Part Two.
They had landed near a campsite, among a grim looking collection of portaloos
"Charming," Rose muttered.
"Well, at least we're a bit less… conspicuous here," the Doctor offered.
She gazed at the big blue box that sat in the midst of the big grey boxes, and then turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.
"Alright, alright. Not my fault, anyway."
She grinned at him and linked her arm through his as they made their way through the campsite, carefully stepping over various people in assorted states of consciousness, and picking an unsteady path through the sea of tents around them. The sun continued to beat down on them, a dry heat that seemed to wash over Rose's skin. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the warmth bathe her face.
"Haven't seen the sun for a while," he commented softly.
She smiled happily up at him. "Nope."
"It suits you."
"What suits me?"
"Sunlight."
And he turned and quickened his pace so that Rose had to run a few steps to catch up with him. She said nothing, just slipped her hand into his and looked around, taking in the sight before them. Obviously they'd landed near one of the better sites, because they'd emerged into the entrance area between the campsites and the stages. They could hear music drifting towards them, mixed with the inevitable noises of the crowd.
The Doctor looked at his watch. "Quarter to five," he told her. "The good bands'll be on the main stage from now on, then."
"Yeah?" she dragged him towards the entrance. "I like the sound of this one. And how d'you know about this sort of thing?"
He grinned. "Well I have to have a break from saving the worlds sometimes, don't I?"
"S'pose so."
The Doctor flashed his psychic paper to get them in, and they made their way through the crowds until they were near the main stage, the music now loud and hypnotic.
Wait in line
Til your time
Ticking clock
Everyone stop…
Rose felt the music start to flow through her as the crowd around them moved in time to the beat and heat filtered through her. Someone nearby lost their balance and a domino effect caused her to fall against the Doctor, his hands sliding around her waist to steady her. He kept them there, making her skin tingle even through the thin fabric of her top. She looked over her shoulder at him and saw his eyes fixed on the stage ahead of them, expression unreadable.
Do you believe
In what you see?
Motionless wheel
Nothing is real
Wasting my time
In the waiting line
Do you believe in
What you see?
She vaguely remembered him mentioning once that Gallifreyans had lower body temperatures than humans. He certainly didn't look as hot as she felt, and his hands were wonderfully cool; her top kept riding up as she moved to the music, and each time it did he idly let his hands meet her skin. After a while he just kept them there, tracing patterns on her skin with his fingers.
She felt dizzy. She didn't know if it was the heat, or his touch, or the music, but it didn't matter because he seemed to sense it, and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her to hold her steady. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him, letting it all wash over her.
Nothing is real…It was all so infectious, and her body seemed to move along with everyone else's completely without her mind's influence. She felt the Doctor close behind her; she wasn't sure if this friction was her dancing or him dancing or both, but suddenly it wasn't the sun or the crowd that was making her hot. The world around her started spinning, and she felt his arms tighten around her before everything fell sideways.
"Just after attention, you are." He was pulling bits of grass up from the ground, watching her with amusement sparkling in his eyes.
She blinked.
"How'd I g –"
"I think, Rose Tyler, that you fainted." He grinned as if this was the most fantastic thing ever.
"I did not faint. Impossible." She stuck her chin out indignantly. "I do not faint."
She realised that her fainting in the middle of a heaving mass of people in the middle of a field was possibly not the greatest move she could have made. Blushing, she also realised that he must have carried her out here.
His grin widened, but he let it go with a quiet, "Humans…"
She threw some grass at him.
"You alright, then?"
No.
She nodded. Actually, she felt like every inch of her was on fire, and she was sure she was getting sunburnt, but she didn't say anything. Her throat was too dry.
"I'll go and find you some water then, shall I?" he smirked.
She lay down on the warm grass, lolling childishly, and stuck her tongue out at him for good measure as he sauntered off. She drummed her fingers on her stomach absently as she lay there, relishing the feeling of being able to breathe normally. She didn't dwell too much on her close contact with the Doctor, and how it had affected her. They often had little moments like this – like back in the TARDIS – and she usually handled them by brushing them aside. Sometimes she wondered if they were all in her mind, anyway; she still didn't trust the TARDIS when it came to her subconscious.
She was so absorbed in her musings – concentrating so hard, of course, on not dwelling on the Doctor that her mind was completely wrapped up in him – that she didn't notice a tall figure approach her, squinting against the glaring sun.
"Excuse me…"
Rose sat up, taking in the messy dark brown hair and luminous green eyes of the stranger. She flashed him her brightest smile.
"May I…?"
Hell yes!
"Sure."
He sat, producing a can of beer from his pocket as he did so, which he held out to Rose in offering. She took it gratefully, wrapping her hands around the cold metal before opening it and drinking.
She grinned as she handed it back to him a few moments later. "Sorry, thirsty."
"It's cool," he took a swig, surveying the scene before them. Then he turned to her.
"I'm Alex, by the way."
"Rose," she smiled again. "You here with mates, or…?"
Or your girlfriend?
He nodded, taking another swig of beer. "Uni friends, yeah. You?"
"Just the one. Friend, I mean." She scanned the people milling around near them. "He should be around, actually."
"You guys looked pretty… close, in the crowd back there." He nodded towards the stage.
She looked at him sharply. "How d'you – "
"I, uh…" he laughed, embarrassed, "I was the idiot who fell on you, remember?" He grinned.
"Sorry," he added as an afterthought.
"Oh," she said, laughing. "I forgive you, I promise. But we're not like that. Close, yeah, but close friends."
"Well. Good." He handed the can back to her. "So, Rose. Tell me about yourself."
Well, I spend most of my time travelling through time and space with an alien who's about eight hundred and eighty years older than me. He's called the Doctor. He'd probably not like you very much…
"Well, not much to tell." She smiled disarmingly. She hoped. "I travel around a bit…"
Song by Zero 7. I quoted it because I wrote most of this chapter to the song, and it's dreamy. Plot gets interesting in the next part, I promise ;)