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Waves crashed differently on alien planets. Depending on the gravity, the number of moons, or even what the ocean itself was filled with, every planet was a little different. On this planet, the waves were soft and slow. It was like being in a dream. The waves rose and fell as slowly as they pleased. To watch them was to gain a sense that you had all the time in the world to sit and stare.
The color of the oceans could vary too. For this planet, the sea was a delicate lilac that complimented the pastel pink of the clouds. As the sun began to set, the bubblegum sky was stained with a periwinkle hue, and Rose swung her feet back and forth idly, glancing bravely down at the drop below.
At some point in the Doctor’s rambling about tourism, blossoming economies, famous locations and cultural lore, they had stopped to sit on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the distant horizon. It remained a mystery exactly when and how the Doctor had managed to clam up, but Rose was grateful to enjoy the friendly quiet that surrounded them. She happily savored moments like this, when she and the Doctor were close to one another, content to be together without conversation. It made her feel warm, safe, and just a little bit buzzy.
“Nice, isn’t it?” said the Doctor, breaking the silence.
“I love it,” Rose said. “Kind of sad though, isn’t it?”
The Doctor turned to look at her. “Why’s it sad?”, he asked, deep eyes quizzical.
“Well, you said it becomes a sort of rabid tourist destination in the future. ‘Mansions and gift shops crammed along every shore’, yeah? ‘Just think it’s sad, you know. It’s so nice right now. I bet it’s not so peaceful if you have to fight for the best vacation bungalow.”
The Doctor shrugged. “I suppose. I guess if you name a planet ‘Valentine’ and tell the whole universe how nice it is, people wanna come see. Then, y’know, lots of people wanna see, and then they wanna stay the night. Just happens.”
“Well, people are rubbish,” said Rose, scowling. “They should just leave it as it is.” There was a pause, and Rose stared at the last wiggly sliver of the blueish sun as it fell beyond the horizon.
“Glad I get to see it though,” she said after a moment. Then she scooched a little closer to the Doctor, and daringly rested her head on his shoulder. She held her breath, but he made no motion to move away. Soon his body seemed to relax and their hands found one another, interlacing fingers in the way that had become second nature. Rose released a sigh. She felt heavy - and the sensation of heaviness was not like that of a boulder crushing down on her, but rather like the comfortable sensation of being under a weighted blanket; the gentle pressure calming your heartbeat, pressing on your chest and giving you a feeling of being embraced. It felt as if this one moment in time was wrapped around her. The Doctor pressed against her shoulder, the cool breeze blowing freely on her dangling legs, the breathtaking ocean horizon spread in her view like a painting.
Rose was struck by the thought that by the time humans got to Valentine, the planet would probably be overrun by alien tourists and the gift shops built to serve them. The untouched beauty Rose saw and felt all around her now would be reduced to postcards sent back to family and cheap souvenirs. She wondered if she was the only human who would ever see Valentine like this.
As if trying to convey her appreciation, she snuggled a little closer into the Doctor. She felt a sudden warmth and closeness as he actually rested his head on top of hers. Despite the oddly somber mood she had found herself in, Rose had to suppress a girlish giggle. Her heart did a little fist pump. Maybe the so aptly named planet had special powers. Whatever it was, it was victory. A teeny tiny victory for Rose to replay in her mind whenever she liked later, but most importantly for her to enjoy every last second of while it was happening.
She didn’t know how long they both sat there, in the same silence they had begun with, alone with each other and the whispers of their breathing. But when they eventually got up again, back to the TARDIS with little left to see, Rose Tyler was smiling.