[She opens one eye, looking at him, a grin twitching at the corners of her lips.]

You were objectin' to gettin' all wet, weren't you? M'doin' what you told me to. For once.

[She has a point.

Well, he can tolerate all of about twelve full seconds of sitting there with just her face, knees, and a slightly-decreasing-amount-of-bubbles to look at before he's already categorised all the real reasons that moths are so attracted to light - 'nobody knows', pft - and is bored.]

Addendum to rule number two. No. Three. Always do as I say unless I tell you to do something boring. And I'm already wet. This didn't help that at all. In fact I'm between wet. [He's picking at his shirt through his jacket.] This is like one step between damp and wet-wet. Are you all pruney yet? When do you humans start 'pruning' in the bath?

[She looks over at him and grins. She knew he wouldn't be able to last long just sitting there. She holds a hand up.]

Gettin' a bit pruney.

[And then, since he pointed out that he's wet already. Or rather between wet, she sloshes him with a good bit more water.]

[He pretends for a moment to not care that he's so predictable and that she knows him that well, instead reaching out for her hand so he can properly examine this pruning thing.

Hand instantly turns into a shield when she sloshes more water over the side at him.] Hey! [Due to positioning he is quite soaked now, with bits of his suit that are wet starting to stick to him. He sits there and attempts to wring out his trousers while he's still wearing them on the floor, and after a few seconds gives up.] Well I might as well have just got in with you now.

[She gets control of the giggles after a moment then arches an eyebrow up.] You ready for that, Doctor?

[Because sitting with her while she's taking a bath and taking care not to show any naked bits is a good deal different from being in the bath with her. Of course, at the same time, her tone is teasing because she's fairly sure he didn't think that through all the way to naked.]

[It is quite clear from the look on his face he did not think that through beyond the 'if I were in the bath, I'd be slightly more wet than I am now' and hadn't made it to 'if I were in the bath, I'd be naked in a bath with Rose, who would also be naked'. He sports that look quite impressively for a couple of seconds and then he hides the brief picturing-that-mentally phase carefully under a thoughtful expression.] Used to have an old sort of bathing suit. One of those horrible stripey ones, make you look like an escaped American 1950s convict from a tropical island prison.

[She both enjoys the look on his face and turns a bit pink at it. She giggles at the idea of his bathing suit.] Remind me 'fore we go to the beach [She stumbles a little over the word beach, teasing tone in her voice faltering mostly because she was just at the beach and it wasn't the fun, splashing time at the beach she would have preferred to have. She recovers the teasing only in part.] next to go bathing suit shoppin' with you.

Now, shopping for bathing suits I don't think I'll ever be ready for. Don't fancy the convict look? The dashing rogue misunderstood by laymen and the entire collective penal system, out for a nice swim to clear his mind of the trauma of a daring escape. [He mentally constructs this image and dismisses it almost as quickly.] Nah, me neither. Stripes go the wrong way anyhow. Wouldn't want that. [He did notice the verbal hiccup, he just tends to do better not acknowledging such things. Especially when they're related to things people just got quite angry with him about. He's rapidly becoming about as fond of beaches as he is with Christmas anyway.]

We could get you somethin' sort of Hawaiian themed. A pair of trunks without any stripes at all. Besides, won't have to worry 'bout it for a while. S'too cold for swimmin' and visitin' the beach now. [They've got to contend with Christmas coming 'round and she really hopes that one won't be awful.] We'll have to get back to the dashing misunderstood rogue 'round May.

So I've got a few months to mentally prepare for this shopping trip. That'll probably be enough time. [Really, for someone as preening as he can be, the trying on of clothes and finding things is not that high on his list of fun activities.] You've got to hit the right balance with cold beaches. I don't think this place does it. Subtlety here is in about as much supply as fluvian oil in a dry season.

Hawaiian? Big floppy flowers and red and all?

Think we ought to just avoid the cold ones completely. From here on out and nothin' with bad or wolf in the title at all.

[She considers him a moment and then nods.] I was thinkin' more blue background with the white flowers and the like but yeah. [She swipes her hand through the bathwater.] Gone cool now. You wanna go put on somethin' dry while I get out?

Couple of years ago I wouldn't have thought those conditions would rule many places out, but somehow by now I'm thinking the number will be higher. Someday I will find you one of those nicer beaches, Rose Tyler. Up to now our experiences with them have been altogether slanted in the negative.

[He forgoes the 'thinking about me in bathing suits, were you?' tease in favour of a thoughtful look before nodding.] I like blue.

Yes! You do that, and I'll go... do that. Don't want you sitting in cold water - definitely not good for you. And altogether too similar to cold beaches, actually. Have yo- oh good, there is. I'll just- [He's getting up and quickly turning to not see anything in case there's anything to see. Actually only has to take a couple of steps backward after he remembers to get his glass.]

[She smiles at him and nods.] Nicer beaches...think I can handle one of those.

[She reaches over for her towel as he heads out the door, starting to stand up and wrap the towel around her body.]

[I'm going to have him be heading back into the more general living roomy area right then because I can and also because he really doesn't feel like them being separate right now either, even if he is probably going to at least attempt to appear quite subtle about it.] You look... clean. And a bit fluffy. Also I think you got soap in my glass. Literally washing my mouth out bit by bit.

[Exactly why I left it where he could be right outside the door. She's glad to see he's right outside the door even. It prevents anymore panic from building so really, she could care less if he's subtle or not. In fact, he can probably see the relief all over her face.]

You look dry and Doctorish. [It gets a small smile out of her.] We'll get you a new glass. [She tips her glass up and drains the last bit of hers.] I need one anyhow.

[He'll likely mirror the relief a little bit, partially in reaction to her relief and partially just for his own. Although, it's a little sad to note that the separation anxiety seems to be that high. He must have hurt her much more than he even thought he could for just a few minutes absence to cause such a reaction.]

I should hope so. [He reaches out for her glass.] I can get it if you want to get properly dressed. Or, I mean, unless you like robes.

[Rose hands over her glass and shakes her head a bit.] I'll put on proper pyjamas. [She starts toward her bedroom, pausing to look back at him then continuing on.]

[She doesn't really mean to do that. In fact if she were aware she was doing it, she'd stop if it were in her power. She returns after a reasonable amount of time in a pair of pyjama pants and a tee shirt with The Ramones on the front. She smiles at him sitting on the edge of the hammock and then comes to perch gingerly on the edge next to him.] Bit better now. Robes a bit awkward to sit 'round in.

[Not that she had any problems sitting around in the robe with him the day her hair was pink.]

[Oh, he remembers the robe and the pink hair. He probably will now every time robes are mentioned or worn. He hands her the glass he filled for her, taking a drink from his own, and then sort of looks down. Still some slight feelbads, and comparing today to pink-hair-day has just sort of swept through and worry that that sort of thing is now more distant is creeping up. But, small talk.] Yeah, I can see where that might be a bit awkward. Tend not to use them myself.

[It's not a bad memory. In fact, it's a very good memory. It's just one with sharp edges right now but those edges will wear done over time and it'll be a very good memory again along with a growing pile of other very good memories.] There's all the gaping and worryin' 'bout showin' too much of everythin'.

[After an awkward moment she goes ahead and slides back into the hammock proper.]

Come on then, sit back with me. That's not comfortable. [She's even got her arm sort of out inviting him to cuddle a little bit. As awkward and uncertain as everything is, there's a part of her that's dying to put her head on his chest and cuddle against her Doctor.]

[It's one of their advantages, yes.

There's a whole bit of awkwardness going on throughout the evening so she doesn't really notice the extra attention being paid. Once he's settled back, she hesitates a moment then carefully, paying a fair amount of attention to her glass, scoots in closer to him, legs tucked back underneath her a bit. When she finally gets settled, she's leaning against him a little.]

Better, yeah?