#Brax was also the one the white guardian send to help the doctor find the key to time

[irving-braxiatel]

For your AU prompts: Roll reversal AU with Romana/Brax ofc

I thought a lot about this AU and then realised I had way too much to fit into one fic. It took a while to narrow down where to place it in the timeline, and ended up settling on some post Time War angst

——-

Gallifrey had fallen five days ago. 

After this fact, the Time War had ended, now four days ago.

Romana’s TARDIS had landed on the green outside the mansion house of Braxiatel’s panetoid three days ago. 

It had been a busy week for the universe. For Romana, too. She had learned within minutes of her arrival that the planetoid’s owner had crashed his ship here two nights prior, as close to death as any being could be while still hoping to survive. 

Biology had never been her strongest subject, medicine even less so, but there was no one else left to advice the medics on how to save him. 

After a day he had woken up, but has made very little sense in his few waking moments. He was wounded, in such a way that regeneration was impossible, and feverish. 

Now another two days had passed and finally he was both awake and lucid. She has not been with him, far too busy repairing her TARDIS, but when she has heard naturally she had gone to see him. 

Braxiatel was sitting up in bed, sunlight and bird song and streaming in through an open window. 

“Ah, Good, you’re back. Look, if I must be confined in this bed, at least close that window, or I might have to get up and strangle that bird myself-” he finally realised that his guest was not who he had expected. “Romana,” he breathed, like he had just seen a ghost. 

“Braxiatel,” she greeted, moving a chair closer to his bed so she could sit next to him.

“Gallifrey is gone,” he said, without any grandeur. 

Romana nodded. “I know. I felt it.”

“You already knew it would happen,” he said matter-of-factly. “That was why you left, all those decades ago.”

“I didn’t know it would end like this,” she said, sighing deeply. 

He nodded, understanding. 

Romana had not given up on Gallifrey, only her people. She had left in the night, when it had become clear to her Gallifrey had become too corrupt for her to even start to make a difference. She had often thought Time Lords lived much too long, it was so easy to become jaded and cynical. 

“You knew too.” It was an accusation, perhaps, but not one with any ill feelings attached. 

He avoided her gaze. “I suspected. But if I had been certain I would have left sooner.”

“No word from future Braxiatel?” 

Now, he smiled. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you are talking about.”

“One would almost think your tutor at the academy had told you about the dangers of interacting with your own past or future selves.” 

“Oh I am certain she did,” he said. “She was rather brilliant.”

“Was?”

“Is,” he said, fondly. 

“That’s better.” 

This was nice. This worked. If they did not talk about what happened, they did not have to acknowledge the aching hollow in their minds Gallifrey’s collective presence had occupied until earlier this week. 

“I might have been a little enamoured by you, back in those days,” he admitted. 

Romana laughed. “I noticed.”

“I was trying to be subtle,” he protested.

“Trying being the operative word in that sentence.” 

“It was hard not to be. The youngest tutor in the history of the Prydonian Academy, only two decades older than I was, and yet you were the most brilliant person in all of the capital.”

Romana rolled her eyes. “Hardly.”

“To me you were.” 

Their eyes met and then, simultaneously they started laughing. Not because what she had said had been particularly funny, not because of their situation, but because here, after the dust of the war had settled, it was either that or crying, and neither of them was the type for that. 

Braxiatel studied Romana’s face carefully. If she had regenerated since he last saw her, it did not show. “Will you be staying for long, my lady?” he asked. 

“You sound very hopeful,” she commented. “And yes, I’m rather afraid I will have to. My TARDIS was very nearly pulled back to Gallifrey at the end. It took everything both of us had to escape. She needs time to recover.” 

“And you?” 

She raised and eyebrow. “I’m not the one on bed rest.” 

Braxiatel sighed, almost melodramatically. “I suppose you aren’t. Still, I will of course endeavour to ensure you enjoy your stay here at the Braxiatel Collection.” 

“You don’t have to,” she told him. “I will be on my way soon enough.” 

“Romana-” he said, he himself even surprised at the earnesty in his voice. “-I want you to stay. If you would like. I have missed you, over the last 200 years.” 

Romana took a deep breath, closed her eyes, as she suddenly found herself feeling very restless. 

“Braxiatel?” she asked. “What about now?” 

He frowned. “I’m sorry, my lady? I don’t follow where you are going.” 

“You said that when you were younger you were enamoured with me. What about now?” 

His next intake of breath was sharp, and she could see a tenseness in his jaw. 

“Only,” she said. “I missed you too, Braxiatel.” She put her hands on top of one of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“You did?” There wasn’t hope in his voice, because he no longer needed hope. He had known Romana for so long, and in all that time, feelings had always been a topic she tried her best to avoid. So to him, she could not have more plainly stated her affections for him. She was right here with him, and she wanted him. 

They both leaned forward, only stopping one they could feel one another’s breath on their lips. 

“Well?” she asked. 

“You are as brilliant as ever. And just as beautiful. I have never met a being as intelligent, as fascinating, as enchanting as you, my lady.” 

He felt her breath on his skin as she chuckled. “Flatterer,” she said, and leaned closer. 

The kiss was short and sweet, but this was such a long time coming neither of them wanted to rush into it. 

“I think I wouldn’t mind terribly staying a little while,” Romana said, smiling, her eyes not leaving his.

——-

Send me one+ AUs from this list and some characters (taking any combination but I am in a Romana/Braxiatel mood so prompts about those to I am far likely to be inspired by) and I will write some fic