Can't remember where this one came from
…
Ace is awoken by the smell of coffee and tea. She turns around, "where am I," she sees green walls and hears some humming. Heading towards the smell and the sound she looks around. On the walls are pictures of a middle aged couple and a young man.
A man turns around and smiles brightly, too bright for the headache forming. "Morning Ace."
"Too loud, what happened last night?"
"Here, this and this should help with the hangover."
"What did I drink?"
"Started with beer, then when Tegan started playing matchmaker." Ace groans, "how bad is the head?"
"Throbbing, that's not like Tegan playing matchmaker, and why would I drink so much. I can hold my liquor."
"I think it was because she was trying to set you up."
"Why, she knows that I feel like I should not be loved."
"You are."
"Not more than a friend, a sister or someone who helps out kids. I don't deserve the other kind."
"You do, and you listed one of the reasons why, but before we go into more reasons why you are loved more than a friend, sister, philanthropist and daughter to the Doctor, you should drink up." He smiles at her before heading back into the kitchen; texting Tegan.
'Hurry on the flowers.'
'She's going on how she shouldn't be loved'
'Yep, thank you for taking my card'
'You forced it in my hands,' Graham slides his phone in his pocket and gets an ice pack out of the freezer.
"Grace, I know you would want me to move on. How can I convince Ace she is worthy of love? Doesn't have to be my love." He walks out and finds Ace asleep underneath the jacket he left there last night with a soft smile on her face.
A little while Ace wakes up again as a knock on the door gets Graham out of his newspaper. "Old fashioned?"
"When it comes to the most important things, I can be." He goes to the door and opens it up before stepping outside.
"How is she?"
"Hungover."
"The times Nyssa has played matchmaker she has laughed it off," Tegan looks at the door as she says this. "I think it was different last night because she has feelings for you."
"You know why I asked you to get her flowers for her with my card."
"I think even the bartender knows. The only one that doesn't know is Ace."
"So you know I love her."
"I do; now all you need to do is convince her that you love her and won't leave her."
"Which means," he takes the flowers from Tegan, "I must go back in. She's awake."
"Who was that?"
"A friend helping me out," he hands Ace the flowers.
"What are these for?" Ace tries but fails holding back a smile. Forgetting the last time someone gave her flowers.
"For that smile. It warms my heart and brightens my day each time I see it. Knowing I am the cause of this smile, makes me even happier. One of the things I strive for every morning is to make you smile."
"Graham, stop. I am not worthy of the attention or whatever this is." She gestures between them.
He takes her hand not holding the flowers, "that's where you are wrong. You love everyone so much, give so much, help in every way you can."
"You are describing the Doctor."
"Maybe, but I am also describing Dorothy Gale McShane. You have overcome more than anyone should, but instead of hating the world and everyone; you help."
"Why are you doing this, it will hurt me when you eventually leave. Everyone leaves or does something that makes me leave."
"I know you are wrong, you have two best friends whose adult kids call you Auntie and to one of them you are their Godmother."
"Still, I don't deserve someone like you, so loyal." She looks away, their hands still intertwined, he uses them to bring her eyes back to his.
"If anyone deserves love it's you. And this isn't just any kind of love. It's growing old, well older in my case."
"You are not old, we are not that far apart in age."
"Ok, still I want to spend my days with you, tell everyone that we pass that Dorothy McShane or as I love to call her Ace; let's me love her."
"Graham, I already said everyone leaves me. If you leave me, I won't be able to handle it. I love you too much to see you go."
"Since you love me, why can't I love you? I know how much I love you, hell I think the Doctor that is living on Earth can tell. I know all of our friends know. Many ask me when I am going to ask you to marry me."
"We just jumped a few steps there."
"They all; especially Jo and Yaz tell me life is short and the woman I love is right here."
"We haven't even been on a date."
"We may have not called them dates, but I know I was trying to impress you."
"You always have impressed me. Even then we still have skipped our first kiss, the first time having sex."
"Making love."
"Sure, making love. Our first big fight."
"Need I remind you about the 5th of October."
"No, and why did you stay out all night."
"I regretted it, and knew I had to make amends. You didn't answer the door, so I stood at guard all night. It wasn't the first all-nighter since I met you."
"Far from it, we have talked all night many times."
"Even have already fallen asleep in each other's arms."
"That is one first out of all the others."
"Should we have another right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"This," their hands still intertwined and under her chin, Graham brings their lips into a tender kiss.
Over the next two months they have the rest of their firsts, including first kiss as husband and wife; just like their whole relationship, they go against tradition; as he takes her last name.