Before She Says Yes--A Sky Without Zeppelins Missing Scene--For Aja

[amberfocus]

Title:  Before She Says Yes
Author:  Amberfocus
Characters/Pairings:  Jonathon Smith (Ten2)/Rose Tyler
Genre:  Romance
Rating:  Teen
Beta:  jeprdyfrndly
Summary:  Jonathon's thoughts as he waits for Rose to come over the night he proposes.  Takes place in chapter 55.
A/N:  For Aja who bid on me (twice) in the Support Stacie auction.  It was supposed to be a drabble, but I've missed writing in the Zeppelins 'verse so got a little carried away and made it a ficlet.

Before She Says Yes

 

 

It isn’t like him to be so nervous. Jonathon’s moved through this relationship with utter confidence, firm seduction, and the skill of a well-practiced lover. Yet the very idea of proposing to Rose has his mouth dry, his pulse racing, and his heart about to thud out of his chest. It doesn’t matter that he’s completely sure she’ll say yes. Mostly. Pretty much. They’d almost lost James, had nearly lost Donna to grief, and the fact that they’ve been blessed and given back what they’d thought was gone has made every moment that much more precious. It doesn’t feel like rushing anymore. It feels like reaching for the future.

 

He pulls the engagement ring out of his pocket and looks at it one more time. It’s nestled snugly in its blue velvet case, a gorgeous platinum band with a single, brilliant, solitary diamond. It’s beautiful, but it pales in comparison to the woman who’ll be wearing it for the rest of her life if he’s very, very lucky. He clicks the box closed, shoves it back into his pocket, glances at his watch and then paces the room. He’s far too anxious for Rose to arrive. His palms are sweating, for crying out loud. This will never do. He runs his hands through his hair nervously, then dashes to the bathroom to neaten it again, then mess it up, then neaten it once more.

 

He brushes his teeth, only belatedly remembering that they are going to eat as soon as she gets here, and the mint of the toothpaste is going to ruin the first few bites. He sighs. Oh, well, at least Rose will have a hello kiss with fresh breath. He thinks about kissing her, thinks about making love to her after he proposes, then firmly stops that line of thought. She’s not even here yet and already he’s feeling the stirring of arousal. He’s pretty sure just thinking about her is going to do that to him for the rest of his life. The rest of their lives together. If she says yes. She’ll say yes. She loves him. She will.

 

The doorbell rings and it is with relief that he goes to answer it. He has to stop himself from growling at Mrs. Hampton from flat 607 who has come by to borrow an egg and promises to bring him over a couple of brownies in the morning. He can’t get her out of there fast enough, even the thought of a chocolate reward unable to overcome his need to be alone until he’s with Rose again.

 

Fear plagues him momentarily when she is five minutes late, then ten minutes late. Maybe he is rushing. Maybe it is too soon. Maybe she’ll still think it is even though he doesn’t. Fifteen minutes. What if she’s not coming? What if something horrible happened to her? What if she doesn’t want to marry him? No, he can’t think like that. This is Rose, his Rose. They were made for each other. Meant to be. Written in the stars. Fate and destiny and love and all those other words that he believes in when it comes to them, rush to reassure him.

 

She’s probably just stopped off to check on Donna, or gotten a phone call from her mother. She’ll be here. She will. He hopes. Oh, please don’t let anything have happened. He can’t bear another accident taking away what makes life worth living. He turns and punches the wall and yelps, then shakes out his hand. He sucks at his knuckles and tries to squelch the rising panic.

 

The doorbell rings again and he practically flings it open. It’s Rose and she throws herself into his arms. “So sorry I’m late,” she tells him. “I stopped to get wine for dinner and ran into Keisha and Mickey. She breathes him in and then pulls back and kisses him. He kisses back with a bit of desperation and then pulls away to look into her eyes. “You okay?” she asks with her beautiful smile firmly in place.

 

“I am now,” he says pulling her back into his arms.  With Rose right where she belongs, his confidence surges back into place.  She'll say yes.  He just knows it.