A few romantic paragraphs born one evening when I was in Rose's mood. I find it just enough for a little reverie. No time line involved but I mention Satan Pit and Sycorax Invasion episodes.
If only they were spoken like this before Doomsday!
Happy reading!
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Rose interrupted the Doctor with a hint of aggressiveness which cut off his breath.
"It was never because of time travel. Not after, I think, the second or the third trip. And maybe not even before the first. Say nothing, Mr Timelord. You have not seduced me with a star and two galaxies. You can believe it, but you'd be silly."
"I'm not silly! You…"
"YOU have done nothing special? Apart from saving my life, saving my planet a couple of time, yeah, and maybe giving me a hand when I needed one. Ah yes, and I had a chance to see my dad before he died. It is not the time travel et the wonders you showed me, it's you! "
"It does not count, it's the Tard..."
"What are you counting, Doctor? The number of times that you have almost died to protect me? The number of times where you did your best knowing you was going to suffer? The number of times where you chose, for the good of this stupid planet, to sacrifice what you care the most?"
"Rose..." he groaned.
"I found fascinating this being that arose under the name of Doctor! He became my friend. A dearest friend. And one day, I realized that I preferred to be with him rather than with anyone else and no matter where."
"Don't be stupid."
"I am not. " she cut. "You want to know when I knew that you matters to me? When we landed in Cardiff with Jack and Mickey came... We went out and I had a moment of regret when I took the hand of Mickey. It was not yours. Not your warm, not your touch, not you! No matter the place or the time, it is with you that I want to be. It wasn't a matter of saving galaxy… just… just to have a moment with you."
"Mickey..."
"…has always been my best friend. You know how much I was sad when he chose to stay in the world of Pete. I miss him a lot. But I still live and laugh. I did not when I lost you, Doctor. My Doctor. On this planet with this big evil black hole. For a moment, I was a scrap. I lost you and I was lost too. Away from home in a spaceship with strangers, that, I could manage. But you… losing you hurt so much."
"I'll try to spare you that part."
"Please do."
She touched his cheek.
"And before that, the Invasion of Sycorax... The Sycorax could go to hell, the planet die and London be shipped on Saturn or Mars... All that mattered was lying in my mother's bed and about to die! And I felt completely helpless. And you know what gave me courage? I said that I didn't have the right to give up because you had never done it. It takes a Doctor for this universe filled with horror and problems. And if he's unavailable, I could be a replacement… very temporarily."
"You would have replaced me?" he asked softly.
"One can only succeed you."
She snuggles against him, sliding his fingers as for a caress, imagining that it has no striped blue barrier on his skin.
"And at that point, I decided to be the most selfish person in the world. I decided to love you."
"This is not a selfish act."
"Oh yes, it is. Because it allowed me to be jealous of those you loved. I was horrible with Sarah Jane the first time. And with this poor Madame de Pompadour."
"You still angry with me aren't you?"
"Oh yes. She kissed you before I had the chance. And no, the New New Earth is not… was not… But I already knew that my life was tragically limited. And I loved you. Still love you.. So I want to see you happy. And if you need Sarah Jane, Reinette, Martha or anyone else... then, go ahead. Be happy."
"I hurt you."
"And I suffer with joy because it is for you. And this suffering prove me that my heart is alive."
"It's crazy!"
"And you heal it in the same time. The more crazy love in the world. It is worth the trouble of a tear or two."
"I made you cry too, it's true."
"You cried too?" she said in surprise.
She could believe he did that. He nodded slowly. OK, maybe he did.
"Why? You could just replace me with a new robot dog or…"
"Replace? And what with that thing about 'one could only succeed'? I... I love you Rose. I mean, I hope that you know. I have told you a thousand times that you were fantastic, brilliant and beautiful and smart and..."
"And it was my understanding that you are fond of me." she said with a wink.
"Fond of you? But it goes much further than that! You know - no, you do not know because I do never speak and I don't like to talk about this kind of thing - you're the first person I've seen with that face."
"Oh. Then it is an imprint, like a chick out of his egg."
"At the beginning, no doubt. And then I realized that your presence was more than a presence. You complete me and... and I find myself missing you a bit too much. I fear your depart."
"I will never leave you!"
"Except when you decide to go wander off without telling me and that you are captured by the bad guys."
"You love rescuing me and playing the Converse knight with his shinning screwdriver."
"Ehm... well yes, but... but you see, what I appreciate the most, it's the spark in your eyes when I arrive and my hearts are leaping disordered in my chest as you look at me through your eyelashes... I saved many people and they smile too, but yours, Rose, oh, no, Rose, don't look at me like that!"
She was playing lashes and he tried not to react: "You are special to me too. And I love the knight things. Every girl dreams to be a princess even if we never say a word about it. I love my galant prince."
He clenches his jaw.
"It amazes you?" she asked.
"I did nothing special. And I'm too skinny to be a real knight."
"My arms can embrace you much better. A knight must wear armor and it could be a bit too hard for my nails. Beside Arthur the horse would agree with me. You both looked fantastic when you jump through the mirror."
"And I'm too tall." He teased her.
"Too tall? Not at all. Tall enough so I could put my head on your shoulder when I'm a bit tired. And you can hug me... yes, exactly like that. I'm yours. The Rose of the knight."
"I can't imagine you otherwise, my Rose."
"I'd like you imagine me otherwise." She sighed again and touched his cheek.
"What?"
"You should picture me elsewhere, for example."
"Where and when?" he said, ready to set the destination of her choice.
He was at the console and she stepped closer to pull off his hands from the controls. She gently forced him to face her and whisper: "Your bed. Every nights."
She was keeping a serious face but with this wee smile that gave him butterflies. And she was standing a few inches from him. She won't push it any further without his consent.
Damn, it was so easy to embrace her. His body moved without a taught, his hands found their place. Rose was so soft. He clung a little more firmly at her and laid his lips on hers. A long long time. When they recaptured their breath, he asked her if she was serious about the 'every'.
"Oh, then, let's say until the moment you'll remember that I have my own room." she said with a new kiss.
The Doctor mentally took note to remove her room. But that was for the future. The present was much more interesting.
