The Ice Man Melts (A Rosecroft Story)
It was her laugh that drew his attention the first time that he ever saw her. It was the most musical joyous sound that he had ever heard and he could not get it out of his head. Since then, Mycroft Holmes had come into contact with Rose Tyler many times, and in spite of himself, had become charmed - not just by her laughter, but by her! They had both attended many of the same boring business meetings where she represented the mysterious Torchwood Institute. He tended not to trust things he did not understand, so he remained wary of Torchwood and tried to keep a close eye on them. He had butted heads with Pete Tyler many times in the past, so he was quite pleased when he started dealing with the man's daughter instead. He was amused, at first, because he thought that she would be more of a pushover than her father. However, he grudgingly respected the fact she had held her own against him every single time! He was also always pleasantly surprised by her bravery, wit, intellect, and negotiation skills. He was so used to being surrounded by "yes men" and "goldfish" that she was like a breath of fresh air every time he had the pleasure of being in her company or doing business with her. Each time he saw her, she spoke with him, laughed with him, and genuinely seemed to enjoy his company – even if they also argued because they could not agree on whatever topic was at hand. Nobody else acted like that around him and it made him feel less like the stuffy bureaucrat that he knew everyone else saw him as and more like a man – hopefully, a man that could impress Rose Tyler.
Every time they spoke, he could see such a spark in the beautiful woman and he had felt himself becoming more and more drawn to her each time. He also found that his mind was often preoccupied with thoughts of her – even when she was not around. However, he could never seem to cross that line to ask for more. He just knew that there was no way that a beautiful young woman like Rose Tyler would be interested in him in anything more than a professional capacity. Therefore, he just resigned himself to enjoying her company in the business settings where they were normally brought together – and longing for her company when they were not.
All that changed, however, in one night at a charity ball. He normally avoided the damn tedious things, but the President herself had invited him (and a plus one) personally to this one. Immediately, he thought about asking Miss Tyler to be his guest, but it had been several weeks since he had last seen her and he thought that it would be too embarrassing to just call her up out of the blue. Therefore, he decided against that idea quickly. In fact, he decided against the "plus one" completely, thinking that he would just make an appearance, greet the President, and then escape as soon as possible. However, almost immediately upon entering the room he heard that unmistakable laugh again. His eyes searched the room for her and he almost smiled as he saw her dancing with her father. He wondered if they were here together or if she was here with someone else. He was not surprised when he realized that he was hoping for the former. He also wondered if he was brave enough to ask her for a dance. At this thought, the song ended, and she kissed her father on the cheek and they went their separate ways. She went to the bar and he went to talk to a small group of people that included President Jones. Mycroft's eyes followed her to the bar, even though he knew that he should start making his way around the room. Instead, he found himself heading in her direction. Rose had just turned around with a glass of mineral water when she almost ran into him.
"Mycroft," she cried delighted, flashing that dazzling smile that had haunted his dreams for months now. "I didn't know that you were going to be here!"
"Miss Tyler…Rose," he corrected. "I was not aware that I would be honored with your company, either."
"Oh, Mum got sick this afternoon, so Dad called me up at the last minute absolutely frantic since he didn't have a date for the evening." She explained with a slightly giggly version of that fabulous laugh. "Mum would have slapped him silly if he had come with anybody else." She looked around confused for a minute before asking, "Are you here with anyone?"
"No, I am alone. I was not planning to stay long." He explained honestly.
"Well, we will see about that," she replied with a knowing smile. "It would be a shame to waste such an elegant looking tuxedo." She reached up to adjust his bow tie. "Would you care to dance, Mr. Holmes? I am in need of a distinguished looking partner." He nodded, at a loss for words, while she sat down her glass, and then he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Then he pulled her into his arms and was thrilled at the feeling.
"You look lovely," he said, before he lost his nerve. He meant it, too! She was wearing a one- shouldered shimmery bronze gown with gold braided trim at her waist. "You look like a goddess!"
"Thank you," she replied. "I meant what I said before, too. You look very distinguished, very handsome." He did not know how to reply to that, so he just gave her a rare true smile and pulled her a little closer. They danced simply. That way they did not have to think about the steps, and they could hold a conversation. "So what were you planning to do?" she asked a little conspiratorially.
"Pardon?" he asked confused.
"When you snuck out of here early tonight, what were you planning to do? Is Mycroft Holmes the kind of man who would put on sweatpants, watch bad tele, and eat cake when he is alone and comfortable at home?" Mycroft snorted at the image of himself that she painted.
"Well," he said in good humor, "I do like cake."
She laughed again, that delightful laugh. "Who doesn't?" she asked cheekily.
The song ended and she was immediately claimed for the next dance by a handsome young man whom Mycroft didn't know. She looked at Mycroft first, but he did not say anything, so she gave the interloper a small smile and accepted. Mycroft fumed at himself (Why hadn't he said something?) from the sidelines. His only solace was that Rose seemed to be maintaining a polite distance even though her partner was obviously trying for more. He continued to watch until he was dragged into a conversation by a passing diplomat. Therefore, he was grateful for several reasons when he was rescued by Rose again after that dance was over.
"Thank goodness that you are still here!" she said taking his arm. "I was afraid that you would sneak out while I was trapped with that boy without a brain cell in his pretty noggin!"
Mycroft snorted at her description of her last dance partner. "Oh, I might be persuaded to stay a little longer, Miss Tyler. Would you like something to drink? Some wine, perhaps?
"Yes, please. I am parched!" she replied. He accepted two glasses from a passing waiter and offered one to her. "I am also still eagerly awaiting the answer to the question that I asked you earlier about your plans for the evening. I was just joking about the sweatpants, you know. However, if that's what you really were going to do, then I won't judge. I bet that you look good in them. I even have several comfy pairs myself!" She gave him a saucy wink while she sipped her wine. He took a moment to picture her in sweatpants and thought that she would still look lovely – especially first thing in the morning, smiling at him, with her hair mussed from sleep. Mycroft shook his head. Where in the hell had that thought come from? He asked himself.
"Alas," he said aloud "I do not currently own any sweatpants. However, I may have to look into purchasing some now based on your recommendation." She laughed delightedly. She had discovered Mycroft's dry wit very early on – something many people simply overlooked about him. "Seriously, though," he continued, "I am quite boring and would have probably just changed into some pajamas and read in my favorite chair with a cup of tea."
"That sounds like a nice relaxing evening – not boring at all," she said honestly. "What do you like to read? Do you have any guilty pleasures that you keep stuffed under your mattress so that your cleaner doesn't find them?"
"You are quite cheeky tonight, Rose Tyler," he said with a smile. "But no, I do not - not unless you count Dickens as a guilty pleasure," he added seriously.
"Oh, Mycroft, we are going to get along so well," Rose said breathily and dazzled him with that smile again, "and by the way, I am quite cheeky most nights!" Then she winked at him!
He blushed a little at that. He could not quite believe that she was…flirting…with him! It was quite enjoyable, though, plus he was quite pleased to know that she liked Dickens, as well! He could not help but smile again at that and was about to ask her for another dance when her father suddenly appeared.
"Hello, Mr. Holmes," he said. Mycroft simply nodded his head in reply. Pete continued, "I didn't know that you were here tonight. Of course, I have not had much time to socialize. The President had some questions for me. Sorry, Rose dear, I didn't mean to abandon you."
"That's okay, Dad. Mycroft and I were having a lovely time," she replied seriously. Mycroft beamed with delight. He really had been enjoying his time with her, as well.
"Really?" her dad asked – a bit surprised. Mycroft Holmes wasn't really known for his pleasant attitude, but he could not deny that things certainly had been smoother between Mycroft's office and Torchwood since Rose had become the liaison. Pete may not have gotten along very well with the man, however, Mycroft was extremely respectable and he wouldn't say anything if his daughter really wanted to spend time with him. Of course, she could just be acting politely. Rose was always very diplomatic and really hated to hurt anyone's feelings. He guessed that he would just have to wait and see which way that wind was blowing, though. "Anyway, Jacks just called, she is still not feeling well and apparently Tony is refusing to go to bed, so I am going to head back home to help her out. Do you want to ride with me now or should I send James back for you later?"
Rose looked a little disappointed, but before she could say anything, Mycroft stepped in. "Mr. Tyler, I would be happy to offer Rose a ride home whenever she is ready to go."
Rose looked honestly delighted and beamed at Mycroft for the suggestion.
Well, that answers that question, thought Pete to himself. Aloud, he said, "Okay, honey. Have a good time. Don't forget about dinner on Sunday, if I don't get to talk to you again before then." Rose said good night to him, smiled, and kissed his cheek. He nodded a goodbye to Mycroft and left thinking about how his amazing daughter could charm anyone!
"Well, then, it looks like I am free for the rest of the evening," she turned back, grinning at Mycroft. "Should we dance again or go shopping for those sweatpants?" This time Mycroft laughed aloud and he led her back onto the dance floor. He had just taken her into his arms again, when the Vice President walked up to them.
"Mycroft Holmes," he cried out. "I'm so delighted that you could make it and this lovely lady must be your plus one…Ms…?"
"Rose Tyler," replied Mycroft, quite annoyed at being interrupted when Rose had been in his arms, "but she is not …"
"Ready to leave yet!" Rose interrupted, sending Mycroft a little wink, and reaching up to reclaim his arm. "It is such a lovely party! We are having a wonderful time and were just about to dance again. "
"I am so glad that you are enjoying yourselves," replied the VP, getting the gentle hint. "Please return to your dance, Mr. Holmes and Ms. Tyler, and forgive my intrusion."
After he left, Mycroft turned to her and said, "Forgive me, Rose," worried that she might be upset or embarrassed. "I didn't mean to imply that we were..."
"I did!" she said softly, interrupting him again. "We are now, aren't we?" He looked down with amazement at her. She didn't mind if people thought that they were together. Did that mean…? Hope bloomed suddenly and his heart started pounding in his chest so loudly that he was afraid that she might hear it. He, the man who could argue with heads of governments in many different languages, didn't know what to say to one young blonde woman at that moment. Therefore, he just pulled her gently back into his arms. This time she laid her head on his shoulder and they danced without talking – just moving closely together. His mind was racing, though, trying to come to terms with what was happening and trying not to react too strongly to the feel of her body pressed up against his. However, it went completely blank after a moment when she picked her head up and looked him in the eye.
"You should have just asked me to come with you in the first place, you know." She said and then she laughed gaily at the dumfounded look on his face before she put her head back on his shoulder again.
When the dance was over, she leaned up and whispered in his ear that it was time to go.
Mycroft had texted his driver, Bailey, to bring the car around. The driver was considerably irritated because he had waited with the car for several hours even though Mr. Holmes had assured him that he would not stay long. However, Bailey completely understood the delay when he saw the gorgeous blonde with whom Mr. Holmes exited the building! When Bailey opened the door for her and she smiled at him in gratitude, everything was forgiven! He knew that he would not have been able to resist wanting to spend as much time as he could with the owner of that smile, either. When Bailey asked for the destination, Mr. Holmes looked at his companion for the answer. He had never seen his employer with such a huge, slightly embarrassed, but completely genuine grin on his face, as when she answered with "Your place, of course!" He had a feeling that Mr. Holmes was going to have an even bigger smile on his face tomorrow because he had never known his employer to take someone home before. Good for him, he thought! The old bugger needed someone.
They had barely made it inside the house before he found his arms full of Rose Tyler. He wasn't even sure how she got there, but he definitely was not complaining! "Oh, Mike!" she whispered softly. It sounded so sweet that he didn't even try to correct her use of the hated nickname– as he would for anyone else. In fact, he decided that he liked the way that it sounded coming from her lips - her lips that were so welcoming that he could not resist reaching down to capture them with his own for the first time. They were so soft and warm and he did not want to ever stop kissing her. As their lips moved together, he felt an unfamiliar heat spread through his body, and his heart sped up as she leaned against him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. With seemingly no direction from him, his hands moved of their own accord to wrap around her waist and pull her closer. Their kiss deepened and he heard her make a small sound of pleasure. The sound shot through him and he became instantly hard. He gasped in surprise at that. He paused and looked into the deep amber pools of her eyes trying to determine what she thought about this...situation. She smiled gently, reached up to unknot his tie, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and then leaned forward to kiss the hollow of his throat. He heard himself groan. What was she doing to him? His body was tense, his heart was pounding, and his trousers were uncomfortably tight. She continued to kiss upwards over his neck, taking a little detour to give his earlobe a gentle suck, and slowly back across his jaw line until she reached his lips again. By this time he was trembling with desire, and one hand fisted in her hair, while the other gripped her back - pulling her forward. His mouth found hers again – hungry for more. She returned the kiss, hard, while kneading his back with her hands. "Rose," he groaned against her mouth. She pulled back slowly and looked at him and found his eyes dark with want. She moved her lips close to his ear and whispered, "Make love to me." His knees turned to jelly at her words; he stared at her stunned, and could only nod in agreement. She gave him that dazzling smile, took his hand, and let him lead her to his bedroom.
The next morning, he brought coffee to her in bed and he smiled as he realized that he had definitely been right. She did look gorgeous first thing in the morning with tousled hair and a sleepy smile. He thought of their absolutely amazing night together while he observed her closely and was quite relieved to see that she did not seem to be embarrassed or regretful about it, at all. In fact, quite the opposite seemed true, she laughed – that wonderful musical laugh that had first grabbed his attention – and told him to stop assessing her and to kiss her instead. He quickly complied and soon found himself in her arms again – where he was determined to stay for as long as she would have him!
He knew that he had been called the "Ice Man" by some before, but he truly believed that Rose – and her laugh and smile - had melted him - and his heart!