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For being such an isolated part of the universe, the TARDIS always seemed so full of life. To most people it would be like a sweet shop with everything on a clearance sale. Like Black Friday without the queues. A ship fit to bursting with bubbling excitement and anticipation for whatever the next grand adventure was going to be, whether it was a living, murderous dollhouse or a trip to the local chip shop.
For Rory, though, it felt sort of twisted, really. Sure, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy seeing all these incredible sights. Sights that, when he was just a nurse in the sleepy, little town of Leadworth, he couldn’t have ever dreamed of. At the same time, though, he always found himself feeling too worried to let himself truly relax in any of the places they went. Amy was having a blast visiting all of these mystical, larger-than-life locales. Honestly, the time of her life. But Rory couldn’t dispel the dread at the thought of what the fallout would look like. Going back to normal life after… Everything just wasn’t going to cut it for Amy, he knew.
And he wasn’t blind to his own feelings. He’d never been fully onboard with the Doctor. There was a coldness behind his childlike grins and a venomous temperament lurking beneath his quirky exterior that scared Rory more than any Dalek or Cyberman. Still, Rory recognised himself just as well. In spite of the danger and chaos, he’d be just as devastated to leave as Amy would be. Devastated for Amy, who had finally found a way out of the same old town and same old routine she had been rotting in since her childhood. And for himself, too. They’d be left feeling… Out of time.
All this to say that it was always on Rory’s mind that this was a temporary happiness. The Doctor had been around for so long that he couldn’t even remember his own age, after all. He can’t have travelled alone all that time. Amy and Rory can’t have been the first to accompany the Doctor on his sightseeing tour through space and time and they surely weren’t going to be the last. Thinking about that made the thought of leaving just a little bit easier.
Not yet, though. Leaving of their own accord and while they were still having a good time was the smart thing to do, but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. He was pretty sure the other two would tell him just the same, if he were to ask. They could stay just a little longer. They literally had all the time in the world.
In the meantime, Amy and the Doctor had just stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. Considering they’d landed in Manhattan, Rory wasn’t sure how fresh the air would be, but the walk would do them all some good regardless. But as he passed the central console, his foot kicked something. That book the Doctor had been carrying around recently. How could he have missed that on his way out? He’d been gushing about the characters not two hours ago. Rory huffed fondly as he reached down to grab it.
Honestly, what would the Doctor do when they were gone…