The Doctor and Donna are in a brand new relationship and decide to try something new for Christmas. Donna faces some of her fears. This chapter is definitely T rated.
I wrote this one very quickly this morning and only proofread it once, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes. :)
I want to thank Alittleteapot for leaving me a nice guest review on the last chapter!
Donna clutched the Doctor's arm as she looked around the room in awe. It was like something out of a television program. The massive entry hall was only the first part of an entire building made to look like a Viking castle. Everything was wooden and dark, with intricate carvings on the walls and only candles for light. All sorts of people, Christmas tourists like herself and the Doctor, continued to spill into the room, chattering amongst themselves as they looked around. Most of the men wore big, brown faux-fur coats, while most of the women wore brightly colored capes that looked to be straight out of Little Red Riding Hood.
"It's gorgeous," she said to the Doctor.
"Isn't it? Just remember that this is only an interpretation. It has almost nothing in common with actual Viking civilizations or customs," he said. "It's been over a billion years since the Vikings existed on Earth, so these people are just grasping at straws."
"I know. You've already told me," she reminded him. "Don't go into full-on lecture mode again, please."
"Just didn't want you to think we're at Epcot again." He poked her side, making her squirm. "I'll take you to see the real thing later if you want."
"Yeah, yeah." She elbowed him, chuckling despite herself. "Do you think we could get some of those coats? I'm getting cold."
"Sure. Come on." The Doctor led her to a stand by the entrance where hundreds of coats and capes hung. "They're free to borrow, so just find one in your size that you like."
There were no heating systems in the Vikings' day, and so the air in the castle was maintained at a freezing temperature to better mimic the climate. Never mind that it was about a billion degrees outside, with palm-like trees everywhere. Even the entrance hall, with its doors wide open, was chilly.
Donna dug through the capes until she found one in purple. It was lined with thick white faux-fur, and was surprisingly warm and comfortable on. She grinned as she turned to find the Doctor.
He had found a coat of his own, a brown one that matched his suit perfectly. Donna couldn't help but hug him as he approached her. He gladly accepted, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What's this for?"
"Dunno. You just look all snuggly and cute in that coat," she admitted, blushing. She pulled back a bit and smiled, letting him know her intentions before she leaned up to share a chaste kiss with him. They had officially been a couple for all of three hours, and she felt incredibly shy about sharing her affection with him. They were on their first official date, and she'd just initiated their first public kiss. Not that they hadn't always broadcasted the whole 'we're a couple thing' anyway, even before they had actually become one. It was still special, and it left her wanting more.
"Purple is lovely on you," he said, and squeezed her tight before letting go. He reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers. "Are you ready for the tour?"
"I think so," she replied.
They joined the line of people who were waiting for the big doors at the end of the hall to open, and chatted with another couple while they waited. The young men were eager to share everything they knew about Vikings, and Donna could feel the Doctor tense every time they got something wrong. Still, he behaved himself and didn't correct them, so she squeezed his hand in sympathy while she oohed and aahed at the appropriate times.
Eventually, everyone finished getting their coats on, and the tour began. The two tour guides walked them through the massive building, sharing facts and stories with the group. The Doctor even seemed to enjoy himself, though he couldn't help but whisper into Donna's ear when the guides said something completely ludicrous about the Vikings being able to make snowmen come to life.
"That's from that movie with the magical sister. What's it called? Oh, it's…" He sighed. "Well, it's not out for a few years yet, your time, anyway."
Donna just shook her head and quietly shushed him.
Eventually, the tour ended and they were sat down to a feast. All sorts of food covered the long tables, bowls and plates overflowing and meant to be served family style. Towering Christmas trees rose up towards the ceiling, and a live band played what was supposed to be traditional Viking Christmas music.
The Doctor leaned close to her and opened her mouth, but Donna beat him to it. "I know the Vikings didn't have electronic keyboards. Thank you."
"I wasn't going to say that," he whined. "I was-"
"I also know that they didn't celebrate Christmas."
"Well, they did have Yule, which is where Christmas finds its roots." He grinned at her, obviously pleased with himself. "Anyway, I was going to tell you that they're actually playing the theme song to a television show about Vikings."
Donna just shook her head as she began filling her plate with food. The same couple from earlier joined them at their table, and they enjoyed talking while they ate.
Eventually, it was time for bed. The thought of an overnight stay in a castle had Donna excited. She and the Doctor walked down the long hallway where the bedrooms were located, until they came to the right door. The room was dark, and she was pleased to find a light switch on one wall. She flicked it on and laughed when fake candles lit up around the room. She hadn't realized that the ones throughout the whole castle weren't real.
The room looked cozy, with a large bed covered in blankets and a fireplace along one wall. The Doctor found a switch to turn it on, and a warm fire blazed to life. "It's not real either," he told her, and then his face lit up as he remembered something. "Oh, we're supposed to have a hot tub in the bathroom. Let's go see!"
Donna followed him into the ensuite and gasped at how large it was. A normal looking tub, sink and toilet were enclosed in a separate glass area on the left, but to the right was a large, bubbling hot tub with steam coming off the water. The whole room was nice and warm, and she took a deep breath.
"Want to get in?" the Doctor asked, as he practically bounced on his toes.
Donna sighed. It did sound nice, but she couldn't. "I didn't bring my swim suit. I didn't expect anything like this."
The Doctor tugged at his ear. "I didn't bring mine either. We could…"
"What?" she asked. "Wear our clothes in? But they'll never dry and we'll freeze."
"Maybe we could take them off first," he suggested. "It's just me and you here. It'd be nice to warm up."
Donna's heart raced as she considered it. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready to show him her body. He was always telling her that she was beautiful, but he hadn't seen all of her. She was really nothing to look at, with her big hips and her soft, round tummy, and she would hate to disappoint him if she wasn't what he expected. Not to mention that she would be beyond humiliated. She'd been through enough of that with her previous boyfriends. If he called her a whale like more than one of them had done, she would probably die. "I- I don't want you to see me," she said, her voice soft. "I'm not… I'm not exactly thin, and I just don't want you to be…. You might not like..."
"Donna." He said her name so softly and gently that she could barely hear him. He reached for her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and cradling her against his chest. "It's okay if you don't want to, but please don't make your decision based on what you think I might do or say. I've told you, you're beautiful, so beautiful to me. You don't need to be worried."
"But I'm not beautiful," she said. "I'm really not."
"You are though." He smiled, and the look in his eyes was so deeply, sincerely loving, that she had to look away. "And you're precious to me, Donna. I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I know," she admitted. He wouldn't deliberately hurt her, but if she saw disgust in his eyes… "I just don't think I can do it. I'm sorry."
"There's no reason to be sorry," he said, and he pulled her into a proper hug. "Do you want to go warm up by the fire?"
"Yes, please." She took his offered hand and let him start to lead her back into the bedroom. As she walked, a strange courage came over her. He really wouldn't hurt her, would he? He wasn't anything at all like her previous boyfriends. Surely he'd seen other less than perfect bodies in his nine hundred years. She took a deep breath and stopped walking, pulling him to a stop. "I think the hot tub might warm us up faster."
"Yeah?" the Doctor turned to face her, grinning. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," she said, softly.
They walked back into the ensuite and began getting ready. Their outer layers came off first, and Donna was surprised by how cold it was in the room despite the hot tub. She shivered as she bent to remove her shoes. The Doctor was making quick progress on his shirt, and she found herself watching as he removed it. He only smiled when he noticed her watching, and continued on, shimmying out of his t-shirt. His bare chest had a nice smattering of hair in the middle, and his stomach was perfectly flat. Even his arms and shoulders were nice. He was really quite gorgeous all over, and Donna blushed when she noticed the thin trail of hair below his belly button that disappeared into his trousers.
She found herself getting shy again, but she pushed through it and removed her trousers and underwear. Her shirt was long enough to cover her bottom and problem bits, but he could see her legs, and he seemed to like them from the way he was staring. He made quick work of taking off his own trousers and underwear, and then he was stood naked in front of her. He looked completely human, she was relieved to see, but he could be a model. Definitely not like her. She forced herself to smile at him as he moved to get into the hot tub, not wanting him to think that she didn't like what she saw. Because she definitely did. A lot.
"Ooh, it's hot," he hissed, as he sank into the bubbling water. He grinned up at her. "Coming in?"
"I don't know..." She took a deep breath and prepared herself. In one solid move, she removed her shirt and bra and dashed into the water, sinking down low to hide herself. The water felt incredibly warm against her cold skin, and she gasped at the sensation. "Hot!"
"I told you," he said, and laughed.
They soaked in silence for several minutes before either of them said anything else, but then the Doctor turned towards Donna. "Doing okay?"
"Yeah. My muscles are still a bit sore from that trip to the Arhos Galaxy's Largest Mall, so it feels really nice."
"Good." He found her hand under the water. "I just want you to know that I did see you. And Donna Noble, don't you ever try to tell me that you're not beautiful ever again. I won't hear it because I know better. You are gorgeous."
Donna blushed, trying to fight tears. She could hear the honesty in his tone and see it in his eyes, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that he really believed it. No man had ever told her that before. Even the nice ones had suggested losing a few pounds. Unable to form words, she just squeezed his hand. She knew she wasn't considered beautiful on Earth, but maybe, just maybe, she could accept that she really was beautiful to this sweet alien man.
Eventually, she managed to let him know that she felt the same about him, and they enjoyed soaking and talking together for the better part of an hour.
As she crawled into bed next to the Doctor, Donna smiled. She'd had the best day ever, even if she was freezing cold from leaving the hot tub behind. She buried herself under the layers of blankets, shivering. The Doctor wrapped her in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his middle. She was so cold that even he felt warm. It took a while for the chill to leave her, but eventually she felt warm and sleepy.
"Good night, my love," the Doctor said, softly, as he kissed the top of her head. "Happy Christmas."
"G'night," she managed to murmur, before she fell asleep.