Everyday Fantastic: A Time Lord's Guide to the Slow Path (14/15)
Title: Everyday Fantastic: A Time Lord's Guide to the Slow Path (14/15)
Author: Roxyk630
WARNING: There are S4 spoilers beyond this point.
Character/Pairing: Ten II (10.5, Human!Ten, Blue!Ten)/Rose, Appearances by: Jackie, Jake, Pete, Tony and others
Rating: R (for sexual situations)
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who nor any of the characters contained within. All rights belong to the BBC. I do inflict humiliation upon my dalek action figures and make them wear silly hats and aprons. So... even more concern than the BBC coming after me... is the Cult of Skaro, an encounter I definitely would not survive.
Betas: otahyoni and
mtemplar_ficfor this chapter. Thank you both for dotting my "i's", crossing my "t's", and fixing my fear of commas. <3 Special thanks to swankkat, who cheered me on through this entire thing! And made a special request to stick with an original plan.
Summary: The Doctor learning to live day by day on the slow path with Rose.
Author's Notes: The Doctor and Rose continue their date and the Doctor has a name!
Sorry this took so long. Life whacked me hard over the past month or so. I've been busy with a number of things, least of which has been fanfic (though, for the past week it's mostly been the computer virus keeping me busy). However, since we're nearing the end *wibble* I'd like to thank you all for encouraging me to keep with it. It means so much to have such consistent and loving readers. I never expected it. Please enjoy my first "fic" foray into the smut zone. The Doctor's new name DOES have a reason, which, hopefully you've caught by now. If not, make sure you request this chapter when I post the "fic commentary meme" (which I promised Karenor I'd do). The name, admittedly, was tossed back and forth between my beta's and I. It ended up being even keel with 2 and 2 on the fence. Thank you guys for never failing to be honest with me. ;) We all need to know that sometimes our "bad" ideas have good merit. Thank you for being so patient and enjoy.
Previous Chapters: Teaspoon, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13
CHAPTER 14
Dinner goes well, or so he figures. Barnaby, their host, has become a friend in less than a course and kindly allows them to stay long beyond finishing dinner and paying. Rose is smiling, and they’re both a bit tipsy after he regales her with the complete tale of Jackie and his “gaudy jacket.”
If she keeps leaning forward in that dress, he’s going to bound across the table and do things that are completely unacceptable in the middle of a dining establishment. He decides she’s doing it on purpose. He knows she’s doing it on purpose, because that’s what, he realizes to his own shock and horror, Donna would do when she was sexually attracted to the person across the table, wearing a completely fashionable velvety jacket.
“Doctor?”
He doesn’t realize he’s been staring until his eyes dart up to hers. If he’s not mistaken, Rose has taken on a new tone, her voice low and a bit husky.
“A walk!” he says suddenly. “We should go on a walk. Can’t drive like this, can I?”
”You telling me you’re soused?” She smiles a cheshire grin. They definitely need to get out of there, and fast.
“I’ve had one too many. I definitely don’t meet legal driving standards,” he replies as he stands. “Quiet night…” He stands before her, hand outstretched.
When her hand grips his, he pulls her forward with a sudden jolt that aligns her body against his. She giggles softly against his chest before looking up to meet his eyes.
“It’s a bit chilly, Doctor.”
He takes her hand and guides her towards the front of the restaurant where he helps her with her coat, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “I can keep you warm. Good at that, Time Lord meta-crisis me. Much quicker circulation with a faster beating heart.”
She turns quickly to meet his eyes and is met with a mischievous smile.
“Besides, we’ll end up overweight with all that lounging about we’ve been doing. Thus far we’ve not had to run for our lives once. How do you intend to stay fit?”
She can think of several ways to stay trim, and by the grin on his face, she figures not only is he tipsier than he admits, he has a similar mind-set. Rose grins in response, but is greeted heartily by Barnaby before she can voice her previous thought. They promise to visit again soon, without the coaxing from Jackie, and thank him for a wonderful evening before exiting into the brisk night air.
The town is small and quiet, just a few people are milling about in the evening, returning home from the town center. They decide to head in that direction in hopes of finding something interesting. They’re standing at a zebra crossing, waiting for traffic to clear when his hand grips hers firmly and she meets a wiggling brow.
“Rose?” She can see his breath on the air when he speaks and the slight pink tinge to his cheeks. She isn’t sure if it’s from the cold or from the wine.
His eyes look back to the road before widening in excitement as he leans to whisper in her ear.
“Run.”
He’s off the curb before she can completely register the feeling the word evokes. There’s no traffic, no danger, absolutely no reason to run, and yet he’s in front of her gripping her hand tightly and running through the pedestrian crossing just like so many times before. She can’t help but laugh as they sprint. When they reach the other side, they keep pace a little farther up the sidewalk, both slowing, breathless from laughing and running from absolutely nothing. They give up trying to keep some sort of composure in front of an elderly couple who keep grinning and shaking their heads as they walk their dog.
She looks up to find him doubled over laughing whole heartedly, in a way she hasn’t seen him do in quite some time, if ever. His cheeks are red, from physical exertion, and his breath shows on the night air. He’s delighted by the smallest mundane things, and she can’t help but love that about him. After all he’s seen in his lifetimes, he’s charmed by pea-flicking, little boys who pretend to be Slytheen, phillips head screwdrivers, first real dates, and zebra crossings It’s a moment of clarity. She loves him so much it aches. He’s the one she was searching for. He’s the one she went back for. And even though she still loves the one that travels alone on the other side of the universe, she knows that this is the man she’s meant to be with. For all of his differences and similarities he’s absolutely her Doctor, and for the first time she truly accepts it.
He underestimates the sheer velocity of a blond in high heels. The Doctor is forced back a few steps when Rose suddenly rushes into his arms, her lips crushing desperately into his as she grabs his lapels and kisses him in the middle of the path.
After a minute or two, their lips part with an audible smack and Rose’s eyes meet his, their breathing heavy. He looks completely dazed, and his jaw goes slack as he runs a hand through his hair and sighs happily. Rose can’t help but grin when she notices his smirk covered with the slightly pinkish tinge of her leftover lipstick.
“Well.” He’s not completely sure where he was going with that, even before it leaves his lips. After a short pause he continues. “I thought I was tipsy before-“
He’s cut off by the feeling of Rose’s chilled fingertips in his hair and the press of her lips to his once again. Her eyes lock on his, and he can feel her smile as he accidentally kisses her teeth.
“I love you,” Rose whispers, her forehead centimeters from his, fingers playing in the hair at his nape. She presses a soft kiss to the corner of his lips, eyes wide open, the same way she began this journey with him.
“Remind me to treat you to dinner more often, if this is the reaction,” he chuckles pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
They fall silent in the middle of the path, the Doctor still holding Rose close.
“Rose,” he questions softly, breath exhaling on her ear and causing her to shiver pleasantly. He presses a kiss there when he feels her shake and runs his arms down to grasp her hands.
“What is-“ Her eyes dart down to their hands at the cool, but rapidly warming, sensation of metal pressed into her palm. Rose’s eyes dart back to his as she lifts her hand. In her palm rests a key. Her eyes look back at the Doctor curiously. “What is it to?”
Admittedly, he’s proud of himself for making it this far without losing any semblance of composure. It was the only way he could easily tell her he was ready for a commitment. He knew she loved him, the other him, but he wasn’t completely sure how she felt about him. Things had been said but he wasn’t sure how much was felt behind those words, on Rose’s part. Tonight, if things hadn’t gone well, he’d just anticipated returning the key through the mail slot of the restaurant as Barnaby instructed. He hadn’t even planned on mentioning the key, but he’s been nervously playing with it in his pocket since before they began running.
He sees realization play on her face. She knows exactly what the key is for, as evident by her tongue poking out, adding to the already impish grin on her face.
“You have a thing for giving women keys, don’t you?”
“That one has a few more strings attached than the last one,” he says softly.
“Yeah?” She watches him, her grin fading at the seriousness of his tone. “What sort of strings?”
“Me. All of me.”
Her eyebrows furrow in a way that makes his heart clench. Her chilled hand reaches to cup his cheek as her lips spread into a lipstick-smeared smile. “All of you?”
“Yep. No exchanges, exceptions, or refunds. Me.”
Her grin takes him aback. She hasn’t smiled at him like that since his first Christmas with her.
“Sold to the blond in red,” she laughs.
The words are barely off of her lips when he grabs her and kisses her in a way that leaves her in no question of his future plans or desires. It’s not desperate; it’s loving and gentle with an underlying passion that leaves her breathless. His tongue slips against hers. It tastes like wine, and he can’t help the moan that causes him to pull back. He rests his forehead against hers, breathing deeply, before drawing back with a smile.
“Rose Tyler, come with me.” His voice is low when he speaks. He grips her hand tightly within his as they walk back to the The Willowbrook, Barnaby’s Bed and Breakfast.
He grunts into Rose’s lips when his back hits the door-frame of their room. They stand for several minutes, kissing, before he wonders exactly when she managed to get the upper hand. As he pulls Rose into the room by her hips, the grinding of the key being pulled from lock by Rose, reminds him that sometime shortly after he opened the door is when she gained the upper hand. She’d barely given him time to get the door open before pressing him against it and finding his lips. Not that he’d really opposed.
Her hands find their way under his coat and slip it off of his shoulders before he manages to rip it off the rest of the way and fling it haphazardly onto the other side of the room. The Doctor parts from Rose long enough to scan the room quickly and kick the door shut behind him with a grin.
Rose smiles as she tosses her coat across the room to land near his, both haphazardly landing on an overstuffed chair in the corner. She looks around the room, still mostly dark, before the Doctor turns on a lamp by the door. The room is quaint. Nicely attired, fairly modern, but nothing overly ornate. The entire cottage is empty, save for their presence in the lone room rented in the fall off-peak season.
“S’nice.” Rose’s hand traces the lines of the quilt as she touches the edge of the bed. When she looks up, the Doctor is leaning against the door, watching her.
Her heels make scuffling noises on the wood floors, which creak with her movement as walks back to him. He doesn’t move, isn’t completely sure he could if he tried, but doesn’t really want to make that known to Rose, not when she’s looking at him like that. The tug on his lapels forces him to move as she gently pulls him away from the door, giving him an all-too-chaste kiss. When his hands move to her sides she giggles before turning and circling him, teasingly, running her hands across his chest, arm, and then back, slipping gently down his back to his bum.
He follows her hands with his eyes until she shocks him with the pinch, causing him to turn around with a stumble. Rose is grinning, her tongue poking out in a way that he’s never really assumed was naughty until now. It incredibly sexy. He feels a bit daft for not noticing it before. He’s surprised again by her hands running gently up his arms before they pause at his lapels and continue down the seams at the front. Playing with the buttons on the front of the jacket, she undoes them slowly, not unlike the first time she undressed him, the evening they arrived.
Knowing he should be participating, his arms move to encircle her waist, only to have her stop him and beckon him closer to the bed. She bites her lower lip when he meets her eyes, before he moves to kiss her again, allowing her to shuck his jacket in the process. Instead of dropping it to the floor, however, he manages to flop it over the bedpost as she nibbles on his lower lip.
She’s well over halfway through his buttons when her lips move to his neck. He groans when she releases a breath of air over his ear and jaw, then continues down his neck, placing a light kiss over a freckle on his chest. Rose is good at multitasking, he concludes, something he is absolutely sure he didn’t know before. As her lips move, her hands move in an erratic pattern, roving from the buttons of his shirt to tugging his shirts out of his trousers, to brushing against him, rubbing far too teasingly through his trousers.
“Rose.” A groan escapes his lips.
She pushes him back gently, and he drops, rather suddenly onto the bed. He can’t move his eyes from the expanse of skin provided by her low cut dress as she stands before him. It dips perilously, tauntingly. His fingers brush at the hemline against her calf, slowly skimming up behind her knee, which he learns is ticklish. His palms flatten out as he strokes his way up her thigh. She’s not wearing knickers, something he’d not exactly expected. His hands brush her hips, fingers pressing firmly into the bones of her hip.
She can only hum in response. A gasp escapes her when his fingers skim her waistline. His lips meet the fabric of her dress at her hip, breath creeping through the fabric, and Rose moans at the feeling of heat as it tickles up her side. The Doctor grins at her whimpers when his breath carries up the side of her breast. He rises gently from his seated position on the bed as his fingers move upward, tracing the curves and contours of her figure. His fingers curl around to her back, feeling the roll of her shoulders as he delicately pushes the dress up over her head. He releases a happy sigh at the sight of Rose pleasantly disheveled and flushed.
“Rose, I rather think some sort of undergarment would be needed for a public night out. Or...” he whispers, lips finding her neck and kissing his way down her shoulder before bringing his lips to her ear, “...were you anticipating something like this?”
Her only response is a shuddering release of breath as her head leans gently against his. It wasn’t so much anticipation as practicality-her little red dress left little alternative for practical undergarments. The thought completely leaves her mind as his fingers lightly caress her breasts in sweeping motions.
He leans in, kissing her hungrily, lips trailing from hers to nibble at her ear and neck before working his way down her body. The Doctor drops onto his knees, rather suddenly and ungracefully. There’s a mole on her hip. He greets it with a delicate nibble before looking up to see her watching him with a heated gaze, lips parted, a trail of his kisses traversing her body and cooling against her skin. Whispering affirmations of his love against her skin he leaves a less than subtle mark against her hip. With a gentle touch, his hands press against her thighs and, answering his silent request, she widens her stance.
With a flicker of amusement, his eyes meet hers, watching as her lashes flutter when he places a kiss against her curls. This, he decides, open-mouthed against her, is far better than evenings alone in the shower. Rose makes delightful sounds, which he enjoys eliciting from her even more. She’s much more breathy and vocal than he’d expected. Several minutes later, regardless of the lovely sounds Rose is making, he feels rather lost. Her fingers are scratching at his scalp, a lovely feeling, but according to what he’s learned, through very extensive research-both online and other sources of ill repute- Rose should be losing control about now. She’s not. She’s standing before him, obviously enjoying herself but not quite in the way he had hoped. He doesn’t have the skilled tongue he thought he possessed, then. Not yet, anyway.
“Rose.” Her eyes trail up his, seemingly surprised that he’s stopped. He adjusts her, holding her hips, so that her knees back up against the bed. “I want to know you. All of you.”
She takes a deep breath, watching him and gently ruffling his hair as he nuzzles at her thigh pressing deep kisses as he goes. “Oh, God.” Her breath releases in a slow shudder, extending the words as it whispers past her lips.
His palm flattens against her stomach, lips at her hip as he presses her gently towards the mattress, adjusting to nibble at her knees as she sits. With a gentle reverence, while on his knees before her, his eyes follow his hands as they map the curvature of her body where she sits, mixing deep kisses with his touch. He’s sporadic and scattered as he moves-lips leave her collarbone to trail down to her breast, hesitantly pressing his lips to her nipple before gently suckling. His teeth graze lightly against her nipple; at Rose’s gasp he pulls away, only to meet a lusty smile.
“Tell me what you like,” he says softly, pressing a kiss against her sternum. Rose’s fingers wrap through his hair as he kisses his way towards her neck. “I want to know.”
“Experimentation, Doctor.” She grins, bringing him close to eye level. “Learn by doing.” Rose sucks in a breath when his fingers slide up from her knee to the juncture of her thighs. “This is a first for me too, remember? First time with you. First for us,” she adds as his fingers trail up past her belly button and caress the underside of her breasts. His hands close around them, softly.
“Learn by doing?” he asks with a grin she might think cheeky if not for the hesitancy in his action.
She nods. He’s far too clothed, she decides as she stands. She tugs at his dress shirt, slowly sliding it off to drop behind him, then removes his undershirt hastily. He looks shocked at her rash actions.
“I want to touch you,” she explains, pulling him to his feet, the need in her voice evident. His heart beats erratically against her palm as she leans forward to kiss him, pressing flush against him. He’s warm, pleasantly warm, possibly still a bit tipsy.
With a contented hum, she moves her hands, her fingernails lightly grazing his sides. Their kiss escalates, becoming sloppy in their passion. Desperate to continue, they both breathe heavily, quickening their ministrations, hands stroking, touching, and embracing frantically. Her hands sliding down his thighs and lightly trace his hardness before tugging at his belt and lowering the zip to his trousers. His lips pull away from her suddenly; his breath comes in pants, and Rose takes the opportunity to make him to sit on the bed, which he automatically flops back onto.
In an attempt to calm at least some of the incredibly new sensations rushing through his body, he focuses on breathing. His delighted hum, where things were still moving at an even pace is gone, replaced by touches of hands and the contented sighs of Rose during what he feels is a rather inept seduction on his part. He didn’t know what to expect when it came to seducing Rose, but he’d certainly expected more prowess. A surprised groan leaves him at the sensation of Rose kissing his knee and moving slowly up his leg. Distracted by his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed her removing his shoes, socks and trousers. Her heels clack against the floor as she slides them off and climbs onto the bed. When her hair skims against his stomach and thighs, he cries out, his hips thrusting forward, meeting nothing save the tickle of Rose’s fingers at the line of his pants.
“Nice knickers.” Her eyes lock on him. She winks, pausing, her right hand caressing his hip. The Doctor pushes up on his elbows, watching with a smug grin, his hair a complete mess. In silent approval, he licks his lips and nods. Rose teases his pants down and off before tossing them over the side of the bed. He’s blushing when she meets his eyes, taking the time to fully appreciate the man in front of her. No boundaries between them, the Doctor and Rose. He has smattering of freckles and moles that make her want to connect the dots with kisses, so she does, her lips tracing the mole on his upper thigh and connecting to a freckle several centimeters away. She only makes it to his hip before he tugs her up towards him, kissing her messily.
“Time for that later,” he whispers in-between frantic kisses. He moans when her hips press against his, finding a frenetic pace. “Rose. I-oh, that’s-I need you. Condoms- coat pocket.” he manages to get out before he’s left bereft.
Rose darts to the other side of the room and begins digging through his coat pockets frantically. She hadn’t really anticipated-then again, she hasn’t really been met with anything she’d anticipated for the evening. She also wonders exactly what he’s managed to fit into these coat pockets because she’s worked into enough of a frenzy as it is; trying to hunt down condoms is currently the least of her concerns. With a triumphant grin, Rose turns to meet his eyes, with a strip of several foil packets. He’s watching her, with a look of awe, and her triumph turns to that of shyness as she blushes from head to foot under his scrutiny.
“I love you, so much, Rose Tyler.”
His grin, she notes, still sends giddy flutters through her. She bites her lip before walking over to the bed, licking her lips as she sits.
“And just in case I never remember to tell you again before we go old and senile, you have a fantastic bum,” he adds with a cheeky grin. Rose attacks him with a snog, continuing where they’d left off.
He’s ready for this, finally, at ease in a new environment outside of the Tyler home. Someplace new with Rose, a place for them, only them. He wonders then if that’s what it’s like, knowing that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone-being at ease with the unknown, unafraid of the future. He’d never been afraid of danger, just the complications of domesticity. He’s scared out of his mind now, completely, but he knows he can make it as long as Rose is there to hold his hand. Rose has helped him make it through worse before. He’d loved his planet, Gallifrey. The Time Lords had their own share of hassles, but he still loved them in his own way. This love is different. As a Time Lord, he’d loved in his past, his wife, and his children, others that had long since come and gone. Then he thought he’d been in love with Rose, regardless of the emotional distance he tended to keep. It hurt when Rose was suddenly pulled away.
This human love is all consuming. It’s chemical, emotional, and physical. He’d loved Rose for a long time, but it’s not about keeping her close, seeing her smile, enjoying her happiness, or watching his world through her eyes any longer. It’s about being everything to her, for her, with her. Wanting to be there for every argument, seeing her not only when she’s happy, but when she’s sad. He wants to be angry with her and enjoy all the complications that come with moving beyond it. When he said he loved her on the beach he thought he’d known what it meant, what love felt like. He was wrong. This is love, he decides, and for the first time in a long time, he allows it to consume him.
“Doctor, I love you.” Rose huffs against his lips, fully flushed and warm around him. It’s amazing. She’s fantastic. They are fantastic. Her fingers move hair and sweat away from his brow with trembling hands not concerned with her own, which clings to her dampened skin as they move. He moves within her, marveling in a calculated rhythm as she arches and writhes beneath him, her incoherent sentences cut off with a litany of moans and sighs. His words of love are tattooed against her skin with breaths and cries of pleasure.
And when she smiles, he finds release.
“You know, you never did tell me your name.” She laughs, causing his head to shake against her breast. “Filled out those forms, never did tell me what you put on them.”
She never did come. It upset him, but he supposes, as with all things, you can’t always get it right on the first try. He’s already vowed to try again, repeatedly. If she can take it, possibly a couple more times yet that evening.
“I didn’t… did I?” He gives her a wiggle of his eyebrows before moving and settling down next to her, getting comfortable again, his arms behind his head. Rose curls against him, laying her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat while her fingers play in the hair that sparsely covers his chest. “It’s Doctor.”
“What? Really?” Her head lifts; as she folds her arms on his chest and rests her chin there.
“You’ve seen what celebrities name their children! Inspektor, Apple, Coco, Brooklyn! All those Beckham’s with city names! I didn’t fancy being a food or a place so I settled for occupation. I almost went with John but I’m quite attached to Doctor. New life, but not all of it has to change. What do you think?”
She grins. “I was kind of hoping you’d go for Adherents of the Repeated Meme or The Face of Boe or-!”
Rose is in a fit of hysterical laughter before she can finish, the Doctor tickling her breathless.
“I quite like being ‘The Doctor.’” He grins, adding another tickle and causing her writhe against him in a fit of laughter once again. “But I like Rose Tyler better.” He winks.
When she catches her breath, she meets his eyes with a grin. He’s half-sprawled over her, his weight not completely uncomfortable. She runs her fingers through the front of his hair. “And what about your surname? Do you have one?”
He grins. “Darling. I quite like it! Trust J.M. Barrie to give a surname that’s a term of endearment!”
“Seriously?” Rose looks at him with a skeptical smile, her hands leaving his hair.
“You don't like it. Now, you have an excuse to call me 'Darling' everyday.”
“As does everyone else in the universe. Besides, I never said I didn't like it. It's... different,” she shrugs.
“Good different, or bad different,” he questions.
“Just different.”
“Oh! You’d be Rose Darling if we got married.”
He doesn’t quite register what he’s blurted out until Rose’s eyes widen. It only lasts a brief moment before she relaxes and grins. "Would we get married, you think?"
Rose doesn’t seem to notice that he’s retreating slightly, as he kisses his way down her shoulder and under the blanket they’ve haphazardly shuffled around the bed. His head pokes up enough to catch her expression through a crack in the duvet when he pauses to ask, "I dunno. Do you want to?"
"Never really thought about it. I just thought-“ she gasps, her words dying on her lips when his tongue traces a sensitive spot on her hip. “Do you?"
Her eyes are closed and he can tell when her back arches, because the light closes off when she moves. She surprises him by leaning forward and allowing him to nibble at her hip in the dark, before she removes the duvet and grins at him. He lifts his head at the sudden, cool sensation that hits and meets Roses eyes, enjoying the sensation of her fingers curling lightly under his chin.
“Great hair,” she smiles, gesturing to his bed head. “You going to kiss me or not, Doctor Darling?”
He beams.
Author: Roxyk630
WARNING: There are S4 spoilers beyond this point.
Character/Pairing: Ten II (10.5, Human!Ten, Blue!Ten)/Rose, Appearances by: Jackie, Jake, Pete, Tony and others
Rating: R (for sexual situations)
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who nor any of the characters contained within. All rights belong to the BBC. I do inflict humiliation upon my dalek action figures and make them wear silly hats and aprons. So... even more concern than the BBC coming after me... is the Cult of Skaro, an encounter I definitely would not survive.
Betas: otahyoni and
mtemplar_ficfor this chapter. Thank you both for dotting my "i's", crossing my "t's", and fixing my fear of commas. <3 Special thanks to swankkat, who cheered me on through this entire thing! And made a special request to stick with an original plan.
Summary: The Doctor learning to live day by day on the slow path with Rose.
Author's Notes: The Doctor and Rose continue their date and the Doctor has a name!
Sorry this took so long. Life whacked me hard over the past month or so. I've been busy with a number of things, least of which has been fanfic (though, for the past week it's mostly been the computer virus keeping me busy). However, since we're nearing the end *wibble* I'd like to thank you all for encouraging me to keep with it. It means so much to have such consistent and loving readers. I never expected it. Please enjoy my first "fic" foray into the smut zone. The Doctor's new name DOES have a reason, which, hopefully you've caught by now. If not, make sure you request this chapter when I post the "fic commentary meme" (which I promised Karenor I'd do). The name, admittedly, was tossed back and forth between my beta's and I. It ended up being even keel with 2 and 2 on the fence. Thank you guys for never failing to be honest with me. ;) We all need to know that sometimes our "bad" ideas have good merit. Thank you for being so patient and enjoy.
Previous Chapters: Teaspoon, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13
CHAPTER 14
Dinner goes well, or so he figures. Barnaby, their host, has become a friend in less than a course and kindly allows them to stay long beyond finishing dinner and paying. Rose is smiling, and they’re both a bit tipsy after he regales her with the complete tale of Jackie and his “gaudy jacket.”
If she keeps leaning forward in that dress, he’s going to bound across the table and do things that are completely unacceptable in the middle of a dining establishment. He decides she’s doing it on purpose. He knows she’s doing it on purpose, because that’s what, he realizes to his own shock and horror, Donna would do when she was sexually attracted to the person across the table, wearing a completely fashionable velvety jacket.
“Doctor?”
He doesn’t realize he’s been staring until his eyes dart up to hers. If he’s not mistaken, Rose has taken on a new tone, her voice low and a bit husky.
“A walk!” he says suddenly. “We should go on a walk. Can’t drive like this, can I?”
”You telling me you’re soused?” She smiles a cheshire grin. They definitely need to get out of there, and fast.
“I’ve had one too many. I definitely don’t meet legal driving standards,” he replies as he stands. “Quiet night…” He stands before her, hand outstretched.
When her hand grips his, he pulls her forward with a sudden jolt that aligns her body against his. She giggles softly against his chest before looking up to meet his eyes.
“It’s a bit chilly, Doctor.”
He takes her hand and guides her towards the front of the restaurant where he helps her with her coat, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “I can keep you warm. Good at that, Time Lord meta-crisis me. Much quicker circulation with a faster beating heart.”
She turns quickly to meet his eyes and is met with a mischievous smile.
“Besides, we’ll end up overweight with all that lounging about we’ve been doing. Thus far we’ve not had to run for our lives once. How do you intend to stay fit?”
She can think of several ways to stay trim, and by the grin on his face, she figures not only is he tipsier than he admits, he has a similar mind-set. Rose grins in response, but is greeted heartily by Barnaby before she can voice her previous thought. They promise to visit again soon, without the coaxing from Jackie, and thank him for a wonderful evening before exiting into the brisk night air.
The town is small and quiet, just a few people are milling about in the evening, returning home from the town center. They decide to head in that direction in hopes of finding something interesting. They’re standing at a zebra crossing, waiting for traffic to clear when his hand grips hers firmly and she meets a wiggling brow.
“Rose?” She can see his breath on the air when he speaks and the slight pink tinge to his cheeks. She isn’t sure if it’s from the cold or from the wine.
His eyes look back to the road before widening in excitement as he leans to whisper in her ear.
“Run.”
He’s off the curb before she can completely register the feeling the word evokes. There’s no traffic, no danger, absolutely no reason to run, and yet he’s in front of her gripping her hand tightly and running through the pedestrian crossing just like so many times before. She can’t help but laugh as they sprint. When they reach the other side, they keep pace a little farther up the sidewalk, both slowing, breathless from laughing and running from absolutely nothing. They give up trying to keep some sort of composure in front of an elderly couple who keep grinning and shaking their heads as they walk their dog.
She looks up to find him doubled over laughing whole heartedly, in a way she hasn’t seen him do in quite some time, if ever. His cheeks are red, from physical exertion, and his breath shows on the night air. He’s delighted by the smallest mundane things, and she can’t help but love that about him. After all he’s seen in his lifetimes, he’s charmed by pea-flicking, little boys who pretend to be Slytheen, phillips head screwdrivers, first real dates, and zebra crossings It’s a moment of clarity. She loves him so much it aches. He’s the one she was searching for. He’s the one she went back for. And even though she still loves the one that travels alone on the other side of the universe, she knows that this is the man she’s meant to be with. For all of his differences and similarities he’s absolutely her Doctor, and for the first time she truly accepts it.
He underestimates the sheer velocity of a blond in high heels. The Doctor is forced back a few steps when Rose suddenly rushes into his arms, her lips crushing desperately into his as she grabs his lapels and kisses him in the middle of the path.
After a minute or two, their lips part with an audible smack and Rose’s eyes meet his, their breathing heavy. He looks completely dazed, and his jaw goes slack as he runs a hand through his hair and sighs happily. Rose can’t help but grin when she notices his smirk covered with the slightly pinkish tinge of her leftover lipstick.
“Well.” He’s not completely sure where he was going with that, even before it leaves his lips. After a short pause he continues. “I thought I was tipsy before-“
He’s cut off by the feeling of Rose’s chilled fingertips in his hair and the press of her lips to his once again. Her eyes lock on his, and he can feel her smile as he accidentally kisses her teeth.
“I love you,” Rose whispers, her forehead centimeters from his, fingers playing in the hair at his nape. She presses a soft kiss to the corner of his lips, eyes wide open, the same way she began this journey with him.
“Remind me to treat you to dinner more often, if this is the reaction,” he chuckles pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
They fall silent in the middle of the path, the Doctor still holding Rose close.
“Rose,” he questions softly, breath exhaling on her ear and causing her to shiver pleasantly. He presses a kiss there when he feels her shake and runs his arms down to grasp her hands.
“What is-“ Her eyes dart down to their hands at the cool, but rapidly warming, sensation of metal pressed into her palm. Rose’s eyes dart back to his as she lifts her hand. In her palm rests a key. Her eyes look back at the Doctor curiously. “What is it to?”
Admittedly, he’s proud of himself for making it this far without losing any semblance of composure. It was the only way he could easily tell her he was ready for a commitment. He knew she loved him, the other him, but he wasn’t completely sure how she felt about him. Things had been said but he wasn’t sure how much was felt behind those words, on Rose’s part. Tonight, if things hadn’t gone well, he’d just anticipated returning the key through the mail slot of the restaurant as Barnaby instructed. He hadn’t even planned on mentioning the key, but he’s been nervously playing with it in his pocket since before they began running.
He sees realization play on her face. She knows exactly what the key is for, as evident by her tongue poking out, adding to the already impish grin on her face.
“You have a thing for giving women keys, don’t you?”
“That one has a few more strings attached than the last one,” he says softly.
“Yeah?” She watches him, her grin fading at the seriousness of his tone. “What sort of strings?”
“Me. All of me.”
Her eyebrows furrow in a way that makes his heart clench. Her chilled hand reaches to cup his cheek as her lips spread into a lipstick-smeared smile. “All of you?”
“Yep. No exchanges, exceptions, or refunds. Me.”
Her grin takes him aback. She hasn’t smiled at him like that since his first Christmas with her.
“Sold to the blond in red,” she laughs.
The words are barely off of her lips when he grabs her and kisses her in a way that leaves her in no question of his future plans or desires. It’s not desperate; it’s loving and gentle with an underlying passion that leaves her breathless. His tongue slips against hers. It tastes like wine, and he can’t help the moan that causes him to pull back. He rests his forehead against hers, breathing deeply, before drawing back with a smile.
“Rose Tyler, come with me.” His voice is low when he speaks. He grips her hand tightly within his as they walk back to the The Willowbrook, Barnaby’s Bed and Breakfast.
He grunts into Rose’s lips when his back hits the door-frame of their room. They stand for several minutes, kissing, before he wonders exactly when she managed to get the upper hand. As he pulls Rose into the room by her hips, the grinding of the key being pulled from lock by Rose, reminds him that sometime shortly after he opened the door is when she gained the upper hand. She’d barely given him time to get the door open before pressing him against it and finding his lips. Not that he’d really opposed.
Her hands find their way under his coat and slip it off of his shoulders before he manages to rip it off the rest of the way and fling it haphazardly onto the other side of the room. The Doctor parts from Rose long enough to scan the room quickly and kick the door shut behind him with a grin.
Rose smiles as she tosses her coat across the room to land near his, both haphazardly landing on an overstuffed chair in the corner. She looks around the room, still mostly dark, before the Doctor turns on a lamp by the door. The room is quaint. Nicely attired, fairly modern, but nothing overly ornate. The entire cottage is empty, save for their presence in the lone room rented in the fall off-peak season.
“S’nice.” Rose’s hand traces the lines of the quilt as she touches the edge of the bed. When she looks up, the Doctor is leaning against the door, watching her.
Her heels make scuffling noises on the wood floors, which creak with her movement as walks back to him. He doesn’t move, isn’t completely sure he could if he tried, but doesn’t really want to make that known to Rose, not when she’s looking at him like that. The tug on his lapels forces him to move as she gently pulls him away from the door, giving him an all-too-chaste kiss. When his hands move to her sides she giggles before turning and circling him, teasingly, running her hands across his chest, arm, and then back, slipping gently down his back to his bum.
He follows her hands with his eyes until she shocks him with the pinch, causing him to turn around with a stumble. Rose is grinning, her tongue poking out in a way that he’s never really assumed was naughty until now. It incredibly sexy. He feels a bit daft for not noticing it before. He’s surprised again by her hands running gently up his arms before they pause at his lapels and continue down the seams at the front. Playing with the buttons on the front of the jacket, she undoes them slowly, not unlike the first time she undressed him, the evening they arrived.
Knowing he should be participating, his arms move to encircle her waist, only to have her stop him and beckon him closer to the bed. She bites her lower lip when he meets her eyes, before he moves to kiss her again, allowing her to shuck his jacket in the process. Instead of dropping it to the floor, however, he manages to flop it over the bedpost as she nibbles on his lower lip.
She’s well over halfway through his buttons when her lips move to his neck. He groans when she releases a breath of air over his ear and jaw, then continues down his neck, placing a light kiss over a freckle on his chest. Rose is good at multitasking, he concludes, something he is absolutely sure he didn’t know before. As her lips move, her hands move in an erratic pattern, roving from the buttons of his shirt to tugging his shirts out of his trousers, to brushing against him, rubbing far too teasingly through his trousers.
“Rose.” A groan escapes his lips.
She pushes him back gently, and he drops, rather suddenly onto the bed. He can’t move his eyes from the expanse of skin provided by her low cut dress as she stands before him. It dips perilously, tauntingly. His fingers brush at the hemline against her calf, slowly skimming up behind her knee, which he learns is ticklish. His palms flatten out as he strokes his way up her thigh. She’s not wearing knickers, something he’d not exactly expected. His hands brush her hips, fingers pressing firmly into the bones of her hip.
She can only hum in response. A gasp escapes her when his fingers skim her waistline. His lips meet the fabric of her dress at her hip, breath creeping through the fabric, and Rose moans at the feeling of heat as it tickles up her side. The Doctor grins at her whimpers when his breath carries up the side of her breast. He rises gently from his seated position on the bed as his fingers move upward, tracing the curves and contours of her figure. His fingers curl around to her back, feeling the roll of her shoulders as he delicately pushes the dress up over her head. He releases a happy sigh at the sight of Rose pleasantly disheveled and flushed.
“Rose, I rather think some sort of undergarment would be needed for a public night out. Or...” he whispers, lips finding her neck and kissing his way down her shoulder before bringing his lips to her ear, “...were you anticipating something like this?”
Her only response is a shuddering release of breath as her head leans gently against his. It wasn’t so much anticipation as practicality-her little red dress left little alternative for practical undergarments. The thought completely leaves her mind as his fingers lightly caress her breasts in sweeping motions.
He leans in, kissing her hungrily, lips trailing from hers to nibble at her ear and neck before working his way down her body. The Doctor drops onto his knees, rather suddenly and ungracefully. There’s a mole on her hip. He greets it with a delicate nibble before looking up to see her watching him with a heated gaze, lips parted, a trail of his kisses traversing her body and cooling against her skin. Whispering affirmations of his love against her skin he leaves a less than subtle mark against her hip. With a gentle touch, his hands press against her thighs and, answering his silent request, she widens her stance.
With a flicker of amusement, his eyes meet hers, watching as her lashes flutter when he places a kiss against her curls. This, he decides, open-mouthed against her, is far better than evenings alone in the shower. Rose makes delightful sounds, which he enjoys eliciting from her even more. She’s much more breathy and vocal than he’d expected. Several minutes later, regardless of the lovely sounds Rose is making, he feels rather lost. Her fingers are scratching at his scalp, a lovely feeling, but according to what he’s learned, through very extensive research-both online and other sources of ill repute- Rose should be losing control about now. She’s not. She’s standing before him, obviously enjoying herself but not quite in the way he had hoped. He doesn’t have the skilled tongue he thought he possessed, then. Not yet, anyway.
“Rose.” Her eyes trail up his, seemingly surprised that he’s stopped. He adjusts her, holding her hips, so that her knees back up against the bed. “I want to know you. All of you.”
She takes a deep breath, watching him and gently ruffling his hair as he nuzzles at her thigh pressing deep kisses as he goes. “Oh, God.” Her breath releases in a slow shudder, extending the words as it whispers past her lips.
His palm flattens against her stomach, lips at her hip as he presses her gently towards the mattress, adjusting to nibble at her knees as she sits. With a gentle reverence, while on his knees before her, his eyes follow his hands as they map the curvature of her body where she sits, mixing deep kisses with his touch. He’s sporadic and scattered as he moves-lips leave her collarbone to trail down to her breast, hesitantly pressing his lips to her nipple before gently suckling. His teeth graze lightly against her nipple; at Rose’s gasp he pulls away, only to meet a lusty smile.
“Tell me what you like,” he says softly, pressing a kiss against her sternum. Rose’s fingers wrap through his hair as he kisses his way towards her neck. “I want to know.”
“Experimentation, Doctor.” She grins, bringing him close to eye level. “Learn by doing.” Rose sucks in a breath when his fingers slide up from her knee to the juncture of her thighs. “This is a first for me too, remember? First time with you. First for us,” she adds as his fingers trail up past her belly button and caress the underside of her breasts. His hands close around them, softly.
“Learn by doing?” he asks with a grin she might think cheeky if not for the hesitancy in his action.
She nods. He’s far too clothed, she decides as she stands. She tugs at his dress shirt, slowly sliding it off to drop behind him, then removes his undershirt hastily. He looks shocked at her rash actions.
“I want to touch you,” she explains, pulling him to his feet, the need in her voice evident. His heart beats erratically against her palm as she leans forward to kiss him, pressing flush against him. He’s warm, pleasantly warm, possibly still a bit tipsy.
With a contented hum, she moves her hands, her fingernails lightly grazing his sides. Their kiss escalates, becoming sloppy in their passion. Desperate to continue, they both breathe heavily, quickening their ministrations, hands stroking, touching, and embracing frantically. Her hands sliding down his thighs and lightly trace his hardness before tugging at his belt and lowering the zip to his trousers. His lips pull away from her suddenly; his breath comes in pants, and Rose takes the opportunity to make him to sit on the bed, which he automatically flops back onto.
In an attempt to calm at least some of the incredibly new sensations rushing through his body, he focuses on breathing. His delighted hum, where things were still moving at an even pace is gone, replaced by touches of hands and the contented sighs of Rose during what he feels is a rather inept seduction on his part. He didn’t know what to expect when it came to seducing Rose, but he’d certainly expected more prowess. A surprised groan leaves him at the sensation of Rose kissing his knee and moving slowly up his leg. Distracted by his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed her removing his shoes, socks and trousers. Her heels clack against the floor as she slides them off and climbs onto the bed. When her hair skims against his stomach and thighs, he cries out, his hips thrusting forward, meeting nothing save the tickle of Rose’s fingers at the line of his pants.
“Nice knickers.” Her eyes lock on him. She winks, pausing, her right hand caressing his hip. The Doctor pushes up on his elbows, watching with a smug grin, his hair a complete mess. In silent approval, he licks his lips and nods. Rose teases his pants down and off before tossing them over the side of the bed. He’s blushing when she meets his eyes, taking the time to fully appreciate the man in front of her. No boundaries between them, the Doctor and Rose. He has smattering of freckles and moles that make her want to connect the dots with kisses, so she does, her lips tracing the mole on his upper thigh and connecting to a freckle several centimeters away. She only makes it to his hip before he tugs her up towards him, kissing her messily.
“Time for that later,” he whispers in-between frantic kisses. He moans when her hips press against his, finding a frenetic pace. “Rose. I-oh, that’s-I need you. Condoms- coat pocket.” he manages to get out before he’s left bereft.
Rose darts to the other side of the room and begins digging through his coat pockets frantically. She hadn’t really anticipated-then again, she hasn’t really been met with anything she’d anticipated for the evening. She also wonders exactly what he’s managed to fit into these coat pockets because she’s worked into enough of a frenzy as it is; trying to hunt down condoms is currently the least of her concerns. With a triumphant grin, Rose turns to meet his eyes, with a strip of several foil packets. He’s watching her, with a look of awe, and her triumph turns to that of shyness as she blushes from head to foot under his scrutiny.
“I love you, so much, Rose Tyler.”
His grin, she notes, still sends giddy flutters through her. She bites her lip before walking over to the bed, licking her lips as she sits.
“And just in case I never remember to tell you again before we go old and senile, you have a fantastic bum,” he adds with a cheeky grin. Rose attacks him with a snog, continuing where they’d left off.
He’s ready for this, finally, at ease in a new environment outside of the Tyler home. Someplace new with Rose, a place for them, only them. He wonders then if that’s what it’s like, knowing that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone-being at ease with the unknown, unafraid of the future. He’d never been afraid of danger, just the complications of domesticity. He’s scared out of his mind now, completely, but he knows he can make it as long as Rose is there to hold his hand. Rose has helped him make it through worse before. He’d loved his planet, Gallifrey. The Time Lords had their own share of hassles, but he still loved them in his own way. This love is different. As a Time Lord, he’d loved in his past, his wife, and his children, others that had long since come and gone. Then he thought he’d been in love with Rose, regardless of the emotional distance he tended to keep. It hurt when Rose was suddenly pulled away.
This human love is all consuming. It’s chemical, emotional, and physical. He’d loved Rose for a long time, but it’s not about keeping her close, seeing her smile, enjoying her happiness, or watching his world through her eyes any longer. It’s about being everything to her, for her, with her. Wanting to be there for every argument, seeing her not only when she’s happy, but when she’s sad. He wants to be angry with her and enjoy all the complications that come with moving beyond it. When he said he loved her on the beach he thought he’d known what it meant, what love felt like. He was wrong. This is love, he decides, and for the first time in a long time, he allows it to consume him.
“Doctor, I love you.” Rose huffs against his lips, fully flushed and warm around him. It’s amazing. She’s fantastic. They are fantastic. Her fingers move hair and sweat away from his brow with trembling hands not concerned with her own, which clings to her dampened skin as they move. He moves within her, marveling in a calculated rhythm as she arches and writhes beneath him, her incoherent sentences cut off with a litany of moans and sighs. His words of love are tattooed against her skin with breaths and cries of pleasure.
And when she smiles, he finds release.
“You know, you never did tell me your name.” She laughs, causing his head to shake against her breast. “Filled out those forms, never did tell me what you put on them.”
She never did come. It upset him, but he supposes, as with all things, you can’t always get it right on the first try. He’s already vowed to try again, repeatedly. If she can take it, possibly a couple more times yet that evening.
“I didn’t… did I?” He gives her a wiggle of his eyebrows before moving and settling down next to her, getting comfortable again, his arms behind his head. Rose curls against him, laying her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat while her fingers play in the hair that sparsely covers his chest. “It’s Doctor.”
“What? Really?” Her head lifts; as she folds her arms on his chest and rests her chin there.
“You’ve seen what celebrities name their children! Inspektor, Apple, Coco, Brooklyn! All those Beckham’s with city names! I didn’t fancy being a food or a place so I settled for occupation. I almost went with John but I’m quite attached to Doctor. New life, but not all of it has to change. What do you think?”
She grins. “I was kind of hoping you’d go for Adherents of the Repeated Meme or The Face of Boe or-!”
Rose is in a fit of hysterical laughter before she can finish, the Doctor tickling her breathless.
“I quite like being ‘The Doctor.’” He grins, adding another tickle and causing her writhe against him in a fit of laughter once again. “But I like Rose Tyler better.” He winks.
When she catches her breath, she meets his eyes with a grin. He’s half-sprawled over her, his weight not completely uncomfortable. She runs her fingers through the front of his hair. “And what about your surname? Do you have one?”
He grins. “Darling. I quite like it! Trust J.M. Barrie to give a surname that’s a term of endearment!”
“Seriously?” Rose looks at him with a skeptical smile, her hands leaving his hair.
“You don't like it. Now, you have an excuse to call me 'Darling' everyday.”
“As does everyone else in the universe. Besides, I never said I didn't like it. It's... different,” she shrugs.
“Good different, or bad different,” he questions.
“Just different.”
“Oh! You’d be Rose Darling if we got married.”
He doesn’t quite register what he’s blurted out until Rose’s eyes widen. It only lasts a brief moment before she relaxes and grins. "Would we get married, you think?"
Rose doesn’t seem to notice that he’s retreating slightly, as he kisses his way down her shoulder and under the blanket they’ve haphazardly shuffled around the bed. His head pokes up enough to catch her expression through a crack in the duvet when he pauses to ask, "I dunno. Do you want to?"
"Never really thought about it. I just thought-“ she gasps, her words dying on her lips when his tongue traces a sensitive spot on her hip. “Do you?"
Her eyes are closed and he can tell when her back arches, because the light closes off when she moves. She surprises him by leaning forward and allowing him to nibble at her hip in the dark, before she removes the duvet and grins at him. He lifts his head at the sudden, cool sensation that hits and meets Roses eyes, enjoying the sensation of her fingers curling lightly under his chin.
“Great hair,” she smiles, gesturing to his bed head. “You going to kiss me or not, Doctor Darling?”
He beams.