Martha is waiting up for her when she gets home. Rose can see the concern on her face as soon as she enters the flat.
"God, I sent you a thousand texts, Rose," she says, standing up from the sofa. Rose motions for her to join her in the kitchen (which is basically the same room, separated only by the line dividing the sitting room carpet from the kitchen tiles).
Rose bites her lip, contemplating where to begin as she fills the kettle and flicks it on.
"What happened tonight?" Martha asks while she grabs their favorite two mugs, setting them down on the counter near the kettle. She leans against the counter, looking Rose over with curiosity.
"Well… I had a date with Jimmy tonight," she begins. She gets two teabags out of the cupboard and drops them in the mugs, waiting on the kettle to boil. Once it does, she makes their tea and brings them over to the table. They sit down, Rose biting her lip again. She can feel Martha growing less patient by the second.
"And? Did he show up? Are you okay? You said you had a story to tell me, but it's been hours. I expected you back ages ago." Martha ignores the tea in front of her, focusing all of her attention on Rose.
"He didn't show," Rose says, hiding behind her cuppa. She wasn't quite sure how to explain what happened tonight without sounding a bit like a madwoman to her roommate.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Rose," Martha says, reaching across the table to grab Rose's hand. She smiles at Martha, shaking her head.
"It's okay," she says, "really. Something… sort of strange happened tonight."
Martha's eyebrows pull together in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well… just as I was about to get up and leave – an hour and a half after that wanker was meant to show up – this bloke sits down across from me. He starts talking about how sorry he is for being late. And, of course, I have no idea what he's on about. I've never seen him before in my life! So he leans in, right, and tells me his name is James. 'Go along with it,' he says. And… I did," Rose meets Martha's eyes.
"So all night you've been on a date with a total stranger?" she asks, head tilted.
"Sort of, yeah," Rose says. She sips at her tea, scalding her tongue while she's at it.
"And… What was he like, this James?" Martha asks, both eyebrows raised.
"He's a doctor, he teaches engineering." Concern fills Martha's face.
"He isn't old though, he only just became a doctor. He's 27," Rose rushes to reassure her. Her face smooths out, but Rose can see lingering worry in her eyes. "He's tall – taller than Jimmy by a few inches. Skinny. A beanpole, really. He's got this amazing hair, Martha. And a bottom lip I could bite for days."
Martha tries to hide a smirk behind her tea. No doubt, she's thinking about how Rose has always had a thing for pretty boys; she loves to tease her about it.
"And we just talked. For hours. We had dinner and dessert and when we finally looked at the clock, it was closing time already. That's why I didn't text you back, by the way, we just really didn't notice the time passing."
"Are you gonna see him again?" Martha asks. There's still worry in her eyes, and Rose can't quite figure out what's causing it. The age difference? It isn't that big, only about four years between the two of them.
"Yeah, he asked me if I wanted to go out again. I think we're gonna go mini-golfing on Friday," Rose answers, suppressing a grin at the thought of his texts.
"What about Jimmy, then?" she asks.
"I'm done with him. I mean, even if I hadn't met James tonight I'd be done with that wanker."
Martha looks relieved. "Good. That's really good. You should've been done with him ages ago, Rose."
"I know," Rose sighs. "It was just… I don't know. Something about him. I kept on hoping that… but he never did. He never will. And I don't ever want to see him again."
"I'm so glad you finally got that prick's hooks out of you," Martha says with a soft smile. She finishes her tea and stands to put the mug in the sink. "We should continue this chat in the morning though, I've really got to be getting to bed. I've got to be up so early in the morning. I hope I don't wake Mickey when I go in there…"
"I didn't know Micks was over tonight," Rose says, finishing her own mug and putting it in the sink.
"When isn't he?" Martha asks with a laugh. Rose chuckles along with her.
"I'll do all the washing up, you get to bed," she says, already starting on the dishes.
"I owe you," Martha says. "Night, Rose."
"Night!"
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After she finishes the washing up, she takes a quick shower. It's properly late by the time she gets out, she's sure to be miserable in the morning. She climbs into bed and reaches for her charger. She notices a message from James when she plugs it in.
Sweet dreams, Rose Tyler.
Night, Doctor, she types back, a wide grin across her face. She puts her phone on the nightstand beside her and drifts off to sleep.
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It's far too early when her alarm goes off in the morning. She slaps at her bedside table until her hand finally lands on the phone. With a groan, she peeks one eye open and turns the alarm off.
Rose rubs at her eyes as she sits up in bed, leaning heavily against the headboard. With a huge yawn, she slides out of bed, bare feet sinking into the cozy carpet. She's grateful that her bedroom here is carpeted. The one back home had been hardwood and every fall and winter she nearly froze to death getting out of bed.
Shaking her head to get rid of the exhaustion that desperately clings to her, she opens her closet and picks a warm, comfortable outfit for the day. She pads over to her bathroom and gets ready.
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James is walking to work when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Brow furrowed, he fishes it out. He can't help the wave of disappointment that crashes over him when he realizes it's his sister, Donna, texting him. Well, he supposes he shouldn't have expected a text from Rose so soon.
He answers Donna's text about having dinner together tonight and shoves his phone back in his pocket, continuing his walk.
His flat really is in the perfect spot, a ten minute walk from work. Shops and restaurants are all close enough that he can walk to them, too, and from what he hears, the university has a beautiful park with amazing ice cream. He thinks he'll like Oxford just fine.
When he makes it to the university, he heads for his office. He's got a little while until his first class starts, so he goes over his notes again. He manages to get lost in them, and doesn't realize until it's almost too late that he needs to get to his classroom. Frantically, he slides his laptop into his bag, tucks his notebooks under his arm, and sprints to his room. He makes it with exactly one minute to spare, according to his watch.
"Good morning," he exclaims, plugging his laptop in and setting up the projector as quickly as possible. "How was your weekend, then?"
His students respond with enthusiasm as he finishes setting up. This class in particular is his favorite. For an 8am class, they're surprisingly chipper, and just about every one of them participates in their discussions.
Just as he's ready to begin his lecture, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket once more. He knows for sure it isn't Donna; her vibration is three quick buzzes. No, this was definitely only two. His stomach swoops at the thought that it might be Rose who texted him. (Logically, he knows it could be anyone other than Donna or his granddad, since they are the only two people with custom vibrations. It could be another professor or any of his friends back in London asking how the semester is going. He can't shake the hope that it's her, though.)
He spends the whole lecture partially distracted, his phone like lead in his pocket, begging to be checked. He can tell his students are surprised when he lets them go five minutes early. Usually, they're discussing until the last possible second, but today he can't take one more moment without checking his damn phone. As soon as the last student is out, his phone is out of his pocket.
When the screen lights up, a huge grin blooms across his face and the tension in his shoulders releases.
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
On Wednesday afternoon, Rose decides this is the longest week of her entire life. She's never wanted Friday to arrive more. Not even when she was a kid waiting on her best friend's slumber party.
She and James have exchanged a few texts here and there since Sunday night. Every time his name flashes on her screen, she gets butterflies in her stomach. Not many, mind. Just one or two.
Mickey smirks at her when her phone dings, regardless of who's actually texting her. More than once she asks him why he's never at his own flat. He just laughs, loving to push her buttons, same as when they were five years old. Martha usually tells him to stuff it, and if he knows what's good for him, he listens.
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
Friday morning is finally here. Rose is awake before her alarm, unable to keep sleeping one more second. She suspects today will be the longest day of them all. Her phone lights up.
We still on tonight?
She can't help but laugh at how ridiculous he is as she texts him back.
Of course.
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James lets out a relieved breath when he reads her response. All week, he's been a nervous wreck, expecting her cancel on him at any moment.
With her confirmation, he sends her the details of the park that they're meeting at, which is about half an hour away from his flat.
Can't wait, she sends back.
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
The day actually speeds by, contrary to what Rose expected. Before she knows it, she's off work and on her way home, contemplating what to wear tonight when she meets James at the park. Something warm, obviously, since they'll be outside. By the time she makes it home, she's got her entire outfit planned. She rushes inside and grabs it, taking a quick shower before getting dressed.
She's in her favorite pair of jeans (that hug her bum perfectly), a simple black long sleeve shirt that clings invitingly to her torso (but is warm enough that she won't freeze to death tonight). Her hair falls down her shoulders in soft curls. With five minutes to spare, she slips on a pair of boots and a coat.
"I'm off," she calls to Mickey and Martha, who are snuggled up on the sofa watching a film. She suspects they'll be there all night.
"Have a good time, Rose," Mickey responds, shooting her a genuine smile. She rolls her eyes and thanks him, stepping out the door.
When she gets outside, she's assaulted by a frigid blast of wind. She rushes to her car, rubbing her hands together. It's colder than she expected, by a fair bit. The temperature must have dropped even lower in the hour it took her to get ready. She thinks she might have done well to bring some gloves, but it's too late to run back inside now.
She gets in the car and cranks the heat up full blast, willing it to warm immediately. To her surprise, it does, and it's toasty in the little car much faster than normal. Maybe the universe is on her side today?
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
She makes it to the park at exactly seven o'clock. Just as she's about to text him that she arrived, she spies his car about three down from hers. She grins, turns the car off, and hops out, locking it behind herself. She sees James look up from his cell phone when her car alarm beeps. He looks over toward the sound and sees her standing there.
He shoves his phone in his pocket and gives her a small wave before getting out of his own car. He locks it and walks over to meet her, his warm smile never wavering.
"Hello," he says. His arms twitch like he isn't quite sure what to do with them. She takes care of that, stepping closer and wrapping him in a quick hug.
"Hi," she says, forcing herself to pull away from him. He's so bloody warm; she could have stayed in his embrace all night.
"How was your week?" he asks, his breath visible in the air between them.
"It was good, yeah," she says, biting down on her bottom lip. "You?"
"Brilliant," he says with a nod. There's a beat of silence. "It's cold out, isn't it?"
"God, it's so cold," she says, laughing. He laughs along with her, shoulders shaking with mirth.
"Perhaps I could have picked a better place for our first real date," he says, still laughing. She can see his ears and neck flushing, though, and rushes to reassure him.
"Nah, I think it's brilliant. S'beautiful here," she says as she looks around for the first time. She's never actually been to this park during her three years at Oxford. She'd never really had much cause to play mini-golf, and there were so many parks around here that she must have overlooked this one. With its lake directly in the middle and its massive trees (which were all brown for the autumn now), it really is beautiful.
"Yeah?" he says, eyes hopeful.
"Yes. Absolutely."
"Well, golf's this way," he says, gesturing toward the golf course that she can see from here.
"Let's go," she says, genuinely excited to get this date properly started. She rubs her hands together again.
"You're shivering," James mentions. She nods, unable to deny what he can obviously see. She can feel the nerves radiating off him, and she's just about to ask why when he grabs her hand with one of his much larger ones. Almost instantly, she feels warmer.
"Thanks," she says, smiling at him.
He clears his throat, giving her a jerky bob of his head. "Any time."
He rubs his thumb across her fingers, no doubt trying to warm her up quicker. The bottom of her stomach drops out and she takes in a sharp breath through her nose. He glances down as if to ask if she's okay, but she just gives him a smile and holds his hand a little tighter.
"We probably should have brought some gloves," he comments with a grin. She shakes her head.
"I think we'll be fine," she says, licking her lips.
He reaches his free hand up to ruffle his already wind-tossed hair, mussing it even further. Rose very much wants to ruffle his hair up. She hadn't had the chance to touch it before he broke their first kiss last week. All week she's been hoping for the opportunity to fix that. It just looks so damn soft.
She shakes her head, clearing out all thoughts of his hair and kissing him. No need to get ahead of herself.
They walk up to the little booth where they keep the balls and putters, and are greeted by a friendly-looking old lady.
"Just the two of you?" she asks with a smile. James nods, letting go of Rose's hand to pull his wallet out.
"Uh oh," he mutters. She glances over at his eyes wide with panic.
"James? What's the matter?" she asks.
"I, err… forgot my wallet," he says, cheeks flushed bright red. Rose laughs in relief, placing a hand on his arm to ease his anxiety.
"It's fine," she says with a grin. "I've got it."
"God, I'm sorry," he says. His whole neck is colored red by the time she finishes paying for their round and collecting their putters.
"Cheap date, you are," she teases, hoping to let him know it's just fine. At her tone, he relaxes, one hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.
"Well, I'll get the next one for sure," he promises. The flush is slowly leaving his cheeks when she speaks again.
"Oh, there's going to be a next one, then?" she asks, suppressing a grin.
"I – er – well I was just thinking," he stammers, blush back in full force. She giggles, pressing her face against his shoulder. She grabs his hand again, smoothing her thumb along his index finger.
"Oh," he breathes, relaxing. "You, Rose Tyler, are mean."
She just laughs again, tugging him toward the first hole. He follows her willingly. She can just hear a contented hum from the back of his throat.
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
There are actually a few other people at the course ahead of them, so they have to wait for the first hole to be free for them.
"You wouldn't expect so many people out as cold as it is," he muses. Their hands are still clasped between them.
"Mini-golf is more popular here than I realized," she agrees with a chuckle. She doesn't much mind waiting to putt. She's happy enough to stand with him, chatting about nothing. After a minute, though, she starts to properly shiver.
"We really should have planned this better," he says with a frown. He looks hesitant for a moment before he wraps her up in a warm hug. She sighs and burrows closer to him.
"How could we have known the weather would take such a sharp turn?" she reasons, cheek pressed against his chest.
"I suppose you're right." She can hear the smile in his voice.
Soon the hole is free, and James insists on letting Rose go first.
"So chivalrous, Doctor," she teases. Oh, God, she'd almost forgotten what his face looks like when she calls him that. She'll have to start doing it more often.
"I think you just need me to show you how it's done, though."
He laughs, nodding. "I'm sure you could teach me a thing or two."
There's something in his voice that makes her blush. She spins around to hide it from him, lining up her putt and taking it. She actually gets a hole-in-one.
"Ha!" she exclaims, twisting back around to see his face.
"You're really going to show me up," he mutters, sounding displeased.
"Hoping to impress me with your mini-golf skills, were you, Doctor?"
"I'll have you know I have very impressive putt putt skills," he proclaims, walking over to her. That tone is back, along with a gleam in his eye that makes her shiver. He smirks, lining up his own shot and taking it. He gets it in two.
He pouts the whole time they wait on the second hole. Every time she looks at his jutting bottom lip, she's caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to suck on it.
"D'you wanna go first this time?" she offers, biting her lip to keep from laughing. He mulls it over for a moment before agreeing.
His face is the most serious she's ever seen it as he lines up his shot. He mutters something about the maths of getting the ball to bounce perfectly off of the lion's paw and shoot under the elephant's trunk. She can't believe she actually manages to not laugh.
He swivels his hips, and suddenly the situation isn't nearly as funny. She gets lost in the thought of how limber his hips seem. While she's caught up in her dirty daydream, he takes his shot and makes it in one.
James turns his head toward her, huge smile in place.
"Look at you go!" she exclaims, pulling him down for a hug. He laughs, delighted. No more pouting from him, it seems.
"You're a much better sport than I am," he admits, tugging on his ear when they let go of each other.
"Seems so," she agrees. He laughs, leaning down to peck her cheek, warm breath puffing against her cheek. She bites down on her bottom lip as he pulls away.
From that moment on, they laugh and cheer each other on at each hole, celebrating regardless of how many attempts it takes them to make it. (Admittedly, their beginner's luck runs out after the second hole, and they get progressively worse. It's much more fun this way, though.)
"Are we even still keeping score?" James asks at the last hole. Rose laughs and shakes her head.
"I don't think we have since the fourth one, actually," she says.
"I think you're right," he agrees. They'd taken to cuddling for warmth every time they had to wait on the group in front of them to finish. His scent is honestly intoxicating, even after all the time they've been out here.
He leans his cheek against the top of her head as they wait for the final person to finish up.
"Do you want to go round up some hot chocolate after we're done here?" he asks out of the blue. She nods, feeling his face move along with hers.
"I'd like that."
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
"They have the best hot chocolate at this place near my flat," Rose says after they hand their putters back over to the lady in the booth.
"Sounds perfect," he says. They walk towards the car park, hands swinging between them lightly. She gives him directions to the little coffee house when they get to her car. They pause at her door, James' eyes locked on her lips.
"I suppose… it's too early for a goodnight kiss?" he says, hope in his eyes. She smiles, biting on her lips.
"Too early for a goodnight kiss… but not for a regular one," she says, meeting his eyes.
His lips are on hers in an instant, hands on her hips. He pulls her a little closer to him, their bodies pressing against each other. She doesn't squander her opportunity this time. Her hands dive into his hair, fingers running along the silky strands. A little moan escapes her. It's even nicer than she hoped. Hair like this should be illegal.
His tongue runs along her bottom lip, begging for entry, which she readily grants. He runs his tongue along hers and she gasps against his mouth. She manages to suck his lip into her mouth and nibbles on it. He moans, pressing harder against her. A car door slamming behind them breaks the trance.
He pulls away with a gasp, eyes wide. Their chests heave against each other.
"That was – " he squeaks out. He pauses, clearing his throat, "yeah."
"Definitely," she says. There's a moment of silence before they both laugh, crystallized breath puffing between their faces, cheeks flushed from the cold.
"Let's get to that chocolate," he says, still smiling.
"Yes," she agrees. She unlocks her car and gets in, turning it on and blasting the heater. As much as she enjoyed snuggling up to him, it was still very cold all night. Her car soon warms up as she pulls out of the car park. James follows her to the coffee shop. She swears she sees him reach up and touch his lips when they're at a traffic light.
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
"Do they have the little marshmallows?" he asks when they walk inside, the bell above the door jingling merrily above them.
"Of course," she promises.
"Molto bene," he says. He brings his hands up to his face, blowing on them to warm them up.
"Oh no," he says just before they approach the counter.
"What's wrong, Doctor?" she asks, reaching out to touch his arm.
"I've just realized you'll have to pay for this as well," he says, eyes anxious. Rose just gives him a reassuring smile.
"It's no problem," she says. She turns to the barista and orders two hot chocolates, one with extra tiny marshmallows, and a couple of pastries. James beams at her.
"Thank you very much," he says. He leans down and kisses her cheek for the second time tonight. She blushes, assuring him once again that it's not a big deal. When they call her name, he hops up from their table and grabs the drinks and pastries with a small word of thanks.
"Here we are," he says grandly, placing everything on the small table.
"God, that smells good," she moans, uncapping her hot chocolate and breathing it in. He hums his agreement, already digging in to one of the pastries. He uncaps his own drink and takes a sip, hissing as it scalds his tongue.
"Well, give it a moment," Rose says, laughing at him. He pouts, putting the cup down and picking his pastry back up. He takes another massive bite, nearly finishing the thing. Rose snorts and rolls her eyes at him.
As they eat and drink, they talk, learning more about each other. He tells her stories from Cambridge, where he studied. Some of her favorite ones include a ridiculous American named Jack. Apparently Jack was back in America these days, doing some sort of police work there. James didn't actually know much about it; it was all very secretive stuff.
She tells him more about her mum and dad and little brother, and stories from her first three years at university. They keep each other in stitches, going back and forth with one story after the next. Very soon, it's closing time for the little shop.
"I suppose it's time to head home," he says with a sigh. She nods and they get up to throw their rubbish in the bin.
"I had a lovely time tonight," she says. They walk out to their cars, holding hands once again.
"Me too," he says. They stop at his car this time, since it's closer to the door.
"That goodnight kiss is in order now, isn't it?" she whispers, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"Of course," he agrees quickly. They lean in, lips meeting in the middle. This kiss is soft, like the first one from last week. Their mouths mold against each other as they press harder. They both pull away soon, not wanting to get caught up again tonight. He rests his forehead against hers
"Can I see you again?" he whispers. She nods. He cups her cheek and presses his lips against hers once more.
They pull away from each other. His hand goes to his pocket and digs his keys out. For the third time tonight, his eyes go wide with panic.
"I've been driving without my license all night," he says. She laughs, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
"Better be careful on the way home," she teases. She walks over to her own car, unlocking it with the fob on her key ring.
"G'night, Doctor," she calls just before he closes his door. His eyes light up again.
"'Night, Rose Tyler."
RTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRT
Mickey is sleeping on the couch when she gets home. She shakes her head, walking over to shake him awake.
"Micks," she whispers, "go to bed."
"Mmfph," he groans, opening one bleary eye. "Oh. Rose. You're 'ome."
"Yes, I am. Go to bed, Mickey," she whispers again. He nods, getting to his feet. He shuffles his way to Martha's room, yawning the whole way. Rose grins, walking to her own room.
She gets dressed and collapses into bed, cocooned in her warm comforter. She grabs her phone and sends a quick text before she can drift off.
Make it home okay, mr lawbreaker?
Her eyes are drifting closed when it buzzes in her hand.
Sure did! No high speed chases for me. How do you feel about coming to my place next week? I'll make you dinner
She smiles as she texts him back.
Sounds lovely.
