Author's Note: Oh look, I made another one. This is set after TGitF in season two. I don't own Doctor Who but things relating to Kehkeytya are of my creation. Please enjoy!
It had been a long, long time since Rose Tyler had a peaceful, calm day, and to be quite honest, she didn't mind that. She enjoyed the rush and the adventure of travelling with the Doctor and, if that wasn't enough, she enjoyed him as well. Every day was exciting, and every day was new. It was something that the twenty year old had never expected would happen to her until a year and a half ago, when she'd first met the big-eared mysterious man in his blue box.
He wasn't big-eared any more, but she was still his man in the blue box, and every day was still as amazing as the first Doctor that she'd had the pleasure to travel with. If anything this man, a beautiful-haired, pinstripe-suited man, was even better than her first one had been.
She could feel herself slipping into his grasp, melting until she was his to make what he wanted of.
Yes, that was definitely it.
Rose Tyler would do anything for her Doctor.
For the Doctor, he found himself enjoying the companionship of his pink and yellow human girl. Having her by his side made his adventures better, they brought a light to his life. They brought a light to him - he felt like meeting Rose Tyler had made a better person of him. He was starting to doubt how he would be able to handle the day when she finally did leave him.
(She would. Her words that she would stay with him forever were just that - words. She was a fragile human, and one day she would get bored and find herself not wanting to be the companion of a Time Lord. Or she would decide that she wanted to settle; find a nice man and get married and have kids. Or, the worst option, she would stay there until she died. One way or another, he knew that he would never be getting a forever with her.)
It was thoughts like that, that he craved her presence with every ounce of his being, that made him reject himself from her. He repressed his thoughts and told himself lies, pretending that his little human didn't mean anything more to him than any other companion that he had brought along with him.
Sure, he'd hold her hand and, oh Rassilon, he loved the simple touch, but there was no way he could allow anything to come from it.
Humanity was a fragile thing, and he wasn't prepared for how easily it could be broken.
He'd royally screwed up, though he didn't quite understand why Rose was pissed at him after he returned to her from the 18th century. Like always, he'd came back to her. Oh, he would always come back to her, no matter how far away he ended up. He would fight tooth and claw to protect her, and he swore that he would never mess that up.
Rose didn't see things the same way, though. Rather than seeing his return, she saw the things he had done. She saw how he had left her, found some ship and made himself into the life of Madame de Pompadour. He snogged her, probably cared about her more than he would ever care about Rose. (He never did that to her.) She saw how he had left alone instead of taking her with him like he always did. She was more than capable of helping him. He knew that.
"I needed someone to watch the ship," he'd attempted to explain, but Rose had seen it as nothing but excuses.
"We leave the ship alone all the time," she'd snapped back, trying to control an unreasonable amount of jealous rage towards the man before her. "What if you hadn't came back, Doctor?"
"Rose, but I did," he'd continued.
"But what if? What if you didn't, and Mickey and I were stuck here while you were off snogging the king's mistress?'
"Rose, she kissed me. I'm sorry-"
"But you sure didn't stop her did ya, Doctor?"
"Rose." He said her voice in complete seriousness as he rested one hand lightly on the shoulder of her. "Why can't you listen to me?"
He didn't understand why Rose was reacting like she was. He'd returned to her, and he would never abandon her. No matter what, the Doctor would always find a way back to her. That, or he would die trying. She should have known that by now.
He didn't even think about the kissing thing, and couldn't begin to imagine why that would bother her. After all, he hadn't settled in to something serious with Reinette, and he wasn't the slightest bit interested in it either. Not that Reinette wasn't beautiful, she was quite a beautiful lady, but he had better things to do than fall in love with a courtesan.
He felt horrible about it anyways, though, and Rose didn't talk to him for two days afterward.
He spent most of the two days until he heard Rose's sweet voice trying to figure out how exactly he was going to make up for upsetting her. At least, between escapades in various times. It took him the full time to figure out what it was, and he was going to make it absolutely perfect.
"Doctor," she said quietly as she appeared behind him in the console room. Her arms were crossed and her hair was messier than usual, but she was still his perfect little human. The Doctor's face lit up in half a second flat at the sound of Rose's voice, and he twirled around to face her.
"Rose! It's good to see you up and at it again," he said with a cheeky grin, moving forwards.
"Yeah."
"Are you up for another adventure today?" He asked, his voice filled to the brim with excitement as he mentally begged for a yes from her. If not, he could do this another day of course, but he just wanted it now. He wanted to make her happy again, he wanted her back at his side while they tried to save the world as the best duo he'd ever had the pleasure to be part of.
There was a slight hesitation before her reply, and she rested two fingers against her chin, mulling it over and chewing just lightly on the corner of her lip. The Doctor prepared himself for defeat at the sight.
"Okay," she responded with, giving him just the slightest nod as she lowered her hands to her side and moved forwards. "Okay, yes. I'd like that." Those words didn't have the same level of unsurity in them, and her voice began to pick up the light tone that the Doctor was oh so used to hearing.
"Fantastic!" His exclamation and reaction to her acceptance was enough to elicit a little giggle from the human girl, and she tucked her hands in to the pockets of her jeans as she moved to face him.
"Where are we going today, Doctor?" She asked, glancing up at him with a soft gaze.
"The planet Kehkeytya," the Doctor stated as he began to work at the variety of levers and buttons that operated the TARDIS, setting them for their destination with a grin the size of the moon on his face. Rose traveled up the stairs to hover behind him.
"Sounds fancy," Rose responded.
"Erm, it is," he told her. "Very beautiful planet, you'll love it when you see it."
"What's wrong with it?"
"I'm not sure," the Doctor lied smoothly. "I just got a notice saying that the planet was in need of help."
They arrived on planet of Kehkeytya just after they set off - one of the bonuses of time and space travelling. The TARDIS landed rougher than usual, and its whirring was more than the Doctor was used to. It made him worry that, maybe, his ship was in worse condition than he thought it was.
Rose questioned everything about this trip, though. She questioned as to why he had a backpack ready for him to carry, she questioned him what was wrong with the planet even after he told her he didn't know, she questioned him. It made him realize that she hadn't really forgiven him for whatever had upset her yet.
That made him hope, more than anything, that this trip would go right.
"Doctor, really?" Rose questioned after the Doctor put on the backpack, her tone getting cross as one hand grabbed his shoulder in a rough jolt.
"Rose," he returned. "Relax. Just relax, you'll understand before long."
At least, he hoped that she would.
With that, the Doctor opened the TARDIS. He walked out first and held the blue doors open for Rose like a gentleman and waited as her eyes, cautious and uncertain, took in the sight around them. Even the Doctor still admired the beauty of this planet. All around them were fields of flowers resembling Earth orchids, in all the colours of the rainbow. The trees, taller than any he'd ever seen on Rose's home planet, towered above them with tendrils of vines forming curtains around them. Long grass flowed in a light, warm breeze around their feet, and birds and other wildlife could be heard chirping and speaking their own tongues in the distance.
"Wow." Her simple response brought a smile to the Doctor's face, and he grabbed her hand and pranced forward in an almost childlike demeanor.
"Doctor, what are you-" she began to question only to be cut off by the Doctor.
"Just trust me, Rose darling," he assured her as he made his way through the foliage straight North. Her caution didn't fade, but she followed behind him willingly. Though, she questioned every bit of his motive - he wouldn't run blindly into potential danger like this, nor would he avoid telling her such things.
Well, that's how she thought he was. For all she knew, she was wrong about every bit of him now.
They broke through the foliage after ten minutes, having only spent five at the half running pace that the Doctor had set. He stopped in a rather abrupt manner, leaving Rose to run straight into his back with an oomph. He placed one hand backwards to balance her, and his head turned to glance down at her.
"I'm sorry about lying to you," he stated as he used his hand to guide her forward. "I just didn't want to ruin the surprise." He kept careful eyes on Rose to observe her reaction, and a smile slowly grew on his face as the woman's beautiful face lit up in to her signature toothy grin.
Before them, but far enough away to be safe, was a cliff. Just past it you could see the natural forests go on forever and the large Kehkeytyan sun burning hot and red and dipping over the horizon. They were in a clearing, their feet tangled among long grass with purple flowers, of all sorts of varieties that weren't even Earthly in the slightest, lining the small area. In the middle, closer to the ledge, was a spot that was obviously well-used. The grass in that spot had faded away in to a sandy dip.
I took the Doctor three strides to reach said spot, where he pulled the backpack off of his back. He unzipped it and pulled a fleece blanket out and laid it down on the ground.
"Do you mind?" He asked, requesting her to sit with his hands.
"Not at all," Rose returned with a curt smile as she sat down on the blanket and glanced up at the Doctor, waiting for him to take a spot beside her.
He was so glad that she was okay with this, that his plans were going to go over. Well, at least, so far they were.
"Just wait," he said to her, a faint whisper in her ear as his hand extended sideways behind her body, his shoulder pressed against the crease between her shoulder blades. His legs were extended fully forward and crossed at the knees as he gazed over the edge of the cliff to where the sun was continuing to set beyond the horizon. The sky was dyed orange, and streaks of purple and red were streaking across it in a remarkable pattern before them as the time passed.
"Is this why you brought me out here, Doctor?" Rose questioned, narrowing her eyes in a joking manner.
"I'm sorry, Rose," he said with a smile. "I'm guilty. Kind of."
No, he didn't only bring her there for the sunset and the beauty, he had more in store for her than that.
He would have been perfectly okay just watching the sunset with her forever, though.
Oh, he wished that he could have that.
"Come on, I have somewhere else to show you," the Doctor whispered into the ear of the woman beside him as night overtook the planet. Her head was on his shoulder, her hand resting oh so close to the side of his leg. He'd got his arm around her other side, resting right above the jut of her hip bones to keep Rose's warmth right close to him.
"Where this time?" She whispered back, feeling like a schoolgirl with how much she wanted to giggle about the whole day.
The Doctor, after allowing each of them an apple for energy, packed their blanket back away and he lead her, hand in hand, somewhere to the east. She didn't even know that much, though - she just knew that she was trusting the Doctor not to get her lost or killed. She jumped at every noise in the bushes despite the Doctor insisting that everything was okay, that nothing here was going to eat her.
She didn't know that for a fact, after all.
It felt like forever before the doctor stopped her, moving his hand from hers to her shoulder. He leaned in close to her and, with affection in his eyes, he kissed his little human's cheek. He could feel her flush red beneath the tender touch.
Oh, he loved that feeling.
"Rose," he said, continuing to speak to her through light whispers and breathes against her ear. "You're about to meet the Kehkeytyan people. About a hun'red meters ahead of us is one of their villages."
The smile that formed on her face lit up his world.
"I think you'll love them," he whispered to them. "Fascinating species, they are. Very human-like in appearance, but they're born with intricate patterns covering all of their bodies. Very peaceful, very welcoming."
"So we really don't worry about them, then?" she whispered in return, leaving warm breaths against his ear. The Doctor shivered.
"No, not at all. Now, come on." With that, he traced his fingers between hers once more.
They made their appearance to the Kehkeytyan people slowly, making their way out of the bushes at a leisurely place with their hands free at their sides. Watching them enter the area that held their village, one of the people approached them.
The Doctor had been right, Rose noticed. They did have a rather human-like stature, all the right parts in all the right places, but their skin was tinted a slight pale green shade rather than the human's spectrum of peach to dark brown. The Doctor, she noted, had also been right about their markings - from toes to fingertips to his forehead, the native who approached them has covered in what looked like henna tattoos. His fingers and hands were almost entirely dark green, as were his feet. He wore nothing but a loincloth covering his body.
"Hello," he stated. In his native tongue, Rose assumed, as the TARDIS would translate everything spoken to them.
"Hello," the Doctor returned. "Nice to see you again, Inuuk. I see your village is well."
"Yes." The Kehkeytyan nodded. "Much thanks to you. What brings you here?"
"I wanted to show my companion the beauties of this world, old friend."
The man turned to Rose beside the Doctor and leaned forward just slightly into a bow.
"Lady," he said as he offered out his hand. Rose shook it with a smile. "I am Inuuk, guard of this village. Who are you?"
"Rose, Rose Tyler. Companion of the Doctor." She said after she pulled her hand away from Inuuk.
"Now, come." Inuuk didn't even give the pair a second glance as he began to walk in to the village. The Doctor signaled to Rose for them to follow so, at his side, she wandered with him. Her eyes were wide, filled with shock and amazement as she watched the world unfold around her.
Late at night, in the center of the circular village, women covered by nothing but what the men wore danced around a fire pit, twirling circles as others chanted. On occasion someone would leave the dancing, or someone would join. The younger members of the village ran in between everyone and around, letting out shrill laughs as they bumped in to the adults who would lift them high up in to the air above everyone's head.
"Doctor, it's beautiful," she gasped.
Oh, yes. He wanted to keep her here, and happy, forever. This was a place that captured the souls of everyone that visited, giving them forever nights of joy.
That thought was a sharp reminder that he would never get forever with her, especially if she wasn't as happy as she seemed to be.
Rose ran forward towards the put after Inuuk gestured for her to take chase. The Doctor watched her in his own world of glee as one of the females pulled her in the dancing circle despite her lack of knowledge. The females spoke to her, instructing her on the dancing and he watched as she got better and better at twirling her hips and body like the Kehkeytyan woman. She spent the whole time grinning like a madwoman and laughing to her heart's content.
She felt like she could live in this night forever. She felt like she would never tire, and that these women made her fit in perfectly. Her eyes glanced over to the Doctor as the one to her left grabbed her hips and turned her towards her.
"Come," she stated with a grin lighting up her face. Rose did her best to ignore the collection of sharp teeth that peeked out from inside her mouth as she followed, giving only a wink to the man watching to her to tell him that she was okay.
The woman took her to a hut where she laughed and talked to Rose for what seemed like forever.
"Do you mind dressing with us?" The woman questioned, pointing at Rose's clothing with one finger. She blonde glanced at the woman's nakedness. She seemed so comfortable in it. It was normal for her people, nothing to be ashamed about.
Rose had never been the modest type, and she had enough confidence in her body to normally be okay with such a thing, but… With who was outside waiting for her?
Her face flushed red.
"Oh, dear. Have I offended, miss?"
"No, no," Rose assured. "I just didn't expect that. You know what? Sure." She stripped her t-shirt off her body and tossed her bra alongside it.
"Mind if I draw on you?" She questioned, tracing one finger along her own natural paint-like markings. "Then you be Kehkeytyan for the night!" Rose laughed before nodding, and she stripped her lower half of its clothing.
Rose emerged from the hut a while later, after a henna-like substance was traced in delicate, intricate patterns around every inch of her skin (minus the naughty bits) and removed. The only thing covering her entire body was a loin cloth made of what appeared to be animal hide covering the front of her lower area. The woman who had taken her in led her back to the firepit with her hand touching the side of her waist.
The first thing Rose's eyes did was scan the area for the Doctor, who she was unable to locate. Her jaw dropped and she froze in panic.
"Are you okay?" The woman questioned with a worried gaze looking in to Rose's.
"Yes, um, just, my friend must have moved."
"Brown hair, very," she made an upward motion from her forehead.
Rose let a laugh out. "Yes, that's definitely him."
At that confirmation, the Kehkeytyan's eyes scanned the crowd and she pointed towards the other side of the fire pit.
Rose didn't expect what she saw over there.
Among a group of males off to the side, including the one named Inuuk who had greeted them, was her Doctor, dressed as clad as she was with his own markings on his body. She watched him make a hearty chuckle from among the males, and if she didn't know better she could have mistaken him for one of the native peoples of the planet because of how well he adapted to the culture.
A smile danced on her lips.
"I'll come back," she said to the woman beside her as she pulled away from the guiding touch of her and made her way towards the Doctor.
"You too?" She whispered into his ear after sneaking up right behind him. It startled him and made him jump, eliciting a giggle from the painted blonde behind him.
"Rose!" He exclaimed as he twirled around, and his eyes went wide as he realized what exactly was in front of him.
And, oh Rassilon, she was more beautiful than ever. He didn't think it in a perverted way, he couldn't care less about her nakedness. But here, adjusting to the culture, interacting with the people, dancing like she had been one of them all her life and having the time of her life.
He couldn't think of anything more beautiful than Rose Tyler happy.
A cheeky grin formed on Rose's face as she watched him look starstruck at her.
"Eyes up here," she teased as he took in the sight of her. She did her best not to get flustered as he gaze happened to sink lower.
"No, it- it wasn-"
"Shush, you," she laughed, grabbing his hands and easing him closer to the fire pit.
"I know." Her tone this time was softer and she let her hands slide from his hands to his waist, where they took a light hold against his bare flesh.
"You're beautiful," the Doctor whispered in to her ear as she tugged him forward, not content until their bare bodies, from head to toe, were pressed together.
"I could say the same about you," she whispered back to him as she smiled. "Dance with me?"
"Rose Tyler, I will dance with you forever."
Yes, he would. For this forever, at least - for the miniature eternity this night would go on for.
"I'll take you up on that offer then, Doctor." She pressed her head against his chest before pushing herself away and taking his hands.
"No," he said, pulling her back to him faster than she could react to. "No, no, no," he mumbled as he pressed one of his hands against her cheek and angled her face up. Their eyes met and he just looked at for a moment like he was hesitant.
"Wha-"
Her interruption was his lips against hers, rough and needy but caring at the same time as his other hand clutched against her waist. Her response was eager, giving in to the kiss within an instant of him starting it.
And oh, God, it went on forever.
Another forever.
He would take whatever forevers he could have with her. After the kiss they spent what seemed like forever dancing and laughing and singing and playing along with the Kehkeytyans like that was the only place they ever belonged in their lives.
"I'm sorry," he stated after they had finished their exciting night and settled in to the one of the huts, side by side in a bed. "For everything."
"I forgive you," Rose stated as she kissed the Doctor's eyelids and rolled to face the ceiling of the hut. "I'll always forgive you. I said forever, right?'
"Right."
He'd take whatever forevers he could get with her by his side, regardless of how it had to end.