Chapter 8
Yaz felt like she was going pretty fast around the track with the walker, until she looked at the Doctor and realised how slowly she was walking to stay by her side.
"I'm walking like a turtle," she complained.
"More like a tortoise. Turtles usually swim," the Doctor said reasonably.
"Maybe I am a turtle. I can swim faster than this."
"But look at you! You're walking, on your own, after severing your spine!" The Doctor grinned at her excitedly.
Yaz couldn't help smiling back. "It does feel like a miracle."
"Not a miracle, just more advanced science than you have on Earth in 2021. Just think: when you first started, you needed more support than this, and it took enormous effort just to put one foot in front of the other. Now you're walking all the way around a track without stopping! Soon you'll be able to do it without the walker, just holding my arm, and then…you won't even need that."
Yaz looked at her. "Can I hold your hand anyway?"
The Doctor placed her hand over Yaz's on the walker. "Always."
Yaz heaved a sigh as the finish line drew nearer. Her stamina was growing day by day, but her tasks were becoming more difficult as a result, and she still left therapy feeling wrung out.
"I think I'm going to want a whirlpool bath after this," she told the Doctor.
"Not a problem. I'll get it ready for you as soon as we get back to your room."
Yaz looked around for her wheelchair so she could sink into it, but it wasn't there. Sister Violet saw her confusion and smiled.
"You're doing just fine with this," she said, pointing to the walker. "I don't think you need the chair anymore. The more you walk, the stronger you'll get."
"That's good news!" the Doctor declared, putting her arm around Yaz's shoulders and squeezing.
"It is, I'm just tired."
"All you have to do is walk to the lift, and then to your room. And then you can rest in the bath."
Yaz nodded, keeping that end goal in sight as she and the Doctor made their way to the lift.
"So when we're married," the Doctor said thoughtfully as they rode up the lift, "will we be living part-time in Sheffield so you can go to work?" Her face lit up as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Are we going to get a flat?"
"I suppose we could," said Yaz. "But that wasn't what I was picturing."
The Doctor furrowed her brow as the lift dinged and they started down the corridor to Yaz's room. "I guess I need to know what you are picturing."
"I figured I would just live with you, on the TARDIS, all the time."
"And not do your job anymore?"
Yaz shook her head. "It's hard to feel excited about rising through the ranks of Hallamshire Police when you're doing the same sort of job all over the universe, with the best of the best as your partner."
The Doctor beamed. "And your family?"
"We can visit them as often as we'd like, but I don't think we need our own flat in Sheffield. Unless you want one."
The Doctor shrugged. "I thought it might be fun to decorate a flat."
"You have the TARDIS to decorate!"
"Somewhat, but she does a lot of her own decorating."
Yaz raised her eyebrows. She was still a little unclear on the TARDIS-having-a-mind-of-its-own thing, but one thing that was certain was that the Doctor was not in complete control. "I guess it's something we can talk about more after the wedding. I just never pictured you being…domestic."
"I can do domestic! Sometimes. It can be quite the adventure."
"With you, anything can be an adventure."
They walked into Yaz's room and Yaz made a beeline for her bed, gratefully sinking down onto the soft mattress.
"I'll get your bath ready," the Doctor said, giving Yaz a quick kiss on the cheek before heading into the bathroom.
While she waited, Yaz wriggled out of her clothes and put her dressing gown on, perching on the edge of the bed. She could hear the water running in the bathroom and the Doctor humming to herself a little, no doubt judiciously adding salts and bubbles to the water. She'd be in to get Yaz any moment now. Pondering this, Yaz loosened the top of her robe a little, letting it fall open just enough to show the curve of one breast.
"All right love, your bath is ready." Suddenly there was an intake of air, and Yaz looked up to see the Doctor frozen in her tracks, staring at her. Yaz smiled.
"Everything okay, Doctor?"
"Yes! It's…better than okay. It's…" She swallowed. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you are?"
"Maybe not today." Yaz felt her cheeks tingling a little, pleased that the Doctor was liking what she saw.
The Doctor moved closer and took Yaz's hand, lifting it to her lips. "You are absolutely gorgeous. You just literally took my breath away!"
Yaz grinned. "Can I just walk with you to the bathroom, without the walker?"
"Okay. Put your arm around my waist and lean against me. I won't let you fall."
The Doctor helped Yaz off the bed, putting her arm around Yaz's shoulder while Yaz took hold of her waist. Together, they made their way slowly to the bathroom, where her hot bath awaited her. The Doctor helped her out of her bathrobe (sending Yaz's mind spinning as she thought of future occasions when the Doctor would undress her for much more exciting purposes) and held Yaz steady while she stepped into the tub.
Yaz sank down into the water, grateful for its instant relaxing effect on her tired muscles. The Doctor was turned away, hanging up Yaz's bathrobe, so she shifted a little in the water, adjusting herself so her breasts floated up above the bubbles. She'd never played the role of temptress before, but this was her fiancée, so she would tempt her as much as she liked.
The Doctor turned around and let out her breath, staring.
"Doctor," Yaz said tentatively. "What I said before is still true. There's room for both of us in here."
The Doctor swallowed, then nodded. "I'll get in," she said. "But only…to be with you. Not to…not in the hospital…"
"I know. You want our first time to be perfect. I do too." Yaz smiled, moving over to make room for the Doctor. "Just to be together. You've seen me naked, but…I haven't seen you."
"Fair enough," said the Doctor. She smirked a little, raising one eyebrow. "I hope you're ready for this."
Yaz grinned, biting her lip and sitting up a little more. "Oh, I'm ready."
Scrunching up her nose adorably as she turned away, the Doctor began peeling off her clothes layer by layer. Yaz watched with eager anticipation as pale skin was revealed. She could see the muscles rippling in the Doctor's back as she moved. That was the Doctor for you: small, but unbelievably strong – and still soft to cuddle with.
The Doctor lowered herself into the tub and Yaz immediately slipped an arm around her waist, revelling in the feeling of skin against skin. She began kissing each of the moles on the Doctor's cheek, then her neck. Once she was out of here, she decided, she would search her entire body for moles and kiss every single one.
"It won't be long now," the Doctor murmured, as if reading Yaz's mind. "You're almost strong enough to be discharged, and then we can go to our new bedroom on the TARDIS, and…"
"I can try out a new kind of exercise?" Yaz suggested.
The Doctor smiled. "Yes, if you like."
"I would like." She kissed the Doctor's shoulder. "You're going to be my first, you know," she said a little shyly. "And I guess my only."
The Doctor's eyes met Yaz's and she cupped her cheek. "I consider that an honour."
"Well I can't wait. I might not have much experience with romance, but I am no shrinking violet."
"No, I would never have thought so. Not my Yaz." The Doctor kissed her tenderly. "I won't disappoint you. Although…I'm kind of new to this myself." She grinned. "I've never been a lesbian before," she whispered excitedly. "At least, not that I remember."
Yaz laughed. "Well I hope you like it."
"I do so far. I can't think of anything I've ever liked more." She wrapped her arms securely around Yaz's middle, and Yaz rested her head against the Doctor's shoulder.
"You can touch me if you like," she murmured.
Wordlessly, the Doctor slipped her hands along Yaz's skin and, ever so cautiously, cupped Yaz's breasts. Yaz sighed happily and turned her face towards the Doctor's neck, gently nibbling her skin. Encouraged, the Doctor fully covered Yaz's breasts with her hands and began kneading them, caressing them, teasing her nipples. Yaz closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling, letting her own hand slide up the Doctor's side and onto her breast. The Doctor gasped when Yaz lightly squeezed her nipple.
"Do you want me not to touch you like that?" Yaz asked quickly, lifting up her head.
"No." The Doctor shook her head emphatically. "I do."
Yaz lit up with a smile. "Come here then." She urged the Doctor to sit in front of her, between her legs, and then to lie back against her. She took both of her breasts in her hands, tenderly kissing the Doctor's face. "You are so beautiful," she breathed.
"You think so?"
"Yes. Everything about you is beautiful. Your gorgeous eyes, your soft hair, your lean body, even your pale skin."
"I think so too! I'm glad you agree."
Yaz stifled a giggle. "Sometimes I forget you didn't always look like this. It's hard to be that positive when you've only ever had one body. All you see are the flaws."
"You can't. You don't have any."
"Of course I do, I—"
"Yasmin Khan, don't you dare." The Doctor opened her eyes and twisted her head to look at Yaz. "You are a flawless beauty, and I will make you believe that if it's the last thing I do. I don't even want to know what you think your flaws are, because you're wrong. Shall I go on about every perfect detail?"
"Maybe another time." Yaz kissed her. "I love you, Doctor."
"I love you too, my Yaz."
One of her hands moved slowly from fondling the Doctor's breast down onto the toned muscles of her abdomen, but the Doctor covered her hand with her own, keeping her from going any further. "I think that's enough for now," she whispered. "But it won't be much longer." She sat up in the water. "Keep working hard in your physical therapy, all right?"
"You know I will." Yaz grinned. "I'm glad we're not already married. It was sad thinking we'd had a wedding I couldn't remember. Now I know I remember everything important, even if it didn't exactly follow the normal path most romances do."
"I'm afraid most things in my life hadn't followed a particularly normal path," the Doctor admitted.
"Believe me, I know." Yaz reached for the shampoo bottle. "Want to shampoo my hair? I'll do yours."
The Doctor beamed. "I'll gladly take any excuse to touch you."
