Author's Note: This story was inspired by a word challenge:
effulgence \i-FUL-juhn(t)s\, noun:
The state of being bright and radiant; splendor; brilliance.
"Rose." He stirred the sleeping form beside him.
"Hmm?" She lingered in dreamland for seconds longer, unwilling to leave just yet. She was enjoying the most fantastic dream in which the Doctor had surprised her with an early morning outing.
Where are we?
Most people think the Eiffel Tower is the best view of France. I personally like this spot myself.
Why, Doctor. You've been holding out on me! I didn't know you were a romantic!
Hmm…must be a defect with this new body of mine.
So why exactly are we here then?
Sunrise.
Oh this just keeps getting better and better!
Ignoring her teasing, he took off his jacket and laid it atop the dewy field. He sat down and she followed suit, snuggling close to him to protect herself from the morning chill.
In her dream he began to fumble in the pockets of the coat he still wore, bringing from them a wine bottle and something heavy wrapped in aluminum.
What's this?
Rosa Regale. Italian. And some dark chocolate.
Never heard of it. And dark chocolate? You wouldn't happen to have a bit of a regular Cadbury in one of your pockets, would you?
No. That wouldn't do. Taste it and you'll see why. Here-the chocolate first.
He poured her a glass and broke off a piece of chocolate. She grabbed both hesitantly, but of course she trusted the Doctor.
She chewed on the chocolate but didn't enjoy it all that much. Dark chocolate was just all too bitter for her taste.
But then at his urging she sipped the drink. Warmth swarmed over her body overpowering the bitterness placed there moments before; that one sip left her full and content. Her eyes rolled back in delight. The simple pleasures.
And? What's the verdict? He looked expectantly down on her, almost as if he didn't know she adored it.
Mmm…it tastes like…well…it's a lingering sweet. Almost as if the syrupiness spreads as it goes down, you know? She thought on it some more. Rose petals and raspberries?
He smiled radiantly in confirmation. Shall we enjoy the rest of it then?
Mmhm. Yes. You can be really quite brilliant…at times.
Moments later, if time existed in dreams, the sky began to lighten. The event he had brought them here for was about to proceed in its natural routine. But Rose's focus was elsewhere. The drink, the content, the quiet surroundings, all made her feel suddenly lethargic. Throughout her was an unwavering heat she wasn't altogether certain could be attributed to their 'breakfast'. Actually, she knew it had to do more with her close proximity to the Doctor, her affection for his new incarnation growing every day.
I love you, Doctor. My Doctor. For who you were and for who you are now. She allowed herself to breathe the truth.
It was a dream, after all.
Her eyelids won in the battle against her will. With her head still upon him, she drifted asleep.
My Rose was the last thing she heard. Sleep within sleep.
"Rose. We missed it. A lot good that did!" The note of irritation in his voice finally pulled Rose from sleep. Reality somehow told her that this sounded more like her Doctor than the Casanova she had dreamed up. But her eyes remained closed, savoring the dream.
"Sure. I can save the day from a Diomedeaep or stop some intergalactic conspiracy, but I can mess up one bloody plan to watch a sunrise…"
Her eyes snapped open. The brilliance of the sun overhead forced her to close her eyes again, bright red spots appearing before her. She leaned up, supporting herself with her elbows, opening her eyes more carefully this time. An empty bottle and aluminum foil rested at her feet.
So it hadn't been a dream.
One of the worst feelings in the world is waking up and realizing that all the fluffiness and happiness that felt so blissfully real was just the creation of an imaginative subconscious. But Rose's situation was quite the opposite. A luminous glow sparkled from within her.
She looked down at him. He was still flat on his back and staring at the sun, bewildered by how it had sneaked up on them without his awareness. Amazement came over her that the sun's brightness didn't affect him. He couldn't be blinded?
His gaze turned to her, a look carrying a silent apology. He had so wanted to show her one of the few gifts from time he never took for granted. The gradual process of another day literally dawning, securing that another day could and would exist.
"Right then. I guess we've better get going. I've got plenty more planned for us today and none of it will end in such uselessness." His tone was stoic, but she could feel his disappointment. She knew and appreciated how much gratification he got out of showing her everything and making it magnificent.
A gentle smile came to her lips.
"Don't feel bad, Doctor. I was never a morning person anyways. I much prefer the sun in all her glory!"
She rested a hand on his, an effort to keep him from ending the moment and to show him that he had made it grand.
He had made her dream a reality.