Work Text:
Yaz nearly missed the first note. She’d turned and moved in her sleep and as a result it was effectively stuck to her cheek when she finally woke up, confused as to why she was alone in bed. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep with the Doctor reading aloud from one of her favourite books as she’d tried to explain to Yaz just how the TARDIS was bigger on the inside than the outside.
Transdimensional engineering really was good bedtime reading material but not in the way the Doctor had hoped for and Yaz yawned as she stretched, thoroughly rested. She’d have to ask the Doctor to read more engineering textbooks to her when she next struggled to sleep.
But as it was, the Doctor was nowhere to be seen and it was only once Yaz’s yawn drew to a close that the sticky note fell from her cheek and to her recently vacated pillow.
Morning, Yaz. At least, I’m assuming it is, unless you’ve slept in. I've made your favourite breakfast (?) but you'll have to go and get it, I'm afraid - I'm waiting for you elsewhere.
Yaz traced the Doctor's loopy handwriting with her finger. The note wasn’t signed but she knew instantly who had written it; she didn’t know anybody else who wrote like that, or who would actually be able to leave her a note to begin with, since Ryan and Graham were still back in Sheffield.
Although Yaz wished she hadn’t woken up alone, she was intrigued. She loved to solve puzzles and when she went to the kitchen to retrieve her favourite cereal, she quickly realised that the Doctor had left her a trail of some sorts.
It also became apparent that the Doctor had been helping herself to her cereal because there was hardly any left. That wasn’t truly surprising, given how much sugar it contained.
Yaz read the note as she ate what remained. It wasn’t exactly a breakfast the Doctor had made, per se, but she was grateful that she at least hadn’t gone ahead and poured milk on it for her in advance. Yaz hated soggy cereal.
I like seeing you first thing in the morning. Best bit of the day, I think, and I'm sad to miss it today but I promise it'll be worth it. But it took us a while to get there, didn't it? Do you remember when things changed? I think it all started with a hug.
A hug? Yaz flipped the note over but there was nothing on the other side.
A hug. Yaz pondered as she chewed. Of course. The Doctor could only really be talking about one particular hug: their first. It had set in motion a chain of events that had led them to open up about how they felt. The Doctor had returned from prison and landed in Sheffield, right outside Graham’s house, as if she knew they were all there. The moment Yaz had heard the TARDIS she’d run outside, ignoring Graham and Ryan as they called for her to be careful; she’d flung open the TARDIS doors to see the Doctor standing at the console, looking tired and worn and wonderful. Yaz had been so relieved to see her that she hadn’t hesitated. Instead, she’d practically thrown herself at her.
In retrospect it wasn’t the most graceful of moves but the sheer emotion of the moment had been so intense that the Doctor didn’t protest, even when she nearly toppled over, arms full of Yasmin Khan.
Later, she’d admitted to Yaz that she hadn’t wanted to let go.
Yaz abandoned her cereal and headed for the console room, curious as to where the Doctor was leading her. Thus far she’d not seen or heard her at all, and she had no idea how long she’d slept since the Doctor had left. Perhaps she was waiting for Yaz by the console? After all, the odds were that she was going to suggest they travel somewhere, but Yaz was almost disappointed to see that the room was empty.
Her eyes landed on the yellow post-it almost instantly.
It was a good hug. The best this body had had and it had needed it. But you know what was even better? Its first kiss.
Yaz blushed, even though she was alone. She remembered that particular moment all too well, not least because her hand had been so painful when it had happened and because an argument had preceded it. The Doctor had told her off for being careless and getting hurt and Yaz had told her that she’d only done it because she wanted to help. Emotions had run so high that Yaz had eventually tried to storm off, only for the Doctor to reach out and grab her arm, spinning her back and into a desperate press of lips that had stopped Yaz in her tracks.
And it had all happened in the Doctor’s workshop, where she spent most of her time making things or fixing things or, more often than not, breaking things. That meant it had a first aid kit, which they’d used that day and which Yaz now opened up to find the next note.
I think about that kiss a lot, Yaz. And I think about our first night spent together, too.
Yaz frowned. This was getting a little trickier, she thought; they had spent a few nights together and they’d only ever slept in the same bed, nothing more. But the Doctor wasn’t necessarily talking about that - their first night spent together didn’t automatically suggest a sleepover.
Yaz chewed her thumb as she paced around the Doctor’s workshop. She looked at the note again, startled to realise a note at the bottom. PTO. She was certain that hadn’t been there before.
She turned the paper over.
Time for a hint: I told you a story you enjoyed. I was in it.
Yaz stopped pacing. A story...of course. The Doctor was no doubt referring to the library. After Tsuranga, Yaz had remembered that the Doctor was mentioned in a particular book and she’d recently asked her to read some of it to her. To her surprise and delight, the Doctor had agreed, and they’d spent the rest of the night talking.
It didn’t take long to get there but Yaz tried not to rush; she didn’t want to seem desperate to get to the end, even though she knew the Doctor must be waiting for her somewhere, and that in itself made it almost impossible to keep her cool.
Yaz found the Book of Celebrants easily, holding the tome upside down and opening it up so that the pages concertina-d. A note fell out.
Nearly there, Yaz. That was a good memory, wasn’t it? And there's one door that leads to even more of my favourite memories with you. I hope we can make some more, tonight.
Yaz felt her heart start to flutter like the pages of the book she’d just opened.
But there were lots of doors on the TARDIS, and the Doctor could have been talking about any number of them. Like the one that led to the wardrobe hall, where they’d go to pick out clothes; or the door to the kitchen, where they’d drink tea and, more often than not, canoodle, much to Graham’s surprise.
Yaz felt herself growing anxious as she tried room after room, to no avail. Time was slipping through her fingers, and the Doctor was waiting for her. She couldn’t help but feel like she was failing some kind of test, and Yaz hated to fail.
Just as she was working herself into a mild panic, the overhead lights dimmed; and, just like on an airplane, lights in the floor illuminated, forming a path. Yaz tracked them and realised the TARDIS was leading the way. She sent up a silent thank you and mentally kicked herself when she saw that the lights led to the front doors.
Of course. The Doctor’s memories were of their adventures together.
Yaz opened the blue doors and broke out in a smile when she found the Doctor standing on the other side, next to a table covered in food and overlooking rolling green hills. The sun was nearly setting and Yaz wondered if she’d just about made it in time, but the Doctor didn’t seem like she’d been waiting for too long. She looked relaxed, and the golden light lit up her hair and made her look even more striking than usual.
She was also alone, and clearly not in a hurry, so Yaz took a moment to absorb the scenery. Her best guess was that they were somewhere in Tuscany because the view was very similar to one she’d once told the Doctor about. She’d only ever seen it in the glossy magazines her mum liked to buy, and it was so much better in person.
“Wow,” Yaz finally breathed, taking it all in. “This is...beautiful.”
The Doctor smiled, clearly pleased by her reaction.
“I hoped you’d like it. I thought it might be a nice place to make some more memories.”
She tilted her head subtly and Yaz followed the direction to see a stone cottage set in amongst the trees. The patio doors were open, and curtains were billowing slightly in the soft evening breeze. Beyond the material, Yaz could make out a bedroom and she felt her heart start to flutter again. They’d been working up to this, after all.
“Is this your way of finally getting me into bed?” she joked, nervous excitement coming to the fore. But to her surprise, the Doctor shied away from being so blunt.
“Not just yet, Yaz. The night is still young.”
“Is this a date?” Yaz asked instead as she finally walked over, ignoring the cottage for the time being. The Doctor was right; it wouldn’t do to rush, especially not after the effort she’d gone to to surprise her.
“I guess you could call it that. I never quite know how to describe things with you, Yaz, because regular words don't seem sufficient. But there's one thing I do know.”
“What’s that?”
Yaz could feel herself itching to reach out but she held back, waiting to hear what the Doctor had to say.
“My hearts feel full of you.”
Yaz hesitated only briefly before finally reaching up to place her hand on the Doctor’s chest, over her hearts. She was sure she could feel them thudding under her palm. The move felt brazen but also like it was exactly what she needed to do; she wanted to feel what the Doctor meant.
She bit her lip as the Doctor picked up that hand and brought it to her lips, kissing her fingertips. The move left Yaz feeling weak in the knees.
“Mine feels like it’s about to burst,” she admitted, but her words were perhaps a bit too clumsy; the Doctor frowned in alarm and dropped her hand, rummaging for her sonic.
“Really? Yaz, sit down, please-”
“No, no,” Yaz interrupted, “in a good way. Mine is full of you, too.”
Before the Doctor could say any more, Yaz leaned in to kiss her. It was the most tender kiss Yaz had bestowed on anybody, and she felt the Doctor melt into it.
“See? It's like I can't keep it all inside,” she smiled, watching the Doctor’s reaction in the candlelight. “There's so much of it that I can't help it. I have to give it all to you.”
The Doctor’s lips quirked upwards and Yaz longed to kiss them again.
“So, how do you think you'll describe this night the next time you leave me notes?” Yaz asked, half-joking, as the Doctor pulled out a chair for her.
“We'll just have to find out but I'll give you a clue…”
The Doctor leaned in as she seated Yaz at the table and murmured in her ear. They were alone, but Yaz knew she’d done it to wind her up because the feel of her so close always gave her goosebumps.
“I won't be leaving it in a place that anyone else could find it. That’ll be for your eyes only.”
Yaz was glad she could busy herself with a napkin because she didn’t quite have a comeback for that.
“Let's eat first, though. We have a long night ahead,” the Doctor grinned.
Yaz hoped it would never end.