supernova: gravity (11th doctor)

The Almost People (pt 2) / Counsel (pt 1)

"Is this really how it ends?" Navin Zodiac asked.

It was the most intense kiss of his life.

Steve pulled him in by his tie and crashed his lips onto his, taking his time, beckoning him to move with him. Steve was romantic, dramatic, passionate; something Navin never admitted he'd always wanted. Steve was kissing him like he couldn't breathe, like he was on fire, and like this would be the last time it would ever happen. Because it would be.

And Navin knew that he loved Steve, but he also knew that he couldn't trust him.

The kiss wasn't just intense because Navin knew for a fact that this was the last time that he was going to kiss the love of his life– but because the effects of MT0324 were now activated, and the liquid tracking device he was secretly transferring into Steve's body through his tongue was quite literally creating sparks between them.

Steve pulled away and held Navin's face in his hand, his face pleading. "Can you do one last thing for me, my love?"

"...So that's a yes." Navin whispered, nodding anyway. There was not a single soul, nor recording device around in the empty street at 6am in a small town in Nevada in 1991, but he always felt like he had to be quiet around Steve.

Steve sighed, caressing Navin's face with his thumb. He didn't break eye contact as he shuffled in his coat pocket for a white jewelry box and pressed it against Steve's chest.

Navin took it, hoping that maybe it would be something for him, some sort of ring, bracelet, anything that would remind him of his lover– but when he opened the box, he immediately knew it wasn't meant for him.

He pulled the locket out and turned it over, trying to decipher the circular engravings on the back. "What is this?"

Steve gently placed his hand over his, lowering the locket back down into the box. "Be careful with this. It's really important to me."

"What is it?"

"I need you to give this to someone."

"Why can't you tell me what it is?" Navin's eyes were watering against his will. He hated that Steve was never really honest with him, but then again, in his line of business, nobody was.

Steve closed the box and unbuttoned Navin's suit, placing it in his inner coat pocket for him. Navin looked at him the whole time, mesmerized by how he glowed under the orange of the street lamp, and how gentle he was with his movements– despite how reckless he always was with his heart.

"The same reason I can't tell you why I have to go. Oh, Navin..."

When the tears finally began falling down Navin's face, Steve kissed him again.

888

"I would advise you not to go back there. Even though I'm sure you will." Zodiac said as he shifted through the digital files in the touch screen on his desk.

Dylan shook his head. "I'm sorry... I have to go back there eventually."

"And why is that?" Zodiac still didn't look up at him, tapping at his desk frantically. Of course– to the average person, Professor Zodiac never looked frantic. But Dylan was trained in body language, and he knew Zodiac well.

"I have to bring her back." Dylan fidgeted in his seat on the other side of the desk. "It's obviously dangerous over there."

"It's dangerous over here too."

"Yeah, but... I can't do anything to help her over there. I just want to... keep her safe."

"You can't make anyone stay, and you can't guarantee anyone's safety. Much less someone like Scarlette." Zodiac found what he was looking for, and finally looked up at Dylan. "And that universe... it's hostile."