Title: Harm in Your Hands
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ten.5
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 5, sound_of_drums
Prompt: 27, Overprotected
Author's Note: The human version of the Doctor is being referred to as John Smith in this fic, since it's the Doctor's human alias and his clone needed a name.
Author's Note: Spoilers for Journey's End, somewhat. This is an completely alternate take on the ending of Season Four.
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 his human clone. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor suppressed a sigh as he looked over at John, his brow wrinkling in concern. Ever since he'd rescued John from the encounter with John Hart, he'd been terribly protective of the other man, and he was wary of going out anywhere.

But he couldn't avoid that forever, could he? There were only so many places that he could take John to that were assured of being perfectly safe -- and even then, he could never be sure of that. There was no place that he'd ever be completely sure of.

Maybe he was being terribly overprotective, but he couldn't be blamed for that. After all, he'd nearly lost John during that frightening time ....

He held back a shiver, pushing the thought firmly into the back of his mind. That was over and done with, and even though they were still recovering from the experience, it wasn't something that he was going to let color his relationship with the man he loved.

John was probably tired of it, he thought, glancing over at the other man. John was smoothing down his shirt; the Doctor couldn't hold back an affectionate smile. He was so fastidious about how he looked sometimes.

Though of course, he was the same way, wasn't he? John's mannerisms were his own; the two of them were cut from the same cloth. They knew each other so well, so much so that they could even anticipate what the other was going to say.

John's feelings were his own, their emotions a mirror of each other as much as their faces. Well, not always, the Doctor amended. John might be him in almost every way, but he was human, and that made him see some things in a different light.

At first, it had seemed strange to have another being in the world with his thoughts, his emotions, his face. He'd wanted to run away, pretend that John didn't exist.

How long had that feeling lasted? For less than a day, until he'd realized that his attraction to his human self was stronger than anything he'd ever felt before. He'd let that attraction overpower all other feelings, and he hadn't regretted it for a moment.

There had been no guilt for taking John away from Earth, for keeping the man he loved iwth him. It wasn't only what he'd wanted; it was the life that John had wanted to lead. He'd chosen to be with the Doctor; he hadn't been forced into it.

Had that protective instinct been coming through in him even then, at the very beginning of their relationship? He couldn't say for sure, but it probably had been; after all, he'd known that he was saving John from a miserable life with someone he didn't love.

And besides, John was a part of him. He couldn't condemn someone whose thoughts and emotions he knew to live a life that he himself wouldn't be happy with -- not when that someone shared the way he felt.

John would never have been happy in that life; he'd have always wanted to be with the Doctor. He'd said as much when they'd discussed the situation.

They'd gone over it so many times, and they'd always come to the same conclusion: That the Doctor had done the right thing in spiriting John away with him, no matter what anyone else thought. This was right for them, and that was what mattered.

The Doctor let out a soft sigh, making John turn to him with a frown. The other man looked concerned, worried that something was bothering his Time Lord self. The Doctor could sense that worry even before John spoke.

"Is something wrong?" John asked, his voice soft. He moved closer to the Doctor, reaching out a hand to place it on the Time Lord's cheek. The Doctor laid his own hand on top of John's, his dark eyes meeting the gaze that was so like his own.

The Doctor started to shake his head, but he owed John the truth. Besides, he wouldn't be able to keep his true feelings from his clone for long; whatever he felt, John was sure to feel too, even if the emotion wasn't as magnified.

"I was thinking that I'm probably far too overprotective of you after .... after what happened," he murmured, reluctant to put the feeling into words.

John nodded, wrapping his arms around the Doctor's waist and pulling the Time Lord close against him. "I thought that was probably it," he said, sounding rueful. "You can't always protect me, Doctor. You should know that by now."

"Of course I do -- but that doesn't stop me from wanting to do it," the Doctor said, resting his forehead against his lover's. "I don't want to go into it again, but you know how I feel about all of that. The guilt isn't going to go away quickly."

"I know it won't, love," John told him quietly. "But you can't keep blaming yourself. You're not wholly responsible for me. I won't let you be. I'm not going to be a burden to you, Doctor. That's not why I'm here -- and I won't let it happen."

"You're not a burden," he whispered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "You never could be. I won't let that happen, either."

"Good." John tilted the Doctor's face up to his, pressing a gentle kiss against the Time Lord's mouth. "I know that I'll never come to harm in your hands, Doctor. You don't have to protect me all the time. I'm here to protect you as well, you know."

The Doctor nodded, smiling a little as John released him and looking towards the door of the ship. "I know that. And you've done a better job of protecting me than I have of making sure you're safe. I still feel that I've let you down in that respect."

John shook his head, linking one arm through the Doctor's. "You haven't, and I won't have you thinking that way. It's in the past, Doctor. We're heading for the future." He raised one eyebrow, inclining his head towards the door. "Now, shall we see what adventure is in store out there?"

The Doctor nodded as they headed out of the ship, ready to face whatever was waiting for them.

***