Doctor Who, Tenth Doctor, (#47, Broken)
Title: A Broken Man
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Tenth Doctor/David Tennant
Prompt: #47, Broken
Word Count: 1,576
Rating: PG-13
Summary: He would be a shell of a man without his lover by his side.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Tenth Doctor or David Tennant, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.
The Doctor raised himself on one elbow, sighing softly. He couldn't sleep; that wasn't unusual for him, as he needed less sleep than humans, but even he had to rest at times. He hadn't slept well for a while now, and that was getting rather annoying.
He didn't know what had woken him tonight; he couldn't recall a bad dream, or even an uneasy feeling. But there must had been something that had jerked him out of his slumber and brought him back into the waking world, making him feel unsettled and wary.
He shouldn't feel that way, not with David here beside him. The Doctor looked down at his sleeping lover, a smile curving his lips as he took in the handsome features of the man in his bed, the man who held his hearts in the palm of one hand.
Slowly, carefully, he reached out to brush a lock of tawny hair back from David's forehead. How had he thought that he was living before David came into his life? All of the time he'd spent wandering the stars before he had met this man seemed hollow, empty, meaningless.
He might have done a lot of good in the universe before he'd had David with him, but he could do so much more now that his hearts were overflowing with happiness. He had always believed that he could more easily reach out to others when he himself was contented.
Of course, his fellow Gallifreyans wouldn't have seen things that way, the Doctor told himself wryly. They would have been scandalized to know that he even considered meddling in the affairs of others; they had always believed in simply watching and doing nothing.
He had never been able to reconcile himself to that way of thinking -- and he never would. Neither would David, he told himself firmly. His lover would insist that they help anyone they could; he wasn't the kind of man to turn his back on anyone in need.
That was only one of the many qualities that had made him fall in love with David. His lover might feel at times that he wasn't worthy of being loved by a Time Lord, but the Doctor was convinced that the man he loved was more than he himself could ever be.
Their lives would never be perfect -- they would always have to deal with the Master, Cybermen, and other enemies that the Doctor had amassed over the course of his long life. But those enemies were much more easily faced with his lover by his side.
What would he do when he lost David? a small voice in the back of his mind questioned. David was human; he wasn't going to lvie forever. In fact, his life span would be very short compared to the Doctor's. And what then? What would lie ahead of him when David was gone?
It wasn't something he wanted to think about, the Doctor told himself, closing his eyes tightly, as though he could ward off those sorts of thoughts if he didn't let himself look at them. David would be with him for many years -- decades -- to come. He would be here for a long time.
There was no need for him to think about a time when David wouldn't be here, when he would have to go on without the man who belonged by his side. That time was far into the future; there was no reason for him to think about the heartache he would face when it arrived.
He had to resign himself to the thought of losing David at some point in the future. It was inevitable; David wasn't immortal, he wouldn't live forever. But that thought wasn't something he had to dwell on; that loss wouldn't take place for a long time to come.
It might seem like a long time to David as he aged, the Doctor thought -- but to a Time Lord, those years would go by in the blink of an eye. His time with the man he loved, the only man he would ever bond with, would be over all too soon.
And when that time ended, he would be broken, both in body and spirit. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt; he would never be the same once he had laid David to rest and he was alone in the world again. He would be broken beyond any hope of repair.
Oh, he would keep going. He would still be a Time Lord; he would still consider it his duty to protect the universe until the end of his days. But his hearts and soul would no longer be in it, not without the man he loved at his side, joining him in everything that he did.
The Doctor sighed aloud, opening his eyes and gazing down at the man sleeping peacefully beside him. He didn't want to think about losing David, didn't want to think about how that would feel. But it seemed that the thought had taken over his brain, and wouldn't leave him alone.
He knew all too well what it was like to be alone -- but he had never known what it was to lose the one person he had given his hearts and soul to. He had cared about people in the past, but he had never been in loved with anyone in the way that he loved David.
He would only mate once; bonding, for a Gallifreyan, was for life. There would never be another person in his life after David, not in this same capacity. There might be lovers, and there would certainly be people who he cared about. There would be friends who were close to him.
But there would never be another person who would own his hearts the way that David did. That feeling would die with David -- and he would be left with only his memories, merely a shell of the man he had been when his lover was with him.
The Doctor shook his head, closing his eyes again and firmly pushing those bleak thoughts away. He didn't want to focus on how broken he would be when he no longer had David in his life. He wanted to look forward to their time together, not the time when they would be parted.
Why was he dwelling on these kinds of thoughts? There was no need for them, no reason for him to think that David would be torn away from him any sooner than his life span demanded. And perhaps, long before then, he would have found way to keep David here.
His spirits lifted at the thought, his lips curving into a smile. What was to keep him from going into the future and trying to find a way to keep David by his side for longer than his current human life span said he could be? There was no rule against doing something like that.
But he wasn't going to waste the time that he had with David searching for a way to keep his lover with him for longer than he was intended to be. He wanted to enjoy their time together, not spend it frantically trying to find a way to make that time last.
His time with David shouldn't be a time of looking ahead to loneliness and memories. It should be a time for them to revel in being together, in loving each other, in knowing that even though they would eventually have to part, they would always be together in spirit.
And someday, the Doctor thought, swallowing back the lump that had formed in his throat, he would be with David again. He didn't know how long they would be parted, but he had no doubt that when he finally left this life, his lover would be waiting for him with open arms.
Yes, he would a be a broken man when he lost David. But he could hold the thought in his hearts that their parting wouldn't be forever; that was what would have to get him through all of the days and nights until he was reunited with his love far in the future.
For the moment, they were here, together. David was still by his side, and with any luck, he would be here for a very long time to come. They would live out David's life span together, and he would have those years of memories to look back on and treasure.
The Doctor ran gentle fingertips down David's cheek, smiling when the other man stirred in his sleep and snuggled closer against him. It was gratifying to know that David moved towards him even in sleep, only more proof that the two of them belonged together.
Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to David's cheek, not wanting to wake his lover. Closing his eyes, he settled down against the pillow again, pushing away his more morbid thoughts and letting himself relax, hoping that sleep would find him soon.
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Tenth Doctor/David Tennant
Prompt: #47, Broken
Word Count: 1,576
Rating: PG-13
Summary: He would be a shell of a man without his lover by his side.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Tenth Doctor or David Tennant, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.
The Doctor raised himself on one elbow, sighing softly. He couldn't sleep; that wasn't unusual for him, as he needed less sleep than humans, but even he had to rest at times. He hadn't slept well for a while now, and that was getting rather annoying.
He didn't know what had woken him tonight; he couldn't recall a bad dream, or even an uneasy feeling. But there must had been something that had jerked him out of his slumber and brought him back into the waking world, making him feel unsettled and wary.
He shouldn't feel that way, not with David here beside him. The Doctor looked down at his sleeping lover, a smile curving his lips as he took in the handsome features of the man in his bed, the man who held his hearts in the palm of one hand.
Slowly, carefully, he reached out to brush a lock of tawny hair back from David's forehead. How had he thought that he was living before David came into his life? All of the time he'd spent wandering the stars before he had met this man seemed hollow, empty, meaningless.
He might have done a lot of good in the universe before he'd had David with him, but he could do so much more now that his hearts were overflowing with happiness. He had always believed that he could more easily reach out to others when he himself was contented.
Of course, his fellow Gallifreyans wouldn't have seen things that way, the Doctor told himself wryly. They would have been scandalized to know that he even considered meddling in the affairs of others; they had always believed in simply watching and doing nothing.
He had never been able to reconcile himself to that way of thinking -- and he never would. Neither would David, he told himself firmly. His lover would insist that they help anyone they could; he wasn't the kind of man to turn his back on anyone in need.
That was only one of the many qualities that had made him fall in love with David. His lover might feel at times that he wasn't worthy of being loved by a Time Lord, but the Doctor was convinced that the man he loved was more than he himself could ever be.
Their lives would never be perfect -- they would always have to deal with the Master, Cybermen, and other enemies that the Doctor had amassed over the course of his long life. But those enemies were much more easily faced with his lover by his side.
What would he do when he lost David? a small voice in the back of his mind questioned. David was human; he wasn't going to lvie forever. In fact, his life span would be very short compared to the Doctor's. And what then? What would lie ahead of him when David was gone?
It wasn't something he wanted to think about, the Doctor told himself, closing his eyes tightly, as though he could ward off those sorts of thoughts if he didn't let himself look at them. David would be with him for many years -- decades -- to come. He would be here for a long time.
There was no need for him to think about a time when David wouldn't be here, when he would have to go on without the man who belonged by his side. That time was far into the future; there was no reason for him to think about the heartache he would face when it arrived.
He had to resign himself to the thought of losing David at some point in the future. It was inevitable; David wasn't immortal, he wouldn't live forever. But that thought wasn't something he had to dwell on; that loss wouldn't take place for a long time to come.
It might seem like a long time to David as he aged, the Doctor thought -- but to a Time Lord, those years would go by in the blink of an eye. His time with the man he loved, the only man he would ever bond with, would be over all too soon.
And when that time ended, he would be broken, both in body and spirit. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt; he would never be the same once he had laid David to rest and he was alone in the world again. He would be broken beyond any hope of repair.
Oh, he would keep going. He would still be a Time Lord; he would still consider it his duty to protect the universe until the end of his days. But his hearts and soul would no longer be in it, not without the man he loved at his side, joining him in everything that he did.
The Doctor sighed aloud, opening his eyes and gazing down at the man sleeping peacefully beside him. He didn't want to think about losing David, didn't want to think about how that would feel. But it seemed that the thought had taken over his brain, and wouldn't leave him alone.
He knew all too well what it was like to be alone -- but he had never known what it was to lose the one person he had given his hearts and soul to. He had cared about people in the past, but he had never been in loved with anyone in the way that he loved David.
He would only mate once; bonding, for a Gallifreyan, was for life. There would never be another person in his life after David, not in this same capacity. There might be lovers, and there would certainly be people who he cared about. There would be friends who were close to him.
But there would never be another person who would own his hearts the way that David did. That feeling would die with David -- and he would be left with only his memories, merely a shell of the man he had been when his lover was with him.
The Doctor shook his head, closing his eyes again and firmly pushing those bleak thoughts away. He didn't want to focus on how broken he would be when he no longer had David in his life. He wanted to look forward to their time together, not the time when they would be parted.
Why was he dwelling on these kinds of thoughts? There was no need for them, no reason for him to think that David would be torn away from him any sooner than his life span demanded. And perhaps, long before then, he would have found way to keep David here.
His spirits lifted at the thought, his lips curving into a smile. What was to keep him from going into the future and trying to find a way to keep David by his side for longer than his current human life span said he could be? There was no rule against doing something like that.
But he wasn't going to waste the time that he had with David searching for a way to keep his lover with him for longer than he was intended to be. He wanted to enjoy their time together, not spend it frantically trying to find a way to make that time last.
His time with David shouldn't be a time of looking ahead to loneliness and memories. It should be a time for them to revel in being together, in loving each other, in knowing that even though they would eventually have to part, they would always be together in spirit.
And someday, the Doctor thought, swallowing back the lump that had formed in his throat, he would be with David again. He didn't know how long they would be parted, but he had no doubt that when he finally left this life, his lover would be waiting for him with open arms.
Yes, he would a be a broken man when he lost David. But he could hold the thought in his hearts that their parting wouldn't be forever; that was what would have to get him through all of the days and nights until he was reunited with his love far in the future.
For the moment, they were here, together. David was still by his side, and with any luck, he would be here for a very long time to come. They would live out David's life span together, and he would have those years of memories to look back on and treasure.
The Doctor ran gentle fingertips down David's cheek, smiling when the other man stirred in his sleep and snuggled closer against him. It was gratifying to know that David moved towards him even in sleep, only more proof that the two of them belonged together.
Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to David's cheek, not wanting to wake his lover. Closing his eyes, he settled down against the pillow again, pushing away his more morbid thoughts and letting himself relax, hoping that sleep would find him soon.