Do you? Second time changes your opinion that much? Impress upon you the determination and dogged interest of the inquirer?

[There's a fun thought.]

[She shifts a little, forearm going to his chest so that she can sit up the slightest bit and look at him. He doesn't get it and he probably never will, how amazing he is and how hard it is to believe that out of all the girls in the world, he wants one particular girl. She can't tell him any of that though. It's too straight forward and violates the three percent rule they seem to have going.]

Bit thick, I am. Took me a bit to realise you needed me and Mickey'd get by just fine.

[To a certain degree, he was actually joking, but as with most jokes there was the initial undercurrent of truth in it. He was still not quite expecting her to respond seriously.]

In the long run I think you can probably be forgiven needing about six extra seconds to come to that realisation.

[Good thing she went with the three percent sort of wording rather than all the feelings version.]

Very kind of you, Doctor. Good thing I learned to catch up and not need those six seconds.

[He's almost annoyingly easily overwhelmed when it comes to her very nearly on a constant level. If he bothered to think about it, he'd blame it entirely on her being naturally such a vibrant and explosive force when at a normal level. Escalating beyond that is just too bright to look at directly.]

Always were a quick study.

[She's not sure whether that's a good thing or not. She can't really do anything to be less overwhelming though. It'd be like being less 'Rose']

Ought to put that on my resume. 'Quick Study' Fluent in 'Time Lord'. Not sure there's loads of jobs that need that sorta qualifications though.

[It's a good thing. It's a very good thing. It just means that he's sort of messing with the sun whenever they start to move their relationship forward, which makes it a little difficult for him to handle properly. He wouldn't have her act any other way though. It's something he needs to get used to, not that she needs to chance.]

I'm thinking really just this one, given the approximate levels of Time Lord population in various places throughout the universe.

[He'll have plenty of time to get used to it then.]

Yeah, think you're right. [Which gets him a grin and she settles again to put her head on his chest.] Guess I ought to keep it then. Benefits are nice. 'Least there's that.

[He's pleased she's settled back on his chest again, and lets his arm give her a squeeze as a sort of hug when she's finished readjusting her position.] Benefits? Well most of those are a bit tied up at the moment, what with the general inability to travel like normal.

[She snorts a bit because he seriously has no idea.] Mmmmm s'not really the benefits I was thinkin' of. [She gnaws a bit on her bottom lip and pretends to consider this a good deal more.] The benefits I was thinkin' 'bout have more to do with my pillow.

[She's going to throw in a bit of poking at his side to emphaise her point.]

[He watches her do all this exaggerated pondering, and starts wondering what's so special about her pillow but doesn't remember a whole lot about it because he hasn't been in her room very much and then she starts poking him in the side and] Oh! Me! You meant me! Right. Well, yes, of course, that's one of the other big... benefits.

[She rolls her eyes at him and lifts her head, stretching enough to kiss the corner of his mouth.] Best of the benefits. The travelin' and all that are just extra bits.

[He hugs her to him when she does stretch up to kiss him, loosening his hold again shortly after she finishes.] Yeah? S'pose you did get quite lucky then, benefit-wise.

[Just a sort of deeply contented sigh.] Glad you think so. Y'know I love this...love bein' here with you. [She means that on so many levels. She loves being able to snuggle up in bed with him, loves being able to spend her days with him, loves that somehow she found him again, loves that they get to stay. She'd say the same thing about traveling with him once. What she meant was that she loved being with him that time as well. She's just allowed to actually say that now.]

[He does appreciate that. Really, he does. Maybe she can tell how much he appreciates it in the strength of his deflection.] I'd love being here with me too. I'm pretty amazing on a good day.

[That makes her laugh. If it were anyone else she'd be a lot less tolerable of the ego. She knows what the ego is a cover for and she's had a broody, extremely self-loathing Doctor before. She prefers it when he's happy and his ego is in full swing.] Even on a bad day, wouldn't kick you out of bed.

[That comment is taken on several different layers. She gets a quirked eyebrow but as per usual there's a little redness giving him away.] That would just be sending all kinds of mixed signals.

[Really it's meant to be taken on at least a couple of different layers. It's also meant to be reassuring. This is for good and bad. She's never sure whether he realizes that or not. She reaches up, running her fingertips over the tops of his red ears.] Wouldn't want to do that.

[He looks back up at the ceiling, mildly annoyed with that involuntary response. To some degree, he does get it, but I think there's a depth he's missing still.] Not when it took so long to get the clear ones, I should think.

[Probably because he's a bit thick about these things. There might be a learning curve there though. At least she's hoping there is.]

Mmmmhmmm, did take a while. Lucky we're past all that now.

[There is. A learning curve as well as the ability to accept it when he does see it. Both will come with time and advancement in the relationship.]

[He makes a vague exhalation of skepticism.] Yes, past the confusing initial stages and into the intermediary ones that are doubly so.

[She's very patient. They've both got some things to learn and accept.]

More confusing. [She'll admit that.] But with some benefits. [Pointedly the snuggles not to mention the kissing.]

True. There are some benefits to being perpetually confused, I'm finding. Good confusion. The sort that leads to eventual discovery and slightly less confusion. And learning! I love learning. I hope I never stop learning - all sorts of things.

[He makes her smile and she nods a bit.] Promise, never stop learnin'. I'll come up with new things if I need to keep you learnin'.

Really? [See, that's just the sort of thing she would do, too. Make things up purely for his benefit. It's where her Minister of Time Lord Entertainment title rings so true. But it gets a big grin out of him.] Well that'll make it much easier not to know what they are.