The Monk's Altar

Chapter 19

There will be an epilogue following This. Enjoy!

The Doctor did look very fit in his tunic. He wore a white necklace like her own, just without the shell in the middle. And his eyes were sparkling, oh, were they alight with passion and excitement. She slid her hand into his.

"I thought you didn't dance."

He gave an indignant snort. "I think you know that I do dance," he said, and pulled her to him.

"Now, the women will place bangals onto their ankles and the dancing will begin." Abesi appeared seemingly out of nowhere and the Doctor scowled.

Rose giggled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "You have the first dance, Doctor."

"I should certainly hope so."

He still seemed reluctant to let go of her hand, but he did so and she slipped off to place the traditional six bangals on each ankle. Abesi grinned widely upon seeing her, and hugged her briefly before they were chatting in an animated sort of fashion and he was giving her the bangals.

"You and the Doctor, then?" He winked at her.

She smiled, couldn't even find it in herself to be embarrassed. "Yeah."

"And you're happy."

"Incredibly."

"Good." He paused. "I'm going to... I'm going to get out, going to run so I don't have to get my piercings."

Rose slipped the final bangal on her ankle and smiled. "I think that's wonderful, Abesi. You should go see the monks. They won't try to convert you or anything, and Lekan is one of the best men I know."

Abesi nodded. "Okay, I will." He seemed convinced and as the band played on, she made her way back to the Doctor.

He stood before the fire that was really starting to pick up, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked oddly content, his face relaxed and light flickering across him. It was clear with the music they were playing that there would be something with a specific rhythm.

"Do you know this?" She asked the Doctor, startling him. He looked over at her and beamed.

"Oh, yes," he said, and grabbed her hands, pulling her close to him. "This is an incredibly traditional dance. Follow me."

The people around them began to move, the women more so than the men in order to shake the bangals they wore. The dance didn't require standing too close to the partner, but just the act of holding hands between them was enough contact underneath the roaring of the fire.

The Doctor was extremely adept, and this version of him certainly was agile. Rose watched the women as well as kept an eye on him, making it easy to dance to the music. It was easy to follow and Rose found herself lost in it, a smile permanently lighting her face.

Air settling across them was heady and just very warm, settling them in a sort of feeling that Rose rather thought she could get drunk on. The music switched, the drum beats coming slower, and a new dance began. Rose panicked for a moment, as she had just learned one, but this one required the male to hold the female partner much closer.

"It's alright," the Doctor said into her ear, his breath coasting over the shell. "They know that you aren't familiar with their dances. Just feel."

Her eyes fluttered closed. If there was one thing that she knew how to do, especially now, it was feel. She ran her hand up the Doctor's bare arm to his shoulder as his mouth briefly found the space just under her ear, leaving a wet kiss that made Rose giggle and smack his arm. He simply grinned against her skin and whipped her around in a circle.