Work Text:
(Your POV)
“Dammit!” Jack roared, as he slammed into the door once more, only to step back, rubbing his mostly likely sore shoulder.
“Give it up, Jack,” you sighed, leaning your head against the pure white walls of the cell. “No amount of bruises on your skin is gonna get us out of here.”
Sending you a glance of annoyance, he leaned against the wall, arms tucked tightly into his chest. “There’s gotta be some goddamn way out of here.” He rambled. “I mean, yeah, they’re super advanced and probably have trapped way stronger people than us, but they can’t be that smart. Can they?”
You shrug in response, fiddling with the bracelet on your wrist. A few days ago, you were on a beach-filled planet, searching for a lost crystal an alien race was looking for. Finding it- while just barely avoiding some nasty snake creatures- the Doctor and you were rewarded with small chunks of the blue gem. He tucked his shard into his pocket, and then asked for yours. And yeah, you handed it over. Knowing the Doctor he probably needed it for some experiment that would solve a disease or some other mystery of the universe. But nope, when you got back on the T.A.R.D.I.S., he disappeared into his room. And then, BAM, two hours later he presented you with a marvelous bracelet, a piece of the jewel as big as your thumbnail studding the accessory. You had thanked him severely, only for him to turn his head and mutter a quiet “you’re welcome”.
Well, it was all in good friendship.
Yep, friendship.
Nothing more.
No matter how much you blushed as you looked at it.
God, he has you wrapped around his finger, doesn’t he?
Jack let out a sharp sigh of boredom, asking, “How long has it been, you think?”
Thinking for a moment, you half-heartedly replied, “Probably an hour or two, but who knows? Does this place even obey the laws of time?”
So maybe it wasn’t the best idea to board the scary looking alien mothership. But hey, it was an adventure, right? Right? Well, that hope for a fun day started and ended with getting chased by some purple cloaked, laser gun-toting, sons of bitches, conveniently splitting Jack and you away from the Doctor. You and Jack kept running until you hit a dead-end, and before you knew it you were dragged back to this bleak ass room, most likely awaiting certain death. You could only hope that the Doctor didn’t see the same fate or you were all royally screwed.
After another moment or two of silence, you asked, “And you’re sure you have nothing else up your sleeve? A teleporter or a sonic… something?”
Giving you a wayward look, Jack replied, “Dude, they took anything that could’ve been of use to us. Well, everything except-” he paused, eyebrows furrowing for a moment.
A feeling of hope rose in your chest as you prodded, “What? What is it?”
His face turned from thoughtful to uneasy as he slowly said, “Well… you’re… not gonna like this plan much.”
“Just tell me!” You exclaimed, throwing your hands into the air.
“Well, you know I don’t wear these shoes for complete style,” he said, motioning to the army boots he was currently sporting. He lifted up his shoe, looking at the sole as he peeled back part of it. A small device with a red button on top and a green pill fell into his hand.
Raising an eyebrow, you asked, “What the hell are those?”
Jack explained, “The device is a direct communicator with the Doctor-”
“And you’re only bringing this up now?!” You exclaimed.
“Look, he has an identical transmitter. I’m pretty sure whatever cell we’re in blocks all radio frequencies,” he explained, pushing the button to test his theory. Nothing happened, the lights on the tiny box staying off. “Yet I’m pretty sure if we can get out of this cell, we can send a signal and alert him to our whereabouts.”
“But, how are we going to get out of here?” You questioned, only for Jack to give you a grim face in return.
“Remember how the aliens here were carrying around dead bodies on those carts?” Jack said, and you gave a nod of confirmation. “Well, I think that’s our ticket out of here. One of us plays dead, we get a guy in here to ‘take away the body’, and then we knock him out and get his clothes. Then, using the cart and the outfit as disguises, we walk out of here with ease.”
You went over the idea for a moment, before countering, “But didn’t the alien guys have scanners? They’d probably be able to tell if one of us weren’t dead.”
“That’s what the pill is for, and also the messy part of this situation.” Jack said, showing you the small substance resting in his hand. “In some situations in the past, I’ve had to play dead in order to avoid enemies. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it really did not. Like, it ended bad. Real bad. That’s why I have this pill. Basically it shuts down your body, leaving you completely immobile, but reducing your heart rate to just one beat per second. You don’t breathe, you don’t need to blink, but the body and mind are absolutely fine. I got it from this cool dude with an eyepatch, who needed to look dead when an assassin was after him. So, boom, one of us looks completely dead and fakes the scanners.”
Standing up and shaking off your stale limbs, you exclaim, “Okay! So, who’s gonna be our dead body?”
Jack looked at you sheepishly, and you groaned. “Why do I have to be the dead guy?” you complained.
“Well, we’re gonna have to knock the guy out and… you know,” he motioned to himself and then to your smaller stature.
Sighing, you grabbed the pill out of Jack’s hand and held it up to your mouth. Jack looked at you, concerned.
“Hmm, should I have some last words?” You joked, but Jack looked at you sternly, a slight bit of fear in his eyes.
“Not funny, (Y/N).” he said.
Giving him a quick wink, you exclaimed, “I hid the money under the-” and then swallowed the pill.
“Uh, is something supposed to happen?” You questioned.
Jack looked at you quizzically, saying, “I don’t know, I thought it was supposed to work automatically.”
Suddenly, the room started to spin and you faltered on your feet. Before you could fully collapse, Jack caught you, guiding you down onto the floor. You felt yourself go limp, your eyes staring directly above you at Jack’s worried face.
“Oh geez,” he breathed out. “You really… look…” He shook his head, moving out of your viewpoint. You tried to use your voice only to find you couldn’t even speak. Wow, this shit is really high-tech.
Soon, you heard Jack yelling out the small window in the iron door. “Help! She’s dead, oh god, she’s dead!” he screamed, and your heart ached a tad, if it could ache at all in the moment.
This was really weird.
In a few moments, you heard the door bang open, and the warbling sound of the alien filled the room. The thing peered over you, and his weird slimy looking hand passed over your face, a red light shining. He made a strange sounding noise into a device on his wrist. The alien was suddenly yanked away, and you heard Jack grunting and a few panicked screeches from the creature. A body hit the ground with a thud, and some heavy breathing echoed in the room. A minute passes by, and you feel your body be lifted up. You see Jack’s face, wearing a cloak from the knocked out alien. He placed you on a hard surface, which you presumed was the cart.
“I know you can’t respond, but everything’s working out fine.” Jack said, looking down at you. “I’m gonna cover you with a cloth so we don’t garner any unwanted attention. Don’t freak out. I mean, I know you can’t physically freak out, but you know…”
If you could roll your eyes, you would have done it so hard they would’ve gotten stuck in the back of your head.
A white sheet covered your vision, and you felt the gentle rocking of the cart as it was pushed forward. You heard a click, and Jack leaned down saying, “The transmitter is working, now we just have to find the T.A.R.D.I.S. or the Doctor. Hopefully both.”
God, you prayed this would work.
____________________________________________________________________________
(The Doctor’s POV)
Cursing under his breath, the Doctor looked around the corner of the dark hallway. Seeing no one present, he slipped down the walkway, keeping close to the wall. His mind rushed frantically, wondering where you and Jack were. He really wanted to show you somewhere special today, maybe a lush rainforest or some Colosseum fights. But noooo, the T.A.R.D.I.S. just had to stop in some hidden corner of a gigantic ship belonging to the violent race of Deferdorianipliths. He should’ve turned around right there, but the excitement that had gleamed in your eye made it hard to focus. Just hearing you rambling on about finding a new adventure made his heart leap in his chest.
He wasn’t supposed to love you. He knows his companions get torn away from him, yet he couldn't help but be selfish. He couldn’t help but relish in the time spent with you, seeing your love for the thrill of adventure lighting his own hearts on fire.
And now you and Jack were in the hands of some deadly mercs ready to brutally kill and torture for the sheer pleasure of it. And it was his fault.
The Doctor shuddered, blinking several times in order to focus on where he was going. Suddenly, something in his pocket vibrated, and he fished out a small box, yellow lights flickering across the sides. It was the tracker! He had completely forgotten about this thing-a-mi-bob.
He held it up, only for some of the lights to turn off. Slowly turning in a circle, more lights kept flickering until all of them turned on. With a newfound determination, he set off into the direction of the stronger lights, the hope of seeing you and Jack pushing him forth.
____________________________________________________________________________
(Your POV)
You only heard Jack’s shallow breaths as you the cart kept going forward, and your mind raced with all the ways this could go wrong. However, you were mostly excited to see the Doctor again. He always knew what to do, even if he seemed like a total nutjob while doing it. You’d been traveling with him for a year or two by now. Course, you’d met Jack and several other friendly faces, but he gave you this certain rush in your blood that made it seem like you could run a marathon. You just hoped he wasn’t captured or this whole mess was gonna get… well, a whole lot messier.
Suddenly, you felt the cart stop abruptly, and you heard Jack hoarsely whisper, “Shoot, dead end.”
An inhumane screech filled the air, and you heard Jack cry out in pain. The tarp was pulled a tad off your face, allowing you to see one of the hooded men tackle Jack to the ground.
FUCK.
The creature stood up, head twitching as it glanced around the room. It turned and looked you right in the eyes, and began slowly stalking toward you, making clicking noises with what you believe to be a mouth. Oh god, it knows. You are so fucking dead.
Out of nowhere, a chair crashed down upon the creature’s head, and it dropped to the floor.
“Take that you slimy piece of Deferdorianipliths!” A man’s voice shouted, and you could’ve shouted with glee as you recognized the pronunciation of the creature’s name that only the Doctor could have nailed.
He dropped the broken shard of chair that was still gripped in his hand, crouching next to Jack’s unconscious form. “Well, you sure got jumped, didn’t you, Jack?” the Doctor said out loud. Standing up, he declared, “But now, where in the world is (Y/N)-”. He looked upon the cart you were laying in.
Oh no.
Oh god no.
He doesn’t know that you’re faking it.
He doesn’t know you’re not dead.
As the Doctor’s eyes flashed from confusion to a slight panic, you desperately tried to move your body. But nothing came of it, and you could only watch in horror as the Doctor tore off the sheet you were draped in.
“(Y/N)?” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. He grabbed your wrist, feeling for a pulse. After a second, his breathing quickened, and his expression turned into full terror as he yelled, “(Y/N)! Come on, girl, wake up!”
He put his head above your heart, trying to feel any heartbeat. Meanwhile, you commanded your mind to move your body, to make any sign of being alive, but you still remained limp.
The Doctor abruptly started performing CPR, pushing down on your chest in a desperate attempt to get you breathing. I’m alive! you wanted to scream, but your efforts came to no avail. Opening your mouth, he placed his lips delicately upon yours, pushing air into your lungs. It didn’t do anything, the effects of the pill were still on going. You were screeching in your mind, trapped as the Doctor kept on trying to bring you back to life. After a minute, he collapsed against you, hands shaking.
“No…” he breathed. “No, no, no… please no.”
The Doctor grabbed your face, gently stroking your hair. He looked straight into your ever-blank eyes, your heart breaking as his own eyes started to water.
“No… please, (Y/N), come on! Wake up! I need you!” He said, his voice breaking.
The Doctor yelled out in agony, banging the side of the cart, tears starting to run down his face. With a sob, he gripped your hands, pulling them to his forehead.
“(Y/N), oh god. No... I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. I love you, goddammit, I love you.”
He…
HE FUCKING WHAT?
He loves you, holy shit, he fucking loves you.
With all the effort you could muster, you pushed all your energy into your finger, just willing it to do anything, something to tell him you’re okay. You couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering for a moment longer, and as you channeled all your might, you finally managed to tap his hand lightly.
The Doctor paused mid-cry, breathing still in broken pieces. Slowly, he lifted his head, and seeing his eyes full of tears, his mouth wobbling, you managed to twitch your whole hand.
“(Y/N)?” the Doctor asked hesitantly, his voice scratchy.
All at once, your senses came back to you, and you sat up with a gasp, trying to get air into your lungs. Everything was happening way too fast. Your breathing was erratic, and all the tears that were trapped behind your eyes released like a dam. The Doctor grabbed your shoulders, mouth open with no words coming out, tears still running down his face.
“You’re... you’re alive.” the Doctor finally stammered out.
After a second of controlling your breathing, you replied, “Uh yeah, I… I think so.”
“Oh, sh- shut up.” he responded, pulling you into a tight grip, hands shaking as they held the back of your head. Rambling to himself, the Doctor whispered, “You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re alive.”
You hugged back just as strongly, resting your head on his shoulder as you remarked, “I’m fine, I’m here. I’m ok.”
The Doctor suddenly pulled back, asking, “What in the actual hell happened?”
You let out a shaky chuckle, pointing at the now-shifting body of Jack. Groaning, the Captain himself slowly sat up and rubbed his head.
“Owww,” he complained, finally looking up at the tear-stained faces of you and the Doctor. “Did I miss something?”
The Doctor leaned his head against yours, closing his eyes with a weak smile on his face. “Let’s get out of here,” you stated.
After rushedly finding the T.A.R.D.I.S., the Doctor sat you in a chair, commanding you to sit and stay, like you were some dog or some bullshit. Well, you did. Not because he told you to, but purely for the fact that your body was still playing catch up with your mind. Everything was too loud and quiet at the same time, the throbbing rhythm of your heart in your ears a stark contrast to the uncomfortable silence that filled the T.A.RD.I.S.. As the Doctor started piloting the vessel, you felt a body sit next to yours. Turning your head slightly, you saw Jack looking at you with a guilty face.
“Uh, just wanted to say… sorry, I guess,” He said, rubbing his neck. “I didn’t mean for it to end up like that.”
Waving him off with a flick of your wrist, you replied, “Whatever, just, let’s think about all our options next time. And speaking of next time, you’re being the dead body if this ever happens again!”
Laughing, Jack nodded with an “okay”, and the T.A.R.D.I.S. jerked to a stop.
The Doctor yelled out, “Your stop, Jack!”
As Jack stood up, he walked toward the Doctor, pulling him into a hug. There were a few whispered words that you couldn’t quite make out. The Doctor's eyes flashed to you for a second before the two separated. Before walking out the door, Jack yelled, “See you guys later!”
The door shut behind him with a clang, echoing throughout the room. The Doctor turned to the T.A.R.D.I.S., flipping a few switches here and there. You waited a few moments, trying to see if he would say anything. When he continued aimlessly messing with levers, you sighed and walked up to him. To be honest, you weren’t completely good on your feet at the moment, hence why you staggered and fell against the console. He looked up with a mild flash of panic.
“I’m good!” You exclaimed. “I’m not gonna keel over and die.” You immediately regretted your sarcasm as he cringed, knuckles turning white as he gripped the control panel. “Okay, look that was not the best word choice.” you muttered, your own gaze turning to the T.A.R.D.I.S..
You tried to think of anything to say, but nothing came to mind. It’s not like you hadn’t seen the Doctor at death’s door yourself. I mean, there were even a couple times where you had to get him breathing. You had your own night terrors about those instances, yet he seemed especially shaken up about this brush with death. How do you just say to someone, hey, sorry I looked fucking dead for a little bit there! But don’t worry! Everything is fine and dandy!
Giving up on interaction, you turned to trek to your room when a hand grabbed your wrist. Turning you were met with the piercing eyes of the Doctor. “Wait,” he uttered, looking at you sincerely. Struggling with what to say, the Doctor’s eyebrows furrowed with indecision. You turned fully to him, meeting his eyes with the same intensity. Finally, he slowly said, “You… you were dead. And I was terrified. Just… I don’t know, (Y/N).”
“Doctor,” you said, clasping his hands against your chest, gazing fiercely at his troubled complection. “I know what I’ve signed up for. I know the risks. I would’ve been out of this police box a long time ago if I couldn’t handle the danger.” You chuckled lightly at your statement, and a small smile came across his face.
With an aw, fuck it in your mind, you pulled him into a hug. Embracing tightly, he whispered, “Why don’t we go do something a bit more, should I say, peaceful?”
“That’d be nice,” you grinned, pulling away from the hug. As the Doctor set to work on the control panel, you once again sat down on a chair, closing your eyes for a moment. The whirring sound of the T.A.R.D.I.S. filled the room, and you sighed in relief. That sound will never get old.
A minute or so later, the Doctor exclaimed, “We’re here!” Standing up, you felt energized all of the sudden.
“Now, there’s something really special about this place,” the Doctor started to explain, but in anticipation of whatever could be outside the hull’s doors, you threw them open and took. You would’ve taken a sharp plunge if the Doctor didn’t grab the back of your shirt.
You could hear him giving some type of proclamation of how careless that was, but you weren’t listening. In front of you, small nebulas of vibrant colors danced in the void of space, twisting and twinkling softly as a gasp escaped your mouth.
“I know,” the Doctor breathed out. “It’s breathtaking. They’re called the Nasheriendon, or in your tongue, the Silk Cosmos. Not only are they simply stunning, the gravitational and telepathic energy that radiates off of them allows for controlled weightlessness.”
“So I can pretty much fucking fly?!” You gaped at him, only for him to laugh at the usual swear added to your language.
“Yeah,” he said, looking at you with a tilt in his head that made you quickly gaze back to the nebulas. “You can pretty much fly.”
Stepping back, a malicious grin grew on your face. The Doctor, recognizing the mischievous glint in your eye, gave you a stern look. “(Y/N)...” he started, but you instead took a running leap, jumping straight out of the T.A.R.D.I.S.. Shrieks of glee feel from your lips as colors from all across the rainbow, glided past you. With a single thought, you stopped your body, not exactly sure where you were.
The world around you was little transparent bursts of color, seeming alive as they passed through your fingertips and around your waist. A few strands even traveled through your hair, and you could only stare in wonder at the beauty. You took a deep breath, allowing your mind to take a chill-pill after the high-intensity situation.
Yes, life was never really dull with the Doctor, but almost dying isn’t as common as it would seem.
With a thought, you began to float around more, doing a few flips as you searched for the Doctor. He’s probably looking for you right now, but you needed a few seconds of alone time, just to get a grip on reality. Even if your reality right now is quite strange.
Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed you from behind. Yelling, “WHAT THE-!” you struggled with the hold around your waist. It only took you a moment to recognize the full-on laughing sound of the Doctor, and your demeanor of fury quickly turned to a sheepish grin.
As he let you go, you muttered, “Not funny,” but you couldn't keep the smile off your face. It was really nice to see him beaming like this. His eyes sparkled that quirkiness you loved. Annnd there’s that word again. Love. Looove. Loooove. Ugh, you could throw up in your mouth if your heart wasn’t actively running a marathon for the Doctor.
“So, how are you liking this?” he questioned.
“Liking this?” you exclaimed, spinning in a circle around the Doctor as his head followed your path. “This is extraordinary! Absolutely incredible!”
Smirking, he murmured, “It really is one of my favorite places. And it really is a lot better with you.”
Losing your focus, you crashed into the Doctor, sending you both spinning into a nearby nebula, the pigments threading their way around the both of you. Trying to keep your balance, you gripped onto the Doctor’s forearms. As you looked up, you immediately felt your face burn as you saw the Doctor gazing at you with an expression full of what could only be described as awe. Nope, nothing more than a friendship. Not in the slightest.
“Uh, whoops.” You tried to state, but it came out a lot quieter than you anticipated. There could’ve been a dalek right next to you, and you would’ve barely noticed. There was only the Doctor and you, still lightly spinning.
“(Y/N),” the Doctor muttered. “You are one of the most fantastic beings I have ever met.”
He looked at you with a questioning glance, looking briefly at your lips. You wanted to dive in, just cut the tension in the air and start what you both had been skipping around for months.
But you had to ask the question.
“Doctor,” you whispered, closing your eyes lightly. “Are you sure?”
You both knew what it meant. It meant are you sure you could be able to deal with risking our lives together on a daily basis? It meant are you sure that we could keep up this juggling act with danger lurking at every corner? It meant are you sure that you’re ready for the day that someone might not make it back from an adventure?
His answer was as complex as your question:
“Positive.”
You opened your eyes, and as one of his arms wrapped around your waist, you cupped your hand around his face.
Leaning in, you said, “Okay then.”
Yeah, there’s been a lot of lows in this rollercoaster of a relationship. Broken bones and bruises, running for your life, barely saving the day from any number of doomsday-esque apocalypses. But you would repeat it all in the blink of an eye, you decided, as you kissed the Doctor, his hand running gently through your hair.
After all, where’s the fun if there’s not a little something to lose?