Miles to Go Ficlet: On Flip-Flops
Jun. 22nd, 2009 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wishiknewwhoTitle: On Flip-Flops
Author: wishiknewwho
Rating: PG
Characters: Ten / Rose, OC
Dislcaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and it's probably just as well that I don't because it'd be nothing but hugs and hair ruffling for the foreseeable future.
Spoilers: None for DW; takes place in a world where Doomsday never happened. However, if you intend to read my fic Miles to Go and don't want it spoiled, you might want to wait on this one.
Summary: The Doctor and his girls spend a day at the beach.
Author Notes: My darling![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
electrictoes asked for a fic in which the Doctor and Kira go swimming. As per usual, I sat down to write that and something entirely different came out. In my defense, Kira and the Doctor do swim...
Thanks as always to my lovely betassalimali and electrictoes. They are brimming with brilliance.
“Earth is the only planet in the universe that makes flip-flops. No other planet has a shoe that is even the least bit similar. Did you know that, Rose?” The Doctor was sitting on the bed in their room on the TARDIS, watching Rose as she put some things into a small bag. He looked disdainfully at the things lying next to him: dark blue swimming shorts and a pair of orange flip-flops. He picked up the flip-flop closest to him and slapped it against his thigh. “Look at this, Rose. It doesn’t even look like a shoe. It’s just a piece of foam with some plastic stuck in.”
Rose stuffed a bottle of sunscreen in the bag, then turned to him. “I don’t care what you think about them. You’re wearing them.” She turned back to her wardrobe.
“But Rose,” he said, trying very hard to keep the whine out of his voice. “I already promised to wear the shorts. Why do I have to wear these too?” He petulantly pushed the flip-flops away from him.
Rose laid two swimming costumes on the bed. “Because trainers aren’t practical for the beach. You’ll have sand all in the flat.” She looked at each suit, deciding, then went on, cutting him off before he could speak. “And don’t say you’ll leave them in the TARDIS. There’s no need for sand in here either.”
“These are no good for running. Nothing like my trainers,” he argued, looking fondly at his Converse.
“Why would you need to run?” Rose asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. It had been a long week. She had been working overtime at work, trying to get everything ready for the Christmas holidays, and Kira had had a particularly bad week at school, inexplicably scoring much less than her usual perfect on her spelling test. The weather outside was cold and wet and miserable, and he’d promised them a relaxing Sunday on one of the universe’s best beaches.
“Oh, no need for running,” he backtracked. “None at all. Just like to have them on, in case I feel like having a jog.”
She gave him a little frown then turned back to the two swimsuits before her. “Which do you think?” she asked.
He looked down at the bed at the two bikinis he had to choose from. One was black and far too skimpy for the beach. Perfect for his eyes only, but certainly not for anyone else to see. He wondered where she’d worn it before, if others had seen her in it. He didn’t like that, not at all.
The other, a green one, was marginally more modest, the top was the kind with wider straps that tied behind her neck and a bottom that at least covered a little more of her. And it had little strings on the side that were likely to tease him all day.
“The green,” he said, pointing.
“Thanks,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m going to get changed. Get your stuff on and make sure you’ve got anything else you need.” With that, she disappeared into the bathroom.
He picked up the shorts, inspecting them carefully. There was nothing wrong with them, really. They were a perfectly fine pair of shorts. But they weren’t his suit any more than the flip-flops were his trainers. What did he need them for anyway? He would be perfectly comfortable at the beach in his suit. Maybe he could take off his tie and jacket. That would give him a casual appearance.
But then he remembered Kira, and how excited she’d been the night before. “I can’t wait until you see me swim, Daddy,” she’d said. “I’ve been taking lessons since last year and I’m really good. But you’ll hold my hand if the waves are too big, won’t you?” She’d looked at him with those big brown eyes and he’d had no choice but to consent.
Sighing, he slid off his jacket, tie, trainers, socks, trousers, and pants. He put on the trunks and the flip-flops. He did not like that little bit between his toes; it almost tickled and made him very uncomfortable. He kept his light blue shirt on, rolling up the sleeves. He wasn’t taking it off until it was time to go in the water. He transferred his sonic screwdriver from the pocket of his trousers to the pocket of his trunks, frowning at the mesh material of the new pocket.
He waited for Rose, trying not to look at his legs. He knew that he was handsome, that he looked dashing in his suit. But that was in his suit. In these clothes, he just looked skinny. Rose had seen him naked on many occasions, but he worried about disappointing her. Would she be embarrassed to be seen with him?
He was just about to put his suit back on when the en suite door opened and Rose walked out. His eyes widened as he took her in and she squirmed under his attention.
“I know,” she said, tugging on the edge of her bottoms. “I’m so pale, but it’s the middle of winter and I didn’t have much time to do a sunless tan. Do I look awful?”
“Oh, Rose,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Rose, Rose, Rose. You could never look awful. And you look nothing short of stunning right now.”
She grinned and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Then, she straightened as she noticed him. “And you!” she exclaimed, coming over to the bed and tugging on his hands until he stood up. “I didn’t think you’d actually wear them, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“What?” he asked, shuffling his feet nervously. If she said one thing, one little thing about how
skinny he was, he was putting the suit back on.
“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered, looking him up and down with the same stars he usually saw in her eyes when they visited a planet that she found particularly beautiful.
He looked at her in awe, wondering how she always managed to say just the right thing. Suddenly, the flip-flops weren’t bothering him at all and he wasn’t worried about whether his legs looked skinny. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him for a kiss.
It was a bad idea. Before he knew what was happening, he was taking backward steps and falling onto the bed, bringing her down with him. She sighed and moved against him, creating a delightful warmth low in his belly. That settled it: he was never taking those shorts off. Well...he would take them off, but he was certainly putting them back on, again and again, if they elicited that sort of response.
He toyed with the little strings on the sides of her bottoms and deepened the kiss, moaning softly as her tongue touched his. He was just about to slide his fingers under the waistband when the sound of the door opening had them springing apart.
Kira stood in the doorway, wearing a bright pink bathing suit and flip-flops and clutching a little rucksack, tapping her foot impatiently. “Do you and Daddy always have to kiss when we have something fun to do?”
Rose ambled over to Kira and lifted her up, placing a smacking kiss against her forehead. “But kissing is fun, love. You’ll see one day.” She gave Kira a teasing grin.
The Doctor stood up, his posture going rigid. “Oh no you won’t. The only people you are to kiss are your mum and me. Maybe your gran...on holidays...just big holidays.”
Kira giggled. “I don’t want to kiss any boys, Daddy,” she said. “Boys are gross.”
“That’s right,” he affirmed. “I’m the only one who’s not.”
“Can we please go to the beach now?” Kira asked, wiggling in Rose’s arms until she sat her down.
“Sunscreen first,” Rose said, moving towards her bag. “You haven’t been in that much sun in ages. I’m afraid you’ll be red the moment you step on that beach.”
Kira pouted. “Couldn’t we do it in the console room, while Daddy’s flying?”
Rose sighed, but relented. She slipped on a yellow cotton sundress and shouldered her beach bag.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
“Yes!” Kira shouted and led the way to the console room.
He didn’t like the slapping sounds the flip-flops made against the metal grating in the console room. It was loud and out of place and nothing at all like the soft thuds of his trainers. He frowned and tried to focus on something else, like how Rose looked almost golden with her yellow dress, pale skin, dark blonde hair, and honey eyes. Yes, that took his mind off unpleasant things nicely.
He went to set the coordinates and launch the ship into the vortex while Rose slathered Kira with sunscreen, occasionally telling her to stop wiggling so much and reminding her that it would be over a lot sooner if she’d just cooperate. Kira was nearly white by the time Rose finished with her and a mutinous frown graced her full little lips. She went to the other side of the room once she was let free, putting as much distance between herself and her mother as possible, and set about organizing her toys in her own little beach bag.
“You can’t go back with sunburn,” Rose reasoned, slipping off her sundress and carefully applying her own sunscreen. “It’s the middle of winter. How would we explain it?”
He just shook his head and grinned at her. Rose joined him by the console and held out the bottle to him.
“Would you do my back?” she asked, giving him a sweet smile.
“Okay,” he said, taking the bottle from her. He squeezed a generous amount into his hand and set to work, slowly rubbing the lotion into the smooth skin of her back.
“That feels divine,” she murmured. “Make sure you get under the strap. I always manage to get burned there.”
“What about your ears?” he asked, reaching up to rub some of the lotion into them. “Remember that time on Zoellia?”
“Don’t remind me,” she said. “I was miserable for days.”
He finished and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “All done.”
She moved around him and took the bottle from where he’d rested it on the console. “Your turn,” she said, waving it at him with a smile.
“Don’t be silly, love,” he said, tapping her affectionately on the nose. “Time Lords don’t get sunburned.”
Kira looked up from what she was doing. “Really, Daddy? Because maybe if you don’t, then I won’t either.”
Rose glared at him. “Weren’t we just talking about that trip to Zoellia? If I remember correctly, someone spent a good two days rubbing after sun on his nose and another week complaining about the peeling.” She then turned to Kira. “And you, little miss, might not remember it, but when your gran and I took you to Southend that time, you turned as red as a tomato and cried all night.”
Both he and Kira looked down. “You’re right,” they mumbled at the same time.
Rose grinned at them. “Right. Are you going to do this or shall I?” She brandished the bottle of sunscreen at him, a wicked gleam in her eye.
“I’ll do it,” he said. He took the bottle from her and started putting on the sunscreen, while Rose put on her dress and a pair of flip-flops. It was an odious task, and not nearly as fun as it had been when he put it on Rose. However, once he took his shirt off and she did his back, he decided it was worth the trouble. Once she finished, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and then turned him around for a hug. As she had been doing lately, Kira came over to join them, and he lifted her up onto his hip, holding her with one arm and Rose with the other. He had been doing everything he could, these past couple of weeks, to show them how much he loved them, how much he wanted them in his life. He hoped that it was enough.
The TARDIS landed and he slipped on his shirt, checking the coordinates to make sure they landed in the right place as he did up his buttons.
“Did we land in the right place?” Kira asked, familiar with the routine.
He nodded. “Best beach in the universe,” he said. “The week before the peak season starts. Light crowds, but perfect weather.”
Rose and Kira both grabbed their bags and raced to the door. He followed behind, carrying the umbrella and towels Rose had set in the console room the night before, content to let them lead the way. He was more experienced in new planets and travel, but Rose was definitely more accustomed to this sort of stuff.
The beach was gorgeous, just as he’d promised. It was similar to an earth beach, only the sand was even whiter and finer and the water was a deep sapphire instead of aqua green. It was crowded, but not so much that it was unbearable, just enough to give the beach a low hum of excitement as a variety of visitors soaked up the rays from the planet’s twin suns.
Rose made a face at the suns. “Will we need to be more cautious with two suns?”
The Doctor regarded the suns carefully and shook his head. “Nah, put together they’re about the same size as our sun. We should be fine.”
She nodded. Kira had skipped ahead of them, finding an empty spot of beach.
“Can we put our bags here?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she dropped her bag and started for the water.
“Not so fast, Kira,” he called out, stilling her. “Let us get our stuff set up and then you can go in the water.”
Rose gave him a little smile, obviously pleased with his parenting, and he smiled back. He’d been trying to become more of a father to Kira, and not just a playmate. He wanted her to respect him.
The three of them worked to spread out their towels and he took off his shirt, feeling a little exposed but deciding to be brave about it. He set up the umbrella and Kira dumped all of her beach toys out of the bag. He didn’t know where she’d gotten them, but he suspected the TARDIS had something to do with it. The ship spoiled his daughter worse than anyone else.
Once everything was perfect, he and Rose each took one of Kira’s hands and they walked her down to the water. She’d been in the ocean before, several years ago, but she glanced timidly at the waves rolling in.
“Will they pull me out?” she asked, voice serious.
He shook his head. “Nope. These waves are much too gentle. They’ll just say a nice hello and be on their way.” He grinned at her and gave a little wave.
She laughed at his silliness, but it had worked. She let go of their hands and stepped out into the water, letting it run over her feet. When she saw it was fine, she took a few more steps in, then a few more, until it was up to her knees.
He took Rose’s hand in his and they stepped into the water, the warm waves lapping at their feet as they watched their daughter.
“Come play with me,” Kira shouted, jumping in time with the waves.
He and Rose joined her, taking her hands in theirs again and moving further out. They swung her up high as the waves rolled in, laughing and shrieking. After a few minutes, their arms grew tired, and no amount of cajoling from Kira could get them to keep lifting her.
“I’m going to go back and lie on my towel for a bit,” Rose said, smoothing Kira’s wet hair out of her eyes and kissing the Doctor’s cheek. “You two swim for a while.”
Once she was gone, he turned to Kira. “Are you ready to show me how you swim now?”
She nodded eagerly and they moved a little farther out, until the water was up to her shoulders. He showed her how to swim in with the waves, to let the water carry her back to the shore. They continued for almost an hour until they were both tired.
“How about we see what Mum is up to?” he asked her. He lifted her up and carried her back up to the beach where Rose was dozing on the towels. He set Kira down.
“I’m going to make a sand castle,” she said, grabbing some of her beach toys.
“Okay,” he replied, easing himself down next to Rose. “Stay where we can see you.”
Kira moved a couple of feet away from the towel and set to work, filling her bucket with sand.
He shifted his gaze to the woman lying next to him and trailed a hand down her arm. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked at him in the bright sunlight.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hello.” He leaned down for a kiss, stopping after a few seconds when he remembered that they were on a very public beach and Kira was still very close to them. He settled for wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him, loving the warmth of her and the coconut smell of her skin.
“Did you have a nice swim?” she asked, rubbing her nose against the side of his neck and breathing him in.
“Yes,” he said. “Our daughter has boundless energy.”
He felt her shake with laughter. “You’re just figuring that out?” she asked.
He playfully tickled her sides, making her laugh harder. “What have you been doing all this time?”
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sleeping,” she answered. “Enjoying this perfect day.”
He leaned down over her, pressing kisses to her eyelids and her cheeks, then down along her jaw and behind her ear. She hummed and wound her fingers in his hair. “You’re going to get us in trouble,” she murmured, sounding like she didn’t care at all.
He kissed her ear one last time and then moved away. “What do you want to do? Are you ready to get something to eat?”
She shook her head. “Not just yet. I’d like to lie here a while longer.”
“Okay,” he said, moving her so that her head was resting on his shoulder.
They had about ten minutes of peace, just enough time for Rose to drift off to sleep and his eyelids to feel heavy, before Kira was calling out to them.
“Look at my sandcastle,” she said, standing over them and grinning.
He and Rose both sat up, Rose rubbing her eyes drowsily, as they took in the little bucket-shaped sculptures Kira had created. “Those are amazing,” he said. “On our next trip, I’ll take you to Kesterra. They have these gigantic sandcastles that we can explore.”
Kira smiled and nodded.
“Those are gorgeous, love,” Rose said. She reached up and tugged on Kira’s hand. “Come lie down with us for a few minutes.”
Kira let Rose pull her forward and she settled down on the towel between them. The three of them snuggled up together, and he wrapped his arm around both of them, drawing them in closer. Rose moved her feet towards his and they tangled together.
“I love you,” he whispered, kissing the top of Kira’s head and reaching down and taking Rose’s hand in his own.
A few minutes later, they were all asleep.
Author: wishiknewwho
Rating: PG
Characters: Ten / Rose, OC
Dislcaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and it's probably just as well that I don't because it'd be nothing but hugs and hair ruffling for the foreseeable future.
Spoilers: None for DW; takes place in a world where Doomsday never happened. However, if you intend to read my fic Miles to Go and don't want it spoiled, you might want to wait on this one.
Summary: The Doctor and his girls spend a day at the beach.
Author Notes: My darling
electrictoes asked for a fic in which the Doctor and Kira go swimming. As per usual, I sat down to write that and something entirely different came out. In my defense, Kira and the Doctor do swim... Thanks as always to my lovely betas
salimali and electrictoes. They are brimming with brilliance.“Earth is the only planet in the universe that makes flip-flops. No other planet has a shoe that is even the least bit similar. Did you know that, Rose?” The Doctor was sitting on the bed in their room on the TARDIS, watching Rose as she put some things into a small bag. He looked disdainfully at the things lying next to him: dark blue swimming shorts and a pair of orange flip-flops. He picked up the flip-flop closest to him and slapped it against his thigh. “Look at this, Rose. It doesn’t even look like a shoe. It’s just a piece of foam with some plastic stuck in.”
Rose stuffed a bottle of sunscreen in the bag, then turned to him. “I don’t care what you think about them. You’re wearing them.” She turned back to her wardrobe.
“But Rose,” he said, trying very hard to keep the whine out of his voice. “I already promised to wear the shorts. Why do I have to wear these too?” He petulantly pushed the flip-flops away from him.
Rose laid two swimming costumes on the bed. “Because trainers aren’t practical for the beach. You’ll have sand all in the flat.” She looked at each suit, deciding, then went on, cutting him off before he could speak. “And don’t say you’ll leave them in the TARDIS. There’s no need for sand in here either.”
“These are no good for running. Nothing like my trainers,” he argued, looking fondly at his Converse.
“Why would you need to run?” Rose asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. It had been a long week. She had been working overtime at work, trying to get everything ready for the Christmas holidays, and Kira had had a particularly bad week at school, inexplicably scoring much less than her usual perfect on her spelling test. The weather outside was cold and wet and miserable, and he’d promised them a relaxing Sunday on one of the universe’s best beaches.
“Oh, no need for running,” he backtracked. “None at all. Just like to have them on, in case I feel like having a jog.”
She gave him a little frown then turned back to the two swimsuits before her. “Which do you think?” she asked.
He looked down at the bed at the two bikinis he had to choose from. One was black and far too skimpy for the beach. Perfect for his eyes only, but certainly not for anyone else to see. He wondered where she’d worn it before, if others had seen her in it. He didn’t like that, not at all.
The other, a green one, was marginally more modest, the top was the kind with wider straps that tied behind her neck and a bottom that at least covered a little more of her. And it had little strings on the side that were likely to tease him all day.
“The green,” he said, pointing.
“Thanks,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m going to get changed. Get your stuff on and make sure you’ve got anything else you need.” With that, she disappeared into the bathroom.
He picked up the shorts, inspecting them carefully. There was nothing wrong with them, really. They were a perfectly fine pair of shorts. But they weren’t his suit any more than the flip-flops were his trainers. What did he need them for anyway? He would be perfectly comfortable at the beach in his suit. Maybe he could take off his tie and jacket. That would give him a casual appearance.
But then he remembered Kira, and how excited she’d been the night before. “I can’t wait until you see me swim, Daddy,” she’d said. “I’ve been taking lessons since last year and I’m really good. But you’ll hold my hand if the waves are too big, won’t you?” She’d looked at him with those big brown eyes and he’d had no choice but to consent.
Sighing, he slid off his jacket, tie, trainers, socks, trousers, and pants. He put on the trunks and the flip-flops. He did not like that little bit between his toes; it almost tickled and made him very uncomfortable. He kept his light blue shirt on, rolling up the sleeves. He wasn’t taking it off until it was time to go in the water. He transferred his sonic screwdriver from the pocket of his trousers to the pocket of his trunks, frowning at the mesh material of the new pocket.
He waited for Rose, trying not to look at his legs. He knew that he was handsome, that he looked dashing in his suit. But that was in his suit. In these clothes, he just looked skinny. Rose had seen him naked on many occasions, but he worried about disappointing her. Would she be embarrassed to be seen with him?
He was just about to put his suit back on when the en suite door opened and Rose walked out. His eyes widened as he took her in and she squirmed under his attention.
“I know,” she said, tugging on the edge of her bottoms. “I’m so pale, but it’s the middle of winter and I didn’t have much time to do a sunless tan. Do I look awful?”
“Oh, Rose,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Rose, Rose, Rose. You could never look awful. And you look nothing short of stunning right now.”
She grinned and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Then, she straightened as she noticed him. “And you!” she exclaimed, coming over to the bed and tugging on his hands until he stood up. “I didn’t think you’d actually wear them, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“What?” he asked, shuffling his feet nervously. If she said one thing, one little thing about how
skinny he was, he was putting the suit back on.
“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered, looking him up and down with the same stars he usually saw in her eyes when they visited a planet that she found particularly beautiful.
He looked at her in awe, wondering how she always managed to say just the right thing. Suddenly, the flip-flops weren’t bothering him at all and he wasn’t worried about whether his legs looked skinny. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him for a kiss.
It was a bad idea. Before he knew what was happening, he was taking backward steps and falling onto the bed, bringing her down with him. She sighed and moved against him, creating a delightful warmth low in his belly. That settled it: he was never taking those shorts off. Well...he would take them off, but he was certainly putting them back on, again and again, if they elicited that sort of response.
He toyed with the little strings on the sides of her bottoms and deepened the kiss, moaning softly as her tongue touched his. He was just about to slide his fingers under the waistband when the sound of the door opening had them springing apart.
Kira stood in the doorway, wearing a bright pink bathing suit and flip-flops and clutching a little rucksack, tapping her foot impatiently. “Do you and Daddy always have to kiss when we have something fun to do?”
Rose ambled over to Kira and lifted her up, placing a smacking kiss against her forehead. “But kissing is fun, love. You’ll see one day.” She gave Kira a teasing grin.
The Doctor stood up, his posture going rigid. “Oh no you won’t. The only people you are to kiss are your mum and me. Maybe your gran...on holidays...just big holidays.”
Kira giggled. “I don’t want to kiss any boys, Daddy,” she said. “Boys are gross.”
“That’s right,” he affirmed. “I’m the only one who’s not.”
“Can we please go to the beach now?” Kira asked, wiggling in Rose’s arms until she sat her down.
“Sunscreen first,” Rose said, moving towards her bag. “You haven’t been in that much sun in ages. I’m afraid you’ll be red the moment you step on that beach.”
Kira pouted. “Couldn’t we do it in the console room, while Daddy’s flying?”
Rose sighed, but relented. She slipped on a yellow cotton sundress and shouldered her beach bag.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
“Yes!” Kira shouted and led the way to the console room.
He didn’t like the slapping sounds the flip-flops made against the metal grating in the console room. It was loud and out of place and nothing at all like the soft thuds of his trainers. He frowned and tried to focus on something else, like how Rose looked almost golden with her yellow dress, pale skin, dark blonde hair, and honey eyes. Yes, that took his mind off unpleasant things nicely.
He went to set the coordinates and launch the ship into the vortex while Rose slathered Kira with sunscreen, occasionally telling her to stop wiggling so much and reminding her that it would be over a lot sooner if she’d just cooperate. Kira was nearly white by the time Rose finished with her and a mutinous frown graced her full little lips. She went to the other side of the room once she was let free, putting as much distance between herself and her mother as possible, and set about organizing her toys in her own little beach bag.
“You can’t go back with sunburn,” Rose reasoned, slipping off her sundress and carefully applying her own sunscreen. “It’s the middle of winter. How would we explain it?”
He just shook his head and grinned at her. Rose joined him by the console and held out the bottle to him.
“Would you do my back?” she asked, giving him a sweet smile.
“Okay,” he said, taking the bottle from her. He squeezed a generous amount into his hand and set to work, slowly rubbing the lotion into the smooth skin of her back.
“That feels divine,” she murmured. “Make sure you get under the strap. I always manage to get burned there.”
“What about your ears?” he asked, reaching up to rub some of the lotion into them. “Remember that time on Zoellia?”
“Don’t remind me,” she said. “I was miserable for days.”
He finished and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “All done.”
She moved around him and took the bottle from where he’d rested it on the console. “Your turn,” she said, waving it at him with a smile.
“Don’t be silly, love,” he said, tapping her affectionately on the nose. “Time Lords don’t get sunburned.”
Kira looked up from what she was doing. “Really, Daddy? Because maybe if you don’t, then I won’t either.”
Rose glared at him. “Weren’t we just talking about that trip to Zoellia? If I remember correctly, someone spent a good two days rubbing after sun on his nose and another week complaining about the peeling.” She then turned to Kira. “And you, little miss, might not remember it, but when your gran and I took you to Southend that time, you turned as red as a tomato and cried all night.”
Both he and Kira looked down. “You’re right,” they mumbled at the same time.
Rose grinned at them. “Right. Are you going to do this or shall I?” She brandished the bottle of sunscreen at him, a wicked gleam in her eye.
“I’ll do it,” he said. He took the bottle from her and started putting on the sunscreen, while Rose put on her dress and a pair of flip-flops. It was an odious task, and not nearly as fun as it had been when he put it on Rose. However, once he took his shirt off and she did his back, he decided it was worth the trouble. Once she finished, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and then turned him around for a hug. As she had been doing lately, Kira came over to join them, and he lifted her up onto his hip, holding her with one arm and Rose with the other. He had been doing everything he could, these past couple of weeks, to show them how much he loved them, how much he wanted them in his life. He hoped that it was enough.
The TARDIS landed and he slipped on his shirt, checking the coordinates to make sure they landed in the right place as he did up his buttons.
“Did we land in the right place?” Kira asked, familiar with the routine.
He nodded. “Best beach in the universe,” he said. “The week before the peak season starts. Light crowds, but perfect weather.”
Rose and Kira both grabbed their bags and raced to the door. He followed behind, carrying the umbrella and towels Rose had set in the console room the night before, content to let them lead the way. He was more experienced in new planets and travel, but Rose was definitely more accustomed to this sort of stuff.
The beach was gorgeous, just as he’d promised. It was similar to an earth beach, only the sand was even whiter and finer and the water was a deep sapphire instead of aqua green. It was crowded, but not so much that it was unbearable, just enough to give the beach a low hum of excitement as a variety of visitors soaked up the rays from the planet’s twin suns.
Rose made a face at the suns. “Will we need to be more cautious with two suns?”
The Doctor regarded the suns carefully and shook his head. “Nah, put together they’re about the same size as our sun. We should be fine.”
She nodded. Kira had skipped ahead of them, finding an empty spot of beach.
“Can we put our bags here?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she dropped her bag and started for the water.
“Not so fast, Kira,” he called out, stilling her. “Let us get our stuff set up and then you can go in the water.”
Rose gave him a little smile, obviously pleased with his parenting, and he smiled back. He’d been trying to become more of a father to Kira, and not just a playmate. He wanted her to respect him.
The three of them worked to spread out their towels and he took off his shirt, feeling a little exposed but deciding to be brave about it. He set up the umbrella and Kira dumped all of her beach toys out of the bag. He didn’t know where she’d gotten them, but he suspected the TARDIS had something to do with it. The ship spoiled his daughter worse than anyone else.
Once everything was perfect, he and Rose each took one of Kira’s hands and they walked her down to the water. She’d been in the ocean before, several years ago, but she glanced timidly at the waves rolling in.
“Will they pull me out?” she asked, voice serious.
He shook his head. “Nope. These waves are much too gentle. They’ll just say a nice hello and be on their way.” He grinned at her and gave a little wave.
She laughed at his silliness, but it had worked. She let go of their hands and stepped out into the water, letting it run over her feet. When she saw it was fine, she took a few more steps in, then a few more, until it was up to her knees.
He took Rose’s hand in his and they stepped into the water, the warm waves lapping at their feet as they watched their daughter.
“Come play with me,” Kira shouted, jumping in time with the waves.
He and Rose joined her, taking her hands in theirs again and moving further out. They swung her up high as the waves rolled in, laughing and shrieking. After a few minutes, their arms grew tired, and no amount of cajoling from Kira could get them to keep lifting her.
“I’m going to go back and lie on my towel for a bit,” Rose said, smoothing Kira’s wet hair out of her eyes and kissing the Doctor’s cheek. “You two swim for a while.”
Once she was gone, he turned to Kira. “Are you ready to show me how you swim now?”
She nodded eagerly and they moved a little farther out, until the water was up to her shoulders. He showed her how to swim in with the waves, to let the water carry her back to the shore. They continued for almost an hour until they were both tired.
“How about we see what Mum is up to?” he asked her. He lifted her up and carried her back up to the beach where Rose was dozing on the towels. He set Kira down.
“I’m going to make a sand castle,” she said, grabbing some of her beach toys.
“Okay,” he replied, easing himself down next to Rose. “Stay where we can see you.”
Kira moved a couple of feet away from the towel and set to work, filling her bucket with sand.
He shifted his gaze to the woman lying next to him and trailed a hand down her arm. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked at him in the bright sunlight.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hello.” He leaned down for a kiss, stopping after a few seconds when he remembered that they were on a very public beach and Kira was still very close to them. He settled for wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him, loving the warmth of her and the coconut smell of her skin.
“Did you have a nice swim?” she asked, rubbing her nose against the side of his neck and breathing him in.
“Yes,” he said. “Our daughter has boundless energy.”
He felt her shake with laughter. “You’re just figuring that out?” she asked.
He playfully tickled her sides, making her laugh harder. “What have you been doing all this time?”
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sleeping,” she answered. “Enjoying this perfect day.”
He leaned down over her, pressing kisses to her eyelids and her cheeks, then down along her jaw and behind her ear. She hummed and wound her fingers in his hair. “You’re going to get us in trouble,” she murmured, sounding like she didn’t care at all.
He kissed her ear one last time and then moved away. “What do you want to do? Are you ready to get something to eat?”
She shook her head. “Not just yet. I’d like to lie here a while longer.”
“Okay,” he said, moving her so that her head was resting on his shoulder.
They had about ten minutes of peace, just enough time for Rose to drift off to sleep and his eyelids to feel heavy, before Kira was calling out to them.
“Look at my sandcastle,” she said, standing over them and grinning.
He and Rose both sat up, Rose rubbing her eyes drowsily, as they took in the little bucket-shaped sculptures Kira had created. “Those are amazing,” he said. “On our next trip, I’ll take you to Kesterra. They have these gigantic sandcastles that we can explore.”
Kira smiled and nodded.
“Those are gorgeous, love,” Rose said. She reached up and tugged on Kira’s hand. “Come lie down with us for a few minutes.”
Kira let Rose pull her forward and she settled down on the towel between them. The three of them snuggled up together, and he wrapped his arm around both of them, drawing them in closer. Rose moved her feet towards his and they tangled together.
“I love you,” he whispered, kissing the top of Kira’s head and reaching down and taking Rose’s hand in his own.
A few minutes later, they were all asleep.
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Date: 2009-06-22 05:12 pm (UTC)This one was so sweet. I loved Rose and the Battle of the Sunscreen, and the Doctors skinny legs, and them lifting Kira up as the waves rolled in. The image of him gathering his girls up for a nap on the beach was beautiful. What a perfect day!
Interesting possessive pronoun here:
The Doctor regarded the suns carefully and shook his head. “Nah, put together they’re about the same size as our sun. We should be fine.”
I wonder if that was intentional, and if Rose noticed...
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Date: 2009-06-22 06:51 pm (UTC)I always imagine that the Doctor thinks of earth as his home...and even more so now that he has Rose and Kira.
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Date: 2009-06-22 09:32 pm (UTC)Yeah, he may have always been fond of Earth, but it's definitely home now that that's where his hearts are. But still, something inside me jumped up and down cheering when I read "our sun", because he's always held himself apart before. After all the angst of MtG, I guess you've conditioned me to swoon over every "we", "us", "our", and "together" they get. =)
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Date: 2009-06-22 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 05:23 pm (UTC)And those discussions about sunscreen sound too familiar ;) Calls to mind a song I haven't heard in ages *wanders off in search of it*
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Date: 2009-06-22 06:59 pm (UTC)Why is the sunscreen stuff familiar? What song are you talking about? *is confused*
Thanks for commenting!
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Date: 2009-06-23 07:38 am (UTC)Because I was a child once and fought with my mum about it.
And I haven't found the song yet. I'm at school at the mo, I'll get back to you about it later.
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Date: 2009-06-22 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 05:43 pm (UTC)I love the way that even in this fluffiest of setting there's little teensy bits of angst creeping in :)
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 07:00 pm (UTC)Besides, are there any ficlets where you'd like to slap the Doctor?
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 05:30 pm (UTC)As always your MtG ficlet has put a smile on my face. Now if only there was a beach outside my office door instead of a parking lot. :(
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:02 pm (UTC)I wish there was a way I could put a beach outside your office, but my magic has not progressed to that level yet.
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 06:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 07:04 pm (UTC)flip flops
Date: 2009-06-22 06:13 pm (UTC)Re: flip flops
Date: 2009-06-22 07:05 pm (UTC)Thanks for commenting!
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Date: 2009-06-22 06:20 pm (UTC)I loved the Doctor whining about wearing flip-flops and shorts at the beginning - I can totally imagine him doing that. :D
the sound of the door opening had them springing apart. Bad timing Kira! Do you and Daddy always have to kiss when we have something fun to do? That made me laugh!
One was black and far too skimpy for the beach. Perfect for his eyes only, but certainly not for anyone else to see. He wondered where she’d worn it before, if others had seen her in it. He didn’t like that, not at all. I loved that bit, something about the Doc being protective over Rose is so darn sexy!
Sunscreen and kids just don't go, I remember being a pain for my mum over sunscreen. But the Doc rubbing Rose in sunscreen, very sexy indeed!
He’d been trying to become more of a father to Kira, and not just a playmate. He wanted her to respect him. Bless him!
“I love you,” he whispered, Man, I love him when he says that!!!
Sorry for the especially long rambling but I absolutely adored this chapter. Beach fics with the Doc and Rose and always great, but with Kira too is even better :D:D
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:21 pm (UTC)I'm so glad that you enjoyed this...I too am fond of the beach fic. I can see him whining about the beach clothes...but I also imagine him looking utterly adorable in them.
Kira does have bad timing...but she was promised a trip to the beach!
Thank you so much for the long comment. I love seeing what resonates with you guys.
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Date: 2009-06-22 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-22 07:35 pm (UTC)That's one of my fears too. I imagine that the Doctor is a light sleeper and that they didn't sleep for long anyway. ;)
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Date: 2009-06-22 08:50 pm (UTC)"Our sun" he said "our". I'm sure Rose tucked that away in the back of her mind.
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Date: 2009-06-22 08:55 pm (UTC)And I'm sure she did. ;)
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Date: 2009-06-22 09:15 pm (UTC)And I have a few questions: If they're in England, wouldn't flip-flops be jandals?
Also, wouldn't they have access to that amazing SPF35 kids sunscreen which doesn't smell like old iodine...and doesn't try and blind you when it's in your eyes?
(These are genuine questions, not complaints, so please please please read them as that- I'm confused/ curious, and impressed by the story, not...anything else.)
I love the fact TARDIS spoils Kira 'most of all'. Case of denial, maybe?
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Date: 2009-06-22 09:34 pm (UTC)Questions are always welcome! I've checked with both of my Britpickers, and both have assured me that people in the UK do say "flip-flops" for the type of shoes the Doctor is wearing.
Kira is not complaining about the smell or the pain of the sunblock, she's just being fussy, like most kids tend to be when they're forced to be still and have something rubbed on them.
Hope that clears it up for you and thank you so much for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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Date: 2009-06-22 09:39 pm (UTC)Thankyou for clarifying- I need to get me a full- time Britpicker, and possibly encourage them with pay...or at least bribes.
No problems! I always enjoy reading these- looking forwards to the next (and I'll try and remember to let you know how much I enjoy it)!
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Date: 2009-06-23 01:09 am (UTC)but as usual i can't fault another great story mate well done
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Date: 2009-06-23 03:01 am (UTC)And no, no sunburn, thanks to Rose and her sunscreen!!!
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Date: 2009-06-23 01:46 pm (UTC)Our sun, huh? Guess home is where the heart is, and Rose and Kira are Earthbound... so Earth is home. Wow. Guess a lot has changed for him since his 'Gallifrey is gone' days. :)
Excellent job.
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Date: 2009-06-23 02:53 pm (UTC)AWWWWWW
Date: 2009-06-23 09:21 pm (UTC)Re: AWWWWWW
Date: 2009-06-23 09:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 02:19 am (UTC)♥ ♥
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Date: 2009-06-24 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-27 08:22 pm (UTC)Way cute!
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Date: 2009-06-29 03:30 am (UTC)