OTA

[hollow_moon]

He liked spring. There was still a chill to the air most days at the moment, but you could see nature slowly waking from its slumber, even here in the heart of the city.  It brought the wolf inside him nothing but joy, and left him with an itch to be outside in the sunlight, roaming and exploring. He'd have to plan a trip to the country soon, somewhere he could really roam wild...

For now, however, a jog through the park would have to do.

Dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt, Valentine alternated between jogging and sprinting. Moving slower where there were crowds, then taking off at top speed along empty stretches of the path, the man didn't stop until his heart was pounding hard and he knew he needed a break. Slowing to a stop, he stretched out and caught his breath, before drinking from the water bottle that he had strapped to his hip.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stop in the centre of the path," he said, stepping out the way when he realised someone was attempting to get past him.

Comments

[just_hex]

"Too right," he said, then dove into his burger. He had three bites gone before he said, "I've got two other secrets. Do you want to guess at them?"

[hollow_moon]

"Like a game?" Val asked with a grin, pausing to take another bite, then nodding. "Alright... Let's see. What could your secrets be? ...You're not a clown on the weekends, are you? That would be dreadful."

[just_hex]

Hex choked as he was taking a drink of water, then he laughed.

"No. God, no. Not a clown."

[hollow_moon]

"Peeping tom?" Val guessed. "Oh! A porn star. I could see that. Full time nurse, part time porn star. I'm into it."

[just_hex]

"You've got a wild imagination, mate," he laughed. "I'm no porn star...but I'll tell you that that line of thinking might lead you to secret number one."

[hollow_moon]

"Porn addict?" Val guessed. "God, I don't know. I'm dreadful at this sort of thing. Go on, give us another hint."

[just_hex]

"A hint? Hmm..."

He took another bite and chewed slowly.

"Have you ever heard of The Hoist?" he asked, knowing that if Val had he'd get the answer and if he hadn't then Hex wouldn't be out anything.

[hollow_moon]

"The leather bar?" Val asked. "I've been there. Bit too clean and polished if you ask me... Hmm. I'd guess that you were dom, but that feels too obvious. The ones you hope are butch and a bit rough almost never are. ...Are you secretly someone's puppy, Hex? I could see that. ...I'd like to see it at least."

[just_hex]

"There's nothing wrong with obvious," he said calmly. "I'm no one's puppy. No...I've never even tried."

[hollow_moon]

Val let his gaze flicker over Hex, then looked thoughtful as he sipped his juice.

"Hot," he replied simply. "What's secret number two then? Or are we going tit for tat?"

[just_hex]

"Tit for tat, I think. You haven't given me even a hint," he replied. "Let's see...are you a cannibal?" he asked, only half joking.

[hollow_moon]

"No. I'm careful not to let the wolf roam free. It's never craved human flesh, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't try it if I let it out. Let's see... I'm loaded. Not a secret, but something that's news to you. I'm a Collingwood, that's nearly as shocking as cannibalism, surely."

[just_hex]

It tru;y was shocking and Hex's jaw dropped. He'd grown up poor- not in deep poverty but money had always been tight. He thought he was flush now with his nursing position but the Collingwoods...

"Bloody hell, seriously?" he said. "Are you...oh my god, if what The Sun says is right you're more than loaded. How do you keep the wolf a secret? Or do they only hound the girls in your family for upskirts?"

[hollow_moon]

"It's not that hard. I'm considered the least interesting member of my family by the press. They're only interested in me when they've got an 'eligible bachelor' lit to put out, or are doing bits on rich eccentrics. Spent some time being papped in my teens, but only because I used to enjoy hanging out with the then London 'it' crowd. That's not my scene any more," Val shrugged.

[just_hex]

"Bloody hell, I would have never guessed that," Hex laughed. "All right, your turn for my last secret and you'll never guess it. You won't even believe me when I tell you."

[hollow_moon]

Val hummed a little, popping his last chip into his mouth as he tried to think of something truly out there.

"You are... An inter dimensional time traveller who's seen everything from dinosaurs to space aliens- And you once stopped the sun from exploding."

[just_hex]

Hex went quiet then and what had been all in fun now seemed dangerous. No one knew about the Doctor except Spencer and Q and he trusted them both to keep it quiet.

He pushed his chair back and stood, a look of panic in his eyes.

"Are you with U.N.I.T.? he asked, ready to make a dash for the door.

[hollow_moon]

Val burst out laughing. "Am I what? You're too funny, mate. Come on, enough muckin' around. Tell me your second secret. Or is this another hint? Are you, like, a LARPer or something? I did that once, in uni. Spent a whole weekend pretending to be a knight, while we ran about whacking one another with foam swords. ...It was sort of brilliant if I'm honest."

[just_hex]

"No...n-no, you were spot on. Except I didn't stop a sun from exploding. Not me. The man I traveled with, though," he said, awkwardly still ready to flee.

"He's called the Doctor. He travels in a blue Police Box. He's...brilliant. There's no one like him. And he took me with him and I saw the universe."

[hollow_moon]

Val was quiet for a moment then, smile fading as his mind went from confusion, to disbelief, then concern- Before finally settling on curiosity, and a faint moment of recognition.

Blue box. Doctor... Where had he heard that before? He was certain he'd come across something along those lines while purchasing something for his museum...

"...Okay," he replied, not sounding disbelieving, just, well, unsure of how to respond to a confession like that. "....Your first secret was much more fun. I should have just invited you back to mine after that one. Now I've got to deal with the fact that you're either batshit insane, or the reality of time travel. ...Neither of which sound like they end with you in my bedroom."

[just_hex]

"I'm not batshit insane," he said softly, opting to sit again so he didn't look like an idiot. He picked up a chip and dipped it in brown sauce over and over again, much more than necessary.

"Did I really miss that opportunity? Because I was going to ask you back to mine after the tour," he said, a bit shy now that he knew Val thought he was a nutter.

[hollow_moon]

"No- And I can't take you on a tour tonight anyway, there's construction going on after hours at the moment and it wont be done until the weekend at the earliest," Val said, shrugging a little. "So if you just want to go to yours- or mine- I'm game."

Mad or not, Hex looked like fun.

[just_hex]

"Really?" he asked with the chip in his mouth. Rude to speak with his mouth full, but he was too surprised.

[hollow_moon]

Val shrugged, finishing his juice.

"You're a time travelling dominant, that makes you the second most interesting person I've met this week. Why wouldn't I want to see what an evening with you would be like?" he asked. "By the way, the most interesting person I met this week was a contortionist with an extra finger on her left hand, who raised goats. Time travel tops goats, sure, but that extra finger was really something."

[just_hex]

And then it was Hex's turn to look at Val like he might be mad. He couldn't believe he was outdone by an extra finger.

"You're an odd one, Val," he said, shaking his head but smiling. He did mean it as a compliment.