Changing Colour (A Dr. Who fanfiction)

Chapter 5: Magenta

"Race ya to the other side?"

"Sure."

Rose watches the Doctor swim away. Okay, so it isn't exactly fair, but she can't help it. He is skinny, but all muscles; arms so slender, but nevertheless so strong.

He is at the other side in no time and looks a little dazed as he searches for Rose. She waves at him and leans back enjoying the warm water. With quick, vigorous strokes he returns and splashes water all over her.

"Oi!"

"You cheated."

"I never would have beaten you and I'm here to relax, no running!"

"This is not..."

"Fast swimming also counts as running!"

A little sullen, the Doctor hooks his arms behind his head and rests them on the shore, his body floating just below the surface.

He is not used to this, doing nothing. Even when trying to have a vacation of sorts, he inevitably finds trouble. He feels his body tense, expecting to have to climb out and run any minute now.

When the minutes pass without anything happening, the tension leaves and he finally turns to Rose.

She is looking at him, a small wrinkle up her nose, showing her slight concern.

She wonders if he feels comfortable and decides to ask him.

"I'm getting there." he replies, "Not used to this, me; never time to sit down and do nothing."

"In nine hundred years, you have never sat down and done nothing?"

"Weeelll, sat down plenty of times, lots of books to read and stuff, but just doing nothing at all... Nope. Not really the type for it I guess."

Rose smiles.

"It's okay to think while you do nothing though."

"So, you are thinking right now?"

"Oi!"

"I didn't mean, I mean... I just... I didn't mean to offend. Of course you are thinking, I was just wondering... only wanted to know... what."

"What?"

"Yeah, what you were... thinking... about. Or does that defy the point of doing nothing?"

Rose giggles.

"You really don't know how to make things simple, do you?"

"Weeeelllll, complicated is infinitely more interesting. More to unravel, more layers to unwrap, like unpacking a present."

"So you're saying every time we run into trouble, it's just like getting a present?"

The Doctor nods happily.

Rose shakes her head and closes her eyes. "You are weird!"

"Nope!" He beams, popping his familiar p, "just complicated."

---

When they are done floating in the water, almost falling asleep, they climb out to dry in the sun.

The Doctor examines his fingers, "It never ceases to amaze me how alien human-ish fingers can look."

"Human-ish?"

"Yeah, not quite human. Better than humanoid, makes it sound as if humans are the first beings that have evolved in this form. Bit presumptuous."

Rose just snorts.