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[Theatrical Muse] Response
Feb. 11th, 2007 04:44 pmNight
“Can’t sleep, Sarah Jane?”
The voice had startled her, eyes going wide as she looked up to see a mop of curly brown hair sticking its way into the room. That’s funny, she thought she had closed that door upon coming in here. Oh, well. Drafty old TARDIS, she supposed. At least it meant that she had company now.
She eyed the door suspiciously where she sat, stretched out across her large poster bed that she loved so much, nightgown falling down to her knees. “And where did you come from?”
“The library, if we’re going to be frank. I was just passing through, and saw a light on.”
There was a moment’s hesitation that followed, and if it weren’t for the slip of composure in his face, Sarah probably would never have noticed. She tilted her head, looking at him more seriously. “Doctor.”
“Maybe I was coming to check on you,” he said grudgingly. “Does it really matter?”
“Yes.”
She was pleased, really, that the Doctor thought enough to check up on her. Pleased and infuriated all at the same time. After all, Sarah was a big girl. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and she had proved it many times in the past. Still, something was afoot.
“Why, Doctor?”
“Why not?” He looked indignant and flustered, and that was enough to bring a laugh to Sarah’s face. “It is only proper to check up on one’s guest, isn’t it?”
Sarah grinned, a bright and challenging grin, as she hopped out of her bed and walked towards the man. She stopped in front of him, looking small (but certainly not vulnerable) in her ruffled white nightgown, and poked his chest. “Is it? Since when do you care so much?”
The Doctor coughed, uncomfortable. “You haven’t been sleeping properly the past few days. Don’t,” he continued when Sarah opened her mouth to object, “tell me otherwise. The TARDIS is my ship and with that come certain, er, capabilities.”
“You’ve been spying on me!” Sarah replied with a snort, feeling that strange pleased and infuriated feeling sneak up on her again. She tried shoving it away, dismissing it in her mind to focus on the present – on the fact that the Doctor had been checking up on her regularly and never let her know and – and he was standing very close now.
Very close, indeed. Sarah Jane took a step back, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was simply standing here in her nightgown while he was still properly clothed. There was some sort of…of warmth radiating in the room, and when did it get so warm in here? She took a step back, placing her hand to her head and sighing. “Oh! I can’t believe this!”
Whatever his reasoning was, the Doctor remained stoic and watched her silently and intently. She couldn’t read anything off his face right now. But that was all forgotten when he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, causing every nerve there to tingle at the touch. “Why can’t you sleep, Sarah?”
“It’s.” It was daft, really. Sarah sighed and looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his blue ones for some sort of answer to all this. “It’s silly, really. I never had this problem before, but lately it’s been getting to me.”
He frowned, but stayed silent, encouraging her to continue.
“It’s not night,” she replied with a rueful laugh and stubborn pout. “I mean, sure, this is the time we’ve elected for…well, for at least me to sleep, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no stars in the sky or city lights shining in to the window, or the sound of crickets! It’s just…it’s daft, but it’s just not really night.”
There. She had said it. Sarah waited for a response (refusing to meet his eyes this time for fear of seeing a look of disdain reflected back) impatiently, very much like a small child who just confessed her greatest nightmare to an older friend. She waited for the comment about silly humans that she was just sure would follow and waited ready for the retort that would easily slip from her tongue.
Instead, he did something completely unexpected. When she dared to look up again, there was a fond smile on his face and absolutely nothing ridiculing at all. His eyes twinkled before the Doctor tilted his head down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, brushing her bangs to the side. It was followed by a kiss on her eyelids and another on her cheek.
“I can make it night,” he whispered and finally kissed her lips before taking her by the hand and dragging her to the consol room.
It all happened so fast that Sarah Jane barely had time to react – her mind was simply a whirlwind of confusion and happiness and warmth and pride and even more confusion and oh…oh, that wasn’t lust, was it? She simply followed until the next thing she knew, the Doctor was standing next to her by the door of the TARDIS.
He opened it, and Sarah gasped.
Outside it was – well, there were stars everywhere at least. Stars and galaxies and supernovas and all sorts of things she couldn’t identify and Sarah Jane Smith had never seen a more awe inspiring scene in her life. It was beautiful. It was more beautiful than any night she could ever remember witnessing.
“I told you I could make it night,” the Doctor said in a quiet tone. Respectful, she knew, of the scene around them, even if a hint of smugness could be discerned. “At the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, your galaxy, Sarah Jane, it’s always night.”
She smiled sleepily and leaned her head against his chest, causing him to wrap an arm tightly around her. This was night indeed: a night full of stars and wonders she had never expected. And whatever this thing was that was happening between them, well, Sarah always knew that the most wonderful mysteries and events always occurred at night.
“It’s fantastic.” Moments passed before she finally stole a look up at him. “Doctor, before – back in my room – well you see. Oh. Why did you do that, Doctor?”
Sarah watched as he stared out at the field of stars in front of them, before finally meeting her gaze. “I wanted to.”
A small smile tugged at her lips, eyes shining, before she moved her head back to its resting place against his scarf and vest covered chest. “I think I wanted it too.”
The night always was a time for mysteries. It was the time for the wonders of the universe to go out and present themselves, just daring you to propose a solution to their never ending questions. And tonight, Sarah Jane suspected, she wouldn’t have to find these answers alone.
“Can’t sleep, Sarah Jane?”
The voice had startled her, eyes going wide as she looked up to see a mop of curly brown hair sticking its way into the room. That’s funny, she thought she had closed that door upon coming in here. Oh, well. Drafty old TARDIS, she supposed. At least it meant that she had company now.
She eyed the door suspiciously where she sat, stretched out across her large poster bed that she loved so much, nightgown falling down to her knees. “And where did you come from?”
“The library, if we’re going to be frank. I was just passing through, and saw a light on.”
There was a moment’s hesitation that followed, and if it weren’t for the slip of composure in his face, Sarah probably would never have noticed. She tilted her head, looking at him more seriously. “Doctor.”
“Maybe I was coming to check on you,” he said grudgingly. “Does it really matter?”
“Yes.”
She was pleased, really, that the Doctor thought enough to check up on her. Pleased and infuriated all at the same time. After all, Sarah was a big girl. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and she had proved it many times in the past. Still, something was afoot.
“Why, Doctor?”
“Why not?” He looked indignant and flustered, and that was enough to bring a laugh to Sarah’s face. “It is only proper to check up on one’s guest, isn’t it?”
Sarah grinned, a bright and challenging grin, as she hopped out of her bed and walked towards the man. She stopped in front of him, looking small (but certainly not vulnerable) in her ruffled white nightgown, and poked his chest. “Is it? Since when do you care so much?”
The Doctor coughed, uncomfortable. “You haven’t been sleeping properly the past few days. Don’t,” he continued when Sarah opened her mouth to object, “tell me otherwise. The TARDIS is my ship and with that come certain, er, capabilities.”
“You’ve been spying on me!” Sarah replied with a snort, feeling that strange pleased and infuriated feeling sneak up on her again. She tried shoving it away, dismissing it in her mind to focus on the present – on the fact that the Doctor had been checking up on her regularly and never let her know and – and he was standing very close now.
Very close, indeed. Sarah Jane took a step back, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was simply standing here in her nightgown while he was still properly clothed. There was some sort of…of warmth radiating in the room, and when did it get so warm in here? She took a step back, placing her hand to her head and sighing. “Oh! I can’t believe this!”
Whatever his reasoning was, the Doctor remained stoic and watched her silently and intently. She couldn’t read anything off his face right now. But that was all forgotten when he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, causing every nerve there to tingle at the touch. “Why can’t you sleep, Sarah?”
“It’s.” It was daft, really. Sarah sighed and looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his blue ones for some sort of answer to all this. “It’s silly, really. I never had this problem before, but lately it’s been getting to me.”
He frowned, but stayed silent, encouraging her to continue.
“It’s not night,” she replied with a rueful laugh and stubborn pout. “I mean, sure, this is the time we’ve elected for…well, for at least me to sleep, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no stars in the sky or city lights shining in to the window, or the sound of crickets! It’s just…it’s daft, but it’s just not really night.”
There. She had said it. Sarah waited for a response (refusing to meet his eyes this time for fear of seeing a look of disdain reflected back) impatiently, very much like a small child who just confessed her greatest nightmare to an older friend. She waited for the comment about silly humans that she was just sure would follow and waited ready for the retort that would easily slip from her tongue.
Instead, he did something completely unexpected. When she dared to look up again, there was a fond smile on his face and absolutely nothing ridiculing at all. His eyes twinkled before the Doctor tilted his head down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, brushing her bangs to the side. It was followed by a kiss on her eyelids and another on her cheek.
“I can make it night,” he whispered and finally kissed her lips before taking her by the hand and dragging her to the consol room.
It all happened so fast that Sarah Jane barely had time to react – her mind was simply a whirlwind of confusion and happiness and warmth and pride and even more confusion and oh…oh, that wasn’t lust, was it? She simply followed until the next thing she knew, the Doctor was standing next to her by the door of the TARDIS.
He opened it, and Sarah gasped.
Outside it was – well, there were stars everywhere at least. Stars and galaxies and supernovas and all sorts of things she couldn’t identify and Sarah Jane Smith had never seen a more awe inspiring scene in her life. It was beautiful. It was more beautiful than any night she could ever remember witnessing.
“I told you I could make it night,” the Doctor said in a quiet tone. Respectful, she knew, of the scene around them, even if a hint of smugness could be discerned. “At the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, your galaxy, Sarah Jane, it’s always night.”
She smiled sleepily and leaned her head against his chest, causing him to wrap an arm tightly around her. This was night indeed: a night full of stars and wonders she had never expected. And whatever this thing was that was happening between them, well, Sarah always knew that the most wonderful mysteries and events always occurred at night.
“It’s fantastic.” Moments passed before she finally stole a look up at him. “Doctor, before – back in my room – well you see. Oh. Why did you do that, Doctor?”
Sarah watched as he stared out at the field of stars in front of them, before finally meeting her gaze. “I wanted to.”
A small smile tugged at her lips, eyes shining, before she moved her head back to its resting place against his scarf and vest covered chest. “I think I wanted it too.”
The night always was a time for mysteries. It was the time for the wonders of the universe to go out and present themselves, just daring you to propose a solution to their never ending questions. And tonight, Sarah Jane suspected, she wouldn’t have to find these answers alone.
