The Bits in Between
Chapter Six: Jealous
By Lumendea
AN: This takes place during The Tyler Factor while Rose is dating the Tenth Doctor and at university. A little something for the Tenth Doctor as we haven't seen him for a while.
…..
Rose's apartment building was a very nice one. Honestly, the place was much fancier than the Powell Estates had been, and there was a part of her that still struggled to believe she actually lived there. It even had a covered carpark that she greatly appreciated. Rose pulled her motorcycle into her spot and turned it off before pulling off her helmet. Sitting on her bike for a moment, Rose reached up and loosed her long blonde hair from the messy bun it had been in.
She stowed her helmet and thought she heard someone near the doorway into the building. However, when she glanced over, there was no one. With practised movements, Rose pulled off her gloves and stashed them and the helmet in the back case of the bike. She paused in the entry of the building long enough to check her mailbox, but there was only a postcard from Jo. Rose flipped it over with a smile, glancing through the short message from Arizona in the United States.
Taking the stairs up to her floor, Rose once again thought she caught sight of someone peering out at her, but when she looked, there was no one there. The building was largely quiet in the calm Friday afternoon. Most people were still at work or classes. She pulled out her key to unlock her front door when a door three down from hers opened.
"Rose," a soft voice called.
Rose didn't know her neighbours well, but she was familiar with the tall figure that stepped out into the hallway. Patrick was a chemistry major and a year older than her, with dark hair and kind green eyes. He always said hello to her when they passed each other. Today, however, he was holding flowers, a collection of red, yellow, and pink blossoms. Rose's eyes widened slightly, and nervousness flooded her system. It was too late to run.
"Hello, Patrick," Rose said. Despite her nervousness, she gave him a warm smile. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well," Patrick said. He came to a stop in front of Rose and, with a nervous smile, extended the flowers to her. "Here… these are for you."
Automatically Rose reached out and took the flowers. They were lovely, and she brought them up to smell without thinking about it. A sweet floral scent filled her senses. "Thank you, that's very sweet, Patrick."
"Uh, look, Rose, I know we've never spoken that much, but I like you a lot." Patrick struggled not to fidget and gave her another gentle smile. "Can I take you out for lunch? Or dinner? Maybe see a movie?"
For a moment, Rose's brain stopped working. She tried to remember how this was supposed to go. "Patrick, that is very sweet and flattering," Rose said. She gave him a slightly sympathetic day. "You've made my day, but I have a boyfriend."
Patrick looked stunned. "Oh… I'm sorry. I've never seen you with anyone…."
"He's a doctor and works overseas," Rose explained quickly. "When he's in England, we tend to stay in. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"I see, well uh, thank you." Patrick stepped back, and Rose grimaced on his behalf. "Have a good day."
"You too," Rose said.
Patrick all but ran away, vanishing back into his apartment. Rose looked down at the flowers in her hand. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with them now. Going over to Patrick's to return them seemed too awkward, and they were fresh, so she didn't want to throw them away. She unlocked the door and stepped into her flat. Rose went into the kitchen and found a small water pitcher that would suit. Filling it with water, she gently put the flowers into the water and let them spread out. The splash of colour was nice against the plain white of her kitchen. With a small smile, Rose smelled them again and then returned to her regular evening.
The sound of the TARDIS three hours and two homework assignments later made Rose look up from her desk and grin. She jumped up and grabbed a few books from the shelf to weigh down the papers scattered about. The TARDIS materialised with the familiar grinding sound, and Rose inched closer to it. The door opened, and her brown-eyed Doctor stepped out with a wide smile. Rose launched herself into his arms, humming happily when his arms came up around her.
"Missed you," Rose whispered.
"Missed you," the Doctor replied.
Rose loosened her grip on the Doctor just enough to turn her head towards him. He was smiling down at her, but then he stopped. His eyes were on the flowers sitting on the counter. Rose frowned as the Doctor froze, but then he forced a smile.
"Jackie send you flowers?"
"Oh no," Rose said. Then she chuckled a little. "Funny when you think about it, given she works in a flower shop."
"Sharon and Shireen?"
"No, one of my neighbours gave them to me," Rose said. She leaned up and kissed his jaw. "Doesn't matter. I haven't seen you in two weeks."
"A neighbour?"
"Seriously?" Rose gaped at him. "Patrick was just being sweet. I told him I have a boyfriend." The Doctor shifted and looked towards the door, an unfamiliar look on his face. He looked lost. "Doctor!" Dragging him closer, she looked up into his brown eyes and smiled. She brought up her hands and cupped his face before he could move away. "You have no reason to be jealous."
"You kept the flowers," the Doctor said. He swallowed and shifted uneasily. "I don't get you flowers."
"Probably for the best. Might be hard to explain alien blossoms," Rose said. "They were pretty. That's all, and I didn't want to be any harsher than I had already been."
"There are things that I can't give you," the Doctor said.
Ah, Rose thought. There it was. The real reason for the strange reaction. She smiled warmly at him, meeting his eyes.
"Maybe, but I'm still happiest with you."
"Well, I do have the TARDIS," the Doctor agreed. His tone was dismissive, but Rose still saw something in his eyes that she didn't like.
"Doctor, it isn't about the TARDIS or the travelling or the excitement." She caught his chin again and met his gaze. "I love you, and you love me. Doctor, the way you look at me…" Rose could barely breathe as the warmth in his eyes threatened to overwhelm her. "Poets write about that look. People search their whole lives for someone who will look at them at that. When you look at me like that… I feel… it's like I'm the most beautiful person ever. It's like I'm the most fascinating, special, and… I don't even know what else. When I'm with you, I'm happy; I feel safe and fulfilled. Even if you didn't have the TARDIS, weren't an alien, or everything else, I'd still love you and be with you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Rose promised. Then before he could get any other daft idea, she leaned forward to kiss him. "So, you don't have to be jealous."