| Date: 10 January 2008
Characters: Kurt Harding, The Tenth Doctor Location: outside, a bar Link to IJ: thread #29029 |
| Previous |
 "Easy as that," he repeated. "Always was." |
 "Always was...?" he echoed, staring. "You mean - you could have got rid of the drums at any time?"
He couldn't help but replay images in his head, images of things that might not have happened - to him, to the Earth, hell, to the Doctor - if it hadn't been for the drums. |
| "Any time he would've let me," he corrected, slightly, with a tone of bitter amusement. |
| "Ah." Kurt looked down at his pint, then up at the Doctor with very clear blue eyes. "You offered. Over and over again."
It wasn't a question. |
| "Wasn't for my health," he said, casually. |
| Kurt reached out a hand and placed it over the Doctor's. He knew he was going to get brushed off, but it wasn't in him not to offer physical comfort where it was needed. "I'm sorry," he said softly. |
| Probably because he expected Kurt to expect to be brushed off he turned his hand over and squeezed it. "Eh, Time Lords only come in stubborn." |
| Kurt cracked a small smile, squeezing back with his hand. "Don't I know it!"
He took a deep breath and let it out again, then looked up at the Doctor and said quietly, "You're from some point not long after the Valiant, aren't you?" |
| He met Kurt's eyes steadily, arched his brows up and nodded. "Yep." |
| "Fuck."
He thought back, about what he'd said, about the Master, and flinched. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Doctor. I - shouldn't have had a go at you about him like that." |
| He retrieved his hand from Jack's and waved it dismissively. "Doesn't matter." |
| He'd give a hell of a lot, Kurt thought, to see that flippant side of the Doctor gone forever. It was such a frustrating barrier to getting through to the man he loved.
He said, "Am I - I mean, is Jack still with you? Or are you on your own?" |
| He was starting, at least, to lose the energy to maintain the levity the flippant side demanded. "Just left. Just left before I came here, anyway." He started dissecting a peanut. |
| Kurt groaned, just a little, at his younger - much younger - self.
"I shouldn't have left you so soon, back then." Though he'd had reason, back then - a year of torture and death from the man the Doctor was grieving for. It was a lot easier to see with the clarity of hindsight. "You should never have been left on your own like that." Kurt cast a frustrated look at the table separating him from the Doctor and slid sideways out of his chair, round the end of the table, and into the seat next to the Doctor instead. He closed his hands round the Doctor's, stilling them, and pleaded, "Let me look after you like I should have done the first time round." |
| "You had good reason, and I'm sure you'll be." He stopped and looked at Jack, with his eyebrow up. "You want to have sex, Kurt?" |
| He grinned. "That's my Doctor, blunt as ever." He shrugged. "Up to you. I certainly wouldn't say no - when would I ever! - but for now all I was thinking of was this."
He cupped a strong hand round the Doctor's head, leaned forward and kissed him, warm and gentle and loving, asking nothing, just giving. |
| The Doctor sighed and kissed him back. Sort of kissed him back, anyway. Mostly he was just tired and willing to take what Jack was giving for the duration of the kiss. There was real warmth and affection there, though, and quite a bit of it.
He pulled back slowly and sighed. "You weren't wrong to leave me alone." |
| "Maybe not, but I'd be wrong to leave you alone now." He said it lightly, stroking the Doctor's cheekbone with the back of his fingers, yearning to take away the Doctor's grief. |
| He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and let it out slowly. "I think leaving me alone might be a good idea." |
| "Tough. I'm not going anywhere. You can't make me. Fixed point, remember?
"Besides," he smiled, thumb rubbing over the two thin hands still under his, "I haven't seen you for - oh, about 80 years. I miss you." |
| "I hope that doesn't make it harder for you to get out of here," he said after a pause where he just seemed to be pondering the matter. "So, tell me about your last eighty years." He seemed to be better. He leaned back again, after giving Jack's hands another squeezed and just watched. |
| Kurt's eyebrows rose a fraction at that first remark. "Sure hope not," he murmured. "Not that I couldn't use a decent break. It's been a busy century." He looked lazily at the Doctor, still stroking his hands. He wasn't going to give up that contact easily. "51st, to be exact. You work out what I've been up to." |
| "Well, if I'm supposed to work it out instead of you talking about it, you work out what we're talking about."
And back to grumpy, though more normal grumpy. |
| Kurt rolled his eyes. "Welcome back, grumpy Doctor I know and love. I wasn't trying to give you a mental challenge, or anything - I just thought it would be obvious what I'd been doing. Well, apart from running Torchwood and keeping an eye on the Time Agency. And saving the world occasionally." |
| "There's More," He asked, feigning surprise. |
| "Well, those are the standard things that aren't specific to the 51st century." He grinned. "The other thing is a bit more personal." |
| "I don't have the faintest fucking idea, and I'm really not much enjoying the guessing game. Either spit it out or shut up." |
| Kurt took a deep breath to stop himself snapping back, because he really didn't want to get into a snarking match with the Doctor.
He reminded himself that the Doctor lashing out was natural and that it was mean - not to mention unproductive - to keep teasing him. He released one hand to reach across the table for his drink and took a long draught, then looked back at the Doctor. "I've been making it my business to keep an eye on a certain young boy growing up on the Boeshane Peninsula. He's now at the Time Academy, learning to be a Time Agent." |
| "Why?" he asked, apparently, legitmately, really confused. |
| He shrugged. "SAme reason I kept an eye on Rose growing up. To make sure nothing interefered. And for old times' sake." |
| "Egomaniac much?" |
| "Better safe than sorry." Yeah, paranoia was another old habit that hadn't completely died.
He gave the Doctor a tiny, lopsided smile. "Anyway, wouldn't you go back to look, if you could?" |
| "Does the term 'fixed point in time' mean nothing to you?" he asked. "Nothing that happens to him is going to make you stop existing, and no, actually I damned well wouldn't. Especially not to oggle myself." |
| Kurt was nearing the end of his patience. He stood up abruptly. "All right. I'm not enjoying this conversation and you're obviously not either. You want use me as a punchbag, go ahead, it's what I'm here for, but for fuck's sake just hit me, will you? It'd hurt less."
He held out a hand, and softened his voice. "Failing that, I'm taking you back to your room, or the TARDIS, or wherever you're sleeping and putting you to bed. Either way, let's get out of here." |
| "There is a world of difference between hearing something you don't like and being used as a punching bag. Maybe in another few thousand years you'll figure it out." He rubbed his eyes. "Thanks for the offer, but you're not enjoying the conversation and I'm not letting anyone near by bed when they're peeved off, thanks very much, done that, didn't like it, not doing it again."
He was suddenly claustrophobic as hell. Really, mentally if nothing else clawing at the walls. He wanted out. |
| Kurt practically growled at the Doctor, hands on his hips. "You are the most infuriating, difficult, obstinate man I have ever had the rather dubious pleasure of loving."
He spread his hands. "I just want to help, Doctor. If you really need space, if you really want me to go, I'll go. I'll come by again tomorrow and make sure you're okay, but I'll go." He gave a tiny leer. "Or I could try and take your mind off it." |
| He had to smile at Kurt when he was growling and, not to put too find a point on it, flaming. It was the hands on his hips.
He stood up and prodded Kurt ligtly in the chest. "You're an amazing man, Captain, but I really do need the space. SOmething about being stuck getting to me. Do come by tomorrow though. MIght even convince me to take you up on that offer." He loved Jack. Not that he was capable of saying the word. |
| "Fine." Kurt made the effort and calmed down, and looked down at his chest with a wry grin. "Hmm, I guess that's where Susan gets her prodding habit from!"
He stepped forward and enveloped the Doctor's thin form in a hug. "Look after yourself," he said, in the Doctor's ear. "I'm worried about you." |
| He wrapped his arms around Kurt, and hugged back with more strength than it looked like he had, and even kissed him lightly - on the cheek.
"I appreciate it, but I'll be fine. I always bounce back," he promised. "I'll see you tomorrow, Captain." |
| Kurt clapped him on the back then let him go. "It's a date," he grinned. Then he stepped back, and did his usual cheeky salute. "Think I'm going to have another pint. Till tomorrow, then." |
| He smiled, a little apologetically and didn't tell Jack-kurt, dammit- he was sorry. He just got out of there. |