The Doctor smiled as she parked the TARDIS, checking the date. Three hours early, much better than her last attempt. She had told Yaz, Ryan and Graham that she'd pick them up at midday, and it was 9am. Better early than late, she supposed!
Deciding to open her door, so that she could see when her friends approached, she was surprised to see Yaz running past the TARDIS, shouting a quick hello over her shoulder. Glancing around, the Doctor couldn't see anybody chasing her, but didn't want to run the risk of her being on her own if the thing she was running from caught up. Making her decision, she stepped out of the TARDIS, locked the door behind her, and took off after Yaz.
It took about ten minutes and a few wrong turns for the Doctor to catch up with Yaz in a park. The younger woman was keeping a steady pace, not looking behind her, so she jumped slightly when the Doctor called her name as she jogged up behind her.
"Hi Doctor, are you okay?" asked Yaz.
"Of course, are you?" the Doctor replied.
"Yep, I'm good. Why are you following me? I'm seeing you in a couple of hours."
"Just thought I'd keep you company!" The Doctor said enthusiastically. After all, it wasn't a complete lie.
So they ran, side by side, for the next hour, the Doctor gradually getting more tired, sweat dripping down her back as her coat billowed out behind her. In hindsight, she should have taken that off before she set off. Eventually, she gave up, asking the question that she thought she would have had the answer to by now.
"Yaz," she panted, slightly tripping over her own feet in exhaustion, "Who are you running from?"
Jogging on the spot, letting the Doctor bend over, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, Yaz couldn't help but look slightly confused.
"I'm not running from anyone. What made you think I was?"
"Well… you were running… what were you running from if not a person?" The Doctor couldn't quite get it straight in her head.
"I was just running," Yaz replied, shrugging whilst continuing to jog on the spot.
"But… why?"
"For exercise," Yaz explained. "I have to keep fit for my job, and we have regular reassessments, so I have to be able to run a certain distance in a certain time. Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but we do a lot of running ourselves. Running from death gives you a certain incentive to keep moving, but it's always good to keep your fitness up."
Nodding, the Doctor seemed to finally understand. Straightening up again, she scrunched her nose as she suddenly thought of one more question.
"Wait, so why am I running?"
Yaz laughed. "I have no idea, Doctor! But I think you've reached your limit. Why don't you go back to the TARDIS and rest? I've got a couple more miles to go, and then when I've had a shower, I'll be good to go."
The Doctor agreed, and started to walk back to the TARDIS, a small smile on her face as she heard Yaz giggling as she set off to finish her run.
The Doctor smiled as she heard the door open at 11.30. Yaz was always early. Not that the Doctor minded. She liked to have some one-on-one time with Yaz.
"Hey, Doctor, how are you feeling?" asked Yaz, smiling softly at the woman in front of her as she leant on the handrail near the entrance to the TARDIS. "You all recovered from your impromptu run?"
"I'm brilliant!" The Doctor responded. "Did you get where you wanted to get to?"
"I did indeed," Yaz said, "Achieved a new personal best, too!"
"Amazing!" The Doctor gushed. "You'll be top of the class at your next assessment, then!"
"Well, I don't know about that," Yaz shrugged, "There are plenty of people faster than me."
"But nobody better."
Yaz looked up at the Doctor's statement; said with such conviction that she couldn't find it in herself to contradict. The playfulness suddenly seemed to have gone from their conversation, so Yaz felt comfortable asking the question that had been playing on her mind for the last two miles of her run.
"Doctor, why did you follow me?"
"I thought somebody might have been chasing you. You weren't in your uniform, so I knew you weren't on shift, so you wouldn't have your colleagues to have your back."
"But I wasn't in danger," Yaz said, slightly confused.
"I couldn't take that risk."
The Doctor looked into Yaz's eyes, praying that she wouldn't ask her anything else. In hindsight, she felt a bit silly that the merest fleeting thought that something was after Yaz had the Doctor running with her for a whole hour, with no explanation.
Yaz, who until now had been hovering near the doorway, stepped up to the centre console, to stand next to the Time Lord who had followed her around Sheffield for over an hour with no reason to do so.
"You… you really followed me, just in case?" Yaz asked softly.
"We can't have a universe with no Yaz, remember?"
Yaz nodded. "You were really willing to follow me, with no information other than the fact that I was running?"
"Always." The Doctor whispered.
Yaz stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the Doctor's waist, smiling as she felt her friend's arms reciprocate the hug with just the same intensity as Yaz.
Pulling back slightly, but still holding the Doctor's waist, Yaz looked into her eyes. "I'd do exactly the same for you, you know."
The Doctor wanted to explain exactly why she didn't want Yaz to do that, but when she saw the affection in Yaz's eyes, all she could do was nod, lifting one hand up to cup Yaz's face, running a thumb softly over her cheek.
Yaz couldn't help herself. She leant forward, softly kissing the Doctor, who stepped back in surprise.
"Sorry, I'm sorry," Yaz stuttered, red heat rising up her face in embarrassment.
"No!" The Doctor said, reaching forward to grab Yaz's hand. "I just wasn't expecting it. I mean, I didn't think you would want to. I was hoping, of course I was, but for someone who talks so much about hope…" she trailed off as Yaz squeezed her hand.
"So," she said playfully, "If I've deciphered your ramblings correctly, am I right in thinking that you won't move away if I kiss you again?"
Please let me be right, Yaz thought.
"Yes!" The Doctor responded enthusiastically. "Clever girl, 500 points to Yaz! And three gold stars! And – oof!"
Yaz couldn't help but interrupt, moving a hand up to the back of the Doctor's neck, pulling her in for another kiss. Just a peck, just enough to stop her talking.
They stared at each other for a few loaded seconds, before the Doctor lunged forward, pressing Yaz against the centre console, kissing her with an enthusiasm that she normally only showed when talking about purple sofas and custard creams.
Yaz and the Doctor were lost in each other, completely engrossed in their current activity. Well, until they heard, what they thought was a young girl squeal at the doorway to the TARDIS.
Breaking apart, they saw Ryan and Graham stood at the door, Ryan with his jaw on the floor, and Graham with one hand over his eyes.
"Erm, shall we come back later, Doc?" asked Graham, still refusing to look.
"No, no, no, no need for that," Yaz said embarrassedly.
At the same time, The Doctor gave her own answer.
"Yeah, maybe give us half an hour?"
Seeing the Doctor already reaching for Yaz, Ryan spun around, turning Graham at the same time and pushing him straight into the doorframe of the TARDIS.
"Ow, Ryan!" Graham protested, his hand still over his eyes.
"Move your hand then Gramps! I struggle with my own co-ordination, I can't be responsible for yours, too!"
Graham and Ryan turned back to close the door, seeing a glimpse of the Doctor and Yaz already back in a heated embrace.
"Well, I need to soak my eyeballs in disinfectant," Ryan mumbled, unable to keep a small smirk off his face as Graham begrudgingly paid up the ten pounds that they had bet earlier in the month.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and let me know!