Title: Stay With Me Tonight
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/John Smith
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: R
Table: 3
Prompt: 76, Nightmare
Author's Note: Slight spoilers for Human Nature and The Family Blood. This is an alternate version of events in those episodes. Continuation of Shades of Grey.
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 John Smith. Please do not sue.

***

It had been a very strange day, the Doctor said to himself, looking around the room that he was now occupying. The room next to John Smith's had indeed been empty, and the young man who had invited him to stay had somehow managed to talk the Dean and the rest of the faculty into accepting into their midst with little trouble.

At least, he thought there hadn't been much trouble. John hadn't told him exactly what he'd said, but whatever it was, the people here seemed ready enough to accept him -- even though they had all commented on his uncanny resemblance to John. And also the fact that his name was John -- though they didn't know the truth of that.

What would they say if he told them that John wasn't his real name? At least they weren't calling him by that name -- since there was already a John there, they had agreed to call him "Doctor," which he vastly preferred. He'd been vague about that, as well, telling them that he was a doctor of many things.

He fervently hoped that no one would question that; he was clever, of course, but he couldn't know everything. At least he'd been able to convince them quite easily that he wasn't a medical doctor, so there were no more questions from that quarter.

He'd been a little apprehensive about staying here, as he felt out of place, but John had soon managed to put him at ease. He'd asked if any help was needed with whatever John was doing, and the young man had put him to work sorting through some papers. It hadn't been anything exciting, but he'd been able to be around John.

That had somehow seemed to be enough. The Doctor was a bit puzzled by the strong attraction he seemed to have towards this young man, but at the moment, he could write it off as mere curiosity. It was something of a novelty to find someone who looked so much like him, and he was interested in finding out more about his lookalike.

The strange thing was, John didn't seem to have much of a background. He changed the subject whenever it came to his childhood, and though he could describe the place where he'd grown up, he didn't seem to have any tales of his friends or family, or of his earlier life before he'd begun teaching.

Still, the Doctor had enjoyed his time with the young man, and they'd gotten along quite well. Now here he was, in the room next to John's, wearing a pair of his pajamas and finding, to his surprise, that they fit very well. Perfectly, in fact. As though they'd been tailored to fit his body.

That was another strange thing -- he and John seemed to be doubles in size and shape, as well as facially. He was almost positive that if he saw this young man naked, John's body would look the same, that he would have a hard time finding differences between the two of them.

It was a strange feeling, knowing that someone could resemble him so completely, but it was nothing to be overly concerned about. It was merely coincidence, as so many things in the world turned out to be.

Sighing softly, the Doctor cast a longing look towards the closed door that separated his room from John's. Their rooms were right next to each other, with a bathroom across the hall, and he found the accommodations rather comfortable. It was certainly more than he'd expected when he came here.

What was John doing? He could see that the lamp in the other room had just been turned out, the sliver of light beneath the door extinguished even as he looked at it. He'd almost wanted to knock on the door and see if John fancied a late-night chat, but the other man had to teach classes in the morning, so that wasn't a good idea.

Turning to the table by the bed, the Doctor switched off the light there, leaving the room in darkness, though there was a bright moon shining through the window. He laid back against the pillows, his eyes open, wide awake in spite of the long day he'd had. It would be a while before he could fall asleep, he was sure.

Was John having an equally hard time sleeping? After all, he didn't pick up strays on his way back to the school from town every day. He'd had a busy day just convincing the other faculty of the school to let the Doctor stay here.

Of course, he'd made it clear that he wouldn't be here for any great length of time; he was just passing through, he'd told them, and would be leaving in a few days, perhaps a week. Already he was regretting that; he wanted to stay a bit longer, spend some time with John, get to know him better.

That thought made his hearts thump against his rib cage; he'd like to get to know John much, much better. He was almost positive that he'd seen a spark of desire in John's eyes the few times they'd looked directly at each other, though he couldn't know for sure. Maybe he was just imagining it because he wanted to see it there.

No, it hadn't been his imagination. The Doctor closed his eyes, slipping one hand into the waistband of his pajamas. His hand moved lower, fingers closing around his already swelling cock. He squirmed slightly, wishing he had the sonic screwdriver with him instead of in the pocket of his trenchcoat.

His hand would have to do. But .... no. He didn't want to pleasure himself, he wanted to be with John, letting his lips and hands roam over that gorgeous body -- and having John do the same to him. He wasn't going to lie here and settle for something he knew would leave him unsatisfied in the long run.

He sighed again, closing his eyes and turning onto his side. He needed to sleep, and lying here thinking of John and masturbating wasn't going to make him fall into slumber any time soon. He needed to get past his attraction to the young teacher; he couldn't stay here, after all, and he didn't need complications before he left.

With that thought in mind, he tried to relax, to let himself drift off into sleep, knowing that John would come in to wake him in the morning. It shouldn't be that hard to fall asleep and dream of the young man in the next room ....

A soft cry from John's room made him sit bolt upright, his eyes flying open in alarm. That had sounded like a cry for help; what in the world was happening? Was someone attacking John? Had burglars broken into the school? Or had he fallen and possibly hurt himself? He had to find out.

The Doctor threw back the covers and got out of bed, crossing the room to the door in a few seconds and opening it cautiously. He peered into John's room, expecting to see the young teacher grappling with someone -- or see some brawny man with a knife to John's throat, or something equally dramatic.

The sight that met his eyes was very different. John was sitting up in bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, his face pressed against his thighs, hugging his knees as though he were cold. The Doctor crossed the room to him, sitting down on the bed and resting a hand tentatively on the young man's shoulder.

"John, are you all right?" he asked, concerned when he felt the other man trembling at his touch. His skin was cold and clammy, his hair damp with sweat. "What happened? Did someone try to break in?"

The young man shook his head, holding out a hand as though to push the Doctor away, but not actually touching him. When he spoke, his voice was shaky, the tone tremulous and almost frightened. "N-no, nothing like that. It was j-just .... a b-bad dream. They come to me n-now and then. I'll b-be all right."

"Shhhh, it's all right." The Doctor slid his arms around John's slender waist, drawing the young man close against him and threading his fingers though his damp hair. His hearts were thundering in his chest; he'd wanted the chance to hold John, to be close to him physically, and it looked as though his wish was coming true.

John curled into his arms, accepting the comfort that he was offering. The Doctor was surprised by that; he'd expected John to pull away, to mumble some excuse and not let him get too close. But he was obviously distressed enough by the nightmare to need someone's touch -- and the Doctor was only too glad to give it.

Was he taking advantage of this young man by comforting him like this? No, he didn't think so. It would have been cruel to walk back to his room, close the door and leave John to whatever fears had driven him from sleep. Maybe he could stay here tonight, and John would be able to sleep with the reassurance of someone near him.

"I can stay with you tonight, if you need me to," he ventured, hoping against hope that John would say yes. "I don't mind. I know what it's like to have a nightmare -- it can make everything seem a bit more intimidating than it normally would. It helps to have someone there with you."

John nodded, looking a little reluctant, but accepting his help. The Doctor's hearts seemed to jump into his throat; this was more than he'd expected. Maybe he was already managing to break down some of the barriers between the two of them.

"Y-yes, if you really wouldn't mind," John murmured, clearing his throat and pulling back slightly from the Doctor's embrace. "I think both of us are thin enough to fit into the bed comfortably." So saying, he moved to one side of the bed, but before he could lay down and turn his back, the Doctor wrapped an arm around his waist again.

"I wouldn't mind at all," he said softly, his eyes meeting John's in the dim light of the room. He'd never wanted to kiss anyone as badly as he wanted to kiss John at this moment, but he didn't dare. That would surely send the other man leaping out of bed, throwing accusations at him that he didn't want to deal with.

"You don't have to hold me," John said, and the Doctor could swear that he saw a faint blush creeping over the young man's face. "I'm not a child, Doctor. I'm used to these nightmares -- and I've been having other strange dreams lately, so it's not like this is some new phenomenon for me."

"But I want to hold you," the Doctor told him, daring to reach out and stroke his fingertips down the softness of John's cheek. "Believe me, I know what it can be like to need comfort and not have anyone to offer it. I promise I won't tell anyone that you slept in my arms. It can be our secret."

"I --" John seemed about to argue, then to think better of it; he caught his lower lip between his teeth, then nodded and moved closer to the Doctor, resting his head on the Time Lord's shoulder. "Good night, then, Doctor. And .... thank you."

"No thanks needed," the Doctor whispered, longing to press a kiss to John's forehead, but not daring to. It was enough that the young man was relaxed in his arms, his body warm and pliant against the Doctor's side. It was more than he'd have been able to hope for earlier, and he was grateful for what he could get.

He lay there, keeping one arm wrapped around the young man, until the steady, quiet breathing told him that John was asleep. Only then did he move slightly, turning onto his side more so that he could slide both arms around John's waist and snuggle against him. He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of John's hair, his skin.

This wasn't what he'd expected to find when he'd come to this time. And exactly what was this, beyond a simple physical attraction? that voice in the back of his mind demanded to know. He couldn't answer that. He didn't want to. But he knew that it was developing into something he might not be able to easily walk away from.

***

Next story in series - Feel the Same Way.