There's a distinct lack of high school!Nine in the fic world and I was discussing this with a couple friends on tumblr and then this happened. Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy and if you're waiting on the next chapter of Watch it Burn...I'm hoping to finish the first draft tonight and have it posted by tomorrow night!
Rose broke into a grin when she saw John leaning against her locker. His back was to her so she quietly snuck up behind him, rose up on her tiptoes so her lips would be right next to his ear when she spoke.
"What's up, Doc?"
He spun around so quickly she thought he was going to fall. "Very funny, Rose," he said dryly, glaring down at his blonde friend who was doubled over with the force of her laughter. "Thought I told you to stop calling me 'Doc.'"
"Since when have I ever listened to you?" she teased, tongue touching the corner of her smile. "Now shift, I need to get in my locker."
John obligingly took a step back and watched her fight with the combination lock before it swung open and she started piling her books into her backpack.
"So why are you lurking at my locker anyways?" Rose glanced up and gave him a once over, "You know, besides trying to look all impressive in your new leather jacket for any girl that happens to pass by?"
John tugged on the lapels of the aforementioned jacket. "I'll have you know that I'm very impressive, Rose Tyler."
"Of course you are," she said soothingly, patting his arm.
"Just for that, I'm not going to tell you why I'm here," he said, his best offended look pasted on his face.
He wasn't really mad; their banter went down this road often. Rose had been his best friend since he'd moved to London eight years ago and teasing each other had been a part of their relationship since day one.
"Oh come on, tell me!" she pleaded, grabbing onto his arm as they started off down the hallway.
"No, don't think I will."
"Doctor, please!"
"You're not going to change my mind by calling me that you know," he said, corner of his mouth quirking up and belying his words.
(She was the one who'd given him the nickname shortly after they'd met since he always had his nose buried in science books. Since then, she'd used it more than his given name and he'd never told her outright, but he loved it when she called him Doctor.)
"Might soften you up a bit though," she shot back, leaning further into him and fluttering her eyelashes ridiculously. "Please?"
John huffed out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Wanted to see if you had plans tonight. My aunt is going to have people over tonight and I want nothing to do with them." He shuddered at the thought of being forced to socialize with his aunt's friends.
Rose released his arm in favor of tugging at the straps of her backpack and he resisted the urge to pull her back towards him. "It's Friday, thought you had a date with whats-her-name tonight." She bit her lip as she tried to come up with the name. "Jabe. Thought you had a date with Jabe."
"She cancelled," he said shortly.
He'd actually been the one to cancel since he felt bad about potentially leading her on. It wasn't fair to Jabe to be used as a distraction from the fact that he'd had a massive unrequited crush on his best friend since the age of thirteen.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Not your fault," he said, smiling down at her. "So, you free tonight or not?"
"Hmmm, let me check my non-existent social calendar," Rose quipped. "I'm free. Whatcha got in mind for tonight?"
"No clue," he said cheerfully.
"Why did I even bother asking?" Rose asked, fond exasperation for her friend evident.
They walked back to the Estate chatting about their days. Well, Rose chatted, John listened and occasionally gave short answers to her questions.
She just sparkled, John thought. Cheeks were tinged pink from the first bite of cold autumn air and she was grinning at him, bumping his shoulder with hers occasionally.
Smitten. That was the word for him. If the idiots at school who bought into the image he presented with the leather jacket and snarky comments saw him now they'd never let him hear the end of it.
He didn't care. He'd never cared what people thought of him.
He and Rose parted ways in the courtyard with plans to meet on the roof of his building in a few hours.
"Goin' out," John called to his aunt as he shrugged on his jacket and grabbed the bag of snacks he'd put together earlier.
"Tell Rose hello for me, won't you?" came the call from his aunt's bedroom.
"Didn't say I was going to see Rose."
"Well, are you?"
John paused. "Yes," he admitted grudgingly.
"Have fun!"
He could practically hear the smug smile so he retaliated by slamming the door on the way out.
He beat Rose to the roof and started setting up. They met up here a lot and kept blankets in the storage cupboard with a broken lock.
As he shook out one of the blankets and laid it down before unpacking the snacks and setting them out he couldn't help but compare this to the date he was supposed to be on tonight. He'd been planning on taking Jabe out for a picnic in his favorite park. She enjoyed spending time in nature so he figured it was a good bet. Now he was setting up a picnic on the roof for Rose who loved to look at the stars.
It wasn't a date though. He kept repeating that to himself. Rose wasn't interested in him like that. Why would she be? She was gorgeous and kind and had such zeal for life. He was just…him. John had no illusions about himself. He was just a nerd disguised in a leather jacket and armed with lethal amounts of sarcasm.
He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and, knowing it was Rose, couldn't keep a smile off his face. This may not be a date but he still had Rose as his best friend and he wouldn't trade that for anything.
"Took you long enough," he grumbled when he heard the door swing open.
"But I come bearing gifts," she sing-songed.
John looked up to find her beaming mischievously at him, a bottle of wine and a corkscrew in her hands.
"Rose Tyler, where did you get that?" Even this many years into their friendship and she still surprised him like this all the time.
"Nicked it after mum left the flat. It's the kind she doesn't like so she won't notice." She crossed the roof and handed off the bottle to him plopped down on the blanket.
"Ooh, you brought nibbles!" Rose went straight for the bag of crisps, tearing into them immediately.
John watched indulgently as he uncorked the wine and took a swig.
Rose started giggling at the look on his face, twisted as it was in a grimace at the taste of the wine.
"I think you're trying to poison me, Rose. I at least brought edible contributions."
"Oh I wouldn't poison you, Doctor. I'm not done with you yet."
John tried his best not to interpret those words in the way he desperately wanted to. Not a date. Not a date. Not a date. The refrain was never-ending in his head.
Unsure of what to say, he thrust the bottle of wine at her.
Rose took a sip and made a face as well, commenting that she understood why her mum hated this one now.
The two of them passed the bottle between then, snacking and drinking as they talked. The alcohol loosened their tongues and Rose was delighted to see John relax more than he had in ages.
"'M cold," Rose announced after they'd been silent for a few minutes. The wine was gone and she was feeling pleasantly tipsy.
"C'mere then." John gestured at the empty expanse of blanket right next to him.
Rose crawled over and cuddled up against his side, head resting over his heart. "Much better," she said, pressing closer.
John couldn't speak. All he was focused on was the feel of Rose pressed up against him, her arm resting across his waist and her breasts pressed into his side. It was giving him a buzz even more potent than the alcohol.
Before he could convince himself not to, he leaned down and nuzzled the top of her head, humming contentedly.
Rose let out a soft exhale that he fancied he could feel skitter across his overactive nerve endings even through his jumper.
"Think I could stay her like this forever," she mumbled.
"Think I'd let you."
Rose hitched up so that she was looking straight down at his face. "Really?"
"Really. Although you did just move so-"
He was cut off abruptly by Rose leaning down and pressing her lips to his for a fraction of a second. His eyes slammed shut at the sensation even as she retreated.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I'm so-"
"Yes you should have," this time it was John who cut Rose off. He opened his eyes, letting her see all the love he consciously hid most of the time. "And you should definitely come back down here and do it again."
Rose smiled and listened to him for once as she leaned down and brushed her lips over his.