who [ten] john smith & rose tyler what Holiday Shopping! where Downtown Irvine when December 17th warnings PG for light snogging
After a few text messages back and forth, Rose excitedly got dressed to meet up with John. The snow had fallen heavily the last couple of days so she made sure to bundle up, complete with a knitted beanie and scarf. Every time she and John got together, it felt like something of an adventure. It could just be a stroll down the street or a day of shopping, much like today was going to be, but every day occurrences suddenly meant more; John made her feel special.
They had opted to not take Arthur out for a spin; the heavy snow on the roadways was too dangerous for him! But Rose didn't mind; walking only gave them more time to be together and talk about random things like why kiwi's were better than bananas (or vice versa in John's opinion).
It wasn't until Rose was all bundled that she realized she hadn't received a text from John saying he was at her place. She hesitated for only a moment before she decided to just wait outside; it would give her more time to get use to the cold!
It seemed a smart idea at first until she had been out for a couple of minutes. Even though the sun was shining through the clouds, her face felt frozen. She wrapped her scarf up higher and looked up and down the street for her friend. When she didn't spot the familiar mop of brown hair, she decided it would be best to start making snow balls to attack him with once he did show up. Before she knew it, she had become completely absorbed in making them, unaware of her surroundings.
Endeavoring to make Rose Tyler feel special at any juncture had quickly become a favored pastime. Anyone who had the ability to blow into his life and find a way to make him see things in a brand new light without even trying had to be remarkable. Everyone was extraordinary, but every so often, someone came along to eclipse the rest.
Forgoing his trusty blue steed for the day in the interest of safety, John was, of course, running slightly late to the meetup. It didn’t exhaust him, but rather elated him to think of wandering about downtown with easily the new favorite person in his life. While shopping for Christmas things in particular hardly interested in him, John couldn’t resist perusing little shops. Never knew what you could find, and he had some friends to get gifts for.
And at Rose’s behest, an apartment that needed some decorating.
True to absent-minded form, John got halfway to Rose before realizing he’d left his phone at his flat. Unwilling to sacrifice the time it’d take to double back and retrieve it, he carried on until he reached her. Discovering her outside surprised him, especially given how engrossed she appeared to be in a task. Arching a brow as he approached her quietly, John leaned over her shoulder as soon as he neared her and observed her growing collection of snowballs.
“Arming the troops for the last great snowball war of 2014, are we?” He teased, rethinking his approach for a missed opportunity.
He could have gotten her with a snowball really good if he’d just stopped to think a step ahead of himself. No doubt she was preparing the assault for him, which was awfully chilling to consider how much colder he’d be peppered by any number of stray snowballs.
“Am I to be trapped in your crosshairs now?” He asked, lifting his arms up in surrender. “Because I’ve forgotten my white flag, perhaps it’s beside my mobile that I… also neglected to bring.”
Ever in a rush to meet up with Rose Tyler.
Rose jumped as he came up behind her. “Bloody hell!” A few snowballs were lost as she fell into the pile, reaching out to try and catch herself. She looked up at John, in his surrendered mode and reached for one of her snowballs, tossing it at him in fun. “Guess I was too focused on making the snowballs!” She said, grinning and holding a hand out for him to help her up. “Too excited for our outting today and found myself ready ahead of time!” They had been out so often already, Rose had never thought of it as a date or get together; it just seemed right for them to spend so much time in each other’s company.
With John’s help, she dusted herself up, her cheeks nicely flushed from the snow and excitement. She grinned up at him, the one that she seemed to only show whenever he was around. “Right then! We need to find you some presents and myself a tree! Let the festivities begin!” She bent down and scooped up two handfuls of snow and threw it up in the air, laughing.
“Where to first? Any thoughts to shoppes?” She slid her arm through his, hugging it with her other. “Or caffeine first?”
Laughing at her reaction, John abruptly slammed his mouth shut with an apologetic look. She might not appreciate that, and--there she went getting him back. Dusting himself briefly, he took more care in helping Rose up to her feet than fussing over the snow peppered exterior of his warm coat. That she was excited about their outing caused him to smile even wider--a common occurrence when around Rose Tyler, it would seem.
“Right, shopping!” He remembered, ever distracted by the company. Covering her hand as soon as it had wound about his own--to keep warm, obviously--he gave a distinct nod. “I am well behind on my shopping,” in that he hadn’t done any at all, “and so my plan for your heavy coat will have to wait another day.”
Starting them walking despite having a direction in mind, John considered the options very seriously. “No, well. Something chocolatey, I think, for my best mate, Gwen. She’s a sweet tooth so far as I can recall, but…” Something to warm them up for the adventure also sounded nose. “A slight detour along the way to have a coffee of some sort would be nice. There a nice place around here?” He asked, eyes darting about the snow-ridden street.
“Do you have many people to shop for?” she asked, shuffling her feet along in the snow. She was thankful for her boots that she made waterproof. She could only imagine the hundreds of people upset because their shoes wouldn’t match the weather now. She thought of the people on her own list and realized it was rather short.
“Gwen?” she asked,a familiar name catching her attention. “Gwen’s your best mate? That’s brilliant!” She beamed at her friend. “I haven’t actually met her face to face, but we’ve chatted on the network and she seems wonderful! Can she come along on one of our adventures?” Rose was really beginning to like the Valarnet. Not only had it become an instant source of entertainment for her, but she had begun to meet the most interesting people! She loved creating this new group of friends and suddenly felt like she was actually living her life here.
“There’s one just down the street I like,” she said. “Now that I’m done with Starbucks, I like finding all the independent places. But this one is extra special...mostly ‘cause they give me extra whip cream.” She giggled and moved closer to him for warmth...yeah, that was it...warmth. “Coffee and then chocolate for Gwen?”
It didn’t bother John that he had so few close ties in America. As far as he was concerned, just one good friend could carry him through his days, and a second made him all the luckier. Granted he’d been lonely since Gwen’s departure, that didn’t mean they never saw each other or failed to keep in touch, far from it. It also meant, however, that he tried to stay busier so that he didn’t have to think about how few close ties he had.
“Just two,” he answered, but then someone else occurred to him. “No! Three. Three, definitely three.”
Delighted at the sound of his best mate and newest best mate chatting together, John looked happily intrigued. “Oh! Did you? Amazing person, Gwen! I’ll have to ask! Don’t think she’d mind at all!” He’d happily prod her about going on adventures with Rose.
Pleased to hear her efforts to find the mom-and-pop variety of coffee shops, John patted her hand. Then, he chuckled at her real motivation for frequenting it. “Sounds like a fair reason to go back, and I am in favor of extra cream, so lead the way! Coffee, then some chocolates for Gwen! That’s right!” And he didn’t seem to mind at all that they walked so closely--he appreciated it. The warmth, that is. Completely that reason only.
“What about you, hm?” He returned the question. “Who’s on you nice list?”
Rose gave him a funny look as he passionately changed the number he was shopping for, but smiled all the same. “Right, then three special people! Do you know what you’ll be getting them or we’ll wander until something catches your fancy?” She didn’t mind either way; it could either mean a fast trip that ended in them hanging out and laughing over coffee or a longer trip that ended in them hanging out and laughing in stores. Either way, Rose got to spend more time with her new best mate.
“Brilliant! I would love to meet her in person! We’re going to go on a coffee adventure, but haven’t been able to find the time yet. But she seems great! She said she’d go to my birthday celebration this Friday...which, by the way, you’re coming too right?” She looked up at him. So far, he had never turned her down and she hoped it wouldn’t start with her bigger birthday celebration. She hadn’t thought she would want to invite so many people, but the net brought together a lot of people!
She nodded her head to the coffee joint she enjoyed the most and she took the lead, turning them here and there to get to their destination. “My nice list? It’s not too long. I’ve already gotten something for my mum...she’s jealous of the California look.” Rose rolled her eyes; she hadn’t even been aware there was a separate look and kept telling her mum that the fashion here wouldn’t be warm enough for over there! “But other than family, I don’t have much to shop for, just the tree and decorations for the flat!” She didn’t mention how she had gotten him something already; she was going to wait and surprise him. She was sure he would protest if she even let on that she wanted to get him something. Plus this something was a little bigger than expected for someone she had just met. “So it will be an easy shopping experience on my end!”
They arrived at the shoppe and Rose opened the door, a little reluctant to let go of her mate. Still, it was refreshing to step into the warm shoppe and away from the chilly outdoors. She walked over to the counter and smiled, greeting the barista by name. She knew what it was like and always wanted to make them feel like they didn’t need to rush on her order. She ordered a salted caramel mocha, extra whip cream and turned to John, smiling, for his order.
Birthday celebration? John quirked a brow at her. Hadn’t she been talking about that on the network? He’d gotten sidetracked chatting with Rose then, which was normal. They could get carried away chatting for hours, completely oblivious of everything else around them. He couldn’t afford to text her between classes, otherwise he’d become completely distracted. Not that he was complaining--far from it! John looked forward to hearing from her on a regular basis.
Somehow she’d become a constant part of his day regardless of whether they saw each other in person.
Meeting her gaze, John instantly smiled. “‘Course I’ll go, wouldn’t miss it,” he assured. And he wouldn’t. Reserved as he was, he had very little trouble finding his way around a social gathering. His eclectic interests made him capable of getting along with most anyone.
At the mention of her mother, John grew puzzled. “California look?” He questioned, not at all comprehending of what that entailed. Was it a bleached blonde look? That didn’t seem fair. He rather liked the way Rose’s hair looked in that regard. Not that he thought about that or anything. “Your mother is an interesting woman,” he noted, silently keen on one day meeting the indomitable Jackie Tyler and fearful at the same time.
“Few presents and decorations, sounds like a plan!” John confirmed, firm nod and all. “Easy-peasy!” Family was off his list for certain, and that went completely without saying. He hadn’t been in touch with many people in London, and had no intention of amending that either--very few exceptions.
Offering a word of gratitude to the door opening, John dusted his snowy hands off a step before entering and instantly removed his gloves as soon as Rose detached herself from him. It felt better to remain glued to her side, but he wasn’t far behind her in the trek to the counter. As soon as she’d ordered hers, he ordered an Americano with a perilous amount of sugar added in, then tossed some cash down to pay for them both without a second thought.
Shuffling off to the pickup counter, he bumped Rose’s shoulder with his own. “Should we take it to go, you think? Something warm to keep us as much on the trek?”
She smiled at his RSVP, nodding her head. It was strange to think she had just met him, but she couldn’t think of not being with him almost every day. It wasn’t necessarily an attraction (although he definitely wasn’t hard on the eyes), but something more than that. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was definitely something that pulled her to him.
She glanced over at him when he asked about the California look and almost fell over laughing. “You look so confused!” she said. “You know, kind of that tan, golden Hollywood look.” She pursed her lips together and giggled again.
She gave the barista a nice tip before moving with John to pick up their drinks and smiled as he nudged her. “Drinks to go? I guess that will be alright since it would be something to keep my hands warm.” She gave him a wink as their drinks were placed on the counter and she took hers, smiling at the warmth. “So, this was my stop first! You get to choose our next place.” She grinned, taking a sip of her coffee.
When she clarified the so-called typical Californian look, he nodded. “Ah!” That made sense to him, the sort of image people across the world tended to strive to have. He didn’t think Rose the type, guessing her the kind of girl to follow the beat of her own drum. That, if she liked something, that was it for her, and very little could hold Rose back from achieving it--not if it was what she truly wanted.
With their drinks made, John slid his gloves back on and took hold of his to-go cup. “My choice is it?” He pondered aloud, absently offering his arm as soon as he had opened the door for her this time around. Sipping the hot coffee, John considered their surroundings--there was a Christmas shop just around the bend, if he wasn’t mistaken. They did need to get decorations for their respective flats.
Presents could come after.
“I recall…” He stretched out the ending, neck craning to observe the street signs so he knew which way to go down the sidewalk, “...a seasonal shop along this way. How much have I got to put up in my flat? Only tinsel insufficient?”
Steering them around the next bend, John spied the shop for its festive lights of red and green. His smile lit up at the sight of it, and so hasted his gait. Anything to get back out of the crisp, cool air.
Not that he really minded huddling close to her for a little bit added warmth, really.
“Brilliant!” Rose gave him a grin over the rim of her cup, which was occupying both of her hands. “To the seasonal shoppe we go!” She opened her hands long enough to link her arm through his once more, before cupping her coffee once more. It was such a natural movement that she didn’t even think it a strange that she might go to such lengths to have physical contact with him in that way.
“And you definitely need more than tinsel for your flat if we’re going to be celebrating holiday there! At least a tree! And some paper chains...and snowflakes...oh! and do you have things to decorate the tree with?” It was obvious Rose’s love for the holiday and wanting to decorate to the fullest.
Rose couldn’t help but smile as she spied the shoppe John has in mind. It screamed holiday, but was the perfect match for what she was hoping for. As they made their way inside, there was a chiming that played a bit of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, enough so that it made her smile. “This is perfect!” she whispered, squeezing his arm in excitement. She wasn’t sure why she was whispering, but it felt right in this store. It was warm and cozy, odds and ends stuffed into the small shoppe, but not so much that it felt overwhelming. “Ooooh, look!” She pulled them over to the window where a whole tiny village was set up. “I used to love these growing up! They just looked so cute...look!” She pointed to the ice skating couple who moved around the mirrored lake.
“Hello dearies! Merry Christmas! Can I help you find anything in particular today?” Rose looked up as a rather plump woman came out from behind the counter to see to their needs. She looked exactly how Rose thought Mrs. Claus might look; she was of a shorter nature with bright white hair and a cheery disposition. Rose couldn’t help but beam at her, shaking her head. “No thanks, we’re just looking! Doing a little bit of late Christmas shopping, but we’ll just look around!”
“Of course, of course! You just let me know if you love birds need any help!” Before Rose could say anything, she had waddled to the back to tinker around with something there. Rose looked at John and laughed quietly, not wanting their lovely hostess to hear her.
Well, she certainly had a vision for his flat, didn’t she? It might have sent most blokes running for the hills, but John got a kick out of it. John wasn’t a scrooge by any means, but he didn’t ever really bear much holiday cheer. Although the holiday was one of his favorites, hands down, he only ever went as far as getting his friends presents and enjoying peppermint tea.
“Not a thing,” he chuckled as he replied. “Suppose I’ll be hauling boxes of bits and bobs out of here by the end of the adventure, won’t I?” Maybe he’d get lucky and find a pre-decorated tree for his convenience that they could drop off at his flat later. Either way, John doubted he’d deny any of her suggestions, so he had to prepare for hauling things home somehow.
Practically dragged into the store and to the display, John managed to keep up--spirits and all! Instead of looking, he watched her face and admired the way she lit up like a star on top of the tree herself. Rose’s smile was certainly radiation, a sight he’d come to require seeing on a daily basis. As soon as he realized he was staring, however, he averted his eyes in time to glimpse the shopkeeper toddle toward them with her cheer and sheer wonderfulness. Smile splintering his cheeks, he didn’t bother to restrain his own giggle at her words.
Didn’t even seem to notice that she’d called them love birds either, too caught up in the absurdity of such a person manning a holiday novelty store. Meeting Rose’s amused face, he leaned in close to politely hush his laughter this time. “Marvelous! Almost can’t believe she’s real! Come on now.”
Dragging Rose this time, he tossed his coffee in the nearest rubbish bin and offered to do the same with hers if she was finished. He couldn’t help it, he was a fast drinker. Then, he was off again in search of the artificial trees. “Let’s have a look back there,” he suggested, nodding toward the narrow archway leading into another room where John thought he’d glimpsed some trees. There, aptly dangling from the ceiling, hung a piece of mistletoe that distracted him the moment he passed under it.
His arm left hers as he slid a pair of glasses on to make sure he was seeing it correctly. “Sorry, is that… is that mistletoe?” Baffled, he looked back down at his companion. “Is that still a ‘thing’ for the holidays?”
“Right??” Rose was glad John had the same reaction she did concerning their hostess. It was almost too perfect. “Do you think they make their employees dress like that?” She hid a giggle as she allowed John to choose their next stop in the shoppe and followed him to the back, taking the last small swigs of her drink and handing the empty cup to John. “I think I’m spending too much time with you ‘cause I finish a drink almost as fast as you can!” She gave him a soft elbow in the side, almost running into him when he stopped abruptly.
She looked at him, then up at the mistletoe hanging from the overhang. “Huh...yeah, that’s mistletoe. And of course it’s a holiday tradition! What, you’ve never kissed under the mistletoe?” Rose gave him her signature smile with her tongue sticking out. She watched him studying it, as if it were a fascinating specimen he had never come across before. She didn’t really realize she was doing it, before she was reaching to pull him towards her, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him full on the mouth. Nothing too intense, but it was a full, passionate kiss she didn’t even know she had in her.
She pulled back, a little sheepishly, a tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry,” she said, looking from her shoes back up to him. “Christmas tradition, yeah?”
What a sight he must have made just standing there scrutinizing a piece of mistletoe. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d actually noticed it anywhere. This really was a traditionalist sort of shop, wasn’t it? So caught up in being baffled, John overlooked Rose’s advance until her hands were tugging on him. An apology danced on the edge of his tongue as he met Rose’s gaze, and oh--she was closing in fast suddenly.
Unable to question what she was doing, he put it together quickly enough. His hands remained awkwardly poised in the air for a moment, every muscle in his body rigid. Synapses fired desperately at him to get him responding, and just as he had managed to find a lax grip about her waist and press the ghost of a kiss back, she had retreated. And apologized?
Slow to the draw, John pulled one hand off her to tug absently at his earlobe like that could buy him some time to reply. Just like that, she wiped the startled look off his face and replaced it with a lazy smile wrapped in all the affection for her he possessed. There was nothing smooth about Doctor John Smith, though he wished with all his might that he could be as suave as James Bond or some other outrageous hero. Surely most leading men would have pulled Rose back in for another kiss, and it wasn’t for lack of a desire that John refrained, but that he didn’t want to spoil that first one they’d unexpectedly shared under the mistletoe.
“Never apologize for tradition, Rose Tyler,” he cautioned playfully. “Least of all the most brilliant ones. Now! I think we’ve still got quite a lot of ground to cover--mystery of employee dress code, tinsel and lights to find, and presents to be bought. So, allons-y!”
This time, he reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers before giving her one more tug into motion--to the shopping!