They stood like that for what seemed like forever, Rose clinging onto the Doctor like she would die without his embrace. But he didn't mind; He liked whenever she would hold onto him, hold his hand, kiss his cheek; which was even more rare. He closed his eyes and inhaled softly, loving the smell of her. She smelled like lavender and honey and a scent he could only identify as Rose. He exhaled softly onto her neck, causing her to sigh with contentment. It was moments like these when he really wanted to kiss her. He wanted to know what her lips tasted like, what her tongue would feel like wrestling with his own. At the feel of his trousers beginning to heavy he closed his eyes and shook the thoughts away. This body was so hormonal. He pulled back from her, knowing full well that if he didn't he would probably kiss her. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her, making her smile. She is so beautifulhe thought. Why can't I break the rules just this once? He closed his eyes again, internally kicking himself. He knew what happened when you went down the just-this-once rout. It's never just this once. Once you give in, it continues. And he didn't want him and Rose to be like that; Just some fling until she died and he got a new companion to play with. He loves Rose. So he wont subject her to that.
He opened his eyes and smiled down at her, "I think we should go back to your mum's flat. She's probably worried." Rose sighed and looked up at the tree, then back at the Doctor,
"Okay," She replied, turning around and trudging through the snow. Her hands fell into her pockets- much to the Doctor's dismay- and she walked fast, as if she didn't want him to stand beside her. He scampered after her, and once he reached her he slowed his pace to match her own foot movements. Rose was oddly quiet. He snuck a look at her while she wasn't paying attention. She seemed fine, yet there was less skip in her step. Even though it was probably due to the fact that Mickey was gone, the Doctor couldn't help but feel like things had gotten worse. Was it something he did? Did he say something wrong? Sometimes he felt he wasn't good for anything. Sure he could save the world half a dozen times, but did they ever thank him? Sometimes people did, but a lot of times the creatures he saved were just so ungrateful..
But Rose never was. If he ever had to save her, if she didn't tell him while they were running for their lives, she'd tell him how much she loved to be with him and that he was wonderful and she was glad to have met him. And then she'd thank him. That's just the type of girl she was; Wonderful and passionate and so kind. The silence was defining, so the Doctor decided to change that,
"So what do you want to do?" He asked, searching her eyes for an answer. She frowned,
"What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes looking at everything but him. He sighed,
"While we're here. Plenty to do, you and me. And Jackie. Let's not forget Jackie. Whatever you want Rose; We could go visit your relatives, go to see a movie, stay in and eat, anything you want and we'll do it. Promise." She finally looked up at him. He was wearing a smile he hoped she returned. She did, but weakly. It was gone as quickly as it had come,
"Dunno," She said, fixating her eyes in front of her, "Guess we could just hang out at the flat 'til Christmas. Leave the next day. That's only four days. Think you'll survive?" Rose stopped and was looking at him seriously. He knew that she would never say it out loud, but she wanted to be with her mother so badly. She didn't get to see her much, but the old him had always hated domestic, so Rose never asked. He hated that. Hated the old him. Sure he may have been able to make the tough decisions faster and done things a bit better than he could have, but the old him held no happiness. He was a dark and unhappy person then. But his love for Rose had changed him, morphed this new body into someone who could love, and play, and flirt, and just be a man that Rose could be playful around. He smiled at her,
"Of course Rose. Take all the time you need." She smiled at him and walked up to her mother's doorstep, pulling out her key. She stuck it in the lock and twisted the knob, opening the door and stepping into the thresh hold of her mother's flat. The Doctor smiled. She was so quiet, so careful, afraid her mother might be asleep. That was Rose Tyler alright; Always looking out for others before she even thought about herself.
"Mum?" Rose tentatively asked, pulling her key from the lock and ushering the Doctor in, "Mum you awake?" Suddenly Jackie Tyler burst into the room, smiling brighter than he was. He frowned, wondering if this was a fake smile Jackie had put on to break some bad news to Rose. But her smile seemed genuine, and suddenly Rose was pulled into her mother's tight embrace.
"Rose!" She shouted excitedly, "Your uncle Todd called a few minutes after you left and when I told him that you were here he said that he was having a christmas party this year and wanted us to come! Can you believe it Rose? You're going to get to see your uncle Todd!" Rose smiled and pulled her mother back,
"Can I talk to him?" She exclaimed happily. Jackie frowned,
"I'm sorry sweetheart, he was with his boss on the other line. I tried to get him to stay- I really did- bu-" Rose cut her off with another hug,
"Mum, mum! It's okay. I can't believe it! We're going to go see uncle Todd!" The Doctor sighed, but smiled, liking to see Rose happy; A nice change from before. She must have forgotten he was there, because when he moved to go get some coffee Rose jumped him and spun him around,
"Oh, but you'll come along too Doctor, yeah?" Rose asked, her voice hopeful and her eyes pleading. It didn't take him a beat to realize why she felt like she had to ask. His ninth self had not been a fan of domestic. But this him was. Okay, maybe it wasn't his first choice, but he could live with it. Plus he loved doing domestic activities. (Did parties count as domestic?) He remembered when he had traveled with his sister and she had fallen ill. He had taken her home and they had lived at home for a few years. He had left after a while- couldn't stand standing still in time- but he had stayed for awhile. He was contemplating all of this when he realized he still hadn't answered Rose. He swallowed, put on his best, real smile and said,
"I can't wait." Jackie turned to face the two and added,
"Oh, and it's tomorrow."
Of course her mother insisted they go dress shopping. "If we're going to a proper Christmas party, don't you think you'll need proper attire?" and "You'll look so beautiful even the Doctor wont be able to ignore you." Of course that had just made the Doctor blush considerably and Rose had turned her head in sheer embarrassment. After much talk and some frustrate cries, Rose had agreed to a day of shopping with her mother. Jackie insisted the Doctor come along as well. Walking away Jackie had leaned in and whispered to the Doctor, "This is going to be your chance to tell my daughter how you feel. Don't screw it up." He had blushed, and even though Rose couldn't hear what her mother had said, she knew it was something about her. Then the most shocking part of the night happened; Jackie Tyler gave her twenty one year old daughter and her nine hundred year old companion a bed time.
"You're not going to be a slug-a-bed tomorrow Rose Marion Tyler!" Her mother shouted, causing Rose to blush profoundly. "We are getting up nice and early so I can get you a dress and you can look beautiful. Plus I don't think the Doctor has a tux in that home of yours." She added under her breath. Rose smiled, realizing that she might just be able to get the Doctor to let her dress him. Oh this is going to be wonderful, She thought.
After making plans for the morning Jackie sent Rose and the Doctor to bed, ignoring the Doctor's pleading, "But I'm not tired." Jackie had simply tutted and stated if he didn't get into bed she was going to slap him into a regeneration. He quieted after that. Then the dilemma came; Where would the Doctor sleep? The Doctor had told Rose that he could sleep in the TARDIS, but Jackie wouldn't hear it. She thought he'd be up all night tinkering with the TARDIS-which would probably end up being true-and insisted he sleep in the house. Her mother just didn't understand the fact that Time Lords didn't need as much sleep as humans. All the same, when Jackie Andrea Suzette Tyler had made up her mind, her foot was down.
Jackie offered the Doctor her own bed, that she would reside on the couch. But the Doctor wouldn't have it. He was a guest in her home and he would sleep on the couch. But from Rose's own experience she knew that bloody couch was dreadfully uncomfortable and offered to share her bed with him.
"And where would you be?" The Doctor asked, clearly uncomfortable. Rose quirked and eyebrow and said,
"In bed next to you. We've had to share a bed before Doctor, I hardly see how it would be a problem now." But in truth Rose was a bit nervous. Every time her and the Doctor had to share a bed together her heart would flutter and she'd steer as clear from him as possible without making it obvious and hurting his feelings. But this was different, and she could see was he was not all too eager at sharing; It was her bed. In her room. It was different whenever it was in a guest house. Other people had slept in that bed before them, it wasn't personal, and it sure wasn't covered in Rose's old possessions she hadn't bothered to bring along with her to the TARDIS for their adventures. The Doctor smiled bravely and said, "Alright, I will take you up on that offer. Unless of course your mother-" But Jackie cut him off, giving him and baffled look,
"My daughter is old enough to make her own decisions." Rose smiled and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. Without turning around she guided him into her room and shut the door. She flipped on the light, walking slowly over to a drawer and pulling out her jim jams. The Doctor gulped behind her and she smiled. Either he was looking at her arse or hoping to see her change. She was fine with either.
After pulling out a matching set Rose turned, facing the Doctor,
"I'm gonna go change. Be back in a tic." Then she stepped out of her room into the bathroom joined to her bedroom. She quickly changed and brushed her teeth, then opened the door and stepped out of the loo. What she saw made her heart flutter; The Doctor had toed his trainers off and had taken his jacket off, laying it over the chair by her desk. He was in the midst of unbuttoning his shirt when she appeared from the loo, smiling brightly at the sight in front of her. He blushed. He finished undressing, leaving on his trousers and undershirt- much to Rose's disappointment.
Rose crawled into bed, slightly over-warmed by her long pajamas and the covers on top of her. The Doctor hesitated, then crawled into bed beside her. He was always strangely cooler than herself, and Rose couldn't resist curling into the Doctor's side and resting her head on his chest, taking comfort in his hearts dual thumping. Instead of stiffening up like Rose had predicted, he leaned into her, as if he had held up barriers that had suddenly collapsed at her touch. She smiled, liking when the Doctor dropped said barriers and let her hold him. The Doctor sat up a bit, causing Rose's head to slide from his chest to his thigh. She sat up to, wondering why he was up. His eyes were furrowed up into each other, a quirk she knew indicated he was thinking,
"Wocha thinking about Doctor?" She asked him, eyes searching his own, as if trying to read his mind with her gaze. He smiled at her,
"Is your uncle Todd your father's brother?" He asked her knowingly. She smiled,
"Yep. His twin brother actually. Although they're nothing alike. He's a bit pervy in truth, but that's why I love 'im. Finds the joy in life and makes sure he's never upset. Mum told me that at dad's funeral he insisted telling every funny story about him. He's a character that one." Rose sounded distant, almost as if she were somewhere else. And in a way she was. She was thinking about all the wonderful things her and her uncle Todd used to do. She was just starting to play an old memory in her head when the Doctor asked,
"You don't see him very much?" Rose shook her head,
"He works a lot, on a very tight schedule. He works at Clifford Chance; you know, the huge law firm in London?. He works case after case after case we barely get to see him anymore. He used to have an annual Christmas party; A way of getting everyone together for a day. But work got in the way. I don't think we've actually had one in, oh I don't know, six, seven years. Wasn't too long ago." Rose sighed and smiled at the Doctor, loving that they could talk like this. There was still Mickey nagging at the back of her head, but all of her previous worries from earlier on that night seemed insignificant. The Doctor just had that effect on people; He could take their minds to another place, another time, forgetting all their troubles. The Doctor sighed and smiled, stroking his hand up her arm. It ran shivers down her spine. She suddenly felt very sleepy.
"You tired?" The Doctor asked her. She nodded. He leaned over and flipped off the light, then pulled Rose flush against his chest and kissed her head. Rose burrowed into him, loving the feel of him underneath her. He pulled the duvet over the two of them and closed his eyes. Rose smiled and shut her eyes as well. Everything seemed to be okay now. Her and the Doctor would be okay. She was going to see her uncle Todd! And even though everything with Mickey wouldn't go away, it was nice to push everything out of her mind. Even for a little while.
He was jolted awake by a very eager Jackie Tyler,
"Up, up you lazy sod!"
"I'm up, I'm up!" He growled, annoyed. He looked to his side and frowned; Rose was not beside him. The Doctor looked up at Jackie, giving her a questioning glance.
"She's getting dressed," Jackie said, answering his unspoken question. He nodded and sat up, looking around the room. He located his jacket and hopped up from Rose's bed. Though not as eager as Jackie was, the Doctor refused to let her know that. He'd put on a show for her or he'd get a slap. Simple, Time Lord logic. Or was it Doctor logic? He smiled at how funny his brain was sometimes. No wonder Rose had to shut him up frequently; He would babble on and on while his mind worked a hundred miles an hour working and thinking and rambling about. Sometimes he wondered how she put up with him. He pushed the thought out of his head. Rose and him were best mates, always would be. This new body had given him that opportunity.
The thought then had his mind trailing off to when he was in his last body. Sure they were good mates, but that's all they were; Good mates. In this body they were great mates, best mates. He remembered how cruel he could be to her. How he'd insult her race and call her a stupid ape. He physically winced when the memory of the time he had called her a stupid ape and told her her race was completely useless came into mind. She had tears in her eyes, but he never saw them shed. She had bolted from the room and-with the aid of the TARDIS-was kept away from him for several hours until his ship finally turned on to his side and opened up the door she had been hiding in.
But that was all in the past, thankfully. He loved Rose deeply and was happy she preferred this body like he did. A sudden fear coursed through his entire body; What would happen if he regenerated? Would he be able to mimic this form? It wasn't just the personality that he didn't want to give up; It was the body, too. This body was well-in all honesty-sexy. Attractive. Handsome. Gorgeous. He knew Rose thought so. Every so often he'd see her eyes linger on his backside, or her eyes trail down to stare at his lips. He hadn't minded. In fact, he liked it a lot. He liked that she was physically attracted to him. He knew he wasn't a looker in his last body. His large nose stuck out prominently from his face, and his short cropped hair didn't do much for him other than making his large ears stick out even more so.
His mind was involuntarily pulled from his thoughts when Rose walked in her bedroom. Although she didn't look it, the Doctor could tell she had just taken a shower. The scent of her lavender shampoo lingered in the air, and her honey body wash was a wondrous aroma clinging to her skin. He felt a tug in his pants and he realized-horror struck-that he was most definitely aroused. He pushed away thoughts of what she looked like in the shower and softened. He smiled at her, a smile she returned,
"Hello," the Doctor said to her. His eyes searched the room and he realized Jackie was no longer with them. How had she slipped past him so easily?
"Hello," She responded cheekily, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The Doctor was suddenly confused; He knew Rose Tyler like the back of his hand, and if he knew one thing about her, it was that she really didn't enjoy shopping all that much. He must have looked like a confused puppy, because Rose giggled and asked,
"Something wrong?" The Doctor smiled and chuckled,
"Everything's fine. It's just.. I thought you didn't like shopping?" Rose laughed and smiled, biting her lip,
"I don't. Truth is, as soon as mum told us we were going, I was going to say no. But this is for uncle Todd, and I don't want to disappoint him. Besides, how could I not be happy? I'm going to see my favorite family member, apart from my mum of course." She smiled and took a step closer to me, "Plus, it's not just about me. My mum needs to get a dress too, and I do enjoy dressing her up. And-" She took another step towards me, her hands clasped firmly behind her back, "I get to dress you up. My own little ken doll." The Doctor gulped and looked at Rose, suddenly nervous. He was glad when her husky tone changed to something more cheeky and comical, bringing back the Rose he knew, "Might not be as muscular as a ken doll, but you do have better hair." The Doctor out on his fake-stern face and stared down at Rose,
"Oi! I am too more muscular than a hunk of plastic." He paused for a moment before saying, "But I do have great hair." Rose laughed and smiled before saying,
"If you put the rest of your clothes on, the three of us can go down to the TARDIS so you can change. Mum'd like to get going by 9:30." The Doctor looked around the room but couldn't locate a clock.
"What time is it then?"
"9:16." The Doctor huffed and shrugged on his jacket, then knelt down by the bed and put on his trainers. When he stood back up Rose's body was leaning against the door frame. She was smiling at him. She extended her hand he took it, letting her lead him out her bedroom door and into the kitchen. Rose squeezed his hand tighter when they approached her mother,
"Ready mum?" Rose asked. Jackie nodded and smiled at Rose then asked,
"Are you ready?" The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but Rose did for him,
"He just need to change back into his pinstripes and we'll be out'a here." Rose looked up at the Doctor, a kind smile on her lips, "Let's go?" The Doctor chuckled a bit,
"Yup. Allons-y!" Then he took Rose's hand and they ran out of Jackie's flat and down the steps towards the TARDIS. He could hear Rose's gasp at the sudden movement, but soon enough heard her wonderfully warm laugh right behind him. Jackie was behind them, smiling kindly. He didn't know if she understood the notion; How could she? She wasn't with them on their little adventures, seeing the way they would run off together. But this was them. They ran into everything together. And that was how it was supposed to be; The Doctor and Rose, their hands clasped together, feet pounding into the ground beneath them as they ran into whatever peril lie ahead. Or maybe, he thought, just maybe something beautiful.