Title: Our House
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Spencer Reid
Fandom: Doctor Who/Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: slash_me_twice
Prompt: 17, House
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Spencer Reid, unfortunately. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor looked around him at the walls of Aaron Hotchner's house; they were a neutral shade of beige, something that most people would call boring. But the Time Lord found the color strange soothing, comforting in a vague way.

Maybe that was why Aaron had chosen that particular color for the walls of his living room, the Doctor thought, leaning back on the couch and picking up the cup of tea that Spencer had made for him. That sort of calm comfort was needed in his life.

He couldn't help but wonder if Spencer had felt the same when he'd worked for the BAU; their lives were so immersed in the dark side of human nature that they probably needed a neutral, soothing place to retreat to when they weren't working.

Ah well, he thought with a smile, Spencer didn't have that worry any more. His young lover now lived on the Tardis with him -- though it had been hard to explain that to Aaron. He'd had his doubts about telling any of Spencer's colleagues the truth.

But Spencer had insisted on telling Aaron; he'd been insistent that someone know where he was. And Aaron had seemed the most likely person to tell -- the one who could keep a secret, the one who would be most trustworthy with that kind of knowledge.

He hadn't believed them at first -- not until he'd seen the interior of the Tardis, and placed his hand on the Doctor's chest to feel his dual hearts beating. He still seemed a bit skeptical, but the Time Lord knew that he could be trusted.

They wouldn't be here on Earth in the comfort of this house for long, the Doctor told himself, looking at the room around him with interest. He was already feeling restless, wanting to get back to his ship and out amongst the stars.

He couldn't help wondering if Spencer missed all of this -- the security of having a home that was in one place, not living on a ship that was, after all, an entity and not just an object. The Tardis was obviously very different from living in a house.

Did his lover miss things like this? The Doctor sighed, wondering if he should ask Spencer outright if he needed a place like this, a base on the planet he was familiar with and felt safe on. If he did, then they would have to do something he'd never thought he would do.

They would have to find a house of their own here on Earth. If that would make Spencer happy, then he would do it. It wasn't something he'd be completely comfortable with, but maybe it was time for him to make a few changes in his life.

If that was what Spencer wanted, that was what he would do. Of course, they wouldn't be able to stay in a house all the time -- but they'd be able to work something out between them so that they would both be happy.

Would it really be so bad to have a house here on Earth? the Doctor mused, leaning back as he sipped his tea. Probably not. It wasn't something he'd ever considered doing before, but he had to admit that it might have some advantages.

He turned his head as Spencer came into the room carrying his own cup of tea, smiling as his young lover sat down on the couch beside him. "Hello, love," he said softly, reaching out to smooth Spencer's hair back from his face. "Where's Aaron?"

"He's busy in the kitchen, making dinner," Spencer said, turning towards the Doctor with an apologetic look on his face. "I said we'd stay," he murmured, a pink blush suffusing his cheeks. "Jack is at a sleepover tonight, so he's all alone."

The Doctor nodded, wanting Spencer to know that he didn't mind staying for a while. "That's fine," he murmured, wondering if this was a good time to bring up the subject of looking for a house of their own here on Earth. Well, there was no time like the present ....

"Do you miss having a place here?" he asked, his voice hesitant. "I know that it's been an adjustment for you, getting used to living on the Tardis. It's very different from having a home on this planet, I know. Most people wouldn't classify the Tardis as a home."

Spencer shook his head, smiling. "I miss living on Earth sometimes, but it's just little things. Nothing that would be important enough for me to want to live here on a permanent basis again. I like being able to visit my friends once in a while, that's all."

"So you wouldn't want to have a house here?" The Doctor hadn't meant to put the question to Spencer so soon -- or quite so bluntly, either. But it was out now; he couldn't help but wonder what his young lover would have to say.

"Why would you think I did?" Spencer's brows drew together in a frown. "I haven't made you feel like I don't want to live in the Tardis with you because I wanted to tell Aaron the truth about what's going on with us, have I? I didn't mean to."

The Doctor was quick to shake his head in negation of Spencer's question. "No, love, of course not. I just .... felt that you might not feel it was quite 'normal' to live the sort of life we do. That you might like to have a bit of a settled life here on your planet."

"Normal?" Spencer laughed softly, taking a sip of his tea before speaking. "I've never been what anybody would define as 'normal.' And I'll be honest, Doctor. I don't care if we live in a house, in the Tardis, or in a box on a street corner. As long as I'm with you, then I'm happy."

"Do you mean that?" The Doctor's voice was soft, almost disbelieving. He'd expected Spencer to voice at least some indication that he missed being on Earth at times -- but no, this young man was perfectly happy to spend his life in time and space.

"Yeah, I do." Spencer reached out to take the Doctor's hand in his, twining their fingers together and squeezing gently. "It doesn't matter to me where I am -- my home is with you. I think I knew that from the first few days I was on the Tardis."

"You know that we can always come back to Earth so that you can visit your friends. And your mother," the Doctor told him, nodding towards the kitchen. "Now that Aaron knows the truth about who and what I am, I expect we'll have to keep him informed of how we're doing."

"You're not .... mad about that, are you?" Spencer murmured, not looking up as he asked the question. "I mean -- you know I used to have feelings for him. I don't want you to feel like I still do, because I don't. Not in that way. He's just a close friend."

"I understand," the Doctor said softly, tightening his fingers in Spencer's. "I consider him a good friend, too. And he's a trustworthy person. If you felt that you had to tell anyone about us, Aaron would be the one I'd have chosen. I think a lot of him."

"I like his house, too," Spencer said, glancing around the living room. He looked back at the Time Lord, a smirk growing on his features. "I'm just kidding!" he laughed, seeing the Doctor's startled look. "Really. It's a nice place, but I'd rather be on the Tardis with you."

"I'm relieved to hear that!" the Doctor said, laughing along with his lover. "For a minute there, I thought you might actually want to be here. And I don't think Aaron would appreciate us turning up at all sorts of odd hours -- or us making ourselves comfortable here."

"As far as I'm concerned, the Tardis is our house," Spencer said softly, leaning forward to brush a gentle kiss across the Doctor's cheek. "The only one we'll ever need." A slight frown crossed his features for a moment before he smiled again. "But I don't know what she'll think of that."

"She might not like being referred to as a house," the Doctor told him, shaking his head and tossing Spencer a mock-serious look. "But I'm sure that we can come up with another term for her -- if the two of us put our heads together."

"I don't think we'll have a problem doing that." Spencer moved closer to the Doctor on the couch, sliding one arm around the Time Lord and pulling him close. "It might take us a while to think up the right term, but I bet we can come up with something she'll like."

The Doctor rested his head on his young lover's shoulder, laughing at Spencer's words. They might not have a house here on Earth -- but Spencer was right. As long as they were together, they could make any place their home, no matter where in time and space they might happen to be.

***