#AU!10xRose

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

The Gift of Hope

Day 2 of 2022's 31 Days of Ficmas @doctorroseprompts Prompt: hope Rating: T (mild - language) Pairing: 10xRose (AU) Summary: On the worst day of Rose Tyler's life, she discovers that once you've hit rock bottom, the only place you can go is up. You just need a little hope, and helping hand. 2022 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist AO3

As a generalization, James loved people.  Talking to them, hearing their stories, and he particularly loved getting to know his customers.  He’d always found wonder in other people, and owning a café had done nothing to dull that- though he did sometimes worry about the nation’s average level of intelligence.

Waiting patiently for Maggie to decide between a macchiato and an espresso (which would inevitably be an espresso; it always was, and always a struggle for her to commit to it), his eyes drifted to his favorite customer, and he frowned at what he found.  She was in the back corner at a table for two, head down on her arms, and visible even from all the way across the shop, her shoulders were shaking.

Is she crying?  Why?

He didn’t, strictly speaking, know anything about her, even her last name – but she’d been coming in most days for a good six months now, and they’d easily fallen into a cheerful, if flirty, bit of banter.

“You know what, let me try the macchiato,” Maggie finally said, tearing his eyes back to her.

“Really?”  I think the world’s about to end.

The woman bit her lip, looked from one menu board to the other, then shook her head.  “No, give me the espresso.  Maybe next time.”

Crisis averted.  Earth is safe! he thought sarcastically, and only felt a tiny bit bad about thinking such a thing about a steady paying customer.  “Coming right up.”

Having never made a drink so fast in his life, he handed it over in record time before calling over his shoulder, “Sally, I’m taking a break.”

“Okay!”

Plating a double chocolate muffin he stepped out from behind the counter, winding his way through the shop with only minimal interruptions, focus solely on the pretty blonde whose smile did awful things for his blood pressure.  Only once he stopped at the table did his brain catch up, realizing he had no real way to approach her – he could hardly tap her on the shoulder, so he settled for clearing his throat; and when that didn’t work, he coughed.

Still nothing.

Rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck, wondering if this was a mistake, he sighed and said, “Cough cough.”

The blonde head slowly raised, normally brown eyes red rimmed and befuddled met his, horror growing over her splotchy face.  “Oh, God, I’m sorry, please don’t kick me out-”

“Eat something.”  He all but dropped the muffin on the table in front of her, shuffling side to side.

“I didn’t order this.”

“I know.”

They stared at each other as she blinked rapidly.  “Oh… kay.  Thanks?”  She glanced down at it, the barest twitch at the corner of the mouth showing it was a solid choice.  “Erm, why?”

“Can I…” James gestured to the seat across from her, waiting until she nodded to slide into it.  “Look, I don’t mean to pry, but I think a flood of tears might land me in trouble with health and safety,” he tried to joke.  “D’you want to talk about it?”

The woman flushed, shaking her head.  “I’m the world’s biggest moron is all, and the universe has decided to make sure I know it.”  Chewing on her lower lip, she tore off a small piece of the muffin and popped it in her mouth.  “’S good, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”  He glanced around the shop, making sure they weren’t being watched, before asking, “Is there anything I can do to help?  Are you in some sort of trouble?”

She choked on another bite of the muffin, causing a coughing fit, but when he went to stand she waved him off, taking a long pull off of her tea – peppermint, which wasn’t her usual, but made sense if she was in some sort of distress.  “You could say that,” she scoffed, then studying him in a way that made him feel he was being evaluated, and he tried to look as trustworthy as possible with little idea how to functionally accomplish such a thing. 

“I’m, well…” her gaze dropped, picking at the muffin without eating it.  “God, I’m stupid.  I’m not just in some sort of trouble, I’m… in trouble.  Trouble trouble.  The sent away to help an elderly relative for six months type of trouble.”

Not understanding her meaning he just waited, making a vague noise of commiseration.

Looking up again he must have looked lost, because she groaned.  “In other words, I’m up the duff and my boyfriend- well, ex, now, I s’pose- left tire marks behind he bailed so fast.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry.”  He didn’t know what else to say, his heart dropping even as his head scolded him.  Her life is dramatically changing and you’re upset you lost out on a date you never really planned on asking for?  “He’s a shitstain.”

“He really is,” she surprisingly agreed, laughing a bit.  “He really, really is, and the worst part is, my mother warned me.”  Her lower lip trembled.  “She warned me and warned me, but I knew better.  Joke’s on me, I guess.  Fuck, she’s gonna kill me.”

He had nothing to offer but a napkin, which she used to dab at her eyes then blow her nose.

“And, ‘cause of my own general lack of self-observation and calendar-keeping, I don’t really have any choices.  And the irony is, based on the timing, he probably did this to me when I tried to leave and he talked me into staying – and then disappeared on me the second he found out!  Wanker.  An’ now here I am cryin’ to you about it, an’ I just… God, I wanna die.”  Her face crumpled, but she breathed deeply, opening her eyes again to his horrified face.  “Oh, no, I’m not gonna- I just mean in the- fuuuck, I can’t get anything right these days.”  She scrubbed her hands over her face.  “I’m not a threat to myself or anyone else, I just wanna go back six months and kick myself in the arse.”

“I get it,” he offered, then tentatively put his hand face up on the table.  “And for what it’s worth, I think how you’re feeling is probably normal and understandable.  No judgement here.”

“Thanks.”  She smiled at him, and though it was dull and wan, it was genuine.  “I just dumped all that on you when you were trying to be nice.  Sorry.”  Hesitantly, she put her hand in his, heat searing through him at her touch.

James shook his head.  “I’m glad you felt you could trust me with it, at least on some level.”

A whistle from the other side of the shop caught his attention, startling him; he’d almost forgotten about the rest of the world.  Flashing Sally a sign for five more minutes, he waited for her eyeroll and thumbs up before turning his attention back to the woman.  “Wait, why’d you say it like that?”

“Say what?”

“‘You’, like there’s something specific about me that makes me bad to confide in, or something.”

The woman flushed, eyes going wide before dropping to the crumbled muffin.  “Nothing, it wasn’t…”  She groaned, shook her head, then said, “My boyfriend- ex- he thought I was cheating on him, ‘cause projection, and he thought… I mean… ‘cause I come in here so much…”

“Is that so?”  Occasionally, James had had to deal with angry men who thought the same because of his apparently overly-friendly attitude, but never had the jealousy provoked such delight in him.  “Really?”

“Shut up,” she said, but it was half-hearted at best, accompanied by a tiny grin.  “He’s a prick and a moron, remember?”

“How could we be having an affair though?” he asked reasonably.  “I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m Rose, Rose Tyler.”

“Rose Tyler,” he repeated, loving the way it felt on his tongue, how it rolled over his soul and filled him with warmth.  “Lovely to meet you, Rose Tyler.”

She smiled, then raised her eyebrow in expectation – and when the silence stretched between them, she prompted, “And you are…”

“Right!  James.  Noble.  At your service.”

“Oi!”  Sally’s voice carried across the room, and when he glanced in her direction, grimaced at the line snaking from the register to the door.

“Shit.  I’ve got to…” he gestured, and she- Rose- nodded.

“No, yeah, of course, sorry to keep you.”

Standing, he shook his head.  “No, no, don’t say that, I’ve loved talking to you, I just gotta…  Don’t leave, okay?  I’ll be back.”  With a parting smile he hustled away before anything stupid could come out of his mouth, like I love you, or I’ll raise a baby with you, or marry me.

Too soon.  Way, way, way too soon.  Probably haven’t got a shot in hell now anyway.

And he deserved it, he supposed, taking orders and clearing the line as quickly as he could without being (too) rude, almost obsessively checking to be sure she hadn’t left.  You could’ve said something to her at any point, but you waited too long and lost your chance.  Always the coward.

-

The longer Rose sat at her small table, picking at the muffin and sipping her cold tea, the stupider she felt – which was impressive, given how low she’d been when she walked in.

It’s probably for the best that I never made a move on him anyway, she rationalized.  I was probably already pregnant when I first realized I liked him; it would have been too complicated.  I was too proud to end things with Jimmy, and this is my just desserts.  Only shame is this poor baby’s gotten dragged into this now.

It still didn’t feel real; twenty-four hours earlier her only worry had been that the nurse wouldn’t believe she’d tripped over the damn cat - which was the truth, at least this time.  Now Jimmy was gone, and he’d left her a going-away present that felt like a noose and she had this great responsibility hanging over head; how far along she’d gotten without realizing only made it worse.  So much for the weight being all those chips.

“Sorry, sorry,” James apologized, sliding back into the chair across from her.

“No, I totally understand, it’s fine,” she shook her head, gathering her things.  “I’ve taken up way too much of your time as it is.”

“Don’t go!”  His eyes wide he caught her hand, but immediately dropped it.  “I mean, obviously you can leave it you want, but… don’t?  Please?”

Bottom lip caught between her teeth, Rose hesitated.  What are you doing?  You are the last person in the world who should be considering any kind of new relationship, and he deserves better than the fuck-up that you are.  Despite her better judgement, she sat back down.

They stared at each other across the table, and Rose wondered what was going through his mind, because certainly nothing appropriate or rational was occurring in hers.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?”

Whatever she’d been expecting, it wasn’t that, and she blinked stupidly at him.  “You understand I’m pregnant, right?  Baby on board?  Soon to be accompanied by a tiny, screaming overlord?  And I’m not… I mean, I might’ve considered my options if I’d known sooner, but… I am keeping it.”  She hadn’t honestly made the decision yet, but as the words escaped, it felt right.  I’m keeping it.  Oh fuck, I’m gonna be a mum!

“I bet you’ll be a great mum,” he said warmly.  “You’ve got this kindness about you- you’ll be wonderful.  And I’m not asking you to marry me, just to spend a little time together.  I… I’ve fancied you for a bit, to be honest, and I’m sorry if this is inappropriate or unwanted, but… well, if nothing else, you should know that just because your wanker of an ex doesn’t want you, doesn’t mean you’re, y’know, unwantable.  It says more about him than it does you.”

You’re being stupid, the voice in her head said, but as it sounded a bit like Jimmy, she decided to ignore it.  Not like this one could get me pregnant or anything, she snickered to herself.  “I am seriously craving chips.”

A smile bloomed across his face, making his already handsome visage positively gorgeous.  “Then chips it’ll be.  We close in forty-five; does that work?”

“I’ll wait.”

They exchanged giddy smiles, and this time when he returned to the counter, she watched his bum as he walked away.  Good smile, nice bum.  Check and check!

-

Thirteen weeks later James sat in the rocking chair, holding the tiniest, most precious girl he’d ever seen, unable to stop marveling over her.  At only an hour old she’d already settled into the world, content to doze in his arms as he kept counting her fingers.

“Still ten?”  Rose’s voice was drowsy but warm, and he tore his eyes away from the baby to smile at her.

“Hey, mama.  How you feeling?”

She yawned, shifted, and grimaced.  “Like I got fucked by dynamite without any lube, and it exploded and took my bits with it.  How’s she doing?”

“Absolutely beautiful.  Perfect, and strong, and a champ, just like her mummy.”  Standing carefully, he padded over to her hospital bed and settled on the edge.  “Want to hold her?”

“Mhmm.”  Rose accepted the baby onto her chest, who snuffled but settled quickly at the skin-to-skin contact.  “You’re right, she’s perfect.”  They admired her together, the peaceful, sleeping expression, the delicate fingers peeking out from the swaddling blanket.

James’ heart had never felt so full, so deeply in love with the newborn already – and her mother.  “She’s gonna need a name.”

“And a father.”  Rose didn’t lift her head to meet his startled gaze.  “I’m not suggesting putting you on any paperwork or anything – not now at least – but… I’d like you to have the role.  If you want it.”

He was wrong; his heart felt so full and heavy he was amazed it wasn’t dragging on the floor.  “It would be the greatest honor of my life.”  He reached out, cupping the baby’s head tenderly, swiping his thumb over her cheek.  “I’ll love her and protect her with my life.”  He looked at Rose.  “And her mother.”

They kissed tenderly, mindful of the precious bundle between them and Rose’s own tender state.

“But what’s her name?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Rose’s gaze returned to her daughter, love shining through the exhaustion and lingering pain.  “And… I think I know what it is now.  And it’s the gift you gave me, on one of the darkest days of my life.”

“What’s that?”

Rose smiled down at the baby.  “Hope,” she said softly.  “When she and I were alone in the world, abandoned, you gave me hope that the future could be bright and happy.  Her name is Hope Sophia Tyler.”

“It’s perfect,” James smiled.  “A perfect name for a perfect little girl.  And I hope she will always know how precious and loved she is.”

Her- their- daughter’s soft cry interrupted their kiss, but they just laughed, and James stroked the baby’s cheek, soothing her.  “I’m sorry Hope, you have our full attention, I promise.  I love you.”  He choked up, hardly daring to say words.  “Daddy loves you, so, so much.”  Tears pricking at his eyes, not caring if they fell, he met Rose’s loving gaze.  “Both of you.”

“And we love you.”

And so, on a warm spring morning, they became a family of three, full of hope for the future.

And it was beautiful.

[ofstormsandwolves]

Hello, you have been identified as An Awesome Writer™! Congrats, you rock! So that all of your readers can shower you with some extra love today, please tell us your favorite five (or as many as you want) stories of yours and why you like them and then send this to another five fic authors you think deserve this title!

Thank you dear! Took me a while to do this because I had no idea what fics to go for! All the links are for AO3 (you need an account) because for some reason Whofic’s playing up today?? But link to my Whofic is on my blog :)

Also, I did a very similar (although worded differently) meme a while back here so I’ve chosen series this time round :)

The Parallel Verse (10, Rose, Jackie, Pete, Mickey, Jake, Doomsday AU) | Yeah I’m cheating and this is an entire verse, but I can’t mention some stories and not others because they all interlink. I feel like this was a slightly different take on an AU canon divergence that’s been done a lot, and I wasn’t expecting it to go on as long as it did, or to get to write so much of 10 and Jackie together. Plus I got to explore a different side of the Rose and Pete dynamic.

The Jackie Tyler Adventure series (10, Jackie, Martha, Donna, canon divergence) | Jackie Tyler in the TARDIS. I don’t know what else to say. And throughout all of it, all Jackie Tyler wants is a cup of tea and a chance to catch up on EastEnders.

Tiler and Tyler (Dave Tiler x Rose Tyler, Single Father crossover, WIP) | I really need to get back into this. I love this series. I need to rewatch Single Father first though. But this was good fun, because in my other crossover (A Second Chance, Broadchurch crossover) Rose never met the Doctor. i have this thing that, if I’m gonna do a Teninch fic, she either needs to have never met the Doctor, or the Cannon doesn’t work and she’ll never see him again. I can’t do that thing of having her become dimension hopping Rose during the story. So I challenged myself to write Tiler and Tyler with the view that Rose was the Rose from TV, but that the cannon failed, and she’s now trapped, and instead allowed myself to explore what would happen had she met Dave already knowing he looks like the Doctor.

Bella and her Boy (Campbell Bain x Bella, crossover, modern AU) | I love this verse so much because it’s such good fun to write. Even though the pairing is very specific and doesn’t have much of an audience! Bella reminds me of Rose in so many ways, which is probably why I’m drawn to her, and putting her with Campbell just seemed natural to me.

If music be the food of love (Campbell Bain x Bella, crossover) | Because I have far too many ideas for this pairing but also because it’s so fun to explore them in their natural 90s setting too. I mean, seriously, I need more fic of these two.

Bonus: The Antithetical Problem (10xRose, Pete, Doomsday AU) | The last time I did this meme it had to be left off the list because I thought I could only do five. This time I’m doing more, so it’s making the cut. This, again, was fun to explore and I really enjoyed twisting scenes round so that they were virtually the same as onscreen but still a bit different. And for some reason I like putting Pete in situations in which he struggles.

[doctorroseprompts]

Prompts for the week of 10/29/17

Here’s the list of prompts for the week! If any of these inspire you, please mention and tag doctorroseprompts when you post your fic. We look forward to reading your fic this week!

Fall Fic Fest: Halloween and Hayrides

Masquerade ball (Alien or otherwise--bonus points if Rose’s dress is fall colours, as per the week 1 prompt)

Human AU masquerade where they meet at a masquerade and dance all night, then the reveal... how does it go?

The Doctor and Rose go to a Halloween party in matching costumes

Going on a ghost tour--on Earth or not

Taking the kids trick-or-treating

Dangerous aliens at a Halloween party

Witchy!Rose tea leaf reading

Witchy!Rose general prompt

There’s a Halloween planet, like the dozens of fic-created Christmas planets

Hayride first date

Romantic hayride (stargazing together...)

One of them is allergic to hay

Tenth Doctor Month

They’re supposed to be raking the leaves, but they’re having more fun jumping into the piles

Using the line, “You’re the one I can always see in my future,” from this prompt meme. The Doctor has always seen Rose in their future--detailed and obviously Rose, or just a vague hint of someone important, that’s up to you. Write the scene when they tell Rose that they’ve always been able to see her in their future. 

The Doctor and Rose shopping for rings together. 

Artist meetcute where she’s sketching the Doctor and they notice

A series of firsts: first date, first kiss, first I love you, first time making love

A date goes all wrong. They’re late, the reservation is lost or weather doesn’t cooperate, someone gets food poisoning or the kitchen messes up the order--you pick the details, and how they redeem the night together.

Tentoo/Rose adventure fic. Ghosts haunt Pete’s World, but they’re actually friendly aliens. They’re trying to fit in on Earth, but they’re using the appearances of lost loved ones to reassure people... which of course has the opposite effect. Rose and the Doctor are able to figure out what’s going on, because neither of them have lost someone in Pete’s World, so there’s no image for the aliens to use. They help the aliens get home.

Gallifrey Industries industrial espionage prompt

Ten/Rose with puppies and dropped ice cream

9/10xRose I'd like to read an angsty fic where Rose attracts the flirty attention of a pretty boy (human or alien) & the Doctor does his jealous thing & acts possessive. However, instead of giving in to him, Rose isn't having a bar of it & tells the Doctor exactly where he can stick his "hands off the blonde" attitude. Eventual happy, but only after the Doctor apologises for his behaviour & they talk. (It's nice to know someone cares, but if they get domineering, it can cheapen genuine feelings)

Those are the specific prompts for the week, but we are open to any fall-themed fic, or Ten/Rose or Tentoo/Rose fic all month long. (PS: Fall fics can be any Doctor x Rose!)

Weeks one, two, three, and four of the Fall Fic Fest/Tenth Doctor Month are still open, and as always, you can write for any prompt in our prompt tag, no matter how old.

Happy writing!

PS: Look for the November theme announcement in the next day or so!

[newtguyzler-archive]

@vmdraco replied to your post

take as much time as you need <3 I can imagine how writing about similar experiences can make it harder to get it done (same with me; writing a 10xrose au with one of them having major depression and i first wrote it in 2014 lmao)

oh yeah, its a fun time 🙄

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

The Tolling of the Bells

2018 31 Days of Ficmas, day 19 - Bells

@doctorroseprompts

31 Days of Ficmas masterlist

Summary: A TenxRose WW1 AU, featuring a dashing but injured pilot, a cynical war widow, and the church bells that echo through their story.

Rated M - sexual themes

AO3

---

March, 1918

Letting the last notes of the recessional linger, Rose lifted her fingers from the organ keys and let her body sag.  The church bells began the now painfully familiar funeral tolling, almost but not quite overwhelming the wails of the latest war widow in the village.

Closing the cover on the organ she gathered her things, tiptoeing halfway down the steps from the loft to peer around the corner.  The last stragglers from the funeral were trailing out, dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs, and she slipped out behind them, flinching at the first drops of icy rain.  A fumble in her bag produced an umbrella that refused to open; she was so caught up in the struggle that she startled violently at a voice.

“Did you do the music?”

The umbrella snapped open, and she raised it over her head before looking at the speaker.  He was a young man, perhaps thirty, leaning heavily on a pair of crutches.  The pristine army uniform said it was a war wound, but he wasn’t a local – she’d never seen him before, and she knew everyone, as daughter of the pub owner.

“Yes, I did,” she answered his question, meeting his eyes – brown, sparkling but sad, and world-weary.  Then again, most Brits’ were, after three years of losing their young men in trenches in France.  “Did you know him?”

He shook his head, shifting with a wince.  “No.  But I’m staying at Highclere, and heard them talking about the funeral… Seemed I ought to attend, I suppose.”

Of course he was a patient at Highclere – the local estate-turned-hospital.  Earlier in the war when it was first set up she’d volunteered there; until her compassion ran out, much like her patience and good nature, and she realized the best way she could support the injured troops was by staying away from them.  “That was noble of you.”  She eyed his crutches, which sank in the mud with every exhale, and frowned.  “How do you expect to return to the castle?”

“The chauffeur will return at fourteen-hundred.  Er, do you have a recommendation of where I could wait?”

“The local pub’s a five-minute walk,” Rose nodded in the general direction.  “I’m actually headed there – may I assist you?”  In truth, she’d rather be alone, but it seemed the right thing to do.

“I’d hate to impose,” the man hesitated, “but that would be very kind of you.”

Resigned to helping him, Rose ducked beneath his arm, smoothly replacing one wooden crutch with herself, tucking the now-extraneous aid under her arm.  “You’ll have to hold the umbrella,” she informed him, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him.  “Ready?”

-

The normally five-minute walk took at least twenty, and by the time they stumbled into the pub both were soaked to the bone despite her umbrella.  Her father, quick on his feet as always, was by their side before the door shut behind them, helping take some of the soldier’s weight off of Rose and guiding them to the nearest table.

Settling across from the man, Rose was concerned at his pale coloring, but her father was already returning to them with two pints of ale.

“Thank you,” the man muttered gratefully, lifting it to his mouth and taking several large gulps, his color quickly returning.  “You’re terribly kind, and you have my gratitude.”  In the relative quiet of the pub his accent came through clearer than before, making Rose’s eyebrows shoot up.

“You’re Scottish.”

“Aye.”  He hesitated.  “Is that an issue?”

“Of course not,” her father said warmly before she could open her mouth – not that she would have disagreed.  “Peter Tyler, owner.  Welcome to the Swan and Rose.”

The man offered him his hand.  “Lieutenant James Smith, RFC.  I’m currently convalescing at Highclere, as of last month.”

“A pilot?  God above, you’re brave.  Planes fly over occasionally as part of a training mission, and I don’t see how they don’t fall out of the air.  The concept’s fascinating, but I’ll keep my feet on the ground.”

The Lieutenant nodded, glancing at Rose, who smiled wryly, shaking her head at Pete’s glib comment.  “I’m Rose.”  She looked meaningfully at her father.  “He’s to be picked up by the estate chauffeur in a few hours – perhaps he might like a bite to eat?”

Nodding, Pete hustled off to find a menu, and Rose grinned at her impromptu lunch partner.  “So, whereabouts in Scotland are you from?”

“Outside of Glasgow.”  He paused as Pete returned with two menus, waiting until he’d gone again to continue.  “All my life I asked God to take me from there.  Only when I thought I’d die as a pilot did I realize perhaps I should’ve been more specific.”

She laughed.  “I understand, and know the sentiment – if not quite to that extreme.  I’d often wish, working here, that so many of the young men I knew would leave me be… I never meant so permanently.”  Her humor fled, thinking of her graduating class – most of the men had either enlisted or been conscripted, and only a few had returned alive; injured, but alive.  The rest were still somewhere on the continent, struggling to survive.

The pilot, James, made a noise of agreement before saying decisively, “If it’s all the same, I’d rather talk about life – death and dying and war is all anyone mentions up at Highclere, and frankly, too dreary for a conversation with such a beautiful woman.”

Rose blushed, taken by surprise.  “That’s kind of you to say, and I concur a change in tone and topic appropriate.”  Not that I can think of anything that doesn’t include one of those items at the moment.  “D’you have family, back in Glasgow?”

“Not anymore.  Only child, both parents gone.  A cousin just outside of London, but that’s all.  If I’m ever a free man again I’ll probably go to be near her, I suppose.  If I don’t find anywhere better to be.”

“I’m also an only child,” she shared.  “Some extended family as well.  What do you intend to do, once you’re ‘a free man’ again?”

“Travel.”  His eyes lit up.  “I’d love to see France – real France, not the dirty, miserable hell-on-Earth it is now.  Stroll in Paris.  Eat in Rome.  Two years ago I’d have said Moscow as well, but with the revolution… I’m starting to think going to America might be the only way to escape the ravages of war, at least for a bit, once it’s all done.”

“I’d love to see New York,” Rose gushed, leaning forward on the table.  “Or the Middle West and cowboys.  Mountains.  Los Angeles!  Or Australia.  The savannahs of Africa.  I want to see it all.”

-

By the time they’d returned to the church and were waiting for the Highclere chauffeur, Rose felt as though she’d known him her entire life.  They’d laughed and chatted easily, and she’d found herself sharing dreams she didn’t know she had, or had forgotten, in the overwhelming feeling that the war would never end, and life would never return to normal.

“I had a wonderful afternoon,” the lieutenant said earnestly, as the car came into view down the road.  “Thank you.  I haven’t enjoyed such conversation in… months, if not years.  Possibly ever.”

“So did I,” Rose said shyly, folding her hands in front of her to keep from fiddling them.  “I haven’t laughed so much in ages.”

He nodded, staring at the approaching car, and said with a would-be casual air, “Enough to repeat the experience?”

“Well, you know where to find me now,” she demurred.  “Come see me any time.”

The car pulled up then, the chauffeur jumping out to help James and another waiting soldier in.  Once he was settled Rose moved to the window next to him, and he met her eye.  “I will.”  His voice was heavy with promise, and it sent a thrill through her.

“I’ll be waiting.”

-

He did just that; at least twice a week he’d appear in the pub during the morning lull, each time healthier than the last, and they would spend hours chatting and giggling together, tucked in the semi-private corner booth to get some distance from her father’s watchful eye.

Rose wasn’t ashamed to admit, at least to her pillow, that she was quickly falling in love with the handsome pilot.  He was earnest and eager, to tell her his stories and to hear hers.  They had much in common, including their sense of humor and mischief, and after six weeks, Rose was ready to admit to him her feelings.

Wiping once more at the bar, waiting for the tinkle of the bell to announce his presence, the joyous sound finally came and she spun to see him – standing tall and proud, finally free of his crutches, but looking terribly, terribly sad.

Did someone die? was her first thought, before a worse, more likely scenario presented itself.

“You’re getting sent back to the front.”

“I am.”  He didn’t try to hide it, and all of the happiness they’d stolen over the last weeks vanished from her, leaving behind a physical ache in her chest.

“When?”

“Two days.”

She moved without thinking, throwing herself into his arms, and he hugged her tightly to him.  It was their first embrace, and she committed the moment to memory.  “I’m sorry.”

“No more than I am.”

Lips pressed gently against her hair, then her temple, and she squeezed her eyes closed, commanding the tears to return to their origin.

Time had no meaning as they swayed gently together, until a deliberate cough broke them apart.  A glance over her shoulder showed her father look pointedly at them and the glass door they stood in front of, and reluctantly pulling back, she guided James to their booth.

“Rose-”

“I-”

They started at the same time, cutting themselves off before laughing softly, Rose swiping at her nose as she sniffled.  “Go on.”

He stared at her, taking in what were surely red eyes and flushed cheeks, and said, “Marry me.”

“What?”

He looked as stunned at the words as she felt, but swallowing, he repeated, “Marry me.  Be my wife.  When the war is won and I am free, I’ll come back and get you, and we can travel the world.  I’ll take you anywhere you want for a delayed honeymoon – Los Angeles, New York, I’ll take you to the bloody moon if that’s what you want.  Say you’ll be mine.  Say you’ll wait for me.”

It was more that she’d ever dreamed of, and pressing a hand to her heart, Rose tried to steady herself.  “I…”

“Is that a yes?”

Licking her lips, she thought of the one thing she’d never told him, wondered if it would make a difference.  “That depends on what you say next after I tell you what I must.”

His brow furrowed, and she reached out a trembling hand to brush at a loose tuft of hair.  “You’re not already married, are you?”

“Not exactly.”  Rose let out a deep breath.  “Yes, I am- well, was- married.  I’m a widow, as of three years ago.”

He looked stunned, staring at her, excuses and equivocations bubbling to her lips but held back, waiting for his reaction.

“Because of the war?”

“What?”

“You’re a war widow?”

“Yes.  Well, sort of.”  Rose sighed.  “Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing.  Yes, Jimmy and I- my husband- were married shortly after he enlisted.  We had three days together before he got on the train.  Only, upon arrival at the camp, he signed his papers, got his haircut and uniform, and took a shortcut across a field – which turned out to be the target practice at the shooting range.”  She snorted.  “The moron didn’t make it an hour in the army before he died.  It’s humiliating – so many of my classmates have lost husbands bravely, at the Somme, or Verdun- mine got himself shot by friendly fire at training camp.”  Shaking her head at the memory, she gave him a wry smile.  “Are you sure you want to marry a woman with such atrocious taste?”

James stared at her in silence, long enough for her smile to slip, before he said, “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I agree.”

“I’m not sure it’s appropriate, how much comfort I’m taking in how low your standards are, in terms of husbands.  Surely I can’t be any worse.”

Her breath caught.  “You’ll still have me?”

“If you, me.”  A brilliant smile spread across his face.  “Will you?”

“Of course!”

A throat cleared, and they looked up to see Pete standing in front of them, arms crossed.  “Question for me?” he gave James a challenging glare, who swallowed in response.

“Sir…”  Gently freeing his hand from Rose’s, James stood, snapping to attention.  “I would like to marry your daughter.”

“I won’t have her moving to Scotland.”

“No, sir.”  James glanced back at her.  “Perhaps London, if she’s willing, and a visit to Scotland, but England’s fine with me, so far as a residence.”

The two men eyed each other up, Pete’s expression stern and unwavering.  To James’ credit he held up well, though his Adam’s apple gave his nerves away.

Rose waited, heart in her throat, until her father’s gaze flickered to her; she nodded, smiling reassuringly, and his expression broke into a grin.

“Jackie!  Come congratulate your son-in-law-to-be!”

A shriek rang out from the kitchen as Rose burst into laughter, sliding out from the booth as James- her fiancé- all but melted in relief.

Amidst the cheering at chatter from the few patrons in the pub and her ecstatic parents, Rose took James’ hand, smiling up at him.  “I wanted to tell you that I love you.”

His eyes, already warm, brightened further, his pleased smile growing even wider.  “Quite right, too,” he teased, laughing when she nudged him.  “I love you, too.”

-

Pulling back from their uniting kiss, their guests cheered as the wedding bells rang out.  Grasping each other’s hand tightly, James in his pilot’s uniform, Rose in her Sunday best, they turned to face them together, both beaming as they started back down the aisle, out into beautiful sunshine.

Ducking through the shower of rice, they stopped at the end of the path to smile for the photographer.

“Reception at the pub in twenty minutes,” her father called from somewhere behind them, and they turned to watch the guests- most of the village, really- immediately head there.

Rose shook her head, unable to wipe the smile off her face and she looked up at her handsome new husband.  “We’ve always been a very popular family,” she said dryly, making him laugh.

“I can see why,” he replied warmly, pulling her into his side.  “I’m certainly fond of you all.”

James kissed her, making her toes curl and her breath catch; they’d stolen plenty of kisses in the twenty-four hours of their engagement, but none had had this much intention behind it.  “Do these receptions tend to go on?  Back home, it could go all night.”

His intense look sent heat through her, and she was glad not to be alone in the direction her thoughts had gone.  “They do.  Especially now, with so little to celebrate, they go into the early hours, spill out into the streets, the whole thing.  However, as populated as they are and as free-flowing as the wine is, it can be easy to get… lost in the crowd.  People be lost track of, and easy to slip away.”

“Good.”  Turning to face her he captured her face in his palms, kissing her deeply enough that the vicar called, “You’re still on church property, thank you!”

They broke apart giggling, turning in unspoken agreement and heading towards the pub with the stragglers, walking hand in hand.

Rose had so much she wanted to say, to tell him, but no words would come, and really, would any suffice?  She was well aware that as happy as this moment was, it was possible- if not likely- that he wouldn’t return to her, that any plans made would never come to fruition.  Don’t think like that, not today, she told herself fiercely.  There’ll be time enough for worries after you kiss him goodbye tomorrow.  For now, get through the reception so you can get to the wedding night.

She looked up at him only to find him staring down at her, a soft expression on her face.  “Penny for ‘em.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’ll do everything and anything I can to come back to you.”

“You better.”  She squeezed his hand, but they’d reached the pub, and the cheering didn’t allow for more conversation as they were mobbed by well-wishers and showered with more rice.

Through no design of Rose’s, the main portions of the reception happened within the first hour or two; the local band who played the pub did a beautiful slow number for their first dance, and the baker had outdone himself on such a tight timeline and with rationing to make a wonderful cake.

Dancing together to a song from the radio, Rose’s heart stopped when an officer she’d seen from Highclere stopped James to whisper in his ear.  Pulse pounding she waited as they conversed, possibilities flying through her mind – a complication with the legality of their marriage, he was being sent out early, something that would take him from her- only for James to nod and shake the man’s hand, who instantly disappeared into the crowd of dancers again.

“What-”

Her new husband shook his head, guiding her towards the stairs to the family’s private quarters and behind the partition; it was moderately quieter back there, and he took her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

“James, what’s going on?” she asked when they finally parted for breath.

“Do you have an overnight bag?  Do you need to say goodbye to your mother?”

She blinked at the questions.  “I have a bag, it’s upstairs.  Are we leaving?”

“If you want.  Harkness says Highclere is mostly empty, and he’s giving us his quarters for the night.  We can head there now, if you’d like.”

“God, yes,” she breathed, laughing.  “Look at me, I’m blushing.  But, yes, I think we can sneak out of here – the celebrations are done, now it’s just drinking.” 

Running upstairs she grabbed her bag, taking a moment in the mirror to check her reflection, and marveled at the happiness in her face.  It had been so long since her eyes had sparkled, and she said a quick prayer that he would come home to her.  She left a short note on her bed, then bag in hand she returned to him, and they hurried out the back.

-

Rose hadn’t known what to expect as they pulled up to the castle, but rather than heading into the main building, he brought her around the side to a small cottage tucked near the tree-line.

“Jack’s in charge of security,” he explained, fumbling the key into the door, “so he got these quarters.  Usually the gardener’s shed, I believe, but it should do.  Hopefully.”  He got the door open but kept her from going inside, taking her bag in before returning for her.  “Ready?  I’ll try not to drop you.”

With those auspicious words he swept her into his arms, carrying her into the room.

“This is… nice,” she said, once her feet hit the ground and she could look around.  It was just a room, and she suspected he was right about it’s former purpose; it smelled of dirt, but it was relatively clean and put together, especially with a single male occupant.

“Not bad,” James agreed.  “Once the war is over I’ll take you somewhere for a real honeymoon; a nice hotel in London, at the least.  But will this do for tonight?”

Stepping into the middle of the room, Rose gave a twirl before sitting on the bed, bouncing lightly.  “Comfortable enough.  And private, which is good.  I think it’ll do.”

“I’m glad,” he said, standing somewhat stiffly and awkwardly by the door.  “Erm, what would you like to do?  I mean- uh, there may be a radio, we could dance?  Or talk?”

Rose tilted her head, studying him, as she leaned back on her hands against the mattress.  “Now that we’re married, can I ask- I know sometimes with injuries… Whatever the case is is fine, but… I mean…” she fought down a blush; though she’d been married to Jimmy, it had really only been for three nights, and she hadn’t had a chance to become comfortable with such intimacy in a conversation.  “Does everything… work?”

James’ brow furrowed.  “I’m fully healed, that’s why they’re sending me back.”

She licked her lips, trying to be delicate.  “I mean… for tonight.  Are we able to consummate?”

“Oh!”  His eyes went wide, and he tugged at his collar.  “Yes, it works- that would’ve been cruel of me, wouldn’t it?  To marry you without telling you you wouldn’t be able to have children, or anything like that.  No, there’s no reason to think my injury affected… that.”  James coughed.  “Is that- are you-”

Rising from the bed she approached him, going up on tiptoe to kiss him softly.  “How long do we have until your train?”

He checked his watch.  “About twenty hours.”

“We can talk and dance between other activities,” she said, starting to undo his belt.  “I want to make use of those twenty hours as best we can, though.  There will be time for talking and dancing after the war.”

“If you’re sure.”  James’ breath caught on the last word as her fingers found him.  “I suppose you are.”

They kissed languidly as she fondled him, undressing slowly and migrating towards the bed.  By the time her back hit the mattress she was in just her pearls and wedding band, her husband his socks and RFC hat.  But when she tried to pull him on top of her, he panted, “Wait, wait.”

He rolled away and she pushed herself up onto her elbows, watching as he dug around in a small drawer.  “What’re you doing?”

“Jack said… aha!”  He pulled something out triumphantly, returning to the bed and kneeling between her legs as he did something to himself.

“What is that?”  He’d rolled something over his manhood, and she had no words to describe it.  “Are you planning on…”

He sat back on his heels, hands rubbing at her spread thighs.  “It’s called a condom,” he explained patiently.  “My intention is to prevent, well, a pregnancy, if possible.  If something happens to me… well, there’ll be time enough for babies after the war.  I don’t want worry that I’m leaving you behind with a burden.”

“Why does your friend have them?”

“They also protect against disease, and Jack… Jack is very popular.”

Rose nodded slowly, considering the concept.  She reached out, brushing tentative fingers along his length.  “If you think it’s best.”

“It shouldn’t be much different,” he reassured her, “or at least that’s what Jack says, and he would know.  I just want tonight to be about us and enjoying ourselves, and this can help avoid any consequences.”

“All right, I trust you.  Go on then.”

She tried to relax into the mattress as he stretched out on top of her; but rather than just sticking it in as she expected, James kissed her and touched her, stoking a fire in her until she was begging for him.  Only then did he push inside, and by the time they were sweaty and sated, she’d all but forgotten about it.  Letting her legs fall to the sides, she winced as he removed himself, but the expected sensation didn’t come.

“It also helps with cleanup,” he said, pleased, disposing of the sock-like thing.  “How do you feel?”

“Wonderful.”  She turned onto her side as he laid back beside her, and they chatted softly between languid kisses.  He told her of his childhood home, of Scotland, while she shared anecdotes of growing up in a pub, and pulling pints from the day she could reach handles.

Wandering hands would lead to heavy breaths, and each time he would dutifully leave the bed to get another condom, and by the third time she was eager to roll it on him before sliding down over it, loving the noises he made and the words he whispered as she took control until the inevitable occurred, and they collapsed together.

-

Morning found them bright and early, sunlight streaming in directly at Rose’s face, stirring her.  Rolling over she found James there, ready and eager once again, but as the sun climbed in the sky their lovemaking took on a desperate, frenzied air as they tried to savor every last moment.

Naked but for her jewelry, air drying from their shared bath, Rose lounged in the bed as she watched her husband dress.

“You’ll be able to rest, won’t you?” it finally occurred to her to ask, as she fought the urge to help him, knowing it would only cause delays; but she hated to see his skin disappear behind clothing, wanting to kiss it, touch it, one more time.  “We didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I’ll be able to sleep,” he promised, pausing in his buttoning of his shirt to come back to her, and she came up onto her knees to meet him for a kiss.  “I’ll sleep well, and I’ll dream of you.  Sometimes I’ll dream of you on the day we met, of your beautiful playing and your kindness, of your smile and laugh.”

“And other times?”

Despite them being alone, and all the pleasure they’d shared, he still leaned in close and whispered low in her ear, “And other times, I’ll dream of the way you looked riding me, chasing your own pleasure, and how you flushed when you found it.  I’ll dream of your mouth on me, the way you’d beg me to be inside you, the noises you make as I move.”

Rose moaned against his mouth as they kissed, gasping when his fingers pushed inside her.  “Mhm, yeah.”

“Exactly,” he encouraged, “those noises.  I love to hear them.  Some day I’ll buy you land somewhere we can have total privacy, so you can scream and scream and no one will hear your pleasure.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” she panted, fucking herself onto his fingers as he massaged her, not sure if she was agreeing with his words or his touch.  “So good.”  He was a quick study, and brought her over the peak quickly, groaning as she clenched around him.

Wriggling back she bent over, and it took longer to free him from his trousers than to suck him off; she’d barely started before he coated the back of her throat, and she eased off him, rising up on her knees again to find him looking terribly sad.

“If I don’t make it back-”

“Don’t talk like that-”

“If I don’t,” he spoke over her, “know that I love you.  Truly.  To be honest, the day we met wasn’t the first time I’d seen you.  A few weeks before I was at a funeral for one I did know, and I saw you in the loft like an angel.  I came to every church event  I could after that, even liturgies, trying to get an opportunity to meet you.  Finally I was able to catch you, and I’m so, so glad I did.”

“Me too,” she whispered.  “I love you to, so much.”

James closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers for a long minute, before murmuring, “Put some clothes on, will you?  They shoot deserters, and if I lose my senses again, I’ll be dangerously close to being late.”

-

Trainside, they kissed as long as they could, surrounded by other couples savoring every last moment until the train whistled, and they were forced to part.  Watching him board, she found herself moving along the platform with him as he found an empty seat, leaning out the windowing just to hold her hand while he could.

“I’ll write you,” they promised in unison, before laughing.

“Take care.”

The train started to move, and she tried to keep up with it.

“I’ll come back for you,” he shouted, leaning halfway out the window.  “Be here!”

“I will!”

With the other wives she waived and cheered until the train was out of sight- then one woman burst into tears, starting the rest of them off.  “Come back to me,” Rose whispered, hands pressed against her heart, the steam in the distant sky the only visible part of him left.  “Please, God, let him come back.”

-

December, 1918

Eyes closed, lost in thought, Rose listened as the church bells pealed.  Midnight.  Christmas.

The church was restless as late arrivals streamed in, the musicians starting to tune their instruments in preparation for the service to start.  War was over, many of the young men home for Christmas.

But not all.

Rose’s last letter from James was dated October, and as hope faded a little with every passing day she kept it close to her heart, the last lines running through her mind on a loop.  I love you.  I’ll come home to you.  I love you, I love you, I love you.  It was painful, now, to walk through the village, or even be behind the bar; so many reunited couples, their joy almost infectious but for the jealousy burning deep.

All I want for Christmas is my husband home - alive.

“Rose, budge up,” her mother said unexpectedly from next to her, tugging her arm.  “Move over.”

Opening her eyes, Rose frowned at her.  “What?”

“Room for one more?” a voice asked behind her, barely audible as the choir began to sing O Come, All Ye Faithful, and she turned to look, breath catching in her throat.

“James?”

Her brain refused to believe her eyes, but there he stood, looking exhausted and older but so, so happy  - and he wasn’t the only surprise Christmas return, based on the cries and exclamations going around the room.

“Hi, love,” he said gently, and she burst into tears, throwing herself into his arms.

“Are you real?”

He just hugged her tighter against him, peppering kisses over her face before finding her lips.

“All right, all right, into the pew with you,” her mother hissed, and they broke apart with a laugh, staying wrapped around each other as they moved out of the aisle and into their seats.

Rose didn’t hear a word of the service, too busy with her own prayers and thanks for his safe return, burrowed into her husband’s side, his arms tight around her.

And when the bells rang again at the end of the service, her heart sang along with them.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

A Joyful Addition

Day 11 of 2022's 31 Days of Ficmas @doctorroseprompts Prompt: joy Rating: T (mild) Pairing: 10xRose (AU) Summary: Sequel to "The Gift of Hope". Five years on, Rose and James are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives - a diploma in one hand, a diamond in the other, and plenty of room for their love to grow. 2022 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist AO3

“Smile!”

Rose beamed for the camera, barely holding back her laughter as Hope shouted, “Teese!”

“I think you mean cheese, pumpkin,” James laughed, picking her up and sliding her onto his shoulders.  “Cheese.”

“Tha’s what I said, Daddy.  Teese!”

“Cheese.  Ch, ch.  Can you make that sound?”

“Teese!”

He just shook his head, giving Rose a fond eye roll.  “Okay, baby, very good.”

“My turn for a picture with my girls,” Jackie cut in, tapping her foot.  “It’s my daughter’s graduation day, thank you.  From uni!”

“Of course.”  They changed places, Jackie now with her arms around Rose while she held Hope, unable to help the proud feeling inside her.

It had taken a tremendous amount of effort, lots of tears and even more doubts, but she’d managed to not just get into uni, but actually make it through to graduation day.  And she couldn’t have done it without the kind, generous, loving man making faces at their daughter to get her to laugh.

He caught her eye and smiled, blowing her a kiss which she returned, posing dutifully as the two adults she loved most squabbled over the pictures.

“Right, we should be going,” James finally said, checking his watch.  “There may or may not be a couple of guests waiting at the café to celebrate our graduate.”

“What?  Oh, I told you I don’t want a party,” Rose whined, putting her arm around his waist as they headed for the Tube together, Jackie and Hope holding hands and trailing behind them.  “Really?”

He just laughed, shaking his head.  “This is an incredible achievement, and a lot of people want to celebrate it with you.  We’re just so damn proud.”

“Damn proud!” Hope parroted from behind them, making her parents laugh even as Jackie groaned.

“Little ears are always listening,” her mother said firmly, and Rose bit back a sigh; she hadn’t quite accepted James in their lives yet, despite being a steady and stable presence for going on five years, and making Rose happier than she’d ever been.

“Yes, they are,” she agreed meaningfully, making Jackie huff.

They had an entertaining ride on the Tube home; every time the next stop was announced Hope would repeat it, ask how many more stops, she and James would count them together on the map, then she’d turn and report the amount to Rose and Jackie – at which point the cycle would start over.

“I can’t believe how smart she is,” Jackie commented as they followed the pair out into the sunshine, watching as Hope sagged, pouting up at her father, and his dramatic sigh before swinging her up onto his shoulders, listening to her bright giggles.  “She must get that from you.”

“James has a lot to do with it,” Rose shrugged, waving at her daughter when she twisted to see them.  “He’s constantly working with her, and she doesn’t even realize it – just thinks Daddy’s playing with her.  Her preschool teacher, Miss Clara, says she’s one of the top students.  Friendly, outgoing, loves to help.”  Almost overwhelmed with emotion she had to stop for a moment, tugging her mother’s arm so she would face her.  Making sure James and Hope were out of ear range, she said softly, “I know you worry, and that my track record’s not the best when it comes to men – neither of ours are.  But he is so, so good – to her, and to me.  I wish you could see it, because someday, Hope’s going to ask why you don’t like him, and you’re going to be the one who has to answer her.”

Not waiting for a response she hurried to catch up to them, grinning at her daughter’s bright “Hi Mummy!” as if she’d been away for days instead of two minutes.

“Hi baby.”

Her own mother caught up to them then, taking Rose’s hand, and she squeezed back.

-

“Surprise!”

Rose laughed, stepping into the café as the lights came on and everyone cheered.  “Oh my goodness, thank you!”

“Take, take, take,” Hope immediately chanted, pointing towards a giant cake with Rose’s face printed on it.  “Mummy’s on a take!”

“Oh, God,” she groaned, looking at it – it was her graduation picture, but from preschool, not the recent professional one she’d had done.  “Really, Mum?”

“It’s cute,” Jackie defended, “and fitting.”

Rose got pulled into the crowd then – a couple guests my arse, there must be fifty people here – and she accepted their congratulations gratefully, the whole time keeping one eye on the man who’d made everything possible.  And not just the party – going back to school, raising Hope, being a cheerleader and shoulder to lean on.

I want to marry this man.  But is he ever going to ask me?

-

The party somehow simultaneously flew by and dragged on forever – all Rose wanted was to get James alone.  She was just starting to wonder if she’d have to kick people out when Jackie announced that she’d be taking Hope home for the night, her beloved granddaughter already half-asleep in her arms.

When Rose hugged and kissed them both goodbye, though, her mother surprised her by murmuring, “For the record, I suppose you could do worse.  If you’re sure, you’re sure, and I’ll learn to live with it.”

“Oh… kay.  Thanks.”  Rose watched her curiously as James kissed the toddler goodbye, but thankfully Jackie’s exit spurred the rest, and within half an hour, they were alone in the café.

“Finally,” James groaned in relief, locking the door behind the last guest and closing the blinds.  “Did you enjoy your party?”

“I did.”  Arm in arm they made their way through the darkened shop and up the stairs to their private living quarters.  “Thank you – for everything.”

Pausing at the door to their flat, he took a deep breath.  “You’re welcome, but… it’s not quite over, yet.”

Before she could ask he pushed the door open, and her breath caught – the lights were off, but nearly every surface was covered in glowing candles, giving a soft, romantic air to the living room.  Near the couch was a champagne bucket filled with ice and a bottle, and along the way stood easels with posterboard attached, each covered in pictures from the last five years.

“James…”

“Don’t say anything yet,” he said softly, guiding her towards the sofa.  “Let me…”

Rose nodded, heart pounding.  This is it.

Clearing his throat, he wiped his hands on his trousers before taking hers.  “I am so incredibly proud of you,” he started, voice shaky.  “Making it through uni can be challenging under the best of circumstances.  I know it sometimes seemed there wouldn’t be any light at the end of the tunnel, but here you are now, standing in the daylight.  I feel so honored to have been with you along this journey.”  He breathed deeply, lacing their fingers together.  “I don’t want to take away anything from this day.  I want it to be all about you.  There… there’s a question that’s been on the tip of my tongue for, oh, five years now?  And… it’s up to you.  We can open this champagne to toast to your graduation, or… I can ask my question.  If you want it?”

She was already crying, tears streaming down her face, and she nodded.  “I do.”

“Hey, hey, don’t skip ahead,” he chided with a wet laugh.  “Let me do this properly!”

“Go on, then.  ‘Cause we’ve done everything else the right way ‘round so far.”

James paused, then cupped her cheek, kissing her softly.  “I love you, our daughter, and our life more than anything in this world,” he whispered.  “Okay, here goes.”

Taking her hands again, both trembling, he stepped back and slowly knelt as she sobbed.

“You’ve made my life better from the first day you stepped into my shop.  I want to spend the rest of my days loving you.  Rose, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she blubbered without hesitation.  “Yes, yes, yes!”  She threw herself at him, and they collapsed together in a laughing, crying, kissing mess.

“Yes?”

“Yes!”

Eventually he rolled her onto her back, his kisses changing in intent until she shoved at his chest.  “Mhm, wait, hold on.”

“Why?  You want some champagne first?”  His hand slid suggestively down her hip to her knee.

“No, uh…”  She struggled to sit up and he moved backwards, helping her up and guiding her to the couch.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing, this is perfect, I just…”  It was Rose’s turn to take calming breaths.  “You know how you said it’s not quite over yet?”

“Yeah?”  Then his eyes widened.  “Oh, shit, I forgot-”  He fumbled a box out of his pocket, cracking it open to show her a stunning solitaire.  “It’s a full carat, white gold… if you don’t like we can get something else-”

She cut him off with a kiss.  “I love it,” she breathed against his lips, letting him slide it on her finger.  “That’s not what I meant, though.”

“Okay.”  Perched next to her, her hands still in his he waited, eyes shining with love, and she savored the moment.

Knowing she had no rational reason to be nervous, she took a breath.  “We’re gonna have a baby.”

“What?”  He looked stunned, like he’d been hit in the face with a shovel, but a smile was blossoming.  “Really?  A baby?”

“Yeah,” she said tearfully, laughing at his awe.  “You’re gonna be a dad.”

His expression cleared at that, giving her a stern look.  “I am a dad,” he said pointedly.  “This doesn’t change anything regarding Hope.”

An anxiety she didn’t even know she’d had eased.  “I know.  I’m glad you feel that way, though.”

He reached out a tentative hand, pressing it flat against her belly.  “How?  When?”

“Well when a mummy and a daddy love each other-” she cut herself off with a giggle when he rolled his eyes.  “I took three tests this morning, all positive.  Based on the calendar, I think we’re about six weeks in.  My guess?  That weekend away for my birthday was a bit too relaxing.”

“Six?  That’s an improvement,” James teased, eyes bright and shiny.  “Last time was twenty-six weeks.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead, make fun of the woman carrying your child,” she shot back.  “See if it’s still funny when I’m imitating the Exorcist in the middle of the night.”

He shook his head fondly.  “You know I’ll take care of you – all of you.  You, pumpkin, and this new bundle of joy.”

Their eyes met, and Rose smiled.  “I know you will.  Now, I can’t have any champagne, but we’ve got a lot to celebrate before Hope comes home tomorrow!”

-

Mindful of his precious cargo, James stopped in front of the door for a few moments of quiet and peace before stepping out into the living room.

“Rose is sleeping,” he announced his presence, “but this one’s not.”

Jackie gasped, hurrying forward and beating out the rest of the waiting family- his mother, grandfather, and sister were right behind her though, and he eased through them towards the couch where Hope was dozing, the adults hovering around him, straining for the first glimpse.

Settling carefully next to her, he shifted his bundle to nudge his daughter- his oldest daughter, now- awake.  “Pumpkin, wake up.”

“Wha’s goin’ on?” she asked, bleary-eyed and so like her mother, before she spotted the baby.  “My baby’s here!”

“Yes, she is,” he said softly, “but she’s very new and doesn’t know anything yet, so let’s keep our voices down, yeah?  We don’t want to scare her.”

Hope’s eyes went wide, and she immediately whispered as best she could, “Sorry sissy, don’ be scared.  It’s okay.”

“D’you wanna hold her?”

She nodded, captivated, and he carefully positioned her arms before passing her over, keeping one hand on the baby’s bottom to help with the weight.  “She’s heavy, so be careful.”  The soft snick of a phone camera made James look up; the four adults were arranged around them, Donna and Jackie with their phones out.

“Where’s Mummy?” Hope asked, not looking up from her sister’s face.  “Is she okay?  It sounded scary.”

“It was scary,” he agreed, “but Mummy’s fine.  She’s sleeping right now.  Everyone’s okay.”

Hope trailed a tentative finger along the baby’s face, watching as she squirmed, then gasped when teeny fingers wrapped around her own.  “Are you holding my hand, sissy?  You can always do that.  I’ll protect you.”

James’ heart swelled with love at how tender she was being, how much she’d grown up.  It seemed only yesterday he was holding her, nearly at the beginning of this beautiful journey with Rose; now here they were, six months married, with two beautiful, perfect daughters.  “She already loves you so much,” he promised.  “You’re gonna be her hero.  It’s a big job, but I think you’re up for it.”

“I can do it, Daddy,” Hope said, her mother’s determination shining through.  “What’s her name?”

“Yeah, what’s her name?” James’ mother parroted.

“Maybe we should wait for Rose,” Jackie suggested, shooting Sylvia a dirty look, but he shook his head.

“No, it’s okay.  Her name’s Joy Abigail Tyler.”

Hope gasped softly, gazing down at her sister with adoration.  “That’s so pretty.”

“Joy?” Jackie questioned, at the same time his mother asked, “Tyler?”

James gave them both firm looks.  “Yes.  Joy Abigail Tyler.”

“It’s perfect, and she’s perfect,” his grandfather spoke up assertively.  “Right, squirt?”

“Right, Poppy!”  Hope finally tore her eyes away from her sister to beam up at him.

He patted her on the head, then said would-be casually, “As the oldest, and the one with the least amount of time left-”

“Dad-”

“I think, when Hope’s ready, I ought to be next.  Welcome the little one into the family, you know, as the patriarch.”

Pressing kisses to his both daughter’s foreheads, and with a warning to everyone not to kiss the baby but to go wash their hands, he slipped away to leave them to their squabbling.  Easing inside the bedroom, he fumbled in the dark for only a moment.

“’m awake.”

Relaxing at that he toed off his shoes and climbed into bed behind Rose, spooning her.  “How you doing?”

“Okay,” she sighed, draping her arms over his, “but you’re havin’ the next one.”

“Deal.”

They laid in silence for a minute.

“How’s she doing out there?"

James hummed, kissing the back of her head.  “Everyone’s in love.  Mum’s mad that her name’s Tyler.  Your mother’s mad that it’s Joy.  Hope thinks she hung the moon, and we might have to sue my grandfather for custody.”

Rose laughed at that, but stopped almost immediately, groaning.  “Don’t do that, don’t be funny.  It hurts.”

“I know,” he kissed her again, tightening his arms around her.  “That… was kinda scary.  Next time, let’s go to the hospital, yeah?”

“I didn’t mean to not,” Rose grumbled.  “I was at the doctor yesterday, she said it could be week!  I thought it was Braxton-Hicks.  Delivering on the bathroom floor was not my idea.”

“All’s well that ends well.  We have a healthy baby, a loving family, and the best kid in the world.”

And they sealed it with a kiss.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

So This is Love

Day 15 of 2019′s 31 Days of Ficmas Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for the prompt list! Prompt: love Rating: M (nsfw) Pairing: 10xRose (AU) Summary: A Cosier With You fic. A year after taking their relationship from mutual pining to madly in love, Rose and James discuss next steps. Based on this: https://www.tumblr.com/memeuplift/728565011847544832 2019 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist Cosier With You Masterlist AO3

“So, is this our first or second Christmas together?" Rose asked from her spot on the couch, curled beneath a soft throw with a mug of cocoa, relaxing after hanging most of the ornaments on his tree and enjoying the Winter Wonderland they’d transformed his flat into.

Stretching to put the star on top of the tree, James shot her a look.  “When’s our anniversary?”

“Good question.”  She licked her lips, focusing on the sliver of skin revealed as his shirt rode up.  “I mean, Christmas Eve, I guess.  First date, said I love you, shagged.  Pretty much hit all the benchmarks on day one, right?”

“Fair.”  He stepped back from the tree towards her as he studied it, hands on his hips.  “What d’you think, is it good?”

She took a snap of him with her mobile, enchanted with the way the lights of the tree framed him before focusing on his question.  “Yeah, good from here.”

“Good.”  He threw himself onto the couch next to her, laughing when she yelped.  “As for the anniversary question… we could say the twentieth, as that’s when I actually asked you out.  Gives it a little breathing room from the holiday.”  Stealing a sip of her cocoa, he waggled his eyebrows.

“It’s only December 3rd, so we’ve got some time to decide,” Rose shrugged, smiling and wiping away a bit of whipped cream that stuck to his lip.  With the fire crackling merrily, and most of the light coming from it and the tree, it was a properly cozy and romantic setting.  “Maybe the twentieth is a good idea – we’d never be able to celebrate day-of if we said Christmas Eve.”

They met in the middle for a sweet kiss, and she liked how he tasted of peppermint and chocolate.

“Just let me know what you prefer,” he murmured when they separated.  “So I can plan accordingly.  For now, though, how’s takeaway sound?”

“Perfect.  Your turn to pay, though.”

James made a face but acquiesced, passing over his mobile with doordash already open.  “Pizza or curry?”

“Mhmm… pizza,” she quickly found their favorite place, ordering their usual.  “I like that we can just say ‘pizza’ and we already know exactly what to order and from where.”

“Me too- oh, can you add on extra cheesy bread?”

Grinning Rose just turned the screen to face him, showing she’d already done just that.  “Get out of my head.”

He laughed, digging his fingers into her side and making her squeal.  “C’mere.”

She fell into him, still holding the mobile.  “Hang on, let me make sure you got the confirmation – I’m still annoyed about last time, that it didn’t go through.  Nothing worse than waiting on food that’s not coming.”  They looked at the screen together as she navigated to his email, clicking somewhat blindly on the first message with a subject of Order Confirmation.

And then froze when instead of the expected receipt, a generic graphic of a diamond ring turning came up under a banner reading Congratulations, your order has shipped!

Holy shit.  That’s an engagement ring.

James had gone very still next to her; she wasn’t sure he was even breathing, and in a split-second decision, she backed out to his inbox and found the right email.

“Looks like forty minutes until delivery,” she commented, tone deliberately light.  “We should try to straighten up before that – it looks like a Christmas bomb went off in here.”

“Okay.”

She pressed her lips to his cheek, lingering a moment too long to be a peck, before getting to work.

They managed to get the unused lights back into the storage bins before catching each other’s eye, and a shared smile quickly grew into giggles until she was leaning against him.

“Why are we laughing?” he asked, chuckling all the while, and she started dumping the extra decorations on top of the lights.

“I don’t know.”

She looked up to find him smiling widely.  “But you do know.”

Rose beamed back at him, tears pricking at her eyes as they just looked at each other with soft smiles.

The doorbell interrupted their moony eyes, James breaking for the door while Rose set the table, and they were soon seated quietly side by side, pressed together from ankle to hip with the food arrayed in front of them.

“So…” Rose focused on separating her slice from the rest of the pizza, carefully pulling apart the stubborn bits of cheese.  “Is it here?”

He went still for a moment, before wiping his mouth.  “Yep.”

“Is it hidden?”  She looked over at him, nibbling on the end of the slice, heart thumping as he nodded, holding her gaze.  “Can we play hot or cold with it?”

“Absolutely fucking not,” he said firmly, making her laugh.  “Do- should- I mean… is this something we need to… have a conversation about?”

Rose gave an overexaggerated shrug.  “I mean, I haven’t run screaming…” she teased, nudging him with her elbow.  “Well, where should my expectations be?  Is this part of the anniversary conversation?”

He shifted in his chair, an uncomfortable expression on his face, making her heart fall slightly.  “Uh, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if we’re there yet.”

Her brow furrowed, back straightening as she put the pizza down.  “You bought the ring, have it hidden as we speak, but you don’t know if we’re there yet?”  It took effort to keep her tone even.  “I mean, I don’t necessarily disagree, but… you bought the ring.”

“Rose-” James pushed back from the table a bit, turning to face her and taking her hand.  “That’s where this is going.  For me, at least, it has from the beginning.  I want to be ready for when we’re ready, but… we don’t even live together yet.  And… I was gonna ask you at Christmas, but to be honest, that’s all I was going to ask you.  To move in with me.  Or I move in with you.  Or we move in together in a brand-new place, if that’s what you want.”  He exhaled.  “To me, we’re still laying the foundation.  But I’ve got designs clear up to the sky.”

“Me too,” she said softly, caressing his face with her free hand, memorizing it in this moment.  “I want everything with you, and this last year has only confirmed that.  I want to savor these steps, and when you ask me, I’m going to say yes.  You know that, don’t you?”

He nodded, leaning in for a kiss but hesitating at the last moment.  “When I ask you to move in, or-”

“Both.”  Sliding her hand around his neck she pulled him close, and they kissed softly, broken by shared giggles.

When they finally pulled apart and returned to their now-cold pizza, Rose grinned at him.  “I think it’s so cool that it’s here.  It’s literally in the flat with us and I have no idea where.  Does feel a little unfair that I don’t get to wear it, though,” she stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.  “Don’t you want me to try it on at least, make sure it fits?”

“Who says you haven’t?” he challenged, taking a long sip of his wine.  “You sleep like the dead, and it’s been here for a few weeks.  Can you be sure it hasn’t been on your finger, yet?”

The idea was thrilling, and her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much.  “You got any proof?”

He just shrugged, eyes mischievous.  “You know, when you first found that email I was so mad that the surprise is ruined, but thinking about it, this could be a lot of fun.  You’ll never know if it’s the moment or not.  Every time I take your hand, or stop to tie my shoe, or tell you I love you… just for a second, you won’t know if it’s the moment or not.  I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“So you want to spend the holidays waging psychological warfare on me?” she asked, amused.  “Nice.”

“Warfare?  No.  The occasional skirmish… maybe,” he teased.  “And since you already know I’m not going to ask for real yet, it would be more accurate to say it was against our families, wouldn’t you?”

Rose’s eyebrows shot up.  “Are you planning on fake-proposing to me in front of either of our families?  I don’t think that’s going to end well for you.  Your Mum and Donna are still extremely salty that you lied to them about us, and God help you if you toy with my mum like that, because I certainly won’t.”

She loved many things about his face, but the expression he wore now (stumped befuddlement) only came when she outfoxed him and was a particular favorite of hers.  It was also extremely kissable, so she gave into the urge, leaning forward to nip at his pouting bottom lip, smiling against his mouth when he kissed back.

As the food cooled on the plates the heat between them grew until she was in his lap, the desire for food replaced by a need for a different kind of sustenance until he stood carefully, her legs wrapping around him as he carried her to bed.

Flopping back onto the mattress she watched with interest as he pulled his shirt off, before glancing around the room.  “Is it in here?”

“Is what here?”  James started on his belt, before pausing.  “I told you, we’re not doing hot and cold, or anything similar.  And if I’m honest – playing cat and mouse about this is not going to encourage me to give it to you faster.  Possibly the opposite.”

Her offense at the implication only lasted a moment.  “I’m only teasing,” Rose said softly, coming up on her knees to meet him at the end of the bed.  “I’m excited and anxious, but there’s no pressure.  I won’t go digging, I promise.”

His eyes narrowed as they held each other’s gaze.  “Promise?”

“Cross my heart.  In fact, if there’s anywhere I should stay away from, you could tell me.”

Her innocent look didn’t fool him; he just rolled his eyes and reached for the hem of her dress, tugging it up.  “Note to self, rent a safety deposit box in the morning.”

“No, no,” she protested once the dress was over her head, resting her hands on his chest.  “I triple promise that I won’t go looking.  But if you get to pretend you’re going to propose, I get to pretend I’m gonna dig through your drawers at every possible opportunity.  ‘S only fair.”

“I can live with that,” he agreed with a shrug.  “Really, you’d only be ruining it for yourself, after all.  But if you want to dig through drawers, I have a place you can start,” he guided her hands towards the zip of his jeans.

“Funny man,” she murmured, leaning up to kiss him as she freed him from the heavy fabric, pushing the jeans and his boxers down over his hips.

They didn’t need words after that.

-

Limbs deliciously heavy Rose relaxed into the mattress, pleasure still humming through her veins as James panted into her neck.

“Yes.”

“Hmm?”  She trailed her fingernails along his spine, delighting in the way he shivered against her at the touch.

He raised his head to meet her gaze, eyes still heavy-lidded.  “Yes, it’s in this room.”

A giddy smile spread across her face, and they giggled together for a moment before she stopped abruptly.

“Just, do me one favor.”

“Name it.”  He dipped his head to press kisses along her collar bone and top of her breasts.

“Oi.”  She guided his chin up so their eyes met again.  “I don’t need a fancy proposal.  I don’t need the Eiffel Tower at midnight, or something overly orchestrated.  I just want it to be you, and me, and genuine.  My only requirement is – if we took a picture of us three seconds after you ask and I say yes, I want to be able to show that picture to people.”

James’ brow furrowed.  “Huh?”

“I mean, don’t ask me in bed.  Or when we’re in pajamas and look a mess.  Or immediately before, during, or after sex.  It doesn’t have to picture perfect, but when people ask how’d he pop the question, I want to be able to tell the story without blushing.  I don’t care if it’s… I dunno, out on a walk, or some great romantic jaunt that you’ve planned.  I just care that you’re ready to ask, and that we’re fully dressed.”

He pushed himself upright and she followed so they were sitting almost nose to nose, James back on his haunches between her legs.  “I’m not sure how to feel about your standards being so low,” he said dryly.  “Look, I can’t promise the question won’t slip out occasionally- I’m actually really proud of myself that it hasn’t yet- but I can promise that when I give you the ring, it will be under respectable circumstances.”

“You can ask me as many times as you like,” she grinned, cupping his cheek with her palm.  “Under any circumstances.  How about this – when it’s the real one, you take a knee.  If you ask and you’re not on one knee, I’ll know not to expect a ring – this way there’s no misunderstandings about whether it’s it or not.”

“I can do that.”  His eyes were shining, and he pushed her hair back behind her ears before moving back over her, forcing her onto her back again.  One hand bracing himself he slid the other down her side to her knee, guiding it up to wrap around her hip.  “Rose?”

“Yeah?”  She didn’t dare close her eyes but savored his touch until he looked up at her again.

“Will you marry me?”

They went still, the words hanging in the air as tears pricked at her eyes.  “Yes.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course.”  They met in a bruising kiss, joyous laughter forcing them apart.

“God, that felt good to say,” he sighed, beaming down at her.  “I’ve been holding that in for… a while.”

She matched his grin, running her hands over his shoulders and arms.  “It was good to hear, and better to answer.  I’m looking forward to the real thing.”

“Me too.”

They shared another lingering kiss, instinct taking over as their bodies began to move, wiping away all thoughts in Rose’s head but one.

I love this man, and can’t wait to marry him.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

It’s Nice to Have A Friend

Day 26 of 2019′s 31 Days of Ficmas

Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for the prompt list!

Prompt: friend

Rating: General

Pairing: 10xRose (human AU)

Summary: Rose and James meet on her first day at a new school - and the rest, as they say, is history.  Based on a song of the same name (but not a song!fic)

2019 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist

AO3

-

Six Years Old

Rose Tyler sat on the edge of her seat, holding her breath as she stared up at the clock.  She only had a vague idea of how to tell time, but she knew her numbers, and her mum had said- had promised- that as soon as the big hand was on the twelve and the little one on the three school would be over and she could go home.

Home, she scoffed, resolutely ignoring whatever her teacher was saying – she could barely understand her anyway.  We may live there now, but it’s not home.  Home was London, the Powell Estate, where Mickey and Cousin Mo and Shareen and Keisha and Bev were.  Home was that tiny pink flat, with their pictures on the wall and the markings on the kitchen doorframe showing Rose’s growth.

The ‘home’ that Jackie meant wasn’t that; it was the flat a few blocks away from the school, easy walking distance, where they knew no one and everybody talked funny, yet they looked at her as if Rose was the one talking weird.  I hate Glasgow, Rose fumed, narrowing her gaze further at the clock and trying to hold back tears.  I hate school, and Scotland, and I hate Mum for making us move here, an’ I hate Dad for dying and leaving us and letting her do this.

The bell rang then, startling her as everyone around her bust into action, talking and laughing as they gathered their books.  Rose rushed to join them, grateful for the day to finally be done.

Hat and coat firmly situated, backpack on, she followed the stream of kids out into the hallway and then out the doors into the sunlight.  Looking around her eyes widened, panic starting in her chest as she realized she couldn’t remember which way to go.  Mummy said follow the kids, she reminded herself, biting her lip as she watched them stream in every conceivable direction, none of which looked familiar.  But which ones?

Tentatively she inched towards the sidewalk, standing in the middle and looking left and right, hoping something would look familiar.

Nothing did.

A boy from her class bumped into her from behind, knocking her down, and it was the final straw – sitting on the ground Rose burst into tears, drawing her knees up and hiding her face, sobbing.  I want to go home!

“Uh, ‘scuse me, are you okay?”

Sensing someone crouching down in front of her Rose lifted her head, using the sleeves of her coat to wipe her eyes as she looked at them.  It was another boy from her class, one of the few who hadn’t teased her throughout the day, and she blinked at him.  “Me?”

He looked kind, with brown hair and brown eyes, and a little familiar otherwise.  “Yes, you,” he smiled.  “Do you need help?”  He stood then leaned down, offering her his hands, and after a moment she accepted, letting him pull her to her feet.

“Thanks,” she sniffled, fixing her backpack straps and shuffling her feet.

“You’re new, aren’t you?”

Rose narrowed her eyes, but nodded.  “I just moved here from London over Christmas.”

“That stinks,” he shrugged, before glancing behind him.  “I think you live in my building – Burns House?”

She had to think for a moment, before agreeing.  “Yeah.”  She sighed; it sounded similar to Bucknall House, and she’d give anything to be there right now.

“D’you want to walk together?”

Her first instinct was to argue that she was capable of finding her own way home thank you very much, then reconsidered.  He didn’t look like he was teasing her, wasn’t smirking over her shoulder at friends as some of the boys who’d tried to talk to her at recess had, and he did look familiar from the courtyard, maybe…  “Okay.”

“Allons-y!”  He turned on his heel and started walking, Rose quickly falling into step.

“What does that mean?  Is it Scottish?”

Her new friend glanced at her, before shaking his head.  “It’s French,” he said knowledgeably, “it means ‘let’s go’.”

“Then why not just say that?”

“Because it’s more fun.”  He shrugged.  “Why’d you move to Glasgow?”

Rose sniffled.  “My dad died in October.  Mum got a job here.”

“Oh.  I’m sorry about your dad.”  He was quiet for a minute before offering softly, “My parents died last year.  My aunt moved up here to be with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

They walked in silence for a minute, Rose watching her feet as she thought about her dad.  “It’s not fair,” she said abruptly.  “They shouldn’t be allowed to leave until we’re grown up.”

“They shouldn’t!” the boy agreed quickly.  “Until we’re old.  Like, really old.”

“Like, thirty!”

They giggled together as a brisk wind blew, making Rose shiver and try to hide her hands in her sleeves.  Where did my gloves go?

“No mittens?”

Rose shook her head, frowning as she patted her pockets.  “Oh, no!  I must’ve lost them,” she moaned.  Or they were stolen.  Like my snack.

“Here.”  He pulled one of his off, holding it out to her.  “You can use this.”

“Won’t you be cold?”

“Nah, I can do this,” he said brightly, wriggling his now-bare hand inside the remaining mitten.  It was a tight fit, but after a moment both were covered.  “See, if I link my hands, then it’s perfect!”

He looked silly, his hands clasped in front of him and covered in a solitary mitten, but he didn’t seem to mind, and biting her lip, Rose copied him.  “Hey, that works!” she was delighted to discover, lacing her fingers. “Thanks!”

His answering grin made her stomach flip, and eyes going wide, she stared down at the sidewalk, hoping her hat hid how her ears were getting hot.  A light dusting of snow covered everything, one she didn’t remember being there that morning, but just underneath a hint of color peeked out. Stopping, she scraped away some of the snow with her toe to reveal a picture made with sidewalk chalk, one she abruptly recognized.  “Hey, I remember coming this way this morning!” she said in surprise, looking up at him.

“That’s good?”  He blinked at her, head tilted and looking like an owl from her picture books.  “I mean, why wouldn’t we be going back the way we came?”

Rose shrugged.  “I dunno.”

He shrugged too.  “Okay.”

They started walking again, and only a minute later the building came into view.  It was taller than Bucknall House, but not as long, and a little prettier.  If it wasn’t so far from her friends, it might’ve been an okay place to live, if they couldn’t have stayed where they were.

He held the door, letting Rose in first, and they climbed to the fourth floor together.  He turned left as she went right, and they paused to smile awkwardly.  “Thanks for walking me home,” Rose said shyly, dragging her toe along the floor.  “I… couldn’t remember how.”

“It’s on the same street,” he shrugged, “just turn left when you leave school.  Can’t miss it.  At least, I haven’t, and Aunt Sarah says I’ve my head in the clouds all day.”

Rose giggled.  “Still, thanks.”

They turned, and she trudged towards her door dejectedly.  She already knew her mum wasn’t home, was supposed to be at work, and she wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being home alone.  It would’ve been fine in London, she could’ve gone to any one of her friends’ flats, but here she knew no one.

“Um, Rose, is it?”

Hand against the door, key halfway in the lock, she turned to find him still standing at the top of the steps, hands shoved in his pockets.  “Yeah. Oh!”  She’d thoughtlessly put the glove in her pocket, but pulling it out, she hurried back to him.  “Sorry!”

“‘S’okay, wasn’t what I meant, though, thanks.  Um, I was wondering… wanna hang out?  Maybe? I got a new video game console for Hogmanay.”

Rose didn’t even look back at her own door, nodding eagerly.  “Sure! Sounds like fun.”  She followed him to his own door, pausing as he pushed it open.  “I, um, don’t-”

“James,” he interrupted, grinning, before calling in, “Aunt Sarah, I’m home!  I brought a friend.”

A friend.

Smiling to herself, she felt a little bubble of hope rising in her chest for the first time since her Dad died.

It’s nice to have a friend.

-

Nineteen years old

Humming to herself, Rose unpacked the last box in her bedroom and looked around.  After spending the better part of nine months in St Andrews, living alone and being independent, it was strange to be back in her childhood bedroom.  Hopefully Mum respects my request to let me be free.  She’d made it clear that she wanted to be an equal partner in the flat for the summer, including rent and bills, in exchange for her independence.  No curfew, no guilt for the hours she kept, to be a roommate.

She snorted.  That’ll be the day.

Her mobile buzzed and she dove for it.  Reading the message she’d been expecting, she didn’t bother trying to rationalize the butterflies in her stomach.  Instead, she grabbed a bottle of wine and her comforter, slipping out of the empty flat and darting up the stairs.  Heart pounding, and not from the exertion, she burst out onto the roof, feeling all of her stress and worry melt away at the beaming smile waiting for her.

“Rose!”

“James!”  With a shriek of laughter she threw herself at him, and he spun her around twice before setting her on her feet and pulling her close.  They hugged tightly for what felt like forever, soothing the wrinkles in her soul that had developed since they’d last seen each other at Christmas.  For the thousandth time since he’d hesitantly announced his plans to go to Cambridge, she cursed the physical distance between the schools.

“How are you?” he asked, finally pulling back and stooping to pick up her abandoned stuff, leading her towards where he was already set up.

“Better, now,” she answered truthfully enough, plopping down on a pillow and grinning up at him, thrilled beyond measure to see him again.  Texts and calls, while helpful, were no substitute for her best friend.  “You?”

“Same.”  He settled cross-legged beside her, uncorking the wine and pouring them each a generous helping.  “What’s new?”

Accepting the plastic wine glass, she took one look at his genuinely-caring face, those soulful brown eyes, and promptly burst into tears.

-

“Right, twenty questions,” James said brusquely, once her sobs subsided.  “Ready?”

Rose hiccupped, straightening up and wiping at her eyes carefully.  “Fine, but that’s your first question.”

“Fair enough.  Go.”  He handed her a paper napkin and her wine glass, sitting up straight and waiting expectantly.

Taking a long pull off the glass, she stared out towards the sunset for a moment.  The sky was a gorgeous blending of pinks and oranges, truly spectacular, and she focused intently on it as she asked, “Dating anyone?”

“Nope.  You?”

“Nope.  How was your first year?  Really.”  He’d always been upbeat, so bloody positive about uni, about what an amazing experience it would be for both of them, but she’d seen the truth in his eyes.  Facing him she raised an eyebrow, reminding him of their promise the very first time they’d played twenty questions, the first week they’d met.

Promise to tell the truth?

Always.  I swear, Rose Tyler, I will never lie to you.

James sighed, expression falling, and he lay back against the pillows.  “I’ve… been pretty stressed out lately,” he admitted, closing his eyes.

Rose stretched out as well, nestling her head next to his and staring up at the sky above them.  “Yeah, me too.”

He opened his eyes and turned his head, and she did as well, feeling a thrill at how close he was.  From here she could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, the light brush of freckles that would emerge as the summer progressed, even the product he denied putting in his hair.

He smiled and she did too, her heart catching and then leaping when his smile dropped, as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

Something he found there gave him a jolt of confidence, for his eyes widened before crinkling, and fingertips brushed, hesitantly, against the back of her own hand.  Spreading her fingers she let them tangle with his, blushing and darting her eyes up to the sky.

The sun sank, the bright sky fading to dark, and they never moved, barely holding hands, hope beating a tattoo in her chest as she let her heart dream.

“You’re my best friend,” he eventually whispered, when a clock in the distance struck midnight.

“Mine too.”  She smiled up at the sky.  A shooting star passed overhead, flaring bright for only a moment before burning out, but she didn’t bother making a wish; the only thing she could wish for was next to her.

It’s nice to have a friend.

-

Twenty-Six Years Old

Bells began to ring as they broke apart, the cheering of the guests drowning out the Minister’s words.  Pure joy flooded through Rose as they turned to face everyone, her cheeks beginning to ache from smiling so much.

James lifted their joined hands victoriously, making her laugh, before squeezing her palm.  The pressure made her rings (one ten months old, the other ten minutes) dig into her fingers, but she didn’t care; rather, she liked the physical evidence of their vows.  She looked at him to find him watching her, that wonderful awestruck expression on his face she hoped never faded, her smile growing brighter still.

“Run,” he whispered when he had her attention, and with identical giggles, they took off up the aisle, bursting out into the weak January sun.  Their family and friends streamed out behind them, and they waited anxiously as everyone lined the path from the church steps to the waiting car.

“You look unbelievably incredible,” James murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leaning in.

Rose snuggled closer, grateful for his body heat in the winter air.  “You look pretty handsome yourself, babe,” she giggled, beaming up at him.  “I’m so happy right now.”

“Me too.”

His head dipped as she surged up, lips meeting in a tender kiss that drew cheers from their guests.  Breaking apart they saw everyone was ready and made their way down the stairs, James helping her so she didn’t trip in her heels.  Their friends tossed rice over them as they passed, and Rose was thrilled to see it cover the ground.  They’d chosen the date carefully, had hoped and wished and prayed for snow, but it hadn’t been meant to be; the rice was enough, though, to give the illusion of powder.

James helped her into the car before jogging around to the other side, and she smiled and waved out the window at their friends.  They would see them shortly at the reception, but they had an appointment to keep first.

-

They chatted and giggled during the short drive, toasting with champagne before Rose changed her shoes.  They hadn’t told anyone what they were doing, had left it deliberately vague because they didn’t think their loved ones would understand, not really.

When they pulled up she waited for him to leap out and come around, shooing away the driver in favor of opening her door himself.  Rose let him help her to her feet, using her momentum to buss her lips against his cheek.  “See you in a minute,” she giggled, as he draped her cloak over her.

Adjusting the skirts of her wedding dress so they wouldn’t drag on the ground, she walked quickly to her assigned spot, the memory still strong after twenty years.  “Ready!”  Turning her back on the street she pretended to study the school building, swaying slightly back and forth as she waited, humming to herself.

“You’re new, aren’t you?”

She spun on her heel, smiling widely, letting her eyes rake over him.  Tall and lean, no one knew better than her the muscles that hid behind his deceptively slight frame.  Spiky brown hair and glittering brown eyes, he was a childhood dream come to life – it had been so long ago now, she couldn’t remember if he matched her idea of perfection or was the basis for the ideal.  To sweeten the deal, he held their champagne flutes in hand.

“I am, and I can’t remember the way home,” she clucked her tongue, shaking her head.

James nodded, looking intrigued.  “I think we’re in the same building – care to walk together?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”  He passed over her glass before offering her his arm, and she happily laced her own through it as they turned onto the sidewalk.  Car trailing behind them down the street as they strolled, recreating their first moments together twenty years earlier to the day, though now instead of getting to know each other’s past, they planned their future.

“I’m glad we decided to do this,” James sighed happily, straightening his arm in favor of taking her hand in his.  “I know it may be cheesy, but… this day, twenty years ago, was the best day of my life, even if I didn’t know it. I mean, I suspected, but how could I have known?”

Rose rested her head against his bicep, peeking up at him.  “Doesn’t matter how cheesy you are, babe- ‘cause I’m right there with you.  I got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours.  Every day, for the rest of our lives.”

They stopped walking to kiss, though they were both giggling too hard for it to be much of one.  As they separated the first snowflakes began to fall, making Rose gasp in delight.  “Oh, yes!”

James laughed, pressing his lips to her forehead tenderly.  “I love you, Rose Tyler,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms, where she went willingly.

“I love you, James Smith.”

They started walking again, admiring the perfection of the tiny flakes.

“So, now will you tell me our honeymoon plans?” she teased, as their old building came into view.  Over time they had all moved back to London, James first and then his aunt Sarah, Rose following after uni and her mother shortly after that, but it was still, in many ways, home.  What a difference two decades makes, Rose admired, thinking fondly of the rooftop that had seen that first, tentative touch of hands, his sweet stuttering asking for a first date; the stairwell where they shared their first, passionate snog; his flat, where they first played and had a sleepover in tents in the living room; hers, the site of their first adult sleepover, where they made love and heartfelt promises.

“On Monday we fly to Rome and rent a car,” he boasted, looking pleased with himself at her squeal.

“It’s Friday – what about between now and then?”

James hummed, leading her towards the idling car, detour completed.  “I was thinking video games and addition worksheets, and maybe a kickaround?”

“Babe,” Rose scolded, laughing, as they settled in the warm car and headed for the reception.  “Really.”

Stretching his arm around her, he leaned back in his seat and swept his eyes over her, lingering at her bust before meeting her eyes.  “Oh, we’re staying in bed.  The whole weekend.”

“Well if you insist.”

Nothing could stop their happy giggles as they sipped champagne and giggled together, Rose leaning her head on his chest and watching the city go bye.

It’s nice to have a friend.

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Looking for a Beta

Hi all!

I’m currently looking for a beta, specifically one to edit and advise on smut fic.

Ideally I’m looking for someone who will do:

9xRose

10xRose

TenTooxRose

11xRose

12xRose

HardyxMiller from Broadchurch

in both one-shot and multi-chapter fics.  All of the above are a plus but not a necessity.

What does this involve?

So, I’m looking for someone to read through a fic or chapter before it’s posted (I have a schedule, so there’s not usually last minute ‘hey read this!’ stuff, unless I’m REALLY behind and/or stuck).

Find/fix any spelling or punctuation errors, syntax, etc.  Based on my current beta’s edits there aren’t that many; I usually catch most of them myself before it gets beyond me.

Constructive suggestions; I’d like to improve my smut-writing, so suggestions would be welcome as far as word choice or plot so I can really move it to the next level.

Feedback - what works, what doesn’t, etc

A few notes

I do have a beta currently, but she is not interested at this time to beta smut, so if you’re willing but don’t want full multi-chapters, then I can pluck out the smutty scenes so that’s all there is.

I can be very flexible!  If you’re willing to help me, I’ll do whatever I can to make it easy for you :)

Most of the fics I have on the docket (yes I have a schedule) will be AU’s, so intimate knowledge of particular Doctors not strictly necessary

Must be at least 18+ (I’m in my late 20s [wait what?!] for frame of reference).  I won’t ask; if you message me I will assume you’re old enough to read this sort of stuff

FAQs

Ok, but what do you write like?

Below are links to AO3 with some examples of my smut-writing for your perusal, to see if we might be a match :)  [Examples one-shots unless noted otherwise)

All I Want for Christmas is You (Naked) (9xRose, canon divergent, 13 chapters)

Cosier With You ‘verse (AU, 10xRose, multi-shots)

Candy Cane (TenTooxRose)

Do You Want to Share a Sled? (11xRose, canon divergent)

A Lucky Man and His Stupid Scarf (12xRose)

If You Love Something (HardyxMiller)

Does it have to be smut?

At this time, yes.  And for this purpose it’s explicit and detailed (but fairly vanilla, nothing particularly kinky).  Nothing worse (I think) than something you’d see in, say, Secret Diary of a Call Girl act-wise.

What would be the commitment?

Flexible.  If you only want to do a few stories, fine.  You want to do so indefinitely, great!  There’s no contract, I can’t exactly hunt you down.  Communication is key - otherwise, whatever works best.

If there’s a particular pairing you only want to do, that’s cool, though ideally I’m looking for full range, but beggars can’t be choosers :)

What’s the next thing you’re planning on?

I have a few ideas up my sleeve, but the next items needing smut-beta’ing would be one-shots during doctorroseprompts’ 31 Days of Ficmas (late November through end of December); the next multi-chap will be a fobbed!12xRose Thick of It AU, with multiple smut-scenes per chapter (next Spring).  Familiarity with the show would be helpful but not, I think, necessary.

I’m interested, what next?

Great!  If you’ve looked through some of my fic and like my style, send me a private message or an ask and introduce yourself!  Or feel free to message me with any questions

If you’ve made it this far but aren’t interested, thanks for reading!  And if you are, I look forward to hearing from you!

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31 Days of Ficmas 2019 Masterlist

Welcome to the 2019 prompt list!  Links will be updated as available.  Thanks so much for reading!

2017 list  |  2018 list

Workshop - 9xRose.  Post-Dalek, Rose regrets bringing Adam on board.  Explicit. AO3

Tinsel - 13xRose.   Team TARDIS decorates for Christmas, and Rose isn’t thrilled with 13′s newfound love of tinsel.  G rating.  AO3

Cider - 12xRose.   Rose hopes that bartending on Christmas Eve for a party will make the future she dreams of possible.  The brooding silver fox in the corner may be more than she bargained for.  Mild T rating.  AO3

Tree - 12xRose.   Rose decides she wants a real Christmas tree for the TARDIS library; the Doctor agrees, giving her a history lesson in the process and earning himself quite the treat.  T rating.  AO3

Gingerbread - AU!11xRose.   The gingerbread house baking class Rose’s bakery hosts leads her to something far sweeter than the traditional treat.  G rating.  AO3

Eggnog -  TenTooxRose.  At the annual Vitex Christmas Gala TenToo discovers he has quite the taste for eggnog with rum, and they escape the party for an indulgence of their own.  M rating.  AO3

Garland -

Ugly jumper - 11xRose.  For Christmas dinner Amy and Rory require their guests to wear ugly jumpers, which mostly proves how in sync the Doctor and Rose are- not always for the better.  M rating.  AO3

Party -  10xRose.  In hopes a relaxing night out, the Doctor attempts to take Rose to a Christmas party during the 4th Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Needless to say, plans go awry.  G rating.  AO3

Cookies/biscuits -

Ornaments -

Family -

Celebrate -

Peppermint -

Love -

Naughty and/or Nice - 12xRose.   Stuck in 1998 at Christmas time while waiting for their daughter to come pick them up, Rose & 12 do what they can to survive the day-to-day, bringing back more than memories of Rose’s life prior to meeting the Doctor - and a meeting with Santa brings them face to face with the past.  G rating.  AO3

Wreath -

Santa and/or elves -

Chestnuts -

Gifts -

Coal -

Ribbon -

Joy -

Stockings -

Unwrap -

Friends - 10xRose (human!AU).   Rose and James meet on her first day at a new school - and the rest, as they say, is history.  Based on a song of the same name (but not a song!fic).  G rating.  AO3

Rooftop -

Earmuffs -

Star - One of the benefits of dating an astronomer with the Royal Observatory is an after-hours preview of the next show. Unfortunately, it may just be the end of the world.A Cosier with You 'verse fic.  T rating.  AO3

Mistletoe -

Bright -

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31 Days of Ficmas Masterlist

For December 2017, I managed to post a fic a day, based on the word of the day.  In order!  On time!  Mostly.  Several fics are linked, and that is noted.  Rating is included.  Links to tumblr post and AO3.

The prompts:

1. Hope - 10xRose, Doomsday fix-it.  Smut.  AO3

2. Skating - 11xRose, Jenny wants to go ice skating for her birthday.  G-rated.  AO3

3. Hot chocolate - 13xRose, 13 stumbles across young Rose Tyler, buys her hot chocolate and inadvertently creates a circular paradox.  G-rated.  AO3

4. Ginger - TenTooxRose, the Doctor and Tony are left unsupervised, and Jackie ends up with a kitchen full of gingerbread.  G-rated.  AO3

5. Candy canes - TenTooxRose, the Doctor gets distracted by Rose’s holiday treat.  Smut.  AO3

6. Bells - Human!TenxRose, Soulmates AU set in second story of Written on Your Heart.  Smut.  AO3

7. Ring - TenTooxRose, Sequel to Rose’s Ring from Doctor Who Inbox Buddies.  The Doctor proposes.  It’s a surprise to both of them.  G-rated.  AO3

8. Snowflake - 11xRose, reunion fic.  G-rated.  AO3

9. Lights - 12xRose, they debate decorating for Christmas.  Smut.  AO3

10. Peace - 10xRose, post-Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel.  Bonding fic.  G-rated.  Sequel will be Day 17 - Joy.  AO3

11. Mistletoe - TenTooxRose, pregnancy fic.  Smut.  AO3

12. Candles - 13xRose, Rose contemplates the Doctor’s new body.  T-rated.  AO3

13. Snowball fight - 11xRose, Snowball fight on Woman Wept, then fun in the library.  Smut.  AO3

14. Family - 10xRose, reunion during The Doctor’s Daughter.  T-rated for (temporary) death.  AO3

15. Santa and/or elves - TenTooxRose, their daughter discovers the truth about Santa Claus.  Clean, kid!fic.  AO3

16. Mittens - 11xRose, Jenny gives them a confusing gift.  Clean.  AO3

17. Joy - 10xRose, follow up to Peace.  Smut.  AO3

18. Tree - 13xRose, the Doctor takes Rose and Jenny to a tree lighting ceremony.  AO3

19. Holiday baking -  Human!TenxRose, Soulmates AU set in second story of Written on Your Heart.  They have twenty minutes before the cookies are finished - what will they do?  Smut.  AO3

20. Rosy cheeks - 12xRose, While ice skating on an alien planet, Rose and Jenny stumble across the original TARDIS team.  AO3

21. Holiday music - 12xRose, musical chairs.  Requested by @agentkalgibbs.  Smut.  AO3

22. Shiver - 12xRose, dimension-hopping Rose stumbles across the Doctor directly after Knock Knock.  G-rated.  AO3

23. Feast - Human!TenxRose, coffee shop/faking dating au.  James has talked himself into a corner, and must beg the barista he’s been crushing on to pretend to be his serious girlfriend on Christmas Eve.  Part 1 of 3.  G-rated.  AO3

24. Love - Sequel to Feast - the actual luncheon, and some truths come to light.  Part 2 of 3.  G-rated.  AO3

25. Presents - 13xRose, TenTooxRose - shortly after regenerating, 13 tracks down Rose in Pete’s World to check on her.  Nonny prompt, spoilers for Twice Upon A Time.  PG-rated.  AO3

26. Fire - 10xRose, they get caught in a blizzard and find a way to spend the time stuck in their hotel room.  Smut.  AO3

27. Ice - 13xRose, follow up to Candles.  They return to Woman Wept to renew their vows.  T-rated.  AO3

28. Sledding - 11xRose, sledding with Jenny.  Once she goes to bed, Rose comes up with a way to make it more fun for the pouting Doctor.  Smut.  AO3

29. Scarf - 12xRose, Rose finds 4′s scarf in the wardrobe room and fun ensues, as they try to come to terms with this new regeneration.  Smut.  AO3

30. Cosy - Sequel to Feast and Love.  Part 3 of 3.  (For now.)  Smut.  AO3

31. New beginnings - TenTooxRose, smut on New Year’s Eve.  AO3

Overall stats:

31 Fics

50,106 words (that’s 25% of my yearly total, btw)

14 smutty fics, 17 clean

5 fics each for: Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, and Ten AUs

6 fics for TenToo

Several were prompted

Thanks so much to every one who read and enjoyed!

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31 Days of Ficmas 2018 Masterlist

Welcome to the 2018 prompt list!  Links will be updated as available.  Thanks so much for reading!

Snowball fight - 13xRose.  A disagreement requires resolution - naturally, their new companions get drawn into it.  PG rating.  AO3

Hope - 9xRose.  9 saves a ‘witch’ from being burned at the stake in the early 17th century - only to wonder why she’s not in 21st century London.  Dimension Hopping Rose.  PG-13 rating.  AO3

Shopping - TenTooxRose.  Shopping for the Doctor’s new wardrobe shifts to lingerie shopping for Rose.  M rating.  AO3

Lights - 11xRose.  For their anniversary, the Doctor takes her to see the most spectacular light show Earth has to offer.  PG-13 rating.  AO3

Shiver - 10xRose.   The Doctor takes Rose to a wintery planet, unaware that there is a strict dresscode.  As so many of them do, their romantic outing quickly turns into a prison sentence.  M rating.  AO3

Sleigh - 12xRose.  A thousand years and an outfit change or two later, the Doctor and Rose reattempt Snoel.  This time, he’s planned ahead.  PG rating.  AO3

Christmas jumpers - 9xRose.   When Jackie calls and “requests” their presence at cousin Mo’s annual Ugly Jumper party, the Doctor requires some convincing.  Attending the party provides an opportunity for them to learn something new about him - specifically related to the properties of cinnamon.  M rating.  AO3

Holiday baking - 13xRose.  After waking from the latest regeneration coma, the Doctor feels the need to bake cookies, unknowing and uncaring that it is January.  PG rating.  AO3

Peace - 11xRose.   Rose reflects on how different this new (new new) Doctor is when he’s asleep, from the eleven year old on a sugar rush that he is when awake.  M rating.  AO3

Candles - 10xRose.  A visit to Greenwich Palace in 1533 leads to an odd quasi-competition.  M rating.  PWP  AO3

Tree - TenTooxRose.  Tempers flare when decorating their first Christmas Tree.  T rating.  AO3

Ginger -12xRose.  Post regeneration fic, where Rose decides it’s time for her change as well.  M rating.  AO3

Holiday movies - 10xRose.  Despite being mid-January James and Rose have a Christmas-movie watching date, and open up about old grief amidst being childish with the Muppets and Mario Kart.  Part of the Cosier With You ‘verse.   T rating.  AO3

Bows - 11xRose.  A random customer on a cold day makes a big purchase for his daughter - and they both gain so much more than the sought-after hairbows. T rating.  AO3

Snowed in - TenTooxRose.   While honeymooning in the Rocky Mountains, Rose & TenToo get snowed into their bungalow, and find a very honeymoon-ish way to occupy their time.  M rating.  AO3

Joy -

Mistletoe -

Presents -

Bells - 10xRose.  WW1 AU, featuring a dashing but injured pilot, a cynical war widow, and the church bells that echo through their story.  M rating.  AO3

Candy canes -

Santa and/or elves -

Skating - 12xRose.  King Ian is finding that married life not only agrees with him, but makes him nostalgic to resurrect old family traditions - particularly the private ice skating rink.Being able to share it with his loved ones makes it that much sweeter.  Queen of Hearts ‘verse.  T rating.  AO3

Love - 10xRose.  Coming home for Christmas is supposed to be all joy and happiness - until it returns you to the boy next door, whose heart is still bleeding a decade later.  Chasing dreams sometimes requires sacrifices. The question is - can the lost ever be found?  Inspired by the TS song of the same name, but *not* a songfic.  M rating.  AO3

Traditions -

Carolling -

Hot chocolate - AU!12xRose.   Something as simple as a library cafe mix-up changes the lives for the better of a gruff professor and the exhausted book check-out girl.  College AU.  General rating.  AO3

Scarf -

Cold -

Fire -

Feast -

Midnight - 12xRose.  In an effort to combat low ticket sales, Ian Noble’s record label insists he takes to the Times Square New Year’s Eve stage with the label’s newest pop princess - but it’s a backup singer that captures his attention.  G rating.  AO3