After dinner, Rose cleaned up what remained of the meal while the Doctor shook the sand off of the beach blanket and took it to the tiny shelter he and Rose would share for the night. He gulped when he realised exactly how tiny the tiki hut was—the blanket covered the sandy floor almost completely.
Being marooned on the island hadn't been part of his plan. Neither was sharing a bed, and the forced intimacy sent a wave of doubts and insecurities flooding through him.
"Maybe this isn't the right moment after all," he muttered. "I could always wait, and then tomorrow when we're back at the TARDIS, I could find another night and take us to Solinsul."
The nebulous possibilities in the timelines swirled around him and solidified into two separate paths, and the Doctor knew tonight was his one chance to show Rose the ciamanto ciel.
He took a deep breath and returned to the beach. The sun was only a few inches above the horizon, and the line where the water met the sky was already turning pink.
Rose stood at the water's edge, close enough for the waves to lap around her ankles. She'd put her sundress back on earlier, and the Doctor took a moment to drink in the picture of her dressed in turquoise, framed by the cerulean sky.
"You took your time," she commented when he approached her. "I thought you'd miss the sunset."
The Doctor took her hand. "Miss the whole reason I brought you here, Rose Tyler?" She sent him a surprised look, and he grinned. "Never. Now come on, I think we'd get a better view of the sunset if we walked up to the point we found earlier."
The Doctor tugged on her hand, and Rose followed after him, mulling over his words. He hadn't given any indication before that he'd chosen this planet for a particular reason. She'd figured he just thought it was time for a break. It was almost impossible to her mind that the Doctor had purposely brought her to an alien planet so he could show her a tropical sunset.
Maybe he doesn't realise how romantic that sounds. She stole a glance at him and caught him doing the same thing. Her breath caught at the soft look in his eyes, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak.
"So, why exactly did you want to bring me here?" she asked.
The Doctor shook his head, but her disappointment was mitigated when he said, "Not yet. I've got this all planned out. Let's get to where we can watch the sunset first, and then I'll tell you."
They reached the point he'd mentioned, and Rose realised he'd been right. From here, they had a full panoramic view of the setting sun as it painted the sky in shades of pink, orange and red. The sky cast a dappled reflection on the waves below, leaving the entire landscape awash in colour.
"S'beautiful, Doctor," Rose breathed.
They watched the sun slid beneath the horizon, leaving a sky in shades of mauve and violet. "Look," the Doctor whispered, pointing at the sky.
In the darkest part of the sky, the first stars were already visible. Slowly, wispy tendrils of clouds moved over the dark purple backdrop, almost looking like they were dancing across the sky.
"From the storm earlier," he explained. "On certain nights, when the conditions are just right, noctilucent clouds will form. And then…"
Rose almost didn't notice at first, when the sky began to turn colours. But gradually, the dying rays of the setting sun reflected back up to the unique clouds, splashing vibrant colours across the sky.
"It's looks like the Northern Lights," Rose said, keeping her voice quiet.
The Doctor opened his mouth to tell her the name and the local legend, but his fears reared up at the last moment. What if she really didn't want him, romantically? He still had time to back out without making a declaration.
He cleared his throat. He could always just ask…
When he squeezed her hand, Rose looked up at him. "How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked her.
She smiled and scooted a step closer. "Forever," she said serenely.
His hearts sped up—she'd said the word he longed for without even knowing the legend—but he had to double-check. "Are you sure?" He swallowed hard. "You might decide someday that you want to settle down on Earth. Most of my companions do."
Rose filed away the information that he'd had other companions over the years, then focused on the fear in his voice. "I'm not any of your other companions," she told him. "I'm Rose, and I know that I'll never want to leave you or this life behind. I told you—travelling with you, I love it."
She held her breath; that had been as good as a declaration the first time she'd said it, and in response to his questions, it was a declaration.
How long are you going to stay with me?
Rose's eyes widened. He'd been asking for a declaration.
She turned towards the Doctor and met his gaze steadily. The anxiety she saw in his eyes faded, replaced with hope and a hint of cheeky confidence.
Feeling a bit daring, Rose brought his hand to her lips and brushed a kiss over his fingers. She didn't look away from him as she completed the action, and despite his "superior biology," she was positive she saw his breath hitch.
When he stepped closer and ran his free hand through her hair, it was her breathing that stuttered. "Is this all right?" the Doctor murmured as he leaned closer.
Rose let go of his hand to grab his shoulder instead, pulling him even closer. "Oh, yes," she whispered, letting her breath whisper over his lips.
The Doctor sighed and pressed his lips to Rose's. Her human warmth struck him immediately, then he felt how soft her lips were, and the little puff of air that escaped her as she breathed.
Her plump bottom lip had been tempting him for weeks, and he sandwiched it between his own. He sucked on it lightly, pulling a sigh from Rose. Encouraged by her reaction, he swiped his tongue over her lip, and she shifted closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sinking a hand into his hair.
"Rose," he groaned when she tugged gently on his hair. He felt her smile against his lips, and then she scraped her teeth over his lower lip, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.
In retaliation, he nipped at her lip, then swept his tongue into her mouth when she opened beneath him. He caught her low moan when he brushed his tongue against hers, and he knew immediately that he would never get enough of that soft sound of pleasure.
He didn't ever want to stop kissing Rose, but the part of his brain not fully occupied with how she felt in his arms reminded him that humans didn't have respiratory bypass. He pulled back, releasing her with a slight pop. She looked up at him with a slightly dazed expression in her eyes, and he couldn't resist rubbing his thumb over her lip, then ducking back down for another quick kiss.
To his surprise, Rose pulled away after only a moment. "What is it, Rose?"
Rose took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Is this permanent?" she asked, hardly able to believe she was asking the question. "Only, I don't think I can do this if we're just going to go back to how things were when we get to the TARDIS tomorrow."
The Doctor rested his hands on her hips and smiled down at her. "There is no going back from this, Rose. Why do you think I waited so long?"
"Really?" she squeaked.
He nodded. "I admit I'm a little slow when it comes to relationships, but even I know it wouldn't be fair to leave you unsure of where we stand."
He pressed his forehead to hers and Rose nearly died at the sweet intimacy.
"I've wanted to kiss you for months," he added, "but I wasn't sure I was ready."
"And… now you are?"
"Oh, yes." He tugged on his ear. "I might need to take things more slowly than you're used to," he cautioned, "but I won't pull back."
"That's fine," she assured him. "As long as we keep moving forward, I don't care how fast we go."
oOoOoOoOo
They both kept their word. The Doctor didn't pull back from Rose, even though the universe seemed determined over the next few months to remind him that he would lose her one day. At the same time, Sarah Jane's obvious hurt at being left behind only reinforced the Doctor's decision not to hurt Rose in that way.
Rose was none too pleased when he agreed to let Mickey travel with them after that. She accused him of putting a barrier between them, which he denied vehemently.
"What was I supposed to say when he asked if he could come?" he countered. "We'd just invited Sarah Jane to come along, so I couldn't exactly say we didn't want company."
He didn't tell her that he'd felt timelines tugging at him when Mickey had asked to join them. Time had something in store for Mickey Smith, something he couldn't do on Earth. Leaving him behind in the parallel universe was hard on Rose, but they both knew it was where he needed to be.
And Rose didn't push for more intimacy than the Doctor was ready for. It wasn't easy letting him set the pace when his hot kisses and wandering hands left her aching for more, but the pleasure of knowing he was comfortable with where they were made it worth it.
She never imagined their first time would be on an impossible planet orbiting a black hole. There was desperation in his movements as he worshipped her with his mouth and his hands, but the tenderness in his eyes when he joined them completely drove all thoughts of the missing TARDIS from her mind.
Afterwards, when they were curled up together, basking in the afterglow, Rose buried words of love beneath tender caresses. You'll find her, she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair. I believe in you.
oOoOoOoOo
After they'd said their goodbyes and Rose had thanked Zach and Danny for their help, the Doctor moved to turn the radio off. He was desperate to just hold Rose until sometime in the next century—and even then, he'd defy Time to take her from him.
"Hang on though, Doctor. You never really said," Ida broke in. "You two—who are you?"
The Doctor looked down into his lover's soft, brown eyes. "Oh, the stuff of legend," he said, the words meant for Rose more than Ida.
Then he clicked the radio off and wrapped his arms around Rose. "Rose Tyler," he breathed, trying to put everything he was feeling into her name.
She looped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "I told you we'd get home."
The Doctor felt the familiar syncopated rhythm of one of his hearts skipping a beat because of Rose Tyler. Does she have any idea what it does to me when she calls the TARDIS home?
Words the Doctor had been holding back for months were suddenly on the tip of his tongue, ready to spring from his lips whether he thought he was ready or not. They'd come so close to losing each other. There were so many points where events could have taken a different turn, leaving him alone without Rose for the rest of his lives. It was time to stop wasting time and tell her how he felt.
He pressed a soft kiss to Rose's forehead, then let go of her and walked over to the console. "Can I take you for a walk on the beach?" he asked her as he set the coordinates.
"That'd be nice," she agreed.
"Go change then. It should be warm, if I do this right."
He double-checked the coordinates after Rose disappeared into the corridor, then threw the dematerialisation lever. While they were in flight, he took off his tie and undid the top two buttons on his shirt, as well as rolling up his sleeves. Then he sat down on the jump seat, took off his shoes and socks, and rolled his trousers up to mid-calf.
Rose still hadn't returned, so he checked the monitor, smiling when he saw they'd landed exactly when he'd wanted to. He took a deep breath and pushed the TARDIS doors open, closing his eyes when the sea breeze wafted into the ship.
"Smells lovely," Rose said quietly as she slipped her hand into his.
The Doctor smiled, but didn't say anything as he led her out onto the sand. He looked over at her when they reached the water's edge and felt his mouth hang open slightly. She'd put on a white halter top and scandalously short shorts that showed off her long, toned legs to perfection.
He swallowed hard, then forced himself to look back at her face. Her tongue was poking out in her cheeky little smile, and the Doctor twined his fingers in her hair and tilted her head back so he could kiss her.
For a moment, he was lost in the sensations of the water lapping at his feet, the breeze on his face, and Rose in his arms. Then he saw the shifting colours of the sky through his closed lids and he remembered that he'd brought Rose here for a reason—reasons that did not include making love to her on the beach.
He pulled back and looked down at her kiss-swollen lips. Well, at least not just making love to her on the beach, he amended. That idea was suddenly very appealing, after he told her the secret he'd kept for three months.
He turned her so she was facing the water, then stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We can get to that later," he whispered in her ear, delighting in the way she shivered in his embrace. "But first, let's watch the sunset."
She leaned back against his chest and twined her hands around his. When the noctilucent clouds appeared, he felt her gasp before he heard it.
"We're here again." She looked up at him over her shoulder, and he couldn't resist brushing a soft kiss over her lips.
"I brought you here for a reason all those months ago," he told her. "Do you remember what this sunset is called?"
She furrowed her brow. "Cia… something."
"Ciamanto ciel."
Rose turned in his arms. "You never told me what that means."
The Doctor took a deep breath; it was time. "In English?" He rested his hands on her hips. "The sky of eternal love."
Her mouth dropped open slightly.
"They say that if a couple shares their first kiss under this sky, they'll be together forever."
He lifted a shaking hand to her face and ran his fingers through her hair. When Rose leaned into the caress automatically, some broken piece inside him was remade.
"Rose Tyler… I love you."
She gasped and tears sprang into her eyes. "I love you too, Doctor, so much."
The Doctor cradled her face between his hands and used his thumbs to brush away her tears. "How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked, for the second time.
"Forever," she swore. "Doctor, I'm never going to leave you."
"And I will always come for you," he pledged. "No matter what, I will never let you go."
As he leaned down to kiss Rose, the Doctor felt Time argue, even as their timelines twisted together. He knew their vows would be challenged. Their bold declarations had tempted fate, and they would face obstacles they couldn't even imagine.
He also knew that no matter what the universe threw at them, they would win. After all, this was true love—you think this happens every day?
AN: Yes, of course the last line is a paraphrase from The Princess Bride.
And you might have noticed this is slightly open-ended. I have a Doomsday reunion fic planned for next year, and this is the prequel.