#dw fics

[saiilorstars]

Written in the Stars

Ch. 11. The Power of Ponds

• Previous Chapters • Sequel to Falling in Temptation • Avalon’s Masterlist

• 11th doctor x ofc

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon @anotherunreadblog​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​ @stareyedplanet​ @gloryekaterina @lenonizi @foxesandmagic​​​​​

If you’d like to be a part of this OC’s work/edits, let me know!

All was not well on planet Earth when Amy and Rory woke up, or rather woken up by Brian William's incessant pounding on their front door. They found their neighborhood was infested with small black cubes. It turned out it wasn't just their neighborhood - it was the city, the continent, the world! Thankfully, their granddaughter and her husband were there in a snap to start an investigation.

In the TARDIS, several cubes had been taken to be examined. However, no matter how much the Doctor studied them there was nothing to them. "All absolutely identical. Not a single molecule's difference between them. No blemishes, imperfections, individualities."

"What if they're bombs? Billions of tiny bombs," Brian made a motion of explosions in the air. "Or transport capsules, maybe, with a minirobot inside. Or deadly hard drives. Or alien eggs. Or messages needing decoding. Or they're all parts of a bigger whole. Jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together."

"Very thorough, Brian," nodded the Doctor, "Very, very thorough. Well done. Stay here. Watch these," he handed back Brian's cube to him, "Yell if anything happens!" He took Avalon's hand as he went for the doors. On their way, they stopped from needed equipment.

"Doctor, is this an alien invasion?" she had to ask. The sense of calmness in the middle of a cube invasion seemed pointless to her. She would rather just get straight to the point. "Because that's what it feels like - and my sister is thinking of living here again."

"It'll be fine," the Doctor assured but paused on his search for a moment to reconsider, "...okay, maybe tell her not to come out here yet. And why does she want to come back here again?"

"You haven't told him yet?" Amy had a smirk on her face when she and Rory caught up with them.

"Told me what?" the Doctor looked between all three with a serious face.

"Lena was considering moving in with her boyfriend..." Avalon rubbed the side of her neck while looking to the side, preferring not to see his reaction to that. Everyone knew how protective the Doctor was of his "baby sister", sometimes even more than Avalon and that was saying something.

"Why am I always the last one to know about this!?

"Because you react like that," Rory pointed.

"Well..." the Doctor started picking up the equipment and handed some of it to the trio, "...excuse me for caring a little too much about my baby sister. I mean, what if the guy's not even the right one? What if—"

"You've met him," Avalon reminded as he piled on some random objects in her arms, "Like several times already. You even said Tristan was a nice guy."

"Well, yeah, but that was before he wanted to move in with Lena!" the Doctor huffed and turned away, heading in haste to the doors.

"It's not even decided yet," called Avalon as she followed after him. They stepped into the Pond's living room where the TARDIS had been parked in, "She's considering it."

"Tell her we need to have a serious talk," the Doctor poked his head out from the hallway, "And by the way," he looked at Amy and Rory, "I'll be borrowing your kitchen."

Avalon turned to her grandparents with narrowed eyes, "Why is it that you must always put a wedge in my marriage?"

"That was all her," Rory nodded to Amy and made a smart exit.

"What?" Amy frowned, "I only said—"

"We're going to work on secrets," Avalon declared, "Lesson one: a secret is kept hidden until the appropriate time!"

"Sorry," mumbled Amy under her breath while Avalon turned for the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, the Doctor was already setting up his workplace on the counter and stove, "I'm going to cook up some cubes, see what happens."

"Right, I'm due at work," Rory pointed and went for the threshold when the Doctor called.

"What? You've got a job?"

"Yeah, of course I've got a job!" Rory shook his head, "What do you think we do when we're not with you?"

The Doctor stood straight and answered, "I imagine mostly kissing."

Rory considered the answer and shrugged. Amy rolled her eyes at the two, "I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick."

"My grandparents," Avalon chuckled and went to the Doctor to set the rest of the equipment down.

"My shift starts in an hour. You don't know where my scrubs are?" Rory asked his wife.

"In the lounge, where you left them."

Avalon dropped her equipment near the sink and noticed the Doctor watching Amy and Rory, probably startled by the domesticity he rarely saw in the TARDIS. Still, it seemed like this time he wasn't as impacted, "Ehh, the Ponds. With their house and their jobs and their everyday lives. The journalist and the nurse. Long way from Leadworth."

Amy sighed as she placed her part of equipment on the table, "We think it's been 10 years," she looked at him and Avalon, "Not for you two, nor Lena," she shrugged, "or Earth, but for us. Ten years older, 10 years of you. On and off."

"And look at you know, all grown up," smiled the Doctor honestly as he thought back to the first day he had met the three little girls in a backyard, and the nurse at a park.

His thoughts were interrupted by the bursting entrance of soldiers from the front door. In no time the trio were surrounded by soldiers from the entrance of the kitchen as well as from the backdoor. And then came poor Rory marched in by soldiers - with no trousers on.

"There are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants," he frowned with raised hands.

"My whole life, I've dreamed of saying that, and I miss it by being someone else," Amy mumbled and was promptly nudged by Avalon.

"You're one weird grandma," she declared, making Amy smirk.

"All these muscles, and they still don't know how to knock," a soft voice called in from the hallway, moments later a blonde woman coming into the kitchen in all calmness, "Sorry about the raucous entrance. Spike in artron energy reading at this address. In the light of the last 24 hours, we had to check it out and, uh, the dogs do love a runout. Hello. Kate Stewart, head of scientific research at UNIT. And," her eyes drifted to the Doctor with curiosity, "with dress sense like that..." she pulled out a small scanner and placed it over the Doctor's chest to view two hearts, "You must be the Doctor. I hoped it'd be you."

"You know each other?" Avalon looked up at the Doctor expectantly, assuming the woman had just been in the dark of his new face. Apparently there were plenty of people who didn't even know he had regenerated centuries ago.

The Doctor didn't know who to tend to first, but he figured it would be wiser to go with Avalon first considering they lived together. "No," he pointed at her, "No, not ever," and then he looked at Kate, "Tell me, since when did science run the military, Kate?"

"Since me. UNIT's been adapting," she informed, "Well, I dragged them along, kicking and screaming, which made it sound like more fun than it actually was."

"What do we know about these cubes?"

Kate walked further into the kitchen and inspected the place, "Far less than we need to. We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far, we've subjected them to temperatures of +/-200° Celsius, simulated a water depth of 5 miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact."

"That's impressive," admitted Avalon and looked at the Doctor for his input.

"Well, yes," he agreed, "but I don't want them to be impressive. I want them vulnerable, with a nice Achilles's heel."

"We don't know how they got here," Kate shrugged, "what they're made of, or why they're here. "

"And all around the world, people are picking them up and taking them home."

"Like iPads have dropped out of the sky. Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within 3 hours, the cubes had 1,000 separate Twitter accounts."

The Doctor distastefully said, "Twitter!" to show his disgust with the site.

"I've recommended we treat this as a hostile incursion. Gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility, but that would take massive international agreement and cooperation."

"You'd need massive evidence," Avalon concluded with a sigh, "Which you don't have..." Kate nodded in agreement.

"The cubes arrived in plain sight, in vast quantities, as the sun rose. So what does that tell us?" the Doctor looked around to his wife and companions.

"Maybe they wanted to be seen, noticed?" Amy offered the clearest observation possible.

"Well, more than that. They want to be observed," the Doctor pointed, "So we observe them. Stay with them, round the clock. Watch the cubes," he grabbed a nearby cube and tossed it in the air to catch it. "Day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, in it together," he planted a kiss on the cube and grinned.

~ 0 ~

The Doctor was having the worst time possible with his brilliant plan of watching cubes. At the moment he and the rest of the Ponds were sitting on the couch in the living room watching the cubes as planned. The Doctor was laying upside down and, frankly, to the brink of going mad, "Four days," he groaned and grabbed a cube off the table, "Nothing! Not a single change in any cube, anywhere in the world." He set the cube back in its place then shifted himself to sit upright with the others, "Four days! And I'm still in your lounge!" he pointed to Amy and Rory.

"You were the one who wanted to observe them, remember?" Avalon crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch, "So deal with it."

"Yes, well, I thought they'd do something, didn't I?"

"And you thought wrong, didn't you?"

"Avalon!"

"What?" she laughed and put her hands up in surrender, "You said, and I quote, 'we have to be patient'."

"Yes, you, you!" he pointed at her but after she narrowed her eyes at him, he changed the version and pointed at her grandparents, "Them, them!"

"Thanks," Amy rolled her eyes at him.

"I hate being patient! Patience is for wimps!" he threw his head back, "I can't live like this. Don't make me. I need to be busy."

Avalon couldn't take him anymore and threw her hands in the air, "Oh my God, just go do something, then!" she exclaimed, "We'll watch the cubes."

"Yes!" the Doctor cheered and jumped up from the couch, ready to do what ever he could to pass time.

"I blame you guys for this," Avalon said to Amy and Rory minutes later after the Doctor was gone.

'What? What did we do?" Rory looked at her in confusion.

"You guys let me marry him!" she mocked a frown, "I had partial memory loss - what kind of grandparents were you?" She mocked a scoff and stood up from the couch.

"What? Where are you going?" Amy watched her go around the couch for the staircase.

"I feel for a nap," she pretended to yawn then flashed a smirk and ran upstairs.

"Avalon!" both Amy and Rory called after her but received nothing but laughter.

~ 0 ~

One hour later, and a far cleaner house than before, the Doctor leaped over the back of the sofa to take place between Amy and Rory, "That's better," he sighed of relief, "Nothing like a bit of activity to pass the time. How long was I gone?"

Rory checked his watch, "Uh, about an hour."

"I can't do it," the Doctor's face fell, "No," he stood up and jumped over the back of the sofa again but stopped and looked back, "I'm short a wife - where's my ginger?"

"Your lazy wife took a nap," Amy made a face as she stood to her feet, "upstairs in her room."

"Oh, right, she has a room here..." it was then that the Doctor wondered if perhaps he could've done something more fun to pass the time with Avalon.

"You're welcome to visit anytime," Avalon appeared at the stairs wearing a smirk on her lips, clearly thinking the same as the Doctor.

"Oh, look who's up?" Rory turned to greet her sarcastically.

"I set an alarm for about an hour," Avalon went down the remaining steps, "Knew that was about the time this one," she nodded to the Doctor, "would finish up his little distraction jobs in that time."

"Yes," the Doctor reached for her hand and yanked her towards the TARDIS, "And now we're going!"

"What? Where?" she squealed with the force used on the yank.

The Doctor brought them into the TARDIS and came across Brian who remained sitting and watching the cube, "Brian! You're still here."

"You told me to watch the cubes," Brian reminded and stood up.

"Four days ago."

"Oh! Doesn't time fly when you're alone with your thoughts."

"You two can't just leave," Rory cut into the conversation and looked at the pair.

"Yes, course we can. Quick jaunt. Restore sanity," the Doctor snapped his fingers excitedly and pointed at them, "Ooh! Hey! Come, if you like."

Before either Rory or Amy could respond, Brian stepped forwards, "They can't just go off like that."

"Can't they?" frowned the Doctor, "Can't you? That's how it goes, isn't it?"

"I've got my job," Rory reminded him.

"Oh, yes, Rory, the universe is awaiting, but you have a little job to go to."

"It's not little," Rory snapped, slightly indignant, "It's important to me. Look, what you do isn't all there is."

"Look, he didn't mean to be rude," Avalon intervened, raising a hand to stop them from talking, "But it's fine, the Doctor and I can go off for a while, right?" she looked up at the Doctor for confirmation.

"Right," he kissed her temple then snapped his fingers to the others, "We'll be back soon. Monitor the cubes. Call us. I'll have the TARDIS set to every Earth newsfeed."

Agreeing, the three humans left the box. After the Doctor de-materialized the TARDIS from the Pond's, he turned to his wife with a sly smile.

"Where we off to, then?" Avalon innocently asked while gazing at the controls.

"I'll let you know..." He murmured as he pressed a few kisses down her neck, giving her chills on her skin, "...after we do something else..."

She giggled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought them into the corridors for that special distraction he had thought of.

~ 0 ~

Nine months would see the return of Avalon and the Doctor to planet Earth - and only to snatch Amy and Rory up for an extravagant anniversary gift. It would have gone far better if the 19th century hotel that served as the gift hadn't been the setting for a Zygon attack.

The next gift was an easier one, a simple wedding in the past of King Henry VII. But...

The travelers ran inside a highly royal wooden room, out of breath.

"Not good, not good!" Avalon declared and gave a hard look to the Doctor who'd found some fun leaping on the bed, "Are you kidding me!?"

"What?" He let himself fall on the bed then sighed, "Fine! Under the bed. Under the bed!"

They all scrambled to fit underneath the bed. Their chasers were hot on their trail and it would be mere seconds before they were inside the room.

"It wasn't my fault," grumbled Amy.

However, Rory quickly retorted to that, "It was totally your fault."

"Somebody was talking and I just said 'yes'!"

"To wedding vows. You just married Henry VIII on our anniversary!"

The door finally burst open again, allowing the chasers to come in. Henry VIII strolled around the room searching for his new wife. And, of course, the Doctor sneezed and gave their location away. Avalon dropped her head to her hands - why was her family this weird?

~ 0 ~

The anniversary celebration continued back on planet Earth, inside Amy and Rory's cozy kitchen with their friends. The Doctor stood by the threshold of the kitchen, overseeing the celebration. Avalon decided to stay up close and celebrate with her grandparents. Brian walked towards him, looking a bit upset, "How long were they away?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brian."

"Because they're wearing totally different clothes from earlier," Brian pointed to the Ponds.

Seeing no way to hide the truth, the Doctor decided to just answer, "Seven weeks. I got sidetracked. A lot."

"What happened to the other people who traveled with you?"

The Doctor deterred answering a second since he knew the answer would not be a good one. "Uh, some left me, some got left behind, and some - not many, but - some died. Not them. Not them, Brian. Never them."

Avalon picked up two plates of cake from the table with two forks then headed towards the two with a bright smile, "I've got cake!" she beamed and handed a plate to Brian, "Grandpa," she loved to be able to say that to him. She had gained one new family member and he was the absolute sweetest!

Brian kindly smiled and took his plate, he still couldn't fathom the fact the woman was an extension of their family but he was slowly growing more and more fond of her. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"And we can share," Avalon leaned on the Doctor, already digging into her cake, "So, what are we talking about?"

The Doctor exchanged glances with Brian, unsure how to go about that topic. Brian could see the internal struggle within the man so he answered instead, "I'm just making sure he takes good care of you."

Avalon titled her head up to the Doctor and warmly smiled, "Oh, he's incredibly protective, grandfather. I'm always safe with him."

The Doctor placed a kiss on her curly hair and wrapped his arms around her tightly while she ate. He would never let anything happen to Amy or Rory - much less Avalon. She was his wife and he'd rather die himself before any harm came to her.

~ 0 ~

After the party was finished, the travelers remained together to clean up. The Doctor came to sit beside Amy who carelessly tossed a cube in her hands. He had been thinking of how best to approach the subject but in the end, he was still very nervous.

"Can we... stay here? With you. And Rory?" He said, preferring to stare at the cube in Amy's hands rather than her. "For a bit. Keep an eye on the cubes. However long that takes."

Amy poked at him curiously, chuckling. "I thought it would drive you mad."

"No. No no. I mean, I'll be better at it this time," he promised in an almost childish tone, "I...miss you."

Amy smiled and stood up, "It's okay, did you tell Avalon?"

The other ginger came in time to hear the question, "Told me what?" she looked at the Doctor.

"I thought...we could stay here?" He rose to his feet and shifted nervously as he waited for her response.

"Ooh, I like that," Avalon nodded and a sly smile spread across her face, "You can stay in my room," she winked.

Amy groaned and raised her hands while leaving, "Don't you dare!" she warned as she left the room.

Avalon laughed and came for her blushing husband, "You okay?"

"You love embarrassing me don't you?" he shut his eyes and hung his head.

"Maybe a bit," she shrugged and ducked to meet his lips for a kiss, "But I can apologize for that..." she assured and kissed him again.

The days passed and the Doctor kept true to his word in trying his best to live a semi-normal life without the TARDIS. It was difficult at times, but the Doctor thanked he had his wife to keep him from going crazy. She'd lived a long, human life so it was no problem for her to readjust again. For her, it was an opportunity to show him a different life they could live - a peaceful, safe life.

The Doctor admitted to himself it was one he could get used to - especially at times like the one he was currently in.

It was past midnight and he and Avalon were in her room. Nearly all furniture pieces were from Avalon's childhood home in Leadworth, except for the bed the two were laying in. It had been traded in for a bigger one to fit two people, cozy enough to snuggle in. At the moment, the two were closely laying together, with Avalon's head resting on the Doctor's chest. His hand was lazily playing with her ginger locks while listening to her read from her favorite fairytale book. He loved hearing her read, her voice had a knack for literature — she was a natural. Of course, due to the time, her voice was beginning to dwindle in emotion and speed. The Doctor had allowed her to continue reading until she could no more. When her words began slurring, he knew it was time to call it a night.

"Heeey..." Avalon manages to frown but not to lift her head, "...I was reading that..."

"And now you're sleeping," the Doctor shut the book and placed it on the nightstand.

"I'm not tired, you're not tired."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "You're not going to deprive yourself of sleep, love. Get some rest."

"You're not..." she yawned and closed her eyes, "...the boss of me..." she snuggled to him and released a small sigh before falling asleep.

"Of course not," the Doctor agreed in a whisper. He kissed her hair and pulled her blanket over her.

Of course, Avalon being Avalon, she wouldn't let him have it. Three hours later, her eyes opened up and she finally lifted her head up, "What time is it?" she mumbled, half expecting the to be gone.

He had a tendency to leave her during nights she needed sleep. He claimed it was simply for her comfort. Why share a bed with a man who didn't sleep? She should have an entire bed to herself! She understood he was just thinking of her and what was best, but she wanted him to stay with her...but she never admitted it out of embarrassment. So, when she saw the Doctor was still right beside her, she couldn't help set loose a wide grin.

"You're not gone," she quickly snuggled to him before he went anywhere.

"Hope you don't mind," he apologetically smiled at her. He was planning on leaving her to rest comfortably but she had clung to him during her sleep and he didn't have the hearts to leave her alone for the night.

"Not at all," she looked up at him.

"Planning on going back to sleep?"

"Mm, I don't know...let's read another story!" she exclaimed and moved to retrieve her book when the Doctor stopped her.

"Ava, it's 4 A.M.," he reminded and set her back on the bed.

"But I'm not tired," she softly complained, "Why do you want me to sleep so badly? Do you have someone to meet? Like another woman?"

"See? Deprivation of sleep is causing your mind to think of crazy stuff," he tapped her forehead, "I just want my wife to get some full rest."

"I don't want to," she shrugged and smiled at him, knowing how to distract him, "I had a dream about you."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow, his attention already captivated.

"Mhm," she nodded, "It was about the first time we kissed, remember?"

"Kinda hard to forget," he breathed in just at the thought of that moment.

"Well, I do make quite an impression on men," she flashed a smirk that made him upset, "I've been told by several of them."

"Shh," he put a finger over her lips and quieted her down, "Let's not talk about..." he flapped hand to motion, "...that!"

Her smirk widened with his discomfort, "You mean my amazing kissing skills I used before you?"

The Doctor shut his eyes, trying to avoid any and all images of his wife kissing other men, "Shhh!"

"Cos you know, just because I only had 3 boyfriends before you doesn't mean I only kissed those three!"

"Ava, for the love of God, shhhhh!"

Avalon chuckled and draped an arm around him, "You know I like teasing you, fairy-tale man."

"No? I hadn't noticed," the Doctor had a hand over his face to avoid looking at her big smirk.

"I have to get back at you," Avalon continued and traded in her smirk for a dim smile, "Cos when I get to thinking of all the women who came before me...well..." she pulled his hand from her face, "...I get a little upset, and highly jealous."

The Doctor saw his opportunity to change topics and went for it, "All meaningless compared to you, love."

"Even your own late wife?"

"That marriage was under formal arrangements," he pointed at her, "completely out of my hands."

"And yet you still had children..." it was easy to tell Avalon wasn't playing anymore like she tended to with his past relationships. She fiddled with her fingers and kept her gaze from him, "...the marriage couldn't have been that bad."

"Let me put it to you in one question: Why do you think I left Gallifrey in the first place?" at that, blue eyes fell upon him, "I love my children, so so much...but I could not stand her. All the time it was bickering and bickering!"

"We bicker," Avalon reminded in a low whisper, her hands still fiddling together.

The Doctor scooted slightly from her to be able to roll on top of her, bringing their faces together, "But when we bicker, it's out of love," he whispered back to her before giving her a kiss.

Avalon seemed unsure of it but the second kiss she received put her doubts to rest. She took a long breath the moment the Doctor pulled away, "I'm glad to know where I stand..." she reached to touch his face, taking a moment to study his features, "You know, I think I was wrong about hope..."

"What exactly?"

"Maybe hope doesn't have to be an intangible force..." she tilted her head slightly and dimly smiled, "...it could simply be someone who's impacted your life so much that they become your hope - you." The Doctor was touched to hear that, his hearts beating wildly at the thought of her believing in him so much. She stared at him with her sparkly blue eyes which had foregone their tiredness. "You've changed my life in so many ways. How could you not be my hope? My future has never looked better."

"Well then, I promise to always keep your hope alive," the Doctor raised a hand as if he were making an oath, which actually he was, "and most importantly keep you happy."

Avalon blushed under his gentle stare and felt like the most important woman to him, "I thank you, fairy-tale man."

"I thank you for your hope, wife," the Doctor responded with that and a kiss that soon turned in dozens and dozens more.

~ 0 ~

"You two are impossible," Amy declared with arms crossed and a look of bewilderment as she watched Avalon and the Doctor competing in a WII tennis match, "How is it that you're married again?"

"You are a bloody cheater!" Avalon shouted at the Doctor, blatantly ignoring her grandmother's question behind them.

"I am not!" declared the Doctor with a huff as he turned to face his wife. He whacked his tennis racket to hit an incoming ball Avalon had sent just before she yelled at him.

"Yes" — Avalon thrust her racket to counter his hit — "you are! A big cheater! That set was mine and you know it!"

"That's not what the computer says," the Doctor flashed a smirk to her before using his racket again.

"Impossible," Amy repeated in the background as she resigned to have shouting in the house, "I'm taking a bath!" she called to whoever listened - probably Rory in the kitchen.

"You know, this is exactly why Fred Perry hates you," Avalon 'accidentally' pushed him in order to counter his attack on the television, "because you're a bloody cheater!" and when she hit the virtual ball she beamed as it went straight past the Doctor's, "HA! My set!" she jumped in excitement and turned to the Doctor.

"Okay, see that was cheating," he pointed at her.

"What?" she continued hopping and even jumped onto the couch, "It was not!"

"Yes, it was," the Doctor repeated and moved to grab her but she kept hopping and made it difficult, "You pushed me to hit the ball!"

"Strategies my dear husband, strategies," she stopped hopping to tap his nose.

"Cheater!" the Doctor managed to yank her off the couch and leave them face to face, a dangerous territory in their love/hate competition, "Why did I ever marry a cheater?" he touched noses with her and purposely flashed his charming smile.

Avalon was able to see over his shoulder the game starting up again and saw an opportunity to win again, "Well," her voice turned huskily while she neared his lips, "I do have some rather nice skills you're fond of...let me remind you of some of them..."

Barely brushing lips, the Doctor pushed her to the couch and spun around to strike the first ball in the game, "Ha! MY set!" he cheered.

Avalon fell with a thud on the cushions, stunned with the results of her seduction attempt. She blew the locks of hair that had fallen over her forehead then looked up at the Doctor with a glare, "How dare you!?"

"Sorry my love," the Doctor looked back at her, "I love you and we'll definitely get back to that," he pointed at her, "but this is my game and you were cheating!"

"I hate you!" Avalon jumped to her feet and got into position to give him one hell of a game, "And you're going to lose so badly," she warned just as the game set up again.

They spent another a two minutes playing while arguing when a cube hovered in front of them, freezing them in their spots.

"Doctor..." Avalon's eyes were wide.

"I know," the Doctor gave a small nod then narrowed his eyes at the cube, "Whatever you are, this planet, these people, are precious to me. And I will defend them to my last breath. Is that all you can do, hover? I had a metal dog could do that," the cube opened up one of its side to show a muzzle of a gun, "Ooh! Ooh, that's clever. What's that?"

"It's a gun!" Avalon smacked his arm, "What do you think it's for!?" she pulled him to the in time as the gun fired. They ran out of the room while dodging a second fire.

Once safely in the hallway, the Doctor peered into the room and saw the cube downloading information on the television. "Ooh, you really have woken up."

"Doctor!" Rory came running in from the kitchen, "Hi. The cube in there, it just opened?"

Amy was next to come running, but from the staircase, "The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!"

"Your cubes are losers," remarked Avalon with a small smirk, "Ours fired with a gun!"

"And it's surfing the net!" the Doctor added with excitement.

Brian ran into the house with about equal awe as Amy and Rory, "You're never going to believe this. My cube just moved. It rattled."

"Kinda of in the same predicament, Brian," Avalon gestured to the living room so he could peek in. Meanwhile, Rory went to attend to a call on the phone, "Do you think it's the start of the real invasion?" she asked the Doctor.

"Could mean anything, honestly," he shrugged.

"But if three cubes started in here, and another one at Brian's - would that mean that all the cubes have started moving?"

"Those are some very good questions," the Doctor looked at her with concern as he thought of her questions.

Upon hanging the phone, Rory returned to the group, "I have to get to work. They need all the help they can get."

"Let me come help out," Brian offered himself up.

"Take your dad to work night, brilliant!" Rory turned to Amy, "Okay, are you going to be all right here?"

She nodded and kissed him, "Keep away from the cubes."

"Alright," Rory took Brian and went off for the hospital.

"What the hell are you grinning about?" Avalon raised an eyebrow as she studied her grinning husband who'd remerged from the living room.

"Well, one," he raised a finger, "We're wanted at the Tower of London," he showed her and Amy his psychic paper to reveal a message, "And two," he leaned to Avalon with a smirk, "I won the last match."

"No you didn't!" Avalon angrily snapped and even made to move for the living room to check for herself.

The Doctor picked her up over his shoulder and headed for the doors, "Come along, remaining Pond," he called to Amy who laughed and followed him despite Avalon's angry shouts to be let down.

~ 0 ~

Kate Stewart led the trio down a hall inside the tower of London, explaining the reasons for her message, "Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment."

"Now we're in business," the Doctor drowned the urge to clap his hands in excitement about it. He had loved his normal time with his Ponds but there needed to be some kind of action in the end, "You sent me a message to my psychic paper," he told Kate, "You know, I'm almost impressed. "

As they walked, Avalon and Amy were busy looking around the secretive base they'd been invited to. While Amy looked a bit worried, Avalon was more than impressed, "I must say, the secret base beneath the Tower was something I was not expecting," she flashed a smile at Kate, "I might use that in a book in the future."

"You write?" the blonde asked.

"No, but I plan to one day - this base can serve for a lot of purposes."

"Well make sure to write the part where the group gets invited into the base becuase they know too much,' mumbled Amy but was perfectly heard by Kate.

"Oh yes, and make sure to write that we have officers trained in beheading. Also, ravens of death."

"Ooh," Avalon thought about that while Kate took a lead down the hallway, "I think I just might. You know, I like her."

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded and hurried up after the blonde with them.

~ 0 ~

Kate had brought them into a room where the cubes were being monitored in small sealed rooms. They stopped by several of the casings to observe them, There are 50 being monitored and more coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity, some create mood swings."

"What's this one?" Amy pointed at a lone cube simply sat on a table. It seemed like it wasn't doing anything to her.

Kate knew otherwise and so motioned for her to go ahead and open its door, "Try the door."

Amy did as told and opened the door to the chamber, flooding the room with the Chicken dance, "Ooh..."

The Doctor plugged his ears with his fingers as the music blared. Avalon stared at him with genuine awe, "So that's how we can keep you quiet! Hey Kate, can I borrow that cube sometime?"

Next, Kate led the group into the lab room where her scientists/technicians were busy working away on the computers and other equipment. "This is the latest," she gestured to the computer screen in front of them.

The Doctor leaned forwards and used the keyboard to access its information, "Oh, dear. Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East."

"I've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Doctor. We all are."

"Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did," the Doctor glanced at the woman to find her staring at him in surprise, "Kate Stewart. Heading up UNIT, changing the way they work. How could you not be? Why did you drop "Lethbridge"?"

"I didn't want any favors. Though he guided me, even to the end. "Science leads," he always told me, said he'd learnt that from an old friend."

The Doctor smiled, "We don't let him down. We don't let this planet down."

One of the nearby technicians responded to an alerting beep, "They've stopped. The cubes. Across the world. They just shut down."

Kate frowned, "Active for 47 minutes and then they just die?"

"Not dead," the Doctor shook his head, "Dormant, maybe."

"But why go through all that trouble, then?" Avalon asked next.

"I don't know!" he exclaimed, clearly stressing, "I don't know. I need to think. I need some air. Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation!"

Avalon exchanged looks with Amy then dashed off after the Doctor. Amy apologetically smiled to Kate before going off as well.

~ 0 ~

"The moment they arrived, I should've made sure they were collected and burned. That is what I should've done," the Doctor rubbed his face and deeply sighed to the two gingers sitting on either side of him.

They had moved to a wall sit on which overlooked the Thames - sort of peaceful, despite the looming dangers of the cube.

"Nobody would have listened to you," Avalon interjected and lightly shrugged, "I know I wouldn't have."

"You never listen to anything," shot Amy sarcastically.

"But you know I'm right about the others."

On that, Amy conceded with a shrug of her own, "Yeah, I suppose. There was no reason to back then."

The Doctor had been looking them back and forth, thinking of the future when Amy would no longer wish to be with them, "You're thinking of stopping, aren't you? You and Rory."

Amy looked away at the question, "No, no, I mean, we haven't made a decision."

"But you're considering it."

"Maybe. I don't know. We don't know. Well, our lives have changed so much. There was a time - there were years - when I couldn't live without you. Um, when just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy. But since you dropped us back here, since you gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. But I don't know if I can have both."

"Why?" It was Avalon who asked the question, curious of the answer. She had been used to Lena's reluctance about traveling - her illness and the simple fact she wasn't made for it was enough. But Amy? Why would she want to stop?"

"Because they pull at each other," Amy answered carefully, "Because they pull at me and because the traveling is starting to feel like running away."

"That's not what it is," the Doctor frowned.

"Oh, come on, look at you. Four days in a lounge and you go crazy."

"I'm not running away," he insisted, "This is one corner of one country, in one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy, that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond and there is so much, so much, to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things. I'm running to them, before they flare and fade forever. It's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."

"Then why do you keep coming back for us?"

"Because you were the first," the Doctor put an arm around her shoulders and Avalon, and sighed lightly, "You two and Lena, you were the first faces this face saw. And you were seared onto my hearts. Ponds - and one Reynolds," Avalon silently rolled her eyes but let him have it for his sake, "You always will be. I've lost Lena long ago. Now I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me too."

"But there's one of us who'll never leave," Amy tried her best not to sniffle, "And she'll keep you company long after we're all gone."

"Quiet," Avalon mumbled the order, never wanting to think of her family dead, "I don't ever want to hear that."

"What ever you want, spoiled granddaughter," Amy did her best sarcasm without crying.

Suddenly, the Doctor stiffened, something both women felt. "They got what they wanted," he whispered.

"What?" Avalon frowned at him, taking his sudden reactions as if he was mocking them.

"The cubes. That's why they stopped," the Doctor was having a moment of his own, even jumping and nearly knocking the women in the process, "Come on!" he ran back for the entrance of the tower.

He went straight back to Kate in a haste stride, "Kate?" he called and made the blonde turn around from a technician, "Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns. They made a complete assessment-" the lights in the tower went down with no warning, "...of planet Earth..." the Doctor pulled out to sonic the light bulbs, "...and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was. Problem with the power?"

Kate was holding a lit torch in her hand and looking quite distressed, "Not possible. We've got backups."

"Then why aren't they working?" Avalon challenged, finding the action suspicious with the cubes.

The Doctor took them back to the chambers of the cube to get a look at what as happening. There, they found all cubes were counting down to zero, something the Doctor was able to give to Kate as a powerful reason for the cubes to be recalled and disposed by all humans. Thankfully, Kate was able to spread the word out and were getting the cubes thrown out of buildings. The Doctor had only one last thing to do: lock himself in a chamber with one cube.

Avalon, Amy and Kate stood outside of the chamber the Doctor was in, staring intently at the cube which was nearing zero. Avalon had her arms crossed and a look of clear disapproval, "Doctor, you don't have to be in there," she repeated for what seemed the tenth time, "I don't understand why you love scaring me like this."

"It's going to be fine," the Doctor gave her a thumbs up which did not make her feel an ounce better. It wasn't long before the countdown reached zero and when the Doctor prepared for the worst...the cube merely slid open one of its side to show nothing inside.

"What's happening?" Avalon asked quickly, sensing something worse would happen if the cube was showing 'nothing'. That nothing would turn into something in a surprise and harm the Doctor when he's off guard.

"There is nothing in here," the Doctor stood up, staring at the cube with a scowl, "Why? Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make any sense!" he left the chamber and went for thee technician rooms to see what had occurred outside, "Glasses, is it the same? Is it the same all around the world?" he gathered from the various screens in front of him.

"They're empty," Kate remarked, "We're safe. Right?"

"I don't think so," Avalon voiced her opinion, "because what if they're just playing us? This could be a decoy while the real attack happens with some other thing."

"All along, every action has been deliberate," the Doctor relayed, "Why draw attention to the cubes, if they don't contain anything?"

Amy, who had been staring at the videos while the others spoke, was the first to see the 'real action' take place, "Doctor, look," she pointed, alarmed.

The videos were all showing people gripping their chests and collapsing to the ground. The technician overseeing the monitors spoke up, "They're CCTV feeds from across the world, showing the same."

"People are dying," Avalon gasped in horror, "See! I told you!"

"They can't be dying," the Doctor disagreed, "How? How are they dying?"

Kate turned to the technician with an important task in mind, "I want information on how people are being affected."

"The cubes brought people close together. They opened and—" the Doctor couldn't continue when a sharp pain ran through his chest.

Seeing him fall onto a chair with a cry of pain, Avalon and Amy were at his side, "Doctor, what's the matter!?" Avalon wanted to help him but with his frizzy movements she couldn't lay a finger on him.

"Uh! Ah! I don't know!"

"Posters are logging a global surge in heart failure, cardiac arrest," the technician Kate had ordered finally gave an explanation.

"That's it. Ah!" the Doctor yelled, "Ah! Oh. Only one heart. Other one's not working!" he pounded on his chest.

"Okay! We need to get you to the hospital!" Amy declared and went to get him up with Avalon when the Doctor pushed them away.

"No no no no no! Just a second," he pushed his chair back to the desk, "Come, show me 10 seconds after the cubes opened. Show me the patterns in their electrical current. See?"

"No," Kate shook her head.

"Yes, the power cut. They sucked the power and then - aah! They're signal boxes! People - wham! Pure electrical surge out of the cube, targeted at the nearest human heart. The heart! An organ powered by electrical current, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart. Ow! Crikey Moses!"

"We need to get you out of here!" Avalon exclaimed.

Kate looked up from the monitor she was at, "Doctor, the scan you set running. The transmitter locations. It's found them."

"Oh, look at them all, pulsing, bold as brass. Seven of them, all across the world. (pounds chest) Ow! Seven stations, seven minutes. Why is that important? Ah-aaah! Ha ha ha ow! Ow!" the Doctor looked at Avalon and Amy, "How do you people manage one heart? It is pitiful!"

"I'm sorry, did you just really call me 'pitiful'?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, desisting in all movements to help him, "Are you really going down that road?"

"No, ma'am," the Doctor cleared his throat and shifted his attention to the monitor, still fighting the unbearable pain within his chest, "The wormhole. Bridging two dimensions. Seven of them, hitched on to this planet. But - but – but where's the closest one? Glasses, zoom in."

The technician zoomed in to the location and revealed a very familiar London building to the two gingers in the room.

"That's the hospital where Rory works," Avalon blinked, "We've got to get there now!"

~ 0 ~

In no time had they arrived at Rory's hospital. The Doctor tried leading the group with a hand over his chest, "How many deaths have been recorded?" he glanced at Kate beside him.

"We don't know. We think it could be a third of the population."

"Kate, I have to find the wormhole. But the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal this. The world needs your leadership right now."

"I'll do my best," the blonde promised and walked back.

Not a second later after she'd left did the Doctor fall against a wall with a cry of agony, "Agh!"

"Okay we need to fix you," Avalon declared and started looking around for something to help them.

"How long are you going to last with only one heart?" Amy sighed as she helped him stand with an arm around his shoulders.

"Not much longer," he started scanning the place with the sonic, "I need to locate the wormhole portal. Hello. Hello!" he found a young girl holding one of the cubes, "Oh, hello," he went up to her, "You are giving off some very strange signals."

The girl made no oral response and instead glowed a brilliant blue, startling the trio, "Oh my God," Amy blinked.

"Outlier droid monitoring everything. If I shut her down, I can," with the sonic's help the girl started swaying back and forth as she lost power, "Ah. It's all right. It's all right..." but his own strength was flailing, "Ava, Amy, I can't!" he slid to the floor, "I can't do it. I need both hearts. Ah! Aah!"

"Oh that is it!" Avalon huffed and stomped down the hallway, clearly searching for something.

"What's she doing!?" Amy narrowed her eyes as she studied the other ginger's movements.

Avalon returned to them with a defibrillator in hands, something the Doctor was immediately shooting down, "No! No, no, no, no, that won't work! I'm a Time Lord!"

"Yes," Avalon got on her knees, "you're a Time Lord with one working heart!"

"No, Ava!" He refused when she opened his shirt.

"Oh relax, it's nothing I haven't done before!"

"Hey!" Amy frowned at the implication, "Ew, grandmother, remember?" she pointed at herself.

"Shush, I'm saving my husband," Avalon snapped, "Clear!" and she applied the charge which instantly got results.

"Ooh!" the Doctor sat upright, feeling the blast of energy, "Welcome back, Lefty. Whoa-hoa! Two hearts!" he jumped to his feet and pulled Avalon with him, "Whoo! Back in the game. And Never do that to me again," he firmly pointed at Avalon who barely caught up with his radical movements.

"Okay, but then don't come whining to me tonight when I say no and go to sleep!"

"No, wait, not that," the Doctor immediately frowned, "Not that! I meant that!" He pointed at the defibrillator behind them.

"Sorry," Avalon raised a hand and walked off, "C'mon, then, portal awaits!"

"I hate when she does that," the Doctor huffed then noticed the distasteful face Amy had for him, "What?"

"Grandmother!" she pointed at herself again, "Ew?" would they ever understand neither she nor Rory ever wanted to hear what went on between him and Avalon in their bedroom.

~ 0 ~

They arrived at the lift where the Doctor's sonic had led them to. When the doors slid open, the trio peered inside to find a regulator lift.

"Oh, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?" Amy frowned at the sight.

The Doctor checked his sonic's examination results, "The energy signals converge here. Does seem a bit cramped, though," he stepped in followed by the two gingers. The back wall seemed to ripple attracting the Doctor's attention. He poked it and glanced at the two women, all sharing bright smiles, "Through the looking-glass, Ava."

"I loved that story," Avalon beamed as he took her hand.

"I loved hearing you read it to me."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Eugh!" she pushed past them and went through the wall first. She came to a spaceship which consisted of old hospital gurneys that held her husband and her father-in-law, "Rory!"

"Where the hell are we?" asked Avalon when she and the Doctor came through.

"We're in orbit. One dimension to the left," the Doctor shrugged.

Amy turned to them and pointed to Rory across the room, "Rory's unconscious!"

The Doctor reached inside his jacket's pocket and pulled out a small jar he handed to Amy, "Seborean smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies."

Amy was hesitant to use such jar but took the chance and ran over to Rory. Upon getting a whiff, Rory sat upright with wide eyes.

"Rory, you're back!" Avalon excitedly hugged him.

"Amy, get them out of here," tasked the Doctor, "And you too, now."

At that, Avalon pulled away from her hug and turned to the Doctor, "No, what are you going to do on your own?"

The Doctor moved on to Brian's gurney and pushed it towards them, "Absolutely no idea. Get him through the portal," and he started helping them when someone fired at them. The Doctor looked back and saw a lone, bald man in a dark cloak and chapped, wrinkled skin.

"So many of them, crawling the planet, seeping into every corner," he was saying.

"What the hell is that?" Avalon stopped but was forced to continue out of the room by her grandparents. They returned to the lift and into the hallway while Brian was stirring awake, "Did we just really leave my husband behind?" she faced Amy and Rory.

"Of course not," Amy huffed at the accusation, "Don't you realize? We'd never leave him, nor you."

"Well..." Avalon crossed her arms, her eyes flickering between one grandparent to another, "...it's just, lately, I feel like you leaving the Doctor and the TARDIS means you'll be leaving me too."

"What?" Rory frowned, "How can you say that, Ava?"

"Because I barely see you anymore," Avalon dropped her arms to her sides in frustration, "and I try to act like it's all alright but deep down I don't want you to go. I like having my family/friends with me in that blue box."

"We need you to understand something for us," Rory came up and put his hands on her shoulder, keeping her still and looking directly at him and Amy, "Even if we do decide to leave the travelling it does not mean we are leaving you."

"Yeah, you're our granddaughter for god's sake," Amy shook her head, "How can you think we'd ever leave you?"

"I dunno..." Avalon played with her foot, "Cos when the Doctor talks about his previous companions he always says how much he misses them cos he doesn't visit them. He leaves them or they leave him. I don't want that to happen to you two."

"It's not," Rory declared with a sigh, "Because we are never going to let that happen. We stay and you'll come and visit us. And sometimes we'll come visit you."

"But we will always be a family," Amy finished.

"Promise?" Avalon whispered, believing herself to sound like a child.

"Promise," went both grandparents before hugging their granddaughter. When the moment was finished, they rejoined the Doctor and discovered the alien was still conversing with the mysterious man - one who apparently believed humans to be an 'epidemic' that needed to be stopped.

"What does he mean by 'Tally'?" asked Amy, still trailing the man with slight distaste, "What is that?"

The Doctor wasn't too happy to have his wife and friends back in direct danger. He knew he couldn't force them to leave and for the sake of time he didn't press, "Some people call it "Judgment Day" or "the Reckoning.""

Avalon glanced at him with surprise, "What? You don't know?"

"I've never wanted to find out."

"Before the Closure, there is the Tally," the Shakri declared, "The Shakri serves the Tally!"

"The pest controllers of the universe. That's how the tales went, isn't it?" the Doctor frowned.

"Wait, so you'r'e afraid of an exterminator?" Avalon snorted, crossing her arms and putting a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, "What kind of bedtime stories are those?"

"Well you can talk," the Doctor turned to her, crossed she was making fun of him, "Your stories are no better. A wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?"

Avalon raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, "Are you making fun of your wife's favorite classic fairy-tales?"

"N-no," the Doctor quickly faced the Shakri again, "So!" he clapped his hands, desperate for a change of topics, "Here you are, depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what they are. Not pests or plague - creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does, but - but - they learn. And they strive for greater and they achieve it. You want a tally? Put their achievements against their failings, through the whole of time. I will back humanity against the Shakri every time."

"The Tally must be met. The second wave will be released," the Shakri moved to the keyboard and began typing.

Amy watched the actions in alarm, "What does that mean?"

"It's going to release more cubes to kill more people," the Doctor's eyes widened.

"The human plague, breeding and fighting. And, when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're too late, Doctor. The Tally shall be met."

Amy panicked when the man disappeared, "He's gone!"

"He was never really here," the Doctor dismissed as he moved to the computer, "Just the ship's automated interface. Like a talking propaganda poster. I can stop the second wave," he pulled out the sonic to use, "I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the dark space. Ah, but all those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died."

"I restarted one of your hearts," Avalon blinked, 'Could that work?"

"You'd need mass defibrillation," Rory said.

"Of course. Ah, beautiful. But, Ponds, Ponds, we're going to go one better than that," the Doctor pointed at them, "The Shakri used the cubes to turn people's hearts off. Bingo! We're going to use them to turn them back on again."

"Will that work?" Amy raised an eyebrow, sensing it too easy.

"Well, creatures of hope. Has to," the Doctor shrugged and worked for a couple more minutes, "30 seconds. Don't let me down, cubes. You're working for me, now," the ship lurched them to the side a bit, "Oh, dear," the Doctor got a glimpse of the computer and stepped back, tugging on Avalon's arm to join him as well, "All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here, any second. Run!"

The Ponds had no choice to follow, just barely missing the explosion behind them.

~ 0 ~

The only way to finish a day filled with explosions and an almost-invasion was to cook a nice dinner for the family in the evening. Amy showed Avalon a classic recipe that she had apparently picked up in the months of their absence and it turned out that the two actually made a good cooking team. It was a pleasant evening until the time came to leave.

"We'd better get going," the Doctor glanced at Ava to see if she would agree or not. If it was hard for him to leave the Ponds, it was ten times harder for her - they were literally family.

Thankfully, she seemed to agree as she nodded and stood up, "Right, lots and lots of things to do, um." She hugged Amy then Rory and went around the table to hug Brian last.

"Look," the Doctor settled his hands on the shoulders of Amy and Rory, "I know, you both have lives here, beautiful, messy lives. That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. I understand."

"Actually, it's you they can't give up, Doctor," Brian said with 100% assurance, "And I don't think they should. Go with him. Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."

"Why don't you come, Brian?" Avalon suggested, "It'd be really cool to have my grandparents and my great grandfather in the TARDIS."

"Nah," Brian patted her hand, "Somebody's got to water the plants." He then looked at the Doctor. "Just bring them all back safe."

"I will," the Doctor nodded, simultaneously reaching for Avalon's hand to squeeze.

Avalon couldn't help beam all the way to the blue box as she held her husband's hand and ushered her grandparents inside her home. She waved goodbye at Brian with the brightest smile and then disappeared inside.

A/N:

Ugh, there's only a couple chapters left before it's time to say bye, bye to the Ponds *cries*. It'll be the end of an era!

[mediawhorefics]

the lord of fallen stars

author: mediawhore

pairing: tenrose | tentoorose

wordcount: 4k

summary:

The Tardis finishes dematerialising in a lamenting groan and the Doctor feels Rose’s hand go slack in his as the blue box finally disappears, leaving nothing but an imprint in the sand for the sea to smooth over in the next high tide. She’s trembling a little, Rose is, slight tremors she can’t seem to control, and he doesn’t know if it’s the cold or the shock (the grief?) of being left behind again, but he goes against his instinct to cling onto her tighter, lest he smothers her (and in such a knife’s edge moment too). The Doctor, Rose Tyler, and a long walk on Bad Wolf Bay.

AO3 link

[babiebomsmasterlist]

For all your Doctor Who needs!

Headcanons

The Doctor and the Master incarnations as Songs I Like

Oneshots

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Reader insert Fics

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Oc Fics

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Character Only Fics

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[cute-sucker]

all i can think about is boxer!rafe with his cute clumsy gf??

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

rafe being a boxer did not help your situation as an unnaturally clumsy person.

you're always on the brink of failing down, head face first into concrete, or something even worse. you feel like an idiot every single day as you try to get through obstacles that face your everyday life.

going up the stairs? yes, you have fallen going up the stairs.

going down the stairs? check that off the list too. that was done a hot minute ago. it's all a blur to you, but when you and rafe first got into a relationship it was alarming the amount of bruises you got.

it was strange to be with someone so coordinated as him, as if every single on his moves was strategic. you had watched him box and every move deliberate. power and strength oozed off of him, and you wondered what you even offered in the relationship. after all he was the one taking care of you.

he could tell when you were about to fall - his hand stuck out to catch you, he could tell when you were going to trip, hands reaching for your shoulders. you would always give him a cute smile afterwards, and a welcoming kiss.

but there were other times when you felt worse about it, crying to him about how incompetent you were, "can't do it, rafe. i'm so, so clumsy," and you could tell that he was fighting the urge to laugh as you pouted.

"nah. i like it," he would mutter, before gently smudging your lipstick with his finger as he tilted down to give you a peck, "keeps me on my toes."

and yet there were times when being clumsy did not help at all.

you were snuggled to his side, smelling his hoodie in deeply before sighing. the movie was playing in the background as he held you close to his chest, as a soft humming escaped your lips. it was a moment you knew you would always remember, and you raised your arms to stretch.

little to your knowledge the sleeves of your shirt went down to uncover a litter of blue and green bruises. they looked fairly recent but still were blossoming on your skin. unbeknownst to you, rafe's eyes quickly traveled to your arms.

"hey? you good?" he sputtered out, and you gave him a smitten nod, burrowing deeper into his chest. rafe looked even more concerned, readjusting - which forced you to get up as a short whine left your mouth.

he tugged at your sweatshirt, "what the hell was that?"

you furrowed your eyebrows, "what the hell was what? you have to be more specific rafe-" you hated this, and even though you didn't know what he was talking about there was this inkling of fear that stuck into your heart.

rafe let out a grunt, before pulling away down your sleeves again, and then he pointed at the bruises, "these? who hurt you?"

dumbfounded you stared at your arms, and then looked at rafe - his eyes practically bugging out of their sockets, jaw clenched as if a vein was about to burst and you couldn't help but start giggling.

"hey. hey, focus," a hand reached for your jaw as you stared into his steely eyes. suddenly you saw another side of him, the rafe that everyone talked about. the one that could knock out a guy with one punch, the one that came home with bloody knuckles and a chewed mouth guard. and yet it was the same rafe that slept in your bed comfortably and whispered your name gently as if he wanted to etch it on his heart.

that rafe.

you had zoned out again before you noticed his furious expression, and then an unpleasant smile that crossed on his face. it looked as if he was trying to feign being calm, and you felt tears prick your eyes.

"rafe-"

"no crying. c'mon baby, just give me a name."

now you were chuckling through tears, and he gave him an incredulous look.

finally he pecked your lips, his words oddly sweet, "listen. i've always told you i'm gonna protect you right. it's jeff isn't it-" his words came out sharp, and you knew exactly who he was talking about - your boss at the restaurant you worked at who complained about your inability to do anything right.

but that was definitely not it.

"rafe!" you finally sputtered, "rafe it's me."

finally he stopped, his mouth gaping open, "what do you mean it's you sweets?"

you huffed, looking down at your arms, "i'm so darn clumsy that i have bruises everywhere. i always check before i go to bed, yk' to check how many i have."

rafe's concern quickly shifted to a mix of frustration and worry as he examined the bruises on your arms, letting soft clucks. he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair before turning to you with a furrowed brow.

"sweetheart, you have to be more careful," he said, his tone tinged with annoyance but softened by genuine concern, and then he finally tugged you in closer as you started to protest.

"we'll talk about this later. maybe you'll start boxing, huh? you'll be my little champ."

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

taglist for all my fics; @wearemadeofstardust0

taglist for boxer!rafe: @maybankslover @vogueprincess @spookyscaryspoon

let me know if you'd like to be added!

[luxaofhesperides]

the beginning - danny

0.

The Lazarus Pit brings Danny back.

The child who went into them, however, is gone forever.

Danyal al Ghul is the soul who should reside in this body. Danyal has a life still to live and Danny died ages ago, old and surrounded by loved ones, ready to spend the rest of his forever in the Infinite Realms.

Something's gone terrible wrong, he thinks rather wryly, squinting through the cold green water that surrounds him. An ache echoes through his body and he brings a hand—small, a child's hand that shouldn't belong to him— to his stomach, where he can feel a large wound slowly pull itself together.

Did I get stabbed?

He means to continue the thought, but a sharp pain hits his head, making him curl up. He gasps and air bursts from his lungs, water rushing to fill in the empty space. Danny chokes, panicking, as memories slide into place, the lives of Danyal al Ghul and Danny Fenton fighting for dominance in his head. His lungs burn, throat working futilely to push water out, but there's nothing to be done.

Danny is a child again, and just like last time, he dies young.

1. So.

Assassins.

Danny honestly can't tell if this is a step up or a step down from mad scientist parents. On the one hand: he knows they loved him, as clumsy as it was, even though they loved their work more. On the other hand: assassin cult sounds like something out of a fairy tale, and while cool, is definitely not safe for kids.

And Danny, somehow, is a child again.

This really wasn't what he expected when he woke up on the sandy bottom of the pit. He's in ghost form, which is an unpleasant shock, but at least its familiar.

He is also, if his memory as Danyal serves him correctly, nine years old.

Kinda sucks that he died so young this time round. Didn't even make it to the double digits before he was taken out of the running.

He can't remember what it was like being so small in his last life. He can't imagine how anyone would look at a child and run them through with a sword. It's a cruel world he's woken up in. It's made worse by the fact that he's alone.

At least being down here without needing to breathe is giving him valuable time to think.

Danny has lived a full life already. He didn't really need or want another one, content to be a full ghost in the Infinite Realms. But going back isn't really an option, now that he's in a new body. The kid he could have been deserves to live fully, and the least Danny can do is live that life for them.

It'll be hard, but Danny's sure he can manage a decent life for himself.

Being presumed dead will make his escape from the assassins easier, though he'll miss getting the chance to meet his new mother; assassin as she is, Danyal knows her not by her blades but by her soft lullabies and jasmine-scented hair. The loss of her child must be hurting her deeply, but it's necessary. If Danny wants any semblance of a normal life, he has to leave her behind.

Besides, he's seen enough death. He doesn't want to ever be the cause of it.

So, he needs a plan for this new life.

Step one: get out of dodge.

The rest he'll figure out on the way.

2.

Turns out assassins weren't the most shocking thing in this new life.

No, that honor goes to superheroes.

Genuine, honest to God superheroes! With powers and everything!

To think that Danny once called himself a superhero. Ha! As if! He's nothing compared to the likes of Superman or the Flash or even Green Lantern. They're in another league. Literally. They're part of the Justice League, which has a whole slew of other heroes, and Danny is possibly their biggest fan.

Not like that's weird; most people in this world are huge fans of superheroes. Makes sense, since they're the ones who rely on their protection the most.

It does suck to know that his background belongs to that of a villain. Assassins aren't known for saving people, after all.

Part of him contemplates becoming a hero again, taking up the role of Phantom and joining the ranks of Superman. But he's had many years to come to terms with the loss of his teenage years and the bitterness that came with it. That experience, that life once lived, helps him decide each time that being a civilian is the gift this life owes him.

At thirteen, Danny lives in a foster home with six other kids. He's the oldest and has his hands full taking care of everyone else while their foster parents work three jobs between them to keep them all afloat.

When his younger siblings play superheroes, he gladly takes the role of the villain, swooping in with a blanket to kidnap away an innocent bystander that has to be rescued. He falls over dramatically at the end of each fight and praises his siblings' strength and teamwork, making them puff up with pride.

It's all fun and games so long as it only stays fun and games.

Superpowers are cool and all, but his came at the cost of his life, his health, his future. He knows, better than anyone, the price of being a hero. He knows that even Superman carries heavy losses on his shoulders, struggles under burdens no one can see.

He's lucky that the small town he ended up in—Luray, Virginia—has no heroes or villains. Too small a place to be on anyone's radar, apparently.

His classmates often complain about how they wish they could live in a big city where there's more to do, more to see, superheroes flying through the streets to protect them.

Danny is happy where he is. It's quiet, and small, and nothing like what he's used to, but it's safe.

That's all he really wants.

3.

Here's something that stays the same no matter what world he's in: Danny is a magnet for trouble.

If the trouble stopped at bullies, everything would have been fine. Danny could handle Dash, and he could handle Justin just as easily.

But the universe loves to escalate with Danny, specifically, which is why Danny had to reveal his powers when some villain-wannabe school shooter attacked his high school.

And to think he felt bad for Jackson when he didn't make it onto the track team.

Luray does not have a meta population. They're too small to have much of a population at all, and much of it is white which made him, half-Iranian, stand out even before he threw out a barrier of ice to protect his classmates a second before the gunfire began.

"Danny?!" his seatmate, Clarrissa, cries out in alarm.

"Everyone get out the window and run for it!" he orders, "I hold him back as much as I can!"

"You can't stay here!"

"Don't worry," Danny says, offering her a tight smile. "He couldn't kill me even if he tried. Now go!"

His classmates hadn't wasted any more time, sending him shocked looks as they escaped the classroom. A glimpse of his reflection in the window revealed glowing green eyes and blue mist wafting out of his mouth.

Looks like his time in Luray is up. He hopes his foster siblings won't be too mad at him for running away.

The gunfire stops, and Danny takes his chance to leap through his ice, intangible, and tackle Jackson, easily knocking the gun away from him.

"Monster!" Jackson spits at him, and Danny laughs.

"Bold of you to say that. I'm not to one trying to kill people."

He doesn't want to hear anything else that comes out of Jackson's mouth, so he knocks the guy out with a solid hit to a pressure point on his neck. Hopefully that'll keep him down long enough for the cops to get him.

Danny stands and means to leave, but something hits the back of his head hard and he's out before he realizes what's happened.

When he wakes up, he's strapped down to a table in what is undeniably a lab, and sighs.

At least he made it to sixteen before he went into another lab. Maybe in his next life he might even get all the way up to twenty before he's pulled back down here.

4. Though he has all his powers and a ghost form, that doesn't mean he is a ghost in this life.

No, he's fully a meta, which means meta-suppressing cuffs work on him.

It's not exactly a discovery he was hoping to have while locked up in a lab, but it's what he's got, so he has to roll with it. The cuffs are heavy on his wrists and around his throat, keeping him from escaping as a group of people in masks and lab coats bustle around, ignoring him.

His head is still foggy, though likely more from the drugs than the hit he took to his head.

He doesn't bothering talking to any of them; they don't see him as human, and Danny's dealt with enough of that in his past life.

Mad scientists love to talk though, so he still hears the gist of their plans: recreating the meta gene for normal people, making a profit from selling powers, getting rich and famous from their accomplishments. They had been using Jackson to get corpses for human testing, but they got Danny instead — someone they can harvest bio material for, a much better find than a couple dead kids.

If he had the energy to rage, Danny would have killed everyone in the room already. They planned to kill his classmates just for test subjects.

He doesn't want to be an assassin, but he'd gladly lean into those old lessons to make sure they never hurt anyone again.

But the cuffs and drugs do a good job of keeping him docile, barely able to think, as they transport him around to different locations and cut him open.

He's not sure how long it's been when they ease up on the drugs a bit. It still takes time for his body to work through everything, and he comes too with a throat that's dry and a stomach that hasn't had anything in it for quite some time.

The first thing Danny does when they start asking him questions is throw up on them.

If they wanted cooperation, they should have treated him better. This is fully on them.

It makes for a convincing argument for food and water and a bathroom break, at least, so he gets what he demands and takes care of his human body under the cold gazes of three scientists.

"You guys suck," he says conversationally. "Keeping test subjects alive is like basic knowledge. No wonder y'all suck at your jobs."

"Your comments aren't needed," one of the scientists says primly. "Get up. We need to study how using your powers affects your body."

They hook a bunch of different things onto him, then lock him in a glass cage and use the cuff around his throat to send jolts of electricity through him when he doesn't do anything. He throws a chunk of ice at them, watching as it breaks apart into small pieces when it hits the glass. The scientists scribble in their notepads, and when they look at him again, he flips them off.

He gets shocked again, but it's worth it.

The process repeats for another few hours, then he's pulled out of the cage, gets an IV stuck in his arm, and drops off into drugged oblivion before he has time to start throwing hands.

5.

It must have been months. Danny's not sure; it's hard to keep track of time when locked in isolation.

He knows he's fed at least once a day. He's been getting a tray of bland food at random times, but he's counted over 50 trays sliding through the little slot on the bottom of his cell door.

Turns out insulting scientists and their procedures is a bad idea, especially when he has the language to really bruise their egos.

So.

Isolation sucks.

But at least they don't drug him anymore!

The cuffs do their job of keeping him in place, and if he didn't have memories of another life to keep him company, he definitely would have lost his mind long ago.

There's other people in here, other metas. He's heard them screaming and begging for mercy. He's heard them go chillingly quiet. He wonders why there are so many superheroes in this world when not a single one has come to save them.

Surely at least one would notice metas disappearing and would investigate?

But no.

No one ever comes to save them.

So Danny needs to figure out a way past the cuffs, and then he can be Phantom again long enough to free the other metas and make every scientist involve pay for their crimes.

He just needs to wait.

He just needs—

6.

When Danny wakes up, the alarms are ringing. It makes his head pound, throbbing with each piercing sound.

He stumbles up, using the wall to keep his balance, and freezes when he sees that the door to his cell is open.

…Huh.

The hallway is bathed in red light when he steps out. No one's around. He wanders around the facility, searching for answers and only finds more questions.

There are other cells, also empty. Certain rooms have blood splattered across the walls and the floor, but no bodies. Labs are destroyed, broken glass on the floor. But every room is empty.

He wanders until he finds what must be a security room. There's a strange device dangling off a keychain on a rack, and Danny eyes it curiously. He runs his fingers around the cuff on his throat, feels the little depression where the collar comes together, and takes the rounded device. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work.

But if it does work…

The cuff pops open easily, as if it hasn't been his greatest foe these past few months.

All at once, his strength returns to him. He has forgotten what it was like to breathe easily, to feel his powers come to his call so easily, to be reassured that he can take care of himself.

It's almost like coming back to life.

He transforms, settling back into his ghost form with relief, and flies through the facility in search of any other metas that may need help. He finds no one, but he does catch a glimpse of the outside.

The sky is so blue it almost hurts to look at. Part of the facility has been blown apart; rubble surrounds the place and the surrounding forest has been flattened. It looks as though a fight has moved through the area.

Maybe a superhero did come to save them? Rude of them to leave only Danny, though.

He continues his search, poking his head into different rooms and hallways. He finds a staircase going down and follows it into the basement. More labs greet him, and the glow of computers and strange vials of liquid leave him unsettled.

There's a green glow coming around the corner than reminds him of the Lazarus Pit he flew out of, once upon a time many years ago, and that's what draws him forward.

Tucked away in that familiar glow is a small body, floating in a tube of liquid. There's an oxygen mask attached to her face, but that doesn't stop Danny from recognizing her.

"Ellie?"

7.

Just like in one life, Danny is cloned. The difference is that this time, there's no reason for it, no insane godfather trying to recreate a version of him that will choose him.

No, this time it's from a group of scientists who should have known better, who decided to mess around with his genes, and brought his once little sister now daughter into such a cruel, dangerous world.

Danny barely remembers breaking the glass to get her out of there. He doesn't know where he found the coat to bundle her up in, flying out of the facility as fast as he could. He feels sick, knowing it's his fault that she's here now, forced into a painful, terrifying existence because he wasn't strong enough to save himself.

He's a runaway meta victim of mad science. He can't take care of her.

"I'm sorry, Ellie," he whispers to her, pressing a kiss against her head. "I'm so sorry."

She small in his arms. She barely weighs anything.

Danny blinks back tears and tries to find some place he can stop and rest, somewhere safe he can gather his thoughts and figure out his next steps.

This isn't like when he first woke up in this world, with both sets of memories.

This is Ellie.

She deserves more than just a wish and a half-baked plan for a better life.

She deserves a family that wants her, that can care for her, that can protect her. She deserves to grow up normally and not worry about destabalizing or being a replacement for him or being hunted down.

She deserves one life to be a kid and grow up safe and be whoever she wants to be.

Danny will never be able to give her that.

But maybe he can give her to someone who can.

8.

Danyal grew up with an assassin mother and a cruel grandfather who expected far too much from a child. He was taught to kill and be more weapon than child. He was taught the world was something for him to take, to protect, to water with blood.

Danyal was meant to be the next Demon Head, and the next Bat.

Danny knows he can't go to his mother. If they're both lucky, he will never have to see her again. Knowing his luck, he's already planning explanations for why he never went back to her.

Danny's father, on the other hand…

It didn't take much to put the pieces together. The notorious Bat is Batman, Gotham's vigilante and one of the founders of the Justice League. While a child would have been left confused by the many comments his mother made about his father, it was simple enough for Danny to line them up with what he learned about the heroes of this world and realize, oh, that's my dad.

It takes a few weeks of research, using public libraries with Ellie tucked securely in a wrap to his chest, but he's able to learn more about Batman.

The most important thing being that he has kids.

Of course, none of this is officially acknowledged, but everyone knows that the Robins are his kids. Current Robin, especially, likes to remind people that he's 'the son of Batman'.

Okay. Cool.

Danny has siblings.

Awesome.

He's… not looking forward to those conversations.

At least it means more people to look after Ellie. Assuming they take her in, which Danny's really hoping for.

But it's the best he can do, so Danny sets course for Gotham and hopes that just this once, everything will work out.

9.

Meeting the Bats of Gotham is a lot harder than he expected.

A week in the city and he's barely caught more than a glimpse of them. He can't dedicate a lot of time to tracking them down either, needing to break into grocery stores to get food for him and Ellie.

She's so quiet as a baby, and it terrifies him. She's only cried twice the entire time he's had her, and Danny spends every day begging her to hold on.

Time during the day is spent catching naps and researching common vigilante spotting areas in Gotham. He's got a map of Gotham taken from a library and has been steadily marking it up, putting stars in the best places to find a Bat. There are places all over the city, and Danny has no idea how to know which ones are the best.

The only thing he can do is wait at a different rooftop each night, clinging to Ellie, wondering if this is the last night he has with her.

On the ninth night, someone finally arrives.

"Step away from the edge," a voice demands.

Danny turns to see Robin approaching, hands held out as if to catch him. He's bigger than Danny was expecting. Which makes sense; most of the stories Danny got online are from when Robin was a kid, and it's been a few years since then. He must be a teenager now. Older, but still young.

"Robin," he manages to say, his throat tightening. It feels almost like there's a noose around it. It feels like that meta-suppressing cuff has clicked back into place, leaving him helpless.

"Step away from the edge," Robin repeats. "There is no need for this to be your last resort."

"But it is," Danny whispers.

Robin darts forward and wraps a hand around Danny's wrist, yanking him towards the center of the roof. "Why on Earth would you come up here? Surely you must have known that someone would stop you."

"Batman," he gets out. "I need to speak to Batman."

"What for?"

"I'm… I was told, once, that I'm his son."

10. Robin stares at him for a long moment.

Then he takes off his mask.

Danny knows those eyes: he sees them every time he looks in a mirror.

"Danyal," Robin breathes. "You died before I was born."

"I did. Are you…?"

"Mother told me about you."

So he has a little brother. If only he hadn't left first chance he got, he could have known his little brother, gotten away from that place before it hurt him too. Danny has made many mistakes since he arrived in this world. Missing a little brother is perhaps the worst of them.

"Mother…" Danny repeats. "She put me in the Lazarus Pit. I remember that. She didn't want me to die."

"I was born to replace you."

Just like Ellie.

So many mistakes repeating. He's never felt like more of a failure.

"Batman. Our father. He treats you well? You are safe with him?"

Robins brows furrow, but he nods, which is enough for Danny. "Yes. Of course. Isn't that why you're here now?"

"I'm not asking for me." Danny carefully, gently, unwraps Ellie. "I'm asking for her. Please, take care of her. She deserves more than I can give her. Ellie… she'd be your niece."

Robin's eyes are wide. He's frozen until Danny pushes Ellie against his chest, forcing him to lift his arms to hold her.

"Wait, what about—?"

When Robin looks up, Danny's already gone.

It's for the best.

(masterpost for all parts)

[shushmal]

okay but a like post-series fic i want that's like: steve harrington being the only man left in hawkins fighting monsters

and not like a 'everyone died, last man standing' way but just. they beat it back, the story ends, nice little tie-up and neatly concluded, eleven loses her powers because their world is completely cut from the other. and life goes on. eddie (yes, eddie lives au don't fight me) goes off with his band, robin-nancy-jargyle off to separate cities for college. the kids go to high school, graduate high school, and scatter across the country. joyce and hop buy a beach house far-far-far away from goddamn hawkins indiana.

steve though. steve stays. he does it too without comment, takes all their calls telling him all these amazing things. the years pass. the calls are fewer and far between. he's mostly in contact with only dustin and robin. except robin's out of country doing some crazy temp job in some remote country, she never catches him at home right now so just leaves him messages. and it takes a couple of weeks for dustin to realize he hasn't gotten steve on the phone.

frantically he calls around "have you heard from steve???" except the most people talk to steve anymore is like phone calls during holidays and holy shit what could have happened??

and what if it's back?

cue everyone who can in that moment, rushing back. eddie hopping on a flight from fucking london direct to indianapolis somehow, heart in his throat. he manages to meet hopper in the airport and they pick up max and dustin at the bus station.

they get to hawkins that is even more different that what they left. a smaller town, a town that shuts down completely when the sun sets. it's creepy and deserted.

except for the fucking upside down monsters of course.

and they're in their stupid little rental in front of this demogorgon and they're screaming but then the thing just goes splat on the concrete and steve fucking harrington is blinking owlishly at them.

"Oh, hey guys!" he calls jogging up to the driver's side window. "Wow, what brought you back down this way? You should have told me, I would have told you about the curfew!"

turns out steve just forgot to pay his phone bill that month, didn't even realize he was missing calls and he's been fighting monsters the entire time because actually they WEREN'T cut off from the upside down at all and he's just been casually fighting monsters for the remaining hawkins residence—the whole town knows now and steve's the guy you call when you have a monster problem

sidebar: WAYNE still lives in hawkins, and he and steve are best friends, eddie munson you are gonna LOSE YOUR MIND

[cinderduck]

I like the Looey:]

[metacrisisdoctor]

TENTOOROSE APPRECIATION MONTH 2023

“A man is the sum of his memories, you know. A Time Lord even more so.”

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

he’s staring.

in the corner of your eye lies a silhouette, a blur of black hair and sharp facial features. awfully hard not to notice, when he’s standing so close to you — gazing at you so intently. waiting for you to say something.

(resisting the urge to look at him directly is a struggle.)

a smile tugs at the corners of your lips, something giddy and sweet flooding your veins. he’s just standing there. all while you tap at the keys of your laptop, trying to focus on your work. in vain.

because, inevitably, the rubber band of your patience snaps — and you can do nothing but give in to the temptation. feeling him shift from foot to foot, silent as a mouse. you turn your head.

suguru looks meek.

there he stands, tired eyes trailing over your facial features, before falling down to the floor. something about it makes you want to coo — almost like he’s a little flustered. fidgeting with his hands, wringing his long fingers together, so patiently waiting for your attention to fall on him. 

you swear you see the ghost of a pout slip into the curve of his lips. wearing a comfortable sweater, oversized and fluffy, framed by the obsidian of his hair; cascading down his shoulders like a black river. let loose, free to fall as it please, a signature sign that he’s tired.

and as soon as your eyes meet his, a certain something blossoms within the scope of his iris. peeling at the corners, slipping into the amber and cedar, an emotion you can’t quite place. would it be too tacky to call it love?

a giggle slips from your lips, dancing on the tip of your tongue. it’s soft, a little teasing, but who could blame you when he looks so cute? suguru, with his tall stature and broad shoulders, sharp eyes and intimidating presence, staring meekly in your direction. as if too embarrassed to ask for something, curling into himself.

”hey there,” you exhale, something amused laced into the vowels. ”everything okay?”

he averts his gaze. enamored with the smile on your face, the crinkle of your eyes, the melodic lilt of your sweet laughter. like peach blossoms and duvet covers, too soft for him to handle. far too sweet, the mere sight of you, all cozied up on the couch; legs crossed and laptop balanced on your thigh. 

(suguru wishes he could take its place.)

a tilt of your head beckons him to speak, and he can’t help but notice the remnants of something teasing in the gesture. he feels a little out of his element, almost shy, and it’s discomforting — but he’s just so tired. much too plagued by the need to be close to you.

he can live with a little teasing, if it’s you, only if it’s you. 

”what’re you working on?” he asks, delicate, soft voice flowing from his lips like melted honey. there’s a raspy tilt to it, a little scratchy. you smile, gaze drawn towards the screen in front of you.

”nothing much, just some essay. i’m almost finished.” a low sigh, as you lazily scroll through the text. suguru hums. when you look over at him, the smile on your face grows just a tad softer. ”did you need something?”

suguru stills. blinking drowsily, slow and awfully endearing, a flutter of his black lashes. absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of his puffy sleeve. the silence lingers, a contemplation etched onto his features, until he clears his throat — still unable to look at you properly. 

(there’s only one thing he wants. needs. asking for it is just a little bit tough, though.)

patiently waiting, you begin to study his expression. second nature, to tuck his features in between your ribs, smoothe along the contours you’ve come to love so dearly. memorizing every dip and birthmark.

there’s a barely noticeable flush to his cheeks, a crimson smear that starts at his ears and only ever nips along his cheekbones, but it’s enough to let you know that he’s embarrassed. more than enough, seeing as his gaze won’t even land on you, seeing the fatigue beneath his eyes, the crease between his brows. something that sticks to his skin and drags him down. 

he has been a little stressed, lately. more so than usual. and you’ve noticed, of course you have — worriedly waiting for him to approach you, to let you help. winters are never very kind to him. 

he’s gorgeous, though, even like this. especially like this. sleepy, just a little unkempt, in his natural state. bare, somehow. like he just woke up, like the morning sun is kissing up his collarbone and he just made a cute little sleepy noise that you’re going to tease him for over breakfast. like he’s unguarded, at peace, safe in your arms.

it makes your heart soften considerably. crumbling at the corners, a pang of lovesick ache tugging at your fragile heartstrings.

and finally, you speak up. urging him to continue, gently, not wanting to rush him. ”well?” 

suguru gnaws at the flesh of his bottom lip, just a little chapped. his tongue flits out to lick along the dry skin, and he does a little cough under his breath. you’re patient, waiting for him to speak, but it’s tough when all you want is to tug him close.

(you have an idea of what he’s going to ask you, what it is he wants. because you know him — and you want it too.)

”… can,” he starts, tentative. slow, as if he’s trying to swallow the embarrassment, gulp down the nervous flutter of his heartbeat. then he continues. ”i get a hug?”

finally, he looks at you; and your heart ricochets in your chest. amber eyes boring into yours, deep and warm, soft around the edges. kind of shy. 

a sharp intake of breath. you can’t help the grin that crawls up to your lips, and you can’t help the words that spill from them. ”gosh, you’re so cute.”

suguru turns away, with what you’re almost sure is a low grumble — buzzing in his throat, like a dragonfly itching to break out. he really does look meek, a little needy, so cute you’re afraid your lungs might collapse. when a chuckle pushes past your lips, the red tint on his neck and ears only seems to exacerbate. 

with swift movements, you close your laptop, plopping it down on the table in front of you. not wanting to waste any time, a little afraid that he’ll change his mind. ”of course you can,” you assure him, a soft lull of your tongue.

leaning back, you rest your head against a pile of cushiony pillows, melting into the couch beneath you. extending your arms; beckoning him close, into your embrace. the smile you grace him with is a little teasing, but mostly soft, inviting.

and suguru can’t resist it.

he still seems a little flustered, as he crawls along the couch, to take his rightful place in your arms. flopping down on top of you with a huff, like a big dog, cheek squished against your chest — eager to listen to the echo of your heartbeat. steady and soothing, a lullaby to his muddled mind.

a long, satisfied sigh escapes him, muffled into the fabric of your shirt. he wraps his arms around you, nuzzling a little further into your touch. slowly melting.

ah, he’s just too much. try as you might, you don’t fully manage to stifle the coo that laces the tip of your tongue. just admiring him, in the dim lighting of the room, all sleepy and content. that palpable fatigue, slowly dissipating. a soft groan slips from his lips when your hand goes to card through his hair, softly, nails raking over his scalp.

”my big baby,” you murmur, planting a kiss on the top of his head. suguru wants to grumble, protest a bit, but all he can do is soak in the words, the skip of his heartbeat that follows. ”everything okay?”

he nods. groggy, cheek against your soft chest. no longer able to hide his neediness, to muster the strenght, thoroughly soothed by the warmth that seeps from your body. from your veins to his. and he sighs, barely above a whisper. ”jus’ missed you.”

he must notice it, you think — the rapid rhythm of your heartbeat, something erratic in the decisive thumps of blood. a little louder than they should be. 

but if he does, he doesn’t mention it. only shifting a little in your arms, nuzzling further into your chest, relishing in the sensation of your hand in between his messy locks. so cozy. 

”i missed you too,” you echo, unable to fight off the sappy grin on your lips. so much affection in every caress, every soft glance. eager to be let out. ”’m sorry if i’ve been neglecting you.” 

suguru shakes his head — brushing off your guilt. always so willing to put your peace of mind before his. it only weakens you further, thoughts fuzzy with the image of him, the love that clouds your vision. how to properly convey it in words. 

”i’m always so proud of you,” you exhale, a little shaky. so earnest that you falter. a loud mantra of your heartbeat filling your ears, so much fondness stuffed inside your chest. ”working so hard. love you so, so much, honey.”

this time, it’s suguru’s heart that stutters and flails. reduced to a desperate instinct, something intimate and bare. the term of endearment slips off your tongue like it was always meant to be there, like that’s where it belongs, coupled with the soft sensation of your fingers ghosting over his skin. brushing away his bangs to smear a kiss against his forehead.

”i’m never gonna let you go,” you promise, unable to control the affection smeared into your voice. like you’d explode if you didn’t speak it out loud. ”my angel.”

”okay — that’s,” suguru croaks, before you can continue. exasperated, deeply embarrassed. at this point, he’s sure his face must be red, and he’s sure you can see it. despite his attempts to hide away in the crook of your neck. ”that’s enough.”

laughter bubbles up in your throat, sweet like osmanthus and whipped cream. giddy and teasing, in equal measure, sending a jolt of fondness running through his veins. ”are you embarrassed?”

”no,” he scoffs, too quickly. you both know he’s lying. it’s a rare treat, seeing him this flustered — how could you resist the urge to tease him a bit? 

”then why d’you want me to stop?” you grin, searching for his gaze. but suguru refuses to look at you.

”it’s just…” he mumbles, a string of tiny words. gnawing at his bottom lip. ”a little much, don’t you think?”

”i mean it, though.”

suguru groans, and a bout of giggles pushes past your lips. the smile on your face is starting to make your cheeks hurt, an achy kind of joy. yeah — suguru is just far too cute. he’s cute, and pretty, and beautiful, and gorgeous. how could you keep yourself away?

reaching for a strand of his hair, you let it fall between your fingers. smooth and silky, brushing against your skin, soft and familiar. memories bloom from your fingertips, seeping into your subconscious; the first time he let you touch his hair, that content purr in his throat, the time you braided it as the world fell asleep around you. he takes good care of it, always has. attentive and delicate, almost as lovingly as he handles you.

a great surge of affection sprouts in between your ribs, spreading throughout every cell of your body, wholly engulfing you. it’s too much to bear.

a blissful sigh. you tilt your head, softly, a bleeding tenderness to every word you speak. and you do, with a sincerity to your voice that he’s never been able to handle. “is it really so strange if i want to give the love of my life some affection?” 

— and suguru’s resolve crumbles into dust. 

”… you’re,” he tries, a shiver of his weak voice. under normal circumstances, he could think of a suave reply, something to get the upper hand; but today, suguru happens to be very tired, and you seem awfully set on making him melt through the couch. ”— awful. you know that?”

his heart aches, when the bitter words make you giggle. a little sleepy. it makes him want to tuck you into his chest, hide you away inside his ribcage. kiss you breathless.

”so mean,” you pout, entirely fabricated. a heavy amusement lays thick on your tongue. “i’m professing my undying love for you here, y’know?”

”that’s exactly what i mean,” he sighs, unable to repress the slight smile on his lips. a little tug, that says more than his words ever could.

the laughter in your throat lingers, for a bit, until the intimacy of the moment softens you up. something tender and genuine in the depths of your eyes. ”i mean it, though. i’m not just teasing you.” 

your hand goes to cup his face, thumb smoothing over his cheekbone. and then you’re leaning in, to press your lips against his forehead — pulling away with a drawn out mwah, a soft grin, a little boyish. terribly cute. 

”i really do love you,” you profess, a whisper. he believes you. “i love everything about you.”

a moment passes. the soft ticking of the clock fills the space between your words, and the scent of leftover curry and brewed coffee simmers in the faraway kitchen. wafting out into the living room. 

suguru places his hand over yours. a rough palm, always so gentle with you, slipping down to your wrist so he can hoist himself up. 

you blink. 

before you know it, he’s pressed his lips to yours, slow and methodical. tender, tender, tender. always. he sighs into the kiss, content, and your heartbeat quickens — he tastes like honey and rain.

when he pulls away, he’s smiling. a little lovesick.

”i love you too,” he hums, a soft purr that trails down your spine. he delights in the way you finally blush, cheeks warm beneath his heavy hands. ”so, so much.”

all you can do is stare, entirely transfixed. 

then you’re averting your gaze, and he’s stifling a soft bout of laughter, and something warm and wonderful blooms in the nearly non-existent space between you. his cheek finds itself pressed against your chest, again, allowing the soft and rapid thumping of your heartbeat to carry him away.

an anchor for him to hold on to, his lighthouse at the end of a murky ocean. it’s always, always there — that soft mantra of thump, thump, thump.

(he can’t tell you how many times it’s saved him.)

”… you can’t do stuff like that when my guard is down,” you murmur, after a moment. sheepish. ”what if my heart explodes?” 

suguru only chuckles, sleepy and raspy, the same as ever. he turns his head to press a kiss against the fabric of your shirt, right above your heart, a kind of cheeky, soft apology that you know he doesn’t actually mean. 

(he could never feel sorry for telling you how much he loves you; no matter how flustered you get.)

and, at last, suguru thinks the fatigue clinging to his soul may have slipped off entirely. substantially. soothed by your presence, your very being. 

it’s embarrassing, being so very doted on, being so painfully unaccustomed to it. but suguru could never hate it. he could never hate a single thing you do to him, grant him with, from your soft touches and cheeky kisses to the burnt pancakes you worked so hard on. 

he’d rather die than deny you. 

so he has no choice but to bask in it; the feeling of your hands in his hair, nails on his scalp, breath against his skin. the change you’ve brought into his life. bringing with you the fading scent of peach blossoms and chewing gum, sweetness and softness. happy dreams.

yeah, that’s right. he has no choice but to melt into your touch, nuzzle into your chest, fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat. 

no choice at all.

[multongsisig]

casual brunch meeting with the new head archivist

[saiilorstars]

OC HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE 2024. Day twenty - DARKEST AFTER DAWN

Things can go so right for so long and then suddenly so wrong. Show us what happens when something rains on your ocs parade, when a perfect day turns into a horrible night, or a dream vacation turns into a nightmare trap.

"You broke me like a promise."

Because after the Doctor saves someone else before Grier, not once but twice, she takes matters into her own hands. Broken and disappointed in the world, she picks up what's left of her and when the Doctor finally realizes what he's done, it's too late. Grier became who she needed to be in order to survive and most of all, to free herself from the Silence.

Grier’s Masterlist

taglist: @ocappreciationtag @arrthurpendragon​​​​​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​ ​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​​​​​ @gloryekaterina​​​​​ @foxesandmagic​​​​​​  @lenonizi​​​​​ @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes

[miramelindamusings]

Ever since David Tennant came back as the fourteenth doctor, I always wondered what would happen if Rose saw that iteration especially when she's with Tentoo. And tentoo and family sketches because I always love thinking about/reading fanfic where Rose and him get to know each other, and his own individuality is discussed and explored. Maybe Tentoo ends up looking a little scruffier as he ages than Ten perhaps would but he's still the doctor in all the ways that counts.

[princessbrunette]

babydaddy!rafe I’ve been summoned 🤭

how would he be if it was the other way around ? getting back out there after you guys split, but he has none of it. you’re his. and he would absolutely NOT let another man take care of his girls !!

okay now that’s a little different. thats not allowed at all in his books 😭

˗ˏˋ🐇 ೀ🍡꒱ ˎˊ˗

he hears some guy from the club is taking you out on saturday, so what does rafe do? he shows up on your doorstep and tells you that he’s taking you out on saturday, no ifs or buts.

“its important for us to bond, okay — we have a kid together.” he argues, shifting on his feet impatiently.

“i have plans on saturday!” you laugh incredulously at his audacity. his eyes threaten to roll, fluttering irritably.

“yeah, i know — it’s not happening, telling you that right now.”

“oh really? suddenly you want to hang out with me now you know i’m in demand?” you glare, leaning against the door frame and he sighs, unable to stay still on his feet.

“you— you’re not listening, alright— you can’t just be letting anyone around our baby, or — or around you. i have a duty to protect what’s mine okay, and what— that makes me the bad guy? for protecting my family?” he points to himself clearly distressed.

“what do i need protecting from, rafe? i can handle myself!” you argue back, and he holds out a hand, shaking his head.

“no, no okay — you…” he sighs, closing in on you. “you know what he was goin’ round telling people? what… he was calling you, at the club?” he squints. you back down a little then, eyeing him silently as you wait for him to tell you. “the milf. like… like you didn’t have a name. you really want a guy like that around you? around our girl? huh?”

you shrink down, upset and discouraged. “seriously?” you ask quietly and he backs up, holding his hands up as if to say ‘it’s not my fault’.

“these are the suckers you’re dealing with, right and… i put a stop to it. look, we’ll have a good time together on saturday. me n’you.” he pities you a little, not wanting to upset you with what he’d shared, but it was necessary.

“fine.” you look down at your hands, embarrassed about the whole thing.

“yeah?” he steps closer, taking your hand so you look up at him but you avoid his gaze. “the guys got a black eye now anyway. you uh, wouldn’t wanna date that.”

you look up at him now, a small smile spreading on your face. his own lips curl up slightly. “did you do that rafe?”

“i was provoked. trust me, would have killed the guy but i didn’t wanna sacrifice my club membership, ‘kay?” he teases and you grin. he scratches his cheek, looking around before backing up off your doorstep. “saturday. alright? be ready, i’ll uh— i’ll text you.” he completes before walking off and not looking back. classic rafe.

˗ˏˋ🐇 ೀ🍡꒱ ˎˊ˗

[discordantwords]

Unremarkable

It's an unremarkable day. John has a date. Sherlock has a case. And both Mycroft and Rosie have just been shoved into the boot of a car.

A 2024 Fandom Trumps Hate gift for @podfixx!

Chapter 1 of 5 is now posted!

[potatobugz]

dog teeth

[not-rigel]

bratty sevika that laughs when she uses her strength against you to pin you beneath her so she can ride your strap all she wants, trying to get herself off DOES ANYONE SEE THE VISION