Warmth
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. It's a fun tv show I have gotten rather addicted to. I also do not own Sentimental Lady, nor do I own Gran Caffe Gambrinus. Apparently it's a cafe in Naples, opened sometime in 1860.
Spoilers: Only slightly for all. Haven't actually seen The Doctor Dances, however, just the preview for it. Am still waiting for it to become available to me. Damn America being behind.
He could sense it. He could feel it when he touched her. He revelled in the perfection of it, how it warmed his soul with a simple touch. When he took her hand in his; when he wiped the tears from her eyes; when he held her in his arms.
It had been a common feeling, back on his planet. His family, friends, and sometimes even random strangers. But he had taken the warmth for granted, and left to explore on his own. He had been young, and hadn't felt the need for romance; he became a renegade without even thinking of the consequences.
But now... Now, thoughts of romance overwhelmed his thoughts. He had become a slave to it; taking Rose to meteor showers and supernovae explosions. Not to mention, of course, his intentions that night when they accidentally arrived in Cardiff... A visit to the brand-new-in-1860 Gran Caffè Gambrinus, and of course, whatever adventure they could land themselves in. But Cardiff?
He sighed, unable to fall asleep with his thoughts on the run like this. He gently ran a hand through Rose's hair -- now tangled from her nightmares, tossing and turning and the like -- and pressed a kiss against her forehead. A sleepy smile graced her lips and she cuddled further into his arms.
He waited a minute, half-afraid she'd have woken from his tentative kiss, but when her breathing returned to normal, he let out a breath as well. When she'd first come to share his bed -- cuddling only, mind you -- he'd felt confident she felt the same for him as he did for her. Of course, at the time it was but a slight fancy, sure to pass at any time, and he hadn't wanted to try too hard in case she fell deeper and he couldn't return the feelings.
But his feelings never dwindled, only amplified.
So the friendly flirting continued, as did the nightly cuddling and the near-death experiences. Then Jack had to come along and ruin his life. He'd gotten her thinking about dancing, of all things, while trying to con her.
'You got the moves? Show me your moves. The world doesn't end cause the Doctor dances.'
Oh, the world had ended, alright. They had danced together, and nothing else had existed. His ears had been filled with the sounds of their hearts beating, her calm breathing, and a song -- Sentimental Lady, by Bob Welch; damn the TARDIS having an adaptable environment.
But then Jack had come in, apologising for interrupting; though the look in his eyes hadn't looked at all apologetic. The music had stopped, and Rose had pulled away from him, an odd look in her eyes.
'Rose, I-' he had started to apologise, but she interrupted him.
'I'm tired. I'll see you tomorrow, Doctor.'
He frowned; she had slept in her own bed that night. It had been the coldest night since he brought her onboard. In fact, if he looked back far enough, it may have been the coldest night for him since he spent that weekend in Antarctica when the TARDIS needed a bit of repairing.
But the next day, life had gone on as if they never had that dance, and she had gone back to his bed as usual that night. Of course, that just meant that there was an invisible tension between them, a line that he'd have to keep away from if he wanted to stay close to her -- and he didn't know if he could live without their closeness, not anymore.
Rose began to stir and he froze. She looked up at him, his face slightly illuminated by the digital clock. A look of concern overtook her beautiful face, and she wiped a tear from his cheek. "What's wrong?" she quietly asked.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing, Rose. Just... A bad dream. Go back to sleep."
A/N: Hope you liked it. I hated writing it, despite my love of writing it. It was intended to just show one point of view. I don't plan to continue it. Right now it's just about unrequited love. But it's open to interpretation.