Part of a 30-day tumblr challenge
Nighttime Routine
The soft glow around them morphed from a brighter yellow to a softer orange.
Pulled from a book about the known constellations of the Renole system during the fifteenth century, the Doctor looked up. "Already?"
Across the room, Donna Noble's yawn complimented the change in atmosphere. "That it is," she said and lowered her gossip magazine. She smirked. "Guess it doesn't matter what century or galaxy you're in: people love to talk about their famous people!"
The Doctor grinned. "You don't even know who any of those people are."
She shrugged. "You do your star research, and I do mine," she said, rising.
The Doctor also stood. "Well, today was fun," he said, trying to delay the inevitable. It was the way about them. They'd sit in a nice silence for a few hours, or would be eating something new and alien laughing at the day's events, then the lights would change, the TARDIS reminding them both that at least one of them needed to sleep.
Donna yawned again. "Yeah, nice to just have a normal walk around a planet that wasn't in some sort of crisis," she said.
The Doctor nodded, also grateful for the TARDIS giving them a break.
"Maybe that's for tomorrow," she added, looking almost excited at the idea.
He grinned. "You never know," he said and shoved his hands into his pocket. "Do you have any requests for tomorrow? Future? Past?"
"You can surprise me," she said.
She should have left; she was rather tired now that she thought about it. But she also was very cozy there, in what she liked to call the TARDIS's 'living area', enjoying the silence. She turned to her spot. "Oh, I didn't finish my banana bread yet," she said and sat back down.
The Doctor turned, not sure if he should sit himself. Instead, he turned and grabbed his own remaining slice. "This is pretty good," he commented.
"And you would know," Donna said. "Sometimes I think half your trips are in search of the perfect recipe."
"It's a fun side-line agenda," he commented, picking up the remaining crumbs with the tip of his finger. "I think the trick is in the bananas itself." He turned to his book. "This really is interesting."
"Banana bread?"
"No, these constellations. I always marvel at how people who cannot travel in space can mark the stars. It shows such a vivid capacity for exploration and wonder. Maybe we should go to this…" He flipped the book to its cover. "This Renole again. To see what they're describing."
The Doctor looked up and paused.
Donna was leaning against the back of her sofa, her eyes closed and looking at peace. Sometime, this happened too. She'd fall asleep right there and the Doctor wouldn't have the heart to wake her.
He stood and walked to a corner where some large blankets were all folded up. He picked the warmest one and gently draped it over Donna's sleeping form. The lights dimmed even more, just enough so he could still read but dim enough to keep Donna peacefully asleep.
He smiled and took a deep breath, happy to read about the stars while his best friend rested nearby.