Ring

The first snowflakes fell as James left the jewellery shop. A taxi slowed, but he waved the driver on. He was meeting Rose for lunch at a bistro just around the corner; he'd barely be chilled by the time he arrived.

His phone chimed with a new text message as he strode briskly down the pavement, and he slowed just enough to pull it out of his breast pocket before speeding back up.

Almost there! Can't wait to see you—it's been too long. xx

James' ears turned hot when he read her text. He'd confessed his awkward texting hangups to Rose not long after they started dating a year ago, and she'd laughed when he'd flailed, trying to explain the problems inherent in the text kiss. "And I suppose two text kisses is practically sexting, then?" she'd teased, her tongue peeking out of her smile.

Six weeks later, his job had taken him away from London, and the double text kiss had become their private way of letting each other know when their thoughts had wandered outside the realm of what was safe to say at work. Seeing those two kisses now, he wished he didn't have to be on a plane back to Rome that afternoon.

When he turned the corner and spotted a flash of familiar blonde hair at the other end of the street, James shoved his phone back into his pocket and started running, his overcoat flapping in the wind behind him.

He reached Rose in front of the bistro, and she jumped into his open arms. Strangers cast them disgruntled looks and moved around them as he spun her around a few times before setting her on her feet, his hand planted firmly at the small of her back.

"Hello, love," he murmured as he leaned down.

"Hi there," she replied just before his lips met hers.

James sighed into the kiss, and the knot of tension between his shoulders smoothed out. It really had been too long—seven weeks since their last weekend together in Paris. That made it hard to remember they were in a public place, but thankfully, Rose was more aware of their surroundings and pulled back when he scraped his teeth over her bottom lip and tried to deepen the kiss.

"Are you sure you can't stay the night?" Her fingers played with the hairs at the nape of his neck, making James shiver. "Or even just until after dinner?" She shifted closer and looked up at him through her eyelashes. "My boss told me I could have the afternoon off if I want. All I need to do is send her a text."

The streetlight caught and reflected off the snowflakes in Rose's hair, casting a halo around her. James rested his hands on her hips, partly to remind himself not to pull her closer.

"I wish I could. But I'm on a 6:00 am conference call with Sydney tomorrow, so I really need to be to my flat at a decent hour."

Rose's shoulders slumped, and James couldn't resist giving her a quick hug. She'd been so incredibly supportive throughout their long-distance relationship, but it was definitely taking a toll.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he said, "Beside, if I'm back in Rome tonight, I can start packing." She looked up at him, and he nodded. "Yep, I'm moving again."

Rose sighed and ran her hand over his tie. "If you're that valuable to the company, you'd think they would want you back here at the head office, not hopping from city to city, trouble-shooting."

Warm happiness bubbled up in James' chest, threatening to escape as laughter and give away his game. "You'd think," he agreed, letting disappointment settle on his face before he grinned down at her. "Which is why I'm moving back to London next week."

Rose's ruby red lips parted to form a perfect O. "They… You mean.. James!"

He laughed and held her tight when she threw her arms around his neck. "That's what my meeting this morning was about."

She shivered violently when a gust of wind blew down the street, and James abruptly realised her skirt offered much less protection from the cold than his trousers. "Come on." He stepped back and took her hand. "Let's go inside where it's warm."

Inside the cafe, Rose shook snow from her hair and rubbed briskly at her arms. "Oh, let's take the table in the window," she said. "We can still watch the snow."

James watched as she hurried over to the table and sat down, resting her chin on her hands so she could stare out the window. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and her eyes were bright. As always, her vibrant beauty drew him to her, and he didn't waste any time ordering their drinks, eager to join her.

Rose looked over at him when he sat down, one eyebrow arched in a fine line. "It just occurred to me that you purposely let me think you were being transferred to yet another international post, when you knew you were coming home."

He grinned irrepressibly.

Rose shook her head and laughed. "You're a git, but do you know what? I don't even care." She reached for his hand. "Because starting next week, we can actually have a life together, instead of just the occasional long weekend whenever we can both get away from work."

A dreamy look entered her eyes. "Long, lazy Sundays where we don't even get out of bed until noon. Texting each other in the evening to make sure someone is picking up dinner. Taking walks together on Saturday afternoons."

James' heart raced at the image of domestic bliss Rose painted. They hadn't moved in together before he'd left London, but she clearly wasn't anticipating a return to the previous status quo.

He shifted slightly in his seat. The custom ring he'd picked up less than an hour ago was a weight in his coat pocket. "Rose Tyler." She looked up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "How long are you going to stay with me?" he whispered, letting his lips brush against her ear.

Rose sighed, and his heart turned over at the utter contentment in the sound. "Forever."

He reached into his pocket, carefully keeping his motions concealed by the table. This wasn't how he'd planned to propose, but he suddenly couldn't wait any longer.

Rose narrowed her eyes as she looked at James. His hands were out of sight, concealed by the table, and he had his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Overall, he was in a study of concentration, much more than what was necessary for a quiet date.

"James? What are you doing?"

The furrow between his eyebrows smoothed out, and a moment later, he placed his hand on the table, with something hidden beneath it. Rose raised an eyebrow, but then all the air rushed out of her lungs when he pulled his hand back to reveal a black velvet box… the kind a ring came in.

Her hands flew to her mouth, and she could feel tears spring to her eyes. "James!" she whispered.

He smiled at her, then took a deep breath and flipped open the box, revealing a square diamond on a thin rose gold band.

"I like the sound of forever with you," he murmured. "Marry me, love?"

"Yes! Oh, my God yes!"

A wide grin split James' face, revealing his dimples. Rose held her hand out for him. "Put it on for me?" she asked, wiggling her fingers.

James giggled as he pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. "You've done it now," he teased. "You're stuck with me."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but stuck with you—that's not so bad."

"Yeah?" James whispered in her ear as he leaned closer.

Rose turned her head towards his, and a shiver went down her back when she felt his breath against her lips.

"Yes."