Rose Tyler is all pink and yellow (withyouforever) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-06-11 12:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, frodo baggins, rose tyler |
Who: Rose Tyler and Frodo Baggins
What: A second date!
When: Wednesday night
Where: An Italian restaurant, followed by a spontaneous Disneyland trip!
Rating: PG for kissing
Status: Complete!
Frodo’s preparations for the evening began at about noon. There were a variety of reasons for this, but all of them basically amounted to the fact that he was nervous beyond all reasoning. Without the security of the heavier medication, he felt like a baby bird being pushed out of the nest, and the mild medication they had prescribed prevented him from looking for help in a glass of bourbon.
The other notable reason for his early start was that his left arm still wasn’t exactly cooperating. It was still frozen in place. Icy to the touch, even. He’d have to make sure to keep her on his right.
He had his driver drop him off with time to spare and then disappear around a corner. The restaurant he’d chosen wasn’t a far walk. He hoped it might even be an opportunity to hold her hand, if she’d allow it.
The right hand. Definitely the right hand. There was also the matter of the missing finger on his left, which he was reasonably sure they hadn’t discussed yet. Maybe she hadn’t even noticed.
Rose was nervous, too, but it came out in different ways. She’d spent the morning trying to keep herself occupied with chores, but her apartment was small enough that she could do a deep clean in an hour—two if she took frequent coffee breaks, which she did. She hadn’t slept well the night before. For the first time, she’d started having ‘the dreams’ everyone was talking about. Every now and then, morbid curiosity pulled her back to the forums to talk to people about them. She wanted to talk to her boss, but Hawke seemed pretty caught up in her own thing. So instead, Rose tried to distract herself with cleaning, errands, anything that didn’t involve flailing about her date.
It wasn’t until 5:30 that Rose started getting ready, and by that time she was in such a rush to get dressed and do her makeup that she didn’t have time to worry about who she was meeting. She didn’t know what restaurant he’d picked, so she wore her versatile little black dress. She didn’t live far from the club. She nearly always walked to work, but she didn’t wear heels on her shift. Besides, it was 5:57.
Rose hailed a cab for the five blocks. She climbed out of the cab, smiling when she saw Frodo already waiting for her. “Sorry,” she said. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”
"Not at all," he replied, and handed her the simple but pretty daisy he'd been holding. It might have been appropriate to kiss her on the cheek, but he was too nervous and she looked too pretty. He was dressed in a shirt and tie, and looked rather dashing to be honest, though he didn't especially feel it. "It's just a quick walk from here."
He offered her his arm.
“Good.” She smiled, taking the flower. “Thanks,” she looked down at the flower, twirling the stem between her fingers once. She was surprised, but quite pleased with the little gift. A dozen roses would’ve been overwhelming. A daisy was just perfect.
She took his arm happily, slipping right next to him, her elbow linked in his. “You look nice,” she said, looking over at him. He really did clean up well. She would have to message Donna later to revise her previous description of Frodo as ‘cute’ with something more emphatic.
They strolled along, and Frodo felt tongue tied. In his mind, he hadn't though further past giving her the flower. "So...." he began, hoping something pop into his empty head. And thankfully something did. "Did you work today? I imagine your schedule's somewhat irregular."
Rose shook her head. “There’s no show tonight. The bar will be open, but they won’t need me. I’m working the rest of the weekend, though, so this was pretty good timing.” She smiled warmly, feeling less awkward now about accepting the invitation with such little notice. When she was younger, her mother had told her not to say ‘yes’ to a date without a week’s notice, so that the boy wouldn’t think she was too eager or pathetic. It seemed like antiquated advice, especially when she worked most nights when people ‘normally’ had dates.
“What about you?” She realized that she didn’t even know what he did for a living.
“What about me?” he repeated, and then realized what she meant. “Oh. What do I do? I...” His voice momentarily trailed off, because admitting one was superfluously wealthy was actually very awkward. He didn’t think it an advantage in this situation. It never had been before. He attempted to side-step it. “I inherited a company that manufactures ink. I don’t do anything. It’s very boring, actually, so I do some charity work to fill in the gaps. I enjoy that quite a lot.”
She tilted her head. “You own a company?” Even if it was a small company, his apartment was probably a lot nicer than hers. She tried to stop wondering how rich he was. She certainly wasn’t about to ask aloud. Come on, Rose, don’t make this awkward, she told herself. Topic change, topic change. “So.. Do you have any hobbies?” Brilliant. Maybe next she could ask him what his favorite color was.
Frodo coked an eyebrow as he thought. Hobbies. He collected cars, but that wasn’t something he wanted to bring up either. Sounded... snobbish. “I go horseback riding,” he replied. It wasn’t very often these days, but he did. “I swim. Oh, and going to Disneyland. That’s become a hobby.”
Actually, the more he thought about the things he wasn’t comfortable talking about, the more he made mental notes that he was due for a few changes. But Disney was probably a very good thing to bring up.
They’d arrived at the restaurant, by the way. Zaccone’s, it was called. It was family owned, more cozy than flashy, and everyone in the kitchen was actually from Italy.
“Yeah?” Rose tilted her head, smiling. “One of my friends back home had horses. I used to love riding.” Her family had never had the land or money for horses, but she missed getting to ride. She could picture him on a horse. He almost certainly rode English. She giggled, picturing him in a little helmet.
The restaurant seemed perfect, so far. Rose looked over at Frodo as the waiter led them to their table. “Disneyland?” Rose grinned. “You like roller coasters?” He was full of surprises.
“No,” he said. “I love them.” He pulled out her chair for her--again, slightly difficult with one working hand--and took his own seat.
“The ones at Disney might not be very wild, but they’re the most fun, I think.” Frodo allowed his mind to wander into waters he hadn’t traversed in some time. He thought about the photos they snap at those perfect moments, when everyone’s either screaming or laughing or making some ridiculous pose. He pictured them on the rides together. Maybe Rose would reach for him as they plunged down the Tower of Terror, or maybe he would have his face buried in her hair as they dropped over Splash Mountain.
“Oh, but maybe you hate them,” he said. “Maybe you’re more of a It’s A Small World-girl. Or Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters.” Frodo finished with a gentle smirk.
Rose laughed, nodding. "Small World, yes. Exactly." She sat in the offered seat, smiling up at him. She noticed that he hadn't used his left hand. It must still be bothering him. Seemed like more than just a 'sore shoulder', but she wouldn't mention it.
She shook her head, grinning. "It sounds fun. I've never been, actually." She'd never left the midwest as a child, and she'd been too preoccupied with auditions and work since she'd been here. She'd taken some trips to the beach, but that was about the extent of her vacations in California. "I do like roller coasters, though."
Frodo’s smile intensified, rather than wavered. “Ah. Well, perhaps I’ll get to introduce you to it.”
As could be expected, the usual dinner-date bulletpoints followed: the arrival of the server, the ordering of drinks (although none for Frodo), and the ordering of food. Frodo ordered a pasta dish, because he imagined it would be the easiest thing to spear and eat one-handed.
The conversation moved along well, for two so awkward. Frodo picked up on a few things that Rose seemed hesitant to open up about. It was clear there was a wide gap their income levels, which was something of a red flag, because his having quite a lot of money had always proven to complicate things. But it certainly didn’t make her any less attractive to him.
Rose had a glass of wine with dinner, but was careful not to have more. She could embarrass herself well enough whilst sober. She really enjoyed talking with him, and found herself laughing more with him than she did even at the club. That had to be a good sign.
She did sort of wish she didn't know he was rich. She'd liked him beforehand--even when they'd first started talking--but now there was a strange dynamic. She didn't want him thinking his wealth was the reason she liked him. She was probably overcomplicating things.
"You know," she told him as they were leaving the restaurant, "since neither of us work during the day, things like Disneyland or horseback riding would actually make more sense than dinner and a movie, as far as dates go."
Frodo came to a sudden halt. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He glanced at the sky and then at his watch. “Well... we could go now... to Disneyland.”
Rose blinked, looking over at him. “We could? It’s not too late? What about your shoulder? It’s not too bad?” She hadn’t mentioned it before, but she wouldn’t want him to be miserable from pain. Still, she was obviously excited by the prospect. It was so spontaneous! Could they really?
His smile had turned mischievous and boyish. He wore it well, for a 54-year-old man. But if Rose hadn't realized she was dealing with giant kid by now... "Oh, don't worry about my arm." And with his good hand, he hailed a cab.
Rose laughed, absolutely thrilled by the turn of events. She was becoming more and more confident that going this date had been a good choice.
Once in the cab, Rose sat a little closer to him than was strictly necessary. She shared a few stories about growing up, and some ridiculous behind-the-scenes anecdotes from various plays she'd been in.
Frodo didn't share many stories of his own. At some point in his life, he'd convinced himself that once he removed less than conversational details--his parents' dying, the attack that almost claimed his life--what remained was mostly boring. He did talk about his Uncle a bit, since then had visited Disneyland so often in his childhood. And he did slip his hand into hers just before the taxi pulled to its final stop. He eagerly pulled her from the car and they made a quick walk to the front gate. Frodo was a yearly pass holder, and he paid for Rose, of course. Didn't think twice about it, though he really wasn't trying to impress her.
"We should probably fast pass one of the bigger rides first. I'm not sure you want to get wet, so Space Mountain, perhaps?" He clearly knew his way around the park.
Rose ignored the transaction as Frodo bought her ticket. She was sure she'd feel better not knowing how much it cost. Once they were in the park, she was back on his arm.
Space mountain? Sounded awfully...space-y. "As long as there isn't a part where the Earth explodes." That probably sounded crazy outloud, didn't it? She shook her head. "Don't ask. Space mountain, sounds good!"
He took the question seriously. Really, how could he otherwise? "No, nothing explodes," he said reassuringly. "But there's also Thunder Mountain Railroad or The Matterhorn, if you'd prefer something less space-y."
Rose shrugged. She really couldn't avoid everything space-related just because of one dream. She'd have to write off Buzz Lightyear, and then where would they be? Probably not even on a date! "How about all three?"
If they wanted to do all three, they would probably be there till midnight, which to him sounded like a grand idea. And they would be like checkpoints on a tour of the park, the way they were laid out.
They were certainly a curious pair, traveling from Tomorrowland to Critter Country in a tie and little black dress. More than one person stared. Frodo didn't care. He was having the most fun in years. Even the pain in his left shoulder seemed to be fading.
Rose was having a fabulous time. The heels had been a poor choice, but she was enjoying herself so much that they didn't really bother her.
As the sun started to go down, Rose heard a little voice behind her say "Mummy?" at the same time she felt a tug on her hand. Rose shrieked--not a little yelp, a bloody murder scream--and pulled her hand away.
The little boy was actually quite alive and wearing mouse ears, not a gas mask. "I'm not your mummy," Rose said, her Oklahoma twang suddenly replaced with a London accent. What? She blinked. "Mommy," she corrected herself. "Is that her?" she asked, pointing the lost child to a frantic blond woman several yards away. The boy ran to his mother, leaving Rose still visibly shaken.
Frodo hadn't heard or seen the boy sneak up on them, so when Rose shrieked, his first impulse was to put himself between her and whatever it was that had frightened her. He gripped her by the shoulders. But when he saw that it was child, he was as confused as she was startled.
He wasn't exactly sure what to say, so he made a little joke. "So, you don't care for children? That might be a deal breaker for me." He hadn't caught the sudden change in accent. There were a lot of other noises around. But Frodo tended to miss things like that anyway.
Rose laughed nervously, shaking her head a little. She hadn't thought much about children, but she'd managed to run around Disneyland without even complaining about one. That had to be some sort of a sign, didn't it?
"It's just.." She sighed. This hadn't been on the list of things she wanted to talk about on a second date. "I've been having this nightmare. There's a boy--But he's not a boy, he's dead, or a monster--He keeps asking for his 'mummy', and if he touches you.. It sounds like a bad horror movie, doesn't it?"
She glanced down at the backs of her hands, searching for the wound that the boy in her dreams left. None, of course. She looked over at Frodo's hands and blinked. How had she not noticed he was missing a finger? "That isn't new, is it?"
In a strange way, the missing finger had become a part of him. The years had taught him that there was little point in being self-conscious, just like the years of therapy had taught him the importance of being open about it when people asked.
"No, not new."
Actually, he wasn't sure how much if wanted to talk about himself. She was shaking, as they say, like a leaf. But maybe she needed the distraction. So he directed her to a nearby bench and very gently told her the story of how he was attacked so many years ago. And he talked about his recovery.
Rose listened to him, frowning a little. The story was hard to hear, but it helped put things in perspective. And it took some of the attention off of her, and made her feel less like a freak--an unfortunate side effect of screaming in the middle of a public park.
She was holding his hand, and she wasn't quite sure when she'd started doing that. He wasn't fishing for comfort; it had been a long time, and he'd talked about how he'd recovered. Still, though, she wanted to help. "I don't know know what to say," she confessed.
"Don't worry. That's a very normal response." Frodo looked down at the hand she was holding. He stroked her skin with his thumb. "Although the most interesting response I ever got was, pardon me, shit happens."
He stood, giving her hand a tug. It was dark now. "Come on. I want to show you something."
Rose blinked, taken aback by the idea of a person having that attitude. "That's terrible," she said. But then, she could imagine that 'doctor' person thinking something like that. 'Everything has its time and everything dies.' Rough translation: Shit happens.
She followed his lead, ignoring the reminder from her foot that she was going to have blisters tomorrow. She would worry about them then. She squeezed his hand lightly.
Frodo thought that perhaps the squeeze was a signal or request for him to pause or turn around. He did. "Hm?"
"Hm? I didn't.." Rose shook her head. She hadn't needed anything. She'd been thinking about how much she liked him. She blushed, laughing quietly. "I'm just having a really nice time."
Frodo gave her had a playful squeeze and tugged her onward. What he wanted to show her was en route to Space Mountain. (Their Fast Pass time was almost up!) He wanted to show her something very personal. It was a little craving he had made in an Adventure Land palm tree when he was twelve years old. The tree had been a sapling at the time. Now it seemed to be a mile high.
"You did that?" Rose smiled, looking up at the face carved into the trunk of the tree. It reminded her a bit of something, but she couldn't quite place it. "You really have been coming here a long time, haven't you?" She leaned against him, nuzzling his neck just a bit. She thought about making a joke about the age of the tree, asking him if he'd had a pet dinosaur back then. But their age difference might still be a bit of a sensitive subject, so she held back. She was getting more comfortable with it, though. He was just a big kid, and she absolutely adored that about him.
Frodo might have been a big kid, but the tickle of her nose against his neck sent a thrill down his spine. Before he had time to think himself out of it, he touched his lips to the top of her forehead.
Oh, forget Space Mountain. She was sure her heart was pounding just as hard now as it did during the drops and curves of the roller coasters. Rose tipped her head back, lifting her lips to catch his in a light kiss.
She wondered briefly if 12-year-old Frodo had thought the little sapling would help him get some.
As she pulled away, Frodo blinked at her with his round brown eyes. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised, but he was. And his cheeks turned a crimson that could even be seen in the dim light.
But it wasn't the same thing as being shy. No one had ever accused Frodo of being shy.
With a quick motion, he moved her to the other side of the palm, so that it was a barrier between them and some of the crowd. It wasn't private by any means, but it was as close as possible. And he kissed her again.
She blushed when he looked down at her, her cheeks growing hot. She had to giggle when he pulled her around to the other side of the tree. That worked for her. It was romantic and ridiculous and thrilling all at once.
Her eyes closed when he kissed her. Her chest was all fluttery. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning in to kiss him back.
Frodo ran his finger along her chin, as the corner of his mouth turned up into a smile. He shook his head a bit, looked up at the sky, and released a sigh. He looked back to her, still smiling.
But then it wavered.
"I'm sorry, but I need to ask. How old are you?"
Rose gave a breathy laugh, looking down. Of course he had to ask. Would be irresponsible not to. "Twenty-two." She glanced up at him, unsure of how he would react. Sure, she was legal, but he might still think she was too young. She was probably only half his age. That didn't bother her, though.
Half his age and then some. Frodo had never really believed she was so young that their connection was a threat to legality. But, twenty-two was a long way down from... "I'm fifty-four."
It was difficult to trust someone so young and pretty could see anything close to appealing in him. After all, there were Disney princes around! And he was much more worried that his being fifty-four would be much more of a problem for her than her being twenty-two was for him.
"Really?" She'd pegged him for forties, tops. Maybe in the hospital she would've guessed fifties, but she thought that was because he was sick. He looked good for fifty-four. Rose wasn't known for being tactful, but even she knew 'You're way hotter than my dad', would not be the best thing to say here. Of course, staring at him with her mouth open probably wasn't a good route to go, either.
"That's a lot older than me," she admitted. She really wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She didn't want to call the whole thing off; she liked him! "Frodo.. You're the first guy I've been out with in a long time that I wanted to," take home and ravish on the couch? "go on another date with. After this one." Was also true, and more appropriate to say with children in earshot. She shrugged "So you're a little older. I've had so much fun with you. And I mean, come on. Buzz Lightyear? Disneyland? I think this might work out better than the numbers make it sound." There was a difference between pipe-smoking, stock portfolio 54 and chocolate cake, roller coaster 54.
Frodo laughed. His eyes were alight. He never thought Buzz Lightyear might get him a second glance any more than a carving in the trunk of a tree. Perhaps he'd been foolish to think of Rose's youth of anything other than his advantage.
He may have been a child at heart, but it wasn't as if he was in some kind of state of arrested development. He was man. He just happened to prefer the magic of Disneyland to everything else.
Well, almost everything...
But that about summed it up. He put out his hand. "To infinity and beyond, then...?"
She took his hand, smiling up at him. To infinity and beyond.