"ROOOOOOOSE! Rooooosssseeee. Rose? Rooosssuuhh! Where are you?" the Doctor was whining and screaming at the same time, running around like the complete nutter he was searching for Rose.

"In here, Doctor!"

"Rose, 'in here' isn't very specific at all, you know. Where is in here? It could be in the swimming pool, your room, maybe the library or the tennis court." he rambled on.

"I'm in my room, you loon. Wait…We have a tennis court?" Rose couldn't help but burst out laughing imagining him in short work out shorts and a sweatband, prancing around swinging a tennis racket.

The Doctor finally reached her room, "Oh. Hello. What are you doing?"

"Just listening to music, passing time until you came to find me to make you banana bread or something of the equivalent again." He had been craving banana flavor things - well, more than usual - lately, and insisted she make him banana bread, banana muffins, banana cupcakes, and basically anything else banana.

"Oooh! Mm.. Bananas foster sounds scumpdidlyumtious right now!" He grimaced. "No.. No remind me never to say scumpdidlyumtious again. Anyways.. What are you listening to? What sort of music does Rose Tyler listen to, hmm?"

Suddenly, Rose was over at her stereo, stopping the music immediately and throwing the CD into a pile of clothes and attempting to hide it.

"Oh, umm.. I like.. You know, I guess I like pop.. and a bit of rock. Jazz is great, too." She was blushing profusely, stammering and trying desperately to hide the CD she had been listening to.

"Rose, what are you hiding?" He craned his neck around to see what she was obviously so desperately trying to hide from him.

"Nothing.."

"Don't lie. Oh come on, Rose. You can tell me anything. Or show me anything." He was now blushing at that last statement.

He would love for her to show him things. Especially certain parts of her he hasn't seen before.

Wait, no. No. Stop. Right there. Don't think those things in front of her, stupid Time Lord, or you'll need to steal a pillow to hide your own.. things.. from her.

"I mean.. Uh.. What's behind your back?" There, that's better. Just change the subject back to the item behind Rose's back.

Rose shook her head, and then the Doctor dove onto the floor and gently tackled her, trying to retrieve whatever she was hiding. They wrestled around for a good few minutes; Rose could put up a good fight against him, that's for sure.

Finally, he managed to pin her hands up above her head while he hovered above her, close enough he could feel her breathe on his neck.

He was merely inches away from her luscious lips. He could imagine how they would look post Doctor-Snog. All swollen and even more pink, close to a red shade. They'd look even more kissable after a kiss.

But, he was the Doctor and she was Rose, and they were just friends.

Really good friends.

Best friends, that hug and hold hands all the time. Nothing more.

So, the Doctor pried the object out of Rose's hands, and hopped back up to a standing position, leaving Rose blushing profusely and breathing heavily.

He was so close. And he sort of man-handled her - gently, mind you - and she quite liked that, for some reason.

The Doctor was still inspecting the object, which was just a CD. It looked like a blank CD, no writing, or a label on it.

"Hmmm. Interesting. What's on this, Rose?"

"..M-music.." She stuttered, already feeling the embarrassment dig a hole in her stomach.

"Why would you hide music from me, Rose? You're acting strange. Are you alright?" He pulled out his Sonic and scanned her, just to make sure. All vitals were fine, perfect even.

"cozitspersonalmusic"

"What? I didn't catch that."

"BECAUSE IT'S MUSIC THAT REMINDS ME OF YOU AND I!"

Oh God, did she say that out loud? Well, more yelled.

'ohgodohgodohgoddd please don't play the cd. PLEASEEE.' she was pleading him in her head.

"Oh. Uh.. What? I swear, if you have bananas in pajamas on here.." He was slowly moving towards the stereo now. Rose was panicking.

"No! No, Doctor. Don't play it." she begged.

"Why not? Its songs about me! You've probably got 'Sexy and I Know it' on here. Or maybe 'Too Sexy for my Shirt'?" He wondered aloud, giving her a cheeky grin and a wink.

There was no stopping him now, Rose knew. He would either play it now, or sneak in while she was sleeping or in the shower or making tea in the kitchen and play it.

"Okay. There." He pressed the play button.

Found myself today

Singing out loud your name

You said I'm crazy,

If I am I'm crazy for you.

Sometimes sittin in the dark

Wishing you were here

Turns me crazy, but it's you who makes me loose my head

The Doctor didn't know what to do. She said the CD was songs about him. And her. Is she saying she's crazy for him? He started to feel a bit of a blush crawling up his chest and to his cheeks.

Maybe this was just a song that she accidentally put on there. He hit the next button.

I've fallen out of favor

And I've fallen from grace

Fallen out of trees and

I've fallen on my face

Fallen out of taxis, out of windows too

Fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you

Oh. Ohh oh oh oh. Did this mean.. Did she..?

He paused the music, and turned to Rose who was lying on her bed with her face down in pillows, covers drawn up over her head.

"Rose.. this CD.. Y-you said.." he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. He couldn't understand. She said the CD was songs that reminded her of them. Did this mean that she.. She... LOVED him? Oh, he hoped to all gods and goddesses and what other religious figures there were that she did, because he surely loved her.

"Yes. I know. Just.. I shouldn't have even made the CD. It was stupid. I'm stupid. Just.." she exhaled roughly, trying not to cry in front of him. She was so embarrassed. She knew he didn't feel the same way she did. How could he? She was just a human, a stupid ape of no importance. No A levels or smarts. She was nothing compared to him. Hell, she was hardly anything back in her old life.

She just wanted to be alone, to crawl in a hole and die. Because she knew this, and it hurt. He could never love her back. Would never want to.

"Just go, yeah?"

"Rose.. I-.." he didn't know what to say. What do you say when you find out the woman you love - the woman who holds your hearts, the woman who is the love of your life - loves you back?

"I know.. Just go, okay? I don't need to hear the lecture on how you don't do domestics, you don't have relationships with companions, or how you don't-" she sighed, leaving it at that. Why wouldn't he just go? Is he torturing her on purpose?

"No, Rose. I don't do those things with companions, and I don't do domestic. I never have."

"Then just go and stop torturing me! Just leave me here." She was practically yelling now. She was hurting. And she was scared, so so scared, that he might take her home for this. Because her silly little human emotions and hormones got in the way.

"No, I won't go and I won't leave you, and before you start again, let me finish. Hear me out, okay?"

She did some form of a nod from underneath the pile of duvet on her head. She was blinking back tears now.

"Rose, look at me." No response. "Please, Rose. Please look at me."

He was begging, and she could hear the strain in his voice, so she complied. She rolled on her back and removed her personal hide out cave. She couldn't look him in the eye.

"As I was saying, I don't have relationships with companions. With anyone, really. I've only had one in my whole life, but I don't even count it because it was my arranged marriage on Gallifrey. What I'm saying is.. Rose.. You're not just a companion to me.. You're more than that. Rose, you're my best friend. I don't think you were ever just a companion to me. We.. We've always had something special, at least that's what I think." He exhaled quickly. "I'm not good with this kind of stuff. I can't just say it.. I-I don't know how to, really. I thought you knew, but.. obviously you don't. I thought I'd made it quite clear-"

"Doctor, I know. I do know. We're just friends. I.. I want more, but if you don't, that's okay. I'm okay with being just friends. I won't make it awkward, I swear. Things can go back to normal. I swear. Please, just don't take me home over this." she begged. Tears were streaming down her face now.

Oh, how silly his Rose could be. She thought he would take her home over this? He'd be doing the exact opposite. He gently wiped the tears off her face with his thumb, leaving his hand cradling her jaw. If there was one thing in the universe he hated, it was to see this woman cry. Especially if he's the reason she's crying. He'd do anything to make her stop crying. So, he tried. He made his mind up right then and there. He was going to tell her.

He looked into her eyes with such compassion and love and concern. "No, Rose. Stop, please. Don't cry. I'm not taking you home. That's what I'm saying, I want this to be your home. The TARDIS... If you want?" he asked, compelling her to see the meaning in his words.

"I already think of this as my home." She leaned into his hand. "I just meant, don't take me back to my other home, my first home. My mum's."

"No, I have no intention in taking you back there - permanently, at least." He took a deep breath in, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He hoped he didn't look like a fool. However, he was a complete fool for his Rose Tyler, even if that did sound absolutely cliché and cheesy.

"Rose, I don't think we could ever be just friends. We never were, were we? I.. I'm trying to say that I don't want to be friends with you, Rose. I-I want more, too." there. He'd said it. Strange, he always thought he'd feel better after saying it to her. He also expected her to jump up and hug him and kiss him. None of those things happened.

"W-what?" Rose was completely shocked. She had no idea what just happened. He just said he wants to be more than friends. Wait, Tyler. Maybe he means best friends.

"I love you, Rose Tyler." He said to her, looking in her eyes and stroking her cheek with his thumb, still padding away the tears that were rolling down her face.

He said it. The Doctor loves her. Without thinking, Rose jumped onto his lap and squashed him in a hug so forceful it knocked him on his back.

She was laughing now.

Laughing is good, right? That's certainly better than Rose crying. Her laughter was contagious, he started giggling like a little school boy with her.

Rose leaned back from his shoulder, half way straddling him and leaned in to kiss him.

She smiled against his cool lips, absolutely beaming and shining with happiness. It was a kiss so passionate and loving, yet tender and urgent at the same time.

Rose pulled back first, smiling the smile she saves only for him. He grins back, and rests his forehead against hers.

"So.." She hadn't said it back. Does that mean maybe she didn't love him? Maybe she only liked him.

"So.." The realization dawned on her then. She hadn't said it back! What the hell was wrong with her?

'Oh yeah I just bloody snogged the Doctor, that's what was wrong. Or right.'

"I love you, too." She did her 100 megawatt grin, and he reciprocated it, and leaned back in for a kiss.

Those songs were certainly his favorites from then on.