nexus_crossings | Many happy? returns

Many happy? returns

It has been some time since the Doctor has been here. He was off facing yet another battlefield. It was meant to be his last. He has no idea how he ended up here, of all places.

He clothes are in a tattered mess and covered in soot. His body, is surprisingly unscathed. Well, now it is. 'State of grace'. It can happen with regeneration. When one is refusing or debating the entire process.

He turns to face the TARDIS. "Why have you brought me here?" When his beloved ship didn't answer him he sighs and starts to walk away from her. "Fine. But I'm not leaving. I'm staying and if this is where I die, so be it."

He walks along, not really wanting to sit. If he sits it might happen and he's not going to do that again. He's muttering to himself. "I can't keep on being somebody else. Why isn't it ever anybody else's turn? Why can't I just rest? Just once?"

[ooc: available in post-Doctor Falls and Twice Upon a Time flavours, depending if you want spoilers or not.]

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"Such adventures do tend to force a change of eating habits."

He's speaking from adventures of his own. He had sworn off soup after his last trip to Gallifrey, but he's going to make an exception, because it would be bad to insult his host.

"My what service. Don't think I've had such in a very long time."

Nardole tried. But well, coffee in tea, is all he'd need to say about that. He sits himself up, if only so that he doesn't get soup or cocoa everywhere. He moves the bowl to him first and takes a moment to inhale. More about the steam and the heat than the smell. It is oddly comforting.

Finally he takes a spoonful.

"Oh that is rather good."

Better than he expected, anyway.

Harley smiles. Glad that he likes it. The compliment means a lot to her.

"Well, consider tonight a time to be spoiled a little."

"Not sure I could fight you off if I wanted to refuse."

But he doesn't. So it's going to all work out.

"Just be careful. That's usually the TARDIS' job. She might get jealous if you're too good at it."

"Who is the TARDIS?" Harley asks. She doesn't want to overstep her boundaries here. But he is a dear friend to her. And she wants to be there for him.

"Oh She's... well, she's my ship. But she's sentient. So she's also a dear friend. We've been looking after each other for thousands of years."

He doesn't mind sharing. He's feeling, well not comfortable, but a bit more at ease. He takes up the mug of cocoa now.

"Well, we can make sure you can get back to her, once you are a little rested." Harley pats his knee gently.

"She'll be fine for a bit. I was joking."

Sort of. Maybe exaggerating is a better word than joking.

"You are very bad at it." Harley laughs softly. And gives his knee a slight squeeze.

She has finished her soup, and is now savoring her hot cocoa.

"Sadly, yes I am."

Much better with sarcasm or cynicism.

"How did you get this place? I don't remember there being apartments here before."

"One of my other Nexus friends helped me to find an apartment. He has his own place nearby." Harley explains.

"So the Nexus is allowing us to stay now. Interesting."

He squeezes his hand to stop the flow of energy through it.

"So, you really are taking my advice. Not sure that's really happened before."

Oh it has, he's just not usually around to see it.

"There are a few people who have stayed." Harley notes softly.

She squeezes his knee again. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I'm just an idiot with a box; passing through."

He shrugs. Really, it hardly ever works. At least he doesn't know when it works.

Harley frowns for a second. She reaches over to touch his face gently. "You are not an idiot."

"And you always have a place here. Whenever you need."

He would deny leaning into her touch just a little. "Oh. I'm the biggest idiot there is. It's okay. I accept it."

His eye go wide again at the prospect of what she was offering. Amy and Rory, Sarah Jane, Jack Harkness, had all offered to shelter him over the years. And he didn't want to take any of them up on it for fear of bringing danger to their doorstep. But Harley... Danger had already been hers. And somehow he had saved her without knowing it.

Out of everyone it was possible that he might take her up on the offer. And his eyes might shine a bit. No one who has known him for such a short amount of time had ever made such an offer to him.

"Thank you."

His voice broke just a little on those two words.

Harley smiles at him. And seeing how his eyes are shining, she moves closer so she can wrap her arms around him. And just hug him.

"Anytime."

He gasps softly at the hug, because while he's grown to accept it from Bill and Nardole, it's still hard to believe others would want to.

And he might cling to her just a little bit tighter at that thought. He misses them. He hopes Nardole is alive, but he has no way to know for sure and Bill, well, she gave her life to save others. Taking too much after him like everyone.

And he will not let himself cry just yet. He'll squeeze her tighter again, before loosening his hold to let her know to let him go.

When he backs away is when he notices a smudge of soot on her clothes and he looks down at himself.

"Oh dear me, I didn't even think..." He looks up at her, not scared but a bit worried about how she'll react. "I'm sorry. I'm... There was this fire, burned the entire floor. Including me and my clothes."

He kind of holds them up to show they're covered in soot and ash.

It is sort of nice to be hugged that tightly again. Like he doesn't want to let go. But she will releases her hold when he has loosened his.

She laughs when he gets worried about the soot and ash on his clothes. "Well, we will get you cleaned up. And in some new clothes. Problem solved!"

He is a little sheepish. "I'm not worried about me..."

He gestures at her - he hasn't even looked at the blanket or her couch.

She laughs again. "This is my place. I have tons of cleans clothes upstairs."

"A little soot ain't going to bother me."

He nods, a little less sheepishly than last time.

"You're far too kind."

He's used to having to teach others about being kind, not so used to having it shown towards him.

"I know." Harley stands to clean up the dishes. It was her kindness that made her such an easy target for Joker. She had to develop a hardness around him. Otherwise she got hurt because of her kindness.

When she returns to the couch, she holds out a hand to him. "Come on you. A nice hot bubblebath. And then bed."

"Doctors orders." She teases.

He stares at her hand for a moment before taking it.

"All right. But just one thing: the 'Doctor's orders' thing doesn't work on me. I serve at the pleasure of the human race. That is enough of an order."

He offers her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Also, I'm rubbish at taking care of myself, ask anyone. So if I have problems following such orders, well, you've been warned."

But he's not debating either the bubble bath nor the offer of a bed, which is actually surprising in itself.

Harley laughs softly when he tells her that he serves at the pleasure of the human race. It is a good thing she is not in too playful of a mood right now, because one could have a lot of fun with his phrasing.

She leads him to the bathroom. The small bathroom has a large clawfoot tub and a huge vanity corner. Harley hands him a robe to change into, so that she can start the bath.

Harley sorts through a few different scents and lavender bathoils to create a bubble bath for him. "Once you are in the bath, I will put your clothes in the wash. And find you something nice to wear."

Given the number of layers he wears, someone might think he's more modest than he is. Once her back is turned, he strips out of his top layers and drapes the bathrobe around himself. That was more for her than for him. He then strips himself of his lower clothing and pulls the robe around himself properly.

"Might be pointless to wash them. There's less to them than I thought."

Tatters would be a better description. Though he does set aside a small pile: his button-down shirt, a white pullover, question mark briefs, and his socks. He's not sure what he's going to do for trousers, but at least he won't be completely naked. Nothing else is salvageable in his mind.

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