Work Text:
The first time it happened, they'd been running. Without Harry as an unfortunate third wheel, Sarah Jane had a bit of trouble adjusting to her new Doctor. Oh, she'd done it again, hadn't she? Talking about him like he was hers, like she held any claim over his attention or affections. That was the trouble she'd been wrangling with inside her own heart as of late.
Without Harry and the occasional appearance of the Brigadier to distract her, Sarah's mind had taken to stewing over her relationship to the Doctor.
He'd been an older man, before. White and grey hair, distinguished if a bit foppish attire. That silly but reliable car he drove everywhere, Bessie, their constant companion. There hadn't been any strange feelings then. Maybe it was because she figured he was too old for her, or maybe it was because she was so often getting nabbed or chased by some alien.
The Doctor was as old now as he'd always been, relative to her own age, and yet a mere change in appearance had shifted everything she thought she knew about their relationship. What was once playful ribbing now became banter that she couldn't help but feel skirted the line into flirting territory. That fondness in his eyes drew her in like a magnet, Sarah often finding herself tempted into getting lost in his gaze.
It'd gotten to the point that, despite her assertions that she really should go home, she found she no longer wanted to. Much the opposite; she dreaded stepping out of the Tardis for the final time. The very idea made her sick.
Perhaps that was why she was running now, jumping over rocks and skittering down small slopes as lizardmen followed closely behind. Silurians. Again. Somehow or another, the Doctor had managed to send them to five-million BC instead of five-million AD. She couldn't help but let out a laugh. Just another day with the Doctor.
They made it back to the Tardis in record time. As was usual, the Doctor beat her there, something about a superior respiratory system if she recalled correctly? He opened up the door, arm ushering her inside. Always the last one to get in during an emergency.
But, they'd made it. They'd gotten out of yet another tough scrape by the skin of their teeth, as they'd always done. The Silurians banged their fists against the police box's exterior, but with the door closed, not even an entire army could hope to fight their way inside.
And it was then, as adrenaline pumped through her veins and her lungs fought for breath, as her mind celebrated yet another timely escape from death, that she did it. Smoothly, as though she'd intended to do it from the start, she grabbed the Doctor by his obscenely long scarf and pulled him into a kiss.
It didn't last long, maybe five seconds total, but the sheer thrill of the act was enough to make Sarah's head spin like a top. The Doctor had to steady her by her shoulders when they broke apart, surprise melting with concern, with a heaping helping of adoration in those new, dark eyes of his. He fought to find words, fumbling with his lips as though her kiss had numbed them.
Finally, he managed, "We'll have to talk about that." It wasn't accusatory, she noted with some hope. Just a blanket statement. An acknowledgement that something had happened between them. Finally, active, communicated recognition. Her heart sung in her chest. There were more bangs at the doors, making them both jump. The Doctor grinned. "Once we've landed somewhere safe, of course."
Sarah Jane smiled. They would talk about this. Not at some indeterminable point in the future, or merely in theory. It would happen as soon as they were safe. Leaning against the wall, she watched the Doctor dance around the console. Soon, they'd dematerialized into the time vortex.
---
The first time it happened, they'd been running. Without Mickey as an unfortunate third wheel, Rose had a bit of trouble adjusting to her new Doctor. Oh- she'd done it again, hadn't she? Talking about him like he was hers already, like he hadn't snogged Madame de Pompadour and god knew who else. That was the trouble she'd been trying to sort out in her own heart recently.
Without Mickey and Jack to divide the Doctor's already scattered attention span, Rose's mind had taken to stewing over her relationship with the Doctor.
He'd been charming, before. A bit rough around the edges, sort of rude, but passionate and funny. He was still all of those things now, just in different amounts. Gone were the leather jackets and big ears, the constant antagonizing of her ex-boyfriend. Somehow, her feelings for him then were more cut and dry. Maybe it was the thrill of being so close to another man while her boyfriend was away, none the wiser. Or maybe it was just the Doctor's natural magnetism, his personal field of gravity drawing her in.
The Doctor looked younger now than he did before. Not by a whole lot, mind, but enough for Rose to really notice how much older his previous face had been. Technically, he was still the exact same age as before, but it felt easier to call him younger. Their early ventures together had seen him stumbling about like a newborn foal, unsure of himself but eager to stand.
It was charming in its own, entirely unique way, to the point that Rose dreaded the day she returned back to her mum's little flat and got herself a proper job again. Everything seemed so much bigger, so much better around the Doctor. That quality of his made her want to stay with him forever and never look back.
Maybe that's why they were currently running. The planet they'd ended up on by mistake, Saturnyne, was mostly ocean, but they'd been lucky enough to materialize on solid land. It no longer seemed quite as fortunate when creepy fish-people started emerging from the waves to chase them off. Despite the danger, Rose found herself grinning. Just another day with the Doctor.
It didn't take too long to reach the Tardis, the island they were on as small as it was. The Doctor beat her there, of course, but when did he not? He did enjoy bragging about his 'superior biology' every chance he could. Still, he waited for her, opening the door so she could escape to the safety of the console room first. Always the self-sacrificial gentleman, putting himself at risk to get her to safety.
And it was then, with her heart pounding in her ears and her legs almost giving way beneath her, as she cheered in her mind for their successful escape, that she did it. Without thought, as though she'd planned it down to the finest details, Rose grabbed the Doctor by the collar of his pinstriped suit and pulled him soundly into a kiss.
She wasn't sure how long it lasted - sometime between a fraction of a second and eternity - before they pulled apart. Rose stumbled, lightheaded, body betraying her at this most crucial moment. The Doctor had to catch her by the underarm, concern and fear and wonder playing across his new face as though it were some tiny stage. He struggled to speak, words clashing in his throat.
Finally, as though reciting a line from a book he'd once read, he smiled and gently told her, "We'll have to talk about that." It was feather-light, all hopeful and bright but saddled with some unknowable sadness reflected in the crinkles around his eyes. Rose's heart swooped in her chest. He finally acknowledged it. Banging on the doors alerted the two of them, Rose in particular squeaking in surprise. The Doctor grinned. "Soon as we've landed somewhere safe, of course."
Rose matched his smile with her own. They were really going to talk about it. Really, truly talk about it. They'd only been dancing around it since... Well, since he brought her back a year later than he promised. Slumping down to the floor, she watched him perform his practiced dance around the console. Within seconds, they'd dematerialized into the time vortex. The Tardis hummed an ancient, nostalgic song.