FIC: The Perfect Holiday (5/5)
Finally, the epilogue of this fic! Hope you all enjoyed it!
Many thanks to kahki for all her betaing of this! <3
Epilogue
The sound of the TARDIS humming filled the quiet of the Doctor’s bedroom. He lay awake, gently caressing Rose’s back as she slept on his chest. He’d woken with Rose’s limbs intertwined with his, her head nestled below his chin and her breath coming in soft puffs against his skin. His initial feeling had been the surge of panic as he remembered what had transpired between them. Memories of her soft moans and gasps in his ear rushed to the forefront of his mind.
As much as he had wanted to scramble away, trying to put as much distance between himself and Rose, he just couldn’t. There was something keeping him there with her, tying him to her. So with a very hesitant mindset, he’d shifted just enough to turn on his back, holding Rose close to him.
As he lay there with her in his arms, he went over the events of his day which had actually spanned a few weeks, truth be told. He still felt incredibly thick for not noticing everything sooner, but in his defense, he had been a little distracted. With it all in hindsight, though, it was painfully obvious. He’d even seen the daft creature, well before any of it had really started!
All those people at the Powell Estate, pining away outside an apartment or running into their homes with their soon-to-be-lover. If he searched his memory banks, he was fairly positive he’d heard various news reports or bits of gossip of people mysteriously falling ill due to malnutrition. He was willing to bet (and he was not a gambling man, abuse of his time traveller privileges, that) that more than ninety-percent of those malnourished people were struck by Cupids.
He wasn’t sure where they came from, or exactly how they worked, but at least he knew how to dispose of them.
Rose stirred in his arms, stretching against his body. He stifled a groan as feeling her bare skin on his caused blood to warm. She smiled up at him shyly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
“Wotcha,” she murmured, looking at him from under her lashes.
The Doctor brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek before he could catch himself. She didn’t seem to mind, as she leaned into his touch. “Hello,” he murmured, lips curling. “How are you feeling?”
Rose seemed to consider for a moment, taking her time before nodding. “Good,” she replied. “Great, actually.” Then she blushed. “And you?” Her hazel eyes were shy as she watched him.
The smile spread on his lips. “Never been better.” Slowly, as if testing the waters, he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. He felt Rose’s body relax even more in his arms.
They lay together in silence for a few moments. A sense of peace stole over the Doctor, drowning out the remainder of his worry and doubt. They’d be okay, he knew; deep down inside, this was something he had wanted and Rose had apparently wanted it, as well.
“So,” Rose murmured, pressing her lips against his chest. “What do we do?”
The Doctor lifted his free hand to drag through his hair. “Well, we’ll be fine, you and I,” he replied, answering not only her question about the Cupids but also stating his opinion. “By engaging in the, er, activity we did earlier, that broke the hold the Cupids had on us.”
Rose nodded, lowering her gaze for a moment. “Can they do that to us again? Whatsit, ‘cupefy’?” She trailed her fingers through the smattering of hair on his chest. A shiver coursed through him.
He considered. “I don’t know, but care to find out?” he asked, grinning cheekily at her.
A slow smile stretched across her mouth as she stretched against him once more. “What’d you have in mind?”
The Doctor continued grinning. “Well, we have to get rid of them somehow. What better way than to make them fall in love with each other? That way they’ll definitely pine away into oblivion.”
Rose opened her mouth to laugh but a gasp came out instead. “My mum!” she exclaimed, looking around frantically for her mobile. “We need to check on her and Howard!”
With any possible mood currently stifled at the mention of one Jackie Tyler, the Doctor frowned and reached over to his end table for her mobile. “Call her, tell her what she needs to do; I don’t want to think about it.” He felt a little green at the thought of it.
The phone rang for a few moments after Rose dialed her mum. When Jackie did answer, the Doctor could hear her breathy answer. He frowned and tried to block out the conversation as Rose explained how to breath the Cupid’s hold. It was when he heard her say in the most off-handed way, “Oh, I figured it out already darling, ta though,” the Doctor had to use every one of his lesser functioning thought processes to block out the thought of Jackie Tyler and Howard the grocer shagging. Instead, he thought of Rose and how she looked beneath him, and the sound of her gasps.
When Rose hung up, she was blushing to the tips of her ears and over her shoulders. The Doctor found it very alluring and felt the stirrings in his groin once more. “Well that’s done,” Rose murmured, tossing her phone aside. “Should we go take care of business?”
The Doctor reached for her slowly, giving her time to pull away if this wasn’t what she wanted. When his fingers curled around the back of her neck, he sensed no hesitation from her. “I was thinking there was some business we could take care of here,” he said softly, leaning in close.
Rose smiled, her lips nearly touching his. “Yeah? Like what?”
Carefully, he nudged her onto her back, lifting himself over her and settling one leg between hers. “I think we should be sure that all the effects of the Cupids are gone, just in case,” he murmured, nuzzling the curve of her neck and nibbling at her skin.
Rose just squirmed beneath him, her body pressing against his in all the right places. As the Doctor trailed his hand down her side, seeking out her centre, a thought came back to him. He lifted his head from the curve of her neck, peering at her curiously. “One question first, Rose,” he murmured, shifting slightly above her.
She blinked at him before nodding; there was a curious expression on her face.
“What were your shorts for earlier?”
There was a pause as she processed his question. Then she laughed. “Didn’t I tell you?” He frowned a little, encouraging her to continue. “Always gotta be prepared to run with you!”
Their laughter mingled for a moment until Rose’s body pressed up against the Doctor’s. Then their laughter became something else entirely as the Doctor made quite sure that all the effects of the Cupids were gone from their heads. And if the Doctor was anything, he was very, very thorough.
Many thanks to kahki for all her betaing of this! <3
Epilogue
The sound of the TARDIS humming filled the quiet of the Doctor’s bedroom. He lay awake, gently caressing Rose’s back as she slept on his chest. He’d woken with Rose’s limbs intertwined with his, her head nestled below his chin and her breath coming in soft puffs against his skin. His initial feeling had been the surge of panic as he remembered what had transpired between them. Memories of her soft moans and gasps in his ear rushed to the forefront of his mind.
As much as he had wanted to scramble away, trying to put as much distance between himself and Rose, he just couldn’t. There was something keeping him there with her, tying him to her. So with a very hesitant mindset, he’d shifted just enough to turn on his back, holding Rose close to him.
As he lay there with her in his arms, he went over the events of his day which had actually spanned a few weeks, truth be told. He still felt incredibly thick for not noticing everything sooner, but in his defense, he had been a little distracted. With it all in hindsight, though, it was painfully obvious. He’d even seen the daft creature, well before any of it had really started!
All those people at the Powell Estate, pining away outside an apartment or running into their homes with their soon-to-be-lover. If he searched his memory banks, he was fairly positive he’d heard various news reports or bits of gossip of people mysteriously falling ill due to malnutrition. He was willing to bet (and he was not a gambling man, abuse of his time traveller privileges, that) that more than ninety-percent of those malnourished people were struck by Cupids.
He wasn’t sure where they came from, or exactly how they worked, but at least he knew how to dispose of them.
Rose stirred in his arms, stretching against his body. He stifled a groan as feeling her bare skin on his caused blood to warm. She smiled up at him shyly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
“Wotcha,” she murmured, looking at him from under her lashes.
The Doctor brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek before he could catch himself. She didn’t seem to mind, as she leaned into his touch. “Hello,” he murmured, lips curling. “How are you feeling?”
Rose seemed to consider for a moment, taking her time before nodding. “Good,” she replied. “Great, actually.” Then she blushed. “And you?” Her hazel eyes were shy as she watched him.
The smile spread on his lips. “Never been better.” Slowly, as if testing the waters, he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. He felt Rose’s body relax even more in his arms.
They lay together in silence for a few moments. A sense of peace stole over the Doctor, drowning out the remainder of his worry and doubt. They’d be okay, he knew; deep down inside, this was something he had wanted and Rose had apparently wanted it, as well.
“So,” Rose murmured, pressing her lips against his chest. “What do we do?”
The Doctor lifted his free hand to drag through his hair. “Well, we’ll be fine, you and I,” he replied, answering not only her question about the Cupids but also stating his opinion. “By engaging in the, er, activity we did earlier, that broke the hold the Cupids had on us.”
Rose nodded, lowering her gaze for a moment. “Can they do that to us again? Whatsit, ‘cupefy’?” She trailed her fingers through the smattering of hair on his chest. A shiver coursed through him.
He considered. “I don’t know, but care to find out?” he asked, grinning cheekily at her.
A slow smile stretched across her mouth as she stretched against him once more. “What’d you have in mind?”
The Doctor continued grinning. “Well, we have to get rid of them somehow. What better way than to make them fall in love with each other? That way they’ll definitely pine away into oblivion.”
Rose opened her mouth to laugh but a gasp came out instead. “My mum!” she exclaimed, looking around frantically for her mobile. “We need to check on her and Howard!”
With any possible mood currently stifled at the mention of one Jackie Tyler, the Doctor frowned and reached over to his end table for her mobile. “Call her, tell her what she needs to do; I don’t want to think about it.” He felt a little green at the thought of it.
The phone rang for a few moments after Rose dialed her mum. When Jackie did answer, the Doctor could hear her breathy answer. He frowned and tried to block out the conversation as Rose explained how to breath the Cupid’s hold. It was when he heard her say in the most off-handed way, “Oh, I figured it out already darling, ta though,” the Doctor had to use every one of his lesser functioning thought processes to block out the thought of Jackie Tyler and Howard the grocer shagging. Instead, he thought of Rose and how she looked beneath him, and the sound of her gasps.
When Rose hung up, she was blushing to the tips of her ears and over her shoulders. The Doctor found it very alluring and felt the stirrings in his groin once more. “Well that’s done,” Rose murmured, tossing her phone aside. “Should we go take care of business?”
The Doctor reached for her slowly, giving her time to pull away if this wasn’t what she wanted. When his fingers curled around the back of her neck, he sensed no hesitation from her. “I was thinking there was some business we could take care of here,” he said softly, leaning in close.
Rose smiled, her lips nearly touching his. “Yeah? Like what?”
Carefully, he nudged her onto her back, lifting himself over her and settling one leg between hers. “I think we should be sure that all the effects of the Cupids are gone, just in case,” he murmured, nuzzling the curve of her neck and nibbling at her skin.
Rose just squirmed beneath him, her body pressing against his in all the right places. As the Doctor trailed his hand down her side, seeking out her centre, a thought came back to him. He lifted his head from the curve of her neck, peering at her curiously. “One question first, Rose,” he murmured, shifting slightly above her.
She blinked at him before nodding; there was a curious expression on her face.
“What were your shorts for earlier?”
There was a pause as she processed his question. Then she laughed. “Didn’t I tell you?” He frowned a little, encouraging her to continue. “Always gotta be prepared to run with you!”
Their laughter mingled for a moment until Rose’s body pressed up against the Doctor’s. Then their laughter became something else entirely as the Doctor made quite sure that all the effects of the Cupids were gone from their heads. And if the Doctor was anything, he was very, very thorough.