Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Language:
English
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
Stats:
Published:
2020-11-05
Words:
1,468
Chapters:
1/1
Kudos:
15
Bookmarks:
1
Hits:
1,391

Don't do domestic

Summary:

the Doctor doesn’t do domestic and Jack’s experience of it includes five years trapped in a time loop with a psychopath so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to him.  Does what they have count?

Work Text:

Don’t do domestic
by Lilithangel
 

 
do·mes·tic
1 a: living near or about human habitations b: tame, domesticated <the domestic cat>3: of or relating to the household or the family <domestic chores> <domestic happiness>4: devoted to home duties and pleasure.

 
 
“Don’t do domestic,” the Doctor said with his head stuck underneath the console.  “Pass us the sonic screwdriver when you’re done.”
 
“Sure,” Jack said from next to him, “never understood the domestic urge myself.  Staying in one place is boring.  Here you go.” He passed the screwdriver over.
 
The Doctor shifted slightly so Jack could reach the secondary coupling and Jack held the wire in place so he could solder it.
 
“Think that did it,” the Doctor said as the TARDIS hummed.
 
“Yep,” Jack said, “much better harmonic from our sweet lady now.”  He climbed out and offered the Doctor a hand up.
 
“Sometimes I think you love her more than you love me,” the Doctor teased, accepting the offered hand long enough to find his feet.
 
“You know there’s room in my heart for a TARDIS and a Time Lord,” Jack said.
 
“And several of those Seregilians we met the other day,” the Doctor said.
 
“Weren’t they gorgeous?” Jack said, smiling at the memory, “those secondary sexual organs were very adaptable.”
 
They moved down the corridor to the bathroom.
 
“I don’t know if Rose expected you to adapt over the sitting room floor,” the Doctor replied.  He threw Jack a cloth and ran the water.
 
“She did look a bit shocked,” Jack said, elbowing the Doctor so he could see in the mirror.  “You missed a spot,” he added, wiping a smudge from the Doctor’s cheek.
 
“Ta,” the Doctor said.
 
“Could you pass us the…” Jack gestured and the Doctor handed him a comb.
 
“Would you mind…” the Doctor said and Jack tossed him the hand towel.
 
* * * * *
 
“Nothing beats a good cup of tea,” the Doctor said happily, “possibly the best thing the human race ever invented, tea.”  He added the tea leaves to the pot and poured the water over, inhaling with pleasure.
 
Jack smiled absently as he poured over the schematics.  The Doctor slid a cup of coffee in front of him and sat down, pulling the plans closer.
 
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Jack said, “This is pretty radical.” He leaned over the Doctor’s shoulder to point to an area on the plans that the Doctor was already worried about.
 
“It’s tricky but it should work,” the Doctor replied, “We just have to get the timing exactly right.”
 
“Hey,” Jack said as he sipped his coffee, “did you ever ask Martha where she got those chips from?  You know from when we first got back to earth and were hiding from the Master.”
 
“They were good chips,” the Doctor said.  “I really should.  Didn’t feel right back then to ask.  You know… after everything.”
 
“I’ll ask her if you like.”
 
“You wouldn’t mind?”
 
“Not at all.  We talk most every week, just keeping in touch you know.  She got engaged to that chap, Milligan.  Did she tell you?”
 
“Got the engagement invitation,” the Doctor said, “missed the party by a few light years unfortunately.”
 
“He seems nice.  When are you going to get another companion?”
 
“Don’t start,” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “I’m trying to avoid getting another mother attached to the deal.  They keep slapping me; it’s starting to become a habit.”
 
“You okay really?” Jack said with concern.
 
“As I can be.  Anyway, how’s that team of yours?”
 
“Rebuilding slowly.”
 
“Right then…” the Doctor put down his teacup.  “Let’s get this thing built.  Those Graglenform will have nearly eaten through the temporary wall we put up.”
 
When they opened the door they found the Graglenform had indeed eaten though the temporary wall which had only been made up of a rubbish bin and two pairs of the Doctor’s shoes.  The Graglenform were small but determined critters.
 
Afterwards they sat in a Laundromat in their underwear, waiting for their clothes to dry and tried to drink the hot beverages available from the machine in the wall.
 
“Brilliant idea,” the Doctor had said when he first saw it, “tea from a wall.”  His face had got very still when he drank it though.  
 
Jack had stifled a laugh until he’d tried his coffee.  “I can never tell Ianto I drank this,” he said mournfully.  “You know we could have gone to the Hub and Ianto would have taken our clothes to the drycleaners.”
 
“I like these places,” the Doctor said, carefully putting his tea aside, “besides if I remember right there is a shop around the corner that does some of the best chips in Cardiff.”
 
“He’s an alien you know,” Jack said.
 
“MJ? Oh I know that,” the Doctor said, “I’m surprised you do.  I would have thought Torchwood would have got rid of him.”
 
“And give up those chips?” Jack raised an eyebrow, “I thought you knew better than that Doctor.”
 
They dressed in their clean clothes and Jack grimaced at the wrinkles in his trousers.  “Ianto is not going to be pleased with me,” he said.
 
“Are you beginning to understand domestic, Captain?” the Doctor said with a grin.
 
Jack blushed and grinned ruefully.  “Maybe I am.  If domestic includes having a relationship with an employee who gets far too much enjoyment out of his butler persona.”
 
Jack bought the Doctor some chips and they wandered down to the waterfront to eat them.  The Doctor tossed some to the demanded seagulls and watched them swoop down to snatch the chips out of the air.
 
Jack walked the Doctor back to the TARDIS.  “I’ll call Martha and get the name of that chip shop in London,” he said, giving the TARDIS an affectionate pat.
 
“Excellent,” the Doctor said, “call me when you know and we’ll meet up.”
 
“It’s a date,” Jack said.
 
* * * * *
 
“Don’t forget your coat,” Jack said as they headed for the door.  The Doctor stared at him quizzically and he looked embarrassed.  “I’m doing it again aren’t I?”
 
“I am 900 years old you know,” the Doctor said, “treating me like a child is a bit off.”
 
“You’ve been 900 years old for as long as I’ve known you, Doctor,” Jack replied, “soon I’m going to be old enough to be your father.”
 
“It was bad enough when everyone thought Donna and I were married without anyone thinking you’re my father,” the Doctor pouted.
 
“At least you don’t look like your other self any more.”
 
“Even in a different universe that was a bit weird.  Pretty amazing but still weird.”
 
“This from a man who changes his face at regular intervals.”
 
“This from a man who’s face doesn’t change.”
 
“Fair enough.  So once we get this part we should be good to go?”
 
“You betcha.”
 
“Thanks for helping me with this.  I never expected to grow my own TARDIS,” Jack said.
 
“I never expected that bitty bit of coral on your desk to ever seed,” the Doctor admitted.
 
“You knew?”
 
“Of course I knew.  Time Lord, remember?”
 
“More of a Time Boy some days.”
 
“Hey…”
 
They moved around the fledgling TARDIS, pruning and shaping it ready for the first components to be installed.  The Doctor had found an extrapolator to work as the primary drive unit to start with, since the one they had installed in his TARDIS all those years ago had now been completely integrated.
 
Memories overlaid their actions and the Doctor looked up at Jack.  “You know you are something else Jack Harkness.”
 
“I know,” Jack grinned.
 
“I mean it,” the Doctor said, “I’ve never had a companion in my entire history that’s travelled with three different regenerations.  Normally they don’t fit with the new me, or I don’t fit with them.  Sarah Jane met four and I suppose you could argue she travelled with three, but it wasn’t same.”
 
“I’m unique,” Jack replied with another grin.
 
“The first me you met, he was pretty damaged but you and Rose saved him.  I didn’t think you’d like the next me, let’s face it I was a bastard at times.”
 
“You’re still you though,” Jack replied.  “Whatever changes you’ll always be my Doctor.  You still babble like the last one sometimes and I enjoy working on the TARDIS with you like I did the first time around.”
 
“Rose couldn’t see that, none of my other companions could really see that.  Sarah Jane I think was beginning to understand that, but even she treats me like a child now.  Do I really look that young?”
 
“Honestly I did wonder if the TARDIS had been hijacked by an emo rock band at first.”
 
“Thank you so very much.  Pass us the small scissors will you, I just need to prune a bit over here.”
 
“Just need to borrow your screwdriver for a minute.”
 
“You know I really should build you your own.”
 
“Really?’ Jack beamed.
 
“You are ridiculously easy to please you know?”
 
“You have no idea.”
 
“Don’t waggle your eyebrows at me.  Although you know… this body probably fancies you the most so far.”
 
“Now you’re just teasing.”
 
“Maybe… buy me a drink and we’ll talk.”
 
“You know you get annoyed when they ask you for ID.”
 
“Are you trying to back out, after all these years?”
 
“Hell no.”
 

END