Because Blaine was watching so closely, he saw the Doctor look up; saw him scan the crowd; saw him reach, idly, for his coat, like he intended to move despite not having found the correct person yet. He paused only to toss the half-eaten blueberry muffin into a nearby bin (unimpressed with its quality – it really was a pity he’d missed out on the carrot cake) and then he exchanged words with a passing server (”Wherever you’re getting your muffins – tell them to try a squeeze of lemon, it’ll work better,”) and slipped into the seat opposite one Blaine Anderson, despite the fact that a second ago, the Doctor had still been looking for him. Easy enough to pick out. The Doctor would know the look of boy troubles anywhere, and the way Blaine followed him ‘round the room cinched the deal.
This was Not Ariel.
“Not Ariel,” the Doctor said, and reached across the table to offer him his hand (the Doctor really did like handshakes), “I’m the Doctor. Lovely to meet you. You give some bad advice on where to find things.” He’d got his cup of tea, though, and he set it down with his free hand, completely casual: “Tell you what though, I’m starting to think finding a place to eat is no piece of cake.”
Thoroughly convinced he had ruined any hope of a good first impression, he sat back, at last. If the TARDIS was going to be fussy, the Doctor could at least enjoy a good cuppa and some conversation. “I take it Dalton’s not a dog?”
Blaine felt his cheeks go pink as the Doctor started to approach the table. Closer. Closer still. He wasn’t being overly not-obvious with how he was watching him, was he? Busted. Guilty. He’d been found out. There was no mistaking he was about to get company judging by how the strange man using him as a human version of Yelp stopped at his table then suddenly filled the chair opposite of him. A polite smile was given in spite of how the redness in his cheeks began to seep up over the bridge of his nose.
Not Ariel. That was his name now. Not Ariel. Laughter bubbled out of him, easing his nerves and bumping the anxiety of being caught staring welled up. Looking at him this close? The Doctor seemed nice enough. Intriguing from conversation alone but the accent only added to the mystery. Which was hard to find in Lima, Ohio. Where everyone knew everyone and there was rarely a face you didn’t recognize as someone who knew someone. Even the strangers looked like they belonged her. This guy? Definitely didn’t.
They shook hands and Blaine’s eyes lit up with the delight of someone new and someone to talk to. “Lovely to meet you, too, Doctor. I’m sorry my advice wasn’t the greatest. There’s really not a lot of places to choose from here. Maybe I should have told you about the bakery down the street. It’s sort of the last place in town to try if you struck out here. The muffin didn’t seem that impressive to you.
“Uh no. Dalton’s a school. My old one.” A hint of nostalgia and longing crept into his voice. He swallowed his coffee to chase it away. “Boring story, really. And you already had a bad cake experience. I’d hate to ruin the conversation part. Um.. Please tell me cake isn’t the only reason why you’re here? As in. Ohio?”
pianokeysandbowties 