@nerditudes wrote, āOh itās YOU!ā Chocolate lips spread in an overjoyed smile as the Doctor gazed affectionately atā himself. A younger version. So so long ago now.
āLook at you, bow tie man. Let me tell you something you donāt hear NEARLY enough. You. Are. ABSOLUTELY WORKING that look. And I mean the fez? Come on. Come onā say the thing you sayā for old timeās sake?ā
Perhaps he seemed like an over enthusiastic fan. Heād mistaken himself for one beforeā the LINDA lot had been a bit of a thorn in his side, but he found them charming. Heād even met fans that were CONVINCED his life was a television program. Even if they no longer existed (as far as he knew), he remembered them.
theĀ doctorĀ freezesĀ mid-step.Ā notĀ aĀ dramaticĀ freezeāĀ moreĀ theĀ ohĀ no,Ā thisĀ isĀ notĀ onĀ theĀ scheduleĀ sort.Ā could'veĀ swornĀ heĀ wasĀ onlyĀ allowedĀ twelveĀ regens. veryĀ clearĀ onĀ that,Ā actually.Ā lawsĀ ofĀ theĀ timeĀ lords,Ā carvedĀ intoĀ theĀ bonesĀ ofĀ reality,Ā neatĀ &Ā finiteĀ &Ā final.Ā &Ā heĀ wasĀ onĀ hisĀ lastĀ face.Ā thisĀ one.Ā bowĀ tie,Ā tweed,Ā tooĀ manyĀ thoughtsĀ &Ā notĀ enoughĀ time.Ā endĀ ofĀ theĀ line.Ā noĀ possibleĀ wayĀ thisĀ wasĀ him. bit of a technical detail, that.Ā
hisĀ eyesĀ flickĀ fromĀ theĀ grinĀ toĀ theĀ coatĀ toĀ theĀ veryĀ familiarĀ gazeĀ wearingĀ aĀ fewĀ moreĀ years.
ā blimey, ā Ā heĀ murmurs, almost reverent now. ā lookĀ atĀ youā me.Ā us. āĀ heĀ circlesĀ himĀ once,Ā slow,Ā handsĀ tuckedĀ intoĀ hisĀ tweedĀ pockets,Ā headĀ tiltedĀ likeĀ heāsĀ inspectingĀ aĀ paradoxĀ withĀ particularlyĀ rudeĀ posture.Ā thereāsĀ fondnessĀ there,Ā unmistakable,Ā tuckedĀ beneathĀ theĀ rapid-fireĀ analysis.Ā elevenĀ stopsĀ inĀ frontĀ ofĀ him,Ā eyesĀ bright,Ā sharp,Ā curious.Ā softerĀ thanĀ heĀ expects.
ā workingĀ theĀ look ? āĀ heĀ repeats.Ā then,Ā louder,Ā defensiveĀ cheerĀ snappingĀ backĀ intoĀ place,Ā ā wellĀ obviously.Ā bowĀ tiesĀ areĀ cool.Ā thisĀ isnātĀ news. ā
a beat, fiddling with the maroon colored fabric worn around his shirt collar.
ā youĀ lookĀ good, āĀ heĀ says,Ā almostĀ surprisedĀ byĀ howĀ easilyĀ theĀ wordsĀ come.Ā ā happyāĀ bitĀ cheeky.Ā definitelyĀ me. ā
hisĀ smileĀ tugsĀ crooked,Ā wonderĀ &Ā suspicionĀ sharingĀ space.Ā
ā quickĀ question, āĀ heĀ adds,Ā lightly,Ā likeĀ thisĀ isnātĀ theĀ mostĀ impossibleĀ thingĀ heāsĀ seenĀ allĀ week. ā howĀ areĀ you...Ā me ?Ā ā