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It was dark outside. Bugs chirped, stirring in the night air. The only things illuminating their path were distant stars and the twinkling lights of the citadel. They kicked a rock. That idiot did anything but stay put. Wow, it’s the middle of the night, just let me run off beyond the walls of the city real quick and have Koschei take me back because they care for me too much like an idiot, they grumbled to themselves internally. They could just go home. Just turn around and walk back into the citadel, into their dormitory and go to sleep. But then Theta might get lost because Theta always got into some kind of trouble and—they let out a deep sigh. They really needed to stop caring so much.
They groaned. Theta could be anywhere at this point. They were always so much faster. They dragged themselves up a hill, sighing and yawning. They should’ve just gone to bed. Sure enough, Theta was at the top, sitting in the swaying grass as fireflies frolicked around them, occasionally landing on them as they laughed.
“Oh.” They noticed them, standing there, and they smiled. Sitting there, dots of light on their body and a smile so pure and innocent it could melt ice, Koschei’s heart skipped a beat. “Sit down,” they grinned, patting the grass beside them. Koschei obliged. It was gorgeous, of course, the Citadel laid out in the distance, bouncing balls of bugs flying around the night air and landing in Theta’s hair. They were ethereal.
“I looked everywhere for you,” Koschei started.
They winced. “Sorry. It’s just I like the country and the lightning bugs and it’s not that far outside the Citadel and—I didn’t think you’d come looking.”
“Of course I will. I care.” They sighed deeply and ruffled Theta’s hair, making the other Time Lord grin. They looked so much younger than they were when they smiled. It was like the whole world stopped to bask in the brilliance and warmth. Like the edges of a cold, cruel world peeled away a little more each time. They wanted to kiss them. So they did. Theta giggled into the kiss, tasting of honey and so many other wonderful things.
“Kos,” they breathed, breaking the kiss. That just made them want to kiss them again. Harder. They leaned in to do just that, but Theta’s hand on their chest stopped them. “You’re going to make me suffocate,” they laughed.
“As if I would ever purposefully hurt you. Besides, we both have respiratory bypasses. We’re not going to run out of air that fast.”
“You’re scaring the lightning bugs,” they giggled as Koschei kissed them again. The fireflies actually seemed pretty okay with two Time Lords making out in front of them.
“I’m not,” they muttered.
Theta laughed again. “Isn’t it beautiful?” they asked, turning away from the other’s lips.
“You? Yes,” Koschei responded, grinning like an idiot. An idiot who had just made out with their partner.
Theta smacked them. Hard. Probably what was harder than necessary. “No,” they said, disgruntled. It was probably not best to joke about any topic that Theta liked from now on. That hurt. “The stars. The moon. The never ending vastness of space reflecting light down onto us.” They waved their hand in a general direction. “All of time and space.”
“Huh.”
“Pretend just for a minute you truly understand what I’m talking about, Kos,” they sighed.
“Yes, captain!” they said, giving a salute. Theta laughed again. Koschei had always liked that noise. Maybe it was the reason they’d fallen in love with them. To hear that laugh again. Theta was talking again. They talked a lot. Koschei didn’t pretend they knew what they were saying. They were too busy memorizing the lines of Theta’s face and the ever present beauty of Gallifrey at night. A lot went through their head at a lot of different times, but with Theta, it was peaceful. The never ending pounding in their skull ceased when they were around them. They sighed dreamily.
Theta stared at them and swatted at them. “Are you even listening!?”
“No.”
“I hate you,” they said, pushing their way towards their feet.
“Boooo,” Koschei whined, hauling themselves up behind Theta. “Where are we going?”
“Back to the citadel,” said Theta, like it was obvious. “We need to get at least some sleep.”
Koschei grinned and began following the path behind them like a loyal dog.