Three alien moons glinted in the sky. Along with the blanket of stars, they provided enough light for the Doctor and Rose to walk back to the TARDIS after the royal ball they'd just attended. Rose's sleeveless gown offered no protection against the cool night air. The Doctor's arm around her shoulder tightened when she shivered, encouraging her to snuggle against him—not that she needed any encouragement.

"We had a good time tonight, didn't we?" he mused. "The Valoreans know how to throw a party. Nibbles, punch, dancing…"

Rose giggled when he hip-checked her. They'd spent half the night on the dance floor, together, and she honestly couldn't remember a more perfect night. She tilted her head back so she could look at him when she told him so, and of course, that was when her heel caught on a pebble, wrenching her ankle just enough to make it uncomfortable to walk.

She sighed; they were still a quarter of a mile from the TARDIS. It didn't hurt much now, but by the time they got there, it would be throbbing. Nothing for it though, she thought as she took another step, only to be stopped by the Doctor's hand on her elbow.

"What?"

"You shouldn't walk on that, Rose."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "What are my options, Doctor? And don't suggest I stay here while you go get the TARDIS. For all I know, I could be waiting a whole year for you to get back."

"Oi! I'm not always that far off."

She tapped him on the chest. "Still not gonna wait out here, in the dark and cold."

"And I wasn't going to suggest you did." He ruined his lofty tone by tugging on his ear. "I thought maybe I could carry you."

Rose blinked up at him, her mouth open to protest that she was too heavy to be carried that far when she remembered his vaunted superior biology.

"Yeah, go ahead then," she agreed.

The Doctor grinned down at her, then scooped her up in a bridal carry, one arm pressed against her bare back, and the other hooked around her knees. Rose automatically rested her head in the crook of his neck, where she could smell the soft honey and cloves scent of his skin and feel his sideburn catching on her hair.

He walked faster than he did when she was beside him, and Rose realised how much he matched his stride to hers. His long legs had them home in almost no time, and she sighed when he stopped in front of the TARDIS. Not that she wasn't happy to be home, but… a few more minutes in his arms wouldn't have been unwelcome, either.

Rose grabbed onto his shoulder as he carefully put her feet back on the ground. "Here we go then," he said. "Home safe and sound."

The hand on her back trailed down to her waist, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Something glinted in the Doctor's eyes, but even with three moons, there wasn't enough light for Rose to be certain what it was.

He took a step closer, and Rose caught her breath as he slowly leaned down. Is he really… Her hand slid up to the nape of his neck, playing with the hairs there.

"Is this all right, Rose?" he whispered, his mouth so close to hers she could feel the breath against her lips.

Rose nodded, and her nose brushed against his. She had just enough time to see the Doctor's smile before his lips touched hers, and her eyes closed automatically.

His lips were cooler than a human's, but not cold. Rose almost immediately tilted her head slightly so she could catch his bottom lip between her own, just like she'd been dreaming about ever since he regenerated.

The Doctor's sigh when she sucked lightly at his lip made her knees go weak, but his hands on her hips held her to him so she wouldn't fall. Then his thumbs moved, stroking her back through the silky fabric of her dress, and she let out her own soft sigh.

Rose had no idea how long had passed when the Doctor pulled back enough to look down at her. She did notice that his lips looked well-kissed and his hair was more tousled than it had been before—though she barely remembered moving her hands into his hair, since her attention had been focused on the way he caught her as she swayed against him.

"Blimey," he murmured.

Rose giggled and buried her head in his chest. "What brought this on tonight?"

The Doctor ran his hands over her hair, then pressed a kiss to her temple. "Oh, lots of things," he said. "Your dress, the way it felt to have you in my arms all night, the way the moonlight reflects on your blonde hair and makes you look like some kind of faerie queen…" He paused, and she felt him swallow. "But mostly, the fact that I've been wanting to for almost as long as I've known you."

Rose's heart skipped a beat, and she pulled back so she could look at him. "Yeah?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded solemnly. "Rose Tyler… you have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you."

She leaned against the TARDIS and shot the Doctor what she hoped was a seductive smile. Judging by the way his eyes widened and his breath caught, she succeeded.

He took half a step towards her, but Rose shook her head. She could feel the TARDIS singing happily, and she somehow knew the door would be unlocked if she tried it.

"Then why don't we go inside and make up for lost time?" she suggested in a husky voice.

The Doctor stepped forward again, and this time, Rose pushed the door open and stepped back into the TARDIS, letting him follow her inside. He swept her up into his arms again, just like before, and when she relaxed into his embrace he turned his head and whispered in her ear.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea."