Space Oddity

Space Oddity

Pairing: The Doctor x Reader

Song: Space Oddity- David Bowie

Warnings: None.

An: This is like. One of my biggest fears. But I do hope y'all enjoy and would like any feedback you have!

There's moon dust in my lungs. Filling every aching breath and flowing out through my veins.

Starlight dances across my visor. Zooming by like headlights on the high way.

When I was promised all of time and space I didn't expect this.

My arm floats upwards. My fingertips caress the side of the shrinking moon. Shaking and never moving at the same time.

Something begins beeping off to my left.

I ignore it.

Nothing matters now.

Not anymore.

"Ground control to Major Tom." My breath fogs the glass in front of me.

"Ground control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on."

When I was younger I used to dream of space. Spending entire nights doing nothing but staring at the moon.

Oh God how she was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. It took my breath away.

It still does.

Never moving yet just out of reach.

I used to count the stars to. Day dreaming about flying away in a little grey spaceship of my own.

"Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)

Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)

Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, liftoff.)"

But nowadays that ship is blue and I've done more than just seen stars and dream away at moons.

I've meet new people of every kind. Some who are as pure as snow is white and some as spiteful as the day is long.

I've seen places that took my breath away an stole pieces of my heart.

I've walked in the footsteps of a man bound for greatness.

Oh God. I have met people who sing my name with love and have left people who utter my name with only the foulest of curses.

That's the thing about traveling. You don't always make friends.

Sometimes you leave a place behind far worse than you left it. And it sticks with you until the bitter end.

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom . You've really made the grade. And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear. Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare"

My vision is fading now. Muddling swirling galaxies together.

The bright and vibrant colors that once drew me in with anticipation now my only comfort as I float on by.

I swear I could hear singing now. My numbed lips try to sing along.

I don't know what I'm hearing. I don't know if there's even any words. But if I didn't know any better I swear she was singing to me.

A child lost without their mother.

That's all I was.

"This is Major Tom to Ground Control .I'm stepping through the door. And I'm floating in a most peculiar way. And the stars look very different today. For here."

Oh God I'm scared.

I'm alone.

Yet I'm surrounded by life.

A few light-years to my left and you have the tiny rundown diner me and the Doctor visited.

Centuries. That's what its name was. When I asked why the owner just smiled.

"Because, my dear." He had spoken with a thick Glarainen accent. "The memories you make here last for centuries." He had a slight lisp to his voice. And his skin the same color of the oceans back on Earth.

And he was right about one thing.

I remember vividly slow dancing with the Doctor on the patio. Water laping against the banks below us. The planets twin moons reflecting on the water.

I remember burying my face into the crook of his neck. My arms linking together over his shoulders. The scent of old wood and something I could place my finger on. Not quite a spice but not sweet either.

"Am I sitting in a tin can. Far above the world. Planet Earth is blue. And there's nothing I can do." I shudder. It seems to get colder and colder with each passing second. The only warmth to be had is my breath against the freezing glass in front of me.

I can hardly move any more. I feel stiff. Like someone had...

Had what?

Why can't I move.

Limbs drifting.

Blood rushes in my ears. I can't hear her song anymore.

"Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles

I'm feeling very still

And I…"

Moon dust fills my lungs one last time.

The ship we were repairing gone from my sight long ago.

All I see is blue.

Hand in Hand

Pairing: 10th doctor x reader

Song: Mumford and son's- Beloved.

Warnings: Angst then fluff. F bomb is dropped twice. I am absolutely sorry if this makes no sense.

AN: Enjoy!

Fear will take ahold in many ways. That body shaking kinda fear that leaves you feeling drained and exhausted. The one that roots itself deeply into the pit of your stomach. It makes you feel ill and wishing that you were anywhere else.

Then there's the one that makes your blood run cold. The one where your body loses all warmth and makes it feel as if you've been eating cotton balls. It makes your mind run rampant and go blank at the same time.

It's the one where you don't know wether to scream or cry. Maybe you should run? Would that work? Or should you curl up and into a ball and hope that whatever has a deep rooted hold onto your heart will go away.

But that's never the case.

It never goes away.

It's always there at the back of your mind even if the thing your scared of is light-years away and flung deeply into the past.

But. You know.

Time travel and aliens have a way of throwing the wrench into that one.

So. Here you where. At some unknown point in the future. Standing on a foreign planet with your greatest fear standing before you. Behind you. Whispering honeyed words in your ears.

They travel around you. Trail up your sides and tangle within your hair. Trying to poison every crack and crevice they can get ahold of.

So. You fall back onto what you knew as a little kid. Little tricks you learned when having your parents check the closet and under the bed wasn't quite enough.

You close your eyes and pretend that you can't see them.

Because if you can't see them they can't see you.

You try to think of happy thoughts. Puppy's and kittens and

Fuck.

So they can do that know.

It's face was directly in front of yours. Grinning like a mad man set free. Laughter rings in your ears as you open your eyes.

Screaming you fall back.

Happy thoughts happy thoughts.

Fucking happy thoughts!

That's what The Doctor had told you before you got separated.

These beings fed on fear. Thrived in it. And the only way they could get it was by trapping unsuspecting travelers.

They made the planet to look enticing. To draw you in like a siren's song and down you in a sea of gut wrenching terror.

The planet was washed in seas of blue and draped with blankets of deep green. When you land on it the first thing you notice is the sweet smell of flowers. Maybe even the fresh scent of baked bread. The floor was carpeted on the softest moss you could ever hope to see.

It made you feel at home. It drew you in. You wanted to go in deeper. To explore and see more of the beauty it has to offer.

And we fell for it. Both me and the Doctor. He grabbed ahold of my hand and off we went. Seeing new sights I've never seen before. Finding new soft looking animals the Doctor is just now learning of.

The first howl should have sent us back running to the Tardis. And we would have to. If the Doctor hadn't insisted on staying just a touch longer. I'm not blaming him. Lord no. I wanted to see the waterfall to. I trusted that he would keep me safe. So off we went. Hand in hand to see the world as we always did.

Except this time letting go wasn't something we had planned together. The rocks were slick with wet moss. Little pebbles would scatter with every step we took. The bank to the river was a rainbow of colors. The water the deepest shade of blue.

We went towards the water fall that fed the river. It's great roaring sound as it sailed to the ground deafens us the closer we got. Having to shout at one another to be heard.

And down we went. Laughing to one another as we pointed out some great unseen sight. Birds colored with every fiery hue nauture could create. Fish the same scaley green as the oceans back home.

Oh it's was absolutely stunning!

But. All good things must come to an end.

The howling from earlier had gotten louder. Had gotten closer. We could see them in the corners of our eyes. Heads peering over huge boulders as we swiftly made out way back to the Tardis.

My heart pounded deeply with in my chest as a hollowed filling made itself home in the base of my throat. I gripped tightly onto the Doctors hand. He squeezed back just as tightly.

It was him who figured it out first. Of course. He payed attention to how swiftly they moved. Watched as our breathing became erratic and our hearts drummed out a hurried tune.

"Think happy things y/n" He told me. "Tell me about the happiest thing you can remember. Maybe we can call down." So I did. I told him about the time me and my parents went to the coast for the first time. About the way the salty hair clung to every inch of skin. The way the briney air would fill your lungs. About the tide pools I showed my siblings once they came into the world.

And it worked! Both me and him were calm and it was a few more miles back to the Tardis.

Aliens have a way of ruinning things. Remember that if you ever have the chance to travel with this man.

A glob of mud sailed through the air and landed squarely on the Doctors suit jacket. We both spun on heel as another hit the side of my face.

They had us surrounded from the back. Hands filled with mud balls and rocks.

We took of in a blind sprint. Hand in hand as the forest blurred around us. The Doctor lost his footing as the ground suddenly slanted downwards. We lost each other as we tumbled to the bottom of the large hill.

Which led me to where I was now. In pain. Dazed and confused with monsters surrounding me.

One shuffled closer to me. Snuffling it's way around my neck and into my ear. I breathed in deeply trying to distance myself away. Trying to think clearly.

Trying to think about what the Doctor would tell me.

Help me figure out on my own.

With every ounce of strength I had I pushed the creature back. Yelling and screaming.

"You have no power over me!" I whirled around in my spot. Hair whipping wildly as tears welled up behind my lashes.

"Do you hear me! You'll starve with me here! You are just and insignificant little aspect of my life!" The creatures sunk back. On tried to bravely run towards me. I grabbed a broken branch and waved wildly at it. Breaking the branch in two as it came into contact with a burley arm.

"You don't scare me! The demons I face within my own head have told me scarier lies than you could ever hope to whisper." I walked towards the shrinking group hot tears spilling down my face.

"Don't you see! There are scarier things in this universe. And believe me I've seen them all. But you. Your just the monster under the bed. No one's going to remember you." My chest heaved as I breathed in deeply. The monsters shrunk and skittered away. Leaving me alone in the middle of the woods with nothing but my thoughts for company.

I dropped the branch that was still clutched within my grasp. Tears spilled thickly down the sides of my face. My nose ran an my head began to throb in tune with my rapidly beating heart.

I folded in on myself wrapping my arms around my stomach. I gasped for air as my legs trembled before giving out.

I was alone.

Oh God I was alone.

"Y/N!" I jerked up and off of the ground at the sound of my name. The Doctor was sprinting towards me. His suit jacket torn and dirty a deep purple bruise cradled the side of his face.

"Doctor!" We clashed against one another trembling as we pulled each other as close as we could. The Doctor's hand rested against the back of my head his long fingers weaving through my hair. I grabbed fistfulls of tattered fabric while resting my head against his chest.

"It's ok." He whispered. "We're safe now. They're gone." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head swaying side to side. I sniffled and wiped away still falling tears.

"Are you okay?" It came out in a ragged whisper. The Doctor smiled softly. His deep brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He pressed another kiss to my forehead and grabbed ahold of my hand.

"I'll be okay when once we get into the Tardis and away from this planet." We began the slow trek forward. His hand held mine tightly and deep down I knew that he needed this more than I did.

I looked down when the ground suddenly felt a little more wet and a lite more squishy.

"Y/n?" He turned to look at me one brow curved towards the sky.

"I... I lost my shoe." We met each other's gaze and burst out laughing heads resting on each other's shoulders. Hands held together in a gentle embrace.

We began laughing even harder when the Tardis whirred a little ways away from us.

Hand in hand we would take on the world. Heaven forbid we were one without the other.

A message from the tenth Doctor

Tags: @3lianav

Y/n! I finally got the right signal! I didn't know how much longer the sonic could take. It's always so tricky trying to pick up your frequency.

*The Doctor smiles softly and it turns into a full blown grin upon seeing you.*

Ahh there you are. We're overdue on our next adventure! I was thinking about taking you to the Eskemo nebula. A couple thousand years into the future of course.

They have this little shop there. I love little shops.

*He's looking at the stacks of book you have off to the side. Some old an worn. Others so brand new they haven't been open.*

Or perhaps you would like a day in? I know I know. Not something we so very often but.

Well that last trip was a little tiring wasn't it? All we did was hike around Callisto. And ran away from the ice beast but. You enjoyed that. Right? Despite the monsters and untimely misshaps?

We did get to see fairies in the end.

*You watch as he moves around the Tardis console. He's flicking switches and running frantically as he gets her going.*

I know that I'm not always there for you. And I do know that you humans don't quite run a mile a minute. But it's nice you know.

*He's leaning against the railing now. Gazing up at some unknown point within the Tardis.*

It's nice to know that your just.

There. I love it when you light up talking to me. The way your eyes hold the sky and that smile.

Oh that smile sends my heart's pounding.

Just the way you barely contain your happiness as you tell me everything that has happened.

Knowing full well you'll allow me to do the same next.

Remember that movie we watched? The Lion King?

*He's running his hand through his hair smiling as he looks over at you.*

We practically quoted the entire movie line by line.

Oh and the song! The pillows and blankets ended up on the floor as we jumped and bounced on the couch. Throwing them into the air to pretend they were the rest of the cast.

You played Simba's roll quite brilliantly thank you.

*The sound of the Tardis seems to get louder as the Doctor continues to talk.*

I don't know where I would be right now y/n. Without you here by my side.

My brilliant companion.

Did you know that.

Well of course you do.

Your absolutely amazing.

Not afraid to go from one crazy adventure to the next.

The way you oh so brilliantly figure something out and your whole face comes to life at the shear excitement at finding out something no human ever has before.

But there is times when I began to worry.

I know it's hard at times. Feeling as if you're the only one left in the world.

That you have no one else to lean on. To depend on.

That no one is really and truly there for you.

Well. I thought that. Until I met you.

You have brought a center point for me to focus on. A bright light in a dark tunnel. Cave? Something like that.

What you need to know is that, no matter what, I'll be there for you.

Every tear, every lonely day. Everytime you feel as if your alone in this universe.

Know that you have me. That I will always be there for you. I don't want you to forget that y/n.

I don't want you to feel the way I have.

Your my friend. And nothing will ever change that.

Now about that trip.

*The Tardis has finally appeared in front of you at this point. The Doctor leaning out the door and grabbing ahold of your hand.*

Allons-y! Y/N! That shop isn't going to run itself.

And who knows. Maybe we'll run into something new today.

A piece of me. A part of you.

Pairing: The Doctor x reader

Reader type: Gender neutral

Song: Roslyn- Bon Iver

Warnings: N/A

An: It has been a hot minute lol. I'm thinking about doing a mini series of various one shots with a specific type of reader in mind. This is mostly just a quick idea of sorts to figure it out. I'll be tagging all of these ones, if I do it, as readerreader until I figure out a better name lol. Anyways enjoy this one! Any feedback is welcome!

"Just because you are soft doesn't mean you are not a force. Honey and wildfire are both the color gold."

- Victoria Erickson, Edge of Wonder: Notes from the Wildness of Being (via woodlandfawn)

"Are you mad at me?" You asked. Your voice wavered. Spoke the pain you felt.

"Mad?" The Doctor asked softly. Held you closer in his arms. "Why would I be?" He trailed off. Pulled your hand into his. "Y/n." A whisper. Your name is uttered in such soft reverence.

"Please Doctor." You sounded meek. Tired. God so tired. "Tell me." You look up. Your damp cheek still pressed to his chest. "Please."

He brought your hand to his lips. Layed a kiss on broken and bloody knuckles. His jaw clenched. His eyes soft as he looked at you. "Never. Not of this."

.

.

.

He held a lifetime of sorrow. Carried it in a body hewn of ancient stone. Drowned in a pain beyond your comprehension. The Doctor has faced beings claiming God has spoken to death and was spared her hallowed curse. Yet he came out the victor. The lone man in a blue box condemned to live out a life loss and ruin.

There are times you catch a glimpse of him. Genuine moments of his joy. Of his love for learning. Such as now. On a cool, crisp day. Breathing in the mountain air of a foreign planet. He speaks to you, almost tripping over his own tongue as he tells you of the planets history. Its people. He tells you of events as if he has lived them. And perhaps he did. Watched as the first mountains formed.

Did he hold his breath as the first green sprout rose from rich soil? Did he know of that tree? Breathed in the air it gave as it towered miles high into the air? The crown of it touching the clouds. Daring to break the atmosphere and touch the stars just as he did.

You say nothing. Hold his hand while he speaks. You look into eyes that have seen both the birth and death of the universe.

If you listen. Catch your breath. You can hear the TARDIS. The cry of alien animals. Although the Doctor would tell you that "You are just as alien to them as they are to you." You smile at the memory that thought brings up. On a far warmer planet that had a sky of deep violet hues.

Your face warms when the Doctor waves a hand in front of you.

"Are you even listening? I am being very clever you know." You chuckle. Slightly embarrassed at being caught lost in your thoughts.

"I am. I promise. I just." You pause. Get lost in the look he gave you. One brow rose and a flicker of a smile on his lips before he looks away.

You would give anything to see yourself through his eyes. To see what he saw in you. To know what he deemed worthy enough to keep you around.

"Come along then." The Doctor pulled you towards a worn foot path. "There's a town nearby that I want to show you. It has the nicest little shops." Slowly he fades out. Eyes following the curve of your profile. Lost in the look of your eyes. A fresh view in the planet he often visited.

Yet you were the first companion he brought here. The first to view this small piece of peace he so desperately clung to. And he showed you as if to say. Here I am layed bare, open. See the part of me that I keep hidden. Please notice the peace. The untainted memory he so desperately held onto.

His own lips copy the curve of your smile. Finding his own happiness at your joy of another alien world. Caught in new sights and smells. He watches as you call out. Greet people unknown to you.

You have grown since you've first met. No longer cold and calloused to the world. Finding your own softness after being walled off for so long.

You nod as you pass yet another. The people of this planet range in brillent hues of blue. Each of them shifting darker in shade as they age. Their "hair" was a tuble like tendrel that they held great care for. They decorated them with jewels and golden clasps. Horns sprouted from the tops of their heads. Curling like a rambs as they grew older. From this was draped a sheer fabric. A religious practice for some. They have four arms. The bottom set wrapped around their torso when not in use.

You nod your head at a passing couple clothed in deep green hues. A child between them skin such a pale blue it was almost white. Your head nods. Eyes closed. The Doctor copied you from by your side.

A polite greeting that they copy in turn. They tell you of festivities being held in town. An important one for them. Something only held every one hundred years.

These people live for centuries. A long life of peace and deep appreciation of the arts and sciences. They yearn and crave knowledge.

The Doctor grins. Laughs and waves goodbye at the family and pulls you further down the path. Through fog covered trees and over a stone bridge. His hand still in yours as you reach the town.

And oh it was stunning. Filled with the laughter of children and foreign food wafting in the air. Sweet and aromatic. Spice intermingling with the pine like scent of the woods.

What you could only call orbs floated high into the hair. Multi colored balls all shades of the rainbow

Children ran past you. The Doctors hand slipping from your own. His gaze follows the children running towards the bridge you just crossed. Their laughter rung. High and bright.

With a hand between your shoulders the Doctor leads you towards various stalls. Having you try different foods. Drinks. Even getting you a trinket or two. Silver bangles on your wrists. A new ear cuff shaped like a dragon from Earth's folk tales. Takes that held some tune of truth to them.

The day blends into the night. Your full. Body satisfied by a different blend of food. Even so you held a warm drink in your hand. The Doctor had lead you to a high hillside above the town. The two of you sat on dewy grass beneath twin moons.

You shivered. Wishing you had brought a warmer jacket. You took a sip of your drink. Sweet and almost chocolaty. It was caffeinated almost like a coffee. You bumped your shoulder against the Doctor who in turn nudged you back. "Why did we come up here again?" You asked. The Doctor smiles.

"They hold a light show. Drape thier bodies in the floating lights you've seen all night. " His voice is soft. Far off in a memory. One you're soon about to make. "They dance. Tell the story of their people. It's a long one. Sad and filled with pain and trauma. But they tell it. Teach their young about their history and just how difficult peace was to achieve." He begins to add more but stops when the dancing begins.

Light waves. Rolls across the town like water on the ocean. Breaking and scattering when it hits the edge of their home.

They dance and sing. So much pain and sorrow held in their story. It calls out to you. Transfixes you. It also speaks of hope. Of faith.

The Doctor says nothing. Watches you as you watch the town. Colors dance across you skin. Flash in your bright eyes. You face is soft. Small minute expressions only he could see. He has seen this a thousand times and will a thousand more. But he thinks. Just this time. He is seeing it for the first time again through you. And it stills his hearts. Warms his chest.

He sees a part of himself in you. A desperate need to learn. To see. And he knows you see yourself in him to. The hurting. The pain. The coldness. Often he wonders how the both of you got along. How the both of you balance each other out.

You got to grow softer. Learn to give a kindest you so desperately fought for. Learn to give it to others so that you to may get it.

The Doctor got to see things in fresh eyes. To relearn the reason why he ran off in that blue box in the first place. He saw a piece of himself in you. And perhaps you part of himself in you.

Would anyone like an ambient playlist for the doctor?

A link to the playlist I created in Spotify. A few songs didn't make it on the last product.

Hopefully I can post this to YouTube. If I'm able I'll reblog this with the link.

Eleventh Doctor x insecure/ anxious reader?

🫀REQUESTS ARE OPEN🫀 || Doctor Who-inspired playlist

"Cold feet" - 11th Doctor x Reader

SUMMARY: Funnily enough, after facing death and vicious aliens, it's small talk with strangers that gives you cold feet. Fortunately enough, you found yourself in the company of an expert on running away.

WORDCOUNT: ~ 1.9k

A/N: As an anxious person I cannot be thankful enough for people in my life who casually roll with my anxiety and don't try to "fix" it with cheap advice

"Time Lord to human! Are you listening to me?"

The sudden yelling shook you awake. Only then did you realize you zoned out in the first place, letting Doctor's rushed words brush right by you. You looked at him only to see pure annoyance seeping from his expression. Although you never meant to hurt him, the guilt still gnawed at you.

"Sorry, missed the last bit," you explained yourself as you awkwardly rubbed the back of your neck. "What were you saying?"

Instead of repeating his scientific ramblings which definitely would have been a little too fast and complex for you to understand, he shifted his posture to rest his hands on his hips. You felt as if he had caught you red-handed doing something he had absolutely prohibited you from doing.

"Oi, what's going on with you? It's like you've lost your head."

You absentmindedly shook your head to dismiss his worry. "Yeah, sorry, it's no-"

"Are you in love?"

For a moment you couldn't get any sound to leave your mouth. "What?" It was a bizarre conclusion to jump to. You couldn't tell what on Earth could even get him that idea. "No, it's on-"

"Good for you!" he said as he clapped his hands. "Now, moving on. Focus, eyes on me."

"Look, it's just that I've got a..." you suspended your voice thinking of the right word to use. The Doctor stared at you with wide eyes, clearly awaiting the second part of the sentence. "Thing."

"A thing?" he repeated in confusion. It seemed as if with each of your words he only grew more offended at your misplaced attention.

"Yes, a thing." Out of all the words you could have used, your choice seemed to have fallen on the worst and least exhaustive one. "My friend, Ada, is throwing a party for some of her college friends but apart from me everyone invited is from her course, so she's going to be the only person I know there."

"And that's what you've been thinking about while I was explaining my clever, clever plan?"

The Doctor stared at you with closely knit eyebrows. In some way, he couldn't fathom how a party invitation could be in any way more interesting than him showing off his extraordinary intellect and creativity. Choosing between a college party and aliens should have been a lot easier than it truly was.

"It's not as simple as it sounds, you know?"

"Alright, then tell me." By his hand-flapping and surprisingly undivided attention, you couldn't tell whether he was growing more upset or actually wanted to hear about what was troubling you.

"Honestly, I don't want to go but it's important for Ada. Also, I haven't seen her in ages. On the other hand..." your voice drifted away. Now that you've started this little heart-to-heart, it was pointless to lie to the Doctor - if successful, fooling him wouldn't gain anything anyway. "It's a party full of strangers."

For a moment he stared at you in silence, visibly expecting you to elaborate but truthfully, there wasn't anything more to say. The hypothetical group of strangers, as faceless as they were, was already stressful enough, even without giving them imaginary traits or habits.

"Strangers, right," he said as he clasped his hands. The sound echoed throughout the console room. He looked away for a moment, basking in enlightenment, before looking back at you. "How exactly is that a problem?" he dwelled on the subject. It seemed as if the discomfort of a company of strangers was hardly conceivable.

"You wouldn't get it." You vaguely waved your hand at him in a dismissive manner. Maybe it was unfair towards him but you really couldn't imagine a scenario in which he doesn't throw in a sarcastic comment about your anxiety. "I mean, how could you? Socializing has never been a problem for you."

"How could it be? People, party, cake, dancing. I love dancing! Great times, nothing to be scared of."

"Yes, there is: small talk and thirty people I've never met. And that's only the beginning."

Even the mere mention of that situation made a cold shiver run down your spine. A flutter of anxiety in your chest brought an unpleasant, suffocating sensation. Unconsciously, your face contorted in a grimace.

"You just go up to them and talk, what's hard about that?"

"Everything!" you exclaimed as you made a broad movement with your hands. "It's just... I can't do that. I physically can't make myself go up to a stranger and ask how they're doing, I'd rather hit my head against a wall. I know the theory, the 'walking through a house' metaphor, it's just... I can't force my body to do that. And when I do find myself talking to a stranger, I want it to end immediately. And the silence! Oh God, the silence... Like when you ask them a question, they answer and then the silence. The awkward silence of my anxiety, lack of social skills and being a generally uninteresting person. Just a bit of quiet and everyone knows I'm weird, awkward and-"

"Hey, hey, stop it!" he scolded you in a whiny voice as if you were a child. "Don't say that. You're not awkward or weird, you're brilliant!"

"Thanks, that's nice of you but unfortunately, I am self-aware."

He may have known you for weeks but you've known yourself for decades.

"No, really." He refused to let go. If the Doctor was going to spout cliche pick-me-ups, he appeared exceptionally committed to the meaningless act. "You crossed the universe as it is wide and long. Fought aliens and risked your life because a toddler couldn't sleep at night. Blimey, you told a Sontaran with a bomb bigger than your head to piss off. And it's house party small talk that gives you cold feet?"

Contrary to his presumption, the context didn't give you any comfort or motivation - it only made you feel worse. If you really were as brave as he made it seem, why couldn't you just start a conversation with your friend's guests? By the measure of saving the universe multiple times, you should be more than capable to do so.

"I know it sounds ridiculous and I agree it's stupid but it's not the same. When we're saving worlds it's a mission, a puzzle to solve." You paused for a moment but by your expression, the Doctor could tell there was something else on your mind. "And I've got you," you added.

"Me?" he asked sheepishly. The Doctor vaguely pointed his finger at himself. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You make me a little braver. I mean, you don't look scared even when you are, so it gives me a little push. I feel a little less anxious when I know that you've got my back."

"So what do you do when I'm not there?"

"Bail," you answered with a shrug. Were you really the same person who criticized the fashion choices of an alien with more guns than limbs? "I rarely go but when I do, I just run off around midnight like Cinderella." You made a small pause when you lowered your gaze, avoiding the Doctor's face. "Honestly, it always makes me feel ashamed like I'm making myself miss out on something but it's either that or panicking in the bathroom."

A silence fell between you. The Doctor's typical hand flapping came to a strange halt as he continued to stare at you with an inexplicable expression. He would have agreed on your resemblance to Cinderella, your regent-esque charm and princess-like beauty but there seemed to be a matter more important at hand:

"Has that ever happened?"

His voice was surprisingly quiet, hesitant even as if he didn't want to actually know the answer. Maybe he wasn't sure he was ready for the responsibility the knowledge would bring. The Doctor's words were barely audible over the whirring and wheezing of the TARDIS's engineering.

"Which part?"

"Panicking in the bathroom."

"Yeah," you said quietly. Your gaze fell to the floor. Looking for some kind of comfort, you slowly rubbed your arm. "It was New Year at my friend's, didn't know anyone there except for him. At some point, I just needed to take a break from being around so many people. I sat in the bathroom wearing a silver sequin ballgown and fought back tears. Funny, I probably looked equally pathetic and great. The only thing I could think about was how rubbish I was at just hanging out with people and, you know, being a normal teen at a normal teen party filled with normal teens. I just..." you stopped yourself at the last moment possible. A heavy, defeated sigh left your lips before you continued in a voice barely above a whisper. "I just wish I was a little less anxious."

"You never said anything."

"Why would I? It's not something I'm exactly proud of." You let out a bitter chuckle as you answered him.

Suddenly you found yourself engulfed in a tight hug. The Doctor's arms were tightly wrapped around you, his slow but ragged breath brushing against your neck. Surprised at the unforeseen affection, you hesitantly reciprocated the embrace. The tweed of his jacket was slightly coarse, some strings were coming out of the seams. He always smelled like burnt wires and a second-hand bookshop. At first, that distinct fragrance wasn't exactly pleasant to you but with time it became a beacon of hope, comfort, adventure and a good laugh.

"Oh, you brilliant, clever you," he quietly said in a sad voice.

Then he stepped away from you just as swiftly and surprisingly as he hugged you in the first place. The first thing you noticed was the change in his facial expression: the Doctor was no longer annoyed or concerned but excited as if he had just come up with a perfect solution to some mind-boggling problem.

"Well then, good thing you're not going alone this time."

"I'm... not?"

"Yes! A plus-one. It's still a thing, right? I'm your plus-one."

"That's sweet of you but you really don't have to. I'm fine on my own," you assured him, although he had no reason to believe you after what you'd already told him.

"Change of plans, sweetheart!" he exclaimed as he pulled one of the many levers. The TARDIS was about to take flight and it was a little too late for arguments and second thoughts. "We're going together and when people become a little too much we attend to an emergency," he said while running between different parts of the flight console. As if he was dancing, he made a whole circle around the control switchboard and stood in front of you once again. The Doctor stuck his index finger in your face as if reprimanding you once more. "No panicking in the bathrooms."

"Wait, what emergency?" you asked as he was already taking directions to your hometown.

"You know, this very real emergency that can't wait and we have to take care of it at the very moment. The crisis that I definitely did not invent just now."

"Right..." you drew out your answer as you caught on to his ruse. A smile crept unto your face. "Time travellers, defenders of the universe. You can never know when you're needed. Any suspicions as to what the emergency is?"

"Laskos' fourth moon. There's that small waffle bar that might need an inspection."