The Green Soul

Chapter 24

He looked confused for a moment, clearly not understanding her intentions. But, he looked intrigued as well. She covered his hand where it was on her cheek, keeping him there, not that he was considering moving.

He watched her, studied her, waited for clarification. When Rose realized he was waiting on her to speak, she cleared her throat.

"Sometimes I forget you're not human," she admitted, "That the games humans play when it comes to relationships don't apply to you."

"But they do," the Doctor blurted out. "I've been playing games with you, hurting you left and right and never realized it. You can't tell me that's not true."

"No, I can't, but it's not intentional, what you do, because like you said, you have no idea what to do with me."

"I thought I did," the Doctor said, "I wanted to seduce you."

Rose lifted her eyebrows. "You were successful."

The Doctor grinned at that, making Rose roll her eyes. Maybe this was something they could come back from after all. Not something they could come back from just as friends, but something nonetheless.

"I don't think I did it right, though. You deserve more than what I gave you the other night," he said it softly, like he was afraid she'd realize he was right and hit him again.

Rose dropped her hand from his and instead lifted her fingers to the bruise. "I didn't give you what you deserve either, Doctor. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

As if he was unable to take it anymore, he choked on a sob and dropped his hands to her waist, heaving her close to him. Her arms went around his neck on instinct and they clung to each other.

"I didn't know, Rose. You shouldn't be apologizing. I should be. I don't know how to do this, any of it! You're the expert, among the two of us."

"Just better at human studies," Rose replied. "Been around them longer."

He was quiet for a moment, and she could tell that he was trying to reign himself in before things got too emotional. He heaved a few deep, steady breaths and pulled her tighter to himself. "I want you to teach me."

Rose thought for a moment, because she didn't know exactly what she was supposed to teach him, what a man with this vast a knowledge could possibly learn from her. She thought about pretending to know what he meant, but decided that if there was one thing the two of them needed, it was honesty, and trust.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked quietly, almost afraid of breaking him, with as close as they were right now. He felt fragile.

He seemed to be thinking, being careful how to word it. She waited for his response and waited until he heaved a heavy sigh. "You have to teach me what I'm doing wrong."

She didn't answer for a moment. "For starters, leave notes," she said blandly, "Don't play with my emotions."

"I never intended to," he said earnestly.

"I know. But you asked."  She pulled back to look him in the face, feeling as though she needed to look him in the eyes for the next bit. His eyes were immeasurably sad, and she suddenly felt very, very guilty indeed. She brushed her fingertips over the bruise under his eye. "I'm sorry.".

He pushed into her touch and closed his eyes.  "I deserved it," he breathed.

She almost smiled at that, but instead leaned closer to him and let her breath play across his mouth. She needed him to be the one to say something, to finish what had been started.

It didn't take him long to take the hint. He pushed her back slowly the couple of steps before she hit the door and moved his hand from her waist to lock it. He watched her for a moment.  "My Rose," was the only thing he could managed to get out.  It was almost a question.  He was waiting, and she could now give him an answer.

She smiled at him and traced his cheek with her pointer finger. "Yours," she agreed, feeling a weight lifting from her chest as she said it, as she finally told him.  The smile that lit his face was like nothing she'd ever seen before, and her own grin widened at his excitement.

He seemed hesitant, and Rose suspected that he really needed to wait.  His hands held her waist, keeping her steady and close to him.  He tightened his grip on her.  "I hate the corset," he blurted out, "I think it makes you something you're not."

She bit her lip and watched him carefully.  He looked at her hopefully.  He was giving her an opening, an opening she fully intended to take.  She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his ear.  "Then take it off me," she whispered.

He shivered and pulled back to look at her.  "Rose, can I kiss you?  Please, I need you to trust me again, please."

"Yes."

He pulled her flush against him and kissed her, his arms winding completely around her back, lifting her slightly.  She locked her arms around his neck, nearly sobbing at the relief of the tension between them shattering.  They'd both been so unfair to each other, and it had been awful. 

They needed to face the Entity situation as a team, and Rose had a feeling that they'd be an even stronger team than before now.  She felt utter joy at the prospect until she felt a tear against her cheek, and it wasn't her own.

She pulled away and cupped his face in her hands.  "What's wrong?" She asked urgently, afraid she'd done something wrong. 

"I don't deserve you," he whispered, "You know what I've done, Rose.  How can you possibly understand what you're getting into?"

"We've both committed genocide, Doctor," Rose whispered, "We're the best sort of people for each other."

That seemed to appease him.  He kissed her again, this time gently and with a reverence she didn't know he would show her, ever.  But here he was, savoring her, and pulling her close, close, closer still. 

They kissed for what felt like eons and not enough time at all before the Doctor pulled away and tipped his forehead against hers.  "Did you mean what you said?"

"Which bit?" She asked absent mindedly.

"The part about me taking the corset off of you."

Rose smiled.  "Yeah, I meant that."

She should've expected that the Doctor would have excellent hands, because he easily attacked the buttons on the back of her dress without turning her around.  She realized with a jolt that he was doing it like that so that he could still hold her.

"I'm sorry about your eye," she said quietly, her fingers still firmly in her hair.

He paused to kiss her again before continuing on for the buttons.  "You know, I think you might just have to make it up to me."

She stilled his movements as he was working on the last button.  "I really am sorry."  She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed the tender skin gently.  His eyes fluttered closed and she did it again.  He pulled the dress forwards towards her hands and she took the hint, stepping back and letting the dress fall to the ground.

"I know you're sorry," he replied, "But I suppose I really did deserve it," he turned her around and swept her hair away from her neck before starting on the corset.  He leaned forward to kiss her neck as he undid the laces, murmuring words she couldn't understand against her skin.

The second the corset was off of her, she whipped around and wrenched his jacket from his shoulders, shoving it roughly to the ground.  She whipped off his tie as well, throwing it over her shoulder, more than ready to forget it. 

He ducked his head and crushed his mouth to hers, cupping her face between his hands.  He held her tenderly and only stopped when she had to breathe.

"You and me," he gasped out.

She guided him towards the bed and shoved him so he was sitting on it, and she stood between his thighs, her hands on his shoulders.  "You and me."