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Rose had spend months of travelling between dimensions, and while the thought of getting back to the Doctor was always the only thing that kept her going when she was about to give up, she had never dared to imagine the details. She had always tried not to think about it, not when she was fighting for the impossible and disappointment felt inevitable. But she probably wouldn't have imagined this anyway. After all this time, it felt so simple. Only one step separating her from coming home.
Holding her breath, Rose made a step forward and set foot into the TARDIS. The inside was different than she was used to, dark and vast, but it felt familiar nevertheless. The warm hum of the ship surrounded her as soon as she was inside, and the lights at the console flickered in greeting. With her heart pounding in her chest, Rose slowly walked inside, taking in the console room in awe.
The Doctor was watching her with a smile. His expression was so similar to the one her first Doctor wore when she first stepped into the TARDIS that it took her breath away for a second – pure fascination and joy at seeing the ship through her eyes, of getting to see her experience the wonders of the universe. If Rose had doubted he really was the Doctor, she would've known by now.
Rose grinned back at him. “She's beautiful,” she said as she joined him at the console. “Not what I'm used to, but still.”
“Oh, she always is,” the Doctor said with pride, running his hands over the controls. “Ready to go into the vortex? I'm not sure how you feel about it, but I can't wait to leave this time period behind.”
He waited for her nod to pull a lever, and the time rotor came to life with a familiar groan. Rose couldn't hold back a laugh, even as the TARDIS wheezed and rattled as they took off. The Doctor watched her in amusement as he worked on the controls, pressing a sequence of buttons that made the ship jolt even harder. Before Rose could find something to hold on to, the TARDIS threw her off her feet. She winced as she hit a sore spot on her back, but a second later the ship finally came to a halt. The Doctor's face appeared above her, looking down at her in concern.
“Rose! Are you all right?” he asked.
Rose couldn't help but laugh, still lying on the floor. “Yeah, fine. Oh, I missed this.”
The Doctor's lips twitched. “You missed the rough landings?”
“I missed everything. Including the rough landings,” Rose said, reaching for his outstretched hand so he could pull her to her feet. “All part of the experience, isn't it?”
“You looked like you were hurt,” the Doctor said.
Rose winced and rubbed her shoulder. “Feels like a bruise. Probably happened earlier.”
Guilt crossed the Doctor's features as soon as the words left her mouth. Rose wanted to protest, insist that it wasn't his fault, but he was already leading her away from the console to the arm chair at the other side of the room.
“Let me have a look?” he asked softly and Rose nodded, taking off her jacket before she sat down. She watched in amusement how the Doctor fiddled with his sonic screwdriver, the image reminding her of all the times her Doctor had done the same. He finally sat down behind her and gently ran his fingers over her back.
Rose's breath caught in her throat at the tenderness of his touch and she tried to suppress a shiver as his fingertips moved over her back, her thin shirt the only thing separating her skin from his. He finally found the bruise and Rose grimaced. The Doctor stopped abruptly, letting his hand linger on her body, but then he pulled back to direct the sonic screwdriver to her injury.
He was still close, sitting behind her with only a few inches separating them, and the thought made Rose's heart speed up. Her skin tingled for a second, but it wasn't long until the dull pain subsided. When he was done, the Doctor trailed a hand down her bare arm.
“There. All done,” he said, his voice low and rumbling. Letting out a shaking breath, Rose leaned back until she rested her back against his chest. To her surprise, the Doctor didn't pull back, but instead he shifted even closer to her. The next words spilled out of her mouth before she could think about it.
“I missed you. So much,” she said, her voice hoarse.
The Doctor was quiet for a few seconds. “You mean you missed the other me? Older me?” he finally asked. “You don't know me, after all.”
“But you're the same man. No matter which face you wear. Aren't you?”
“I suppose I am. I can...” He trailed off, sounding unsure, and Rose turned until she could see his face. The Doctor was watching her with fascination. He smiled when her eyes met his and raised a hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face. Instead of pulling back, he placed his hand at the back of her neck, his fingers gently brushing over her skin.
“I can already tell that you will mean a lot to me in the future. Our timelines – they're so closely entangled it's hard to distinguish them at some times. I've never seen something like this.”
Rose held her breath as she tried to process his words. “So you can already tell?” she finally asked. “That I'll really get back to you?”
“Oh, there's no doubt,” the Doctor answered with a smile. “I promise you that much.”
He was so close that every coherent thought left her mind. Her eyes flickered down to his lips and she saw the Doctor gulp, a clear sign that he noticed her gaze. But instead of pulling back he leaned closer, just slightly. Rose could feel his breath ghosting over her skin. It was all the encouragement she needed to close the distance between them.
Her lips met his and he melted into the kiss, his hand on her neck gently holding her in place. Rose's eyes fluttered shut as she relished the intimacy of the kiss. It felt different than all the times she had kissed him before, but the gentleness and utter adoration he poured into the kiss were exactly what she knew from her Doctor. The kiss was chaste and sweet and everything she needed in that moment.
The Doctor finally pulled back. His cheeks were flushed and he looked at her out of hooded eyes that made her heart skip a beat.
“This wasn't the first time we have done this, was it?” he asked. “It would be utterly rude if I had experienced such a delight before my older self did.”
Rose laughed. “No, not the first time. Not even close.”
“Well then,” the Doctor exclaimed as he jumped up in one swift movement. “I already programmed the TARDIS to follow my own time stream. Let's go and find him. I'm sure he doesn't want to spend another second without you.”