Title: Encounters; The Massage Pairing: 9 / Rose
Rating: 15 Type: AU/ Angst
Summary: After a visit to another alien planet, Rose encounters a new side of the Doctor…
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dr Who characters or anything from the universe of Dr Who. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to the BBC for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.
()()()()
Rose gave a long stretch as she entered her bedroom after the latest mad-cap adventure... Life onboard the TARDIS never failed to surprise her.
The Doctor had taken them to a world with no name… literally, it was called 'A World With No Name', and shown her the tree dwelling inhabitants – who let them swing between their great houses like Tarzan and Jane…
Well – she did get the bronze in gymnastics.
Rose gave a stretch and heard a sickening pop and re-thought… she may have gotten the bronze but it had been a few years ago!
There was a knock at the door.
She groaned… really?
Another knock.
"Coming…" she shouted, feeling the familiar wobble in her stomach as she anticipated opening the door to see The Doctors smiling face…
But first…
Rose took a quick turn about the room to clear the abandoned clothing strewn about the space and shoving it beneath her bed…
Another knock and she checked the room looked passable… it would do…
The door opened with a creek and Rose took a breath…
"Enjoy keeping me waiting?" The Doctor asked…
Her smile faded… she had been expecting a smile but was met with irritation as he leaned on the doorframe in his faded leather coat and asked, "Can I come in?"
Rose stepped to the side and watched him bustle past with a little confused disappointment, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah," he said, giving the room a glance, "like what you've done with the place… not what I expected…"
She blinked again, "Ok…"
"It's good," he said quickly, a broad and infectious grin spreading across his face.
Rose felt herself relax a little.
"This your bed?"
Rose blinked as The Doctor bounded over to the four poster, removing his coat and placing it on the floor before sitting on the foot of the bed and leaning back onto the mattress…
There was a silence as Rose watched him…
"Gunna close that door?" He asked, linking his hands behind his head and curling up to look at her.
The door clicked shut.
The Doctor smiled and lay back down.
Rose wasn't sure what to do – was this a test?
She approached the bed, a nervous feeling gripping her chest.
"How did you find world with no name?"
Rose looked at him; his intense eyes holding nothing but curiosity…
"It was good, yeah."
"Good?" He asked with a frown, "That all?"
Rose shrugged and The Doctor shook his head, "Getting harder and harder to impress you, Rose Tyler…"
Then he stretched out on the bed and snuggled back into the covers…
Rose watched him warily, "Comfortable?" She asked in amusement.
"I am, thanks for asking," he replied with a bright smile, "So! Where do you want to go next? Somewhere with a little colour? Perhaps the crystal planet of Genoshaka seven?"
She laughed at his enthusiasm… still uncomfortable with how at ease he was, sprawling out on her bed…
Perhaps she should be a little less tense; it was The Doctor, after all… she trusted him. They were friends, perhaps even a bit more than that… Was there anyone else she would prefer to have beside her at that moment?
Rose took a perch beside him on the bed, somehow unable to relax.
"I was thinking you'd like the planet with no name… after the heat of the last dessert moon I thought it would be refreshing for you to swing through the rainforest, the wind in your hair…"
She laughed slightly, "Romantic."
"I suppose, a little…" he grinned up at her… looking appealing…
Then she shifted and strained up against her aching muscles.
"Right then!" The Doctor announced, leaping up from the bed and slapping his hands together with a quick rub, "Only one thing for it!"
Rose stood… The Doctor curled his shoulders and rubbed his hands together, "Shall I give you a massage?"
Rose wasn't sure what to say, except smile at how the question was delivered, "Creepy…" she said through her teeth and smiling.
"It was a bit, yeah…" he admitted, shaking out his hands and smiling, "We going to though?"
And, again, she surprised herself by shrugging, "I should take my clothes off."
"It might help," he answered lightly.
Rose nodded and looked to her clothes…
That made him start, "I'll give you some privacy…" He announced and stepped into the en-suite.
And she…
Stood there a moment…
Did she really just suggest taking her clothes off?
She thought about it…
And she had.
It was The Doctor… there was no one else she trusted in the Universe… any request of his could not be refused. And a massage would be quite nice.
So… she took her clothes off – suddenly conscious of her faded underwear and realising that it was only a massage, she grabbed a skirt and threw it on so she stood in her bra and skirt alone…
What was she doing? "I'm ready?"
Back into the room he bounded, holding a tub, "Oil…"
Rose nodded.
"Any allergies?"
She shook her head, "Not that I know of…"
"We'll soon find out…" he breathed, sapphire eyes deepening somehow… "You getting on the bed?"
So she did – it was almost like moving on auto-pilot, it felt so surreal…
She lay, face down…
There was a moment when nothing but silence reined. Then she felt his weight settle at her feet.
Rose couldn't quite believe this was happening as he took purchase, kneeling on the bed and swinging a leg over hers to straddle her back.
His large, soft hands spread on her spine and Rose held her breath; attempting to keep the groan from sounding at the thought of his skin spreading over her own.
"Remember to breathe," he said, the smile evident in his tone.
Rose bit her lip, cursing herself, "Had you noticed I had stopped?"
"Just a little..." he teased, pressing his hands, firmly up the length of her back.
She tried her best not to make a sound, wanting to hiss at the pressure with which he was pressing her into the soft mattress and trying not to think of how he was rested over her and how she could feel his legs framing her own.
"We could always go back to Earth…" he said.
Rose paused, trying to focus through the feeling of his hands beginning to knead her left hip and work his way upward.
"What?" She asked, not sure if she should turn to him…
"Earth," he said again, sounding far too relaxed, "We could go…"
Was he talking about something so she'd feel more comfortable?
"It's been a while since you've seen your mum and Ricky."
"Mickey," she corrected automatically, "and how comes we're talking about this now?" Wasn't this supposed to be a sort-of relaxing massage? Was there nothing about this that he found stimulating?
"Just thought you might want to," he answered lightly, his hands kneading their way over to her right hip before a small pause to apply more oil...
Rose didn't understand what was going on! So she gave up… "Yeah… that would be nice…"
"We don't have to go to London at all, if you don't want…" he moved to her left hip, "shall I tell you what I'm thinking?"
"I wish you would," she replied, hoping he would explain what was going on…
"I'm thinking of Paris in the 1920's…"
Rose felt her eyes roll… it was never simple with him! She tensed a little and felt his hands pause a second…
"Or Bermuda," he sounded a little more hesitant, "in the first decade of the twenty-first century…"
She gave him a moment of silence while she tried to collect herself; she admitted that she just didn't understand him, but wondered, "Why Bermuda then?"
"Why not Bermuda any time?" He asked, making her laugh, "it's got pink sand Rose! Pink sand!"
How could he do that? Just the excitement in his voice made her laugh…
"Can I unhook your bra?"
She stopped laughing and felt her body tense…
This is The Doctor, she reminded herself, how many times have you thought about…
"Yeah…"
His fingers fumbled a little, but the clasp came undone and she felt him brush the fabric away… "Can you…"
And Rose moved without thinking, twisting her arms out of the straps and trying to ignore the feel of the base of her back moving into the arch of his legs.
She settled back on the bed and waited…
Fingertips brushed on her shoulders, twisting her hair away to leave her skin exposed and she closed her eyes trying not to think too much of that soft touch…
He could keep that up all day…
The Doctors large, warm hands spread over her shoulder blades with enough pressure to know he was leaning a little on her… the idea was tantalising…
Breathe! She reminded herself.
"Fantastic place, Bermuda," he wittered, "volcanic island…crazy bus drivers…"
"Pink sand?" She asked, holding in a hiss as she relished the pressure of his hands kneading her skin.
He stilled, "How did you know?"
Rose blinked, still mid-inhalation… "You said about it before…"
A few seconds passed and he began his, not too gentle, work again.
"Right…" The Doctors voice sounded overly nonchalant… "I did… didn't I…"
His hands got a little harder and Rose thought of the type of sports massages she got after her brief interest in gymnastics… this was nothing really like them; given she could feel The Doctor straddling her while his unpractised hands feigned professionalism…
But it was nothing like the type of sexy massage she had secretly imagined he may give her…
She had always imagined those hands would elicit far more electricity and wanting from within her…
It felt too… controlled. So – was that him or her?
"I've been thinking of redesigning the TARDIS main console…"
What? Was he seriously going to talk about 'work'?
"Right... that's a subject change…" she felt his hands move over her skin with clinical pressure, "Why?"
"So you can start to learn how to fly her…" The Doctor continued, as easily as if they were having lunch in a restaurant…
What was going on? Was this supposed to be an actual massage... like you would get in a spa? She was mostly naked beneath him… shouldn't that make it a different situation? She could feel his legs straddling her waist and his groin moving over her lower back…
Rose faltered, "Er… I would like that…"
"Good!" His smile was evident in his voice, "Well, we'll only go as far as you want to go, Rose." Then his hands pressed her further into the soft mattress… winding up and down her back… "Only as much as you want…"
Rose wasn't sure if it felt good… it didn't feel bad… it was nice…
What was going on?
"Have you ever thought about visiting a particular time in your planets history?"
She frowned into her pillow… it was strange that as he asked such a calm question he was kneading his way down her right thigh and propping her foot over his shoulder…
She didn't react very well to the movement, jerking slightly at the thought of the view he must have of her… but his fingers wound their way about her muscles, never probing further than dignity allowed…
Rose didn't understand what was going on at all… if it were any other man she had been with there wouldn't have been a question. It was always very clear what boys wanted from her; their hands found their way to very few and extremely intimate places…
But The Doctor hadn't, at any point, gone as far as to loop about a curve or dip further than modesty would allow.
Didn't he fancy her?
Was this really just a massage?
He moved to her other leg…
The Doctor began muttering about some place he wanted to visit and Rose gave up… she wasn't sure if she was supposed to enjoy his clinical touch or make out as though she was 'enjoying' his touch…
But it really wasn't sexy.
And it really wasn't relaxing…
She couldn't think of a word to describe it.
Aside from confusing.
His hands began to slow as he placed her legs back on the bed and pulled them together.
She held her breath as he climbed back ontop of her… his hands spreading across the back of her hips as his thumbs made small circles in her heated flesh.
"All done," he sighed in a low tone, his thumbs still making circles, "how are you feeling?"
She had no idea. "I'm fine."
His hands paused…
"Nothing else…"
…
?
"No."
…
And there was more sience…
Then his large, warm, smooth hand spread out in the middle of her back… pressing her slightly into the mattress of her bed…
"You should feel something by now…" he insisted, "Can't you feel your heart beating?"
Well, no… she didn't…
And she began to wonder if that meant there was something wrong with her…
No… there wasn't.
And she began to feel embarrassed…
So she made a joke and jibed, "Perhaps you just aren't as good as you think you are…"
As soon as the words hit the air the moment paused…
Rose squeezed her eyes shut against the sensation.
The Doctor slowly moved off her and his heat disappeared with him.
She lay there a moment. Still confused… before turning to see him standing at her dresser, wiping his hands with a towel.
Rose sat up, still observing him and wondering what the hell was going on…
And still he looked at her… his blue eyes soft and not demanding… just drinking her in.
He seemed content.
Before she knew it, she was stood before him… couldn't even recall getting up from the bed or taking any steps.
He was still regarding her, his smile growing the closer she floated toward him… and then, just as she was about to close the distance, he took a breath…
"I think we should take you home."
She blinked…
What? Right now?
And she pulled away…
"Home…"
He began blinking and smiled, "To see your mum and everyone…"
WHAT? Did he really just bring up her mother and her boyfriend just now?!
Rose shook her head and took a few steps away…
"Well, I didn't mean right now…"
Not right now?! What the hell?
"Perhaps you're right…" he sighed…
What?
And with that he headed to the door.
Rose… too confused to do anything else followed him…
"I will see you in the morning…" he said… pausing at the door.
"Ok."
But nothing happened…
He was leaning down, seemingly staring at a point on her door; but Rose, too uncertain as to what to do needed to let him know it was going to be alright…
The next moment she was leaning toward him and delivering a rough kiss to his cheek…
Her stomach turned to stone… it felt wrong.
The Doctor blinked and flicked his eyes her way as she frowned and tried to hide her confusion.
The moment passed.
"Well," he said loudly, straightening and moving away from her awkwardly, "I'd best be off…"
"Right…" she said, manoeuvring to shadow him as he opened the door and left her room.
"Always plenty to do…" he said as he crossed over the doorway and made it to the hall.
"Right," she said, weakly…
"Right then…" he turned to her – a complete enigma. "See you soon."
She nodded, but wasn't certain of anything anymore as she felt herself close the door and caught sight of The Doctor walking away from her in response…
There was silence in her room as the door clicked shut.
She leaned on the TARDIS.
That kiss was stupid… she thought it would be sweet and reassuring… but it just made things worse.
Heading back to her bed, Rose sat there… her hair wet with oil and her body humming…
She didn't understand what had happened… she knew enough to say The Doctor wasn't being demure… he was trying to arouse her… so why had he been so sedate and clinical? Why hadn't he just given her light touches and spoken of how he felt and what he wanted them to do while lying on her bed?
Perhaps he wasn't trying to seduce her? Could that be right?
But his whole demeanour…
She shook her head?
Didn't he know that simply wrapping his arms around her, holding her hand or even looking at her with those deep, kind eyes made her heart race and sent a pulse through her…
Rose didn't need to be aroused… she wanted him before he tried to make her interested…
In a way… his work was done before he entered the room…
She groaned… how could things have stalled so badly… she should have just told him that she wasn't afraid… she should have just kissed him… a proper kiss… a kiss that showed him all the passion she held.
Rose sighed; what a mess.
Still… they were friends… there would be other opportunities…
She hoped.