Rose had been worrying about this for the bigger part of the afternoon now. It started when they were still on the planet. When they were lying on their backs, enjoying the sun and Mickey had announced that they were the three musketeers. The Doctor loved the idea and immediately started rambling about sword fights and damsels in distress. He even jumped up and demonstrated how he would save his damsel by climbing her tower, a tower looking very much like a tree Rose noted.
And that's when Rose started thinking about it. Tonight. Mickey would definitely be suspicious if she claimed to need some more time before bed again. She could claim to not be tired, and stay up. But what if he insisted to stay up too. Mickey seemed to be scared to miss any minute of this adventure and stayed by their side at all time.
Easiest would be to just tell him, let him join in, as he wanted so much. But something was stopping her.
She would have to have a word with the Doctor, get him alone for a second. But now was clearly not the time, as he seemed to be on another sugar high and climbed and chased everything he could find.
"Ohhh what a day!" The Doctor exclaimed as he happily let himself fall into the seat in the control room. "That was brilliant!"
Rose sat down next to him. She smiled at his intense happy face.
"I'll get some drinks." Mickey announced, wanting to prove himself useful.
As soon as he had left for the kitchen, Rose bend over to lean close to the Doctor.
"Doctor, about tonight." She whispered.
The Doctor turned his face to observe her. His mischievous eyes sparkled, he was clearly hoping for some secret or promises of an adventure.
"When we go to bed yeah, we'll all leave for our rooms. Wait fifteen minutes and then come to my room. Mickey won't buy another act like last night."
"I was very good at turning off those lights." The Doctor replied a little insulted. "But Rose I still don't get…" But he never finished the sentence because Mickey had re-entered the room and Rose clearly didn't want Mickey to know. He decided to ask again when he would come over that night.
After they all wished each other goodnight they left for their rooms. The Doctor's was down another hallway then Mickey's and Rose's, he stared after them as they disappeared around the corner together.
He went to his own room, stripped of his jacket and tie and sat down on his bed. Now he was supposed to wait. He liked having Mickey around, but if it was going to be like this every night he had half a mind to leave him on a planet somewhere.
He took his shoes off and scooted further on the bed. He rested his hands on his stomach and stared around the room, wishing for time to pass quickly.
Finally he decided he had waited long enough. He jumped up and made his way to Rose's room on his socks.
He stood outside her door trying to decide what to do. Should he knock? Would that alarm Mickey? But he couldn't just barge in, could he?
He decided on a very soft knock. He thought he heard Rose whispering a very quiet 'yeah', so he opened the door.
Rose was sitting up in bed. She had changed to her PJs and gotten under the covers.
She smiled at him and gestured him over. He closed the door and made his way to her bed.
"So, which one do you want?" She asked.
"Cinderella" He beamed as he lay down next to her on his side, arm under his head, facing her.
"Again?" She laughed, but picked up the requested storybook from beside the bed and opened it.
Before she could start though, the Doctor had to know.
"Rose, why all the secrecy?"
Rose sighed and looked at him.
"Because he'd want to be here too." She answered dejectedly. "He wants to be everywhere where we are and do everything we do. I love him and I'm happy he's with us, but it used to be you and me. Just you and me and I liked that. I like being alone with you. Our talks, our jokes. All of a sudden it's the three of us all the time." She felt a little bad about it, but it was what she felt.
She stared at the duvet in thought.
A few minutes silence followed, in which the Doctor closely observed Rose's face.
"Rose" He broke the silence.
She turned her head to look down at him on the pillow.
"I like being alone with you too." He almost whispered up at her.
She smiled sweetly at him, feeling a bit better about it all.
"Ready for your story?" She asked.
"Absolutely!" He smiled
And Rose started to read from the book.