The Doctor was annoyed. There was no real need for it but for some reason he was mad and hurt at the fact that Jack and Rose had gone off into the TARDIS alone for the third day in a row. They claimed they were only exploring, but each time they came back they had great big grins on their faces and every time they looked at each other they cracked up laughing.
The Doctor felt left out and… jealous. He knew he shouldn't. He really shouldn't. But Rose was just so gorgeous and beautiful and smart and brave and… the Doctor knew it could never go any further than the occasional fleeting thought of him kissing her. She probably didn't even feel the same way.
He heard laughter and threw down the part of the TARDIS he was trying to mend. That was the final straw he was going to go and find out exactly what they were up to. He wandered quietly down the corridor and paused in the doorway of the room where Rose and Jack were 'playing'.
The Doctor could feel the jealousy roaring like an angry beast in his chest. Rose and Jack were rolling round on the floor tickling each other. Innocent to anybody else but the Doctor had the feeling there was more to it than that. He cleared his throat and Rose and Jack looked up giggling.
"Hello, Doctor," Rose laughed, holding Jack's hands above his head as she sat on his stomach.
"Care to get her off me?" Jack asked chuckling still. The Doctor just stared at the pair of them and stormed off back to the console room. Rose frowned.
"Doctor?" She called after him, standing up and following. Jack was right behind her and the pair of them caught up with the Doctor in the console room.
"Doctor what's wrong?" Jack asked frowning, concerned.
"You two could always lock the door," the Doctor replied darkly. "I don't really need to see your antics."
"Doctor, what are you on about?" Rose walked up to the console and stood next to him, watching him carefully. "We were just playing."
"Didn't look like playing," the Doctor replied, leaning heavily on the console.
"You don't… Doctor there's nothing going on between us," Rose said looking at him oddly. "If that's what you mean."
"If you say so," the Doctor replied. "It's just that you disappear for hours on end each day, what am I supposed to think?"
"Are you jealous?" Asked Jack incredulously.
"And what if I am?" The Doctor shot back glaring at him.
"Well, there's no need to be, because we aren't doing anything," Jack said raising an eyebrow at Rose.
"Doctor," Rose paused. "Why are you so jealous? I mean do you not want me and Jack to be together?"
The Doctor looked up at her finally, the pain and jealousy evident in his eyes. He could tell her, after all he was already in their bad books, it's not like he'd act on his feelings.
"I just can't stand the though of you two being together," he said quietly. "I know it's not fair and you should be able to do whatever you want, but it hurts so much Rose."
Rose almost laughed with relief.
"Silly old Time Lord," she said resting a hand on top of his. "We're not together. You know that there's only one man for me."
"Really?" Asked the Doctor looking at her carefully, trying to detect anything that might say she was joking.
"Think about it," Rose said. "Think about everything we do. Do you really think I'm that close with anyone I don't love?"
Ooh. She'd let it slip now. But did she mean it. The Doctor glanced at Jack and could tell that neither of them were up to anything.
"Sorry," the Doctor whispered.
"S'not your fault," Rose replied. "What else were you supposed to think?"
They stood for a moment in awkward silence and Jack got the feeling he was playing gooseberry.
"You know, I fancy a drink, anyone else for one?" He asked quickly as the Doctor and Rose looked suspiciously like they'd forgotten he was there.
"Yes," the Doctor said looking up and trying very hard not to turn red. "I'll get them. I need something stronger than the stuff you humans have."
Rose looked at Jack and grinned. Jack rolled his eyes and made a tutting noise. The Doctor went off and managed to come back with wine for the other two and an odd looking concoction for himself.
"What is that?" Rose asked looking at the opaque yellow liquid and trying not to let her imagination run away with her.
"Vodka sunrises," the Doctor replied. "The only drink in the universe that will get a Time Lord drunk. I wouldn't advise either of you to drink it mind."
"Right," Jack said. "You'll need glasses."
"Yeah, hold these," the Doctor said handing the drinks to his two companions. "Be right back."
The Doctor found it incredibly hard to find clean glasses and was surprised by what some of the dirty ones were covered in. There were even several with lipstick on, in colours which he was sure he'd never seen Rose wear.
As he made his way back to the console room he could hear Rose and Jack laughing again, but this time he didn't feel so bad he knew they were only messing about. Or at least that's what he thought until he caught sight of them.
Rose was giggling and looking up at Jack, who had his arms wrapped round her, in a way the Doctor longed for her to look at him.
"Nothings going on?" The Doctor asked and the pair sprang apart. "Think I'm stupid don't you?"
"Doctor, no-" Jack began.
"I'm not talking to you," the Doctor cut across him.
"Doctor," Rose said, touching his arm gently. The Doctor flinched. "I was being stumbled and tripped. Jack caught me. That's all."
The Doctor wanted to believe her but somehow he just couldn't. Rose and Jack watched him sadly.
"Why don't you believe us?" Jack asked. The Doctor looked up.
"I want to, I really do, but…" he trailed off. Rose bit her lip for a moment, before bringing her hand up to the Doctor's cheek.
"Will you believe me if I do this?" She asked, kissing him gently. The Doctor felt his spin tingle as an electric current passed straight through him. Rose Tyler was kissing him. The one person he thought could never love him really did.
"It might help…" the Doctor said a little flustered when they broke apart. Rose grinned.
After that the Doctor felt a little better. He apologised to the pair of them again and they had the drink they'd bought out. Rose found the Doctor hilarious when he was drunk. Especially when he started singing in a very high voice.
"You spin me right round, baby right round!" The Doctor said, turning, the bottle of Vodka Sunrises in his hand still.
Rose giggled at the funny sight and Jack almost snorted wine straight through his nose.
After that the night got a bit hazy. They all vaguely remembered something to do with strawberries, ice cream and strangely, Beano comics, but other than that the only memory of the night was a very big headache the next morning.
The Doctor turned over in bed and groaned. There was someone sleeping next to him right under the covers and somehow he didn't dare look. He really shouldn't be in bed with Rose. It was breaking so many time laws and there were so many complications. He sat up and rubbed his face before glancing down at the vague shape of the person sleeping next to him. Pulling the covers down he got the shock of his life.
"Jack?" He asked wide-eyed. Jack opened his eyes and almost toppled out of bed. This was accompanied by snorts of laughter from across the room. Rose was doubled over pointing at the pair of them. Jack grinned.
"Well hello, didn't expect to find myself in bed with you," he said. The Doctor shoved him out the bed and found his jaw hanging open once more. Jack was wearing the Doctor's underwear.
"Oh dear lord, pleas say we didn't," the Doctor glanced under the covers and found he was indeed wearing Jack's underwear.
"You didn't," Rose managed to say. "You had a competition to see who could get the other's underwear on first. Nothing happened."
"That's the last time I let you two talk me into alcohol!" The Doctor scolded but he was smiling now. The other two stared at him.
"It was your idea!" They said in unison and the Doctor ducked as pillows were thrown at him.