Yaz had never needed her drink as much as she needed it now. She wasn't usually a heavy drinker, but if she was going to get through this night with her dignity intact, she needed some liquid courage to relax her. Thanks to Ryan's big mouth, she now needed to keep up the charade that the Doctor and she were dating, in case Danny came across them again. Why couldn't Ryan have said he was dating Yaz instead? It would have been so much easier!

Yaz guessed she should be grateful, as it meant she had an excuse to sidle up to the Doctor more without question. But at least with Ryan she wouldn't have been second guessing every single gesture, or applying significant meaning to each touch. They would have laughed about it later on, adding it to their running joke.

But with the Doctor? Yaz would never want to laugh this off. She knew she would remember every second of this night forever, and didn't want anything to tarnish this memory. God she was so confused!

The Doctor must have sensed Yaz's unease, so once they had their drinks, the Doctor indicated to Ryan to watch them. She had then pulled Yaz through the crowd to the loos. Yaz let herself be led, still stunned by how the night had turned out. There were only two loos in the whole place, so the Doctor pushed one of the doors open so they could have a private chat. Yaz looked up at the door and stopped the Doctor.

'Doctor, wait!'

'What, what is it?'

'You're dragging us into the men's!'

'So?'

Yaz used her free hand to gesture to herself, then back to the Doctor. It took the Doctor a couple of seconds to register what Yaz was trying to tell her. Her mouth opened in surprise, before moving to the other door.

'Whoops, still adjusting!' The Doctor pulled her into the intimate space, before pushing the door to a close and locking it. Yaz looked at her friend, a quizzical look on her face.

'Does that happen a lot?' She asked kindly.

'Not so much these days, but sometimes I forget. Gender isn't such an issue for Time Lords like it is for humans. We're a bit more flexible on the whole thing, I guess.' Yaz nodded in understanding. There was a pause, before Yaz broke the silence.

'Why have you dragged me to the loos?' Yaz asked nervously.

'I just want to check in with you, Yaz. Ryan kind of threw us in the deep end back there, didn't he?'

'Yeah, just a bit.'

'What do you want to do about it?' The Doctor asked directly, eyes boring into Yaz's. Yaz blinked at the question, confused.

'What do you mean?'

'I mean… I guess we have to keep it up tonight. You know, the being a couple thing. In case that Danny character comes back.' Yaz felt her stomach jump into her throat. Oh god, the Doctor felt uncomfortable! She must be feeling so awkward right now! Yaz looked away, mortified.

'Doctor, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to do anything. I can leave now, so you don't have to pretend…'

'Yaz, it's fine! It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all!' Yaz turned back to her, bemused.

'Really?'

'Really! I'm worried it makes you uncomfortable, so I was going to suggest I leave…'

'No, don't do that!'

The two women looked at each other, searching the other's face for any trace of lying or discomfort. The Doctor blew out a relieved sigh.

'Yasmin Khan, sometimes I swear we are the same person. We're always on the same wavelength!'

Yaz let out a laugh.

'It's why I get all the points. Turns out I'm a mind reader,' she said cheekily. The Doctor grinned at her.

'No, you get all the points because you're my favourite.' Yaz was stunned back into silence, unsure about what to say to that.

'Doctor, you can't have favourites.'

'Of course I can. You're all my fam, but there's only one Yaz!' The Doctor put her finger to her lips in shushing motion. 'Just don't tell the boys that!' Yaz grinned at her.

'Promise I won't.'

'I can always count on you.' A beat passed. The Doctor looked as if she was about to ask a question, but clamped her mouth shut before asking. Yaz caught her uncertainty.

'What is it, Doctor?'

'I was just going to ask if… if you needed to do this? To lie to Danny?'

'Why?'

'Do you want to get back together with him?' Yaz looked at her friend in surprise.

'No, no way! Definitely not! Why?'

The Doctor fiddled with one of her sleeves.

'When you saw him, you just froze. Obviously I don't know what happened between you two, but I couldn't tell if that was just from shock, because you never wanted to see him again, or because you wanted him. And then, when Ryan blurted out… what he blurted out, and you were stunned. I went along with it because at the time it was the only thing to do, but…what if that was the wrong thing to do, if you wanted to see him again? And now you have to fake it with me when you'd rather be trying to win him back or… oh Yaz, stop me talking, I don't know where I'm going with this!' The Doctor rambled nervously.

'Doctor, I'm so grateful you went along with it! I was stunned because I wasn't expecting it come out of Ryan's mouth. To answer your question, no, there is no way I'd get back with him. It just… hurts to see him. After everything.'

The Doctor cocked her head questioningly.

'What happened?' She asked gently. Yaz shook her head.

'Not tonight. I'll tell you another time, but I don't want to face that tonight. It's bad enough seeing him in person.' The Doctor nodded in understanding.

'No problem, whenever you're ready.' Another pause, and another soft glance shared between the women.

'So… about tonight. Are we doing this?' Yaz asked, still unsure about what was going to happen next.

'I'm up for it if you are?'

'Ryan didn't give us much choice really,' Yaz conceded. She looked at the Doctor with worry. In response, the Doctor lifted her hand. She brought her fingers over Yaz's delicately, finding her hand. She interlaced her fingers with her friend, and clasped them together.

'I'm with you, whatever happens.' A full, solid grin broke out on Yaz's face, realising the Doctor was quoting her back. The Doctor returned her grin, before leading her back into the pub.

…

They returned to the table, and this time there were more people sat around it. Ryan looked up and waved to the Doctor and Yaz.

'Doctor, Yaz, there you are!' The two women looked around at the new guests, sussing out that they must be Ryan's friends.

'Sorry, we were just… y'know, chatting,' the Doctor said aimlessly, causing Ryan to look up in panic. Yaz almost laughed at the comical look on his face. He was clearly still feeling guilty over the mess he had got them in. Yaz beamed at him, trying to convey she wasn't mad.

'Yeah, you know what the Doctor gets like, can't stop talking!' Their hands were still linked, Ryan didn't fail to notice.

'Talking's brilliant,' the Doctor muttered to herself. Yaz nudged her, smiling at her. The Doctor turned to look at her, and couldn't help but return the smile.

'Yaz, Doctor, these are my friends, Dean, Ben, Charlie, and Sam. They're gonna be playing later.' Yaz and the Doctor had begun to sit down while Ryan reeled off the names of his friends (whilst the Doctor pulled out Yaz's chair for her). Yaz nodded to them in greeting, heart ecstatic that the Doctor seemed to be taking this couple charade seriously. The Doctor plopped herself down in the seat next to Yaz. The Doctor grinned at the boys around the table.

'Pleased to meet ya,' she said as she greeted them in turn. They looked up at her with interest, nodding in welcome. The Doctor quickly glanced around the room, taking in more of the venue. 'Y'know, this place looks familiar. Have I been here before? I don't know, maybe it's just Deja vu or something.'

Before settling into a more in-depth conversation, Yaz noticed the Doctor wrap her arm securely around the back of Yaz's chair, sleeve brushing against the back of Yaz's shoulders. Yep, tonight was going to be a night Yaz would always remember.

….

Ryan knew his friends would love the Doctor. Sure, she could be weird, but she was unapologetically herself. The best thing was she always got Ryan. They were similar in a lot of ways; impulsive, childish and loud. They both loved pressing buttons and being curious about the world. They were best mates because of their similarities.

Yaz, on the other hand, was different from both of them. She was always more reserved, thought things through more, and was definitely quieter at times. Looking across at the two of them, however, Ryan could see that the old phrase 'opposites attract' really is true.

He knew he had got them into this mess, of having to pretend to be a couple. It had been a total accident, and he hated seeing the panic in Yaz's eyes when those words slipped out. However, something seemed to have changed, as the Doctor had her arm wrapped around the back of Yaz's chair, and Yaz was radiating happiness liked he'd never seen in her before. They were chatting to the rest of the group, but there was definitely a magnetism between the two women that was holding them together.

Ryan knew Yaz liked the Doctor. She had come close to admitting it to him, but she didn't need words to express her feelings. Yaz's emotions were always written across her face, and she had a hard time covering them up. Anytime they were around each other, Ryan could see Yaz lit up when the Doctor entered the room.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was harder to read. She was very affectionate with Yaz, but she was also an alien. Did Time Lords feel things the same way humans do? Was there a rule against interspecies couples? Ryan had never really had to consider these things before.

Well, whatever the Doctor felt, she looked very comfortable pretending to be dating Yaz. The arm that had been around the back of Yaz's chair was now around her waist. Ryan had noticed Danny walk past a couple of times, clearly trying to catch a glimpse of Yaz, and had looked stunned when he'd seen the two women together. And better yet, each time Danny walked past, the Doctor would stroke Yaz's arm, or squeeze her closer, or even pressed a kiss to her forehead on one occasion.

Ryan should feel guilty for accidentally getting them into this situation, but if it helped them sort out their feelings (and give some karma to Danny), then he suddenly didn't feel so bad.

….

Yaz felt like she couldn't breathe. Every time the Doctor brushed her arm against her back, or her fingers traced Yaz's arm, her heart would stutter and accelerate. She'd also never been this happy. The Doctor was taking the charade seriously, and Yaz wasn't sure what to make of that. Surely the Doctor didn't need to be touching her all the time?

The musicians had started playing live music, so the group turned to watch and listen. The Doctor had withdrawn her arm from around Yaz, so that they could turn around to face the stage. Yaz's seat was in front of the Doctor's, meaning she had to turn away from her. Yaz's face warmed at the thought that the Doctor could watch her, and didn't know how to feel about that.

The first song began to play, and Yaz was very aware of the fact that the Doctor had scooted her chair closer to her. She was practically breathing down her neck. Delicate, nervous fingers traced the skin of her neck. Yaz almost jolted out of her seat in surprise. She glanced over at Ryan, who raised his eyebrows and gestured at the Doctor. Yaz turned her head, just slightly, trying to gauge what the Doctor was doing. The Doctor's expression was one of concentration, but she caught Yaz's confused look.

'Can I play with your hair?' She asked, almost hesitantly, suddenly aware she'd been caught. Yaz nodded. She turned her head back to the musicians, and felt her hair being gently lifted. She wasn't sure what the Doctor was doing, but she was happy to let her do whatever she wanted. The Doctor couldn't sit still for a minute! Yaz smiled to herself about the dorky alien.

She couldn't focus on the musicians playing before her; she was too wrapped up in the way the Doctor gently fiddled with her hair. By the third song, Yaz was pretty sure the Doctor was attempting to plait her hair, and the thought filled her heart with a rush of love. She couldn't think why that small act should have that effect on her, but Yaz figured it must be something to do with the fact that the Doctor was playing her part so well, to make sure Yaz wouldn't hurt. The small touch was another way to connect.

Perhaps Yaz was looking too much into it. Girls played with each other's hair all the time. All she was doing was plaiting it. But, there was something in Yaz that made her look deeper. As a police officer, she always looked at the finer details. The Doctor seemed so hesitant, always asking Yaz's permission to touch her.

The Doctor let the plait drop back against Yaz's back, satisfied with her work.

'All done,' Yaz heard the Doctor whisper to herself. She grinned to herself at the Doctor's success. What she didn't expect was for the Doctor to move even closer. The Doctor scooched her chair up to Yaz's, and pressed herself against Yaz's back. Her chest made contact, and Yaz lost her breath. The Doctor slowly brought her chin to rest on Yaz's shoulder, wrapping her arms around Yaz's waist. The Doctor's hands slipped through Yaz's arms, and came to rest on the tops of her hands. Instinctively, Yaz turned her palms upwards to meet the Doctor's, then clasped her fingers around the Time Lord's. She pulled their joined hands closer to herself, holding them securely. The Doctor squeezed them in assurance.

The current musicians were playing an acoustic version of Duran Duran's 'Ordinary World,' but all Yaz could focus on was the warmth of the Doctor's closeness. The Doctor turned her head slightly, inclining it towards Yaz's ear. Yaz felt her inhale before she spoke.

'You are the reason to start all over again.'