[PRESENT] One is the loneliest number

[araggedyman]

He couldn't resist. It wasn't as if he didn't have all the time in the world to show him the TARDIS but there was something hard, something unspoken in the corner of his companion's eyes. A strange bit of fragility, boundless energy pushing it down almost. But then perhaps he was just seeing things or projecting onto him. After all, wasn't it really the Doctor after all who was still running from the issue at hand.

He could never leave.

Following Stiles, his lips pressed together as he smothered the smile and pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. Long legs setting the pace, he babbled about the brilliance of biscuits to Stiles as he led him towards the TARDIS. It was only when the treeline thinned out that his ship, his beloved girl, could be seen that the small smothered smile brightened somewhat.

"Well, here she is." The Doctor said, pulling his hand out of his pocket along with the key. Holding the old looking thing in his hand, he pressed it into the lock before pushing the door open slightly. Glancing at Stiles, he watched his face for a moment. "Are you ready?"

Comments

[araggedyman]

Turning his head, he watched Stiles with an interested glance as Stiles tugged off his trainers- sneakers- and socks before sitting beside him. The Doctor smiled, waiting for a moment before leaning to the side nudging Stiles's shoulder with his own.

"And surprisingly wet too," The Doctor replied dryly. He grinned, leaning forward, to roll up his trousers to just below his knees so he could let his legs sink in a little more. "Not exactly what you were thinking it would be, is it? The TARDIS."

[aforceofwill]

"I don't know what I was expecting," says Stiles, tugging his pants higher to stop them getting soaked. He's almost getting used to the casual touching - he doesn't feel in as much danger of short-circuiting. "Definitely not this."

[araggedyman]

"Well, it's a home. It's my home I guess, it's not just a method of travel. Got to have a few home comforts," The Doctor said, swinging his legs slowly up in the water before letting them drop back. His sole of his foot brushed against Stiles' feet before falling back against the side of the pool. "And I quite like being unexpected."

[aforceofwill]

Well, that's just not fair is it? Stiles swallows, struggling to contain the sudden electric shock that goes straight through him. Unexpected. Right. Yeah, he's good at that too.

"It's...pretty neat," he says, fighting to keep his voice level.

[araggedyman]

The Doctor turned his head, looking at Stiles with a curious glance as he swallowed and looked entirely... hmm, it was baffling the reaction playing across his features.

"Pretty neat?" The Doctor asked, pressing a finger in warning against Stiles chest. He smiled though, his face lighting up a little before he brushed against Stiles' side to show he didn't mean it really. "Pretty neat? It's magnificent. Look at her, one of the most beautiful creations in all of time and space. The skyscape you see before you is the actual night sky outside! It's fed through a series of external probes into a deep rooted matrix program then broadcast into an almost 3D rendering beneath glass panels to appear as if it were the actual night sky we were looking at and not just an image. Pretty neat! It is a good thing I like you otherwise I might take it as an insult."

[aforceofwill]

God, the touching. Back home, the only people who ever touch Stiles with any regularity are, like, his dad and Melissa. And Scott. Always Scott. For now, he just stares at the Doctor for a moment.

"I mean...It's really beautiful."

[araggedyman]

"Much better," The Doctor said with a smile, letting his hands fall back to the pool edge. His fingertips just brushing against Stiles' hand, his pinkie almost reaching out to touch Stiles. The Doctor glanced up at the skyscape with a fond smile. It really was beautiful. "Want to have a look round the rest of it or are we quite happy here? We could always go for a little dip."

[aforceofwill]

Suddenly, the water sounds really good - it might cool him off, might make it easier to think. He nods, looking down at the water for a moment; the light bouncing off the surface is almost hypnotic.

"Sure," he says, nodding. "Swimming. Swimming sounds...awesome right now."

[araggedyman]

"Oh, oh okay then." The Doctor said, eyes widening a little in surprise before he adjusted his bow-tie with a vague smile. He patted the tiles beside him before swinging his legs back up onto the side. Standing up, he offered Stiles his hand to help him up. "I think I've got a pair of swimming trunks somewhere in the wardrobe. Mostly it's hats and bow-ties."

[aforceofwill]

"Figure I'll just...yanno...go in in my shorts," says Stiles, standing up and starting to unbutton his jeans before he freaks out. "Do the same job, right?"

[araggedyman]

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up at that before pressing his lips together in a little bit of amusement.

"Well, yes, not everyone wears shorts though." The Doctor admitted, brushing his hair from his face as Stiles started to undress. Clasping his hands together, he rocked backwards on the ball of his feet.

[aforceofwill]

Of course not everyone wears shorts. Stiles ignores the suddenly stubborn blush in his cheeks and tugs his shirt over his head, turning his back slightly when he does.

"Yeah, well. Uh." He squeezes his eyes shut. "Yeah."

[araggedyman]

The Doctor smiled at the appearance of a rather lovely, stubborn blush decorating Stiles' cheeks. He smiled a little more before he smoothly undid his own bow-tie. Discarding it onto the deck chair, he smirked before he began to peel his shirt off.

"Don't worry, I did in fact brace myself with shorts today. No need to panic," The Doctor said, elegantly removing layer after layer until he was down to his own shorts. "GERONIMO!"

The Doctor was already leaping into the water before the words had left his mouth.

[aforceofwill]

Of course. Jesus.

Okay.

Stiles just stares for a moment, arms wrapped around himself as he thinks about it. He gets into the water in a slightly more controlled way, sitting down on the edge of the pool and easing himself down into the water. It's warmer than he's expecting and he lets out a long, low breath that's dangerously close to a groan.

[araggedyman]

The Doctor's eyebrows raise a little at the Groan, his cheeks flushing from the heat of the water before he swims in lazy circles ever decreasing- ever closer to Stiles. Reaching out to brush his knuckles against Stiles' arm, the Doctor smiled.

"So, swimming then. Sounds awesome or is awesome." The Doctor asked.

[aforceofwill]

"Awesome," says Stiles, a little bit too quick, a little bit too loud, his voice echoing back at him in the tiled space. He leans back against the edge of the pool and watches the Doctor, tries to swallow back the thrill he feels at the little touches. "It's...totally, totally awesome."

[araggedyman]

It gets harder to swim around Stile, in ever inelegant circles, when he leans back against the pool. Instead he just appears again in front of Stiles, smiling when he's a bit loud- a bit quick off the mark with his words. Watching as he swallowed, the Doctor looked at him thoughtfully before sliding his palm over his arm. An experiment if you will.

"Swimming in a pool in a library, in an impossible ship. Yes, awesome is definitely the word for it." The Doctor said with a smile. "I've seen- don't let her know- more impressive pools but those usually have slides or floats. I love a float."