Work Text:
Graham could hear the music all the way out on the pavement as he was walking back to his home, arms full of groceries. The soft thumping of the drums, the heavy strum of the electric guitar and the way his heart pumped along with the bassline, although he couldn’t understand the lyrics so far. It was a heavy, powerful song that the Doc had no doubt put on while she was busy tinkering around in the TARDIS.
She had parked the ship in his living room (again), and she had left the doors open. As he opened the door, he was assaulted with a loud blast of music that reminded him of his youth. The roaring of the crowd and the screech of the music took him back to the time he was dating that goth chick. Stepping into his home, he stepped into the TARDIS and saw the Doctor with her goggles on and her sleeves rolled up, her coat draped over one of the railings. “Doc!” He tried to call out out over the noise. She didn’t even hear him, and he figured she was too engrossed in whatever she was tinkering with instead of the music being too loud.
Walking over, he tapped her politely on the shoulder, and she held up a hand to signal for him to wait. Leaning on the railing, she took another few seconds of connecting wires and jumping back as sparks flew out before she grabbed her sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the console, the music lowering down to a much more tolerable level. She lifted up her glasses, grinning broadly at him. “Sorry, was the music too loud? Oh! Back from the store, did you get what I asked for?” She walked over, trying to peek into the bags like a little kid.
Graham pulled the bags away, but reached in and held out a box of jelly babies. She snatched it up, grinning broadly at him, and he smiled back. “Like a little kid you are.” He said, before jerking his thumb at the console. “So, the TARDIS has a radio or something?”
“Or something.” The Doctor confirmed, popping a few of the sweets in her mouth and shoving the rest of the box into her coat pocket. “Think of it like an iPod or an Mp3 player. Only it has just about any song you could think of. And then some.”
Graham nodded. Considering the ship could travel through time and space, he could buy that she probably had the biggest collection of music he’d never even be able to conceive of. “And you were blasting some heavy metal?” He asked.
She hummed an affirmative, giving him a slightly sheepish smile. “It was probably too loud. I prefer having something in the background while I work. I can keep it down for you if you want.”
To her surprise, Graham shook his head. “Nah, neighbors probably wouldn’t care all that much. What I really want to ask is: Does that,” He pointed to the console. “Do AC/DC?”
The Doctor grinned widely at him, and held up her sonic.
Now he was really taken back to his youth. The rest of the groceries had been abandoned on the floor as Graham and the Doctor had a whale of a time together. He remembered seeing these guys in concert, it was probably one of the greatest days of his life. The chorus swelled up and both him and the Doctor yelled out the chorus, the Doctor’s hands moving into a pretty sweet air guitar, until she grinned and suddenly dashed deeper into the ship.
Graham was too busy jamming out to really care, instead he was tapping his fingers against the console in time to the drums, pulling back as the guitar solo was gearing up. It was her loss that she had to do something.
He started when he heard the unmistakable whine of a speaker, and before he could realize what was going on, the sweet sounds of a guitar being expertly worked on filled the console room. The Doctor appeared, a wide grin on her face and carrying the most beautiful guitar Graham had ever seen in hand, another strapped around her back. Her nimble fingers danced across the strings, raising her eyebrows a little and poking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she pulled on the whammy bar a little and played out the rest of the song.
As the song died down, she turned the volume down again and tapped the guitar. “Had this for a long time. Had a bit of a classic rock phase when I was younger. Good to know I haven’t lost those skills.” She flashed Graham a dazzling smile, pulling out the guitar on her back. “Graham, I have to ask, have you ever wanted to play guitar?”
Graham’s face lit up, and he took the guitar in his hands reverently.
---
Ryan had absolutely no idea what that
noise
was that was blasting out of Graham’s humble abode. He had texted him and Yaz for a food pick-up and when he got there, he was met with the sight of the Doctor and his granddad both wearing shades and headbanging as they played to some old rock song that was screaming from the TARDIS.
He walked over to Yaz, handing her the coffee she wanted (black, disgusting) and pointed over to where the two were busy hammering out a guitar solo. “What on earth are they doing?!” He shouted.
Yaz grinned, taking a sip of her coffee and nodding along to the song, cheering when Graham finished a beautiful solo. “Listening to good music! Something you wouldn’t know about Ryan!” She called back, giving him a teasing grin before whistling sharply towards her friends. “Oi, food’s here!”
“We’re just getting to the good bit!” Graham yelled back, and he threw his head back and both he and the Doctor yelled out. “HOLY DIVER!” before they broke out another guitar solo.
Ryan waited patiently as the song ended, and Graham and the Doctor walked over to help dish the food out. He pointed an accusing finger at the Doctor as she was spooning noodles into her mouth. “Did you teach him that?”
She looked up at him innocently, nodding her head and slurping them down noisily. She licked her lips before smiling. “Got a problem with that? Graham’s my best student. I could teach all of you how to play I think. He caught on pretty quickly.”
“Nah, my grandson wouldn’t know good music if it hit him across the face.” Graham said, shaking his head sadly. “He prefers all of that new stuff. What’s the current rapper now son? There’s one for every year innit?”
“Oi! Rap is good Graham, I should take you to a Hollywood Undead concert sometime. Now those blokes know how to party.” The Doctor interjected smoothly.
Yaz made a noise to get everyone’s attention, swallowing down more of her coffee before speaking. “I’d like to learn. I mean, it’d be fun wouldn’t it? Can you do other instruments other than a guitar though?” Her eyes lit up a little, and she smiled. “Maybe we could start a band or something!”
Ryan felt a sinking sensation deep in his soul when he saw the way Graham and the Doctor’s faces light up with joy at the suggestion, before all three heads turned to look at him expectantly. He held up his hands, shaking his head and backing away. “No way, you aren’t roping me into this.”
“Come on Ryan, it’ll be fun!” The Doctor said, running around the console, her hands flying across the controls. “I know just the place we can go too. 1964, the height of Beatlemania. Ringo still owes me a few favors, I bet I could convince him to teach you all how to jam.”
Graham looked like he was in love as the doors to the TARDIS closed. “Do you mean to tell me that you’re gonna take us back in time to meet the
Beatles
and convince them to teach us how to play?”
The Doctor looked up, a wide grin on her face. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She confirmed.
Turning to his grandson, he pointed at Ryan. “Son, if you mess this up, I swear to you I will do unspeakable things to you.
Ryan held up his hands, shaking his head as the TARDIS’ engines began grinding and the column began rising.