So maybe I'll just keep my mouth shut...

[likes_pears]

At the Casa del OT3, John Smith is curled on the sofa with a library book. He's caught up on recent history, a few key scientific advances, and now it's on to just reading for fun. He also happens to be avoiding his room. By this point, the sight of a strange person or creature in his bedroom's so typical he just ignores it and finds someplace else

Comments

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor is emphatically not jealous. Really, he's not. Just because Rose is going out to tea with John Smith, and getting flowers from him, and... well, he's not jealous. How, exactly, he explains the foul mood he's been in if he's not jealous is really hard to say, but... well, who's going to ask him to explain it?

He was not, however, expecting to actually run into John Smith. He wanders out of the kitchen, with a sandwich that's... really more jam than anything else, and stops upon seeing John Smith. The Doctor's not good at controlling his expressions in ordinary social situations. So this might be a jealous glare headed more or less in your direction, John.

[likes_pears]

Oh, look. It's the Doctor. John looks up from his book, taking in the glare, and raises an eyebrow.

"Ah, pardon me, but are you planning on saying anything, or just glaring at me as though I'd drowned your cat? ...thing. If I've done something to offend you, I think I ought to at least be made aware of it."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor takes this moment to take a bite of his sandwich. It gives him a moment before he actually has to speak to John. "I'm not offended. All I did was walk in the room." And look at him like John Smith's stolen his puppy. Just a little. "I was just thinking, it's not my fault if you got in the way." By... existing.

[likes_pears]

"Of course. I'll just... leave you to your thoughts, then, shall I?" This, coupled with a look that says, quite clearly, Do you really think I'm that dense?

But it's not his problem if the Doctor's in a sulk over something. He's just going to pointedly go back to his book.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor doesn't move. He's still just... watching John Smith. Glaring. Or not, depending on your perspective (though the only one who believes he's not is the Doctor himself). Really, he'd like to avoid him, but...

"Something I need you to do for me," he says after a moment. "Unless you're too busy with tea and flowers these days..." That last bit came out under his breath, though quite loud enough to be heard.

[likes_pears]

And that gets John looking up again. The snide comments -- Oh, so it's ROSE that's got him out of sorts -- aren't as interesting as the fact that the Doctor's actually asking him for something.

"Well, I'm more likely to be busy tutoring Maria, honestly, but I'm happy to help," he says, with no apparent sarcasm.

See, now John is curious.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor eyes him for a second, suspecting sarcasm even though he can't hear it. He's worked himself up into a Mood, and he probably couldn't shake it if he wanted to. Which he doesn't, particularly, at the moment.

"I'm leaving Chicago. For a few days. And Martha, and Des, and Donna, and... Anyway. There's a child, a nephilim... You know what that is, don't you?" Condescension. Clearly the way to go.

[likes_pears]

"The offspring of an angel and a demon, yes. I have done some research since I arrived," John says, matching the condescension in the Doctor's tone perfectly.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor doesn't much appreciate having his tone echoed at him. Of course, he's got his body and plenty of his memories, there's no reason he wouldn't be able to do that, but...

"Of course you have." Research being one of the few things he's good for here... "So the nephilim child. Emily, Donna's calling her - she didn't exactly... have a name before. I need you to watch her while we're gone. You can manage that, can't you?"

Yes, the Doctor's actually remembering that things and people in his care might actually needto be cared for, rather than just dumped in people's laps. Shocking, isn't it?

[likes_pears]

"Of course, I'd be happy to look after her." John's tone is even, level, and showing no signs of irritation whatsoever. Possibly because he suspects that remaining calm might just irritate the Doctor more, but...

Well, looking after children is more or less what he was made to do. In this case, he's honestly happy to help.

[thatsortofaman]

Much as the Doctor dislikes John personally, he does know he's good with children, and that he really will be happy to look after Emily while they're gone. That doesn't mean he's any less annoyed at just how calm the man is. He doesn't even bother trying to tamp down the irritation.

"She's a bit... different. Just... be gentle with her." That probably was not a necessary instruction. The Doctor realizes it, soon after he says it, and grimaces a little, wandering over to the coffee table to scoop up Des' folder of notes and flip through them idly.

There's no reason to be hanging around John Smith right now, he's said all he needs to... Possibly he's looking for an excuse to say the things he really wants to. Not that he has any of those things to say. Because he's not jealous. Not a bit.