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fogsblueTitle: Fresh Perspectives of Companions
Rating: Adult
Characters: Ten/Rose, Mal/Inara
Summary: Crossover with Firefly. The Doctor and Rose land on Serenity and meet Captain Mal and Inara. Rose and Inara bond. During which they come up with a plan to change the way the Doctor and Mal see them.
A/N: This was written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silverlunarstar's birthday. She wanted a fic with Ten and Rose meeting Mal and Inara. The main requirement being Rose and Inara bonding over certain idiots. This was the result.
“She’s best ship in the universe, my TARDIS,” the Doctor said. “We can go anywhere with her, free of charge.” Admittedly this pronouncement lacked the enthusiasm he would normally have in his voice for the subject of his ship.
But if asked, he would deny that had anything to do with the fact it had been forty-three minutes since Rose had been escorted away.
Nowhere dangerous; he wouldn’t have let her out of his sight if that was the case. No, Rose had been herself and promptly made friends with a Companion named Inara. The woman had quickly decided Rose needed some time away from the Doctor and led her to the shuttle she’d claimed.
Captain Mal Reynolds raised his eyebrows at the odd man standing in the hold of Serenity. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was on about, but he was familiar with the slightly concerned look of a man in love. He’d seen it on Wash’s face, and Simon’s. It was possible it’d even been on his on occasion.
He was dragged from his thoughts by the Doctor’s voice as he said, “So, Captain Reynolds, uh, how long is your Companion likely to keep mine?”
“Your Rose is a Companion? Never would’ve guessed it,” Mal said, surprised. He’d certainly not expected that. For one thing, Rose was dressed in clothes entirely too practical for a Companion.
The Doctor’s eyes went extremely wide. “Oh! No, noooo, she’s not a Companion. She’s my friend. We travel together. She’s also, uh, she’s also not mine,” he rambled, nervously. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Rose to be his; he just didn’t think she was interested. And possibly he’d spent a bit of time trying to push her away, which probably didn’t help matters.
Mal smirked at the man in front of him. That was a reaction he recognised, to deny vehemently because he was unsure, but that man definitely wanted the woman. If he was being honest with himself (which he admitted he tried not to do too regularly), it was the same way he acted when someone mentioned him and Inara.
Patting the Doctor on the back, Mal laughed. “C’mon on, Doctor, there’s some drink in the galley. Betting the girls will be a time yet.”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
“Oh, wow,” Rose said, looking around her in amazement. “This is a shuttle? I can’t believe you managed to make it look so amazing, almost bigger on the inside.” She let out a small giggle and when Inara just looked at her with a bemused smile, wished the Doctor was there to share the joke with her. Less than five minutes and, she admitted to herself, she was already missing him.
Inara watched the young woman and knew she laughed at something her friend would understand. And judging by the way Rose glanced over her shoulder; Inara suspected she already missed the Doctor.
“Thank you,” said Inara, and then offered, “Would you like some tea, Rose?” She gestured for Rose to sit on the available cushions.
As Inara prepared the tea, Rose considered the opulence and beauty of the shuttle and wondered about such a setup on a ship like Serenity. “I don’t want to be rude, but what’s a Companion do?”
Placing the tea down on the low table, Inara seated herself and was actually curious. “You do not know what a Companion is? You are not from around here are you?”
Rose took a sip of her tea and smiled. “No, not from around here, the Doctor and I travel all over. Think the meaning of ‘companion’ has changed over time.”
As Inara explained the role of a Companion, Rose nodded along in understanding. The time had long passed since she had been surprised or disturbed by such a role. In her travels she had seen many societies and nearly all of them had a place for those who exchanged company and sex for money. It was rare to see it as such an illustrious career as it was in this time though. Rose could tell from watching Inara that Companions were well-educated and, in this culture, highly respected. She was fascinated.
When the tea was finished, Inara felt free to indulge her curiosity a bit. She had seen the way Rose had looked at her Doctor. And the way the Doctor had looked at Rose. The evidence suggested they were very much in love, but Inara admitted the body language did not suggest they were intimate.
“You say you simply travel with the Doctor, but it must be more than that, surely? I saw the way he watches you,” said Inara.
“No, no, we’re just best friends, travelling together. That’s all,” Rose said with resignation in her voice.
Inara knew that tone and said, “But you wish it were more, yes?”
Rose was about to deny it, as she normally did, when she thought back over what she’d seen. She wasn’t unobservant and had noticed the way the Captain and Inara had been talking. She also saw it in the way they watched the other, but tried not to make it apparent. There was the not-so-subtle jealousy from Mal and the frustration and resignation, but understanding, from Inara. Rose decided if anyone might understand it would be Inara.
“I do, I really, really do. Sometimes, I think he might wish for more too. But if I try to flirt, or give him a hint, he takes it the wrong way, or no way at all. And then I think he gets scared. Because he just runs, and I mean he literally runs. Finds something to do, somewhere to go, or someone to meet, and pretends it never happened.” Rose sighed and took a sip of her tea.
Inara just nodded along. It seemed to her that Rose needed to get this off her chest and she didn’t want to interrupt. And, she admitted to herself, this sounded rather familiar.
Rose placed her tea down and continued. “I know he feels responsible, for everything, or it seems like it. And I know he’s got a lot of guilt. But it’s like he’s scared to go after something he wants, like if he does, the universe’ll conspire to take it from him. Because he thinks he doesn’t deserve it.”
Inara gave a small rueful smile at that which made Rose smirk a little and ask, “Wouldn’t happen to know anyone like that, would you?”
Letting out a soft laugh, Inara nodded. “It does sound a bit like Mal, I must admit. He carries a lot of anger, guilt and more responsibility than he should. However, he does not run from any flirting, or fighting, for that matter. But he does like to use the fact I am a Companion as an excuse. Though, I am not necessarily out to make it easy on him,” she finishes with a mischievous smile.
“D’you know what’s funny?” Rose asked, “I think, considering recent events, the Doctor would be more likely to consider me, if I was like you.”
Inara looked mildly puzzled. From what she had witnessed, the Doctor seemed rather enamoured with Rose, so why would she feel like she wasn’t right. “What do you mean?”
With a small shrug, Rose answered. “Well, more, I think, refined and well-spoken and much more educated. Someone, well, someone accomplished. And elegantly dressed.”
A small laugh escaped Inara, one she stopped as soon as she saw Rose’s face fall. “I do not mean to laugh at you. It is just that, I spent a large portion of my life in training to be a Companion. And yet, when I am around Mal, I often feel he would much prefer if I was much more like you,” Inara said.
Rose quirked an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to explain. Inara continued, “Someone who would allow him to be the knowledgeable one. Though, in many ways, he knows much more than I ever will. But don’t tell him I said that.”
Rose smiled at that. “I won’t.”
“I think, Rose, that Mal would like it, if I could run with him,” said Inara. “But I was taught a Companion never runs. And we a certainly not encouraged to dress to do so. You, however, looked prepared to run at a moment’s notice.”
Not able to stop herself, Rose started giggling. “Often have to run with less than a moment’s notice!”
Inara couldn’t help but join Rose in her laughter. However incorrect the drink and ceremony might be, she felt the circumstances called for a toast. She raised her tea to Rose and said, “To the hopeless pilots we consider ours.”
“Here, here!” said Rose as she took a sip.
Finishing their tea, Rose and Inara continued talking about places they had been, and people they had met. There was a friendship rapidly growing as they turned to comparing notes about Mal and the Doctor. The times they had been jealous, the times they had run and which of them was the more emotionally hopeless. Rose won that round when she explained the Doctor’s idea of offering sympathy was a banana.
In a fit of giggles and with a thought which had been niggling at her, Rose turned to Inara and with a cheeky grin, said, “You know, Inara, I think I might have an idea for our idiots…”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
The Doctor and Mal sat in the galley talking. They had talked of Serenity. Kaylee, the ship’s mechanic had dropped by and ended up in a brief conversation with the Doctor about the Firefly’s engine while Mal drank.
There was talk of places they had each been and planets they would like to go to. There had been talk of people they had met and experiences they’d had. Both the Doctor and Mal had recognised in the other someone who had been forced to make hard choices. Someone who had been a soldier. And a person who felt the responsibility and need to look after those in their care.
What they did not talk about, and managed to mostly avoid even mentioning, were the two women who had walked off together. The Doctor didn’t mention Rose. Mal didn’t say a word about Inara. It was an unspoken agreement between Mal and the Doctor, that the subject of the women they wanted would not be discussed.
The Doctor was trying to explain to Mal why humans in the 26th century weren’t encountering alien life while the captain humoured him. The Doctor reached a point about the Alliance knowing about aliens when he trailed off. His jaw hung open and he gaped at the image before him.
Mal, confused at the sudden silence from the overly chatty man with him, turned to see what was behind him. It was just Inara and Rose. He was turning back to the Doctor when he realised what he had actually seen and his head snapped back round to the women.
Rose and Inara stood just inside the door to the galley. However, this was not Rose and Inara as they had been when they had wandered off together.
Mal spared a brief glance for Rose, recognising the outfit she was in, but his attention was focussed on Inara. He had known the Companion for a few years now, and he had never seen her dressed as anything else.
But now, oh now, he could see a whole different side to her. Inara was dressed in simple pair of tight fitting jeans. Mal wasn’t sure why that sight affected him so much, but he thought it might be due to the fact he’d never seen Inara’s legs emphasised quite like that. She wore a simple short sleeved blue blouse and flat shoes that seemed much like the Doctor’s.
The overall effect fascinated Mal, he couldn’t stop staring. He had always, though he rarely said it, admired Inara and the grace and confidence with which she moved through the ‘verse. Seeing her like this, so simply dressed, made him realise he’d been too caught up on the title of Companion and forgetting the woman beneath.
He swallowed and said, “Inara, I… Join me?”
Completely oblivious to Mal’s own shock and subsequent invitation, the Doctor had been unable to close his mouth or even spare a glance for Inara.
All he could see was Rose. His Rose.
Rose stood there in a long, peach coloured, silk dress. It was a simple design, a V-neck hinting at her cleavage and the bodice of the dress gently hugging her body until it reached her waist. From there, the skirt fell in long flowing lines down to the floor. The Doctor wasn’t sure where to look, his eyes tracing Rose’s curves and the flow of the dress down her body, then back to the bottom of the dress.
Some tiny voice in the Doctor’s mind pointed out Inara was a little taller than Rose and the dress was a little long on her. The voice was quickly drowned out by the rest of his mind trying to figure out some important things. How to get Rose back to the TARDIS with him, would it be hard to get Rose out of that dress and would she mind terribly if he did get her out of that dress.
He blinked. It wasn’t like these thoughts were new. It was just that he was used to them being in the back of his rather large mind, not overtaking all of it.
When Rose offered him a small smile, the Doctor admitted he didn’t care and just wanted to show her how he felt. He moved over to her and offered her his hand with his own smile. Not the normal manic grin he showed the universe, but a soft smile just for her.
Rose took his hand without a moment’s hesitation. When the Doctor gestured towards the TARDIS, she turned to say something to her new friend. When she saw Inara seated next to her captain, Rose’s smile widened. There was no way she would disturb them. Instead she looked back to the Doctor and nodded. Hand in hand, they left the galley.
As the Doctor and Rose headed back to the TARDIS, they didn’t get far before Rose almost tripped over her dress. When it happened a second time, the Doctor didn’t even think before he swept her up in his arms.
“Doctor,” Rose said, a little surprised, “I can walk you know.”
His smiled turned into a large grin as he went down the stairs into the hold. “Of course you can, but in that dress, I’m worried you’ll trip. This is easier,” he said.
When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor gently placed Rose on her feet and as if he was afraid she’d wander off, and instantly took her hand again. As they stood by the console, she looked up at him and seemed to be trying to find the right thing to say. She was prepared for a reaction from the Doctor, but this was more than she’d thought possible.
Before Rose could speak, the Doctor made a decision. For all the words he knew, sometimes even he couldn’t find the right ones. Instead, he leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, her temple, her cheekbone, across her jaw and finally, his lips found hers. He was almost surprised by how soft her lips were, but when he felt her arm slide around his neck, all thought fled.
For a moment, there was silence in the console room. They kissed, with no rush or worries. It could almost have been called chaste, until the moment the Doctor flicked his tongue across Rose’s lips, begging permission. With a little sigh, her mouth opened and she welcomed him in. His tongue stroked hers and hers teased his. She explored his mouth and he discovered hers. When Rose needed air, they slowly broke apart. Rose let her lips fall shut and pulled her head back enough to look up at the Doctor. Unsure what it is she needed to know, she asked, “Doctor?”
The Doctor didn’t say a word. He took Rose’s hand and led her down the corridor. For whatever reason, she didn’t ask, and he was glad. He wanted to explain, but he had no idea how yet. He wasn’t sure he understood yet. Hand in hand, he led Rose into his bedroom and stopped beside his bed.
“Rose, I…” he started, but seemed to struggle to find the words. Rose offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand in encouragement and he found the courage to continue. “I want, I want you. Want you so much.”
Taking her hand from his, Rose placed her hands on either side of his face and looked at him. He wasn’t sure what she looked for, but she seemed satisfied when she said, “As long as it’s not because of the dress.”
To anyone else, that might have seemed like a joke, but the Doctor recognised the uncertainty behind the words and rushed to reassure her. Taking her cheeks in hand, he looked in her eyes and said, “No, Rose. It’s not because of the dress. Well, I guess it is, in a way. It’s just that, you’re always beautiful and competent and just brilliant. But then I saw you in this dress, and I realised you didn’t know. And all I could think was, here, in front of me, is this amazing woman, who shouldn’t ever doubt how desirable she is.”
At the Doctor’s words, the smile on Rose’s face was like sunrise. He had never seen anything more beautiful. As he leant forward to kiss her again, he added, “Ok, I admit, the dress is absolutely lovely too.”
Rose’s giggle was cut off as the Doctor kissed her. Unlike their previous kiss, this one was anything but chaste. This one had both of them feeling more and more aroused by the second. Mouths opened and tongues duelled, neither of them could take true control until she managed to back him into the bed and he had no choice but to sit. Rose smiled down at him and he couldn’t resist pulling her closer to let his head rest on her stomach, his arms around thighs, as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Time passed, seconds or minutes, the Doctor wasn’t sure, and that he didn’t know amazed him. When he felt Rose backing away, he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She couldn’t leave now, not when they were so close. He looked up at her, about to beg, when he saw her smile. With nimble fingers, she undid his tie, slid it off and dropped it to the floor. Panic gone, he loosened his arms and let her step back.
Rose watched as the Doctor unbuttoned his shirt slowly, never taking his eyes off her. With his attention on her, she felt her arousal grow and she relished the feeling. As he undid his cuffs and started taking his shirt off, she reached behind her and pulled the zip of her dress down. She grinned when she saw him gulp and she pushed the straps of the dress off her shoulders. The Doctor’s breathing sped up and Rose couldn’t make him wait any longer.
The Doctor watched in awe as Rose let the dress slip down to the floor. His Rose stood there, without fear, in just her knickers. They were made of simple white cotton, but on her, he thought they were the sexiest thing he’d seen. Not wanting to take his eyes off her, he ripped his undershirt over his head quickly and then stood up in front of her.
Before he had a chance to do anything, Rose undid the button on his trousers and unzipped his fly. The Doctor leant forward and kissed her again, his hands stroking up her back and then back down, resting on her arse. He pulled her forward, making sure she could feel just how hard he was, just for her. Moving his hands to her hips and sliding his fingers inside the edge of her knickers, he broke the kiss and asked, “May I?”
Rose nodded, unable to find words at that moment. The Doctor pushed her knickers far enough down her hips for gravity to take hold and then turned her back to the bed. He slid his hands up from her hips to her breasts, and Rose let her head fall back at the feel of him gently stroking her nipples. After a moment, he gently nudged her backwards, making it clear he’d like her to make herself comfortable on the bed.
As the Doctor pushed his trousers and pants down together, he watched Rose make herself at home on his bed. He was glad to notice she never stopped watching him as he undressed, and he noticed the giggles when he finally remembered his shoes. When he was out of his shoes and the last of his clothes, he moved onto the bed. Climbing towards Rose, he lay down beside her and leant forward to kiss her.
Rose moaned quietly as the Doctor trailed kisses from her mouth, across her jaw and down her neck. He sucked and bit at the skin there, while he let one hand smooth over her breast and down her stomach. As his lips moved from her neck and back to her lips, his hand reached its destination and slid gently between her thighs. Rose broke the kiss to moan as she felt a finger press against her clit before it slid through the rapidly gathering wetness and down to her entrance. And then back up, and down, the Doctor intent on her moans.
His finger stopped moving suddenly when one of Rose’s hands, moved down from his chest, past his navel and gently grasped his cock. He groaned, loudly, which encouraged her to grip him tighter and slowly stroke from base to tip and back. After just a few strokes, he couldn’t take it any longer and moved her hand from him and swiftly moved over her, his knees slipping between hers. She complied readily, letting her legs open, and he was hit by her full arousal.
Rose looked into the eyes of the Doctor and saw there all the words he hadn’t said. She lifted her head and kissed him. Tongue battling hers for control, he was surprised when he felt her grab his cock again and line him up with her entrance.
Snapping apart from the kiss, he looked down into her eyes and all he saw was love. But he had to ask. “Rose, are you sure?”
“Yes, Doctor,” she replied. With a deep kiss, the Doctor thrust home. Rose was hot and wet and so tight. He’d never felt anything better than the wet heat and fluttering muscles of her around his cock. Slowly, he pulled back and pushed forward. He set a steady pace and felt Rose run her hands down his back, resting on his hips, each thrust from him met with a clench of her fingers.
Rose moaned at the feel of the Doctor’s cock inside her. He was large enough that she felt everything, but no discomfort. Each thrust in caused her to groan, and she felt the slow build of her orgasm. She started moving her hips in time with his, causing him to speed up. She loved the moment when he let more of his weight drop onto her. She tried to kiss him, but when she did, he sped up the movement of his hips and left her gasping and moaning.
He dropped kisses everywhere he could reach as he tried to hold off his orgasm. The Doctor wanted, no, he needed, to see Rose come first. Realising what she needed, he adjusted his weight to one hand and slid the other down her stomach to where they were joined. Unable to resist, he let his fingers slide over his cock as it slid in and out of her heat before he moved it to her clit.
Sliding one hand up to the Doctor’s neck, she pulled his face to hers. When he started stroking her clit in time with each thrust, she groaned. Rose moved her mouth to his ear and, between thrusts, said, “Harder. Faster, please, Doctor.” Her head flew back as he did exactly as she asked; each thrust became harder, faster. Between the feel of his cock and the teasing of her clit, it was just a few thrusts and she came, loudly.
The Doctor almost came instantly at the feel of Rose’s inner muscles clenching around his cock and the look of ecstasy on her face. He held out for another deep stroke, and another, until she leant up and whispered in his ear, “I, I love you.” At that he came, hips pushing into hers as he released deep inside her.
Before he collapsed, he leant down and kissed her with all the feeling he could. After a moment, he felt his arms giving way and he slipped out of Rose and fell to her side. She turned to her side to face him and gave him a smile he’d never seen before. It was soft, and loving, and purely content. He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck. Without thought or decision, he moved his lips up to her ear and quietly said, “I love you, too.”
Rating: Adult
Characters: Ten/Rose, Mal/Inara
Summary: Crossover with Firefly. The Doctor and Rose land on Serenity and meet Captain Mal and Inara. Rose and Inara bond. During which they come up with a plan to change the way the Doctor and Mal see them.
A/N: This was written for
silverlunarstar's birthday. She wanted a fic with Ten and Rose meeting Mal and Inara. The main requirement being Rose and Inara bonding over certain idiots. This was the result.“She’s best ship in the universe, my TARDIS,” the Doctor said. “We can go anywhere with her, free of charge.” Admittedly this pronouncement lacked the enthusiasm he would normally have in his voice for the subject of his ship.
But if asked, he would deny that had anything to do with the fact it had been forty-three minutes since Rose had been escorted away.
Nowhere dangerous; he wouldn’t have let her out of his sight if that was the case. No, Rose had been herself and promptly made friends with a Companion named Inara. The woman had quickly decided Rose needed some time away from the Doctor and led her to the shuttle she’d claimed.
Captain Mal Reynolds raised his eyebrows at the odd man standing in the hold of Serenity. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was on about, but he was familiar with the slightly concerned look of a man in love. He’d seen it on Wash’s face, and Simon’s. It was possible it’d even been on his on occasion.
He was dragged from his thoughts by the Doctor’s voice as he said, “So, Captain Reynolds, uh, how long is your Companion likely to keep mine?”
“Your Rose is a Companion? Never would’ve guessed it,” Mal said, surprised. He’d certainly not expected that. For one thing, Rose was dressed in clothes entirely too practical for a Companion.
The Doctor’s eyes went extremely wide. “Oh! No, noooo, she’s not a Companion. She’s my friend. We travel together. She’s also, uh, she’s also not mine,” he rambled, nervously. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Rose to be his; he just didn’t think she was interested. And possibly he’d spent a bit of time trying to push her away, which probably didn’t help matters.
Mal smirked at the man in front of him. That was a reaction he recognised, to deny vehemently because he was unsure, but that man definitely wanted the woman. If he was being honest with himself (which he admitted he tried not to do too regularly), it was the same way he acted when someone mentioned him and Inara.
Patting the Doctor on the back, Mal laughed. “C’mon on, Doctor, there’s some drink in the galley. Betting the girls will be a time yet.”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
“Oh, wow,” Rose said, looking around her in amazement. “This is a shuttle? I can’t believe you managed to make it look so amazing, almost bigger on the inside.” She let out a small giggle and when Inara just looked at her with a bemused smile, wished the Doctor was there to share the joke with her. Less than five minutes and, she admitted to herself, she was already missing him.
Inara watched the young woman and knew she laughed at something her friend would understand. And judging by the way Rose glanced over her shoulder; Inara suspected she already missed the Doctor.
“Thank you,” said Inara, and then offered, “Would you like some tea, Rose?” She gestured for Rose to sit on the available cushions.
As Inara prepared the tea, Rose considered the opulence and beauty of the shuttle and wondered about such a setup on a ship like Serenity. “I don’t want to be rude, but what’s a Companion do?”
Placing the tea down on the low table, Inara seated herself and was actually curious. “You do not know what a Companion is? You are not from around here are you?”
Rose took a sip of her tea and smiled. “No, not from around here, the Doctor and I travel all over. Think the meaning of ‘companion’ has changed over time.”
As Inara explained the role of a Companion, Rose nodded along in understanding. The time had long passed since she had been surprised or disturbed by such a role. In her travels she had seen many societies and nearly all of them had a place for those who exchanged company and sex for money. It was rare to see it as such an illustrious career as it was in this time though. Rose could tell from watching Inara that Companions were well-educated and, in this culture, highly respected. She was fascinated.
When the tea was finished, Inara felt free to indulge her curiosity a bit. She had seen the way Rose had looked at her Doctor. And the way the Doctor had looked at Rose. The evidence suggested they were very much in love, but Inara admitted the body language did not suggest they were intimate.
“You say you simply travel with the Doctor, but it must be more than that, surely? I saw the way he watches you,” said Inara.
“No, no, we’re just best friends, travelling together. That’s all,” Rose said with resignation in her voice.
Inara knew that tone and said, “But you wish it were more, yes?”
Rose was about to deny it, as she normally did, when she thought back over what she’d seen. She wasn’t unobservant and had noticed the way the Captain and Inara had been talking. She also saw it in the way they watched the other, but tried not to make it apparent. There was the not-so-subtle jealousy from Mal and the frustration and resignation, but understanding, from Inara. Rose decided if anyone might understand it would be Inara.
“I do, I really, really do. Sometimes, I think he might wish for more too. But if I try to flirt, or give him a hint, he takes it the wrong way, or no way at all. And then I think he gets scared. Because he just runs, and I mean he literally runs. Finds something to do, somewhere to go, or someone to meet, and pretends it never happened.” Rose sighed and took a sip of her tea.
Inara just nodded along. It seemed to her that Rose needed to get this off her chest and she didn’t want to interrupt. And, she admitted to herself, this sounded rather familiar.
Rose placed her tea down and continued. “I know he feels responsible, for everything, or it seems like it. And I know he’s got a lot of guilt. But it’s like he’s scared to go after something he wants, like if he does, the universe’ll conspire to take it from him. Because he thinks he doesn’t deserve it.”
Inara gave a small rueful smile at that which made Rose smirk a little and ask, “Wouldn’t happen to know anyone like that, would you?”
Letting out a soft laugh, Inara nodded. “It does sound a bit like Mal, I must admit. He carries a lot of anger, guilt and more responsibility than he should. However, he does not run from any flirting, or fighting, for that matter. But he does like to use the fact I am a Companion as an excuse. Though, I am not necessarily out to make it easy on him,” she finishes with a mischievous smile.
“D’you know what’s funny?” Rose asked, “I think, considering recent events, the Doctor would be more likely to consider me, if I was like you.”
Inara looked mildly puzzled. From what she had witnessed, the Doctor seemed rather enamoured with Rose, so why would she feel like she wasn’t right. “What do you mean?”
With a small shrug, Rose answered. “Well, more, I think, refined and well-spoken and much more educated. Someone, well, someone accomplished. And elegantly dressed.”
A small laugh escaped Inara, one she stopped as soon as she saw Rose’s face fall. “I do not mean to laugh at you. It is just that, I spent a large portion of my life in training to be a Companion. And yet, when I am around Mal, I often feel he would much prefer if I was much more like you,” Inara said.
Rose quirked an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to explain. Inara continued, “Someone who would allow him to be the knowledgeable one. Though, in many ways, he knows much more than I ever will. But don’t tell him I said that.”
Rose smiled at that. “I won’t.”
“I think, Rose, that Mal would like it, if I could run with him,” said Inara. “But I was taught a Companion never runs. And we a certainly not encouraged to dress to do so. You, however, looked prepared to run at a moment’s notice.”
Not able to stop herself, Rose started giggling. “Often have to run with less than a moment’s notice!”
Inara couldn’t help but join Rose in her laughter. However incorrect the drink and ceremony might be, she felt the circumstances called for a toast. She raised her tea to Rose and said, “To the hopeless pilots we consider ours.”
“Here, here!” said Rose as she took a sip.
Finishing their tea, Rose and Inara continued talking about places they had been, and people they had met. There was a friendship rapidly growing as they turned to comparing notes about Mal and the Doctor. The times they had been jealous, the times they had run and which of them was the more emotionally hopeless. Rose won that round when she explained the Doctor’s idea of offering sympathy was a banana.
In a fit of giggles and with a thought which had been niggling at her, Rose turned to Inara and with a cheeky grin, said, “You know, Inara, I think I might have an idea for our idiots…”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
The Doctor and Mal sat in the galley talking. They had talked of Serenity. Kaylee, the ship’s mechanic had dropped by and ended up in a brief conversation with the Doctor about the Firefly’s engine while Mal drank.
There was talk of places they had each been and planets they would like to go to. There had been talk of people they had met and experiences they’d had. Both the Doctor and Mal had recognised in the other someone who had been forced to make hard choices. Someone who had been a soldier. And a person who felt the responsibility and need to look after those in their care.
What they did not talk about, and managed to mostly avoid even mentioning, were the two women who had walked off together. The Doctor didn’t mention Rose. Mal didn’t say a word about Inara. It was an unspoken agreement between Mal and the Doctor, that the subject of the women they wanted would not be discussed.
The Doctor was trying to explain to Mal why humans in the 26th century weren’t encountering alien life while the captain humoured him. The Doctor reached a point about the Alliance knowing about aliens when he trailed off. His jaw hung open and he gaped at the image before him.
Mal, confused at the sudden silence from the overly chatty man with him, turned to see what was behind him. It was just Inara and Rose. He was turning back to the Doctor when he realised what he had actually seen and his head snapped back round to the women.
Rose and Inara stood just inside the door to the galley. However, this was not Rose and Inara as they had been when they had wandered off together.
Mal spared a brief glance for Rose, recognising the outfit she was in, but his attention was focussed on Inara. He had known the Companion for a few years now, and he had never seen her dressed as anything else.
But now, oh now, he could see a whole different side to her. Inara was dressed in simple pair of tight fitting jeans. Mal wasn’t sure why that sight affected him so much, but he thought it might be due to the fact he’d never seen Inara’s legs emphasised quite like that. She wore a simple short sleeved blue blouse and flat shoes that seemed much like the Doctor’s.
The overall effect fascinated Mal, he couldn’t stop staring. He had always, though he rarely said it, admired Inara and the grace and confidence with which she moved through the ‘verse. Seeing her like this, so simply dressed, made him realise he’d been too caught up on the title of Companion and forgetting the woman beneath.
He swallowed and said, “Inara, I… Join me?”
Completely oblivious to Mal’s own shock and subsequent invitation, the Doctor had been unable to close his mouth or even spare a glance for Inara.
All he could see was Rose. His Rose.
Rose stood there in a long, peach coloured, silk dress. It was a simple design, a V-neck hinting at her cleavage and the bodice of the dress gently hugging her body until it reached her waist. From there, the skirt fell in long flowing lines down to the floor. The Doctor wasn’t sure where to look, his eyes tracing Rose’s curves and the flow of the dress down her body, then back to the bottom of the dress.
Some tiny voice in the Doctor’s mind pointed out Inara was a little taller than Rose and the dress was a little long on her. The voice was quickly drowned out by the rest of his mind trying to figure out some important things. How to get Rose back to the TARDIS with him, would it be hard to get Rose out of that dress and would she mind terribly if he did get her out of that dress.
He blinked. It wasn’t like these thoughts were new. It was just that he was used to them being in the back of his rather large mind, not overtaking all of it.
When Rose offered him a small smile, the Doctor admitted he didn’t care and just wanted to show her how he felt. He moved over to her and offered her his hand with his own smile. Not the normal manic grin he showed the universe, but a soft smile just for her.
Rose took his hand without a moment’s hesitation. When the Doctor gestured towards the TARDIS, she turned to say something to her new friend. When she saw Inara seated next to her captain, Rose’s smile widened. There was no way she would disturb them. Instead she looked back to the Doctor and nodded. Hand in hand, they left the galley.
As the Doctor and Rose headed back to the TARDIS, they didn’t get far before Rose almost tripped over her dress. When it happened a second time, the Doctor didn’t even think before he swept her up in his arms.
“Doctor,” Rose said, a little surprised, “I can walk you know.”
His smiled turned into a large grin as he went down the stairs into the hold. “Of course you can, but in that dress, I’m worried you’ll trip. This is easier,” he said.
When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor gently placed Rose on her feet and as if he was afraid she’d wander off, and instantly took her hand again. As they stood by the console, she looked up at him and seemed to be trying to find the right thing to say. She was prepared for a reaction from the Doctor, but this was more than she’d thought possible.
Before Rose could speak, the Doctor made a decision. For all the words he knew, sometimes even he couldn’t find the right ones. Instead, he leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, her temple, her cheekbone, across her jaw and finally, his lips found hers. He was almost surprised by how soft her lips were, but when he felt her arm slide around his neck, all thought fled.
For a moment, there was silence in the console room. They kissed, with no rush or worries. It could almost have been called chaste, until the moment the Doctor flicked his tongue across Rose’s lips, begging permission. With a little sigh, her mouth opened and she welcomed him in. His tongue stroked hers and hers teased his. She explored his mouth and he discovered hers. When Rose needed air, they slowly broke apart. Rose let her lips fall shut and pulled her head back enough to look up at the Doctor. Unsure what it is she needed to know, she asked, “Doctor?”
The Doctor didn’t say a word. He took Rose’s hand and led her down the corridor. For whatever reason, she didn’t ask, and he was glad. He wanted to explain, but he had no idea how yet. He wasn’t sure he understood yet. Hand in hand, he led Rose into his bedroom and stopped beside his bed.
“Rose, I…” he started, but seemed to struggle to find the words. Rose offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand in encouragement and he found the courage to continue. “I want, I want you. Want you so much.”
Taking her hand from his, Rose placed her hands on either side of his face and looked at him. He wasn’t sure what she looked for, but she seemed satisfied when she said, “As long as it’s not because of the dress.”
To anyone else, that might have seemed like a joke, but the Doctor recognised the uncertainty behind the words and rushed to reassure her. Taking her cheeks in hand, he looked in her eyes and said, “No, Rose. It’s not because of the dress. Well, I guess it is, in a way. It’s just that, you’re always beautiful and competent and just brilliant. But then I saw you in this dress, and I realised you didn’t know. And all I could think was, here, in front of me, is this amazing woman, who shouldn’t ever doubt how desirable she is.”
At the Doctor’s words, the smile on Rose’s face was like sunrise. He had never seen anything more beautiful. As he leant forward to kiss her again, he added, “Ok, I admit, the dress is absolutely lovely too.”
Rose’s giggle was cut off as the Doctor kissed her. Unlike their previous kiss, this one was anything but chaste. This one had both of them feeling more and more aroused by the second. Mouths opened and tongues duelled, neither of them could take true control until she managed to back him into the bed and he had no choice but to sit. Rose smiled down at him and he couldn’t resist pulling her closer to let his head rest on her stomach, his arms around thighs, as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Time passed, seconds or minutes, the Doctor wasn’t sure, and that he didn’t know amazed him. When he felt Rose backing away, he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She couldn’t leave now, not when they were so close. He looked up at her, about to beg, when he saw her smile. With nimble fingers, she undid his tie, slid it off and dropped it to the floor. Panic gone, he loosened his arms and let her step back.
Rose watched as the Doctor unbuttoned his shirt slowly, never taking his eyes off her. With his attention on her, she felt her arousal grow and she relished the feeling. As he undid his cuffs and started taking his shirt off, she reached behind her and pulled the zip of her dress down. She grinned when she saw him gulp and she pushed the straps of the dress off her shoulders. The Doctor’s breathing sped up and Rose couldn’t make him wait any longer.
The Doctor watched in awe as Rose let the dress slip down to the floor. His Rose stood there, without fear, in just her knickers. They were made of simple white cotton, but on her, he thought they were the sexiest thing he’d seen. Not wanting to take his eyes off her, he ripped his undershirt over his head quickly and then stood up in front of her.
Before he had a chance to do anything, Rose undid the button on his trousers and unzipped his fly. The Doctor leant forward and kissed her again, his hands stroking up her back and then back down, resting on her arse. He pulled her forward, making sure she could feel just how hard he was, just for her. Moving his hands to her hips and sliding his fingers inside the edge of her knickers, he broke the kiss and asked, “May I?”
Rose nodded, unable to find words at that moment. The Doctor pushed her knickers far enough down her hips for gravity to take hold and then turned her back to the bed. He slid his hands up from her hips to her breasts, and Rose let her head fall back at the feel of him gently stroking her nipples. After a moment, he gently nudged her backwards, making it clear he’d like her to make herself comfortable on the bed.
As the Doctor pushed his trousers and pants down together, he watched Rose make herself at home on his bed. He was glad to notice she never stopped watching him as he undressed, and he noticed the giggles when he finally remembered his shoes. When he was out of his shoes and the last of his clothes, he moved onto the bed. Climbing towards Rose, he lay down beside her and leant forward to kiss her.
Rose moaned quietly as the Doctor trailed kisses from her mouth, across her jaw and down her neck. He sucked and bit at the skin there, while he let one hand smooth over her breast and down her stomach. As his lips moved from her neck and back to her lips, his hand reached its destination and slid gently between her thighs. Rose broke the kiss to moan as she felt a finger press against her clit before it slid through the rapidly gathering wetness and down to her entrance. And then back up, and down, the Doctor intent on her moans.
His finger stopped moving suddenly when one of Rose’s hands, moved down from his chest, past his navel and gently grasped his cock. He groaned, loudly, which encouraged her to grip him tighter and slowly stroke from base to tip and back. After just a few strokes, he couldn’t take it any longer and moved her hand from him and swiftly moved over her, his knees slipping between hers. She complied readily, letting her legs open, and he was hit by her full arousal.
Rose looked into the eyes of the Doctor and saw there all the words he hadn’t said. She lifted her head and kissed him. Tongue battling hers for control, he was surprised when he felt her grab his cock again and line him up with her entrance.
Snapping apart from the kiss, he looked down into her eyes and all he saw was love. But he had to ask. “Rose, are you sure?”
“Yes, Doctor,” she replied. With a deep kiss, the Doctor thrust home. Rose was hot and wet and so tight. He’d never felt anything better than the wet heat and fluttering muscles of her around his cock. Slowly, he pulled back and pushed forward. He set a steady pace and felt Rose run her hands down his back, resting on his hips, each thrust from him met with a clench of her fingers.
Rose moaned at the feel of the Doctor’s cock inside her. He was large enough that she felt everything, but no discomfort. Each thrust in caused her to groan, and she felt the slow build of her orgasm. She started moving her hips in time with his, causing him to speed up. She loved the moment when he let more of his weight drop onto her. She tried to kiss him, but when she did, he sped up the movement of his hips and left her gasping and moaning.
He dropped kisses everywhere he could reach as he tried to hold off his orgasm. The Doctor wanted, no, he needed, to see Rose come first. Realising what she needed, he adjusted his weight to one hand and slid the other down her stomach to where they were joined. Unable to resist, he let his fingers slide over his cock as it slid in and out of her heat before he moved it to her clit.
Sliding one hand up to the Doctor’s neck, she pulled his face to hers. When he started stroking her clit in time with each thrust, she groaned. Rose moved her mouth to his ear and, between thrusts, said, “Harder. Faster, please, Doctor.” Her head flew back as he did exactly as she asked; each thrust became harder, faster. Between the feel of his cock and the teasing of her clit, it was just a few thrusts and she came, loudly.
The Doctor almost came instantly at the feel of Rose’s inner muscles clenching around his cock and the look of ecstasy on her face. He held out for another deep stroke, and another, until she leant up and whispered in his ear, “I, I love you.” At that he came, hips pushing into hers as he released deep inside her.
Before he collapsed, he leant down and kissed her with all the feeling he could. After a moment, he felt his arms giving way and he slipped out of Rose and fell to her side. She turned to her side to face him and gave him a smile he’d never seen before. It was soft, and loving, and purely content. He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck. Without thought or decision, he moved his lips up to her ear and quietly said, “I love you, too.”