Title: The Practicing
Word Count: 1119
Summary: Another perspective on how Rose was dealing with the new-new-Doctor.
Rating: G. Is there anything under G? 'Coz this is it.
Disclaimer: If you think any of this is mine, just walk away now so I can laugh at you.. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.
A/N: (Why does something always double-space in my documents?) I've been devouring Doctor Who fics like mad lately, (Munch, munch) and I've noticed that everyone is going for the very angsty sort of play out between these two - Rose and Ten. And by 'everyone', I mean the fics concerning this I've read. As much as I love the angst, and some of those stories were very well written, it just doesn't seem to fit too well. I was going with Rose begin shell-shocked for a while afterwards, but also building on the way she and the Doctor shared a grin at the end of TCI. I'm not sure if I got it right..
Reviews are so much more welcome than you'll ever know. The larger that ratio between the hit counter and the number of reviews gets, the more depressed I am. You don't want to add to that, do you?
Didn't think so..
There he was. Bouncing all around the console, as per usual. Gabbing on about their next destination and how they made the best Verunite spiced pie that there ever was, in any dimension. Which would be easy considering the planet of Veruna was technically the only place that could make a Verunite anything.
She decided not to point that out, and nodded enthusiastically when he turned to look at her with a heavily-masked-but-still-very-cautious glance. He was excited, but he wanted her to be excited as well. Just as much as he was. More than he was. The sight of her smile and nod was all he needed, and reaffirmed, returned his gaze to the console, spinning wheels and flipping levers.
His attention once more focused on the task of correctly landing them in the right time and place – apparently there were events best left to simply reading about on either side of this golden age of Veruna – she allowed her smile to fade slightly. It wasn't that she didn't want to go; no that wasn't it at all. She was simply noticing something about this new Doctor that was striking her as strange.
In spite of all of the prior Doctor's grim behaviour, dark and brooding countenances, and melancholy, she would much rather face an angry old-Doctor than an angry new-Doctor.
New-new Doctor.
At least one could tell the old-Doctor was the type to be angry with you. The new one had mood swings she had thought only occurred with high amounts of narcotics. He could shift from jovial and happy to menacing and furious within a moment's notice – before the moment even had the chance to get it in the mail. Another quick grin put up, it was about time for him to reaffirm that she was indeed wanting to go. For all his confidence, he needed reassurance a lot. She was more than happy to give it to him.
There had been a period of time at the very beginning, just after the shock of seeing the Doctor - her Doctor – engulfed in apparent flames, only to emerge this strange new man who was all bounces and grins from the get-go.
Literally bounces. Adding to the shock of seeing the Doctor phoenix-ise himself was the added bonus of watching him hop up and down. And up and down. And up and down.
So different. So completely, entirely, irrevocably different.
And yet not.
She's watched for a while. Looking for glimpses of the Doctor she knew. She sees him, in the still-manic-but-in-a-different-way grin he flashes so often now. He's in the sarcasm, fighting bureaucracy with sharper a wit than ever was a sword. She thought she saw him in the eyes, though it was difficult to find anything once reflected in that bright blue now in the deep chocolate brown.
He glances up. They are nearing their destination. Apparently the pink jacket she's wearing is bad for this trip. Something about how Verunites respond to colours. She mumbles something about 'Okay,' and 'Goin' to change,' before fully realising what she's saying, so caught up in these thoughts as she is.
She knows he saw it. At least at first. She could tell - even through her own shock - when the shutters began falling over his eyes and the armour began quickly reassembling itself. Realising that things would be different, that she was not accepting the change as he had thought, he quickly withdrew all that explosive personality.
Well, as much as he was able. Which basically meant he was quiet for a bit. Still talking, just.. Quieter.
She couldn't suppress the grin as she pulled the new jacket-replacement-of-an-anything-but-pink colour over her head. Nor did she really want to.
Coming back around the corner to the entry room, she paused. She peeked around the corner, just for fun, curiosity, what-have-you. He was no longer bouncing a dance around the console, having finished anything he could have possibly done to it already in various attempts to either not be still, or what she believes to be a way to take his mind off of the sudden dynamic between them. She can't really blame him.
He is standing, hands in pockets as ever, coat trailing to just-off-the-floor. A few more moments of that, and he's rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Now he's swaying side to side. Back and forth. Side to side. She's half expecting to see him spin in a moment. Head bopping up and down to some alien tune he hears in his mind. She ducks back as he leans back to spare a glance towards the hallway, then peers around in time to see him resume his fidgeting.
Back and forth.
Side to side.
Bop bop bop.
She wasn't disappointed in wishing for a spin, as there he goes, hands still in pockets and coat tails swinging around. His eyes are closed now, lost in the tune, and he has a small grin on his face. One of her own finds its way to the surface, bubbling up from the depths of her to break a line in her face showing pearly white teeth. She steps out into the room as quietly as she can, not wanting to either ruin this, or keep him waiting much longer. He still needs that confirmation. Through a stoke of unbelievable luck – perhaps the TARDIS helped – she comes to within a few feet of the now definitely dancing Doctor.
He takes another spin, and opens his eyes as he feels the effect of his coat tails hitting something. Stopping the spin, he looks in front of him. Nothing there. Bizarre. He turns around, and does a remarkable job hiding his surprise at finding Rose nearly arm's distance away.
She smiles. Even more than she had just been. This new-new-Doctor reads the same way the old-Doctor did. She saw the shock as plain as day, written all over his face.
He grins, in the manic way that only he can. He knows he's been caught, on multiple accounts, and doesn't really care a bit. He considers offering her his arm, but decides that it may still be too new a relationship, and opts to simply make sure that his arm isn't flat up against his side as they walk out to Veruna, leaving the decisions with her. His efforts are rewarded when he feels the weight of a slender arm linking through his.
Again, reviews are sustenance for life. Hope you enjoyed it, even if you are a git and don't leave me any feedback.