when the doctor was confronted about religion and beliefs and he said that out of everything hes seen, all the impossible places hes been and unthinkable creatures hes been witness to, of all the literal gods and demons and things of nightmares hes met, if there is one thing he believes in its rose tyler. yeah

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Pairing: Axl Rose x (fem) reader

Words: 2,546k

Requested by: @sugwinter

Summary: You, one of the most prestigious actresses in Hollywood, meet Axl Rose at a party and the two of you just can’t stay away from each other. 

A/N: I’m sorry Tarantino, but the title fitted too well for me not to use it. Thanks for the request, darling! I LOVED this concept!! I hope you like it 💗

Note: This is the second version of it, since I didn’t like the first one. Tell me what you guys thought of it :)

Tag list: @roger-taylors-car @ladieswttda @teasid @metalheartofgold @slashscowboyboots @ginny-rose-sixx @rumoured-whispers @normatural​ add yourself to my tag list :)

Once upon a time in Hollywood, there was a smart young woman named Y/N. She had always been ambitious and very determined so she knew she wanted to be an actress at a very young age.

When she was 16 she started running after her dreams. Coming from a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles, she’d take the bus every day after school and go to Hollywood, distributing resumes at every set she could find, hoping to get any type of work that could bring her closer to her dream.

The chance came a few months later when she was hired to be the director’s assistant. Her work consisted of getting coffee, organizing his table, staying with him while filming and distributing the scripts to all the cast members.

He was directing a sitcom and one day the main actress didn’t show up for the filming, realizing that the two of them looked alike, he asked Y/N to take her place during that day.

She did such a good job, that the following year he called her asking if she would be interested in taking part in a movie.

That was the first of many jobs, 10 years had passed after that. It was 1991 and Y/N was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, any movie with her name on, joined countless people in cinema lines just to see it. 

She didn’t just make movies and series, but she extended her career,  taking part in some modeling jobs for major brands and appearing in video clips.

That’s how she met Steven Tyler, the infamous vocalist of Aerosmith. She had said in an interview that Aerosmith was one of her favorite bands and got surprised when the band’s manager got in touch with her a few days later asking if she would want to take part in a video clip of theirs. 

Doing small talk before the footage they found out they had the same zodiac sign, Aries. After that the two of them got really along, Steven invited her to have dinner with him and his wife and soon all of them became good friends. 

That’s how she ended up here, on March 26th in front of his mansion, a bottle of expensive wine wrapped as a gift in one hand while the other rang the doorbell. 

“Y/N! Come in!” It was Steven’s wife.

“Hello, Teresa, how are you?” She hugged her.

“I’m fine!” She smiled tenderly at Y/N.

There was rock music blasting from the speakers sprawled around the living room, where lots of people were dancing and having fun together. Steven was known for having many friends.

“Ste!!” She shouted, lifting her arms to get a hug from the man.

“Y/N! I’m happy that you came!”  He hugged her while smiling.

“Happy birthday!!” She let go of him. “Here, I brought you a gift.”

“Ohh, this is one of my favorites!” He smirked checking out the bottle. “I’ll take it to the wine house before someone decides to drink it.” He gave her a small smile, turning around. 

That’s when she saw him. He was talking to some people, his hair half-covered by a blue bandana. He was already looking at her, smiling in her direction when their gazes met. 

A shiver ran through her body at that moment. He was beautiful, an adjective she hardly used with men. But damn, she had never seen a man like that before. Everything on him looked perfect, his beard, his hair, his eyes and the shape of his face. 

He lifted his beer in her direction and she gave him a small smile, contemplating if she should go and try to talk to him. However, a friend of hers showed up, blocking her plans.

After a few minutes of talking her friend walked away, but the ginger man had disappeared. Walking towards the kitchen she got herself a beer and went to the backyard where some people were smoking, including Steven.

“Can I have one?” She asked, stopping beside him.

He handed her the cigarette, without saying anything. The two of them just stayed there, looking at the night sky in silence. 

“What’s up?” She frowned, turning to look at him.

“What do you mean?” He looked down at her.

“You’re quiet tonight.” She drank from her beer, still looking at him.

“That makes two of us.” He smiled at her.

“Fair enough.” She grinned. “You go first.” Y/N pointed at him with the bottle while taking the cigarette to her lips.

“I was just thinking… I’m already in my forties.” 

“Annd?” She prolonged the question, raising an eyebrow.

“I thought I’d be dead by now.” He said giggling, making her laugh as well.

She shook her head. “Quit using it and I’m sure you’ll live a very long life, Tyler.” 

“I’ll try, I’ll try.” He puffed some smoke. “What about you? What’s going on that little head of yours?” He touched her forehead with his index finger, giggling at his own gesture.

“There’s a guy inside…” 

He raised an eyebrow, instigating her to keep talking.

“He seems familiar.”

“How does he look like?”

“He’s ginger, with a bandana and leather jacket.” She dragged some smoke.

“Oh, that’s Axl. He’s from Guns n Roses.” He threw his cigarette on the pavement, stepping on it.

Realization took hold of her face. “Oh yeah. Paradise City! I remember now.”

“Did he catch your eye?” He asked smirking.

“You know how I am. I’m weak on the knees for a ginger.” She smirked back.

“Let’s go inside then, I’ll introduce the two of you.” 

She followed him inside the house, putting out the cigarette in an ashtray she found on the way.

They found him in the kitchen, putting some punch on a red plastic glass nearby the counter. 

“Axl!” He shouted over the music, stopping nearby the man. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet..”

Fuck, Steven. You really know how to be discreet. She thought to herself.

“Axl, this is Y/N.” With a hand on her back, he led her closer to him. “Y/N this is Axl.” He grinned at them.

“Nice to meet you.” Axl said, extending his hand for her to shake.  

She shook his hand giving him a small smile.

“I was just telling Y/N that you guys released a new album this year…” Steven looked at her. 

“There’s two of them actually.” He answered while taking a sip from the punch.

“So I’ve heard! But I didn’t get the chance to listen to them yet.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty recent… Did you listen to the previous ones?”

“I did! They’re quite impressive, I must say.”

He smiled at her. “I’ve seen some movies of yours too.”

“Oh, did you? What did you think of them?”

“They’re… quite impressive.” He mocked her while grinning. 

She giggled. 

“Ste, can you help me with something?” Teresa showed up, hugging Steven from the side.

“Of course my darling.” He hugged her back. “Sorry guys.” Giving them a small smile he left with Teresa. 

“Punch?” He asked seeing that her bottle was empty. 

“Yes, please.” She placed the bottle on the counter. 

Axl handed her a glass, their fingers brushing against each other when she took it from his hand, making a strange electricity run through their bodies.

“Do you live here? In L.A I mean.” She asked before taking a small sip of the beverage. 

“I do, even though I’m never at home. I’m out on tour now, came back just for a few weeks.”

“It must be really tiring to be always traveling.”

“Well, it is, but it’s worth it. After all I get to do what I love.” His eyes shined while he spoke and she smiled at his passion. 

A tall guy came to the counter trying to get some punch for himself, making the two of them move.

Starting to lead him towards an adjacent living room, she asked. “Have you always wanted to be a singer?”

“No really, my family is very religious so I started singing in the church’s choir. Then someone told my mother that I could sing and she made me take classes almost every day. It was very exhausting, but it made me realize that I actually liked to sing.”

Arriving at the room, nobody was there and the music made itself lower, allowing them to talk in a normal volume. They sat on the purple velvet couch. 

“I would’ve never guessed. And are you still religious?”

“I mean, I don’t go to church anymore, but yeah, I’m still very religious.”

She nodded drinking from her glass. 

“What about you? Have you always wanted to be an actress?”

“Yes! I remember being 3 or 4 and sitting in the living room, I’d point to the TV and tell my mom that I wanted to do that.” She smiled with the memory, her eyes getting a different glist. 

“That’s a sweet memory.” He smiled at her.

And so they carried on with the conversation, talking about their favorite things and their ambitions, never letting an uncomfortable silence fill in. Even if they were sure that if the silence set in it would not be uncomfortable. The two were too comfortable with each other for this to happen.

Axl was leaning against the couch casually, his legs spread open while S/N had removed her high heels and was sitting with her two legs sprawled on top of the couch.

“And how did you end up in Los Angeles?” She asked.

“Well, when I was 16 or something, this boy from my school, he’s my rhythm guitarist now, he started a garage band with some other dudes and asked me to be their vocalist.” 

He paused getting closer to her.

“In the beginning, I was very shy, there would be days where I’d literally leave before I could sing anything. But after some time I got used to it and eventually realized that it was nice to rehearse with them.”

“However the band didn’t work out and when Izzy graduated high-school he moved to L.A, he said he’d start a band here. He asked me to come with him, but I was kinda scared of coming to a big city like this, so I stayed in Lafayette.” 

He looked around, realizing that the music had stopped. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t listened to anything for a good while. “I think we’re the only ones who are still here.” He giggled.

“No shit! What time is it?” She touched his arm, turning it towards her so she could see the time on his wristwatch. “Fuck, it’s almost 5 am.”

“Wow. We should go then.”

“Yeah!” Getting up she got her heels and purse and followed him through the house.

There were some people passed out in the living room and Steven and Teresa were in the kitchen, nearby the sink, talking quietly.

After saying their goodbyes Axl and Y/N exited the house. The cool breeze involved their bodies, even though they could see the sun starting to shine on the horizon. 

“Did you come driving?” He asked.

“No, I got a taxi actually.”

“Come, I’ll give you a ride then.”

They got into the car and Axl started driving slowly down the street. “Where should I take you to?”

“I live in Venice.”

“Alright then.” He turned right in a bifurcation.

Checking the interior of the car, Y/N realized it was a convertible one. She gasped. “It’s a convertible! Open it up, please!” 

He giggled pressing a button that opened the bonnet. “Why are you so impressed? I’m sure you have at least three of these in your car collection…”

“I don’t have a car collection. I don’t even have a car” She turned around on her seat. The bonnet was fully open and she enjoyed feeling the breeze on her hair.

“Why not?” He frowned, looking at her for a brief moment.

“You’re gonna laugh at me.” She sat still on her seat, placing her feet on the dashboard. 

“I promise I won’t.”

“Fine… I don’t know how to drive.” 

“Wait. What? But what about all those movies where you were driving?” He looked at her, trying to see if she was joking.

“I wasn’t really driving, silly.” She giggled.

He laughed along.

“Anyway, you were telling me about how you ended here.”

“Oh yeah! So, Izzy came to L.A and I stayed for two more years. I got a job and stuff, but I was always getting in trouble. I’d spend the night in jail and they’d let me go in the morning ‘cause it wasn’t a big deal. But then I got in trouble one more time and they told me they’d arrest me for real if they got me again. So I realized I should leave the city.”

“Hmm, so you’re a bad boy…” Y/N smirked.

“I guess so…. But you’re no saint yourself! You’re not best friends with the press…”

“Well...yeah! The problem is that I don’t know how to be politically correct, I just know how to be me, and people don’t usually like when you give them your honest opinion.”

He looked at her and saw that she was looking through the window.

“On top of that, I have a high tendency of not giving a fuck… I like to live, you know? I like to go out and enjoy every moment, I like to live in the present. But apparently, you’re a bad influence if they see you leaving a club at 3 am every weekend.”

With every word she said, the more he wanted to know about her. She was so much more than what he had thought. 

It was a long drive to Venice and accompanied by the soft music playing on the car radio they talked all the way, never getting tired of each other’s voice.

“That’s my building.” She pointed to a big white building in front of the beach.

“Fully delivered.” Axl said smiling, stopping the car in front of it and turning around to look at her.

“I really liked spending time with you.” She smiled.

“Do you think we could do it again on a date?” He asked expectantly.

“I’d love that! What about Friday?”

“Friday’s good for me. I’ll pick you up at 7 pm.” 

“Okay.”

The two of them just stayed still, looking at each other without saying anything. 

“Is it too early for me to kiss you?” He asked smiling.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you try it?” She smiled back.

And so the two of them leaned in, involving each other in a quick kiss that turned into a passionate one.

After a few seconds, she pulled away, catching her breath and opening the car door.

“Goodnight, Axl.” 

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

Little did they know that this was the beginning of a beautiful love story. Full of struggles and problems but that eventually worked out. They found a way of accepting their differences and getting along in a way that few couples could do. And after many years people still talked about them, after all, they became the most iconic 90s couple. 

A Taste Of Christmas, 4/6

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 4/6.

Pairings: Metacrisis Nine x Rose.

A/N: Sequel for The Summertime Of Our Lives. Written for doctorroseprompts' fall fic bingo and ficmas challenge. Fall fic bingo: Jack O' Lantern, Fire, Crunch, Hike, Road Trip, Book, Mask, Blanket, Hug. Ficmas challenge: Chestnuts, Coal, Naughty and/or Nice. Tagging @thebookster on her demand.

“Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home.” - Carol Nelson.

CHAPTER 4:

“Have you ever been told the story of Jack O’ Lantern?” The Doctor and Tony were sat under the large tent the human Time Lord had built with sheets, chairs and even the couch. He had used a Time Lord trick to make it look bigger on the inside. They could fit an entire room in this tent. Instead, they had put cushions and blankets on the ground. It was the greatest tent Tony ever had. The only one he ever had. Once he had built one in his bedroom. His nanny had found him, lectured him and forced him to clean his mess. He never ever did that mistake ever again. He didn’t want to be lectured for having fun. Which was happening every time he was having fun. They all seemed to forget that he was a kid and, as such, he needed to have fun so he could grow up as a decent man. However, fun wasn’t in their dictionary. As the only Tyler male, he was the inheritor of Pete’s empire and he had to behave. Tony loved coming over at Rose’s place because she had little respect for those conventions and was showing him the real side of life, the one where you were having fun and still could grow up as a decent person. She had told him stories about her childhood in the Estates of London – that were far more dangerous and devastated in this universe – and how she had fought to become an ordinary woman until the Doctor swept her off her feet. She had had her ups and downs but she had had fun. Tony wished he could have such a life. He could only live it through Rose, through the Doctor who always had amazing stories to entertain him. Something Jackie hated about him – among all the other flaws she was finding in him. But it was only because he had stolen her daughter’s heart. That was what Tony’s nanny was saying. “That’s our watchman’s nickname,” chuckled Tony. “But you don’t know the real story.” Tony leant forward. The Doctor was holding his sonic screwdriver under his chin like a torch. It was partly lightning his face and giving him a scary look. Tony was fascinated. The Doctor had tried to explain Christmas, had messed the story up and talked about Halloween instead. Another tradition they weren’t celebrating in this universe. “Jack was a farrier in Ireland a long time ago. He was known for his greed, his nastiness and self-centredness but also for his love for alcohol. One night, he was in a pub and jostled Satan, the big bad boss of all devils. Satan tried to convince Jack to work for him to keep his soul but the farrier was cleverer than that. He asked for one last drink before accepting the deal. Satan turned into a six pence coin to pay for the drink. Jack pocketed it with a silver cross: Satan was trapped. The cross was a powerful artefact against him.” No need to go into details for that one. Religious were a dangerous path to go on and since they didn’t seem to exist in this universe, the Doctor refused to be the one bringing them in. He wasn’t a believer. Neither were Rose and Jackie, the two only other persons beside him to have known about religions with their good and bad sides. “That’s rubbish.” “That’s not over.” “So Satan doesn’t stay trapped.” “Of course not. Jack convinced him not to take his soul in the next ten years. Satan and Jack met again after those ten years. It was on a road of the Irish countryside. When Satan asked for Jack’s soul again, the farrier asked him to pick an apple from the closest apple tree. Satan climbed on Jack’s shoulders and clung to the branches. And Jack carved a cross on the tree with his knife.” “And Satan was trapped again.” “Yep.” “Did they make a new deal?” “Yeah. But this time, Jack hadn’t been that lucky. The day he died, he was refused the gates of Heaven, of the good afterlife and the deal he had made with the great Devil prohibited him the access to Hell, to the bad afterlife. He was condemned to wander endlessly in-between those worlds. Satan tossed him a bit of burning coal that Jack placed in a carved turnip he used as a lantern to find his way in the dark until the end of times.” “I thought we were celebrating Christmas in this house. Not the time to carve pumpkins.” “But we’ve met Jack O’ Lantern once.” Rose sneaked in the tent and settled down beside the Doctor. She put cornets full of roasted chestnuts on the ground between the three of them. She had been roasting them on the chimney’s fire that was burning bright to keep them warm in the house. The Doctor picked a chestnut and crunched it happily. There were small pleasures that were similar to what he knew in their universe. It was making it easier to live here. “You did?” “Yep. A long time ago. When we were traveling.” “That was with Captain Jack.” The Jack of this universe was a totally different person. He was a geek with big glasses, a serious problem with people and had an impressive intelligence. Their Jack wasn’t an idiot but compared to this one, he would have felt like it. No one was as clever as the Doctor. It didn’t mean they couldn’t get close to his superior intelligence. “We decided to go on a hike.” “You decided that it was a good idea!” “I wasn’t the one who spent the night in a dance club getting drunk!” “Obviously, you were refusing all the plans Jack was making up!” “It only consisted on getting wasted and… ahem.” “I never did the second part. It was only Jack.” “Anyway, we did that hike.” “That turned into a complete road trip by foot because you lost our vehicle.” “I never lost my vehicle.” Tony burst out laughing. At least, the Doctor and Rose were cute when they were arguing. There was never the threat of them splitting up or doing worse than just arguing. They loved each other too deeply to even think about splitting up. This was beautiful and Tony hoped to live something like this one day. Stupid tales would say his father. Pete didn’t believe in these things. After all, his real Jackie had died when the Doctor came in his world for the first time and the one he had gotten to replace her was too wild and independent for his liking. “Anyway, we were walking through a forest. Night was falling. There was a thick mist and we were getting lost in the woods. And there was this soft glow traveling in the dark. A silhouette carrying a carved turnip and looking for its way just like us.” “I’m still convinced it was Jack playing a trick on us.” “Maybe. Or maybe not. We’ll never know.” “You could write books, you know? With all the bullshit you say.” “I could, and they’d be serious books. Books of knowledge. Humans have a couple of things to learn, especially in this universe.” The Doctor was a show-off, Rose was lecturing him on his Mr-Know-it-all attitude and Tony was laughing. He was the happiest little boy when he was around them. They took care of him like he was their child but also like their equal. He was so glad to have gotten the right to spend all his holidays here, away from the pressure his family was putting on him. He wondered if his big sister ever had to go through this pressure. From what he had heard, she was living her life freely and didn’t have the intention to change it. He wished he could be as free as her. If only he wasn’t the successor of Pete Tyler… “Come on, you two. It’s bath time.” “I can take my bath alone, thank you.” “Well, one of the two is going to the bathroom, the other helps me with the dinner.” “Bathroom occupied!” exclaimed the Doctor. He crawled out of the tent and rushed upstairs. Rose wasn’t surprised to see him reacting this way. The Doctor wasn’t a man to cook. Sure he knew how to cook and he knew that very well but he also considered it as too domestic for him and refused to use his incredible talents. Even if it was to satisfy his wife’s taste buds. What a selfish man sometimes. He felt forced to take Tony’s place when he found out that they weren’t done by the time he was out of the bathroom and pretended to be unhappy about it. Rose was aware that he was faking it all. This man was spending his time pretending things he wasn’t really thinking. Like the day he had called her a stupid ape. She had taken it badly then, but now, she was reading between the lines, seeing behind the mask he was wearing to protect himself in society. The Doctor was a complicated man and she was the only one able to understand him and to love him for who he really was. “Are you being nice to be sure to have gifts on our Christmas celebration?” “I prefer being naughty to unwrap the delicious present I have under my eyes.” “You, naughty boy.” The Doctor chuckled and Rose swayed her hips in a coquettish way and a gasp escaped her lips when he dropped what he was doing to pull her close to him. His hand grabbed her arse, his lips brushed her pulse point and she held her breath, not knowing what to expect from him now. “Who is being naughty now, Rose Tyler?” His voice was hoarse and Rose adventured her hand on the hard bump of his pants. She smirked. She wasn’t the only one to be naughty today. The hoarseness of his voice indicated how aroused he was feeling right now. She squeezed his groin, heard the muffled groan and was taken by surprise when she sucked on the tender skin of her neck. They didn’t go to the end of this naughty game. Tony was giving them an idea of what life with a child would be. Rose wanted to be a mother. This wish had grown more important with the birth of Tony. She had taken her big sister’s part to heart, and over the years, she had wanted a kid of her own. She just didn’t want to push the Doctor into this. He wasn’t ready. And what would it be like to have a Bad Wolf/Human Time Lord child? Certainly an interesting mix. “What’s going on, Rose?” The Doctor was in bed, lying on his side, his head casually placed on his hand, and he was watching Rose getting ready for bed. All evening she had been distraught by thoughts he couldn’t decipher. Something was bothering her. She joined him in bed and snuggled against him under the blanket. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in for a hug. “Nothing.” “Don’t nothing me.” “Nothing to worry about.” “You won’t convince me.” Rose sighed, “Fine. It’s a thought I have casually. It really nagged at me with Tony’s birth but your question that day…” “My question?” “When I told you there’s three of us.” “Oh.” The Doctor could be very stupid at understanding her sometimes but this was pretty clear. What she wanted was a family. She had been alone for so long in this world and she wouldn’t have filled this need or expressed it if a version of him hadn’t been trapped with her in this universe. “It’s too early for you. Forget it.” “Rose Tyler,” he looked at her straight in the eyes, “I’ll be more than honoured to have a family with you. Now, or later.” He kissed her lips tenderly. She was astonished that he was so willing to have a family with her, so honoured that this man who had no ties and no home was now feeling comfortable enough to settle down and have children with her, a woman he loved passionately…

To be continued...

A Taste Of Christmas © | 2019 | Tous droits réservés.

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100 Questions!

thanks to the lovely @chioo92 for sending this my way~! 💕💕💕

edit: putting this under read more bc it’s looooong 😂😂

1. What is you middle name?

Elizabeth

2. How old are you?

18

3. What is your birthday?

october 16

4. What is your zodiac sign?

libra

5. What is your favorite color?

in general black, but i do really like teal and deep greens

6. What’s your lucky number?

i don't really have one, but i like 13 and 16 and 3116

7. Do you have any pets?

yep! two dogs~

8. Where are you from?

a little italian town in the lower half of illinois

9. How tall are you?

technically 5' 1&¾". please feel free to round up to 5'2"

10. What shoe size are you?

depends on the brand, mostly between 8 and 9 u.s. sizes—they have to be wide though, or i have to get bigger sizes and just deal with the looseness 😅

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

i think 8?? but i only actually wear like 4

12. What was your last dream about?

in the last dream i *actually* remember, i was a character from my wip and she was with her husband in like this cozy, dim-lit room filled with furs and ancient pieces and neat stuff and she was moderately pregnant so i just remember feeling so warm and loved inside. looking back it's kind of weird bc i've never been pregnant or in love romantically, but it's still heartwarming

13. What talents do you have?

um, I bake well i think 😂 so far i haven't had any bad feedback...😅

14. Are you psychic in any way?

nope.

15. Favorite song?

gaaaaaaah why is this always so hard mikrokosmos ~ bts or lucid dream ~ monogram

16. Favorite movie?

singin' in the rain, howl's moving castle, moana, all mcu movies i've seen so far

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

someone who shares my beliefs/morals and who supports my passions/interests (and i would do the same for him). has a few quirks he needs a few to survive me lol and is musical, respectful, and romantic. also has a sense of humor i appreciate and vice versa. there are other qualities, but that's the gist 😂

18. Do you want children?

yes! not necessarily biological though, i am very open to adoption

19. Do you want a church wedding?

most likely yes

20. Are you religious?

it depends on your definition of religious. in the sense of believing in a particular faith/religion, then yes

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

yes 😫

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

nope!

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

if you count the drummer from a now-disbanded band, then yes 

24. Baths or showers?

showers most times

25. What color socks are you wearing?

plain white—they're extra thick ones though! 😁

26. Have you ever been famous?

in what sense? 😂 locally or within a specific community of people, then i think so??

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

nope. i used to dream about what it would be like, but i seriously value my privacy and i would feel like i had none if i was famous

28. What type of music do you like?

pretty much anything and everything—except country 😅😂

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

nope...

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

three

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

this weird twisted position on my side. it usually ends with my shoulders hurting 😅😅

32. How big is your house?

it's decently large, but we just updated our tiny two bedroom, one bathroom house (for five people for 15+ years 😳) to a five bed, two bath with an open living area/dining room/kitchen. we made it big enough to accommodate both sides of my family around the holidays (bc we have a decently large family that's only growing 😂)

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

cereal or a fruit smoothie with either coffee or black tea (preferably earl grey) assuming i even eat breakfast

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

not yet, but i would eventually like to! thinking about a concealed carry permit as well depending on circumstances

35. Have you ever tried archery?

yess, and i love it!! it always makes me feel like some woodland elf heroine or something 😂

36. Favorite clean word?

like just regular words? pretty much any soft-sounding, flowy word with l’s, like melody or lucent

37. Favorite swear word?

i don't swear so none

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

like 36-ish hours

39. Do you have any scars?

yep

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

...not that I'm aware of??

41. Are you a good liar?

.....i do my best to be honest, but.....i can be....😅 just don't tell my mom

42. Are you a good judge of character?

i think so? i'm not going to be right 100% obviously, but most of the time i think i am

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

yeah, but they're not very good 😂

44. Do you have a strong accent?

depends on where you're from tbh

45. What is your favorite accent?

i reeeaaally like australian accents...

46. What is your personality type?

INFP-T

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

a top and skirt set someone i know bought for a wedding and never wore again. i think she paid $100+ for it?? so i got it for nothing which was amazing

48. Can you curl your tongue?

yep!

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

innie~

50. Left or right handed?

right~

51. Are you scared of spiders?

most of the time no

52. Favorite food?

i'm just gonna go with italian beef with mozzarella bc it always sounds good

53. Favorite foreign food?

ramen, bingsu, turkish delight, gulab jamun, and this one chicken rice dish that i have no idea what it's called but it's a.maz.ing.

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

in general? clean. my room? the best way to describe it is definitely-not-so-organized chaos

55. Most used phrase?

oh my goodness or oh my word

56. Most used word?

like or eyyy

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

......depends. literally anywhere from 5 to 45+ mins...

58. Do you have much of an ego?

i don't think so

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

both

60. Do you talk to yourself?

if i didn't i'd go insane

61. Do you sing to yourself?

^ see above

62. Are you a good singer?

i'm decent if my vocal chords are warmed up enough 😂

63. Biggest Fear?

failing/disappointing others. that and falling from heights

64. Are you a gossip?

no. i do my best not to be, anyway

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

i literally don't know what's considered dramatic anymore

66. Do you like long or short hair?

for my hair? long

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

give me a piece of paper and a pen and yeah 😂

68. Favorite school subject?

english and music

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

introvert~

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

nope

71. What makes you nervous?

being put on the spot

72. Are you scared of the dark?

not really, but it also depends on where i'm at and who's around

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

if it's one of my really close friends I'll jokingly correct their grammar, but that's it

74. Are you ticklish?

.......sometimes.

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

no

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

a couple times, yeah

77. Have you ever drank underage?

no

78. Have you ever done drugs?

no

79. Who was your first real crush?

this one kid when i was like four or five. his name is tyler. he actually just got married! random i know

80. How many piercings do you have?

none

81. Can you roll your Rs?”

no 😥

82. How fast can you type?

not terribly

83. How fast can you run?

slower than my 70 lb. dog

84. What color is your hair?

dark brown with some blonde and red hints

85. What color is your eyes?

dark chocolate so brown

86. What are you allergic to?

pollen 😥 i think i also have oral allergy syndrome (but that's purely self-diagnosed 😂), so there's that too

87. Do you keep a journal?

i have the past couple weeks for a class, but otherwise no

88. What do your parents do?

my mom is a nurse and my dad is a letter carrier

89. Do you like your age?

ehh, ish

90. What makes you angry?

things taken out of context of conversations, situations, etc. and twisted to portray something else entirely

91. Do you like your own name?

yes~

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

yes! these are just some of my favorites

for girls: lacie everest, elizabeth marie, roselyn chae (or chaela rose)

for boys: vincent alexandre, killian gray, quinton james

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

both~!

94. What are you strengths?

um....i'm very musical 😂

95. What are your weaknesses?

i procrastinate too much and i don't really know how to work on a project with a group

96. How did you get your name?

my mom knew someone with the name (but they shortened it). she later found out that my dad's great- or great-great-grandmother had the same name

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

like seeeeeeeeveral hundred years back, but yes

98. Do you have any scars?

some

99. Color of your bedspread?

off-white/cream and a purple-y maroon

100. Color of your room?

off-white/cream

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

not tagging anyone bc this is like super long 😂😂 if you see this and want to fill it out, go ahead! you brave soul  😂

Survey #178

“for such a little thing, you sure are in your own way.”

What’s your favorite type of bird? Barn owls are actual deities. What was on the last sandwich you ate? Pb & j. What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school? Same stuff I listen to now, although I had a mild screamo-ish phase. Have you ever gotten back together with an ex? No. How far away is the closest store to your house and what is it? Some cheap dollar store in the town, dunno names. What is your favorite Thai dish? Haven't tried any. When was the last time you made out with somebody? Over a month back. What month of the year was your mother born? August. Are there any candles in your bedroom, and what scent are they? No. What TV show(s) have you been watching currently? None. How many apps do you have on your phone? Six. My phone has so, so little storage ugh. Have you ever dated a smoker? If not, would you? No to both. Are there any movies you’ve seen so many times? Yeah, sure. Of course a lot as a kid, Finding Nemo and The Lion King 1 & 2 especially, then I've watched both Blair Witch Project movies a lot, Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas... How would you describe your sense of humor? Sarcastic. What’s your favorite type of bread? Pumpernickel. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yeah. Have there ever been any brushfires/wildfires in your area? Yeah. What did you have to eat for dinner last night? Nothing (Thanksgiving was lunch). Do you have separate emails for personal and business? No. Have you ever missed a flight? Yes. Do you know your significant other’s passwords? No, I have no reason to. Would you like to study abroad one day? No. Does someone have a crush on you but you don’t feel the same way? Idk. Who do you feel most beautiful around? Sara. /v\ What’s one makeup item you cannot live without? I could easily live without any. Is there one thing all of your ex’s had in common? All guys. Did you french kiss before you were 16? No. Imagine your spouse just died; would you get re-married? I don't know if I would. Like... I'd never stop loving her, so "moving on" to someone else just because she's no longer physically here would feel disloyal. What’s your favorite thing about life? New, fun experiences and creating strong bonds with people like you. Who pays for the first date? Idrc, but probably whoever proposed the date? Or split the bill? Have you ever had a friend that got a bf/gf, and then completely ignored you? Yeah. Do you play any computer games, if so, what ones? Not currently 'cuz my gaming laptop has to be fixed. :| When it is and I have my own income, I might return to WoW, but I'm not sure. I think the subscription is kinda high, and I have more important things to handle. What is the funniest movie you’ve ever seen? Idk why I find White Chicks so goddamn funny. What lyric means the most to you? Off the very top of my head, "A bloody war behind my eyes; I'll come all right on the other side" from "Free" by Mother Mother. Really makes me think of all I've been through but how I keep coming out stronger. Who is the smartest person you know? Girt. What’s the next movie you will see in theaters? Idk. Are you adopted? No. What band do you like that most people hate? You canNOT look me in the face and say you don't like at least one Nickelback song. I don't get the hate. Any new bands that you actually enjoy? Oh idk. What is your escape from reality? RPing. Do you have any self-inflicted scars on your arms? You can only just barely see them. Do you like “scene” hair? YEAH AND I ALWAYS FUCKING WANTED IT BUT I COULD NEVER POSE IT CORRECTLY 'CUZ MY HAIR WAS TOO THICK AND HEAVY. Have your parents ever been to jail? No. If your friend asked you to hold their drugs, would you? Definitely not. Does it scare you when a relationship moves too fast? Y E A H Would you ever consider hitchhiking? I don't know if I would even in a desperate situation... I don't trust people. Have you ever hitchhiked? No. Have you ever been to a music festival? No. What color car do you want to have? Burnt orange. Would you rather hike a mountain or explore a cave? Explore a cave!!! Would you rather wear a flower crown or veil? Probably a veil? Do you believe peace on earth is attainable? I honestly don't believe so. What type of tattoo do you want? s o  m a n y What is your favorite insect? Butterflies. Would you ever live in the desert? Nooooo. Fuck the heat. Is your town beautiful? I don't really live in one, but the closest town isn't. Which season do you want to get married in? Autumn. Are totem poles cool? YEAH! Favorite art forms? Conceptual photography. What kind of music do you enjoy? Plenty sorts of metal, rock, and alternative. Do you have any gay friends? Yeah. Where is your favorite place to go? The zoo, even though I have mixed feelings about them... Do you know your dad? Yeah. How often do you get on Facebook? At least once a day. Are you related to anyone who’s in prison? Don't think so?? What concerts are you attending in the near future? Y'ALL I MIGHT FUCKING SEE OZZY IN JANUARY. He and Megadeth are coming to Charlotte and the tickets aren't too bad. :') It's a loooong drive but Mom was like "hell yeah" when I told her and wants to buy tickets after she gets her tax return AH. Metallica is a possibility too, but Mom doesn't think she can afford it. If you were kicked out of your house, where would you go first? Dad's. What are you currently looking forward to? Sara's b-day, Christmas, hopefully getting my laptop fixed, aforementioned concerts, and school. What was the reason you got grounded for last? Idk, that was a long time ago. But most likely for "talking back" to Mom. The last two people you kissed, are they virgins? Yes; probably not. Is there a guy that knows everything or mostly everything about you? Yeah. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? A bit to the left. If you could have anything delivered to your doorstep each morning, what would it be? Um,,, money?????? What is one vacation destination that many people think is just fabulous but which you personally have no desire to visit (or revisit)? New York City. Heard from my sister it's a shithole with the craziest and rudest people known to Planet Earth. I'm not big on cities, anyway. Which animated character is your all-time favorite? Uhhhhhh... Dory, maybe? If you could own a home on the shore of any body of water in the world, which waterfront would you choose? I WANT THE PINK BEACHES OF THE BAHAMAS. But I'm scared of the Bermuda Triangle so will probably never see them. :'''''') What serves as the greatest motivation for you in your daily life? MY RECOVERY. If I got through what I have, I can't ever give up and roll back down that hill. I'm focusing to always improve. If you could have any round object in the world, what spherical item would you want? t h e  g a m e s p h e r e ,  l a d s If you were left alone for one hour with nothing more than a pen and a notepad, what would you be inclined to draw or write during those 60 minutes? Practice eyes or start a poem. If you could witness anything at all in super-slow motion, what would you want to see? Hmmm... OH, maybe a big cat's tongue licking meat. See how it actually shears tiny bits off. Cats' tongues are cool. What do you forget to do more often than anything else? Take my anxiety med at the right time. If you could teach everyone in the world one skill, what would it be? Compassion. You’ve been offered the chance to paint a billboard along a highway with any message you choose, as long as it’s only 10 words long. What is your message? Oh jeez, I'd have to think too hard on this. Who’s the last guy to give you roses? Tyler. Did your parents do drugs when they were younger? Not to my knowledge, and I doubt they would've. Do you have any relatives who live on a different continent than you? I don't believe so. What are your religious beliefs? Were you raised with those beliefs, or did you develop them on your own? I'm a theist, entailing I believe in a creator, but I know nothing about him/her/it. I personally picture them as a peaceful and sage deity that allows life to go on without it intervening anywhere, letting the world evolve on its own and see how we adapt to our unique settings and handle life. In the end, I believe we are either given some form of paradise or a type of damnation depending on how you wrote your story. I like to imagine the good go to their personal vision of "Heaven," and I wonder if the paranormal activity some experience in life are the acts of the damned, apparently confined to remain on Earth or something. Anyway, I wasn't raised with such beliefs; they were developed. I was brought up Catholic, then I turned to just simple Christianity as I didn't agree with a lot of Catholic ideas, and most recently I abruptly turned away from that in favor of theism. How did you and your significant other celebrate your last anniversary? We went out for breakfast. What has been your favorite house/apartment/etc you’ve ever lived in? My last house for location, as a house itself, my childhood one. What’s something in your house that currently needs to be cleaned? I need to vacuum my room. Do you still remember any of the dreams or nightmares you had as a child? Yup. What’s the most bizarre conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard of? The world is donut-shaped. Yeah. Do you have a good sense of direction? Not. At. All. Who was your first crush? Did you ever actually date them? Dylan, and no. What’s the weirdest, rudest, or most ridiculous thing a guest has ever done in your home? Who knows. Has anyone ever told you you’re manipulative? I don't think so. Do you know anyone who owns their own business? No. When was the last time you weren’t 100% sober? Uhhh maybe that movie night with Colleen and Chelsea. Is obtaining a college degree something that is important to you? Well, for my possible career future. Have you ever eaten at a vegan restaurant? No. Do you view substance abuse as a disease or a choice? I have... mixed feelings here. Starting something, that is indisputably a choice. Becoming addicted though, I'm not sure. Some people have addictive personalities so have a bigger inclination to become addicted, but isn't that just a personal trait/weakness you can fight?? I dunno. I know it's labelled as a disease by people way more informed than me though, so. What does the last text you sent say? Don't feel like checking. Does it bother you when people call you ‘ma'am’ or ‘sir?’ No. I live in the South, that's polite. Have you ever been obsessed with a television character? Does Dory count for movies? ha ha Do you ever wish you had powers of invisibility? Not really. What was the last thing that changed your life completely? Recovery. Do you have any step siblings? One. Have you ever been questioned by the police? No. In which state/country were you born? NC, U.S.A. Have you ever been to an amusement park out of state? Disney World. What do you normally drink when eating at a fast food restaurant? Coke or Mountain Dew. Have the police ever been looking for you? Not because I did something wrong; I've told the beach story a few times. If you chew gum, which kind is your favorite? I love the watermelon Hubba Bubba one asjfawoeu Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex? Yeah. What was the last liquid that you choked on? Water, just this morning when I was taking my meds ah. How many times did you wake up today before actually getting up? Well, I woke up once in the middle of the night like usual, then I woke up at like, 6-something and went back to sleep. Who did you celebrate your last birthday with? Mom, sises, Ash's husband and kids, and Dad stopped by. Was your last kiss initiated by you or the other person? I think it was kinda a simultaneous thing. We were saying bye. Do you buy a ton of things at the store at once or just for that day? Mom does the shopping, but it depends on how much time she has and what's at the house. When getting dressed do you put your pants or shirt on first? Pants. When you kiss a person where do your hands usually go? I actually don't know if it's a consistent thing for me??? I don't kiss anyone regularly so I don't recognize a pattern. What is one song you listen to that you’re sure not many people do? "False Flags," probs. Massive Attack is so neglected of the attention they deserve. Do you use a handrail on stairs if there is one? Yes, I'm scared of tripping. What was the last thing you saw that made you smile? Teddy came right up into my face wanting attention. What is your favorite drinking game? Never played any. Do you have any tattoos that you don’t like anymore? I think I've mentioned why I don't love my "ohana" one now. I'm getting it covered at some point. My "perfectly flawed" one is probably getting covered by a much bigger piece; I picked a bad location for it to want a sleeve. I'd just maybe redesign it, put if somewhere else. Do you have a shower curtain or door? Curtain. Who was the last person from your high school graduating class you saw? Probs Colleen? Who was the last non-relative you hung out with? Sara. Are you listening to anything right now? I'm way too obsessed with "Black Wedding" by In This Moment (feat. Rob Halford). Rob makes it, and the chorus is awesome. How many keys are on your keychain? One. Who was the last person you took a photograph with? Ryder, my nephew. Are you left handed? No. What were you most scared of when you were little? Losing my mom/being separated from her. Are you biracial? No. When was the last time you painted your nails? What color(s)? I couldn't even guess. Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink? Thank fuck no. Have you ever overflown a bathtub? Don't think so. What’s at the top of your to-do list in life? Stay positive, never stop aiming to improve. What was the last thing you shared? Well, Thanksgiving food. Where are you most ticklish? Feet. Do not- Which cartoon character do you want to keep as a pet? Uhhhh how 'bout an Espeon. I imagine them to be calm and silently affectionate like cats and very intelligent. Have you ever considered a career in music/acting? No. When was the last time you felt seriously embarrassed? Getting food yesterday. Per usual, let things die down, but I still ended up crammed in a corner, unable to go in any direction while someone was trying to get past me. I was headed for an anxiety attack and felt like a total nuisance. I'm pretty sure it showed in how I was whipping my head around, shuffling in various directions, clearly wanting the fuck out. Have you ever liked a song, looked up the lyrics to it, then hated it? No, lyrics can't ruin a song I like the sound of. What would be the icing on the cake for you this Christmas? A PS4, omg. I have to get my laptop fixed and a new camera, so I highly doubt I'm getting that or a tablet considering cost. I want to play the Spyro Reignited trilogy beyond words, like I refuse to even watch a let's play because I want to experience it all first-hand, but. Yeah, unlikely anytime soon. If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it? Noooooo. Do you like quesadillas? Only chicken and/or cheese ones. Did you like the show Invader Zim? I surprisingly never saw it. What’s the greatest/most influential song you’ve ever heard? "Life Won't Wait" by Ozzy always makes me wanna get off my ass and do something. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a grocery store? A HUGE BOX OF ANIMAL HEADS IN THE MIDDLE OF WAL-MART, BECKONING THE FURRIES INTO ITS DEPTHS. Have you ever bought yourself a present on Christmas? No. Well, I've used money I've been given on Christmas, if that counts. Have you ever been on a mechanical bull? No. Do you need a key card to get into the building you live in? No. Have you ever stepped in chewing gum? Yes. Name all the people you know that you’ve seen today. Just Mom.

To Live a Better Life (Ten x Rose)

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter: 10/?

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Summary: Rose Tyler has been the secretary to the CEO of Gallifrey Inc. for nine years, and she’s ready to move on with her life. But when Mr. Smith proposes something less than practical in lieu of her resignation, what will she say?

Read it on AO3 here!

The ride to the library was possibly the most tense ride Rose had ever been on.  Mr. Saxon hadn’t blinked twice and Rose explained he was being turned away.  In fact, he laughed a little and shook his head.  He bowed slightly to Rose, looking up at her through dark lashes.  

“I’ll be seeing you again, Miss Tyler.”

Rose blushed a little and dismissed him, and with that Mr Smith’s chauffeur was called and they were sitting side by side, awkwardly stiff in the car.

“What did he say to you?”  John asked quietly, after a few minutes of silence.  Rose didn’t say anything at first, not sure why he was even asking her, what his hostility was towards his brother.

She looked over at him to find him already looking at her.  His eyes were honest, filled with a concern that she couldn’t quite put a name on.  She swallowed hard and directed her gaze forwards, maintaining professionalism.

“He simply asked to see you, Mr. Smith.  You don’t need to be so worried,” she said simply.

“He didn’t say anything-”

Rose huffed, and he stopped himself.  She looked to him and said, quite firmly, “He told me that you never said that you had a beautiful secretary, and I told him that you were not keen on objectification.  Aside from that, our talk was business only.”

He blinked, shocked, but seemed pleased with her answer.  “Well, I simply find it disrespectful of me to call out how lovely you are when you aren’t even there.”

“What?”

He didn’t back down, as she expected him to.  “I said,” he said softly, “I find it disrespectful of me to call out how lovely you are without you present.”  He lifted a shoulder.  “I am sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“It doesn’t,” she admitted quietly.  “Quite the opposite, actually.”

He looked a bit taken aback, but not in a bad way.  He seemed quite pleased, actually.  He smiled softly at her and nodded.

They didn’t speak the rest of the way to the library, which was usual for the both of them, as Rose often did work in the car and Mr. Smith had a habit of getting lost in his own thought.  Well, when he wasn’t talking about himself, that was.  He did really, really love talking about himself.  She smiled to herself a little bit.  The idea of her boss defending her honor was quite sweet, in a way.  

When they arrived at the library, Rose trailed in behind him.  The building was huge, and they’d been in it before, just not so close to completion.  Many of the walls were glass, and the ceilings were high.  It was more of a sort of media center than a library, but Mr. Smith had such love of books that he didn’t really want to call it anything else. And of course, what Mr. Smith said was law.  

“Hello, Mr. Smith,” a skittish Mickey Smith greeted them in the lobby.  Mickey was simply addressed as ‘Mickey’ since he shared the last name with their boss.  It would be a bit confusing to call them both Mr. Smith, the staff had lamented, and Mickey preferred to be addressed informally anyway.

“How is it all looking, Mickey?”  Mr. Smith asked, nodding in greeting.

“Uh, well, with the move up of the date, we’re behind schedule,” Mickey said worriedly, glancing down at his clipboard. “I’m a little worried, honestly.”

“Can it be done?” Mr. Smith arched his eyebrows at him.

“Well, yes,” Mickey said, “But we’ll have to-”

“I’ll come up and work myself if need be,” Mr. Smith cut him off. “It’s of the utmost importance that this is completed, as I’m sure you know.”

“Yes, sir, I was debriefed.” “Mickey, why don’t you show Mr. Smith and I what’s completed?  It might ease everyone’s nerves a little bit.”  Rose smiled and relaxed when she saw the tension leave Mr. Smith at her words.  It was a little too much for him, really, all of it.  Rose could tell when her boss was getting a bit overwhelmed, and this was certainly it.

“Yes, that’s a great idea,” Mickey said enthusiastically.  He led them to a huge room filled with books, seemingly completed.  There was a large sitting room in the middle of it, as well as a few tables on which to read or look at books that one wanted to check out.  

“This section of the library is science fiction, fantasy, and other types of fiction.  Through those glass doors are the reference books, as well as religious commentaries and the like.  Beyond that, science and math, and so on.  If you’d like, I could leave you alone and you could look around a bit, make sure everything is up to your standards.”

Mr. Smith nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.  “I think that would be a good idea.  Thank you, Mickey.”

Mickey left the room as quickly as he could, seemingly to attend to the numerous other duties he certainly had.  Rose pasted on her most professional smile and looked to Mr. Smith.

“He’s doing a really wonderful job, sir,” she said enthusiastically.  “Look how much is already done for the library.”

The worry seemed to drain from Mr. Smith. “I suppose you’re right, MIss Tyler.  Your positivity is very encouraging.”

“I do try.”

She started investigating around the library, looking at books from the fantasy section first.  Eventually, she wandered into the romance section and noticed a book that read “Saxon” on the spine. She pulled the book out and read the cover, realizing she’d seen the book before.  Sitting at one of the tables, she flipped through a few of the pages until she got to a scene she recognized.

“What are you reading?” Mr. Smith asked, standing next to her.

She looked up at him, startled. “Oh.  One of your brother’s books, actually.  I realized I read it before.”  She showed him the cover.

“‘Eternal Love’,” Mr. Smith huffed out a laugh. “Really?”

Rose sniffed. “Well, no one said you had to like it,” she said, “I just remember enjoying it when I read it.”  She looked back to the book, fingering through the pages.  Mr. Smith made another sound that sounded suspiciously like a second huff.  Rose ignored it, hoping that he would stop acting so ridiculous.  His attitude was half endearing, half cripplingly annoying.  Often times she found if she ignored him, he would go away.  This time, however, he stayed standing near her, right by her shoulder. She had a suspicion that he was trying to actually read the book over her shoulder.  

“See, oh, I remember this part,” she said excitedly, thoughts of ignoring him forgotten.  “‘I want to be in the kind of relationship where I feel like the tiredness of my day gets washed off just by hugging you once, even if you don’t make my heart flutter every second’.  Isn’t that nice?”

“That’s childish,” Mr. Smith snapped.  “I don’t know how he writes such rubbish.”

Rose sniffed, flipping through the book.  “Well, it’s the sort of love I dream of, anyway.”  

He was quiet then, and hummed a little after a few moments. “I never told my brother… But have I ever told you that you’re lovely?”

Startled, she made to look up at him and speak to him about it, but all of a sudden the room went dark around her.  She glanced up at him, startled, and saw the glint of the whites of his eyes as he looked around as well.

“What’s going on?” Rose asked softly.  “There’s no rain or anything.”

“I don’t know,” Mr. Smith said, and Rose watched his jaw work as his frustration mounted.  She could practically sense his anxiety and swallowed hard when his eyes locked back onto her.  “We should go find Mickey.”

Rose got to her feet.  “Okay.”  She started to follow him from the room and hit her foot of the table leg, hissing in pain at the force.

She was surprised when Mr. Smith materialized in front of her, hands on her upper arms.  “Are you alright?” he asked softly, searching her eyes.  She blinked, his closeness and the gentleness of his demeanor throwing her for a bit of a loop.  He was almost right up against her, fingers touching but not digging into her skin.

“Yeah, I’m alright, I just hit my foot off the table.”

“Can you walk? Your heels-”

“I can walk,” she assured him, offering him a smile.  “Just startled me is all.  It’s alright.”

He looked at her for a moment longer and then pulled back, nodding.  He let go of her arms and she suddenly felt cold as a result.  Surprise washed through her as he offered her his hand.  

“What?”

“It’s dark, I can see a little better than you. I don’t want you to fall.”

There it was, that touch of arrogance in his voice, but underneath it was something very genuine.  She nodded slowly, watching him carefully.  He glanced down at his hand and back at hers, and she came to the conclusion in her mind that letting him guide her through the dark hallways to find Mickey wouldn’t be such a bad idea.  She slid her hand into his and felt tension leave his body at the action.  Part of her immediately wanted to ask about it, but he was so guarded… Would he even answer her?

He pulled her out of the room and down the hallway they’d come down, in search of Mickey.  There weren’t enough windows installed to let them see out, and Rose found herself squinting into the dark.  She wasn’t sure exactly where they were headed, if they were headed back the way they came or somewhere else, but Mr. Smith had been pouring over the blueprints for this building for months, so he definitely knew where they were going.

She trusted him, she realized suddenly.  That regardless of what their relationship was, if she was just his secretary or if he actually cared about her, she trusted him with her life.  When it came to it, no matter what, he would make sure she was alright.  She wasn’t sure she would’ve thought that just two months ago, but the way he’d been opening up to her recently… She wasn’t sure.

Was he just trying to convince her to stay without words?  Surely after nine years he’d know her better than that.  She wasn’t one to be easily persuaded, and he knew that to be true.  She bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything to him about any of it.  It wouldn’t do to pick his brain about the situation, especially at a time like this.  Or any time at all, for that matter.  It would be… Completely inappropriate.

So instead of thinking about their confusing relationship, she thought about the way his hand felt in hers.  It was an odd feeling, it had been a great, long while since she’d held hands with someone for so long. His hands were soft and dry, not gripping her too tightly.  Actually, it was quite nice.  She felt oddly safe.  Protected.  Especially after he’d been so concerned when she’d hit her foot.

Right.  Perhaps that train of thought wasn’t quite safe either.  What had gotten into her? “Mr. Smith, do you know where you’re going?” She asked, distracting herself from her own thoughts.  

“Of course,” he replied.

“No, I think we passed where we were supposed to come from.”

“Are you wearing perfume?”

She blinked. “What?” “I just smell perfume.”

“No, I- it must be my shampoo you’re smelling.  Your senses are better in the dark, you know.”

“Ah yes, that… That must be it.”

Rose glanced around, her eyes locking on the door she was now certain they’d come through.  She tugged on his hand. “Follow me, sir, I really think it’s this way.”

He was stiff against her pulling for a moment, but finally relented.  She took him to the front of the building, where Mickey was standing, clipboard in hand.  She released his hand, but he hesitated before releasing hers.

“I’m so sorry boss, I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re getting to the bottom of it, I promise-”

“It’s okay, Micks,” Rose cut the distressed young man off, smiling.  “We’re gonna go, but the place looks great.  Isn’t it great, Mr. Smith?” “Yes, Miss Tyler, I rather think it is.  But she’s right, we have plenty of work to get done at the office.”  Rose could feel him staring at her, probably wondering why she was taking control so forcefully.  She forced the smile to stay on her face, afraid of what sort of gentle things he might say to her if she let her guard down even a little.

Well… Perhaps she wasn’t afraid that he would say them.

Perhaps she was afraid that she would like it.