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timeandspacenovelist · 3 months

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan Characters: Thirteenth Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Clara Oswin Oswald Additional Tags: Fluff, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Mild Smut, Romance, Love, Idiots in Love, thasmin, 2+1 Things Summary:

The Doctor and Yaz love each other a lot, and they show it in different ways.

_______________________________________________________________ “Doctor!” Clara waved the Doctor over, as she plopped down on the seat next to her. “Doctor?”

“Hmm?”

“The tea.”

Her eyes widened post-haste, and she smiled timidly. She knew she forgot something. She swiftly hoisted from the tray and handed one to Clara effortlessly. Naturally, as she planted her mug on the table, it tipped over and spilled some of its contents.

“Sorry, I-“

“It’s fine. I got it.” She beamed.

She nabbed a napkin from nearby and erased the mess from existence.

“If anything, it reminds me you’re still the same klutz I first met.”

“Thanks!...” the Doctor said as she realised, glowering at Clara. “Hey...”

“I mean it in the best way possible.” She rose her hands.

The Doctor’s face soon acquired a charming glint as she pulled Clara into a warm squeeze.

“Seriously, though.” She sipped on her tea. “You have changed a lot.”

“I’m not that different. Still the same old Doctor. Just...”

“With a new paint job.”

“That’s one way to put it.” The Doctor grinned.

And what a new paint job it was. All these years later, and she was still struggling to figure it all out.

“But I really am the same tough guy I used to be. The guy who’d talk down armies and stare into the face of a Dalek and not flinch and-“

“Threaten to rain hell down on someone for me?”

A fleeting, mournful glance materialised on her face. The Doctor’s lips compressed.

“I did apologise for that.”

Clara nodded forlornly with a smile. “I know. Just still a sore subject.”

Sore enough to keep the room in silence for a minute or two. But eventually, Clara decided to switch tact to something less painful.

“Still, you have to admit, you don’t seem to act that tough around Yaz.”

The Doctor’s eyes grew large, and she emitted a small squeak.

“I’ll have you know that I can be tough with Yaz whenever I need to.” She said as her voice rose an octave.

Clara’s eyes danced with sarcastic glee as she drank her tea again.

“In fact, if she was here right now, I’d prove it to you and her.”

“Prove what to me?”

In the millisecond after she heard Yaz’s voice, the Doctor spun around towards her. Try as she must, she couldn’t prevent the cuddly gaze she gave to Yaz at first glance.

“Nothing, sweetie!”

Yaz arched an eyebrow but simply shrugged her shoulders and went on her merry way. The Doctor was less fine. Her cheeks were becoming increasingly flushed as she felt Clara’s mocking gaze burn through her.

“Whipped.” ________________________________________________________________

The bitter wind blew fiercely, pushing the Doctor and Yaz faster towards the TARDIS. This having been mile five since their trek began, they did not appreciate the blizzard’s sudden decision to ramp up.

“Come on!”

Both women surged past a wild snowbank before they made their way to their ship, their home. At least it will be their home if she’d let them in.

“What’s taking so long?!” Yaz shouted as the howling wind blew louder.

“I need the key! I locked her before I left!”

“Can’t she open for you!?”

“... She may be a bit cross with me for not washing my coat last week!”

With her coat over her head, the Doctor couldn’t see Yaz’s eyes roll, but she definitely knew it happened.

Eventually, the TARDIS forgave her, and as soon as the door opened, both women rushed in, dropping their coats and brushing off their clothes. The Doctor hurried towards the console and set a new path for them that didn’t involve a frigid death.

“Heat fans, please!”

The TARDIS complied much quicker to Yaz as a surge of hot air enveloped the console room. Each woman breathed a cool sigh of relief as they sank onto the mattress, laying next to one another.

“Remind me to not come back to Vakkien anytime soon.”

“Don’t come back to Vakkien anytime soon.”

“Thanks.”

Deep, warming breaths were taken as each woman took a moment to catch themselves. As cold as it was, they were both proud to have helped the Panrogs against the Antseas. You could say they had a thing for standing up for the little guys. They just wished they’d taken the ride back to the TARDIS.

Well, at least one of them did.

“We should walk, you said. It’d be fun, you said..”

Yaz swiped at the Doctor’s left shoulder, to which the Doctor immediately retaliated. It took both of them a few seconds to catch their breath, but when it was over, a dual smile soon appeared.

Yaz inched closer towards the Doctor, settling her head onto her chest, as she absorbed the ever-increasing heat she radiated. The twin heartbeats were a comfort, further enhanced by the Doctor’s arm around Yaz’s shoulder.

“Not the most traditional of date nights...”

“Wherever I am, as long as I’m with you..” Yaz grabbed hold of the Doctor’s other hand and caressed it with her lips. “I’m home.” _______________________________________________________________

“Mmmm....”

Yaz could feel neat fingers dancing on the small of her back. Creating invisible works of art as they delicately traced, drawing circles.

The cool air was offset by the rampant heat their bodies gave off. Heat that only further rose once Yaz felt the first kiss. The artist dotted her art with a new brush, as she dotted Yaz’s back with soft pecks.

The covers over the rest of her body gave the Doctor ample opportunity to taste Yaz’s bare back, a fashion statement she shared with her. Yaz writhed continuously, as a smile appeared in between the soft sighs of pleasure. That smile was then plastered onto her face once she heard the Doctor’s contented giggle.

Yaz had been so engrossed in all of this that she hadn’t realised the Doctor had made it up her back and past her neck until she felt breath on her cheek, causing it to turn crimson.

“Hi.” The Doctor smirked.

“Hello.” Yaz smiled.

Yaz turned into a vibrant snog from the Doctor as the pair remained locked in their kiss for a moment or two.

“I take it that this is a satisfactory make-good for my mistake earlier.” The Doctor said, as her hand caressed Yaz’s side.

“Maybe...”

An annoying memory of a new sweater ruined via an accidental splash of wine rang in Yaz’s head, but it left as quickly as it arrived. Why not make a new memory to take its place?

“But you must be rewarded for such good work.”

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asked, puzzled.

In an instant, Yaz swung her body over to the Doctor’s front, eyes making direct contact with hers. Legs intertwined, hips and chests pressed together. Yaz’s hair tickled the Doctor’s cheeks as it hung over her head as the brunette moved closer. Both women exchanged smiles before Yaz impulsively claimed the Doctor’s lips.

For that one moment, there was no one else in the whole universe but each other.

#thasmin #13 x yaz #yaz x 13 #13th doctor #thirteenth doctor #yasmin khan #doctor who #fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own #fluff #angst #mild smut

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regenderate-fic · 2 years

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When I Run Away (You're Who I Run To)

Fandom: Doctor Who Rating: Teen Ship: Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan, Yasmin Khan/Rose Tyler, Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler/Yasmin Khan Characters: Thirteenth Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Rose Tyler, Bill Potts, Donna Noble, Ace McShane, Dan Lewis Word Count: 91,526 Other Tags: Human AU, AU, Fluff, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Denial of Feelings, Friends to Lovers, Bakery, Tattoo Parlor, Disabled Character, Polyamory, Trauma, Emotional Repression, Autistic Characters, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Coming Out, Roommates, Pre-Relationship, Developing Relationship, Coworkers, Feelings Realization, Found Family, Trans Character Read on AO3

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | Epilogue

Summary: Yasmin Khan and Rose Tyler, best friends for eight years and roommates for four, have finally followed their dream and started Bad Wolf Body Shop, a tattoo and piercing studio in downtown London. On their first day open, they meet Penny, who co-owns the bakery across the street.

What happens next will surprise absolutely no one. Except Yaz, somehow.

NOTES: written as a response to a prompt from the doctor who creators au fest

okay so this strays from the prompt quite a bit in the sense that the prompt said thasmin and i 100% shoehorned rose into it. in my defense it did say other characters/ships welcome. also prompt was for something rated general but it wound up more of a teen but, like, it's me, it's probably a very very soft teen.

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timetravelbypen · 1 year

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New chapter! In which Johanna takes Yaz home with her.

#doctor who #fanfic what I wrote #thirteenth doctor #yasmin khan #Edwardian AU #thasmin #come have some fluff!

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renniethedwstan · 1 year

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One heart isn't enough for all the pain I suffer

Thirteenth Doctor x Yaz Oneshot

Warnings: Angst, a lotta ansgt. Dark Doctor. Sad Doctor. Angst with fluff. Fluff love confessions awkward talks

(I know Thirteen had her moody and cold moments in her run after Spyfall, but they were quick. I really wanted her to have a dark moment a bit like Eleven where she really showed her age because like Eleven Thirteen was an old Alien with a young face who smile doesn't quite reach their eyes and act goofy to pretend that they're okay when in reality on the inside there is a burning fire ready to burst open)

"Doctor! Help me!!!" The Doctor just stood where she was emotionlessly whilst watching the Slitheen screeching in pain as it's arm is caught in the rubble of a collapsing burning building from a distance. Green blood was pooling as the creature struggled to breath from all the dust and smoke.

Sorbil, if I were to help you, you would have to promise me that you leave humanity alone....and you leave earth alone as well. This planet is protected for as long as I'm around it'll always be protected." Sorbil laughs harshly, withering in pain. Don't you grow tired of protecting those silly humans. All they do is repeat the same mistakes over and over again." He takes a harsh breath." It won't be us that kills humanity. It will be them who do it. Many wars, including the great ones. A third world war will kill off humanity for good. Wouldn't it be peaceful not having to deal with humans all the time?" Sorbil laughs menacingly yet weakly obviously close to dying.

The Doctor walked closer, anger in her eyes. "Yes. Many times I've grown tired of protecting this planet as humans are ungrateful beings who don't deserve being protected but they don't deserve to die especially from an intergalactic war just because you want their oils and a little bit of fun. The reason I protect humans and their precious earth is because many of my friends have been humans. Oh, so many from different times. All absolutely amazing all different endings..... most were lucky very lucky and got away unscarraped and live their lives. Happy and safe with people they care about, and I'm glad they're okay even if I miss them terribly."

The building began crushing around Sorbil as she stood there, making no attempt to even try and help Sorbil as his screeching stopped suddenly. She sighed, walking closer to the building as emotions began bubbling.

But some had endings that they didn't deserve Katarina....Jamie, oh Jamie, i miss Jamie he'd enjoy the new technology....Zoe...Adric.....Adric I'm so sorry. Kamilion... Peri.....Donna...Amy...Rory...Clara....oh, my impossible girl, I wonder where you are travelling too now? And of course Bill....Bill....none of them deserved their fates and it was all my fault because I was so stupid...and careless what's what happens to me I became careless I become human....because they all became a part of me. She ranted angrily, tears falling down her face.

She fell to her knees in despair as more tears fell down her face. Dust was getting into her lungs, but she just ignored the painful urge to cough. "I have always told them that I'd protect them, that everything will be okay and they believe me but....I couldn't save them.....I promise I'd save them yet I couldn't." She choked back a sob as her heart's began hurting. "Maybe that's why I'm so cold this time round because I don't want to get close to anyone again in case I lose Yaz too.....I can't lose Yaz she means everything to me."

Hesitated footsteps could be heard as they got closer to the Doctor. She could feel the person hovering obviously worried about what mood the Doctor would be in. She hated that she's snapped at Yaz in her many bad moods that it's caused her to be anxious....even scared around The Doctor. This caused fresh tears to fall. "Yaz.. I'm so sorry....I never meant to be so cold towards you!" Yaz kneeled down next to The Doctor, shaking her head. "Don't be silly. It wasn't your fault. I know I can be a bit nosy sometimes, and it's okay to be left alone." The Doctor looked up from the dusty ground into Yaz's warm dark eyes. "No, Yaz, I was harsh and rude towards you when you were trying to be a friend. You we're just making sure I was okay, yet I pushed you away, and you can't say it didn't bother you cause I saw how much it hurt by the expression of your face. Im aware that my moods have been dreadful lately. But i can say this. It's not because of you. It's because of so many things. The Master, Gallifrey. But its also because i have lost many people in my past and when ever i had gotten vlose to them they end up being snatched away again leaving a very painful hole in my hearts" The Doctor placed a hand on Yaz's cheek brushing her thumb ever so gently. you're so important to me, Yaz, so I just thought that if I pushed you away, maybe you'd leave and that it would be less painful than witnessing your demise. Obviously, you ended up sticking to your guns and ended up telling me off eh" " She rambled, chuckling weakly, gently taking Yaz's hand in hers.

Yaz gave The Doctor a smile that she absolutely loves. "You silly woman, it would take a lot to get rid of me. You're stuck with me now. No matter how little or how long we spend together. So instead of worrying about the what ifs, why don't you just live in the moment. Doctor, you're the most incredible non-human person I've met. You're kind. Caring, and you have two hearts. What more can a person want? That's why I love yo -" Yaz froze in panic, realising she has basically told The Doctor that she was in love with her.

Yaz panicked slightly. "Oh erm...I think I can hear my phone in the Tardis..." She scrambled onto her feet and turned away from The Doctor as she began walking to The Tardis so she could hide in her room from the embarrassment and in hope the the beautiful blonde would forget the whole incident. Yaz was halfway through her path when a hand stopped and spun her, so she was facing the blonde once more. Before Yaz could even ask questions, the doctor pressed her soft lips onto Yaz's in a heart-stopping kiss. Yaz melted as The Doctor wrapped her arms around Yaz, bringing her closer, deepening the kiss. Unfortunately, Yaz only broke away when she remembered a little thing called oxygen. Otherwise, she'd happily kiss The Doctor forever.

The Doctor's beautiful Hazel eyes stared into Yaz's eyes as she broke into a huge gorgeous smile that made her eyes light up that made Yaz feel like she was the only person in the whole universe. not one of her "I'm okay, but I'm actually not okay," smiles. "Now, where do you think you were going, Khan? You didn't even let me speak?" Yaz blushed and looked down to her battered boots to avoid the intense stare. A finger slid under her chin, and Yaz found herself looking back in those eyes again. The Doctor placed her hand on Yaz's face. Her thumb gently caressing her cheek. "Look I'm not going to deny my feelings for you Yaz as those feelings have been driving me crazy for a long time now but I will admit that I tried to ignore them so that we would stay strictly friends but....Yaz you're so absolutely wonderful, your clever, funny and you make my hearts so happy. I trust you so much and even the Tardis likes you and it takes a lot to get her to like people.......The day I met you I knew ypu were going to be important in my life bit I didn't know how important until I realised what what I'm feeling is love....pure unconditional love........"

Yaz felt he heart flutter in her chest as she smiled at The Doctor in pure happiness. "Wait.. Do you mean that?" The Doctor nodded, smiling brightly as she threaded her fingers through Yaz's fingers. "If I didn't mean it, Yaz, I wouldn't even be telling you in the first place." Yaz chuckles as she gently squeezed The Doctor's hand. "How about I make you a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of cream custard while you plan our next adventure, eh Doc?" The Doctor nodded excitedly as the couple began walking back towards the Tardis hand in hand with pure happiness as the sun began to set in the horizons.

(I hope you guys enjoyed this! I know it isn't great but I really hope I manged to at least get some of the Thirteenth Doctor's amd Yaz's personality. If I didn't I apologise)

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evenstar0600 · 2 years

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greetings name twin! loved your Tom riddle fic. it was super good :) could I humbly request some headcanons for how different doctor who characters would react to you cupping their face??? thank you :)))))

hello, my lovely. and fellow Jace. thank you for your kind words!

PLOT: the request

PAIRING: various!doctor who characters x gender neutral!reader

WARNINGS: biting, the master (they are a warning by themself), mentions of the time war, angst, fluff etc

AUTHOR'S NOTES: reader is female in bill's part and is half time-lord btw. and reader is female in yaz's part.

THE NINTH DOCTOR

mans is shocked

like 100% will freeze and just awkwardly stand there

he'll eventually melt into your touch

since the time war, he's closed off his emotions

upon cupping his face, he'll become emotionally vulnerable around you

ngl, he'd probably say 'fantastic!' or something like that.

THE TENTH DOCTOR

bless this sweet baby's hearts

since he's the polar opposite of his previous incarnation, he'll be all for it

i can picture him blushing and smiling (like in the gif)

you'd have him twirling his hair and kicking his feet

100% would give you forehead kisses and cuddles

would be a bit confused as he's got a thing with rose but y'know, for the sake of fanfic they're not together

THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR

baby. baby boy.

he'd be all smiles and shit like that

he loves you to the edge of the universe and back

in turn, he'd cup both your cheeks too

100% would catch feelings for you after this

deffo would snog you

amy ships it

river, who knows what happens in the future, just smiles contentedly and knowingly

THE TWELFTH DOCTOR

"what the hell are you doing?"

i can picture him saying that

like nine, he'd be frozen solid

for at least a minute or two

he melts into your touch

he comes off as a grumpy old man but he yearns for affection

he'll even kiss your palm softly and brush his nose against your thumb

like with clara in face the raven, he'd retract your hand and softly kiss it

THE THIRTEENTH DOCTOR

she's gonna say shit like "brilliant".

also, since she's fruity asf she'll blush

much like her previous incarnations, she'll blush

and smile

this bby is made of sunshine and rainbows

i love her sm

might pull a chris chibbers and not kiss you (# we were deprived of a thasmin kiss)

SIMM!MASTER

would bite your hand

like 10000000% would bite your hand

depends on his mood

he'll either nip your hand or maybe its a full-on chomp

we've seen him in "the end of time", he ate two whole ass people that episode

he's either biting you or straight-up killing you.

there is no middle ground

MISSY/GOMEZ!MASTER

it depends which part of capaldi's era

if it's in series 9, then she'll do to you what she did to osgood.

dead

deadeth

unaliven't

if its in series 10, she'll freeze.

she might cry

will need cheering up

so cuddles

she might shrug you off but then a couple hours later, she might cuddle with you.

either way, its death or cuddles.

your choice

DHAWAN!MASTER

crazy ass fucker

like simm, he gives bitey vibes

instead of having half a mind to eat you or some shit, he'll nip your hand

or he'd scoff at your and push you away

third case scenario, if he's feeling vulnerable, he'll demand a hug

and god, if anyone hears about it, they're dead

canon, i'm his eyebrow

ROSE TYLER

she's so pretty <33333

given the era she's from, she'd probs say "i'm not gay"

for the sake of fanfic, i reckon she'd smile and give you a hug

i can imagine her giving really good hugs

will take you out for chips after

MARTHA JONES

she's stunning <33333

would be a bit awkward given her crush on the doctor

for the sake of the fic, she doesn't fancy the doctor

she might cry

but its happy tears

melts into your touch

would probably develop feelings for you

DONNA NOBLE

"wot"

^what she's realistically say

given that her ex-fiancee tried to kill her or something, she's a bit wary

would probably say something like "you wot mate?" or "not my type, sunshine" idk

the doctor is probably standing in the background like "miss girl what is going on here"

wilf might smile or something. (love wilf sm)

RORY WILLIAMS

would be so awkward it's cute

he's so sexy in the roman uniform

given he's married to amy, he'd be like "no thanks"

or he'd say like "i'm flattered but i'm happily- moderately- i'm married"

(again for the sake of fanfic, he and amy aren't together)

he'd 100% blush

river is, once again, smiling the background

RIVER SONG

she knows all

when you first met the infamous river song, she told you that both of you were, quote on quote, "close" in the future

after the ordeal with the weeping angels, you were terrified.

she comforts you and you cup her cheek

she smiles, knowing that this is the start of something brilliant

would maybe cry a little but would kiss your forehead

years down the line, you'd both reflect on how that was the starting point of your marriage

AMY POND

100% would flirt with you

like i'm not even kidding

rory would be like "wtf" in the background"

theres an episode where she started flirting with herself so i'm not even suprised

maybe, just maybe, would give you a smooch

CLARA OSWALD

your impossible girl

would be a tad shocked but would smile

bisexual queen

kisses your hand

then kisses you

no middle ground

melts into your touch 100%

BILL POTTS

bill is a sweetheart and one of my favourite companions

if you cupped her face after a stressful adventure, she'd pause

time would literally stop for her

she'd smile

since loosing heather to the sentient oil, love had been off her mind

then she met you: the doctor's great-granddaughter, the daughter of susan foreman.

might, just might, end up in a kiss.

the doctor smiles, missy deffo takes a picture and nardole cheers.

YASMIN "YAZ" KHAN

yaz is SO pretty and you can't tell me otherwise

sapphic queen

if you cupped her cheek, she'd hesitate before metling into your touch

her face would heat up and her heart would beat at a million beats a minute

might develop budding feelings for you

sapphic queen (#we were deprived of a thasmin kiss)

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thegirlwiththeblush · 2 months

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Soft and As Pure As Snow

Thirteenth Doctor x Yasmin Khan

Word Count: 2.9k (insane)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Song Inspiration: Would That I by Hozier

Summary: The Doctor and Yaz travel to the final Frost Fair of 1814, with a couple of inconvenient tag-alongs.

a/n: Apologies to all for the desperate attempt at fluff, but I hope you enjoyed it, and that all of the Thasmin shippers get some well-deserved recognition here. Now I go back to hibernating and not writing for another six months. Special thanks to my dear friend Heidi for proofreading this within twelve hours of completion (the dedication!), and to @vorsdany, my best friend and writing inspiration, for encouraging me and providing prompts for me to write this.

It wasn’t often that the Doctor had time off from saving the universe throughout time and space, and she was going to make the most of it. Whether she’d admit it to herself (or to anyone) or not, her first thought was to take Yaz on a trip somewhere special, somewhere she reserved only for very important companions. The problem, however, was not convincing Yaz to come along, but to make sure it was only Yaz.

“What, do we only get to come along when we’re doing your dirty work?” Graham folded his arms in a dramatic display of indignance. “That ain’t fair, how come only Yaz gets to come along?”

“Maybe the Doctor’s just in the mood for a girls’ trip,” Yaz suggested, and the Doctor smiled at this upstanding gesture.

“Well, isn’t that sexist,” Ryan chuckled. The Doctor knew he was only kidding, but she was growing more frustrated by the second.

The four of them were seated around Yaz’s family flat, with Yaz’s family away for the week. The Doctor couldn’t have been more pleased with how everything was lining up, but Ryan and Graham were about to ruin everything.

“Listen, fam-”

“I thought I told you I wasn’t too fond of that term?” Graham grunted, instigating an eyeroll and small smile from Yaz.

The Doctor gave a small sigh of exasperation. “I love all of you equally, but I don’t think you’d be keen on this particular spot I’m taking Yaz to. It’s just not that...interesting.”

“Well, what is it then?” Ryan asked.

“Just the Frost Fair of 1814.” She glanced around the room as she half-mumbled the words, trying to come off as nonchalant as possible.

“Yo, does that mean ice skating?!” Ryan sat bolt upright, a grin spreading across his face. “Not that interesting. What are you on, mate?”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that be difficult with your dyspraxia?” She wasn’t one to practice ableism, but her desperation had her grasping at straws.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t give it a shot,” Ryan protested, standing up from his seat. “I’ve been learning to ride my bike, haven’t I? I’ve climbed huge ladders, I’ve faced robots and aliens, for crying out loud. I can at least have a go.”

The Doctor was bewildered. This was a burst of self-confidence from Ryan at a time that most inconvenienced her.

“Yeah, and don’t count me in as uninterested,” Graham joined in. “They’ve gotta have some bloody good shish chicken there, and I’d be keen to have a taste of 1814 gin. Not to mention, weren’t there sword swallowers there? I wanna figure out how they do it.”

The Doctor blinked, and Yaz voiced her exact thoughts. “Suddenly you know everything about the 1814 Frost Fair?”

Graham shrugged. “Well, you gotta do your research when you’re travelling with the Doctor.”

The Doctor couldn’t believe it. It was already impossible to have any alone time with Yaz on their journeys, but now, even in their free time, she couldn’t have one day to explore the feelings that had been growing in her chest with every passing moment.

Throwing up her hands in resignation, she raised her eyebrows and smiled tightly at the boys. “Fine, we’ll all go then.”

The two of them whooped and high-fived, and Yaz smiled knowingly at the Doctor; although, the Doctor didn’t think Yaz could possibly have understood her intentions. She wasn’t even exactly sure of her own feelings, and she certainly didn’t expect the young officer to reciprocate them.

The four clambered eagerly into the TARDIS, the Doctor dawdling behind with a slouch and a pout. She noticed Yaz watching her out of the corner of her eye but thought nothing of it as she made her way to the control console. Forcing herself to regain her focus, she began inputting coordinates, biting her lip lightly in concentration, and, in part, to force down her vexation.

“Oi, Graham,” Ryan said, a small smile playing across his lips. “What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?”

“What?”

“Frostbite.”

“That was a crime,” Graham groaned.

“That was pretty bad,” Yaz agreed.

“No, I’ll tell you a real good one,” Graham continued and Yaz sighed. “I thought it was going to be frosty, so I plugged my electric blanket in beside my toaster. I kept popping out of bed all night!”

“Not the time for jokes, fam.” the Doctor interrupted before the boys could continue their tirade. “Everyone hold on to something, I’m having to reason strongly with the TARDIS right now, and I can’t predict how she’ll react.”

“What’re you reasoning with it for?” Ryan asked, grabbing onto the nearest time rotor crystal, unsure of what exactly there was to hold on to.

“I’ll explain later,” the Doctor replied hastily, still irked by his and Graham’s presence, and her concentration fixated on preparing the TARDIS.

The TARDIS began its all-too-familiar whirring and vworping, and the Doctor allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Humans may be difficult and inconvenient, but at least the TARDIS was constant and, while not always predictable, predictable in its unpredictability. She ran her hands over the console, soaking in its mechanical warmth and finding grips as the ship began to take off. She grinned in relief as she sensed the vortex energy giving in, and widened her stance in preparation.

After a short, bumpy flight, the four of them released their holds, and the companions turned to the Doctor for guidance.

“Doctor,” Yaz murmured, approaching the blonde with her hands folded. “This is 1814, yeah?”

“Yes, yes, it is.”

“What are we gonna do about, um...” Yaz trailed off, unsure of how to address the subject, but instead gesturing to her face in a circling motion, and then Ryan’s.

The Doctor bit her lip in acknowledgement. “Don’t worry, I’d thought of that, this ain’t my first rodeo with the terrible man-made creation of racism. Unfortunately, I can’t do much to protect you two, but I’ve got a closet full of clothes to dress you up, and you’ve got me to protect you every step of the way.”

“And me,” Graham butted in, puffing his chest proudly. “I’ll protect you with my life.”

“No offense, Graham, but I feel much safer with the Doctor,” Ryan replied, earning an indignant pout from his grandfather.

“If you want to find the wardrobe, just head down that corridor,” the Doctor continued. “It’s the first door on the left, then the second right, duck under the stairs, go past the bins, and it’s through the fifth door on the left.”

Ryan blinked, Graham raised an eyebrow, and Yaz bit her lip to hold in a chuckle. The Doctor sighed in amusement and waved a hand towards herself. “I’ll just show you the way, eh?”

Once the four of them had decked themselves out in 19th-century-style clothing, they returned to the control room, Graham visibly uncomfortable in his tight waistcoat and tailcoat.

“Glad we evolved from this uptight garb,” he mumbled grumpily as the Doctor opened the TARDIS door, allowing a blast of cold air to rush into the room, blowing Ryan’s top hat off. The four of them stumbled back a little, before peeking out into a world of white. Snowflakes drifted lazily around them as figures, young and old, wandered up and down the frozen River Thames, barely any unsmiling faces to be seen.

“Doctor, this is beautiful,” Yaz murmured, taking in the view, her mouth slightly agape. Despite having seen countless regions of space and lands she’d never anticipated seeing in her lifetime, this winter wonderland was still enough to leave her almost speechless.

The Doctor couldn’t help but smile to see her eyes so full of fascination, but after allowing herself only a moment of adoration, she dragged herself back into the present. “If I’ve calculated the coordinates correctly, we can’t possibly collide with one of my previous incarnations,” she said. “Ten points if you counted how many c words I said in that sentence.”

Ryan choked on a short laugh, but Yaz raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been here before, Doctor?”

“Oh, yes, few times,” the Time Lord replied. “I took another companion, Mai, ice skating, three generations back; came here twice with two different friends in my last one; I even came here when I first ever started traveling; and finally, I took my, er, dear friend River here to hear Stevie Wonder sing under London Bridge.” She wasn’t quite ready to explain the nature of her relationship with River, especially not to Yaz. Not that she fully understood or acknowledged why it was so tricky to tell Yaz.

Yaz’s eyebrows shot up even farther. “So, this is quite a special place for you, Doc?” Graham said.

The Doctor kicked around at something at her feet, shrugging. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Yaz opened her mouth to say something, but Ryan interjected with, “Well, what are we all standing around for, come on now, let’s check it out!”

They headed out, the Doctor locking up the TARDIS, and the cold air swelled in their nostrils, their throats and their lungs. Wrapping herself up tighter in her coat, Yaz turned slowly as they walked toward the stalls, taking everything in.

Dim rays of sunlight glimpsed through the thick cloud coverage, and Union Jacks were draped from makeshift pubs and food stalls, some of them adorned with the red ensign, presumably to represent the boatmen who could no longer travel down the river.

Children chased each other across the ice, dodging and diving between traders and their customers. Small fires were lit near food tents, meat roasting on spits across them, the smell wafting through the chill and tantalizing her senses. The subtle scent of brandy mixed with it, as well as bitter hints of tobacco, but Yaz breathed it all in, grinning as she absorbed the final Frost Fair in all its grandeur.

It warmed the Doctor’s heart to see her dearest companion so happy; she didn’t even register her own smile growing as she watched her.

“Is that my shish chicken?!” Graham cried, turning to the Doctor helplessly. “You don’t happen to have a couple quid that’d work in this century, do ya, Doc?”

The Doctor turned to him, amused, and dug around in her pocket. “I always come prepared, Graham,” she replied, pulling out a few pounds and shillings. “Who am I to deprive you of your shish chicken? Share these with Ryan, and don’t spend it all in one place!”

“You got it, Doc, much obliged!” He sauntered over to a wide-eyed Ryan, hooking an arm around his and guiding him towards an aromatic tent, his face upturned to soak in the smells.

The Doctor couldn’t believe her luck. Maybe her plan wasn’t completely spoiled after all.

“So, how was it exactly, you got Stevie Wonder to sing in 1814 on the River Thames?”

The Doctor turned to see Yaz, her hands dug in her pockets and a small smirk playing across her lips.

“Well, I can’t spare all of the details on that,” she replied, “but let’s just say he was entirely unaware of any time travel.”

Yaz chuckled. “Isn’t that a little mean?”

The Doctor pursed her lips, considering this. “In hindsight, maybe, but no harm was really done. He got to visit an exciting point in history. He’ll just never know it.”

Rolling her eyes and grinning, Yaz copied Graham’s move and hooked an arm through the Doctor’s, making both of the Time Lord’s hearts skip a beat or two. “Show me around, Doctor, since you’re clearly so familiar with the place.”

Taking the opportunity with no hesitation, the Doctor led the way towards a wooden barricade, weaving deftly through the crowd while Yaz had no problem keeping up. She looked around keenly, before emitting a relieved ‘ah!’ and dragging Yaz to a small booth, pulling out more coins from her pocket with the other hand. Handing them to a short, bespectacled man who appeared to be running the stand, she grabbed two pairs of ice skates off the counter, handing one to Yaz. “Hopefully they fit alright!”

Yaz inspected the skates, the long metal blades sharp and shining, the boots made from starchy leather, unlike any she’d find in her own time. She looked up to see the Doctor hopping from one foot to another, trying to remove her shoes and replace them with the skates without having to sit down in the snow. She chuckled at the sight, and offered her arm to steady the struggling blonde. The Doctor took it gratefully, and once she’d donned the skates, offered her own for Yaz.

Tossing their regular boots to the side, they slipped through a gap in the barricade, where snow had been shovelled away to create a rink. Children, young and old couples, and solo skaters glided around the two of them as they struggled to gain their balance.

“How likely d’you think it is that our boots will be snatched up?” Yaz queried.

The Doctor shrugged, giving her a small apologetic smile. “Probably.”

Yaz shrugged back, and the two clasped hands and began moving slowly across the ice, their skates scraping viciously as they tried to create a rhythm.

“If you let go of my hand, I’ll kill you,” Yaz said, giggling.

“You would need to be able to skate on your own to catch me.”

Yaz’s jaw dropped in amused shock as the Doctor snatched her hand back, skating away at what she probably thought was a rapid pace. The two of them laughed as they began a clumsy game of cat and mouse, wobbling and trying unsuccessfully to maintain their footing.

Eventually, the Doctor made one false move, sending her foot flying out from beneath her, and she fell on her back with a small thud. Yaz, in a desperate attempt to stop herself from crashing into her crumpled form, felt her weight shift forward as she plummeted down. She threw her hands out just in time to catch herself, hovering mere millimetres above the Doctor’s panting form. Their eyes met, both at a loss for words as their shared body heat became overwhelming and Yaz struggled to keep herself up.

“Here, let me-” The Doctor gently pushed Yaz up from under her arms, sitting up as she did so. They shuffled themselves to the edge of the rink and sat back against the barricade, grinning shyly at each other, hoping the other skaters wouldn’t be inconvenienced by their respite.

“So, waddya think?” the Doctor asked, kicking at the ice timidly.

Yaz smiled. “No Stevie Wonder in sight, but this certainly is nice.”

The Doctor opened her mouth, then closed it. She wanted to say that Stevie Wonder was entirely unnecessary when Yaz’s presence was a delight enough for her; but there was no way to know she felt the same way. Unless-

“Doctor,” Yaz interrupted her thoughts; it was her turn now to kick nervously at the ice, her eyes drifting anywhere but towards the Time Lord’s familiar gaze. “You- you said you brought your dearest friends here, a- and you didn’t originally want Ryan and Graham coming along with us.”

The Doctor couldn’t look away from Yaz’s shivering form despite the confrontation in her tone. Something about her being so vulnerable, so comfortable with her, although nervous, made her even more beautiful in that moment. She bit her lip lightly as she shifted her weight, and Yaz finally turned and locked eyes with her.

“Is- is there something you want to talk about, Doctor?”

It was rare that the Doctor was at a loss for words, but in this moment, she had nothing but love in her hearts, and it was a difficult thing to speak into existence.

Instead, she reached a hand out to caress Yaz’s cheek, cupping it, holding her gaze, her face inching closer. She waited for her to pull away, to protest, but she didn’t; in fact, she seemed to be moving in in time with her.

“... You’re good to me, Yaz,” she murmured, before their lips met tenderly, and heat blossomed within her chest. Nothing had ever felt so long-awaited and so right, and as Yaz’s hand crept around the back of her neck, the fire inside of her blazed brighter.

Her lips were impossibly soft, and the Doctor’s hearts fluttered with every movement of their mouths, her hands near losing feeling with the bliss that overwhelmed her. It felt far too soon when they inevitably pulled away, hands lingering around each other’s necks.

The Doctor almost felt relieved to see the beaming smile on Yaz’s face, both of them slightly breathless, their eyes drifting back helplessly to the other’s lips.

“We should probably go find the others,” Yaz murmured, and the Doctor blinked, bringing herself back to earth.

“Of course, yeah,” she agreed hastily, worried that she’d somehow read it wrong. She scrambled to her feet, but Yaz pulled her back down to her level.

“We should absolutely revisit this later, though,” she whispered, “Doctor.” Pressing another chaste kiss to her lips, Yaz rose to her feet, using the Doctor’s arm as a brace before the besotted Time Lord could even process what just happened.

Much to their surprise, they found their boots exactly where they’d found them, and in no rush, they replaced their ice skates with them, eyes flitting back to each other, lips still tingling and embers still glowing in their breasts.

They returned the skates, smiling first at the bespectacled man and then at each other, as if they shared a scandalous secret. They wandered through the fair in search of their friends, the snow falling around them as they disappeared into the crowds, hand in hand.

#thasmin #thirteenth doctor #doctor who #yasmin khan #yaz khan #jodie whittaker #mandip gill #doctor who fic #doctor who fanfiction #i barely know these characters i have no business writing for them wtf is wrong with me

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shadowkira · 1 year

Text

Thasmin Fic Recs:

Action / Adventure:

Echoes of War by Eriadu (Series - 2 Works) (T) (Telepathy) ( AO3)

Ghostwalk by Eriadu (E) (3) (Angst) (Spooky)

The Curse of the Pharaoh by Mag_lex (T) (13) (AO3)

Angsty:

A frozen moment by Eriadu (E) (2) (AO3)

are you really gonna love me when i'm gone? by freefallvertigo (E) (4) (dark!Doctor) (AO3)

Cloudbursting by headcanonsandmore (T) (1) (AO3)

Corrosion by Mag_lex (M) (6) (Memory loss AU) (AO3)

Courage & Stupidity by seaunicorn (T) (1) (AO3)

Forever in a moment by Captainswanmycaptainswan (T) (1) (AO3)

The Path Erased by Eriadu (T) (4) (Two of Yaz) (AO3)

time has been unkind by seaunicorn (E) (1) ( AO3)

When it all comes crashing down by Eriadu (E) (1) (AO3)

You laugh like there's hope in the story by freefallvertigo (T) (1) (AO3)

AUs:

A Dark & Verdant Door by Eriadu (M) (27) (faun!13) (sheriff!Yaz) (AO3)

A week (and half a world) away by Eriadu (E) (7) (human!13) (modern AU)(AO3)

chance is the only game i play with, baby by timelxrd (E) (15) (nb!Yaz) (boxing AU) (human!13) (AO3)

honey don't feed it, it will come back by timelxrd (E) (4) (cryptid AU) (AO3)

Love is Blind by Might_Be_A_Zygon (T) (1) (Angst) (Gorgon AU) (Major character death) (AO3)

Never Cruel or Cowardly by Bow_Ties (E) (65) (Fantasy AU) (AO3)

Pink Elephants by TechnicolorRevel (G) (1) (daemon AU) (AO3)

Star by Star by Eriadu (E) (27) (Space Opera AU) (pilot!Yaz) (medicaldoctor!13)

The Line of Fire by mag_lex (M) (11) (Wordpress) (human!Doctor) (bodyguard AU)

where I want to go by seaunicorn (T) (12) (AO3) (human!13) (road trip AU)

Comedy:

don't sound like friends by InLust (T) (3) (AO3)

Halloween Time-Knot by edlweiss (E) (4) (AO3)

home is where you rest your bones by orphan_account (E) (1) (AO3)

Notes to Self by Eriadu (E) (1) (PWP with humor) (AO3)

Fluff:

A Home for the Holidays by mag_lex (T)(2) (AO3)

Astronomy in reverse (it was me who was discovered) by transboytwelve (T) (1) (Fake dating) (AO3)

Buttons by mag_lex (G) (1) (Wordpress)

By the light of the moon by freefallvertigo (G) (1) (AO3)

Candy Floss by Evviejo (G) (1) AO3)

collision by timelxrd (T) (1) (AO3)

Stars On The Ceiling by swallowthecap (G) (1) (AO3)

The Earring by Evviejo (G) (1) (AO3)

Hurt / Comfort:

baby, you could be the death of me by freefallvertigo (E) (1) (AO3)

dead leaves and the dirty ground by Eriadu (T) (1) (hanahaki inspired) (AO3)

keep me close, love me most by seaunicorn (E) (1) (AO3)

right here, right now by InLust (T) (1) (AO3)

OT3:

baby, it ain't right (but isn't it amazing?) By transboytwelve (E) (1) (human!13) (Riverx13xYaz) (AO3)

begging for thread by orphan_account (E) (3) (unfinished) (Fashion / Model AU) (human!13) (ClaraxYazx13) (AO3)

I've never been a natural (all I do is try) by transboytwelve (E) (1) (Billx13xYaz) (AO3)

the way you react to me - Dirty Little Secrets by how_to_sit_gay (E) (13xYazxRose) (AO3)

PWP:

A Suprising Lack of Context by Rowanthestrange (E) (1) (AO3)

Ad Astra by Mag_lex (E) (1) (fluff) (wordpress)

anodized by TechnicolorRevel (E) (1) (AO3)

boiling point by vividfriend (E) (1) (AO3)

crave by freefallvertigo (E) (1) (AO3)

Drifting by Eriadu (E) (1) (AO3)

Drive-Through by mag_lex (E) (Crack) (1) (Wordpress)

Go Quiet by WinterTheWriter (E) (1) (AO3)

I Read It For The Articles by TechnicolorRevel (E) (1) (AO3)

I'm the holy water you have been without by transboytwelve (E) (1) (trans!Yaz) (AO3)

On Begged and Borrowed Time by transboytwelve (E) (Angsty) (1) (AO3)

take a picture, babe (cos I'm already yours) by transboytwelve (E) (2) (AO3)

Tendencies and Bravery by GolM (E) (1) (AO3)

the way that you react to me- Good Clean Fun by how_to_sit_gay (E) (1) ( AO3)

Tickety-Boo by TechnicolorRevel (E) (1) (AO3)

Time and Time Again by rowanthestrange (E) (Angst) (1) (AO3)

we're all born naked by TechnicolorRevel (E) (1) (AO3)

what will be the signal be for your eyes to see me by TechnicolorRevel (E) (1) (AO3)

Romance:

come as you are by freefallvertigo (E) (1) (AO3)

Discovery by Mag_lex (E) (1) (wordpress)

in the lines of time by fictorium (G) (1) (AO3)

Love found me all disarmed by Mag_lex (E) (4) (AO3)

misplacing home by yazkhan (G) (4) (AO3)

Sneaky Little Ghost Monument by LoadsofCustardCreams (T) (2) (AO3)

Soar (when I lay down with you) by how_to_sit_gay (E) (2) (Angst) (AO3)

through the waters and the wild by TechnicolorRevel (G) (1) (AO3)

your soul calls out in a familiar voice by abcooper (G) (3) (AO3)

Whittaker!Master:

Enter at Last, Master. by Might_Be_A_Zygon (E) (2) (Paranormal AU) (AO3)

Never Cruel or Cowardly - Dangerous Liaisons by Bow_Ties (E) (39) (Fantasy AU) (AO3)

The Unraveling of Yasmin Khan by transboytwelve (E) (3) (AO3)

#Thasmin #Thasmin Fanfiction #Fic Recs #Fic Rec #Doctor Who Fanfiction #Long Post #don't @ me I'm predominantly thirsty #Still reading & will be adding to this as I go. Mostly AO3 as it is my usual go to. pls feel free to message me more recs :')#Did this for Shoot / POI too and wished I had done it for other fandoms. Mostly for me but very happy if it helps anyone else!#There's a lot of human!13 au content out there that's good but I'm a picky bish who prefers my aus to be medieval or monsters...#not coffee shops or mundane things. I left a lot of kudos for those style fics though and they definitely exist for this ship!#Fic Rec Lists

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analieninabox · 2 years

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Headcanon that the reason the doctor hates mental connection with the master is because the master blasts rickrolls at her at full speed.

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capybaraonabicycle · 7 months

Note

For the fic ask game:

Never have I ever wrote a fic where River is in a romantic relationship with someone who isn’t the Doctor

and

Never have I ever wrote a Poe’s Murder Mistery Dinner Party fic

Thank you so much!! I am so excited I get to play :D

Never have I ever wrote a fic where River is in a romantic relationship with someone who isn’t the Doctor

I have!

Most prominently, I have written three reader-inserts for Melody Pond until now, one featuring River/Reader, one Mels/Reader and one both. And in each the reader is very much not the Doctor but human.

But if we are only saying actual characters from the show, then I have only written fics where River was romantically involved with people additionally to the Doctor, but River/Doctor has always been a part of it.

There are The Husbands of River Song and Somewhere in My Memory which are both taking place in the same universe and have as a main ship River/Ruth/Lee Clayton. So that is kinda without the Doctor, at least for The Husbands of River Song, but they still get mentioned a lot.

And then there is my dancing with the stars AU Dancing with the Doctor which has River/Jack as one of the main ships. But the parts that touch on that have not been published yet and when I wrote the published part, I wasn't sure yet that I wanted them to be romantic, so - it exists on my computer.

Also, I am currently working on a 'River turns into a cat' AU and well. She's still trapped inside a cat so for now the only ship is thasmin. But once she's out of that body this will definitely feature River/Yaz, too.

Never have I ever wrote a Poe’s Murder Mistery Dinner Party fic

I have!

Exactly one and it's long and in German. It's called Mary Shelley's Murder Mystery Invite Only Casual Travel/Journey For Friends Diary (because of course it is) and it is basically Mary and Emily enjoying their new afterlife touring Europe and meeting other famous authors (and musicians). And then suddenly, plot happens and Emily gets abducted and Mary has to save her.

It's really fun. I mean, it flows super weirdly because for the first 70% nothing happens and it's pure fluff and then suddenly everything happens and it's super tense. But both parts were so much fun to write!

#thank you so much for the ask!!#I assume this means your url IS in reference to headless? 😍

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thereweresunflowers · 1 year

Text

✨ star of wonder 💙

thasmin fic - 6101 words - rating: G - christmas getting together fluff

read on ao3!!

She looks at the stars like that sometimes, Yaz thinks. And now she’s looking at me.

An impromptu Christmas, a trip to Paternoster Row, and some matchmaking from the best detective wives in the business. Copious use of mistletoe and slow dancing ensues - and not just for Jenny and Vastra.

merry christmas and happy holidays, @gethelpfics !! i hope you have a lovely festive day, and enjoy this (not so litte, i got carried away) gift :) and also a massive cheers to @thasminsecretsanta for putting this event together!!

Chapter 1: We Traverse Afar

“What do you want to do for Christmas this year, Yaz?” the Doctor asks, the warm light from the TARDIS awash on her face.

She doesn’t look up from where she’s knees deep in the TARDIS’s wiring, shirt sleeves pushed up past her elbows and hair falling in unruly strands against her face.

“Christmas?” Yaz laughs, taken aback by the randomness of the question. And also how the Doctor seems to be a little bashful, holding her hand out for more duck tape without quite catching Yaz’s eye.

This is a normal pastime between the two of them, fixing up the TARDIS together. The Doctor humming away to herself, chatting with Yaz sitting next to her on the TARDIS floor, while she repairs the bits and bobs that get broken along the way of their adventures.

“Yeah, Christmas,” the Doctor says, a smile spreading over her face at Yaz’s laughter, if a little confused. A slight blush is tingeing the tips of her cheeks. “What, what’s so funny about Christmas?”

Yaz stifles her chuckles. “No, I’m sorry, it’s not that funny. We’re just time travellers, is all. I’ve no idea when Christmas actually is anymore. It could be August for all I know.”

“Oh,” the Doctor’s face falls. “I hadn’t thought of it like that before.”

Yaz’s heart sinks at Doctor’s sudden disappointment; she feels the heat rising on her own face. “But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” she says hastily. “I mean, I guess it means it could be Christmas any time for us.”

“You think so?” the Doctor asks, the words coming out of her quickly, the way they always do when she really means something.

Sometimes, to Yaz, the Doctor is completely unreadable - a book full of pages in every language she can’t understand but wishes desperately she could. And then, other times, for a second, the Doctor is there in perfect clarity. And Yaz feels like she’s reading something she shouldn’t.

Yaz wants her to really mean it, is the thing. But she doesn’t think she’s even meant to know the Doctor means it for her to want it in the first place.

“Yeah, ‘course,” Yaz says with a smile.

“Alright,” the Doctor grins. “What do you want to do then? I mean, I guess it’s the first Christmas we’ve had just the two of us.”

She catches Yaz’s eye then and the moment crackles in the air, static on the radio. But it’s not white noise that’s playing. It’s I want you I want you I want you I want you I want you I want

“Pass us that tape again, would you?” the Doctor babbles.

The words come out in a rush. She must mean that, then, too.

“I’m not sure,” Yaz says haltingly. “It might be nice to take it slow, you know?”

She passes the Doctor the tape. The lights from the TARDIS’s insides are all multicoloured, glowing up from under the floor like strings of Christmas lights, reflecting on their faces. Yaz looks at the Doctor and the Doctor looks away.

“Really make the most of it?”

The Doctor looks at Yaz and Yaz looks away.

“Yeah,” the Doctor says; Yaz can still feel her gaze on her, along the nape of her neck.

Can the Doctor see the goosebumps springing up under her stare?

“Yeah, I like that.”

The Doctor goes back to clattering around, winding an ambitious amount of tape along a splintering wire. As she does so Yaz hears the little intakes of breath the Doctor makes, as if she’s just about to speak. She hears it a few times, and for a few times words never follow, just the static now woven into the thrum of the TARDIS’s breathing. I want you I want you I want

Turning her gaze back to the Doctor, Yaz has to bite her lip to stop smiling so widely at the sight of her, with the back of her shirt untucked from where she’s been crouched over, and blowing her hair out of her face.

Maybe it’s the universal translator the Doctor is fixing up. Maybe that’s why this all comes in starts and stops.

Sparks go flying as the Doctor jams the end of the wire she’s just been patching up straight into the open end of another, leaving a little stream of smoke winding into the air between them.

The Doctor breathes in again, and this time, she manages to follow through: “I’ve got an idea for what we can do. How about we visit some of my old friends?”

“After you,” the Doctor grins, swinging the door of the TARDIS back and sweeping her gangly arm into the outside world.

“Thank you,” Yaz grins, heading out into a gust of chilly wind.

They’ve parked on a street corner. The teetering streets of terraced houses either side of her give her an idea of where they might be, but she calls back to the Doctor anyway. “And where are we?”

“Paternoster Row, London, 1891,” the Doctor announces, stepping out of the TARDIS herself. She sniffs. “No, 1893.”

“Close enough,” laughs Yaz as the Doctor shuts the door behind them.

The wind sends both their coats flapping, and the duo huddle in on themselves, exclaiming from the cold. The 19th century-looking coat Yaz picked out from the depths of the TARDIS wardrobe is actually quite warm, but the breeze still manages to work its way under her jumper and skirt.

The Doctor has changed for once too, out of her usual steel blue and into a swish ulster-style coat. It reaches down to her boots, with a small cape hanging stylishly by her elbows. The dark brown tweed draws out the hazelnut warmth of the Doctor’s eyes.

“Tweed suits you,” Yaz says, nodding to the Doctor’s outfit. It’s the least she can say, really, smoke signals to the feelings kindling a small fire in her stomach.

“Awh, thanks. It’s been a few regenerations since I heard that, but you can never go wrong with a bit of tweed.”

There she goes: the Doctor’s many lifetimes brought back to reality in the few words of an offhand sentence. Often, Yaz finds it’s easier to think of the Doctor as just her Doctor. She’s undeniably alien, but sometimes Yaz can imagine it’s just the two of them, rather than the however many people the Doctor has been before and the however many companions they’ve had over those lifetimes. They can go weeks as just two women travelling the universe, before throwaway comments bring the real world crashing back in.

A lot rides on the throwaway remarks of a Time Lord, Yaz has learned.

“It’s not half cold though,” the Doctor grumbles. “We should’ve come in summer.”

The trouble is distinguishing which throwaway remarks are simply that - throwaway - and which ones Yaz is meant to catch and save.

“Then it wouldn’t be Christmas, though, would it,” she reminds the Doctor with a laugh. “C’mere.” Yaz tugs the open sides of the Doctor’s coat together and starts to button it up. Maybe Yaz hadn’t meant to pull the Doctor in quite so close, because her breath is very warm against Yaz’s cheek. She fumbles a little with the clasps.

“You don’t normally dress up,” Yaz says, clearing her throat.

“It’s a long coat, Yaz. Can never say no to a long coat.”

Yaz can feel the small smile in the Doctor’s words as they settle against her skin. “Glad to have found the key to your heart,” she chuckles, aiming for levity, but the words fall heavily on her tongue as she glances upwards and catches the Doctor’s gaze.

There’s a snowflake caught in her eyelashes.

“Okay, I’m all done,” Yaz starts just as the Doctor chatters at the same time.

“I would say you look nice too, but you always look nice.”

“Oh,” Yaz says. “Thanks.”

She smiles bashfully at the Doctor and the Doctor smiles bashfully back. It feels a little bit like apologising to each other, and a little bit like forgiving each other at the same time.

“Right then,” the Doctor says, brash again in the blink of an eye. “Shall we head off, milady?” Her confidence slips a little on the final syllable, but she offers Yaz her arm anyway, and when Yaz takes it with a grin the light in her eyes rekindles.

“Of course, milord,” Yaz laughs, bumping her shoulder against the Doctor’s as they walk out onto the wintery London street proper.

Horses and carts trot up and down the cobblestones, with a decided layer of snow draped over the rooves of all the houses and piled up along the sides of the paths. Wreaths deck almost every door, and candles light almost every window.

Yaz breathes it all in with a sigh which sweeps the cobwebs out of her soul. That feeling of Christmas she hasn’t felt in such a long time comes slipping back into her veins as easily and naturally as the snowflakes seem to tumble down from the sky.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees the Doctor glance at her. “Milord?”

Yaz looks back, a little confused. “Yeah?”

“Oh,” the Doctor says. “I thought I’d be a milady too, is all.”

Yaz startles a little seeing the chagrin on the Doctor’s face. “Well it’s just I’ve always heard one replied to with the other, I guess. But you are a milady. I didn’t mean anything by it, honest.”

She smiles reassuringly at the Doctor, but the Doctor’s eyes stray from hers still. They roam to the couples stomping up and down the cobblestone in their boots and hats, to where a man in a long coat helps a women with an elaborate skirt up into a carriage.

“Would it be easier?” the Doctor asks, not quietly, just maybe cautiously. “If I was a lord?”

Yaz stops them in the middle of the street, placing the hand that isn’t already entwined with the Doctor’s arm on her shoulder. This is something she needs her Doctor to understand, instinctively. “No. No it wouldn’t be.”

The intensity of her own words stun her, and a horse whinnies behind them in annoyance as its rider jerks it out the way. She wants to step away to the side of the street - she wants to step away from the Doctor, like she does in the TARDIS, and keep the peace.

She doesn’t really want to do any of that.

“I really like you as a lady,” Yaz says, forcing the words up her throat. They’re only difficult to say because they’re so true. “Nothing could be easier than this.”

There’s that static again, humming in the air years before radios are invented. It’s getting louder every time - can the Doctor hear it now too?

Is Yaz saying too much?

But the Doctor looks at her with her eyebrows drawn upwards, her face falling open, and the crinkles around her eyes move with her smile. She looks at the stars like that sometimes, Yaz thinks. And now she’s looking at me.

“Right,” the Doctor says a little breathlessly, like she always does before she starts spinning a plan. But the plan doesn’t come. “Good. Brilliant.”

Sometimes, Yaz isn’t sure if the Doctor is telling her the truth, just in a different language to the one she speaks. It’s all she can do to lean in a little, and nudge the Doctor into tightening the link of their arms.

“Milady,” she says conspiratorially.

“Milady,” the Doctor repeats to her with a grin, and marches off with Yaz in tow, towards one of the largest houses on the street.

Chapter 2: Ceasing Never

“So who actually are these friends of yours we’re meeting?” Yaz asks as they hurry up to the front door.

“Jenny Flint and Madame Vastra. Two of the greatest detectives I know. Probably the sweetest couple too.”

The Doctor raps confidently on the wreathed door, then turns to Yaz

“Oh, and before I forget it, Vastra does look a bit like a big lizard.”

Yaz blinks. “A bit? How much is a bit?”

The Doctor’s face scrunches as she struggles to find the answer to the apparently difficult question, and before she can open her mouth to say, the door swings open.

A slightly flustered woman with dark hair curling delicately behind her head stands in the doorway. She’s wearing a thin white dress, which, despite its coverage, looks like some kind of Victorian lingerie.

“Hello Jenny! Long time no see, ey?” the Doctor grins, waving energetically. She doesn’t seem to notice the state of undress Jenny is in. “Is Vastra in?”

“Sorry, do I know you?” Jenny asks, arms braced on either side of the door to block the Doctor’s enthusiastic attempts to move inside.

“Oh, I completely forgot! It’s me! But I’ve regenerated - maybe a few times since you last saw me. And this is Yaz, my best friend Yaz. I thought we could come round for Christmas if that’s alright with you?”

It’s all Yaz can do to give Jenny a smile and an apologetic wave while the Doctor rambles on. Jenny glances between the pair of them; her eyebrows are practically in her hairline by the time she manages to work out what’s going on.

“Doctor?” she utters, in a soft and undeniably cockney voice.

“There we go!” the Doctor grins, finally darting into the house as Jenny relaxes.

“Cor, you don’t half look different!” Jenny calls after her, before turning to Yaz and ushering her warmly into the house. She grabs a shawl from the collection of coats by the door and wraps it around herself. “You’re travelling with her now then, Yaz?”

Yaz nods. “Something like that, yeah. It’s nice to meet you, by the way. Sorry about the… barging in.”

Jen shakes her head with a chuckle. “Oh, it’s fine. I was just posing for Vastra and our usual butler is on holiday. We weren’t expecting anyone, but I don’t think you ever expect the Doctor.”

She shoots a knowing glance at Yaz and Yaz can’t help but smile back.

“And it’s nice to meet you too!” Jenny continues, beckoning Yaz to take off her jacket. “Always good to meet a friend of the Doctor’s - or best friend, even. She must like you, I haven’t heard them say that before.”

Yaz falters where she’s taking off her coat. She tries to hide it, but Jenny’s eyes are bright and acute and she doesn’t think she quite manages it. “Really?

Jenny hums affirmatively, the corners of her lips twitching upwards.

“Here, let me help you,” she says, pulling Yaz’s coat off for her and placing it on the banister. “Now, I would offer you a drink but I feel it’d be wise to check on where the Doctor’s gotten too first.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Yaz laughs.

She follows Jenny as she hurries along the hallway, which is decked out in red and green and gold. Pinned over almost every door is a small cluster of mistletoe, its signature white berries shining brightly against the wallpaper.

“You’re into your mistletoe then,” Yaz points out, as Jenny strides down the corridor, obviously with an idea as to where the Doctor might have gotten to.

“Oh, yeah,” Jenny grins, a little mischievously. “My wife isn’t the most physically affectionate of people, but she does love a tradition. I just like to make use of that a little over the festive period. Here we go!”

Jenny beckons her into a drawing room towards the back of the house, away from the prying eyes of the great bay windows. Inside, the Doctor is stood in front of a large canvas with her arm tilted awkwardly up by her face, obviously trying to pose. Yaz stifles a fond giggle at the Doctor agitatedly attempting to stand still while chatting away all the while. From behind the large canvas, the woman who the Doctor is rambling to - presumably Madame Vastra - emerges.

Yaz makes a mental note to ask the Doctor what looking ‘a lot’ like a lizard entails, seeing as Vastra looks a lot more like a lizard than the ‘little bit’ Yaz had been imagining.

The lady of the house is tall and stately, moving with a grace only emphasised by her dignified smile; she is also decidedly green and scaly and dressed in a gorgeously intricate 19th century gown.

“You must be Yaz,” Vastra says, waving an elegant hello with her paintbrush in hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you,” Yaz starts, but is fast interrupted by Jenny.

“Oi, I thought I was meant to be posing for you!”

Vastra shrugs. “Well you ran off, and then the Doctor arrived and they looked even more like you than normal so I simply thought that while you were busy, she could fill in.”

Jenny lets out a loud, incredulous sigh, and pulls the shawl tighter.

Vastra walks over where she’s standing in the doorway, putting a tender scaled hand on her arm. “I meant nothing by it dear, really,” she says softly. Her voice is silken and rich.

Slowly, a smile catches on Jenny’s face as she looks up at her wife. “I know,” she chuckles. “And now seeing as we’re under the mistletoe…”

Vastra looks up and instantly bites her lip as she sees the bundle of white berries pinned along the doorframe directly over them.

“I should’ve known,” she hums, her deep laughter emanating out her throat. She leans down to press an affectionate kiss on Jenny’s lips and Jenny drifts into it, lifting her hand to stroke Vastra’s scaled face.

Yaz looks over at the Doctor and the Doctor looks away.

Jenny and Vastra pull apart, having made love look easy.

The Doctor clears her throat. “I’d love a tea, if that’s alright,” she says loudly.

“Of course, Jeny will bring some through,” Vastra says, springing into action. Yaz didn’t think lizards could blush, and maybe it’s a trick of the light, but Yaz could swear she sees Vastra’s green cheeks flush.

Jenny grumbles goodnaturedly, and returns a minute or so later in a change of clothes and with a tray of holly and ivy painted china and steaming teapots of steadfast christmas tea.

“How old are you now then, Doctor?” Vastra asks, settling down in one of the two plush armchairs dotted about the room with her drink.

“You said you’ve regenerated a few times since we last saw you?” Jenny follows up as she flops down onto the other armchair opposite Vastra.

That leaves the sprawling sofa free, and Yaz can’t tell who sits down first or how they come to be so close together, but she and the Doctor end up sat with their knees pressing against one another anyway.

The Doctor wriggles slightly uncomfortably in her seat at Jenny’s question. It’s a small gesture, something Yaz only sees because she’s spent the last years of her life trying to translate the Doctor’s every movement for when her words fail.

It’s a touchy topic, this. So touchy Yaz knows little about it herself, and the Doctor doesn’t like speaking about it unless Yaz really pushes her.

“Have you seen me all old and Scottish?” the Doctor asks in reply, looking everywhere but Yaz.

It’s strange for Yaz, obviously, to imagine her Doctor all grey and wrinkly and Scottish. But it must be strange for the Doctor, too, to admit she was someone so different to someone who never knew her that way.

It doesn’t mean she’s not half curious. But Yaz doesn’t say anything.

Jenny and Vastra just look at each other bemusedly and shake their heads.

“Oh, well you’ve got that to look forward to. Sorry. I’ve regenerated twice since you’ve last seen me, then. And I don’t…” the Doctor clears her throat. “I don’t know how old I am anymore.”

There’s a weight to those words Yaz has always wanted to help shoulder, and they drop like stones in the stream of conversation. She knocks her knee against the Doctor’s and hopes the Doctor can understand it means I’m sorry, I know, I’m here, all at once. From the look the Doctor gives her from underneath her eyelashes, she does.

Yaz senses Vastra’s piercing gaze linger on their exchange, and tries to shake off the movement with a smile sent her way. But when she does make eye contact with Vastra, Yaz's stomach drops almost instinctively, and she gets the feeling that maybe she just gave herself away.

Jenny chatters on. “Oh, it’s always a nightmare keeping track of age though, isn’t it? I can barely keep track of 29, let alone Vastra’s 65 million, or however many it is.”

“65 million?” Yaz starts forward in surprise, before snapping her mouth shut. “Sorry, that was rude, I just-”

“No, it’s okay,” Vastra chuckles, “I’ve spent many years of my life sleeping, but I am decidedly old. Older than the Doctor, too, which is a challenge for most. I don’t know how Jenny puts up with me.”

The Doctor returns her smile, but it’s distracted. “How do you do it?” she asks instead, low, and restless. “Isn’t it difficult?”

The Doctor doesn’t say what it is, but Yaz doesn’t need the universal translator to decode what she means. Vastra seems to know too, looking at the Doctor in a way Yaz thinks only extremely old beings may be able to look at each other.

“Me and Jenny, we’re not time travellers. This is our time, we are in our century. And in this world of secrets, we have still made it our own.” Vastra’s words are clear in the quiet of the room. Gentle, but pointed. “Surely, out of time, there is more space for honesty than anywhere else. You make your own time.”

“Even when it’s running out?”

The Doctor’s words don’t crack in Yaz’s chest; it’s not the first time she’s said something like that. They just burn like the ice wind whipping through the streets, somewhere deep inside.

But Vastra just shrugs, like it’s simple. “Time is like anything else. It only runs when you let it chase you.”

And for a second, Yaz believes her. Maybe it is.

There have been few times in the last couple of years where Yaz remembers the Doctor as relaxed as she is when she’s sat in Jenny and Vastra’s cosy drawing room at Christmas. She’s on top form, quipping and laughing at anything, and darting uneasy topics of conversation quite skilfully. If Vastra and Jenny find it strange she’s no longer who she was before, too, they don’t show it.

Her knee is pushed up against Yaz’s the entire time.

The shared heat of the body contact which had become so integral to Yaz is rudely ripped from her when the Doctor finally gets fidgety and has a wander around the space. Yaz doesn’t even realise she’s turned to watch her until the Doctor is shooting her little looks from across the room that tell her everything from they’ve redecorated - I don’t like it to we should get one of these for the TARDIS.

“While it’s quiet, I’m gonna refill the kettle for some more tea, love, do you want to give me a hand?” Jenny says to Vastra in the lull of conversation, making a move for the doorway again. She has a tray of teapots balanced easily under one arm.

In all honesty, it hadn’t really occurred to Yaz that the room had fallen silent. A room with the Doctor in is never really silent - there’s that static in the air, and the million little methods of communication the Doctor is giving out at all times. There’s always something to seek to understand.

Vastra rolls her eyes fondly at Jenny. “If this is another ploy to get me under the mistletoe-”

“I thought you liked kissing me?” Jenny pouts, really quite adorably.

“Yes dear I do, but my lips are starting to get rather chapped.”

“Oh, suit yourself,” Jenny shrugs. “Yaz can come instead.”

She tugs Yaz up from the sofa with her free hand and tows her across the room.

“Don’t go kissing her!” Vastra calls exasperatedly.

The Doctor’s head darts up from where she’s fiddling around with Vastra’s painting, her face all scrunched, and Yaz would be lying if she said that wasn’t a little gratifying.

Jenny pulls a face back at Vastra. “You’ll miss me one day,” she sings as she flounces out of the room.

Before she goes to follow, Yaz turns and sees the ancient woman whose wife will live for a heartbeat of her lifetime laugh at Jenny’s words like they won’t come true. Behind Vastra, the Doctor’s eyes are dark and wide.

When she glances over to Yaz, though, she still manages a smile.

Out in the hallway, Jenny leads them over to the kitchen, where she sets the tray of china down by the sink and busies herself with rinsing the cups while the kettle boils.

“How long have you and Vastra been together?” Yaz asks, leaning against the wooden table.

It’s solid beneath her fingers. It’s strange, that something as simple as having a kitchen table feels like a novel concept to her now. Thinking about it, she hasn’t been home in a while. But thinking about it, she doesn’t care as much as she would expect.

“Can you dry while I wash?” Jenny asks, nodding towards a towel which Yaz picks up and soon starts running around the rim of a freshly washed mug. “And me and Vastra have been together for about a decade now. We got married six years ago - it’s our wedding anniversary tomorrow.” She grins, that faraway look romantic entanglements always seem to instil in people glazing her eyes as her hands automatically turn and scrub in the sink.

Wow,” Yaz utters, the kind of longing that makes her want to get a solid wood kitchen table for the TARDIS creeping up upon her in an instant. But she catches Jenny’s eyes and realises that there are other, more esteemed responses to that comment. “Congratulations!” she catches herself with. “That must be- just really lovely.”

Jenny turns from where she’s washing, and suddenly looks right into Yaz like she’s seeing more than she had before. “I forgot how rough it was at the start,” she says, placing the cup she was down on the side. “But it’s a lot, isn’t it?”

Yaz shakes her head. “What do you mean? What’s a lot?”

Jenny smiles in a way which is ever so slightly patronising, and full of understanding. “Falling in love with an alien so old they might as well be immortal.”

“No one ever said anything about love-”

“And on top of it all, the immortal alien is a woman.”

Yaz closes her mouth.

Stony daylight filters in through the great window above the sink, casting the room in a stark clarity.

Jenny, bathed in light, nods, and smiles that smile again. “I’ve been there. I’ve been exactly there, Yaz. And I know it’s going to feel impossible. Hell, she might tell you that herself - but it’s not. Look at Vastra. Look at me.”

And Jenny gazes at her with such earnestness Yaz can hardly breathe.

“It’s all-big and small, and easy and difficult at the same time,” Yaz murmurs. “It’s like every feeling comes at once. And it still doesn’t compare to anything she can feel.”

“But she does feel it, you know,” Jenny says, her endless practicality seeping through her wisdom. She leans back against the table next to Yaz, close enough for it to be kindness. “I can tell. Here’s what I learnt, with Vastra- she doesn’t often say what she means. She can’t. Because it’s just like you said, nothing can equate to how she feels. So she’ll say something else.”

Yaz tilts her head. “What do you mean, say something else?”

“Just something little, like- like saying ‘merry Christmas’ when she means I love you. There are codes and languages you can only decipher by being there with her. But you’ll decipher them.”

Yaz lets out a laugh. “God, it’s the moments where I can understand her which are the scariest.”

Jenny pulls her into a tight hug, then, wet hands and all. It’s a proper one with a tight squeeze; the kind of hug where you know something special is being shared. “Oh, you’ll be fine, you’ll be,” she says with a smile. “You know far more than I ever did.”

“Really?” Yaz says doubtfully.

“Really,” Jenny nods fervently, face still awash in the airy light. She takes the towel back from Yaz’s hands and wacks it against her side as if to shoo her off. “Now go on, you’ve spent long enough yacking away with me. Go and get your immortal alien girl, Yaz.”

Yaz huffs, but she’s smiling. “Yeah, alright. Thanks, Jen.”

Jenny just waves her hand like it’s nothing as Yaz heads back to the drawing room, under yet another wreath of mistletoe.

Chapter 3: Following Yonder Star

The rest of the day passes in the hearth-warmed festivities of Paternoster Row. Vastra and Jenny prove outstanding hosts, with a constant stream of christmas tea, mince pies, and scintillating conversation. They recount several adventures which come startlingly close to Sherlock Holmes plots, and Yaz files a mental note to ask the Doctor about that later.

By the time the white snow clouds of the morning have darkened to a stoic navy in the evening, Yaz is more than grateful the Doctor mentioned Christmas. She really had lost track of the time in the tumbling days of the TARDIS, and it’s nice to have a proper holiday with the Doctor. One without running, and saving people, and more running.

One, somehow, with dancing.

Vastra sets the gramophone standing proudly in the corner playing orchestral carols and Jenny eagerly opens her arms to her to start swaying in time to the beat. The drawing room is spacious enough for the floor to feel empty with only two people up on their feet.

Yaz gets the funny feeling this was Jenny’s idea.

“Fancy a dance?” she asks the Doctor.

They’ve both shuffled about a bit since first arriving; they’re nestled together on the sofa again, but Yaz is now lying down the length of the couch with her knees up and feet tucked cosily under the Doctor’s legs. The Doctor is sprawled across her side of the chair, a cushion smushed up to her chest.

Her profile is silhouetted slightly in the low light of the gas lamps as she looks out to where Vastra and Jenny are waltzing.

“I’m not very good,” she says with a chuckle. “You could probably find someone who wouldn’t step on your toes.”

She pauses for a minute, and Yaz wonders how much of this conversation is going to be a metaphor.

“It wouldn’t hurt me,” Yaz replies, softly. “I want to dance with you.”

The Doctor’s eyes dart upwards and her hair sways, waving and shining golden in the light. There’s that static again, thrumming softly in the air, and it isn’t just the white noise of the gramophone.

I want you I want you I want

“It’s just a dance,” Yaz says. It doesn’t have to be anything else. As much as she wants it to be. “Not everything has to mean something else.”

The Doctor looks at her, the corner of her lip twitching slightly upwards. Yaz isn’t sure what to make of the smile.

“Yeah, okay,” the Doctor says, and Yaz feels that kindling in her stomach catch again as she rises to offer the Doctor her hand.

“Milady,” Yaz grins.

“Milady,” the Doctor laughs.

It’s a little awkward at first, working out which hand to put where. The Doctor seems to instinctively place her hand on Yaz’s waist, which saves Yaz from having to press her palm against the Doctor’s thin t-shirt at the curve of her hip, but also means the Doctor’s hand is on her waist. It’s warm, close. Careful and steady.

Yaz places her hand over the Doctor’s shoulder, and she can just feel the movement of the Doctor’s shoulder blade under the tips of her fingers. Yaz senses her intake of breath betray her.

“You okay?” the Doctor asks.

They’ve started to sway slowly in time to the music. Star of wonder, star of night, is spinning slowly out of the gramophone; beside them, Vastra and Jenny are dancing gracefully.

“Yeah,” Yaz reassures the Doctor. “Just remembering how to dance.”

The Doctor rolls her eyes. “Why did you ask to dance if you can’t remember how to?”

“Well Jenny and Vastra looked like they were having fun, I wanted to join in,” Yaz says with a shrug.

“Yeah,” the Doctor says, looking over her shoulder to where the wives are waltzing. “That’s fair.”

They sway for a little longer, a blush of red creeping up the Doctor’s cheeks, before mischief sneaks into her eyes and the little giggle she barely manages to stifle is the only warning Yaz gets before the Doctor sends her spinning, lifting her hand up to twirl Yaz underneath.

Yaz knows a battle when she sees one and so grabs the Doctor’s waist in return, and lifts her into the air. The Doctor yelps above her, and Yaz laughs as she spins them once, twice again, before releasing her back down. The Doctor takes her in her arms and dips her low, now also in a fit of laughter. The antics only really stop as Yaz crashes back into the Doctor’s side and settles, chortling, with her chin nestled by the Doctor’s shoulder.

The Doctor’s guffaws ruffle Yaz’s hair, until she slows to a chuckle, then falls back to her regular breathing.

“Are you okay?” Yaz asks, a lightness in her voice. Maybe it can be a simple question.

The Doctor quietens, like she’s wondering whether the words in her throat are sensible ones. Like the question Yaz asked wasn’t very simple at all.

“Maybe this doesn’t have to be just a dance,” the Doctor says eventually. “Maybe this means something else.”

Yaz starts. She pulls away from her in surprise, to see the woman in front of her in full. ‘What?”

“I want it- I want it to mean something else.”

The haze of the lamplight and the overcast evening is clearing into hyper focus.

“Really?”

“Come with me,” the Doctor says, taking Yaz’s hand in hers and leading her firmly into the corridor.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yaz just about sees Jenny punching the air as Vastra gives a very satisfied smile.

Then the two of them are alone in the hallway, stood under a doorway; framed. In this moment, the whole world is picturesque.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Yaz,’ the Doctor says. “And I’ve needed to tell you for a while.”

She’s holding Yaz’s hands.

The Doctor takes a deep breath and looks upwards, seemingly to avoid looking down. Yaz follows the long curve of her neck and the bright tension of her gaze all the way up to the doorframe. There’s mistletoe hanging above them.

Vastra and Jenny really must kiss every time they pass each other in the hallway.

The Doctor chuckles softly, and looks back down at Yaz.

“What is it, Doctor?” Yaz whispers. She’s asking a question, but it feels like a confession. To speak in whispers to the chatty, brash woman in front of her.

The Doctor’s still holding Yaz’s hands, and there’s softness between them. Then, she leans forward, slowly, like Yaz has a gravity she can no longer escape, and presses a sweet awaited kiss to the corner of Yaz’s lips. Not quite her cheek, not quite her mouth, but a little of both. Just like the days between Christmas and New Year, it’s full of everything and nothing at once.

It’s the kiss of a time traveller. Of an immortal alien girl.

It’s Yaz’s first kiss in years, and it’s perfect; she drifts into the Doctor’s space with her when she pulls back. She simultaneously feels like that holy star of wonder, feels like the brightest winter sun and all the snow it glistens upon, feels like a whole, brilliant, supernova.

I have you, I have you, I have you.

And it’s another one of those moments where Yaz can read the Doctor in perfect clarity.

The Doctor smiles. “Merry Christmas.”

These next words are not difficult for Yaz to say, but they’re truer than anything.

“Merry Christmas to you too.”

#i really didn't mean for this to get so long i was worried it wouldn't all fit in one post lmao but it did !!!! yay #hope y'all enjoy my silly thasmin x vastra fic and MERRY CHRISTMAS #have a WONDERFUL DAY!!!#thasmin #thirteen x yasmin #madame vastra #jenny flint #jenny x vastra #doctor who fic #thasmin secret santa 2022 #tss22 #ola writes

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