Jack and Ianto waved them off before heading to the airport for their own trip. Mickey, Martha, Rose, and John loaded up the SUV. It was a long drive north to Scotland, made even longer by their “scenic route” detours that John insisted upon. They didn’t have to start their jobs or grad school classes for weeks, so there was no rush. With a playlist they had carefully crafted together before the trip, all seemed off to a good start for the first day or two… until day three, when the rain began.

What started as a slow drizzle escalated into pouring by the time the SUV pulled into the parking lot of their B&B. The place was dark, however, with one flickering porchlight.

“Umm, are you sure this is it?” Rose asked.

Martha checked the address. “Must be. Same as the photos online.”

“Sure wish someone hadn’t forgotten to pack the umbrellas,” Mickey grumbled at John.

They dashed to the front door, and John knocked loud enough to wake anyone who had gone to bed early inside. “Anyone there?” he called.

The four looked at each other, now thoroughly soaked, and burst out laughing.

Eventually, the B&B’s owner, an old woman with a shawl around her shoulders, opened the door and rushed them inside. Being gentlemen, Mickey and John went back into the rain for the luggage while Rose and Martha signed in and got keys to their rooms. The owner handed the girls each a key to a different room.

“I’ll just hold on to the boys’ key,” Rose said, hinting to the woman that the arrangements were different than she assumed. The woman frowned and shook her head.

“Where are my manners?” the old woman exclaimed. “C’mon in to the tea room.”

The boys returned with the luggage just as her son appeared.

“Roger will take your luggage upstairs,” she said. “They can be a bit tricky.”

She ushered Mickey and John to join Martha and Rose in the dining area where a fire and hot tea awaited them. John smiled as he saw Rose at the table, huddled under a blanket, wet hair darker than it was when dry. The firelight illuminated her features as if she glowed.

Rose giggled as John sat next to her on the wood bench. She brushed his wet fringe back from his brow. “You look like you fell in a lake,” she teased. He turned away and ducked his head. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” She poked his side. “Kinda cute actually.”

“Yeah?”

She couldn’t help but giggle again. He was so serious! “Yes.”

She tapped his nose and returned to her tea but noticed him preening despite his soaked clothes. Well, with the way his shirt clung to his chest, he had a right.

After they finished their tea, they were reluctant to leave the warm tea room, but headed upstairs anyway, knowing they needed the rest for the road tomorrow. When they got to their respective rooms, Martha claimed dibs on one shower and John won rock-paper-scissors with Mickey for theirs. That’s when Rose and Mickey separately realized that they had each other’s bags. Instead of the girls’ luggage in one room and the guys’ luggage in the other, they had been assigned rooms as couples.

“Now what?” Rose texted Mickey back. But her question was answered by a frustrated groan from Martha, holding her phone to her ear.

“Mum just texted me,” she said while she waited for him to pick up.

“Trouble?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, Dad and Mickey had a fight last time they were over and Mum just heard about it,” Martha sighed. “Would it be alright if he came to our room to talk it out with them?”

Rose nodded and explained about the luggage anyway, pointing to his bag already in the room.

“I know you are John aren’t–” Martha began, “But, well, this might take a while.”

“It’s ok,” Rose assured her. “We’re adults. We can handle a little sleepover.”

Despite her family troubles, Martha grinned wickedly at Rose.

“Oh, not like that,” Rose scolded but giggled herself. She texted the plan to Mickey. No reason to be nervous, Rose thought, trying to calm her irrational nerves. It’s just John. Her best friend. Whom she was madly in love with. Oh, this was going to be a long night.

John swallowed as Mickey rushed out of the room to aid his girlfriend with her family troubles. John stood gaping as Rose timidly entered the room. She blushed as her eyes scanned over his body. Suddenly he was very aware that he was standing next to the room’s one bed with a bare chest and low-slung pajama pants. She was still in her damp clothes so he gestured to the en suite. “All yours.”

“Thanks,” she returned, stopping by her bag on the way to pull out her soft sleep shirt and shorts.

John was in bed reading by the time Rose was done. She climbed in next to him, trying to convince herself it wasn’t awkward. Just some friendly bed sharing.

“What are you reading?” she asked to break the ice.

“Ghost story,” he responded with an eyebrow waggle.

“You can hold my hand if you get scared,” she offered before she could stop herself. She started to backtrack, but his grin disarmed her.

“I’d like that,” he confessed. Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned in closer.

“What if I’m scared already?” John asked, wide eyes belying his suave tone.

Rose saw her chance and took it: “Well, if you’re really, really scared, I can kiss it better.”

John’s jaw dropped. “Doesn’t that only work for injuries?” he asked stupidly.

Rose giggled. “Don’t think it matters. All that matters is, what would you think if we did? Kiss, that is.” She looked up at him demurely through her lashes then back down to pick at imaginary fuzz on the sheet.

John didn’t answer in words.

His lips on hers were heaven. The moment was all too brief. He pulled away, and she swallowed, ready to say it’s ok if he didn’t like her like she liked him and how they could just forget it ever happened if he wanted to, but he was only putting his book on the nightstand.

“Rose,” he asked, spotting her uncertainty, “can I kiss you again?”

She nodded, trying to keep her smile from interfering as their lips met once more.

They broke for air, and John whispered, “Wow.”

“Really?” Rose asked, ducking her head modestly.

“I confess I’ve wanted to do that for quite some time,” he replied.

“You could’ve, you know… I wouldn’t have minded,” she mumbled.

He smiled and placed his hand over hers on the quilt. “I’m glad to know that now.”

The warmth in his tone melted her right there. “Have we really spent all this time wishing the other would make the first move?” she giggled.

He shrugged sheepishly. “Afraid we have.”

Rose asked sadly, “Did we miss out on 'us' now that uni is over?”

“No! There's no way I'm letting you go now," he rushed out.

“And we ARE going to live on the same side of London...” she realized.

He beamed. “Rose, would you like to be my girlfriend?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes!” She didn’t wait for his reply to kiss him again.

“We’re getting rather good at that,” he quipped.

“Dunno…Think we could use some more practice.” Rose quirked an eyebrow. He took the hint and snogged her again.

In the morning, it was clear something was different. Mickey was the one to figure it out when he saw Rose grab John’s hand under the breakfast table. He crowed, “It worked! They got together!”

“You set this up?!” Rose exclaimed.

“All you needed was a little push,” Martha answered and waved her phone.

“They played us!” Rose said to John, who placed an arm around her shoulder.

“I don’t care how it happened. No one for me but Rose Tyler.”

Rose smiled and kissed his cheek.

Martha grinned at her friends’ happiness. “I suppose we can consider last night’s rooming arrangements permanent for the rest of the trip?” she teased.

“Fine by me,” Rose answered, dreamy eyes still on John, who hummed happily.

“That’s settled then,” Mickey concluded with an arm around Martha. After all, John and Rose weren’t the only couple in love in the room. They loaded up their SUV and continued on their journey across Britain: an epic first double date.

Unfortunately for James, she was never alone for long.  Inevitably, before he could work up the courage to speak to her, another woman would arrive, and the two would become entrenched in their work before eventually leaving together.  Despite knowing she would be alone for approximately eight minutes after sitting down (not that he was counting) he could never bring himself to work up the nerve. The single time he had, he’d been so slammed with a sudden rush he’d lost his window of opportunity.  He could admit, if only to himself, he was an absolute coward.

He was also pretty sure he was in love.

“Have you considered actually speaking to her?”  Amy asked, popping up next to him and making him jump.  Glaring at her smirk, James grit his teeth.

“Speaking to whom?” He asked stiffly, barely paying any attention to the order he was taking.

“The pretty blonde you’ve been making mooneyes at for the last month.  Who’s on her way out the door as we speak.”

At her words, James’ head snapped towards the mysterious woman in horror, only to see her perched as usual in her typical spot.

Not taking his eyes off the woman, James reminded his barista, “You do know I’m your boss, right?”

“I do,” Amy acknowledged with a shrug, before adding a beat later; “And you know I know who she is, right?”

She barely managed to suppress the laugh at the hopeful, eager look in James’ eye as he turned to her.

“You do?”

“Yep.”  Popping the word as he so often did, Amy relished the anticipation on his face.

“How?”

“Well,” she reconsidered, “I don’t, actually.  But I do know the woman she’s here with.”

Like an overeager puppy, James pounced on the nugget of information.  “Well, all right then.  Who is she?”

Amy deliberately started cleaning up her work area, taking her time to answer.  Honestly, getting to tease him was one of the highlights of her job. Well, after the coffee (even if she did have to make that herself).

“A doctor Rory works with sometimes.  Martha, I think.  We met at the hospital Christmas party.”  Granted, it had been a thirty-second introduction, but James need never know that. “Would you like me to introduce you?” She asked innocently, sure of his response.

He spluttered at the idea for a moment, before making his decision.  “No.  I’m the owner of this fine establishment, I think it’s my right, nay, my duty to introduce myself to regulars.”

Nodding to himself, pleased with his decision, James had just started taking off his apron when he saw the women in question rise and start to pack their things just as several more customers walked up to order.

Turning to make the drinks Amy couldn’t help but laugh, making a note to the share the story with Rory and Donna.

James was never going to live this down.

-

That close call having been Thursday, he had to wait out the entire weekend until Tuesday for another chance.  He’d spent those four days practicing what he would say, and felt fairly confident he wouldn’t make an (utter) fool of himself.

However, the afternoon hours of Tuesday slowly ticked by, until when he locked the door behind the last customer he had to admit to himself she wouldn’t be coming in that day.

Wednesday was spent in a morose slump, with Amy occasionally sending him a faux-sympathetic look.

When Thursday came and went without her again, James began to work himself into a full blown panic, the only benefit of which was Amy had ceased teasing him about how his head would jerk towards the door every time the bell chimed.

(Which was fine; she was running out of Pavlov jokes anyway.)

The abnormal behavior from the usually bright and sunny cashier/proprietor had even regulars worried, some of whom would go so far as to ask Amy about it, but all she would say was ‘girl trouble’ and they would share knowing smiles.

Thus, it seemed the entire store breathed a sigh of relief on the second Tuesday when the woman walked through the doors at her usual time.

By now, James had given up looking, and was quietly serving customers without actually looking at them, all spark of life gone.  Amy had seen the woman come in, and rather than giving him a heads up, had merely maneuvered herself closer to be able to experience the moment James realized his mystery girl had finally returned.

“Yeah?”  James sighed at the next customer, despondent.  His thoughts were a million miles away, worried about the woman.  Had she moved?  Was she ill? For all he knew, she could be lying dead in an alley, or a Jane Doe in a hospital bed somewhere…

“You all right, mate? You don’t seem yourself.”  It took a moment for her voice to sink in, but it hit him all at once and his head snapped up.

“You’re okay!”  Relief flooded him, followed quickly by horror and embarrassment at the confused look on her face.

“Yeah, I’m fine?”

He practically fell over himself in a bid to explain.  “No – sorry – it’s just, you haven’t been in – not that I was keeping tabs – but I was worried – er, I just mean, it seemed odd that – well, it’s none of my business, I suppose – though, it kind of is, since you usually order so many muffins – not that you have an obligation, or anything, of course-”

Mercifully, Amy had finally elbowed him out of the way and managed to stop his runaway gob.

“What James is trying to say is that we have a fair number of regulars, and he had noticed you hadn’t been in at all last week.  He was worried.”  Amy smiled kindly at the woman, who grinned back uncertainly.

“I appreciate that – I think – but I was away on business last week and couldn’t make it in.”  She explained.

James was mesmerized by the way she pushed a lock of hair back off her face.  It took another sharp jab from Amy to remind him it was his turn to speak.

“Uh…”  He swallowed hard.  “Well, glad to hear that you’re fine.”  Unable to stop himself, he ruffled his hair, pleased when the mystery woman’s eyes followed his hand.

“Thanks.  James, was it?”

“Uh, yeah – yes. James.  Noble.  Cashier.” He nodded proudly, before realizing how that maybe hadn’t sounded as impressive as he’d meant it to.  “And owner!  And, uh, owner.  Here. Of this shop.  Bigger on the Inside.”  Despite his embarrassment at stumbling over his words, he was pleased when she laughed.

“Nice to meet you, James the Noble Cashier.”  She replied cheekily.  “You probably already know this from my order, but I’m Rose.”

His eyes lit up, and Amy had to cover her laugh with a severe cough when she realized that that fact had honestly never occurred to him.  He was in deep.

“Rose.”  He whispered, almost reverently, savoring the word on his tongue.  He cleared his throat before adding, at a much more normal tone, “That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thanks.”  The conversation stalled there, with the two simply gazing at each other.  Eventually Amy interrupted, seeing that the line was starting to build.

“Rose, your usual?”

“Oh!”  Moment broken, Rose turned to her.  “Uh, yes, please and thank you, Amy.”  She lingered in front of James for a moment, before remembering she hadn’t yet paid.

“Um, this is silly considering I’m always in here, but I’m a bit jetlagged – what do I owe you?”

James just barely managed to respond through his daze.  “Nothing – on the house.”

“Are you sure?”  She still tried to hand over a few bills, but he insisted, coming back to himself a bit more.

“Absolutely.  And, how about I bring you a muffin in a few?”  He offered, and she smiled.

“Well, if you insist.”

“I do.”

“Okay, thanks!”  She agreed, and they just smiled at each other until the impatient man behind her had enough, and cleared his throat loudly.

“Right, I’ll just…” Rose trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards her usual table.

“Yep!”

Working faster than he ever had before, spring back in his step, James quickly dealt with the line and called to his table waitress.

“Clara, I’m taking a break – watch the register, will you?”

Not waiting for a response, he plated a banana nut muffin and brought it over to his – to Rose.

He was only standing in front of her a moment before she looked up from her binder, and gestured for him to sit.

“Thanks.  Uh, brought you a muffin.  Banana nut.”

“Thank you!”  She immediately dove into the muffin. “Honestly, these are the best banana nut muffins I’ve ever had.  I don’t know how you do it.”

“Well, I could tell you, but it’ll cost you.”  He bravely flirted, honestly surprised that the words had come out intelligible and in the right order.

She eyed his speculatively. “Name your price.”

His brain short circuited, unable to believe the gorgeous woman was flirting back.

“Have dinner with me?”

She didn’t say anything for so long he was beginning to wonder if he’d said the words aloud.

“That seems like a fairly steep price for a recipe.”  She finally settled on, and he deflated like a popped balloon.

“Yes, I suppose it is. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I should, go, uh-”  He floundered, trying to get out of there with the remaining shreds of his dignity.

“Chips might be fair though.”  She blurted after he’d only gotten a few steps.

“What?”

“Chips seem like an equal trade.”  She began to nibble on her thumbnail, before seeming to realize what she was doing and dropping her hand.

“Now?”

She gave him an odd look. “Aren’t you working?”

“Well, yeah, but – boss.” For emphasize, he pointed at his chest.

She nodded seriously, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

“I can’t right now, actually, but I’m free Friday at lunch time.”  She offered.

He quickly ran through his schedule in his head, but the truth was nothing could stop him from making that lunch.

“It’s a date.”  He froze, worried he’d been too presumptuous, but she cut him off before his gob could take off for the hills.

“The first of many, I hope.”

The blinding smile she gave him made him hope for the same.