Inspired by a prompt on tumblr
YES I BOOBY TRAPPED THE PRESENTS BECAUSE YOU DO THIS EVERY FUCKING YEAR"
Sneak
The Doctor could wait no longer.
The nine hundred year old Time Lord tip-toed through the TARDIS corridors, ever alert that he could be heard. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he was being ridiculous, but he quickly dismissed the notion; he just had to do some investigating.
He approached the TARDIS room designated as the 'living area' and paused. With a quick look around, he determined he was alone. Stepping inside, he scowled as the walls shimmered in disapproval.
"Oh, I'm just looking!" he stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. With an exaggerated manner, he rocked on his heels, staring at the tall tree in the center of the room. It was hard to keep track of time on a time machine, and marking holidays that weren't his own, natively, hadn't really been a priority. But he had found himself drawn to the twinkling and the festiveness of Christmas. He couldn't help but get into the Christmas spirit. Perhaps his main incentive for getting so festive was to convince his best friend that perhaps Christmas wasn't so bad after all.
It seemed to be working; the year before as well as this time round, Donna Noble appreciated the merriment more and more. Last year, she had even declared to have had a lovely time, and he was determined to outdo himself this year. The tree was larger, the decorations more abundant, his planned trips more celebratory. It was going to be a fantastic holiday.
And to his delight, there was already a present for him under the tree.
He grinned and dashed in. He knelt on the ground, giving the package a full visual inspection before picking it up.
The walls shimmered again.
He looked around. "I'm not going to open it!"
It was heavier than he thought it would be, and after giving it the gentlest of shakes, pursed his lips as it didn't rattle. Whatever it was, it was solid. "Hmmm…" He set the package to the ground and pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket.
The moment he pointed the device at the present, an ear piercing, bone rattling noise made him recoil and collapse backward. "Oi!" he shouted and tossed the screwdriver across the room.
The blessed silence that followed soothed his aching ears.
And short-lived.
"Can't resist, can you, Spaceman?"
The Doctor jumped again, this time around to face the other occupant of the TARDIS. Hands on hips with an eyebrow wryly raised, Donna Noble stood brilliantly before him.
"You had to look, didn't you?" she continued.
His mouth dropped. "Did…you…but…you…." he sputtered.
Donna walked over and picked up the screwdriver. "You did this last year, and you ruined your surprise," she said and waved the device around.
"Stop!" he exclaimed, gesturing like mad to block the screwdriver from the package. "You…how!?"
She grinned. "The TARDIS helped, but I remembered that noise when you pointed the screwdriver against whatever it was Miss Foster had at Adipose Industries," she explained and tossed the screwdriver at him. He nearly fell over in a mad scramble to catch it.
She leaned over and returned the present back under the tree. With an amused glare for good measure, she shoved his shoulder. "No. Peaking!"
Sullenly, he shoved the screwdriver back into his pocket and pushed himself upward. "I was just…"
"How old are you?" she asked and plopped onto the couch.
"I'm young at hearts!" he said and sat next to her. The walls dimmed, making the room cozy and warm. He grinned at her, his brilliant Donna.
"I'm sure I'll like it," he said.
"You know it's a time machine. Christmas can be right now if you really can't wait," Donna said.
"Nah, I've got all these things planned! A proper Christmas!" the Doctor insisted. "I can wait."
She laughed. "You can!?"
He extended his arm, and she leaned back. "I want Christmas to last forever."
"With you, it can," she said and swatted at his knee.
He grinned, and soon the horrid noise was replaced by their laughter filling the room, both filled with the merriment of the season.