The Doctor watched the crowd, leaning against the folded-up bleachers, feeling particularly freckle-y and trying to push his wild brown hair down. He rolled from the balls of his feet to his heels, feeling terribly out of place and thinking the music was horrible.

“Pretty boring, innit?” saId a voice to his left. The Doctor looked to see a flushed blonde girl in a pink dress, whose eyes searched the crowd. She looked at him and smiled. “I’m Rose, by the way.”

And suddenly the Doctor thought the music wasn’t too awful after all. 

Rose stood, staring out at the water, and hugging herself in her pink hoodie. ”So, erm, Doctor. That’s a funny name innit?”

“It’s just what people call me,” he replied, kicking the sand with his red sneakers. 

“You’re goin’ away, then? Across the continent…?” He nodded, chancing a glance at Rose. Her yellow hair swirled in the wind and sea salt. She bit her lip.

“Well,” she began slowly. “Any chance I could come with you?”

“Ahh, the strongest man in the world, Rose!” the Doctor said happily, one hand filled with cotton candy, the other with Rose’s own hand, “Lovely chap! Well, if you don’t get him angry.” 

He looked down, paused, and smiled at Rose who was nibbling on a candy apple. 

“Well come on! We haven’t got all day!” she said blushing, and tugging him along to the next red and yellow tent. 

“You said there’d be nobody here!” Rose yelled over the cacophony of bullet fire. Her black boots scraped against the stone floor of the government building as she simultaneously ran and attempted to pull out another round of bullets stashed away in the holster round her calf. 

“Well, when I said ‘nobody’…” began the Doctor, reaching for Rose’s hand. 

“Oh, shut it!” Rose snapped. But the Doctor could swear he heard her stifle a laugh. 

Rose giggled, her tongue curling around her teeth as the Doctor circled a cross-armed Loki. 

“Right…” said the Doctor slowly. “Let’s see… black leather, dark hair, sharp light eyes, and an impeccable god complex.

“Rose!” he exclaimed, smiling at her. “I’m starting to think you have a type!”