True Love's Gifts 6/13
Five Gold Rings
Rose’s breath was fogging up the car window as she watched the lights of London’s streets pass by. They’d just landed back in Britain and were heading to the Doctor’s flat to order some take-away for dinner. She smiled contentedly as she thought of her time in Paris with the Doctor. They’d only been there for two days, but the Doctor had made sure they were full and exciting days. He’d taken her to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Mona Lisa (they’d received many strange looks from other tourists as the Doctor regaled Rose with stories of the time he’d spent as Da Vinci’s apprentice). But he’d also taken her to that amazing picnic and on sunset walks along the Seine. It was the most romantic time they’d spent since they were brought together.
She glanced to her right to look at the object of her reflection. He was wearing his specs and was concentrating on the road - he was a better car driver than TARDIS driver, but only just. As if sensing her eyes on him, he glanced her way and smiled. Rose felt a flush steal across her face as she smiled back. She turned to look back out the window and felt a little shiver of excitement over what she thought today’s gift might be. She was well onto his pattern now, and she knew what the traditional gift was for the fifth day of Christmas - what better prelude to a proposal than a romantic weekend getaway to Paris? A week ago she would have thought she wasn’t ready for this step, but now she knew that she was - that they were. She felt a giddy excitement welling within her as the Doctor pulled into the drive for his flat.
***
“Alright, Rose,” the Doctor said as they entered his flat and he tossed his keys onto the entryway table. “You know where the take-away menus are; lady’s choice tonight. Call and order from wherever you like. I’m just going to put my overnight bag away and check the phone for messages. Then I think there’s still a gift owed for today.”
He winked at her and didn’t miss how she blushed at his mention of the gift. She looked suddenly nervous and, despite her smile, she kept rubbing her hands up and down her thighs as if she didn’t know what else she should be doing with them. She recovered quickly, though, and started toward the kitchen calling back over her shoulder something about tapas.
He headed into his bedroom, stopping to check the message light on the phone in his office - no messages, good. Entering his room, he tossed the overnight bag on his bed and walked over to his wardrobe. He sat cross-legged on the floor and opened the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe. He smiled at the stack of envelopes hidden there. He’d been determined to make this the best Christmas Rose had ever had and he was delighted that she seemed to be enjoying everything so far.
He reached into the drawer and pulled out the envelope on the top of the stack, weighing it in his hand for a moment before setting it on the floor next to him and removing a small velvet pouch from the drawer. He pulled open the drawstring and tipped the pouch over, emptying the platinum and diamond ring into his palm. He’d spent almost his entire first paycheck from the university as the down payment on this gift. He’d not known at the time when he’d give it to her, when they’d be ready; they’d still been very much trying to find their way together at that time. They were still working on that, but they’d come a long way and the Doctor thought, as he held the ring up to the light to admire the sparkle and the inscription he’d had engraved, that they were ready for this next level of commitment. He shook his head in slight disbelief at how much he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her, now that he actually could.
He heard Rose call to him from the hallway, sounding curious as to what was taking him so long. He looked at the ring again, considering. He’d never planned on giving her the ring today, but his Rose was a clever girl and he had a suspicion that she was anticipating this gift. Before he could over-analyze the situation or be caught by Rose with the ring in his hand, he hastily put the ring back in the pouch and hid the pouch back under a pair of socks in his drawer. He grabbed the envelope off the floor and stood up, kicking the wardrobe drawer shut as he turned to leave the room. He felt they were ready, but not tonight.
***
Rose set the last take-away container on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes contentedly. “I am stuffed!” she declared.
She heard the Doctor chuckle from the end of the couch; she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.
“It’s a good thing we came here for dinner,” he said, smiling good-humoredly. “If I’d dropped you at home and you’d eaten like that, Jackie would have been on the phone to yell at me about not feeding you in France.”
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and moved to the other end of the couch, turning her body so she could stretch her legs out along the length with her feet resting on the Doctor’s legs. He began gently rubbing her feet and they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Rose let her eyes drift close and her head drop back to rest on the arm of the couch. She’d noticed the Doctor watching her carefully as they’d eaten dinner, his quiet contemplation of her making her even more eager for the day’s gift.
As if hearing her thoughts, the Doctor broke the silence in the room.
“I suppose I better give you your gift for today, before you fall asleep on me.”
She opened her eyes and lifted her head to find him looking at her very solemnly. She swallowed nervously and noticed that his gaze intensified a bit. He didn’t miss a trick, did he?
“Okay.” She spoke quietly, sitting upright and curling her legs underneath her as she moved to the middle of the couch and closer to the Doctor.
He regarded her very seriously for a moment, almost as if he was contemplating what to say or do. Finally, he reached into the couch cushion behind him and pulled out another white envelope, like all the others. He never broke eye contact with her as he held the envelope out and said in a quiet and very serious voice, “Happy fifth day of Christmas, Rose Tyler.”
Rose tried not to let her hands shake as she took the envelope from him and turned it over in her hands. She finally dropped her gaze from his so she could open the envelope and remove the card. Inside were two tickets and another note:
On the fifth day of Christmas, the Doctor gave to me: five Olympic rings (sort of).
Rose stared blankly at the card for a moment before turning her attention to the tickets in her other hand.
“Since we didn’t get to this event at the 2012 Olympics in London back in the old universe,” the Doctor explained quietly. “They’re all-event passes for the women’s gymnastics competitions for the next Olympic games.”
Rose forced a small smile, feeling a bit fake and shallow as she did so. This really was an amazing gift, and she had been disappointed that they’d not made it to gymnastics events before, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the gift wasn’t a ring of the more traditional sort. She heard the Doctor’s voice as if from very far away.
“You don’t like them?”
Rose forced herself back to the moment and gave him a smile that she knew he’d see right through. “No, they’re great! Really, they are.” She looked back down at the tickets, finding it too difficult to look at him.
“Rose,” he said, reaching a hand out to rest on her knee and lowering his head so he could see her face. “Remember Clause 2 of the Doctor-Rose Treaty. You’re not telepathic and neither am I, anymore. No keeping our feelings from each other. If something’s bothering you, you need to tell me so we can talk about it. I want to know.”
Rose couldn’t help a little laugh at his mention of the agreement they’d made back when they were still struggling with getting to know each other again and the Doctor was learning how to live his new half-human life - their “Dark Days” as they now jokingly referred to them. The Doctor had brought up the idea for a written agreement out of the blue one day and Rose had rolled her eyes a bit but gone along, thinking it would be a bit of a lark. Surprisingly, though, it had done wonders for their relationship and they now quite often found themselves quoting clauses at each other when they knew there was something that needed discussing. She set the tickets and envelope on the coffee table, sighed and forced herself to look at him.
“No, they really are great. Thank you. You know I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics and I wouldn’t want to go with anyone but you. It’s just….” She trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought without sounding petty or self-important.
"You were expecting something different?” The Doctor said quietly, in an understanding voice. His voice may have asked a question, but his eyes made clear he already knew the answer. He reached forward to take her hands in his and said, with a small smile, “Something circular and metal, perhaps, with a shiny stone?"
Rose looked away, embarrassed to be caught out. "Maybe," she admitted.
When the Doctor didn’t say anything, Rose looked back up at him and felt her heart leap into her throat. He was looking at her with a raw emotion that she didn’t think she’d seen since he offered her the rest of his life that day at Bad Wolf Bay. He was taking very deep and slow breaths, as if trying to calm himself. Finally, he swallowed and spoke.
“Would you have been ready to take that step with me, if that had been the present tonight?”
“Yes, I would,” Rose answered without hesitation.
As if a switch had been flipped, the Doctor blinked and broke into a dazzling grin; the raw emotion in his eyes was replaced with a mischievous glint. “Very good to know! But really, Rose Tyler, a ring would have been so predictable and obvious, and where’s the fun in that?”
Rose rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to reply that she would have a thought a ring would have been plenty of fun, but the Doctor kept right on talking.
“Besides, I shouldn’t bother with the other seven days if I’d given you a ring today, should I? I mean, really, how do you top that even once, must less seven more times? I mean, I can’t set myself up for failure like that, now can I?”
He finally had to stop for a breath and Rose took advantage of the momentary pause to lean in and give him a kiss.
“Shut up,” she teased, before adding more seriously. “I really do love the tickets. And I really am ready to be with you always.”
Rose felt her body flush with heat as the Doctor’s eyes darkened with emotion. He moved his hands to her back, pulling her to him for a very thorough kiss. He broke the kiss and Rose rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling her body against his. He lightly stroked his fingertips up and down her arm and said, in a voice so soft she almost missed it, “That’s very, very good to know, Rose Tyler.”
Rose’s breath was fogging up the car window as she watched the lights of London’s streets pass by. They’d just landed back in Britain and were heading to the Doctor’s flat to order some take-away for dinner. She smiled contentedly as she thought of her time in Paris with the Doctor. They’d only been there for two days, but the Doctor had made sure they were full and exciting days. He’d taken her to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Mona Lisa (they’d received many strange looks from other tourists as the Doctor regaled Rose with stories of the time he’d spent as Da Vinci’s apprentice). But he’d also taken her to that amazing picnic and on sunset walks along the Seine. It was the most romantic time they’d spent since they were brought together.
She glanced to her right to look at the object of her reflection. He was wearing his specs and was concentrating on the road - he was a better car driver than TARDIS driver, but only just. As if sensing her eyes on him, he glanced her way and smiled. Rose felt a flush steal across her face as she smiled back. She turned to look back out the window and felt a little shiver of excitement over what she thought today’s gift might be. She was well onto his pattern now, and she knew what the traditional gift was for the fifth day of Christmas - what better prelude to a proposal than a romantic weekend getaway to Paris? A week ago she would have thought she wasn’t ready for this step, but now she knew that she was - that they were. She felt a giddy excitement welling within her as the Doctor pulled into the drive for his flat.
***
“Alright, Rose,” the Doctor said as they entered his flat and he tossed his keys onto the entryway table. “You know where the take-away menus are; lady’s choice tonight. Call and order from wherever you like. I’m just going to put my overnight bag away and check the phone for messages. Then I think there’s still a gift owed for today.”
He winked at her and didn’t miss how she blushed at his mention of the gift. She looked suddenly nervous and, despite her smile, she kept rubbing her hands up and down her thighs as if she didn’t know what else she should be doing with them. She recovered quickly, though, and started toward the kitchen calling back over her shoulder something about tapas.
He headed into his bedroom, stopping to check the message light on the phone in his office - no messages, good. Entering his room, he tossed the overnight bag on his bed and walked over to his wardrobe. He sat cross-legged on the floor and opened the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe. He smiled at the stack of envelopes hidden there. He’d been determined to make this the best Christmas Rose had ever had and he was delighted that she seemed to be enjoying everything so far.
He reached into the drawer and pulled out the envelope on the top of the stack, weighing it in his hand for a moment before setting it on the floor next to him and removing a small velvet pouch from the drawer. He pulled open the drawstring and tipped the pouch over, emptying the platinum and diamond ring into his palm. He’d spent almost his entire first paycheck from the university as the down payment on this gift. He’d not known at the time when he’d give it to her, when they’d be ready; they’d still been very much trying to find their way together at that time. They were still working on that, but they’d come a long way and the Doctor thought, as he held the ring up to the light to admire the sparkle and the inscription he’d had engraved, that they were ready for this next level of commitment. He shook his head in slight disbelief at how much he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her, now that he actually could.
He heard Rose call to him from the hallway, sounding curious as to what was taking him so long. He looked at the ring again, considering. He’d never planned on giving her the ring today, but his Rose was a clever girl and he had a suspicion that she was anticipating this gift. Before he could over-analyze the situation or be caught by Rose with the ring in his hand, he hastily put the ring back in the pouch and hid the pouch back under a pair of socks in his drawer. He grabbed the envelope off the floor and stood up, kicking the wardrobe drawer shut as he turned to leave the room. He felt they were ready, but not tonight.
***
Rose set the last take-away container on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes contentedly. “I am stuffed!” she declared.
She heard the Doctor chuckle from the end of the couch; she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.
“It’s a good thing we came here for dinner,” he said, smiling good-humoredly. “If I’d dropped you at home and you’d eaten like that, Jackie would have been on the phone to yell at me about not feeding you in France.”
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and moved to the other end of the couch, turning her body so she could stretch her legs out along the length with her feet resting on the Doctor’s legs. He began gently rubbing her feet and they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Rose let her eyes drift close and her head drop back to rest on the arm of the couch. She’d noticed the Doctor watching her carefully as they’d eaten dinner, his quiet contemplation of her making her even more eager for the day’s gift.
As if hearing her thoughts, the Doctor broke the silence in the room.
“I suppose I better give you your gift for today, before you fall asleep on me.”
She opened her eyes and lifted her head to find him looking at her very solemnly. She swallowed nervously and noticed that his gaze intensified a bit. He didn’t miss a trick, did he?
“Okay.” She spoke quietly, sitting upright and curling her legs underneath her as she moved to the middle of the couch and closer to the Doctor.
He regarded her very seriously for a moment, almost as if he was contemplating what to say or do. Finally, he reached into the couch cushion behind him and pulled out another white envelope, like all the others. He never broke eye contact with her as he held the envelope out and said in a quiet and very serious voice, “Happy fifth day of Christmas, Rose Tyler.”
Rose tried not to let her hands shake as she took the envelope from him and turned it over in her hands. She finally dropped her gaze from his so she could open the envelope and remove the card. Inside were two tickets and another note:
On the fifth day of Christmas, the Doctor gave to me: five Olympic rings (sort of).
Rose stared blankly at the card for a moment before turning her attention to the tickets in her other hand.
“Since we didn’t get to this event at the 2012 Olympics in London back in the old universe,” the Doctor explained quietly. “They’re all-event passes for the women’s gymnastics competitions for the next Olympic games.”
Rose forced a small smile, feeling a bit fake and shallow as she did so. This really was an amazing gift, and she had been disappointed that they’d not made it to gymnastics events before, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the gift wasn’t a ring of the more traditional sort. She heard the Doctor’s voice as if from very far away.
“You don’t like them?”
Rose forced herself back to the moment and gave him a smile that she knew he’d see right through. “No, they’re great! Really, they are.” She looked back down at the tickets, finding it too difficult to look at him.
“Rose,” he said, reaching a hand out to rest on her knee and lowering his head so he could see her face. “Remember Clause 2 of the Doctor-Rose Treaty. You’re not telepathic and neither am I, anymore. No keeping our feelings from each other. If something’s bothering you, you need to tell me so we can talk about it. I want to know.”
Rose couldn’t help a little laugh at his mention of the agreement they’d made back when they were still struggling with getting to know each other again and the Doctor was learning how to live his new half-human life - their “Dark Days” as they now jokingly referred to them. The Doctor had brought up the idea for a written agreement out of the blue one day and Rose had rolled her eyes a bit but gone along, thinking it would be a bit of a lark. Surprisingly, though, it had done wonders for their relationship and they now quite often found themselves quoting clauses at each other when they knew there was something that needed discussing. She set the tickets and envelope on the coffee table, sighed and forced herself to look at him.
“No, they really are great. Thank you. You know I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics and I wouldn’t want to go with anyone but you. It’s just….” She trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought without sounding petty or self-important.
"You were expecting something different?” The Doctor said quietly, in an understanding voice. His voice may have asked a question, but his eyes made clear he already knew the answer. He reached forward to take her hands in his and said, with a small smile, “Something circular and metal, perhaps, with a shiny stone?"
Rose looked away, embarrassed to be caught out. "Maybe," she admitted.
When the Doctor didn’t say anything, Rose looked back up at him and felt her heart leap into her throat. He was looking at her with a raw emotion that she didn’t think she’d seen since he offered her the rest of his life that day at Bad Wolf Bay. He was taking very deep and slow breaths, as if trying to calm himself. Finally, he swallowed and spoke.
“Would you have been ready to take that step with me, if that had been the present tonight?”
“Yes, I would,” Rose answered without hesitation.
As if a switch had been flipped, the Doctor blinked and broke into a dazzling grin; the raw emotion in his eyes was replaced with a mischievous glint. “Very good to know! But really, Rose Tyler, a ring would have been so predictable and obvious, and where’s the fun in that?”
Rose rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to reply that she would have a thought a ring would have been plenty of fun, but the Doctor kept right on talking.
“Besides, I shouldn’t bother with the other seven days if I’d given you a ring today, should I? I mean, really, how do you top that even once, must less seven more times? I mean, I can’t set myself up for failure like that, now can I?”
He finally had to stop for a breath and Rose took advantage of the momentary pause to lean in and give him a kiss.
“Shut up,” she teased, before adding more seriously. “I really do love the tickets. And I really am ready to be with you always.”
Rose felt her body flush with heat as the Doctor’s eyes darkened with emotion. He moved his hands to her back, pulling her to him for a very thorough kiss. He broke the kiss and Rose rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling her body against his. He lightly stroked his fingertips up and down her arm and said, in a voice so soft she almost missed it, “That’s very, very good to know, Rose Tyler.”