Eyes Wide Open (7/?) [Birthday Fic for salimali]

[wishiknewwho]

Title: Eyes Wide Open
Author: wishiknewwho
Rating: PG
Characters: TenII / Rose
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. Title taken from the song "Naked as We Came" by Iron and Wine.
Spoilers: Post JE.
Summary: Rose and the human Doctor find their way after Journey's End.
Author Notes:  I think some of you might like this one.

Thanks again to my lovely and brilliant beta, nipplemuggins.  One week I will get this to her on time.


The Doctor woke to an empty bed and the smell of breakfast. He frowned at the pillow where Rose’s head should be. He only had a few mornings left to wake up with her before he moved into his new flat, and he’d planned on enjoying each and every moment. Sighing, he got up, reminding himself that if everything went like he wanted it to, he’d have the rest of his life to wake up to her before long.
 
He shuffled to the bathroom and into the shower. It was his first day at work, and he didn’t want to be late. He took a quick shower, and then dressed in a pair of trousers, a shirt, and a jumper. He still felt strange, not wearing a suit every day, but Rose had assured him that it would be easier if he had a varied wardrobe and had promised him that he looked very attractive in his new clothes. At least he was wearing trainers.
 
He made his way downstairs where he found Rose in the kitchen, still dressed in her pyjamas and cooking breakfast. She turned and met him with a smile, spatula in her hand. “I thought you’d need a good breakfast on your first day,” she said shyly, turning back to the cooker.
 
His heart did a little flip in his chest. The sausages were sizzling and sunlight was streaming in through her kitchen window and her pyjama bottoms hung crookedly on her hips and he didn’t think he could wait any longer.
 
He pushed away his nerves and took three quick steps toward her. “Rose?” he asked, wiping his palms on his trousers.
 
“Yes?” she answered absently, intent on the sausages, not bothering to turn around.
 
He moved closer, his hand coming to rest on her hip. “Rose,” he said again, “may I kiss you?”
 
The spatula fell with a clatter to the work surface and he felt her tense under his hand. Other than that, she was completely still. His heart felt like it might beat out of his chest, and he started to move his hand from her hip, but her hand quickly moved to cover it, holding him there.
 
“Rose?” he asked hesitantly. He was such a fool. He wanted the first time he kissed her - well the first time since the beach - to be romantic, something they would look back on fondly. And as usual he’d managed to spoil it.   
 
She took a deep breath, her entire body seeming to expand with the inhalation. She let it out, flipped off the cooker, and then turned to face him. When he managed to look up at her, he saw that she was smiling softly.
 
“Yes,” she whispered.
 
He nodded and moved her over a little, not wanting her to accidentally get burnt on the hot pan. “Right,” he said, immobilised by a rush of anxiety. He’d asked if he could kiss her, she’d said that he could, and now it was up to him to actually do it. He wondered what he should do, what she would like. Should he say something first, tell her she was beautiful or say that he thought she was amazing or thank her for making him breakfast? Maybe he should do that thing he’d seen human males do in films, where he’d rest his hand against her cheek and her eyes would flutter shut as he brought his lips to hers. That always looked nice, but maybe Rose didn’t want that. Maybe she’d rather him move faster, with more assurance and control. And then there was the matter of his tongue. Would she expect it right away, or should he wait?
 
“Doctor?” she asked.
 
Her voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and he looked down at her. Her brown eyes were filled with worry and her fingers tapped nervously against her thigh. Perhaps she was just as uncertain as he was. That thought gave him the confidence he needed to move forward.
 
“Rose.” He said her name softly, took her hand in his, and moved his face closer to hers. She titled her mouth upwards, waiting. He felt a rush of warm air against his mouth from her slightly parted lips. Her eyes were open, and she watched his every movement. It was clear that she was going to wait for him to initiate it, and really that was only fair. He’d been the one who seemed to be pushing her away, who was moving out and telling her he wanted to take things slowly. But there was slow and then there was slow and he didn’t think a kiss would be moving too quickly. Dammit. His mind had run away with him again.
 
Forcing himself to focus, he pressed his lips to hers, his eyes falling closed at the touch. They hovered for a moment, their mouths barely touching, but then everything clicked and he was kissing her, really kissing her like he’d been thinking about doing for ages. Her hand let go of his so that she could wrap her arms around his shoulders, her fingers moving to the back of his neck. She didn’t pull him closer, but caressed his skin with the pads of her fingertips as she rose to her tiptoes to meet his mouth more easily.
 
His hand stayed on her waist, his other burying itself in her hair, gliding his fingers through the soft strands that were still damp from her own shower. Her top lip was a perfect fit between his two, and her bottom lip cradled his gently. She made a little sound in the back of her throat as she pulled his bottom lip into her mouth. His hand clutched at her waist.
 
They separated for a moment, sucking in air, before his lips found hers again. The sweet press of their mouths was no longer enough for him, and his tongue worked its way into her mouth. It was his turn to gasp. She was so warm, so soft. His hand left her hair, slid down to her cheek, where he could guide her. Her tongue touched his, lightly at first and then more firmly as he encouraged her, his hand on her hip sliding slowly up until his fingertips were touching smooth, bare skin. Each time they pulled away to breathe, they grinned at one another like they shared the most wonderful secret. 
 
He kissed her carefully, exploring her mouth and tongue, cataloguing what she liked, making a mental note of what made her hands grip him, what made her make those delightful little sighs. Worried they would get carried away, he moved away from her, rubbing his nose against hers and kissing her one final time.
 
She brushed her fingers over his lips. “I liked that,” she confessed.
 
“Me, too,” he said, unable to stop the stupid smile that spread across his face. He would probably be smiling all day, making his new colleagues think that he was mad. He didn’t care though. If he could kiss her like that every day, the whole world could think he was mad. It was worth it.
 
“You can do it again sometime, if you want to,” she said, stepping back to the cooker, turning it on and resuming preparing breakfast.
 
“Oh I want to,” he rushed to assure her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, propping his chin on her shoulder as she turned the sausages.
 
“Good,” she said, giggling as he kissed her cheek.
 
He pulled himself away then, knowing that if he didn’t, he’d keep kissing her and kissing her, and wind up missing his first day of work altogether. He grabbed plates and forks and poured them each a large glass of juice while she finished cooking.
 
They sat down to eat, and he was concerned that things might be awkward between them, but they weren’t. They chatted easily, moving from the perfection of cold orange juice to the right train for him to take to work to what Rose would do while he was gone and what they would do when he got home that evening. Rose reminded him that she would be meeting him for lunch, and gave him a few notes in case he wanted a snack. He blushed when she pressed the money into his hand, and promised to pay her back. She laughed and told him that she would send her people after him if he didn’t, dispelling the tension. When he was finished eating, he kissed her quickly, once on each cheek and twice on the lips before she pushed him out the door. He walked to the train grinning like a fool.
 

~o~

 

The Doctor’s first day of work was going well. He met with his boss, who showed him around the library and gave him the particulars of his day-to-day work. He was introduced to several people that he would be working with, and they all seemed nice. He found it harder to ease into friendships than he had when he was a Time Lord, perhaps because he knew that he wouldn’t be swanning off like he used to. He had to think about what he said, how he acted, because he would likely know these people for a long time.
 
After filling out a pile of paperwork, he was given his first real task, a book only ten years old that was suffering from a cracked spine and dog-eared pages. His disappointment was palpable, and once he was behind the closed doors of his office, he called Rose and told her what happened.
 
“I’m not trying to patronise you,” she said, her voice cautious, “but why is this a bad thing?”
 
He sighed, but reminded himself that he couldn’t take his frustration out on her. “Because they gave me something so simple. I could fix that book in my sleep.”
 
“Of course you could, Doctor,” Rose said and he could hear her smile even through the phone. “But they don’t know that. You have to prove yourself at a job.”
 
“I suppose so,” he said, sighing again. “I guess I’d better get started.”
 
“Have fun with it,” she said. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
 
He ended the call and got to work. Rose was right, as usual. He forgot about the factors surrounding the book and immersed himself in the task, in the feeling of the pages under his fingers. Time flew by, and it was lunch time.
 
Rose was waiting for him outside the library, her hands huddled into her coat and her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and chin. Her breath was visible as she stamped and paced along the pavement, trying to warm herself up.
 
“You are taking me somewhere warm,” she greeted him.
 
“Yes, I am,” he agreed. “Why didn’t you come inside to wait for me?”
 
She shrugged. “I was on the phone with Pete, and then I guessed you wouldn’t be too long.”
 
He grabbed her gloved hand and pulled her toward him, tugging her scarf down so that he could kiss her properly. Her lips were freezing cold, but the inside of her mouth was warm, a delicious contrast. She moulded her body to his, seeking out his warmth and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, willing to give what heat he had left before it was claimed by the cold.
 
She finally pulled her mouth from his, and began to walk, tugging him along with her. “How is your first day going?”
 
“It’s going all right,” he said.
 
“Different than you thought it would be?” she asked.
 
He lifted his shoulders then let them fall dramatically. “Not as exciting.”
 
She made a funny little noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “You thought working at a library would be exciting?”
 
He frowned at her, then bumped her hip with his. “Well, not exactly exciting,” he said, indignant, but not angry with her. “But I thought it would be more fun.”
 
“It’s work, Doctor,” she said, adjusting her hat so that it better covered her ears. “You’re going to have good days and things you enjoy, but it’s not all fun. You’ll get used to it.”
 
He let go of her and his hand found the warmth of her coat pocket. He’d have to remember to get gloves the next time they went shopping. “I suppose so. The people there are nice.”
 
“That’s good,” she said, sliding her hand into her pocket to join his. “It’ll get better, I promise.”
 

Her good mood was infectious, and he felt his spirits lifting as they found a little restaurant and ensconced themselves in a booth near the back by the fireplace. He was coming to realise, as he had over and over since he’d known her, that Rose Tyler could make anything better.



Eight