“Doctor?”

The Doctor was nestled cozily in an overstuffed armchair reading, but he looked up from the book at Adric’s voice. “Mm?” The boy was standing in the doorway to the study, dripping from a recent shower and clad only in a fluffy white towel. “Third door on the right, Adric.”

“No, I’m not lost this time,” Adric said. He shifted on his feet out of nervousness.

Setting the book down in his lap, the Doctor sat up. “Well, what is it then?”

“In the shower just now,” he began, weakly. His eyes studied the wooden floorboards.

“In the shower just now what?” the Doctor prompted.

Adric lifted his eyes, as though to implore the Doctor to catch his drift. “I’ve . . . I’ve come of age. Just now.”

“Just now,” the Doctor echoed.

Adric nodded. “In the shower.”

Sighing rather elaborately, the Doctor shook his head. “This is an Alzarian practice, I assume?”

The way Adric blanched suddenly proved that indeed it was. “I didn’t even think!” Adric said. Then, suddenly curious, he said, “How do Time Lords come of age?”

“Never mind that,” the Doctor replied, getting to his feet. “Is there a reason you’ve decided to announce this to me before getting dressed and all of that?”

Realizing suddenly that he was going to have to explain the whole process to the Doctor, Adric studied the floor again. “When an Alzarian comes of age his . . . his body changes,” he quietly said. “Water triggers it.” He shifted again, nervously. “I wasn’t expecting it for another year,” he admitted.

“If you need some privacy,” the Doctor began, “you’re more than welcome. I can keep to myself very easily.”

“We’re going to have to land somewhere,” Adric said. “I’ll need a fresh water river, or pool.” He lifted his eyes shyly. “And someone to help me.”

Blinking at the requirements, the Doctor said, “Must this all happen right now?”

“No, I’m . . . I’ll be all right, for a while.”

“How long do we have?”

“Maybe three days?”

The news brightened the Doctor considerably. “Well, that’s nothing. I’m sure we can find you a fresh water pool and a girlfriend in that amount of time.”

“Actually, Doctor,” Adric said, lowering his eyes again. “I was hoping . . . if you didn’t mind, that is, that maybe you . . . could help me.”

“You’ll have to buy me dinner first.”

“What?” Adric asked, looking up in confusion.

The Doctor shook his head. “Nothing. It’s an archaic Earth expression. Go and get dressed and we’ll talk about this later.”

“All right.” Adric turned and left.

The Doctor looked after him for several seconds, before flopping back into the armchair, sighing deeply.
--

It was a day later before they broached the subject again. The Doctor was at the TARDIS console, looking up planets that not only had a large selection of fresh water pools and rivers, but also were suitably private and not dangerous. That was where Adric found him. “Bazel should suit your needs,” the Doctor said without looking up. “Quiet little planet and not dangerous. Similar conditions to Alzarius, Marshmen not withstanding.”

Adric stepped close to him, peering down at the display. “It sounds nice,” he said. “Thank you. And, I’m sorry if I was too forward yesterday. This process . . . tends to cloud judgment.”

The Doctor smiled at the apology. “It’s all right, Adric. I’m flattered, really. There are just a lot of complications that we would have to work out, if I were involved.”

“Like what?” Adric asked, naturally curious.

The Doctor looked affronted. “No manners!” he barked. Then he began to explain. “Time Lords don’t really practice the same sort of . . . mating rituals other species do.”

“Well, you must breed somehow,” Adric noted fairly. “It can’t be all that different.” He gave the Doctor a slow once-over with his eyes. “We’re similar enough looking in appearance, at least.”

“Yes, well, Time Lords are an ancient people, Adric, and ancient people have found better things to do with their time than to lie on their backs making faces at the ceiling while sweating.”

Adric’s nose crinkled up. “You make it sound so vulgar, Doctor.”

“How do you know it isn’t?” he countered.

Adric crossed his arms, turning to lean against the TARDIS console. “My brother always told me it was wonderful.” He glanced to the Doctor. “And my people prefer to do it in the water, which means we’re not going to be on our backs, sweating or staring at anything more than sky.”

“Well, regardless, it doesn’t matter. I’m simply incapable of participating.”

Adric’s eyebrows both rose up in shock. “What do you mean incapable?”

It was the Doctor’s turn to seem somewhat shamefaced. He studied the read outs on Bazel intently. “Most Time Lords find sexual gratification to be primitive. As a result, centuries were spent on learning the perfect ways to suppress those needs. Adric, that teaching is so ingrained in me that I can scarcely even contemplate it.”

Adric pushed off the console, starting at the Doctor anew. “You mean you’ve never . . .?”

“Prudish boy!” he snapped. “You really ought to learn some manners if you’re on your way to being a man,” the Doctor chided. “I didn’t say I never had. The conditioning has to happen after a certain age. But to be honest, it’s been centuries.”

Adric stared at him in awe. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Time Lords are very good at what they do,” the Doctor said quite pleased.

For a moment, Adric was silent. Then he said, “And here I thought you disliked your home world and all the rules they enforced upon you.”

The Doctor looked at Adric critically. “You’re very cunning,” he noted.

Adric sidled up to him instantly, gripping one of the Doctor’s hands with both of his. “Think about it. We could explore it together. You’ve reneged against every other Time Law. Why not this one?”

“Adric,” the Doctor began, but didn’t push the boy aside. He was clearly trying to figure out why he wasn’t breaking the rule. “Well, anyway, I’m much too old for you.”

“Nonsense!” Adric exclaimed. “Besides, I’m supposed to bond with someone I’m close with,” he stated. “And you’re the only person I even know.”

“Oh, so now it’s because I’m literally your only choice?”

“Doctor!” Adric protested. “You know that isn’t true.”

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor shook his head. “We don’t even know if we’re compatible at all, in that way. If you’ve got gills down there or something, I may not be able to help, even if I wanted to.”

“Now you’re just being difficult.”

“Well, you still haven’t gone over what I’d be doing. Simply holding your hand?”

“No, I’m afraid it’s a bit more than that. Ideally, we’d both be using our unused anatomy.”

The Doctor carefully extracted his hand from Adric’s. “It will be more trouble than it’s worth, I assure you. I’ve had trouble, in the past, performing even when I very strongly wanted to. Doing it for a ritual,” he shook his head, “why, it’ll be practically impossible.”

Wounded somewhat, Adric said, “Don’t you like me?”

The Doctor’s eyes darted to look at Adric. He pressed his hands on the TARDIS console and leaned them into them. “Don’t ask me such ridiculous questions.”

Adric crossed his arms again and leaned against the console again, looking sullen. “Well, if that’s the case, then just forget I even asked.”

“Well, we’ll still have to find you someone to bond with before then,” the Doctor noted dully.

“What do you care if I do it right or not?” Adric stubbornly said. “I’ll just find a tree or a rock.” He pushed off the console, and stalked away. When he reached the door that opened onto the hall, he looked back to find the Doctor still staring at the console. “I’ll be in my room, if you change your mind.”
--

For a long time, the Doctor remained standing in the Console Room. His eyes were fixed on the letters displayed to him, but he had long since ceased reading. Instead he was trying to imagine the last time he’d been intimate with anyone and struggling to figure out how he could relate that to the boy.

At long last he pushed away from the console, walking through the TARDIS until he reached a room he rarely used. There, shoved in a haphazard and forgotten way under a chair, the Doctor extracted a box. He set it on a table and reflected on the fact that he knew right where it was, despite having not used anything in it for at least a hundred years.

He sorted through it slowly, pushing aside items absently. Some he took out and some he discarded, but the majority of it he left where they were. He then carried the items in the box with him, through the silent halls of the TARDIS until he found Adric’s room. He listened by the door for several seconds, wondering if perhaps the boy had fallen asleep.

He rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles. Hearing a reply that sounded like a muffled ‘Come in!’ he opened the door and stepped inside.

The lights were dim and Adric lay on his bed, somewhere between asleep and awake. His trousers were around his ankles, and that was the first thing the Doctor noticed. Beside that, he was curled on his side, one hand between his legs, doing what the Doctor assumed most primates with phalluses did during their mating period.

Adric’s face, however, was twisted in an expression that almost seemed like pain. Despite his attempts, he seemed to not be taking much pleasure from his actions. Sweat stood out on his brow, as his hair was swept back in wild disarray. The Doctor was just about to back up and make a hasty retreat when Adric flipped from his side onto his back, letting his knees fall apart as he did. The action afforded the Doctor a full view of Adric’s futile attempts to get himself off, and damn but if it didn’t stir something in the pit of the Doctor’s stomach.

It was hardly the first time he’d had that sort of feeling, but instead of instinctively quashing it, he just let it be. He didn’t know quite how to nurture it, but it seemed to thrum all right on its own, sending a tingling thread out along his belly, down to his groin. Several times he felt his instincts raise, and a rush of coldness would wash over him, like he’d been trained to do for years, but he quickly fought to cancel the mental blocks and in doing so, managed to encourage the little flame however faintly.

In the end, Adric let out an unsatisfied gasp and rolled over again, drawing his knees up closer to his chest. The Doctor couldn’t imagine a culture where one would be unable to satisfy oneself, but that appeared to be Adric’s problem. The Doctor wasn’t sure what about his technique was wrong, or if it was simply a case of Alzarians requiring outside stimulus, but he found himself wanting to try and help. The little tickle in his belly wasn’t enough to qualify as arousal; he was interested almost entirely from a scientific point of view. But, the flame did flicker, and he had to admit, while it was largely scientific, there was a definitely small degree of sexuality to it, too.

He cleared his throat loudly, announcing his presence at last.

Adric’s eyes flew open and he immediately rose, propping himself up on his elbows. His eyes widened, realizing it was the Doctor standing there, simply watching him. He drew his legs closer, but it seemed to be an effort. “I’m sort of busy, right now,” he managed to say.

“Oh?” the Doctor cheerfully said. “I hadn’t noticed.” Ignoring Adric’s scowl, he brazenly walked into the boy’s room and sat down on the bed beside him, cradling the box in his lap.

Adric sat up fully, but instead of pulling his trousers back up, he kicked them off completely. In sitting up, he pressed one of his legs ever-so-slightly against the small of the Doctor’s back, seemingly unembarrassed by his state of undress. Even though he was wearing a waistcoat and dress shirt, the Doctor could feel the heat of the light touch. “Against what might be my better judgment,” he said, “I’ve decided to help you.”

Adric leaned over to peer into the box. His brows rose in surprise at the contents. Reaching in, he pulled out a small strap of leather. “Just what sort of sex do Time Lords have, anyway?” he asked.

“We breed artificially,” he said, snapping the leather band back. “I’m enough out of practice that I’ll need some stimulants.”

Adric’s knee pressed slightly more into the Doctor’s back. “Am I not stimulating enough?” he asked in a teasingly coy voice.

His tone was flirtatious and the Doctor had to scrutinize him, studying to see if Adric had been play acting his frustrations moments before, or if he had really recovered that quickly. Focusing on those thoughts made it easier to ignore the heat that was spreading along his back from where Adric was touching him. “I hope you don’t come on to strangers like this,” he chided.

“Of course not,” Adric petulantly replied. “I can’t,” he added. “I have to be attracted to someone for it to work.”

The Doctor was about to ask ‘For what to work?’ when his brain seemed to kick in and supply the answer. “Ah, yes, well,” he jostled the box. “If you’re willing to deal with the requirements of a rusty old Time Lord, then perhaps we can manage.”

“Good,” Adric said with a sigh. “I can’t take much more of this.” Despite having lost his trousers, he still looked quite flushed. “Can we go there now?” he added, hopefully.

“Well, if I’m going to be part of the solution, I’d better understand the problem completely, wouldn’t you say?” the Doctor asked. “Were you play acting just now? Did you know I was there?”

Adric shook his head. “No.” He lowered his eyes. “I was thinking of you, though.”

“Oh,” the Doctor said in a very flat tone.

“Is that all right?”

“Well, yes,” he answered. “Only, you didn’t seem to be enjoying your thoughts.”

Adric had to laugh at the dry way the Doctor was able to say things. “It must be very different where you come from,” he noted.

“Undoubtedly,” the Doctor agreed.

The comment made Adric laugh more. He reached into the box again, pulling out yet another bit of leather that he didn’t know the purpose of. The Doctor quickly pulled it out of his hands and put it back in the box. Then he set the box on the floor. “I thought we were going to use those.”

“We might, later. But first, you must tell me how it is with Alzarians.”

Settling more comfortably on the bed, Adric folded his hands in his lap. “I have to be with the object of my affection for it to work,” he explained. “Otherwise, I end up unsatisfied.”

“And since when have I become the object of your affection?” the Doctor mused.

Adric smiled shyly. “Doctor, you’re the object of everyone’s affection, most just don’t know it yet.”

The Doctor snorted softly. “Well!” he exclaimed. “So you need to be with me to reach your climax?”

Adric nodded, rather embarrassed. “It just builds up, until then.”

“What happens if you don’t reach release?”

“I’d get sick,” Adric said. “Some Alzarians get over it, but most don’t resist in the first place.”

“And the fresh water river comes in to play how, exactly?”

“That’s just where it’s done, especially the first time. When we’re young, and especially during this time, we release these scents . . .”

“Pheromones, yes,” the Doctor said bluntly. “I can taste them on the air.”

Adric smiled. “They’re supposed to attract our mate to us.” He cast a sly look up at the Doctor, but the Doctor was sitting there with his neck sticking forward, just making a strange face. “When we . . . come together, in the water, the pheromones are supposed wash away.”

“Ah, this is what they get when they evolve from spiders,” the Doctor said blithely. “And after they wash away, is that it? They don’t come back?”

“Oh, they will. But I’m supposed to be able to control them better, as I get older.”

“Yes, I would imagine so.” The Doctor got to his feet. “Well, with your pheromones and my box, we might actually manage to make this work.” He smiled. “Can you adjust their intensity any? I must admit, when I first stepped inside the room, something did pull at me.”

Adric didn’t say anything, but the Doctor was suddenly hit with a deep, hungry need boiling in his very veins. He swayed on his feet for a second before instinct kicked in and he squashed the arousal away. “I only asked a question!” the Doctor shouted.

“It’s only like that for a second, anyway,” Adric apologized. “I wanted you to feel how I feel, for just a moment.”

“Well, come on then, we can’t have you walking around the TARDIS, big ball of pheromones all directed at me. She might end up just ejecting you.” The Doctor scooped up his box and started to leave.

Adric got to his feet, pulling his trousers back on. “She who?”

“Why, the TARDIS of course! She can be very jealous, you know.”
--

The Doctor had assumed Adric would want the event to take place at night, but when he asked the boy, he was unequivocally told that it should be daylight. That arranged, the Doctor landed the ship somewhere in Bazel’s prehistoric past, but not so far back they were in danger of encountering prehistoric beasts. As soon as the TARDIS doors opened, Adric rushed out, kicking off his boots as he did, so he could feel the sand between his toes.

The Doctor followed after him, strolling along languidly, taking his time. While Adric drew to a halt to momentarily bask in the sun, the Doctor blinked rapidly at all the sunshine and light. After a few moments Adric surged forward, splashing his feet in the calm pool of water they’d landed near, and the Doctor jammed his hands into his coat pockets, casually observing the flora.

Adric stripped to his underwear in a matter of minutes and lost himself for a time in the water. By then, the Doctor had grown tired of the dull nature of the plant life and settled down on the beach. Watching Adric swim gave him a strange sort of joy. The boy was a natural born swimmer and seemed to relish being able to exercise his skills. His lithe body was perfectly adapted to gliding through the water with ease, and the Doctor had to admit that there was certainly something appealing about the sight.

He did not make a habit of viewing his companions in a sexual manner, but in light of what was happening, he allowed his mind to wander. For the first time, he wondered what it would be like to run his hands along Adric’s water-slicked chest and over his smooth shoulders. He envisioned the boy looking up at him through eyelashes laced with water droplets and found the mental image not unsettling.

While Adric swam, the Doctor gradually shrugged out of his coat, spreading it out on the sand beneath him. He pulled his boots and socks off after, setting them aside. By the time he had taken his waistcoat off and slipped his suspenders down, Adric surfaced again. The boy trudged up the shore, glistening as the sun reflected off his body.

He came to a stop not far from the Doctor, studying him with an open and yet intense curiosity. “I’ve just realized I’ve never seen you without a shirt on,” he said.

A light breeze blew, tousling the Doctor’s curls, and he shrugged. “Well, I don’t make a habit of prancing about in a state of undress now, do I?”

“No. It’s just funny,” Adric noted. “Even in my thoughts, you’ve always got clothes on.”

“That’s rather impractical,” the Doctor replied.

Adric came closer, kneeling before him, and the Doctor felt the surge of heat start up inside him again at their proximity. He had to smile at it because, if he admitted it to himself, he rather liked the feeling. There was certainly nothing better for the ego than to have the adoration of someone else. “It is rather impractical,” Adric agreed. “Do you need any help?” he added.

“And here I was wondering if you were going to ask me to leave it on,” the Doctor mused. “No, I think I’m perfectly capable of removing my own shirt, thank you,” he said. Lifting his eyes, he noticed Adric’s expression had clouded, just a bit. “Ah, of course, such aid might be beneficial to our situation,” he realized after a moment. Taking his hands away, he leaned forward just a bit. “If you’d be ever so kind.”

Adric didn’t wait for a second invitation. He immediately moved forward, shifting so he was kneeling mostly between the Doctor’s legs, knees cushioned on the green lining of the Doctor’s coat, beginning to unbutton the dress shirt.

The Doctor sat very still, carefully analyzing the waves of heat that washed over him as Adric’s nimble fingers deftly worked down his chest. It had been a long time indeed since he’d felt the tickling flame of arousal deep inside him, and even longer since he’d allowed it to grow. Adric’s touch was, at first, light and hesitant. Despite the Doctor’s agreement and Adric’s desire, he could tell there was still some reserve in the boy. That fact made the Doctor admire him.

Once the shirt hung open, the Doctor encouraged him with a smile to help push it off. Adric’s thin fingers danced over his skin, curving over his shoulders as he pushed the shirt back. In a moment, it was deposited in a heap behind him, and Adric was staring with interest at the Doctor’s chest.

“Have I something surprising there?” the Doctor plainly asked.

Shaking his head, Adric looked up at him. “No. I just wasn’t expecting hair. I don’t know what.”

“You’re doing a fine job of making me self-conscious, boy. Not a very becoming of a Time Lord.” The Doctor’s chiding tone subsided as he could tell Adric was working up the nerve to touch him. He steeled himself for the feel of those cool, wet hands on his skin and found that anticipating them was rather exciting.

The first touch against his skin was tentative. Adric simply brushed the palm of his hand over the soft peppered curls on the Doctor’s chest, marveling at them. The Doctor actually sucked in his breath and held it. He had expected a firm touch, but the light brush sent electric ripples coursing down every single one of his hair follicles. Nice though it was, however, it was going to take a lot more than soft petting to get the Doctor up to performance level. He had no desire to rush Adric, but he’d also never been very fond of prolonged foreplay.

“You know,” the Doctor casually said, breaking Adric out of the reverie he’d slipped into, “I am committed to this. There’s no need for hesitancy.”

Blushing slightly, Adric nodding, but instead of doing something bold, he just dropped his hand. “You had that box earlier. Did you decide not to use it?”

“Things are in place already, and I’ve got anything else I may need in my coat pocket. I’ll retrieve them as required.” He smiled expectantly up at the boy. The wind blew again and Adric shivered despite the sun.

“I’m not . . . really sure how to begin,” the boy confessed.

“May I recommend kissing?”

Adric’s eyes widened a bit. “That’s all right?”

The flat look the Doctor gave him made Adric wilt, just a bit. “I know my part, Adric. You do as you desire. I’m more than happy to play along. Some kissing sounds fair, and not as sticky as what’s to come.”

Adric smiled at the Doctor’s good nature, but still didn’t move forward. So, to move things along, the Doctor sat up more readily, grabbed one of Adric’s arms in his hand, and pulled him down to meet his lips.

He had intended something soft that could blossom into explorative, but as soon as their lips connected it was as though a lightning bolt shot through the Doctor, flashing through his lips, down his spine, making his hair rise as it traveled right down to his center—which stirred—all on its own. The shock was so intense and unexpected that the Doctor immediately opened his mouth, drawing the boy much closer than he had initially intended.

Adric didn’t need to be schooled on how to kiss it seemed. Either the shock had surged through him as well, or the Doctor’s forwardness had emboldened him, for he moaned in pleased response, treating the Doctor to the skills he had with his tongue. The Doctor kept one hand on Adric’s arm, but raised the other to find the small of his back, pressing him closer. The Alzarian’s hands started, first, on his chest, buried in curls, but before long were exploring, skirting over the Doctor’s broad shoulders, down the curve of his biceps and over the expanse of his sides.

After a considerable time, they broke for air, but the fiery sensation in the Doctor’s loins didn’t subside. “Well, I’d say that experiment was a success.”

“Yes,” Adric agreed, and his breathing was already labored. Clearly more at ease now, he took one of his hands off the Doctor’s side, raising it to cup his cheek. When the Doctor gave him a mad, toothy smile, Adric laughed and slipped his hand into the Doctor’s hair, running his fingers through the thick curls of hair there. “You’re lovely,” he said.

The Doctor couldn’t help but smile. “Nice of you to think so.”

“Should we move into the water now?” Adric hopefully asked.

“I don’t know, shall we?” the Doctor countered. “You are leading this crazy dance, after all, Adric.”

“All right then. Let’s move.” He got to his feet easily, offering a hand down to help the Doctor up. On normal circumstances, the Doctor might not have accepted, but this time he did because he knew that the more he touched Adric, the more stimulated he’d get. Rising to his feet, he noticed with some pleasure that he was not entirely flaccid. Neither, he noted, was Adric. “Pants off,” he added.

Whatever hesitation Adric had previously had was gone, as the boy quickly shucked his underwear, leaving them in a twisted wet bunch on the sand. The Doctor was somewhat more graceful, stepping out of his trousers first, before pulling his undergarments down.

The two stood there together, each surreptitiously studying the other’s genitals. The Doctor was pleased to note that Adric indeed did not have gills down there, or anything else he wouldn’t know what to do with, though he had gathered much of that knowledge earlier when he’d caught Adric in bed. “On Earth, it’s called a cock ring,” he said, noticing Adric’s gaze.

“Must sex always be described in such vulgar terms?” Adric mused.

The Doctor only smiled. “Many people actually like their couplings to be . . . dirty.”

Adric wrinkled his nose. “What does it do?” Adric asked. His hands went forward, as though to examine the device, but then stilled.

The Doctor sighed at the boy’s hesitancy, forcing himself to redirect his desires into those of anticipation. It helped, and even as Adric looked, the Doctor’s length twitched. “Time Lord though I am,” the Doctor mused cheerfully, “I’m rather out of practice. This will help in getting it up and keeping it up, as they say.”

“I should like one too,” Adric said.

“You hardly need one,” the Doctor replied, rather pointedly. “From the looks of things, the long romp I was hoping for will be over within a few seconds.”

Adric placed his hands on his hips, looking rather precocious in the sun with his sex at half-mast. “Don’t under estimate me,” he said. “Shall we see who lasts the longer then?”

“Oh, let’s,” the Doctor said with glee. “Shall I bring anything in the water with us?” he added.

“I’m almost afraid to ask what else you’ve got.”

“Prudish boy,” the Doctor snapped. “I meant for you. I’m not entirely sure how much actual copulation you’re expecting to happen, but I’ve come prepared, just incase.”

“We’ll be in the water,” Adric pointed out.

“Never hurts to be prepared,” the Doctor said.

Looking up at him, Adric was suddenly aware of how very tall the Doctor was. It was almost beyond his ability to reach up and kiss him. The Doctor seemed to sense what was on Adric’s mind though, bending just the bit that was required, and then Adric was on his toes, sucking the Doctor’s lower lip into his mouth, pulling him forward slowly. One hand slipped between them and Adric found the Doctor’s length. He gave it a firm, gentle tug and was pleased to find it responding to his touch.

“Water now,” the Doctor said in a thick voice. He put both his hands on Adric’s shoulders, turning the boy and steering him into the pool. He was starting to feel so feverish at the touching that only the thought of the cool water on his hot skin seemed to make any sense.

The pool was shallow at first, and the water warm. It felt good against the Doctor’s ankles, but it didn’t quell the burning he felt within him as he had hoped it might. His progress halted for a moment while he struggled to rein in his emotions, but Adric’s hands found his, and didn’t allow him to stay put. He was very soon pulled into the pool until the water was waist high. It rose to Adric’s collarbones, but the boy didn’t seem to mind the depth at all. He had released the Doctor’s hands and was now letting his fingers ghost along the Doctor’s forearms.

It wasn’t until the Doctor realized that Adric was positively trembling that he pulled his mind off his own feelings and focus on the boy. That was what he was here for. He had to stop worrying about himself. Adric seemed to be soaking up the attention. Although his hands seemed almost afraid to touch him, the boy had no problem with raking over the Doctor’s body with his eyes.

Seeing they were going to get nowhere fast if all they did was stare at each other, the Doctor reached out and touched Adric’s shoulder. “It’s all right,” he said, kindly.

Adric let out a soft whimper that was almost a moan. “May I touch you, Doctor?” he asked in a small voice.

“I should hope so,” the Doctor replied.

And still Adric hesitated. His hands finally stretched out, hovering just over the Doctor’s chest, tickling the curls of chest hair again. Then the touch increased as Adric moved closer, pressing his hands against the warm skin before him. The Doctor, never one to miss an opportunity, bent at the waist, lowering his head until he could press his mouth to the soft curve at Adric’s shoulder. There he kissed the flesh and found that the lightning that had shot through him before did so again, this time emanating both from where he kissed Adric, as well as where the boy’s hands were on his body.

The Doctor had meant to go slow, had wanted to let Adric lead so he didn’t do anything too fast or unwanted, but the sensation was terrifically overpowering. His hands slipped under the water, grabbing hold of the boy’s hips, and pulled him close. Adric let out a strangled moan, immediately losing his inhibitions and clung back, pressing his body up against the Doctor’s.

The Doctor kissed Adric’s neck, letting the boy rub himself against him, as he desired. He didn’t realize they were moving further into the pool until he lost hold of Adric as the water became too deep for him to stand in anymore. Immediately the Doctor reached for him, but Adric just gave him an impish grin and dove under.

The pool was clear enough for the Doctor to see where Adric was going. That didn’t stop him from taking in a sharp breath as the boy’s tart mouth found its target and closed in. The Doctor was lucky he was in the water, as his legs trembled and nearly gave way beneath him at the sensation that coursed through him at the action. Whatever fears he’d had about being unable to perform had faded entirely. Throwing his head back, the Doctor peered up into the endless blue sky, marveling at the fiery sensations coursing through him and wondering why he didn’t indulge in this sort of recklessness more often.

All too soon the mouth pulled away, and the Doctor didn't protest; he expected that the boy needed oxygen. He peered down into the cerulean depths, but Adric did not surface. Instead, the boy took hold of one of the Doctor’s legs and pulled, sending him careening into the pool. He managed a deep breath just as he hit and went under.

The world was soft and blue beneath the surface. Adric’s hair floated about his face like a soft curtain; the Doctor was sure his own curls wouldn’t look nearly so elegant. Once the bubbles that had accompanied his descent fizzled away, Adric gave him a brilliant smile, darting forward as nimble as a fish to give him a kiss. It was meant to be chaste, but as soon as their lips met, the Doctor reached out, grabbed Adric’s arm, and held him in place, deepening it.

They spun very slowly as they kissed. The Doctor’s extra padding made him slightly more buoyant, and so they righted, Adric beneath him, while the Doctor’s back rotated to face the surface. Awareness of their orientation was largely lost to them. Their mouths were hard at work, and Adric’s legs had found purchase, wrapping around the Doctor’s thighs and buttock. It provided them the ability to press together, even under the water.

When the Doctor was certain that Adric’s air should have expired, he broke the kiss and opened his eyes. Instead of finding the boy even remotely uncomfortable, he found a slightly put out expression peering back at him. The Doctor dimly accepted the knowledge that Adric had superior breath holding abilities; surely a layover from his Marshman genetics. The Doctor released Adric with one hand, using it to navigate them in the water, lowering them. Realizing the Doctor’s goal, Adric pitched in with one hand, and before long, the boy’s back contacted with the soft sandy floor. The Doctor pressed needfully against him.

Here the water was cooler, and Adric’s skin burned hotter the longer the Doctor touched him. He had thought that the onslaught of pheromones had been strong on the surface but beneath the water, it was as though everything was magnified. The Doctor studied Adric’s face, forcing himself to make certain the boy was all right before letting himself go. He knew he had at least another two or three minutes under the surface before he needed to breath, but Adric had been down longer than him and he didn’t want their tryst to result in a catastrophic accident due to the boy’s eagerness.

Clearly impatient, Adric shifted on the pool floor, wrapping his legs around the Doctor again. Then he writhed sensuously. The action made the Doctor gasp and precious tiny air bubbles escaped from his mouth, journeying the long distance to the surface. Feeling as if he were on fire, the Doctor found Adric’s body a willing receptacle to sow his need. In any other circumstance, he would not have been so bold or reckless, but the water surged with Adric’s desire, and the Doctor was a welcome slave to the passion.

His hand easily found the cleft between Adric’s buttocks and the Doctor gently prodded. He was aware enough to watch Adric’s face for acceptance, which he very readily received. The Doctor dimly grew aware of the fact that Adric had perhaps been hinting at this since they’d stepped onto the shore together.

Sensing a growing need for speed, less his air run out, the Doctor spent no more time hesitating. Whether it was the comforting water or the pheromones or Adric’s Marshman heritage, the boy was ready for him. The Doctor took a hold of his length, marveling at the unfamiliar weight and strain it was under, fully erect like he so rarely ever had it. He bent to kiss the boy, and then slowly pressed into his eager partner, filling him.

Adric’s eyes screwed up tightly at first and the Doctor took pains not to move too fast. Despite the niggling tickle in his chest that told him his air supply had nearly run out, the Doctor didn’t thrust, didn’t try to rush the moment. Adric’s hands gripped his shoulders and, without opening his eyes, he gave a curt nod. The Doctor took that for what it was worth and finally began the act.

His eyes immediately fluttered closed at the sensation that ripped through him. The need to pant, to breathe at all, was rising, to the point that, all the Doctor could hear was the pounding of his hearts, and all he could feel was the heavy weight working in and out of the Alzarian; the tightness in his lungs.

The Doctor waited until he was certain he couldn’t last underwater any longer, and then he waited several seconds beyond that. His vision swam red and he reluctantly squeezed Adric’s forearm. Confused when he opened his eyes, Adric didn’t seem to understand. The Doctor smiled sadly at him, indicated his throat, and with great reluctance forced himself out of the boy, shooting to the surface.

They had descended further than the Doctor had realized. His lungs seared from their deprivation, and for a moment the Doctor feared he was the one who was going to ruin Adric’s coming of age. Would he regenerate if he drowned? What would the poor boy think?

Then, mercifully, the Doctor’s head crested the water and he inhaled a deep, glorious mouthful of air. His head spun in delight as he recovered. His hearts were pounding from the excitement of the moment, and his erection seemed to twitch and bounce in the water, delighted at the perceived game; it was ready to be returned to its sheath. Uncertain as to whether he could swallow another breath and last another six minutes or so with the boy, the Doctor swam toward the shore, hoping he hadn’t ruined the mood entirely.

Adric surfaced beside him a few seconds later, concern written all over his face. “I forgot not everyone can last underwater as long as I can.” At the smile the Doctor gave him, Adric moved closer. “Are you all right?”

“Perfectly fine, Adric,” he said between gasps. “Mightn’t we finish this on the shore?” he added.

The way Adric’s eyes lit up proved that the boy was just eager at the idea of continuing—he didn’t seem to particularly care where. Instead of replying, he pushed off, diving under the water to glide to the shore. The Doctor followed a little less gracefully, arriving in time to see Adric neatly arranging himself on the sandy shore, half in the water, half out. He propped himself up on his elbows, grinning expectantly at the Doctor.

Not one to disappoint, the Doctor dropped and covered the boy quickly. They kissed a few times, as the Doctor's hands roved along the boy’s sides, relishing in the fire the touch sent through him; the way it made Adric squirm. With a gentle nudge, Adric’s legs lifted and loosely wrapped around the Doctor. On the shore, it was a little more difficult to navigate, but they were still water slicked enough, and eager enough that he found little resistance.

It felt different above the water; things didn’t flow together as effortlessly; the null void of sound didn’t cradle them, and Adric’s pheromones weren’t as intense. But the trade off was worth it—now, as the Doctor worked in the boy, he could hear the pleasure he elicited. In the water Adric’s eyes had screwed up in what appeared to be pain, but on the shore the Doctor had a better purchase and could angle himself better without fighting against the water trying to float him away. Adric’s whimpers of delight were intoxicating. Furthermore, gravity worked to their advantage. The Doctor had difficulty pinning Adric to the floor of the pool, but on the shore he could put all of his weight behind his thrusts, rocking quickly and easily to the core of the boy.

Adric, almost completely unaware of everything that was not the man above him, clung to the Doctor’s shoulders with his hands, wrapping his legs as tightly around the Doctor’s hips as possible, drawing him close. The Doctor’s breath puffed hard and heavy in Adric’s ear, sending hot shivers rippling through his body. He had been close, so very close, when they had been under the water; now the sensations were even stronger on land. Adric’s fingers dug into the Doctor’s back and suddenly the world tensed and brightened around him. He threw his head back into the sand, letting out a ragged cry as he came, cresting through his boyhood and bursting into adulthood in the most perfect moment he’d ever experienced.

The Doctor opened his eyes at Adric’s cry, peering down at him in adoration. He put a hand down to his erection and in a simple movement unsnapped the band of leather around it. Tossing it aside, the Doctor let his head loll forward, making a few more thrusts into the boy’s body. Then his body tensed, first down in the very pit of his loins, then along his buttocks and lower back. What followed was an explosion and he found himself arching forward with a deep sigh as he released.

After, there was only silence and the warm breeze blowing over their still-damp skin. The Doctor drank in the peace and contentment for a few moments before looking down at Adric through an array of wet curls. The boy’s cheeks were flushed and there was a light shining in his eyes. His lips curved into a beatific smile when he realized the Doctor was looking at him. “Hello, Adric,” the Doctor drawled into the quiet.

“Hello, Doctor,” Adric answered in a tired voice.

Very carefully the Doctor extracted himself, collapsing onto his side next to the boy. “All right?”

Adric’s smile broadened and he lowered his legs, stretching them out luxuriously, sending ripples dancing along the pool. “Very,” he languidly replied, seeming to absorb the very sun itself. After a few moments, he rolled to face the Doctor, pillowing his head on his folded arm. “Thank you.”

The Doctor gave Adric one of his familiar, brilliant smiles. Then he brushed the wet hair off Adric’s forehead, leaned forward and planted a kiss there. “Not at all.”

“So, I guess I’m a man now,” Adric mused, quite pleased at the notion.

“Well, are you quite certain it’s worked?” the Doctor asked.

“What do you mean?” Adric questioned before stifling a yawn.

The Doctor’s toothy smile returned. “Well, Time Lord and an Alzarian, are we sure it counts?” Noticing the twinkle in Adric’s eyes, the Doctor added, “We might want to do it again later, to make doubly sure.”

Adric’s eyes widened and he laughed delightedly at the suggestion. He wormed closer to the Doctor, rolling so he could snuggle up against him. “We certainly should,” he mused, sighing as the Doctor wrapped an arm around the slighter body. “But first, a nap.”

Smiling, the Doctor nodded, closing his eyes peacefully. “That is a very civilized idea indeed.”
--

.the end.