Hey babes! Back again with the next little installment of this universe. The prompt on this one was: At A Ball. This one was pretty fun to write, so I hope you all like it.
Enjoy!
Rose has never thought of herself as the glitz and glam type of girl. It wasn't something she was overly familiar with, growing up the way she did. She got used to it, of course, living in Pete's World for as long as she did and having to keep up appearances for a little while. She attended galas and other fancy events when she needed to. But if she had her choice, she'd be at her flat in her pajamas with takeout, watching terrible reality TV. Or having date nights with John doing anything other than going to a gala.
So it would be her luck that she and the Doctor end up saving a prominent royal figure of a planet whose name can't even remember. Because this figure, who is equivalent to a Princess on earth, decrees that a grand ball be held in their honor. Rose is hesitant about going but the Doctor seems rather intrigued and it does sound relatively harmless. So she concedes.
The Royal dressers help her get ready, something that she really didn't want but was told is customary. She has to admit they have great taste, though, selecting a gown for her that is absolutely gorgeous. She has no idea what material it's made out of, but it's completely breathable while also fitting her like a glove without being too tight.
Once she's ready to go, she's escorted down to the ballroom and is announced to the people who are gathered. Somehow, it feels less daunting than all of those Vitex galas she was made to attend those first few years in Pete's World.
Mere moments after she's announced, The Doctor appears in front of her, wearing a similar outfit to the other men in attendance, though where they all have ties or neckerchiefs, the Doctor has a bow tie.
She smiles brightly. "Well, don't you look rather dashing."
He stands a bit taller and adjusts his bow tie. "I do, don't I? They tried to make me wear a regular tie but I told them that bow ties are much better for an event like this. They wouldn't believe me, of course, but they let me wear mine anyway."
"Probably because you're one of the guests of honor. You could have asked to wear a potato sack and they would have let you."
His brows furrow. "Why on earth would I wear a potato sack to a ball?"
Rose rolls her eyes. "Never mind. What do you think of my gown?" she asks, glancing down at said dress and smoothing her hands over the material. "Think they'll let me keep it?" She looks up again, brows furrowed as she takes in the Doctor's tight lips and vacant stare. "Doctor?"
He shakes himself out of whatever trance and lifts his eyes to hers. "Sorry. Yes?"
"I asked if you like my dress."
He clears his throat and shifts on his feet. "Ah. Yes. It's very…appropriate for a setting like this."
Rose frowns slightly. "Oh. Yeah, I suppose it is." She takes a deep breath and looks around the wide room, taking in all the fancy decor and dress. "I've been to my fair share of fancy events before, but I have absolutely no idea how to navigate this one."
"Considering it's meant for us, I suppose we could simply ask if there's anywhere in particular they'd like us to be or anything they'd like for us to do."
"Could work. Come on, then." She grabs his hand and leads him over to where the woman they'd saved is standing with her family. Rose bows deeply when they approach. "Your Highness, thank you again for putting this together. It was very kind of you."
"I could think of no better way to thank my saviors than with a ball in their honor. I hope the clothing is to your liking."
Rose nods. "It's lovely, thank you."
"I am pleased to hear it. I hope you will find other uses for them outside of the ball."
Rose's eyes go wide as a smile grows. "We get to keep them?"
The Princess nods. "It is customary for guests of honor at any ball to be gifted the garments they wore, as a sign of our deep appreciation and gratitude."
"Well, thank you. I can promise you we'll find more uses for these outfits, they're absolutely gorgeous and deserve to be shown off."
"Wonderful. Now, is there any particular song you would like for the first dance?"
Rose glances at the Doctor and then back at the Princess. "We're uh, we're a bit unfamiliar with the music here, so whatever you recommend is fine."
"Our musicians are well versed in music from across the galaxies. They can play whatever you would like."
"Actually, I do have a request," the Doctor pipes up. He smiles at Rose. "Back in a jiffy." He starts leaving only to halt and turn back to her, his nose scrunching up. "Oh, I don't know if I like that." He waves himself off and keeps going.
Rose smiles and laughs quietly at his retreating form.
"Your bondmate has a lot of energy."
Rose's eyes go wide as she spins back around. "My what?"
"Your bondmate." The Princess' brows furrow. "Have I misread the situation?"
Rose shakes her head. "No. We're uh, we've known each other a long time, it's a bit complicated between us. We're still getting to know each other again."
"How long will it take for you two to become reacquainted with each other?"
"Uh, I don't know," Rose says honestly. "It's sort of a tricky situation. But believe me when I say that we have plenty of time to figure things out. We're not on any sort of time crunch."
The Doctor reappears a second later, a giddy smile on his face. "Alright, the first song is all sorted." He turns to her and bows slightly, holding out a hand. "Would you care to dance?"
Rose smiles and takes his hand. "I'd love to." She holds his hand firmly as he leads her out into the middle of the room, everyone else in the space lining the edges of what she presumes to be the dance floor.
Once they reach the center, The Doctor stops and turns so they're facing each other, raising their clasped hands higher in the air and resting his free hand on her waist. For her part, Rose rests her free hand on his shoulder, taking a tiny step closer to him so there isn't as much space between them.
"So what are we dancing to?" Rose asks him after several quiet seconds.
The Doctor smiles. "You'll see."
More quiet seconds pass before a familiar tune carries through the room. It only takes a few notes for the recognition to hit.
Rose gasps quietly. "Midnight Serenade?"
The Doctor's smile widens as he slowly begins to sway their bodies to the rhythm of the music. "One of our more successful adventures."
"It was. Though, I do remember saying that this was mine and Jack's song," she tells him with a cheeky smile.
"Yes, I remember. But he gave me permission."
Rose raises a brow. "He did?"
"Well, not in so many words. But that is beside the point. I wanted us to dance to a song that meant something to the both of us, something to remind us of happy times. Plus, I wanted to prove to you that I can dance to it."
Rose smiles. "Sure you're not gonna trip over your own feet like you've done while just walking?"
He huffs. "Rose Tyler, you're being very rude when I'm trying to be sentimental."
She laughs and steps a little closer. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright. This body is a rather clumsy one, unfortunately. I don't know why I didn't protest harder when I realized we'd have to dance."
Rose smiles sweetly up at him. "S'alright. No one said we have to do any fancy sort of dancing, yeah? We can just keep swaying. And then, in your next body, whenever that happens, if you're a bit more steady on your feet, you can prove to me that you can dance to this song."
The Doctor smiles down at her. "I couldn't think of a more perfect plan."
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!
