Rose walked side by side with the Doctor as they strolled down a cobblestone street that was jammed to capacity with aliens and street vendors. Even in the dark of the night the heat surrounded her, hugging her skin in a sweltering embrace. She was in a flowing vest top and denim shorts, aching for a breeze to come and lift the humidity away from her body. The Doctor remained in his usual attire of jeans and leather, undeterred by the heat radiating off the stones beneath their feet or gathering between the tightly grouped humanoids around them.
He was happy tonight. There was an ease to him that had only just begun with dancing around the time rotor. In the last few days he smiled more, laughed more, and hugged her more often. He had gone from regularly insulting human intelligence to doting on her with manic pride for finally pronouncing Raxacoricofallapatorius. His new attitude kindled a warmth within her that put the heat of the alien summer night to shame, making her forget all about old boyfriends and Trisha Delaney whenever she felt his eyes on her. Which, despite all the festivities around them, had hardly left her all evening.
She reached for his hand and found it shoved deep inside his pocket, so she linked her arm through the crook of his elbow and brought herself closer to him. "So tell me more about this place. We're here to see some light festival, yeah?"
"Yep, there're fireworks and everything. This moon was terreformed to be a territory of the civilization from the planet it orbits, and it stayed that way for several centuries. But there were treaties in place to ensure that things like trade and taxes would stay fair, but when a disease broke out here the home planet increased the transportation taxes, making medicine hard to come by and that sparked a revolution. The moon won its independence and they still celebrate every year, even though it's been over a millennium. It's such a big event that even off-worlders often come just to see the fireworks."
Rose smiled at him, nudging him playfully. "Go on then."
"What?" he asked with a light chuckle.
"What's special about it? I mean, I've seen fireworks loads of times back on Earth."
"Rose Tyler, are you accusing me of bringing you to any old fireworks show?" he asked seriously.
She gave him her tongue in teeth smile. "I'm saying I know you have something up your sleeve."
He unlinked their arms and took her by the hand, intertwining their fingers and Rose held on tight as he led her through the crowd. They eventually found a break leading them up a small grassy hill that sat in front of a tree line. There were still people about but they were more spread out, many of them couples sitting close together, watching the sky in preparation for the light show. Rose and the Doctor did the same but rather than giving into the desire to lean against his chest or rest her head on his shoulder, Rose brought her legs forward and linked her hands together around her knees. The Doctor simply sat cross-legged but close enough that his knee touched her thigh when they had both settled in.
They had only just found their place when the murmur of the people around them died down and the entire town was silent.
The first firework shot into the air, leaving behind a trail of white light before bursting open with a pop and revealing blue and green pinpoints clustered together. A few more shot into the air, some making the typical palm-palm patterns, some cascaded down like weeping willows, and others sent beads of light zig-zagging across the sky like fireflies. It was a beautiful spectacle but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it. Rose chanced a glance at the Doctor but he kept his eyes to the sky, watching expectantly for something to happen.
She leaned back, resting her weight on her palms and tilted her head to get a better view of the sky. The first fireworks that had gone off were just starting to fall and Rose noticed what was different about them. Instead of dissipating high up above the rooftops, these fireworks kept their color even as they approached the ground. And they were getting dangerously close.
"Doctor …" Rose said, standing up and preparing herself to run and dodge her way to safety.
The Doctor stood too but instead of looking worried he just put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Relax, just watch."
He let go of her then and stepped forward with his eyes closed and hands lifted up at his sides, waiting for the falling lights to reach him.
Rose was terrified of the burning embers she was sure were about to land on her, but she trusted the Doctor so she held her ground. She flinched as the first bits fell on her and then sighed in relief when she realized the droplets were cool. Then she was laughing as she watched them coat her skin in glowing liquid that beaded down her skin and evaporated.
More began to fall and she watched, mesmerized, as reds, purples, and blues landed on her and the Doctor like rain and disappeared, only to be replace seconds later with more. She touched some as it raced down her arm and rubbed it between her fingers, studying it as the luminous liquid lost its shine and left her hand dry.
She shivered for a moment as her skin chilled, trying to adjust between the contrasting temperature of the cold fireworks and the heat that was still carried in the evening air. More soared into the air and Rose watched in anticipation, her flushed skin already craving the relief that would be brought with the molten colors.
"This is amazing!" Rose giggled as the latest downpour dissolved. "Look, even my hair stays dry," she said, flipping her tresses around and running an experimental hand through them.
"It's made from a very advanced mixture with properties related to cold plasma and ethanol," the Doctor explained, "so it will keep its glow but evaporate without a trace."
"It's like magic," she said, twirling around as another firework melted onto her, glazing her skin in pure gold.
He laughed, "Okay."
"It is!"
"Of course it is," he said sincerely and took her by the hand to pull her close. He began to sway, guiding her around in a small circle and she followed, stepping into the simple rhythm he provided.
More lights burst into life above them and seconds later they were dancing in rain made of silver and royal blue.
"Doctor, there's no music."
"Are you complaining?"
"Definitely not," she answered with a smile, "just curious."
"I thought you humans like the notion of dancing in the rain. And where else in the universe are you going to get to dance in rain that looks like this and doesn't make your mascara run?"
A part of her wanted to press him a little further, to ask directly if he was actually trying to be romantic. Because there was a small part of her that wanted to hear those words and there was a part that wanted to be the one to say them. To tell him that she loved him and to press her lips to his and see how his taste mixed with the luminous drops of liquid that were just beginning to fade from his face.
But a deeper part of her knew that tonight was not the night for forcing things. She rested her head, daring to nuzzle his neck with her nose and breathed a sated breath against him. "You were right, thank you. Tonight was perfect."
As they danced she felt he was answering every one of her unasked questions in the way he held her closer and tighter than a friend would; the way he cradled her hand to his chest and rested his cheek against her hairline. There was a feeling to him that made her think they already were something more and all he was waiting for was for her to acknowledge it.
Eventually the drumfire from the fireworks ceased, the last bit of glistening color faded away, and they were left alone on the grassy front as the others drifted off towards the markets or to wherever home was.
Rose leaned away from the Doctor, just enough to see his face. It was deeply shadowed now, with only the lights from the street below illuminating his features. But instead of seeing his usual dark facade, Rose was met with a softness that was rare to his steely blue eyes.
"So what's next for us, Doctor?"
She hadn't meant to add "us" to her question, but it slipped out between her teeth before she could stop it.
The Doctor stilled for a moment and then pressed a single, lingering kiss between her eyebrows. He stepped away, removing her from his embrace in the process, and led her by the hand back down to the street.
"What's next is I think we go find Jack and call it a night. And then Kyoto tomorrow. How does the fourteenth century sound?"
It seemed that whatever spell the magic of the firework show had put them under was broken and Rose was left wondering if what she had felt for those few moments had even been real.
But then they reached the street and he smiled at her again and Rose was certain she had been right all along.
The magic had only just begun.