Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rose Tyler was a lovely drunk.
And after helping her home following one too many drinks during a celebratory night down at the pub with her team, the Doctor was in a perfect place to make that assessment. Although he'd had several drinks himself – enough to make him pleasantly buzzed – she was much further gone than he and (truth be told) he was quite enjoying seeing her this way, all liberated and carefree, giggly and smiling incessantly. She was much more at ease, and much more flirtatious. Not that he minded. He'd quite enjoyed the way she'd linked her arm through his as they'd walked home, cuddling close to him in the cool night air, her body soft and warm against him.
As he closed the door to her flat behind them, he watched her make her way over to the couch and sink down on it. She sighed heavily, her eyes falling shut as she leaned back, swinging her legs up.
"That was some night," she giggled.
"Mm-hmm," the Doctor voiced, agreeing. He didn't know which had been more amusing - watching Rose try to prove that she was better at taking shots than Jake (and winning), or watching as she struggled (and failed) to get her jacket on at the end of the night. "How're you feeling?"
"Ehh," she made a face and shrugged. "I'm tired."
She yawned for effect and he shook his head at her. "Then you should go to bed."
"But I'm so comfortable here," she murmured lazily, shifting a bit on the sofa so she burrowed down into the cushions.
"You're comfortable now, but I know how it is to sleep on that couch all night. I'll never hear the end of your complaints about a backache if I let you sleep here so, come on, Rose," he was at her side now, tapping her leg to get her to wake up. "Shift. You need to get to bed."
Rose reluctantly opened her eyes and blinked blearily at him, her eyes taking longer than usual to focus first on his face, then at the hand he held out to help her to her feet. Taking a deep breath to muster herself, she reached for his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her upright. As she got to her feet, she slipped a little on the hardwood floor and groped frantically towards him, trying to catch her fall as she scrambled to stay upwards.
"Careful!" his arms went around her without thinking, bracing himself as she leaned her weight on him, her body pressing up against his. "You all right?"
"'m fine, 'm fine," she waved him off, pushing away from him so she was standing on her own two feet. "See?"
"I see just fine. Can you make it?" he asked, already holding hand out to steady her should she suddenly pitch forward.
"Oh, I think so," she grinned at him and turned on her heel, heading towards the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
He followed Rose as she meandered down the hall, trailing her fingers along the wall as she did so. He noted an extra wiggle in her step that he hadn't noticed before, and forced himself to get his gaze off of her swaying hips. There was one moment one of her steps wobbled a bit too much, sliding on the hardwood floor, and he thought he might have to catch her a second time. Miraculously, she regained her balance and made it to her bedroom without incident.
"I'm so tired," Rose laughed, sinking down onto the bed with an unceremonious thump. She giggled as her back hit the mattress, sending her bouncing a bit.
"Then go to sleep," the Doctor advised her, thinking that his own bed sounded appealing right about now. Not as appealing as the thought of being in her bed, but absolutely welcome nonetheless. And much more attainable than the latter option.
Though he'd been in this world and his new human body for several weeks now, they still had not crossed any lines when it came to their relationship. Their new relationship, he thought. Their new, new… oh, sod it. Regardless, he decided that it would probably be best if they didn't cross any of those lines tonight, considering the state they were both in.
"Can't," she shook her head, rolling on her side. "Need help with my clothes."
The Doctor looked at her and swallowed. "What about them?"
"Can't very well sleep in them now can I?" She kicked off her shoes and flopped onto her back once more "Help me," she called to him.
The Doctor had the very distinct feeling that he was walking into a trap. As if pulled to her by some unnatural magnetism, he crossed to where she lay and leaned in over her, one knee on the bed. Though he held himself above her, he could feel the heat of her body and, in response, his traitorous body began to warm in the pit of his stomach. "You can take your own clothes off, Rose Tyler."
"Mmm, nope," she mumbled, a slow, sleepy smile on her face. "I need you, Doctor."
The Doctor's single heart skipped a beat as those words fell from her lips. He'd imagined her saying them in a variety of different scenarios, each gaining in intimacy and explicitness, but this was never one of them. In all his fantasies, Rose Tyler had been much less clothed as she lay beneath him, and that idea was suddenly too much for his brain to process. He pulled back so he was no longer leaning over her and tried to clear his head of all the images that sprang to life.
"Need me for what?" he rasped, finding his mouth inexplicably dry.
"Help me with my jeans." She lifted her hips towards him, arching her back off the bed. "Please…?"
The Doctor nearly groaned. She had no idea what she was going to him, and if she did, she was more of tease than he'd ever imagined. "Fine," he sighed, resigned. He never could deny her anything.
He felt her tremble as he slipped his fingers beneath her waistband enough for him to loosen the button of her jeans. Her skin was soft and warm and he tried not to think about how much he wanted to keep touching her as he slowly dragged her zipper down. As her trousers parted, he could see the lace of her knickers beneath and he had to take a breath to steady himself.
"Lift up, he breathed, tapping her still-covered hip, so he could tug the denim over her hips and legs. She complied and he eased the material down, wondering how on earth she ever wore trousers so tight. When he'd pulled her jeans down to her knees, she helped him out by kicking them the rest of the way off her legs, sending them flying somewhere in the vicinity of the bed.
"Much better," she breathed, smiling up at him.
"Here now," he said, trying his best to keep his eyes off her lovely legs and skimpy knickers. "Better get under the covers or you'll catch cold."
"I'm not cold," Rose giggled. "Silly Doctor."
Despite himself, he reached out and placed a hand on her leg, just above her knee. He felt the slight jerk as she stilled, her breath hitching at the feel of heat of his hand on her skin. "You feel a bit chilled to me."
"Mm," she hummed, non-committal. Lazily, Rose lazily trailed her hand down until her fingers entwined with his. The Doctor watched, thoroughly intrigued, as she laced their fingers together. She then took his hand and brought it to rest low on her belly, just above her knickers. "How about here? Do I feel warmer?"
"Rose…" Even with the alcohol still buzzing in his veins, he knew that they were treading on dangerous territory here. "Rose, we can't."
"No," she shook her head, her voice just on the pleading side of whiny. "Please. I want this, want you. Doctor…" She whispered his name, putting more pressure on his hand.
He wanted nothing more than to slip his fingers under her knickers, to pull them off her hips, to look at her gorgeous body spread out before him and kiss and touch and taste and claim all of her, but this was not the time. Not with her like this. No matter how much she seemed to want this – and he truly believed that she did want this – he couldn't let this happen, not in good conscience. Not for their first time.
"Rose. I can't. It's not right. When you make this decision, I want you to do with a clear head," he placed a hand on her cheek. "I want you to remember every moment of this."
"I will remember," she pleaded, hips arching towards him. "I will. I promise."
"No. Rose, we can't. Please. Not tonight."
Then, just as suddenly as she'd come onto him, she stopped, her hands falling back down at her sides as she sagged back into the mattress.
"You don't want me," said dejectedly. "You never touch me. Don't think I haven't noticed."
The Doctor stared at her, his mouth gaping open, unable to believe that she actually thought that he wanted to stay away from her. He would think that it's just the alcohol talking except for the completely forlorn on her face.
"Rose," he began softly, "I… I never meant to make you think that. I was just trying to give you space."
"Space?" she laughed. "All of time and space, you. Always wanting to give me everything. The past! The future! Aliens! History! …But I don't want everything. I don't want space. I just want you."
She sat up then and, with a suddenness that surprised him, pressed her lips to his. She missed a bit, unable to correctly judge the distance between them and the trajectory at which their mouths were to meet, and her lips hit the corner of his mouth. The Doctor, having waited weeks for this moment and unable to deny her this reassurance that he did in fact want her, turned his face slightly in order to kiss her properly.
With their mouths better aligned, she kissed him with such ferocity that he was taken aback for a moment. She fisted the material of his shirt in her hand, keeping him close to her as she deepened the kiss. Her tongue prodded at the seam of his lips and he opened them to her, allowing her to explore his mouth. She tasted faintly of chips and tequila and something just Rose, something he couldn't quite place but knew was hers alone. When his tongue met hers, she gave a groan soft in her throat and the Doctor felt a wave of pleasure rush through him. In response, he reached up and wound his fingers in her hair, anchoring her to him as the world around him became dizzy. He felt drunk on her and wondered how he had ever denied himself this for so long.
The moment his lips had met hers he felt something within him click and settle into place, as if he'd been missing something all these weeks. And he had – been missing something. Since that kiss on the beach he'd been waiting for her to take that first step and initiate something more between them. He thought he had made that clear, but judging from her words just a few moments ago, he hadn't. But he would make sure now and in the future that she knew, without a doubt, just how he felt about her.
With a heroic display of self control and a burning need to breathe, he broke away from her, pressing his lips to her forehead.
"Rose," he murmured her name like a prayer. "Rose, Rose, Rose…"
Pulling back, the Doctor sought her eyes, ready to issue any and all declarations of love that she felt had been denied her, but found that hers had slipped closed, a peaceful expression playing over her features. He slipped his hand from her hair to caress her face, cradling her cheek in his palm. She leaned into his hand, a lazy smile tugging at her lips.
"'s nice, isn't it?" she murmured, her eyes opening a bit. They were hazy, but full of self-satisfied triumph.
"Much more than nice," he responded, still struggling to get his racing heartbeat under control. "Brilliant, in fact."
"Told you," she smiled before giving in to a sudden yawn. "…Sleepy though."
"After all that?" he raised an eyebrow, surprised at her sudden turn from seductress to sleepyhead.
"Mm," she nodded, her hand uncurling from his shirt and smoothing down his chest in a haphazard caress. "Was tired before… I had a lot to drink tonight. Don't you remember?"
"Right. I forgot," he said, bemused, as she slipped back to the bed once more, head hitting the pillow with a soft thud.
"Silly Doctor," she grinned fondly. "We should do this more often."
"Do what? …Snog?"
"If you liked it. I liked it," she added with a giggle.
"I most certainly liked it, Rose Tyler," he replied, his voice coming out a bit hoarser than he'd like.
"Then we most definitelyshould do this again," she smiled up at him. "Just don't make me wait so long. I waited years and years and years to find you," she yawned again. "I'm tired of waiting."
"I never would have guessed," the Doctor whispered conspiratorially. "Now then," he said, a bit louder, "time for sleeping."
"I like sleeping," Rose agreed, curling up on her side. "I like you too, Doctor. Like you, like you, like you."
The Doctor eased off the bed just enough to pull the sheet and duvet up and over her, effectively tucking her in. He brushed the hair off her cheek and leaned down to press a kiss there. "Quite right, but I love you," he whispered in her ear.
She snuggled down and sighed in contentment. "I know," she murmured. "Love you too."
At her admission, the Doctor felt a lightness in him that had not previously been there. He'd never guessed that this night would have been so revelatory, and he knew that they still had a lot to talk about once they both had clearer heads, but this was a step in the right direction, a step that he had been so nervous and yet so ready to take. He just hoped and prayed to whatever deity might be listening that she would remember all of this in the morning. He certainly would.
"Goodnight, Rose," he breathed, pressing one more kiss to her cheek before standing. Yet before he could go, her arm shot out, her hand encircling his wrist, stalling him.
"Where… where're you going?"
Baffled, he gestured with his other hand. "To sleep. My room…"
"No," she grumbled, tugging on his arm a bit. "Stay here?"
"Rose, I…" Thinking of how heated things were just a few moments before, he wasn't so sure of the wisdom behind this idea, but seeing her face, her eyes so honest and open and questioning, he couldn't deny her. "Oh, all right."
Without a word, Rose scooted over and he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his trainers and socks. He then stood and, as quickly as possible, pushed his own jeans off his hips, leaving them in an unceremonious pile on the floor. In his t-shirt and boxers, he lifted the blankets and slipped into bed beside her. Unsure, he lay on his side for a moment until Rose shifted slightly, seeking him out. He shuffled closer to her until they were cuddled together, her back pressing against his chest. He carefully eased an arm around her waist, relaxing only when she brought her hand up to lazily caress his forearm.
"Much better," she sighed. "You're a good snuggler. I remembered."
"So you did," he replied, lips dancing against the crown of her hair. "World-class snuggler, me."
She gave a soft giggle and settled more fully against him. "Shh… I'm sleeping now."
"Of course," he whispered back, falling silent.
Within moments, her breaths began to even out and she was, in fact, sleeping just as quickly as she said she would. The Doctor smiled to himself and felt his own eyes droop closed. Focusing on the beat of their hearts, a steady four-count rhythm, he fell into what he decided was the most sound sleep he'd had since arriving in this world.