When the Bough Breaks, Part 7
WARNING: This part contains a prequel to the previously mentioned sexual situations. If you don't want to read about it, run, run away. Otherwise, enjoy. But don't say I didn't warn you! This is a shorter section, but the next one will make up for it.
"You, say everything's clear in time/You, make it a matter of why/You, don't play the inguinal part/And oh, you've just gone straight to my heart/And I want to tell you/But I guess I'm still too proud/So I've gotta be so quiet/And I've gotta be so still/And I've gotta be so cool/Let me tell you about an act of will/And I've gotta show such care/And I've gotta be so aware/Wanna hear about a constant fight/I'm gonna give myself away one night."
"So Quiet, So Still" by Natalie Archangel. Copyright by Natalie Archangel. Lyrics used w/o permission.
"You. you."
Sarah tried to form a coherent sentence, but she could barely think. She must have heard him wrong! Surely he didn't just sit there and look at her and say.
He grinned at her open mouthed big-eyed expression. "Do watch it, you're liable to catch a fly."
She partly closed her mouth, still staring at him in fear and wonder. "Ooo," she uttered, the sound somewhere between joy and pain. Her brows knitted and scrunched together as she drew a shaky breath.
"Well, don't knock yourself out to say something, Sarah," he said. His tone was teasing, but his eyes were not. Not quite. They were worried. He was worried. Had he misjudged the situation? Had the kiss really not meant to her what he thought, what he hoped it had? A chilling thought struck him. What if she leaves me now? What if I've just made a horrible mistake?
"Sarah," he began anxiously.
Her laughter cut him off. He peered at her cautiously and saw her smiling, no, beaming would be a better word. And she kept laughing. Finally he couldn't stand anymore. "Well, I'm glad to know that my declaration of feelings has amused you so much," he sniffed.
"No, no! You don't understand!" She grabbed his arms, her laughter subsiding, but she was still smiling at him. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because. I didn't believe this could happen."
"Whatever do you mean?"
She blew out a breath, hands curling on his arms as she searched for the right words. "I never thought you could care for me," she said quietly. "I never thought I could be anything more to you than Sarah Jane Smith, your faithful adoring companion. I thought." Her voice quivered and trailed off, and the Doctor was stunned to see tears in her eyes. He reached up and clasped her hands in his. "What, Sarah? You thought what?"
She shook her head.
"Please tell me," he whispered.
"I never thought you could. you could love a."
"A what?"
She shook her head again, and his eyes softened. "A human? Is that it? You didn't think a great Time Lord could have feelings for a lowly human?"
She nodded, looking down, ashamed at her idea but unable to deny it. She waited timidly for him to become angry, but he only chuckled, a rich, heartrending sound.
"Oh, Sarah," he sighed. "We both have much to learn."
She sniffed, reclaiming one of hers hands to wipe at the tears on her face. "Well, that's hardly a surprise for my end," she said with a short laugh.
He reached down and took her tears away himself, caressing her face with his large cool hand until the glistening drops were gone. Then he stared at her with an intensity that made her quake inside. "Listen to me, Sarah," he said softly but firmly. "You are not, I repeat, not a lowly human, or a lowly anything else. Why do you think I've traveled with humans as much as I have? Granted, your race has some collective maturing to do, but that's to be said of any of us. Including Time Lords. We weren't always the picture of civility, you know. And I'm still learning, the same as you. I've been around much longer than you, Sarah. That doesn't mean you're stupid. You're actually one of the brightest humans I've ever met."
"Oh, now you're just trying to butter me up," she scoffed, but secretly his words made her indescribably happy.
"Now would I do a thing like that?"
She giggled. His eyes were wide as saucers, affecting that innocent look he so often wore. "You certainly would!"
"I'm shocked that you would think so." He affected a look of mock offense. "I believe that some redress is in order for that statement."
"Oh? And just what do you have in mind?" She teased.
He pulled her to him, brushing a curl away before wrapping both arms gently around her waist. They were close, as close as they'd been the day they parted. She stared into his eyes, those large mesmerizing dark blue eyes. She felt her breath quicken, felt her body tremble in response to his nearness, his touch. He smiled at her, one of his slow lazy smiles that seemed to take a week to appear.
"Something along the lines of this," he whispered. And he kissed her.
WARNING: This part contains a prequel to the previously mentioned sexual situations. If you don't want to read about it, run, run away. Otherwise, enjoy. But don't say I didn't warn you! This is a shorter section, but the next one will make up for it.
"You, say everything's clear in time/You, make it a matter of why/You, don't play the inguinal part/And oh, you've just gone straight to my heart/And I want to tell you/But I guess I'm still too proud/So I've gotta be so quiet/And I've gotta be so still/And I've gotta be so cool/Let me tell you about an act of will/And I've gotta show such care/And I've gotta be so aware/Wanna hear about a constant fight/I'm gonna give myself away one night."
"So Quiet, So Still" by Natalie Archangel. Copyright by Natalie Archangel. Lyrics used w/o permission.
"You. you."
Sarah tried to form a coherent sentence, but she could barely think. She must have heard him wrong! Surely he didn't just sit there and look at her and say.
He grinned at her open mouthed big-eyed expression. "Do watch it, you're liable to catch a fly."
She partly closed her mouth, still staring at him in fear and wonder. "Ooo," she uttered, the sound somewhere between joy and pain. Her brows knitted and scrunched together as she drew a shaky breath.
"Well, don't knock yourself out to say something, Sarah," he said. His tone was teasing, but his eyes were not. Not quite. They were worried. He was worried. Had he misjudged the situation? Had the kiss really not meant to her what he thought, what he hoped it had? A chilling thought struck him. What if she leaves me now? What if I've just made a horrible mistake?
"Sarah," he began anxiously.
Her laughter cut him off. He peered at her cautiously and saw her smiling, no, beaming would be a better word. And she kept laughing. Finally he couldn't stand anymore. "Well, I'm glad to know that my declaration of feelings has amused you so much," he sniffed.
"No, no! You don't understand!" She grabbed his arms, her laughter subsiding, but she was still smiling at him. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because. I didn't believe this could happen."
"Whatever do you mean?"
She blew out a breath, hands curling on his arms as she searched for the right words. "I never thought you could care for me," she said quietly. "I never thought I could be anything more to you than Sarah Jane Smith, your faithful adoring companion. I thought." Her voice quivered and trailed off, and the Doctor was stunned to see tears in her eyes. He reached up and clasped her hands in his. "What, Sarah? You thought what?"
She shook her head.
"Please tell me," he whispered.
"I never thought you could. you could love a."
"A what?"
She shook her head again, and his eyes softened. "A human? Is that it? You didn't think a great Time Lord could have feelings for a lowly human?"
She nodded, looking down, ashamed at her idea but unable to deny it. She waited timidly for him to become angry, but he only chuckled, a rich, heartrending sound.
"Oh, Sarah," he sighed. "We both have much to learn."
She sniffed, reclaiming one of hers hands to wipe at the tears on her face. "Well, that's hardly a surprise for my end," she said with a short laugh.
He reached down and took her tears away himself, caressing her face with his large cool hand until the glistening drops were gone. Then he stared at her with an intensity that made her quake inside. "Listen to me, Sarah," he said softly but firmly. "You are not, I repeat, not a lowly human, or a lowly anything else. Why do you think I've traveled with humans as much as I have? Granted, your race has some collective maturing to do, but that's to be said of any of us. Including Time Lords. We weren't always the picture of civility, you know. And I'm still learning, the same as you. I've been around much longer than you, Sarah. That doesn't mean you're stupid. You're actually one of the brightest humans I've ever met."
"Oh, now you're just trying to butter me up," she scoffed, but secretly his words made her indescribably happy.
"Now would I do a thing like that?"
She giggled. His eyes were wide as saucers, affecting that innocent look he so often wore. "You certainly would!"
"I'm shocked that you would think so." He affected a look of mock offense. "I believe that some redress is in order for that statement."
"Oh? And just what do you have in mind?" She teased.
He pulled her to him, brushing a curl away before wrapping both arms gently around her waist. They were close, as close as they'd been the day they parted. She stared into his eyes, those large mesmerizing dark blue eyes. She felt her breath quicken, felt her body tremble in response to his nearness, his touch. He smiled at her, one of his slow lazy smiles that seemed to take a week to appear.
"Something along the lines of this," he whispered. And he kissed her.