lizann5869:

This is a gift for @aimtoallonsy, and it also will, in the second chapter, fulfill this Christmas Disaster prompt for @doctorroseprompts :

Person A was supposed to go Christmas caroling with a large group of friends but has to cancel because they’re sick and have lost their voice. Person B, one of the friends in the group, makes up an excuse as to why they can’t go caroling either. Person B then shows up at Person A’s house and serenades them with Christmas carols in their living room.

Ten x Rose, human AU Also found on AO3 and Teaspoon.

****

Rose Tyler had a best friend, a wonderful best friend.  He went by the name John Smith, which was an absolutely ridiculous name, but he seemed to revel in ridiculousness, so that fit him perfectly.  He was tall, skinny (also ridiculously so), had gorgeous amber eyes and gravity defying spiky brown hair.  (With auburn highlights, not that Rose had paid attention to such things.)  

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This is a gift for @aimtoallonsy, and it also will, in the second chapter, fulfill this Christmas Disaster prompt for @doctorroseprompts :

Person A was supposed to go Christmas caroling with a large group of friends but has to cancel because they’re sick and have lost their voice. Person B, one of the friends in the group, makes up an excuse as to why they can’t go caroling either. Person B then shows up at Person A’s house and serenades them with Christmas carols in their living room.

Ten x Rose, human AU Also found on AO3 and Teaspoon.

****

Rose Tyler had a best friend, a wonderful best friend.  He went by the name John Smith, which was an absolutely ridiculous name, but he seemed to revel in ridiculousness, so that fit him perfectly.  He was tall, skinny (also ridiculously so), had gorgeous amber eyes and gravity defying spiky brown hair.  (With auburn highlights, not that Rose had paid attention to such things.)  

John was one of those people who seemed to know something about everything, and to his credit, he wasn’t obnoxious about it at all. (Most of the time, unless there was a board game involved.)  He had two main interests, astronomy and history, and he held doctorates in both of them.  John had  acquired them at the young age of twenty and twenty-three.  Now twenty-nine, he held the title of youngest head of department at Coal Hill School, where he taught physics and history.  The kids loved him, even if they did take bets on whether he’d wear the brown pinstripe suit or the blue suit on any given day.  (One of his brightest students had noticed he tended to wear blue on the days he gave pop quizzes so Blue Alert Days were commonly whispered about by his his pupils.)

He really was too good to be true, and the theatre teacher, Donna, often joked that he couldn’t possibly be human.  “He has to be a spaceman.  No human bloke is like him!”

Rose would always blush and laugh when Donna said that, and the other teachers would exchange knowing glances.  “Why don’cha just date him, Rose?  He’s far too skinny and a bit too preposterous for me,” Donna would tell her.  “But you, on the other hand…..”

“No,” Rose would argue back.  “He doesn’t see me that way.  We’re friends.  Two best friends.  Nothing more.”

“If I had a best friend who looked at me like he looks at you, I’d snog the stuffin’ out of her,” Danny Pink, the maths teacher, would joke.  

“You already do, sunshine,” Donna’s laughter would fill the room as Clara, who taught English, would hide her reddening face.  

With Donna’s attention turned away from her, Rose could breathe a sigh of relief.  Yes, John Smith was her very best friend.  And also, yes, he did fit the very definition of pretty boy, the type of male her mother always told her was her preference.  

But she wasn’t going to date him.  She couldn’t.  

Because what if I approach him and he rejects me?  Or what if he doesn’t reject me, we try, fail, and then we ruin our friendship?  

Besides, she couldn’t imagine that he would ever be interested in her in that way.  He was too skittish, too tigger-like, always running away when things got a little too close.

No, better not attempt it, she would think.  At first, she hadn’t wanted to date because she was smarting over a horrific breakup with Jimmy Stone, then Mickey had asked her out.  She accepted because it was nice and safe and undemanding.  Mickey and Rose had both called it quits in October, when he had met a lovely doctor.  Mickey hadn’t meant to fall in love with someone else, but it had happened, and they both agreed they were better off as friends anyway.   She was free to date again, but wondered if John would even be interested.  After all, Reinette, the teacher of the upper level French students, had been making it quite clear that she was available, and that John was just her type.

Reinette, who was generally bitchy towards Rose, had become even more hateful.  She had been scoffing about the preparation her upper level students had gotten from Rose.  In her heart she knew she was doing her best with the students, but her head was telling her otherwise.  

All of these issues, along with her mum constantly asking if she was going back with Mickey, even though he was with Martha now,  or finding someone new, were making her want to become a hermit during the holidays.  Hopefully I’ll have a better outlook once school starts again in January.  

****

John Smith had a best friend.  A wonderful, beautiful, kind best friend, by the name of Rose Tyler.  She brilliantly taught three art classes and two French classes every day.  He knew that she had worked her way through University all while holding down a job at Henrik’s.  Also, while she lived on a council estate with her mother.  She had overcome many odds and was very proud of her teaching degree.  He also knew something that she’d tried to keep under wraps: she spent her own money on coats and field trip fees for children in the same financial situation from which she’d come.

Rose had a bright smile and an infectious laugh.  It made his day when he could be the one to make her grin or chuckle.  (It made his whole week when he could coax her into that smile in which she stuck out just the tip of her tantalizing pink tongue.)

John was aware that she worried about her students and occasionally was subject to bouts of inadequacy.  He always did his best to cheer her up when her own internal dialogue convinced her that she was a poor teacher.  Those moments weren’t as frequent as they’d been when they first met, and he’d hoped that his support was part of the reason why.  

Rose Tyler was brilliant, and he’d had a crush on her from the moment she’d walked into her first faculty meeting at Coal Hill two years before.  “You know, there’s nothin’ in the rules about faculty members dating,” Donna had told him in late November, apropos of nothing, since they’d been discussing final exams a moment before.

His eyebrow had shot up to his hairline as he had tried to process what she said.  “Pardon?” he’d squeaked.

“Just puttin’ ’ that out there,” Donna had replied.  John had remained gobsmacked, prompting her to screech,  “I’m not talkin’ about me and you, sunshine!  Bloody hell, no!”

“I’m torn between feeling relieved and insulted.”

“You’re not my type, Spaceman.  But I know of someone who might find you her type…..”

“She’s dating someone,” John had argued.

Donna had shaken her head.  “She was, but I don’t think they’ve been together since Halloween.  Just somethin’ to think about.”

“I….I knew that,” he mumbled.

“Then why did you give me such a lame excuse, Spacedunce?”

“Well, now now I’m just insulted.  How about we just drop it, okay?” John grumbled as Donna rolled her eyes.  

“I’m just sayin’….Think about it,” Donna urged.  John did his best to ignore her.

Still, he’d been thinking about it through the first three weeks of December.  

And now it was close to the winter break.  Knowing that much of Rose’s time would be taken up with her widowed mum and her gran, he felt that his window of opportunity to ask her out was narrowing.  

If he even attempted it, that is.  They were best friends, and what if she rejected his advances?  He couldn’t stand to ruin the wonderful relationship he had with her.  “Coward every time,” he thought.

*****

The students of Coal Hill were in high spirits the last week before holiday, so as a result, very little learning was getting done.  The teachers were frustrated but resigned, and they were all looking forward to their staff Christmas celebration on Friday.

Rose was struggling, though.  She had a group of first year French students that were having difficulties understanding concepts which should have been relatively easy, so she was spending time before and after school tutoring them, and would be until the Wednesday before break.  She was exhausted.  When John came into her room at the end of Monday’s classes, she was sitting at her desk with her hands over her eyes.

“Rose Tyler, the holidays are nearly upon us….” he announced as he walked into her classroom.  She didn’t look up.  “Erm…Rose?  What’s wrong?  Feeling poorly?”

Rose uncovered her eyes and sighed.  “No. I’m just trying to rally some energy before the kids I tutor arrive.”

“Ah.”  He perched on the edge of a table.  “So, how’s that going?”  Rose rolled her eyes.  “That well, eh?

“My Christmas wish is to not conjugate another French verb before January, but that won’t happen if I want these people to pass their final.  So yeah, not goin’ well.  How was your day?”

John smiled.  “Brilliant, actually.  Is there anything I can do to help you, though?”

“Can you conjugate French verbs in a way these kids understand?  M’ startin’ to believe Reinette’s opinion of me.”

John’s eyebrow shot up. Oh, this will not do.  “Unless her opinion is that you’re a star, then don’t believe it.  Rose, you’re doing the best you can do.  I know you are.”

Rose looked up at him in disbelief.  “Pull the other one.”

“Rose Tyler, I believe in you,” he told her, hopping down from his perch on the table.  Stepping towards her he smiled again, extending his arms.  Rose abandoned her chair to accept his invitation.  John wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly.  He felt her sigh and melt into him.

After a moment of accepting his comfort, she pulled back slightly, looking straight at him.  “Thank you, John.  I needed this.”  

His eyes flicked down to her mouth, and he thought briefly of how lovely it would be if her lips made contact with his.

The moment was broken by the sound of the doorknob turning and they broke apart, suddenly remembering where they were.  To their mutual relief, it wasn’t a student.

Astrid Peth, the choir teacher, poked her head in.  “Oi there,” she chirped.  “Can I count on both of you for the party Friday?”  She entered, cheerily oblivious to their display of affection, but they pulled apart just as quickly as if it had been a student.  “We’re going caroling first, then to the Bad Wolf Brew for the Secret Santa exchange.”

“We’re going caroling now?” John asked, his eyebrow raised.

Astrid shrugged happily and chuckled,  “The quickest way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear…or some such.”  John rolled his eyes, but joined her laughter.

“I don’t know,” Rose sighed.  “I don’t know if I’m feeling the Christmas spirit enough to sing.”

“Maybe it’s just what you need.  And face it, our group needs you.  You and Astrid are the only ones who can actually sing well enough that people won’t throw things at us,”  John pointed out, desperate to cheer Rose up.  Really, it just wasn’t right that she was feeling so down.

“Please, Rose?  I need someone to harmonize with me!  God knows, John can’t,”  Astrid begged.

“I’m almost offended,” John commented.

Astrid grinned widely at them, waiting for their answer.

Rose sighed,  “Okay, fine!  Maybe it is just what I need.  Count me in.”  

Astrid clapped as John chimed in, “Then I’m up for it too.”

Two of Rose’s students poked their heads in.  Rose waved them in with what John recognized as her cheery teacher smile.  “Courtney’s on the way,” the boy, Ryan told her as the girl, Yasmine, took a seat near Rose’s desk.

“We’re meeting up at 6:15, in the gym.  See you there!”  Astrid waved and bounded out of the room.

Rose looked at John.  “Guess I’m singing,” she told him.

“Guess you are.  See you later, Ms. Tyler,” he grinned as he made his way to the door. He opened it and stepped out, nearly colliding with Courtney Woods in the hall.

“Sorry, Mr. Smith,” she said.

“That’s fine.  I believe we were both trying to occupy the same space simultaneously.”  Courtney smirked, and muttered something as she crossed the threshold into Rose’s classroom.  

It sounded like Love is in the air…. Which wasn’t a surprise, considering she was always trying to instigate something around Coal Hill.  She had spent the better part of the previous term scrawling “Ozzie loves the Squaddie” around the building to stir up rumors about Danny and Clara.

Of course, she had actually been right about that one….

John shook that thought off and headed for his classroom, ready to gather his paperwork and head home for a wild night of grading.  He was entertaining a fantasy of grading papers alongside Rose, in front of a roaring fire.  Wine might have been involved.  

He ran squarely into Reinette, who grinned up at him.  He took a step back, slightly gobsmacked, even though he’d had what he thought was a witty comeback to the same situation with Courtney just a few moments before.  “Hello, John.”

“Erm, sorry, not paying attention,” he finally mumbled.  

“I don’t mind.  It’s nice to run into you,” she said, with a little wink.

“Is there something in your eye?” he asked.

Her smile faded a bit, then she asked, “So, are you going to the staff party?”

John gave her a small, tight smile.  He really did not want to discuss this with her.  Of course, she’d be at the party as well, and he was planning on trying to avoid her.  “I’ll be there,” he said mildly.

“Caroling too?”

“Yep,” he affirmed, popping the “p”.

“Maybe we could ride together.  Save the earth, and all….”  she suggested.

“The Bad Wolf is within walking distance,” he reminded her.  “I assumed we were caroling in this neighborhood and then walking there.”

“Well, yes, of course.  But maybe we could leave early and get a cocktail.  Celebrate the end of the school term.”  She smiled flirtatiously at him, and he wanted to bolt.  

“I’m probably heading home right after.  But thanks for the invitation.”  He stepped backwards again, narrowly avoiding running into a third person.  He gave her a little wave and strode purposefully towards the stairs, not looking back at her reaction.

He’d known for ages that Reinette was interested in him.  She’d only become more obvious as the term had progressed.  He was absolutely not interested, particularly now that Rose had revealed Reinette’s thinly disguised disdain for her teaching.  He winced, thinking back on the encounter.  Wish I’d called her out right then for her attitude towards Rose.  I always think of what to say when the moment is over.  If I get the chance again, I will, he resolved.  

****

Rose had barely had time to think of John’s words or his embrace when her students entered the room, hoping for help.  But now that Ryan, Yaz, and Courtney had their heads bowed over a list of verbs to conjugate, murmuring amongst themselves, she recalled the feel of his arms around her.  You’re a star, he had told her.  She thought she’d seen his eyes flick briefly down to gaze at her lips, and a small platoon of butterflies took flight in her stomach.  Really.  I think he would’ve kissed me.  It was neither the time nor the place, but if he had, I think I would’ve let him.  So what if Ryan wandered in on us.  She glanced at Courtney, who was looking up at her, grinning as if she could read her teacher’s thoughts.  Feeling the back of her neck grow warm, she asked, “Have a question, Courtney?”

“How do you conjugate biser?” Courtney asked with a smirk.  Rose saw Yasmine glance at Ryan, grinning.  

To kiss, Rose thought.  She can read minds.  All the rest of her teachers and I have been wonderin’ that…..She raised an eyebrow.  “Present indicative, imperfect indicative, future, conditional….which way?” she countered.  

Courtney snickered, “Future.”  

Rose’s door opened, and her heart sank to see Reinette strolling in.  She ignored her visitor to answer Courtney’s question.  Ryan and Yaz looked up, glancing between Rose and Reinette.  They looked as if they were expecting a show.   “Future.  Let’s think about it, Courtney.  You know the first one….Do i will…”

“Je biserai….” Courtney answered.

“Wonderful,” Rose encouraged.  “I think you know this.”

She ignored Reinette’s quiet laugh.

“I just wasn’t sure, is all.  Isn’t the next one tu biseras?  You will kiss?”  There was a mischievous glint in her student’s eye, and Rose had the feeling she was being played by the troublemaker.  

“This is so simple, Rose.  Surely they know this,” Reinette chimed in.

Rose pressed her lips together, trying to hold her temper in front of the children.  “I’m sure they do as well,” she said calmly.

“Well, I would hope they do.  They’ll need to be prepared for my class.  One would hope that the students would be on a higher level of understanding by now.  This is their foundation, of course.”

Rose’s eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms.  “They will be prepared.”

“I’ve had to spend so much time reteaching concepts that my classes should really know by now,”  Reinette commented, looking at her manicure, as if she was making an offhand observation and not a nasty barb.

“Sounds like it’s more your problem than mine,” Rose blurted, instantly regretting engaging Reinette in front of the students.  Ryan and Yaz were now glancing furtively at each other, fidgeting as if they wanted to flee.

Courtney looked speculatively at Reinette.  Before Rose could intervene, her pot-stirring student muttered, “I heard they don’t understand because you’re rubbish.”  Rose heard her, and so had Reinette, judging by the angry redness of her cheeks.  Rose shook her head at Courtney, who shrugged.  

“Courtney,” Rose said in warning.  “I won’t have you disrespecting a teacher.”  Even if she deserves it…..

“M’ sorry,” Courtney grumbled.

Rose cut in, “All right, I think we’ll end this session right here.  We can meet one more time after school before the exam Wednesday, if you’d like.  Have a good evening.”  Yasmine and Ryan immediately jumped up to make their escape.  They grabbed their backpacks and hurried to the door.  Courtney was a bit slower to move.

“I don’t think you are sorry, Miss Woods, and I won’t have it.  You have detention, tomorrow after school,” Reinette proclaimed.  Courtney opened her mouth to argue back, and Rose stepped between them.

“Courtney, I can speak with you after class tomorrow,” Rose assured her.  Courtney nodded, shooting Reinette a glare.

“Thank you for all your help, Ms. Tyler,” Courtney said to Rose, ignoring Reinette as she passed by.  

Once Courtney was gone, Rose turned to Reinette.  “I am well aware that you think little of me.  That I’m an incompetent teacher.  That I’m a chav.”

“Well, I’ve never said it….”  Reinette shrugged.

“You don’t have to say it.  You get your point across quite well.  Think what you want of me, but don’t come in my room and and make your little insinuations in front of the students.  That’s unprofessional, and I’m sick of it.  You have somethin’ to say to me, you say it in private.”

Her door opened again, and she had time to think blimey, it’s like a Tube station in here today, before Donna Noble strode into the room.  “What’s goin’ on?” she said, without preamble, glancing at Reinette.

“Don’t you ever knock?”  Reinette seethed.

Donna snarked, “Not your room.  Overheard Courtney out in the hall.  Everything okay in here?”

“Reinette was just about to leave,”  Rose said, nodding towards the door.  “If we need to meet to discuss the French curriculum, name a time and place.  We can take this up then.  We could invite Mr. Chesterton to the meeting.”

At the mention of the Head of School Reinette narrowed her eyes and nodded curtly.  She stalked out of the room.  Donna and Rose remained inside.

“Okay, what just happened?  Courtney was under the impression that there was about to be a ‘throwdown’ in Ms. Tyler’s room.”

“Did you come in to stop it or to join in?  It would’ve been fine, either way,”  Rose muttered.

“Joining in would’ve been fun.  Rose, she’s just jealous because you have a better rapport with the kids.  You are the better teacher.  She knows she’s only here because her daddy pulled strings to get her on the faculty.  That’s why she left when you mentioned Ian.  He’d love to be shut of her.”  

“If she thinks she’s so talented, then meeting with Ian wouldn’t be a threat to her, though,”  Rose argued.

Donna rolled her eyes, making Rose wonder just what it was she wasn’t comprehending.  “Seriously, Rose?  She’s jealous because you’ve turned John Smith’s head and she hasn’t!  Blimey, the pair of you aren’t half daft!  Complete idiots!”  Donna raised her hands in frustration.

“Thanks for making me feel ever so much better,” Rose commented drily.

“Well, you are!  Both of you are lost in space.”

Rose argued, “He’s never said.  He hugs me all the time, and sometimes I think I might have a chance….then he runs away like a frightened deer.  Like today….he hugged me and I think he could have kissed me.”

Donna beamed.  “Go on….”

“And then we were interrupted.  And I’ll bet you chips….no, I’ll bet you that handbag from Henrick’s you have our eye on….that he’ll pretend it never happened.”

“Well, then you’d better be prepared to fork over the pounds.  And by the way….why don’t you say something?”

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise at having the question turned on her.  She stammered,  “Well…I…”

“Cowards, the lot of you.”

“I….I lo…really care for John, and if he didn’t feel the same way towards me it would be devastating!”  Rose cried.

Donna actually growled.  She crossed her arms and fixed her Noble glare on Rose.  “He feels the same way, you prat!  Look, I’d like nothing more than to stand here and give advice to the lovelorn, but I have finals to grade.  Trust me.  You won’t be disappointed.  I know Jimmy was horrific, and you’ve been smarting over that for a while, but I think you’re ready to take a chance with John.”  She patted her friend on the shoulder.  “We all see it.  Bill, Clara…even Danny, and he’s a bloke.  We all want you two to get together so you’re happy, and we can stop drowning on all the UST between you two.  And there might be some bets to be won as well but you didn’t hear that from me.”

Rose gaped like a fish, her mind in a whirl.  

“We’ll talk later,”  Donna told her as she made her exit.

Rose wandered around to her desk chair and flopped into it.  She stared at the papers on her desk without really seeing them.  Really?  Could Donna actually be right?  What if I got up, right now, and marched up to John’s room…..

She actually did rise up from her chair, and she strode with purpose over to her window.  Looking out, she spied John’s little blue sports car in the car park behind the school.  She sagged as she noticed John, his arms laden with his briefcase and all the papers that he couldn’t squeeze in, ambling to the passenger door and unlocking it.

“I’ll call him at home, then,” she vowed.

She didn’t.  Her mother called shortly after and she found herself eating out and shopping with her, nodding in all the appropriate places as Jackie vented about her own mother. Then she had papers to grade.  When she finally sank into bed after midnight, she thought briefly that Donna had indeed been right when she called her a coward.