Big thanks to my wonderful readers for taking the time to read this story :D
And to all the people who reviewed the last chapter: I'm so, so sorry I couldn't answer your reviews. But I promise I read every single one of them and smiled like a fool whilst doing so.
Also, as always, sorry for any typos.
Chapter 2- Of banana muffins and almost kisses
The next day, Rose literally jumped to the first seat beside the window she found in the tube, hoping that in that way, the Doctor would see her and, hopefully, make her company through the trip.
Although she knew it was very likely that he wouldn't notice her, and even more likely was that even if he did notice her, he wouldn't bother to sneak like a serpent through a large crowd of people gathering at the door, just for the safe, she put her purse on top of the seat at her left, claiming it to the Doctor in case a miracle happened.
The normally short trip from Holloway Road to Holborn seemed like an eternity, her fingers playing with the end of the sleeve of her pink blouse and her front tooth chewing her bottom lip, both gestures she did every time she was nervous.
She also tried to distract herself with her so-called game, trying to guess other people's lives, but couldn't concentrate on anything but the way her chest tightened with each passing second, impeding her from breathing properly, as if she was being crushed by gravity.
Finally, the tube stopped and her hands and nose became glued to the cold window, scrutinizing the area outside looking for a certain tall man with floppy hair that pointed in all directions, dressed in a pinstripe suit and converse.
Rose was well aware of the weird glances the old lady in front of her was throwing at the visible side of her face, but she didn't care. In that moment, the young blonde was a woman on a mission, and Lord knows that a Tyler woman was unstoppable once an idea got inside her head.
"C'mon…" She murmured to no one, peeking at the people in the other side of the glass, a big black hole beginning to form in her belly, draining little by little her hopes.
She wanted to see him so badly. Since their small meeting near the kitchen with Donna the day prior, Rose didn't see him again, except when he climbed up the stairs in his office direction.
There were so many things she wanted to ask. Was he enjoying his new work? Did he like living in London? Was his relationship with Donna always like the demonstration she had seen? Did he still get lost whilst walking in the streets?
And it seemed like she wouldn't know the answer to any of them.
The tube began once again its sliding over the rails, while Rose's body swiftly balanced from left to right.
With a sigh, she stepped away from the window, leaning back on her seat as her head lolled backwards.
"Didn't he come, sweetie?"
Rose snapped her head in the old lady's direction, surprised at her sudden question, and more surprised with the fact that even an elderly woman who knew her from nowhere could read her so easily.
Subconsciously, Rose crossed her arms, as if protecting herself from the other woman's curious gaze.
"No," she then smiled at her own stupidity, before proceeding, "It's weird, ya know? I only met him yesterday on my way to work, and at the time I didn't know he would be working with me. Blimey, I didn't even know his sister was my superior." She then shrugged before a sigh once again escaped her lips.
She was silent for some moments, before she added, her eyes shining as a dreamy smile graced her features, "But there's somethin' 'bout him. I don't know what, but there is. Even if I barely know nothing more but his name."
The old lady let out a small but warm laugh.
"Oh, dearie, it was just like that with me and James." She stated, the wrinkled corners of her mouth bending in a smile that reached her wise green eyes.
Rose raised an eyebrow at the mention of the man, so the elder woman quickly clarified her. "He's my husband."
Rose blinked, wordlessly, before her cheeks turned into a bright shade of crimson.
"Oh. Uh. Well-"
"Excuse me, Miss, is that seat taken?"
Rose's eyes widened, not quite believing that she had just heard the words that started everything the day before spoken by that voice; the one that remembered her of honey, tea and the stars shining like diamonds under an infinite dark blanket.
She looked up to be greeted by an electric grin, big warm eyes staring at her, his pinstriped suit covered by a brown overcoat.
Rose saw herself imitating his 1000 gigawatt smile, so bright her cheeks hurt. But she didn't care.
"Hello." She said, the big black hole in her belly long gone, only to be replaced by a warm and fuzzy feeling.
"Hello." He echoed, unaware that they were both being observed by the old lady across Rose, that stared at them as if they were the most interesting subjects in the entire world.
After Rose took her purse of the seat, the Doctor sat beside her, a cheeky grin adorning his face.
"Didn't know you had saved me a seat, Rose."
The said girl blushed violently, heart beating wildly inside her chest, before she recomposed herself, reckoning that she wouldn't fall for his teasing.
Tongue peeking through her teeth, she poked him in the ribs, huffing in satisfaction when he let out a low cry.
"Don't get all full of it, Doctor. I was just being a nice co-worker. Besides," she made a small pause, before proceeding, "We wouldn't want ya to be running 'round in circles in the streets when you have me, your guide, would we?"
The Doctor sniffed, before muttering something under his breath about Donna and how she couldn't keep her mouth shut.
Rose rolled her eyes, pretending indifference when in fact, her heart fluttered at any word he spoke or even any movement he made.
"So, Doctor," Rose began some moments later, so caught up in her bubble of happiness surrounding her and the man that she didn't notice that the old lady was now smiling at them, "I never got to ask you yesterday if you're enjoyin' your job."
The Doctor broke into a maniac grin.
"Enjoying? I'm loving every single second of it." He made a small pause, scratching his chin. "Weelll, maybe not every single second of it. Of course that sometimes it is hard for me since I have to be seating in a chair most of the day, silent and still. Can you imagine that? Me. Silent and still. And then, there's also Jack; I swear, if it had sex appeal, the man would flirt with a rock."
Rose laughed at his comment, shaking her head. "C'mon, he can't be that bad."
"But he is. Trust me, I know him since university." His face suddenly contorted into a grimace, his eyes far away from that moment, revisiting old memories. He suddenly shuddered, before raising his gaze to look at Rose, faking a haunted look that could rival some of the best performances of some Hollywood actors. "You're lucky you didn't get to know him back there. Really."
Rose bit the inside of her cheek, attempting to not laugh at his expression.
Oh, the Doctor surely would turn the conversations between the folks in the office ten times juicier. After all, it wasn't every day that a long date friend of her boss showed up in the building.
"And what about the articles you write?" Rose asked, remembering the conversation they had had the other morning, about him not knowing what kind of things he would have to write about. "What will you be working on?"
"Mostly science stuff, as I had said to you. But then, from time to time, I'll also focus on other things." He then turned to look at her, smiling proudly. "Genius, I am."
Rose rolled her eyes. "You're so cocky."
"Maybe." He shrugged slightly. "But I'm still brilliant."
Rose rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching into an amused expression. "And what 'bout London? You enjoyin' it?"
"Yeah. It's different from Cardiff, but it's good."
Rose smiled at the mention of the city, her eyes dancing at the memories.
"Oh, I love Cardiff. My dad used to take me, mum and Tony there every weekend." She chuckled under her breath, remembering the times when she was just a silly teenager listening to trashy pop music and without any worry in life. "I remember this park where he'd take us in summer to have a picnic. Mum and him would lay a towel on top of the grass, in this spot near the bay, right under the trees so it would cast a cool shade under us, while I chased Tony like a mad girl."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" The Doctor asked, smirking at her.
Rose swiftly bumped her shoulder against his, electricity sparkling in the air the moment the fabric of his coat met her cotton blouse.
"Shut up." She ordered, ignoring the feeling of familiarity and comfort the gesture caused.
It was in that moment that her eyes fell on the elderly woman in front of her, that she now noticed wore a purple skirt that reached her knees, matching her coat. She was smiling warmly at Rose and the Doctor, and the young blonde found the vision to be quite terrifying–after all, who would smile at 8 in the morning at a complete stranger?
Okaaay, Rose would. But that had been a different case. She had smiled at the Doctor, and only because she was trying to make up for the fool she had made of herself.
And maybe because she thought he was foxy. Maybe.
"He's my husband."
Rose flushed at the memory, refusing to think further about the meaning of the phrase. She was barely awake at that time of the morning, or as she liked to call it, she was still in her 'zombie-like' state. It surely wouldn't be healthy to wake up from it with her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she feared the Doctor could hear it.
Moments later, the tube came to a stop and Rose exited it, the Doctor right behind her as she shared a last look with the old lady, suppressing a shiver.
"So, where to now?" The Doctor questioned once they were in open street, stepping aside when a small boy dressed in uniform almost collided against him, before rushing through the street, his mother some seconds behind him.
Rose's eyes widened in disbelief, before she laughed.
"Goodness, you still don't know how to go to work?" She asked, smiling when he murmured a small 'no', hands inside his coat's pockets, as his eyes found a new interest in his white converse.
"Hey, don't worry. I don't mind being your babysitter."
The Doctor's eyes looked up to glare at her, but he found himself unable to do it when he saw her smiling at him.
"C'mon."
And before he could even protest, he was being dragged away, Rose leading the way.
They ended up in front of a coffee shop a few minutes away from their workplace, Rose grinning brightly when she saw the open sign.
Neither her nor the Doctor knew when or how, but their fingers intertwined somewhere after they began walking side by side, their joined hands swinging between them as they strolled down the street.
It almost felt normal, familiar even, in Rose's opinion. She loved the feel of his hairy hand gripping hers as he talked about some scientific thingy the blonde didn't understand at all. And for a moment, she let herself forget all her worries, her fears, pretending that she and that wonderful man hadn't met just a day ago.
"So, fair Rose Tyler, where are we?" The Doctor asked, waking Rose from her reverie.
He was looking down at her, and for a reason that nothing had to do with size, she felt a lot shorter than him.
"Well, since I woke up a lot later than I should today, I didn't have the time to eat a proper breakfast. And then I remembered this amazin' coffee shop near the Tardis building that bakes the best chocolate muffins of the world. And they also sell 'Skittles'! So I thought we could pop here, yeah?"
After saying this, she felt herself freezing, reckoning that maybe, he preferred to just go to work.
She gulped at the thought, glancing to a spot behind her shoulder. The Tardis building was right at the end of the street, and with its deep blue colour adorning its exterior walls, Rose knew the Doctor could go alone without the risk of getting lost.
She momentarily wondered if it was too late to tell him that after all, she didn't feel that hungry and they could both walk together to work. But who was she kidding with? In that moment, she could kill for a good cuppa and a delicious chocolate flavoured muffin, or even a brownie and a packet of 'Skittles'.
But she was also sure the food wouldn't taste as good if she had to be left alone by the Doctor.
"Rose? Are you feeling okay?"
The young woman looked up at him, her pursed lips breaking into a smile when she met his piercing brown eyes.
"Yeah, I was just…" she shrugged nonchalantly, trying to seem like she didn't care, when in reality, her heart was ascending to her throat, "Ya know, if you don't wanna come, it's fine by me." No, it isn't, she thought, mentally pleading for him to don't let go her hand.
He stayed silent for some moments, their intertwined hands hanging in the cold morning air between their bodies, as Rose chewed her lip, waiting for him to say something.
Finally, after what had been one of the most painful waits in Human history, -or at least Rose thought so- the Doctor lowered his head, his face right in front of Rose's porcelain features.
She suddenly saw herself unable to breathe, move even, her eyes widened as she apperceived the tip of her nose was touching his, his lips hovering hers in a dance that was driving her mad.
"Rose," he began, his voice low and raspy tickling her skin and causing her to shudder, "I'm going to ask you something very, very important and I need you to answer honestly, okay?"
Rose barely nodded, not able to speak. Her tongue felt dry and ten times thicker than usual inside her mouth, and she didn't want to scare him away because of some animalistic sound the back of her throat would emit in the heat of the moment.
"Good. Now," he leaned in closer without making contact with her lips –and how that was possible Rose didn't know- and she swore his eyes seemed darker, almost black, honestly.
Rose would grin if she remembered how to do it. In that moment, she felt overwhelmed by their proximity, his scent, the desire reflecting in his eyes and hers, too.
They were both in their own little world, the sounds of buses and cars driving down the road unheard for them, as the smell of the freshly baked cakes inside the pastry nearby could not be smelled under the scent of the Doctor's after shave.
Rose's awareness was ceasing to exist little by little, second by second, as the only thing she could think about was the man in front of her.
She didn't care they had barely met; She didn't care she didn't deserve him; She didn't care she had to go to work.
Blimey, if this would lead to where she thought it would, she'd call in telling she was sick.
Rose was going to kiss John freaggin' Noble, and nothing in this world could stop her.
She inwardly smiled at the thought. Part of her was going crazy at how slow he was taking this, how he was making her suffer with anticipation and need. The other part though, the smaller and probably the 21-year-old, was panicking.
What he was making her feel… It wasn't good. In the end, this could only lead to heartbreak, and then Rose would be obliged to collect the pieces of her shattered heart, alone.
But now, as she was about to close her eyes and give in to temptation, she could only think on the thrill hitting her body. It felt as if she was standing in the edge of a pit, staring down at its dark depths, the unknown, and if she decided to jump, there would be no turning back.
But she wanted this. She wanted him.
With her mind made, she closed her eyes, leaned in and-
"Do they have banana muffins?"
Rose's eyes snapped open, her heart aching inside her chest when she saw he was standing some feet away from her, smiling as if he hadn't just stabbed her, leaving her to bleed her soul out.
She blinked at him a couple of times, opening her mouth to articulate something, anything that would express what she was feeling,but no sound came out of it.
Reality hit her hard after some seconds of silence when she understood what had happened, and she felt as if she had just been threw into a bath full of ice cubes without warning.
The ground underneath her feet appeared as if it had started crumbling, along all the other things, people and buildings around her, and if she hadn't the Doctor's hand grabbing her own, Rose feared she would have lost connection with reality.
"Rose? Are you feeling ill?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she reclaimed her hand, refusing to touch him.
It was just too much for her to handle.
Swallowing the lump in the back of her throat, she tried to smile at him, the corners of her mouth twitching into a bitter grimace.
"I'm fine, John." She said, her voice cold and harsh, emotionless.
She made sure she called him by his true name, trying to build an invisible barrier between the two of them. The Doctor existed no more. The man in front of her was now John Noble, her co-worker.
He seemed a bit taken back by her actions, staring at Rose as if she had just grown a second head, before his hands were reluctantly dragged to the inside of his pockets.
For a second, the blonde swore she had seen sadness reflected in his dark brown orbs, before shrugging it off, reckoning it was her mind playing tricks on her heart.
"Rose-"
"'M not hungry anymore," she stated, cutting him off before he could say something that would lead her to blurt it all out, her feelings, her frustration, "I'm going to head off to the office, but you can pop up in the shop." She then gulped, before proceeding, the words tasting as ash in her mouth. "An' they have banana muffins, if 'm not mistaken."
"But, Rose-"
He reached out for her, but she quickly avoided his hand by taking a step backwards.
"I have to go. See ya later, John."
And before he could react, she turned on her heels, walking away with longs strides from the man who managed to break her with one simple gesture.
It was only minutes later, once rain began pouring down from the now black and cloudy skies of London, soaking her to the bone, that Rose allowed herself to cry, hoping the salty tears would blend with the cold water.
And, with a little luck, maybe that would be enough to wash away the pain from her heart.
Sarah Jane was in the cosiness of her office, drinking tea from the 'I heart my mum' mug that her son had offered her in Christmas, the rain pouring from the sky hitting the glass wall behind her, offering a slight blurred panoramic vision of the city below her.
She sighed, wishing the photos displaying on the screen could edit themselves when a quiet knock at the door echoed through the room.
Murmuring a low 'come in', she began scanning the folders in her desktop, searching for the one labelled with 'HP's photos'.
The door opened and closed in a quick movement, the clicking of high heels against the blue carpeted floor being muffled by the soft surface.
Sarah reckoned whoever had just entered the room could begin the talking, so she waited, eyes glued to the computer screen as she tried not to curse under her breath.
Where. Were. The. Photos.
It was only when she heard a woman sobbing that she looked up, mouth gaping open at the sight of no one else than her protégée, her trousers and blouse soaked in rain, blonde hair all soggy and uncombed as her face was stained with blurred mascara.
Wordlessly, she got up from the chair and opened her arms, offering comfort to a red-eyed Rose.
The young woman gladly accepted, grabbing Sarah Jane as if she was her anchor, and without her Rose would fall into an endless abysm of self-pity and pain.
Her sobs, once quiet shuddered breaths followed by small crystal tears, turned into soul-aching cries, her shoulders shaking compulsively as she fought for oxygen.
Sarah, seeing that her friend wasn't ready to talk yet, simply held her tighter, patting her back and even remembering her to take deep breaths every time she noticed Rose was on verge of asphyxiation.
She then let her eyes wander the room, stopping in the shelf near her desk when she saw the framed photo of Luke between some books, wishing that her son would not become some heartbreaker now that he was almost a grow-up man, leaving girls like Rose crying her heart out because of something he did.
She shivered at the thought, before shaking the idea off. Luke was Luke, the sweetest boy on Earth. He would never hurt someone on purpose.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Rose calmed down enough for Sarah to guide her to the white couch beside the glass wall, enabling the view of London city in all its splendour.
After she made sure the girl was comfortable, Sarah walked to her desk and phoned Martha, demanding a cuppa to the receptionist, hanging up with a 'thanks' before returning to the couch.
Rose seemed almost totally calmed down by now, her shoulders shaking the slightest as she tried –in vain- to clean the thin lines of black staining her face.
"Here." Sarah said, extending a packet of tissues to the girl.
She watched, silent, as Rose cleaned her face, leaving some crumpled tissues with small dark smudges behind.
"Better now?" Sarah asked, taking a seat in the other end of the couch, giving some needed space to the blonde.
Rose barely nodded in affirmation, inhaling deeply, ending up by breathing the faint scent of incense.
She grimaced at this.
Sarah Jane always had had a certain like for scented candles. She said that whenever she was nervous, the smell of it would calm her racing mind and help her relax.
Poor Rose didn't ever have the courage to tell her she despised the scent.
Now though, maybe Rose had to buy some of those too, to calm her mind and heart.
"So, care to share with the class what's happened?" Sarah demanded, leaning just a tad forward in Rose's direction, ready to help her friend getting through whatever was bothering her.
"I… I just…And he…" She sighed, rubbing her face, preferring to let Sarah drawn her own conclusions instead of telling her about the Do- John. His name was John, Rose remembered, scolding herself mentally at her lapse.
She couldn't afford to get attached to him- or at least, to get even more attached. Starting to act cold towards him would be a way to keep him at bay.
Even if Rose's heart seemed to be squeezed by an invisible force at the thought.
"Rose," the said girl raised her gaze to look at Sarah, surprised at how restrained her voice sounded, her face pale as chalk, "Did Tony-"
Rose immediately interrupted her train of thought. "Oh, God, no. He's fine. Still didn't… B-but he's fine."
Sarah sighed in relief, her expression of a person who had just lost a huge weight on her shoulders before proceeding once again.
"Then what is it, Rose? Did anyone hurt you?" When she became silent, playing with the end of her pink blouse, Sarah knew she had it the sore spot.
Next, praying for her theory to be wrong, she asked, voice suddenly low and stressed, "Did Jimmy come back?"
Rose cringed at the name, memories she swore to forget returning to her mind and playing inside her head as if she was watching a movie only she could see.
Taking a shuddered breath, she shook her head from left to right. "Goodness, no."
Sarah sighed once again in relief. No dead Tony and no Jimmy Stone.
But then what had hurt Rose so badly? "Then what is it? What's troubling you?"
Just as Rose opened her mouth to speak, a voice came out of the other side of the door.
"Sarah Jane? It's me, John. I have the papers you asked for and the cup of tea you demanded." A small pause, before he added, "Not that I was waiting for you to order a cuppa, of course. I was just talking with Martha and she asked if I could give you the tea, since I was heading to your office."
Rose froze, eyes widened in panic as Sarah arched an eyebrow at John's ramblings.
The elder woman sighed, before getting up, surprised when she felt Rose grabbing her right arm.
"Please, Sarah," the younger woman pleaded, whispering the words so John wouldn't hear her, "Don't let him see me."
Confusion flashed in Sarah's eyes before she asked, "Why?"
Rose bit her lip, at the same time both women heard John saying "Sarah, are you there?"
"I'll explain everything later, 'kay? Just let me hide. Please." Rose said, desperate to escape.
Sarah seemed to ponder over Rose's request for a few moments, before she sighed. "Fine, but then you'll really tell me what's going on."
Rose nodded. "Yeah, whatever. Just let me hide before he comes in."
Sarah looked around the room, searching for a good hideout where John wouldn't be able to see Rose.
Besides the desk, she couldn't really see any other place that was big enough to hide a full grown-up young woman and since they were running out of time…
"Hide underneath it."
Rose looked at the piece of furniture, before turning back to look at Sarah as if she was crazy.
The desk seemed small, the kind of small that would force Rose to contort every single muscle in her body in order to fit in there.
"It's that or John, I'm afraid." Sarah whispered, already heading to the door.
Rose exhaled frustratingly before getting up, crawling to the small space. She quickly curled up in a ball, grimacing at the sudden back pain, just as she could hear Sarah opening the door to greet John.
That was going to be a hell of a morning.
Next chapter: The Doctor gets slapped; Sarah Jane lends a helping hand; Rose receives a phone call that leaves her scared to death… aaannd… You'll have to wait to see more.