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Early mornings in Snezhnaya could easily plummet in the negatives, freezing you down to your very core. You awoke to a cold chill nipping at your face, icy fangs trying to sink into your skin. It caused you to stir, a soft groan falling from your lips as you rolled over and tried to escape the chill. You ended up rolling straight into your bed fellow, blankets tangled around you and almost smothering you as you were buried beneath the layers. You rubbed the sleep from your bleary eyes, stifling a loud yawn behind your hand as you peeked at the person lying next to you. You carefully shuffled closer, careful not to disturb his slumber as you snuggled closer to the warmth of his body. If he was awake, he'd quite possibly push you to the other side of the bed and watch you squirm on the cold side. But the illustrious Il Dottore was currently sleeping and thus couldn't react.
He looked quite peaceful lying beside you, eyes closed and breathing light as he continued to sleep through the freezing winter morning. It was rare for him to be sleeping beside you. You could probably count the number of times you had woken next to him on your fingers. You carefully reached out with your hand, fingers curling around a few strands of pastel blue as you brushed his hair out of his eyes. You noted the dark bags lingering under his eyes, causing an uncomfortable knot to settle in the pit of your stomach. When he got caught up in his work, his sleeping pattern would go awry. A few hours here, a couple of hours there. You vaguely recall him crawling back to you in the middle of the night, collapsing beside you without a word before you had drifted back to sleep. You sighed heavily as you brushed your hand through his hair. Some Doctor he was. He could barely take care of himself.
You leaned closer to him, continuing to admire his features under the pale light filtering through the curtains. You gently cupped his cheek, your fingers tingling as you touched his warm skin. He barely twitched, legs tangled with yours and a single arm slung around your waist. It was a reminder that even when you slept, you couldn't escape him. A small smile tilted your lips as you traced the tips of your fingers over the scars on his face, dipping into the scarred flesh with a featherlight touch. Out of all his segments, this one was the most...you hesitated around the word vulnerable. If he ever heard that word leave your lips, he'd most likely choke you. But you couldn't think of any other word to use. This version of Dottore was the most open with his feelings, the most comfortable around you...quite possibly the gentlest with you. Gentle was another word you hesitated with. As you continued to run your fingers along Dottore's face, lost in a sea of thoughts, you failed to realise that your sleeping partner had finally come to in the waking world.
You gasped sharply when a hand suddenly snatched your wrist, causing you to halt in your ministrations as you were held with a bruising grip. Your eyes darted around until you finally caught his gaze, your breath catching in your throat. His ruby stare unnerved you, every hair on the back of your neck standing up as his glare pierced your soul. You audibly gulped, trying to pull your hand free but unable to twist it out of his intense grip.
"What were you doing?" Dottore asked, voice thick with sleep.
A warm puff of air fanned across your cheeks, tickling your skin with each breath he took. He continued to openly stare at you, awaiting a response from you. You squirmed under his intense gaze and after a short reprieve of gathering your thoughts, you responded.
"I was...umm, admiring your handsome features..."
He stared at you for an unsettling amount of time in complete silence, observing you like you were a new specimen crawling around in a petri dish. You could scarcely breathe, unsure what he was going to do next. He could be unpredictable and not even you could anticipate how he would respond to any given situation. It had taken him an obscene amount of time to be comfortable around you to even let his guard down enough to show you his scars. You really hoped you hadn't somehow soured the trust you shared. Your heart skipped a beat as his grip around your wrist eased, a small sigh escaping his parted lips.
"Feh, what a strange creature" he muttered, lips pressing against your fingers as he spoke.
The tension in your shoulders eased, body slowly starting to relax once more as the knot in your stomach unravelled. Instead of pushing you away, like you had been expecting, he leaned into you, tired mind only just barely registering how much he was starved for your touch. You were pleasantly surprised when he pulled you closer by your waist, hand against the bare skin of your back as he held you close. His eyes started to droop, fatigue still evident on his face as he ran his fingers up and down the length of your spine. You found the repetition to be a little odd. A playful smile tilted the corners of your lips.
"Sizing me up for your scalpel blade, Doctor?" you joked.
Dottore grunted in response, his finger digging into the spot he would make the first incision.
"Keep talking and I might."
You giggled softly, gaining a little extra confidence as you twirled a lock of his hair around your finger. You could see the sleep tugging at his eyes, forcing them to start closing again no matter how hard he tried to fight it off for just a moment longer.
"You wouldn't get rid of me. I'm an invaluable asset to you" you said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
His thumb pressed against your hip, idly tracing the indents his teeth had left behind on a previous night as a small hum bubbled up his throat. You could feel his breath on the inside of your wrist, your pulse jumping under the press of his mouth as he spoke.
"Asset?"
"I'm sorry did I say asset? I meant arse hat."
A small puff of air rushed past his lips; the small action akin to a half-hearted chuckle.
"Whatever you say, dear."
His eyes fell close once more, head abruptly dropping as he started to nod off. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, wisps of soft hair tickling your skin as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck. Your eyes widened in surprise as you stared at the top of his head, unsure where to put your hands as his arms snaked around your waist to hold you close. He took a deep breath, inhaling your familiar scent and sighing with content.
"How are you so damn comfortable?" he mumbled into your neck, sharp teeth against your throat as they scraped your skin. "It's like we're a matching pair of puzzle pieces. A perfect fit."
You had barely caught what he had said as he dozed off, sleep consuming his consciousness once more. His ear was pressed to your chest, listening to the steady beat of your heart. It took you a moment to process the bizarre events that had transpired, trying to wrap your head around how it had occurred…with Dottore. You smiled softly, wrapping your arms around him as you held him close. You stroked the baby hairs on the back of his neck, lips brushing against the top of his head before you rested your chin on it. You closed your eyes, basking in such a rare moment.