[At least he learns. It's a very good trait. In appreciation for not laughing, she loops the arm that the bag of legos is on through his arm. The bag kind of bangs between them but it's alright for the short trip down into the flat.]

S'not the bluntness and straightforward that bothers me. It's the sheer amount of screamin' that kids seem to do and kickin' in the shins. Had a little girl kick me in the shins for no decent reason! Yeah, with the right sorta people, could be lotsa fightin'.

Kicking people in the shins - effective but always seems so... random. It's more often someone stomps on your foot if they're angry. Very six year old girl, frilly skirt and pigtails, kicking people in the shins.

[He gets an amused look as she opens the door into the flat. Rose Tyler was probably a shin kicker.]

She was 'bout...four, I think but she had the frilly skirt and pigtails.

[He hasn't been kicked in the shin in ages. Doesn't really run into enough small children for it. She seems like she might have been though. He'll have to avoid aggravating her on grab bag day.]

See, there you are. It's very nearly the equivalent of hair-pulling. Not really a very fair tactic, on the whole.

Fightin' usually involve fair tactics? [Because she's got her doubts about that one.] Girls fight dirty with the hair pullin' and bitin' now matter how old they are.

Well... I suppose it depends on your definition of 'fair'. Normally it just encompasses 'whatever I thought of before you', which depending on who you are can severely limit what's considered fair.

Do they? That seems like an odd... characteristic. Maybe they understand tactics better.

Sorta how I thought it went. [She's giving him that grin with the tip of her tongue between her teeth.]

Y'kiddin'? Girls are masters of tactics. Shove guys 'round and get 'em to do what we want, don't we?

[It's sort of why whenever she's winning he deems it 'cheating' almost immediately.]

Well, I wouldn't... Say that as a rule, no. Entirely speaking. [Although attempting to hide amusement.]

[She grins at him, stepping in front of him and going on tiptoe to press a kiss against his lips.]

Entirely speakin'.

[See, just like that.]

Always a few exceptions.

[Mmm well that was a bit of cheating. He doesn't seem to mind though.]

Guess I don't mind bein' an exception then. [Taking his hand again to go over and work on the balcony they're building now.]

[He'll never mind as long as she's not doing it at a weird time, and she isn't an idiot - far from it - so that's unlikely to ever be an issue.]

Oh, you, Rose Tyler, are all the exceptions. [then they get to the what-will-be-a-balcony area, he starts using his free hand to get the bits of lego out of his pocket, more letting them fall into a floor-pile than anything.]

[Well in some ways, he does say things like this to her occasionally. She doesn't get tired of hearing them and to say it in that particular way just makes her fizzle up with feelings. She giggles when he picks her up off her feet, legs bending to swing a bit.]

Thank you. For lettin' me be the exceptions.

[She's still under the impression that he's got a choice in the matter.]

[Is it better to think he's got a choice or better to realise he sort of didn't even have a chance? It seems like there might be reassurance in one direction but an altogether different sort of doubt in the other.

Regardless, this is one of his favourite sorts of hugs, even if he does have to put her back down eventually.] Wouldn't have it another way. Always need a few anyway; I like them all being Rose-shaped.

[Both seem to come with their own sort of assurance and doubt. Flattering if out of every person in the entire Universe, he chose her. Doubting because choices can be unmade. Reassuring if he had no chance because he's less like to change his mind. Doubtful because...well it could be said he was more or less 'forced' into it. She's better off just not over analysing anything and accepting it for what it is.

It's the very best of the hugs and she hangs on tightly for a moment after he puts her down.] Funny that is. I like 'em all bein' Rose-shaped too.

[Yeah, both of those paths and all those outcomes seem fairly balanced. Honestly he wouldn't know how further to convince her of one or the other even if he were aware it was a thing that might need doing.

After they let go, he continues pulling little bricks and crafted-shapes out of his pockets and letting them fall into a pile, dropping to his knees after a few moments since they'll probably be sitting for most of the building anyway.] Quite fortunate, really. Works out well for the both of us.

[She sits down cross legged and starts pulling the little plastic bricks out of her bag then adding them to the balcony they're attempting to make.]

Really does. You know what your exceptions are likely to be and I get all the puffed upness of knowing it's me.

[That gets a bit of a laugh as he builds up to match the bottom of the chunk he pulled off and then sticks that on as it is.] Puffed upness. Good. I like causing puffed upness in other people. Good to share the bloating around a bit.

[Well saying it like that makes her giggle.]

Just makin' sure you can still get through doors that aren't bigger on the inside.

[Good, that was the intention.]

Pft. And lose this figure?

[She does that little sexy grin.] S'good figure to maintain. [And she winks at him.]

Thank you very much. Special made. So long as all the doors stay taller than they are wide, I don't think we'll have much of a problem. All the running helps a bit I think. Even if there isn't quite as much of it to do here.

Wouldn't want to duck goin' through doors? Guess I ought to take muckin' 'bout with them off my list for today then. [She's snickering because the idea of him ducking into little doors is amusing to her.]