Stars
Title: Stars
Pairing: Eight/Rose
Rating:K
A/N: Quick ficlet. Originally an ask fic on Tumblr.
There's a strange sort of charge that runs through her when she sees him. She's standing on a street corner waiting for her good-for-nothing boyfriend to exit the club, since the last time Jimmy found out she walked home alone... well. He's probably still chatting up that red-head at the bar, the one in the silver halter shirt and mini skirt.
The stranger is distinctly out of place, and she figures he was in some sort of theatre production and never got out of costume. Or maybe he was one of those nutters that sometimes inhabited the alley behind the Estates. His clothes are expensive, though, so homeless doesn't quite fit, even if the way he's staring intently into a closed shop window does contribute to nutter.
"You alright, mate?" She calls out, and he looks up at her, bemused.
"Yes, I am, actually." he replies, his gentle voice and accent causing her to think of Victorian gentlemen and fancy ball gowns. It's a pleasant change from her reality in seedy bars and a dirty, cramped flat. "What are you doing out here alone?"
Normally the line would make her wary, but he is radiating such innocent curiosity and concern that she answers honestly. "Waitin' for my boyfriend. He's probably still chattin’ up that girl I saw 'im with."
"Pretty girl like you? I wouldn't look at another twice," he smiles, and Rose laughs a little and kicks the ground.
Rose sighs as she answers, her breath clouding in front of her. "Yeah, well, variety is the spice of life, and all. He's probably tryin' to get money off 'er, since I ran out last month and we won't be able to keep the flat otherwise. 'M already in debt, don't need to add to it."
He cocks his head, considering, and something in his eyes makes him seem... otherworldly. "He'll be in there for at least an hour. Why don't we have some fun?"
"But..."
She looks back at the door. The music is still loud, and Jimmy nowhere to be seen. He’s probably touching her, she realizes. She knew first-hand how much he stroked his target's arms and hands, fiddled with their hair. He did it to her, after all. And if he could have a quick shag with some random girl in the alley, why couldn't she make a new friend?
"Where will we go?" she asks.
"Remember that window I was looking through?"
"Yeah."
He grabs her hand and pulls her towards it. "I was hoping to add to my wardrobe, but I arrived too late. This shop specializes in everything you can dream about. Never know when you might have to go undercover." He winks. "We're gonna break in."
Though it's terribly illegal and they would probably get caught, Rose only grins, heart pounding in excitement. He picks the lock with ease, and they tip-toe to the elevator to go down to storage. Once the doors open, she gazes around in wonder. "Is this a halloween store?" she asks, bouncing slightly.
"Partly, yes. Want to play dress up?"
"Would I ever!" she exclaims, then pulls up short. "What about security cameras?"
He smiles. "Don't worry about those. Already taken care of."
Rose hesitates briefly as she looks at him. A part of her is still screaming at her to think about what she's doing, to back out now, but her reckless side- the side that told her to move in with Jimmy, that persuaded her classmates to go on strike- trusts this strange man. "What should we try first?" she asks instead.
"I was thinking... there.”
‘There’ turns out to be the science fiction section, and Rose gaily dresses up as Nurse Chapel as he pretends to be Spock. Shortly after they're prancing about as Tatiana and Oberon (he's delighted that she's a Shakespeare fan), then switch to Gumby and Pokey. He spends a long time as a pirate, and they play an impromptu game of hide-and-seek with her dressed as a soldier and he as a zombie.
It's the best forty-five minutes of her life, and as she puts on her clothes back on, she wishes she had more time.
They walk out of the store hand-in-hand, and she sighs as they return to the corner once more. "Do you have to go?" Rose asks, even though she knows the answer.
He simply smiles, chestnut curls glowing in the streetlight. "I do. Just know this, Rose Tyler- you don't deserve to wait on any man. You are bound for great things, and Jimmy isn't one of them." He raises their attached hands and kisses hers. "Until we meet again, Dame Rose."
Rose doesn't watch him leave. Instead, she stares up at the stars, crisp and clear in the February weather, and thinks of forgotten holidays and birthdays and the feeling of loneliness. Costumes whirl and dance in her head- mermaids and robots and cowgirls, dancing among the stars. As the cold seeps into her, she wonders if she could be one- a shining light, dancing in the sky, no one to answer to and nothing to fear.
"You ready to go home?" Jimmy slurs as he stumbles over to her.
"Yeah," she says, and doesn't take his hand as she walks away.
Pairing: Eight/Rose
Rating:K
A/N: Quick ficlet. Originally an ask fic on Tumblr.
There's a strange sort of charge that runs through her when she sees him. She's standing on a street corner waiting for her good-for-nothing boyfriend to exit the club, since the last time Jimmy found out she walked home alone... well. He's probably still chatting up that red-head at the bar, the one in the silver halter shirt and mini skirt.
The stranger is distinctly out of place, and she figures he was in some sort of theatre production and never got out of costume. Or maybe he was one of those nutters that sometimes inhabited the alley behind the Estates. His clothes are expensive, though, so homeless doesn't quite fit, even if the way he's staring intently into a closed shop window does contribute to nutter.
"You alright, mate?" She calls out, and he looks up at her, bemused.
"Yes, I am, actually." he replies, his gentle voice and accent causing her to think of Victorian gentlemen and fancy ball gowns. It's a pleasant change from her reality in seedy bars and a dirty, cramped flat. "What are you doing out here alone?"
Normally the line would make her wary, but he is radiating such innocent curiosity and concern that she answers honestly. "Waitin' for my boyfriend. He's probably still chattin’ up that girl I saw 'im with."
"Pretty girl like you? I wouldn't look at another twice," he smiles, and Rose laughs a little and kicks the ground.
Rose sighs as she answers, her breath clouding in front of her. "Yeah, well, variety is the spice of life, and all. He's probably tryin' to get money off 'er, since I ran out last month and we won't be able to keep the flat otherwise. 'M already in debt, don't need to add to it."
He cocks his head, considering, and something in his eyes makes him seem... otherworldly. "He'll be in there for at least an hour. Why don't we have some fun?"
"But..."
She looks back at the door. The music is still loud, and Jimmy nowhere to be seen. He’s probably touching her, she realizes. She knew first-hand how much he stroked his target's arms and hands, fiddled with their hair. He did it to her, after all. And if he could have a quick shag with some random girl in the alley, why couldn't she make a new friend?
"Where will we go?" she asks.
"Remember that window I was looking through?"
"Yeah."
He grabs her hand and pulls her towards it. "I was hoping to add to my wardrobe, but I arrived too late. This shop specializes in everything you can dream about. Never know when you might have to go undercover." He winks. "We're gonna break in."
Though it's terribly illegal and they would probably get caught, Rose only grins, heart pounding in excitement. He picks the lock with ease, and they tip-toe to the elevator to go down to storage. Once the doors open, she gazes around in wonder. "Is this a halloween store?" she asks, bouncing slightly.
"Partly, yes. Want to play dress up?"
"Would I ever!" she exclaims, then pulls up short. "What about security cameras?"
He smiles. "Don't worry about those. Already taken care of."
Rose hesitates briefly as she looks at him. A part of her is still screaming at her to think about what she's doing, to back out now, but her reckless side- the side that told her to move in with Jimmy, that persuaded her classmates to go on strike- trusts this strange man. "What should we try first?" she asks instead.
"I was thinking... there.”
‘There’ turns out to be the science fiction section, and Rose gaily dresses up as Nurse Chapel as he pretends to be Spock. Shortly after they're prancing about as Tatiana and Oberon (he's delighted that she's a Shakespeare fan), then switch to Gumby and Pokey. He spends a long time as a pirate, and they play an impromptu game of hide-and-seek with her dressed as a soldier and he as a zombie.
It's the best forty-five minutes of her life, and as she puts on her clothes back on, she wishes she had more time.
They walk out of the store hand-in-hand, and she sighs as they return to the corner once more. "Do you have to go?" Rose asks, even though she knows the answer.
He simply smiles, chestnut curls glowing in the streetlight. "I do. Just know this, Rose Tyler- you don't deserve to wait on any man. You are bound for great things, and Jimmy isn't one of them." He raises their attached hands and kisses hers. "Until we meet again, Dame Rose."
Rose doesn't watch him leave. Instead, she stares up at the stars, crisp and clear in the February weather, and thinks of forgotten holidays and birthdays and the feeling of loneliness. Costumes whirl and dance in her head- mermaids and robots and cowgirls, dancing among the stars. As the cold seeps into her, she wonders if she could be one- a shining light, dancing in the sky, no one to answer to and nothing to fear.
"You ready to go home?" Jimmy slurs as he stumbles over to her.
"Yeah," she says, and doesn't take his hand as she walks away.