Rose Tyler is Bad Wolf (_badwolf_) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-02-23 20:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, rose tyler, tenth doctor |
Who: John & Rose
What: John surprises Rose for Valentine’s
When: Valentine's Day
Where: New York City!
Rating: PG13 for implied smexy times
Status: Complete upon posting!
Rose had been having an amazing time in New York. Amy had been able to get away more than Rose had thought and they had toured the whole city, going to all the landmarks and doing all the things that the tourists had. Rose had never felt more proud of her cousin as she watched her in each show that week. Her’s was always the loudest cry, the one who clapped last for her. She couldn’t believe how talented Amy was at her profession.
Even with her busy schedule between fashion shows and tours, she found that she was actually starting to get homesick. She kept thinking how much John would have enjoyed this, or how John would have liked the show they had seen the night before. Everything seemed to remind her of him and she started to text him more than usual. (If at all possible). When Valentine’s finally arrived, she tried to keep herself busy, trying to juggle between secret text messages to Rory and keeping Amy distracted until the right moment.
She had known before they left for this trip that she would be spending the holiday alone, but she couldn’t help but feel it as she hailed a taxi to take her back to the hotel. She was thinking about getting her own room for tonight, giving Amy and Rory a much deserved night alone. She needed to pack an overnight bag and start searching.
She tipped the driver when they arrived at the entrance, smiling at the doorman who let her in. She had been pretty impressed with the place Amy’s company had put them up in and felt like she was on a complete vacation with all expenses paid.
She made her way up to their room and unlocked the door, pushing her way, feebly in. Instead of starting to pack, she flopped on the bed, her arms out to either side and stared up at the ceiling. What should I do? Everywhere is going to be a mad house. But I don’t wanna stay here until they come back. I should be gone by then. But where? She reached for her phone, her eyes never leaving the ceiling, and brought it close to her face. She began to look for reasonable, but safe places to stay for a night, her feet dangling off the bed.
Not being as clever as Rory in his attempt to surprise Rose, John had made no connections with anyone. Having met the man himself now--purely by accident, no less--he had begun to question his logic in going in without a warning. A slew of concerns arose the closer the plane had drawn to New York. What if this, what if that--what if he was being just a daft worrier and needed to relax?
That seemed likely.
Gleaning information from Rory, he parted ways with him when it came time to tracking down their respective reasons for being in the Big Apple. Things had been a little rocky between him and Rose, though he wouldn’t say in a bad way. It was all brand new, opening up to someone and sharing bits about his past. He wanted to make up for all the information avalanches, especially because Helena had insisted.
Arriving at the hotel, John made his way up to her room and his hand hovered over the door second-guessing the knock. He really hated knocking. Finding the doorbell (gratefully), he gave it a ring and hung back a step and off to the side--had to make sure he couldn’t be seen through any peepholes.
Just to give her an extra puzzling surprise, John put on his very best American accent with a feminine lilt, “Housekeeping!”
Rose turned her head towards the door, frowning. What? She hesitated a moment before pushing herself up by the elbows and walking towards the door; she didn’t want them to assume that everyone was out and come in. She glanced out the peephole, but didn’t see anyone outside. Her frown deepened as she opened the door, looking left and then…
Her eyes grew wide, almost not believing what she saw in front of her. Her mouth was opened slightly as she took a small step out into the hallway. She reached out towards him, giving him a hesitant small push to make sure he was really there, standing in front of her.
“Oh my god.” It came out as a sort of quiet statement as her eyes slowly lifted to look at him. Realization finally dawned on her and her mouth turned up in a beaming smile.
“OH MY GOD!” This time it was said with more conviction and she literally jumped into his arms. “But...wha-how?” She pulled back to look at him, the surprise not easily lost on her face. “What are you doing here?”
Once the door opened, there was no room left for doubt. His grin was immediate and full of affection toward Rose. Being in her favor emboldened him, let him automatically lift his arms about her the moment she jumped toward him. Even when she drew back, he kept them about her loosely, wholly disinterested in parting from her. It really was awful not to have her around, but this month in particular was going to be taxing, he knew.
Spending a weekend with her, Valentine’s Day or not, was an absolute necessity.
“Came to see Rose Tyler, obviously,” he said, tone teasing. Then, rubbing it in, he glanced over her head as though searching for someone. “Have you seen her? She’s left her gob here on the floor, very important I get it back to her.”
For all Rose cared, they could have stood in the hallway for the rest of the evening and she would have been content. It felt like it had been forever since she had seen John. Sure, she had two days off between her last flight and the fashion show, but it was never enough time to try and catch up with her flatmate. She gave him a light shove away from her, grinning and sticking her hands in her back pockets.
“I’m just surprised to see you is all.” The smile was still plastered on her face, still a little unbelieving that he was here. A small voice in the back of her head was yelling at her that this was a pretty big move for John to play; if this wasn’t a show of how he felt for her, she didn’t know what would be!
Realization hit her and she glanced back at the door, now shut and locked. She sucked her lips inward and making a ‘popping’ noise, looking back at John. “I just locked myself out of my room!” Her automatic response was to try the door, but of course it wouldn’t open. She laughed, shaking her head. “Look what you did! In all the excitement...I hope you have a room ‘cause we’ll have to stay there for the night!”
Chuckling at her, the adventure proved to have been well worth the effort already. She was charming when she became flustered. He would have scooped her up and spun her around, too, if not for that playful shove that left him grinning like an idiot anyway. Glad that it was all working out already, that dopey look on his face remained even after she realized her error.
Until he thought to mess with her again. Playing dumb, John ruffled his hair and gave a rather dramatic sigh of lament. “Now that… that is a problem, Rose, because I haven’t got anything planned, not even a room. I thought I’d crash with you, now I see we’re trapped outside this door like a pair of--” Why did the urge to say Mickey cross his tongue?
He barely knew the guy.
Not giving in to that impulse, John switched gears. Hands stuffed into his pocket, he smirked at her as he tilted his head down the hallway. “Thought the love birds might need a night to themselves, ‘course I booked a room. Left my bag in there, not to worry. Though…” He slipped past her to stand against the door, one hand reaching up to lay flat against it. Looking it up and down, so many strange feelings passing through him, John settled on the sweet joy of reuniting with his--his flatmate.
“Do hope you’ve not left anything behind in there that’s important,” he noted, turning back around to face Rose. “As you’ll have to wait to retrieve it. In the meanwhile, I thought perhaps we could have a look around the city. Together. What do you think?”
Rose blinked for a quick second, her mind thinking of what to do. Then he gave her that cheeky smile of his and she couldn’t help but squint her eyes at him, even if the smile on her face stayed the same. “You little bugger,” she said. “I dunno why I still believe anything that comes out of your mouth.” She shook her head, looking at the door. “Well, my purse is in there…” She hesitated, feeling in her back pocket and finding the flat wallet she had been taking with her. “But I have this! So we should be good, at least for now.” Rose reached out to take his hand, giving it a slight squeeze.
“I really can’t believe you’re here.” The tone was one of genuine surprise and...a hint of something that was dangerously close to a four letter word. She snapped herself out of it, almost a mental shake, before eagerly nodding her head.
“Ya know, I was just thinking how an adventure in the city wouldn’t be the same without you. Are you hiding a special ability from me?” She grinned, swinging his arm a little.
“Where to first?”
“Sounds like you haven’t got to get back in there,” he declared happily, grasping her hand tightly in return. Bumping shoulders with her at her, he swung their hands before setting off down the hall in search of the elevators. John may have been unquestionably brilliant, but he had a habit of getting turned around a little too often.
Attempting to play that down as he discreetly looked for signs indicating the elevator, he glanced back at Rose. “Never know, I might be psychic,” he joked. “Or just very in tune with you. Either way… some level of telepathy would be requisite.”
Steering them toward the elevator with some success, John gave some consideration to their destination. “Well, I’ve just gotten off a plane with rubbish food. Thought we might go grab a bite, see if I can’t the taste of peanuts out of my mouth. Blegh. Or are you at all hungry?”
Rose didn’t notice any sort of John being turned around; she was so caught up in him just being there that she would have wandered the hallways for another hour before realizing something was up. “Really, I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, stepping into the elevator and leaning against the bar. She still held onto his hand, certain that she wouldn’t let it go for the rest of his time here. “How long? Just through the weekend? When did you fly in?” She obviously had so many questions and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry. Um, yeah, I can definitely eat. But I think everywhere in town will be pretty busy.” She thought about it, thinking back to the different places she and Amy had been too.
Expensive restaurants and pricey bars popped into mind, but those didn’t quite seem the right fit for her and John. “Oh, I know! How do you feel about pizza?” There was a great hole-in the wall place she had discovered while Amy had been practicing for a show. “I don’t think it should be too busy and we can walk through Central Park!” Rose suddenly got romantic ideas of her and John, walking through New York City hand in hand, taking everything in and trying things together. It was enough to make her stop, pulling him back towards her. “Thank you. Ya know, for coming all this way to see me. It’s the best surprise I’ve ever gotten.” She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the lips.
“Walk or taxi? It’s kind of a walk, but beautiful!”
His eyes didn’t stray unless otherwise necessary, neither did his smile. Why had possessed a single shred of doubt that this might have been a bad idea? He may have been vague in his advances when it came to Rose, but there was no question of some spark between them. Certain he absolutely adored her from the moment they first met, he kicked himself for needing any sort of validation to come surprise her.
Valentine’s Day or not.
“Well, you did say it was a romantic gesture,” he noted. “I’m not adept at them, but I thought I’d give it a try. Would you believe I came without much of a plan otherwise and lucked out on the plane? Sat by your cousin’s bloke, Rory. Great help he was.” John quite liked him.
Listening to the suggestions, John mentally congratulated himself on never forming any cohesive plans. Going on impulse, especially when it came to Rose Tyler, always reaped the most benefits. Her suggestion of pizza had him practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. He could tell her so many things about New York pizza and how it differed from the marvel that was Chicago pizza. The wheels were spinning already.
“Looks like all I had to do was show up and the date would design itself,” he laughed, and then seemed to pause. Had he used that word again? Clearing his throat, John was about to second guess himself when Rose managed to zing him with some reassurance, then sealed it with a kiss.
“Walk,” he insisted, glancing away finally as the doors opened. “Never been to New York before, got to see it properly! Only just got off the plane. Did I mention that?” Coaxing her along to exit the hotel, John wrinkled his nose in disdain as he looked down at his rumpled appearance, and--
Had he left in his brown pinstripes? Strange.
“Hope I don’t smell like La Guardia.”
Rose may have been secretly hoping John would do something romantic for Valentine’s, but she had never thought he would go to these sort of lengths! They had certainly ended their honeymoon period in their relationship, but somehow that made Rose feel all the more closer to him. She couldn’t help but grin down at her shoes, kicking the pavement with the toe of her shoe. “You remember me talking about it?” She asked, grinning. Part of her knew how much John paid attention to her, but the other half was reeling. Sure there were things about them that may not be conventional, but John was an amazing man. Rose felt lucky to just have him as a friend, let alone hope for anything that might mean more. The chances that he would feel the same as she did sometimes baffled her.
“Wait, you sat next to Rory? Completely random?” She gave him a look that said she found that hard to believe. “Did the two of you set something up?” Her look was suspicious, but was more surprised that they could have kept something quiet like this. “How long have you been planning this?”
They stepped outside, the hustle and bustle of the city hitting them in full force. Rose loved it; it was everything she had wanted to run towards. Movement, lights, excitement. She grinned, taking it all in and sweeping her arms out. “New York just got 10 times better!”
Laughing at her incredulous expression, he waved his free hand. “Nothing was set up, honestly! It was coincidence entirely, we were both flummoxed.” It really had been a good chuckle for them though, once they’d realized who they were in relation to their--well, to the ladies in their respective lives. “I… thought about it after we spoke of you coming here with Amy.”
It had taken some persuading from Helena, but John had more or less made up his mind on the matter. The only thing holding him back was his own nonsense and growing fear that her interest in the dream version of Daniel, this Doctor fellow, would soon take her away from him. He already had this nagging sense that things between them weren’t going to last, John didn’t want more events transpiring to further validate the ominous gut feeling.
Hands in his pockets then, John watched her with an affectionate grin. Teeming with energy and enthusiasm to match her own, he rather wished he’d brought a heavier coat, perhaps something long and brown--something Janis Joplin would have admired.
“Didn’t it just?” He agreed wholeheartedly, holding his hand back out to her. “You’ll have to lead the way, Rose. And this time dinner’s on me, hm? Actually have my wallet this time,” since he had such a knack for forgetting it.
Somehow always when they were going out for chips.
♥ ♥
Rose couldn’t really remember the actual food at dinner, but rather John’s company. It was silly to think that she hadn’t seen him in forever, but it had certainly felt that way. Sure, they made sure to at least text every day, if not drop a call every now and then. She was thankful for that, wanting to hear his voice and hear that he was actually doing alright in the mess that had become of Orange County. She had only been home for two days between her work and the trip to New York, some of it spent trying to catch up with other friends she wouldn’t be able to see during the month. She had kept convincing herself it was alright as they were roommates and would always see each other at the end of the day, no matter. Still, she found herself missing their full days together, wanting to try and spend as much time together as they possibly could. Luckily for her, they now had the whole weekend.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” They had just finished their dinner and were heading out, rather full but content. “Can I just say, I love being with you.” She took his hand, her smile lighting up her face as she looked up at him. She gave it a squeeze, not letting go as she looked around at the people passing them by. That was one of the things she found the most interesting about New York; everyone had their own agenda and didn’t seem to care what was going on around them. For Rose, she could spend a whole day just watching them go about their daily routines.
“What now then? I feel like we need to go experience something genuinely New Yorky before we head back. And I need some clothes until I can get back into my room. Unless you have an extra shirt I can wear tonight?” She grinned, knowing the answer already. It was uncommon for her to wear her own pajamas to bed. John seemed to like his 50’s nightwear so that left all sorts of possibilities for Rose and her nightly attire.
“Oh! I know!” She grinned at John, pulling him in the direction, waving down a taxi. “Rockefeller Center!”
With fuller bellies and high spirits, John exited the restaurant with Rose in a brilliant state. Leaning toward her at her shared admission, his smile was practically seared onto his face. “Me too,” he assured. After all, he’d come here just to spend a holiday he cared very little about. Because it must have had some importance to her, he wanted to make it a good one.
While he’d packed very little, his time in New York brief due to having to go back to school on Monday, his smile turned to a sly grin at her next question. Not scandalous--he wasn’t that sort of man usually--but knowing and with a slight hint of appreciation. “Oh, I’ve got a spare,” he nodded, not at all indisposed at lending Rose a shirt. Not that he minded shopping either, John loved looking around little shops!
Spell momentarily broken at her sudden exclamation, his eyebrows flew up as she dragged him down the way. “What is--” Ah, she had a plan! No wonder people liked those. Things seemed to progress swimmingly with a plan, though it didn’t occur to him an idea built on impulse hardly classified as one. “Rockefeller Center!” He said in agreement, shuffling into the cab.
Nestled against her, hand in hand, he chatted her ear off about the history of Rockefeller Center along the way. They might only have a handful of hours by the time they arrived to skate, but that suited him well.
Not that he knew how to skate.
Once they’d arrived, he shuffled out of the corner to hold the door open for her and paid for the cab--it was a weekend to treat her so far as he was concerned--and offered Rose his arm this time. He could feel the cool crisp air from the rink already, and paired with New York’s lower temperatures already, John was certainly glad he’d worn a long coat. Although it certainly didn’t feel like it went well with his pinstripe suit at all.
“We’ll have to rent skates,” he cautioned, coaxing them toward the area. “Have you ever skated before, Rose?”
Rose dug through her purse, pulling on some gloves before taking the offered arm. It had only taken her a few minutes in the city to realize how much colder it was here and immediately had set out for warmer clothes. The gloves had become her new best friends and she wrapped both of them around John’s arm, as if afraid he wasn’t really here.
“You’re not gonna pay for everything here are ya?” Rose was sure it was enough that he had gotten a plane ticket to come over here, not to mention his own hotel room! She wasn’t going to let him pay for everything while he was here as well. “I’ve got the skates since you got the cab.” She gave him a grin as they made their way towards the rink, the sound of laughter and squeals becoming louder the closer they got.
“I went once...when I was ten.” She laughed. “I don’t remember it being that hard! Why, haven’t you?” She glanced over at him as they waited in line to rent the skates.
“Well, it was part of the plan,” he answered hesitantly. Not to throw his weight around, but because it seemed like--”Tradition, isn’t it?” Although, the day itself was hardly stepped in hearts and roses. Few things could be labeled sweet in the long history of the holiday now commercialized by vendors for all its worth. Even so, John could respect the longevity of an annual occurrence in any country. “Fair enough though!” He grinned, not about to argue with her whims.
Making their way to the skates rental, he blanched a little. “What, me, of course--of course I’ve skated. Gracefully. At least once. Surely I have?” Except he hadn’t in any instance that he could recall. With his very limited dating pool, ice skating had never been a romantic outing on the agenda. Even so, John didn’t seem terribly deterred. “Or not. Well, not a problem! How hard could it be?”
Wrinkling his nose as he took the skates and waited for her to pay so that he could hand her a pair, he shook his head, “Do hope I didn’t jinx it. Ah well. When in Rome! Shall we?”
Rose couldn’t help but smile up at him when he let her in on the plan. “Tradition huh?” she asked, stepping up to get their skates. She ordered a size 8 for herself, nodding to John for his size. The attendant handed them their skates and Rose handed over some bills, passing the skates on to John. “Well, I think we should start our own tradition, don’tcha think? We’ll alternate paying for things. Seems fair, yeah?” She grinned, looking around for a place to sit down to put the skates on.
She laughed when she realized John hadn’t been skating before and knew this was going to be a fun experience. “Yeah, it’s not too hard,” she said, liking his optimism. Whatever John set his mind to, he seemed to be able to accomplish. “You have me and the railing to help ya if you need too!” She found an empty bench and took a seat, pulling her leg up to take her shoes off. “It’s kind of like roller skating! You kind of feel wobbly at first but then you find a groove that works for you and you just keep going!” Alright, so it was a little harder than roller skating since the skates were much thinner than wheels. Still, she wanted to try and stay optimistic just like her counterpart.
Once she was all laced up, she waited for John, watching as he put his skates on. “Make sure they’re really tight! Otherwise you might hurt your ankle...it gets all wibbly wobbly.”
Had even been roller skating? Some internal panic ignited, but John managed to keep it together. If he fell flat on his face or bum, at least she’d have a laugh. Couldn’t hurt that much, right? And he had an extra day to recover before having to sit on any potential bruises during a long plane ride. No, he wasn’t going to back down from taking Rose Tyler out for ice skating.
Sitting beside her to swap his red trainers for the skates, he grinned at her. “Oh, I’ll make due. A little bit of wobbly won’t hold me back.”
Standing shortly after her with his laces tied properly, he offered her his hand to guide them to stow away their shoes before heading to the rink. Her choice in words at the end gave him pause, brows knitting as he seemed to contemplate it. Martha’s face flashed in his mind, though not as he presently knew her now. And certainly not in the present.
“Like time,” he heard himself say, albeit it quietly, so much so that it was easy to miss. Snapping out of it, he smiled at Rose. “Anyway, I’m all set--allons-y, Rose Tyler!”
Rose took his hand without a second thought, as if it were a natural way of life for the two of them. She glanced over at him, thinking she had heard him say something, but then he was smiling and ready to skate. She grinned, trying to keep her balance in the skates on the rubber mats before getting to the ice. She looked at all the people skating around: many couples, hand in hand, some kids with their parents, and the occasional group of friends, laughing as one slipped and fell. She grinned at John, giving his hand a supportive squeeze and stepped out onto the ice.
“Ready?” She wobbled for a moment, giving a small ‘whoa’, before laughing and looked at him, her hand still in his. She reached for his other hand to help him onto the ice.
Being so light and agile had its benefits. John seemed to move naturally along the way to the rink. The less he thought about the perils of skating, the more some odd sort of instinct saw fit to unconsciously guide him. Pausing with one foot on the ice as he observed the poor fellow who fell, John’s nose wrinkled with sympathy.
“Ooh, that--oh, we’re, ah…” Nearly stumbling as he stepped full onto the ice, every human instinct in him stiffened and retreated to the nearest rail. So much for remaining coolly collected on the ice. He’d been doing so well in those thirty some odd seconds up to reaching the rink itself.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, straightening from his one-handed grip on the bar. Releasing it, he gave her hand a squeeze and managed to maintain balance long enough to spin less than gracefully around to face her. “There we are, hello! How’s my driving?” He grinned.
Rose wanted to try and support him but knew it was a completely different sensation to be standing on ice with only a sliver of support. She grinned as he made his way to the railing and followed, finding that she may have been a bit more confident, but still wobbly. She grinned as he turned himself around. “Hello! Looks pretty good to me! Wanna give it a go around the rink?” She nodded her head forward, giving his hand a small tug.
“‘Course I do!” He insisted, coaxed along by the pull of her hand. If he ignored all those human-y bits in his mind, perhaps he could find that same finesse he’d unwittingly discovered walking along in the first place. Letting the concept of him not being human paralyze him in the process was out of the question. There had to be some benefits to being the Doctor without having to actually become the frightening alien itself. Himself. Whatever.
Relaxing into the skate, he found the further they went, the less inclined he was to reach out for that rail of safety. So, John laughed as he glanced at Rose. “Brilliant! Don’t know why I waited so long to try this. Careful, Rose Tyler, I’ll be doing triple luxes and axles within the hour! Hah!”
Rose laughed along as well, happy to see and hear the confident in him growing. She still had her other hand out for balance, skating along but more in a way of trying to take steps on the ice. It wasn’t until a complete round that she started to actually skate, having a more fluid motion to her. “I think I’ll leave those triple luxes and axles to you! Afraid this will have to be a solo performance for you, I can’t be your partner.” She looked over at him and gave him a sad puppy dog face, a small shrug accompanying it.
As they continued their skating, they became more confident together, their pace and balance growing stronger with each completed circle. “Whew, this is a work out!” Rose let go of John’s hand, leaning down slightly to put them on her thighs. “Who would have thought? We need one of these in the OC! I’d definitely work out more if we could skate!”
That wasn’t fair at all! He mock-pouted back at her, utterly devastated to have to take his foray into the world of professional ice skating alone. Of course, he couldn’t help but to inevitably laugh at her face in the long run. “So long a you’ll be a fan, I can live with that,” he joked back.
It was a bit of work, skating. He hadn’t anticipated the strength requisite for the activity. He wasn’t the fittest man around, but he enjoyed running. So, John didn’t seem to lose any energy over the additional exertion. He only stopped when she did. Slowing down to idle before her, his grin softened into a smile.
“Oh, I suspect they’ve got loads of rinks in the OC. None so famous as this one, mind, but they’re bound to have some. We’ll have a look around if you want. Ready to call it quits, then? We can go back. If you want.”
“Oh, I’ll be your biggest fan! Big signs that say ‘John for the win!’ and I’ll throw roses every time. Not myself of course.” She gave him a wink and steadied herself again, laughing a little. “This is harder than I remember!” She glanced over at him, nodding her head. “Yeah, I guess it would be best to go back.” She glanced down at her watch. “They’ll be closing soon anyway! We’ll have to give it a go back home, see if we might be able to find some rinks to skate in! I could be your coach! On your way to Olympic glory!” She laughed, standing up again and reaching for his hand. He seemed to be doing much better than herself and she couldn’t help but smirk to think that she was the one that needed his support now.
They made it back to the waiting area without incident and Rose wobbled back to sit down on the bench. “You seemed to take to that really well!” She looked up at him and grinned. “You’re naturally talented like that I guess.” She gave him a wink before turning to pay attention to the laces on her skates.
“Back to the hotel then?” she asked, flipping her hair out of her face and straightening, her skates in her hand, regular shoes back on her feet. “Unless you wanted to explore the city nightlife?” She stuck her tongue out slightly, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
Chuckling his way off the ice, John began to feel the slightest burn of exertion from skating. It was a wonderful reminder of being human, something he feared his dreams were trying to strip away. Trailing after Rose, he took a seat to haul the skates off of his feet and switched back to the shoes Cindy had gifted him.
“Am I?” He questioned, head tilting back as he considered her appraisal. “Born natural, hah! Still, think I’ll stick with professing. My classroom’s a bit less nippy.”
Brows lifting in slight surprise at her suggestion, John stood while rifling a hand through his hair. It had been standing up perfectly, but now he’d made it all askew. He’d be offended with his image if he passed by a mirror, but didn’t seem to notice any difference from the swipe in the meanwhile. She was joking, wasn’t she? John squinted at her before cracking a grin.
“Nah, I’m alright,” he assured. “Unless--well, it’s your day. What do you… that is...” He’d planned for something--well, thought to plan of something. He had a very good idea, that was a better way of putting it. Clearing his throat almost nervously, John began to fidget with the skates in his hands. “I’d thought we could go back, get something ridiculous off the sweets menu, but if you want to go out, well…” John shrugged with a smile, set in his pleasant indifference. “I’ll follow you anywhere, Rose Tyler.”
Rose absolutely loved when John got flustered like this. Not that she liked to see him in a state of unease, but it usually meant he wanted to say something sweet, but was still trying to figure out how to say it in his head. She grinned, standing up with her skates in one hand, reaching out to take his in her other. If she had taken a moment to think about it, she would have realized how strange it was that her hand automatically sought his, as if it wasn’t content to be by its own when it could be holding his.
“It’s not just my day, it’s our day,” she said with a grin, giving his hand a small tug so they could return the skates. “And I wasn’t really serious. I know night life isn’t really your thing and I would much rather keep your company for myself.” She passed the skates back to the lady at the counter, her smile only growing with what he said. “I think staying in and ordering sweets is the best idea. Just the two of us, yeah?” It seemed silly since it was usually just the two of them, especially now that they shared a flat and usually, a room. But this was a special circumstance, one that seemed to hold more behind it than their usual at home shenanigans.
“You’d even follow me to the moon then?” she joked, walking away to try and hail a cab to take them back to the hotel. “Because that would take a lot of training and scientific sorts of things to commit to!”
“‘Course I’d follow you to the moon!” He said as though insulted that she’d think otherwise--joke or not! He’d been to the Moon on more than one occasion--hadn’t he? No, that was the Doctor, and he didn’t want to think about him. That oncoming storm needed to stay as far in the distance as possible, he wanted more time with Rose just as he was now.
“I’m clever, I’d sort it out,” he finished with a flourishing grin so as not to dispel the moment. Swinging their hands together once they’d checked the skates back in and started making their way out of the ring, he tugged her closer so he could drop a kiss to the top of her head. “Back to the hotel, then? We can chat about all the nightlife we’re missing out on along the way, of course!”
♥ ♥
Rose had decided on not going back to the room to grab her things. She wanted to give the evening to Amy and Rory, she could always pick them up in the morning. Since John seemed to have enough clothes to go around for the two of them, she was content to pull on one of his shirts, as if they were back at home.
She was already on the bed, the room service menu open in her lap. “Oh, they have a Valentine’s special! Chocolate dipped strawberries and champagne! What do you think of that for our special treat?” She glanced up at John, watching as he changed out of his shirt for the day. She couldn’t help but smile at the situation. It was just an everyday thing to do, yet it felt special that they would share it together. Not to mention that he should be changing here, in New York. She had been so caught up with dinner and ice skating that she hadn’t really taken in that he was actually here...and why. Now that there was some down time, relaxation after the exploration of the city together, she couldn’t help but grin, thinking that he had made that flight for her. No matter what they might say about labels or what they were or weren’t, she knew that he was very special in her life, someone she would never want to lose.
Whatever they were, John wanted to hang on to it for as long as he could. For as long as he could be himself, because that suddenly seemed so finite. All he could do was appreciate the time he was given--Gandalf would have been proud. It had been part of his motivation to come and see her--not Gandalf, but that he saw their time withering away. He couldn’t waste a moment of it.
Except to change into his jim-jams, of course.
Changing around Rose had become a natural thing. Once he’d situated himself, he flopped down on the bed next to her. Laying on his side, head propped up on his hand, he glanced at her as she perused the menu. Smile on his face, he gave a thumbs up. “Sounds brilliant! Don’t suppose we could trouble them to dip a banana or two, too?” His smile turned very serious. “No joking, we really ought to ask.”
Rose laughed, automatically moving closer to him once he got onto the bed. “Of course, I’ll ask if they can do a banana or two as well.” She grinned, reaching across him to get the phone and dialed room service. “Hi! I was wondering if we could get that Valentine’s special in room 1010? Oh! And could we please get some chocolate dipped bananas to go with them? Uh-huh...yeah...alright, thanks!” She reached across again, hanging up the phone, leaning back to her side of the bed. Well, she may have crowded him a bit, but she just wanted to be close to him.
“They said they’ll be up in about ten minutes!” She looked at him and grinned, suddenly feeling very shy. It was a different kind of situation for them to be in; just the two of them, Valentine’s night, celebrating in a special way...she cleared her throat and looked down at her hands, then back up at him. “How was the flight? Good?” She wasn’t sure if she had already asked him this when he first showed up. Quickly running it through her mind, she thought that she hadn’t; she was too surprised to see him here in the first place!
“Ten-four,” he said with a mock salute. “Loads of tens about,” added absently, his eyes glancing toward the door. Wasn’t that odd how that number seemed to follow him around? Shrugging that ridiculousness off--had to be coincidence--he turned over on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He may have been thick, very, very thick, but he wasn’t completely daft. Valentine’s Day with couples came with expectations, didn’t it? Not that they were an ordinary couple, or that he expected that Rose expected any expecting out of him.
Turning his head to look at her as she ventured into safe territory, he smiled gently at her. At least he wasn’t alone in the nerves department. This shouldn’t have been terribly different from their normal encounters. After all, Rose spent a great deal of time in his room. Hers had become something of a glorified storage room, a spare for guests since she tended to sleep next to him. Not with, of course, he reminded himself. They hadn’t crossed that line yet.
He’d only recently become more comfortable with openly displaying affection toward her at all.
“Good, good,” he nodded. “Bumpy, but good. Don’t mind the bumps, found them oddly comforting. More of that wibbly wobbly, as you said,” continued to note with a half-grin. “So, what do you think? Not a bad way to spend a commercial holiday, is it? Have I missed any steps?”
“You like the turbulence?” she asked, smiling. “Not a lot of people do! I actually have a few friends back home that even the talk of it makes them feel a little nauseous!” She shouldn’t have been surprised that the usual thing that makes people dislike flying made John enjoy it. He always seemed to find the bright side of everything, a positivity she loved and thrived on. Maybe that was the reason why she wanted to spend so much time in his company; you could never feel down when you were with him. Well, there was definitely that, but she knew there was so much more.
“Definitely not a bad way. I still can’t believe you’re here though!” She wrapped both her hands around his arm, snuggling into his shoulder. “You really didn’t have to, but you’ve definitely made this holiday special for me. Thank you.” She moved her head to look at him, her chin resting where her cheek was.
“I don’t think you’ve missed any steps! Well...maybe this one.” She pulled herself up so she was facing him and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
He laughed at the thought of someone being nervous over turbulence. What a preposterous thing! He had to sit up from that, eyes crinkling with amused crow’s feet. “Really? It’s not the turbulence that crashes planes anyway, that’s a bit silly! No, I rather enjoy it. Gives you a bit of a rush, the sense that you’re going somewhere!” Somehow that felt less like him and more like an alien, but he didn’t realize it.
Resting back against the pillows as she decided to cuddle next to him, his smile softened. “Have I got to pinch you to make it real?” He teased, one hand lifting to comb gently through her hair. “Oh, no need to thank me, Rose. It’s my honor, really.”
Smiling stupidly at her, he blinked in slight surprise when she shifted and gave him a kiss. It could have ended like that, he knew, but a very human tendency pressed him forward. Slipping his arms about her, John tugged her close to kiss her better. It was bolder than he’d ever been, something that triggered his apprehension just enough to draw him back and search her eyes for any sign of trouble.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “Too much?”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh as John talked about the turbulence, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. “Who knows really? I’m sure they think the plane is gonna fall outta the sky, like you said. Still, it is a little scary when the plane gives such a big dip! I’m still getting use to walking around when that happens!” She smiled, loving how that sort of thing brought such a response from him; it was almost like asking him to talk about his political view of something.
She closed her eyes as she felt his hand run through her hair; she loved when he did that. “No, no pinching necessary! Just...surreal. I never thought something this romantic would happen to me! Ever. And…” she didn’t finish, not wanting to actually say it out loud. After everything they had been through, she didn’t want to put any pressure on John to be anything more than what he wanted them to be. But the fun side of her enjoyed that such a romantic gesture would come from someone she wasn’t sure if she should call her flatmate, friend, or boyfriend.
She was delightfully surprised when John returned the kiss with such fervor, even wrapping his arms around her to pull her closer. They had shared a nice kiss or two, snuck in between conversations of the day or late night snuggling. But he had never kissed her like this before.
She had to withhold a vocal groan of disquiet, not wanting to pull away from the kiss. She look at him, her eyelids a little heavier than usual.
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I...I rather like it.” She gave him a shy smile, moving in to give him another kiss.
Knock, knock
The look in her eyes drew him back just in time to hear the blasted room service arrive. Stalling the kiss with a gentle press of his hands upon her shoulders, John turned his head to glare at the door. Every time--well, except that one instance on his bed--he managed to lose this moment. The more often it happened, the more disgruntled he became over it happening. It was like the universe tried to keep them from cementing anything further, which was ridiculous, really. What would the universe have against the pair of them?
“Timing is everything,” he said with half a grumble and a smile to counter it. Clearing his throat, he slid back from her, hands combing through his hair to calm himself down in order to be presentable to room service. Plastering a winning smile on his face, he opened the door, tip in hand for the well-meaning bloke, and took the treats in exchange for the money.
“Thank you, you’re brilliant,” he said without a hint of sarcasm, because he was excited for the sweets. Really he was! “Happy Valentine’s Day, hm?” Closing the door on a bewildered busboy, he brought the tray over to the bed and sat back down to examine its contents. “Look at that! Not bad, not bad at all. Good thinking, Rose Tyler.”
Plucking the champagne, he uncorked it with a brightening smile and poured them both a glass. Passing her one, he held his up to her. “Cheers?”
It was always their luck. There always seemed to be something that got in the way whenever they were going to have a more serious moment. Rose did her best to smile and give him a look that said ‘no big deal’ even if she was feeling the complete opposite. They had ordered this special treat after all...there was time enough for more snuggles and intimate times together, right?
She sat up in bed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as John answered the door. She couldn’t help but notice how cute he was with everything he did. She had a silly grin on her face when he came back, trying to hide it with delight at their newly arrived sweets.
“They even remembered the bananas!” she said with glee, pointing down to the sweets she was sure John would love. She happily took the glass he offered, toasting him by clinking their glasses together. “Cheers! To a very Happy Valentine’s.” She took a sip of hers, nodding her head in approval. Champage had to be one of her more favorite alcoholic beverages. She enjoyed the bubbles and the taste of alcohol wasn’t so strong with the right kind. This was perfection.
“Should we play a Valentine’s game?” she asked, picking up a strawberry and biting into it. “Truth or dare maybe?”
“So they did!” He remarked, spying his beloved fruit on the platter. They were going to be wonderful with the chocolate. Glasses clinked and spirits high, he took a content helping of what he hoped would become liquid courage just this once. He’d be cautious, of course. Didn’t want to turn up with a tie around his head or something else ridiculous to dispel the moment they’d built. As it stood, he felt like the opportune moment had passed him by already.
Eyebrows raising at her suggestion, John wondered if he ought to throw up his guard. But, this was Rose. Beyond his dreams, there were very few things he’d resist sharing with her. Unwilling to spoil the moment further, he lifted up a piece of banana and downed it after saying, “Truth or dare it is! Your idea, you go first, hm? I’ll dare for a dare, Rose Tyler.”
Rose decided to leave the bananas for him, rather preferring the strawberries that they had so graciously given them. She took another sip of champagne, giving him a sweet smile when he agreed to play the game. “Dare first huh?” She thought about it a moment, taking a strawberry and twirling it by the stem. “Alright, John Smith I dare you to stand up and do an original dance for...thirty seconds.” She gave him a playful look, eating another strawberry.
“A what?” He questioned with a laugh. “An original dance? Me? Thirty seconds? Blimey..” Munching on another banana as he slid off the bed, he stood almost awkwardly with his hands upon his hips. What on earth would he do for a dance--and without music! Didn’t seem fair at all, but he wouldn’t be deterred. He had a dare to accomplish, and set out to do so he did--in the most ridiculous way possible. Setting his watch for thirty seconds, John pranced, tangoed solo, and gave a terrible go of breakdancing in the longest thirty seconds of his life.
And by the end, he bowed. “How’s that for an original dance, hmmm?” Cheeky grin and all, he leaned over to have another sip of champagne.
Because he didn’t nearly have enough to accomplish that feat. “Your go, Rose Tyler. Truth or dare?”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh and clap along to his dancing, giving him a standing ovation once he was done. “Bravo maestro, bravo!” She gave him a small peck on the cheek and sat down again, following suit and taking a sip of her drink as well. “Oh, after that, I think I’ll go with truth. Don’t wanna get any kind of revenge dare for that!” She gave him a wink, still sipping on her champagne.
Settling down close to her, weight supported on his elbow, he nodded in approval of her decision. “Wise choice,” he agreed. “I’ll trust your discretion that you won’t tell a soul about my moves, by the way,” he said with a huff. “I’ve a reputation to uphold as a very strict non-dancer.”
As for her truth question…
“All of time and space is at your disposal,” he started. “When and where would you go?”
She smiled at the question, thinking how it was a very Doctor question to ask; hadn’t he asked her that? Their very first trip together, wasn’t it? She had to think for only a moment before her smile softened, almost giving an air of sadness.