(no subject)
Catching Up, TenII/Rose, PG
The Doctor tries to make up for lost time... 820 w.
He listened to the antique brass carriage clock on the bureau tick off the remaining seconds of the night, painfully aware of being stuck in the moment-the slow path. He knew that she had cried herself to sleep hours before he’d come to bed. Hot, bitter tears had pooled in the crevice of her nostrils and dripped off the tip of her nose, soaking the pillow under her face. He knew she was awake again, but her back remained towards him, shutting him out. He could almost hear the riot of her thoughts. They would have mirrored his own. Everything in their world had been turned upside down. They needed more time to get used to the whole idea.
Don’t you know what he’s trying to give you?
What could this him possibly give her?
Her body gently rocked as he slid quietly into the bed next to her. He felt the mattress give with his weight and he held his breath. Slowly, his careful hands found her in the darkness, chastely caressing her, soothing her with equal parts adoration and regret. His movements were both tender and cautious-the snake and the snake charmer-a dance of desire and fear. He wanted to use his touch to quiet all her fears-a very human impulse-although he wasn’t sure if she’d let him. Perhaps more curious than anything, she allowed herself to be mutely pulled into his embrace.
“Rose,” he whispered into her hair, and his voice mirrored his touch, expectant and hesitating. His words came to her like ships out of the fog-she never knew when the next one would come, but he’d picked them out of the stardust just for her. He would have given anything to prove himself to her and have everything back to normal between them, if only he knew what she needed.
He told her she was beautiful.
He told her that he loved her.
She didn’t say anything back but she didn’t pull away either. He wondered if either of them would get used to the man he was now.
“Don’t worry about it so, pet. Give her time,” Jackie cooed, ruffling the hair over his worried brow as he sulked at the table. But time was one thing he no longer had in his repertoire to give.
But he was the Doctor, and he would still try, for there was nothing he could refuse her, and certainly so much more that she deserved from him.
“After all, she’s been without you for a long time. She’s gotta get used to having you around again.” she reminded him.
It occurred to him that he didn’t even know how old she was now.
On the fourth day, she came down for breakfast and was greeted by the decidedly un-breakfasty smell of buttercream frosting in the air. Sitting on the counter were two cakes. Next to each were cards addressed to her. The fist read, “On Your 19th Birthday.” The second: “As You Turn 20.” Both were signed “All my love, the Doctor.” Her finger traced the loopy script-the foreign handwriting of the Doctor, so rarely seen by her during their travels. Somehow this seemed more real to her than anything else, and the graceful loops of the handwriting reached out to slip under her tightly closed edges and tug a little bit at the door to her heart, encouraging her to open again.
“Happy birthday…” Rose startled at the soft voice behind her.
“But it’s not my-“
“But it was at some point, and I missed it,” he said, crossing the distance to her. “And, I’m sorry.” He cupped her cheek and she leaned into him in spite of herself.
He promised her a cake a week for every year he’d missed, and he wanted her to tell him in detail about every day she’d had without him.
“I can’t give you all of time and space, but I can give you myself.”
“And, apparently, enough cake to make me diabetic...” she muttered sarcastically.
A flicker of rejection passed across his face but she reached out to gently take his hand.
“No. S’great, really. But now you are gonna have to give me a while.”
He swallowed and looked away. “Oh… Yeah. Of course. I understand.”
“Yeah? Good. Cos it might take all day to fill you in,” she said, grinning up at him. “It’s quite a long story.”
His grin of realisation broke over him like a sunrise, gradually spreading over his face and crinkling up the corners of his eyes, reminding her of earlier days. “Rose Tyler, for you, I have all the time in the world.”
She laughed and shyly poked him in the stomach. “See, Doctor. You can still give me time.”
“Yeah. You’re right,” he said, running his thumb over her cheek. “And I intend to give you a lifetime. How does forever sound?”
“Perfect. Just what I always wanted.”
The Doctor tries to make up for lost time... 820 w.
He listened to the antique brass carriage clock on the bureau tick off the remaining seconds of the night, painfully aware of being stuck in the moment-the slow path. He knew that she had cried herself to sleep hours before he’d come to bed. Hot, bitter tears had pooled in the crevice of her nostrils and dripped off the tip of her nose, soaking the pillow under her face. He knew she was awake again, but her back remained towards him, shutting him out. He could almost hear the riot of her thoughts. They would have mirrored his own. Everything in their world had been turned upside down. They needed more time to get used to the whole idea.
Don’t you know what he’s trying to give you?
What could this him possibly give her?
Her body gently rocked as he slid quietly into the bed next to her. He felt the mattress give with his weight and he held his breath. Slowly, his careful hands found her in the darkness, chastely caressing her, soothing her with equal parts adoration and regret. His movements were both tender and cautious-the snake and the snake charmer-a dance of desire and fear. He wanted to use his touch to quiet all her fears-a very human impulse-although he wasn’t sure if she’d let him. Perhaps more curious than anything, she allowed herself to be mutely pulled into his embrace.
“Rose,” he whispered into her hair, and his voice mirrored his touch, expectant and hesitating. His words came to her like ships out of the fog-she never knew when the next one would come, but he’d picked them out of the stardust just for her. He would have given anything to prove himself to her and have everything back to normal between them, if only he knew what she needed.
He told her she was beautiful.
He told her that he loved her.
She didn’t say anything back but she didn’t pull away either. He wondered if either of them would get used to the man he was now.
“Don’t worry about it so, pet. Give her time,” Jackie cooed, ruffling the hair over his worried brow as he sulked at the table. But time was one thing he no longer had in his repertoire to give.
But he was the Doctor, and he would still try, for there was nothing he could refuse her, and certainly so much more that she deserved from him.
“After all, she’s been without you for a long time. She’s gotta get used to having you around again.” she reminded him.
It occurred to him that he didn’t even know how old she was now.
On the fourth day, she came down for breakfast and was greeted by the decidedly un-breakfasty smell of buttercream frosting in the air. Sitting on the counter were two cakes. Next to each were cards addressed to her. The fist read, “On Your 19th Birthday.” The second: “As You Turn 20.” Both were signed “All my love, the Doctor.” Her finger traced the loopy script-the foreign handwriting of the Doctor, so rarely seen by her during their travels. Somehow this seemed more real to her than anything else, and the graceful loops of the handwriting reached out to slip under her tightly closed edges and tug a little bit at the door to her heart, encouraging her to open again.
“Happy birthday…” Rose startled at the soft voice behind her.
“But it’s not my-“
“But it was at some point, and I missed it,” he said, crossing the distance to her. “And, I’m sorry.” He cupped her cheek and she leaned into him in spite of herself.
He promised her a cake a week for every year he’d missed, and he wanted her to tell him in detail about every day she’d had without him.
“I can’t give you all of time and space, but I can give you myself.”
“And, apparently, enough cake to make me diabetic...” she muttered sarcastically.
A flicker of rejection passed across his face but she reached out to gently take his hand.
“No. S’great, really. But now you are gonna have to give me a while.”
He swallowed and looked away. “Oh… Yeah. Of course. I understand.”
“Yeah? Good. Cos it might take all day to fill you in,” she said, grinning up at him. “It’s quite a long story.”
His grin of realisation broke over him like a sunrise, gradually spreading over his face and crinkling up the corners of his eyes, reminding her of earlier days. “Rose Tyler, for you, I have all the time in the world.”
She laughed and shyly poked him in the stomach. “See, Doctor. You can still give me time.”
“Yeah. You’re right,” he said, running his thumb over her cheek. “And I intend to give you a lifetime. How does forever sound?”
“Perfect. Just what I always wanted.”