It goes something like this [Part Three of....]
~
Matt always said he was not a romantic, that he was not one for grand gestures…
Liar.
Karen knew better
~
It started with a note on Matt’s pillow. No, that wasn’t entirely correct…it started with a new alarm, a song, it crept into Karen’s deep sleep, pulling her out, and she couldn’t help chuckling.
It was Matt, singing.
It was Matt singing a few verses
Wise Men say
only fools rush in
but I cant help
falling in love with you
and then, with his goofiest voice telling her to get up.
“And Kazza? Good morning!”
Karen had been wide awake now, replying the alarm…shaking her head in amusement, until she noticed the post it on Matt’s pillow.
“Unlike a certain firecracker red head, I had to be on set early. Coffee is ready, waiting for you in the kitchen…can’t you smell it? PS: we have confidential on set. “
Karen yawned, keeping the not in her hand, she could indeed smell coffee, but alas it had to wait, she had to make herself presentable, since the driver would pick her up in less than a hour.
When she entered the bathroom she had two surprises - three if she considered it wasn’t the usual battlefield Matt left after getting ready in the morning - there was a soft smell in the air, like a mixture of coconut and lemon, and she vaguely recalled having commented about that essence to Matt, once, in London.
The second surprise was the little square wooden box in the sink, there was a post it on it a tardis blue one, and in Matt’s writing, “Open me, after you get ready”
“Okay…officially weird” Karen said to no one in the room. She shook her head, beginning her morning rituals, which consisted in making her presentable, and not having the make up girls on set wanting to kill her on sight.
She had just buttoned her shirt, when she finally looked again at the box.
It was a small box, and once she peeled the post it away from the lid, she even recognized it: she had seen that box, in a little store while they were shooting “Vampires of Venice”, the previous year. Matt had been with her, while she did her window shopping, at the time they had been something more than friends, but the details of what they were exactly, were still very hazy.
I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not…
She chanted to herself, as she slowly opened the box, and the tears came, when she recognized one of the objects in it, it was a simple bottle cap…of the wine they had popped in the car, during their first aborted date because of a flat tire and the rain. They had drunk all the wine, giggling and imagining the headlines if they’d be ever found out drunk in the car, in various state of undressing - and Karen had pointed out that they still hadn’t even kissed, Matt had looked at her, a challenge in his eyes, before kissing her.
“Oh, God…” she whispered and then smiled, wiping away tears from her eyes when she noticed the other object, it was a silver bracelet, like the one she had seen on a stand in Belfast, the day after she had surprised him and they had had a few hours to spend together, walking and enjoying the views.
No, it was exactly the same bracelet, it even had the same intricate pattern that made it seem like a series of sideways eight, the sign of infinite.
She let out a sigh “Wow…” she breathed, as she took the object in her hand.
What the hell was going on?
There was coffee ready to be made in the kitchen, a single red rose, another post it from Matt, with just some random words, quotes from a song
“And sail us to the moon
Sail us to the moon
Sail us to the moon
Sail us to the moon”
Ok, there was definitely something weird going on, Karen decided, and …damn! The coffee was perfect and there was even a new scarf, a giant, white, fluffy thing waiting for her next to her coat as she went out.
Matt…was a considerate boyfriend, he made her happy, she honestly didn’t remember ever been so happy in her life, but…he usually wasn’t like that. Not that she complained, she was just curious.
And excited…
And even if she’d see Matt in less than a hour, for a moment she missed him so much that it was like a physical ache.
Yes, she had it bad, really bad for her costar…but then again, what else was new?
She resisted the temptation to text him, they were professionals, Matt was probably shooting, and they had some rules, some code of ethics …or, as they had once said, in unison, in bed, after discussing the issues, “Let’s not make fools out of ourselves”
Karen smiled at the driver and sat in the car, sticking her hands in her coat’s pocket, touching something…a slip of paper.
Her heart sped up…it could be anything, it could be a receipt she had forgotten, a parking ticket, except that she knew it wasn’t
The slip of paper was pale green, Karen opened it, without even realizing she was holding her breath
“You taught me to laugh…and I learned how to make you laugh, and guess what? I love the sound of your laughter”
She let out a watery sigh, clutching the slip of paper in her hand.
Her heart was racing…and she still hadn’t seen Matt.
Damn, that was going to be a long day
~
“I love that my socks are next to your bras in the laundry room”
It was a note that she found in the parka she wore while waiting to shoot. The note was on a bright yellow slip of paper, and she couldn’t help a snort.
Matt had welcomed her the usual way: a brush of their shoulders, his hand on the small of her back, a cup of coffee ready for her.
They were shooting dialogue scenes. She loved acting with Matt, when she was in Amy’s head, when she tried and became the girl who waited, sometimes she really saw Matt as the Doctor, not as her boyfriend, not as the crazy, flamboyant, incredibly smart man she knew.
“And…cut” The director said. Karen sighed, wishing the words to just stay in her mind, in the right order…was it too much to ask for?
She went to a side of the set, to her chair, and noticed the folded paper in the pocket at its side.
“You read what I write…and you like it, and I like the way you read it aloud…
ps: I’d be honoured to do the Scottish Play with you, one day”
She was on the verge of tears, for a million reasons…for the notes, for the script and its words that just didn’t want to stay in her head and for Matt, who was talking to some crew member, without getting near her, even though she could feel his eyes on her.
Almost as if he had heard her thoughts - which, at that point, wouldn’t really surprise Karen, Matt got close to her, he sat next to her on his chair - technically she was sitting on his, but they had long ago stopped minding about those things - he looked at her and said, “You were doing very good”
“I was sucking” Karen mumbled.
Matt shook his head, “Nonsense” he handed her the sides and said, “Want to go through the last page together one more time?”
Karen nodded. People…not even their closest friends, couldn’t understand what that show had done to them, how it had bound them…regardless of the fact that they had fallen in love with each other.
The first scene together, feeling the magic happens, the characters come to life, was something she wouldn’t be able to explain to anyone…except to Matt, but she was lucky, he had been there, with her.
“The only time I found you more sexy than all covered in red slime, with your nightie attached to your body, was when you were wearing my team shirt and watched the game with me”
It was written in pencil, on the first page of her sides, she looked at Matt blinking her eyes. He was wearing his glasses, acting like the perfect platonic co-star any actress could ever hope to have, he also sort of remind her of a professor, with those glasses perched on the tip of his nose, as he listened to her, and her mind definitely didn’t need those kind of fantasies. Not on set, at least.
Almost on cue, Arthur passed in front of them and she heard him muttering under his breath, “Oh, for God’s sake, you have trailers…use them!”
Karen blushed, and her blush became even more pronounced when she noticed the other note at the end of the page
“I love the way you blush, how you cover your face…you are always real, K.”
Matt was looking at her as if he didn’t have a clue about what was going on and Karen took a big breath and said her lines, focusing on them, focusing on Amy and the Doctor and Rory, and yet, on each page there were some notes written in Matt’s scribble, she couldn’t help laughing out loud, ignoring the glares she got when she read
“You are the only human being who could ever, ever, convince me to listen to a whole ‘Spice Girl’ cd. But you love Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song…so”
The director called them back, and Karen didn’t miss the smile Matt gave her as he put his glasses in his coat, and the last thing she read before the director called the shot was a scribbled note, on the last page of her sides
“I love that you keep a copy of my optical prescription in your purse…and that I know just what kind of feminine product (shan’t enter into detail, my love), you use”
She wouldn’t survive that day, she decided. Matt Smith had decided to kill her.
~
He did not kill her, though. For hours she found notes, little gifts in her trailer that had apparently no meaning, she had laughed until tears had streamed down her face when she had found a lasagna magnet on her fridge, and a written note
“You cleaned up my mess…while I was sleeping, did I ever thank you for that?”
She wanted to talk to Matt…heck, she wanted to go to Matt’s trailer, close the door, barricade themselves into that blasted thing, and have her way with him, but they still had a couple of scenes to shoot. Actually she had wrapped for the day, she was waiting for Matt to finish his scenes and she was just wandering around in her trailer, finding new notes - she hadn’t counted them, but she was reasonably sure there were a lot of them, she was keeping them all in her notepad and she felt lightheaded…
What was going on? She was trying to think about what could have prompted all of that from Matt…except…that, well, her boyfriend was kind of crazy…so she had learned to expect the unexpected.
But this? It felt surreal, it felt amazing…it made her want to just run into Matt’s arms and tell him how much she loved him.
The surrealistic feeling went up various notches when she heard knocking at the door of her trailer and when she opened no one was there…nothing, except a large, white, box.
She looked at the box, and of course no one was around to tell her who had left the box. She opened it, finding - surprise, surprise - a slip of paper, she quickly read the words, smiling at them, while her eyes filled with tears…trust Matt Smith to make her an emotional mess in one day, she then lifted the thin foil revealing a dress.
She sighed and shook her head, taking her cellphone, ignoring all their self imposed rules. Not surprisingly Matt answered after just one ring.
“Hey…” He said.
“Bad time?” She asked, starting to pace her trailer, looking at the dress, realizing she felt like she had drunk too much…while she was, in reality, completely sober.
“No, they’re adjusting the lights, just one more scene and I’m done for the day” He said, and to someone who didn’t know Matt as well as she did, he sounded calm, no hint of excitement of expectancy
“Ok…” Karen said, her voice somehow caught in her throat, “I’ll be waiting on stage two, like you asked…but Matt?”
His laughter interrupted her, “I’ve got to go…and I’ll tell you anything you want to ask, Kaz”
“Matt?” She said, stopping him, before he could hung up.
“Yeah?” He said.
“Uh…nothing…” She trailed, chickening out at the last moment.
“Me too, Kaz…” He said hanging up, and she could basically see the smile on his face.
~
So her boyfriend was resourceful, he had a plan, one that apparently had taken a lot of work and effort and Karen wasn’t going to ruin it for him. She wore the dress, the one Matt had chosen and not surprisingly it fit perfectly.
No one noticed her walking toward stage two, they had wrapped for the night and Karen felt giddy with anticipation, it was almost like being a teenager again and doing something forbidden but so fun.
And her geeky, smart, incredibly boyfriend was the masterplan behind …whatever was going to happen.
She stopped in front of the door, it wasn’t really closed, but still Karen paused, her heart beating fast in her chest, but most of all she wanted to see Matt…all those notes, the little gifts, things that had popped up throughout the day, had just driven home how much Matt had become part of her life.
She entered the soundstage, it was dark all around her, she took some steps but Matt’s voice, soft stopped her.
“Please, stay here for a moment while I …” He trailed, she heard him cussing while doing something with the lights, but she complied, and didn’t even flinch when the soundstage …the tardis set was lit again, its lighting softer than usual.
“Bloody lights…” Matt mumbled, and now she could see him, he had changed out of his doctor costume, he was wearing black trousers and a white shirt, his hair slicked back, he looked …amazing, and anxious as much as she was feeling.
He pressed a button and the air was filled with some music, she recognized it, they were playing it on the radio, the night of their first date…she recalled the rain tickling outside the windows, Matt’s coat covering her, his arms circling her waist as they kissed, and Sting and his voice made it all even more perfect.
“You might have wondered whatever possessed me today” Matt said, moving a step toward her.
She nodded, noticing how Matt was now circling her, and closed her eyes when she felt his hands on her shoulders helping her out of her coat, revealing the simple black dress she was wearing.
The same one she had been wearing on their first date
“I’ve seen you wear…pretty much everything, I’ve even seen you in a wedding dress…” He said, his voice hot, a caress against her neck, before he kissed her earlobe, “but that night? You took my breath away”
Karen opened her eyes, “Matt…” she said, “what…”
Matt silenced her with a kiss, it was chaste, his hands holding her face, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs.
“It’s not my birthday…” She whispered, feeling breathless, as Matt’s hands trailed down, caressing her naked arms and then her sides.
They were swaying with the music, Sting’s words filling the air and Karen couldn’t believe they were really on set, in the Tardis, almost dancing to Sting’s “My one and only love”
You fill my eager heart with
Such desire
Every kiss you give
Sets my soul on fire
I give myself in sweet surrender
My one and only love
“I know” Matt said, he pulled her at him, and Karen realized that Matt hadn’t really touched her all day; even the scenes they’d had had together, hadn’t recquired for them to touch…and yet, he had been in her every thought…even more than usual
“It’s not our anniversary either…” Karen said, circling Matt’s neck with her arms, as another song played, and later she would probably ask Matt what he had promised the producers to give him free reign on their most important set…
…possibly their first born.
And it didn’t surprise Karen in the least, when the idea of having a child with Matt didn’t scare her
“I’m aware of that…” Matt said, he took a deep breath and a step back. She saw him swallowing, suddenly nervous with something.
“I remember when you entered the room for the reading…you were beautiful and so full of talent…
I remember our first day here, do you?”
Karen nodded and let out a chuckle, “I was scared to death”
Matt smiled, “I was scared as well…but …we made it…”
Karen nodded and Matt continued, “I talked myself into ignoring how hot I thought you were…”
“A complete success, I see” Karen said, giving Matt’s hand a light squeeze.
“Apparently…I didn’t stand a chance” Matt replied.
It was easy, easy bantering with Matt…it was them.
“And then I did realize two things” Matt said, his voice was full of emotion now.
He was looking at her and she was transfixed. If Matt Smith asked, that very moment, to walk through the fire for him, she would.
She would do anything for him.
“The first thing…is that I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling or being happy since I met you, even when all my shirts turns out pink or green after it’s your turn with the laundry…or when you laugh of my fear of spiders”
“It’s just insects!” Karen said, but she was smiling.
“Shut up, they’re not!” Matt interjected but he was smiling as well.
“Why….all of this…?” Karen asked gesturing around with her eyes.
Matt run a hand through his hair, suddenly shy, he brushed the top of her head with a kiss and said, “Because today…last year, I realized I had fallen in love with you…and I wanted you to know why…and because…”
Oh, my God…
Karen thought as Matt slowly got on one knee
This can’t be really happening
Matt’s hands were helding his, “I want this…for us, forever…”
Forever…my God…yes…yes!
Matt’s eyes were bright and his smile actually made Karen’s heart ache.
Everything that happened that day: the notes, the gifts…365 little tokens…their life, their beginning…their love.
“Will you marry me?” He finally asked, his voice thick with emotion.
Karen’s knees gave out, she found herself on the floor, with Matt, both of them chuckling, both of them with tears streaming down their faces…both of them in love, deliriously happy.
And Karen did what she had wished to do all day long, she kissed Matt, long, slow, her fingers scraping the soft skin of his neck, her teeth teasing his lips, moaning as she felt Matt’s fingers running through her hair, the other hand cupping her cheek to better angle the kiss.
Minutes, hours…eternities later - they were in the Tardis after all - they broke apart, both smiling, and Matt looked at her.
She traced the lines of his face, “I fell in love with you during our first day of shooting…I thought you were crazy, clumsy, impossibly talented…”
“I am…” Matt said, smirking.
“But you were also caring, you were there for me…and you have been…every moment, every day…so yes, Matt…yes…I will marry you”
“Seriously?” Matt asked.
And the genuine surprise on his face was so comical that Karen couldn’t help nudging him and snorting, “No, Matt…I’m just about to ravish my costar on set, for the heck of it”
“Ravish?” Matt asked.
Karen nodded, while her fingers started working on his shirt’s button, “And be sure you have a ring hidden somewhere…”
Matt stopped her, holding her wrists, “You won’t be able to wear it for now”
Karen shrugged, “I don’t care…in case you didn’t notice, Smith…all I care about is you”
“So we’re getting married?” Matt asked.
Karen nodded, “After…”
“After?”
“After we make one of your notes reality: making love in the tardis…I’ll even roleplay if you want”
“No…you’re not Amy” Matt said, he kissed her tenderly, “You’re Karen…you’re my Kazza…”