Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
A/N: This is something that I really wanted to happen after the episode Idiot's Lantern.
Her Face
The Doctor couldn't stop staring at Rose's face as they walked back to the TARDIS. He'd almost lost her so many times, but today, when The Wire had stolen her face, when he'd seen her in that TV screaming for him, when he'd heard that she'd just been chucked out onto the street, defenseless and alone, he'd been afraid, more afraid than he'd been in a long time. And angry. He'd been so angry. He would have pulled the world apart to save her. He couldn't lose her. He knew he might not survive it, wasn't sure what he'd do in his grief, what kind of man he'd become.
Rose noticed his staring, and pulled herself closer to him using their linked hands, wrapping her other hand around his arm in order to cuddle closer.
"I'm all right, Doctor."
He swallowed, but said nothing as he unlocked the door of the TARDIS. When it closed behind them, and they were safe inside, he turned swiftly, startling Rose into backing up against the door.
"Doctor?"
Still, he said nothing, quite a feat for this body. He simply raised his hands to touch her face, lightly tracing over her forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, nose, and briefly touching her mouth with his thumb. He heard her breath hitch, heard her heart pounding in her chest, and suddenly it wasn't enough anymore. Maybe it never had been.
His eyes roamed hungrily over her beautiful face, desperate to take in every detail, before settling on her lips. Despite the urgency he felt, he moved in slowly, giving her a chance to push him away, but Rose, his Rose, would never do that. As soon as she could feel his breath against her face, she reached up to grasp his neck, pulling him closer. He paused for a heartbeat before finally touching his lips to hers.
It was gentle at first, but such a brief touch could never be enough, and soon his mouth began frantically devouring hers, pressing as close as he could, wrapping his arms around her back as she clutched at his shoulders, running her fingers through his hair and over the back of his neck, scratching her nails against his scalp. He moaned into her mouth, and cupped the back of her head before pressing Rose firmly against the door. His tongue came out to trace her lips, and she parted them, opening for his touch like the flower she was named for. His tongue danced in her mouth, tracing every inch of it, before tangling with hers, encouraging her to follow his back into his mouth where they continued the dance.
When he could tell Rose needed air, he pulled away just enough to trail kisses over her jaw and down her throat, hearts swelling with emotion when he heard her gasp. He drew his tongue over the soft skin of her neck, biting gently at the junction of her neck and shoulder, nearly coming undone as she whimpered in pleasure.
Moving back up to her face, he began raining kisses on every part he could, his hands moving to frame her face, fingers ghosting intimately over her temple. Before he could give in to the temptation to linger there, he placed a final kiss to her temple and pulled back, breathing heavily despite his respiratory bypass.
"Doctor?" Rose was breathless, her lips swollen from his kisses, but her eyes were uncertain. He knew if he pulled away now, things would never be the same. He couldn't go back, only forward.
"Oh, Rose," he sighed as he drew her into his arms.
She snuggled into his chest, wrapping her arms around his back. He held her tighter.
"They took your face, Rose. Your face was…"
"I know, Doctor. But I knew you would save me."
"They just left you, Rose. They took your face and left you on the street."
Rose stroked his back, hoping to ease some of the pain she heard in his voice.
"I know, Doctor. But I'm all right now. Better than all right, really," she said cheekily.
He smiled against her hair. His Rose was so resilient.
"Are you all right, Doctor?"
Was he? He hadn't been all right. But he was all right now, now that Rose was in his arms, now that he'd seen that she was all right, now that he'd kissed her…he'd kissed her!
The Doctor pulled back slightly to look at her happy face. He'd crossed a line he'd sworn he never would, but the sight of Rose without a face had done something to him, had shattered him in such a way that his reasons for holding back had seemed so insignificant. And so he'd kissed her. It was impulsive. Impulsive was normal for this body, but he wasn't usually that impulsive. Still, he didn't regret it.
Staring into her beaming face with eyes that were still a little cautious, the Doctor smiled. "I'm all right now, Rose."
"Me too," she said cuddling back into his arms.
He nuzzled his face into her hair. They were all right. They were better than all right. The Doctor smiled as Rose tilted her chin to kiss him again. He tightened his arms around her and deepened the kiss. So much better than just all right.
