6 ∞ after

[leathered]

[voice]

[ At first, there are just little domestic sounds -- someone wandering around the kitchen, open the fridge, shut the fridge. And then the Doctor begins to speak to himself. ]

So they've all gone home, our visitors, and left us here behind. Back to their worlds, back to their adventures, and we're left cooling our heels in this forgotten corner of the universe. Playing domestic for a bunch of bored madmen. Great. Always how I imagined life. Usually I'm liberating places like that.

[ A pause. ] And the milk's gone off. Tastes like sand. Oi, hold on, is my device recor--

[ Yes, Doctor, it was. ]

Comments

locked; aww

[leathered]

You feeling an itch to go or something?

[ Now he's concerned. ]

locked;

[iwasherefirst]

No. [It's said with absolute certainty.] M'not goin' anywhere

[She sighs because he's going to kill her if he finds out he told himself.]

It's really bothering him. I guess...I guess I was here before and I left for a little while before I came back. I don't remember it...but he does and...he's happy right now and I don't think that's happened in a while so...[She shrugs a little.]

Please don't...give him a hard for bein' happy here. For me? [because she deals with the fall out of that.]

locked;

[leathered]

[ The Doctor is really not sure how to respond. No, he won't make fun of himself for being happy, because... well. wouldn't it be nice to be happy? Really happy, even if it was a temporary, uncertain thing? He's been getting a lot better, himself, since he met Rose, but he still has his moments. Like the one that prompted this post. So no, he won't be mean. He might tease a bit, but not seriously. ]

We'll watch out for each other. Him and me. And for the goofy one at that. Might drive each other crazy, but it's like family, you know.

[ Not that he had been particularly close to his since Susan left. But it's the best metaphor he can think of. ]

locked;

[iwasherefirst]

[If Rose knew how to make this Doctor really happy like that, she'd do it in a heart beat. Teasing while she's here, is allowed, expected even. Afterwords, she doesn't think it would be taken as well.]

Yeah, I look after Mum and Mickey even though they both drive me batty.

Thank you.

locked;

[leathered]

[ Hey, you can't compare him to Jackie and Ricky! ]

Don't worry about it. Chin up, all right?

locked;

[iwasherefirst]

[Well, she loves them too! And they drive her crazy. It was a good comparison.]

Chin up. I'll be over with milk in a bit.

[Mostly because now she wants to hug you.]

locked;

[leathered]

All right. Door's not locked.

[ Maybe he thinks Rose deserves a hug too. ♥ ]

locked;

[iwasherefirst]

[True to her word, a few minutes later she lets herself in, heading toward the kitchen.]

Doctor?

[leathered]

[ He's leaning against the sink, thinking. On the table you can see the remains of his milk experimentation: a small jug and a cup with a filter over the top, on which has collected some sand. The filter might be an old pair of her pantyhose, but they had runs, okay. And make great filtration devices. ]

There you are. Was worried you'd disappeared in the hallway.

[ No, not seriously. But he is pleased to see her. ]

[iwasherefirst]

[She really dislikes the pantyhose for the most part so she doesn't mind donating them. It gives her an excuse not to wear them.]

Nope. Still stuck with me.

[And she's just going to go straight into a hug, squeezing him tightly.]

[leathered]

[ He hugs her back firmly. ]

Shouldn't let grumpy future me get you down, you know.

[iwasherefirst]

[She smiles at his words, squeezing one more time before she pulls slightly away, hands still on his shoulders.]

Grumpy Future You? Sounds like a name that might stick to me.

[leathered]

He'd just call me Grumpy Past Him, so things would get confusing. [ He smiles at her a little. ]

[iwasherefirst]

Yeah, 'cause they're not already. [She says it teasingly, smiling back.]

[leathered]

Impossible to mix us up. [ He smiles quickly. Rose was always good at cheering him up. ] I don't know if you saw the other other me over the weekend, but he's even more difficult to mistake.

[iwasherefirst]

You've got very different fashion sense. [Oh good. She loves being able to cheer him up. She's just going to hang onto his coat sleeves a bit as they talk.]

Oi yeah, I did. Looks like he's 'bout twelve. [Lowering her voice just a bit] He's'not nearly as good at tackle hugs as you two are.

[Because they've got it down to a science. She never worries that they won't catch her when she runs at them full force and flings herself toward them.]

[leathered]

[ The Doctor snorts. ] He's not used to affection from strange blondes. Have to be careful with that me.

[ He hurt Peri when disoriented. At least he didn't seem to have injured Rose. ]

[iwasherefirst]

I'll keep that in mind.

[She is entirely uninjured.]

Not used to yous that aren't used to me. [And frankly, she doesn't like it.]

[leathered]

[ He snorts. ] Not much we can do about that. You'll just have to show me your sparkling personality.

[ And tacklehugs. ]

[iwasherefirst]

Managed it once. Ought to be able to do it again.

[They're synonymous with Rose Tyler]