Hey babes! Back again with a new fic as part of DoctorRose Bingo! The prompt for this one was snowed in, and it took a while to figure out what to write. But one random I got inspiration and this fic was born. First time writing ThirteenxRose, so I hope I did it well. :)
Enjoy!
Rose has never hated the snow more than she does now. Everything had been perfectly fine up until this particular moment. They'd landed on a planet where it actively snows eighty percent of the time, and the other twenty percent consists of the residents either being holed up inside or free to roam the city. They just so happened to land right at the tail end of the snowing season, and Rose had been hoping for the latter option. They got the former.
She'd been hoping for a chance to explore, seeing as she's only been back in her original universe for a short time and was excited about getting to explore familiar stars again. And they had for a bit. Before getting stuck inside because of the snow. And they aren't even in the TARDIS. Because the TARDIS is also buried in the snow. Because the Doctor thought it would be fun to experience the after-snow season like the locals do.
Which sounded like a good idea at first. Until they got snowed in.
Rose really has been trying to stay positive, but it's only been a few days and she's already going a bit stir crazy. They'd brought some supplies with them from the TARDIS, of course, as well as items to entertain themselves. But neither of them had thought they wouldn't be able to get back to the TARDIS at any point for more belongings. They both really should have been better prepared.
But Rose can admit she'd been a bit distracted earlier, seeing as it's her first solo trip with the Doctor since arriving back. Sure, there have been a few times so far where they've gotten separated from the others for whatever reason, but Yaz, Graham, and Ryan were always around at the end of the day.
Now it's just the two of them. And she still has no idea where she truly stands with this Doctor.
"You know, staring at the snow isn't gonna make it melt faster."
Rose smiles to herself and turns away from the reinforced window. "I know that."
The Doctor smiles. "'Course you do." She shuffles on her feet. "So, um, food should be ready soon. I think. I'm not exactly…skilled with regular skillets, but I think I managed to put something edible together."
"More or less edible than the past couple of days?" Rose asks.
The Doctor sighs. "I swear I didn't realize the temperature was up that high."
Rose laughs quietly. "You were so sad about dinner."
"I wasn't that sad," the Doctor grumbles, her lips pulling down into a slight frown. "You deserved a hot dinner."
"Doctor, I promise it's fine. Now come on, let's go eat." She smiles as she walks past the Doctor toward the kitchen, trying to ignore the way her heart jumps just the slightest at seeing the Doctor's relaxed look. Her coat and boots are gone, leaving her feet with just socks, and the sleeves of her shirt pushed up just past her elbows. It's certainly not her first time seeing the Doctor look this way, but it still makes Rose turn a bit to jelly inside.
She needs to get over it.
Supper is a relaxed affair. They eat, chat, and laugh together. They still have quite a bit of their many years separated to tell each other about, they've barely scratched the surface of what they've experienced. Rose finds it intriguing, to say the least, to hear about all the adventures the Doctor's taken since they last saw each other. And in turn, she can see the interest on the Doctor's face whenever Rose goes on about the things she got up to in Pete's World.
It's the same every night that they've been trapped inside, having supper in the main area of the cabin and chatting. It makes Rose ridiculously happy to have this again.
Even as they're lounging on the floor hardly saying much after their main conversation has died down a bit and they've both finished eating, she doesn't mind it. She enjoys simply being in the Doctor's presence, no matter what it is they're doing.
There's something so special to her about being able to just sit and watch the Doctor while the alien doesn't do anything at all. Rose treasures every single second of it.
"You know," the Doctor eventually speaks up, "ever since we landed here I've been trying to figure out why we got brought to this point on the planet."
Rose brows furrow. "What are you going on about?"
"Just that I can't think of any reason why we'd be needed right now on this planet. I was absolutely aiming for the time after the snow when the grounds are clear. But that's not when we landed. So we're needed here for something, I just can't figure out what."
"Are you saying that you got an SOS call or something?"
The Doctor shakes her head. "No. The TARDIS must have altered our course to make us land here."
"Sorry. Did you just say the TARDIS made us land here?"
"Come on now, Rose, you know as well as I do how alive the TARDIS is."
"Well yeah, but…I didn't think she actually made us land places. I just thought your driving was terrible."
The Doctor scoffs lightly. "My driving is perfect, thank you very much. Just sometimes…the TARDIS will change our course if something's going on that we need to help with."
Rose nods. "Right. And when exactly did you figure that out?"
"Uh…two bodies ago. She told me so herself, said that she always takes me where I need to go, even if it's not where I want to go. Which was a bit annoying at first, to find that out, I'll be honest."
Rose raises a brow. "She told you that herself?"
"Yeah."
Leaning forward, Rose presses the back of her hand against the Doctor's forehead. "You feeling okay?"
The Doctor rolls her eyes and bats Rose's hand away, a small smile on her lips. "Oh, would you stop? I'm fine."
"Doctor, you just told me that the TARDIS told you she changes our plans whenever she wants to. You've told me before that you can't have actual conversations with the TARDIS."
"I can't. But I did. Just once." Her brows furrow and her head tilts. "Have I never told you this?"
Rose shakes her head. "I'm sure I'd remember if you did."
"Right. Well, basically, I ended up on a sentient planet that liked to eat TARDISes."
"Eat them?"
"Yeah. He tried to eat mine, but we managed to outsmart him. But in order to absorb the TARDIS energy, her consciousness had to be transferred into a living body. Long story short, after realizing who she was, we got into it a bit, and that's when she told me that no, she doesn't always take me where I want to go, but she always takes me where I need to go."
Rose nods slowly. "Alright. I suppose that makes sense. I mean…all those places we ended up without meaning to, there was always a problem to solve or a person to save. Lots of things would be wrong or messed up if we hadn't been there."
The Doctor beams. "Exactly. I knew you'd get it. You were always clever, Rose Tyler." Her smile falters. "I'm just sorry I can't figure out why we're here."
Rose shrugs. "S'alright. Once the snow clears enough, we can go out there and see if someone needs our help. Maybe we just have to wait it out."
"Maybe. I just can't quite understand it. This is the planet I meant to bring you to, we just landed a year off. Last year was the best after-snow season they've had, hardly a patch of it on the ground. Perfect for walks and talks and picnics and shopping and—"
"Picnics?"
"What?"
"You mentioned picnics," Rose says carefully, her heart rate increasing just a hair. "Did you…were you planning on taking me on a picnic?"
The Doctor's quiet for a moment. "Maybe. But you know, it's not out of the ordinary for friends to go on picnics sometimes."
Rose's heart deflates. "Right, yeah. I'm uh, I think I'm gonna turn in." She stands and starts to make her way toward the bedrooms at the back of the cabin, forcing herself not to cry over something she has no control over. If the Doctor no longer has romantic feelings toward her, she'll have to learn to be okay with it. Even if it absolutely kills her on the inside.
"Rose?"
She stops walking but doesn't turn. "Yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Really? 'Cause normally you have no problem staying up and talking, especially while we've been here." There's a brief pause. "Is it…did I do something? Or say something? Are you mad at me?"
Rose shakes her head. "No, Doctor, I'm not mad at you. I promise." She takes a deep breath. "I'm mad at myself."
"What? Why?"
She turns finally, unable to keep a few tears from slipping through. "Because I'm hung up on a time-traveling alien who no longer has feelings for me. And it hurts. But I only have myself to blame for it. So I just want to go to bed and forget about this."
The Doctor blinks. "Who said I don't have feelings for you?"
Rose sucks in a sharp breath. "What?"
"I've always had feelings for you, Rose. I just figured…you married the other me, thought you might have gotten over this me in the process. Plus, I'm a woman now, wasn't sure where you stood on that. I know it's a deal breaker for some people, when really, it shouldn't matter because—"
"Doctor!" Rose shouts, the tiniest of smiles tugging at her lips. "You were seriously worried I'd stopped loving you?"
The Doctor shrugs. "It's been a long time."
"Not long enough for me to stop loving you." She slowly walks closer to where the Doctor stands. "And that whole thing about you being a woman now…I don't care. I love you, Doctor. Any and every version of you. It doesn't matter what you look like. I fell in love with you when I was nineteen and you were all leather jackets and big ears. And I'm still in love with you when I'm three hundred nineteen and you're a blonde woman with an affinity for awarding points and eating sweets." She stops when there's very little space left between them. "I love you, Doctor. That's all there is to it."
The Doctor opens and closes her mouth. "I…I…"
Rose smiles sadly. "Still can't say it, can you?"
"I never thought I'd have another chance to," the Doctor says, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rose steps even closer and grabs one of the Doctor's hands in hers. "Well, I'm not going anywhere. And not just 'cause of the snow."
The Doctor laughs, a slight shine to the surface of her eyes. "Oh, I've really missed this. I've missed you, missed us." The Doctor takes a deep breath, gently squeezing Rose's hand. "I love you, Rose Tyler, with both of my hearts. I'm sorry I never said it before, I was scared. Scared of admitting the truth and then losing you, scared of not admitting the truth and still losing you. But I don't want to be scared anymore. If you'll have me."
Rose smiles through her tears. "As if I'd want anyone else."
It's the Doctor's turn to smile. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler, back in the TARDIS together and better than ever. We've always been good together, though, haven't we?"
Rose nods, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "The best. I just hope the others haven't been…put out by me being back."
The Doctor's brows furrow. "Why would they be put out? You're literally the greatest person on planet Earth."
Rose can feel herself blushing but chooses to ignore it. "Come on, Doctor. I remember what it's like traveling with you, thinking I'm special, and then meeting someone you used to travel with but have never heard about. It can be a bit of a shock."
"Oh. Well, they haven't said anything."
"Course they wouldn't. They don't want to risk you telling them they can't travel anymore. Just please promise me you'll talk to them, make sure they're alright with me being around. I don't want to cause any problems."
"I promise I'll ask."
"Good." Rose takes a deep breath. "So, where do we go from here? Now that we've finally admitted feelings on both sides?"
The Doctor frowns. "I hadn't thought of that. I should have thought of that. I'm sorry."
Rose shakes her head. "Don't be. Just means we get to figure it out together."
The Doctor smiles again. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too. Though, I do have one request."
"Anything," The Doctor says, her voice laced with pure excitement and eagerness. "Name it, and it's done."
"Kiss me."
The Doctor grins. "That I can absolutely do. Now come here."
Rose lets herself be tugged into the Doctor's arms, wrapping her own around the woman's waist and settling into the feeling of being held. In the same moment, warm, soft lips are pressing against her own and she immediately sinks into the kiss.
It's electric, igniting her whole body in a way it's never been before. Her grip on the Doctor's waist tightens, forcing them closer together, and she lets out a throaty moan. It's better than she'd hoped or imagined it'd be.
Reluctantly pulling away, she rests her forehead against the Doctor's, something that is infinitely easier now they're nearly the same height.
"Wow," she breathes out.
The Doctor sighs a bit wistfully. "I know. And it's even better that we're both gonna remember it this time."
Rose chuckles quietly. "Yeah. John told me about Game Station and New Earth. Kinda unfair you get to remember both of those kisses," she teases. "Guess we'll just have to kiss one more time so I'll also have two."
The Doctor's eyes go wide. "Just once?"
Rose laughs and pushes some of the other woman's hair behind her ear. "No, you daft alien, not just once." She cups the Doctor's cheek in her hand and smiles. "I plan on kissing you as much as I can for a very long time."
The Doctor grins. "Well now, I think I can get behind that plan."
"Good. And you know, I think I've figured out why the TARDIS landed us here. Ever since I got back to this universe there's hardly been a moment of just being, we're always going off on another adventure, constantly moving. This is the first time in months that we've been still. And we finally admitted the truth about our feelings. Think the TARDIS knew we needed a bit of a shove."
The Doctor chuckles. "She is brilliant, that ship of ours."
"She certainly is."
"Though, I am a bit cross I couldn't take you on that picnic. I had it all planned out. It was gonna be awesome."
Rose takes a deep breath. "Well then, I guess we'll have to plan a date night so you can take me on that picnic."
The Doctor beams. "Date nights with Rose Tyler? I can't think of anything better."
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!