A/N: This chapter contains adult situations. Very adult. Readers beware. And review. :)
oOo
The Doctor habitually retired to his private suite of rooms every night, even if he didn't sleep. Unless, of course, they were in the middle of a crisis or a war or something like that. He'd gotten into the habit during his very first life, and it was one of the traits he carried through each life that followed. Sometimes he just needed to be alone, to unwind; sometimes he read, other times he scanned his computer files for random bits and pieces of his life or in search of some research material for one of his many half-completed treatises. None of which, he ruefully admitted, would be likely to see publication even if he did complete them.
But completed or not, the only place he truly worked on them was in the privacy of his suite, four rooms that consisted of a bedroom, a sitting area, a cluttered office/library space, and a bathroom. Contrary to what some past companions and colleagues had muttered behind his back, Time Lords did indeed have bodily functions that required the occasional use of a loo, and he had been long convinced of the usefulness of a nice hot bath at the end of a grueling day. It was to that particular room he intended to retire at the moment.
His door was open, and the sound of soft music came wafting out as he cautiously poked his head in to see what was going on. There could only be one choice, or actually two; Peri had returned or Tegan hadn't retired to the nursery bedroom. Either way it was uncharacteristic of them to have invaded his private sanctum, and he intended to offer a stern talking-to to whichever one of them it was. He presumed she, whichever "she" it turned out to be, was just trying to be helpful, especially when he came farther into the sitting room and saw the door to the bathroom was open. The sound of running water, while exactly what he'd planned for himself, was disconcerting; he was more than old enough to run his own bath, and both women knew it. Especially Tegan.
He strode across the room, the beginnings of a frown creasing his forehead, then came to an abrupt and confused halt in the bathroom door.
It was Tegan. She was in front of the oversized bathtub, where he'd apparently caught her in the act of leaning over to turn off the Earth-style faucet. That wasn't what stopped him in his tracks, caught his breath in his throat and set every nerve end he possessed tingling.
She was naked, the green robe pooled around her feet where she'd apparently let it drop. He continued to stare as she stirred the water with the fingers of one hand, shaking the drops free and nodding satisfaction at the temperature. He couldn't take his eyes off her, the lines of her gracefully bent figure, the sway of her breasts, the way one foot rested on the tub surround and the other supported her on the plush bath-mat covering the tile floor. Everything in the room was either white or chrome, except the robe on the floor and the woman standing next to it.
He must have made some sort of sound, because she turned, brushing her shoulder-length hair away from her face and smiling. She stood up slowly and faced him. "Stark naked," she said. "I gather you noticed?"
She was teasing him, in every sense of the word, the way her lashes fluttered over her eyes as she looked coyly down at herself, the way she stood, so poised and in control, as far from the weeping mess she'd been earlier as a woman could be and still pass for human. He cleared his throat. Loudly. "Yes, I'm noticing. But I believe I'm noticing a woman who needs to prove something."
The smile disappeared from her face. "I knew you'd think it was something like that," she said, disappointment shining in her eyes. She bent down to gather up the robe. "Enjoy your bath. And for the record," she added as she stalked past him, "the only thing I was trying to prove is something your later self told me. I guess he was just being kind to me after all."
"Tegan, wait." He reached out, not quite catching hold of her arm, but she stopped only inches away from him in the doorway, staring up at him. Waiting, just as he'd waited for her earlier. Damn, things like this were never easy. "Tegan, if he told you that I had...feelings for you, that I had regrets about not acting on those feelings...I assume it was something of that sort?" She nodded, holding his gaze, chin jutting out aggressively. "I rather wish he hadn't said anything," he muttered, not sure how to handle this situation. Delicately, but that was too broad a definition.
"Because it was true or because it wasn't?" she asked. She hadn't donned the robe, held it loosely in one hand so it dragged on the floor and half-covered, at best a part of one thigh and an ankle. Very distracting.
He sighed, capitulating to the need for honesty. "Because it was true. But I'm sure he also told you why I never acted on those feelings."
"You didn't want to hurt me. But you did anyway, just like you are now. Hell's teeth, Doc, don't you think I understand?" Anger, as always her first choice of defense, but there was a world of hurt beneath the anger. "I didn't come here tonight because I just needed someone to hold me and tell me I wasn't dirty because of the things that happened with the Master; I came here tonight because," she abruptly ran out of steam. "I came here tonight," she repeated after a moment, her voice quieter but no less strained, "because I wanted to be with you. Just once. I know there's no happy-ever-after for us. You're virtually immortal, can you make me that way? Would I even want you to? Even if you could and I did, there's still John to think about. So I came here with my eyes wide open. I'm not delusional, and I'm not under emotional duress. I was hoping it was something you wanted as well. To kill a few regrets together."
It was a lengthy speech, and he remained quiet throughout, letting her have her say. There were a thousand ways he could have responded; many of them passed through his mind as she spoke, but ultimately he discarded them all. It came down to two things: either she stayed, or he sent her away. Tomorrow she would be gone, they all would be, back to Terminus, leaving him alone with Peri and the TARDIS and that vagabond life he'd brought up earlier.
Slowly he reached behind him. Pulled the door shut, closing them in. Slowly he reached for her, stroking her cheek, watching as her eyes closed and brief spasm of emotion clenched her face. Then her eyes were open again, and she licked her lips as he leaned forward to kiss her. "You're right," he whispered against her lips when the kiss ended. "This is something we've both wanted, and this is our only chance to have it. I'd be a fool to pass you up twice, Tegan."
The robe dropped, unnoticed, as her hands twined around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. Their bodies pressed together, he held her as closely as possible, feeling her hands on his jacket, trying to watch her feet as he kicked off his shoes and shimmied out of his trousers. The rest of the clothing was more problematic, if only because they had to separate enough for him to take those items off, vest and shirt and undershirt...why did he wear so much clothing? he wondered distractedly as Tegan's hands wandered into areas that clogged the breath in his throat and set both hearts beating triple-time. As soon as the last piece of clothing dropped to the untidy heap on the floor, their bodies came together as if by magnetism, and he lifted her in his arms, kissing her again as he stepped into the tub she'd drawn for him. For them.
"I promise you, there won't be any morning after regrets," Tegan said as they slipped into the delicious warmth of the water. The Doctor reached above her head and did something to the wall; the lighting dimmed to that of candlelight, with a twinkling effect that had her gasping with pleasure. Then his hand moved elsewhere, and she was gasping with a different kind of pleasure. Thought fled, and she gave herself up to the moment. The moment she'd been aching for.
The bath water was tepid before they drained it, the Doctor yanking the old-fashioned rubber plug-on-a-chain with his big toe while Tegan stepped over him to towel off, the flush of pleasure glowing on every part of her body. She dried herself thoroughly, then dried him just as thoroughly, giggling as she saw that he was ready for more whenever she was. "Double circulatory system," she murmured as she knelt down to wipe his legs. "How convenient." Her mouth was suspiciously close to a very human looking part of the male anatomy as she spoke; he felt her breath and his mouth went quite dry as she ran her hands up his legs. "I should do something about that, don't you think?"
She looked up at him, eyes wide, a small smile playing about her lips. "Innocent eyes don't go with that particular body language," he said, his voice rough with desire. As if she hadn't fulfilled that desire just minutes ago...And here she was again, ready to give more. If one night was all they could have, then by all the powers of the universe, he was going to make sure it was a night neither of them would ever be able to forget. And so, apparently was she. Lips made contact, and tongue, and soon he was unable to clearly articulate the simplest thought.
She cleaned them both up afterwards with the same towel she'd used to dry herself with, giggling as he swooped her into his arms and carried her to his bed. It was immense, and Tegan made a very dirty comment upon seeing it for the first time. To which he responded by dumping her on the bed, dropping down beside her, and tickling her until she begged him to stop, tears of laughter running down her cheeks, red-faced, hair a damp tangled mess. She was beautiful. Her lips were begging to be kissed again, so he obliged them as she tangled her legs around his and dragged him closer. "Round three," she whispered, nipping him in the ear. "Winner takes all."
"We're both the winners this time," he murmured in response, his hands sliding down her back to cup her buttocks. Then language left them both for a time.
They slept afterwards, or she did, a lingering smile shading her lips. While she did so, he slipped into the bathroom and plucked her robe from the floor, removing the monitor and placing on the table next to his bed. Just in case. John seemed old enough to sleep through the night, but as every parent knew, old enough and actually doing it were two different things. And it was a strange bed for John; who knew how he'd react if he did wake up. And if he did, the Doctor knew very well who would rate and who would be left alone watching Tegan flee the room.
He watched her as she slept, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, the other across her mid-section, clutching the satiny blue sheets in her hand. She didn't snore, he'd have to be sure and tell her that. Or maybe he'd tell her she did and see how she reacted; Tegan indignant was almost as enticing as Tegan willing and compliant under his hands...almost. She'd most likely pounce on him, and he found himself looking forward to finding out.
She awoke after a few hours, starting into a sitting position and staring about, trying to navigate the darkness into some semblance of recognition. "It's all right," the Doctor said, putting his hand on her arm and stroking it gently. "You're in my rooms. John's been sleeping just fine; I've been listening for him." He indicated the monitor, which stood out in the dimness of the room with its softly blinking green and blue lights. "Not a peep."
She snuggled back down against him, yawning widely. "Good," she mumbled, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "One of us should be well rested for the morning, and lord knows it won't be me." She tilted her head to offer him a wicked grin. "Round four?"
"Good lord, woman, you're insatiable," he grumbled in mock irritation. She just wrinkled her nose at him. "But," he added with a sigh, "if I must, I must."
"Nothing but work, work, work, all the time," she agreed solemnly. She put her hand under the blankets, starting at the chest and slowly working her way downward. "But I promise to do my share."
He caught her hand before it reached its destination. "Ah, ah," he said, bringing the hand back up and kissing each fingertip. "My turn to do some work." He rolled her over onto her back and nudged her thighs apart with his knee, dragging the blankets and sheets down around his waist as he nuzzled her neck, between her breasts, kissing her navel and thoroughly enjoying the sound of her indrawn breath as she realized exactly where he was going. A strangled moan escaped her as his lips made initial contact, and he was quite satisfied with the sounds she made afterwards. Quite satisfied indeed.