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“Queen to D-5.”
You move the piece according to K9’s instructions, only to realise that your king is now completely bare and no other piece can save it. He’s beaten you again!
“Checkmate, Mistress.”
“K9, that’s just absurd!”
“Negative, Mistress. I have won.”
“I refuse to accept defeat for the fifth time in a row! Doctor, can’t you tell him?”
“…”
“Doctor!”
The Time Lord in question, occupied with his controls and readings, doesn’t seem to have heard you. Letting out a groan, you discard the chess piece in your hand and slump onto a wall. The Doctor has been pretty much cut off from everything for about two hours now, which, you must admit, is slowly starting to get on your nerves. Somehow, you’ve ended up travelling with a robotic dog who’s smarter than you and an alien who’s smarter than everyone – so smart that every little trouble in the universe needs his assistance. As much as you adore them both, it can get quite infuriating to continuously be second to everything.
K9 walks up to you and starts wagging his tail.
“Mistress.”
“What,” you grumble.
This time his ears move as well. “Your blood pressure indicates stress. Relax is advised.”
“Relax? How can I relax? There’s nothing relaxing on this stupid ship. Only science and great schemes.”
The dog doesn’t respond, but keeps wagging his ‘body parts’. You realise that he’s trying to cheer you up; not able to hold it for much longer, you break into a smile.
“Good boy, K9.” He leans closer to let you pat his head. “It’s okay, I’m not cross. It’s my own fault that I can’t play.”
“Can’t play,” repeats K9, his ears moving again. “Solution: chess rulebook available. Shall I read it out for you, Mistress?”
“No, it’s fine. I wish the Doctor would listen, though!” You purposefully raise your voice to an abrupt shout, making the Time Lord finally lift his head to look at you.
Despite the frustration still bubbling inside, you can’t help giggling at the Doctor’s expression right now. Confused from the sudden distraction, he looks like someone just woke him up in the middle of the night and demanded he recited Hamlet in full.
“Did you say something, Y/N?” He starts carefully. You roll your eyes.
“The Earth says hello. You certainly took your time.”
“Took my time?” The Doctor repeats, face dropping in disbelief. “Took my time? I’ve been very busy repairing this circuit without which we’d be floating in space forever and you tell me I took my time?”
Before you realise, he’s walked up and pointed his finger right at your forehead, hovering above you with all his 1.9 metre glory, sleeves still rolled up and collar unbuttoned as an aftermath of the previous task. Unsure whether you should giggle at his antics or swallow hard because of all the rest, you only bite your lip.
The Doctor glares at you. “Well? Have anything to say, Y/N?”
“Doctor, you’re the most brilliant man I’ve ever met.” For lack of a better idea, you beam as if none of his words have reached you. It works though; his face softens. “I know you’ve a lot of work and responsibilities. Things to do that no one else could possibly dream of achieving.”
The Doctor processes what you’ve said. “That I do. And?” He furrows his eyebrows, suspiciously.
“But since you’re so smart and brilliant, we can’t have you overworking yourself, now can we? How about you take a break and teach me how to play chess?”
The sweetest face and voice you’re capable of producing seem to stroke the Doctor’s ego in the best way possible, and you give yourself a mental high-five. He hesitates, gaze switching back and forth between the console and the chess board.
“Well… What about K9?”
“What about him?” Even though you feel slightly stupid from speaking in such an unnaturally high-pitched voice, it’s proving to be an efficient strategy to woo the Doctor. “Surely, no one could teach me better than you.”
The Doctor scratches the back of his neck and looks around the TARDIS, deep in thought. His gaze lands at K9. “Have you won again?”
“Affirmative.”
Another few seconds pass, during which you don’t dare take your eyes off the Time Lord. Finally, he sits next to you and starts reassembling the chess pieces on the board.
“Alright, I’ll teach you. But for no more than half an hour, I still need to get that circuit working.”
You clap your hands together. “You’re the best, Doctor.”
Fifteen minutes later, the Doctor’s palm is hovering over the board, distress twisting his face in a rather endearing frown. He decides to move his queen dangerously close towards your king. However, before relief fully spreads on his features, you shift your rook so that his kings has no escape, and he’s left with no choice but to sacrifice the queen now.
“Check.”
The Doctor’s mouth goes agape. “What? I haven’t taught you this!”
“You haven’t?” You pretend to be surprised. “Now that’s a mystery.”
“Y/N, you knew how to play chess all along!”
Silence falls, yet not for long – the Doctor looks so betrayed that you just can’t help and burst out laughing. He opens his mouth to scold you, get your attention somehow, but obviously, it’s too late. Something smacks your shoulder; you look down to see a red Jelly Baby land on your lap. Gleefully, you plop it into your mouth and grin.
“Why, thank you.”
“You really have no manners. No sense of fair play whatsoever.” Still sulking, the Doctor eats one of his Jelly Babies as well. “To think I was being generous wanting to teach you.”
You chuckle. “Doctor, for such a brilliant man, you surely are an idiot.”
“Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before he can fully go rant mode, you move in closer to him and, still smiling, steal another Jelly Baby.
“It’s supposed to mean that, as much as I understand you being the saviour of the universe, I was bored out of my wits. And since you wouldn’t stop messing about with your circuits and whatnot, I had to be smart to get your company.”
“Of course I wouldn’t stop, told you, that’s such an important circuit—”
“Yet here you are.”
He falls silent. Your grin widens, and before long, the Doctor also flashes you a smile. That’s why you adore him so much: he’s brilliant and stupid at the same time, but all that matters is that he’s your Doctor.
“Well then, let’s finish this game!” He rubs his hands together, having forgotten your ‘creativity’ and ready to win his honour back. “I won’t go easy on you anymore.”
You’re more than prepared. “Come, Doctor. Let’s settle this!”