for a reference to what dress is wearing (so you know exactly how doomed John is when he sees her), I've put a link in my profile description.
"Okay, so we've been together for two months. Met at a party being thrown by one of your London contacts," Rose confirmed, repeating the details they'd decided on. She and John were on a plane on their way to the mission. John's cover included a private jet so they were at least comfortable and able to discuss their mission while en route.
"Yes. I'd just broken up with Jessica, which was Lucie's cover, and was on the rebound. We met, hit it off and started seeing each other."
"Great, I'm your rebound relationship, how appropriate," Rose drawled, rolling her eyes.
John huffed. "It gives us a reason to be practically inseparable. If we're newly together still and have a relationship based on physical attraction they will expect us to not be able to keep our hands off of each other and will help our case if they ask us a personal question we don't know the answer to." He paused a beat. "Plus it will explain any instance of us not liking each other very much."
"That's true. At least the dresses they gave me should make it very easy for you to fake the physical attraction," Rose commented, looking back down at her notes.
John didn't think there would be any faking involved in that area but he wasn't about to tell her that. "You going to have any problem doing the same?" he asked, needing confirmation.
Rose dragged her eyes over him, considering. "No, you look like you'll fill out a suit quite nicely."
Rose laughed at John's preening and he felt a swoop in his belly that he thought just might be hope. They had the potential to get along but the moments like this had been few and far between so far. They needed more of them if they were going to get through this job.
Then again, he had worked with people he liked much less than Rose and had completed successful missions with them. It was all just a matter of their covers getting along and the two of them being able to pick up on each other's cues.
Walk in the park, really.
"We'll be arriving at your destination in half an hour," the pilot said over the intercom, breaking into John's reverie.
"That's my cue," Rose said, hauling herself to her feet.
John's eyebrows drew together in puzzlement.
"Have to get dressed and all that," Rose explained. "Dibs on the loo, you can get dressed out here."
Rose was closing the door to the loo, garment bag in hand before John could even consider mustering a response.
He quickly changed into his suit and was straightening the cerulean tie when he heard the click of the loo door. He turned, comment about them having to strap in for landing on the tip of his tongue.
Rather, it was on the tip of his tongue before he caught sight of his partner and had his breath and words stolen from him in one fell swoop.
She was wearing a red dress with a very low, wide v neckline. John gulped as his gaze lingered on her chest for an extra second. There was no way she'd managed to conceal a bra under that dress and, damn, that was going to be in the back of his mind for the rest of the day. No way he'd be having to fake the physical attraction.
The dress clung tightly to her torso before flowing over her hips and stopping just below the knees. He let his eyes wander all the way down to her black heels before he dragged his gaze back up her body to meet her eyes.
Rose smirked, bright red lips highlighting the expression. "Told you the dresses they gave me would make the whole fake attraction bit a nonissue," she said, walking up to him. She batted his hand away from his tie and straightened it herself while he tried to fight back a shiver at the feeling of her fingers brushing against his chest.
She looked up at him, brown eyes wide and lips parted. "You're going to have to play it better if you want them to think we're actually a couple," she murmured, eyes flickering down to his mouth briefly. "You went all stiff on me, and not in a good way."
John had to blindly grasp for the threads of his self-control so he didn't start checking to see if her lipstick was kiss-proof. He schooled his face into a more neutral expression then rested his hands on her hips, pulling her closer.
"Just surprised me, that's all," he said softly, voice deeper than normal. "Thought you said wardrobe usually made you dress like a bimbo."
Rose rolled her eyes. "This is the most modest of the lot and have you seen the neckline on this dress? And the color? Everyone will be looking at me so you should have plenty of opportunity to snoop."
"Mmm, that's true," he said, sneaking another glance at the neckline in question.
"John, if you don't stop looking down my dress when there's no one around to see you doing it, you're going to find out exactly how fast I can get to the knives in my garters," Rose said dryly.
John took a step back, releasing her. He ran his eyes over her again, taking in the whole dress and trying to see if he could spot the outline of the daggers she was threatening him with. He met her eyes again, smile crossing his face at her raised eyebrow and pursed lips. "I'd apologize but I'm really not sorry."
"Wanker." Rose turned her back on him and went to her seat. Her heels clicked softly on the hard floor and the switch of her hips revealed that she definitely knew he was watching.
John sat opposite of her and fastened his seatbelt. "Ready for this?" he asked.
"As I'm going to be. You?"
"Born ready," he drawled.
They were silent as the plane began its final descent and landed safely on the private airstrip maintained by the criminal syndicate they were there to meet with. John glanced around to make sure he had found all the papers from their dossiers and none of them were lying out. He'd tried to put everything away in the safe while Rose was changing so as to not blow their covers if anyone came onto the plane, but he was just nervous enough to double check.
"You got everything, Doctor," Rose soothed, noticing his eyes darting around the cabin. "It's all put away."
John just nodded sharply. Apparently she was able to push their animosity to the side as the mission became eminent. He assumed the uptick in her flirting was also a product of her getting into character. They'd clicked better since she'd changed into her dress and started slipping into character but the attraction simmering between them, evident in stolen glances and small smiles, was no charade.
He was starting to feel that it would be easy as anything to convince people they were in a relationship.
The plane slowed to a stop and both of them rose from their seats to move towards the door. Rose stopped him with a hand to the arm.
"You're going to stick to the plan, right?" she asked. "Get in, identify who's in charge, buy the weapons, get out, send backup in to take everyone down."
John smiled down at her, shaking his head slightly. "I'll try, but you know my reputation."
"Do I ever," Rose muttered. "Probably end up running for our lives while someone shoots at us."
"Always an entertaining end to a mission," he quipped.
Rose shook her head despairingly. "These are my favorite heels and if you make me leave them behind because we're running I'm going to be extremely upset with you."
"Understood," he replied, amused.
He tried to pull away and make for the door again but she didn't let go of his arm, holding him in place. "Come here," she ordered. "You look much too put together for someone who just spent hours alone on a plane with someone he supposedly can't keep his hands off of."
"And what do you plan to do about that?" He asked, cursing internally at the obvious curiosity in his voice. No need to let Rose know that he was feeling a little off-kilter with her so close to him.
Rose tilted her head, considering, then reached up and put both of her hands in his hair. She pulled gently and twisted and ruffled his curls before releasing him. She stared at him for a moment judging her work and, as far as he could tell, completely unaware of the frissions of pleasure she'd sent shooting down his spine and through his veins with her actions.
Just getting into character, he reminded himself. Rose was more method than he was and this woman who was currently tugging on his jacket and tie to muss them slightly was some combination of her cover and herself. Rose Tyler on her own had made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. And that was fine. Completely fine.
She ran a critical eye over him. "One more thing," she promised. Faster than he could process, she moved closer to him, breasts brushing against his chest as she placed a lingering, open mouthed kiss to a spot right behind his ear.
He could feel himself flushing as she pulled away.
"Alright, you look properly satisfied now. Go assure our hosts that it really is us in the plane."
John stayed put even as she tried to shoo him towards the door. "What about you? You still look perfect."
"Thanks for that," Rose said with a wink. "I'll take care of myself though. Don't worry about it."
John pushed down the little zing of disappointment and started walking towards the front of the plane.
"And John," his partner called one more time. He turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. "I was right about you filling out a suit nicely."
John flashed her a grin before he resumed the task at hand. With every step he took he buried "John" down a little further, bringing his cover identity of Edward Smythe to the forefront of his mind.
He opened the door of the plane and stood in the opening as the stairway descended to the ground.
"Mr. Smythe!" One of the men waiting for him called out. Peter something if John was remembering correctly. "Welcome."
"It's a pleasure to be here, Peter," John said, descending the stairway and shaking the man's hand, smile wide and amicable. "Will be even better when I've given your boss all of my money though, eh?"
The man chuckled, as did his partner who John didn't remember meeting before.
"Where's your lady friend?" Peter asked, glancing past John at the plane.
"What makes you think I brought one along this time?" John asked. He let a sly, satisfied smirk creep onto his face.
"Your expression gives you away, my friend," Peter said. "You also have a bit of lipstick on your neck."
"That little minx," John muttered, making sure his expression was adequately besotted as he dabbed at the spot where Rose had kissed him with his pocket square.
Peter laughed. "I'd ask if you had a good flight but that question seems to have already been answered."
"She's a handful," John confided.
"Jessica, right?" Peter asked, face scrunching up as he tried to remember the name.
"Oh no, no, no," he corrected. "Jessica's been gone a couple of months now. Have my new girl with me."
He opened his mouth to tell them about Rose's cover but Peter and his partner's eyes both glazed over as they looked past him. John shook his head, real smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Rose must have made her appearance.
John turned and felt his jaw drop a little as well. Rose was standing at the top of the stairs, bright red dress contrasted against the dark background. Her hair was a bit mussed and he could swear that her neckline had plunged just a tiny bit lower.
"Edward, love, can you come help me down these stairs?" she called, voice a bit more polished than it had been previously, in keeping with the posh background of her cover. "I don't want to break an ankle and ruin our holiday."
"Of course, dear," he said moving towards the plane. He bounded up the steps and offered his arm.
"You make quite an entrance," he murmured close to her ear.
"I'm supposed to be the flashy one, remember?" She teased, smiling up at him.
"Just so long as you're not flashing people," he shot back.
Rose let out a laugh and swatted him on the arm. "Cheeky." She looked at the two men who were watching her closely. "He's a cheeky one, isn't he?" she asked them, leaning into John's arm further.
They just both looked a little bewildered.
John cut into the silence smoothly. "As I was telling you, this is my companion for this trip. May I introduce Marion Lewis?"
"It's lovely to meet you," Rose enthused as she held out her free hand for each man to shake in turn.
"Marion, this is Peter and…"
"Nathan," the other man said, voice like gravel.
"Charmed."
John was pretty sure Rose's smile could have powered the entire country. Romana definitely hadn't mislead him when she said that Rose was one of her best agents, it was obvious just from these few minutes of watching her work.
They walked into the warehouse next to the airstrip with Peter and Nathan, Rose chattering at them about the flight and the weather all the while, clinging to him like her life depended on it, breasts pressing into his arm. With every fleeting extra touch she bestowed upon him, John could feel his not-insignificant defenses against this woman crumbling a tiny bit more.
This mission was getting a whole lot more dangerous than he'd anticipated and not just because he'd already spotted more guns than he'd expected at their most public warehouse as they walked to the SUV.
No, this was getting dangerous on a personal level which was much more frightening.
Rose settled next to him in the car, pressing her thigh against his before leaning up to whisper in his ear.
"Something wrong? You've gone all spacey."
"Nothing wrong, dear," he said, just loud enough for the men to hear and think that they weren't meant to hear.
"Then get your head in the game," she hissed, too quiet for their escorts to make out.
John's mouth quirked upwards. That was more the Rose he was used to so far. He was just going to have to work harder to separate Rose and Marion in his head.
The fact that he was undeniably attracted to the woman who was both of them was something he was just going to have to deal with. Preferably after the mission was successfully completed since said woman would likely rather rip his tongue out of his mouth rather than kiss him as herself.
Yeah, better wait to tackle that particular problem after they dealt with the arms dealers. He rather needed his tongue to get through this.
