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lastbluetardis · 7 years

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Perfect Match (22/22)

This was inspired by this post about soulmates, and after @quite-right-too requested someone write it. I am going to try and write a little bit of this every week and track them through childhood and into teenage years and eventual adulthood.

Thank you very much to @chocolatequeennk for listening to me pitch ideas and for offering her opinions and ideas.

Ten x Rose, Soulmates AU

Chapter Rating: Explicit (one scene in the middle

James grew up hearing the legends of soulmates. How two—or three or four or however many—people could find each other by writing messages to each other on their skin, and he spent much of his time imagining himself with a soulmate, someone who would be his perfect match.

AO3 | TSP | FF

Rose flopped heavily onto the couch, groaning into her hands as she lay down with her head in James’s lap.

“Still haven’t found a dress?” he asked sympathetically, stroking his fingers through her hair.

“I found a few styles I liked, but Mum, of course, hated them,” she sighed, leaning into his touch. “She’s driving me barmy.”

“I’m sorry.”

Rose hummed in agreement, and closed her eyes, letting James’s fingers soothe away the stress of the day.

“You know, you can tell Jackie to back off a bit,” he mused, stroking his thumb back and forth across one of her eyebrows. “I mean, it’s your wedding, not hers.”

“I know,” Rose mumbled. “But I don’t want her to hate everything about it. Which it seems like she does.”

Rose sighed against the memories of the last several months, where her mother had given her blunt opinions about every aspect of the wedding. “Do you really want a December wedding? … Are you sure that’s the color palette you want to go with? … I’m sure your friends are wonderful, but wouldn’t you rather hire a professional photographer? … Oh, Rose, you don’t want that plain old dress, now do you? …”

“I can speak to her, if you’d like,” James offered. “Or I’ll come with you dress shopping. Just you and me, and we’ll find the most beautiful dress on Earth.”

“You’re not allowed to see the dress until the wedding day,” Rose said monotonously, repeating what Jackie had told her when Rose suggested she show a few of the dresses to James to get his opinion. “It’s tradition.”

“Tradition shmadition,” James scoffed. “I want you to actually enjoy our wedding, love. I don’t care if we don’t go about it the traditional way. I want you to be happy, and your mum isn’t exactly doing that for you.”

“I’ll be fine once I pick a bloody dress,” Rose said, hoping that would be the case.

James nodded and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Why don’t you go run yourself a bath,” James suggested. “Destress a little bit.”

“I bet I’d destress better if you joined me,” she teased, turning her head to press a kiss to his upper thigh.

His stomach swooped and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“Right,” he squeaked. “Yep. Excellent plan. Let’s relax together. You run the bath, I’ll grab some wine?”

“It’s a date,” Rose purred, pressing another kiss to his hip before she sat up and walked away.

James blinked after her, before he stood up and rushed to the kitchen, but not before he sent a rather lengthy text to his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

oOoOo

James clasped Rose’s hand in his as he tugged her into the fourth jewelry store on their list, pleased when she rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed his fingers. This was what wedding shopping should be like; just him and her, and no stress or anxiety.

They were shopping for their wedding bands, and they had a few rings already on the ‘maybe’ list. So far, their favorite had been a simple platinum band with beveled edges and a brushed finish. Simple, but perfect for what they needed.

However, as soon as they stepped into the shop, James’s gaze was drawn to a pair of rings in a corner display.

“Rose, look at these!” he called, pulling her from where she was chatting with an employee in the store.

She skipped up to him, and her hitched breath made him hopeful that she, too, loved these rings.

The shop attendant immediately opened up the case and gave James and Rose the rings to inspect. Rose slid it onto her finger, humming appreciatively at the way it matched her engagement ring. The platinum wedding band was designed in a weaving pattern that seemed to perfectly complement her ring.

“Oh, it’s perfect!” Rose gushed, looking over to James.

He grinned brightly at her and asked, “So, are these the ones?”

“I think so.”

They made quick work of ordering the rings, getting them sized, and giving the shop the engravings they each wanted—their names and the date of their wedding.

“I just want it to be December thirtieth already!” Rose moaned as she walked out of the shop with James.

“Me too,” James lamented, swinging their joined hands lightly between them.

With the rings picked out, and Rose’s wedding dress finally decided on soon thereafter, they were getting more impatient for their wedding day. When they weren’t busy with school work, most of their time was spent running across the country, finalizing the details. They finalized the bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s tuxes; they finished up the guest list and sent out the invitations; they confirmed the venue, decorations, catering, and officiant; and together, they set about booking their honeymoon, which James was having a hard time with. With his thesis defense scheduled for only five months after their wedding, he had very little time to spend on a honeymoon because he needed to get back to work writing his dissertation.

“I feel so awful!” he groaned. “This is the happiest, most romantic moment of our lives, but, oh, sorry, I can only spare a week of my time to it!”

Rose frowned at her fiancé as he scrubbed his hands across his face in frustration.

“James, I know you’re going to be busy when we get back, and that’s okay,” Rose soothed.

“I can push back the date,” James said. “I’ll call my advisor and tell him I’ll defend next autumn.”

“Don’t you dare! You’ve been working so hard on your project, and I won’t let anything ruin this for you.”

“But I don’t want to ruin our wedding!” James argued miserably. “I’ve ruined enough of our relationship as is.”

“James McCrimmon, don’t you dare say that,” Rose said fiercely, tugging his hands away from his face to glare at him. “Our relationship has been better than I could ever have dreamed of, and I’ll not let you make little of anything we’ve done together.”

Remorse pinched his face, and he squeezed her fingers in apology.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just… I want to give you the honeymoon of a lifetime.”

“And it will be,” she soothed, stroking his hair away from his face.

James sighed and let himself be pulled against her chest. He took his laptop from the coffee table and set it in Rose’s lap to continue perusing honeymoon options.

“How does skiing in the French Alps sound?” he asked, pulling up the resort’s webpage.

“Beautiful,” Rose said, absently petting his hair as she scrolled through the information. “Never been skiing.”

“It’s loads of fun. Mum and Dad used to take me on vacations to Colorado to ski. I think you’ll love it. You don’t mind a cold honeymoon, do you? I mean, we could look into something more tropical. Or a cruise?”

“Skiing sounds perfect,” she assured. “Is that what you want to do?”

“Well, I’d rather be able to take an extended honeymoon with you…” He trailed off for a moment, before he grinned up at her. “Tell you what. We’ll take a short honeymoon right after our wedding. But how about over the summer when we’re graduated, we take an extended vacation together? Bit of a second honeymoon?”

“James, I’m honestly perfectly content with skiing in France with you for our honeymoon,” she said earnestly.

“But what if I’m not? What if I want to travel the world with my soulmate for a few months?”

Travelling the world… Rose bit her lip. Ever since she was small, she’d wanted to travel the world. She was often envious of James and his parents about how often they could travel.

“Yeah,” Rose whispered, a slow smile lighting up her face. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

James hummed low in his throat as he reached up to tug her in for an enthusiastic kiss.

oOoOo

The end of the academic semester for once brought with it minimal anxiety, for once. Once her final exams were done, Rose felt nothing but excitement and giddiness for her impending nuptials. Once she and James called to confirm everything was still happening on schedule, how could they be at all nervous or stressed over the happiest moment of their lives?

With a little over a week to go before the wedding, Rose’s dress and James’s tuxedo were both delivered to the McCrimmon manor in Scotland. Rose hid her dress in the guest suite, despite James’s pout that it couldn’t hurt for him to get a tiny little peek at her dress.

“Nuh uh,” Rose chastised. “You’re getting the full effect on our wedding day.”

The combination of the holidays and the upcoming wedding meant that the house was bursting with people. James enjoyed spending a proper Christmas holiday in Scotland again, after two years of having a quieter dinner in Oxford.

The morning after Christmas, Rose awoke when she felt James curl himself around her. She cuddled into him, content to drift back to sleep, but the tense line of his body and the way he buried his face in her hair put all thoughts of sleep out of her mind. She covered his hand with hers and gave his arm a squeeze in hers.

“Wanna talk about it?” she murmured softly.

James was silent for a few long moments before he asked, “Do you know the theory of parallel universes?”

“Only what I’ve learned from watching sci-fi films with you,” Rose answered, rotating in his arms so she could look at him.

“It’s basically the idea that there are an infinite number of universes, all stacked against each other, and they all stem from the various choices we make,” he explained. “Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if soulbonds didn’t exist?”

“I try not to,” Rose answered grimly.

“Yeah,” he murmured, and the melancholy in his voice tugged at her heart. “Me either. But there have to be universes where people aren’t soulmated, right. That’s just basic statistics. So what are parallel you and parallel me doing in those worlds? Eh? Because if we’re not soulmated, we probably never meet or fall in love or anything!”

“James, love, don’t do this to yourself,” Rose said gently, pressing a kiss to his chest.

“That was my dream. You didn’t exist, and soulmates didn’t exist, and dream me didn’t realize anything was amiss, only that he felt like something was missing.” He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and buried his nose in her hair. “I just… what’s parallel me doing without parallel you?” he asked miserably. “Is he dating someone? Or married? No woman—or man—could possibly compare to you. Does he have this feeling deep inside that his life is somehow empty or lacking, but he doesn’t know why, and it’s all because you aren’t in it?”

He sounded so genuinely concerned and distraught, and Rose was desperate to wipe that look off his face.

“D’you know what I think?” Rose whispered, running her fingers through his hair as she tugged gently to urge him to look at her. When his bloodshot gaze finally met hers, she continued, “I think the magic of the soulbond transcends universes. No matter what, or how, or when, or for how long, you and I still meet each other. I think that’s what being soulmated is all about; we’re each other’s perfect match, and even in universes where we aren’t formally matched, we’ll still find each other, no matter what.”

James sniffled, and offered a tentative smile to Rose.

“Yeah,” he whispered, leaning towards her to press a grateful kiss to her lips. “Yeah, I think I like that.”

oOoOo

James rested his hand on his mum’s waist as he slowly walked them across the dance floor. He glanced over his mother’s head to find his bride, who was twirling happily in the arms of his dad. She caught his eye and grinned, which he couldn’t help but return, before he gave his attention back to his mother.

“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered, looping her arms around his neck in a hug as the song drew to a close.

James beamed at her and accepted her hug, feeling as though his heart was about to burst with the sheer happiness it contained.

“Time to give you back to Rose, now,” his mum said. She stretched up and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Jamie.”

“Love you, too, Mum,” he said, turning his head to kiss her cheek in return.

He looked over at his dad, who was pressing a parting kiss to Rose’s brow before handing her off to James and turning to his own wife.

James beamed at Rose, holding her in his arms, as his parents did the same with each other. His dad leaned down and caught his mum’s lips in a kiss, and James sighed happily as he watched his parents dance away together.

James woke up slowly, still basking in the warmth and giddiness from his dream. He rolled over to spoon his wife…

And was met with cool sheets.

He blinked quickly, trying to get the dim room in focus, and when he saw his empty bed in his room in Scotland, he remembered the wedding hadn’t happened yet. It was today.

His heart dropped low in his stomach and his eyes burned. His wedding was today and his mum wouldn’t be there.

And Rose wasn’t even here to make him feel better.

He scrambled for his pen, needing to feel close to Rose even though she was probably still asleep.

“Good morning, my almost-wife!”

To his surprise, she replied immediately.

Good morning, my almost-husband! Why are you up so early?

James smirked. “Pot, kettle. Why are you up so early?”

Got hair and makeup appointments and whatnot soon. It takes a lot of work to be this beautiful.

“Oh, come off it,” James scoffed. “You’re beautiful no matter what.”

Flatterer xoxo. Really though. You okay?

“Yeah. I’m just missing my mum a lot today.”

I’m sorry, James.

“Me too. So what’s your schedule for the day.”

Well, I’m getting married at noontime. But we just finished breakfast. I’m about to go in for hair and makeup soon. I don’t really know; I’m going wherever my mum tells me to go.

“That sounds like the best plan.” James sighed, and glanced at the clock. It was still too early for him to begin any of the day’s preparations, but it couldn’t hurt to shower. “I’m gonna hop in the shower. Talk to you in a little bit, love. By the way, I cannot wait to be married to you.”

I can’t wait either. I’ll see you at the altar. Love you.

James smiled at his arm, and climbed out of bed, ready to start his wedding day.

Meanwhile, across town, Rose’s cosmetic preparations were already underway.

“Surely it doesn’t take five hours to get ready!” Rose whined, nearly falling asleep as she had her hair and makeup done.

“Oh, quit your moping,” Jackie said from where she was getting her own hair and makeup done. “These things take longer than you think. You’ll be glad to have the extra time. Besides, we’re scheduled to do a few photos of the bridesmaids outside the church before the service. And getting into a wedding dress without mucking up your hair will take a bit of time. And for God’s sake, would you stop getting ink on your arm?! It’s gonna smear on your dress! And you’ll be able to see it through the sleeve!”

“Who cares? We’re soulmates. No one is going to be surprised to see us with ink on our arms!”

“Still, you don’t want to ruin your dress,” Jackie harrumphed.

Rose rolled her eyes and looked back down to her arms. She wasn’t getting into her dress for a while yet; she could still chat with James for a little bit longer.

oOoOo

Rose had to admit that the next five hours passed unbelievably quickly, and soon she was standing in front of the full-length mirror, double and triple checking her appearance and the way her gown was draped over her figure. She was utterly in love with her dress and the way the delicate lace skirt flowed around the satin sheath beneath. She was confident James would be absolutely speechless when he saw her.

A knock on the door made her frown. She had just sent her mum to go check on James, and to give him the wedding gift she’d bought him—a pair of cufflinks engraved with their names on one and the date on the other.

“Are you decent, darling?”

“Yep, come in, Dad.”

Robert walked in and a slow grin lit up his face when he saw her.

“You look beautiful, darling,” he said.

“Thanks!”

“And I come bearing gifts,” he said, pulling two jewelry boxes from his pockets.

Rose furrowed her brows. James had told her earlier in the month that he was giving her a necklace so she wouldn’t have to go out and buy one, but what could the other gift be?

“This one’s from James,” Robert said, holding out the larger box.

Rose took it, eager to see the necklace he had gotten her. She flicked open the box and gasped: a ruby and sapphire gem sat nestled within the loops of a platinum infinity symbol.

“Oh, this is gorgeous,” she breathed, carefully taking the necklace out of its velvet bedding. Her fingers trembled as she undid the clasp, but soon the necklace was taken from her hands.

“Allow me,” Robert suggested, stepping behind her as he draped the necklace over her neck.

Rose touched the pendent reverently, admiring the way it looked against her skin, and appreciating that James managed to pick a piece of jewelry that matched their wedding’s palette.

“Something new and something blue,” Robert murmured, straightening the necklace for her. “Something borrowed.” He touched his fingers to the hair clip that had belonged to her Nan. “How about something old?”

He handed her the other velvet box, and Rose took it curiously. She opened it to reveal a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. She picked one of them up, letting it dangle between her fingers. Four small, round diamonds were stacked in a line that led down to a large, tear-drop diamond. They were classically beautiful, and Rose immediately removed the small diamond studs from her ears.

“These belonged to my wife,” Robert said with a small smile once Rose fastened them to her ears.

Rose’s stomach coiled with regret, and she touched the jewelry.

“She would’ve been so proud of you and James,” Robert said wistfully. “She would’ve loved to have seen this day. But alas. I like to think she’s watching us anyway and will be with us today.”

Rose blinked back the moisture in her eyes.

“I-I didn’t realize you were religious,” Rose admitted.

Robert smiled softly. “Well, perhaps more spiritual than religious. And I have hope that I’ll be seeing my wife again one day. That hope is what keeps me going—it’s what keeps everyone going, really. When my time comes, I’ll be with her once more, and we can truly begin our forever anew.”

Tears were trickling down Rose’s cheeks, and she dabbed at her eyes with tissue.

“Sorry, darling. This is a happy day. Best not dwell in the sadness.”

“It’s both,” Rose said, double checking her makeup in the mirror. “It’s the happiest day of my life, but it’s bittersweet because my dad isn’t here to see it, neither is Vera. I know James feels the same way.”

Robert nodded and enveloped Rose into a cautious hug, mindful of her dress and hair.

She pulled back from the embrace and took another moment to admire her reflection before she carefully rolled up her sleeve and grabbed a pen.

“Thank you for my necklace,” she wrote, smirking when she thought of her mum. If Jackie was here, she would pitch a fit to see Rose smearing her arm with ink just minutes before the ceremony. “It’s beautiful.”

I’m glad you like it! Thanks for the cufflinks! They’re perfect.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes, my love,” Rose wrote.

Can’t wait!

She glanced at the clock, wanting to say sod the schedule and just burst into the church regardless, but she instead settled for pacing restlessly as Robert chuckled off to the side.

Finally—finally!—it was her time to enter the chapel. Rose clung to Robert’s arm as her bridesmaids disappeared into the church. This was it…

“Our turn, darling,” Robert murmured, covering her hand with his. “Ready?”

She nodded fiercely, so ready to be married to her soulmate.

She heard the music start up, and the chapel doors opened, and all heads turned to face her as she and Robert started their slow walk down the aisle. She hardly saw the crowd though, not when she spotted James at the altar, flanked on either side by his groomsmen and her bridesmaids. The view was striking; the groomsmen were all in slate blue tuxes with burgundy ties, while the bridesmaids were in burgundy dresses with navy blue shawls. And standing between them was her soulmate, smartly dressed in a black tux and a black bowtie that he was fiddling with.

God, he was beautiful, and his tuxedo was certainly flattering to his figure. He caught her gaze and a huge grin split his face as he started bouncing on the balls of his toes. Rose giggled at his excitement, and she felt tears of utter happiness prickling her eyes and she had to fight to not race up to him and into his arms.

She felt as though she were floating, like her body was weightless with joy that could not be contained. She barely noticed what was happening, but suddenly she was standing in front of James, and her mother, too. People were speaking, and both Jackie and Robert pressed a kiss to her cheeks before they took her hands and gave them to James.

“You look stunning,” James murmured quietly, even though the minister had started speaking.

He reached out and swiped his thumb at the corner of her eye, catching the tears that had gathered there.

The service passed in a blur of music and readings, and finally it was time for them to give their vows.

“Y’know,” James began, rubbing his thumbs across the backs of her fingers, “a really wise, and beautiful, and perfect, and—” Rose rolled her eyes at him, and he shot her a wink. “—and wonderful woman once told me that she has a theory about soulmates, and what it means to be soulmated. She told me that the soulbond transcends universes. There are an infinite number of parallel universes, and an infinite number of yous and mes. And an infinite number of us-es. And no matter what universe we’re in, you and I are still together, because there is honestly nobody else that could be more perfectly matched to me than you are. You are the best part of my life, and have been ever since I was eleven years old. I promise to love and cherish and support you every minute of every day for the rest of our lives. And I, for one, am so happy to live in this universe with you.”

Rose sniffled against her tears as she squeezed his hands.

“Dunno how I’ll top that,” she whispered. “I should be on ten percent for that, y’know.”

The crowd chuckled as James smiled down at her, and oh, was it time for her to kiss him yet?

“S’pose I’ll just borrow from you,” she teased. “You’ve been the best part of my life since I was five. I barely knew how to read or write, and suddenly there you were. You became my best friend within the course of a day, and our love grows stronger every day, even though it feels like I couldn’t possibly love you anymore than I already do. I can barely remember my life before you, and for that, I’m sort of glad, because I don’t want to know a life without you.” Tears clogged her throat when she saw James’s eyes shimmering with moisture. She squeezed his hands and managed to choke out, “I love you more than anything, and I promise to continue loving you unconditionally and eternally. I promise to support you in all that you do, and I promise to stay with you forever and beyond.”

James blinked and a tear dripped from his eyelashes. She reached up and cradled his cheeks, brushing her thumbs under his eyes as he reached up to cover her hands with his.

Finally, it was time for them to exchange rings. James’s young cousin walked up holding a cushion on which their wedding bands sat. Rose glanced at them, as in love with them as she was when she and James first picked them out.

James took her band from the pillow, and started speaking.

“Rose, you are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend.” He slipped the cool metal of her wedding band onto her finger, and brought her knuckles to his lips for a quick kiss. “With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows.”

Rose’s fingers trembled as she took James’s wedding band from the velvet cushion.

“James, you are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend.” Rose caressed his knuckles reverently as she slid his matching wedding band onto his finger. “With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows.”

Rose was vaguely aware that the minister was speaking again, so caught up in the feel of James’s hands in hers, and on the weight of her new ring, glittering beside her engagement ring. She suddenly heard the word ‘kiss’, and not a moment too soon, in her opinion, because she was about to yank her soulmate down for a snog, regardless of propriety.

James leaned down towards her as she angled her face up, and their lips met in a soft press of a kiss. She tasted the salt from their tears, and she giggled into the kiss, feeling him do the same as his hands moved to cup her cheeks.

The sound of applause pulled them from the moment, and Rose reluctantly pulled away from her husband. Her husband! God, she loved the sound of that, and she beamed up at him. He was smiling softly down at her, and her heart stuttered at the naked love shining in his eyes.

“I love you, my wife,” he murmured, and her belly flipped in elation at those words coming from his lips.

“As I love you, my husband,” she replied, leaning up to catch his lips in hers once more.

The next hour passed in a blur of photographs with James and the rest of their wedding party. The outdoor photos got quite cold quite quickly. Though her dress had sleeves, they were made of sheer lace, and it offered little protection from the December chill. James, however, saw it as an excuse to keep her wrapped in his arms, and Rose couldn’t find it in her to complain.

They were soon shuffled to the hotel for the reception party where they were swept up by many congratulatory guests as the luncheon spread was laid out for the guests.

James guided Rose to the head table and tugged out her chair for her before scooting his seat as close to her as possible. He kept his arm around her as they devoured their food, famished from the excitement of the day, and he stole as many kisses as he could as the toasts started.

He felt so happy and warm that all of their friends and family could celebrate this happy day with them, but he was impatient for the toasts to end so he could get to one of his favorite wedding traditions: the bride and groom’s first dance.

He tugged her to her feet when they were prompted to step onto the dance floor as the first chords of “Grow Old with Me” began.

Rose tucked her head against his chest as he started to dance them across the room, unaware of the soft coos of approval from their guests. How could he be focused on anything other than the feel of his wife in his arms?

He rubbed his fingers against her dress, feeling how the lace slipped across the satin beneath.

“Do you know what I thought when I first saw you?” he whispered in her ear. “I thought you looked like one of those Greek goddesses in the stories, come down from Olympus to mingle with the commoners.” He sighed and pulled her closer. “How did I get so lucky to have a goddess for a soulmate?”

Rose smiled up at him through the tears in her eyes. He bent down and caught her lips in a sweet kiss. The dopamine and serotonin flooding through his body made the kiss seem more pleasurable than any other kiss they had shared, and he wanted so badly to ditch the rest of the reception so he could take Rose to their hotel suit and make sweet love to her all night long.

“I love you,” he said raggedly, pulling back from the kiss before it turned into a heated snog to be witnessed by all of their friends and family.

“As I love you,” she murmured, running her thumb across his bottom lip.

He hummed happily and tugged her snuggly to him as they finished up their first dance as husband and wife.

The afternoon passed blessedly quickly as James and Rose seemed to dance with every guest in attendance, and with each other. The party finally started winding down around late afternoon, and James and Rose took their leave of the reception to make the short trip upstairs to their suite for the night.

They said a hasty goodbye to their friends and family as they ran together through the hallways of the hotel and to the lift.

As soon as the lift doors closed around them, James’s fingers were all over Rose’s skin.

“You looked so beautiful today, love,” he murmured, latching his lips onto the skin of her neck. “You’re the most beautiful bride there’s ever been. And you’re all mine.

A soft sigh escaped Rose’s lips as she tilted her head to the side to give him better access.

“You were pretty handsome too,” Rose said, spinning in his embrace to face him.

He leaned down to reclaim the skin that was just beginning to pinken in a love-bite, but Rose covered his lips with her fingertips, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“We should wait until we get to our room,” she said regretfully as she felt him pout against her fingertips.

Fortunately, the doors dinged open a moment later, and James nipped at her fingers that were still covering his mouth before he took her hand and tugged them to their suite.

He spared a cursory glance around the room, but he was more focused on his wife. His wife! His heart fluttered happily at those two words, and he turned and pinned her against the door to reclaim her mouth. Her lips parted automatically for him, and her hands buried themselves into his hair.

His hands, meanwhile, trailed across her collarbone before his fingers dipped beneath the fabric to tease her breasts. She gasped into his mouth and his fingers tightened in his hair as his fingertip managed to brush across her nipple.

“God, you’re so gorgeous,” he groaned, pinning her hips with his as he rubbed his growing erection against her. “This dress is so gorgeous. And if you want to keep it in one piece, help me get it off you.”

“Impatient are we?” Rose teased, resting her hands on his chest and scratching, delighting in his shudder.

“Can you blame a man for wanting to make love with his new wife?”

Rose grinned against his lips, and pressed a parting kiss to them before she broke away from him. James guided her to the bedroom, where they both worked on disrobing each other. It was slow work made slower by the rogue touches and kisses they pressed to each other’s skin as it was revealed to the other’s gaze, and by the time they were left standing in only their underwear, they were both aching with arousal.

“This set is lovely,” James rasped, running his finger reverently across her lacey, white strapless bra and matching knickers.

“If you think these are sexy,” Rose breathed as he unclasped her bra, “just wait until you see what I packed for the honeymoon.”

James’s belly coiled in anticipation, and he could hardly get their pants off fast enough before walking her backwards to their bed. He crawled onto the mattress after her, admiring the sight of his wife spread bare before him. There was no one in the universe more perfect than her, and he was so proud and thankful that this was his life.

He slowly climbed up her body, pressing teasing kisses and bites across every inch of her skin. He’d barely started nibbling on her hips when she started squirming. She sat up and tugged on his shoulders, forcing him up.

“Enough teasing,” she growled, reaching down to give his erection a firm stroke.

He shuddered out a moan and clenched his hands into fists in their sheets.

“Make love to me,” she whispered. She continued to stroke him slowly as she reclined back against the pillows, and she let her thighs fall open to cradle him between her hips.

James tugged her hand away from his cock as he lined himself up. He leaned forward and caught her lips between his as he slowly let himself slip inside her. Her mouth went lax against his as she whined her pleasure.

He bit his lip and shivered at the feel of her surrounding every inch of him.

“Oh, Rose,” he moaned, pulling out part way before thrusting into her again. “I love you so much.”

“Love you, too,” she sighed, her nails biting into his back on every thrust forward.

“Today was absolutely perfect,” he said, dropping his head to her collarbone. He pressed long kisses to her neck and shoulder as his hand wandered between them to rub at her clit. She arched her hips into his and clenched tight around him, and James squeezed his eyes against the overwhelming pleasure.

“Yeah,” Rose agreed breathlessly, arching into him as a band of heat and need was pulled taut low in her belly. “Oh, God, James. Feels good. You feel so good.”

James grunted wordlessly into her neck, his brain shorting out and refusing to make coherent sentences. His hand rubbed her clit more quickly and firmly as he tried to send her into orgasm before him. He moaned in relief when her legs tightened around his hips as her muscles quivered around him. Her nails scraped down his back as she began crying his name, and he finally let himself tumble into his pleasure after her.

Several minutes later, they were curled up against each other, naked and breathing heavily as their hearts slowed.

“That was so brilliant,” James mumbled as he tugged the duvet up over them as their overheated bodies started to cool.

“Mhm,” she sighed and wrapped her fingers around his hand.

Metal brushed against her palm, and she lifted his hand to inspect his new ring. A thrill of possessiveness shot through her when she saw his ring. James’s chest rumbled as he chuckled behind her and nuzzled his face into her neck.

“Feels a little surreal,” he whispered, holding his hand up so he could see his wedding band too.

Rose lifted her arm so her left hand was hovering beside his, and she admired their matched rings, and the way their arms reflected their words from this morning. The ink was a little smudged from the day’s events, but the conversation was still easily discernable, and Rose didn’t think she would ever get used to seeing the evidence of their soulbond laid out side by side as it was in that moment.

oOoOo

They awoke early the next morning to catch a flight to Chamonix ski resort in France. They’d tidied up the room and left Rose’s wedding dress and James’s tux in the front room, knowing Robert and Jackie would be by later that morning to collect and preserve the garments.

Their week-long honeymoon passed far too quickly for either of their liking, but they knew a longer vacation was in store for them that summer. They crammed their days with ski dates and trips into the small towns surrounding the resort, and their nights with intimacy and warming up together in the spacious tub in their suite. They’d made love plenty of times before they’d been married, but they were still riding the high of their wedding, and every touch of their skin sent bolts of electricity and desire deep inside of them.

On the last day of their honeymoon, James awoke Rose early so they could catch a train to Paris.

“You don’t think I would let us honeymoon in France without taking us to one of the top romance capitals in the world, do you?” James asked dryly when he saw Rose’s excitement.

They explored the capital city all day, hitting as many major monuments and museums as they could, before James took them to dinner in the city.

“Did you have a nice trip, love?” he asked, swirling his wine around in his glass as they waited for their dessert.

“I did,” she confirmed, reaching out to touch her toes to his shin. “Did you.”

“Absolutely. I can’t believe we’ve got to go home tomorrow,” he lamented.

“I know, but the sooner we get back, the sooner our semesters will be finished, and the sooner we can get back to travelling.”

The end of their honeymoon signaled the end of their reprieve from school and obligations. They were both due to graduate at the end of the semester. For Rose, that meant the stress of passing her final semester and figuring out what she wanted to do with her degree. For James, it meant the stress of writing and defending his thesis paper, and figuring out what he wanted to do with his degree.

But despite their busy schedules, they made sure they had at least one date night a week, even if it was something as simple as watching Netflix and eating takeaway.

Spring break brought a much-needed rest for Rose, but James was still working tirelessly on his thesis. And he was also submitting applications to nearby universities for a teaching position for the next autumn.

“This is driving me barmy,” James groaned to Rose one night as he collapsed into their bed. “All of these job applications are contingent on me actually passing my thesis defense. No pressure or anything.”

“James, I have the utmost confidence in you,” Rose said from the en suite where she was washing her face.

He hummed unconvincingly. “If not, I guess you’ll be supporting me in this relationship from now on, eh?”

He grinned at her, still so proud of her for having gotten a job offer at a local photography shop in town.

“Well, it’s about time I pull my weight, isn’t it?” she teased, folding back the covers so she could slip into bed beside him.

James rolled next to her the moment she was settled. He nuzzled his nose into her neck and murmured, “Quite right, too.”

“Good thing I didn’t marry you for your money,” she sighed, tilting her head back as he kissed his way across her collarbone.

“It was my devastating good looks, wasn’t it?”

“Well…”

James growled and nipped at her neck for her cheek, delighting in her giggles as he crawled on top of her.

oOoOo

Thankfully, all of James’s applications and interviews paid off; he was given offers from three of the schools he had applied to, and he decided on Exeter College, which was only a few miles away from their flat, so they wouldn’t have the added stress of finding a new home and moving.

Now that their futures were more or less determined, they were both eager to finish up their degrees. James worked diligently on his thesis, editing it and re-editing it and presenting it to his advisor to make his project as strong as possible.

Rose, meanwhile was wrapping up all of her final projects and papers, glad that she had no final exams to take this semester. When she submitted the last paper of her uni career, she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. Assuming she didn’t make any egregious errors in any of her projects, she would be graduating in a week’s time.

She was. James had been right all of those times he’d told her that uni graduations were boring. She slouched in her hard, uncomfortable seat and rolled up the sleeve of her robe to pass the time chatting with James as she waited to be awarded her degree.

The ceremony finally ended, and she was eager to find James. She scoured the room for him as she jotted down a note on her arm asking where he was, when she suddenly heard his voice.

“Congratulations, my love!” he yelled, jogging up to her to sweep her into a hug. Her gown fluttered around their legs as she hung on for dear life, stifling her grin into his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, Rose. So proud!”

“Oi, put her down so I can have a turn!”

Rose laughed when she saw her mum swat James across the back of his head. He pouted and put her back on her feet, but not before tugging her in for a quick kiss.

The excitement of Rose’s graduation barely passed before the excitement and anticipation of James’s came up on them.

Rose sat in the audience with Robert and several other students and faculty at Oxford. Even from her seat in the audience, Rose could see how nervous James looked.

She checked the time, and upon seeing that he still had ten minutes before his presentation was to start, Rose stood up and walked up to the front of the room.

James didn’t see her at first, pacing as he was, and muttering to himself.

“Hey,” she murmured, reaching out to touch his arm.

He jumped.

“You all right?” she asked, tugging him to stand in front of her so she could fix his hair and his tie.

She felt his muscles relax under her touch, and he exhaled raggedly.

“I’m a little anxious,” he admitted, scrubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “I feel like everything is riding on the outcome of today, y’know. My job next autumn. Our summer vacation. My pride…”

“You’ll be fine,” Rose soothed, placing her hands on his chest, where she could feel his heart beating rapidly. “I’ll be right out there. So’s Dad. Just talk to us. Talk to me. And you’ll be done in about an hour.”

James bobbed his head in agreement as he took her hands from his chest and pressed his lips to her fingers.

“Thanks, love,” he whispered raggedly.

“Sorry, Rose, but we’re about to start. If you could take your seat.”

Rose glanced over her shoulder at James’s research advisor. She nodded, and turned back to her husband. She stretched up on her tiptoes and brushed a soothing kiss to his lips.

“I’ll see you after,” she promised, giving his fingers a squeeze. “You’ve got this, James.”

He nodded wordlessly, and Rose turned away from him. She shuddered out a breath as she walked back to Robert and sat down heavily next to him.

“He’ll be fine,” Robert assured, wrapping his arm around her in a hug.

“I know he will be,” Rose said confidently. “But I hate seeing him so nervous.”

“Once he gets going, he’ll be fine,” Robert said. “It’s how it always goes. You get so immersed in explaining the project you’ve devoted the last three or so years of your life to, and it’s hard to be anything but confident.”

Rose nodded and dropped her hands to her lap as James’s advisor introduced him.

James caught her eye as soon as it was his turn to start presenting, and Rose flashed him a grin and a thumbs-up, relieved when he smiled back. He took in a deep breath, and Rose could visibly see the tension leave his shoulders.

She, on the other hand, was on the edge of her seat for the entire hour of his presentation. She had no idea what he was talking about most of the time, but he seemed calm and poised, so Rose took that to mean he was doing all right. And at the end of the hour, when it was time for him to field audience questions, he answered them in complete detail.

“If all members of the public could evacuate the room.”

Rose froze and turned to Robert.

“What? What’s happening? Did he pass?”

Robert chuckled as he said, “If he doesn’t, I’ll be shocked. But it’s time for the dissertation committee to ask their questions to him, and they’ll make their decisions after that. Though I am ninety-nine percent certain that the next time we see James, he’ll be Doctor James Tyler-McCrimmon.”

Rose grumbled under her breath but dutifully stood and followed Robert into the courtyard. She stopped at the door and caught James’s eye. She wriggled her fingers in a wave, and his easy salute helped ease the nerves she had for him.

The wait was agonizing. Rose paced and checked the time every few seconds, until finally, nearly a half hour after she had to leave, James burst out of the room.

His hair was a mess made from his hands throughout his presentation, and he was grinning widely as he ran right up to her.

“I passed!” he shouted, hauling her into his arms to squeeze her tight.

Rose laughed joyously as she hugged him fiercely.

“I’m so proud of you,” she giggled, peppering his face with sloppy kisses as he twirled her around in the air. “I knew you could do it!”

James set her on her feet and Rose pulled him down for a celebratory kiss. It was an uncoordinated kiss, grinning as they both were, but the sentiment was received as warmth and love bubbled deep inside them.

“Congratulations, mate.”

Robert’s voice broke them apart, and James turned away from his wife to embrace his father. Robert held him tight and murmured, “Your mother would have been so proud of you, James.”

James clenched his eyes shut, dual feelings of regret and elation tugging at his stomach. He desperately wished his mum could’ve been here to see him be awarded his doctorate, but he knew without a doubt he had made her so proud today.

They were soon swarmed by the rest of the science department—and random passersby who had heard the news of his success—who came to offer their congratulations.

James felt drunk on excitement and relief, and on the alcohol his advisor bought to celebrate, as James’s department flooded a local pub to celebrate. This level of elation was second only to his wedding day.

“I’m so proud of you, love,” Rose murmured into his ear that night as she hovered atop him, participating in their private celebration.

“Thank you,” he whispered raggedly, trailing his fingers and lips across her body. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Rose.”

She caught his lips in a firm kiss as they rocked together in synchronous motion.

They left for their second honeymoon the week after James’s thesis was accepted. They first went on a Mediterranean cruise and explored the various cities the ship docked in. Then they flew to Canada to hike the Rocky Mountains. After that, they stopped making concrete plans and instead hopped on a plane to whatever destination sounded best.

They hiked through national parks, kayaked across Alaska, snorkeled off the coast of Maldives, and played the role of stereotypical newlywed tourists in all of the cities they landed in. By the end of their trip, they’d managed to set foot on all six inhabited continents.

On the final week of their vacation, James told Rose he had one last trip in mind, but he wanted to keep it a surprise as much as he could.

“Airports, James?” Rose teased as they caught their second connecting flight. “Are you trying to get us to fly around the world?”

“Not intentionally,” he replied. “But this final destination is quite distant. And I know you’ll love it.”

“I can’t wait.”

They were making their last connecting flight, and this time, he couldn’t keep the destination a secret.

“New Zealand?!” Rose squealed when she saw the gate they were walking towards.

James beamed down at her and said, “Are you ready to take a wander through Middle Earth?”

Rose jumped into his arms and nearly knocked them both to the ground in her enthusiasm.

James preened with pride when he saw the awe in Rose’s eyes when they went on the official Middle Earth tour that New Zealand was becoming renowned for.

When they weren’t following the scheduled tours they’d signed up for, they were exploring the countryside on their own, reenacting the various scenes from the films whenever possible. (James was inordinately pleased with himself when he was able to get other tourists to join in their fun.)

“So, Rose Tyler,” James said on the night they returned to their flat. “Did you find your ten-week second honeymoon to be satisfactory?”

“Very much so,” she said, sinking lower into the bubbles of their bath to ease her cramped muscles from their flight home. “And that’s Rose Tyler-McCrimmon to you.”

James giggled high in his throat as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist. He absently stroked her belly and dropped sporadic kisses to her neck as they relaxed together.

“Did you ever think we’d end up here?” Rose mused quietly, running her fingers up and down his shins.

“Hmm?”

“You know, like when we were kids,” she prompted. “You must’ve imagined our life together?”

“Oh, certainly,” he replied, giving her middle a quick squeeze. “But this isn’t the end, Rose Tyler-McCrimmon. Not at all.”

He leaned forward and coaxed her head back to press a kiss to her lips.

“The road goes ever on and on,” he murmured into her skin. “This is only our beginning.”

The End.

Welp, that’s all for this story folks! Thanks to everyone who read, and a special thanks to everyone who left a comment.

And if you’re curious:

Rose’s Wedding Dress

Rose’s Necklace

Rose’s Earrings

James and Rose’s Wedding Bands

“Grow Old With Me” Wedding Dance Song

#ficandchips #dwfic #doctor who #ten x rose #soulmates au #well that's all folks!#i can't believe it's finally done!#*screaming*#thanks so much for giving this such a positive reception #<3 #and be on the lookout for future works in this series #;)#my fic #perfect match #lemons

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