Your Hand In Mine - Chapter 7

When Theta and Koschei turned sixty-five (the Gallifreyan equivalent of sixteen) they were moved to the dorms. Dorms were for students sixty-five and older. They contained two beds and two chests of drawers. Most of the faculty wanted to separate Theta and Koschei, but the Deca (which is what they decided to call their group after Vansell joined) caused an uproar on their behalf and got 3000 signatures on a petition to let them choose their roommates. In the face of pure democracy, the school board was powerless, so Theta and Koschei got to live together.

"I call this bed!" said Theta, jumping into the bed on the left.

"Yes, I call that a bed as well. Well done." Koschei teased and Theta rolled his eyes. "They look exactly the same. What's so special about that one?"

"It's by the window," he answered as if it were obvious.

Koschei just smiled and shook his head. "You will never grow up, will you?"

"I staunchly refuse," said Theta with a smile. For the past twenty years that smile had been making Koschei's stomach do odd flips. He, as always, did his best to ignore it.

"Stuck in Neverland," said Koschei with a sigh.

"Ah-ha!" cried Theta. "You do like Earth literature!"

"Some," admitted Koschei. "I like The Once and Future King, Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Ayn Rand makes some lovely points, but I only read Peter Pan because Millennia said it reminded her of you."

"She said that? …What else did she say?"

Koschei dropped one of the books he was unpacking particularly hard. "Why don't you just admit you like her?!"

"I never said that," said Theta defensively. "Why are you so upset anyway? …Oh" he smiled. "Do you like her? If you like her I'll back-"

"I DO NOT… like that horrid, saccharine sweet girl."

"…Okay. Sorry."

They sat in silence for a while, then began awkwardly unpacking their things.

*******

Theta had made a few attempts to make conversation throughout the day, but Koschei was terse and he eventually decided to leave him alone and let him cool off. When Koschei saw Theta leaving class with Millennia, laughing and smiling, he cursed his own tendency to hold grudges over small things. He was angry at Theta. The way he smiled at Millennia made his blood boil. That smile was for him and only him. How dare he flash it at her? Theta was his! Koschei stomped off to the library to study.

He stared at his book, realizing he'd read the same sentence twenty-five times, but still had not absorbed it. All he could think about was Theta with Millennia. Laughing with her, flashing her that beautiful smile, subtly touching her. What if he kissed her? No, no, no. Time Lords didn't do that sort of thing. Except he wanted to. He wanted to kiss Theta. But it wasn't proper, so he didn't. But Theta never cared about propriety and, if he was honest with himself, he didn't either. He decided to give up on studying and go to the gardens.

As he sat on the stone bench contemplating his problem, he heard Theta come up behind him. He knew it was Theta without looking. He always knew. He sat down on the bench beside Koschei.

"I was talking with Millennia."

Koschei screwed his eyes shut. "That's nice."

"She said I was thick. She's right too. She knew exactly why you were upset, but I was too stupid to see it."

Koschei looked up. "Oh?"

"She's just a friend," said Theta sincerely. "I told you this when we were young and I know you told me never to say it again, but it seems you need reminding."

Koschei looked at him questioningly.

"I love you," said Theta. "Just you."

Koschei's heart skipped a beat and he tried not to hate himself for it. Theta took his hand and pressed something into it. He looked to his open palm to see a thimble.

"It's a kiss," said Theta. "I thought… because, Peter Pan…"

"I know what it's from," said Koschei. "And I can do you one better."

"Yeah?"

Koschei grabbed Theta's head and kissed him hard. It was awkward. They bumped noses and their teeth clashed, but then it settled into comfortable. It was the first kiss for both of them and as first kisses go, it was pretty perfect.

"That was…" Theta breathed. "That was n-nice."

"Yeah."

"It was better than what I've read about."

"I know."

"Can we do it again?"

"Definitely, " said Koschei. "But let's go back to our room."

"O-Okay," said Theta nervously.

"Just for kissing!" said Koschei quickly.

"Oh. Okay."

The boys went back up to their dorm room and for the first time in a long time, they fell asleep in the same bed.