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The first time she noticed it was the first time Rose came home.
A grumpy older man in leather was on her arm and she was grinning from ear to ear. Even though he looked a little miserable, Shireen saw the way that man looked at her. Rose introduced the man as the Doctor and told her that sorry she was gone for a year, this was the man she had been with for all that time.
Shireen cocked an eyebrow, not quite believing her. "This guy?" She asked, disbelievingly. "He's so old, Rose."
Rose cast a glance over her shoulder at the man, 'the Doctor', who was fighting with her mother. A worried look crossed over Rose's face. "I don't think... I don't think he looks that old."
Shireen offered her friend a small smile. She could already see the love in her worried expression. "Okay, babe," she said sympathetically. "But what about Mickey?"
Rose mumbled out an incoherent answer and walked away. Shireen didn't miss her hand slipping into the Doctor's, and the way his face lit up as he turned to grin at her. He tugged her slightly for her to stumble into his side and she giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. Shireen smiled to herself. Her best friend was falling in love.
***
It was much later until Shireen saw the Doctor and Rose again. She'd come over to Jackie's to dump off a casserole dish. She saw the Doctor and Rose on the couch, watching telly. She was laying sideways on the couch, her feet up in his lap. His sock clad feet were planted firmly on the floor, his rough hand stroking over her foot absently as they chatted about the program. Instead of announcing herself, Shireen slipped into the kitchen and bid hello to Jackie.
"Did you say hi to Rose?" Jackie asked, taking the dish.
"No, she's out there with her bloke. They're real sweet," Shireen offered, leaning her hip against the counter and crossing her arms.
"Her blo- oh, the Doctor. He's not her bloke, sweetheart," Jackie said.
Shireen's brows drew together in confusion. "What do you mean? He's in there with her feet in his lap."
"Oh, for all the bloody-" Jackie cut herself off and peered through the kitchen window that looked into the lounge. She threw her hands up in frustration. "They're not dating, say they aren't, but they might as well be."
"They're not?" Shireen squeaked. "But... But they're always holdin' hands and cuddlin' and I... What?"
Jackie smiled at the confused look on her daughter's friend's face. "Himself out there has a little trouble with his feelings," Jackie looked as exasperated as Shireen felt. "Feel free to watch them though, it's better than the romantic comedies on the telly. You oughta see them when they think nobody's lookin'. I'll bet they didn't even see you come in."
"They didn't."
"Ah-huh."
Shireen did watch, through the window, as the Doctor's hand rubbed over Rose's feet, massaging them, giving her little affections that Shireen's bloke wouldn't even give to her. He said blokes found feet gross. The Doctor, apparently, did not. Shireen watched as Rose shifted, poking the Doctor with one of her toes, and he grabbed it, grinning at her before continuing with his massage. Rose looked back to the telly and the Doctor did nothing short of gaze at her for a moment before returning his attention to the screen as well.
"Where do you want to go next?" He asked, his voice more tender than conversational.
"I wanna see Paris. That okay?"
The Doctor nodded. "Perfectly okay. We'll take off soon, yeah?"
"Yeah."
A moment of silence spread between them and suddenly Rose sat up and kissed the Doctor on the cheek before falling back into a lying down position. "Thanks, Doctor."
"Yeah." He looked chuffed, even if he wasn't going to say it.
******
Shireen came round after Christmas and there was a new man with Rose. And that was when the words "I should tell you the truth" came out of Rose's mouth and she told Shireen exactly who she'd been traveling with. Shireen had been shocked, of course, but upon seeing the TARDIS and being introduced to the new Doctor, she had no choice but to believe it.
The Tylers had a little party that night, and all the coats were stored in Rose's room. Rose seemed to forget that though, because when Shireen when to get her coat, she found the new Doctor curled up over the duvet, sans jacket and tie, with Rose curled up against his chest. Her hand was gripping his oxford sleeve as if he would try to escape in the night. They were both asleep, Rose still with her shoes on, so clearly the both of them were exhausted. Shireen started the task of picking up all the coats just so they wouldn't be disturbed again when she heard the Doctor murmur something against her forehead. Rose shifted and cuddled closer to him, and he kissed her forehead before lapsing into sleep again.
Shireen found herself grinning at the alien with her best friend. She always knew someone from Earth wouldn't be good enough for Rose Tyler. Gathering up the rest of the coats, she slipped out of the room, closing the door silently behind her.
*******
Rose was crying the next time she saw them.
She didn't know what had happened, of course it was something from their travels, but she and Jackie were watching and listening from the kitchen, trying to figure out what, exactly was going on. They'd been banished there when Rose had shed the first tear.
"Rose, please," The Doctor was saying, his own voice growing tearful. "Please look at me, I can't stand this. Look at me."
"I don't think you understand," Rose blurted out as it he hadn't spoken, getting up and shuffling to the window, her arms wrapped around herself. "I don't think you understand why this hurt me."
"Because... I don't know, Rose, because we're best mates and you mean the world to me, and I didn't act like it today. And I'm sorry I went to save Reinette, if that's what made you angry."
"Damn it, that's not what made me angry!" Rose shouted. "I know you had to save her, I know you did, it's what you do, and I'm glad you did, so she could live a brilliant life. What makes me angry is the fact that you didn't think you'd be able to get back, didn't know, and you left not knowing, or not caring, I'm not sure which, that I love you and want to stay with you forever!"
Things were very silent in the room after that, the heaviness of it settling over them like a blanket. Shireen and Jackie both gasped quietly and looked at each other, mouths agape. They peeked back out the tiny slit in the kitchen window they'd made for themselves. Rose had her head in her hands, embarrassment written in her posture. The Doctor was sitting on the couch, facing her back. His mouth was open and he was staring at the back of her head.
"Sorry," she choked out, "Sorry, I didn't mean, I know you don't-"
"-Rose," The Doctor scrambled to his feet and walked to her, spinning her around in his arms. His hands lay on her waist as he tried to get her to look at him. She wouldn't remove her hands from her face. He made a frustrated whining sound. "Rose, look at me, please."
She slowly removed her hands and dropped them to her sides, her wrists brushing his hands. Her face was tear streaked and mascara was smudged. He heaved a heavy sigh, like she was making him do all the work, and he took her hands in his. He looked at her for a long moment until her lip started to tremble again. He dropped her hands and cupped her face, lowering his lips to hers and kissing her sweetly.
Jackie and Shireen let out silent screams and smacked each other with pot holders as they watched what was now their favorite soap opera unfold before them.
The Doctor pulled away slowly and tipped his forehead against hers. "I love you," he whispered, the words so full of awe and tenderness that Shireen found herself tearing up at the very sound of it. Rose lifted her hands to his waist, and her eyes fluttered closed. Before Rose could say anything, the Doctor cut her off. "I'm not good at this, Rose, I was wrong today. I left you, I left MIckey, all because I'd met one of my heroes. I don't deserve you, not at all. But I love you, I do love you so deeply. Time Lords don't love deeply Rose, and you are everything to me. Doesn't that terrify you?"
She opened her eyes and pulled back to look him in the face. "You don't scare me, you make me feel alive."
He kissed her again, and it was much deeper, much more intense, and Shireen saw a hint of tongue until Jackie shut the window. "Give 'em some privacy, yeah?" She said, grinning. "Took them long enough to do it."
************
Shireen was the maid of honor at her friend's wedding. It was only known by those who knew the Doctor was alien that they were having a Gallifreyan hand fasting ceremony as well as a traditional Earth ceremony. Everyone else thought that the hand fasting was a regular thing from 'where the Doctor was from' though no one seemed to know where that was.
When the red fabric was wrapped around the Doctor's and Rose's right hands, Shireen could see the love written in their eyes. The Doctor leaned forwards to her ear, whispering to her. Shireen knew that the Doctor was telling her his real name, the binding piece to hold her to him forever. Rose whispered something back, her name in Gallifreyan, which he had taught her. He pulled back grinning at her and the Reverend continued with the ceremony, oblivious to the perfect couple before him. THey were completely beautiful together. Shireen marveled that even when he was all nose and leather, Rose loved him just the same.
Shireen watched them that night as they danced at their reception, and she smiled at the thought that the Doctor 'didn't do domestic'. It seemed that if Rose Tyler was in the equation, domestic suited the Doctor just fine.
"In the Mood" started playing and Rose looked at the Doctor and screamed. Laughing, he pulled her into a swing dance, allowing her one hand to hold her dress up as he swept her around the floor. When she lifted the skirts, Shireen laughed out loud, seeing that the couple was wearing matching Converses.
The other guests backed up, watching and clapping for the couple that was so lost in each other. At the end of the dance, he dipped her deeply and followed her over to kiss her, a much deeper kiss than the standard 'we-are-in-public' kiss. He hoisted her back to her feet and pulled her close to him as a much slower song played.
He sang quietly into her ear, and Shireen could see the love from where she stood with her own fiance. She smiled softly at the happiness written on Rose's face.
The Doctor and Rose, as it should be.
Forever.