DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME.

At the sound of someone approaching,  Delia looked up from her hands, which lay limply in her lap against the hospital gown which covered her. There was a little bit of dirt in one of the cuts across her palm - she wondered how it had got there.

“Hello.” She stated impassively. “Are you one of my doctors?”  He looked friendly, she thought, whoever he was.

Delia didn’t remember who he was.

The realisation of that hit Rory harder than it should, maybe, but this wasn’t the first time he’d been forgotten by someone who mattered, and it occurred to him that it would always hurt, and it would always hurt bad.

He’d saved her life, of course-- Delia, more than anyone, he couldn’t just let die-- and he was glad she was all right. But the fuzzy look in her eyes and the way her voice was devoid of life and joy made his chest tight with emotion.

“I...” I’m your friend, Delia. It’s me. It’s Rory. “I am one of your doctors, yes. My name’s Dr. Williams. It’s nice to see you’ve finally woken.”

That had been normal for them. At one point. John getting Rory to come help him with something while he was in the middle of whatever study he was in the middle of. John remembered hanging out in the dorm room because Rory really needed to finish something. He had something that was due at some other time.  

Nothing to distract him from? “Bit of boredom?”  Having nothing to do he could easily fix that part right up. He had a few days where he didn’t have anything to do. Sounded like a nice time.

Clearly the fact that he was teasing him clearly had him flustered for a second never failed to make him grin. John could see that he wanted to find something that would change the subject. 

Bringing up the idea that he wanted to do something that had been normal for them. John didn’t really know normal anymore. Rory probably was getting back into the swing of it. But going to work as a nurse and trying to go for being a doctor? He was always busy. He wondered if Rory even had much time to dwell on it. 

“It was fun.” He remembered them always having a bit of a laugh whenever he managed to talk Rory into ditching the school and helping him. Usually set something up. 

Had he missed Rory that much. The smile he had on his face nearly had him laughing. He seemed so ridiculously happy about the thought of it. “Thin’s were pretty fun back then eh?” He might have missed it. Missed hanging out with Rory on the regular basis he did. So having a chance to relax for a couple of days sounded rather nice.

He could see John’s own smile as clear as day, and with his dimples showing Rory gave him a quick nudge and a smug, “You’re lucky I’m not looking to bruise your ego, Johnno.” Then, a very honest, “I missed you, too.”

And really, much as he wanted to be cross with him, it wasn’t like he could truly be, not for something like John nearly dying. In the end, Rory was just happy John was all right and alive, and he figured that at this point in the man’s life, there was close to no chance of him changing the path he’d chosen to traverse on, anyway.

No, at most Rory was just grateful he’d not forgotten him-- that he still cared, that the promise they made as kids to be friends forever (innocent as it might have been then) still stood. If they were still children, this was probably the part where Rory’d hug him tight, but as it was he just dipped his head slightly and clapped a hand on John’s shoulder.

“Well, if it’s magic with Rory you’d like to do, then I suppose magic with Rory’s what you’re going to get.” He phrased it like it was he who did the magic and not John, but they both knew the reality of it, anyway. “...I really hope you’ve gotten better about not setting things on fire, though.

Rory saying he wasn’t going to be stock in a room was almost funny. Like he wouldn’t stay in this room all the time if John or Amy didn’t drag him out of here every once in a while. Hell John knew that he had spent much of his time on the flash cards he had in hand. Been in here for a few days to do it. Like he was going to need them. Rory was probably going to end up acing the exam. Science seemed to be where the other teen shined. John did ok whenever he felt like he needed to. So mostly on these kinds of tests. Wouldn’t ever admit to it. But he would have felt bad for all the hard work going to waste. 

They were going to graduate with each other. That was the plan and John was going to make it through at the very least to that end. After that it was just finding a place to stay when Rory went to whatever college he went off to. Make sure he could keep something like what they did now. John sneaking into his room in the middle of the night. Usually after giving the man a bit of a scare. 

“Not yet.” He hadn’t figured out who he would be staying with. Didn’t mean he couldn’t find some place. “I’m a fuckin delight Rory.” He joked with a fake hurt tone when he was told he wasn’t that charming. 

Both got work he’d help pay for a flat? Some place for him to stay even if he was probably going to be staying at the school. Least that was what John had been assuming he would be doing. John’s father had been aware of Rory. Not that he was always here, probably throwing some damn fit. But the fact that they were pretty close, that much was clear. He had a habit of telling him things about how things would be easier for the boy if John would just leave him the hell alone.

John sometimes wondered how true that was. For example he was talking about getting a fucking job to help pay for a place to stay for John. “Gonna have time for tha’?” His school work was probably going to take a lot of his time. Adding into the fact that John would probably be taking up other parts of it too.

Rory gave John’s messy appearance a brief once over, then licked his palm and tried to give at least some order to the disaster that was his best mate’s hair. “You’ve all the charm of a little trash squirrel, is what you’ve got,” he said plainly, and even with his intervention John’s hair still stuck up somewhat, especially down by the nape of his neck. It was little bits like these that made John cute, granted, but Rory would never say as much out loud. John would just tease him back for it, and then they’d get nowhere.

“But that’s why you’ve got me, eh?” There was another little nudge to John’s arm. “Don’t need to be charming when you’ve got Rory Williams by your side.” At any rate, he liked taking care of John and making sure he was all right; it didn’t really boil down to anything more complicated than loving him, either. Rory loved his friends for better or for worse, and John was one of the most precious people he had in life. The only person he loved more than John was Amy, and the only people he loved more than Amy were his parents, so honestly? Outside family and romance, he’d say John ranked quite high.

“I should have time for work, though. It’s not like Sixth Form’s going to be especially difficult-- it’s when I go to nursing school that it’ll be properly awful, but I imagine you’ll be all... grown up by then.” And sure it was weird, thinking of John grown up and self-sufficient, but he’d always been a bit older in the soul, hadn’t he? John had seen more pain than most people. John had been in more pain than most people. Rory hated it, and he hated that John could get so sad, but...

Well. If he had his way, he’d be by his side for all of time.

“John Constantine, real adult.” He laughed, but it was less mocking and more fond as his head landed on John’s shoulder again. “God, I’d kill to see it. I wonder what kind of job you’d have... I think you’d probably blow something up if you had any proper desk work.” Rory smiled a bit at that. “Nah, mate, you’d have to be something cool, like a rock star.

The Amazon emerged on the beach barefoot, wearing a simple cut-off chiton that was little more than a sheath. She bore a bow, quiver and lance- the hallmarks of what had been only a half-hearted hunt before meandering to shore when she spotted the blue little structure ahead and saw what was clearly a man, ill-dressed for the beach, and beyond startled to see her.

He stammered a quick explanation- no doubt his head was FILLED with all sorts of folklore about what her people did to HIS people. They forced fornication on them, ate the resulting male babies, kept the females. The men’s heads were put on pikes; standard patriarcal panic and hate-mongering. This man had to be part of the ‘Doctor’s’ retinue. Much had changed since that strange man’s last visit. Donna’s sister had become emissary to Man’s World, and Donna wanted so badly to follow in her footsteps. But one could only become emissary by winning the contest, and there already being a winner, they wouldn’t hold another any time soon. But… there was another way to leave… Perhaps if she got in this man’s good graces and pleaded her case… “You shouldn’t be wandering alone,” she said, to spare the man from spiraling into further explanations and confusion. And she doubted he could have hurt a fly even if it landed in his mouth. Standing taller, she regarded the other formally. “I am Donna, daughter of Hippolyta. What is your name?”

His name. “Right.” What was his name?

“Rory,” he said, and only then did he think to rise from where he’d sat in the sand, his hands patting and swatting at his trousers to get the excess grains out of the cloth. “Er, I’m Rory, son of Emily.” He wasn’t really sure how to go about that particular introductory phrasing, but supposed that was close enough.

He held his hand out. Hopefully she’d come forward and take it so he could give it a proper shake-- for all his uncertainty in social situations, he had a fairly firm handshake-- but if not, then he’d just shove the thing back into his pocket.

“I’m not really wandering, though, I haven’t moved since I got here...” He looked behind him at the police box in all its unimposing height, then turned back to Donna with a small smile. “Or, well, since the TARDIS got here. I just wanted to bask in a little bit of sun.

“It’s a beautiful beach you have here. I don’t... the last time I’d been at a beach sort of thing, a fish-person tried to stab me with a giant pike.”

His head cocked slightly. “I wanted a better beach memory.

“Erm, Dr. Stevens?” After three knocks, Rory pushed the door to Beth’s office open, poking his head in. “Sorry to bother you during your break, but I’ve a quick status update. Mr. Lang’s condition should be stable for the night. After we siphoned the excess quantum energy out of him, it left him solid enough for me to stitch him up.”

The smile he managed was small, a little nervous. Though Beth was hardly the definition of the worst mentor-- it was hard not to think her one of the best, given he was doing his residency with the Avengers as patients-- that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking to be in her presence. He was a rookie doctor in just about every way, and this was someone who very much knew what she was doing. Rory didn’t feel lesser in her presence, but... sometimes, certainly, being around her made him want to be more.

“I...” He gulped. “H-Hello. You’re not going to, er, imprison me, are you?”

Ooh, and that was properly daft of him to say, wasn’t it? Rory crinkled his nose, but in his defence, the Doctor told him to stay put with the TARDIS whilst he and Amy made their way through the island. The Doctor, as it turned out, had been here before, and that was the only reason he wasn’t viewed with such doubt; it was better for Rory’s safety to stay with the TARDIS, he said. They didn’t really believe men to be much, he said. If he wanted to keep his balls--

In any case, he’d thought it would be all right to sit outside the TARDIS instead of being stuck in it. Themyscira was a beautiful place, and it was a right shame to be stuck indoors when he could have all that sun shining on him, especially with the TARDIS parked on the beach, of all things. Rory quite missed a proper Earth sun; alien suns were beautiful, but they were nothing like the sun of home. He’d not been to the beach in a long time, either.

John felt the hand ruffling his hair because of course Rory would have to really show that no he wasn’t being given the choice in the matter. He was the one that decided to go out and get himself seriously hurt. John should have known that Rory was going to tell him that he wasn’t going to be going anywhere. Not that he couldn’t have probably argued the point. He just didn’t think he really even wanted to. Was nice to be back here. Different place then usual but still had a nicer feel to it than being held up in whatever shit place he crashed at. 

He was going to have to borrow a shirt. His other one wasn’t worth keeping. He needed to throw that thing out. It wasn’t worth even trying to save. Wasn’t like he was all that attached to it. His coat on the other hand looked a good deal better. So there was at least that. Got away alive if not banged up and with his coat in decent shape. So he could count that as small mercies.

Was a good thing that he was around the same size as Rory. They were able to borrow each other’s clothes. Though he couldn’t remember the last time Rory had to wear something of his. But there had been a few times where he borrowed Rory’s shirt. Taking the offered shirt he gently put it on over his injuries before buttoning the shirt back up. Still fit then? Good thing to have friends your size. Though he didn’t think many other friends had to spend time stitching claw marks in a mates back.

Moving over to the counter that separated the kitchen and the living room hearing him talk about the kind of tea he would be making. “Didn’t forget.” Just didn’t get much of a chance to think about it these days. So John was sitting here watching him make tea and pop something into the microwave. Dinner and tea. Should really think about coming around here more often.

He actually might think about coming around more. Because really showing up just to scare the hell out of someone he’d known as long as he had seemed…he wasn’t sure the right word for it. But he cut ties with a lot of people thinking they were better off without his shit. Always ended up needing someone’s help and reminded him of how much he missed being around people. “Right right. Maybe next time I’ll actually show up wit’out needin th’ stitches jus’ to see if I can throw you off.”

Rory laughed from his place in the kitchen, and from the easy cross of his arms over his chest he lifted one of his hands to ruffle lightly at the hair on the back of his head. “If you manage to come visit me in one piece with a proper gift,” he said quite meaningfully, “I’ll give you fifty pounds.” Which wasn’t much, but it wasn’t like Rory was rolling in money to begin with.

The microwave beeped, so Rory took the container from it and brought it over to the table in front of the couch, making it so the oven mitt he wore was under it as a buffer between the hot glass and the table. He had a fork with him, which he handed John’s way; it’d be a bit of a drag moving to eat, but it was better than not eating at all.

“You still like your tea too strong, Johnno?” he asked, coming back into the kitchen and pouring the now hot water of the kettle into one of his mugs. None of Rory’s mugs matched-- they were the product of thrift stores and random curiosities-- and the one that he filled for John had kittens playing with balls of yarn as a pattern on sky blue ceramic. “How about milk, sugar, honey?”

Rory ended up pouring some for himself, too, and as usual put a bit too much sugar in and just a splash of milk.

sing in pitch, make a paper airplane, twisting your tongue, tie a tie, playing an instrument, rolling “R’s”, being bilingual, raise one eyebrow, swim, juggling, can drive, whistle with fingers, touch nose with tongue, solve a rubik’s cube, cartwheel, spin basketball on hand, coding, walking on hands, licking elbow, artist, backflip, make balloon animals, skateboard basics, magic tricks, surf, being a pro-gamer, beatbox, fold an origami crane, can fly a plane, sign language, sign with mouth closed, jump over 2m, talking backwards, hold breath for 5+ minutes, hold breath for 10+ minutes

TAGGED BY: @thecursedhellblazer​ + @theaxquccn​

It hadn’t been that he had forgotten he just honestly didn’t want to tell too many people until he had everything figured out. He had been working his way through some things. Yes he might have had something tucked away for the nurse to but he didn’t have to explain that bit did he? John did owe him for that though. He didn’t tell him that he nearly died of cancer of all things. John never thought that was going to be what killed him. Even if he heard since he was a teenager how bad smoking was for him. He still kept with the habit. Never bothering to even try to quit. The cancer had him thinking about it for a time. But it did a good bit for his stress relief so John threw the thought away.

Things he wanted to do before he actually managed to die? Had he even had a chance to stop and think about that anymore. Things were always so exciting. What was there to think about doing. Though having a few days where they could relax for a while, John was sure they could think of something. Three days where he didn’t have anything going on? Wasn’t Rory back in school? Doctor thing this time around. “Wantin’ me to distract you from school again?” He asked, grinning remembering dragging him away from studying a couple times.

“Could always relive some of th’ old days. Bigger spells though.” He wondered if Rory still had any of what he collected to make sure they didn’t get themselves killed whenever he wanted to try something new. If not they could probably do something a little calmer for a time. Because as Rory pointed out. He might have owed him one for not giving him a quick phone call.

Rory’s cheeks warmed slightly at the tease, and he huffed quite indignantly as he waved a hand in front of him. “It’s not that I want you to distract me--

“There’s nothing to be distracted from! It’s just one of those miracle days where I don’t have shifts and an exam isn’t coming on and...”

Lord, it wasn’t like he owed John an explanation, anyway. Rory crinkled his nose, trying to change the subject-- he was a bit too old now to really think of John as a bad influence, and similarly John was too old as well, but it didn’t change the fact that it sort of fit all the same. ‘Distract him from school’-- John said that like it was one of Rory’s pastimes, and...

(All right, maybe it was.)

“Is that really your dream?” he asked, clearly unimpressed by John’s suggestion. “To practise spells with me again? That’s not really...” But then he thought about it, about how his own dreams skewed normal after the weirdness that was being a companion to the Doctor, and it made him wonder if John wanted that slice of normalcy... that brief bit of relaxation that his work prevented him from having.

And if he wanted to have it with Rory, specifically.

John grinned when Rory said that. “Well someone has to do it.” John wasn’t very good at keeping himself from getting hurt. Hell wasn’t like it was easy with the way things could get back home. Rory’s folks were a hell of a lot nicer. So he tended to like it more here. Though he still had to go home on occasion. His sister was already gone, it had gotten worse when she walked out. John didn’t tell Rory about how bad that actually got. About a few ideas John had in his mind during that time either. Staying over here helped when that happened. 

It was hard to remember how John actually met Rory. He was pretty sure it was some damn school thing when they were little. But there was a lot that had happened over the years. The dumb things kids could come up with. Rory could go along with a lot of John’s crazy ideas. Patch him up whenever something went wrong. So honestly it was weird thinking about the idea that they wouldn’t be around each other as much. Rory was going to have school shit he would have to get done. But still he could come in most of the time.

John wasn’t too surprised when Rory’s head rested on his shoulder. Affection was something he was pretty open with. It was something John had gotten used to rather quickly. It was usually just with the people he knew of course. So of course he could get like this with him. He seemed worried about the idea that he wouldn’t be around as much. How attached Rory was to John was surprised about that sometimes. Thinking sometimes that there was plenty wrong with him. Why else would things at home be the way they were.

“Bein a dick is kinda wha’ I’m good at.” John joked because he really couldn’t let Rory get too stuck in the school work. He had to have a bit of fun. “But yeah tha’ was th’ plan anyway. Someone’s gotta get you out of wha’ever room you’re in.” 

Then there was the part he hadn’t thought of actually looking for a place. “Was thinkin’ of crashin one someone’s couch but tha’s not a bad idea either.” Not that he thought he would have much money. That was fine he was getting better at finding ways to get some though. So maybe he could make that work.

“I’m not-- I wouldn’t be stuck in a room, John!” Rory said, except they both knew he was lying. Without his friends, Rory would be indoors reading all day if he had any choice about it; hell, he’d spent most of the past few days inside working on reviewers and flash cards for their examinations, but in Rory’s defence, he refused to let either of them flunk in any way. Much as graduation meant that they wouldn’t be classmates any more, John had worked far too hard to be held back in any way.

And, hell, what would graduation even be without him? John had been there every time they moved on from one thing to the next-- it wouldn’t have felt right to leave compulsory education without him.

His nose crinkled slightly at his plan, regardless. “Do you even know someone whose couch you could sleep on?” Somehow the concept of John knowing enough strangers around England to pull it off no matter where Rory ended up was... well, implausible, simply put.

“Mate,” he said plainly, “you are not that charming.

Listening to him rant or well ramble about whatever was on his mind really wasn’t that big of a deal. He put up with a lot of shit from John. So why would he tell him to keep his mouth shut? It wasn’t like John couldn’t run his mouth without thinking either. He wouldn’t have much reason unless they were in some kind of trouble and John needed to concentrate. In this it was better than quiet. 

“You’d rather me keep showin up?” Most of the time it was in cases like this. Where he was getting patched up from one case that got out of hand or another. “Here I was thinkin’ I spent too much time freakin you out to do tha’.” John was of course only partly joking. He was sure he worried the other man when he showed up looking like he had actually just got torn up by an animal. Most of the time it was something from hell but that could still be close enough.

The next part wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the part with the needles. A dull ache while he put the next part on so he could wrap him up. More time looking like he was dressing for Halloween or some shit. It was fine. Least he’d be about finished for the moment. Wondering if he should stay or if he would be wanted out.

Turns out Rory was asking him if he wanted to stay the night. Least stay for dinner. He still aches and would very much like to stay in one place for now. “I could stay for a bit. Doesn’t sound like you were gonna give me much choice.” He said in a clearly teasing tone.

“No,” Rory said, and with John bandaged up properly he reached up to ruffle his hair like he was a kid, “I wasn’t going to give you much choice at all.” But he smiled as he said it, getting to his feet and taking his kit with him. “Stay there-- I’ll come back with a new shirt.” The one John had was more or less tattered now, after all, to the point of being unsalvageable. The tears were just too big.

He disappeared both to put the kit away and to retrieve another button-down from his own wardrobe. They were fortunate in that John was more or less the same size; but he’d tended to be, growing up, so it wasn’t like much had changed. Rory came back with another long-sleeved thing, even though it was black instead of white, and then motioned for John to lift his arms as much as he could so that he could pull the sleeves on and button it up for him without getting John to move so much. Wouldn’t do good to force those stitches to shift.

“There you go,” he said, once he’d buttoned it up nearly all the way, just like John always wore most of his shirts. “That’s as good as we can get you right now. Now I’m going to go make you some tea.”

Rory’s flat wasn’t big, so it wasn’t like he went far to do it. The only thing that really separated the kitchen from the living room were some smartly-placed counters. He put the kettle on, and from his cupboard he pulled a box of tea to retrieve a bag from it. “I’m going to make you the sleepy time stuff-- sleep’s good for healing, in case you forgot.

Where does she start. “You’re training to be a nurse Rory not a therapist-” Thea remarked although if she thought about it trauma and grief counseling probably was part of his training. “My brother went missing, five years. He came back but was a whole different person. I fell into bad life choices. Came here to leave that behind, to leave my family behind. Blah blah sad crap that you shouldn’t have to listen to. I appreciate it Rory, I do-” she patted his hand gently showing genuine gratitude he felt the need to offer her support. “You have enough burdens on your shoulders already, no need to carry mine as well. “

Sweet, sweet Rory, always there for everyone. It was clear to see why his friends loved him. He would be graduating this year and leaving her behind, or at least that’s what she often teased him about.

“I wanna hear about your life. Other than becoming a badass nurse that will win the Nightingale award by 30 do you have any life plans in motion?”

Rory opened his mouth to argue, to say that just because I don’t have to hear it doesn’t mean I don’t want to, but he picked up that subtle shift in Thea’s tone-- the truth that, probably, it just wasn’t something she needed to talk about any more. Her brother had disappeared, and chances were it had affected enough in her life back home that she’d gotten tired of it.

Rory didn’t understand loss like that. He could read about it, and he could do his best to accommodate it, but he’d never truly get it-- and such were the woes of being normal, he imagined.

In any case, he nodded his head, taking Thea’s hand for a bit just to give it a squeeze. “Funny,” he said, “that I ended up the one who needed reassurance. But all right-- my life? You ask that like there’s anywhere to begin...

“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was little, if that’s worth anything. I don’t... exactly know what ‘badass nurse’ would entail, meanwhile, but I’m gonna take that as a compliment.” He grinned a bit, sheepish as he let their joined hands drop and swung them lazily. “And I suppose I want a house of my own, someplace I can have a yard... I’ve a grandmother with the prettiest rose garden. Always thought something like that would be nice.

“They’re really quite ordinary dreams.” He crinkled his nose. “Nothing sexy.

“Unless you think me having my own bank account’s especially fetching? I’m proud of it, but that’s only because being a grown-up’s really... exciting to me.” He smiled, a bit shyly. “You know. Living my own life...”