Title: One More For The Road?
Pairing: Ten/Donna
"So if I just put in these coordinates, with a bit of TARDIS magic we should be able to leave Cardiff, in theory, within the hour. That's good isn't it Donna? Donna." the Doctor looked up when he heard no sound from his usually vocal companion. He scanned around quickly with his eyes, and found to his dismay, that she was nowhere to be found.
"DONNA!" he roared impatiently, and grabbed his long suede coat as he skidded across the floor. He slammed the blue TARDIS door shut behind him, his eyes darting around like manic atoms in the nucleus of a resilient element as he contemplated his companion's location.
"Every time, I tell them not to wander off, and what do they do? I need to get a bell for this one," he muttered agitatedly to himself. He pulled on his jacket, the cool air just cold enough for The Doctor to be able to see his breath in wispy clouds before him. He stopped a nearby group of girls and asked them hurriedly;
"Have you seen a girl; about 5'7, bright flame orange hair, average build, pretty in a modest sort of way?" they one by one shook their heads and mumbled their sorries and the Doctor growled, his head in his hands. Just then, he felt a gentle hand tap on his shoulder, and he turned towards the trajectory of its owner; an older gentleman, with salt and pepper flecked hair.
"I saw a red-haired lass like that, she went into that bar. Pretty young thing," he smiled a little leeringly and the Doctor frowned;
"No. No, don't do that," he turned to walk away, but turned back again;
"Thank you," he added, never without his courtesy. He walked quickly to the bar in question which announced itself as 'Liquid'. The Doctor rolled his eyes; he never understood human beings and their silly names for things. He pushed the clear glass door and entered the bar. as he scanned he saw the usual neanderthals engaging in futile fist fights, the lovers who it seemed had mistaken the bar's tables and booths for their own private bedrooms, and there amongst the chicanery, and surrounded by men who were thoroughly rapt, was Donna Noble. The Doctor felt another involuntary eye-roll coming on as he started towards the crowd; he felt a lot like he would imagine a teenage girl's father might feel, dragging his naive, rebel daughter from a club she knew she shouldn't even be at.
Donna looked up at the Doctor and giggled, biting her lip demurely;
"Doctor!" she smiled and got up, half stumbling towards him. He managed to catch her before she did herself any more mischief.
"One for the road, Spaceman?" she slurred, the sharp scent of brandy on her breath as she breathed near his face;
"I think you've had enough for both of us, don't you, Donna Noble?" he frowned at her, his disapproval evident.
"Oh come on, have some fun," she haphazardly flung her arms around his neck as she spoke. He pulled her up to stand, putting her arm around his neck, so he could carry her back to the TARDIS.
"Say goodbye to the gentlemen," he rolled his eyes as she blew them kisses, and in return they gave her wolf whistles of appreciation. The Doctor found that leading the drunk, was rather like manoeuvring a sofa; there was resistance, there was swaying back and forth, but most of all; they were a dead-weight. He tried as best as he could to avoid the flailing arms and stumbling legs of Donna Noble, as he carefully manoeuvred her out of the doorway. He felt she resembled a new born giraffe, on its first exploration of the world. He shook his head and continued the arduous trek back to the TARDIS. Once he reached the blue wooden box, he gently leaned Donna against the side wall as he fumbled in his jacket for the TARDIS key. He found it and pulled it from his pinstripe suit jacket.
"Right let's go insi-oh for Gallifrey's sake," he sighed in his exasperation, seeing that Donna had fallen into a hedge. He leaned down and picked her up as a new husband would pick up his wife to carry her over the threshold of their new home. Donna clung onto him, scared of falling;
"You're my big, strong Doctor Spaceman," she mumbled, before giggling drunkenly.
"Yes, well, let's just uh, oh I don't know! Drunkenness isn't a Time-Lord problem," he sighed, his voice a little higher than normal. He carried her into the TARDIS and considered where he would lay her. She murmured softly;
"You'd better not chuck up; this is my favourite suit," he eyed her carefully, but she only smiled and shook her head;
"No, put me down Spaceman," she carelessly flapped at him with her open palms until he set her onto her unsteady feet. He kept his hands clasped around her forearms to steady her. She looked up at him, and although her vision was a little hazy and the console room swam a little before her, she saw him. She really saw him, as if for the first time. She noticed the pinkish hue of his full lips, the crooks of the corner of his mouth when he smiled, the slight laughter lines that snaked around his eyes when he smiled and his eyes. Oh goodness his eyes; beautifully autumnal in their deep brown glow, his hair, that now she found herself longing to run her fingers through.
"Doctor?" she began, her stomach flipping a little; she was unsure if it was the drink or nerves but either way she blushed softly when he captured her gaze in his;
"Hmm?" he uttered, his mind wondering what he was going to do with her, until her senses returned;
"Kiss me," she spoke only those two words; direct to the point, no room for misgivings or misunderstandings
"I'm sorry?" the Doctor was unsure if he had heard her correctly;
"Did you say-" Donna cut him off as she slid over to where he stood. He had no time to react before she pressed her lips to his. He moaned in protest and placed a hand on either side of her shoulders to restrain her.
"What? What? WHAT?!" he was lost for words;
"You said and I quote; "You're not mating with me sunshine," the day we met that second time. What has gotten into you?! You're drunk, you're crazy, you're out of your mind, away with the fairies, possessed, did I mention drunk? Oh so very, very drunk!" he squawked; his hands gesturing widely, his voice almost an entire octave above his normal register.
"Did anyone ever tell you, you talk too much, Doctor?" she bit her lip and pulled him by his tie to her. He gulped audibly;
"Donna, try to think rationally. You'll regret this, and I have no doubt that in the morning, you'll slap me again, and believe me when I tell you this; I don't think my cheek can handle another one of your slaps." She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips;
"Is there something wrong with me?" she frowned, her sass oozing from every syllable. The Doctor smiled softly, almost vacantly;
"Oh Donna Noble, you're just brilliant, I'm just looking out for you. I'm seeing clearly, and whilst it would be fantastic, it wouldn't be honourable," he nodded as he finished;
"Don't you mean it wouldn't be 'Noble' Doctor?" she sniggered at her own joke and he chuckled softly but said nothing in response;
"If it's a mistake, it's a mistake, but every girl's got to make a beautiful mistake like you once in her life," she half smiled, a smile that he returned, his tongue pressed up against the top of his teeth, as it was when he was considering things, or trying to be cute and charming. As she edged closer, he didn't move away, only tilted his head down to capture the gaze of her impossible eyes; the colour of a sky after a fallen rain, the intense bluish-grey of the calm after the storm. She once again pressed her lips to his. Once more he tried to resist, but only for a second, surprising them both. He found his hands slipping through the tresses of her flame-red hair, which in the TARDIS glow reminded him of the Gallifreyan second sun rise. He found his body pressed against hers. He found his voice forming small, sighs of unintelligible nonsense. His tongue met hers in sweet synchronicity, a surge of electricity surged through his entire body. Her mind and body were sober from his kiss, her dizziness came from the aura of him. The Doctor knew many things, but most of all he knew, that he had lost all resistance, and he didn't regret a thing.