Work Text:
“So what do we all want to do for the holidays fam?” The Doctor asked excitedly. It was already December twenty fourth, according to when they left, relative to the present. They all looked at each other, each sharing awkward glances.
“I think... at least I’m not... ready, Doc.” Graham spoke up. Her face fell a bit, as Ryan nodded.
“Yeah. I mean, maybe something small. I just don’t want to go home and put up all her decorations and things.” Ryan said. The Doctor nodded.
“Yaz?”
“I’m sorry Doctor. I’m muslim. We don’t really celebrate christmas. Not that big anyway. We might put up some lights, or even a small tree. But we typically don’t do gifts or big parties.” She explained.
“But we could! We could put some lights on top of the Tardis, and park somewhere snowy, and- and make a fire. Make cocoa or something!” Yaz said, seeing her face. The Doctor looked to the boys, who looked sullen.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry! We’ll go somewhere new instead!” She said quickly. Yaz could tell she was upset, and walked forward.
“Why don’t you give us a minute?” Yaz said. Graham nodded and patted Ryans shoulder, leading him down the hall.
“What’s wrong?” Yaz asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never skipped christmas. It’s my favorite! It makes me feel a bit sick, to think of doing something alone, or not at all. Even in my worst time, even after... even when I was alone, after I had lost people, I did things on christmas! I visited a planet with sharks in the clouds and we used him as a classic reindeer! And another time I boarded the titanic! The space one.” She explained.
“The space- well, we’ll find something, alright? This is your favorite. The least we can do is make something just as special.” Yaz said. She smiled and brought her into a hug, which Yaz excepted before kissing her cheek.
“It will be alright.” Yaz smiled.
Christmas came and went, with seemingly no incident. The Doctor monitored closely, but it seemed there was no threat this year. Everyone on board was glum, except Yaz, who tried her best to take care of them.
Ryan and Graham seemed to be going back through the stages of grief, just thinking about the holiday without Grace. Yaz would bring them tea, and listen to Ryan’s angry rant, followed by him lying back down. When she went back out to the control room, she was still there. Just wearing her santa hat and staring out at the sky through the open doors. It had to stop.
“Ryan, get up. Follow me.” Yaz said authoritatively.
“What’s going on?” Ryan asked, sitting up quickly.
“What’s going on is, everyone is in the dumps. And we’re going to cheer them up. You included. The Doctor wanted a holiday, so we give her one. Not one that reminds you of your christmas, not exactly, but something close enough. What’s the opposite of your Christmas?” Yaz asked.
“Well... my gran always scoffed at those bright pink and silver fake trees, in the shops. Said we could put it up when she was dead. It’s a bit grim, but it was meant as a joke at the time. She decorated everything. So the opposite would be... minimal? And we couldn’t eat the ginger biscuits. She was allergic to something in there. We tried to make them, but they weren’t the same.” Ryan said.
“So lets do it. A pink and silver tree, some... blue tinsel, and a bunch of ginger biscuits, and let’s throw a New Years party. Right here.” Yaz said. Ryan sighed.
“I don’t know Yaz. It’s a nice thought. I always kind of liked the flashy tree, in a weird way. But what if it’s too much for my granddad?” Ryan asked.
“Then no tree. We put up the blue tinsel, and give her a party hat, and eat biscuits, and count down. Please Ryan. I hate seeing everyone sad.” Yaz said. Ryan sighed and nodded.
“Alright. We have to get her out of the tardis though.” Ryan said.
“I’ll take care of it.” Yaz said, smiling.
“You were right! These little trees on my nails are wonderful!” She said excitedly. Yaz laughed and took her hand, admiring the small Christmas trees painted on.
“Well, sorry I had to run all the way back to my place to get the colors. You don’t exactly have many, being that you were a man.” Yaz chuckled.
“So- Doctor, hang on.” She said quickly, keeping her from entering.
“I just need to... grab my jacket. And then I thought we could go out? Maybe?” Yaz said. Her face lit up.
“Course! We could go anywhere-”
“No, no. Just... stay here.” Yaz said, holding her shoulders. She held up her finger and entered the tardis, keeping her outside.
“You’ve got about ten seconds before she peeks in here.” Yaz said, rushing forwards and slipping on a party crown.
“I think we’re ready.” Graham said. Sure enough, the door creaked open.
“Yaz? Is everything alright? Is there a spill? The tardis can clean the console on her own you know-”
She was cut off by a loud pop, as confetti shot above her head. She blinked in surprise, and found them beaming at her. Yaz looked especially nervous, but she quickly gave them all a smile.
There was a bright pink and silver tree, set off to the side, with blue tinsel all over it. All around was confetti on the floor, and everyone had a party crown.
“Come on! Put one on!” Yaz said, smiling and coming forward to slip a paper crown on her. She positively beamed.
“What is all this?! I thought we weren’t doing anything!”
“It’s New Year, but our new year. All of us mashed together. Ryan and Graham made some food from one of my Nan’s recipes, it’s hyderabadi aubergines, and we have a... weird tree, and crowns. And we thought-”
“Yaz thought. It was her idea.” Ryan spoke up.
“She thought we could go watch the fireworks in Westminster.” Graham said.
“Yaz, you did all this?” The Doctor beamed.
“Well, no one really wanted Christmas but you, and I wanted everyone to cheer up.” Yaz said. The Doctor smiled and grabbed her in a tight hug.
“We should try that curry, before it gets cold!” She spoke up, pulling away.
“Might not want to do that.” Graham said.
“You know what we should do?” The Doctor spoke up, finishing her ginger biscuit. Yaz shook her head.
“We should do the American New Years kiss!” The Doctor said. Everyone looked at her, with Yaz especially surprised, eyes going wide.
“Well... Doc, that’s all great, really. But who would we kiss?” Graham said.
“Well you would kiss-”
She stopped. Right. That hadn’t told anyone. Oh. And now she had said it. She couldn’t go back. But Ryan couldn’t kiss his granddad. And Graham couldn’t kiss Yaz. Maybe she should backtrack.
“Actually, that’s a terrible idea. Let’s not. My mistake.”
“No, no, it’s alright. If you... want to. We can do that, right?” Graham said awkwardly, trying to keep the cheer going. Ryan’s eyes got wide, and so did Yaz’.
“Right. Yeah! Are you sure?” She asked.
“Are you sure?” Ryan spoke up. There was quiet, before the tardis beeped in announcement that the countdown had started.
“Alright! No big deal. Let count it down! Fifteen, fourteen-” The Doctor started. Yaz swallowed nervously. She couldn’t do this.
“Eleven, ten, nine, eight-”
Nope. No way could she both kiss Ryan, and watch her girlfriend, the Doctor, kiss Graham.
“Five, four, three, two-”
“Forget this!” Yaz yelled, pushing away from Ryan and jogging towards the Doctor.
She practically shoved Graham out of the way as their lips met. The Doctor responded just as quickly and eagerly, meeting against her, and holding her hips. Yaz kept her hands on the Doctors face, as fireworks crashed in the background, almost muted as her ears rang.
“Well that explains a lot.” Graham spoke up.
“Hey! Alright, Yaz and the Doctor!” Ryan cheered. They clapped, and Yaz broke away, half chuckling, but also nervous. The Doctor wrapped her arm around her side.
“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. We weren’t sure how you’d react.” She said. Yaz nodded.
“My family doesn’t now.”
“And they won’t find out from us, right?” Graham said. Ryan nodded.
“Right. Our secret.” Ryan promised. Yaz smiled wide and laughed.
“This is perfect.”
“Oh, it really is. Look at those blue fireworks there! They look like the color of the tardis!”
“Really Doc, that’s the best part?” Graham chuckled.
“Of course not. This is.” She grinned, kissing Yaz on the forehead.