AN: Hey there! Once again, I'm late with the chapter. I'm really sorry :(
This will have to do for this week (my birthday's coming up and I'm quite busy), but hopefully I'll be able to post normally on the 26th ;)
So…onto the chapter!

"Why did I do that?" John wondered pacing frantically in his room.
He had just finished his dinner and was thinking about his meeting in the afternoon: today was the first time he should train Rose. Alone. And he was freaking out.
He ran a hand through his hairs and pulled at them.
"Why, you absolute pillock, why did you?" He reprimanded himself.
"Why did you do what?" Asked Donna, and John spun to see her, leaning against the door frame with a curious smile.
He groaned and sat on the bed.
"I don't think I wanna talk about it." He said defeated.
Donna looked at him with disbelief and shrugged.
"Okay then, I'll leave" She said and turned around, leaving the room.
However, she wasn't even halfway down the hallway when she heard his brother shout.
"Donna, wait!" He said as his head peeked from the door.
The girl smirked.
"Yes?"
She turned around, her face neutral, and waited for his begging.
"Could you give me some advice, please?" He asked and Donna almost relented, but managed to keep a straight face.
"Please?" He asked again and she felt satisfied.
"Yes, come on" she said going back into his room and sitting on his bed.
John sighed and sat next to her, nerves on edge.
"What did you do?" she asked after she saw that her brother didn't want to talk.
The Doctor sighed.
"Last week, after the competition..." He trailed off.
Donna huffed annoyed and motioned with her head for him to go on.
"Well, Rose was really down and I couldn't stand watching her sad like that and I..I.." He stopped himself.
"What did you do?! John!" Donna screeched, baffled and complete ready to shout some more if it was anything too terrible.
"Nothing bad! At least...I hope so..."
He stammered, then took a deep breath.
"I found out my trainer was barely training her, so I offered to do some training with her. Alone. Ugh, what was I thinking?!" He groaned and glared at Donna, who was muffling her giggles.
"I'm sorry Spaceman, 's just.. it's funny. And a whole lot less serious then I had imagined by your embarrassment" Donna said, laughing because of her brother's face.
"Anyway.. What's the matter? I don't see anything wrong.."
"Ugh, I don't know! I'm just so worried I'll disappoint her or do something stupid or... I don't know!" John ranted frustrated, probably at himself, his face frowning.
Donna took his brother's face in her hands and turned him towards her, locking eyes with him.
"Now listen to me, if she's into you even half of how you're into her, you won't disappoint her. For the doing stupid things part, it's up to you. I know you can control yourself if you need to and you know when to stop. You can do this, and you can do it brilliantly as always."
John's face softened a bit in self pride.
"Well, I am rather brilliant" He said, bragging a bit.
Donna shook her head with a half laugh.
"That's my Spaceman" She whispered to herself.

Rose was panicking. Today was the day she would finally have the first alone training with John. And not only that, she would also finally give him his birthday present.
But she was worried. What if he didn't like it? What if she turned out to be a complete disaster at the training? What if she did something she'll regret later?
Life was so complicated.
She needed to talk to someone.
'Time. Help.' She wrote, praying that maybe through texts she could calm down. She knew if she called her she'd freak her out in the state she was at the moment.
'How?' Was all the answer she got, and the raspy tone of her friend was clear in it.
'I'm worried. For today, ya know..?'
'For your date with John?' Rose groaned, picturing the teasing smirk on Time's face.
'Not helping. And it's not a date, he's helping me out. Again.' She typed in quickly.
'Well, if it's not a date then why are you so worried?'
Rose sighed. Good question.
'I don't know.. I'm afraid he won't like the present. And that I'll screw up'
'Oh come on, he had the chance to run away and he didn't, did he?'
Rose was confused. What she said made no sense.
'What do you mean?'
'...Rose, he's helping you to do a lot of things. Do you really think he would stop talking to you if you do something wrong?'
Oh. This was what she meant.
'Well, I don't know.. Guess you're right'
'I know ;) Now don't you have to get ready for Mr. Daydream?' was the smug reply she got.
'Fine. Thanks though..' She sent and packed her things.
'You're welcome.'

"Hey!" John greeted her with a tight smile.
«Oh, so he's worried too» Rose realised and a smile of relief blossomed on her face while she put her hands around his neck, hugging him briefly.
John relaxed in response.
"Hello, Doctor" She shot back cheerily.
"Ready to go?" He asked invitingly.
Rose nodded eagerly and they both turned towards their own changing room, silently agreeing to meet up inside.
«Better keep the present for later, as a back up plan if I mess up» Rose mused to herself while changing into her swimming costume.

John fidgeted while waiting for his friend. Why were trunks so much easier and faster to put on than swimsuits?
He looked around at the familiar room: the pool was almost empty (they had decided to meet up before training itself, so it was quite a quiet time); silence was almost total, broken rhythmically by the splashing sound of a swimmer; the four hands clock was working its 60 seconds tour and the air had its usual smell of chlorine, that smell that was always present on his body.
As he heard a quiet click he turned towards the women's changing room and smiled at the blonde girl. She had her pink training suit on, her hair up in a ponytail and swim cap and googles in hand.
They met at one end of the pool, the one with the springboards and stared at each other awkwardly for a second before looking down obviously embarrassed.
John decided to take the situation in his own hands.
"So... What do you say about diving in and doing some meters of warm up?" He suggested and they simultaneously put on their caps. Rose had the team one on, while John had one with police boxes on it that matched the colour of his trunks. He kind of had an obsession with that.
Diving in the fresh water was a relief: it cleared his mind and relaxed him, made him focus on what was important and forget about the rest.
He was here to help Rose, not for his own interests.

Rose smiled as water surrounded her. She had always loved water: since she was a child she would always dive in anything that had enough water, puddle included.

She felt connected with it, hearing every distorted sound and feeling bubbles run on her skin as she swam.
«Let's do my best»

"Okay, I'll just stand near the side of the pool and watch how you swim for a couple of laps. Shall we start with freestyle?" John asked and Rose nodded.
He made her swim a lap for every style and the more he watched her, the clearer he saw the truth: his trainer didn't pay attention to the ones that weren't the best.
Rose was so graceful she looked like a mermaid in the water (focus John!), but she had some small technical flaws that his trainer should have seen and corrected. He was so mad at him for at his coach: every swimmer should be treated as equal, not like this.

Rose watched as John clenched and unclenched his fists trying to calm down, waiting for his considerations.
He didn't seem to happy but she'd have to check, she didn't want to be negative.
She watched as he walked back to her and jumped in next to her.
She couldn't help but think how gorgeous he was, even with all that things that blocked the view of his face.
"So?" She asked when he re-emerged.
"I was right, out trainer hasn't been training you well. You are one of the most graceful swimmers I have ever seen, really. But you have some small imperfections in your technique that should have been corrected. Once those will be out of the picture, you'll have no problems to put up with all kind of trainings." He smiled, visibly forcing down the anger.
Rose mulled the sentences over in her head for some seconds, then nodded smiling.
"What do you suggest we do?" She asked timidly.
"Well, I think that for today we are okay. I've seen what I needed to and I have to go over the books I have at home for some exercises that should help." He explained, adding a half smile in the end and Rose was once again surprised.
"Are you sure it's not too much trouble for you?" She asked worryingly.
He took her hand and squeezed it briefly.
"Anything for you, Rose." He said (and almost regretted). Almost because Rose's ear to ear grin was more than worth it.
Without thinking about their current situation, Rose threw her hands around his neck and hugged him.
The instant their bodies touched, they both froze: soft skin again taut muscles, almost every inch of their body in contact, breath leaving goosebumps in their wake. They had hugged other times like this but never with so few clothing on.
It felt strange, different, obviously more intimate but also good.
"Anything for you, Rose.„
«Oh, to hell with it» Rose thought and relaxed.
John relaxed in response too and put his arms around her waist, leaning his head on hers lightly.
Soon after they parted, both with soft smiles painted on their faces.
"Oh, I just remembered! I have a present for you." Rose smiled.
At John's confused face she clarified "A birthday present. I know it's late, but.."
"You shouldn't even have bothered, Rose. I'm sure I'll love it" John said with a honest smile.
"I wanted to get you one, so.."
John just nodded.
"Well..?" He asked eager, after checking that they still had time left before the actual training began.
Rose laughed.
"Well, we'll have to dry up before I give it to you. I don't want you to get it all wet." She teased.
Before she had even finished the sentence he was out of the water and as she stepped out he was already toweling his hair.
"Okay, okay, I'll go get it" she said, still laughing at his eagerness.

«I'd honestly love anything she'd give to me» John pondered while waiting for Rose.
«Apart from pears. I hate pears.»
"What are you scolding at?" he heard a voice ask and jumped surprised.
"Ahh, nothing" he smiled, seeing the carefully wrapped present.
Rose shrugged and handed it to him.
"Here."
John looked at it, then started tearing apart the paper happily, like a child on Christmas morning.
As soon as he saw what was folded inside, he slowly picked it up and watched it unfolded: it was a t-shirt in his favorite shade of blue, with written on the front "trust me I'm the Doctor" and "allons-y!" on the back. He honestly was in love with it.
He looked at Rose, who was watching him closely with a worried expression.
"Rose, it's.. it's brilliant! Perfect! Amazing! I love it!" He rushed out and hugged her, crushing her to him.
Then he took the t-shirt and put it on.
"How do I look?" He asked, his voice an octave higher than usual, parading and spinning for her.
"Fantastic" Rose said laughing, her laughter making him happier than every present she could have gotten him (even though this present made him really really happy).

'It was a success. You were right' was the text Time saw at dinner from Rose. She smirked: people watching did help figure people out.
'Told you so." She typed in.
Smiling, she shook her head.
Gosh, how oblivious people could be.