The nice comments really mean a lot to me 3 Thank you!
Betas: scullywolf and resile
On their way out of the town square, Rose stopped to speak to someone who looked friendly and wasn't occupied with a dance.
"Excuse me," she said, smiling at the woman. "Hi there, I'm Rose. Is there somewhere to stay for the night, like a hotel or something?"
"Yes," the woman answered, a shy smile crossing her face. "Newcomers usually stay at Deadoak Hotel. Only place to stay in town, really, until you find someplace more permanent."
"Thanks," said Rose. "Um… Which way is that, again?"
"You folks didn't read your information packets very well," the woman answered, her kind smile softening any offense. "Go down Main Street until you get to the post office. Take a right on Downy Lane, and it's on the left, beside the next streetlamp."
"Thanks again," Rose replied. She glanced at the Doctor, who was standing next to her, letting her put some of her weight on his arm, smiling his perfunctory smile. She moved to leave, and then the woman spoke again.
"I'm Lea," she said. "If you need anything else, I'm a barmaid down at Rusty's."
"I'll remember that."
With a last smile and a wave, Rose and the Doctor finally left the crowded square.
"So," she said when the ambient noise had dropped enough to allow for a normal speaking voice, "when we were walking before, I saw you try out the sonic, but then those blokes came up and I didn't get a chance to ask: did it work?"
The Doctor frowned. "Not properly, no. Might loosen a lock, maybe, but probably won't even open a door. The field is scrambling advanced signals almost completely. If I can find enough contraband parts, I might be able to do some jiggery pokery, get it working enough to get us out of a pinch."
"Not that we ever get into pinches, right?" Rose asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"Avoid pinches, me." He smirked, and Rose lost her composure, laugh echoing along the deserted street. When she was able to stop laughing, she looked up at the Doctor, who was watching her with a soft smile on his face, a warm look in his eyes. She grinned back at him, and they walked in silence for a few steps before the Doctor looked away. "Here's our turn."
They walked down the smaller street. A few businesses lined the road, but they gave way to houses immediately after the well-lit hotel. The Doctor and Rose entered the unlocked front door, Rose suddenly aware of the fact that she was entering a hotel, after dark, alone with someone she…
They'd spent the night together before, when their adventures demanded it, of course - not that they'd be together here - but this felt rather a good deal more domestic, choosing to stay the night in the same building. It wasn't like on the TARDIS; the ship was how they traveled, and they did need to sleep sometimes. This felt different.
The lobby was dim, and a bored-looking clerk sat behind a narrow counter. He was about Rose's age, thin, with hair that fell just below his ears, and he wore a red vest and a pin that identified him as Rupert.
"Hello," she said as they approached the counter. "We need a couple of rooms for the night, thanks."
Rupert nodded, a glimmer of interest shut down by the Doctor's stare. He looked down at some papers in front of him, then looked up again, blinking.
"Wait, you want more than one room?"
"Don't you have more than one?" Rose asked. "Seems like there aren't many new people 'round here right now."
"Well- I don't-" He looked between the two of them. "Are you her father, then?" he asked the Doctor.
"What? No," blurted Rose.
"No," said the Doctor, firmly.
"Then ya'll are married, right? Cause women aren't allowed to travel without having a chaperone, and there's no way pretty girl like you could be chaperoned by a man who ain't her husband." He blushed, ducking his head and covering his face with his brown mop of hair.
She frowned. "What are you-"
"A room for me and the missus will be fine, thanks," the Doctor interrupted her. "We like to get separate rooms when we travel, but we can share if it'll be a problem." He glanced at Rose, then around the empty room, leaning in conspiratorially toward Rupert and speaking again in a loud whisper. "She snores. Loudly."
"Oi," protested Rose, elbowing him, and he looked at her seriously.
"He needs to know in the event they get noise complaints like the last place we stayed."
"I suppose there's not likely to be a toaster here for you to catch fire," she returned, tongue creeping between her teeth as she recalled a recent visit to a future Earth-like planet.
He turned back to the clerk. "It was better off on fire. Trust me."
The young clerk stared, hand frozen in reaching for a pen.
"We're joking," she said, patting the Doctor's arm and trying to look non-threatening. "We won't cause any trouble, okay?"
"Alright," he said, cautiously sliding paper and pen in front of the Doctor. "Need your signature anywhere on the page, and it'll be fifty cents for the night."
"Ah." The Doctor rummaged through pockets, bringing out the remaining coins and handing them over. "Last we've got," he told Rose while signing the blank paper.
"Then I just need you to print your names here," said Rupert, putting a large book in front of them, long lines filled with names of recent guests. She watched the Doctor sign them in - Doctor and Mrs. Tyler - and her mouth went dry.
She'd already been having trouble not thinking of him that way, and they were about to share a room for the night?
"Your room is 204. Up the stairs, even numbers are on the right. Facilities are at the end of the hall." He nodded to a narrow stairway at the back of the lobby, then busied himself with his paperwork again in clear dismissal.
When they reached the stairs, Rose let go of the Doctor and went first, holding on to the railing. Maybe it would be separate beds, at least. That was normal in old towns, right? People didn't sleep in the same bed all the time, she was certain she'd read. Almost certain. When she got to their door, the Doctor held out a key, and Rose unlocked it and stepped in.
A lamp had been left lit so they could see. A glance behind her showed that the small room made the Doctor seem very large.
The small room they would be sharing, posing as a married couple.
The small room with one, tiny bed and no other furniture but a dresser and a miniscule bedside table holding a lamp. The single bed left barely enough room for someone to scoot along each edge, and not much more room between the foot of the bed and the dresser.
The Doctor shut the door behind him, locking it and leaving the key in the knob. He quickly scanned the room, then smiled tightly at Rose.
"Home, sweet home." He leaned against the wall next to the door, arms crossed. Rose chuckled nervously.
"Doesn't really compare to the TARDIS, does it?"
"Not much does."
"That's true." Rose sat on the end of the bed, picking at a thumbnail, and the Doctor watched her.
"Rose," he said, waiting for her to look at him properly before he continued. "You don't need to be uncomfortable. Floor suits me just fine." He grinned at her.
Rose shook her head. "Room's too small. Isn't even somewhere you can properly lie down."
"Then I'll sit. Don't need much sleep, me."
She shook her head again. "You haven't really slept since… Since you got taken by the reaper, yeah? You need to sleep. Doesn't seem like we can get two rooms, least not without making a fuss, and what if we're stuck here for more than just tonight? Besides, I've shared a bed with mates before. No big deal." She felt a little more convinced she could handle herself after voicing the words. She looked back at the Doctor, who continued studying her.
"We've shared a room before, and you didn't seem terribly uncomfortable."
"We've shared a jail cell before. Bit different."
"True," he said, glancing at the floral quilt and then back at Rose. Were his eyes darker, or was she projecting her own desires onto him? She cleared her throat.
"Right. So," she said, voice more confident than she felt, "don't have a book or telly in here, and I'm knackered anyway. Gonna go use the loo and then get some sleep."
The Doctor nodded, and she stood, unlocking the door and walking to the end of the hall. She finished quickly, splashing some cool water on her face before heading back to the room.
She walked back in, locking the door, taking a breath before turning around. She would not spend the whole time feeling like a lovesick teenager. She refused. She faced the room. The Doctor's jacket was draped over the dresser, and he was in bed, quilt pulled up to the chest of his maroon jumper. Enough empty space for a child remained beside him.
Rose swallowed, then made her way the few steps to the bed, gingerly lifting the quilt and scooting in beside him. He moved a little closer to his edge, and she was able to get herself entirely on the mattress, one whole side of her body pressed against the Doctor's.
Just mates. That's all. No big deal, she repeated to herself.
"Rose?" The Doctor sounded concerned.
"Yeah?"
"You all right? You weren't breathing."
The air rushed out of her.
"Yeah. Fine."
The Doctor turned off the lamp, and the room was plunged into darkness. She could hear his slow, steady breath, smell the lingering scent of leather, hear her heart beating loudly. She closed her eyes and focused on taking even breaths. This seemed so much easier for him.
"Doctor?" Her voice was soft in the dark.
"Hmm?"
"Do you do this a lot? Sleep with people, I mean?"
"Well," he answered, "I share a bed more often than I actually sleep with someone."
Rose was silent, processing his words, and she felt him turn on his side so he was facing her.
"I meant cause I don't sleep often," he said, amusement seeping into his voice. "Humans. Obsessed with sex, the lot of you."
"Are Time Lords? Or… I mean… do you…" She was glad he probably couldn't see her blushing, though given how hot her face felt, it was possible she glowed.
"Do I ever share a bed for fun, you mean?" he asked, words a little rougher but still amused.
"Yeah."
"I'm nine hundred years old, Rose. What do you think?"
"Right," she said, falling silent again.
If she took that as a yes, then that meant that he could be attracted to people. Was he attracted to her? If he didn't like her that way, would she muck things up if he knew how she felt? She'd rather have him as a friend, a companion, than not at all.
Though they weren't touching while he was on his side, she could still sense him, feel where the bed dipped under his weight, the slight heat radiating from his cooler-than-human body. He rolled to his back, his side pressing against her once more. She could feel hard muscle under soft cloth, and she wondered what he would feel like, if she skimmed her fingers along his chest, slipped them under his shirt, her warmer skin against his…
Think of something else, she ordered herself. She pictured the smile he wore when something genuinely amused him, the look of admiration - sometimes laced with frustration - he wore when she took a stand, felt his steady presence, his hand in hers. There were moments of darkness, almost desperation, and moments of joy and delight, celebratory hugs with her whole body pressed against him…
She felt a rush of heat and suppressed a groan. Maybe it had just been much too long. That's why she couldn't keep her mind off the physical, especially with the Doctor. If he did that, if he wanted to do that with her, surely he'd have made it clear by now. He must not want her that way. And that was fine, really, just-
"Rose?"
She started at the sudden noise.
"Yeah?"
He took a long breath. "Goodnight."
She released her own breath. "Goodnight, Doctor."
Rose rolled to her side, facing away from him. Sleep. That's what she needed right now. She'd get some sleep, and in the morning, they'd find a way to get the TARDIS, and everything would go back to normal.
Reviews!
JessiePie6: Thank you! I'm very much enjoying working with this idea. All sorts of things to play with.
SolomnlySwearToManageMischief: I'm happy to hear that! The Doctor and Rose getting into trouble?! Nah ;)
.