Reign of the World

Chapter 2

Rose had heard through the grapevine that dinner was going to served after sunset, which she didn't mind since the sunsets there were so gorgeous.  So she continued to stand on the deck and lean on the rail.  The sun started to descend towards the water and she found herself lost in the beauty of it.

It was much like an Earth sunset, but much more intense.  The colors were richer, the purples darker and the yellows blindingly bright, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.  The first day there she had taken pictures on her mobile, and while they were good photos, they didn't do the sunset justice.  The Doctor assured her that she was an excellent photographer and it had nothing to do with her skills.

Now that she had those pictures, though, she could simply stand, her elbow on the rail and her chin in her hand, and enjoy the thing for what it was.  That was one of the perks of travelling with the Doctor.  She experienced so much more than the average human, and she could never thank him enough for it.  And when he came back, she planned to thank him again for it.  She drew her jacket more fully around her body and shivered against the impending cold of night. 

She felt a jacket settle around her shoulders and jumped a little at the contact, breaking out of her thoughts.  She looked over her shoulder to see that it was the Doctor's coat and the Doctor was standing behind her.  He grinned at her and came to stand up next to her, his shoulder brushing hers as he leaned forward onto the railing.

She tipped her head onto his shoulder and sighed contentedly, crossing her arms under his Janis Joplin coat.  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to cuddle into his side.  In their little bubble where the pretended to be best friends and nothing more, this was a completely normal gesture.  To anybody else watching, they looked very much like a very happy couple. 

"Thanks," Rose whispered, squinting against the blinding sunset.  

The Doctor smiled and scrunched his eyebrows up, looking down at the top of her head.  "What for?" He asked, sounding genuinely confused.  Couldn't have that. 

"I dunno," Rose shrugged.  "For everything, I guess.  I'd still be working at that shop in London, dead ended for the rest of my life, if I hadn't come with you."

"If there's anybody who should be thanking anybody else, I should be thanking you," The Doctor replied, as the sun began to dip fully beneath the water.  "Better with two."

"Better with two," Rose agreed.

The two of them stood in silence for awhile, waiting until the sunset had finished, its glory diminishing beneath the choppy waves as the moon rose on the other side of the boat.  But they kept watching the sun's side, and only when Rose shivered did the Doctor suggest they go inside for dinner. 

Rose had brought a few evening gowns on board to wear to dinners, since they were usually black-tie, and the Doctor had grumbled when she made him bring on a black suit that so strongly resembled a tuxedo that he almost ranted and raved about it before he saw home important it was to her.  After that he packed it without another word. 

He changed in the little bathroom cabin they had, grumbling about the lack of space inside and wondering why no one had figured out bigger on the inside technology besides the Time Lords, darn them all.  Darn everyone, darn this tiny bathroom, and this suit, and he was going to have to have Rose tie his tie because he was really struggling here. 

He huffed and stepped out of the bathroom, all anger completely forgotten when he saw Rose.  She was wearing a deep red gown that fit in a mermaid style, with thin straps and what looked like a light dusting of glitter.  That glitter really should've looked tacky, but the Doctor found that it didn't look so on Rose.