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“I’m getting too old for this!”
Graham is visibly slowing as they reach the top of the stairs, but his spirits are high and he has a smile on his face. He’s not the only one either - Pride is a lot to take in and everyone’s feeling the strain of the day’s activities, but each with a heart full of gratitude.
“You’re only as old as you feel,” the Doctor reminds him. “Just look at me! I’ve never felt as young!”
“But you also regenerated from an older man to who you are now so that's cheating, Doc... whereas it’s just me and myself for the rest of my days.”
“You’re on the list to trade that right knee in for a younger model though, aren’t you?!” Ryan reminds him. “And when you get that, there’ll be no stopping you!”
“We’ll be the ones trying to keep up with you, ” Yaz pipes up, enjoying the friendly banter.
“All right, all right, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Graham laughs. “For now, I’m only thinking about this pizza and having a good sit down on your sofa.” He sniffs the air and takes in the scent from the pizza boxes in Ryan’s hands. “It smells amazing.”
“It is,” the Doctor agrees. “Definitley the best pizza out there. And we’ve done our research," she winks. "Been on pizza dates all over the universe looking for a better one these last few years. Haven't found it yet."
“And all the times we’ve been over and we’ve never had it ‘til now?” Ryan protests.
Yaz simply rolls her eyes. “You’re the one who always votes for a chippy tea when we order in!”
As they reach the door, Yaz takes out her house key and puts it in the lock. When she turns it and lets everyone in, she instantly feels more relaxed. One of the things she’d always wanted for herself was to build a home with someone. Somewhere that’s theirs, and somewhere she always feels safe and loved. She’d been lucky to have that with her parents growing up, and has always craved that feeling for herself - to create a space where not only she and her partner feel at home, but her guests do too.
So when Ryan sets down the pizzas on the kitchen table and instantly goes to the cupboard where the plates are to dish out the food, Yaz smiles a little to herself knowing she’s achieved it.
She must take the moment in for a little too long though, as the Doctor wraps a gentle arm around her waist from behind, startling her slightly. “Not gonna take your coat and shoes off? Or are you planning on heading off somewhere again?” Her tone is light, but Yaz can sense the concern at the subtle change in her usual routine. It’s one of the things she loves most about her wife, and something the Doctor has got better at noticing over time.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here,” Yaz tells her honestly, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek just beside a streak of rainbow face paint. “Just appreciating our fam.”
The smile that appears on the Doctor’s face is one Yaz wishes she could bottle up and store. “Always knew you’d come round to that word,” she replies, smugly.
“Just had to learn the proper meaning of it first, I guess.”
“Oi, lovebirds! Pizza’s getting cold!” Ryan interrupts, mouth half full already.
Yaz takes her cue and does finally take off her coat and shoes, placing them both in their usual spots by the door. The sight of her jacket hanging on the rack beside the Doctor’s signature blue coat is another subtle hint of home and her heart swells.
“Well, what’s the verdict?” Yaz asks, joining the others in the kitchen. “Better than chippy tea?”
Ryan’s mouth is completely full and, thankfully, he doesn’t attempt to talk, instead giving a thumbs up accompanied by a smile.
“Lets just say pizza will be getting my vote at our next game night,” Graham informs them, dunking his crust into a small tub of dip.
The reference to their now bi-weekly tradition gives Yaz another spark of joy. “Is Tibo definitely in for the next one, Ry?”
He swallows down his bite before replying. “Yep, and we’re looking forward to that rematch on Taboo.”
Yaz recalls the previous game fondly, thinking of how in sync she and the Doctor were, getting word after word from some descriptions that only the two of them would understand. Ryan and Tibo were only two points behind at the end, and had pleaded to Graham as independent adjudicator that some of Yaz and the Doctor’s points should be disqualified. But, as a man of integrity, Graham upheld their well earned victory, much to his grandson’s dismay.
“Been practising have you?” Yaz asks.
“You’d think that years of friendship followed by two years of dating would be enough practice,” Ryan laughs. “But seems our opponents just have the edge.”
“You’ll be hard pressed to find two people who are more in tune with each other than me and Yaz,” the Doctor says proudly. The sentiment is only slightly tarnished by the pizza sauce she’s managed to get on her face, just above her top lip.
Yaz laughs. “Babe, you’ve got a little…” she reaches out and wipes it off, before cleaning her hands on a napkin.
“How d’ya know I wasnt saving that bit for later?” the Doctor fake huffs. But all Yaz hears is thank you.
//
With the pizza long finished and the boxes in the bin, they move to the living room and opt for some Mario Kart to round off the day. They opt for the Special Cup, finishing on Rainbow Road to stay on the theme of Pride.
By the end of the cup though, after losing every race, Yaz taps out with the accusation that the track is actually slightly homophobic.
“How else do you explain that the only straight person in the room keeps winning?!” Yaz asks with a laugh.
“Isn't there a stereotype that gay people can't drive? Might explain it!” Graham shoots back almost instantly, earning him a round of laughter and a pat on the back from Ryan.
“Maybe… but usually this one’s the worst of them all, not me!" Yaz says, nudging her wife gently in the side. "Especially in the real world.”
“Oi! Flying a TARDIS is much more skilled than “driving” anyway,” the Doctor protests, using air quotes.
“If you say so... but Yaz can do both,” Ryan reminds her. “And I reckon I could give the TARDIS a good go if I had to… it can’t be that hard,” he teases.
The Doctor’s face falls into mock horror. “What is this? Gang up on the Doctor day?!”
“Never,” Yaz smiles. “I’m just trying to distract from how absolutely awful I was at that game.”
“You really were pretty bad,” the Doctor says, pulling her wife in close and placing a kiss on the side of her head. “But I still love you anyway.”
“I love you, too,” Yaz returns, because there’s no exchange she enjoys more.
They agree to another Rainbow Road rematch, just to test the theory, and Graham once again comes out on top. But even in defeat, Yaz still feels like she’s won. In fact, she knows she has.
As she settles in closer still to her wife on their sofa - purple, chosen with great care by the Doctor - and waits for the next game with their friends to load, it's the proudest she's ever felt.