Today you are You

I Shine So Bright When You’re Around

Okay, so I got a burst of inspiration, so I finished it much earlier than I was expecting. Happy birthday, Rose! Stay beautiful, you classy lady.

The title is from the song Who’s To Say by Vanessa Carlton.

Wrote this to celebrate Rose’s 16th birthday today. Fits in with my Annual Post-Sburb Christmas Party AU. Cute little John/Rose fluff. Read it below the break.

——————-

“Hello, John.”

“Did you open it yet?”

“No, not yet. I assumed that, as usual, you would want to see me open it,” Rose said, smiling at her laptop’s built-in webcam.

“You’re absolutely right,” John admitted with a huge grin. “Well, go on; I’m here now, open it!”

“Patience is a virtue,” Rose teased with a slight smile. She gathered the box from the corner of her desk and held it in front of her so that John could see it. She gave it a little shake, hearing a dull, rattling thud. The grin that John gave her made her roll her eyes. “Shall I begin attempting to guess what is in the box?”

“Nope! Just open it!”

Rose smiled a little more and ran her thumb nail across the tape, splitting it easily. The lifted the flap precisely and looked inside. Within the blue depths, she saw a slightly smaller box, and a small rock. She looked at the camera again, raising an eyebrow.

“Just in case you tried to guess. Go on, open it up!”

Rose opened the second box and was greeted by…

“Another box?”

John giggled, nodding eagerly. “Go ahead, open it up!”

Rose opened it, as well, and sighed. “John Clancy Egbert, how many boxes did you use for this present?”

“Only a few more, I promise.”

Rose sighed, but couldn’t help but smile more with each box, nestled inside the previous one. After a few minutes, she reached a small box, a little smaller than her fist. It was a jewelry-box type of box, much nicer than its cardboard predecessors, and she looked at John again. “John, is this the last box?”

John nodded. “Open it up, Rose. So I can see you.”

Rose smiled softly and sat facing her computer, holding the hinged box in front of her. She slowly lifted the top of it, looking in, and her eyes slowly widened. “John… is this…?”

“An Evenstar pendant, exactly like the ones used in the Lord of the Rings movies? Guaranteed authentic, and with a lifetime warrantee? Yeah, it is.” John breathed out a puff of air onto his fingernails and buffed them against the chest of his tee shirt.

“John, I… This is amazing. I don’t know what to say.”

“Amin mela lle,” John said with a crooked smile. “Aur onnad meren.”

Rose giggled silently. “Rim hennaid,” she said in response.

“Glassen.”

Rose laughed. “I doubt any other couple in the world switches to Elvish when they become overly emotional.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” John laughed. “We’re probably in the minority, that’s true, but I really doubt we’re the only ones.”

Rose laughed happily. “Okay, that is probably true.”

John’s grin threatened to elevate his ears. “Put it on!”

Rose shook her head in amusement and pulled the pendant carefully from the box, unfastening the clasp carefully.

“I would be putting it on you myself, but my arms aren’t quite that long.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, John.” Rose fastened the necklace around her neck and straightened out her hair a little, smiling at the camera again. “How does it look?”

John’s smile got a little dreamy. “You’re so beautiful.”

Rose felt her cheeks warm slightly, and she looked down. “John… You make me blush.”

“And I will continue making you blush for the rest of your life,” he promised. With a flourish, he kissed his fingertips and then touched them to his computer screen.

Smiling more, Rose did the same. “I love you, John.”

“Mm, I love you, too, baby.”

Rose giggled.

“Sweetie pie. Honey bear. Cutie cake.”

“John, stop that!” Rose laughed, closing her eyes to try and keep some semblance of control over her laughter.

“Aww, Rose, look at me,” John whined.

Rose sighed once her laughter had abated, and opened her eyes, looking straight at the camera lens.

John sighed, and Rose looked down at the screen again, seeing him put his chin in his hands, looking like a lovestruck young girl. “You’re so beautiful,” he said again

Rose smiled and shook her head a little. “Thank you, John.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” John said happily.

“Only a few more weeks,” Rose agreed.

“And then I’ll be able to put that necklace on you, myself. And take it off.”

“Oh? And why would you want to take my lovely birthday present off of me?”

“So I doesn’t get tangled, obviously.”

“Tangled in what?”

“My hands, when they’ll be in your hair as I’m kissing you senseless.”

“John!” Rose gasped, blushing and laughing more.

“What? I’m just giving you fair warning!” he laughed back.

Rose hid her smile behind a hand. “You sly fiend.”

“You know it,” John said with a wink.

Rose shook her head as she laughed. “I have to go have dinner with Mom. I think she’s taking me out to eat. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“All right, love. Have fun. I’ll talk to you later.” John puckered his lips and made kissy sounds, and Rose did them right back. “Love you, baby.”

“I love you, too, John. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Rose disconnected from Pesterchum and fiddled with the pendant around her neck. She now knew what she would get John for his birthday. It was a rather perfect idea, in fact. She smiled. He would love it. She skipped off to find her mother, grinning widely.

——————-

The Elvish phrases mean, “I love you,” “Happy Birthday,” “Many thanks,” and “My pleasure ( / my joy / you’re welcome).” Yeah, I was once a LotR fan. I figured, with Liv Tyler and wizards, John and Rose would be, too.