AN: Hullo, all! So, I've decided to do the 30-Day OTP challenge (obviously). However, I probably won't be posting daily, and will instead be posting chapters as I finish the prompts. I suppose this could fit anywhere in series 2 for the time being, but it would probably be categorized as AU. I hope that anyone that reads enjoys. Feedback (positive or negative) is always appreciated. If anyone has any prompts for this challenge or a different story, feel free to put it in a review or PM me.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. I did come up with the idea for Solarus-15, but I don't own Helios.

10ROSE 30-DAY OTP CHALLENGE

DAY 1- Holding Hands

THEY held hands. Often. Quite often, if he was being honest. But, it wasn't as if it meant anything. Not at all. Nope. Anyway. But, how often is "often"? They only held hands when they were running from aliens (could he really let her get separated? Of course not! She'd get left behind, he'd be alone, and she'd be alien food. Unacceptable). And, they also held hands while they were investigating (again, if he let go, she'd wander off. Again). And, well, they may hold hands- occasionally- when walking around on a different planet (it made sure the other blokes knew she was taken- not that she was. But they don't need to get any ideas. Especially in the 51ST century). And when they were larking about in the TARDIS. Or when they were- ahem. You get the point. So, maybe it was often. So what? It didn't mean anything.

Well. That's almost the truth. And by that, I of course mean that it's a total lie. It's just… He shouldn't feel this way. He knows that. But, it's really not even his fault. It's hers. She's the one with the megawatt smile that melts both his hearts. She's the one with brown eyes so big and beautiful that he gets lost in them half the time. She's the one with a laugh so enchanting that he can do nothing but grin like an idiot when he hears it. And, last but certainly not least, she's the one with a heart so big that she pitied a DALEK! So, it really is all her fault. Nothing he can do about it. Nopers. He has no choice but to embrace it, really. But if he actually told her any of this, well. He's literally 900 years older than her. She'd think he's just a perverted, creepy old man. And she's a human. It's already going to break him when he loses her as a friend, but losing her as more than that… It would crush him completely.

So, he holds her hand, and never does anything else.

Well. Define "nothing else".

Because, sure, sometimes he might run his thumb over her hand. And then he might smile down at her like she's the only thing he could ever need in his life. And then she might smile back at him shyly before tucking her head into the curve where his neck meets his shoulders. And it was always wonderful. Ahem. Assuming, of course that all of that actually happens. Anyway. Where was I? Oh, yes. It didn't mean anything. It meant everything.

With a sigh, the Doctor snapped out of his musings to look at the beautiful human in question, who was (of stinking course) holding his hand as they strolled around the warm and triple-sunny Solarus-15. She was looking radiant (when was she not?) and he had trouble taking his eyes off of her. So he stopped trying to. It wasn't as if looking was wrong. Nope. Perfectly normal to stare at your just friend like they were the best thing in the entire universe. Totally normal. Not at all romantic. Psh. Never. Ahem, anyway. Wait. She was talking to him. What was she saying? Oh dear, was it a question? Pay attention! She'll know you were staring! Abort mission! What do I do?!

"…Don't you agree, Doctor?"

He opened his mouth once. And closed it. And again. Finally he was able to stutter out, "Um, well, I- you see- wait- uh what was the question?" while using his free hand (the one not busy holding his precious Rose) to awkwardly rub his neck.

Rose looked, in a word, exasperated. "Seriously, Doctor? I've been chatterin' on for the past ten minutes. When did you stop listening?"

"Uh, oh about… ten minutes ago?" She probably would have throttled him if it hadn't been for the guilty, Oops-now-I-blew-it look on his face.

"Really? Ugh. Fat lot of good you are. I could just as well be talkin' to an empty skull."

The Doctor's face went from sheepish to indignant faster than a Raxacoricofallipitoran can change into a skin suit. "Oi! I do not appreciate being insult with thinly veiled Sherlock references. It's not my fault, either. I was… thinking."

"Oh?," she asked, raised a skeptical eyebrow and smirking. "What were you thinking about, then?"

You. "Some parts I need to buy for the TARDIS. The temporal flux capacitor can only be fixed so many times with the sonic screwdriver before it needs a replacement. And don't even get me started on the poor old girl's primary translation matrix. That's been in bad shape since, ooh, at least since my last regeneration. Did I tell you about the time I wrote a long, heartfelt in Gallifreyan- which the TARDIS is most certainly not supposed to translate- and some how Jack was able to read all of it in English? Gah, was that embarrassing. Thankfully he never talked about it. That would have been… well, bad. Speaking of, have I taken you to Barcelona yet? It kind of triggered that because, seeing as how they have no noses, the dogs there are, naturally, bad at smelling. Totally rubbish. They have to depend on taste for everything. It makes their introductions to each other pretty awkward, at least to any who look. But the Barcelonans have gotten pretty used to it. It's a really beautiful planet, though. I think you'd like it. We'll have to go there next. Of course, it'd just be plain rude to leave here without seeing the Festival of Helios. Wouldn't want to go to another alien jail, would we Rose?" Silence. "Uh, Rose?"

She blinked a couple times, looking for all the world (and Solarus-15 was substantially larger than Earth) like someone waking up from a nap. "I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

His face changed once again, this time becoming rather crestfallen. "Well, yes, actually. When did you stop listening?"

"I'm not quite sure. Somewhere between "temporal flux capacitor" and "primary translation something-or-other." Her smile turned teasing again, complete with tongue sticking out from between her teeth.

And if it took him a bit longer to answer, it was in no way, absolutely not, not even a little because he was distracted by said tongue. Nope. Anyway. "But Rooose," ugh, since when did I sound like a whining child? "That means you missed almost everything I said! Everything about the TARDIS, and Barcelona, and even the Festival! Why were you ignoring me?"

"Doctor, I'm sorry, but I thought you were just starting another techno-babble rant. And I never have any idea what you're talking about, which makes me feel stupid, so I just tune it out. And you're one to talk! You're the one that not twenty minutes ago completely ignored everything I was trying to tell you."

The Doctor's face reverted to that of a kicked puppy, and just as she was about to take it back, "You're not stupid, Rose," he said, looking offended at the very thought.

"Doctor, you don't have to try to make me feel better. I know I'm just a dumb, human shop girl that doesn't even have A-Levels. I know I'm not smart, and you lying ain't gonna make me feel better. So just come off it." The last part was said with more bitterness than she intended, and she opened her mouth to apologize, when she felt herself lifted into the air as the Doctor picked her up in a huge hug.

"I find it very rude that you keep calling my best friend stupid, Rose Tyler. Please don't do that anymore. 'Kay?"

Rose felt tears well up in her eyes at the sincere tone of his voice, and they threatened to spill over when he pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I guess I might be able to," she said, smiling, as he twisted her a few times before gently setting her back down on the lavender-colored ground.

All traces of sorrow disappeared from his face as he beamed at her magnificently. "Brilliant! Wonderful! Molto bene! Fantastic! No, wait, I still don't have the teeth for that. But you know what I mean! Ah, that's just… great." With a contented sigh, he took her had again, and they set of towards the Festival grounds, hand-in-hand, both smiling like fools, and the Doctor thought it was perfect. Until she tucked her head into his shoulder. Then he was sure.