!" And although that was their first true morning together, it was the beginning of something beautiful.
TWO YEARS LATER...
The Doctor paced back and forth on the beach, surprised that he hadn't dug a trench in the sand with all the pacing he'd been doing. He had a small box in his hands, and he kept passing it between them. He had it all planned out, but that didn't stop him from being nervous. You're being stupid. He scolded himself. You can do this. He checked his watch, one minute left. One minute until the moment of truth. He had been through hell and back, why was this so difficult? His mind raced, full of worst-case-scenarios that could cause this to go down in flames. He forced those thoughts out of his mind. You love her. He had gone over his speech a couple times beforehand, but he would be considered lucky if he could remember even one line of it. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, trying to make this seem like it wasn't a big deal. He looked up, and then she was there. Her hair was blowing across her face, and a smile played on her lips. The Doctor swallowed hard. You can do this. "You came."
"Of course I did!" She closed the gap between them, standing right next to him. He was surprised that she couldn't hear his heart beating out of control. "You said you had something to tell me?"
"Yeah, I did yeah." He was tripping over his words, inwardly cursing himself. Just say it. He took her hand in his and spoke from the heart. "Rose, I know that we don't have the best history with beaches." She squeezed his hand tighter.
"That's true." He took another deep breath, This is it.
"But today, I hope I can change that." He got down on one knee, his heart in his hands. "I've loved you through the ages, and I hope you've done the same. There's nobody else that I'd offer my heart to and I hope that you'll accept." He popped open the box. "Rose Tyler, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He hardly had time to react before she had leapt onto him, wrapping her hands around his neck and falling with him into the sand. She kissed him long and hard, and he didn't resist. They broke apart with smiles on both of their faces. "Can I take that as a yes?" She grinned hugely.
"I think you could." The rest of that day was spent on the beach, Rose leaning into his arm as the sun went down. He gathered her up in his arms, She said yes. The cool water lapped at their legs as they sat on the dock, the sunset reflecting on the waves, casting a thousand rays of light on the water. "Wish I brought a swimsuit..." She mumbled into his ear. He was suddenly struck with a thought. She can't unsay it now... What have you got to loose? He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. She leaned closer... and he pushed her off the dock. She splashed to the surface, spitting out a stream of water. She shot him an outright murderous glare, "Oh you did not just do that!" He grinned lopsidedly.
"You're the one who agreed to marry me!" She splashed him, but decided that wasn't good enough. She grabbed onto his leg and yanked him into the lake, letting out a hoot of laughter as he splashed into the water. He bobbed back to the surface almost immediately, the grin on his face refusing to fade, his hair plastered to his head. She splashed him and he ducked back under the waves, giving her leg a slight pull as he swam past. He splashed the back of her head, causing her to whirl around and return the gesture. This continued for a few minutes, neither wanting to surrender, each splash returned with double the power. The Doctor finally threw his hands in the air, sopping wet and more than a little bit tired. "I surrender!" She grinned cheekily, brushing her hair out of her face.
"I knew it!" They sloshed back in the direction of the beach, wringing out their soaking clothing only to realize that it was now coated with sand. The Doctor tried to brush the grit off his jacket, and he groaned slightly when the troublesome bits of rock stuck to his hand. Rose sat down on the sand, giving in to her fatigue. He plopped down beside her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"At least our shoes are still dry." He remarked, putting an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. She sighed, her body going completely limp against him. He let himself do the same, tipping his head back slightly to look at the stars. She put her head against his in much the same position.
"We're going to have to go see those stars someday." She slid her hand into his, entwining their fingers.
"I suppose we are. Whole new worlds out there!"
"Together though, right?" He smiled, giving her hand a tight squeeze.
"Of course."
