Donna was right, the café wasn't perfect but The Doctor tolerated the weak cup of coffee to spend time with his friend. It felt unusual to know she recognised him now by only the simple name 'John Smith'. In fact, it hurt him deep inside to know she couldn't remember how their days used to go. Travelling, teasing… fun.
"So John Smith, what do you do? As a job. What do you do as a job?" Her hands were wrapped nicely around her only slightly warm coffee, and she brought the drink to her lips as she awaited his answer, pulling a face once doing so at the taste. However, she didn't comment on the drink, and simply waited patiently for the male to speak.
"I'm… a nurse." He said, thanking his own name silently for the slight inspiration. "Yes, a nurse." His smile grew wider in slight pride and he watched over to Donna. "How about you?". The red head glanced down for a moment and shook her head.
"A nurse?" She laughed, finding that almost amusing before shaking her head. "Isn't that a female's job?" But The Doctor did nothing more than a simple shake of his head. She then went on to answer his question, a small sigh escaping her lips. "Nothing, if I'm honest." But then found a smirk peering onto her expression and she looked back up to him. "But I have been known as the best temp in Chiswick. See these hands?" She lifted up both of her hands, her palms facing The Doctor. "100 words per minute. I'd like to see anyone else try that."
Oh, The Doctor's heart beat rapidly against his chest now. She'd told him that before, as The Doctor. Just before he'd made her forget the best days of her life. She'd stated a very similar sentence to that. He attempted to remain content, and was successful. His pain was deep within, and his exterior still acting as though John Smith. He was quiet the actor.
His lips formed a slight smile, and he forced a fairly convincing laugh before shaking his head. "I'm sure you were amazing."
Donna found herself feeling that unusual sensation again, her stomach fluttering as The Doctor spoke. Just the simple compliment made her swoon and she didn't know whether to curse herself or simply flirt with the guy. She wasn't used to this sort of thing.
"I was fantastic." She decided to come back with, the slight vanity in her words proving she was joking, and it seemed to have worked. The Doctor laughed and gave a grin. "I can imagine."
He was watching her now, staring once again. It seemed to be an action he couldn't stop. He was unaware he was doing it and he wasn't even intending to do so, but it came naturally. Although now, Donna seemed to be staring back at him, their gazes met and she found a soft gasp escape her lips. Never had she found herself in such a way, but as she studied his beautiful brown eyes and his gorgeous face, she seemed to get lost.
The moment lasted for at least a minute, and Donna was the one to break it, shaking herself out of it before putting on a smile as if it didn't happen. "Anyway, Nurse Smith. How about we go and introduce you to my mum and my granddad? They always like it when a new neighbour comes and I'm sure they're going to love you. Trust me."
The Doctor nodded his head to acknowledge her words, and he knew he was going to have a lot of explaining to do to both Sylvia and Wilfred. His mind seemed set on imagining their reaction, and he was going to have to try and convince them as John Smith. He'd never let anything happen to Donna, and he knew they'd play along. It was for her safety, and all three of them wanted to make sure she was looked after.
TBC