AN: Here's the next chapter! I'm going to try to update at least twice a week which is a bit less than I planned but the chapters are longer than I anticipated so I hope that makes up for it. Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites and follows! I really appreciate them!

Nine Years Ago:

John Smith had never found himself in a situation quite like this. He couldn't believe he had just met Rose Tyler last night; it had felt like he'd known her for years. And she had helped him even though she didn't even know him. Ever since he had said goodbye to her last night, he couldn't stop thinking about her; her hazel eyes, her teasing grin, and John would be lying to himself if he said that he was not attracted to her. But there was a problem. She was sixteen. He was twenty-eight. Aunt Sylvia was right when she said she was much too young for him. But when he was with her, he didn't feel like he was so much older than her. And she didn't seem to mind either. But he knew that he shouldn't be seeing her tonight. Ever since she had given him her number after they made dinner plans, he had been debating whether or not to call her up and cancel. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her, rather, it was that he wanted to see her too badly. He was hooked on her already and couldn't bear to pass up the opportunity to see her again.

So John found himself standing in the florist shop near her flat, staring at the large array of flowers. There were way too many for him to decide and he didn't know what flowers she liked. Or if she even liked flowers. Lucky for him, one of the florists took pity on him, seeing him stand there for ten minutes with a lost expression on his face, and approached him.

"Hello. How can I help you?" She asked kindly.

"To be frank, I'm at a loss of what flowers to get for a, uh, friend of mine," John winced once the word friend left his mouth. He wasn't even sure if they were even friends; they had only met last night. And the idea of Rose Tyler being his friend did not sit right with him. He wanted more, so much more from her. That terrified him and he definitely was not going to tell the florist that.

"Well, what's the occasion?"

"It's our first...date, at least I think it is," John managed to say. He didn't even know if this was a date. What if it wasn't? They were only going to get chips, after all. What if flowers weren't even appropriate for this?

The florist looked at him with an expression of amusement and sympathy. She had many blokes come in, unsure of what their relationship was with the person for which they were buying flowers.

"How about roses? Depending on the color, roses symbolize different feelings," the florist suggested. "Not to mention they are absolutely lovely.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea…" John trailed off uncomfortably. He had a feeling that buying Rose roses would not go over well with her. She probably had gotten dozens of roses already, from other blokes. He found himself not wanting to be just another bloke to her.

"You sure, love?" The woman asked. "They are my absolute favorite and I know many girls love them. With the exception of my daughter of course," The woman laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't think she'll like them," John replied.

"Well if you're not comfortable giving her anything overly romantic, I would suggest orchids. They symbolize delicate beauty and are seen as alluring and captivating," The florist said, gesturing to a large display of flowers to their right. "We just got new ones this morning and they are absolutely beautiful. These pink ones are my personal favorite."

John looked at the flowers and knew that they would be perfect for Rose. The majority of the exotic flowers were pink, but towards the center they were a shade of bright yellow. He could immediately associate them with Rose. She was absolutely gorgeous, with her blushing pink cheeks and blonde hair.

"I'll get them," John said, barely hesitating, a wide grin appearing on his face.

"Lovely, I'll get them ready right away."

John purchased the flowers, unable to help the twinge of excitement he felt when he thought of her reaction. He really hoped she would like them. John was shocked by this; he'd never really felt the need to please someone before but now that he thought about it he wanted Rose's approval.

"Here you go, plum," The florist said, handing him the intricate bouquet. "If you ever come back here, ask for me. My name's Jackie and I would love to help you out again. I hope your "friend" likes them," Jackie said with a slight smirk.

John quickly thanked her and then left, realizing that he was running a bit late. He drove towards the Powell Estates where he texted Rose. He remembered her warning him about her mum and was reluctant to meet her. Rose texted back quickly, telling him her mum was at work and that he could come up.

When she told him her flat number, he headed up the steps, now nervous. He knocked on her door and grinned brightly when he was her. She looked beautiful, like she had the night before, dressed in a pair of jeans and hoodie.

"Hello, Rose," John said smiling, and offered her the flowers. "I, uh, picked you up some flowers."

Rose's eyes widened in delight and she giggled. "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

John blushed, but preened at her happiness from the flowers.

Rose noticed, and teased. "You think you're so impressive."

John gave her a mock-offended stare and said, "I am so impressive!" causing her to laugh again.

"Well, let me go put these in water, then we can go get chips," Rose said, giving him her tongue in teeth grin.

After Rose was ready to leave, they went to a chippy that was within walking distance from Rose's flat. Once there, John ordered them chips, looking horrified at Rose when she doused vinegar on her chips.

"What are you doing ruining perfectly good chips?" John asked, appalled.

"Don't knock it until you try it," Rose replied after swallowing the chips she placed in her mouth. She then got some more on her fork and offered them to John.

He took her fork apprehensively and put the chips in his mouth. "There not as bad as I thought," John said with his mouthful. The truth was they were terrible. He was trying to fight the urge to spit them out when Rose noticed his expression and smiled.

"Not for everyone, yeah?"

"Yeah, I take my chips with minimal vinegar, thanks." John said once he managed to swallow the chips.

Their date went on smoothly, with hardly any awkwardness and John couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember that last time he had smiled and laughed this much. In fact, Donna had always described him as cranky and brooding. But Rose's sunny and enthusiastic attitude was rubbing off on him.

They finished their chips and the date ended much too soon for their liking. But Rose wanted to get home before her mother did, so she could properly explain where she had been. So John walked her back to her flat and she lingered at her door when they had walked up to it.

"I had a really good time, John," Rose said, blushing lightly.

"Me too," John said.

"So, will we be doing this again?" Rose asked a little nervously. She liked John, she really did but she wasn't sure if he saw her as more than a friend. After all, she was so much younger and more inexperienced than him. Sure, she had gone on dates and had one semi-serious relationship, but she doubted her experience could compare to his.

"Definitely. I'll call you up later," John said, brushing a hair that had fallen from her face. Oh, he wanted to kiss her. Her plump lips were curved up in a content smile and he wanted nothing more than to press his own lips against them. John ultimately decided he was still unsure of her feelings towards him and instead chose to press a kiss to her cheek.

Rose smiled at him. "See you later?"

"Not if I see you first," Rose said before walking into her flat.

A short while later, Rose's mum came home and after greeting Rose, who told her that she had gone on a date with a nice bloke, Jackie went to go make dinner. She looked over to the small kitchen table and her eyes widened when she saw a bouquet of pink and yellow orchids in a vase. As Jackie realized they were the same orchids she had sold earlier that day, she began to connect the dots with increasing panic. The bloke that she had sold the flowers to looked way too old to be going on dates with her sixteen year old daughter. She walked towards her daughter's bedroom, determined to find some answers.

"Rose!"

Present:

Rose Tyler was late. She hated being late. She had just gotten out of a meeting and was supposed to meet John at the coffee shop 10 minutes ago. She couldn't even text him that she was on her way because her phone had died. She cursed under her breath as she got into her car to hopefully make it to the coffee shop at 11, half an hour later than was planned. What a great way to start a friendship, Rose thought dryly and she hoped John didn't think she had stood him up. Not that he didn't deserve a little rejection, but Rose quickly pushed that idea out of her mind. That was nine years ago and she was completely over it. Over the breakup and over John, right?

John tapped his foot nervously, his eyes anxiously going to the door every time it opened. Where was she? John held onto the hope that she was just running late, but if that was the case, why didn't she just call and tell him that? He refused to think of the alternative. That Rose Tyler had stood him up. But as the minutes passed, he became increasingly distressed. He had gotten to the coffee shop where they agreed to meet ten minutes earlier than planned, hoping she would too. But when the time came around she still hadn't arrived. John checked his watch again. 10:55. 25 minutes late. His coffee gotten cold as he was waiting for her, hoping to prolong the time they spent together if he drank it slowly. One night with Rose back in his life and he was hooked on her again. He checked his watch again. 10:57. Common sense told him that he had been stood up but still, he waited for her.

The door to the coffee shop opened again. John's eyes immediately looked up, but it wasn't the woman he was waiting for. He should have known it was too good to be true. He was too optimistic that Rose would ever want him back in her life. But he wanted hers in his so desperately that he threw reason out the door once his eyes met her hazel ones for the first time again. 11:01. Still no Rose.

At 11:07, not that John was keeping track, he reluctantly stood up to leave. But before he could take a step towards the door it opened. Rose. She was here. Her eyes searched frantically around the shop, looking for him. She was slightly out of breath and he suspected she may have run to the coffee shop. He glanced down at her feet and winced when he saw her wearing rather high heels. He always told her to wear comfortable shoes because you never know when you need to run. John chastised himself; she didn't need to listen to him anymore.

"John, I'm so sorry," Rose said, clearly upset about being late. "I had a meeting this morning and it ran late and then I had to drive here but there was traffic. And I had to park far away and practically run here and my feet are killing me," Rose rambled as she tried to explain herself.

"Rose, calm down. It's alright," John soothed, and he pulled out the chair across from him for her to sit in. "I'll get you some coffee and you can relax."

John couldn't help but smile as he went to order coffee for Rose, hoping she still liked it the same way she did nine years ago. She had come. She didn't stand him up. She was just running late. John quickly paid and got the cup of coffee, ordering another for himself as well, so he could go be with her again.

He made his way back to the small table, where Rose looked significantly more relaxed, but extremely tired. Without the dim lights of the bar present, John was able to see her more clearly than on Friday night. She had changed immensely, not that it was unusual for someone to change in appearances from when they are a teenager to in their mid-twenties. Still, her previously bleached blonde hair was now a darker blonde, which made her look more like a natural blonde. She had traded in hoodies and jeans to a tight fitting pencil skirt that emphasized her hips and a cream colored blouse. But then again, she had just come from work, where this outfit would be more appropriate. Rose looked sophisticated and so different from the young girl that worked in a shop. John suddenly feared that if Rose changed so much in appearance, she might like different things and maybe they would be too different.

"Thank you," Rose said gratefully, taking a sip of the coffee and sighed happily.

"Like it?" John asked in a teasing tone, but he really did want to know if she still liked her coffee the same way.

"It's lovely. You remembered," Rose said, smiling at him.

Maybe things hadn't changed too much in the past nine years.

Rose spoke up again meeting his eyes with her worried ones. "Listen, John, I really am sorry I was so late and I tried to call but my phone was dead."

"That's alright, Rose."

"John-" Rose started but John cut her off.

"Rose really it's nothing to worry about," and then smiled at her teasingly. "Besides, I knew you would show up," he said, unwilling to tell her that he thought she wouldn't.

Rose's eyes widened. "But, you were standing when I got here. Oh my god, you thought I stood you up. You were gonna leave."

"Yes." John couldn't even try to lie to her. "But you're here now, so let's talk about something else."

Rose accepted this and said, "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"You." John said honestly.

"Me? That's no fun," Rose teased. "Let's talk about you. You said you were working at a hospital again. How is it?"

"Stressful," John admitted reluctantly, not wanting to make small talk with her. "New interns are starting and they are extremely frustrating."

"What, are they all pining over you? The handsome, successful doctor you are?" Rose teased, her tongue flicking out between her teeth as she smiled.

"I doubt that, Rose," John said, giving her a mock glare. "Besides, there are younger, more attractive doctors at the hospital they can fawn over."

"But Doctor," Rose continued teasing, "I think you're handsome, even if you are old."

"Thanks Rose. I'm making an effort not to be insulted by you calling me old," John said giving her a pointed look.

"Maybe I like older men," Rose said cheekily.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Both of them paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that they had fallen back into their old routine of excessive flirting. John coughed uncomfortably when Rose didn't respond, instead taking a long drink of her coffee.

"So, I told Sarah Jane about us seeing each other again," Rose said, turning their conversation away from the flirting, unnerved by the ease with which they began it. "She said she tried calling you a few times over the year after you left and you haven't been answering the phone," She said, softly.

"Yeah, I was in a bad place for a while," John said guiltily.

"Yeah so was I." Rose snapped, "But I didn't just stop speaking to my best friend."

"Oh really? So Donna wasn't your best friend? Or did you not ignore her for the past nine years too?" John shot back defensively. Rose's eyes widened and he immediately regretted it. "Rose, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But Donna missed you."

"I know, I'm sorry too," Rose said not looking at him and John cursed himself. "And Sarah Jane has missed you too. You should talk to her again."

"How?" John asked desperately. "How could she forgive me after everything?"

"John, she loves you. You're a brother to her," Rose said sincerely. "She'll forgive, just like Donna forgave me."

"Alright, I'll call her," John said, still unsure.

"That's all I'm asking," Rose replied softly, and she tentatively reached out and grazed the back of his hand that rested on the table with her hands. John fought the urge to turn his hand and take hold of hers, sensing she wasn't ready for that. He agreed to go along with her terms of friendship and he had a feeling hand holding was not part of their shaky arrangement.

For the next half an hour, Rose caught John up with how she came to become a journalist, but she withheld much of what had gone on in her romantic life, not ready to tell him. John did the same, telling her about teaching and then his decision to go back to practicing medicine. Eventually, John had to leave because of a surgery he had scheduled that he needed to prepare for. They both stood up, ready to leave, and John was unsure of how to say goodbye. Should he hug her? Or would that be too soon?

Before John could contemplate anything more, Rose leaned towards him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. John briefly closed his eyes at the feel of her lips after so long but quickly opened them when he realized what he was doing.

Rose saw that John looked slightly dazed and smiled to herself. It was satisfying to see that she still had an effect on him. "So, should we doing this again soon?" Rose asked.

"Absolutely."

"Alright, I'll call you," Rose said smiling brightly.

"Maybe, Rose Tyler, I'll be the one to call you first," John replied staring at her with his piercing blue eyes.

Rose's breath caught at his use of her full name and saw his lips curving up in a smirk when he noticed her reaction.

Rose decided he was much too smug for her liking. When she left she made sure to put some extra swing in her hips, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist looking. And she was right.

John's eyes were glued to her backside and he couldn't bring himself to stop looking. She stopped and turned back to give him a saucy smile before walking out the door.

Cheeky minx, he thought smiling to himself. He was very much looking forward to the next time he would see her.

Up Next: Another Kiss