Just a short one for Saturday. The Doctor shows Donna a Gallifreyan sunset.
Donna sighed as she shifted closer to the Doctor, seeking his warmth. They were snuggled up together underneath a thick, soft blanket, but the garden's artificial atmosphere was set for snow and the air was freezing cold. The little bench they sat on was nestled below a bare oak tree, the branches casting thin shadows on the ground. They each sipped steaming mugs of cocoa, the Doctor's topped with a scandalous number of mini marshmallows. He had arranged a sunset show for Donna as a special end to a lovely Christmas spent with her family, and she was waiting with interest for it to start.
Donna knew the twins suns weren't real, but it was hard to remember that as she watched them sink lower in the artificial sky. The Doctor had once told her that while the garden was large, it was actually nowhere near as massive as it appeared to be. There was some sort of scientific trickery involved, but it could practically be its own planet for as far as she could tell. Only the doors that seemed to spring up out of nowhere and led to other parts of the TARDIS gave away the illusion.
The sky was not its usual Earth-like blue, but something else entirely. It was ablaze in shades of reds, yellows and oranges, creating a fearful, fiery mass of colors that shone brighter and more intensely than any sunset Donna had ever seen before. "It's beautiful," she told the Doctor.
"It's a Gallifreyan sunset," he answered, and the deep sadness that often plagued him was present in his voice once more. "A perfect recreation that the TARDIS took directly from my memories. She's been offering to show me for a while, but I didn't know if I..." he trailed off. "Anyway, I thought you might like to watch it with me."
Donna said nothing, but reached over and took his free hand, giving it a squeeze. She wished she could feel his skin against hers, but the gloves they both wore prevented her from feeling more than the slight tremble in his fingers.
Slowly, ever so slowly, one of the suns sank below the horizon and the light faded and filtered into a deeper blood red color with tinges of silver, like a normal sunset magnified by a hundred. Donna shivered at the immense power of it. The sky felt foreign and almost foreboding to her, and she wondered if the Doctor felt the same way about Earth's blue skies. He must miss this so much, she realized.
She turned away from the sky to look at him and wasn't at all surprised to see tears trailing down his cheeks. He noticed her watching him and looked back at her, giving her a small, sad smile. He made no move to hide his tears as he once would have, and Donna felt her heart swell at the trust he held for her. She sat down her empty mug and wrapped both of her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and offering as much comfort as she could. He leaned into her touch, and they both went back to watching the sky.
Eventually, the second sun disappeared below the horizon, and the sky slowly faded to black, revealing a smattering of bright but unfamiliar stars. The Doctor and Donna stayed huddled together, each thinking their own thoughts. It was a long moment before either of them spoke.
"What did you think?" the Doctor finally asked.
"It was gorgeous. Thank you for sharing it with me." Donna found herself blinking back tears as she realized how much he must miss even the simplest things from his home. She wondered when she had last properly watched a sunset on Earth. Maybe she should do that the next she visited her family.
"Hey, don't you cry too, or I'll never stop," the Doctor said. His own eyes were still damp, and Donna reached up to gently dry the the tears on his cheeks.
"I'm just sorry for you and what you've lost," she admitted. "It must hurt all the time."
He hummed softly in agreement, his eyes meeting hers. "I have lost a lot. But I've gained a lot, too." He reached up and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. She knew that he was about to change the subject, but she still clung to the heart of what he was telling her. "I hope you had a nice Christmas."
"I did," she assured him, and it was true. She relaxed further against him, enjoying their cuddle as the chilly artificial night air nipped at her nose. "Thank you for everything."
"No, thank you," he said, and gently kissed her forehead. "Now, if you look over there, you'll see the Great Star of Rassilon…"