Title: On the Other Foot
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Peter Carlisle
Fandom: Doctor Who/Blackpool
Rating: PG-13
Table: C, lover100
Prompt: 70, Protection
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 Peter Carlisle. Please do not sue.

***

"Have you ever had to use condoms when you made love?" Peter asked the Doctor as he sat down on the bed and began tugging his shirt off over his head. "I mean, when you were with a woman," he added hastily, a rosy blush rushing into his cheeks.

"What kind of a question is that?" the Doctor asked with a laugh. He was already undressed, lying on his side with his head propped on one hand as he regarded Peter. "I thought we had both agreed not to talk about our past amours."

"I guess I'm on a fishing expedition," Peter admitted, sighing softly. "I know that you've never been in love with a female since you've been in this body -- and I know you've never been with one in this body, either. I guess I'm curious about your past, that's all."

"You mean my past in other bodies?" the Doctor inquired, raising his brows in question. "I suppose I can't blame you for that, but that time isn't really relevant to our present, Peter. You know that there's no one for me but you, and there never will be."

"Never is a long time, Doctor," Peter told him, his voice soft. "You shouldn't say that. You'll still be a young man when I'm long gone, even if you're still in this body, thanks to the fact that Gallifreyans don't age nearly as fast as humans do."

"I'd rather not think about there being any time in my life when I'm not with you," the Doctor said, looking away. "That's not something that's really conducive to making love, is it?" His voice trembled slightly on the last few words, making Peter look up sharply.

"I'm sorry, love," he said contritely, reaching out to brush a lock of hair back from the Doctor's forehead. "I'm not out to make you feel bad. I guess I'm just .... well, feeling less than worthy of being with you lately, that's all."

"Why should you?" the Doctor asked, catching Peter's hand in his own and bringing it to his lips, kissing the other man's fingertips. "You don't have any reason not to feel worthy of me, Peter. Sometimes, the shoe is on the other foot, you know."

"Don't tell me that you don't feel worthy of me!" Peter said, his dark eyes widening. He was truly shocked to think that the Doctor could feel that way; ever since they'd made their first into the stars together, he'd felt lucky and privileged to be with the Time Lord.

"Peter, you've done so much good for people," the Doctor told him, his voice soft and husky. "You've saved lives, and you've caught criminals. I've done some things that are in line with that, but not on the level that you have, most of the time."

"Doctor, you know that's not true," Peter admonished him gently. "You've done a lot more for people -- on Earth and on other planets -- than I could ever have dreamed of doing. I'm the one who's not worthy, not the other way around."

"Still, there's no reason for you to feel that you aren't," the Doctor persisted, shaking his head. "You've given protection to a lot of people, Peter. Maybe not as many as I have, in as many different worlds -- but you've done much more than most humans would."

"All right, so maybe I have," Peter conceded with a smile. "It's not something I think about a lot, really. And it's not nearly as much as you would have done if you were in my place. And anyway, extending my protection to people doesn't amount to much."

"It did when you were a detective -- and being with me, I think it means just as much now as it did then," the Doctor pointed out. "Protecting the entire galaxy is a much higher level of protection that you're extending to people than just being on the police force, Peter."

Peter considered his words for a moment, then nodded again, sighing softly. "I've taken on a much bigger role in protecting people in the world, haven't I?" he asked, his voice soft and full of wonder. "I don't think I realised that when I came out into the stars with you."

"No one really does," the Doctor said with a sigh, shaking his head. "They all seem to think that it's only fun and games, traveling through time and space and discovering new places, seeing what there is to see in the world. There's more to what I do than that."

"I don't think anyone can possibly know what being a Time Lord is like until they've traveled with one," Peter said, sounding thoughtful. "And even then -- we're only your companions. We don't know what it's like to be you, to do what you do, to have that responsibility on your shoulders."

"You're much more than a companion, Peter," the Doctor told him, his voice softening on the words. "You could never be just a companion to me. You're the man I want to spend my life with. You're one of the few who's ever shared my bed."

"How many have?" Peter asked before he could stop himself, the blush spreading over his face again. "I just put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?" he sighed, looking resigned. "I really should learn not to ask the kinds of questions I really don't want to hear the answers to."

"Not many, really," the Doctor said slowly. "And in this body, there's only been .... well, you and Jack. You know about him -- and one day, I'm sure that you two will meet. Though I don't think it's a good idea to take the new boyfriend to meet the former one quite yet."

"I have to agree with that!" Peter said with a laugh, relieved that the Doctor didn't seem to be annoyed at his question. "To get back to my earlier question, though it seems kind of silly now -- did you have to use protection when you were with women?"

"Of course I did!" the Doctor told him, laughing. "What, do you think that Gallifreyans can't impregnate human women? Think again, Peter. I'm proof that they can. If they couldn't, my father would never have been able to reproduce with my mother -- and I wouldn't exist."

"Thank goodness Gallifreyans and humans can mate, then!" Peter said, laughing along with the Time Lord. "I can't imagine a world without you. Even if I'd never met you, and never knew that you were out there somewhere, I'm grateful that you would be."

"And you know, I can't imagine a world without you in it, either," the Doctor murmured, reaching for his lover's hand again. As he raised Peter's fingers to his lips again, their eyes met, their gazes locking and holding as though they couldn't look away from each other.

Without another word, Peter stood and unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down his hips and stepping out of them. The Doctor held out his arms to his lover, welcoming Peter into his embrace as the other man laid down beside him and took him into those strong arms.

Their lips met, their hands moving each other's bodies, their senses reeling at the sudden nearness of their bare flesh. It was always like this when he was with the Doctor, Peter thought; this man affected him like no one else ever had, or ever would.

He loved the Doctor more than he could ever put into words -- and even though there were times when he was sure that he wasn't worthy of being with the Time Lord, not a day went by when he didn't feel thankful for being the man who the Doctor had chosen to be here with him.

"I don't think you have to worry about protection with me," the Doctor whispered into his ear, the vestiges of laughter still in his voice. "This is one human and Gallifreyan mating that I seriously doubt will result in us becoming unexpected fathers."

Peter couldn't help laughing at those words; he should have known that his earlier question would come back to haunt him. "Don't worry, love, I'll be careful not to get you pregnant," he told the Doctor, trying to keep his tone as solemn as possible.

After a few moments of silence, both men burst into laughter, hugging each other close. When their lips met again, the kiss tasted even sweeter for the laughter that had just passed between them, and that they would continue to share far into the future.

***