Just the way you are - John/Rose - PG
Title: Just the way you are
Author: naty_seixas
Beta: mrssnape13
Pairing: John Smith/Rose Tyler
Rating: PG
Genre: Schmoop
Notes: Part of Smith and Tyler 'verse. Written for schmoop_bingo. Prompt: Birthday. Title stolen from the song by Bruno Mars.
Word Count: 3,951
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
Summary: Rose knows all about John's public persona, but what happens when she meets the man behind the press?
Smith and Tyler extras: back stories, timeline and pictures of inspiration.
“So, Doctor Smith accepted my invitation to my birthday dinner,” Peter says to Jackie, briefly catching Rose's attention. Her mind usually goes off when her parents are talking during dinner, but tonight she can't tune them out. “We'll take care of the reunion and announce he'll be part of our new department as the Research Chief.”
“Doctor Smith?” Rose asks curiously, taking a sip from her wine.
“You know him, Rose! He's the author of those books you read,” Rose sputters her wine over her food, causing her mother to complain about it. Rose shushes her, her attention all in her dad's words.
“Wait, you're saying the John Smith is working at Torchwood, right?” Rose repeats, astonished.
“Yes,” Peter confirms.
“Why didn't you tell me?”Rose asks, feeling a little betrayed. She can't believe her biggest celebrity crush is working at the same place she'll be next year and she didn't know about it.
“I couldn't tell anyone till we had the contracts sealed, which was today if you're wondering,” he tells her.
“Wait, mum knew about it!”
“I told her after I finished the reunion,” he explains, frowning. “Love, why are you making a big deal of this?”
Rose stops and looks at her dad's confused expression.
“It's nothing, dad. I'm sorry. You're right. It's your job,” she says, shrugging it off, but she can feel her mother staring her.
She prays Jackie doesn't suspect why she got a little worked up about the subject.
-
Rose takes a deep breath before she works the courage to go down the stairs. She can't believe she'll meet John Smith in minutes. She knows she'll end up doing something really embarrassing. Like spilling food and drinks if he's around or the repetition of the babbling incident when she first met Jack.
This party is a disaster waiting to happen. She knows it.
Rose swallows and walks toward the stairs. She doesn't see a single person at the hall where the stairs lead, which relaxes her a little. If she falls, no one will see it. The party seems good, judging by the loud music and the people talking. Her parents don't just enjoy a party, they're good at throwing them too.
Rose walks the way to the garden without any problems, stopping in the doorway to observe the place. She spots people she knows from Torchwood and Vitex, as well as some family friends and relatives around. She finds Smith at the table with the chief of the department of robotics, laughing and talking enthusiastically. He looks gorgeous with his brown pinstripe suit and Chucks, but she sees her mother doesn't agree with Rose if her disapproving looks at his clothes are any indication. She turns her head and she's surprised by Smith's eyes staring her, but she looks away quickly, her face turning bright red. She guesses he must have felt her eyes on him.
Before she goes into the party, Rose gets a large glass of wine and drinks it in a few gulps. The warm and relaxing sensation takes over, the tenseness leaving her body quickly.
Thanks Lord for the wine, Rose thinks returning the glass to the waiter.
Rose greets her family and a lot of people she knows from Torchwood and Vitex, avoiding the table Smith is sitting at. Her parents arrive together one hour after she does. She can't say she's disappointed about it. It gives her time to drink some more wine and relax, despite the prospect of talking to John Smith. God knows she needs to be really relaxed for the meeting to happen.
She watches her father give his usual speech and announce about Smith being the new member of Torchwood. She applauds with everyone else, her heart beating so fast because she knows what will be the next thing her dad will do. She turns her back from her parents, trying to get some time, but it's a little late when she hears Peter's voice.
“Rose! Come here, love. I want you to meet someone,” he says holding out his hand. She takes a breath and turns around with a smiling face.
“Of course, Dad,” she says, taking his hand and kissing his cheek.
“John, come here!” Peter says, making a sign for the man to come closer. She licks her lips and her heart feels like it'll burst at any second. Rose can feel her face becoming flushed from excitement.
“Happy birthday, Peter!” Smith says with a pretty wide smile.
“Thanks, John!” Her father smiles back and pushes her a little toward Smith. “Did you meet my daughter yet?”
“No, I didn't have the pleasure,” his eyes are on her, her knees going weak. “Hello, Miss Tyler. I'm Doctor John Smith,” he says, holding his hand out to her.
Like I don't know who you are, Rose thinks before taking his hand. She notices how warm and huge his hand is wrapped around hers.
“Hi-i, Doctor,” she mutters and almost slaps herself for her high-pitched voice. “I'm Rose.”
Smith grins at her before answering in a soft voice:
“Nice to meet you, Rose.”
The words 'Run for your life' form in her head, but she tunes them out. It's not an appropriate time for her to remember quotes from his books.
“Likewise,” she replies, releasing his hand.
He smiles kindly at her, before turning his attention to her father. Her mind goes off while she watches them talking. She can't believe he's at her house, talking to her family. God, Rose can't believe she talked to him without stuttering; very impressive, if you ask her.
“Thanks for coming, John. Come on, Rose,” Peter says, pulling her by the hand. Rose smiles at John and waves, because she doesn't think she can say something coherent to him right now. He grins and winks at her when her father turns his back to them. Of course this is when she trips on her foot and almost falls if it isn't for her dad holding her hand. She hears his giggle from behind her and she flushes in embarrassment. Rose assures her father she's okay and they keep walking. She doesn't even glance at him, feeling way too ashamed to do it.
Rose's life definitely sucks sometimes.
-
Boring, boring, boring, Rose hums in her head while she watches the party from her table. She hasn't been having so much fun this time, mostly because she's being careful to not to do anything embarrassing in front of Smith. She doesn't want him to think she's stupid or something.
Rose is distractedly playing with her hair when she hears an explosion followed by screams. Suddenly, people start to run, creating a big commotion in the garden. Rose takes a look at the weird people walking like zombies and she already knows who they are. She remembers reading about those plastic dummies in the files from Torchwood. She remembers how everyone went crazy about it; luckily Torchwood found a way to beat them.
She gets up and starts to run, but she stops and turns back when she hears a shout. She is surprised to see John trapped between two dummies and she acts very fast. She takes his hand in hers and pulls him out of reach of the Nestene dummies.
They run.
-
“Crisis averted,” Rose says closing her flip phone. “Torchwood controlled the Nestene Consciousness again. No more murder dummies out there.”
John looks at her and smiles.
“Thanks for the thing you did,” he says.
“You're welcome,” she replies, the adrenaline subduing and making her feel conscious about who she is talking to. He grins and kisses her cheek.
“Come on, let's see if they need our help,” he says, pulling her by the arm.
Rose just follows him, too astonished to say anything else.
-
When Rose walks into the kitchen the morning after the invasion, she's greeted with a beautiful flower arrangement.
“Wow, that's beautiful,” she says, getting closer to peek. “Did dad give it to you?” She curiously asks her mother, who snorts at her.
“Did you ever meet your dad?” she glances at her mother and laughs. Yeah, he isn't known for his romantic moves.
“It's for you,” Jackie says, getting a surprised look from Rose.
“For me? Who would send flowers to me?” she asks, bewildered.
“I don't know, but there's a card,” Jackie says, pointing at the top of the arrangement.
Rose smiles, delighted. No one has ever given her flowers aside from her father. She opens the card, excited to know who sent it to her.
“Thanks for rescuing me last night. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead. John,” she reads out loud, her voice wavering when she says his name.
Rose blinks astounded at the card.
John Smith got her flowers.
John Smith, the author she loves and her crush, gave flowers to her.
“Oh my God,” she mutters, rereading the note in disbelieving silence.
“Someone’s got a crush,” Jackie hums in a teasing voice.
Rose doesn't give her any retort, especially because she's right. Rose has a huge crush on John Smith. It's not like her mother can quibble over age difference; her dad is thirteen years older than her mother. Being attracted to older men must be a family thing, Rose reflects.
She sighs and excuses herself to bring the flowers to her bedroom. She doesn't go back to the kitchen because she's too busy observing the flowers and remembering the soft kiss he gave her cheek when he thanked her.
-
“Enjoying the party?” John's voice breaks the silence over the balcony. Rose turns around and sees him standing in the doorway. He looks amazing in his eighteenth century costume.
“Hey,” she says, waving at him. She can feel the usual nervousness she always gets when she's next to him. Rose watches him getting closer and her heart beats a little faster than before.
“Yeah, it's good,” Rose replies, taking a sip of her wine.
“I like your costume,” he says, his eyes wandering up and down her body. She feels the blush taking over her face and she murmurs a thanks. He just smiles and nods. Rose is wearing a 50's outfit based on the description of Rose's dress in The Idiot's Lantern, but she doesn't think he’s made the connection.
“Why are you here alone?” he asks settling beside her.
“I like to watch the stars sometimes. Tonight the sky looks so beautiful,” Rose answers softly.
“Me too,” he says and Rose looks at him. They hold each other’s gaze until Rose feels awkward and averts her eyes to the sky again. They stay in a comfortable silence while they watch the stars till John breaks it again.
“Do you want to dance?” he asks, holding his hand out to her.
Rose gulps and looks at his hand. She thinks 'no' at first, but when she looks at him, she accepts his hand. She decides to enjoy every moment he wants to share with her; it could be her only opportunity to dance with John Smith.
He grins and squeezes their hands together. Rose forgets how to be nervous for a moment and thinks about their hands fitting together.
-
It's late when he escorts her to the SUV that's waiting to take her home.
“Thanks for the great night,” she says, delighted.
“Thank you for staying with me,” John replies, taking her hands into his and looking at her eyes for a moment.
Rose can't believe they spent all night together, dancing and talking about frivolous things. She's so glad she was relaxed enough to hold a conversation with him without making things awkward.
“I should go now,” she points at the car with her head.
“Okay,” he answers and hugs her. She sighs and hugs him back, very pleased by his actions. He's very skinny, but she feels good with his arms wrapped around her. She briefly presses her nose to his shoulder, revelling in his scent. She wants to remember the whole experience later.
“Bye,” she says when he releases her. She walks the last steps toward the car and, when she gets inside, she waves at him. He just smiles and doesn't move. She watches him stand in the middle of the parking lot, observing her car depart. She sees him fade in the distance while the vehicle goes forward.
-
Rose is surprised by John's presence at her home in the following weeks. After her mum discovered she was pregnant, her father had a break from work and stayed at home to help her. Everyone was shocked about the news, but Rose was very happy for them.
Anyway, with her dad at home, a lot of people came constantly to her house, including John. Even after the Halloween party, Rose didn't know how to act with him. At first she was very jumpy when John was around, but eventually she got used to him.
Rose has learned more about John, even if he didn't talk about his personal life. He's a good man in her eyes. Very reserved, she finds out. He usually is very sweet, but he can be really rude if he wants to. He isn't very good at following rules, getting in trouble because of that. He's very witty and always wants to help. She's glad she has the opportunity to know the real him and become something like a friend of his. Sometimes she feels a little stupid about their first meeting. She remembers how blind sided she was about him being the author she loves, but now things have changed. She can finally see John for who he is, not for what he does.
Rose has substituted the idealization of the author for the real man; she feels very lucky for that.
-
Rose is sitting already in her usual spot at the reading session of Runaway Bride. The room is full of people and, for the first time since she started to go to these meetings, John is late. Not so surprisingly, when he arrives and gets on stage, the ovation starts. Rose laughs when she sees his guilty expression.
“Thanks, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. I'm usually on schedule, so thanks for waiting for me,” he says, his eyes passing through the crowd, but stopping at her. She can see he's utterly surprised to see her there. She shifts uncomfortably in her chair, making him avert his eyes as he starts to talk again.
The sessions goes fast like always, but this time his eyes always find hers and a little smile appears on his lips when she stares back. After he thanks everyone, the public gets up and applauds him, including her.
Like every other time, Rose walks away without talking to him.
-
The first time she meets him after the reading session is at Torchwood’s New Year's Eve party. Rose is laughing at Jake and Mickey's dance when a hand touches the small of her back. She tenses and turns around really fast, relieved to find John looking at her with his usual charming smile.
“Hello,” he says, his other hand going to the other side of her back, holding her in place. He pulls her closer to his body and her hands immediately move to rest on his chest. She can feel his fast heartbeat against her palm, making her feel slightly better about their situation.
“Hello,” Rose answers, flashing him a wide smile. She notices his fingertips are tracing invisible lines down her sides to the hem of her shirt, making her shudder a little. He looks at her with a cocky expression, making her face turn bright red. He's aware of what he's doing to her and he's enjoying it, which unsettles Rose a little. She's not very good at flirtation and half of the time she has no idea what she's supposed to do. And yeah, she’s noticed he's been flirting with her since the Halloween party. Okay, that's a lie. Her mother told her, because Rose thought he was just being friendly with her. She feels flattered he thinks she's nice enough to get his attention.
“So, bit rude of you to go to a reading session and not talk with the author.”
She had hoped he wouldn't mention it, but of course he would. She feels a little guilty when she sees a trace of hurt in his face.
“I'm sorry,” she mumbles, looking down at her shoes. He eases one of his hands off her waist and puts it under her chin to raise her face and lock their eyes together.
“Just say hi the next time,” he quickly adds. “I mean if I didn't bore you and you want to show up, of course.”
Rose shakes her head, amused.
“This reading session was amazing just like the other ones.”
His eyes widen and Rose realizes what she just said. His hands loosen their hold a little, but don't move from her waist.
“Other ones?” he asks, clearing his throat.
She averts her eyes embarrassed and sighs. He has the right to know she's a fan of his work and she used to be a really big fan of him, before she got to know him. It's very shameful, now she's his friend.
“Since the release of The World War Three, I went to every reading session you did at Foyles,” she confesses. “It wasn't the first time I didn't talk to you there. I guess old habits die hard,” she finishes, biting her lips nervously.
The shock and surprise are written all over his face. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
A bit alarming when he can talk a mile per minute, she thinks.
“Well,” he clears his throat. “Okay, I wasn't waiting for that. You got me there, Rose,” he shakes his head, looking impressed. “You surprised me, really. I would never have guessed.”
She laughs and feels relieved that he took everything well. She thought he wouldn't like it and treat her different. Rose watches him laugh along with her, but suddenly he stops and an understanding expression appears on his face.
“You fancied me,” he says, smugly.
Rose's face becomes bright red, which makes John laugh.
“Your face! You totally did!” he teases and Rose feels really embarrassed.
She tries to push him away, but he's faster and grabs her arms. He takes advantage of their position and wraps his arms around her waist, leaning in until his face is just inches from her own.
“Now, don't be like this. I'm just messing with you,” he says, playfully. “Well, I can't blame you, I'm a very charming man,” he confides to her.
She rolls her eyes at his words. He thinks he's so impressive.
“Now, first things first.”
He puts a serious face on and asks “Do you still fancy me?”
She raises her brow, sobering her expression.
“Nah, the minute I got to know you, the whole enchantment ended.”
He frowns at her, his expression becoming upset and Rose swears she sees a pout on his lips. She burst into laughter and his face lightens up when he notices she's teasing him.
“Oi, you cheeky thing,” he pokes her ribs, making her lose her breath for a moment.
“Serves you right,” she tells him, her eyes never leaving his and her hands moving up and down his chest.
His expression becomes suddenly serious.
“I don't care if you're a fan of me or my work. I'm flattered, really. I just want to know that you can see beyond that.”
Rose looks solemnly into his eyes and nods.
“You don't have to worry about that.”
John gives her a wide smile and hugs her. Rose laughs delighted when he lifts her off the floor, her legs moving around while they giggle in happiness.
“Come on, I heard they have bought some amazing cupcakes with edible ball bearings,” he holds her hand, pulling her along beside him as he leads them to the dessert table.
Rose grins while she watches John take a bite out of the top banana cupcake. Rose notices he looks rather cute today: his hair is sticking up, the rumpled state of his usual pinstripe suit combined with the stubble of his beard and the glasses hanging down at the tip of his nose.
“What?” he asks with a mouthful of cake.
“You look ridiculous,” Rose tells him.
He looks very offended, which makes her giggle. When she sees he's pouting with his mouth covered in cake frosting, she laughs really hard.
“Oi, you li...” he starts talking, but closes his mouth when he recognizes Glenn Miller's “In the Mood” playing.
Rose bites her lips, waiting for him to say something. He looks at her, his lips twisting in a smug smile.
“So Rose, do you want to see my moves?” he asks her, holding out his hand.
“Show me your moves,” she dares, taking his hand.
He bites his lips and leads her toward the centre of the salon where everybody is dancing.
John takes Rose's hands in his and they start to dance. She follows his steps, spinning and letting him lead her around. At end of the song, he throws her backwards over his arm, earning a delighted cry from Rose. When she pulls herself up, she sags onto his shoulder, giggling.
Rose opens her mouth to compliment his moves, but she's interrupted for the DJ announcing the countdown. They exchange an excited look and start to shout out with everyone else, their eyes never leaving each other’s faces.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!”
Rose laughs and throws her arms around John's neck, holding him tight. She hears the commotion caused by the people around them and the fireworks exploding outside. She loosens her grip on him and tries to ask him to go with her outside to watch the fireworks, but she's surprised by his arms wrapping around her, pulling her tight against him and covering her mouth with his own. She gasps and he takes advantage, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. She feels his fingertips playing with the hem of her shirt, his tender touch making her shudder in pleasure.
John kisses her without reservation. He nibbles and sucks her bottom lip, and his tongue slides against her own, making her sigh in satisfaction. Her hands sink into his hair, pulling his mouth closer to hers. He's a little demanding, but his lips are soft and a bit chapped against hers. He gives her one last kiss before he pulls away, gasping for air. He rests his forehead against hers, making her pleased to find that he's just as breathless as she is.
“Come on,” he says with a husky voice. “Let's watch the fireworks outside.”
Later, after she kisses John goodbye and finally arrives at home, Rose's cell phone rings. She smiles when she reads who sent her the message.
How about dinner tonight?
She giggles and types the only answer she could ever give to him.
Only if you buy me good chips.
Author: naty_seixas
Beta: mrssnape13
Pairing: John Smith/Rose Tyler
Rating: PG
Genre: Schmoop
Notes: Part of Smith and Tyler 'verse. Written for schmoop_bingo. Prompt: Birthday. Title stolen from the song by Bruno Mars.
Word Count: 3,951
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
Summary: Rose knows all about John's public persona, but what happens when she meets the man behind the press?
Smith and Tyler extras: back stories, timeline and pictures of inspiration.
“So, Doctor Smith accepted my invitation to my birthday dinner,” Peter says to Jackie, briefly catching Rose's attention. Her mind usually goes off when her parents are talking during dinner, but tonight she can't tune them out. “We'll take care of the reunion and announce he'll be part of our new department as the Research Chief.”
“Doctor Smith?” Rose asks curiously, taking a sip from her wine.
“You know him, Rose! He's the author of those books you read,” Rose sputters her wine over her food, causing her mother to complain about it. Rose shushes her, her attention all in her dad's words.
“Wait, you're saying the John Smith is working at Torchwood, right?” Rose repeats, astonished.
“Yes,” Peter confirms.
“Why didn't you tell me?”Rose asks, feeling a little betrayed. She can't believe her biggest celebrity crush is working at the same place she'll be next year and she didn't know about it.
“I couldn't tell anyone till we had the contracts sealed, which was today if you're wondering,” he tells her.
“Wait, mum knew about it!”
“I told her after I finished the reunion,” he explains, frowning. “Love, why are you making a big deal of this?”
Rose stops and looks at her dad's confused expression.
“It's nothing, dad. I'm sorry. You're right. It's your job,” she says, shrugging it off, but she can feel her mother staring her.
She prays Jackie doesn't suspect why she got a little worked up about the subject.
-
Rose takes a deep breath before she works the courage to go down the stairs. She can't believe she'll meet John Smith in minutes. She knows she'll end up doing something really embarrassing. Like spilling food and drinks if he's around or the repetition of the babbling incident when she first met Jack.
This party is a disaster waiting to happen. She knows it.
Rose swallows and walks toward the stairs. She doesn't see a single person at the hall where the stairs lead, which relaxes her a little. If she falls, no one will see it. The party seems good, judging by the loud music and the people talking. Her parents don't just enjoy a party, they're good at throwing them too.
Rose walks the way to the garden without any problems, stopping in the doorway to observe the place. She spots people she knows from Torchwood and Vitex, as well as some family friends and relatives around. She finds Smith at the table with the chief of the department of robotics, laughing and talking enthusiastically. He looks gorgeous with his brown pinstripe suit and Chucks, but she sees her mother doesn't agree with Rose if her disapproving looks at his clothes are any indication. She turns her head and she's surprised by Smith's eyes staring her, but she looks away quickly, her face turning bright red. She guesses he must have felt her eyes on him.
Before she goes into the party, Rose gets a large glass of wine and drinks it in a few gulps. The warm and relaxing sensation takes over, the tenseness leaving her body quickly.
Thanks Lord for the wine, Rose thinks returning the glass to the waiter.
Rose greets her family and a lot of people she knows from Torchwood and Vitex, avoiding the table Smith is sitting at. Her parents arrive together one hour after she does. She can't say she's disappointed about it. It gives her time to drink some more wine and relax, despite the prospect of talking to John Smith. God knows she needs to be really relaxed for the meeting to happen.
She watches her father give his usual speech and announce about Smith being the new member of Torchwood. She applauds with everyone else, her heart beating so fast because she knows what will be the next thing her dad will do. She turns her back from her parents, trying to get some time, but it's a little late when she hears Peter's voice.
“Rose! Come here, love. I want you to meet someone,” he says holding out his hand. She takes a breath and turns around with a smiling face.
“Of course, Dad,” she says, taking his hand and kissing his cheek.
“John, come here!” Peter says, making a sign for the man to come closer. She licks her lips and her heart feels like it'll burst at any second. Rose can feel her face becoming flushed from excitement.
“Happy birthday, Peter!” Smith says with a pretty wide smile.
“Thanks, John!” Her father smiles back and pushes her a little toward Smith. “Did you meet my daughter yet?”
“No, I didn't have the pleasure,” his eyes are on her, her knees going weak. “Hello, Miss Tyler. I'm Doctor John Smith,” he says, holding his hand out to her.
Like I don't know who you are, Rose thinks before taking his hand. She notices how warm and huge his hand is wrapped around hers.
“Hi-i, Doctor,” she mutters and almost slaps herself for her high-pitched voice. “I'm Rose.”
Smith grins at her before answering in a soft voice:
“Nice to meet you, Rose.”
The words 'Run for your life' form in her head, but she tunes them out. It's not an appropriate time for her to remember quotes from his books.
“Likewise,” she replies, releasing his hand.
He smiles kindly at her, before turning his attention to her father. Her mind goes off while she watches them talking. She can't believe he's at her house, talking to her family. God, Rose can't believe she talked to him without stuttering; very impressive, if you ask her.
“Thanks for coming, John. Come on, Rose,” Peter says, pulling her by the hand. Rose smiles at John and waves, because she doesn't think she can say something coherent to him right now. He grins and winks at her when her father turns his back to them. Of course this is when she trips on her foot and almost falls if it isn't for her dad holding her hand. She hears his giggle from behind her and she flushes in embarrassment. Rose assures her father she's okay and they keep walking. She doesn't even glance at him, feeling way too ashamed to do it.
Rose's life definitely sucks sometimes.
-
Boring, boring, boring, Rose hums in her head while she watches the party from her table. She hasn't been having so much fun this time, mostly because she's being careful to not to do anything embarrassing in front of Smith. She doesn't want him to think she's stupid or something.
Rose is distractedly playing with her hair when she hears an explosion followed by screams. Suddenly, people start to run, creating a big commotion in the garden. Rose takes a look at the weird people walking like zombies and she already knows who they are. She remembers reading about those plastic dummies in the files from Torchwood. She remembers how everyone went crazy about it; luckily Torchwood found a way to beat them.
She gets up and starts to run, but she stops and turns back when she hears a shout. She is surprised to see John trapped between two dummies and she acts very fast. She takes his hand in hers and pulls him out of reach of the Nestene dummies.
They run.
-
“Crisis averted,” Rose says closing her flip phone. “Torchwood controlled the Nestene Consciousness again. No more murder dummies out there.”
John looks at her and smiles.
“Thanks for the thing you did,” he says.
“You're welcome,” she replies, the adrenaline subduing and making her feel conscious about who she is talking to. He grins and kisses her cheek.
“Come on, let's see if they need our help,” he says, pulling her by the arm.
Rose just follows him, too astonished to say anything else.
-
When Rose walks into the kitchen the morning after the invasion, she's greeted with a beautiful flower arrangement.
“Wow, that's beautiful,” she says, getting closer to peek. “Did dad give it to you?” She curiously asks her mother, who snorts at her.
“Did you ever meet your dad?” she glances at her mother and laughs. Yeah, he isn't known for his romantic moves.
“It's for you,” Jackie says, getting a surprised look from Rose.
“For me? Who would send flowers to me?” she asks, bewildered.
“I don't know, but there's a card,” Jackie says, pointing at the top of the arrangement.
Rose smiles, delighted. No one has ever given her flowers aside from her father. She opens the card, excited to know who sent it to her.
“Thanks for rescuing me last night. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead. John,” she reads out loud, her voice wavering when she says his name.
Rose blinks astounded at the card.
John Smith got her flowers.
John Smith, the author she loves and her crush, gave flowers to her.
“Oh my God,” she mutters, rereading the note in disbelieving silence.
“Someone’s got a crush,” Jackie hums in a teasing voice.
Rose doesn't give her any retort, especially because she's right. Rose has a huge crush on John Smith. It's not like her mother can quibble over age difference; her dad is thirteen years older than her mother. Being attracted to older men must be a family thing, Rose reflects.
She sighs and excuses herself to bring the flowers to her bedroom. She doesn't go back to the kitchen because she's too busy observing the flowers and remembering the soft kiss he gave her cheek when he thanked her.
-
“Enjoying the party?” John's voice breaks the silence over the balcony. Rose turns around and sees him standing in the doorway. He looks amazing in his eighteenth century costume.
“Hey,” she says, waving at him. She can feel the usual nervousness she always gets when she's next to him. Rose watches him getting closer and her heart beats a little faster than before.
“Yeah, it's good,” Rose replies, taking a sip of her wine.
“I like your costume,” he says, his eyes wandering up and down her body. She feels the blush taking over her face and she murmurs a thanks. He just smiles and nods. Rose is wearing a 50's outfit based on the description of Rose's dress in The Idiot's Lantern, but she doesn't think he’s made the connection.
“Why are you here alone?” he asks settling beside her.
“I like to watch the stars sometimes. Tonight the sky looks so beautiful,” Rose answers softly.
“Me too,” he says and Rose looks at him. They hold each other’s gaze until Rose feels awkward and averts her eyes to the sky again. They stay in a comfortable silence while they watch the stars till John breaks it again.
“Do you want to dance?” he asks, holding his hand out to her.
Rose gulps and looks at his hand. She thinks 'no' at first, but when she looks at him, she accepts his hand. She decides to enjoy every moment he wants to share with her; it could be her only opportunity to dance with John Smith.
He grins and squeezes their hands together. Rose forgets how to be nervous for a moment and thinks about their hands fitting together.
-
It's late when he escorts her to the SUV that's waiting to take her home.
“Thanks for the great night,” she says, delighted.
“Thank you for staying with me,” John replies, taking her hands into his and looking at her eyes for a moment.
Rose can't believe they spent all night together, dancing and talking about frivolous things. She's so glad she was relaxed enough to hold a conversation with him without making things awkward.
“I should go now,” she points at the car with her head.
“Okay,” he answers and hugs her. She sighs and hugs him back, very pleased by his actions. He's very skinny, but she feels good with his arms wrapped around her. She briefly presses her nose to his shoulder, revelling in his scent. She wants to remember the whole experience later.
“Bye,” she says when he releases her. She walks the last steps toward the car and, when she gets inside, she waves at him. He just smiles and doesn't move. She watches him stand in the middle of the parking lot, observing her car depart. She sees him fade in the distance while the vehicle goes forward.
-
Rose is surprised by John's presence at her home in the following weeks. After her mum discovered she was pregnant, her father had a break from work and stayed at home to help her. Everyone was shocked about the news, but Rose was very happy for them.
Anyway, with her dad at home, a lot of people came constantly to her house, including John. Even after the Halloween party, Rose didn't know how to act with him. At first she was very jumpy when John was around, but eventually she got used to him.
Rose has learned more about John, even if he didn't talk about his personal life. He's a good man in her eyes. Very reserved, she finds out. He usually is very sweet, but he can be really rude if he wants to. He isn't very good at following rules, getting in trouble because of that. He's very witty and always wants to help. She's glad she has the opportunity to know the real him and become something like a friend of his. Sometimes she feels a little stupid about their first meeting. She remembers how blind sided she was about him being the author she loves, but now things have changed. She can finally see John for who he is, not for what he does.
Rose has substituted the idealization of the author for the real man; she feels very lucky for that.
-
Rose is sitting already in her usual spot at the reading session of Runaway Bride. The room is full of people and, for the first time since she started to go to these meetings, John is late. Not so surprisingly, when he arrives and gets on stage, the ovation starts. Rose laughs when she sees his guilty expression.
“Thanks, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. I'm usually on schedule, so thanks for waiting for me,” he says, his eyes passing through the crowd, but stopping at her. She can see he's utterly surprised to see her there. She shifts uncomfortably in her chair, making him avert his eyes as he starts to talk again.
The sessions goes fast like always, but this time his eyes always find hers and a little smile appears on his lips when she stares back. After he thanks everyone, the public gets up and applauds him, including her.
Like every other time, Rose walks away without talking to him.
-
The first time she meets him after the reading session is at Torchwood’s New Year's Eve party. Rose is laughing at Jake and Mickey's dance when a hand touches the small of her back. She tenses and turns around really fast, relieved to find John looking at her with his usual charming smile.
“Hello,” he says, his other hand going to the other side of her back, holding her in place. He pulls her closer to his body and her hands immediately move to rest on his chest. She can feel his fast heartbeat against her palm, making her feel slightly better about their situation.
“Hello,” Rose answers, flashing him a wide smile. She notices his fingertips are tracing invisible lines down her sides to the hem of her shirt, making her shudder a little. He looks at her with a cocky expression, making her face turn bright red. He's aware of what he's doing to her and he's enjoying it, which unsettles Rose a little. She's not very good at flirtation and half of the time she has no idea what she's supposed to do. And yeah, she’s noticed he's been flirting with her since the Halloween party. Okay, that's a lie. Her mother told her, because Rose thought he was just being friendly with her. She feels flattered he thinks she's nice enough to get his attention.
“So, bit rude of you to go to a reading session and not talk with the author.”
She had hoped he wouldn't mention it, but of course he would. She feels a little guilty when she sees a trace of hurt in his face.
“I'm sorry,” she mumbles, looking down at her shoes. He eases one of his hands off her waist and puts it under her chin to raise her face and lock their eyes together.
“Just say hi the next time,” he quickly adds. “I mean if I didn't bore you and you want to show up, of course.”
Rose shakes her head, amused.
“This reading session was amazing just like the other ones.”
His eyes widen and Rose realizes what she just said. His hands loosen their hold a little, but don't move from her waist.
“Other ones?” he asks, clearing his throat.
She averts her eyes embarrassed and sighs. He has the right to know she's a fan of his work and she used to be a really big fan of him, before she got to know him. It's very shameful, now she's his friend.
“Since the release of The World War Three, I went to every reading session you did at Foyles,” she confesses. “It wasn't the first time I didn't talk to you there. I guess old habits die hard,” she finishes, biting her lips nervously.
The shock and surprise are written all over his face. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
A bit alarming when he can talk a mile per minute, she thinks.
“Well,” he clears his throat. “Okay, I wasn't waiting for that. You got me there, Rose,” he shakes his head, looking impressed. “You surprised me, really. I would never have guessed.”
She laughs and feels relieved that he took everything well. She thought he wouldn't like it and treat her different. Rose watches him laugh along with her, but suddenly he stops and an understanding expression appears on his face.
“You fancied me,” he says, smugly.
Rose's face becomes bright red, which makes John laugh.
“Your face! You totally did!” he teases and Rose feels really embarrassed.
She tries to push him away, but he's faster and grabs her arms. He takes advantage of their position and wraps his arms around her waist, leaning in until his face is just inches from her own.
“Now, don't be like this. I'm just messing with you,” he says, playfully. “Well, I can't blame you, I'm a very charming man,” he confides to her.
She rolls her eyes at his words. He thinks he's so impressive.
“Now, first things first.”
He puts a serious face on and asks “Do you still fancy me?”
She raises her brow, sobering her expression.
“Nah, the minute I got to know you, the whole enchantment ended.”
He frowns at her, his expression becoming upset and Rose swears she sees a pout on his lips. She burst into laughter and his face lightens up when he notices she's teasing him.
“Oi, you cheeky thing,” he pokes her ribs, making her lose her breath for a moment.
“Serves you right,” she tells him, her eyes never leaving his and her hands moving up and down his chest.
His expression becomes suddenly serious.
“I don't care if you're a fan of me or my work. I'm flattered, really. I just want to know that you can see beyond that.”
Rose looks solemnly into his eyes and nods.
“You don't have to worry about that.”
John gives her a wide smile and hugs her. Rose laughs delighted when he lifts her off the floor, her legs moving around while they giggle in happiness.
“Come on, I heard they have bought some amazing cupcakes with edible ball bearings,” he holds her hand, pulling her along beside him as he leads them to the dessert table.
Rose grins while she watches John take a bite out of the top banana cupcake. Rose notices he looks rather cute today: his hair is sticking up, the rumpled state of his usual pinstripe suit combined with the stubble of his beard and the glasses hanging down at the tip of his nose.
“What?” he asks with a mouthful of cake.
“You look ridiculous,” Rose tells him.
He looks very offended, which makes her giggle. When she sees he's pouting with his mouth covered in cake frosting, she laughs really hard.
“Oi, you li...” he starts talking, but closes his mouth when he recognizes Glenn Miller's “In the Mood” playing.
Rose bites her lips, waiting for him to say something. He looks at her, his lips twisting in a smug smile.
“So Rose, do you want to see my moves?” he asks her, holding out his hand.
“Show me your moves,” she dares, taking his hand.
He bites his lips and leads her toward the centre of the salon where everybody is dancing.
John takes Rose's hands in his and they start to dance. She follows his steps, spinning and letting him lead her around. At end of the song, he throws her backwards over his arm, earning a delighted cry from Rose. When she pulls herself up, she sags onto his shoulder, giggling.
Rose opens her mouth to compliment his moves, but she's interrupted for the DJ announcing the countdown. They exchange an excited look and start to shout out with everyone else, their eyes never leaving each other’s faces.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!”
Rose laughs and throws her arms around John's neck, holding him tight. She hears the commotion caused by the people around them and the fireworks exploding outside. She loosens her grip on him and tries to ask him to go with her outside to watch the fireworks, but she's surprised by his arms wrapping around her, pulling her tight against him and covering her mouth with his own. She gasps and he takes advantage, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. She feels his fingertips playing with the hem of her shirt, his tender touch making her shudder in pleasure.
John kisses her without reservation. He nibbles and sucks her bottom lip, and his tongue slides against her own, making her sigh in satisfaction. Her hands sink into his hair, pulling his mouth closer to hers. He's a little demanding, but his lips are soft and a bit chapped against hers. He gives her one last kiss before he pulls away, gasping for air. He rests his forehead against hers, making her pleased to find that he's just as breathless as she is.
“Come on,” he says with a husky voice. “Let's watch the fireworks outside.”
Later, after she kisses John goodbye and finally arrives at home, Rose's cell phone rings. She smiles when she reads who sent her the message.
How about dinner tonight?
She giggles and types the only answer she could ever give to him.
Only if you buy me good chips.