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Rose stood in the bathroom, head tipped back, cupping her nose. Keisha was wetting a washcloth as Shareen pulled Rose’s wig off, and scraped any of her real hair out of her face, trying to examine the damage.
“You want me to go find the Doctor for ya, Rose?” Shareen asked, “it could be broken.”
“Nah, s’alright Shareen. Besides he’s not really a doctor, doctor.”
“I still think someone should get him,” Keisha weighed in, “he is your boyfriend now. He’ll wanna know if you got hurt.”
“Yeah, well it was only an accident. Don’t want him to worry.”
Shareen tutted, “I can’t believe Mickey. He really needs to watch himself more. If he didn’t flail his limbs around like that, and pass it off as dancin’, you wouldn't be in this mess.”
“Oh don't start that Shareen,” Keisha chastised, “he already feels awful.”
The girls were interrupted as the door flung open. The Doctor stood in the doorway, staring at Rose; his eyes wide and frantic.
“We’ll just…” Keisha nodded towards the door as she trailed off.
She and Shareen made their way out of the room. Keisha handed the damp washcloth to the Doctor as she left the couple to have some privacy.
Rose sat on the closed toilet seat while the Doctor leant over her, running his sonic up and down the length of her nose.
“Nothing seems to be broken,” he mumbled in concentration.
“I knew it wasn’t. Just a bit of a bleed is all.”
“Mickey really needs to be more careful.”
“You didn’t have a go at him, did ya? He already feels guilty.”
“Yeah, well he should!”
“Doctor,” Rose groaned sternly.
“No, I didn’t have a go at him. But that doesn’t mean I’m not furious. I only managed to refrain from it because I knew it would upset you if I caused a scene.”
The Doctor stood up straight, sighed and ran his hands through his hair; his eyes closed, jaw clenched.
“Doctor, you’ve been acting a bit… differently since, well, since… us. Since we became… more.” Rose spoke the last word so quietly the Doctor almost missed it.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re a lot more protective for a start.”
“I’ve always been protective of you. But yes, I suppose I have been slightly more so, just of late. Is that a problem? I mean, do you want to go back to how we were… before? ”
The Doctor scratched at the back of his neck before bringing his hand down to tug at his earlobe.
“No, ‘course I don’t. I just--” Rose was cut off as there was a loud repetitive banging on the bathroom door.
“Hurry up! I’m busting for a wee out here!” the voice of an unknown woman shrieked.
Rose stood and sighed. “Let’s get back to the party, just enjoy what’s left of Halloween, and then finish this discussion at home, yeah?”
The Doctor nodded in agreement, despite the dread settling in his stomach.
The Doctor paced the room, feeling unsettled, whilst he waited for Rose to finish up in her ensuite bathroom. After a few minutes he slumped into the chair in the corner of her room and rubbed his hands over his face. He was so exhausted. His hearts pounded against his chest, much faster than usual. What was it about this woman that made him completely lose his mind? The Doctor heard Rose gasp and looked up to see her stood in the doorway to her bathroom, in nothing but a towel. He gulped far too loudly, his adam's apples bobbing slightly.
“Doctor! You scared me half to death!”
“Sorry, I just thought you might want to finish what we were talking about earlier… in the bathroom. At the party.”
“You - seeking out a serious conversation about our relationship! Who are ya and what have you done with my…” Rose floundered for a word, before finally settling on his name, “Doctor?”
He let out a sharp, breathy, chuckle that held no emotion or sense of actual amusement. After a few awkward moments of silence the Doctor spoke.
“I don’t want you to feel stuck, Rose.”
“Stuck?”
“Stuck here, with me.”
“Why are you being like this?”
“Like what?”
“Pushing me away again!” Rose raised her voice, then began nibbling at the skin of her thumb.
“No, no, no, no, no!” The Doctor stood up abruptly, throwing his arms out and holding up his hands. “I promise you, I’m not. But earlier you seemed… unhappy.”
Both Rose and the Doctor immediately deflated. He looked down at his converse-clad-feet as he kicked lightly at the floor and Rose stared at him with sad, wide eyes.
“Doctor, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. It’s just things are different now. And I get it, I do. You’re worried about how long we have. So am I. But we discussed all this. We agreed that, no matter what happens, we want to live in the here and now, together. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t want a normal human life. I just want you.”
“But if you’re already feeling that I’m too protective, that the dynamics of our relationship have changed too much, how can we be sure that you won’t get tired of me? We were perfectly alright being two friends, knocking about time and space together. Don’t you think we might have - or will eventually - ruin that? Mickey said--”
“Hang on a minute. Mickey?”
“Yeah, he said when your friendship with him… progressed... everything changed. When you broke up you barely managed to salvage your friendship. I can’t lose you, Rose. Your friendship means too much to me.”
“Yeah, but Doctor, that was Mickey.”
“So?”
“So, he’s not you! I love Mickey, I really do, but I never felt the same way about him that I do towards you. We’re so different from what me and Micks were like. Don’t get yourself all worked up over something Mickey said.”
“We’re okay then? I have nothing to worry about?”
“We’re great and you don’t have to worry about a thing. C’mere you silly, alien, git.”
“Oh, that's just charming, that is!”
“Oh, shut up.”
The pair laughed as the Doctor strode towards Rose, picked her up and swung her in his arms slightly as he plastered her face with kisses.
“Watch it!” Rose shrieked. “I’m gonna lose my towel in a minute, if you ain't careful.”
The Doctor placed her down gently.
“Why, Rose Tyler, what a brilliant idea!”
“Oi, pack it in, you.”
Rose raised up onto her toes, to place a delicate kiss on the Doctor’s lips.
The next morning Rose stumbled into the kitchen, still half asleep, the smell of eggs and bacon filled the air.
“Mornin’, Doctor,” she mumbled.
“Good morning, Rose Tyler!” he beamed. “Breakfast?”
“Mmm, maybe in a bit. Could murder a cuppa though.”
The Doctor made Rose her tea and finished up making his food, before he took a seat opposite her at the table.
“You seem rather chipper this mornin’,” Rose noted.
“Not just ‘chipper’, Rose Tyler. Ecstatic!”
“Yeah? Why’s that, then?”
“Wellll, last night I had a pretty good chat with my most favourite human, and it got me thinking. I’m not sure if you noticed, Rose, but I spend a lot of my time worrying about us. BUT we are, as you quite rightly pointed out, ‘great!’ So, I figured that instead I’ll just focus on all the good things we have going for us.”
“Hmmm, sounds like a plan,” Rose winked and smiled at the Doctor with her tongue tucked between her teeth.
“I made a list.”
“A list?”
“Yep!” he declared, popping the ‘p’. “A list of all the reasons we have to be excited about our new romantic relationship.”
“So, go on then! What’s on this list of yours?”
“I get to hold your hand whenever I like.”
“You did that anyway!” Rose laughed.
“I really didn’t, Rose! You have no idea how many times I wanted to hold your hand but resisted. Anyway, as I was saying, I get to kiss you too.” Rose smirked at the little blush which crept across the Time Lord’s cheeks, and tinted the tips of his ears. “I get to introduce you to people as my… girlfriend doesn't sound right, is there another word I can use?”
“Urmmm, partner, other half--”
“Ooo, I like that! Other half, brilliant! We get to do that very romantic thing that you can only do with your other halves…” the Doctor stared at Rose expectantly, then sighed when he realised she didn't understand. “You know, that thing. The-- I’m not saying it. What we did last night.”
“Ohhhh, yeah… I like that too.”
Rose giggled and the Doctor felt a strange sense of pride rush through him.
“So, you’re feeling better about everything now, then?” Rose asked.
“Much. Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Snapping me out of it. I just… we deserve to be happy. Well, you do at least. And if - for whatever reason - you think being with me could make you happy, then I’m really going to try really hard with this relationship stuff, Rose.”
“I love you.”
The words slipped from Rose’s lips without a thought. And although for a split second she wondered if she should be afraid, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than overwhelming joy. In fact, she felt quite excited. This was the start of something new, something utterly wonderful. Even though he didn't say it back, the Doctor did kiss her slowly, causing a mass of butterflies to flutter in Rose’s stomach. Despite how confusing things would get at times, Rose knew that one thing was certain. She and the Doctor would ultimately be alright, more than alright. They were going to be fantastic.