Work Text:
The halls of the research centre had fallen quiet long ago. Most of the rooms were empty, their lights switched off and the machines within set to slumber through the night. It had been hours since the sun had set, and even by Dottore’s standards, it had been a particularly hectic day. By the time he’d had a chance to glance up at the clock and realise just how late it was, the hour hand had just managed to drag itself back to its zenith - midnight, six hours past his usual clock-off time. A new record. He scowled back down at the notes and vials on the desk in front of him, half-tempted to keep working, but even he had his limits. If the breakthrough hadn’t wormed itself into his brain by this stage, each hour past midnight would only reduce his chances, so he scribbled down a last few notes, set his vials back into the locked cupboard with the others, and began the slow process of powering down the machinery.
Another half an hour had passed by the time Dottore trundled across the parking lot to his car, thankful that the brisk temperature helped to wake him up a little. Luckily, the drive home wasn’t terribly long, otherwise there would have been a very real risk of falling asleep at the wheel. With no traffic at this hour and the incentive of a warm bed - significantly more comfortable than the couches at the research centre, which he unfortunately knew from experience - the drive only took him fifteen minutes until he was pulling into the garage beneath their apartment. That was only the first part of the journey home, and once the ignition was switched off it took him a long moment to summon enough energy to actually get out of the car. It wasn’t until he’d hauled himself up the two flights of stairs and was in sight of his apartment door that he truly felt the toll of the day overwhelm him. His shins ached from standing for so many hours, the soles of his feet burned, his fingers and hands were cramping from overuse, and his shoulders were even more slumped than usual. Dottore was exhausted , the most he had been in a very long time. Even the few steps between the stairs and the door felt like a mile, but the effort would be worth it. No matter how far he’d have to travel, getting home would always be worth it.
Because no matter how long the journey was, his dearest Lumine would always be waiting for him.
Dottore’s protesting fingers fumbled to unlock the door and his sore knees groaned as they shuffled him inside. Dropping his work bag to the ground, he shut the door behind him and locked it again before shrugging out of his coat with a long, weary sigh.
“I’m home,” he announced softly, scanning the dining area and kitchen.
A light had been left on for him even though both rooms were empty - dinner would be waiting for him in the fridge as usual on his late work nights, but Dottore was too tired to eat. He switched off the kitchen light and headed towards the bedroom. She had likely gone to bed a couple of hours ago, thinking he wouldn’t be far away only to fall asleep while waiting for him to arrive. If he was quiet, he might even be able to slip into bed without disturbing her, though the thought did give him a twinge of disappointment. There was no better cure for the trials and challenges of the world than to feel Lumine’s arms around him and the gentle brush of her lips on his… Dottore was almost too distracted thinking about to notice the light on in the living room, and only paused once he’d stepped past the doorway. Backing up a step, he stuck his head past the door and immediately spotted the familiar figure on the couch, one of his old jumpers slumped loosely over her shoulders, her limbs curled up to fit on the narrow space.
Lumine was sound asleep.
The sight of her brought a smile to his tired face, the dark rings under his eyes lessening as his lips curled upwards. It was always a pleasure to see someone so rambunctious in a state of such blissful peace. As quietly as he possibly could, Dottore crept into the room, avoiding the spots where he knew the floor would creak under his weight. When he was close enough, he knelt down in front of her, admiring the serene expression of slumber on her face and the slight parting of her soft lips. Her sides rose and fell in a steady rhythm, a sleeve of his jumper pressed between her cheek and her hands. Dottore almost wanted to leave her there because she looked so peaceful, but he knew she’d feel sore in the morning from the position she was in, and there wasn’t enough room here for him to join him. Spending a night without Lumine in his arms simply wasn’t an option.
“Little dove…,” he whispered, “it’s me. You need to wake up.”
Her breathing hitched and she frowned. A soft groan hummed from her chest, her body curling up even tighter as though trying to hide away from the disturbance - Dottore felt his heart swell a little at how adorable she was. Then she seemed to pause, one hand reaching out blindly to brush against his hair.
“Mm…? D…Dotto…?” Her voice was raspy, but it still sounded like music to him. “...Dottore?”
“Apologies, my love, but you’ve fallen asleep on the couch.”
Finally, her amber eyes blinked open and squinted at him - the drowsy frown turned into a warm smile. “Hey… You’re late again.”
“Long day at the lab,” he sighed, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on her fingers. “I lost track of the hour. We’re getting closer to more consistent results, however. By next week I’m sure I’ll be able to…”
Lumine’s free hand stretched out to cover his mouth, and she frowned again.
“No work talk. Bed.”
Thanks to the light still on in the room, Dottore was treated to the sight of her blushing when he kissed the palm of the hand on his face, and she quickly pulled it away. Before she could escape, however, Dottore followed her, and his lips found hers gently, briefly - the taste of her lips against his was enough to rejuvenate him. The fatigue of the day had still worn him down to the bone, but the love he had for her was enough to shave the long hours away and put life back into his old body. He’d never find the courage to admit it to her openly, but she was the greatest thing to ever happen to him, the dearest thing in his life, the sole force that could keep him going when the world seemed too bitter to endure. With that thought in mind, Dottore kissed her again, more firmly, and she hummed happily against him - almost like a purring cat.
“Alright, bed,” he smirked. “Shall I carry you?”
“In your dreams,” snorted Lumine.
She kept the jumper clutched around her shoulders as they helped each other back onto their feet and guided each other to the bedroom. Knowing how tired he was, Lumine helped Dottore out of his work clothes, carefully and quickly unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it from his shoulders, sneaking in soft kisses as the layers of the day were stripped away from him, tasting his lips, his jaw, his neck, his back… With every touch of her lips, the aches and cricks in his body eased. Parting from her even briefly seemed like a torment, so he hurried to wash his face and brush his teeth as quickly as possible as she got herself changed, and when he returned they tumbled into the bed together. Once the blankets had been tugged up to their chins to keep out the cold, she nestled in against his chest and he wound his arms around her, holding her small frame against his taller one, letting her legs intertwine with his and her nose bump against his chin. The warmth in his chest kept out any trace of the chill, blossoming out from his heart to the very tips of his fingers where they rubbed against the small of Lumine’s back.
“I cooked paneer makhani for dinner, you know,” she mumbled into the dark, as his eyes started to feel too heavy to keep open.
“Did you? I wasn’t aware you knew how to.”
“You said it’s one of your favourites, so I looked up a recipe.” There was a pause. “It didn’t turn out very good…”
Dottore chuckled. “Nonsense. Your cooking is marvellous.”
“I added too much spice.”
“I’m sure it will taste just fine. I’ll bring it to work tomorrow, in fact.” He tilted his chin to kiss her on the forehead. It wasn’t the first time she’d tried cooking meals from his childhood, and he had yet to tell her just how delightful her efforts were - he had a feeling she somehow knew anyway. Maybe he should remind her the next time, with a special kiss perhaps, or a present of some kind…
“Promise me you won’t be late tomorrow,” she murmured against him, cuddling up closer and letting his arms draw her in. “I missed you tonight… a lot …”
“Lumine…”
“ Promise .” Her voice was firmer this time, and she poked a finger into his chest. “Or else I’ll make you sleep on the couch.”
A dire threat. When her tone got that edge to it, Dottore knew better than to doubt her word - she could be far more fearsome than any disease he spent his work hours researching. He was close to a breakthrough, yes, but whatever his Lumine asked of him, he could never let her down. The whole world could be waiting on the brink of collapse and Dottore would leave it to plummet over the edge if she willed it. Only Lumine had this control over him, only she held the keys to his heart, and he was perfectly content with that. Considered himself to be rather lucky, in fact. So if she wanted him to take a night off, Dottore would make that happen at whatever cost necessary.
“Hehehe. Of course, Lumine. I promise.”
“Good…”
Her body relaxed under his hold, her breathing becoming softer and steadier. Soon he recognised the gentle rhythm of sleep that had crept over her and smiled to himself. A night off might be precisely what the doctor ordered, if it meant spending his time with Lumine instead of being surrounded by vials and machines. After all, what better medicine could there be than closeness with the one he loved, with someone as wonderful and precious to him as his little songbird? With Lumine at his side, every other problem in Dottore’s busy life seemed suddenly insignificant. And no matter what it took, he would never let her go.
His eyes slipped closed, and with his lips against Lumine’s hair to breathe in her familiar scent, sleep instantly overwhelmed him. There could be no dream as sweet as the reality of holding Lumine in his arms.